Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/ works/4939870. Rating: Explicit Archive Warning: Graphic_Depictions_Of_Violence, Underage Category: F/M, M/M, Multi Fandom: Kuroko_no_Basuke_|_Kuroko's_Basketball Relationship: Kagami_Taiga/Kuroko_Tetsuya, Midorima_Shintarou/Takao_Kazunari, Haizaki Shougo/Kise_Ryouta, Himuro_Tatsuya/Murasakibara_Atsushi, Aomine_Daiki/ Momoi_Satsuki, Akashi_Seijuurou/Nijimura_Shuuzou, side_pairings_may appear Character: Kagami_Taiga, Kuroko_Tetsuya, Midorima_Shintarou, Takao_Kazunari, Kise Ryouta, Haizaki_Shougo, Himuro_Tatsuya, Murasakibara_Atsushi, Aomine Daiki, Momoi_Satsuki, Akashi_Seijuurou, Nijimura_Shuuzou, Hyuuga_Junpei, Aida_Riko, Aida_Kagetora, Kiyoshi_Teppei, Kasamatsu_Yukio, others_will appear_later Additional Tags: Angst, Fluff, Smut, Dystopian_Future, Alpha/Beta/Omega_Dynamics, Mating Cycles/In_Heat, Bonding, Genderfluid_Omegas, Blood_and_Gore, dark_au, Starfallen_AU, Mystery, Murder_Mystery, don't_be_fooled_by_the_beginning, Science_Fiction, Future_Medieval, uhhh_tags_have_changed_a_lot_sorry, Crossdressing, Royalty, Sci-Fi, hum_more_tags_to_come_as_spoilers_are gone, this_is_NOT_non-con, Again, THIS_IS_/NOT/_NON-CON, believe_me, slow start, Plot_Twists Series: Part 1 of Starfallen Stats: Published: 2015-10-05 Completed: 2017-05-07 Chapters: 7/7 Words: 22441 ****** Starfallen: White Dwarves ****** by Youkai_Gin Summary Like vanilla spice And as sweet as chocolate Her lips were nice But the rest was poison She'll be plotting your demise As you're hypnotized     The alphas of Teiko Kingdom never wanted to have mates, or to participate in the King's game. Some were afraid, some didn't care, some didn't want commitment. But as royal guards, they have to listen and obey. However, they find out their mates are more than just sweet obedient omegas, and things may start to change... The question is: for the better or for the worst? [ABANDONED] Notes Summary poem by Sunrise See the end of the work for more notes ***** Prologue ***** Chapter Notes (I'm re-editing all chapters and notes because the story has changed since the first idea. But it's for the best! I hope :P) Hey, hello, welcome to my first english-language story! Yup, english isn't my first language, but I hope I can speak and write well enough for this to be a good story. It's that unfortunately, in my country slash and crossdressing and a/b/o aren't very popular, so I decided to try it here :3 Notes for those who read this fic since the beginning: when I first started this I was afraid to do something to heavy or gory, idk, but I guess i found courage? So this is going to be a lot more darker than I first intended. Not so much that people will be put-off, but it's not going to be a fluffy love story anymore. I want to write something deeper. So I hope you guys like it, and how it'll turn out! The first chapters are going to be tame, maybe you'll think "oh this doesn't sound exciting at all" but DON'T WORRY THINGS ARE COMING YOU HAVE NO IDEA (This chapter and the others up to chapter five will be rewritten. The story in them won't really change, only the writing style will. This original chapters were beta'ed by the wonderful tofus) See the end of the chapter for more notes Prologue   The room was crowded with men. Soldiers, counts, lords of lands throughout the kingdom. If it weren't these said men, it were their sons. What mattered was that they were all powerful alphas, eyeing each other cautiously. Such was the life of most dominant class: always doubting their security, always looking for trouble. In short, the room was like hell. The strong smell of pheromones was enough to make a beta faint, but for the alphas it only made them uncomfortable, agitated. The King, though, didn't look troubled. As the King, he was the strongest alpha in the entire kingdom. They even had a name for him: a delta. Not only an alpha, but better. He looked at the men standing in front of him, facing each one before scanning through the crowd. When he felt the atmosphere lighten, he started to speak. "You must be wondering why I summoned you here." He said. "You're my strongest men, and I think you're all alphas?" They nodded, murmuring words of agreement. Of course they were alphas; only the ones with the highest status could become soldiers and lords, and receive so many honors. They had the strength and dominance of their ancestral animals, and the power to lead. They could shift into Bears, Lions, Tigers and many other formidable creatures. Their scent was used to intimidate enemies and subjugate the lower dynamics. Alphas, the rulers of society. Betas were also strong, and could shift into smaller and less aggressive animals, but they weren't domineering enough to lead and subjugate the others. Betas were of the middle class and servants. They lived in the villages around the castle, and could only mate among themselves. It wasn't a glorious life, but they were of a peaceful nature and were happy in their own way. "Of course you are." The King said. "So I assume you know the alphan duties?" More nods. The men started to become nervous, wondering if they had done something wrong. "So you know that, among those duties, you must bond?" They grunted, agreeing. Alphas could be powerful, but their nature impeded them to think straight in many situations, so they often made the wrong decisions. A lonely alpha was nothing, just an angry and unbridled person. They needed the calm of a mate. "Well, among you I have my best soldiers, as I already said. But some of you aren't mated and bonded, and that serves a problem. It seems some of you can’t manage to find a good mate. I can understand that. But," He smiled, and the men stiffed. Such an expression was like the high of a coin toss. It could be heads or tails, good or bad. "I took the liberty to find a mate for you." Everyone knew who the unmated ones were, as they visibly panicked. The problem for alphas was that they couldn't mate among themselves. It was a biological dilemma. Nature’s way of preventing intra-class copulation. Even if there were Alphan couples, they couldn't feel attraction towards each other, and couldn't have children. That was why they mated with another dynamic class, which had the same problem. The omegas. This was the lowest class, and their only worth was to bear children and mate with the alphas. Even though the alphas needed the omegas to be complete, they despised the latter for being too weak and inferior. Omegas could shift into small and peaceful animals, and they were extremely submissive. They didn't have rights, and lived in isolated villages, far from the castle. And the King found omegas for them? "I see you're surprised," He said, looking amused. "But don't worry, only five of you were chosen. Well, that's good for those who are free, but for the chosen ones...", he laughed a little. "Don't worry. I'll begin now, and I want you to take a step ahead when I call you name," He looked around the room. "Ready?" Well, they were not, but what could they say to the King? "Good. The first one is Dr. Shintarou Midorima." A young man with green hair wearing glasses stepped ahead. He fixed his bifocals, and the other soldiers could see a faint blush spreading on his cheeks. He obviously didn't expect to be chosen. Midorima was one of the castle doctors, since his father was a good friend of the previous King, the father of the current one. In the beginning he was frowned upon, since he only got the job because of his father, but he proved his worth by healing and helping many wounded soldiers and ill patients. "Atsushi Murasakibara."This time a giant man stepped forward. He had shoulder- length purple hair, and was more than 2 meters tall. He worked in the castle kitchens, but was a strong fighter too. He could shift into a Grizzly Bear, which suited him. "Daiki Aomine."He was kind of a delinquent, and many wondered how he became a soldier. Well, the answer was his fighting abilities. He was so strong and fast that hardly anyone could keep up with him at training. Aomine’s motto was "the only one who can beat me is me,"which was arrogant and true at the same time. He had dark skin with deep blue hair and eyes, and could shift into a Black Panther. "Taiga Kagami."He was a foreign soldier, so many didn't have high expectations for him when he came to the Teiko kingdom. But he proved his strength many times already, especially when training with Aomine. He had tanned skin and red hair and eyes, resembling Aomine in many ways, though he was more humble and hard-working. But Kagami had a short-temper that rivaled Aomine's arrogance. He shifted into a Bengal Tiger, ironically, since his name was Taiga. "And the last one, Shougo Haizaki."This one caused many murmurs among the circle of men. He had dark cornrows and gray eyes, and was as tall as Aomine and Kagami. He could also shift into a Jaguar. But what made many dislike him was his personality. He was cruel and reckless, often annoying the other soldiers. The worst of all was his insubordination; the only person he listened to was the King. Who was the poor omega fated to become his mate? "So now," Said the King, cutting the murmurs regarding Haizaki. "I'll call you one by one to the Support Salon. Please, behave when I'm out, and don't ask the chosen ones any questions," He said, narrowing his eyes at the men. They quickly nodded. "Alright, Kagami, can you follow me?" The redhead had to choice but to follow the King into the other room. He didn't look back, but he felt a weight in his stomach. Hopefully he wouldn't throw up in front of the King, he thought. He didn't think he was ready to meet his future mate. Chapter End Notes So, what did you guys think? It's just a prologue (and damn I hate prologues, but I felt that this story needed one), so it's not so exciting :P I hope you guys are patient enough to stick with me for the next chapters... Seeya! ***** Turquoise ***** Chapter Notes (I'm re-editing all chapters and notes because the story has changed since the first idea. But it's for the best! I hope :P) thank you so much for all the kudos and comments, i'm so happy! i didn't expect this fic so receive so many likes ^^ well, since the first chapter was just a prologue, this one is the REAL chapter one. It might be a bit different from what you're expecting, since the story will begin here. Important: all listed pairings are main pairings ;) also, this chapter was edited a lot because i felt Kagami was too ooc... i hope it's better now! i have a song for this chapter lol. it's something that inspired me about this relationship. also the dress decribed here (This chapter and the others up to chapter five will be rewritten. The story in them won't really change, only the writing style will. This original chapters were beta'ed by the wonderful tofus) See the end of the chapter for more notes "So, Kagami," said the King, sitting firmly on a chair. They were the only ones in the room. The door to the main salon towered over Kagami's back, and across the room stood another door. "Take a seat. We have a lot to talk about." Kagami sank into a sofa in front of the King. The elder man was serious, but he didn't seem tense or angry. Just his usual self. The King, Shuuzou Nijimura, was the only son of the previous ruler. His father had died of an unknown disease, parking a period of mourning throughout the kingdom. When Nijimura was crowned the new King, he had been a bitter man. The death of his father weighed down heavily on his heart, but no matter the darkness swallowing his soul, Nijimura had still shone with righteousness and capability, like a star twinkling in the night sky. He had been a good King, even back then. Now, Kagami noticed the delta seemed lighter, more luminous. Maybe this mating game was distracting him from the pain of loss. It was a comforting thought for the Bengal tiger shifter; his King should always be shining. "Do you remember why we’re here?" The King asked. "Yes, of course sir." Kagami answered, shifting awkwardly on his seat. "No way I can forget..." Nijimura laughed at Kagami's nervousness. He crossed his legs and rested his elbow on one knee. "Don’t be so tense, Kagami. It's just mating, nothing too hard." Kagami sighed, trying to relax. "Yeah, I know, sir. Doesn’t make it less weird, though." "Hum," murmured the King. "That reminds me. Your… restrictions to mating." Kagami nodded. He was a weird alpha, to say so the least. Unlike the others, who dreamt of a submissive omega, whom they could lay all their rage and desire for power on, Kagami felt uncomfortable thinking of such things. He pitied the omegas. They were humans like him, after all, weren't they? There were some anatomical and behavioral differences, but was it enough to make them less than alphas? Did that justify their poor, and downright cruel, treatment? Didn't they need omegas to be complete, to think straight? Then why, why abuse them? "I comprehend your feelings," The King said, a serious look spreading over his face. It flickers, like a dimming candle. "But you need to accept it, because that’s how the world works. I’ve already spent the time to round up these omegas, and I need you to mate with one of them, so that the natural order of things will happen. I can't have an army of incomplete men." "I understand, sir." Kagami agreed. Nijimura smiled. "I don't want you to obey without understanding. I'm not forcing you into anything." "Yeah, I know," he repeated. Then his eyes catched the doubtful look of the King. "I'm serious! I get it. It may be weird, hard even, for me to …mate, but I will. I’ll find a way." "Good." Now Nijimura seemed satisfied, wearing a more natural expression. "So, do you want to choose, or shall I choose for you?" "Choose...?" He asked, confused. "I brought them thinking of each and everyone of you, but of course I will give you a say. I can bring them all in and you tell me which one you want." Kagami didn't even need to think twice. An alarm was ringing in his head. He had no right to play with the life of those people, but here he was doing it anyway. Nevertheless, seeing the desperate looks on their faces, to pick and choose through the lot of them, like they were mere objects... it just seemed too wrong. So very wrong. "I trust your choice, sir." That was all he said. The King smiled, and called over a servant. While he told them to bring the omega, Kagami could only feel his uneasiness growing. He was about to be introduced to his mate, his future bond. He was about to take the life of a person. "Here it is." He heard the King say, and slowly lifted his head. "Kagami, meet your mate, Tetsuya Kuroko." And Kagami saw. Dressed in a knee-length pastel blue dress, the small, feminine figure stood. The gown was full of ruffles, with a big ribbon stitched to the front of the waist. Pastel blue stockings and white shoes completed the visual. But the dress was what mattered the least. Kagami knew all the omegas dressed like that, wrapped in lolita costumes like an early Christmas gift. The person in front of him wore a long blue wig, and their makeup was splashed in blue hues. Again, that didn't matter for Kagami. Because the eyes. Big, azure like the sky, two pools of clean water, where Kagami could drown in and forget all his worries. He felt so calm, so secure, while the omega stared timidly at him. Well, timidly wasn't the right word. In fact, they looked downright scared, afraid of the redhead. And then reality fell on Kagami like the weight of the world. The omega wasn't just shy or submissive. They were broken. Their eyes shone lifelessly, staring blankly at the space before them, avoiding the alphas' stares. Even though they kept their hands together in front of their frail selves, Kagami could see they were trembling. Ah, shit. "What do you think?" He was drawn off his thoughts by the King's voice. Kagami looked at him, probably with a confused look on his face. He was still astonished by the omega. "Do you like it?" Said Nijimura. "If not, we’ll call another. There’s –” he flashes a huge shit-eating grin, “always more.” "N-No." Kagami stammered. "They're..." He looked at the omega, and didn't really think before he said: "Fine." The omega didn't look at him, still dead in the eyes, but Nijimura seemed satisfied. He smiled and got up. "I'm glad you think so. Now, you can go to your room." Kagami widened his eyes. "To my room?" "Yes. You can talk to them there, ask anything you want. Do anything you want." He smiled suggestively, wriggling his eyebrows like caterpillars. "They're yours now. I think you know how omegas work, right?" "Y-yeah." Kagami looked at the omega. What was their name again? Tetsurou? "I'll go now, then." He got up, and the omega quickly followed him, head bobbing low. Nijimura wished him a good night while Kagami stealthily flitted through the door on the other side. The omega just followed him and didn't make a sound. It made Kagami uneasy. But when his hands gripped the metal handle and ripped the door open, he was shocked to see the other omegas there, the same lifeless eyes loosely focused from the dim of the ceiling lamp. The betan soldiers guarding the room kept some distance from them. Of course, the scent of the alphas was much stronger then the beta’s, and it made the omegas become all the more submissive. Speaking of scent... Kagami was inebriated by it. He’d heard stories of the sweet tantalizing fragrance of the omegas during heat, which could drive an alpha crazy. These omegas weren't in heat, of course, but their scent was still honeyed and hypnotizing. Unconsciously, the redhead sniffed the air, trying to breathe in more of that high, when a whiff called for his attention. It smelled like... Following the sugary trail in the air, Kagami ended up facing his omega. Vanilla. Then Kagami noticed the trembling hands of the group before him. He was scaring the omegas. He quickly resumed his walk, with his mate following him, exiting the room. The air was suddenly breathable again, and Kagami realized how out of his mind he was back there. He felt a shiver run through his spine when he thought about the other chosen alphas passing through pheromone den as well. He didn't trust Haizaki, wondered whether the betan soldiers were capable of subduing the caged beast. Taiga walked through the castle corridors, heading to his room, and started wondering what he was going to do with the omega. His mate. Was he supposed to bond with it at that moment, or should he wait some more? He risked a glance over his shoulder at the blue haired figure. No, he couldn't do it now. The omega was probably expecting and dreading to be mated that night... It felt horrible. When they finally got to his room, and Kagami opened the door, he half expected the omega to walk in. But it was silent and still, like a statue. "Uh." Kagami didn't know the right words to say. "You can go in." The omega just gave him a short nod and walked inside the room. Kagami sighed, following them and closing the door. Now, what should he do? He looked at the small omega, and realized there were many things he didn't knew about the frail thing. Maybe it was a good time to start talking. "So," he began. Damn, it was harder than he thought. "What's your name? I'm sorry, I forgot." "Tetsuya Kuroko," they answered, voice so low Kagami almost couldn't hear it. "Hum, hello." An uncomfortable silence fell upon them. "I'm Taiga Kagami." "Yes, Kagami-sama," they promptly said, as if they were trained to do so. Which was probably the case. "No, no. Sama is too formal... I'm not a king or anything," Kagami said. "Kagami-san." The omega tried again. "Still not right." Kagami sighed. "If we're going to be mates, there's no need for honorifics." Stillness again. Kagami tried to think of something to say, when the omega surprisingly broke the silence. "Kagami-kun." Kagami looked at them surprised. He could see a faint blush on the omega's cheeks, and he knew he didn't look different. Still… "That sounds better." He said. "What should I call you?" "Anything you want, sir." "Oh, no. No 'sirs'." Kagami didn't think of his tone before saying it. He was just speaking normally, like he did with his friends. But the omega flinched, and the light atmosphere they had before disappeared. "I'm sorry." Kuroko said, and Kagami could feel the tremble in their voice, as if they were about to cry. "I'm sorry, I won't do it again, never..." "Hey," Kagami didn't know what to do. He never thought his words would have such effect on the small omega. "You don't need to be so worried..." He reached out for his mate, but they stiffened, becoming more nervous. Kagami quickly retracted his hand, but it only made him feel worse. What should he do? "Hey," He tried again, this time softening his voice. "It's ok, I'm not angry." He stepped back, giving his mate more space, showing them he had no intention to cause any harm. It seemed to work, as the omega decreased his shaking. They were still tense, but better than before. "Okay, let's try again." Kagami took a deep breath. It was not his area of comfort; he was a soldier, a warrior. He killed people. He wasn't a delicate person, and he knew he needed to be very careful in this unfamiliar situation. "I'm not your master, nor your sir. You don't need to call me those things. Just call me Kagami-kun, like before." The omega nodded, and relaxed a bit. Kagami smiled at his small victory. "Good. Now, again: what should I call you?" "Whatever you wish, si- Kagami-kun." Kuroko answered, and Kagami bit his lip. It wasn't what he wanted, but he thought better not to scare the omega again. "So may I call you Kuroko?" He asked, because he didn’t feel comfortable calling them by their first name, or giving them a nickname even. It was too intimate. "As you wish." Kagami closed his eyes. Yeah, a long way to go. "Okay, Kuroko." He looked around, eyes landing on his bed and choosing to sit on the large mattress. The omega kept standing, though, and Kagami knew he would need to invite him. But... Somehow, saying: "Hey, come to my bed" sounded a bit too aggressive. Like he meant for something… more. Taiga swallowed the lump in his throat, looking at the small sad figure, who connected their stares through the bangs of the omega’s wig. There’s gotta be a way to open the frail little thing up, and right now Taiga’s thinking it’s sweetness. The alpha reached out for Kuroko again, with his palm facing up. The omega looked at it, surprised. Then they lifted their eyes, close to Kagami's own, but never quite reaching there. The redhead said nothing, waiting. Take my hand, he wanted to say. Please, I'm not a monster. Then slowly, agonizingly slowly, Kuroko reached out for Kagami too. Kagami felt those soft hands on his, and had to use all his strength to keep himself from pulling the omega near his body, feeling and dominating more of that heat, smelling more of that scent... Instead, he guided Kuroko to the space in the bed by his side, and the blue haired omega just sat there awkwardly. They were blushing again, and Kagami smiled. "That’s better," he said. "Now we can continue our conversation more comfortably. What do you think?" "It's soft." Was their response, surprising Kagami. "What?" "The bed is soft." Kuroko glanced at the alpha through their long eyelashes. Kagami wondered if they were real. "Yeah, it is." Was all he could say. Damn, that was his first experience with an omega, and he was already screwing up. Kuroko was just too cute, too ethereal. It was then that Kagami finally understood what people often said about omegas: they were like fallen angels, too perfect for the world. And yet, they were treated like objects. Everything about it was just so wrong. And with a sigh, Kagami remembered something else. Something he shouldn’t have forgotten in the first place. "Kuroko, what's your gender?" He asked bluntly. Kuroko blinked, then looked at the floor again. Oh, no, it was not a good sign. "Whatever you wish, Kagami-kun." Kagami sighed, running his hand through his messy red hair. That was what he feared. Omegas were supposedly sexless. They were what their alpha wanted them to be, which was disturbing to say so the least: taking Red Pills to change their sex was the norm, if their original was not what their alpha wanted. So if Kuroko was a girl, but Kagami wanted her to be a boy, she would be forced to take the pills and her body would literally change, becoming that of a male’s. The transformation took one week to finish, and was extremely painful. Disgusting, thought Kagami. Not only did alphas choose the life of the omegas, they chose their sex too? And worst of all, it wasn’t a one-time thing. Some male omegas changed their mate’s sex only for conceiving and giving birth. After that, the omegas were forced to swallow the painful pills right after pregnancy. Kagami cautiously looked at Kuroko. Under all that makeup and frills from his outfit, the alpha couldn't say for sure Kuroko's sex. It didn't matter for him of course, as shifters were all bisexual, though some of them, like Aomine, preferred a specific sex. "What sex were you born?" He asked again. "Male." Was the answer. Okay, so Kuroko was actually a boy. "But if you wish, I can take the Pills." "There's no need for it, you're fine the way you are." Kagami didn't think of his words before saying them, and an awkward silence fell upon the room. Kagami blushed. It sounded so cheesy, and Kuroko probably noticed it too, as his cheeks were also flushing furiously. "Uh," Kagami scrambled for words, as he began to sweat. "I mean, I don't care for the sex thing. So, if you're male, it's okay for me." "But if you wish to have children..." Kuroko hesitated. "I can't bear children with a male body." "We can think about it later." Kagami answered. "I know the Pills hurt, and I rather you not feel pain." And that sounded ridiculous, he knew it. Kuroko was already in pain just for being here, forced to mate with a man against his will. All Kagami could do was to cushion the blow, and don't force him into anything he didn't like. He was starting to feel weird, so he stretched and yawned loudly. "I'm so sore." The redhead said. "I just want to take a bath and sleep. What do you think?" "As you wish." The same answer. "Okay..." He got up. "Let's go freshen up, then." Kuroko followed him into the bathroom. It was a suite, which made things much more comfortable. Of course, only highly ranked soldiers like Kagami had rooms like that, as the regular bunch shared the same bathroom and slept in a big hangar. The bathroom was bright, white walls gleaming in the ceiling light. It had a big bathtub, a toilet, a large sink and white cabinets. Kagami stopped in the middle of the room, aware of his situation. He was about to strip in front of Kuroko. Maybe it wasn't a good idea. Maybe the omega would feel threatened, would get scared and it’ll be back to square one again. Kagami even thought of inviting him to bathe with him, but that would definitely scare Kuroko. "I'm gonna bath first," he said, looking at his mate. He turned on the tap, and let the water run hot. "You can wait in the bedroom, if you want." Kuroko didn't answer. Actually, he looked like he wanted to say something, but felt insecure, twiddling his thin fingers. "You can say it." Kagami said, trying to smile. Probably wasn't the best smile in the world, but he was trying to be less scary. "Speak your mind." The omega almost looked him in the eyes, but stopped before it happened. Still, he opened his mouth to speak. "I can help you bathe," he said. That surprised Kagami. He didn't seem like he was being forced. He was really offering to help the tall, muscular alpha. Still, it was only because he was trained to do so, to pleasure his alpha. "You don't need to do it if you don't want to." Kagami said, his eyes widened. "Seriously." "I can give you a massage." He insisted. "You said you are sore. I can help with that." Kagami realized the omega probably felt the need to serve. Yes, he’d been taught his only worth was to pleasure alphas, and obviously wanted to show it to Kagami. He was afraid the redhead didn't like him. If letting him give him a massage would make Kuroko feel better, than Kagami saw no problem. Actually, a massage sounded good. "Sounds nice." He agreed, and started to strip. Kuroko quickly helped him, seeming more comfortable. It was probably something he was used to do, and made him at ease. Soon Kagami was naked, in front of Kuroko, who didn't look at him, dreamy blue eyes glued to the floor. Kagami quickly entered the hot water with his back to Kuroko, feeling his muscles relax under the pleasant feeling. "Ah." He sighed. "This feels awesome." Then he felt hands on his back. They were skilled, pressing on the right spots that made Kagami see stars, and he relaxed like he never did before. "You're pretty good." He praised the omega. "Thank you." He said, without stopping his movements. The redhead felt like melting, while Kuroko put his hands under the water, to massage the rest of Kagami's back. "I'm glad you like it." 'I'm relieved you're not angry at me', was what Kagami heard. The alpha suddenly felt his heart tremble. When he finished the bath, Kuroko brought him a towel and stood there, head tilted towards the floor. Kagami dried. "I’m gonna get out to put my clothes on... You can take your bath alone." Kuroko lifted his eyes a bit, seemingly surprised. "Listen, I know you're scared and this is probably the worst day of your life," Kagami said, and the blue haired boy widened his eyes. The action made him cuter, and Kagami almost reached out to touch those puffy cheeks, but he controlled himself and kept talking. "You deserve some time to yourself. I'm serious, give yourself a breather. You can lock the door if you want." Kuroko seemed out of words. Kagami knew that was probably the nicest thing someone ever did for him, and it made him happy to know he did at least one thing right. He smiled, and this one was real. "I'm gonna ask for a maid to bring your clothes.” He stepped out of the bathroom, and closed the door behind him. But before he did it, Kuroko called out. "Kagami-kun?" It was still low, almost a whisper, but Kagami’s ears were one of a kind. "Yes?" Kuroko looked at him timidly, teeth softly biting into plump, plush lips. "You're wrong. This is not the worst day of my life." He blushed, and Kagami waited. Tense. Curious. "It is the best." Kagami quickly shut the door, before he pounced on the omega. Damn, how could he be so cute? It is probably your alpha nature talking, he thought, while looking for his sleeping clothes. You're not thinking straight. That omegan scent is driving you crazy. Kagami sighed, dressing up in sweatpants and a white T-shirt. They were antique clothes, used when the world still had technology and humans had been the descendents of primates. No one wore them anymore, except for sleepwear. The clothes were comfortable, so Kagami preferred them. When he finished with his outfit he called a maid, and told her to fetch Kuroko's clothes. Apparently Nijimura bought them, which made Kagami uneasy. He didn't know what kind of outfits the King expected the omega to use. Hopefully nothing that would make Kagami lose control. He sprawled on his bed, thinking about his day. Never in a million years had Kagami thought he was going to have a mate, especially not so suddenly. But it was the King's orders, so he had no choice but to accept. It was kind of nice, though... Kuroko was so cute. So sweet. He deserved a good life, and deserved to be respected. At least Kagami trusted himself to do it, or at least try. But if Kuroko by some twist of fate, had been chosen to be Haizaki's mate... The mere thought of it made him angry. He didn't know why, but the fact that Kuroko could actually have been Haizaki's was unacceptable. Infuriating. Kuroko was his, only his, and no one could ever touch him. Especially that disgusting monster. Suddenly his door was yanked open, and the alpha sprung up, ready to yell at whichever asshole interrupted his sweet musings. Aomine was at his door, breathing heavily, as if he had just been running. "Kagami, come here now." "What happened?" The redhead got up from the bed, and walked towards the towering giant. He noticed Aomine was also in his sleeping clothes. "That idiot Haizaki." Aomine said, gritting his teeth. "That…fucking bastard! Apparently he tried to rape his mate!" "He WHAT?" Kagami almost screamed. He didn't expect Haizaki to be gentle or to care about anyone, but if even Aomine was saying such things... Then Haizaki did something really heinous. "Exactly what you heard. That dumbass got a fragile mate, just like the rest of us. I knew he wasn't going to be gentle, but because of that the omega is having a panic attack." "O-oi, what do you mean?" Kagami was really worried now, even though he didn't know the other omega. "Come and you'll see. But we need to hurry, because Midorima’s trying to help the omega while Haizaki is freaking out too. We need to calm the bastard down." A nervous Haizaki was never good. Kagami bit his lip, not liking that he had to leave his mate alone. But Aomine did it too. Maybe giving his mate more time to himself was not a bad idea. "Okay, I'm going. Just let me tell my mate I'm leaving." Aomine nodded and Kagami closed the door. He walked to the bathroom, thinking of what Aomine told him, but stopped when he heard noised coming from inside. A quiet cry. Kuroko's. Kagami felt like his heart wrenched. Even though Kuroko told him otherwise, the omega must still have been broken and scared. Of course, he was there to be mated against his will after all. Kagami knocked lightly on the thin wood, and the cries suddenly stopped. "Kuroko?" He called. "Are you okay? Do you need something?" "I'm fine, Kagami-kun." He heard Kuroko say, but his voice was trembling. "If you need me, just say it. But I'll be gone for a few minutes, okay? A friend of mine needs help." "Alright" Kuroko agreed. "If you need something, just call a maid. They're always walking around the corridors. I'll be back soon." Kuroko said nothing more, so Kagami left the room, feeling a mixture of guilt and fatigue settling on his stomach. What a weird day. But now he needed to keep strong, and help control his friend and his friend’s mate... He wondered if he would ever rest properly from then on. Chapter End Notes So, what did you think? Again, don't be fooled by the beginning. I'm constantly talking about it because I don't want people to be triggered by the upcoming violence, so I'm spoiling you about it. Don't worry, there's NOT going to be rape and non-con, even though it seems like it will. So don't worry. My warning is for gory violence. Seeya next chapter :) come cry with me about sports anime, tokyo ghoul and anything you want at my tumblr or my twitter ***** Yellow Jade ***** Chapter Notes (I'm re-editing all chapters and notes because the story has changed since the first idea. But it's for the best! I hope :P) yay, second chapter finally! :D thank you very much for all the kudos and comments, you're awesome <3 i NEVER expected this huge response, and i'm soooo happy! this chapter's dress a big thanks to my beta tofus ^.^ PS: trigger warning here for attempted rape, but nothing really happens. Later you'll understand this chapter better, but for now I'm putting this warnings because I don't wanna trigger anyone. If you want to skip the scene (it's very short, don't worry) it starts with "He let his other hand wander through the silky skin of the omega's neck" and ends with "Kise snapped". (This chapter and the others up to chapter five will be rewritten. The story in them won't really change, only the writing style will. This original chapters were beta'ed by the wonderful tofus) See the end of the chapter for more notes Haizaki sauntered into the Support Salon, arms rocking by his sides as if he were taking a stroll in the park. A permanent shit-eating grin was displayed for all to see. As Haizaki sunk down onto the sofa in front of the King, the latter arched an eyebrow. Nijimura was used to the easy-going, even disrespectful attitude of the man, but the jaguar shifter always managed to surprise him. Haizaki glanced over at the delta, pretending to not realize the glare burning a hole into his body. "So, let me get this straight," he asked, throwing an arm over the sofa back. "Mating, huh? You're kind of perverted sometimes." Nijimura sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. At times like these he wondered why he hadn't kill Haizaki yet. "Stop talking shit. Especially random shit." "Woah," Haizaki said, faking surprise, smirk faltering. "The Grand King’s pissed off, cursing and all." Then the grin was back. "Listen, Shougo," Nijimura said, his tone low and menacing. "This is serious. Stop with this attitude for one moment, ok?" The alpha stared him straight in the face, not showing any sign of fear. But then he rolled his eyes and stopped smiling, turning his head to look at the side, avoiding the King’s gaze. "Okay, okay. You're no fun." The last phrase was spoken so low that if Nijimura weren’t right in front of him, he wouldn't have heard it. "Oh, don't worry, you'll have a lot of fun soon," the king smiled mischievously. "As I told Kagami before you, I bought over some omegas for five of my cutest subordinates. Don’t you remember my speech just a few moments ago?" "Hum," the jaguar shifter poked his ears with his pinky, the tip of the digit digging, searching. Was he looking for treasure? "It was boring as hell. All that talk about being incomplete without an omega… I don't need them." "Yes, yes, you already said that." Nijimura tried to be patient with the limited brain of the other. "But you know it's true." "What?" "That you need an omega." Haizaki snorted contemptuously. "No way. The only thing they're worth for is a good fuck. Everybody says they have the best holes, after all." Nijimura tried not to twist his nose in disgust at Haizaki's words. Even for him, the words were harsh and cruel. "They will complete you. Not in a romantic way, that's gross and I don't expect you to engage in something like that… But a bonded alpha, especially an alpha bonded to an omega, receives a peace of mind necessary to function at their best ability." "Like hell." Haizaki finally retracted his pinky from the cavern of his ear, flicking whatever it was from the finger. "I'm telling you, I don't need an omega." Silence fell upon them, the glare between the two hot enough to fry an egg. Haizaki could see the gears running inside the King's head, trying to think of something to convince him. "Okay, then," Nijimura finally said, straightening his back. "I guess you don’t want the best fuck of your life." That got Haizaki's attention. He didn't want the responsibilities that came with bonding, only the recreational aspect of it. Who doesn't like sex, after all? "I didn't say that," he complained. "Oh-ho-ho." Nijimura grinned, feeling victorious inside already. "Interested?" "Hum," Haizaki leaned against the back of the sofa, pretending to think. "I guess it can't be too hard having a mate… I can fuck it anytime, it'll be obedient to me, and if it isn't then I’ll just have to punish it." He looked at the King, flashing him a grin. "I guess it's worth it." Now Nijimura was smiling, pleased. He called out to the guard again, and told him fetch the present. "Can I choose?" Asked the gray-eyed man. "No need. You’ll just have to trust my choice," said the King. Haizaki shuddered, and simply waited for the omega to come. He would never admit it out loud, but he was curious. He had never seen an omega, but only heard the stories. Apparently, they were one of the best things in the world. Then the door opened, and a guard entered the room, followed by a figure that made Haizaki show his teeth in contentment. They were dressed up in a lolita costume, like all the other omegas. The dress was yellow, shining like the sun, and trimmed with lace at the front, with two small ribbons at the bar. The collar and the sleeves were painted a lighter shade of yellow, stitched with ruffles. The sleeves only reached to the elbows, showing off the milky white skin of their arms. And the makeup was amazingly done, enhancing their long eyelashes and cheekbones. Pink gloss had been put on their puffy lips. Golden big eyes stared at the ground, matching the equally golden wig, and their expression was of one about to cry. Perfect, thought Haizaki, a smile appearing on his lips. "What do you think?" Asked the King, seeing the pleased expression of the alpha. "Not bad," he answered, not taking his eyes from the omega. "Though I thought they’d be shorter." In fact, the blond stood taller than the height of average men, though it’s head still came only to Haizaki’s chin. "But it’s not bad," he added, after thinking for a bit. Haizaki then released some of his pheromones to test their response. The omega wrapped their arms around themselves, like they were cold, and lowered their head in submission. "Ha!" He laughed, satisfied. "I think I'm gonna have a lot of fun with them" Nijimura didn't look amused, though. He simply arched one eyebrow at the alpha's behavior. "Don't break them too much, they were expensive. And you're not getting another." "Yes, yes, I heard you." Haizaki got up, stretching. "Can I take them to my room now?" Nijimura rolled his eyes. "Yes, go, you brute." Haizaki simply laughed at that, and walked towards the exit. The omega soon followed him out the room, but when the alpha opened the front door he couldn't help but stop, astonished. The other omegas were sitting still and quietly in the waiting room, guarded by two betas. But their scent was really strong, and Haizaki sniffed the air, thirsty. It was really like they said: an incredible smell, sweet and intoxicating, and he wanted more. For a moment he thought of attacking the omegas, since the guards wouldn't be able to stop him, but a strong scent distracted him. Sweeter than the others, inebriating. He followed the smell, until his gaze fell upon his own mate. The blond didn't look up him, land instead gazed anxiously at the other omegas instead. Honey. It really suited them. 'Wait, what the hell am I thinking', the alpha thought, turning his back to his omega. 'Let's just go to my room already, this scent is driving me crazy.' As they walked away from the spiraling pheromones, Haizaki found himself thinking clearer and he could breathe properly again. Yeah, a bunch of omegas in a room gave one hell of a high, but it could be kind of dangerous. They walked through the corridors of the castle, only stopping when they got in front of Haizaki's room. He yanked the door open, entering the warm room, and closed the door, locking it. He didn't want any interruptions. As soon as he turned the locker, he thought of jumping on the frail thing and taking them right then and there, even before they got to the bed. But when the jaguar shifter turned around he saw the blond trembling, he felt something heavy set on his chest. "Yo," he called, and the omega stiffened. "What's your name?" "Ryouta Kise," they said, eyes downcast. "Hum. Ryou-tah." He tasted the name in his tongue, and liked the feeling of it. "What were you born as?" "M-male," Kise answered, his voice trembling as much as his body. He ran his hands along his pale arms, anxiously. "But I h-have Pills." Ah, the Red Pills. But it took an entire week for the complete transformation, and Haizaki surely wasn't keen on waiting. Instead he walked towards the omega, feeling the other male stiffen. "I guess it's alright," said the alpha, catching a lock of blonde hair between his fingers. "Because you're pretty enough as it is." He leaned in, hiding his face in the crook of the omega’s neck. He breathed in, feeling that honeyed and exhilarating scent fill up his nostrils. "Really pretty." He let his other hand wander through the silky skin of the omega's neck, stroking it lightly, letting it descend down to Ryouta's waist. The omega was completely still, and Haizaki suddenly felt irritated. He wanted to hear, to feel more. He pulled him closer by his waist, eliciting a gasp from the blond. "Ah, that's much better." He said, lifting his head and looking at the blushing face of his mate. However, it wasn't the pleased blush of Haizaki’s fuck buddies. "Aw, c'mon, we're going to be doing this for a long time. Years. Get used to it." "No." Kise cried, his eyes filling up with tears. "Please, don't…" Haizaki didn't want to hear his complains, so he let go the blond mop, instead holding the omega's chin and forcing his terrified gaze to lock with the alpha’s. "Shut up," he said. "You'll obey me, and I'm telling you to be a good boy." The omega gulped, trying to hold back his tears, and Haizaki grinned. Then he pushed the blond until he fell on his back over the bed, and pressed his large, hulking body over the slim one beneath him. Ryouta bared his neck obediently, and Haizaki lost no time before biting into the soft flesh. The omega jolted, moaning painfully. Still, it wasn't from pleasure, and Haizaki got even more irritated. He grinded his hips down on Kise, and he let out a strangled moan. He covered his face with the back of his hands, but Haizaki still saw the tears falling from his eyes. He gritted his teeth in annoyance, and grabbed the blonde wig, pulling harshly. Kise cried out in pain, and Haizaki made him take his hands off his face. "Stop fighting against it." The alpha said. "You're mine now. Did you hear me?Mine!" He grinded down hard at the last word, and forced Kise into a kiss. He held his chin with his free hand, forcing his tongue into the other's mouth. He licked his tongue, sliding his own around the warm and wet cave, but the blond didn't respond. Haizaki broke the kiss, hissing through his gritted teeth. "So that's how you're gonna play, huh?" He said, and freed his hands, letting them wander down the omega's body. "Okay, then. You asked for it." He lifted the yellow skirt of the dress, and that's when shit happened. Kise snapped, and shrieked louder than anyone Haizaki had ever heard. But the yell was packed with terror, fear, and above all, pain. The noise made a sudden ache throb through the alphas chest, and he felt as if he could feel everything Kise felt. It didn't stop. The omega kept screaming, and screaming, and screaming, and Haizaki fell onto the floor, one hand tugging at his chest desperately. He felt like crying, and he didn't even know why. 'What the hell is happening to me', he thought, but the alpha could only grit is teeth to stop his own screams from coming out. Ryouta cried painfully on the bed. Then someone broke through the door, and the room was filled with soldiers and servants. A tall, bespectacled figure lifted Haizaki from the floor, the latter looking up to green eyes under silver glasses. "Midorima," he said, feeling dizzy. "What are you doing here?" "What have you done?" Haizaki felt surprised. He never saw the physician so angry. "What have you done?" "I…" His head was buzzing, and Kise wouldn't stop screaming. He closed his eyes. "I was only going to mate him…" Then Midorima dragged him out of the room, through the castle corridors, while Haizaki was still trying to stand up without staggering. He only saw the hospital wing's door being flung opened by Midorima, before being shoved into a chair. Other doctors streamed past in front of him, bringing a hysteric Kise and lowering the blond into a bed. And then he felt the sudden urge to be next to him, to hold his hand and tell him everything would be alright. Where the hell did that come from, though? He had no clue. It was within him though, stronger and more possessive than any of his other wills. He stood up and walked to his mate's bed, but before he got there some guards intercepted him. "Sir, please remain seated," one of them said. Shocks of anger zipped through Haizaki’s veins. First of all, who did these maggots think they were, trying to stop him? Second: no one, and that means no one, would separate him from his mate. "Get out of my way and I won't kill you on the spot," he said, his voice low and threatening. The soldiers eyed each other, but stood firm. "Sir, please go back to your chair," they repeated. "Doctor Midorima asked us to restrain you from approaching your mate." Midorima? Midorima asked them? Who the fuckdid that Glasses think he was? Something inside Haizaki snapped, and before he knew it he was punching the guard in the face. More and more guards appeared, like grains of sand falling through the gaps of a fist, all in a rush and attacking him with weapons and claws. And of course he used his own, fighting his way to his scared mate. His ears caught the low rumble of Midorima’s voice summoning for help, but he was too focused on ripping flesh and feeling the warm blood trickle down his hands. Then something hit him hard, jostling him to the ground. Haizaki looked up and saw Aomine standing over him, with Kagami by his side. "Hey, asshole," said the blue haired alpha. "What the fuck are you doing?" Chapter End Notes Haizaki is such and asshole, isn't he? Don't worry, he will learn >: ) Many people might find it strange that I choose this relationship, but I like to work with characters that have so many flaws, because they're the most human for me. So Haizaki is bad now, but I want to show that people can change. But don't think he won't pay for the shit he's doing first. You probably noticed, but the characters are kinda ooc. That's on purpose. Soon you'll understand the reason. thank you for reading, thank you so much! leave kudos if you liked, and don't forget to comment! ^3^ come cry with me about sports anime, tokyo ghoul and anything you want at my tumblr or my twitter ***** Carnelian ***** Chapter Notes (I'm re-editing all chapters and notes because the story has changed since the first idea. But it's for the best! I hope :P) i hope you like this chapter, i'm pretty satisfied with it myself. it had less errors than the other two yay! i think i'm learning to speak english guys. a big thanks to my beta tofus, who was also very busy but still found time to edit my chapter! you're awesome! ps: here's this chapter's dress. Why are orange lolita dresses so ugly? 0.o (This chapter and the others up to chapter five will be rewritten. The story in them won't really change, only the writing style will. This original chapters were beta'ed by the wonderful tofus) See the end of the chapter for more notes As Midorima entered the Support Salon, he felt his stomach drop, though he still kept a calm expression. The King had no idea how nervous he was about this whole mating game, and he sure as hell won’t make it obvious. Just go with the flow, he thought. It can't bethathard. He plopped down on a sofa right across from the King's chair. Nijimura eyed him, scanning his face. "How are we today?" He asked, lips breaking into a small smile. "You seem anxious." "It's just…" Midorima searched for the words. "I feel uncomfortable about mating and bonding." "Ah, yes, I remember you told me about your past." The King relaxed in his seat, forehead furrowing in a sorrowful manner. Of course, only a little bit. "It’s regretful, but you know it's necessary." "Yes." Midorima agreed, though it left a bitter taste in his mouth. "I understand." They stared at each other in silence, waiting for the other to speak. But Midorima already felt his cheeks burning, and didn't trust himself to say anything that wouldn't leave him embarrassed later. Damn, why do I have to mate, of all things? All of Midorima’s reluctance towards the dreaded m word stemmed from one thing: fear. He was afraid of it. It was a simple truth. Unlike other alphas, who lived in the omegan villages only until they were six years old, Midorima lived with his mother until he presented, at the age of fifteen. Was it embarrassing? Yes, it was unacceptable for an alpha to live with their mother for so long, but he grew so used to the comforting presence that he couldn't bear to be apart. And then he stayed there, helping all the omega mothers take care of their children. That was when he discovered his passion for helping people, healing them, and cultivated a dream of becoming a physician. His mother had been proud. He didn't meet his father until the man came to take his son to the alpha cities. Midorima had been twelve then, and his father thought he needed to leave the omegan village already. It was pass the time for him to "grow up". That night before his departure, he overheard his parents arguing. His father had been so harsh and cruel with his mother, even hurting her physically, and it broke something inside him. Omegas, fleeting and sensitive, fragile, sweet… How could anyone hurt them? How could his own father raise his hand to his mate? Next morning, Midorima confronted his mother. She had been surprised that her son overheard that shameful moment, but when he pressed further she gave in and revealed a dreadful secret. She had never wanted to mate with the elder Midorima in the first place. It had been a forced bonding, just like all other omegas faced. That was when he discovered the true nature of the dynamics. From that day on, he saw the world through colder eyes. Gone were the rose- tinted glasses of a naïve boy, ignorant of the horrors of society. Unlike the other children, who presented at the age of fifteen, he presented at twelve. He lost his boyhood too early. With a broken heart, Midorima left the village he loved, and the mother he adored. He promised her and himself he would be different. He would never succumb to the brutality his father and other alphas displayed. Yet there he was, participating in the King’s whims, about to meet his mate. Some poor omega whose life was about to be taken, played with. Just like the mothers in the omegan village. Midorima was going to break his promise. Was he better than the others of the dominant class? "Shintarou." Nijimura called, using his first name and finally earning his attention. "You need to do it. You can't run from fate; all alphas must mate to be complete." "I know, Your Highness," he said, understanding well that Nijimura hated when he used the formal dialogue. "I hear and obey." Nijimura sighed. Midorima wasn't Haizaki, whom the delta could convince with dirty talking and such things. The doctor was a unique alpha, in fact he was a unique being altogether. Even Kagami was easier to manipulate, though he was twice as obnoxious. "Shall I call an omega for you, or do you want to choose?" Maybe that would make him feel better. Midorima contemplated the possibilities. Maybe choosing for himself was a good idea. If he were to pass through that hell, then he should at least pick his poison. "I want to choose." He said, and Nijimura nodded. "Very well, come with me." He got up, and Midorima quickly followed. They went to the door in the other side of the room, and when the King opened the door, the doctor could already feel it. The scent. Maybe other alphas would find it inebriating, and would even get crazy and confused. But he was used to it, and the strong smell only brought him good memories of home. They entered a small room, where the remaining omegas were waiting. Only three of them left, since Kagami and Haizaki already took their mates. The omegas were all dressed up in lolita costumes, as usual. Even at the omegan village, Midorima was used to seeing them wearing the colorful dresses. But he wasn't interested in their looks. He closed his eyes and inhaled the scents. He felt a bit dizzy, as he didn't smell it for eight years, but soon the feeling disappeared. Then he could distinguish the different scents, and looked for one that piqued his interest. There had to be something. And then he felt it, breath hitching and eyes snapping open. Sweet, but not too sweet. Pleasurable. Something that he could live with forever, and made him remember his mother. It was the smell of home. His gaze soon fell on a small omega curled in the middle of the other two. They had long straight back hair, and amber eyes that matched their orange dress. It was vintage styled, with antique prints and salmon ruffles under the first layer of cloth. An orange cloth bolero jacket covered the arms, which had pastel yellow ruffles on the end of the sleeves and the collar. A big ribbon of the same color surrounded their neck, and another graced the back of their head. Pastel orange stockings and brown shoes completed the outfit, and of course the makeup was done in orange hues. "I want that one." Midorima blurted out, pointing at the omega. They shrank at the cold tone used, but their next action surprised the doctor. They looked him in the eyes. Those big amber orbs, staring directly at his soul, reading every breath like the lines of a book. "Oh, that was just the one I chose for you." The King smiling, and didn't seem to notice the commotion going on inside their minds. "Seems like I have good taste for mates." Midorima scrunched his nose upon that phrase, but didn't say anything about it. Instead he chose to look at the omega, whom quickly got up and walked to him, stopping right in front of the doctor. They were still staring at him, carefully. "What's your name?" Asked the doctor. "Kazunari Takao." They answered. Short, direct, and submissive. What he saw in their eyes wasn't life, the many signs of abuse clouding over the orbs like mist. They still had a fog of melancholy obscuring the shine those eyes should have, but they were staring curiously at the tall alpha. It made Midorima feel astonished. He didn't know what to do or feel… That omega confused the heck out of him. "Can I go to my room now?" He asked the King, politely, without taking his eyes from the small person in front of him. Yes, they were short and small, everything Midorima didn't want, but… he couldn't get away from this even if he wanted to. Apparently, fate was playing with him. "Of course," the Nijimura shrugged. "Have your time, rest. You'll get why I said omegas are good later." Midorima didn't say anything about it, just bowed respectfully and left the omega room, followed by his mate. They walked through the corridors in silence, the omega walking behind him with their head low. That annoyed the doctor. Just another proof of what those stupid alphas did to the poor omegas… Blushing, he glanced over his shoulder to look at the black haired omega. When they noticed Midorima's gaze, they looked up and gave him a little smile. Shintarou quickly looked ahead again, blushing even more. It seemed they weren't as submissive as he thought… Or maybe they were more relaxed because he didn't seem threatening? The alpha didn't know if he felt relieved at it or offended. Was he not alphan enough? "Hey," he tried to call, but it turned out sounding like a strangled choke. The omega looked at him nevertheless, but it was still embarrassing. "Come walk by my side," he managed to say properly. The omega seemed surprised by the request, but obeyed. Now they were walking side by side, and Midorima caught the sight of how the brunet had his shoulders tensed. Maybe they weren't as relaxed as Midorima thought. Was he faking calmness? "What is your birth sex?" the doctor asked, trying to maintain his voice deep and firm. "Male, master," they answered, peeking from under his bangs. The green haired wasn't going to admit he felt a little too happy by the word "master." After being called names and bullied by the other big and strong alphas at school, who wanted to become warriors and serve the King while he wanted to heal and help, having someone call him by a respectful name was… No, he suddenly thought, his heart racing. He's only calling you it because he was trained to do so. It's terrible, it's wrong. You hate it. Was he really becoming like the others? He felt sad, wishing he had never left the omega village and his mother's side. The outside world was so corrupted that it corrupted him too. "Master?" he was taken from his thoughts by his mate's voice. He looked at him, trying to recompose himself, and saw the big amber eyes looking him deep in the eyes. "Do you need something?" A lot of things, he wanted to say, but nothing you can do. "I'm fine," he said, blushing a little. "And you don't need to call me master." "Oh." Silence after that, and the doctor started feeling weird. Luckily, they finally reached the dorm, and Midorima lost no time in opening the door and going in, closing and locking the door right after they entered. He let a out sigh of relief, sinking on his bed. The omega just stayed on his feet, looking at him and waiting. Then he finally seemed nervous, letting it show in his expression. "Sit here," Midorima patted the space on the bed at his side. Takao blinked, but obeyed, sitting with his legs closed and resting his hands in his lap. "What should I call you, master?" he asked. "Well…" the alpha thought. Then he realized he never introduced himself. "I'm Shintarou Midorima, by the way." Takao stared at him, seeming to think. Then he opened his little mouth of pink lips. "Shin-chan." He then widened his eyes, as he just realized what he had said, and lowered his head again. Meanwhile, Midorima was blushing so much he certainly looked like a tomato (with the green leaves and all) and was trying his best not to make any compromising sounds. Shin-chan. Why did he like it so much? "Awn, Shin-chan, eat it!" A memory of his mother, calling him by the same nickname. Her big and bright smile, closed eyes and green glistening hair while she tried to make him eat some weird food that was supposed to be healthy. "I'm so-" Takao began apologizing, but Midorima cut him. "Don't," he said. "It's ok." They were in silence after that, Midorima blushing again, but it wasn't uncomfortable. Actually, when he looked at his mate, he saw he was smiling. Wait, was that a faint blush on his cheeks? "Why are you smiling?" he couldn't stop himself from asking. The omega looked up, surprised. "Oh, nothing," he said. "It's just that you're so nice. I was expecting some brute or nasty alpha to pick me up… But you surprised me. You're different from the others." Midorima opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything. He was different, and Takao saw it. Nothing could make him happier at that moment. "T-that's ridiculous," he said, avoiding Takao's gaze and crossing his arms over his chest, defensively. "You  don't know me. I may just be that nasty brute you're talking about." "I don't think that's the case," he answered, leaning in to look at Midorima's face. "You're so cute!" "I'm not cute!" Then Takao laughed. It was just a huff of laugh, quickly muffled by his hands, and it soon stopped. But it happened, it was real. He wasn't tense anymore, and probably wasn't afraid of Midorima. The grapefruit scent amplified slightly, and it made Midorima look at him. Omegas increased their scent when they were happy. "Shin-chan is a tsundere! I didn't knew tsundere alphas existed," he said, grinning. "Honestly, I thought you omegas were supposed to be quiet and submissive," Midorima fixed his glasses. "I demand respect." "I respect you," was the answer he got, but the teasing tone wasn't present anymore. He looked at Takao again, and saw he was serious. "I respect you, but I don't fear you. My friends will fear their masters, but never respect them." Never love them, was what the alpha heard. But he was happy, because Takao was saying he didn't think Midorima was cruel like the others. A spark of hope bloomed in his chest, but he tried to suppress it. He had nothing to hope for. The omega smiled, and shifted closer to the alpha, comfortable. His scent increased lightly again, and Midorima recognized signs that he wanted affection. He felt his cheeks burn, not prepared for that. He expected his first night with his mate to be awkward (not that it wasn'talready) and sad. He expected the omega to be shy and depressed, but that wasn't the case. Takao seemed full of energy, and Midorima shivered. After so many years without dealing with omegas, he forgot how to be sweet to them. Takao noticed his anxiousness, and looked at him with curious eyes. "Are you okay, Shin-chan? You seem so nervous." Then his posture tensed, and the grapefruit scent lessened drastically. "I'm making you uncomfortable." It wasn't a question. Midorima felt the omega become anxious, his breath hitching and heart racing. The doctor could hear all of that because of his animal's senses. He watched the omega as the previous spark of life in his eyes disappeared, and he panicked. "You're not!" he blurted out, a bit too loud. Takao flinched, and Midorima felt himself become more and more nervous. This wasn't supposed to happen. He saw his mother again, scared and cowering. His sweet mother, broken. His father, cruel and arrogant. He was just like him. "Please, don't be scared," he said, his voice almost a whisper. "Don't…" He couldn't handle it. He kept his promise for so many years, he couldn't break it now. But the threat was still there. He suddenly got up and, without saying a word to the omega, rushed to the bathroom and closed the door. He leaned over the sink, breathing heavily. His heart was drumming in his chest like he just ran a marathon, and his head throbbed. That was it; he was scared to death. Scared of becoming a monster, scared of being hated by the people he loved. Scared of being alone for the rest of his life… Only because he was an alpha, and alphas were fated to be the dominant class. When he could finally breathe again, he lifted his head and looked into the mirror. Green hair and eyes, thin face, and black glasses. He looked a lot like his father. He ran a hand through his hair, and breathed in heavily, closing his eyes. He was not like them, he had made a promise. He could do it, he could bond with Takao and make him happy. One day he would visit his mother and show her the things he achieved, and she would be proud of him. He opened his eyes, and faced himself in the mirror. But just as he was about to leave the bathroom, his ears caught a rippling scream. Painful and terrified, it ripped through the walls of the castle and startled the doctor’s very heart. He quickly opened the door and ran to the bedroom, looking for Takao. The omega was just where he left him, sitting on the bed. But his eyes were widened, and his hands clutched the bed sheets. He was still breathing hard and his heart raced even more. The screams continued. "Takao?" he called, trying to sound soft so he wouldn't scare his mate again. The omega looked at him hesitantly. Midorima approached him fast, and when he was close enough he could see the black haired boy was shaking. He sat by his side on the bed. "It's Kise." he whispered. "Kise?" Midorima furrowed his brows. "Who's Kise?" "M-my friend," he stuttered. "He was taken before me…" Another soul-ripping scream made the couple flinch, and Takao was on the verge of tears. Midorima's alpha side emerged, and he pulled his mate into an embrace, releasing his scent in a sign of protection. Takao stiffened at first, but then relaxed and buried his face in the alpha's chest. "Do you remember how that alpha looked like?" asked the doctor. "I don't know…" Takao answered, hugging him back. "I was afraid to see…" He was cut short when they heard another scream. The omega began shaking again, but Midorima released more of his scent. In the right dose, it made the omega mates feel safe and relaxed. "Try to remember. I'll help your friend." Takao broke the hug, looking at him with wide eyes, surprised. "Why are you willing to help?" Midorima returned his gaze, chest bubbling with warmth. "Because I'm a doctor. I help the forgotten ones." To the alpha's surprise, Takao smiled, the spark of life flickering back in his eyes. And… something else too. "Shin-chan…" he said. Then he turned serious. "I think he had black hair. Yes, black hair with cornrows. He was definitely scary, and his scent was so strong it almost made us faint. Kise was so scared…" He looked at Midorima again. "Please, help him." He didn't even need to ask, Midorima thought as he stood up. "I will, I promise," he said. "Stay here, the room is yours. Feel free to take a bath or sleep, and don't wait for me. It may take a while." Takao nodded, and smiled as Midorima fixed his gray suit and walked out of the room. His heart sunk when he heard more screams, and he quickly ran to the hospital wing. He yanked the door open, startling the betan nurses that were waiting inside. They all got to their feet, and one of them, the head nurse, approached to the tall alpha. "Midorima-sama, what is happening?" she asked. He fixed his glasses with his middle finger. "Follow me, we're going to help an omega." The nurses widened their eyes, excitement flashing through their faces. They quickly gathered their equipments, ready for action. It was the first time they would attend to an omega. Some of them followed Midorima, while the others prepared the hospital. They rushed out of the ward, walking fast as Midorima's legs were long. Midorima followed the screams through the castle, knowing where to go. He wasn't a fighter like the other alphas, who battled for the King using swords and shields. But he was a warrior; only his wars were different. Wars inside a castle full of arrogant alphas, who perpetuated this archaic caste system. Wars against his own stupid friends. He fought for those who couldn't. He fought for his family. It didn't matter if they’re omegas. Chapter End Notes soooooo....... what did you think? oh please, i'm so nervous ;_; i hope you liked it... i spent a lot of time working in the story, and it may be a bit confusing now, but i promise everything will be explained soon! you can always ask me things in the comments, so i can see how it's going ^^ if i don't answer, it's because it will be explained later in the story. comment, please, and give me suggestions to improve! things you wanna see are also welcome :) any desires? kinks, maybe? XD those will not appear so soon (as you see, it's too tense for smut...) but you can always say it! come cry with me about sports anime, tokyo ghoul and anything you want at my tumblr or my twitter ***** Rhodonite ***** Chapter Notes (I'm re-editing all chapters and notes because the story has changed since the first idea. But it's for the best! I hope :P) This chapter is more intense than the others: it has a fight scene! : P and i have to say, writing Aomine is hard ;_; Midorimacchi is much easier lol. anyway, the chapter title "Rhodonite" was especially chosen ^^ as you probable realized already, the chapter names are gemstones, with the color of each chapter's omega, but Rhodonite is speacial because it's considered a very hard gemstone. You'll know why this is an important detail when you finish the chapter :3 This chapter's dress (ATTENTION: This chapter is unbeta'ed. By the time i wrote this my english was still bad, so I'm sorry for any mistakes you find. This chapter and the others up to chapter five will be rewritten. The story in them won't really change, only the writing style will.) See the end of the chapter for more notes Aomine felt tired. Really tired. All that mating thing was annoying him to death, and for a good reason. As much as he hated to admit it, he shared the same opinion as Bakagami: omegas weren't objects to be used. Most people would be surprised to know it, seeing he was tagged as a perverted and was always flirting with the maids… but he was not fond of the idea of forcing someone into submission. Okay, he admitted he wasn't the sweetest person in the world, but damn, that was another level! That's why he was facing the King with a scowl, and the delta noticed it. He chuckled, lifting an eyebrow. "Oh my god, you seem so happy," he said, mockingly. Aomine snorted. Of course Nijimura would mock him and joke about the situation. "Don't play your games with me, it won't work. I'm not in the mood for this." The King faked surprise, which made Aomine even angrier. "So mean… what is the reason for all this aggressiveness??" "You know what!" Aomine almost screamed, but a wave of delta pheromones made him control his tone. "You know what I think about this. Then why put me in this game?" Nijimura sighed, feeling tired. Aomine was already the fourth, and was as stubborn as the others. "To think you're the one saying those things… I would have understood if it was Kagami, but I thought you would be crazy for a mate," he looked at Aomine to see his reaction. "Anyway, I've already told you. Bonded alphas are stronger. It will be good for you." "Tsk," Aomine averted his eyes from the King. "You won't listen to me." "Aomine," now the alpha looked at him, the delta pheromones striking him in the face, suffocating. He lowered his eyes in submission. "Don't forget your position here. I am the King, and I'm telling you to bond with an omega. So you will do so." As much as the blue haired wanted to disagree, he knew better not to challenge the King. What he really wanted was to fight back and claim his territory, but deltas were naturally stronger than alphas, and fighting with a king might not be the best idea he ever had… So ignoring his screaming instincts, he lowered his head. "I will," he said, and the pheromones retreated. "Good," the King sighed. "I didn't want it to be like this, but you need to understand it's for the best. It will not hurt." Aomine wanted to make a comment about the King's fake concern. 'Didn't want it to be like this' my ass, Aomine thought. Nijimura was having fun with the situation. The thought made Aomine uneasy. He was giving a show by biting back and being stubborn… He wasn't good at thinking, but his instincts told him that he couldn't let the king have his way. And he knew the best way to do it was obeying and being very, very sweet. Yeah, he could do this. Maybe. "Okay, okay. Let's do this already," he said, annoyed. The King smiled, and called out a servant. He wouldn't let Aomine chose, because there was no need for it: he knew what he wanted. So when the servant arrived with the omega, Nijimura wasn't surprised with the look on Aomine's face. That shine in those deep blue eyes, the way his face lit up and the permanent scowl was gone in seconds: it was as if he was seeing an angel, just like the stories told. The dress had short sleeves, with ruffles in the end and in the skirt. It had two layers: the upper one was pink, and the lower one had flower prints, like the chest. The ruffles in the hem of the skirt were pink. The dress also had two ribbons: one at the chest, and the other at the waist. White stockings with flowers embroidered and pink shoes completed the outfit. The omega, however, was another story. They had long pink hair, and big pink eyes, which shone lifelessly, but were intense at the same time. Aomine couldn't stop looking at them, but then something called his attention. Without thinking, he looked at the omega's chest. They had breasts. It was a female omega. "What do you think?" asked the King, knowing exactly what was on the alphas mind. Aomine didn't even get angry, forgetting about his plan to annoy the king, his mouth opening and closing like a fish. "Female…" For some reason, the male population was much bigger than the female one, which made women and girls rare and valuable. For the king to buy a female omega… It wasn't just random. Nijimura rolled his eyes. "Yes, she's a female. Didn't you say you prefer… what was it? Big boobs?" Aomine blushed slightly, recalling his talks to the king. Well, he was famous for being a perverted because of his porn magazines he kept in his room. In a world with so few females, magazines were a way of fulfilling his… erm, dreams. However, as Nijimura commented about Aomine's tastes, the alpha noticed the omega tensing up. Lifting his eyes from her chest, Aomine met outraged eyes, staring intensely at his own. She frowned and grabbed the pink skirt, obviously angry. Wait, what the fuck? Wasn't omegas supposed to be all lovey-dovey, or at least keep their head down in submission? "So, wanna go to your room now?" asked the King, breaking his thoughts. "Ah, erm… sure," Aomine got up, looking at his omega, still uncertain. It was really different of what he expected. "Let's go?" She stared at him, and he saw the ghost of contempt in her eyes. She chewed on her lower lip, and then lowered her head in submission. Aomine couldn't help but smirk. Maybe she was going to be interesting, then… There was a reason he loved flirting with the maids. They always looked angrily at him and acted the same way the pink haired omega acted before. They hat attitude, and he liked it. Thinking better now, he was afraid of having a mate because he hated dominating so easily; it was no fun. Just like in the battles, everytime he fought he won without having time to get the feeling of the battle. His life was becoming meaningless, boring, and he felt more and more like a monster. They left the room in silence, and passed through the omega room, but only one omega waited inside. The scent wasn't too strong… not that he was paying attention to that. Actually he couldn't stop his eyes from looking to the girl by his side. Her scent was so good, it smelled of strawberry, and strawberry reminded him of his mother. His favorite sweet when he was little was strawberry ice cream, a rare thing in their world, but his mother was an awesome cook and could make anything. Sometimes he thought she was magical. The pink haired omega wasn't looking at him, she was looking at her friend, curled on a side of the room. Suddenly Aomine pitied the other omega, thinking it must be hard being the only one left, waiting for your dreadful destiny. Aomine counted in his head; the only alpha left was Murasakibara… A shiver ran through his spine, thinking of the giant. He couldn't even imagine what was in his head. They left the omega room and walked through the corridors in absolute silence. It was weird, and Aomine was getting uncomfortable, used to the screams and shouts of his friends. But then he frowned, feeling a strange aura coming from his new mate… Was she… angry? He risked a glance at her, but soon adverted his eyes. Yes, she was. Her hands were still gripping the skirt of her dress, and didn't look at him once, even though he was obviously staring. Such a rebellious omega, huh? Suddenly he didn't feel so bad like before, in fact feeling very excited. It was like a new opponent he didn't knew if he could win. "Hey," he called, flashing his asshole-signature smile to her. "Was your name, pretty thing?" If she wasn't like the other omegas, then he would have to conquer her the usual way: flirting. But she seemed unimpressed, giving him a bored stare. "Satsuki Momoi." He kept smiling, he was used to being dumped, that was the fun part. "It's a pretty name. Not as pretty as you, though." She rolled her eyes. "If you think repeating 'pretty' will make your flirting more efficient, you're wrong." Woah, woah. "Oh, so you bite, huh?" he said. "I should have known roses had thorns." He considered it a victory when she blushed and adverted her eyes. He wanted to keep trying, but they arrived his room. He opened the door, gesturing for Momoi to enter first; she didn't look at him when entering, and he smiled in amusement. He entered the room and closed the door. The omega was looking around, and seemed impressed by it. Of course, as much as Aomine knew, her previous bedrooms were the floor and some covers. His room was rich, with expensive wallpapers, with details in gold, and western carpets covering the floor. The bed was big, soft, and had four white pillows where you could drown in. "Like my room?" he asked, and she nodded, still looking around the room. "Good, since it's yours now too." It was just an innocent flirt, not different from all the others, but she turned to him with anger in her eyes. "If you want sex, just take me already," she said, gritting her teeth. "I know that's all you want. I've been told this before. So stop your stupid flirtation and rape me, like all alphas do." Aomine couldn't even think of a proper answer, astonish by her rage at him. He could see it in her tearful eyes; she hated him from the bottom of her heart, and wasn't afraid of telling him. Suddenly he wasn't feeling happy anymore, all his previous excitement gone in a second. Now, a bunch of questions were flying through his head: What had she been through? What have people done to her where she was trained? He knew omegas were abused to be broken and submissive, and that was the main reason he didn't want a mate in the first place. But he thought Momoi wasn't broken. He was wrong. She started crying, her whole body trembling, and Aomine felt like a monster. She was now scared for confronting him, and he felt she was unconsciously submitting. It was just like the other fights, after all. He was winning without any effort. He felt sick. "H-hey…" he tried to say, reaching out to her. "I… I'm not…" But she shook her head, stepping back, away from him. "I know all of you, alphas," she sobbed. "Y-you're all the same. I'm just and object…" "Stop it," he said, gritting his teeth, feeling the rage start to overcome him. Who was he angry at? He didn't knew. Maybe it was her, for making him feel like that. Maybe it was himself, for being a monster. "I'm not going to do any of this with you. It's disgusting. Don't compare me with the others." He approached her slowly, until he could finally touch her. He put a hand in her trembling shoulder. "You're not an object, damn it." It wasn't like him to comfort, he knew he was a brute, but he felt genuinely bad for her. He didn't even knew her, but there was something inside him that made the alpha want to help her. She looked at him, confused. He wiped her tears with his thumb, making her blush. Hehe, one point for him. "I don't even want to mate you, honestly, I'm being forced to do it. So…" he scratched the back of his neck. "Yeah, we're not doing anything tonight. Just sleep, maybe. I'm tired." She gave him a weak smile, not crying anymore, and Aomine felt lighter inside. He smiled back, feeling like he knew her his whole life. He furrowed his brows. Actually… He really felt like he knew her. "Want to sleep?" he asked, and she chuckled. "Yes, it's a good idea." He called a maid and asked for Momoi's clothes. When she left, he got to his dresser and picked up some sleeping clothes. They were used by humans a long time ago, when they still exist, but weren't used anymore. However, they were much more comfortable then their usual clothes, and that was why Aomine used them to sleep. Momoi looked at him, curious. "Do you recognize those?" he asked. "No," she said. "They're so weird." He chuckled. "Yeah. They're human clothes." She widened her eyes, but didn't say anything else. Aomine thought of changing there, but it didn't seem right; wouldn't it be too aggressive? "I… Uh… I'm gonna change in the bathroom. Your clothes must arrive soon, then you can use it later." She just nodded, sitting comfortably on the bed. She smiled when her hand made contact with the soft mattress, so Aomine left her to enjoy it alone. He changed quickly, and heard when the maid knocked. He got out of the bathroom when Momoi was closing the door, a big bag in her hands. "Wow, that's a lot," he said. "Why woman have so many clothes?" "They're not mine…" she said, putting the bad in the bed. "I don't have any clothes. Your king bought these for me now, so I can please you." They fell silent. He approached her, ready to tell her it was not necessary, and that she just needed to use something comfortable to sleep. Before they could say anything else, a scream ripped through the night. It was painful, scared, and startled the couple. Momoi flinched, biting her lip, and Aomine instinctively curled an arm around her shoulders, bringing her close. If they were in a normal situation, he would have blushed, but his animal side recognized it as a danger situation. Damn, those instincts. "What was that?" he mumbled. "I know this scream," said the omega. Aomine looked at the top of her pink head. "It's my friend, Kise. He was the second of us to be taken." Aomine counted in his head. The second alpha to be called was… He stepped back, looking at her face. The strong look was back in her eyes, like a stone. She wasn't scared, but angry. Something fluttered in his chest; that was how he liked it. No crying or tears, it was foreign territory and he didn't knew how to deal with them, but rage was in his blood. Maybe he and Momoi could get along well. "I'm gonna do something about it," he said. "I know who's with him. Wait here." "Wait!" she called him before he could leave. He turned to her. She was biting her lips, something he knew was an habit of her when she was nervous. But the look in her eyes was still determined. "Take me with you." "Huh?" he lifted an eyebrow. "Why?" "Because it's my friend there. He must be scared, and he's not strong like me," she adverted her eyes from him. "Actually, he was the most scared among us," she looked at him again, not more confident. "Please take me with you, so I can calm him down." Aomine measured his options. He could leave his mate safe, inside the room, and kick Haizaki's ass. But what would he do with the omega? He was still screaming like crazy, and the presence of another alpha might not be the best thing in the moment. On the other hand, Momoi knew him, and she could calm him down. He knew omega's could release their pheromones to give each other a feeling of safety. And she wasn't weak, the look on her eyes told him that. Maybe she was stronger than many alphas he knew. Still… It was Haizaki. He didn't trust him. His instincts told him to protect his mate at any cost. "No," he said, and she looked disappointed. "It's not that I don't trust you, but believe me when I say it's dangerous. I don't know what my friend did to yours, but it's bad. Trust me." There was a battle in their eyes, but Aomine refused to use any pheromones. No, if he wanted her trust his animal side would need to be quiet. Then Momoi sighed, defeated. "Okay," she nodded. "But… Call me if he needs me. Please." He accepted it, giving her one last smirk, and she smiled back. Relief washed through him; he trusted him then. He had won without being a monster. He left the room, closing the door behind him without care. Oh, the maids would be mad at him. He ran through the corridors, but he was far away from Haizaki's dorm. Aomine was a fast alpha, he could run faster than all the others, and was going at his full speed. However, when he got closer to Haizaki's room, the screams got away. Aomine furrowed his brows, and heard other screams. Was that Midorima? He stopped at a corner, and looked warily to the other corridor. It was really Midorima, dragging Haizaki through the corridor, while some nurses were taking someone in a litter. It was the omega, Aomine could see his golden hair and yellow dress. He turned around the corner and followed the screams until the hospital wing. When he was about to enter, a nurse left, her hair all messy, as if she was in a rush. Which she probably was. She widened her eyes when she saw Aomine, breathing heavily. "Aomine-sama!" she exclaimed. "I was looking for you!" "Well, I'm here," he said. "What's the matter?" "Midorima-sama is asking for help. Haizaki-sama is out of control!" As if to confirm her words, they heard sounds of a fight coming from inside the hospital. "But what happened?" he asked, confused. What could have made Haizaki like that, and why was his mate screaming so much? "He," the nurse hesitated, but Aomine's stare encouraged her to continue. "He tried to force his omega into mating. The poor thing is having a panic attack!" Aomine widened his eyes. He didn't expect Haizaki to be gentle, or a good mate… He knew he only wanted sex. It was nothing new. Still, the screams enraged Aomine, thinking about Momoi. "Okay," he told the nurse. "Tell him to hold on a bit, I'm going to find Kagami." He left, running again. He knew if Haizaki was out of control it was going to be a tough battle. He could easily overpower him, but he would still have to fight a lot and may get out with a lot of injuries. The hospital wasn't a place for that, and with the frightened omega there the amount of pheromones released would surely scare him more. So taking Kagami with him would make it easier to control Haizaki. He arrived at Kagami's door, his heart racing. Crazy Haizaki. It was not good. He yanked Kagami's door open, not caring about knocking, and saw the redhead spring up. Aomine was breathing heavily because of all the running, but managed to say "Kagami, come here now." The redhead got up from the bed, and walked towards Aomine. "What happened?" "That idiot Haizaki." Aomine said, gritting his teeth. A new wave of rage coursed through him. "That… fucking bastard! Apparently he tried to rape his mate!" "He WHAT?" Kagami almost screamed, and Aomine agreed with his reaction. "Exactly what you heard. That dumbass got a fragile mate, just like the rest of us. I knew he wasn't going to be gentle, but because of that the omega is having a panic attack." "O-oi, what do you mean?" Kagami looked worried now. "Come and you'll see," Aomine said, without time to chat and feeling more and more anxious each second. "But we need to hurry, because Midorima’s trying to help the omega while Haizaki is freaking out too. We need to calm the bastard down." Kagami bit his lip, and Aomine tried to control his impulse of grabbing the other man by his arm and drag him to the hospital. But he breathed, forcing his body to relax and his pheromones to tone down. A nervous Haizaki was never good, who knew what he could be doing at that very moment? Aomine doubted Midorima or de betas could handle him. From Kagami's room, though, he couldn't hear a thing; it was too far from the hospital. And then there was Momoi… His mate. She was waiting for him, alone, and even though he knew no one would enter his room, the stressful situation was making him uneasy. Deep inside he knew it was his animal side, worrying about a just gotten mate. "Okay, I'm going. Just let me tell my mate I'm leaving," Kagami finally said, breaking Aomine's chain of thoughts. "Yeah, yeah, sure," he waved at his friend. "I'll wait here. Don't take too long." Kagami nodded and closed the door, while Aomine started to pace through the empty corridor. He tried to hear anything, anything that could tell him what was happening at the hospital wing, but the castle was silent. That was the bedroom's wing, and it was made to be silent. The panther alpha didn't like it. He never liked silence. His mother was always too silent, he hardly saw his father and he was an only child, which meant he grew up lonely, in silence. However, everytime he tried to remember his childhood at the omegan village, he knew there was someone… A person that was his friend, and that he liked a lot. Someone important… Kagami opened the door, and Aomine almost sighed in relief. He wasn't a man of thoughts: he preferred to act, and that was what they were going to do. They didn't need to talk to know what the other was thinking, just an exchange of looks was enough. That was what years of fighting side-by-side did to them. Although they were always arguing over little things, they were really best friends, and Aomine couldn't think of someone he trusted more than the tiger alpha. It was a strange relationship, almost if they were long-lost brothers. They ran through the corridors, careful not to alarm the asleep dwellers. Aomine was aware of one thing: if the King found out about that, they would have a big problem, and Haizaki would be in trouble, for sure. He didn't like Haizaki, and still thought he was an asshole, but they were also partners and fought many battles together. It was like a brother he was ashamed of, but would never turn his back to. His instincts told him to help, which meant everything would have to be fast so Nijimura wouldn't find out. As if reading his thoughts (seriously, Aomine suspected he could really do it sometimes), Kagami spoke quietly, "Do you think the King is still talking to the rest of us? I mean, the mating thing?" Aomine arched an eyebrow. "I was the penultimate. There was only Murasakibara left." "Well, then shit," Kagami cussed, and Aomine tried to stiffen his laugh. "It means there's also just one omega left." "And means it won't take long," Aomine finished, and looked in the red eyes that spoke so much. "By this time, he probably noticed something's off." There wasn't much left to say, as they arrived at the hospital wing. The sounds of fight could be heard even from the corridor, and they entered the area quickly. It was such a sight. Haizaki was beating everyone's asses, like they were made of paper. Yeah, he was an alpha, so he was hella strong; yeah, they were betas, which meant they were weaker than him; and yeah, Haizaki had some minor injuries at least, but it was still something amazing. The guards outnumbered him, and in a normal situation he would be restrained already. But it seemed the jaguar alpha had gone berserk. Aomine lost no time on launching onto him, with a kick to his gut. Haizaki fell on the ground, visibly surprised, almost if he was in a haze: a killing haze. He looked up to Aomine, and those eyes were clouded by anger and madness. Aomine suddenly felt excited. Of the people he could fight with and wouldn't win feeling like a monster, Haizaki was second, right after Kagami. "Hey, asshole," said the blue haired alpha. "What the fuck are you doing?" Haizaki laughed, and spat some blood on the ground. "Daiki, what a surprise. Have you come to the party too?" He laughed, his voice hoarse, and Kagami twisted his nose in disgust. He wasn't as friendly as Aomine towards the jaguar. "You're sick, Haizaki. Stop it, don't you see what you're doing?" Oh, right. Aomine glanced around, and the picture was dreadful. Midorima was looking at them with narrowed eyes, while trying to approach Haizaki's omega in a litter. The omega, though, was shaking uncontrollably while begging for him to go away. Meanwhile the betan guards were standing up, their weapons aimed to Haizaki, while the betan nurses ran around looking for their things. But Haizaki didn't seem to see. In fact, he didn't seem able to do anything but fight. "I don't fucking care," he said, standing up. He glared at the two alphas aggressively. "Stay away from my mate." "Huh?!" Before Aomine had time to process what the other said, Haizaki dashed to him with a punch, which the panther evaded. He wasn't kidding, he was really crazy. Kagami approached Haizaki, trying to grab him and restrain him, but the jaguar was fast and quickly evaded, countering with a strong kick. Kagami blocked with his arms, but was pushed back some meters. Aomine joined the fights, running at Haizaki and trying to punch him. He hit his shoulder, which wasn't that effective, and Haizaki turned to him with bloodshot eyes. He kicked high, at Aomine's head, and he was able to evade at the last minute, quickly grabbing his leg and twisting, making Haizaki fall. Kagami jumped at him, and delivered a kick to his ribs. A loud scream resounded through the room, making the betas flinch. Haizaki then released a wave of pheromones that surprised the other alphas, paralyzing them, while he jumped to his feet and growled. His appearance was changing, black speckles appearing on his skin and his fangs growing. He was shifting. "Are you out of your mind?!" Aomine screamed. The amount of pheromones they released to shift was too intense… There was an omega in the room, dammit! But as Haizaki was about to shift, a crazily strong wave hit them. It was unlike every other pheromone waves they ever felt. It made everyone in the room fall to floor, and Haizaki shifted back to human. Aomine felt his knees hit the floor, and lowered his head in submission. The betas fell on the ground, bending so much their heads touched the floor. He raised his head with difficulty, only to receive more power on the face. It was real power, though. Not like what he and Kagami were doing with Haizaki; no, that was almost ancient. The panther grinned, he didn't really need to see to know who was there. "What is this?", said a low voice, growling. "What do you think you're doing, playing like kindergarten kids?" Finally the oppressive atmosphere was lifted, and Aomine could finally breathe and lift his head. He eyed the owner of the power warily, knowing that anger was also directed towards him. "The old man…" Haizaki mumbled under his breath, but of course the other man heard, twisting his head towards the jaguar like an owl. "Did you say something, kitten?" his eyes were glowing, brown and hot. Eyes that could comfort, protect, love, but also lecture and hate. "You better stay quiet, this mess is your fault and I know." Haizaki seemed about to say something, but bit his tongue. Heh, thought Aomine, a wise decision, for once. "And don't make that face, Ahomine," Aomine flinched before the nickname, standing still. "You're in it too. You bet you're going to get punished too. And also you, Bakagami." He sighed, pinching his nose. "I wonder when you'll stop getting in trouble." Aomine glanced at Kagami, who was completely still. If he wasn't in that situation, Aomine would have laughed; he always forgot the redhead wasn't used to that man yet, since he joined the royal guard long after the others. "Now get on your feet and tell me what's happening here." A pause. "Now." Everybody got up slowly, the betas shaking their head, still under the effect of the strong pheromones. Aomine wanted to check on Midorima and the omega, but he was afraid any movement could initiate a war. So he just looked at the man, with his white hair and beard, and always-closed eyes, standing in the doorway in all his glory, and answered what he wanted to hear. "Yes, General Shirogane Kouzou." Chapter End Notes so... was it too bad? seriously, i need you guys to talk ;_; tell me which parts are rushed or confusing, or any errors you can find. ugh i suck at this u.u does the title make sense now? :3 i thought it represented Momoi well, because she's strong, not easily broken. oh also, Shirogane Kouzou was Teiko's first coach ^^ An information that doesn't really make any difference: Omegas reach their mature age (18 years for us) at 15 years old, and present at the age of 10. Alphas have their maturity at 20 years old, and present at the age of 15-16. In this fic, the Omegas are around 16 years old, and Alphas around 20. In our world it wooould be a huge age difference (pedophilia?), but for Shifters they're about the same age. I love you guys <3 you're all awesome for reading this and giving me so much love ;_; i wish i could give each of you a cookie. ***** Purple Lotus ***** Chapter Notes OH MY GOD HAS IT BEEN SO LONG ALREADY? I don't even know where I should begin. Okay, obviously, first thank you to all of you who left kudos and commented so many wonderful things about this piece of garbage. You mean a lot to me, every single comment is special in my heart. I think I should explain why I didn't update this in so long. Well, it's not that I didn't want to, but if any of you every had depression you must know how much of a bitch it is. So I found out I have depression AND anxiety, because what is life without a combo. And my sweet kind depressed state doesn't want to do anything but die <3 ah the joys of life. I feel better now. I dropped college, though, because it was making me worse, but it took me a long time to recover from it. And anxiety hasn't left me for a second. But I love this story so much, I just didn't want to leave it. And after reading and re-reading all your nice comments, I found inspiration and a writer inside of me again, and decided to write. That, and a fucking awesome movie i've always loved and i still love from the bottom of my heart that i decided to watch again and that gave me a reason to live again. can't tell the movie because spoilers, but as soon as the scenes come be sure i will FUCKING RECOMMEND IT TO ANYONE. BUT LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING. Things changed. Look at the tags, and you'll see it changed a lot. I have said it before, but this started out as a practice for my writing, and I didn't plan to do anything serious. But of course it got out of hand and I have this stupidly huge thing planned in my mind AND I WANT TO WRITE IT SO MUCH but it might be very different from what you guys were expecting. I hope it's different for the better! Because now there's much more work put in every scene, every dialogue. But at first it was supposed to be a sweet love-story with a tidy bit of social and political issues. But since I'm a huge stupid nerd I have this beautiful AU planned and there's going to be war, fights, blood, drama, the whole pack of sci- fi you can imagine. Yes, you read that right. Sci-fi. SPOILER! (this was supposed to go sci-fi since the beginning, so i guess it's not much of a chance?) Hum however it's a very different type of sci-fi hmhmhm it's not what you're thinking Hear that? It's my anxiety speaking. Ah, I just hope I don't disappoint anyone. I put my heart into everything I write, because writing is my life and my soul. I'm very emotional about it. So this is not a simple story, I swear there's so much more to it than it seems. The beginning is slow on purpose, though, so don't be fooled! For my readers that are still with me after all this time, I love you with all my heart and I hope you're not disappointed. For those who are interested in the change, thank you! For those who didn't want the change and are leaving, thank you for supporting me until now anyway. For any new readers, welcome!!!!!!! I hope you enjoy your stay! Hum warnings: there's smut in this chapter. ah, ahahaha, no, the warning is not for the fact that there's is smut, but because it's TERRIBLE smut. please be nice to this virgin asexual aromantic. all my sexual knowledge is from reading fanfiction, i swear. but i tried my best ;-; also, for those worried about rape, THERE WILL BE NONE DON'T WORRY. the smut scene in this chapter IS NOT RAPE. it may sound a tidy bit dub-con, but trust me for a little bit and you'll understand why it's not. I'm also using their first names for a reason. IT HAS A REASON I SWEAR. it's confusing at first, but it's necessary. This chapter's title is different from the other ones FOR A REASON TOO. hihihihi and i can't wait to reveal the meaning of the title <3 important note, hehe. I HAVE NO BETA. LIKE. NONE. so I'm so, so sorry for my terrible writing. I'm kinda ashamed, and i re-read it and i know it still sounds terribly bad, but i'm trying to improve :( if you find anything wrong don't hesitate to tell me, please! last note, i swear. I will rewrite the other chapters. don't worry, the story itself won't change, but i might add some little details. i'll change their surnames to their names and make the language more formal (it also has a reason. this story actually shouldn't use too informal language, so if i'm using slangs or something too relaxed please tell me too :3) I think this is all! please enjoy!!!!! (i COULD tell you what soundtrack i used to write this but it would be. like. the hugest spoiler ever. so imagine your soundtrack :3) See the end of the chapter for more notes Purple Lotus   It was a rainy day. Black and gold decorated the hall. Red tapestries on the walls displaying scenes of faraway lands, of battles and wars that their kind would never watch. Soft chairs for tough men to sit on, to discuss matters of great importance. Men toughened by war, that had to act with wisdom and kindness in a peaceful world. Yes, it was a colorful and comfortable room. But the windows showed only shades of gray. And then, in the middle of that cacophony of colors, stood a purple bloom. Dissonant, tall and slender, disturbing the peace of such beautiful kingdom. Tough men looked down upon the bloom, but only figuratively. No one could really ever look down upon him. He had a long name that bothered most people. Murasakibara. Murasaki, meaning violet, it fit so well one could laugh at it. But not him. It was a burden he had to carry, the Murasakibara name, the purple giants of the west, and so much was expected. He was never fond of meeting up people's expectations, though. He had a name. Atsushi. It meant kindness. Sometimes he wondered if his parents gave him that name on purpose, when kind was the last thing he could be, and he knew that. That was expected from him. A Murasakibara wasn't supposed to be kind, they were supposed to be fierce spirits of battle, slaying enemies and destroying nations all by themselves. He didn't want any of that. When he was a young child, Atsushi dreamed of being a pastry chef. He liked sweet things. Sometimes his mom would feel 'kind', and bake him cakes and sweets, and he liked those times so much. They reminded him of home. He did live in a house, with five other older siblings who were all active and aggressive, the pride of the family, but it never felt like home. So those little moments were so precious. Oh, so many shades of gray. There weren't gray sweets. The door opened, and a short beta guard came out to announce that the King awaited for him. And Atsushi stood, in all his 208 centimeters of laziness and boredom, above everything. Tall, scary, frightening, many words were used to describe him. Lazy. Mean. Monster. Childish. Warrior. Giant. Purple. Berserk. But never, never kind. He slowly walked towards the open door that led to the King's room. Actually everything always felt slow for him. The rain and the people, the wars and the battles, time seemed to stretch indefinitely like a burden. But it felt ten times worse now, because he knew what he was walking into. The doors closed behind him like a bad omen, closing him in a room very similar to the previous one, but smaller. He had been there many times to talk to the King, in moments where he could relax a little, and not think about wars or battles. Why should he, when the kingdom was in peace? At those times, he would only listen to his brother-in-arms arguing and fighting like wild animals, but the heat in their words wasn't for hurting. This time, however, he was alone. With his King, Shuuzou Nijimura, who smiled playfully and gestured for him to come closer. "Don't you dare tell me you're shy now," he said. His smile gave him wrinkles around the eyes. "Come, sit with me. We have a lot to discuss." Atsushi approached in silence, his long legs walking the way faster than he wanted. He sank down on the sofa, furrowing his brows and stretching his legs. Silence. Shuuzou watched him, his eyes showing no sign of his emotions, as always. He enlaced his fingers, calloused by many years of holding a sword, and circled his thumbs slowly. "You know why you're here," he finally said. His black eyes bore holes into Atsushi's skull, but he refused to give up yet. "I said back then. And your brothers have all done it already." A twitch of his mouth was all Atsushi gave him. Actually, he didn't know what to think of it. Omegas sounded like a distant though, something that would never reach him. Murasakibaras had no time for omegas. They were all alphas. They had an omega parent, but they never met them, because it was unnecessary. The tiny submissive Shifters were only stories for Atsushi. And still, he could smell them from there. A sweet blueberry scent filled his nostrils, slowly numbing his mind in a haze. A purple haze. The stories said he would go in a frenzy, want to mate and to bond as soon as possible, but no. No. He never felt calmer in his whole life. So many shades of purple. A snap of Shuuzou's fingers brought him back to reality. The King had an eyebrow arched, a scowl slowly forming on his face. "Are you daydreaming already?" he asked, annoyed. Atsushi shook his head, clearing his thoughts. After an inner sigh, he found strength to speak for the first time. "Not at all." An impressive amount of words, indeed. "Have you thought about what I said, then?" Shuuzou went on. "You had plenty of time out there." Thinking? He wanted to say thinking wasn't really his strong point, but yes, he had meditated a little over the issue. A mate. A tiny human being with whom he would share feelings and experiences, for the rest of his life. As impressive as it sounded for most alphas, it was the official definition of 'mate'. And it scared him. He had faced many battles, and many strong enemies. Some of them were even bigger than him. Some of them were murderers, and he had injured himself many times. He once almost died, and he would if Shintarou hadn't been there. And still, he never felt frightened, because his mother raised him to be a brawler since he was born. Fighting and war composed his blood and his mind, how would he be scared of himself? It stung. Of all the things people called him, kind was the last one. Monster, was the first. "Yes," he finally said, trying to keep his bored façade. If he hid his feelings, he wouldn't have to deal with unnecessary people worried about him, was what he told himself. A bored façade keeps people away, and gives him less trouble. So why bother telling the King he was terrified of having a mate? What would it help him? "Whatever you want," he went on, his bored voice steady. "Just get over with it. I want to eat, and sleep." Shuuzou chuckled, but the smile never reached his eyes. It never did, anyway. His irises were cold obsidian that stared and judged. People said in the past he was a happy and smiling child, but becoming the King changed him. "You didn't change at all," the King said. Oh, the irony. "Still lazy and bored." Atsushi looked away. The red tapestry was starting to hurt his eyes. Why did everything have to be so colorful? He squinted, his irritation growing. "Nothing I say will change anything," he said, trying to keep calm and collected. "No, it won't," Shuuzou said as a matter-of-fact, and stood up. He was looking down at Atsushi. "Will you come, then?" He didn't wait for an answer, instead walking calmly in direction to a lateral door Atsushi hadn't noticed before. It was just like the others in the castle, but a faint smell came from it. Atsushi frowned, standing from his seat and following the King warily. Shuuzou approached the door and rested his hand in the doorknob, giving Atsushi one last smirk before opening it. It led to a room, a normal small room, with golden wallpapers and red cushioned sofa. But was rested on the sofa was what called Atsushi's attention. He knew they were an omega the moment he laid his eyes on the slender figure. As usual, he couldn't identify if they were male or female, under layers of frilly dresses and bows, stockings and everything cute and omega-like. All in purple. Their long, straight black hair fell to their waist, but the bangs covered their left eye. A small birth mark was under their right eye. A silver, penetrating gaze stared at him. The sweet smell came from the omega, as expected. For Atsushi, they smelled like lavender, which was good and pleasurable, not strong but noticeable. "What do you think?" the King asked, eying him with a smirk. "You told me you liked tall people, but not taller than you. Though I'm still to meet someone who's over 208 centimeters!" Atsushi hummed. The omega wasn't bad at all, he had to admit they were very good-looking. "Interesting," was what he said. "Good you think so. Now, you should go to your room and take your time with them. You know, maybe mate?" he put a hand on Atsushi's shoulder. "Whatever you want, alpha." And he left, closing the door behind him. Another door was in front of Atsushi, open and leading to the hallways. He looked at the omega, who didn't seem scared or intimidated at all. "Get up, and follow me," he said with a snarl. The omega didn't even flinch to his tone, standing and walking to stay at his side. Atsushi led them through the long hallways of red wallpapers, all the while paying attention to his new companion. "What's your name?" he asked. "Tatsuya Himuro," the omega answered, facing forward. "Are you a man or a woman?" "Whatever you want me to be, master." Atsushi groaned to that practiced response. "I'm asking about what you are now. Inside. Or what you were born as. Whatever." The omega seemed surprised by his question. "I was born as a boy, and I do feel like one. This body is male in the moment." "Good," Atsushi grumbled. "No need to change, then." They finally arrived at his room. When he opened the door, he found that there was a large bag on top of his bed. The bed he wanted nothing more than to throw himself over and sleep. "Those must be my clothes," the omega informed him. "If you allow me, I will put them in the wardrobe." "Ugh, do it soon, I want to sleep." "If you wish, master, I can prepare you an herbal bath to relax you muscles. You seem tense," the omega said, perfectly polite and robotic. Atsushi grimaced. An herbal bath sounded good. He glanced at the omega, standing in the room like a doll. "Prepare the bath. But I want you to join me," he added. He finally got a reaction from the other man, who tensed up, but bowed respectfully. "As you wish, master. How do you want me to be?" That question confused Atsushi. "What do you mean? How else could you be for a bath if not naked?" "These are all clothes, master. Without them I will look much more like a man." "If I wanted you to look like a girl I would have told you to take the pills," he said, turning his back to the omega. "Now hurry up while I undress." He slowly took off his tie and his hot suit, which bothered him to no end. Meanwhile he heard the omega shuffling around the room, and preparing the bath. Atsushi was annoyed and tired, and having a doll following him around wasn't the most exciting of things, but if he could have a little fun then maybe it wasn't so bad. "It's finished, master." He turned around, and saw the omega standing in front of the bathroom's door, waiting. "Good. Now undress. You can take off all of that," he paused. "Is that your natural hair?" "No, master." "And stop with this 'master' thing." He didn't know why it bothered him so much, but it sounded almost the same way people called him 'monster'. The same distant tone. The omega bowed, and started undressing himself. Atsushi walked to the bathroom, eager to enter the hot water. As he sunk down the bathtub he let out a content sigh, his muscles thanking the warm water. He let his head rest on the edge of the tub and closed his eyes for a moment, relaxing. Soon he heard the bathroom door open and close, and opened his eyes. The omega was standing there, and he was different than with the frilly outfit. His body was slender, pale, and unnaturally feminine. That annoyed Atsushi, but that he couldn't change. He suddenly wondered if that was an effect of the pills. "Come in," he gestured. The omega bowed again before joining him in the bathtub. His hair was actually short, but still black and straight, and with the bangs covering his left eye. He was still as attractive as he was before. "Turn around." The omega widened his eyes, just for a second, before his neutral face returned and he bowed, turning his back to Atsushi. He supported his body on the edge of the tub, exposing his pale backside. Atsushi crawled closer, caressing the soft skin of his back. He looked truly beautiful. And fragile. That too bothered Atsushi; why were all omegas like that? It looked… Wrong. People weren't supposed to look all the same. He caressed the omegas asscheeks shortly, before slipping one finger through his entrance. The omega's breath hitched, but he soon relaxed enough for Atsushi to move his finger in and out. The water allowed his movements to be free and not hurt him. He soon added another finger, scissoring them and opening the omega- no, he had a name. "What's your name again?" he asked. "T-Tatsuya Himuro," the omega's voice was hoarse, and he was panting slightly. Atsushi hummed in acknowledgement, before adding a third finger. That time he felt resistance, and moved more carefully and slower, until Tatsuya relaxed enough. "I think you're ready," Atsushi said, but Tatsuya didn't answer. "Are you?" Tatsuya seemed surprised by the question. "Yes, ma-" "Not master," Atsushi pulled his fingers out. "Call me by my name." He held his cock in his hand and stroked, until he was hard. He then guided it to Tatsuya's entrance, and penetrated him slowly and carefully, resting his hands on the slender hips. Tatsuya exhaled, his knuckles white with how tight he held the edge of the bathtub. Atsushi stopped his movements. "Does it hurt?" he asked. Tatsuya breathed heavily. "No… Atsushi." "You're lying. Look at your hands," the omega did look, and Atsushi growled. "Don't lie to me, ever." "I'm sorry, Atsushi. It hurt a little, but now I'm fine." To prove his point he released the edge of the bathtub for a second, flexing his fingers, before supporting himself on it again. Atsushi took that as a sign that he could keep going, and pushed farther, stretching the omega's walls. He finally bottomed out, and he felt good, really good. Tatsuya was tight and hot around him, and Atsushi could feel him squeezing his cock unconsciously. He couldn't stay still, and started rocking his hips. First slow, but then building up a pace, holding the omega's hips in place. He was panting, both were, and they were spilling the water out of the bathtub with every thrust. Atsushi looked down, at the pale back, and slowly traced a finger on the skin, watching how it got paler where he pressured. So thin and so fragile, he knew if he used just a little bit of strength he would make dark bruises that would last for days. So easy to break, to hurt, to mark. Ugly, purple bruises, purple like the omega's dress, purple like Atsushi's hair and eyes. He groaned, tightening his grip on Tatsuya's hips, surely tight enough to bruise. He felt his knot start to swell up just as the heat pooling at his stomach was about to explode. He came with a groan, digging his fingers on the omega's hips and spilling inside him. Atsushi bent down, burying his face on Tatsuya's neck and biting down hard, cutting the skin. As he came down from his high, he nudged Tatsuya's face to his own neck with one hand while stroking his small cock with the other. The omega bit him back just as he came, squeezing Atsushi's oversensitive cock. They marked. They knotted. They mated. They bonded. They were officially mates. Atsushi finished his duty there. He gently held Tatsuya's body, positioning them so Atsushi was sitting on the tub with Tatsuya on his lap, while waiting for the knot to deflate. He let the omega rest his back on his chest, running his fingers through the strands of wet black hair. The omega smiled, to his surprise, and leaned into his touch, so Atsushi didn't stop. His breathe evened out, and he could finally pull his knot out, letting Tatsuya sit between his legs. The omega turned to him, serious again. "Do you want me to wash your hair, Atsushi?" his voice was robotic again, cool and controlled, and it made his stomach twist. "Fine," he agreed. Tatsuya kneeled on the bathtub, pouring shampoo over his fingers and running them through Atsushi's purple hair, massaging his scalp. Atsushi relaxed into his touch, remembering the times when his older sister would wash his hair. Those little, precious times in which she was nice to him, like a real sister. Tatsuya's touch felt familiar, yet distant, composed. He stared into the silver eyes, so serious even though a polite smile graced his thin lips. Atsushi wondered how they felt like. He could order Tatsuya to kiss him, and he would know, but if wouldn't be true. Just another practiced movement, as distant as the fingers in his hair, washing away the shampoo slowly. He looked down, at the omega's hips, and watched as ugly purple bruises bloomed on the pale skin. Bruises he had made. He always hated small and delicate things, because his hands were made for battles and holding steel, and those hands broke porcelain and crystal as easily as they broke bones. He let Tatsuya wash him, and then told him to wash himself as Atsushi left the bathtub. "I will change and check some things. Finish your bath and put on a sleepwear. I will be back soon," he said, and hoped it didn't sound too harsh. Tatsuya nodded, and Atsushi left the bathroom. He put on some formal clothes, as he couldn't be seen walking around the castle in his poor human clothes. He left the room not without glancing back one last time, to the bag of frilly clothes and the purple dress over his bed. He closed the door, and walked alone through the long hallways. He was looking for Midorima. He didn't know anything about mating or omegas, at least the technical details, so he hoped the doctor could inform him of anything important he needed to know. He wasn't fond of paying attention to details, or looking for information, but if something bad happened to his now- mate… It would be his fault. However, as he approached the nursery, where the doctor usually was, he heard noises and screaming, and a strong scent that made him dizzy. He leaned on the wall for leverage, trying to orientate himself. Such strong scent could only belong to a powerful alpha. "Daiki, hold him!" he heard someone shout, and then a feral snarl. "Stay away from him!" He walked fast towards the nursery, recognizing that voice. As he arrived at the main door, he froze at the scene before him. General Shirogane was screaming orders at Daiki and Taiga, who were trying to hold down Shougo. A partially shifted Shougo. The strong smell was a mixture of many alpha scents, combined to General Shirogane's own delta scent. He noticed Atsushi's arrival, turning to him. "Good thing you're here," he said, gesturing to the fight. "Hold your friend down before he does something stu-" He was cut by another feral scream from Shougo, aimed at Shintarou. The doctor frowned, fixing his glasses. "Shougo, stop being an idiot," he hissed. "I'm going to check if he's okay." "We didn't mate yet, you're not going to lay a finger on him!" Shougo yelled back. Shintarou arched an eyebrow, and slowly pressed a finger to the forehead of the person on the hospital bed at his side. They were an omega, a blonde one, with a frilly yellow dress. As soon as Shintarou touched him Shougo growled, and Daiki and Taiga were obviously having a hard time containing him. "I tried to use my scent to hold them down, but I didn't notice that poor omega over there. I made him collapse," General Shirogane explained. "Go help your friends." Atsushi nodded and walked over to where Shougo was being restrained. Before the ash-haired alpha noticed his presence, to busy growling at Shintarou, Atsushi took him by the neck and lifted him off the floor. Shougo growled at him and clawed at his arms, ripping the sleeved and scratching his skin, but Atsushi barely frowned. He threw Shougo on a wall, walking over to him before he got a chance to get up and punching him on the face. Shougo fell again, protecting himself him his arms. Atsushi growled low, and took the man by his arms, lifting him again. Shougo roared and punched him, any attacks having no effect on Atsushi. He smirked, looking down at the man. "You look like a kitten, Shougo," he said. "Fighting a big lion, so much bigger than you." Shougo growled. "How dare you, you piece of garbage! I will cut you in half!" Atsushi arched an eyebrow, throwing Shougo on the wall again. He was used to him being rude and picking fights with everyone, but he was obviously out of his mind. He would have to knock him out. He crouched down to where Shougo was fallen, dizzy from the fight. Atsushi put a hand on his neck, squeezing slowly. "You're making a lot of noise, and it's annoying me. I will have to crush you." Shougo clawed and fought him arms and legs, but Atsushi didn't even feel his attacks. He squeezed until Shougo turned blue, and then lost consciousness. He shifted to his full human form, and Atsushi stood up. General Shirogane approached him with his cane in hand. "Good job, Atsushi. Although a bit too much." "He was crazy," Atsushi shuddered, and looked around. Shintarou was checking on the unconscious omega, while beta nurses were helping Daiki and Taiga with their injuries. "Hey, Atsushi," Daiki called him. "You're late." "I was with my mate," he answered shortly. Speaking of him mate, he had left Tatsuya alone, and he really, really wanted to go back to his room to cuddle and sleep. "We were, too," Taiga tried to defend himself. "But didn't you hear the screams?" "No. I was taking a bath." Taiga pouted slightly, an act Atsushi was sure he didn't know he made. He then turned to thank the nurse that helped him, and walked over to where Shintarou was. Curious, Atsushi followed him. "How are they?" Taiga asked. "Physically fine," Shintarou answered. "I think the General knocked him out because of his scent, but he's not injured." "What about all that screaming, then?" Daiki joined them, his arms bandaged up to his shoulders. "I don't know," Shintarou admitted. "I can only guess that he got scared when Shougo tried to force himself into him." Atsushi raised his eyebrows to that new information, but stayed silent. Just as he was ready to announce he was leaving, their heard a groan behind them and turned all at the same time. "Ow," Shougo said, rubbing his head. "What the hell… What happened?" "Oh, please, don't tell me you don't remember," Daiki said with a snarl. Shougo frowned at him, and then looked around. Then his eyes laid on the unconscious omega, and he widened his eyes. "Oh, damn. It can't be." "Yes, it can," Taiga said. "You attacked us, broke a few of the nursery's equipments and made a fuss. And tried to force yourself into your omega." Shougo frowned, standing, a little wobbly. "I thought we were supposed to mate them. He didn't want to, so I had to pressure him." "You don't need to force them!" Taiga sounded indignant. "They're people too!" "You're just an idiot," Daiki said. "I just don't understand why you acted like this and then became all overprotective of him." Shougo seemed confused for a moments, as if trying to remember, and then his eyes widened with realization. "I don't know what he did, but he hexed me." Shintarou arched an eyebrow. "He… Hexed you?" "Yes! He screamed like that, and it did something to my head! I'm telling you, he's playing sweet and innocent, but he definitely did something!" "Or it was your alpha instincts talking and you couldn't control them," General Shirogane suggested with a small smile. "If you paid more attention to the theory classes when you were in academy maybe you would know how to control your pheromones better." Shougo was red with anger and embarrassment. "I'm telling you, he did something. It wasn't my fault!" "It doesn't matter," Shintarou said, loudly. "I want you all out of here. There was enough mess on my nursery for one day. You stay here, Shougo, to patch up and be with your mate. Unfortunately for this boy, you are his mate. The rest go back to your rooms, tend to your own mates." "Kuroko!" Taiga exclaimed. "I have to go back!" He ran off without saying anything else, and Daiki cringed. "Satsuki is going to be mad at me…" He left the nursery dragging his feet, and Atsushi stood there awkwardly. "Hum, I guess I'll go back too," he murmured. "I'm tired. Goodbye." He waved to Shintarou and Shougo, and bowed to General Shirogane, and then left the nursery. In the end he didn't even ask Shintarou for advices, but it wasn't a good time. The doctor got easily mad when he was under stress. Atsushi was happy to go back to his room. When he opened the door, he found the lights low, like candle lights. The bag and the dress weren't on his bed anymore, but Tatsuya was. He was using a soft and thin violet long nightdress, and was reading a book. He looked up at the sound of the door closed, and quickly got up, bowing. "Welcome back," he said, and then bit his lips worryingly. "Your clothes." Atsushi looked down. Oh, right. Shougo had ripped his sleeves. There wasn't any blood though, which was good. "I had a problem with one of my friends," he said, shrugging. "Nothing to worry about. Go back to bed, I'm going as soon as I change clothes." He opened his wardrobe, and almost sighed at the sight of so many frilly dresses. He undressed, picking a comfortable sleepwear, and went back to bed. He slipped under the covers at Tatsuya's side, and curled contently around him. The omega hummed, chuckling. Atsushi couldn't hold back the question anymore. "Why aren't you afraid?" Tatsuya didn't answer at first. "Of course I am afraid. I just thought it would only bother you if I showed it." Atsushi grimaced. "Don't hide things from me," his hands tightened around Tatsuya. "I hate lies." "Okay," Tatsuya whispered. "I won't." Atsushi buried his face in the silky black hair. "Good night, Tatsuya." "Good night… Atsushi." It still wasn't enough. There was still too much fakeness, too distant and robotic. It bothered him deeply, but as he remembered Shougo and his mate, he realized he shouldn't press Tatsuya too much. Who knew for how long they were being trained to be like that? Just like him, who was trained to be scary and monstrous. He hoped he could one day be true with his mate and his friends. But most of all, with himself.     Daiki opened the door, tired and aching all over. As soon as he closed the door Satsuki was standing in front of him, angry look in her eyes. "You're bleeding," she said. "And you reek of alpha pheromones." "Ouch, 'reek' is a strong word," he grimaced. She crossed her arms. "You said you weren't going to do anything dangerous!" "I didn't say that! I said it was too dangerous for you, and that's why you shouldn't go," he walked to his bed and threw himself over it. "It's fine now, it's over. I just have some scratches." "You're all sweaty, don't lay on the bed!" He rolled his eyes, but decided to obey. He sat on the bed only, facing his mate. She was using a pink nightgown, and her hair was untied, falling around her face and shoulders and reaching her waist. She looked divine, like and angel, and he couldn't help but stare. She pouted. "Stop looking at me and go take a bath! I'm here, all clean and nice-smelling while you're like this!" He grimaced and showed her his tongue, earning him a indignant squeal. He laughed and ruffled her hair, before getting up and starting to undress. "Will you come help me, princess?" he said, grinning. She tried to remain serious, but gave him a small smile and followed him to the bathroom. He expected her to join him in the bathtub, but she said she had already bathed. It was actually a smooth way of asking her if she wanted to… Do it, and he knew she understood, but apparently she wasn't ready yet. It was fine. He could wait. And having her wash his hair and massage his tense back muscles wasn't bad, too. After they were both bathed, dry, and in their sleepwear, they cuddled on the bed. It actually surprised Daiki that Satsuki so vigorously took the big spoon role, hugging him from behind. Then she said he reminded her of her giant teddy bear she used to sleep with, and he blushed to the tip of his years, but she didn't seem to notice. It wasn't bad to have her around him either.     "Midorima, sir," someone shook him by his shoulder, and he woke up startled. "Yes, what is it?" he fixed his glasses, looking at the beta nurse that woke him up. She was a middle-age woman that for some reason acted like a mother around him. "You should get some sleep," she said, putting her hands on her waist, like a mother lecturing her child. "I can't," he sighed. "I have to take care of this omega," he stopped, thoughtful. "Ryouta Kise." But the nurse was shaking her head. "Go, I will handle this. Don't worry, he won't wake up so soon, and if he does his mate is right there." She pointed with her head in the direction Shougo was, sleeping on a bed right beside Ryouta's. It was still a mystery what their relationship was, but Shintarou supposed it was up to them to find out. He sighed, taking of his glasses and rubbing his eyes. He was very tired. And Kazunari was waiting for him… He stood, and the nurse smiled, content. "I have to go back to my mate," he admitted. She hummed. "Very good. Poor boy must be feeling terrible, after all this noise and without you." "I don't think he misses me so much. Why would he? We just met." "Oh, Shintarou, it's impossible not to like you," she smiled, sweet and reassuring. He blushed, and excused himself before leaving the nursery. As he walked to his bedroom he wondered about what she said. Would Kazunari really be waiting for him? He said he liked him. He smiled, said Shintarou was different… He shook his head. Kazunari was probably asleep, so he would be very careful not to wake him u- "Shintarou!" just as he entered the bedroom he was attacked by a small figure, almost falling to the ground before he braced himself on the wall. "You were gone for too long!" Kazunari was hugging him by his waist, looking at him with his bright blue eyes. He was in a peach nightgown, still wearing his long wig. And he looked positively adorable. Shintarou blushed, fixing his glasses. "I'm sorry. Let me go for a bit, I need to close the door." Kazunari let him go, but still watching him with that hawk-ish gaze. Shintarou observed his small frame, and wondered why he chose exactly the type of omega that made him the most nervous. "Come to bed, Shintarou," Kazunari called. "I will, but I'm afraid I'll need a bath first," Shintarou said. Kazunari pouted, bouncing on his heels. "What took you so long? And what happened to Ryouta?" "Your friend is fine. He was just a bit shaken, but nothing happened to him," Shintarou reassured him, and the omega smiled. "I'm glad!" he grinned. But suddenly he was serious. "Thank you. You didn't lie when you said you would help us." Shintarou blushed, and fixed his glasses again. "I'm just doing my job." Kazunari chuckled, and hopped onto the bed again. "Go take your bath. Don't take too long!" Shintarou walked into the bathroom, undressing quick and entering a hot shower. Kazunari was different from when he left him… He was happier, more relaxed. More… Affectionate. It made Shintarou happy, knowing that at least the omega was feeling threatened by him, or afraid. As he finished his shower and came back to a softly snoring Kazunari, sleeping comfortably under the thick covers, Shintarou felt something swirl up in his chest. He was always too fond of omegas, but that one was taking the prize.     Taiga stood in front of his door for a long time. When he left, Tetsuya was crying in the bathroom. He was afraid of him. If he entered the bedroom covered in bandages and stinking of alpha pheromones, wouldn't it be worse? It took him a lot to finally open the door, as silently as possible in case Tetsuya was sleeping. He wasn't, however, and was instead sitting on the bed, reading a book. He looked peaceful, his soft features shining in the dim light of the room. He was wearing a baby-blue nightgown, his knees pulled to his chest. He was still wearing his blue wig, and Taiga wondered how he looked like without it. He must have made some noise, because Tetsuya looked up from his book, surprised, and quickly closed it, making a move to stand up. "No, no, no, no, don't get up," Taiga said, and Tetsuya froze. "Sorry, I didn't mean to sound so…" he sighed. "I'm just going to take a bath. You can keep reading your book, no problem." "Kagami, you're bleeding," the omega said, quietly. "Ah, this? Just some scratches. I'm fine. Really," he waved, dismissing the omega's worry. "I just need a quick hot bath." Tetsuya nodded, and Taiga kept forcing a smile until he got inside the bathroom. Then he let out a groan. There was a particularly painful bruise on his ribs, but Tetsuya didn't need to know. He sighed, undressing and entering the hot shower. It eased the tension of his shoulders, but his head was spinning. Too many thoughts and too many feelings were swirling up in his chest and head. He was truly shaken with how Shougo treated his omega. He could still hear him screaming. Everybody was treating it like it was nothing, just an occurrence that could be brushed off aside so easily. But not for him. What was wrong with the world? When he left the bathroom, Tetsuya was laying on the bed, but not sleeping yet. He glanced at Taiga, who put on his best smile. Tetsuya, however, got up from the bed even when Taiga told him not to. "You're bleeding," the omega said, resolute. Oh, that looked good on him. "You took a shower with the bandages, so they're all messed up. Let me fix them." His tone left no space to complain, so Taiga just nodded and let the omega take a first-aid kit from inside his wardrobe (he must have found it while putting his clothes on inside) and patch him up properly. Taiga watched him as he worked, his concentrated expression not different from his usual neutral face. But he was so beautiful. Taiga wanted to touch him so badly, but he was afraid of scaring him like he did at first. So he just watched, and smiled when the omega finished his job, looking pleased with himself. "Now you're better. Otherwise you would dirty the bed sheets." "Thank you," Taiga said quietly, and Tetsuya looked up at him. "You're welcome," was his quiet answer. As they stood in silence again, Taiga decided it was time to go to bed. They got under the warm covers, but didn't touch each other. The want was still there, thought. Taiga wanted nothing more than embrace him, hold him in his arms and make him understand that he was bad, he wasn't cruel like he thought… He just wanted him to know. He wanted somebody to know. Chapter End Notes phew, i did it! 6k words! yay i'm progressing! *throws small anxiety monster aside* WHAT DID YOU THINK????? was it too bad? I hope not. I don't know what to say in this ending notes. Uh, thanks for reading my trash <3 any questions, feel free to say in the commentaries, or hit me on tumblr or twitter! I love talking! hmmmm but i won't give spoilers sorry <3 (just know that some scenes might sound weird, even ooc, but EVERYTHING HAS A REASON MUAHAHAHAH my motto is "there's method to my madness") ***** Note ***** You were all so amazing to me in the comments. I'm so grateful to everyone who's commented, left kudos, bookmarked, or just read this. Thank you for your support. But this story is not going to be continued. For a series of reasons, there are too much for me to mention here. I haven't given up on writing, though it's been some rough times for me. I plan on writing more and posting more works, but I'm gonna be sincere, there's a very low chance of them being Kuroko no Basket. I'm just not into it as much as I was before. It's not usual to say these things in a chapter, but I wanted everyone to know, because some people sent me messages saying they're still waiting for a new chapter and I know how much it sucks to wait for something you don't know if it's really gonna happen. So here it is. Thank you for all the support. This was my very first work in english, it's probably horrible. I wrote it when I was 16, and I learnt a lot by now, especially about who I am. I will post more stories, but I hope the content is more mature and well-written. So if anyone even wants to stick with me (you probably don't and that's totally okay) I'm very into Haikyuu and my next works are probably going to be Haikyuu. That's it. Starfallen is officially over. End Notes come cry with me about sports anime, tokyo ghoul and anything you want at my tumblr or my twitter Please drop_by_the_archive_and_comment to let the author know if you enjoyed their work!