Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/
works/13735347.
  Rating:
      Explicit
  Archive Warning:
      Underage
  Category:
      M/M
  Fandom:
      終わりのセラフ_|_Owari_no_Seraph_|_Seraph_of_the_End
  Relationship:
      Hyakuya_Mikaela/Hyakuya_Yuuichirou
  Additional Tags:
      Alpha/Beta/Omega_Dynamics, Top!Mika, bottom!Yuu, Fluff, Slow_Burn, Angst,
      Unrequited_Love, tragic_past, lots_of_supplementary_pairing, Shinoa_is_a
      little_shit, So_is_Ferid, Oblivious_pairing, Mating_Cycles/In_Heat,
      Mating_Bond, Online_Dating, Teenage_Drama, Tags_May_Change, plotline_is
      planned_i_promise, Eventual_Romance, Yuu_is_cute, Mika_isn't, Smut, early
      smut
  Stats:
      Published: 2018-02-19 Updated: 2018-02-27 Chapters: 2/? Words: 8348
****** It started with an App ******
by Halcyon1602
Summary
     Mikaela hasn't got time for mates or any of that bull. Sex is sex; a
     biological requirement and nothing more. Having some gooey eyed
     little omega hanging off his every word and utterly dependant on him
     was NOT his idea of fun. Friends can tease all they want; He is never
     finding a mate.
     Yuuichiro is hopeless. The real world just doesn't work like it does
     in his head, much to the amusement of everyone around him. No one
     should be so desperate to rush off, fall in love, find a mate and
     begin spending the rest of their lives like he does. But he won't
     stop until he finds his mate.
     That doesn't stop two friends conspiring to warm one's heart and
     soothe the others.
     PS: phones are dangerous kids.
Notes
     Why do I do this to myself? Another Fic added to the ever growing
     roster but I just can't help it. I've poured through Owari no Seraph
     in the space of about three days and left myself with almost no sleep
     but who cares!
     This is also my first time messing around with Alpha/Omega dynamics;
     I know, once down the rabbit hole that's it. Pls be gentle. As ever,
     comments and feedback welcomed and encouraged.
See the end of the work for more notes
***** Seeker *****
"Shit...harder...please..." What was his name? Akagi? Akaragi? Something like
that.
Mikaela pushed a little harder into the wet heat he was sheathed in eliciting a
feral groan from the boy beneath him. He had nice features. Pitch black hair
tied into a ponytail with a few stray bangs now sticking to his sweat covered
face. Dark, grey eyes that reminded him of stormy seas crashing against a
promenade in winter. Remarkably clear skin given his age and a decent figure,
if rather slender. Not a bad find, he'll make an alpha very happy.
He shifted is thrust slightly searching for that spot that would have the
little omega coming undone. It worked flawlessly making the omega's back arch.
"There! Fuck, more..please....more." 30 seconds or so.
With each push he grew a little more aggressive to push the omega toward the
cliff edge. At that moment, Mikaela leaned forward and bit against the omega's
nipple and ran his hand against the length of his cock. The boy screamed out
into the night as he tumbled into that perfect freefall of ecstacy, spurting
down his stomach in thick bands of silky semen. The involuntary clenches with
his now spent hole very nearly pushed the Alpha of the top, only just pulling
out in time to spray the much thicker and more potent load over the other's
stomach. 
"Mikaela...that..." The boy gasped for breath as he tried to recover his
senses. "That was amazing."
"You're welcome." The blonde haired Alpha had already removed himself from the
bed and begun cleaning himself down. He knew the omega's natural instinct at
this point would be draw his Alpha in for more romantic gestures and aftercare
(and a small part of him admitted he felt the pang of desire to do just the
same). It would be more painful for the both of them if he remained.
"You're leaving?" He turned to look at the Omega who had managed to prop
himself up on the bed.
"It's better that I do."
"Not exactly very...Alpha of you."
"Perhaps not."
"Well. Thank you, I guess. I didn't know the heat would be that unpleasant."
Mikaela considered for a moment. He wasn't aware that this was the other's
first heat and usually he'd not get involved. He turned toward the Omega and
knelt beside him with a shallow, gentle smile.
"The worst of it will be over now. You'll probably still feel the urge a few
times till tomorrow but it won't hurt anymore."
"Not that I'm desperate to be mated or anything but...what stopped you?" Those
oceanic eyes looked at him with both curiosity and indifference. Mikaela was
impressed; usually the first time brought a flood of hormones that few Omegas
were able to control. He knew damn well this was a facade but it was a good
one.
"I'd not be a good mate for you."
"Why?"
"Because I'm not interested in having a mate. You would be better with someone
who treats you properly." Mikaela stood up and picked up his car keys and
wallet from the side.
"That's sad. I hope one day an Omega changes your mind." The other called out
behind him as Mikaela stepped out of the bedroom and left the apartment.
It was a curse, pure and simple. The discovery of Mate-Gene genetics caused
much stir however long ago it was. It brought with it some biological unknowns
such as male pregnancy, scent marking and bonding but it left those afflicted
with it beholden entirely to their body. An Alpha's overriding desire once he
reached sexual maturity was to find, court, knot and breed with an Omega. The
Omega was biologically predisposed to finding and attracting his Alpha. The
very structure of their bodies was different compared to "normal" beta humans;
the lubricant gland in an omega and the "knot" on an Alpha were almost made to
fit one another. It had spawned massive arguments about alpha/omegas being
potentially the new evolution of humankind and even some faith groups had taken
it as a sign of direct intervention from god.
Whatever the reason, Mikaela hated it. The social expectation that now fell on
his shoulders after he presented at 14 as an Alpha was enough but the call of
his body to follow a singular beaten track drove him to the point of madness.
Why? Why must his genes push him to pair up with someone so young and begin
forming the rest of their lives. The law in many nations had to be changed to
reflect the hormonal disposition for Alphas and Omegas to mate early. Beta
equal rights groups then filed for discrimination litigation in the states and
it all got messy as hell. The world got fucked up fast.
Dropping down the flight of stairs and stepping into his unlocked little Mazda
felt quite familiar now. He'd consigned himself to satisfy his own sexual urges
through casual sex. It was nothing more; help an Omega in heat while he put a
sticking plaster over the gaping wound that was his craving. Could you believe
there was even a dating site/app for it now? This is what the world had become
after the Mate-Gene had been discovered.
He pulled out of the apartment block's car park and began the short drive home,
passing coffee shops and restaurants on the way. It had to be somewhere around
9pm by now and couples had started spilling out of the restaurants to head home
before the partying crowd hit the clubs later. Within a few short minutes, he
pulled into the driveway next to his big sister's car and went inside.
"Tadaima."
A head of pink hair poked out from the kitchen of the house. It's bearer wore a
gentle smile when she noticed who had arrived.
"Okaeri, Mika! I made dinner earlier, there's still some in the fridge for you
if you want it."
"Thanks Krul, maybe later." Mikaela slumped down in the sofa and turned on the
TV. A regional news program was carrying a feature about the closure of a power
station down the road. Honestly he wasn't watching it; background noise was
pleasant.
Krul, his sister, stepped into the room and sat down in the adjacent chair. She
eyed him suspiciously though said nothing. She was smaller than Mikaela by
quite some measure, having the height and figure one would normally associate
with an omega. But there was no denying the ferocity and fire in her; she was
far stronger than he'd ever be and there was no doubt among anyone who had ever
met her which side of the coin she'd flipped to.
"You're staring at me." Mikaela hadn't even looked up from the TV but he knew.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing."
"You're a shitty liar. What's wrong?"
"I said it's nothing." Mikaela looked at her intently. The sky blue eyes
carried with them the weight and power of a frosty winter. A lot of people
mentioned how brilliant, and slightly uncomfortable, they felt when he gave a
trademark stern look.
"Well whatever. I can worry even if you won't talk." Krul turned away. "You
reek, by the way." Mikaela grunted.
It was only natural the Omega's scent would still cling to him or his clothes.
It was the primary means Alphas and Omegas identified others and what kind they
belonged to; the Betas had their own scent but were largely oblivious to
everything as their sense of smell failed to evolve in the same way. The
possessive nature of an Alpha became obsessed with claiming territory of their
bondmate while the Omega relished that feeling of dominion his/her other had
over them.
"Sorry."
"Don't be, it's natural. I take it that's why you're home earlier than
expected?" Krul knew the way Mikaela felt but that didn't mean she had to
approve.
"Yes. Things reached their conclusion and I left." Krul tutted.
"One day Mika you're going to have to give in to it or you'll be sullen and
miserable forever." She stepped up, walking behind the sofa he was sat on to
wrap her arms around him. He gently tilted his head to meet her.
"Ain't happening." Krul sighed.
"You know that's a lie."
"Oh is it?" Mikaela looked at her intently. "I can lead my life however I want
to."
"You can, sure. But you won't be happy. I’m just saying you'll have to let go
eventually and do what you're born to do." Mikaela took his turn to tut,
stepping up and heading to the kitchen.
"Sure." Krul rolled her eyes. "I'll be upstairs." He took the bowl of food from
the fridge and withdrew to the relative safety of his bedroom.
He knew she meant well. Ever since his parents were out of the picture she had
done her hardest to assume the responsibilities of a parent for him. Though at
times he hated having to obey his sister even he had to admit she was usually
right. They'd grown much closer ever since it all fell apart some 10 years ago.
Nowadays they largely got on amicably.
His phone beeping drew him from his reverie as he sat down on his bed. He'd
largely ignored it for the last hour or so and thought he'd probably have to
respond or the guys would send a search party.
Ferid: Mika mika mikaaaaa you're so quite this evening? >;(
René: I noticed that.
Lacus: Psh, like you notice anything at all.
René: I noticed that plaid shirt you were wearing in college today *angel
faces*
Lacus: Gtfo.
Ferid: Oi oi, ladies. In your own rooms pls.
Crowley: Mika, I hope you're well.
Mikaela usually was the least active in the chat group with his best friends.
The fact they noted his absence meant he'd probably been ignoring the messages
for a lot longer and paid no attention it.
Mikaela: Sorry guys, been a bit busy.
René: Oh yeah? ;) ;)
Lacus: You're so crude.
Ferid: Oh Mika, please tell me some adorable little prince draw you in and
swept you away? :D
René: As if.
Ferid: WE'RE ALL WAITING FOR IT!!!!
Lacus: Yeah but it's still not gonna happen.
Ferid: You guys are mean :(
Sigh. These idiots will be the death of me.
Mikaela: I'm still here.
Crowley: I think that was the point.
Ferid: Well?! Was I right?
Mikaela: I had a date but it went nowhere.
René: You mean you were helping another one out right?
Lacus: You can't just ask people that.
René: Why not?
Ferid: ANYWAY. I'm sorry things didn't work out Mika Mika but one day perhaps?
:)
Mikaela: Maybe.
Crowley: That means never.
He wasn't damn wrong either.
In some book or web page somewhere he'd heard the idea that friend were the
family you chose for yourself. Well those dorks, no matter how irritating,
didn't judge him for his choices. Though none of them agreed with his mindset
they let it pass. He felt comfortable knowing that there was a group who just
hung out with him because they liked his company and didn't feel the need to
stand on soapboxes. Things did get a little awkward when René and Lacus
revealed they might or might not have formed the bond (which triggered the
biggest love hate relationship conflict he'd ever seen) but they were
respectful enough to keep it out of the public domain for the most part.
Ferid: Hey Mika, I heard about a new dating app that might help you out. I
think they call it 'Seeker' or something like that, check it out. Exclusive
male to male so who knows. :D
Honestly Mikaela didn't know why Ferid even bothered. He and Crowley were a
couple of years older than the others but Ferid acted like an excitable child
most of the time. He'd made it his personal mission to try and get Mikaela set
up with someone, god knows why. Every so often he'd try to arrange a blind date
or something but it always went terribly.
Mikaela: Thanks.
Lacus and René continued to bicker in the chat while Ferid made futile attempts
at being peacemaker. Mika slumped back against the expanse of fluffy bed sheets
and glanced at the ceiling. He found himself delving through the Appstore and
finding this app. It looked pretty dull. At least twice he had to question why
he was even downloading it but within a minute or two he'd a profile all set
up.
It was a standard affair really. A collection of images signposting profiles
all organized vaguely into distance away. It was immediately obvious who was
who even without the Alpha/Omega filter. This app had an unusual suggestion
feature which collated interests and various preference data to suggest
profiles to him. It felt rather crude to try and suggest someone based off such
limited, arbitrary and shallow information but what the hell it was all
automatic anyway. A few minutes of browsing and proving to be mostly bored
(beyond a few that caught his aesthetic interest if nothing else) and the
suggest tool had found a match.
He opened the link.
"Hyakuya Yuuichiro." He said to himself absently.
There was a single image of the Omega, a hastily organised selfie photo by the
look of it. He could see piles of books and a disheveled bed in the background.
The thing that caught his eye beyond anything was those enormous neon green
eyes. They glowed like a verdant meadow in the height of summer, beacons
against the boy's pale and unmarked skin. They were the same age though he
could easily tell Yuuichiro was shorter and thinner, as to be expected. A crown
of black hair which managed to look both styled and unkempt at the same time.
He wore a warm, golden smile that consumed most of his face.
A little beep. A message; low and behold it had come from this Yuuichiro.
"Hey there :) I'm Yuuichiro though feel free to call me Yuu. Pleased to meet
you!"
===============================================================================
 
"Yuu, get your ass over here."
Shinoa was not one to be ignored by anyone. Yuuichiro dropped the book he was
reading and sighed, sliding down at the lunch table with his arrangement of
friends.
"Nose in a book again," Yoichi smiled. "Is it a good one?"
Yuuichiro was about to launch into a detailed explanation of it before Shinoa
thrust her hand in front of his mouth.
"Nope. I don't want to hear the synopsis of another sickly romance novel."
Yuuichiro blushed a deep shade of red and pouted.
"You have no idea what it was about!"
"Look at the cover Yuu," She looked at him mischievously. "That book store down
the road must make 50% of its money from you buying books with strong alpha
males on the front." Yuu blushed further still.
"That...that is not true!"
"Methinks you doth protest too much!" Yuuichiro growled a little bit before
crossing his arms firmly.
"Growling? You're the least threatening thing ever. Even Yoichi could beat you
in a fight." The pink haired boy sat with his arms crossed. Shiho Kimizuki was
always an asshole to everyone.
"I'm not sure that's true Kimi-chan." Ever the diplomat Yoichi.
You see, Hyakuya Yuuichiro read gooey romance novels because frankly the real
world attempts at love he'd had were rubbish. He'd tried dating a couple of
times which usually ended up with some college jock type trying to press
himself against him. He wanted none of that. He wouldn't let himself take
anyone unless he was convinced they were the right one. He spent his lifetime
dreaming of a perfect Prince Charming like those out of storybooks who he'd
finally give himself too for a happy ever after.
After all that was the point of being an Omega wasn't it? To give yourself
completely to one person and one person alone. The bond was a powerful, all
consuming desire between Alpha and Omega that no one should be able to disrupt
lest severe consequences be invoked. He was designed from the ground up to give
himself to Mr Right and would settle for no one else.
The trouble was finding him. He'd known from a fairly early age that girls
didn't interest him much (though Shinoa had said that was blatantly
obvious). College dates, internet chats, the cute guy at the coffee shop down
the road from his house. Nothing. It wasn't that he was desperate but....
Okay he was kinda desperate.
"He's probably right," Yuuichiro conceded bitterly. The lunch hall of Seraph
Contemporary College sprawled around with them with throngs of students. The
secondary schools in this prefecture were not built to cater for 16-19 year old
education and so Seraph and Sanguinem, the two colleges, accepted all students
in that age group to comply with educational law.
"How did that date go with...what was his name...?" Shinoa beamed at him while
stuffing a pickle from her mostly consumed lunch in her mouth.
"Tatame. Badly." He glared at her.
"Awh, Yuuichiro, you would have made such a cute couple." He groaned.
"Yeah but we didn't. One day I'll find him though," He smiled at her warmly.
"There's the right guy out there for everyone. or ah...girl, if you're into
that."
"So cute." Hinoa winked at him. 
"Shut up," Yuuichiro blushed again.
 "What it's true! You're adorable. I can't wait to see how you wrap your Alpha
round your finger with those rosy cheeks and big eyes." She winked.
"That's...that's not how it works..."
"Oh of course it is, dumbass." She smiled despite the slight venom in her
words. "It's not just big strong Alpha comes and saves the precious little
Omega. You can get what you want out of it to, you know. Ask Yoichi."
"Hey! I do not.."
A warm voice chuckled behind the protesting Yoichi. "You really do, babe." No
one had ever expected Narumi Makoto and Saotome Yoichi to ever be a pair.
Frankly they didn't seem to talk very much to each other out in public before
one of them 'slipped' it had happened (Ie Yoichi was oblivious most of the time
and sat squarely on Makoto's lap in the middle of the lunch hall to the shocked
expressions of pretty much the whole damn school). After that, Makoto and he
were the model couple. Expressive and cute, with just enough PDA to be a bit
sickly without taking it too far. Yuuichiro didn't like to admit it but he felt
kinda jealous.
Makoto slid his legs either side of Yoichi's slender frame and hoisted him onto
his lap, making the omega yelp a little in surprise. "You're always so rough."
"Don't say you don't like it." Yoichi giggled.
"Okay, that's quite enough lovey shit for one day for me," Yuuichiro stood up
abruptly and picked up his half eaten lunch.
"Oh yeah? Giving the books up Yuu?" Makoto winked. Yuuichiro huffed and turned
to leave.
He was the only one of them that chose to take Japanese History and so while
they all had free periods now he was stuck heading off to class.
Why the hell he'd chosen this subject he'd no idea. In his head he supposed it
was because his English wasn't particularly strong and supposed doing a history
lesson with more familiar terms made sense. He loved the past. He loved knowing
about the things that had come before. The history of the Mate-Gene was
something he spent hours pouring over, along with western history and ancient
times. Books were a brilliant source of not just entertainment but knowledge
too.
He looked out the window at the stormclouds gathering far off to the west. With
any luck, they'd hold off until after this lesson was finished and he could
cycle off home. The turbulent weather in the distance felt appropriate given
his mood. He knew deep down that it wasn't unusual to be still looking to find
a mate at 17, some people went into their 20s without finding someone. But
that's not what he wanted. He craved the attention, the love and protection of
someone who would call him his. There was nothing he wanted more than an Alpha
who only had eyes for him and vice versa.
A subtle vibration in his pocket caught his attention.
Shinoa: Yuu, did you want to come to mine tonight? It's friday so it's pizza
night with everyone! :) :)
In truth he wasn't sure he wanted to go. There was a definite appeal to
spending the night at home curled up with a book and doing very little else.
But he suspected Shinoa wouldn't accept that even if he tried to protest. It
wouldn't be the first time she'd dragged him from his house with Guren and
Shinya's supposedly secret blessing.
Yuuichiro: Sure thing. 9 good?
Shinoa: Perfect!
The lesson passed by without incident. He narrowly beat the rain on the way
home, just about making it to their house before the heavens opened with
vengeance.
"You're late," Gurent stood in the doorway with a half burned cigarette in his
mouth.
"psh, lessons ran over thats all." Guren grunted.
"Well whatever, Shinya's nearly done with dinner."
"Actually I was gonna ask if I can go out to Shinoa's tonight?" Guren looked at
him with an unchanging stern expression.
"Tch, A bit of warning, idiot."
"Don't be like that, It's fine Yuu." Shinya wandered up behind Guren and
wrapped his arm around his stomach. "It'll keep for tomorrow."
"Don't defend him? Boy's got no courtesy."
"And you do, do you?" Shinya had a good point.
"Shut up." Guren turned toward the slightly shorter, silver haired male. To
Yuuichiro their relationship seemed completely unlike how it should be. Guren
was gruff and aggressive most of the time with absolutely no concept of manners
or politeness. Shinya, though clearly adoring of his husband, liked to poke an
awful lot of fun at him whenever an opportunity arose which simply irked Guren
further. Yuuichiro had been there when Guren snapped; though never violent, his
temper had the capacity to be biblical. To Shinya's credit, he never reacted
with more than an icy cold smile. It almost looked like a game.
"Well whatever. I'll drive you, can't be dealing with you moping about the
house if you get a cold." The discussion clearly ended there as Guren
disappeared off.
Guren drove the large Lexus like he stole it most of the time. Yuuichiro was
used to it by now and, like usual, was used to barely being out the door before
Guren vanished off into the distance.
The Hiiragi household towered above him like a minimalist fortress, a huge
modern monolith of glass windows and wooden panels. Shinoa came from an
extremely monied family that controlled a powerful heavy industry and
manufacturing Keiretsu that operated within the city. Her high achieving
parents were rarely home anymore now that she, the youngest of the siblings,
had reached her late teens so she essentially had free run of the place.
"Yuu!" Shinoa leapt at him from the french doors, wrapping him in a hug. "You
didn't bring anything with you did you?"
"Like what?"
"Books or laptop or whatever.'
"Uh, no?"
"Great! We just want to make sure we have your undivided attention."
"O..okay?"
She dragged him inside the building and into one of the large reception rooms.
A metallic fireplace sat in the middle of a recessed seating arrangement around
which the whole team were assembled.
"Hey guys," He smiled warmly, sitting himself next to Yoichi. Even Mitsuba had
shown up today; usually she had some important sports practice or something so
they rarely saw her outside college.
"The main event!" Yoichi smiled. "Hi Yuu-chan." He wrapped his arms around the
raven-haired boy and let him go.
"What do you mean...?"
"Yoichi, can you never keep a secret?" Shinoa looked at him with a rare look of
exasporation.
"Sorry, Shinoa."
"Are you you guys going to tell me what's going on?" Yuuichiro looked with
utter confusion. He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket and so took it out. On
seeing a seemingly blank message from Shinoa, he opened the phone to see if it
contained a picture or something else.
"Now!"
In an instant, Makoto leapt on one arm while Kimizuki went for the other,
barely giving Yoichi the opening he needed to nab the phone from his hand.
"What the actual fuck guys?" He struggled but there was no way he'd break free
from their grip. "What gives?"
"Well see, we decided to come up with a plan." Shinoa looked at him with that
horrid mischievous glint he'd seen so many times before.
"Yoichi came up with it actually." Makoto beamed proudly. Yuuichiro looked at
him with a degree of venom, earning an apologetic blush. Yoichi passed the
phone to the mastermind who began swiping around the screens.
"But it needed some refining which is where I came in, of course." Shinoa
winked. "See we decided that having your head buried in books for eternity
isn't going to get you anywhere. So we're taking it upon ourselves to get you a
date."
"Shit. You're serious aren't you." Yuuichiro sort of appreciated the effort
they'd gone to but really didn't want them meddling. Not one little bit.
"Oh, of course. I heard from a friend about a brilliant new app that we think
you should try. Well we're gonna try for you anyway."
"Shinoa, No...please don't. This is gonna end terribly. Please?"
"Nope. Lets see....oh, silly, you don't have password protection on app
downloads. Tut. There it is." Yuuichiro couldn't read what it was when Shinoa
waved the app at him. He struggled a little, hoping the two holding him down
would have loosened their grip but it was pointless.
"You know, this might actually turn out for the best. What's there to lose?"
Mitsuba spoke out with a surprisingly considerate tone. "We all worry about
you, you know."
"Only cause you have a crush on him." Shinoa winked. She only narrowly dodged
the pillow that was flung in her direction.
"Shut it!"
"There we are. All set up. I love this photo of you Yuu, you are so adorable
with that big smile." She paced around the room. "Now, this little app will
collect all your interests and suggest someone to you. Clever stuff you know.
So lets see, you like books...lets not put the romance stuff in that'll get
awkward. Oh I know! You like blue eyes, your favourite colour I
believe....Curry? lets just make that food...."
At this stage Yuuichiro would have been quite happy had the gods of the
underworld swallowed him whole.
"Oh wow, a match!"
"Dont you dare..." He saw her typing frantically.
"Oops." She threw the phone back in his direction as the others released him.
The face that greeted him was not entirely what he expected.
"Tepes...Mikaela? Sounds European." He muttered to himself. He read through the
message and began calculating all the ways he could kill Shinoa and make it
look like an accident.
Then the photo popped up. No way.
He looked about the same age as him, perhaps marginally older. The eyes were
impossible to ignore and didn't reveal anything; they were shrouded in mystery.
Topaz blue like that should be windows to a world of emotion but they looked
distant. They were beautiful, even if partially because they gave nothing away.
Shoulder length fluffy blond hair enshrouded much of his face but what could be
seen was porcelain pale. While he didn't smile, he could see the pastel pink
shade of those lips curling at the sides enough into a hint of a smirk. If he
didn't know better from the strong shoulders and defined collarbones he'd have
said he was adorable enough to be an Omega.
"Well that got your attention didn't it." Shinoa winked. "Right, Pizza. All on
me." She wafted away to the hallway.
He hadn't forgiven her. She might have earned herself a downgrade from murder
to brutal maiming when he worked out a way to overpower her but that was a
semantic difference really.
There was no denying the photo at least was mesmerising. "Oh shit..."
A few simple characters appeared under the picture in a dull green chat bubble.
"Hello Yuuichiro. Pleased to talk to you."
"Shinoa, I'm going to make your death slow and painful."
===============================================================================
 
Ferid: Shiiii, I did as you asked. Any luck your side? :)
Shinoa: Oh, I think we might have just hit the jackpot.
File:attachment - DCIM32003
Ferid: Ohhhhhh now he's adorable. Your sneaky photo skills are excellent as
ever ;)
Shinoa: And guess who just messaged him back? >:)
Ferid: Smooth going partner!!! *high five* :D :D :D
***** Dawning *****
Chapter Notes
     Totally haven't done this before myself. Nope. Never. Not in a
     million years.
     TEQUILA IS EVIL.
See the end of the chapter for more notes
"Yuu."
Nope. Whoever and whatever it is that wanted to interrupt this amazing dream
could go to hell. The hazy world in his head full of blonde hair, icy blue eyes
and nervous blushes was far more pleasant than anything in reality. Far more
pleasant than any dream he'd had in quite a long time.
"Yuu." Go away. A dream full of awkward smiles over a dinner date at a cute
little restaurant, handholding while walking down the promenade at a beach and
gentle first embraces in front of the dwindling sunlight.
"Come on Yuu-chan, wake up." Yuu swiped his arm out in his sleep,
unceremoniously hitting whoever it was square in the face. The dream of being
taken to a huge four poster bed and making hot, sweet love to his one and only
Alpha wasn't being abandoned if his sleeping self had anything to say about it.
Thud.
He shot forward, dimly aware of a rapidly increasing pain on somewhere on his
forehead. Though bleary-eyed, his eyes managed to focus in on Shinoa's face
merely centimetres away from his own. In the background a slightly flustered
Yoichi clutched at his nose.
"The hell you do that for?" he suspected she'd hit him. Hard. 
"To wake you, obviously. Oh and defending Yoichi's honour, poor thing," Shinoa
smiled broadly before leaving him. "You smacked him in your sleep."
"Shit Yoichi, I'm sorry." The boy smiled, waving his arms around. The ever
present warm smile looked out of place with a red bruise forming just next to
his nose.
"Don't mention it." Yuuichiro looked around the room; it definitely wasn't his
bedroom. Huge swathes of glass consumed the entire wall looking out at the city
around them bracketed only briefly by tiny lamps hanging from metal brackets.
The internal walls were each covered in intricate artwork hiding away dark wood
panels; occasionally, a floating shelf broke up the endless sea of patterns to
cradle something mundane like a telephone or speaker.
"What..." Words proved challenging without outrage fuelling them. Why did his
head hurt like it did?
"Mitsuba found my little stash. You were gone within like, three shots?" Shinoa
had the gall to look absolutely A-okay after her dance with alcohol. What were
they drinking? Yuu suspected, after growing ever more aware of the pounding
behind his eyes, it might have been furniture polish.
"Hey, you left the draw open AND you suggested drinking games after I called
you out," Mitsuba huffed. Her usually ordered blonde ponytails were absent;
instead, her mess of hair fell around her head in lazy waves. "How did you even
get it anyway?"
"Daddy dearest doesn't check his credit car statement," Shinoa winked. 
"Ugh...Guren's gonna kill me," Yuuichiro flopped back on the sofa. He realised
they hadn't left the room. It had become their de-facto haunt each Friday at
Shinoa's, so much so on the rare occasion the other Hiiragi's were home they
left it be. Something about the fireplace and huge, recessed sofa made it ideal
for entertaining. And apparently, getting very very drunk.
"He's already called. Twice. Don't worry, I let him know you're okay," Shinoa
hummed warmly.
"That will make it worse." He sighed.
"He hasn't come charging over to come get you has he?"
"Well no..."
"Well shut up and thank me for it."
"Get real."
"You wound me. The things I do for you." Shinoa tipped her headback with an
overdramatic sob. At that moment Kimizuki wandered into the room with a
decidedly sleepy looking Narumi in tow, each holding plates of what looked like
pancakes and other breakfast bits. Shinoa leapt at the plate making
frankly obscene noises as soon as she got hold of something edible. "Oh Kimi,
come cook for me every day."
"You gonna pay me?"
"With love?"
"Next bidder please." Kimizuki may have sounded gruff but those lips curled up
at the side into a fleeting grin.
"Ugh, why is everyone so horrid to me?"
"You give as good as you get," Mitsuba reminded. Shinoa snorted and stuck her
tongue out.
"Rude. True but also rude."
The taste of bacon and...whatever it was with the pancakes Kimizuki wordlessly
offered him was so heavenly he might have just made orgasm noises. He knew
above all else that there were few things more satisfying than unhealthy food
to cure a hangover.
"Do you um...want a moment with your friend there?" Narumi smirked.
"It's just really good, jeez."
"Is Yuu emotionally crippled enough to get mated to bacon and pancakes?"
"YES." Shinoa, Mitsuba and Kimizuki all agreed in unison.
"You guys are awful."
"The pig might have been an alpha," Narumi teased, earning a pillow flung in
his direction by a now pouting Yuuichiro.
"Speaking of emotionally crippled," Shinoa diverted quickly. "Hows loverboy
this morning?"
Yuu paused. Oh shit. "I...I completely forgot." He scrambled to pick up his
phone, ignoring the warning that it had low battery.
Mikaela: Good morning Yuuichiro. I hope the hangover isn't TOO painful. :)
"He knows we drank last night. What did I say..." A combination of growing fear
and disdain at the flurry of poorly spelled, almost nonsensical messages
between the two settled in his stomach. "Fuck."
"There's no way you didn't say something utterly horrendous," Kimizuki
chuckled. "Or sappy. Sappy's more likely, and just as much of a turn off."
"Shut up."
"Bingo!" Shinoa shouted.
"You can shut up too."
"Has he stopped responding?"
"No, he wished me good morning," The room fell silent.
"No way." Mitsuba looked at him with eyes blown wide. "You didn't scare him
off?"
"Mumma bear has some suppressants Yuu, don't you worry," Shinoa purred out at
him with that shit-eating grin she always wore. "At this point we might as well
get a registrar ready for the wedding."
"Fuck off!"
"Uh, why do you have Omega suppressants if you aren't one?" Kimizuki picked up.
Shinoa waved her hands at him noncommittally.
"Weeeell, Omega cousins, had them lying around just in case. Never hurts to be
prepared."
"Riiiight...." Somehow, Shinoa didn't seem particularly convincing.
Yuuichiro largely tried to ignore them. Though the memories of last night were
fleeting, he did feel that there was something different about Mikaela. Maybe
it was the way Yuu was drawn in by the formal but easy going way he chatted,
coupled with the mesmerising photo he'd chosen, but there was a
certain...magnetism here that he just couldn't put a finger on. It was an
invisible force that drew him in.
Now he had to salvage what he could of the trainwreck of last
night's...discussion.
Yuuichiro: Hey Mikaela. I'm so sorry for last night, I've just seen...yeah. Not
my finest hour. I hope you're well?
He fought through the familiar feeling of nervousness. There was an unusual
sense of...was it relief? Perhaps it was. Relief that inebriation had taken
away the very first steps of awkwardness between himself and Mikaela. If he
could get past the embarrassment of his drunken ramblings last night then he
was on to a winner.
Mikaela: It was amusing. Don't worry :)
Huh. Maybe there's hope after all.
===============================================================================
 The_Previous_Night.
 
Mikaela: Hello Yuuichiro. Please to talk to you.
Yuu: Are you having a good evening? I like your profile btw.
Mikaela: Not bad. Not long back from a friends. Yours? As I do yours. I see a
lot of books back there.
Yuu: I've just got to a friends. Pizza night is kinda a weekend tradition. Oh
yes! I love books. I've got...maybe a few more than I should. :3
Mikaela: No bad thing. I don't read as much as I should.
Yuu: Which means you read a bit, so that's a good start! :)
Right, so he's a hopeless optimist.
Mikaela: True enough. What do you read?
Yuu: Oh...lots. Many things. :)
Mikaela:...like?
Yuu: Too many different types to count :P
Mikaela: That just means you're embarrassed by it ;)
Yuu: ....wow.
Mikaela: ??
Yuu: That isn't fair.
Mikaela: Which means you have to tell me.
Yuu: This is gonna end badly. Alright! I've got a few manga books, a few sci-fi
ones and Harry Potter or whatever. But lots of them are...ahem. Romance novels.
Why is that a) not surprising and b) kinda adorable?
Mikaela: Are you waiting for your prince charming or something? :P
Yuu: *sigh*
Mikaela: I'm teasing, dw. :)
Yuu: Phew.
Mikaela: Hah, don't worry :P I've got to be training early tomorrow but I'll
message you in the morning, okay?
Yuu: Sure. Night.
Yuu: Mikaaaa.
Yuu: Mika mika mikaaaaa.
Yuu: MIKAAAAAAA.
Mikaela: Are you alright?
Yuu: Ur pretty. Did you know ur pretty? Like super pretty.
Mikaela: I've never been called 'pretty' before.
Why is my face hot?
Yuu: Well yo are. I kno thats not like...alpha compliment goals or whatev but
you are. I lov your eyes and hair and all of it.
Mikaela: You haven't seen it all yet :P
Yuu: I dont need to see it all ;)
Oh god.
Yuu: YOU SAID YET. canicanicanicanicani?
Mikaela: Im not opposed :)
Yuu: Yaaaaaaaaas.
Mikaela: You're very adorable too.
Yuu: Oh yeh? ;)
Mikaela: Indeed. From what I can see from your image, at least.
That was a really shitty backtrack. Again, why is it so hot?
Yuu: Ohhhhhh I can show you so much more ;)
Okay something has changed big time.
Mikaela: Not that it isn't unappealing but are you alright?
Yuu: Perfect. Never Better. Glowing. Its hot. Yur hot. Everythings hot. Come
help me be not hot.
Mikaela: You're tipsy.
Yuu: Moi?! never. Im an angel.
Yuu: *attachment -JPG*
Mika was almost afraid to see the image. Curiosity; as they say, killed the
cat.
Yep. I'm officially dead. Ended. Funeral procession. The lot.
How Yuu had managed to take the photo without anyone else in the room noticing
was completely beyond Mika but he was not complaining. Yuuichiro had at some
point managed to abandon his jeans and was laying in some pyjama shorts which
had to be at least two sizes too small for him. They clung to every layer of
his skin, riding low on his waistline and hinting at the supple smooth flesh
beneath. He was wearing a red plaid shirt which lay open and dishevelled off
his shoulder; underneath a white t-shirt that clung to the boys frame
perfectly. It had ridden up against his stomach almost up to the belly button
to reveal the tiniest etchings of puppy roll underneath.
Yuu was clearly pretty intoxicated. Those enormous emerald eyes were half-
lidded, eyebrows curling into a knowing smirk as he looked at the selfie camera
of his phone. Through the teasing smile he bit gently against his bottom lip,
revealing the very slightest presence of a canine tooth. 
Mikaela had seen plenty of Omegas. He'd been with a fair few as well in his
time though his 'rut', the time of peak fertility, had never yet triggered.
None of them, not a single one, was even vaguely in the same league as the
dishevelled little Omega prostrating himself in front of the selfie camera. The
background image of a violet haired girl engaged in what appeared to be a
highly aggressive pillow fight with a selection of others didn't even register.
Mikaela: You're beautiful.
He really was. Mikaela had never been genuinely attracted to anyone before.
Just as a connoisseur might appreciate a fine painting for it's creative merit,
Mika was quite able to tell when someone was good looking and for what reasons.
None of them had ever triggered anything other than a non-committal nod of
approval. No matter how much Mika would deny there was any feeling involved,
Yuuichiro was different. And that was fucking terrifying.
Yuu: Yull make me all blushy. No blushy.
Mikaela: A blushing omega is the best.
Yuu: nonono. Blushing alpha better. Making alpha blush is an achievement.
Mikaela: Oh really?
Yuu: I bet I can make yu blush when i meet you.
Mikaela: That certain we're going to meet?
Yuu: Ye. Soon. :D
Mikaela: I'll hold you to that.
The conversation became eerily quiet after that. The instant responses from
Yuuichiro died down as the evening dragged into early morning. Mikaela had
every intention of going to sleep earlier but just couldn't pull himself away.
Ah, well. Coach can chew my ass tomorrow, who cares.
He did feel a little disappointed that their conversation ended though,
honestly, Yuuichiro was probably in a complete state by now. If he'd continued
drinking to now all that time then...yeah, no surprise he'd gone to sleep.
Smiling to himself, Mika turned over.
Mikaela: Goodnight Yuuichiro.
Remember. Hangover tomorrow.
===============================================================================
 
"Mika, you look terrible," René grumbled, mostly to himself. He had Mikaela sat
on a bench in front of him, gently prying underneath his eyes. "Are you feeling
well?"
"I'm just tired. I was up later than intended." Mikaela yawned, swiping the arm
of his friend away lazily. And I got up at 5.30 in the morning for this.
"Oh Mika. Beauty sleep is so important when you have a big event coming up."
The sing song voice of perhaps Mikaela's oddest friend was a rarity. Ferid
rarely came to the swimming team practice to support Mikaela, René and Crowley
who were all part of the Sanguinem team. And yet, here he was at no later than
7am with his friends lounging around on the benches near the pool. Unlike any
of the others (who even without being in swimwear still looked dishevelled this
time of the morning) Ferid was the model of presentation as he ever was. All
legs and odd, niche clothing that framed his ridiculously tall and slender
figure with that ponytail of waist length silvery hair flowing behind him as he
lounged.
A lot of people found Ferid slightly unsettling; his decidedly feminine
qualities and dress sense, though perfectly within his right, had a habit of
making people silently question him. There was the added complication that
Alphas and Omegas seemed completely unable to determine who he was; like a
strange nullspace, completely absent of any scent. He didn't even carry like a
beta did.
It was part of the reason why Mika liked him. Ferid broke the rules, all of
them, and sashayed through life seemingly blissfully unaware of having done it.
"I don't think beauty is high on the agenda," Crowley said sagely. He stood
with his arms folded, surveying the team. There were 8 in total from Sanguinem
in the swimming team. By far the strongest two were René and Crowley, with Mika
and a transfer student named Haruyo trailing in roughly equal second.
Competitively they were one of the top teams in the country.
"No, you are all wonderful specimens without beauty sleep. Still, peak physical
condition and lack of fatigue are important for sport, yes?" Ferid beamed.
"Quite right. In shorter terms, get some fucking sleep before competitions,"
René's voice carried no malice but was weighty enough through language alone to
give Mikaela no alternative but to comply. "And in general. Sleep is good.
Let's not have a return of insomniac Mikaela, eh?" Mika nodded absently.
"Yes, dad." René blushed ever so slightly and cursed Lacus for being a
horrendous loud mouth. Asshole.
"Right, everyone in. You know the drill. Warm up and practice before timed
runs," Crowley spoke with authority and the team followed their captain without
question.
Mikaela loved the water. The feeling of weightlessness, almost the feeling of
being able to defy gravity, while in it's grasp was exhilarating. It was the
time he felt most at home, flexing that physique in a battle against the weight
of the water against his streamlined body. Simply moving in water was a battle;
moving at speed in competitions proved not only his mastery over other people
but over water itself.
Ferid watched idly from the side, carefully surveying the team while swinging
those giraffe-length legs under the bench. He couldn't fail to notice despite
being tired, Mika looked particularly determined today. Though he wasn't as
fast as Crowley or René, which was no surprise, his usual equal lagged behind
him somewhat.
He glanced at his phone. Strictly speaking it wasn't allowed in the pool area
but the lifeguard had long ago given up trying to convince people otherwise. As
long as he remained a safe distance from the pool itself, the lifeguard would
turn a blind eye. Ferid smirked, before turning back to the team.
Time passed quickly. Warm up exercises, timed runs of the key strokes and
competitive swim offs to round off the day. Predictably, Crowley and René ended
up competing against one another with a narrow victory for René. Mika won his
little competition with Haruyo (who was not a gracious loser) while the others
trade back and forth between victory and defeat.
It transpired Ferid had only come as he heard his closest friends would be
disappearing off to the new Pancake shop down the road from Sanguinem
afterward. All of them shared a sweet tooth.
"I wonder why you were up so late, Mika mika? You are always so dutiful with
your rest," Ferid hummed, almost to himself while browsing the menu. He knew of
course that Mika did indeed hear him.
Mika chose to let him wonder in silence as he paid for his selection. Who could
turn down Pancakes covered in blueberries and icecream?
"I mean, it's not like you to go back to someone after you've....helped them,"
Ferid continued. Mika rolled his eyes, mostly internally, knowing that whatever
Ferid was getting at wasn't going to go away.
"You all started without me," Lacus approached, clutching a plate with waffles
and some syrup stuff. Who doesn't like Pancakes?! Oddball.
"You're late," René grumbled. Lacus paused, glaring at the speaker before
setting his plate down with a sizeable clatter.
"If I had more notice, I wouldn't have been." Mika and Crowley shared a quiet
look of concern.
"I didn't know you were invited until after we finished."
"You didn't think to invite me yourself? One of your closest friends and a
member of this little group?" Lacus looked at René with a well crafted gaze.
Though he was working really very hard to hide it, Mika could smell the
discomfort from him. Lacus may not have fit many of the Omega stereotypes but
basic biology betrayed him.
If Mika could smell the hurt and irritation from Lacus then René certainly
would.
"I didn't mean it like that, I mean..."
"It doesn't matter."
René paused for a moment to say something. Though his expression remained
unreadable, all of them could feel the cogs churning behind those calm eyes.
This was one of the many reasons why Mikaela had become so uncomfortable with
the relationship between Alpha and Omega. Ever since Lacus and René presented
and found solace with one another, the entire relationship had been an utter
trainwreck. They learned in very quick succession that their rivalry before
presentation carried into the bedroom; While René naturally wanted to take on a
protective, Alpha role and guard his lover Lacus was never going to have any of
it. He remained headstrong and independent, not to mention physically quite
foreboding as well. In the heat of their moment they'd formed the bond, a bond
not easily broken without significant discomfort for both parties. And yet they
quickly proved that this decision was premature.
And now they had to live with the consequences of it. A relationship that
neither could escape from without some potentially life changing ramifications
and yet unable to move on or away from it. The bond is exactly as it is; a
bond. A link, a connection, a contract. Lacus and René were not happy; nor is
it likely they would be again.
"So Mika, are you going to tell us what had you up all night?" Ferid eyed him
with a mild smile. All eyes turned to him.
"Not a lot. I couldn't sleep," He responded cleanly.
"Any reason?"
"Not really." Ferid nodded with understanding.
"Nothing to do with having a play with the app I showed you?" Mika shot him a
look but felt the radiating warmth in his cheeks give away the truth. "Call it
intuition. You must be interested if you got that distracted."
"Yeah, well..." Mika remembered the conversation, the drunken and flirty Yuu;
he couldn't help but smile to himself. "Future's uncertain right?"
===============================================================================
Ferid lounged on his bed while snuggled next to an enormous, stuffed shark from
IKEA. it was just so ridiculous a thing to even find in IKEA he had to have it,
damn the cost and damn whatever anyone thought about it should they ever find
it.
Shinoa: Yuuichiro may be an awkward fucker but he hasn't scared your friend
away yet. Maybe we should set up an agency or something.
Ferid: Ah, so that's why he was up all night. ;) 
Shinoa: Honestly can't remember past 10 ish. Too fucked. Tequila is the worst.
Ferid: Lightweight. ;)
Shinoa: Should have seen Yuu, boy was a gonerrrrr
Ferid: I'm sure the important one saw him just fine. ;)
Shinoa: D'you know if they've arranged anything?
Ferid: No, Mika Mika is being quiet. :(
Shinoa: Dw. Yuu'll spill if I beat him hard enough.
Ferid: You play Dirty, Shinoa-chan!
Shinoa: Yup. S'why I'm awesome.
Chapter End Notes
     I am so so sorry if there are mistakes, I did proofread it but I did
     so at 1am and therefore yawning seemed to take a lot of time...
End Notes
     eeeeeeeek! So I hope you enjoy and stuff. Comments and guidance
     welcomed as ever@
Please drop_by_the_archive_and_comment to let the author know if you enjoyed
their work!