Untitled Part 24
Chapter Twenty Four: Control and Reservations
Keiji~
Keiji could smell Bokuto's anticipation from the very moment he stepped foot inside the yellow house. He rolled his eyes, accustomed to its overbearing intensity. His constant exposure to it, especially since the volleyball game, had seen to that.
Ignoring the owl's scent, wafting over from the living room, he shuffled Yachi and Yamaguchi up the staircase ahead on him. With both Suga and Oikawa gone, he was the de facto matriarch of the residence.
Although Ukai had offered to accompany him inside, to help him charm the other house members into sleep, he had declined. It was evident that the coach wanted nothing more than to return to the hospital-- well, to professor Miyo. Perhaps unbeknownst to him, Ukai had exuded a crisp scent during the entire car ride. One that was very eager to scent...and possibly even mate...the raven haired Omega. Keiji sighed and sent out a silent prayer that the coach knew what he was getting into. Miyo was mated, after all, and remating was tough. Sometimes impossible.
As Keiji entered the tea green room with his nestmates, Yamaguchi wasted no time-- piling down next to Shoyo's sleeping form. Without a word, he briefly adjusted his blue cast, placing it gingerly over his stomach, then curled up next to the ginger and closed his eyes.
"Keiji..." Yachi asked quietly from beside him, squeezing his limp hand in her own.
"Mmm?"
"Is Oikawa going to be okay? Tell me the truth."
Keiji sighed. He had been actively trying to avoid all thoughts of Oikawa. Nobody had given him any information, not even Suga.
"I'm sure he'll be fine in no time, Yachi, don't worry," he replied softly, doing his best to smile, at least a bit, for her sake. "You need to get some sleep, though."
"Okay..." The blonde Omega whispered as she tucked a strand of gold hair behind her ear, too exhausted to push the matter further. She released his hand and crawled over to the group, snuggling into Nishinoya's relaxed shoulder. "You'll tell me the second you hear anything, right?" She mumbled out from the blankets. Her doe-like eyes housed dark, heavy circles of exhaustion.
"Of course. I'll wake you all up, I promise," Keiji affirmed with a slight nod. At his assertion, the tiny girl's eyes fluttered closed and her breathing slowed, drifting off to sleep.
Keiji wanted nothing more than to join his nest in their comfortable mess of blankets on the matted floor. He was so very tired, however, he had much to do before he could rest his eyes. There was a pile of Alpha boys on the main floor, stewing in their frustrations-- they needed to be sternly put to bed.
After one last glance at his cozy nestmates, he shuffled out into the hallway and softly closed the door behind him. Inhaling deeply to steady his anticipation, he briskly pulled out his cell phone from its home, inside the back pocket of his dark jeans, and clicked on the back light.
Nothing, not a single text about Oikawa. Not from Miyo, or Suga, or anyone. Nothing...
He let out a puff of frustrated air, then shoved his device back in its confines and made his way towards the dark stairwell, ignoring the painful pulsing of the laceration across his cheek.
As he rounded the final set of steps and stepped onto the main floor, a multitude of Alpha scents snaked forward, clamoring for his attention.
Anger...fear...exhaustion...anxiety. He quickly sifted through them, ordering them by level of intensity. Unsurprisingly, Hajime's fragrance was the most aggravated. It coiled around the other scents with burning intensity-- like flames licking up into a clear sky. Angry and unopposed.
Filing Hajime's fragrance away for a moment, he glanced out the front windows at Asahi, pacing on the veranda. Across from him, Daichi's exhausted figure sat slumped on the porch swing. As their uninhibited scents whirled into Keiji's nostrils, he clenched his teeth in irritation-- he was absolutely sick of smelling Alphas. Stepping into the morning light, Keiji relaxed his own fragrance and smirked, eager to put the giant in his place.
"Asahi," he called out in a savage tone, stopping the bunned Alpha's pacing. "Nishinoya is fine, the hospital gave him the all clear, so reign your fucking emotions in. Stop getting bent out of shape, he needs to nest right now. It had nothing to do with you being a weak Alpha. It had nothing to do with you as a provider. Or a boyfriend. Or any other reason your mind has whipped up in desperation. He just needs a reset, only Omegas can do that, so get over it and go to fucking bed."
Asahi winced at the harsh words and cast his brown eyes down to his feet in shame. Through the tears in his bloody shirt, Keiji could see a line of stitches across his collarbone. While the raw, angry wound left him feeling sympathetic, its cause was shameful. Asahi had lost control. Burdened the other housemates with his unchecked upset. Injured Daichi-- all without actually protecting Nishinoya. He should feel ashamed, Keiji thought to himself as he gingerly rubbed his tender cheek, not in that he was unable to protect the spitfire Omega, but in his overcompensating behavior after failing.
"Yeah...sorry. I'm sorry," Asahi whispered under his breath, stirring up his frenzied, shameful scent once more. "I'm being selfish. You're right...I need to pull it together..."
"Look," Keiji interjected as the bunned Alpha sluggishly moved past him to enter the yellow house. "Don't...be mad at yourself for fucking shit up with Noya, okay? It's unreasonable...and cocky to think that you'll always be able to protect an Omega. You need to accept that, and not be so fucking hard on yourself," he continued, running a hand through his dark locks in exasperation. "You went feral because you felt ashamed, so work on that shit. Cut yourself some slack for once."
"Fuck," Asahi grumbled, shuffling on his large feet. "I'm sorry, Keiji. I really fucking am. You're right. I know you are. I'm just...frustrated."
"It's fine. Just go to bed," Keiji replied hotly, jerking a thumb towards the front door. "Daichi, you too. Go to bed for fucks sakes. You've done your fair share tonight, don't you think?" He called down the porch, directing himself at the grumbling Alpha on the swing.
"What if--"
"I'll handle it," he retorted, snapping his irritated fragrance out into the crisp morning air around them. "I'm so sick of smelling all this Alpha distress, and I'm not the only one, either. If the Omegas upstairs are going to get some much needed sleep, all of you need to stop with these anxious, desperate scents. It's unhelpful...you guys should know this by now."
Daichi's shoulders subtly flinched back at the harsh remark, then he let out a heavy sigh of resignation. Rising to his unsteady feet, he shuffled towards Keiji, doing his utmost to keep his tired eyes open.
"You'll call me the second you hear something about Oikawa? The second. I mean it, Keiji..."
"Yeeeeessss," Keiji drawled in reply, rolling his eyes once more.
At the rate things were going, he was going to have to wake the whole bloody house. At that thought, he couldn't stop a small smile from skittering across his dry lips-- everyone was worried about Oikawa. Just as much as he was.
Daichi nodded, then dragged his feet towards the front door with Keiji following close behind. As the captain pulled his slumped body up the stairs, hints of his distressed scent coiled into Keiji's nostrils.
Missing Suga. Keiji stifled a chuckle against his sleeve, the pair were disgusting...they had yet to realize they were absolutely made for each other.
"Tsukishima and Tobio have already gone to bed," a familiar voice called out from the kitchen, drawing in his attention. "Haj is out back, probably could use some Omega wisdom, if ya know what I mean."
Keiji followed the sound, peeking his head through the archway to the blue room. Tanaka flashed him a cheeky grin, then yanked at the back of Yuji's bloody, orange shirt-- a fainthearted attempt to pull the blonde Alpha from his looting the fridge.
"Oi, Yuji! Stop raiding our house for food," Tanaka whined, tugging his teammate back. "Go to bed! I'm tired of babysitting you, man! I neeeeed sleeeeeep, your sucker punches tuckered me right out."
"There are two vacant rooms on the third floor," Keiji asserted, eager to ally himself with Tanaka's motives. "They're across from the nest. You can sleep in one of them for now, until we figure some shit out."
"Across from the Omegas you say..." Yuji replied, poking his head out of the silver fridge to look at him with tired, chocolate eyes.
"Don't be so creepy, man!" Tanaka quipped, slapping the blonde Alpha on the back with vigor. "We'd be better off putting someone like you in the basement."
Keiji disregarded the chirp. Judging by Yuji's obnoxious scent, his motivations were defensive in nature-- he wanted to remain close so he could better protect the nest.
Keiji liked that...he was still rattled from the events and a little extra precaution never hurt anyone.
"Ew, Tanaka! C'mon man," Yuji complained, jabbing his bald teammate playfully in the gut. "Cut me some slack. You're making me seem like a pervert!"
"Go. To. Bed," Keiji commanded at once, gnashing his teeth together as he shuffled the bickering pair towards the stairs. "Go to fucking bed so I can go to bed."
"Yes, sir!" Tanaka snapped back, gracing him with a cheeky salute as he ascended the steps.
Jesus christ. How do they still have energy? Especially Yuji...with a fractured jaw. He had seen the physical damage on the third floor. There was no doubt in his mind that the blonde Alpha pushed himself to his limits against Chaki.
"Keiji..." An all-too-familiar voice called out quietly, luring his attention towards it.
Bokuto...slumped down in the red chair in the living room. Why wasn't he sitting on the couch? The chair was horrendous, the most uncomfortable thing in existence. Dumb owl, he thought with a sly grin, no longer able to inwardly deny his attraction to the Alpha. He was too entertaining.
"Bokuto, give me a second," he drawled out as he passed by, following Hajime's distressed scent towards the back deck. "Hajime takes priority. I'll be back in a bit."
He rolled his eyes at the owl's subtle growl of frustration and pushed forward to the back door. Bokuto could wait his turn.
As he stepped out onto the wood panels of porch, damp from early morning condensation, his eyes raked over Hajime's slouched form-- sitting on the edge of the back veranda with his feet hanging just above the grass.
It isn't the wisest choice, waiting around for your injured Omega in the very location he was hurt. As if he hasn't already punished himself enough for what happened...
At that thought, Keiji's gaze flickered over to the metal spout on his left. He internally winced at the splattered blood, smeared across the yellow siding. A mental image of Oikawa, his chestnut head colliding with the hard steel, flashed across his mind. He shoved it away with great force, finding his normally mild scent suddenly flush with anxiety. Fuck, he thought as his eyes landed on the dark Alpha ahead of him once again.
The poor guy actually saw it happen...
"Hajime," he called out, attempting to verbally pull the man from his upset-- stewing in his own distressed scent was going to make him go mad.
"Yeah...?"
"Why the fuck would you sit out here," Keiji asked, in more statement than question, sitting down beside the Alpha.
"I don't know...I came out here to see if Kabuto was still passed out in the alley. But...he's not. He's gone."
"You should sleep."
"No. I can't sleep. I'm waiting until I hear something."
"Then put your phone volume on max so it'll wake you up."
Hajime grew stiff, clenching and unclenching his fists in frustration. Unlike the other boys, Keiji was going to have to put in some work to get Oikawa's Alpha into bed. Of course, he shouldn't have expected anything less from Oikawa's chosen partner. Stubborn Omega, stubborn Alpha.
"Look," he started, tentatively rubbing Hajime's back in small, relaxing circles. "If you don't sleep, you're just going to get worse. Every minute you force yourself to stay awake, your scent is going to devolve even further. You'll eventually lose all measure of control," he explained, doing his best to actively ignore the Hajime's combative fragrance. "Listen, I know you're good at controlling your instincts, but you've got a threshold, too. I mean, Hajime, man, by this point, a lot of Alphas would have been sedated, or at least knocked the fuck out, but you've managed your shit pretty well. You're better at it than most, so let's keep it that way. You need to rest or you're going to snap, and then you'll really be a burden for everyone."
"I don't want to sleep in my room without him..." Hajime growled after a few moments of silence, looking to Keiji with a pained, emotional expression. "It still smells like him. What if it never does again..."
"He's going to be fine," Keiji retorted, karate chopping the dark Alpha across the back. "Don't think like that. Ukai told us both that the doctors were just waiting for him to wake up on his own. His body will heal faster if they don't push it, ya know?" He continued, shoving out his calming scent as much as he possibly could in his exhausted state.
"What if they're wrong," Hajime snarled, his back muscles tensing under Keiji's gentle hand. "There...there was so much blood, Keiji. Fuck...I heard...I heard the crunch..."
While Keiji had not been formally given a clear answer on Oikawa's well-being, his thoughts on the matter were not nearly as twisted as Hajime's were. The Alpha was not thinking clearly. His logical mind was hindered by his exhaustion, what he had witnessed, and by the separation from his Omega. Keiji needed to do something to pull him back to a more lucid reality-- before Hajime did something that was actually worthy of regret.
"I'm going to tell you something," he said softly after a moment of silent contemplation. It really wasn't his story to tell, but it would remind Hajime of just how strong his Omega was. "Oikawa and I met under pretty shitty circumstances. He was kind of the one who intervened on my behalf, against Jime."
"What?" Hajime barked out at once, releasing a large outburst of protection that swirled into the air like an intense tornado.
Keiji's heart swelled as the sudden fragrance that blanketed him in a comfortable embrace. Hajime really cared for the flock...no...cared about the pack.
"I was the first of the flock to meet Oikawa," he began, releasing a small sigh of renewed anxiety-- he hated discussing the event. "If I were to hazard a guess, it would be that he didn't really tell you much about his past. It's kind of a black mark on his record that he'd rather erase. But now...with all the shit Kabuto and Chaki were--"
"So what if he was a drug addict, or a prostitute. I don't fucking care. I don't care about any of that shit. If that's...if that's what he fucking thinks..."
Okay, Keiji mused, increasing his tranquil scent at the Alpha's upset words. He could only deal with so much. The two lovebirds were going to have to sort out their past indiscretions on their own time.
"Yes. When I met him, he was a drug addict. It was...Jesus...almost three years ago now!" Keiji said, rubbing his forehead in disbelief. "It was my first year here, on campus. I had just moved out of my Aunt's and into an Omega shelter--"
"Why were you living in a shelter?" Hajime snarled, his protective scent creeping forward again.
Man, Keiji pondered with a sly smirk, Alphas really were oblivious to Omegas. In almost every aspect. From living conditions to physical characteristics. At least the yellow house Alphas wanted to reconcile their lack of knowledge. They wanted to learn...they wanted to be better.
Hajime~
"It's not uncommon, Hajime," the icy Omega replied with a small chuckle. "If we aren't a member in a flock, we can't apply to live on campus. And it ain't easy forming a flock, or joining one. The majority of Omegas...well...the moment they turn eighteen, they spend all of their energy searching for a mate. I mean, it's sort of the best way to ensure your own safety. We can't exactly rely on the government, ya know?" He finished his train of thought with a reserved, yet hearty laugh.
Can't rely on the government...yeah...sure as shit Omegas couldn't. Actually, Hajime thought, furrowing his dark brows, he couldn't either. None of the housemates...none of the pack could. They were on their own.
"Why can't you live on campus...without a flock?" He asked with a heavy sigh, glancing down at the dewy grass under his swinging feet.
"Well," Keiji started, searching for the best way to explain.
Hajime had come to appreciate the Omega's logical and reserved personality. Contrary to his initial impression, the icy boy had proven himself to be both understanding and courteous of his Alpha housemates-- especially when it came to their lack of knowledge on Omega affairs.
"University protocol states that Omegas can only live in campus buildings if they are applying in a flock of at least seven members. Which...is a fucking hard rule to manage. I mean, there are only a few Omegas ballsy and resourceful enough to apply at Alpha Universities in the first place! How the fuck am I supposed to suddenly present them with such a massive flock? It's a ridiculous rule. It's like the administration believes Omegas just frolic around in nests of our choosing. They are totally oblivious... no...they're fucking uncaring. That's what it is," Keiji asserted, his narrow shoulders rising and falling as he panted out his anger.
Hajime had listened intently to every word, absorbing the information like a sponge to water. He was heartbroken, agitated, and even confused with the hard truths he had been presented with-- but he was more motivated than ever to do something, anything, about them.
"So I guess, to circle back to your question. Living in the city on our own isn't cheap and forming such a massive flock is nearly impossible," Keiji chimed in once more, chuckling at the ridiculous situation he was describing. "So, we live out of shelters. I mean, at least those are in ample supply."
A empathetic growl rumbled inside Hajime's throat. The University went above and beyond to place Alphas in residences, yet they ignored, and even hindered, their weaker counterparts? The entire ordeal was twisted around...it was backwards. They should be aiding the disenfranchised, not holding them back with defunct rules. At least seven members to apply for campus housing? No wonder the Omega Residency District was so run down...most of the houses were probably vacant.
"All this shit just goes to show how fucked the Omega Inclusion Initiative really is..." He whispered, more to himself than to the Omega seated next to him. "It's just a front...a public relations move..."
"Yeah, well. The government may have forced the Universities to include us, but after that, they washed their hands of it all. Universities are deemed as responsible organizations, so they were able to retain the rights to set specific policies on their campus'...both Alpha and Omega ones."
"The government should be the one-"
"On that, I actually disagree, as surprising as that sounds. I think the freedom that the Universities have been granted will come around to bite the government in the ass. Someday it will, mark my words."
"Oh?" Hajime questioned, his curiosity fully piqued on Keiji's intelligent argument. The kid had a foul mouth when he was tired, but he still knew his shit.
"Change always starts in places of education. I mean, look at professor Miyo, or Ukai, or even you Alphas in general! It's going to be the start of something...some sort of change. I know it."
Hajime had felt a desire to change the system. It had grown stronger with each piece of new information he had been given by his Omegas housemates. However, he was never certain of where exactly to begin. Finally, Keiji's mention of coach Ukai gave him a place to start. After everything that had happened since the joining of their pack-- Eiko and her struggling flock, their battered, University provided home, the constant Alpha attacks, growing progressively worse-- it all helped to shed a raw, brutal light on a shadowy portion of society he had never acknowledged. Never even thought to acknowledge.
He inwardly cursed-- angry with himself for being so blind, so ignorant. In the past, he had taken advantage of Omegas with uncaring brutality and he was terrified that Oikawa would find out. The chestnut boy would never accept his promiscuous, elitist past-- he wanted nothing to do with the stereotypical, Alpha perception of ownership.
"Let me get back to my story. I can smell you getting tense about Oikawa again," Keiji said gently, scratching Hajime's back through the cotton of his shirt. "So, he and I didnt know each other my first semester. We never even crossed paths. Then, this one day, I think it was early fall..." He trailed off, blue eyes darting about as he mentally searched for the date. "Whatever, I think it was the fall. Anyways, one of my lectures ran late and a couple of the Alphas in my class stuck around, too. You know, to follow me to the bus stop and jump me. I mean, I knew that they had been eyeing me for most of the semester, but I did pretty well to ignore them. I should have been more careful. I wasn't thinking th--"
"Fuckers," Hajime abruptly snarled, already frustrated with the story. He could see where the tale was going and he didnt like it. "The fuckers attacked you. Your behavior is not the problem. Should have been more careful? Fuck that. Them, they are the problem."
"Yeah...thanks. I appreciate that," Keiji softly replied with a quiet chuckle. "Long story short, they corned me behind one of the brick buildings...I think it was Biological Sciences. They knocked me out pretty good, too, cause there's a huge gap in my memory. But when I came to, I was in their fucking dirty house," he trailed off, biting his lip to control his upset. "You know...no matter how hard I fought against them, and believe me, I did, they were fucking stronger. My willpower didn't mean shit. They overpowered me in a heartbeat, and that was that. It makes my stomach curdle just thinking about it..." He teetered off, sitting back on his tail bone with his hands folded in his lap, gazing out at the overcast yard.
Hajime wanted to say something, anything, to comfort the icy Omega-- but he had never been good with words. Just be appreciative that he's sharing such a personal story...show him that you're thankful for his trust. Be silent, for now.
"One of them was Jime..." Keiji interrupted the tense silence, spitting out the last word with utter contempt. "I was so...scared. I hate admitting it, but I was. I knew what they were going to do, but I wasn't at all prepared to deal with it," he said knowingly. His blue gaze still zoned out on the yard. "I had never been sexually assaulted before then. Which is pretty well par for the course until you get kicked out into the real, unprotected world at eighteen. I mean...I grew up in an Omega orphana--"
"What happened to your parents?" Hajime interjected, unable to keep his curiosity at bay-- was that common, too? "Sorry. I don't mean to pry. I'm just-"
"It's okay," Keiji cut him short, waving a delicate hand. "No need to apologize. I don't exactly know why they abandoned me. If I were to hazard a guess, it was probably because they wanted an Alpha kid. So the second I hit the early stages of puberty, I was out the door and on my ass! It's pretty common. Yamaguchi grew up in one too," he finished with a small shrug, brushing a stray ant from his jeans.
Oh. Nausea snaked its way up Hajime's gut, provoked by the icy Omega's emotionless tone. He ground his knuckles into the wooden panels of the porch, wanting to bash through them with his fists. Abandoning your child? A child you had raised for ten years? It was atrocious. Vile, even. Inhumane. If he had presented as an Omega, would his parents have abandoned him, too?
"Anyways," the icy boy continued, clearing his throat to resume his story. "I was pretty dazed for the rest of it, so don't recall everything clearly. I do remember the smell of the house. It was awful, like this sort of violent, sexually twisted scent," he explained and Hajime's toes curled up in disgust. "The place was an absolute mess, too. I mean really, really filthy, but suddenly, I smelled an Omega through the chaos of it all. It was Oikawa. He was across the room, on his knees in front of some guy..." He faltered, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck. "Sorry, I got lost in the story there. The details aren't really necessary..."
Hajime balled up his fists and his back stiffened, throat rumbling in a continuous loop of possession. AN ALPHA. Touching HIS Omega. Never again. NEVER again.
"I know, I know, just let me finish okay? It has a good ending," Keiji reassured, tugging on the back of Hajime's shirt to prevent his subconscious move to stand. "Just bear with me, okay?"
Hajime gave the Omega a stiff nod, forcing himself to unwind by inhaling the calm, metallic scent he provided.
"Jime didn't even take me upstairs. He just dropped me down on the floor in the entryway and started tearing at my clothes," Keiji rattled off in explanation, telling Hajime information that was doing well to drive him mad. "I tuned out for most of the...assault...but then Jime just flew off of me. I mean, how could I forget something like that, right?" It was so fucking abrupt! He just suddenly flew across the room! Anyways, Oikawa was standing over me...in this like...intoxicated daze. I was so out of it by that point that I didn't even try to run away. He had given me the perfect opening and I just stayed there, on the fucking floor, useless."
Hajime shuffled closer to the icy boy and pulled him into a half-embrace. He disliked smelling Keiji's distress. It was mild, like his normal scent, but it had a sharp bite to it that left Hajime agitated-- as if a piece of shrapnel was caught inside his intestines.
He was honored to have been granted access to such a personal story. Unleashing his protective fragrance in its entirety, he hoped Keiji wouldn't mind. He didnt mean it as a display of ownership, he just felt an intense need to safeguard the Omega from his upset feelings. Perhaps, the protective fragrance would wash over Keiji and help put his mind at ease.
"Thanks..." Keiji whispered, relaxing into his cradling arm. "Anyways, when I didn't move, Oikawa hauled me to my feet and wrapped a blanket around me!" He paused, laughing at the ridiculousness of his recollection. "I don't even know where he got it from! But, yeah. Then we started running. I remember hearing the Alphas hollering at us from behind, but they never caught up. The fuckers must have chased us for, god, I don't even know how long. It felt like forever, but Oikawa just kept pulling me along behind him. When I got too tired to fucking run, he flung me over his shoulder like some sooorrrrrt of big shot. The idiot."
Hajime smiled under his breath at Keiji's familiar chirp. He knew the two nestmates were close and their constant bickering was their own way of showing it. Hearing the story, imagining Oikawa protecting Keiji, acting out against the Alphas who had harmed them-- it made Hajime's heart flutter with heavy emotion. He loved his Omega's courage...his resolve to fight...those things made him unique.
"I mean...we were pretty much naked running through the University!" Keiji cried out, throwing his delicate arms into the air. "When we finally lost them, which I pretty much chalk up to luck, by the way. They were too fucked out of their minds on drugs to keep up. Anyways, Oikawa parked us in this deserted alley somewhere off campus. Neither of us had our phones, so we couldn't call the Omega Distress Hotline or anyone to help. So we just nestled together on the pavement underneath that stupid fucking blanket. I don't think either of us slept a wink. I know Oikawa didn't because I remember feeling him fidgeting around...scratching himself. A few hours later, just before it was light out, we walked all the way to the shelter...sharing the blanket as cover. I remember thinking, I need to take this boy to Sugawara. He'll know what to do. Suga will take care of him for sure."
"You knew Suga at the time?" Hajime asked, suddenly aware that he knew very little or the flock's past. He internally chastised himself for not asking about it sooner.
"Yeah, he and I met at the shelter. We both bussed to school together, but we didn't know the rest of the kiddies, yet. Hence us still living off campus," Keiji explained, flashing him a sweet smile. "Okay, wait, so there's a weird coincidence I have to tell you about," he hurried to add as he adjusted himself under Hajime's chiseled arm. "So, I guess that day, when I brought Oikawa to see Suga? Professor Miyo was visiting. She was dropping in on shelters, trying to gather together Omega students to, you know, push them into flocks so they could live on campus, ya know?"
"That's fucking smart," Hajime whispered, more to himself than to Keiji.
"Oh you don't don't know the half of it. To be a professor at an Alpha University, as an Omega, she would've had to work her fucking ass off. And also be one cunning mother fucker," Keiji stated matter-of-factly, tapping his nose with his forefinger. "So, that's how we met the rest of the group. Through her. The moment I walked in the doors of the shelter with Oikawa, she took one look at our bloodied up bodies and went absolutely berserk. I mean really...yelling about...barking orders to the shelter attendants...wrapping us up in blankets..."
Hajime imagined the beautiful Omega doing just that. She was strong willed, so much so that he couldn't imagine going toe-to-toe with her-- physically or verbally. She was frightening, in a ominous, paralyze you with her scent, sort of way.
He shivered. Whoever she was mated with definitely had a set of steel balls. Platinum ones, even.
"She signed all this paperwork to bring Oikawa into the shelter. Then sat with Suga and I for a week while he went through this terrible withdrawal. And I do mean terrible. Have you ever seen someone go through drug withdrawal? It's a nightmare, but Miyo didn't leave. Not once. She stayed by our sides and even signed off for me and Suga to skip class," Keiji paused, smiling faintly at the vivid memory for a moment before continuing. "So, the three of us nested with Oikawa every night, trying to ease his pain and get him through it. By the end of it all...we had just...sort of...formed a bond," he finished, trailing off with a deep sigh that relaxed his small shoulders back to their proper posture.
Hajime could tell that the boy was relieved to be finished with his recount of the event-- reliving past trauma was not something people enjoyed, no matter their gender or secondary sex. Yet, from Hajime's perspective, Omegas seemed to be far better equipped at handling emotional pressures than their Alpha counterparts. They had, at least, from what he had witnessed, an uncanny ability to pull themselves together after tragic experiences-- experiences that Alphas had instigated against them.
As he sat recounting Keiji's story, particularly the parts about Oikawa, he suddenly realized that his gnawing primal instincts had quieted to a dull murmur. He glanced over to the icy Omega next to him, still absentmindedly scratching his back, and the pair maintained their comfortable silence for a few minutes.
"My point is," Keiji said at last, rolling his head back to gaze up at the grey sky. "If Oikawa wasn't there, if he wasn't as strong or as noble, I don't think I would still be alive. And I certainly wouldn't be sitting here with you, today. Believe me, Hajime, he's going to be fine. He's a fighter. A fucking stubborn boy. He would never fold so easily," he finished in a resolute tone, believing every bit of his own declaration.
He's a fighter. Stubborn. He would not fold so easily. The honest words comforted the deepest recesses of Hajime's soul. He inhaled a fresh breath of air then exhaled slowly, suddenly feeling exhausted. Gingerly pulling back from his half-embrace over Keiji's slim shoulders, he lowered his back against the damp porch and closed his eyes.
"You're going to nap out here?" He heard Keiji ask in a condescending, yet humorous, tone.
He nodded, knowing he still wouldn't be able to sleep in his own room-- not with Oikawa's natural fragrance lingering on his sheets. Plus, he wanted to remain vigilant, ensure that no new Alphas attacked while the pack was weak. He definitely needed to have a chat with Daichi, after everything that had happened, they needed to beef up their security.
"Well, I guess I can't complain. At least you'll be resting," Keiji drawled as his soft footsteps moved away from Hajime, towards the back door.
"Hey...Keiji...?"
"Mmm?"
"I'm...honored that you told me all that stuff. I know it's not easy, but thanks. It really helped..." He divulged in almost a whisper. His body was wracked with so much exhaustion that it had started to rock back and forth, subconciously trying to lull him into sleep.
"No problem. Talking about it helped me out, too."
Hajime barely heard the response. He was already drifting off into a light, yet restful slumber.
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