Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Good.

It felt so good.

They were on the couch; a lithe young man of two-toned hair straddling the lap of the hard-bodied man of snow-white hair sitting beneath him. The younger, an omega, was rocking his hips into the other, eager to mold himself to the alpha holding him firmly with one large hand on his back and another on his ass.

How their evening of quiet book-reading turned into a hot make out session was a blur, but neither of them seemed to be complaining.

“Mmmm…” Haise moaned dreamily into their latest kiss, hot and wet and encompassing. The kiss of his lover, his mate, was delicious, more delicious than usual. The urge to have more was threatening to overwhelm him, just as much as the thick, pheromone-packed air was doing on its own.

“Kishou...” he said with slight pleading in his voice. He ground his hips into his lover insistently, silently requesting for more. Always needing more, more friction, more touch, more attention, more of everything. He wanted it all and needed it all. Why wasn’t he getting it faster? He hoped his mate would catch on without him having to explicitly say anything more.

Without warning, Haise felt the air ripped from his lungs, his balance with gravity overturned. Arima had switched their positions and slammed the other down to lie his back flat on the plush couch.

Haise felt the lower pit of his stomach give a pleasant flip of arousal, his body happily agreeing with the literal turn of events. Arima gracefully nudged Haise’s legs apart so he could fit his large body between them and press his weight down just the way other liked. It only took a second for the mates to meet each other’s lips to once again share a smoldering kiss. Haise gave a delighted mewl through the kiss when he felt his lover sneak an arm underneath his waist to pull him in. In response, Haise wrapped one leg around Arima’s waist in return, wanting to be even closer to his lover.

Of course, their current level of closeness wasn’t enough.

Arima smoothly went to work on unraveling Haise. Piece by piece, button by button, he slowly exposed his lover’s chest, whose light pink nipples teased in and out of view through the shirt opening each time Haise shifted below him in want. Arima lingered his latest kiss on the other’s reddened lips, then began the hot, wet trail downward, placing kisses over his throat, then down the other’s neck, then off to the side of it. Haise’s glazed eyes slipped closed, purring in contentment as he relished in the attention, arching into the one above him.

Then, Arima did something he hadn’t done before: he started gently gnawing on the juncture between Haise’s neck and shoulder, as if for some reason he was trying to mark it.

“Ahnn -- !” the omega cried out in pleasure at the new sensation, releasing more pheromones into the air. Arima let out a low growl, pressing more insistently into the areas their bodies were touching as he let out more of his own pheromones in response, to which Haise moaned louder in agreement. He turned his head to his side to allow the alpha more access, yearning for him to just bite down on the area receiving attention, though somewhere in the back of his mind he was unsure why he wanted such a thing.

When Arima ground his pelvis harshly into his own, Haise’s body gave him the answer.

Suddenly his body was flaring into overdrive. Haise felt a liquid hot spike of arousal surge throughout his entire being, pooling in his stomach and physically leaking into the pelvic region Arima was rocking into. Haise’s mind finally blanked out, desire overtaking all thought until one remained: he wanted to be fucked by Arima. He wanted his mate to fuck him, fuck him now, whip out that flushed, gigantic alpha cock he knew his mate was packing and take him hard right there on the couch. Ravage him, fill him over and over again with all the power the alpha had, all the way until Haise was screaming for mercy. Take him, so thoroughly and relentlessly, all the way, all the way until together they made  --

Then rationality in Haise broke through.

Oh God. It was happening again.

He untangled his hands from Arima’s silky hair and brought them down to his lover’s shoulders. He squeezed them urgently, an unspoken request to pause their actions.

“I’m sorry, Kishou,” Haise panted as he pulled his face away from his lover. This was not good; it was seeping through again. He forced his arousal and omega pheromones down through fierce will, trying to regain clarity in his pheromone-clouded mind until he could finally formulate a coherent sentence. “I’m...too tired t-to do anything more than this tonight.”

Arima didn’t meet his lover’s gaze immediately, something he would have usually done. Instead, he decided to nuzzle his face back into the side of Haise’s neck. He tightened his grip almost possessively around Haise’s waist for a brief moment, bringing his lover flush against him again while he burrowed his face deeper into the side of the other’s neck, inhaling the heavy sweet scent emanating from there. It smelled so good, so inticing, fueling him with some sort of power through his bones it threatened to make him dizzy with want. How it mingled with his own scent perfectly, entwined just as how their bodies were both in sync right now, as if they were ready, ready for -- something, something more than just the usual sex they have, he couldn’t explain what --

He remembered what Haise said; he wanted Arima to back off now. Finally realizing this, Arima made a brief swallowing sound to gather himself before sitting up.

“There is...no need to apologize,” he finally said after breathing some, his voice carrying the faintest trace of instability. He was careful to remove his physical contact from the omega. “I’m the sorry one. We don’t have to go all the way every time we get worked up.”

Haise bit back a small whine, mourning the loss of the alpha’s touch as he watched the other slowly pull away and leave him alone, a hot mess melted in the corner of the couch’s softness, even though it was Haise himself called who for them to suddenly part.

He definitely bit back another whine when his eyes trailed down his lover’s larger figure and noticed the impressive bulge still straining in his pants. “I can help with --” he began.

“Don’t worry about it,” Arima said, the slight break in his composure smoothed over. Then, with slight laughter in his deep voice, said, “I will make it disappear through my pure strength of will.”

Haise laughed softly at that, the atmosphere of the room slowly lightening up. However, it was still full with pheromones dancing around them: he could still smell Arima’s heavy scent in the couch corner, on his disheveled shirt, and especially on his skin, reminding him of the burn that was still festering from his insides out. Haise needed to suppress his desires now or else he’ll be tempted to touch Arima again...and he couldn’t guarantee he would stop himself next time. “I’ll make it up to you sometime, Kishou. But for now I need to head to the bathroom.”

Arima nodded his head in agreement, but his gaze at Haise remained strangely unwavering, as if challenging him to leave. “I should probably look through the work documents for tomorrow anyway,” Kishou said. A rational conclusion, but somehow seemed out of place to both their ears.

Haise gave a closed-eyed smile, lightly scratching his chin to hide his slight unease. “Sounds good. I’ll be right back,” he said as he rose from the couch.

Suddenly, a tight grip on his wrist stopped him.

Haise swiftly turned around and let out a soft gasp. His surprised eyes were caught in Arima’s ice-hot stare.

It was bordering on predatory.

It sent hot shivers of arousal right through him.

Just as fast as it stole Haise’s breath away, Arima’s intense stare quickly dissolved into an equally-candid expression of shock. “I’m -- sorry. Again,” Arima stated. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion over his own actions. “I’m...not sure what came over me.”

“Ahh, i-it’s ok,” Haise breathed. He felt paralyzed; Arima’s alpha pheromones were back again, but slightly different from their heated session moments before; this time it was like a thick wall surrounding him, like an invisible prison locking him in place, unable to move. Arima never acted like this before, being this level of assertive, and this was the second time this behavior displayed itself in a matter of minutes.

Yet something like this was oddly difficult for Haise to resist, though he buried this admission even to himself.

They both gulped as they felt the heat between them rising again, each clueless of what to do but both too aware of the buzz of pheromones mingling around them.

Then, there was a brief flash in Arima’s eyes; an unspoken moment of uncertainty and longing.

Haise felt something in his heart tug, an instinct of understanding he couldn’t put into words. “You can let go of me now, Kishou,” he said softly. “I’m heading across the way to the bathroom, it’s only a few footsteps away. I’ll come right back to you when I finish.”

Something seemed to click in Arima’s mind. Slowly, he released his grip on the other. “Yes. Right.”

And just like that, the spell of pheromones was broken.

“I’ll just...get ready for bed,” Arima sighed as took off his glasses, rubbing his eyes. His eyebrows were still slightly knit in concern. “Maybe I should rest for a bit myself...”

“That sounds like a good idea. I’ll meet you there soon,” Haise assured. He gave one last look at his mate --why did he look somewhat downhearted that made his heart ache?-- then walked somewhat stiffly toward the guest bathroom of their apartment.

The omega opened the bathroom door and took a deep breath of the room’s neutral smell.

He breathed out in relief. He needed this time to breathe.

After a moment, he closed the door softly.

Once he heard the safe click of the self-lock, Haise released a small, shuddering cry. In no time at all, the heat within him flared back with intensity, surging once again through his limbs. It was as if his brief suppression didn’t even exist: his skin was back to a light sweat, a liquid, slick-like substance pooling in his lower regions that threatened to trail down his legs, and his need to be run back into his alpha’s concerned arms and be smothered in Arima’s scent returning tenfold. The room was so suddenly saturated with his omega scent, so thick and heavy and needy that it started to make his own head spin.

Haise threw himself at the sink and tore open the guest bathroom medicine cabinet, frantically pushing past the various bottles and packages of bathroom essentials to reach a certain prescription bottle hidden somewhere in the back. He winced, his hips starting to feel weak with each second that passed and increased his panic.

Soon he found what he was looking for. Immediately Haise twisted open the bottle and jammed a pill into his mouth, swallowing with it no water to aid in its journey down his dry throat. He braced his hands on the sink for support, knuckles as white as his clenched teeth. Through his nose he breathed in and out, waiting.

Waiting,

waiting...

Slowly but surely felt the searing heat burning throughout his body withdraw and concentrate into a low burn at the pit of his stomach, then dissipate completely into nothingness.

Haise let out a sigh of relief.

He braced the sink for several moments more, making sure his strength and rationality returned. Then, he put his head in his hands, finally releasing a small sob in distress. 

He had to get this sorted out tomorrow. There was no more waiting.

-------------------------------------------

“Thank you for meeting with me on such short notice, Dr. Chigyo.”

“It’s no problem at all, Mr. Sasaki,” A doctor with a bowl cut covering the majority of his forehead and eyes replied. He spoke reassuringly to his nearby patient as he opened the door to his office to sit down. Shortly after he stepped in a young man with two-toned hair followed him inside and closed the door behind them. Though the two were settled into a casual office instead of a medical room, the doctor continued to wear his white laboratory coat over his dark underclothes, and the younger man in pinstriped business attire. It certainly was an odd combination for a suddenly odd circumstance that day.

Haise took a seat in one of the chairs facing the front of the desk while Dr. Chigyo laid his forearms atop it, fingers laced together. The doctor spoke: “I must admit, however, that I am a bit surprised you were able to take time out of your busy work schedule to come here.”

“I have plenty of vacation and sick hours from work that I save for emergency purposes like this,” the younger replied with a light chuckle and apologetic smile on his face. He would have preferred not to make a visit outside his annual checkups, but he had waited long enough in diagnosing the issue that was bothering him.

Dr. Chigyo smiled softly. “Let us not waste any time then. What brings you here today, Haise?”

Haise shifted slightly in his seat. He controlled his voice to sound cheerful, but his tense posture said otherwise, “I think...we may have to increase the dosage of my omega suppressants.”

The doctor raised his eyebrows, though Haise couldn’t see. “Oh?”

“Nothing in my routine of taking it has changed,” Haise explained. “I take my heat suppressant pill once every evening. I have not missed a single day for almost a decade now, ever since I started the omega cycle as a teen. I haven’t had any side effects while taking them. Not once.”

Haise then looked to the side, his soft cheeks developing a slight blush. “However, these past few weeks I’ve been experiencing some --” he hesitated for a moment, “physical reactions I haven’t had before while on them.”

Dr. Chigyo nodded his head, acknowledging that he was listening to Haise with neutrality, silently encouraging him to continue. Haise pushed forward.

“Lately, when I’m with Kishou -- ah, my mate,” Haise quickly corrected himself, “I feel too many things at once. I feel myself getting sluggish but highly sensitive and reactive at the same time. The scents are becoming too acute, I start getting too warm, and there’s more --” he gulped, “natural lubrication than usual, almost like heat slick. I’ve been with intimate with him before, but never with these reactions. It’s too much.”

“I-t’s almost as if my heat is trying to break through or something,” He scratched the back of his head sheepishly, eyes cast down. “I-I’m not sure what to do...”

Dr. Chigyo thought for a moment. “That is a bit concerning,” he concluded, to which he added quickly when he saw his patient’s eyes go wide in fear: “But not unheard of. And nothing too horrible to worry about, depending on your priorities.”

The two-toned young man gave a small sigh of relief, but still remained a bit uneasy. He looked to Dr. Chigyo for elaboration on his statement.

“Haise…you mentioned you had a mate,” the doctor said, slowly. “May I ask what lifestyle changes you may have recently made?”

“Ahh, yes,” Haise began. “Since the last time we met for my suppressant replenishment, the same person I was with then -- we’re now mates. We actually moved into our first apartment together just a few weeks ago.” He smiled to himself, “My diet and sleep schedules have remained the same, though I can already tell that with my home cooking my mate’s diet is improving. He definitely won’t need instant ramen anymore, that’s for sure!” Haise laughed, then thought for a second. “Though it does make one wonder how he’s been able to function so efficiently all these years without a balanced diet…”  

Dr. Chigyo chuckled lightly. “And this mate of yours -- they are an Alpha, correct?”

“Yes.”

“I see. And how old is your alpha?”

“He’s in his early to mid-thirties,” Haise stated. “I’m in the equivalent range, just a decade younger.” In a society where there were alpha, beta, and omega categories on top of classifications of male or female in finding compatibility with someone, age differences were not high on the list of concerns. For Arima and Haise, their ages even seemed to fit perfectly together.

With those specific facts confirmed, Dr. Chigyo gave a smile that Haise could sense was genuine despite not being able to see his eyes through the thick bowlcut hairstyle. When the doctor spoke, it was with a warmth Haise did not expect:

“Haise...Have you perhaps thought that the omega in you is finding the time right to start a family?”

Haise’s heart skipped a beat, his face warming up. “I -- !”

He cleared his throat. “I...have thought about it before,” the omega admitted, more composed. He was pretty good with kids, even helped raise his brothers when they lost their parents. “If it were possible to have one, I mean. I’m assuming I can since I’m an omega? But I’ve heard that some other male omegas can’t. And I’ve also heard there are male omegas who go into heat but don’t get --” Haise cut himself off, his nerves making him ramble again. “That’s why I haven’t taken any chances and just stayed on the suppressants, even though I,” -- he blushed -- “I wouldn’t mind a family of my own.” He sighed. “The whole thing for male omegas seems so confusing and varied at times, though, I’m not sure what would work for myself…”

“I understand the confusion, Haise,” Dr. Chigyo replied. “Let me try to break it down for you.”

The doctor pulled out a diagram from the side of his desk, sliding it over to the center and in the direction for Haise to read. “As you are well aware, the biology of we humans are not just classified as male or female. While we do have these initial classifications, each individual can be further categorized as an alpha, beta, or omega.” He pointed to the center of the diagram. “The majority of the population are beta, an equal ratio of female-to-male,” he then pointed to the left of the page, “next we have alphas, whose female-to-male ratio tips more toward male,” he pointed to the right of the page, “then we have omega, who are overwhelmingly female in the ratio.”

The doctor then slid his pointing finger toward the corner of the page, where an image smaller than the previous classifications and description was displayed. “But the rarest of all combinations --male omegas--make up a very small percent of today’s global population.”

Dr. Chigyo raised his head to face his long-time patient.

“You, Haise Sasaki, are part of that small population.” he stated. “This is also where it gets tricky to determine what will happen to you next, no matter what decision you make.”

Haise nodded, concerned but listening intently.

The doctor continued: “Since male omega are rare in general, not enough conclusive research has been made about them. Thus, medication for taming heats --which is by an extent birth control-- has varied results.” He pulled out three bottles of pills from a nearby shelf and placed them on the desk between himself and Haise. “Currently, there is only one medication of heat suppressant pills, in the form of a low, average, and maximum dosage, as represented by these bottles in front of us. The suppressants are used by both female and male omegas, but for scientific reasons we have yet to fully determine, only covers the full range of benefits for female omegas. This could be because they are naturally more fertile. For male omegas, the amount of suppressant coverage differs on a case by case basis based on how their body receives the pill.”

“Generally the middle dosage is the safe level given to male omegas. For you, Haise, this mid-range dose seems to have done the trick in warding off your heats and potential procreation without giving you side effects, just as how it would work for female omegas. You’re one of the lucky ones,” the doctor gave a small smile. “That is, until you most recently settled into a more permanent lifestyle with your alpha mate.”

Dr. Chigyo returned to his serious professional expression. “It appears that this mid dosage is not strong enough to hold back the pheromones you both are sending and feeding off of each other, especially since you two are now in close living and work quarters.”

Haise blushed, slightly embarrassed how his doctor could say such things with a straight face, but more concerned over the use of the word “both.” His eyebrows turned upward in worry. “You mean, this is affecting Kishou, too?”

“Yes,” Dr. Chigyo said. “If you notice him becoming more possessive, protective, or needy over wanting you near, that is an alpha’s way of making sure you are safe and no one steals you away. This is much more apparent when they have a mate, and can stress their body the more they cannot fully please their mate through the heat,” he explained. “You can say it is an instinct of theirs, something naturally ingrained into them from long-lost history, just as you have your own version of instinct within you.”

Haise recalled the moments with his mate the previous night, remembering Kishou’s oddly possessive behavior and the alpha’s own confused and guilty expressions after he realized what he did. Haise suddenly felt a pang of guilt wash over him. He was prepared to endure this issue on his own, but didn’t realize it would get this unintentionally tangled with Kishou, so much so that it was clouding his mate’s usual behavior.

“It won’t just...pass on its own after a while?” the omega said meekly. Perhaps they could walk a middle path, just limit interaction with each other for one more week or so while symptoms appeared and then carry on with the current suppressants when the heat decided to stop being pushy.

The doctor shook his head. “Now that you have found a mate and are both reacting at this level, the heat symptoms you experience around each other will not stop, for both your bodies recognize your alpha as a perfect choice for mating and you as an omega a perfect home for procreation. The biological imperative will not let this opportunity subside, will continue to push until something extreme happens. The symptoms can only be stopped by either maxing out the suppressant dosage or going off them completely and deal with the heat.”

Haise deflated. There goes the option of having his cake and eating it, too.

“You could choose to carry out your current lifestyle of taking both suppressants and letting pre-heat symptoms break free, but there is no research available detailing what happens to the reproductive cycle when it is tricked into thinking it can into heat but the remaining medicine prevents the cycle to finalize and settle into fertilization,” Dr. Chigyo said in afterthought.

“If I chose to...go off the suppressants,” Haise began, his voice serious. “What are the chances of it producing anything?”

“Hmm…” Dr. Chigyo thought for a moment. “While it varies some, the general chance of conception for male omegas is about 6.45 percent,” he said. “However, from the way you respond successfully to the regular suppressants exactly as female omegas do --who have almost 100 percent chance of conception-- and the way you respond to your mate so strongly it is prompting heat despite regular suppressants...you may have a higher chance of conceiving than other male omegas do,” the doctor said. Then, reflecting on his history of working with omegas, “I have had a small handful of other male omegas as patients throughout my career as a doctor, and none of them have been as receptive to their mate as you are. Certainly not the point where their heat is overtaking the actual medicine.”

Haise blushed again. He didn’t know whether to be proud of his personal insistent biology or not.

“I understand this is a lot of information thrown at you at once for a very important life decision.” Dr. Chigyo said, giving his patient a moment to breathe. “Do you have any questions so far?”

“...Just one,” Haise asked. He figured he should discuss the entirety of his options before committing to one immediately. “You mentioned there was a ‘safe level’ of dosage for male omegas. What exactly do you mean by that?”

“As perceptive as ever, Haise,” Dr. Chigyo said, backtracking. “And with perfect timing you ask that as well. It brings us to the next issue of concern: your option of increasing the suppressant dosage to suppress the heat that is trying to break through.”  

He continued: “While once again the research isn’t definitive, the studies we have suggests that a male omega’s handling of the maximum dosage will have less side effects if he has a high body mass index. For those with smaller, more lean frames such as yourself, the outlook does not look good.”

Haise gulped, but continued to listen in silence as he absorbed the new information.

“There is an ongoing study by a doctor named Kanou --we call it the ‘T-Owl Experiment,’ named after its first subject-- where male omega volunteers have been put on maximum suppressants for years at a time,” Dr. Chigyo explained.  “Their bodies on average are able to handle the constant heavy dosage for the first decade and a half with no severe symptoms. Once they pass this general length of time, however, the reactions are deeply troubling.”

The doctor laced his fingers together. “Subject T-Owl is the first case of a now growing problem among smaller male omegas who display erratic behavior after continuous exposure to the maximum suppressants for an extended period of time.”

“What...what is exactly happening to him?” Haise inquired. He didn’t like where this was going.

“Simply put...” Dr. Chigyo replied, “Instead of suppressing the heat, he is in an endless heat-like state that causes immense pain and violent, unpredictable behavior. There is no apparent desire to mate nor any trace of him being able to procreate at this point. He only harms others, especially himself. Essentially, the suppressants have broken his biological system.” The doctor had a slight frown on his face. ”Researchers are calling this phenomenon the ‘Death Heat.’”

“‘D-death Heat’?!” Haise exclaimed, “why would they call it that, it’s an ongoing experiment, isn’t it -- “

“He was just recently declared deceased.”

Haise sat back in his chair, speechless. He didn’t know how to process all this information.

There was a brief moment of silence between them, the last words spoken by the doctor hanging thickly in the air.

Endless heat-like state, immense pain.

Violent, unpredictable behavior.

Death.

“I did not mean to scare you, Haise,” Dr. Chigyo explained gently, bringing Haise out of his repetitive thoughts and back into the present conversation. “Dr. Kanou’s reports are new. While the findings do reflect the maximum dosage reactions of male omegas of your size type, they also only reflect it for those patients who have only taken it in long term. You have no history of this exact heavy exposure, and you may not even partake in it in your lifetime. The studies of long term average exposure have shown no drastic negative effects.”

Then, he added: “I only share this information with you because you are open to the possibility of starting a family sometime in the future, which could be put at risk should you choose to increase your suppressant dosage.”

“I’m...glad you told me about this, doctor,” Haise finally said. He felt unsettled. But even though they were discussing his own life options, he couldn’t help but have his mind wander to other omegas out there who may not know about this, particularly the ones he knew in his family. “Is this information...released to the public yet?”

“It’s set to be printed in publications sometime this year. Why?”

“Is it alright to tell my siblings of this? I’d like them to know,” Haise sat forward, his hands firmly placed on both his thighs, concern and determination in his light grey eyes. “They are all male omega like me…”

The hair around Dr. Chigyo’s covered eyes moved upward, suggesting his surprise. “Oh? That is quite another genetic fascination from you!” he replied. “Yes, please let them be aware of their options and consequences of heat suppressants if you can’t get them into an appointment with a doctor. There needs to be more awareness of omega health; our current society, as advanced and we like to believe, is just not doing the trick in providing widespread information on this subject.”

Haise nodded in agreement. “At least there are doctors like you trying to turn things around by giving a head’s up on the latest news.”

“I’m just doing my job,” Dr. Chigyo said modestly. “I would hope every doctor does the same,” he smiled. The two shook hands.

“Oh, and Mr. Sasaki,” the doctor called as his patient turned to leave through the office door. “Give yourself some time to think your options over. Definitely talk things over with your mate if you consider starting a family. If you want to return to your natural omegan cycle, simply stop consumption of the suppressants and wait for your heat to resume. If you would like to increase your dosage, just give me a call like you did for today and I can meet with you again.”

Haise gave his doctor one of his classic cheery smiles. “Thank you, Dr. Chigyo.”

He closed the door.

-------------------

Haise wasted no time; he decided to video call his youngest brother about the warnings of suppressants first before contacting the others. Maybe if he was lucky he could even catch a glimpse of the second youngest hanging out with the former and educate them simultaneously.

Haise stepped out of the medical building and reached the main street, walking along the sidewalk of shops as he waited for the call to go through. He didn’t even have to wait past the first ring; a young male with dark, groomed hair in the process of putting on an kitchen apron already popped up on the screen with a small wave and shy smile.

“Big Brother!” Ken greeted pleasantly on the other line as he propped up his mobile device on some vertical surface and used his free hands to finish tying his apron. “You called at the perfect time; I just got home from school. About to start preparing an early dinner, too. You can watch as I prepare the meal you taught me last weekend!”

Haise felt his heart swell at the endearing introduction scene before him. His baby brother, Ken, was the youngest of the four of them and possibly the sweetest thing next to a cinnamon roll. He never caused trouble, excelled academically, and was on top of maintaining the apartment he shared with their second youngest brother, Shiro. Shiro was also intelligent and cared for their home, but was a bit of a troublemaker, which put a damper on his other record of talents. Still, Haise was very happy that those two were growing up with the support and normalcy of life that himself and their eldest, Kaneki, didn’t have when they all lost their parents as kids. Haise was glad that he could easily read Ken’s happiness, too.

“Make sure you stir the pot early before adding the rest of the ingredients. We want the noodles to emerge with the perfect softness,” Haise said offhandedly, scrutinizing what he could see from the video. “How is school going? It recently started up again, yeah?”

“Yeah,” Ken nodded his head, stirring the pot in front of him. Wafts of steam could be seen disappearing in and out in pixels onscreen. “My favorites are the literature and language classes, but I guess we could have all guessed that, hehe.” Though just a second year in high school, Ken displayed prowess in literature. It reminded Haise of Kaneki, who currently used said skills to be an editor, and who he also looked most similar to.

Haise smiled warmly. “Glad school is off to a great start.” Then, he delved into a more personal topic. One good thing about being the general domestic figure among his brothers? They all confided in him when it came to their omega problems. “And how are you doing biologically? Has your body started the omega heat cycle yet?”

“Oh, I --” Ken blushed deeply, looking away shyly, but not completely embarrassed. “I haven’t started yet.”

Haise blinked. “Oh?” he said, intrigued. His baby brother was still so pure. Bless.

Ken continued in his soft voice. “I’m not in any rush, really. The longer it takes for it to start, the less I have to worry about containing it routinely in the present, right?”

“That is true, to an extent,” Haise thought his brother’s statement over. He had personally started in his early teens, at pretty much the middle age compared to their other brothers; Their eldest, Kaneki started the earliest, though Haise couldn’t remember exactly what age it happened at for him since he was too young; Shiro started his roughly a year ago, though in comparison to when Haise was a teen, Shiro got it a bit earlier. It looked like Ken was the late bloomer once again.

At least he could prepare his last brother a little bit before the inevitable.

“Well, just in case it starts anytime soon,” Haise cautioned, “Do you have any friends who you can contact when the time comes? Just in case you can’t reach any of us at work.”

“Ah, well Hide is always looking out for me,” Ken said. “He’s an alpha, and he’s been respectful to me since we were little. We look out for each other, no matter what.”

Haise remembered said alpha. He was a spunky kid, that one, but meant well. And Ken was right about their consistency of friendship; he’s seen them play together since they were toddlers, and Haise never sensed Hide asserting his alpha on Ken. He could most likely be trusted; hopefully it stayed that way even if he had to escort a heat-stricken Ken to the nurse or another suitable adult in the future. “Hide is a good option. He also has my contact information specifically for emergencies so he can let me know where to get you when you need me, ok?” Ken nodded.

Which reminded him.

“Where is Shiro? I need to tell both of you something if he’s also home,” Haise asked. “He answers my calls less than Black Reaper does, and that’s already kind of low in odds…”

“He’s actually home right now,” Ken said, looking from the modest dining room table to his side offsceen with a small smile, as if he was also talking to someone else. “He may be even better off than me in terms of omega life.” Haise took a moment to look behind the boy to see if Shiro’s bedroom door was open from the hallway. With a breath of relief, it was. So he was there indeed.

Haise felt some weight lift off his shoulders. He couldn’t believe his luck; he could actually inform them both of the suppressant news.

Just as he was beginning to relax, Haise saw a tall, violet-haired young man emerge from Shiro’s bedroom, yawning politely with a hand covering his mouth as he headed casually into the nearby bathroom.

Any relief Haise felt dissolved and tensed up again. Who -- ?!

“Actually, I think he may have found an alpha mate already,” Ken said with a hint of excitement in his voice, turning the camera more toward himself as he walked back to the kitchen, blocking view of the bathroom.

Haise was starting to freak out. “Ken, move the camera back -- “

“He’s not my mate,“ a voice suddenly deadpanned from offscreen. After a moment, a white-haired young man appeared, pulling the screen toward him with one hand and carrying another plate of food for their overall meal in the other. So Shiro was there cooking with Ken the entire time and didn’t say anything? Not even a ‘hello, I’m here existing in the corner’? Haise could not with this boy sometimes.

“Who is that guy, then, Shiro?! He just strolled out of your bedroom like he owned the place!” Haise was starting to freak out.

“Yes, do tell us what Tsukiyama-san is to you then, Shiro,” Ken asked, slight tease in his voice as he took out three plates to set on the dinner table.

“He’s no one,” Shiro said quickly, furrowed his eyebrows. “I just -- use him -- for things --” he started. “He’s a convenient tool when I need relief ok?”

“You can be honest with yourself, mon cher,” the violet-haired stranger from before said smoothly as he appeared by Shiro’s side. “Your favorite tool of mine is my sword, is it not?”

“Ohmygod, please go back through the door I locked you in,” Shiro pushed the camera away from himself in embarrassment.

“If that is the kind of game you prefer, mon cher. I am Shuu Tsukiyama, by the way!” the violet-haired man called to Haise from out of the visual range of the video call. “I do hope I get to formally meet you one day, Sasaki-kun; I’ve heard wonderful things about you from this blushing one standing here -- “ There was the brief sound of a muffled voice, followed by an askew angle of Ken’s patient, pitying smile as he watched Shiro do something to Tsukiyama before the phone tumbled out of Ken’s hand and the screen turned black. The call ended abruptly.

In a moment of irritation and protective maman mode turned on, Haise wasted no time in video-calling Ken again. When the call was thankfully accepted again, Haise immediately ordered all three of them to sit in a row so he could see them clearly. He was not going to accept any more nonsense.

“Ok. Now that all of you are all here and not messing around, I need all of you to know something very important,” Haise stated firmly. All three nodded, not daring to interrupt him.

“If either of you decide to go on heat suppressants in the future, do not use the maximum dosage,” Haise began. He then went on to recite all the information he learned from Dr. Chigyo earlier that day.

By the end of it, Ken looked horrified and Tsukiyama a downcast sympathetic look, head turned ever so slightly toward Shiro, as if considering his hardships as an omega. Shiro, however, looked only mildly concerned.

“Thanks for the warning, Haise,” Shiro said. “But I don’t have to worry about that. I don’t use suppressants at all and don’t plan to.” Then, with a bit of hesitance, “Besides, Tsukiyama-san has helped me through several of my heats. Nothing comes close to signifying us as mates, or me even being someone who needs to protect against unwanted circumstances.” He laughed hollowly. “I think...I think I’m one of the male omega types that just don’t...catch, you know what I mean?”

Tsukiyama turned more toward Shiro at this, concern hardening his furrowed brows in seriousness. “Mon cher, there is no need to say such untrue things about yourself.”

“...I’m leaving now,” clearly irritated, Shiro rose abruptly and headed to his room. Tsukiyama’s eyes followed after his figure, standing up himself and immediately following the upset omega.

“Please excuse us.” Tsukiyama gave a respectful bow to Haise before following Shiro out of the video screen and audibly closing the door, leaving Ken alone on the camera.

Haise felt his heart lurch. This information was tough on everyone, he knew. But even though Shiro had a tough exterior, he still had feelings as did any other person. He was sensitive.

Suddenly Haise realized Ken’s face was occupying the entirety of the video screen. “Thank you taking the time to inform us immediately of the suppressants, Big Brother,” Ken said quietly. He had a sympathetic, yet reassuring smile on his face. “Don’t worry about Shiro, Tsukiyama-san and I will take care of him. As for me, I’ll be very careful with what range of heat suppressants I choose. I will let you know when the time comes.”

“Thank you, Ken,” Haise said.

Ken smiled, showing Haise a view of the side of his face with the dining table in the background. “I’m going to put some of the cooked food in the fridge until Shiro comes back out ready to eat.” He flashed a quick peace sign. “Tell Arima-san we say hi! Does he know about the new suppressant warnings?”

Haise shook his head, his small smile masking his anxiety about their inevitable conversation. “Not yet, but I will tell him later.”

“Alright, make sure to tell him,” Ken said. “As your official mate, perhaps it’d be good to at least let him know what you’re going through and what decisions he can help you with to make it easier for the both of you. I’m sure he’d want to help you, too, even when he doesn’t explicitly say it,” He looked up thoughtfully. “What troubles you have the other shoulders as well, because you are both each other’s strengths. At least, that is my understanding of mates.” He gave a soft chuckle. “Maybe I’m idealistic and sappy, but that’s how I see it.”

Haise gaped at his youngest brother. To have such a mature stance at his age, to understand what it takes to emotionally bond with a mate before he even started his own heat…Ken was going to be a wonderful mate to someone one day.

Haise flashed a quick peace sign in return, in lighter spirits now. “You definitely are on the right track, little brother. Take care!” Then he quickly added a “Don’t forget add some water to the noodles before you heat it up again later!” before hanging up.

--------------------

Two brothers down, one to go. It was difficult telling them some portions of --even more so seeing their live mixed reactions-- but Haise knew they all needed to be told the real medicinal and biological dangers male omegas faced.

Haise took a moment to look at his surroundings; he was almost at a plaza in the distance with a fountain toward its center. He could probably take a seat around it. He looked at his phone and once again clicked on the icon that led him to his list of contacts.

Haise easily found the contact he was looking for under his “Favorites” tab, chuckling a little at the custom contact name:

-book emoji- Black Reaper -skull emoji-

He waited patiently on the line while it rang. His older brother --Kaneki, the eldest of the four-- was always busy working night and day as an editor for famous novelist Sen Takatsuki; he might not answer the phone right away, or even at all. But it was worth a shot.

After another ring, there was the relieving sound of a click.

“Hey,” a flat, worn-out voice spoke unenthusiastically. The voice echoed slightly; Haise guessed he must be on the speaker phone option. There was also the vague crackle of papers shifting from the other line. He definitely called while they were in the middle of sorting out a manuscript.

“Hello, Black Reaper-san,” Haise greeted warmly. “It’s been a little while! I hope I’m not bothering you.”

As if on cue, Kaneki immediately snapped back at the nickname. “All of you need to stop calling me that.” His eyebrows furrowed ever so slightly. “Especially Shiro. I know he says it behind my back.”

Haise joked, “Aww, but he looks up to you so much, Reaper-san.” He thought for a moment,  “Ken gets a free pass, though?”

Kaneki hesitated. “...Ken is allowed to. Only because he says it cutely.”

Haise had to agree. Their baby brother could honestly do no wrong. Each brother felt a sort of protectiveness over him, but Kaneki would only acknowledge such a feeling in subtle ways, similar to how he reacted now. Shiro was the one to watch out for in keeping those around Ken in check, however. Even Haise had to admit their second youngest brother got a little too aggressive in wanting to preserve Ken’s wellbeing. Well, as long as incest didn’t happen Haise supposed he could let Shiro’s behavior slide; he seemed to be physically focusing on that Tsukiyama-san man anyway. (Which Haise would definitely investigate more out of from Ken to make sure said Tsuki-san was a positive influence on his troubled younger brother, by the way.)

“Ooh, Editor-san, your brothers call you ‘Black Reaper’?” a new voice suddenly sing-songed from somewhere on the other line. “That fits even better than the ‘Boss’ nickname I gave to you!”

Another voice chimed in, more feminine, and equally as enthusiastic as the first: “My dear Kaneki, you never even told us you have a brother, let alone multiple! Are they all as endearingly savage as you?”

“Ughh,” Kaneki grumbled, rolling his eyes as he turned his phone off speaker. In one swift motion he brought the device to his ear and swerved his chair to face away from the other two. “Now look what you’ve done, Haise. This fruit guy and psycho lady won’t let me hear the end of that name now.” He took a quick glance over his shoulder to see what said coworkers were up to behind him:

His black-haired, moley co-editor was trailing behind their tiny seagreen-haired author, who pranced about the flat that served as their workspace, pretending to act like the mythological reaper ghost. Both had their hands raised, flexing each digit as they made mock-ghost sounds to each other.

Kaneki turned back around, his disappointment in their behavior unsurprising to himself.

“Hahaha, I’m sorry,” Haise laughed. “You have to admit the name fits you, though. You wear the black trenchcoat and clothes all the time. Your unrelenting editing pen can even represent your scythe!”

Kaneki was not in the mood to get a critique on his personality or fashion choices. “I know you sometimes call to check up on us like the mom you are,” Haise gave a small pout on the other line at the tone of this comment, “but I feel as if you had something more important to tell me than the usual hello.”

“Err, yeah,” Haise scratched the side of his face, remembering his purpose of the call. “I know it may be kind of personal, but I wanted to talk to you about…” he briefly hesitated, then whispered, “the suppressants you take.”

Through that moment of hesitance, Kaneki sensed Haise was serious. “Let me head somewhere more private.”

Kaneki stepped out onto the metal fire escape through the flat’s window and sat with his legs hanging over the edge of the metal flooring. The sky was in its early stages of the turning into the evening, coupled with a slight breeze. He sighed.

“What about them do you want to know about? Don’t you take them, too?”

Over at the plaza Haise had now walked to, he sat down on the thick marble ledge hugging a large fountain. He glanced at some people nearby, the wind blowing their scents his way; alpha with an undercut walking next to a tan, green-haired beta with an oddly muddled scent; a family with a child focusing on every effort to walk holding their parents’ hands. He smiled at the scene while he prepared the question for Kaneki.

“What dosage have you been taking?” he asked.

Kaneki thought back for a moment, mentally flipping through timelines. “I’ve been taking the maximum dosage ever since my heat cycle started at...age 12.”

12 years old. Damn. That was younger than Haise thought, especially when he added the 15 year mark from the study to that age. Which meant:

“Kaneki, you’re approaching the age where it’s dangerous to keep taking the maximum amount.”

“What do you mean?”

Haise explained to his older brother the latest news on omega suppressants, from the T-Owl Experiment to other options and measures he learned from Dr. Chigyo.

“Great,” the Black Reaper’s tone turned light in sarcastic happiness at the new information. “Life already sucked as an omega; now I can die as a childless, rampaging one. The end is even better than I envisioned.”

Haise furrowed his eyebrows in slight confusion and worry. “So you don’t mind that the suppressants have a high chance of permanently ruining your body? Even to possible death?”

An audible sigh vibrated through the phone. “Look, brother,” Kaneki explained. “I may be born an omega, and eventually, by the sound of it from that case study, will succumb to a fate related to it,” he sighed again, briefly skewing the glasses on his face from rubbing his tired eyes. “But that doesn’t mean I have to endure the heats that were biologically forced upon omega like us. I found a way out of that hell through the suppressants. With it, I don’t need an alpha to make me ‘feel whole,’ as those romantic phrases from our society’s childhood stories go, and” --he took a look through the large flat windows to observe his coworkers still moving about mimicking ghostly figures --”I definitely don’t have any desire to procreate.” He sighed once again. “For once, I can control my own body for my own interests.”

“If the price to pay for this freedom, however brief it may be, is a chaotic, stylish death, then so be it.” Kaneki said. His voice was hollow. “This is the path I’ve chosen -- and I’m sticking with it.”

Haise felt his eyes water slightly. He knew his brother was dark -- worse than Shiro -- but he didn’t know his death wish went this far. Couldn’t he see that his life had so much value in itself, no matter his biological status? He had people who cared about him, and he was so talented in the literature world; he couldn’t just plan to let it die out --

“You don’t have to have the same outcome as me, though,” Kaneki cut in before Haise could gather a counterargument.

Haise blinked in surprise.

“You have him, right?” Kaneki said. “The one you’ve brought over to our old home for dinner when we visit Ken and Shiro. That massive alpha who’s built like a god and could destroy everyone with one sadistic glance.”

Haise laughed out loud at his brother’s description of Arima. People always had such an intimidating impression of Kishou, but behind that poker face and strong muscles, his mate was a peaceful, selfless man. Minus yesterday’s slight anomaly.

“I understand you are concerned about the long term effects of the suppressants, and, conversely, what could happen to you if you were to avoid said effects by going off of them completely,” the Black Reaper said. “You’re in a good place, though, Haise. A kind of dream place, really: You have a job and financial security from your individual hard work. You have a new roof over your head. You’ve also found your mate, who is strong, respectable, just as well-off as you and shown his dedication to you for the several years you’ve been together.” Haise blushed as his brother marked off the list of stabilities. “There is no guarantee that you will go into a full-on heat once you are off them, and by extent, even have any of it go through to the more permanent life step if you were to ride it out.”

Kaneki concluded with, “But there is the relief that every day you are off the suppressants you will be further away from the confusing tension between you and your mate. And especially that unsettling ‘Death Heat’ result.”

Haise was silent on the phone for a moment, considering all the reaper had said.

“That is true…” he admitted. “But I go off the suppressants, the doctor can’t tell how for sure how my body will truly react if Kishou and I still, we -- chances are my odds of it happening are higher, I could --  “ he cut himself off.

“Even more fitting for you if it actually does happen,” Kaneki smirked knowingly, about to open the door back into his work flat. “You were always the most mothering out of all of us, after all. Now you’ll just fulfill the role with an actual kid of your own.”

“I-I’m not -- !” Haise flushed, quickly trying to gather a defense. How could his older brother be so blunt about this sasarious issue?!

“Haise.” the Black Reaper said, his voice a bit softer now. “It’s your decision what you do with your body. If you forego the suppressants to let things take its natural course, that is alright. If you decide to increase them to ensure you have no heat but risk the drawbacks, that is also your choice. Whatever you decide, you have the support to handle whatever comes your way.” Then, even softer, “Even from your brothers.”

“Kaneki…” Haise said breathlessly, amazed at his brother’s levelheadedness and care.

“GOODNIGHT HAISE,” Kaneki said loudly to cover his brief moment of softness, which quickly transformed into an irritated groan as cheers of ‘the Black Reaper has returned!!!!’ burst in the background upon him entering the workspace flat. The phone line went dead.

Haise let out a long sigh himself, feeling closer to his final decision. There was only one person left to talk to now.

His actual mate, Arima Kishou.

Chapter Text

Loss of control was not a regular acquaintance of Arima’s.

And yet it was something he was quickly becoming familiar with in the light of recent events.

He felt his control slipping the night before when he had continued touching Haise on the couch after the other asked him to stop.

He felt it again when he stopped Haise from walking away for simply wanting to use the nearby restroom.

And he certainly felt it when he laid beside Haise’s sleeping form in bed at the end of the night, barely able to bite back the urge to turn over and ravage his mate.

Arima rubbed his eyes in resignation. There wasn’t much to do while he waited at the nearby station for the usual train to carry him to his office. But if trying to read over his work documents last night proved futile, this morning’s attempt to do so was even more meaningless. His personal life kept resurfacing in his mind.

He stared down at the empty cavity in front of him. The morning train would soon arrive to fill the space, but for now it was hollow. It was quite the opposite of his and Haise’s bed, whose state was most likely still filled by the latter choosing to stay bundled under the thick sheets this morning:

“Good morning,” a fluffball of grey and white hair peeked out from under the mass of white covers. Haise was sleepily watching his mate adjust his tie in the closet door mirror.

Arima turned around. “Good morning.” His eyebrows lifted in question. “You’re not going to work? ”

An apologetic smile on the other’s face. “Ah, I’m going to head in a little bit later this morning. Need to make some calls first.”

“I see…”

“If I don’t see you at work, I’ll see you back here for dinner?”

“Of course.”

Haise gave a small smile as he buried back into the covers. “See you then, Arima-san.”

Even though Haise has been his mate for a while, there remained aspects of him that were a mystery. There were times when his scent would burst forth so strong; there were also times it felt like it was almost nonexistent. After Haise emerged from the bathroom the night before, the intense scent of his had dwindled. He was back to his normal self.

It did not make sense.

The sound of a sudden blaring brought Arima briefly out of his thoughts: The train finally rounded the tunnel corner, slowing considerably as it approached its next set of passengers.

As Arima boarded the train, everything around him slowly melted into a blur.

Colors passing in the train window like bright beams.

Was he overthinking their situation?

“Arima-san.”

Or was there more to it?

“Arima-san…”

Was Haise truly alright?

“ARIMA-SAN.”

Arima blinked. He was no longer at home with Haise, nor on the train. Instead Arima found himself in the cozy space of his workplace’s break room. He turned to his side to meet the eyes of his coworker who had called out to him, Hirako Take. His underling was staring at him with a blank expression on his face, the only indication of him expecting a reaction from the other was the fact that he was holding out two cups of coffee.

“Your coffee,” Hirako said blandly. “It’s ready.”

Arima wordlessly received the hot mug. He took a sip. It was one degree too cold.

Hirako sighed. “Let me brew it again,” he said. His boss was so wordlessly nitpicky.

“Thank you, Hirako,” Arima said as he watched the retreating form of his underling enter the kitchen area of the break room. He and a large group of alphas were seated at the round table of the room, enjoying the casual atmosphere between the morning and lunch time. A familiar scent of coffee and a vague sense of alpha-like musk settled around them.

“Well, look who’s back from the bedroom!” a person from the group suddenly called out.

Everyone turned to the single entrance of the room to see a tall, fatigued man with black combed-back hair enter the space.

“‘Eeyy, Fura, long time no see!” they all cheered, beckoning him to join the table. “Took you long enough to come back to work!”

The man in question, Taishi Fura sighed, exhausted. “My mate was quite a handful this time around. I had to extend the allowed week of vacation time to satisfy her,” the man took the other open seat next to Arima; Hirako had returned and sat on the other side. Arima took a sip of his nearly-perfect coffee (now it was one degree too hot) to hide his small chuckle at Fura’s weary --and yet oddly content-- expression.

“Mmmm boy, omegas sure are something,” another member of the group, Mougan Tanakamaru, agreed from his seat a few spaces away. He groomed his mustache as he leaned his thick figure back into his chair in thought. “They simultaneously give us alphas hell and life with those amazing heats of theirs.”

Arima quietly set his cup down, his glasses hiding the smallest hint of curiosity in his grey eyes.

“It is quite cute how the entire house gets filled with their heightened scent,” a younger man of the group, nicknamed Bujin, shared admiringly. “And when it mixes with the scent of fresh, warm bread like my Yoriko-chan makes, it’s really wonderful.”

“Don’t forget when they curl up in your clothes, making those beckoning sounds,” another alpha coworker chimed in.

“Or when they start producing that endless liquid slick,” mentioned another. Several alphas groaned in agreement.

“And then they give you that look and you just --”

“ Know it’s time.” The group said in unison.

A burst of affectionate, understanding chuckles resounded around the room.

“I’m going outside to smoke,” Ui muttered, irritated. The lone beta of the room did not need to hear any more about the world of biological reactions that took place solely between alphas and omegas. The rest of the group let him leave without issue.

“Ahhh, everyone stop talking about this, you’re all making me feel bad I don’t have a mate~,” Kuramoto whined, eyes cheerful crescents but eyebrows revealed his slight worry.

Akira, who sat next to the young man, gave her fellow alpha a firm pat on the shoulder.  “Don’t lose hope, Kuramoto,” she smiled reassuringly. “Perhaps they are just in a place you have yet to venture to.”

“Mmmm, indeed boy, your mate could very well be in a different office building. Just like Akira-san’s,” Mougan nodded. “Which, by the way, you never have told us who the lucky beta actually is.”

“We like to keep our affairs mostly private for his work-related reasons,” Akira said with a small glint in her sharp eyes. “Though I will say that he is quite fond of the donuts I drop off for him at his workplace.”

A low hum of chuckles resounded around the room.

The group continued to talk amongst themselves for a moment, enjoying the comfortable, easygoing atmosphere.

Until the next alpha was subjected to questioning.

“Speaking of work…” Fura said, leaning to nudge his elbow against the only remaining alpha who hadn’t spoken yet, “Arima. We’ve never seen you miss a day of it. And you’ve had a mate for a while.”

Arima side-eyed Fura, mildly suspicious of his friend’s tone. He was not one for enjoying the spotlight when it came to personal questions.

“What is your point, Taishi.”

Fura leaned closer into Arima’s personal space that he as a long-time friend had the permission to do so without getting swiftly stabbed with a nearby office object by the stoic man. “Sasaki is an omega, right? How are you two able to maintain your workaholic statuses without even taking a few days off for his heat?”

The lighthearted chatter of the room quickly turned silent. It was as if time had stopped for everyone, curious and eager to hear some of the secrets what went on between one of the top alpha of the office and his charming, though equally mysterious, omegan mate.

Arima brought his cup to his lips, using the pause of sipping his coffee to craft a careful reply. He and Haise were certainly affectionate with each other, but it wasn’t anyone else’s business how they went about it.

However, the entire time they had been together, the male omega had not once gone into this “heat” phenomenon the others were describing: Haise just always had a soft, sweet scent to him, lightly wafting around him and about their newly-shared apartment; his mate was always cute when he decided to wear Arima’s discarded shirt around the house or when he simply laid his head on the alpha’s chest; there was always a bit of natural lubrication from Haise when they engaged in sexual intercourse.

Lately these things have become stronger --last night being the most extreme example-- but that was solely because he as an alpha was doing a better job at arousing his mate. Any exceptional pining behavior, craving for attention, or excessive...fluids were nonexistent.

Was what he and Haise had not the same as the others?

Arima briefly recalled when he and Haise first became intimate long ago. Haise said it was safe for them to be together in that way because he was on what was referred to as “suppressants.” And with the way Haise was impatiently moving in his lap that night, Arima certainly didn’t question what that medication was if it allowed his lover to act that confident, free, and erotic.

Still, if Haise hadn’t even opened up to his own mate about the details of said suppressants and how his male omegan body worked, perhaps there were personal and social repercussions Arima was unaware of from an alpha point of view. Until he understood what those were, it was best to publicly act as if there was nothing different between them and other mates.

As he set his coffee cup down, Arima answered with finality:

“Haise and I find a way to work around the heats when necessary.”

His steel grey eyes looked up from just above the coffee mug, cutting through all who dared to question his answer.

There was a noticeable pause in the room as the group of alphas, in their stunned silence, processed what Arima said. Only one in particular met him directly: the similarly piercing eyes of Akira Mado. For one still moment they locked together, Akira boring into him with a perplexing intensity.

As soon as Arima could begin to decipher her expression, their silent interaction faded away to the cries of their coworkers.

“Hot damn, Arima-san!” one alpha from the left corner of the table hollered, slamming his fist on the table. “Knocking out your omega’s heat in just an evening or morning before work! That usually takes days to do!”

Another roared, “What an alpha, to take care of their mate so swiftly like that!”

“Mmmmm, that Sasaki boy is one lucky omega, hoho!”

“As expected from a top-tier alpha like Arima-san.”

Arima closed his eyes, taking another sip of coffee. It didn’t matter what his peers thought of himself; what mattered was that his reputation did not negatively impact Haise’s in being in association with him. Haise worked with passion and honesty at all he set his mind to; for others see him differently because of an uneducated comment his alpha mate made of their relationship --

Arima sighed. It seemed that his response was good enough to satisfy their coworkers’ curiosity. It was the best that could be done, at least for today.

“Hey! What are you all sitting around for?!“ A sudden yell startled everyone in the room: one of the managers of the floor, Itsuki Marude, was standing at the doorway in irritation. “Think you can all have fun lounging in here? Get back to work!”

“What, so we can do the exact same sitting around at our desks?” Hirako muttered. Despite such soft-spoken sass, he began to clean up his things at the table and head back out into the office anyway.

The group of alphas noisily followed suit; play time was over. The room filled with the regretful dragging of chairs and clinks of coffee mugs emptying its contents into the kitchen sink to be set on the countertop dish rack to dry. Ui returned to the break room from his outside smoke break just in time to learn he had to head back out, his irritation renewed.

Arima watched as Marude and the majority of coworkers filed through the door and dispersed before he finally had enough room to maneuver out of his own seat and put his coffee away.

Out of nowhere, a voice cut through.

“Arima, may I have a moment with you?”

The tall man in question turned to his right to see Akira standing beside her corner of the table. She beckoned him to the inner kitchen of the room with a slight toss of her head.

Arima followed silently. He caught up to her within a few strides.

“What can I do for you, Akira-san,” he asked when they were sure the break room had emptied to leave the two of them alone.

The petite alpha did not beat around the bush:

“Haise is on suppressants, correct? That is how you two are able to continue working endlessly without the biological interruption of heats.”

Slightly taken aback, Arima adjusted his glasses at the bridge of his nose to distract from his shock. Akira certainly did not cut any corners when it came to uncovering secrets.

Akira gave a knowing smile, voice playful as she looked at him with a friendly wink. “It was my intuition.”

Arima gave a small chuckle. That was Akira Mado for you; one could not hide from her for long, even someone elusive such as himself.

With that chuckle as further validation of her suspicion, the platinum blonde alpha continued. “My mate,” Akira shared, “Koutarou-- he is also a male omega.”

Arima looked at her, calculating. When she spoke earlier their coworkers had believed her mate to be classified as something else. “His status as a beta to others, then,” he spoke, “it is because of that omega medication?”

“Yes,” Akira confirmed, satisfied her coworker caught on quickly. “He is on the maximum dosage of suppressants, so much so that his omega scent is obscured to be read off as a beta,” she explained. “At his workplace, being an omega with a tall, intimidating appearance like his does not sit well with the alpha higher-ups and coworkers. There is...discrimination.” She crossed her arms stiffly. “In short, staying as an obvious male omega is not only troublesome for him biologically, but in his workplace environment as well. He’s decided to remove both obstacles through suppressants.”

“I see. That does seem troublesome,” Arima said. “Thankfully there is a solution for the issues your mate has faced if his coworkers themselves refuse to change their viewpoints.”It was a shame that problems of that sort still occurred at other offices, but it was also fascinating that medication exists to even mask one’s biological dynamic to combat it.

“Indeed. It certainly helps him out,” Akira replied. “As advanced as our society is, it’s a shame that people are not further educated on how to care for male omegas, even among themselves.”

Her expression turned grave. “Which brings me to my reason for talking with you.”

Arima lifted an eyebrow and silently waited to hear what she had to say.

“There is research currently in development that studies the effects of suppressant dosage levels for male omegas of various body types. It is named the ‘T-Owl Experiment,’ after the code name of its first subject who displayed unexpected results. This subject...his name was Takizawa.”

The small alpha rested her back against the countertop, her body perpendicular to that of Arima’s. Her arms were still crossed while she gazed at the tile flooring. “I...personally knew him. When he and I worked with Koutarou at the company he remains at to this day,” Akira said. “Takizawa was always struggling with his status as a male omega, though most of it seemed to be an issue he projected onto himself. Still, the atmosphere of our workplace didn’t help to relieve him of his personal pressure. One could even assume it helped push him to the extreme and go for the medication experiment.”

Arima’s eyes narrowed. “What happened to him?”

Akira was silent for a moment before speaking. “The suppressants...they have broken his system. He chose the maximum dosage to try to hide his omega status, but because of his smaller frame, he couldn’t handle it for an extended period of time. The medication transformed his heat into an endless cycle of physical pain and violent behavior where he only harmed others and himself.”

“Researchers are calling this phenomenon the ‘Death Heat’ because…” Akira took a deep breath, then said in resignation, “the torture of it all killed him.”

A silence engulfed them in the wake of the results. There was a low mumble of “I see” from Arima but he said nothing more.

Akira spoke again after a little while.

“We had a doctor examine Koutarou to see if the same fate could be said for him, since he also is using the maximum dosage of omega suppressants,” she explained, “they confirmed he would have no problems because his body is strong enough to handle the constant exposure to the heavy dosage. But --”

She hesitated. “If Haise were to change his suppressants to Koutarou’s level, he might be in danger of experiencing its negative side effects. He’s the same body type as Takizawa.”

Arima thought for a moment. Haise told him he was going to make some calls today; he didn’t state his reason why.

“...Do many omega consider use of the maximum level of suppressants?”

“The majority of the population does not know suppressants even exist. And for those that do, the level they take depends on what the person needs,” Akira replied. “As you know, I work with Haise a lot in my division. Based on his scent, he seems to be on a mild to average level of suppressants; his scent is more noticeable than my mate’s. This means Haise still lets his status as an omega be traceable in his scent, but not overwhelmingly so where it would demand attention of mating from other alphas.”

“Attention from other alphas?”

“Yes,” Akira said. “An omega typically has a much stronger scent, or pheromones, than what Haise is giving off at work. The original strength of the pheromones exists because biologically alphas and omegas use their scents to attract the other. An understated mating call, so to speak,” she explained. “If an omega does not use any suppressants, or has not been properly mated with, they will eventually fall into an even stronger biological phase to attract an alpha who can physically satisfy them.”

Arima gave a small frown. “And this ‘strong biological phase’ is…”

“The heat symptoms everyone was talking about earlier in the breakroom. It’s the signal for reproduction.”

Akira looked upward thoughtfully. “Though, since Haise is on suppressants, neither of you have to worry about any conception: Haise’s medication probably gives him just the right balance of maintaining his omega status and preventing the heat cycle from occurring. From a bystander’s perspective it doesn’t seem like he would need to increase his dosage.”

Arima stood there silently.

It was starting to make sense. Why the omega pining, bodily fluids...all the descriptions of heightened omega behavior were unfamiliar to him. It was because his mate was on suppressants that kept everything at bay.

But it still didn’t explain his own bizarre behavior toward Haise as of late: the flashes of possessiveness over him. The urge to protect him from anything imagined or unimaginable. The sinking of his heart when Haise leaves his side for a moment.

And then there were those even stranger moments during said odd behavior when he could actually smell Haise. Not the light scent of the day-to-day, but that rich, saturated scent that electrified his nerves to act impulsively. That scent emanating from the juncture between his mate’s slender neck and shoulder, so tender and defining of Haise he just wanted to mark it for himself to claim --

“Arima?”

Arima blinked.

Akira was staring at him expectantly.

Dang it. He zoned out again.

“I asked you: unless you know a particular reason for Haise to change his medication?”

Arima felt a constriction grow in his chest as he was brought back to their confusing night before.

What reason was there for it? They were fine.

Well. There was feeling.

There were many feelings.

Feelings were difficult to put into words.

The pulses of his heart increased in pace, scrambling.

Haise was fine. He liked Arima. He expressed desire for him multiple times. Countless times. From small brushes of hands as they read books together on the couch to more intimate situations at their home. Haise was always enthusiastic for a round of trying something new, or two rounds of the romantic traditional. Or even all three in one go. Haise was comfortable with Arima, that was a given --

A squeeze on his shoulders.

“I’m sorry, Kishou...I’m...too tired t-to do anything more than this tonight.”

That was fine, too, surely. If not today it will resume another night, right? Sometimes omega get tired from a long day and need to recharge. As long as Haise stayed within radius of his alpha he would be safe while he rested.

Why would Haise want to leave his mate’s side anyway? He would do a good job as an alpha to take care of any need Haise asked of him. He could make their home more comfortable. Keep him warm. Bring Haise any food he hungered for. Satisfy him any way his omega needed to be satisfied. Arima just needed Haise to stay with him now for when those needs arose. It was an alpha’s duty to protect his mate.

Still, Haise was inching further away from him on the couch. Further away from their mingling scents, away from comfort and safety.

His sudden grip on a smaller wrist.

“You can let go of me now, Kishou.”

Now that wasn’t fine.

Why was Haise wanting to leave his side. He couldn’t leave now. He shouldn’t leave now. They didn’t go all the way. There was still work to be done; they weren’t bound together completely yet. Where did he say he was going?

If Haise left his mate, he will be taken and marked by another alpha. They will notice that alluring scent up for grabs. Alphas do not let go of their omegas . Arima was an alpha and Haise an omega , and as an omega he belonged to Arima. It didn’t matter what omegas perceived as safe; if it was outside their den then it was not safe for him to venture out without his alpha. No one else could have this omega and as this alpha’s mate he will stay put whether he liked it or not right now --

The slam of the bathroom door.

The sounds of Haise’s soft sobs behind it.

Arima couldn’t finish replaying the memory.

“There is --” he finally choked out. “There is something.”

-----------------------------

“I suspected as much.”

Akira spoke softly to her fellow alpha from her chair alongside him at a small side table. She and Arima had moved from the breakroom to Arima’s enclosed office to discuss the matter more privately.

“Your thoughts and feelings aren’t blasphemous, Arima,” she said gently, patting his back. “You aren’t scaring Haise away, either. Your behavior is simply the instinctual alpha aspect of you responding to your omegan mate.”

A low-sounding groan emitted from the larger slumped alpha.

“It temporarily gets needy and irrationally possessive when you are that close to one another. To want Haise as much as you do is natural, especially since you two haven’t worked through his heat cycle yet. Your body has repeatedly tried to prepare the both of you for it and is getting increasingly frustrated that you won’t push through.”

She paused for a moment. “I’m actually a bit surprised you’ve been able to hold out this long without sealing the deal with the bite mark. It’s commendable,” she added in afterthought, slight humor in her voice.

Arima lifted his head out of his hands to look at Akira properly. He looked miserable.

“Don’t make such a sad face, Arima; it’s unbecoming of you,” Akira said. She flicked his forehead lightly. “Besides…”

“My intuition has also been narrowing in on Haise,” she continued. “His scent has been jumping up and down in odd spikes every time you pass by our division work area. Only when you pass by,” she said. “It got so distracting for him earlier today that he left work early to see his doctor about it.”

“He left work early?”

“Yes,” he coworker confirmed. “Haise must be feeling the instinctual pull toward you just as you have toward him.”

Akira gave her distressed colleague a sympathetic, reassuring smile.

“Arima...I think Haise is gradually going into heat for you.”

Arima just stared at her.

“How is that possible.” She told him moments ago that suppressants block heats.

This time Akira let out an actual laugh, her blonde bangs swaying slightly as her body chuckled. “Arima, do you not know how powerful your scent is? Your presence alone commands attention on par with our Washuu CEOs!”

Arima blinked in confusion. Why would he have such a distinctive scent when, excluding Haise, the world itself barely smelled of anything but dust and muddled, undistinctive scents?

Akira continued despite her coworker’s inner confusion. “It’s no wonder poor Haise has been struggling with confusing behavior these past several weeks,” she said. “It must be hard enough for him as an omega to resist strong alphas, but to have you of all alphas as his mate? And frequently be in close quarters with said alpha? And, up until this point, said alpha hasn’t fully realized the full impact his strong presence has on everyone? Of course that average dose of omega suppressants is not going to hold back either of your biological imperative for long.”

“Can scents truly be that strong?” Arima asked. It sounded fabricated.

“Well, how did the breakroom we were in earlier read to you?”

The large alpha thought for a moment, trying to remember any distinctions. “It smelled close to nothing. A vague sense of our coworkers and coffee.”

The smaller alpha gave a small hum in acknowledgement. “I see,” she said. “For other alphas like me, the room was quite different. While the scents were familiar, they weren’t alluring. The combined scent of so many alphas together --especially when conversing over omegas -- was so strong in the same pheromone type it was borderline repulsive.”

The white-haired alpha silently stared at her. Maybe it was a good thing he couldn’t detect daily scents clearly.

“And how did you interpret Haise when you first met?” Akira asked.

This answer was obvious. Arima recalled their first encounter like it was yesterday: he was working on another blase assignment in his office when suddenly his door opened and in tripped the best new-hire to ever come into his life.

And also hit him with the most attractive, intoxicating scent he could never have prepared himself for.

The large alpha felt the corners of his mouth tug upward at the memory.

“He’s the one,” Arima said. “His scent is the only one that stands out. Everything else around feels dull.”

Akira smiled as well, a warmth lighting her features. “You have certainly found your mate, then, Arima,” she replied. “When someone finds their special someone, their scent stands out among the rest.” Then, “Though it should have been expected that no other omega until now would have caught the attention of an alpha of your caliber.”

Akira propped an elbow up on the table, her palm cupping her chin as she also recalled a memory of her own. “That instant attraction through scent alone -- it was like that for Koutarou and I as well. Though we had to wade through a much more hyperactive sea of other scents to eventually find each other.” She made a small chuckle at that admission, then her eyes went downcast. “His scent is mostly hidden now because of the suppressants, but his essence is still there. I still love him the same.”

Arima wordlessly nodded in acknowledgement. A comfortable moment of silence danced slowly about the room as the two alphas daydreamed together.

“Arima…” Akira said after a while.

“Yes?”

“Haise is like a precious son to me. I don’t want to see him endure anything alone,” the female alpha said. “If he chooses to increase his suppressant dosage, support and take care of him as best you can.”

Arima accepted without question. “I will.”

“Thank you,” Akira smiled.

Then, the sharp glint in her ice blue eyes returned full force, playful. “But, in the event he foregoes suppressants completely…” she started,

“...Akira-san.” Arima knew where she was going with this.

“-- based on how persistent you two have been teasing each other with your pheromones --”

“There is no need to say --”

“You most likely won’t have long before it kicks in --”

“Akira-san please --”

She gave the other alpha a solid wink. “I hope you are ready for what an omega in heat has in store for you .”

Arima’s glasses slipped slightly off his nose, which he quickly readjusted back to their original place. The small flush on his cheeks, however, remained. “...It is Haise’s decision if he wants me to pursue him in that state...” he mumbled. He couldn’t dare think past the issue of consent first.

“Heat,” Akira continued, her eyes freezing Arima and his thoughts in place. “is like an unstoppable, all-consuming fire. Once it starts, you as an alpha must be sure to deliver your omega’s needs the entire time; they won’t exactly be in the most rational state of mind to properly take care of themselves.”

She held up three fingers in a display of counting. The first point, “Satisfy Haise physically and watch over him as he rests,” the second point “ --make sure to keep him hydrated --” and the third point, “share some light food with him once in a while. You’ll need energy to last the week.”

Arima gave a small nod, committing the advice to memory.

“But most importantly…” Akira said slowly.

“You both must be prepared for the potential life consequences after the heat subsides.”

Arima hesitated.

“How will I know what to do?”

Akira looked up at the wall clock. An hour had already passed since entering the previous break room.

“...There is only so much we can discuss hypothetically here at work,” she sighed. “It is also difficult to confirm outcomes we could have discussed since neither of us are certified doctors.” She rose from her seat, took a moment to address Arima. “But your body will ultimately know. Both of you will know if the opportunity presents itself, and if it is successful in fertilization in the end.”

Arima stood as well to address his helpful coworker. “Akira...thank you.”

Akira gave one last smile his way as she walked toward the office exit. “You and Haise will be fine, Arima. For whatever decision you two make together.”

“After all, your instincts within will guide you.”

------------------------

Arima breathed out a long sigh when he finally stepped out of the office building and onto the main city street. Despite his hour conversation with Akira, he still managed to finish his work slightly ahead of schedule. A glance at the sky revealed the sun was preparing for its way out for the day; a glance at his wrist watch revealed he was just in time to catch the earlier train home.

His early arrival would probably surprise Haise; he usually made it back to their place at the start of the evening. The younger should already be home by now,too, if his sudden arrangements with his doctor didn’t take long.

Arima’s posture wilted a little as he stood in the aisle of the train car, the railing he gripped overhead the only indication his massive body wouldn’t fall over from the train’s rustling.

That’s right. The doctor for Haise’s omega’s medical issues.

Arima knew now, albeit shamefully, he should have asked Haise much earlier the details of what he had to go through as an omega. It was almost painful, the realization of how little he knew about his mate biologically when it was such an essential part of each of them. Arima knew so much about Haise over a myriad of topics, but it wasn’t enough if it couldn’t answer how to take care of his most basic needs. There was no true excuse for having not resolved this when they first became mates.

And to know now that because of such negligence as an alpha, his mate has been pushed into choosing between a hazardous increase in medication to ward off the advances Arima could barely contain, or face him with no medical protection and run the risk of getting --

Arima closed his eyes. It was Haise’s choice to do what he wanted with his own body. Arima would support whatever decision his mate made.

To increase the omega suppressants to maximum dosage was a responsible choice. It would allow Haise to continue his work and other life activities without interruption or reliance. It would also keep temptation from his alpha mate in check so he could accomplish said goals. Arima could respect this decision, up until the fact that it would cause him excruciating pain and suffering year from now from the strain of using it.

But if Haise went off the suppressants completely…

The alpha swallowed. Well.

He would just have to do his best to not go...overboard in assisting his mate ride out the heat.

Arima pushed up his glasses. There was also the possibility of conception. He had little to no experience with children. It was not that he did not like them; he was just surprised to even have found a mate at all that he never anticipated a future ahead of that.

Haise, however, was a natural at understanding and caring for children. It seemed almost instinctual, how his mate knew what others needed, from gracefully handling the babysitting of their coworkers’ kids for an evening to even helping raise his younger brothers Ken and Shiro. Knowing how to nourish others with his healthy cooking. Always running errands to complete tasks for others. Managing all of this, on top of dealing with full-time work and his own omega problems with his alpha mate.

All of this giving to friends, to coworkers, to strangers, without asking anything in return.

All of this, done with a smile on his face.

Had Haise kept all of his personal desires, all of his omega health problems, to himself so as not to burden Arima?

What did Haise truly want?

Was it selfish of Arima to have not seen the opportunity of a family as a kind of happiness for them?

Arima couldn’t deny Haise a family of his own if he wished for one. It was the least he could do.

But he had to know what decision Haise was going to make.

--------------

“I’m home,” Arima’s deep voice announced as he took off his shoes in their apartment doorstep.

“Welcome back!” a clear, cheerful called from the other side of the apartment.

Arima looked up to see Haise standing beside the kitchen’s stovetop, slowly stirring the contents of a large pot while keeping an eye on another one beside it. The window behind him cast a golden-pink glow, merging gracefully with the light pheromones throughout the apartment.

Arima found his feet automatically carrying him toward his mate.

“Did you have a good day at work?”

Long, firm arms slowly wrapped around a slim waist.

“It was alright,” Arima mumbled. He pressed his body closer to his mate, nuzzling softly into the other’s fluffy hair. “You could say it was...educational.”

“Hmm…” Haise sighed softly, leaning his head back into the crook of the other’s neck, unconsciously turning toward the neck-shoulder juncture to inhale the comforting scent of his mate emanating from there. He wrapped his left arm around Arima’s head to readjust him and allow the nuzzling to continue while his right arm slowed its pace in stirring the cooking pot. “And what about you? How are you doing?”

Arima tightened his grip a little more around Haise. “I’m more concerned about you.”

A jump in the smaller’s heartbeat.

“I...went to the doctor today,” Haise said. He was still looking at the pot while he spoke. “Those calls I made...and leaving work early. It was to visit my doctor. I needed to confirm some things I’ve been feeling lately.” He paused to do some subtle nuzzling of his own into the other’s neck. “That we’ve both been feeling.”

Arima stiffened.

“Haise...”

“I learned a lot about the side effects of suppressants certain omega like me take,” Haise said, still not looking at his mate. “I also learned what can happen to me --what can happen for us-- if I go off them."

“Haise.” Arima said firmly. “I understand the consequences. When the Death Heat symptoms from the maximum suppressants start to take over, I will be there to support you.”

His words hung thick around the two of them. Arima felt Haise’s arm drop from around his head, then started to feel his mate pull out of their embrace. “I’m sorry, Arima. I haven’t been completely clear with you.”

The omega turned the stove off, finished pulling himself out of the larger’s hold. He turned to look at the alpha directly.

Arima felt the thudding of his heartbeat pulse in his ears. So that was it then.

Then, everything moved in slow motion as he felt his mate’s hand rest on his cheek.

“I choose to live,” Haise said, beaming. “Without the suppressants.”

The omega let out a small, giddy laugh as he continued to speak. “I want to live life with you, with everyone in the now, and,” a pink blush developed on his cheeks as he tried to maintain eye contact with his alpha,  “anyone we have yet to meet...and make...in the future.”

A silence stretched between them.

After a moment of frantically searching  eyes, the smaller mate’s smile started to lose its confidence. “Ah, u-unless you didn’t want to have kids,” Haise backtracked. He started to retract his hand from the alpha’s cheek. “I-I know we haven’t really talked about it before, but I thought --”

Before he knew what he was doing, Arima pulled Haise in for a swift kiss.

The omega’s eyes widened as his brain momentarily short-circuited at the sudden act. Then his closed as he melted and returned the kiss with equal fervor, wrapping his arms tightly around his mate’s broad shoulders.

Arima was the first to part, though he still held Haise tightly. He pressed his forehead to his lover’s.

“I am fine with starting a family if that will make you happy.”

Haise felt his eyes tear up, a small sob escaping from his throat. “If it’s with you, I always will be.”

They exchanged small relieved smiles, enjoying each other’s closeness.

Then,

“When it’s time, though,” Haise started, slight warning in his tone as he looked at his mate fiercely in the eyes. “I don’t want you to hold back, ok? I want you to give it your all. Until you’ve absolutely exhausted all your alpha energy.”

It was Arima’s turn to turn red. “We don’t know how long that will be. I could h--”

“Don’t be afraid that you’re going to hurt me, or that I don’t want you to be rough, Kishou,” Haise stated firmly. “You won’t, and I definitely want you to manhandle me.”

Arima sighed in resignation, but nodded.

“Can you promise me this? That you won’t restrict yourself?”

“...I promise.”

“Good alpha,” Haise sing-songed. He turned the stove back on, then pulled Arima’s hands to rest on his waist, to which Arima wordlessly understood to settle behind the other and wrap his arms around him again.

“Now let’s get dinner started~”