Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/
works/6839128.
  Rating:
      Explicit
  Archive Warning:
      Graphic_Depictions_Of_Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
  Category:
      Multi
  Fandom:
      K_(Anime), The_100_(TV)
  Relationship:
      Fushimi_Saruhiko/Yata_Misaki, Suoh_Mikoto/Totsuka_Tatara, Gojou_Sukuna/
      Kushina_Anna, Ambiguous_or_Implied_Relationship(s)
  Character:
      Fushimi_Saruhiko, Fushimi_Niki, Munakata_Reishi, Suoh_Mikoto, Totsuka
      Tatara, Kusanagi_Izumo, Gojou_Sukuna, Kushina_Anna, Original_Characters,
      Every_K_Character
  Additional Tags:
      Steampunk, Torture, Alpha/Beta/Omega_Dynamics, Alternate_Universe_-
      Fusion, Horses, Weapons, tribal_aspects, Implied/Referenced_Abuse,
      referenced_Betrayal, Sukuna_is_a_little_Shit, minor_charater_death, Omgea
      Male_Pregnancy, Probably_More_TBH, Implied/Referenced_Rape/Non-con,
      Implied/Referenced_Underage_Rape/Non-con, It_hurts_but_its_what_would
      have_happened_in_that_scenario_T.T
  Series:
      Part 1 of The_Final_Hope_and_Hope's_Demise,_From_the_Ashes_We_Will_Rise
  Stats:
      Published: 2016-05-13 Updated: 2017-09-01 Chapters: 21/? Words: 113429
****** The Final Hope ******
by JaneNyx, Sola_The_Demon
Summary
     *Note
     All rape/non-con elements are references, and past events, if that
     concerns you.
     When their space bound home is dying, the government resorts to
     drastic circumstances to deem if earth is survivable. Not only does
     Fushimi now have to learn to survive on a hostile planet, he must now
     survive within a society that by all records should not exist. Earth
     holds many new challenges, but no one would have thought matters of
     the heart would be one of them.
     This is an Omegaverse, combined with two fandoms. The characters are
     from an Anime called K. (Or K Project). It is set in the 100
     universe, and it takes an alternate route to the show. :)
Notes
     Please Note, if you do not know what the Omegaverse is, it is
     recommended you do some research. However, for the most part,
     everything is explained.
***** The Dropship *****
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes
"You can't send one hundred kids to their deaths!"

                Shiro's voice sliced through the chatter of the council, his
eyes sweeping over the people gathered with a pleading, almost desperate gaze.
Reisi Munakata couldn't help but agree with the man's hesitation and
reservations. The proposal was absurd even under these dire circumstances,
though he himself maintained his usual cool demeanor.

                The Ark, the only human structure that had remained intact, was
the home for the last remaining members of the human race. With a population of
a few thousand, resources were always in short supply and heavy restrictions
were required to maintain the balance that had ensured the survival of their
species. Families were limited strictly to one child, though only after
approval through the reining doctorial staff. Rations provided only enough to
supply an individual's metabolism and even then, food and water was limited
within the outer reaches of space. While they continued their orbit around the
taunting Earth, they could not create any more than what was available.

                But now, perhaps the people of the spaceship faced an even more
deadly threat; their oxygen systems were failing. Under normal circumstances,
the system separated the carbon and oxygen atoms from the carbon dioxide in the
air to provide pure oxygen for the breathable atmosphere, recycling the two
elements continuously. Now, those systems were failing and the top mechanics
could do nothing to get them functioning properly again in any feasible amount
of time. Already signs of oxygen deprivation were spreading like wildfire
through the station. There was loss of vision, dizziness, fatigue, and
horrendous coughing spells were only the beginning.

                Munakata took in each of the council members, trying to gauge
their opinions on the matter. Vladimir Sukuna proposed something that had
shocked Isana Yashiro into speaking, to send one hundred juvenile delinquents
currently imprisoned down to Earth.

                Ever since the nuclear war, the planet had been deemed un-
survivable; hence their current existence in the safety of the planet’s outer
gravitational field. It had been four generations, one hundred and two years,
since the human race's plight, but they had no way of knowing if the radiation
had dropped to suitable levels yet. If they had, then the people could return
home.

                But if they weren't, they would die in the confines of space.

                Munakata cleared his throat, deciding the he needed to speak on
the matter himself. "Excuse me, Mr. Sukuna, but your proposal is simply
unrealistic. Even if the radiation levels are survivable, those children will
die simply due to the unknown aspects of the planet, such as storms and
elemental factors that they would be unable to survive as inexperienced young
adults."

                Kisa Fushimi looked from Munakata, to Shiro, to Sukuna and then
to the chancellor, who just happened to be her husband. Niki was attempting not
to grin, or so it seemed. He had never been someone that people would call a
kind man. She didn't really care. She failed to see how keeping the children
would be of any use when they would only be floated their eighteenth birthday.
She supposed it could be considered cruel to send them to almost certain death
with any sort of hope for survival but in the end, it was death either by
radiation or the vacuum of space.
                "It is not unrealistic. These children are criminals; they are
no longer useful to our society and most certainly will never rejoin the
central population. We need to know what the conditions on Earth are and if the
ground is inhabitable. It could save thousands versus the risk of a few dozen."
Sukuna crossed his arms, thoughts briefly flitting to his own son. But even
that didn't matter in this subject; he would never be able to socialize with
the rest of the Ark. Not being what he was. He looked to the Chancellor, who
obviously supported his proposal and knew if Kisa supported him... They were
all in the same position, their son was also an unacceptable abomination and
was rarely allowed out of his cell without heavy security, if at all.

                Niki grinned from ear to ear, his voice light and cheery. "It
makes perfect since, Munakata. What use are those kids to this ship? Giving
them a use and sending them to the ground would be a… blessing."

                "They’re just kids! They wouldn't be able to survive a week!"
Shiro exclaimed, drawing attention back to him.

                "I think you under estimate them,” Niki replied coolly. “They
are criminals. They are smart, or at least many of them are, and resourceful to
top it off. Most will make it if the ground is survivable and still be alive
for the time it takes us to join them."
                Munakata weighed what they were saying, considering the
possibilities and estimating the odds. It was insane, not to mention cruel, to
do something like that to anyone. "I must say, I do not understand how you
could be so cold, especially considering that your children would be included
in the drop."

                "Saruhiko," Kisa interjected before the man could say more, "is
an unacceptable creature. As an Alpha, you know very well he, like Vladimir’s
son, are waiting to die. Rather, most of the children are waiting to die."

                Munakata put his hand out to silence Shiro before he could let
out another outburst. "The general public would not accept this. There will be
an outrage, not to mention the riots and protests will only put more strain on
the system. I head the department of law enforcement, and we are understaffed
as it is. We would not be able to handle crowds of that magnitude without
resorting to violence."
                "Don't tell them. Keep it secret, just like we've been keeping
the system failure a secret. It will buy us more time to try and fix the system
before anyone knows, it could even provide a month or two for the rest of us."
Niki proposed, "They won't miss them. All those kids are just sitting and doing
nothing in those cells. If the ground is safe, wouldn't that be better than
awaiting your death in one of those cells? Plus it helps the whole population;
we will know more about the ground." His gaze fell specifically to Munakata.
"And my son is a ticking bomb. We all know the dangers they impose on the
entire population, let alone themselves."
                The chief of police hated that gaze, and it would be a lie to
say that he did not hate Niki Fushimi. The man took liberties with his position
that, by all definition, were wrong and abusive to the foundation they had
based the government upon. "It is cruel to these kids. And even if by some
miracle Earth is not only survivable, but these children manage to live the
time it takes us to reach the ground, what do you plan to do with them?" He
turned, looking at Vladimir and Kisa, if he could convince either one the
matter wouldn't pass. "They are still criminals, some have committed murder or
worse. And particularly in the case of the Alphas and Omega, they would still
be outcasts. Would it not be more beneficial to send some of my men down, as
they know how to survive and would be more reliable then kids?"
                "We can't spare your men," Sukuna argued instantly.

                "Most of these children are within a few years of turning
eighteen or have already, they are simply waiting to be tried as an adult; the
majority of them would executed regardless," Kisa pointed out, officially
taking a side.

                "Exactly." Niki smirked, as it was looking, there would be a
tie in the council, and he couldn’t have hoped for more. A tie meant he had the
deciding vote, something he loved.

                "If the ground is survivable, they will have a chance to redeem
themselves," Vladimir pointed out. "We are only quickening what is most
certainly going to happen. If they survive the drop, wouldn't that be better
than just waiting in a cell?"
                "You’re talking about your own son, Mr. Sukuna! You are talking
about sending him to a slow and painful death! We don't even know if Mt.
Weather survived, let alone if they will have food or water!" Shiro exclaimed,
"How can you even begin to consider...?"

                Munakata looked between the three. "You know those children
will turn on each other at the first sight of a challenge, and the first they
will go after is Saruhiko, Gojo, and Anna. They will be the first to die."
                "I motion for a vote," Kisa said, crossing her arms, tired of
arguing. The end result was obvious at this point.
               "I second that," Sukuna agreed. "It's the only way we'll reach
an agreement."

                Shiro looked to Munakata, they both knew where this was going.
The man rested his elbows on the table, frustrated at the entire system. This
was always how it went. They would force a vote and they would be evenly
divided, and Niki would side with Kisa and Vladimir. "At this point, Mr.
Sukuna, I hardly think this council has ever reached and 'agreement.'" He said
bitterly.

                "If you don't like it, Mr. Munakata, feel free to give up your
chair." Kisa returned, challenging him.

                Munakata watched her darkly, disgusted. "I see no point in
voting. It would seem we are sending those kids to the ground.”
===============================================================================


                Fushimi lay back on his cot, staring up into the porthole that
revealed the vastness of space as it stretched on for what he could only assume
was an infinite number of miles. Though perhaps that was not true, as
everything came to an end at some point. Perhaps that should be a math problem
he solve - the scribbles on the dingy white walls already showed all of the
calculations of the equations the guards continued to give him. Why, he wasn't
sure, though he could guess it was for his father's engineers. He solved them
regardless. When you are locked away for life, you tend to get rather bored.

                Normal kids obtained acne and the sudden urge to watch porn
when they hit puberty. He got a jail cell and a condemning label. 'Alpha.' One
would equivocate it to 'vampire' by the way the people of the Ark acted. Lucky
him. Not that Omega's had it any better, regardless of which both types were
condemned.

                "Saruhiko Fushimi." His door swung open, striking the wall with
a loud clang that rang deep in his skull. He looked over lazily, noting the
biohazard looking suits they wore as if his genetic make-up was contagious.
Morons. There were three, each a heavily built man who could easily overpower
him on their own – there was no real need for three guards. "It has been
required that you come with us."

                He focused on the hall outside, listening to the screams echo
off the walls as some kids were dragged from their cells kicking and shouting
while others went silently with the officers. His eyes moved sluggishly back to
the porthole, displaying the lack of interest he had. "I see my father finally
found a way to float us legally." He said slowly, taking his time with each
syllable. Perhaps he would find out how infinite space was when he died.
The men came forward, roughly grabbing his upper arm and yanking him up off his
cot, forcing him to stumble towards the door with a shove. And they said Alphas
were the violent ones. He let out a guttural growl, a habit he had developed to
scare the guards who feared him for his ‘condition.’ He clicked his tongue in
amusement when all three backed off. Who would have thought that being an Alpha
meant people believed you to have some sort of power? "Get moving!" One shouted
in an unintimidating way.

                He clicked his tongue again, walking out to follow the
direction of the crowd. The guards followed, flanking his sides without
touching him. If he was going to die, he would do so on his own terms. Fuck his
father, fuck society and fuck the guards. There was nothing they had ever done
for him, and he would be damned if he didn’t go out on his own two feet. 
                "Get in line!" The man behind him snapped, shoving Fushimi by
the head and shoulders into one of the three lines that the other kids had been
filed into. He didn’t really think that was necessarily required. It wasn’t as
if he was fighting; what would be the point? At least from this distance, he
could see what was happening to the kids in front of him. Mental preparation
could go a long way.

                As each prisoner stepped up to a table that had been set out,
they were told to hold out their right hands. A pale grey bracelet was the
closed around the wrist, from the wince of the others it probably had probes,
before it was scanned into some sort of system. Once scanned, small lights of
various colors glowed softly, signaling it was working. The Beta was then
herded away down another hall, much to his distaste. Why didn’t they just take
them straight to the airlock? Guards flanked the juveniles as they shuffled
like cattle to slaughter, eliminating all chance of escape and deterring the
children from attempting to fight.

                He reached the polished steel table, holding out his wrist
without instruction to do so, making the girl jump in her seat. "Saruhiko
Fushimi." He said dully, wincing when the small probes pierced his skin. The
intern looked terrified of him, and he felt slightly bothered by her reaction;
there was no reason for her to flinch at his every movement. "I'm not going to
attack you, moron," he clicked his tongue before heading the way the others
were obediently going. How gullible could people be?

                He did finally hesitate when he saw where they had been taken -
a ship. He stopped just shy of entering, weary about the new development.
Something wasn’t right and he seemed to be the only one who noticed the oddity
of the chosen method of slaughter, but he supposed that is they wanted to waste
the materials… that was fine by him.  He was met by a guard as he entered, his
eyes watching Fushimi's movement with a skin crawling scrutiny. "Fushimi
Saruhiko, seat seventy-two."

                Oh hell no. The seat was in the center, his back would be to
the door if he chose to sit there. If he was going to die, he wasn't doing so
by putting dozens of people at his back, along with the door that, for all he
knew, may tear open. He ignored the guard, sitting in the far corner and
turning to glare challengingly, "Fushimi Saruhiko, seat three."

                The guard pulled out his electric stick, not that it was a
surprise. It was a long silver rod, designed not unlike a cattle prod, and it
packed enough punch to cause someone to go unconscious. When it came to him,
‘humane’ did not apply, not when he was considered a freak and an affront to
nature. Before the man could make a move, there was a throat clear that stopped
him. "It’s quite alright. Let the children sit where they please."

                Reisi Munakata, at least he recognized that if they were to die
they should have some form of choice. Fushimi clicked his tongue, looking away
as he waited for the remainder of the cows to load up. The Chief of Law
Enforcement kept his gaze on Fushimi for a long moment, as if he was attempting
to communicate, but Saruhiko wanted nothing to do with the man who had a hand
in decided who lived and died. Everybody was strapped in - why? The guards on
board called out, announcing to everyone to remain in their seats before
exiting the shuttle. The doors closed all one hundred juvenile delinquents in
its confines, trapping them in an almost suffocating darkness as each awaited
for their fate.
                The quiet murmurs and chattering of the other prisoners started
up once the doors were closed, voicing the questions everyone had. Where are
we? What are we doing? Personally, Fushimi felt it a waste of breath to voice
such concerns. No one knew the answers anymore then the next person. Why would
one waste what limited oxygen was in the air tight space to speak?

                The noise quieted as the static sound of thrusters filled the
air, accompanied with a jerk as the pod dethatched itself from the Ark. There
was no going back now, their fate was sealed inside this metal sarcophagus.
After a moment of tense, fear soaked silence, there was a blinking light on the
screens as they loaded up a prepared video. The static of a barely established
connection echoed through the darkness.

                "Hello kids," Niki Fushimi’s face appeared on the screen and
Saruhiko couldn't help but feel that his grin was a sadistic one. Instinctively
he clenched up, waiting for a blow he knew was coming. "Congratulations! You
have become the future, the survival and the test of the Ark. We are sending
the one hundred of you down to earth to determine if it is survivable once
more, as our readings have suggested. If it is, you are the pioneers, the
settlers and the first to return home. A chance for a clean slate, this is your
opportunity to redeem not only yourselves, but secure the future of the human
race.

                "Upon landing," the image changed to an animated map, "you will
land here on Mt. Weather. It is a base set up for the future return of
humanity. Here you will find supplies vital for your survival..."

                "Man, fuck this shit!" A voice rang out, drowning the speakers
and making it difficult to hear. "Who gives a damn about some old mountain?
We're all going to die on impact anyways." The owner was none other than Gojo
Sukuna, the only other Alpha that Fushimi knew of. Unlike himself, Gojo had the
attitude to back up the title. He was aggressive, self-centered and annoying as
hell. Fushimi knew him from the times he had called out guards and gotten into
fights, resulting in more torture for him as the boy fed to the fear of Alphas.
Fifteen, just two years younger than Fushimi, Gojo was a legend in and of
himself amongst the people of the ship.

                "Shut up, idiot," Fushimi grumbled, "and watch the video. Or
don't. In the miniscule chance we do survive, maybe you'll die and I won't have
to listen to you run your mouth."

                Sukuna snorted, "Damn, don't have to be so rude. You know this
bullshit won't help us." He said, the video still running.
               "Don't fight." Came the quite sound of Anna Kushina’s voice,
breaking the brief silence that followed the Alpha's harsh words. The Beta's,
which were all of the ships occupants excluding Fushimi, Sukuna and Anna
herself, had remained silent once the two began speaking. Most viewed Alphas as
mindless creatures driven by hormones; they wanted to kill or force sex upon
whoever they came in contact with.
                Omegas, on the other hand, were viewed as ‘whores’ because of
their intense heats that effected them and the Beta’s around them, not to
mention the Alphas. Of course, anyone who took the time to research the society
before the bombs knew these things were untrue but ignorance hadn’t stopped the
people of the Ark. Since Alpha's and Omega's had been selected against, they
were very rare and, when they did occur, were not allowed to interact with the
'normal ' people. The outrageous beliefs only spread further, since each Alpha
and Omega was floated once they turned eighteen.

                "That's brave, little girl. Speaking up to them given what you
are." A boy, Daiki Fuse said.

                "Hey! Leave her alone, she didn't do anything to you!" Akira
Hidaka shouted from his seat in the middle of the ship, his temper flaring at
the indirect insult. The walls were rattling, the whole ship shaking around
them as it entered the atmosphere. Most were hunkered down in their seats,
waiting for death or whatever it was that was coming, fearful of the end.

                "Akira..." Takeru Kushara grabbed his friend’s arm nervously,
clinging to it like it was a lifeline. “Don’t get involved…” The black haired
male didn't actively take any side on the beliefs surrounding the Alphas and
Omegas, he preferred to stay out of the arguments.
                Fuse rolled his eyes, "Dumbass, she's an Omega. If we survive,
as soon as we hit the ground she's just going to become the resident whore.
It’s not like it matters."

                There was an angry growl that came from Gojo, "You’re the
dumbass, you know that right? There's a reason you can't remove Alphas and
Omegas completely from the Ark, we are genetically superior."

                Fushimi ignored the argument, he had heard all the Alpha and
Omega stigmatism and there was no changing their minds. To them they were
freaks, which was fine by him. But what he really wanted to do was point out
how ignorant Sukuna’s thoughts on the matter were, evolution didn’t quite work
that way.

                Fuse opened his mouth to say more, but the ship jerked and
solicited several screams. Saruhiko felt his stomach leap to his throat as the
feeling of falling consumed not only him, but the others around him. Pained
looks crossed everyone's faces and he started praying no one suffered from the
motion sickness he was feeling to the point someone vomited. Chances were high.

                Boom.
                More screams as the ship jerked, rolling and flipping around
with the kids inside. Son of a bitch, Fushimi thought he might be the one to
lose it as the ship slammed to a halt, jolting its passengers roughly in their
seats one final time before coming to rest. A long silence ensued as everyone
took in the fact that they had survived the crash landing. The ship creaked a
popped around them, settling into the place it had landed with one last pained
groan.

                Hidaka was the first to break the silence. "Well at least we
didn't land upside down.
                The words earned a few shaky laughs as people sat back in their
seat with relief. Takeru's knuckles were white were he had gripped the male’s
arm, but Akira didn’t complain about the pain when he noticed his friend’s
state. He was shaking and looking around owlishly as if he couldn't believe
they were alive, his entire form devoid of color.

                A minute more passed before conversation started up again. "So
do we open the door?"

                "Unless you wanna stay in here until we starve."

                "But what about the radiation?"

                "We'll all die if we open the door!"

                "You don't know that!"

                Shouts and arguments ensued, filling the air with disorienting
noise as everyone took a side. Saruhiko unbuckled himself, standing up and
forcing himself not to shake while his own adrenaline rush died down. Everyone
quieted as he moved, several looking at him fearfully, probably the ones who
thought he was a monster and believed the fairy tales their mothers had told
them. "Look," he said. "If the radiation isn't survivable we’re dead either
way. Personally, I would rather die quickly rather than stay in here and slowly
starve."

                Fuse flew out of his seat, "Who the hell do you think you are
that you can order is around, mutt?" he spat, using one of the many derogatory
terms used for Alphas and Omegas as he argued – quite possibly – for the sake
of arguing.

                "Do you have a better idea?" Sukuna countered, "We are dead
either way..."

                "Knowing my sadistic father," Fushimi interjected, "we aren't
even on the right mountain. Either die today, die tomorrow or die waiting for
god knows what. We aren’t getting back to the Ark and if I have a chance out
there I'm taking it, because there is no chance in here."

                Takeru laughed nervously, "The Alphas have a point, if it isn't
survivable we’re dead either way. If it is and we never try..." He trailed off.

                "Just someone hit the damn button," growled a pale haired male
- Eric Solt.
                Anna stood, along with several others in preparation for the
event. When no one moved, Hidaka volunteered. "I guess I'll do it…"
                He trailed off as Takeru grabbed his arm, shaking his head.
"No. Let someone else." Which most likely meant 'stay with me'. The poor kid
was shaking so hard it was a wonder how he stayed on his feet.

                Eric rolled his eyes and slammed his hand down on the button
before anyone could protest, smirking as Sukuna began pushing people out of the
way so he could get to the button.

                “Fuck you, I wanted to push the button!" The boy shouted,
flipping Eric off.
                A collective breath was drawn and held as the door groaned and
started to lower, letting in a grey-green beam of sunlight. Fushimi sighed,
blinking as the door let in a gust of air that was sickly sweet, carrying
smells that were unrecognizable. Nothing immediate happened, leaving most of
them to stare in shock at the sheer amount of green that surrounded them,
trees, ferns, and vines of every shape and size stretching out before them. The
earth tones blended into an overwhelming view that put the textbook pictures to
shame; Saruhiko hadn’t known so many shades of green and brown existed.

                There was a light drizzle falling, drifting onto the surface of
the foliage and collecting in larger droplets as the moisture condensed on the
canopy above to form actual spheres of water. "Do you think it's safe?" Takeru
said quietly, murmuring the fearful words as he tried to work past the initial
awe.

                "It's probably acid rain," Fuse reasoned, watching the water
stain the light grey metal with its moisture and begin to run down its seams to
drip onto the ground.
                "Maybe we should wait... you know, until it stops," Takeru
suggested, taking half a step backwards.

                "Well it isn't melting the door," Hidaka pointed out, looking
at the wet metal.

                "I don't think that's how radiation works," a reply came from
the back.

                "Maybe we shove the freaks out first," another mumbled.
                Sukuna rolled his eyes, "Fuck you guys, it's probably
harmless," he said shortly before jumping out.

                As soon as he did, his knees buckled and a scream ripped from
his throat. He hit the ground hard, rolling down the slick metal as his face
contorted in pain. A panicked ripple flew through the crowed, a couple startled
screams came from the people who couldn't quite see as everyone collectively
stepped be.

                The screams turned into laughter as Gojo came to a halt, laying
on his back, "You guys look so fucking stupid! It's just water!"

                Fushimi groaned, already fed up with this whole endeavor as
others started to venture out, their faces alight with hope and delight despite
Sukuna's prank. Eric stepped out into the rain after the majority of people had
exited the ship. He held his hand up, letting the water slowly run over his
skin before looking back into the ship to where Fushimi stood and smiled a
crooked smile him. "That isn't so bad," he said as he shook the mist from his
hair. He watched as Anna hesitantly came up behind the Alpha to peer out.
                Fushimi looked around, cocking his head to the side as he took
in the overload of information. From the plants to the growing excitement, he
felt that everything was too much. Maybe it was his Alpha senses, but he didn't
feel the elation others seemed to be celebrating. He was far too worried about
survival and figuring out why his sinuses were starting to run.

                He glanced down at Anna, who was holding onto the hem of his
shirt, much to his distaste, then Eric. "It's just rain," nothing like this
existed on the Ark, it was so new, but in the same sense he felt it was nothing
to get excited over.

                Sukuna came bouncing up, "Hey, Anna!"  He took her hand off of
Fushimi, "Come on, it feels amazing!"
                She hesitantly followed him out into the rain, peering around
with large eyes. The moisture slowly soaked into her hair, making it curl at
the ends as she smiled.

                "Hey, don't do anything to he-" Eric was cut off as a ball of
moss hit him square in the face. He shook his head, pieces of the plant
clinging to his face, and glared at the area around him, finding Hidaka and
Takeru pointing at each other and trying not to laugh.
                Sukuna stuck his tongue out to catch the drops, then laughed as
he tugged Anna further out. "Come on. We haven’t been out of our cells since we
were thirteen. Let’s enjoy it. We're free!" his hand snaked around her waist.
Anna smiled shyly, letting him lead her further into this new place.

                Fushimi shook his head, returning to the inside of the
dropship, going for the small amount of supplies in the back compartment.
Knives, a little food - scraps really. Nothing that would allow them to survive
for any length of time. He didn’t care for celebrations.

                Takeru grinned as everyone scooped up water off leaves and
fenced around with sticks, shoving and playing. "We're actually on the ground!"
He scooped up some moss again, throwing it at his friend. Hidaka caught the
moss and threw it back before tackling Takeru, rolling him in the mud as they
wrestled back and forth.

                Eric shook his head, watching Fushimi go before heading over to
the wrestling men. "What the hell are you two doing?"
                "Having fun!" Takeru shouted, ending up pinned beneath Hidaka.
"We're alive!" He flicked mud up into the boy’s face in retaliation for being
trapped. The dirt and moss had begun to run down their faces, the rain soaking
into their nearly ruined clothes.
                Hidaka wrinkled his nose, "That stinks!" 
                A few yards away, Sukuna grinned, watched as old friends
reunited and everyone shared their joy. Even the stiffs like Fuse and Kuroh
were smiling. "Fuck the Ark! We never have to go back to that hell hole! The
Earth is ours!"

                "Don't cuss," Anna said quietly, shrugging out of his hold and
stepping away from the boisterous male.
                Kushara’s laughter caught her attention, the Beta taking his
mud covered hand and smacking it on Hidaka's face, the organic matter
splattering across his features and into his hair. "Ew!" Hidaka took a handful
of mud and slapped it onto Takeru's face, coating both of them with mud. The
two resumed their struggles.
                Sukuna stuck out his bottom lip, "Hey, don't be that way…”
               "What way?" Anna asked, tilting her head.

                Eric shook his head. "You two are hopeless." He looked around,
remembering Anna and Sukuna probably needed to be watched, the Alpha more so.
"I'm gonna chaperon those two." He said and turned, walking over to the younger
ones – the boy was being a little too pushy.
                A shout followed the blonde. "Dude, my mouth was open!"

                Sukuna leaned his shoulder against Anna, invading her space
again. "Have a little fun~" He whined, "Cuss, be excited, experiment a little-"

                "Uh. No." Eric pushed himself between them, forcing the Alpha
to step away from the girl.
                "Hey!" Sukuna puffed up, "What the hel-... Heck man?" He shoved
Eric, "Find your own damn girl!"
                "I'm not 'stealing your girl'." Eric rolled his eyes, taking a
step back with the blow and crossing his arms in an effort not to retaliate.

                "Don't fight…" Anna said, looking between the two male's
worriedly.
                "Then back off!" He growled, ignoring her. “Go find something
else to do Beta.”
                "Don't start that Alpha shit with me," Eric snarled, not
backing down. "I'm not going to fight you. Just don't pick on her."
                “I'm not picking on her!" Sukuna defended. "I didn't realize I
was doing anything wrong by trying to befriend her when your kind-" he shoved
Eric again, "Locked us up for something we can't help!"
                “I didn't do that." Eric growled, forcing himself not to push
back once again – the little piss ant was starting to test his temper.

                Anna grabbed Sukuna's hand, tugging it to get his attention
this time. "Don't fight." She said more firmly.
                Sukuna looked at her, opening his mouth to reply, "But-"

                "You can't stop him," Fuse spoke up, having been watching the
scene play out. "It’s what he is, A barbaric affront to human nature. No
different than how you can't help but want to sleep with anything that has a
dick."

                Sukuna clenched his fists, "Hey, shut up!"
                "Fuse, don't make me have to beat the shit out of you," Eric
half groaned, turning to the male.

                "Why you gotta be such a dick?" Hidaka said, standing and
wiping his face as mud streamed down his features and clothes. "Leave them
alone. They haven’t done anything to you and you’re being really rude to a
fifteen year old."
                There had been a stillness spreading through everyone at that
point, now a handful of the group speaking up. "Fuse has a point, I mean...
They were locked up for a reason.”

                "Alphas and Omegas aren't normal!"

                "They shouldn't be here! They should have been floated!"
 
                "They're freaks!"

                Fuse crossed his arms, "They aren't like us, Eric. They are
unstable, unclean. They shouldn't be alive." He smirked, pointedly ignoring
Hidaka’s existence.

                "Shut the hell up!" Sukuna growled, pulling Anna closer to him.
                "So what if they aren't exactly like us?! That doesn't mean
they're any less or more than us. They're still human!" Hidaka raised his
voice.

                Eric walked up to Fuse, nose to nose with male. "So far you've
been more 'unstable and unclean' than them. You're the one being an ass."

                "Don't fight," Anna repeated once more, her tone and face
revealing that she more nervous and afraid then any other emotion.
                Fuse didn't back down, standing firm as people continued to
shout.

                "Make them leave!"

                "They'll kill us all!"

                "They aren't normal!"

                "They aren't like us!"

                Fuse cocked his head to the side, "I believe that would be the
sound of the normal people rising against the monsters. Sounds like majority
rules to me."
                "You guys are idiots! If anything, they are better suited for
this than us!" Eric raised his voice above the crowd, trying to get their rage
under control. "Listen damn it! They aren't monsters!" This wasn't right. This
was going to get someone killed, or several someones.

                Anna stepped closer to Sukuna, fearful of the gather crowd.
Fushimi appeared from the darkness of the entry to the ship and hovered in
front of the dropship, watching as the crowd got louder. They were chanting and
yelling their input, creating chaos. This wasn’t going to work.

                "Kick them out!"

                "Get rid of them!"

                "Make them leave!"

                Sukuna growled low in his throat, not liking how this was
turning out. Fuse pointed at Sukuna, proving his point. "Is that normal, or is
it civil? There is a reason we bred against them Eric, don't deny it."
                "Is it civil to throw humans beings out to their deaths?" Eric
countered as tension grew.

                Hidaka looked around desperately, searching for others that
would support him and Eric, but there were none others besides Takeru and maybe
Domoyji, who had yet to speak. Even he wasn't stupid enough to go against a
crowd this large.
                Fushimi clicked his tongue, knowing this was not a situation to
be in, not with the stigmatism Betas seemed to have developed throughout the
years. He came forward, a backpack slung over his shoulder as he walked past
the crowd, who quieted almost fearfully as he approached the central area. He
was no pushover like Sukuna and the crowd seemed to gather that as he passed.
He glared at Fuse venomously, though oddly enough he did not blame the man who
had turned him in for being an Alpha. Fuse gave a triumphant smile, but it
didn't faze the Fushimi. "Sukuna, Anna, I'm leaving. There is no place for us
here." He glared at the crowd, "Besides, surrounding myself with morons isn't
something I would like to do. If you would like to come, you’re free to."

                Hidaka shook his head, "This is a bad idea... Saruhiko is one
of the smartest-"

                "Pfft, come on Anna!" Sukuna shouted, "Fushimi is right, we
don't need them."
                "Hey! Wait!" Eric turned to the Alphas and Omega as they
started for the trees. "You can’t..." It was futile. He turned back to Fuse
venomously, spitting out the words, "You're a fucking ass."

                "You're sending them to their deaths!" Hidaka protested
helplessly.

                "Good!"

                "They don't belong here!"
                Fuse crossed his arms, watching the three dangerously. "They
weren’t welcome up there, they aren't welcome down here either."
Chapter End Notes
     Question of the Chapter: We’ll start simple – Would you want to be an
     Alpha, Beta, or Omega?
     From Sola: So, I know you guys can’t see but I hate Jane and she
     makes my job 1000% harder. Anyways, I hope you guys liked it; PLEASE
     COMMENT! It keeps us going. Also, if you answer the QOTC, you get a
     chance for a shout out in the next chapter. ;) We’ll be back sometime
     around next Friday, as the weekend (I think) is going to be our
     posting time. We’re still working on a Schedule. Also, I want to be
     an Omega. \^w^/
     From Jane: First off, I LOVE ALPHA/BETA/OMEGA DYMANICS! Second, with
     college over, we will (hopefully) be posting regularly. Annnddd I
     WANT TO BE AN ALPHA! Cause, ya know, best of both worlds ;)
     Also! If you were waiting for Magic and Mayhem it will be back...
     Eventually. We got to where we hated the plot and need to edit alot
     of it. This is the main reason it went on hiatus as well, we couldn't
     let this idea sit.
***** The New World *****
Chapter Summary
     So we explore future, uncivilized Earth and almost get eaten.
Chapter Notes
     Please, read the notes at the end if you have any concerns. We
     mentioned a few things there. :)
     The Shoutout for this Chapter goes to Felixuta, because they wanted
     to be themselves and we weren't expecting and answer like that. :
     D Make sure you answer this question for your chance!
See the end of the chapter for more notes
       Fushimi didn't look back as he walked away, moving the pack higher onto
his shoulder in preparation for a hike. He picked a seemingly random direction
and set off into the unknown woods as the warm rain dampened his shoulders and
slid down his back, making his cloths cling to his skin. The drizzle was just
enough to notice the humidity without soaking an individual instantly. It was
more of a fine mist now than anything he would consider rain.
       The sky was a mottled quilt of greys ranging from nearly white to a dark
steel grey, occasionally allowing a faint beam of light to filter through the
thinner parts of its cottony body and lighten parts of the forest where it
managed to escape to the ground. He looked around, trying to determine if any
of the trees and plant life were identifiable from the handful of botany books
the Ark had salvaged and that he had read. Naturally, none of it seemed
familiar, but it was all so overwhelmingly green and living. The trees towered
over him, their branches weaving together to form a canopy to block large
portions of the overcast sky with grasping fingers and emerald leaves. Was this
how it was before the war, or had the Earth changed in such little time?
       "We aren't in the right location," he mumbled to himself, shuffling the
pack to his other shoulder when the strap began to wear on his collar.
"According to the map, we are nowhere near the calculated drop site provided in
the video."
       "Well," Sukuna said, taking Anna's hand, "It'll be fine. We’ll survive
longer than those fu-... idiots will." He smiled cockily. "We are two Alphas
and an Omega after all."
       "That's not a guarantee..." She murmured, looking between the two
Alphas. She breathed in deeply, taking in the scents surrounding them – the
smell of the two Alpha’s was so strong it almost drowned out the soft, earthy
smell of the surrounding forest. After having no direct contact with them since
they had presented, it was a bit overwhelming to her and just added on to all
the newness of this world.
Something sang and whistled in the tree, drawing her eyes up in search of the
noise. She assumed it was a bird or insect but she couldn't be sure, not with
the instructors that had taught her. None of them had actually tried to teach
her, only giving her the material to study with a test that would come shortly
after, which only resulted in the memorization of mostly useless information.
       She held Sukuna's hand a bit tighter, partially stunned by the vastness
of this strange new place.
"I'll take care of you," Sukuna said, squeezing her hand back before he pulled
it free and wrapped it around her waist instead. "I won't let anyone hurt you."
       Fushimi reached into a side pocket on the pack, pulling out a topography
map in an attempt to locate where they actually were, ignoring the two as he
tried to judge direction and height. Anna grabbed his hand as it started to
slide down her side, keeping it firmly above her hips. This didn’t last long as
something erupted from the brush. She jumped into Sukuna as a brightly colored
bird few out of a bush to her left.
       Sukuna jumped some but kept her pressed against him, laughing softly in
her ear as their sides fit perfectly together. "Hey... It's alright. I'm not
going to let anything hurt you."
       "You don't know what's out there," Anna pointed out, following Fushimi
as he led them down a slight incline. She tilted her head away from him,
slightly unnerved by his breath on her skin.
       He rubbed circles on her lower back, pouting at her, "You don't trust
me?"
       "I trust you... I just..." Anna looked away from him to the surrounding
trees, thinking she heard something.
       Fushimi looked up along with the girl, cocking his head as Sukuna
huffed, offended by the hesitation, "I'm not going-"
       "Hey, shut up stupid."
       "Don't tell me to shut up, asshole!" Sukuna's temper immediately flared,
his tone challenging.
       "Shut up," he hissed, looking around. It sounded like... Laughter. So
much so that it made the hairs on the back of Fushimi's neck stand up in alarm
and made him take a step closer to Sukuna and Anna protectively.
       The younger Alpha opened his mouth to reply, but stopped short as he
heard it too. He immediately pressed closer to Anna, fear jumping into his
voice, "W-what is that?"
       "Shh..." Fushimi breathed out, looking around to attempt to pinpoint the
sound. It sounded... Like it was coming from above them, something he didn't
like in the slightest. How could he run from something he couldn’t see it?
       Anna tracked the sound with her ears and sharp gaze, up the rough bark
of a massive tree then into its branches. There, hidden cleverly among dark,
broad green leaves, was a feathered being - another bird. It's pale, ashen
color blended with the bark of what she assumed to be a beech tree, or
something similar, making it hard to see even after she had located it. She
reached past Sukuna to pull Fushimi's sleeve, getting his attention before
pointing up at the source of the noise. He looked up to where she had
indicated, taking a moment to figure out what exactly she was pointing at. It
looked like a tree to him, but it was no plant making that noise.
       "Heeeeereeee's Johnny!" The screech finally alerted him to the location
of the bird high in the branches, the noise coming from it as it bobbed along a
branch. The tips of its feathers flashed a florescent blue, cocking its head
down at the people below it. The creepiest part was that the creature had three
eyes, though the third didn't appear functional from its place in the center of
its head.
       "It... reminds me of a picture of an African Grey Parrot."
       "The fuck is that thing?" Sukuna blurted out as Anna nodded in
agreement. Obviously, he hadn't bothered to study the materials he had been
given, or at least the ones he deemed uninteresting. She wouldn’t have been
able to name it like Saruhiko had but it still triggered faint traces of
memory. The bird bounced along the branch, squawking as if offended.
       "It’s a 'bird,'" Fushimi said sarcastically, "Turns out it has these
things called 'feathers' and 'wings' that allow it to fly."
       "I know what a bird is!" Sukuna growled, turning on the older male.
       "Then why did you ask?" Fushimi clicked his tongue, looking at the map
once more in disinterest. "If I'm right, we should come across a river if we
go… this way," he nodded into the forest, hoping his calculations were correct.
The bird squawked before flying off, losing interest in the humans below.
       "I didn't know what it was because it's got three eyes and can talk,"
Sukuna huffed defensively as they followed Fushimi, setting off again towards
where a river would supposedly be. “Do you even know where we are or are you
pretending?” He stuck close to Anna's side, occasionally turning his head to
catch her sweet scent.
       The girl paid him little attention, now too busy trying to spot other
animals amongst the trees and Fushimi flat out ignored him. The ground began to
get steeper, turning the smooth-paced wandering into a downhill trek. The rain
had faded off, still present without actually spitting out more moisture – more
like the ghost of a memory on their skin. The occasional breaks in the clouds
both came and went away as they skirted around a massive tree, the sunlight
chased away by the heavy and dark clouds as quickly as it appeared.
       After a few minutes of walking in the dreary forest, Sukuna sighed
impatiently, tired of the silence between them. "Where are we going?" he
groaned, "I'm getting tired of walking."
       Fushimi answered with an exasperated sigh, the only acknowledgment he
had even heard him. The young Alpha gave him a dirty look and leaned over to
whisper in Anna's ear. "He doesn't know what he is doing. Let’s go off and
figure it out ourselves."
       Anna shook her head. "No." Instincts told her that the larger the group
the better off they were, the safer. Besides, with Sukuna alone he wouldn't be
paying any attention to their surroundings and that would get them killed. He
would be to focused on getting into her pants, not that he wasn’t already
trying.
He pouted, hand sliding down her hip, "But-"
       "Sukuna, back off of her."
       He growled, eyes snapping to Fushimi, "Stay out of it!"
       "Sukuna," Fushimi said, not looking back, his tone almost bored, "Have
you had your first Rut yet?"
       "No, what the hell does that have to do with anything?"
       "You’re in the very beginning, maybe day one or two and you’re more
aggressive for it. Keep your distance from Anna or you risk hurting her."
       With that knowledge, Anna pointedly stepped away from the younger Alpha.
Some had to wait longer for their first rut than others after they present as
an Alpha. It was unusual Sukuna hadn't had his first yet, according to the few
books she had been allowed to read, Anna thought, but she wasn't entirely sure
that the people of the Ark hadn't been slipping something to them in their food
or drink to prevent it. She couldn't be sure. They had never been allowed to
interact with others, especially not each other, so it was difficult to tell
the norms from the oddities.
       The sound of running water came to their ears, they were close to the
river now. Sukuna opened his mouth to challenge Fushimi, but was stopped before
he could speak. "Gojo, you can't control it. Trust me when I say it sucks. At
least here, you won't have the shock treatments I received during my Ruts. It
may not be so bad, or it could be worse, considering it’s your first."
       The younger Alpha glared at the back of his head, "My father wouldn't
have allowed that."
       "And your father couldn't go against mine."
       Anna worried at the hem of her frayed red shirt, nervous as the tension
built between the males of the group. Leaf matter crunched softly beneath their
feet and the underbrush thickened gradually as they neared the river, the
occasional thorn pricking at their clothes to remind them that beauty wasn’t
the only thing the forest possessed, it also had a dangerous edge that
terrified the Omega.
       The boy crossed his arms angrily, marching on as they moved, "You didn't
have to step away." He looked at Anna, trying to catch her eye, "I'm not going
to hurt you."
       "You might not mean to," Anna murmured, her gaze set forward as they
began to catch glimpses of the water through the trees. The vegetation all but
stopped on the bank, large rocks lurked just below the surface to their right,
a few breaking the surface. To their left the water was darker, indicating that
it was deeper. The slow current pushed itself through to form black, murky
waves, making the water lap at the sandy bank. They had come out over an
embankment that hung above the water, the current about a foot below the line
of the bank.
       "Hey, what do you know? The idiot actually found the river!" Sukuna
ginned, yanking off his shirt and taking off towards the waves, cannonballing
into the water excitedly. "Have you ever seen so much water? Come on!" He let
out a shout f excitement once he resurfaced, shaking water from his pale hair.
       Fushimi shook his head and grumbled, "I hope that river is toxic." If
they crossed the river, according to the map, they would be on the right path…
though it would still be at least a three day trek to the right mountain. And
even then, they would have to find the entrance
       Anna smiled as Sukuna splashed in the water, and she couldn’t help but
admire the skin that wasn’t hidden beneath the waves. "Come on, Anna! This is
awesome!" He ducked under before coming back up, the water from his hair
streaming down his face as he floated around on his back.
       Movement caught the omega's attention; the bubbles forming at the far
side of the river were certainly not caused by the current. They appeared to
come straight up from the depths, and they didn’t foam like the rest.
"Saruhiko," she said, grasping his wrist and pointing to the bubbles.
       He looked up from the map to the area Anna had indicated, the unnatural
bubbles popping at the surface as they began to move towards the younger Alpha.
"Gojo, get out of the water." He said, trying to remain calm so as not to panic
either one of them.
       "Man, screw you! This is fun!" The boy spun in the water, "You’re just
jealous because you can't swim."
       The bubbles ceased, the water itself shifting like whatever was had
moved quickly, the disturbed area well over thirteen feet long. The mass moved
towards Sukuna at an alarming rate and Fushimi dropped the map to run to the
edge of the river, "Get out of the water now!"
       Gojo looked over just as the creature's eyes broke the surface, long
black ridges protruding from the water as it swam. Its entire body moved from
side to side, winding through the water. The boy propelled himself towards
shore, panic shining bright in his eyes. "Shit-shit-shit-shit..." he rambled,
fear flooding his senses as he tried to scramble up onto the bank but couldn’t
find the hold to haul himself up. Fushimi hit the ground on his stomach,
grabbing Sukuna’s hand and yanking him up just as the monster glided by, a
rumble coming from the water as it missed its prey.
       The beast turned sharply, coming at the bank with a frightening burst of
speed. Sukuna and Fushimi launched to their feet, racing away from the bank as
it leaped from the water, jaws snapping with a hiss, clamping down on empty air
just a foot away from them. The overhanging bank collapsed under the creature’s
weight, buying them a few more seconds as it dragged itself up from the now
muddy water. Its claws left deep scores in the soft earth as it gave pursuit.
       Anna had the sense to snatch the map up from where it had fallen on the
ground. It was still quick, but awkward out of the water, missing Fushimi by a
matter of inches as it lunged after them again.
       Fushimi turned to look as Sukuna bolted into the trees, cussing and
yelling about how he hated the Earth. The reptile was gigantic and reminded him
of the drawings of crocodiles. Its jaws were massive as it hissed, showing the
razor-like yellow teeth that protruded from its maw when it closed its mouth.
Its spine was lined with six inch scales that stuck up in two rows from its
shoulders to its back, its tail ending in a barb like that of a stingray. It
was a dark greenish brown, though the coloration may have been due to the
sediments in the river and its claws gouged the earth beneath it. Its tail was
powerful, muscled to propel itself and its legs were designed for fast lunges,
though not for anything of distance.
       He turned and ran after Sukuna as the beast snapped again, barely
missing him. It came close enough that Saruhiko could feel the wind off its
closing jaws and feel its hot breath on his back. "Go, go, go!" He shouted,
coming up behind Anna. She turned, running next to Fushimi, following Sukuna as
he crashed his way through the brush without thought. She realized in her panic
that this wasn't the way they had taken to the river, but she wasn’t about to
go back. She tripped, stumbling over a small sapling but caught herself and
continued running, instinct driving her.
       Sukuna ran blindly for what seemed like forever, his lungs were
screaming and his legs burned to the point he couldn’t take it. He stopped,
doubling over as he took huge gulps of air, trying to catch his breath without
vomiting, his eyes stinging. Fushimi and Anna stumbled to a halt beside him,
their legs burning from the uphill run as well. Saruhiko closed his eyes and
leaning against a tree. Holy shit. She panted as she made herself look up,
taking in their new surroundings as her mind commanded. Here the trees were
thick and spaced wilder, the forest floor covered with thick moss without much
undergrowth.
       "...Saruhiko..."
       Anna's gentle, frightened tone dragged his eyes up as a million thoughts
raced through his mind. Had it followed him? Was there some worse predator here
to kill them? But when he saw the cause, he suddenly wished that was the case.
"Fucking damn it! I left my shirt at the edge of the river." Sukuna whined.
"Hey, what are you..."
       Several bodies were hanging in the trees from thick, rope-like vines,
half decayed and their eyes looking to the sky without sight. Flies flew in and
around their mouths, maggots crawling across their flesh in white masses as the
feasted on the flesh. Skulls and broken rib cages littered the ground, bones
picked clean by scavengers as they surrounded a simple sign that read 'Keep
out,' which was faded orange and black. The smell hit them, brought to their
senses by a gentle breeze drifting through the forest.
       "F-Fushimi? What... wha... is...?” Sukuna stammered, stumbling
backwards, but Fushimi found himself unable to answer as ice ran thick through
his veins. Someone had created this area to be a clear sign to intruders, and
whoever it was, was certainly unfriendly.
       Anna tried not whimper at the horrific sight that was before them, but
ultimately failed because at the same moment, something moved in the trees up
ahead. It was a barely-there movement, just a quick flick of a large fern but
it set her on edge and sent her scrambling back with Gojo. The scent brought to
them on the breeze now held something else, barely detectable under stench of
rotting corpses. Whatever was responsible for moving the plant had a smell like
the remnants of a ghost. It was faint, earthy and hard to distinguish from
amongst the surrounding area and the rotten bodies swaying above them in the
breeze. "Saruhiko…" She said again, her voice rising in pitch as panic settled
in once more, though this round was far more intense.
       The bodies had been unnerving enough without the presence of the unknown
being ahead of them, but the added presence was quickly making it too much. Was
it a predator? She parted her lips just slightly, letting the scent wash over
her palette in an attempt to help sort through the other smells, though letting
in the gag inducing smell of rot brought tears to her eyes. She sorted through
the smell of the forest, the stomach turning smell of the bodies to find the
scent was almost… human smelling.
       Fushimi looked around them, the nauseating smell turning his stomach as
he tried to figure out what to do, how to protect the others from something he
couldn’t see. He knew this wasn't possible, the war should have wiped out the
people on earth. How...
       Swish
       There was a flash of grey, not unlike the parrot they had seen, before
his entire left leg went numb and he staggered, hitting the ground as he found
himself unable to support his own weight. An arrow protruded from his upper
thigh, portraying the cause of his sudden inability to stand.
       The younger Alpha spun, stumbling backwards in fear. "Anna, we have to
run!"
       Anna looked desperately between the two males before kneeling next to
Fushimi and tried to tug him to his feet. She couldn't leave him behind, that
was wrong and… it would kill him. "Help him," she begged, her gaze finding
Sukuna's then going back down to the arrow embedded in Fushimi's thigh. "We
can't leave him." She fought the urge to run as a twig broke only yards away.
She wouldn’t be able to help him by herself, she would have to have the other
boy’s help.
       Sukuna stopped, then half growled, half groaned in frustration – damn it
all. He rushed over, slinging Fushimi's left arm over his shoulder and dragging
the male to his feet. "Fat ass," he growled, Anna was going to get them both
killed with this.
       Fushimi clicked his tongue, adrenalin pumped through his veins as Sukuna
helped to pull him away from the area - his leg tingling and nonfunctional. He
looked around, calculating which way the dropship was, it was the only idea for
safety he had. "That way," he nodded in a seemingly random direction, praying
he was right.
       Anna ducked under his other arm. She couldn't do much to support his
weight but she could at least try, or in the very least help Gojo balance him.
She glanced over her shoulder as they started a terrifyingly slow pace, she
couldn't see anything but she could feel the presence, sensing it as the hairs
of the back of her neck rose, her heart hammering loud in her ears. Sukuna led,
half dragging the Alpha in the direction he had indicated as Saruhiko hopped as
best he could. "Just leave me,” he grumbled, realizing it was pointless to drag
them both down with him. "It will buy yourselves some time."
       "Anna, he has a point," Sukuna said, grunting with effort. "He's slowing
us down."
       The Omega shook her head, "We can’t." As childish as it was, she felt
connected to Saruhiko if only because he understood what it was like to be
outcast, just like she did Gojo. He had done nothing and it was wrong to leave
him. Tears jumped to her eyes, “We can’t,” she repeated.
       Sukuna stumbled with his weight, stressing his words, "Anna, he's going
to get us both killed."
       Saruhiko clicked his tongue. "Anna, listen." Fushimi hissed as the
footsteps followed them closely. "You have to warn the Betas, the majority of
them deserve to know." He didn’t fear death, besides, at this point in his life
it was probably a blessing to die. He couldn’t help but laugh at the irony, a
‘new chance’ and in less than a day of being on earth he was probably going to
die. That was just his luck, he supposed.
       The Omega whined, the tears that had been brimming her eyes spilling
over as she turned, wrapping her other arm around him in a tight hug. This
wasn't right, he shouldn't have to die. She knew there was no other option, but
it still burned in her soul to know the end result.
       With his hand finding its way to a thin tree for support, Fushimi froze,
his expression becoming something akin to 'please don't touch me' as Anna
squeezed him. He awkwardly patted her back, willing her to leave as soon as
possible. "Ah… You didn't even know me, so don’t get all sentimental on me." He
clicked his tongue, shouldering off his pack. "Keep your back to the sun, it
should lead to back to the drop ship. Make sure the others know."
       Sukuna took the pack, shuffling in a mixture of nervous tension and
awkwardness as a result of Anna’s actions. "Yeah sure. Uh... Thanks for
pulling..."
       "Just go." Whatever had shot the arrow was circling closer.
       "But..." Anna didn't get a chance to finish her sentence; an arrow
missing the back of her head by an inch. Sukuna grabbed her arm and pulled her
away from Fushimi. She started to protest but was cut short again, the person,
being, was right on top of them. She turned, running with Sukuna through trees
as she felt her heart break for him. She tried to look back and stumbled, only
catching a fleeting glimpse of Fushimi and a dark shape looming over him, its
features indistinguishable.
       Fushimi hit the ground on his ass as he gave up on standing, his leg
still numb and nonfunctional. He clicked his tongue, leaning back on his palms
and taking in the form above him. It certainly looked human, though he guessed
the person was shorter then himself – it was difficult to tell from this angle.
It was dressed in dark camouflage like material with bones and chains embedded
into it that hid the beings form and kept all distinguishing body features
hidden. A black face mask that reminded him of a muzzle or breathing apparatus
hid its face and any hair was tucked under cloth. The only identifying mark was
the height of the creature and its hazel eyes. "Hello-" he began sarcastically
before something hit him over the head and his vision went black.
===============================================================================
 
       "Sir, I believe the exodus ship has landed."
       Munakata looked at the vitals and readings from the hundred kids that
show elevated heartrates and considerable stress levels, the tech’s voice
sending a wave of relief through him. He looked at Shiro, who was studying them
as well, though his expression was troubled. "Readings show the ship landed
incorrectly," he chewed his lip. "They are too far south. They missed the
mountain."
       Munakata looked at the data, mentally calculating the landing. "How is
that possible? We calculated the measurements for an exact landing."
       Shiro's gaze snapped to Niki, who, as always, was wearing a sadistic
smirk and leaning against one of the desks. "Don't look at me. I only entered
the coordinates and times that my assistant gave me," he purred calmly, his
smile telling a completely different story - or at least telling them the
truth. He was responsible for this, they just didn't have nor would they find
the proof to back up any suspicions and he knew it, he always covered his
tracks too well.
       Munakata withheld his comment, knowing that wasn't true just as well as
Shiro. He looked over the data, "Have they opened the door yet?"
       "We do not know," A tech girl answered in an almost annoyed manner, "We
only know what you see on the screen."
        Munakata opened his mouth to say more, but radio static came through
his walkie-talkie. "Captain, sir," Awashima’s voice filtered through. "We could
use some assistance in crowd management in Quadrant C." Reisi stood swiftly,
moving towards the door as quickly as possible. Awashima never asked for help
unless the situation was dire. He also knew that if he stayed in that room he
would accuse Niki, and that would end with nothing less than his own death. It
was a cruel world where the demented imaginings of a man like that came to
life. And yet he slipped through every loophole there was and never left a
single trace of evidence to his crimes. Someone else always ended up paying the
price, just as someone else would for this.
       As he walked, he listed the events he suspected Niki of orchestrating,
despite the frustrated mood it tended to put him in. There was that time an
entire segment of the Ark had a major 'system failure’ and the result had been
fifty six lives when carbon monoxide leaked into their rooms, plus countless
respiratory problems. Then there was the event when a group of protestors were
blown up because 'flammable liquid leaked on the floor.' That one still
bothered him. Of course, the Captain had no proof Niki had done any of this,
but with every unfortunate death, the man only grinned like a child with candy
and spat out some speech about how it was fortunate more didn't get hurt.
       How he was Chancellor, Munakata still couldn't figure out.
       "Captain..."
        Awashima's voice broke him from his thought as he came upon the crowd.
He took inventory; Awashima, Kamo, Enomoto, and Goto were all attempting to
calm a crowd of over one hundred twenty people. The riot was surging forward
and each officer was fingering their shock lashes as the crowd’s intensity
grew. Munakata came forward, seeing the risks and understanding why Awashima
had called him. "Please, I request that you all calm down at once!" He shouted
above the crowd, raising his hands to get their attention.
       Enraged voices rose up. "What just launched off the ship?"
       "Why have we been denied to see our kids?"
       "What the hell are you planning?"
       "Please!" Munakata raised his hands higher and the crowed quieted down,
leaving Awashima and the others shocked at their Captain's control over the
situation. They never seemed to understand the amount of finesse that went into
these things. "The pod you saw launch from the ship was an unfortunate
accident. A technical trainee was learning a simulation but, as our training is
realistic, they actually launched the pod rather than terminate the program."
Munakata despised lying, but this was the story he had been told to recite and
he couldn’t go against Niki… yet. "I assure you we are planning nothing. As for
the children, I myself do not know why you cannot visit, though I am told there
has been an outbreak of influenza."
       There was a quiet murmur through the crowd and a handful disbanded as
Munakata's answer satisfied them. The guards waited tensely, hoping that the
remainder would disperse but after a lengthy time of collective murmurs, a
large portion remained. "We want to talk to the Chancellor!"
       "He should be explaining things!"
       "Why has the number of accidents increased as of late? This is the third
in a month!"
       It was difficult for him not to clench his jaw, to not give any sign of
frustration or irritation. He himself thought these things many times a day but
it was a desire that reaped no rewards. "Chancellor Fushimi is busy dealing
with the repercussions of the launch, though I assure you, he will speak on the
matter soon. All I can ask is that we remain strong and push through these
trials as best we can."
       More began to disperse, recognizing their effort was futile. The few
that remained obviously wished to argue more, but with their drastically
reduced numbers they seemed to lose their courage and followed suit after a
brief hesitation. Reisi let out a long breath through his nose, relieved that
the matter had resolved without violence, though he doubted that would remain
true for much longer. "Awashima, I want more patrols and better crowd control.
You should have been able to handle something of this scale yourself."
       "Yes sir." Awashima bowed, "My apologies. I asked them to disperse and
more began to shout, border lining a riot."
       "Next time, explain what you know, or what you are allowed to tell, and
many times a crowd will lose steam if even a few leave. You must not be
forceful." If Awashima had a flaw, it was that she was too strict at times,
though that was why he used her to counterbalance his own, more lax, rules.
       "Yes, Captain Sir."
       These riots would become more frequent, and Reisi considered the
implications as he returned to the monitoring room. The Ark would not survive
and internal war, and with the rapidly depleting oxygen, they didn't have much
time either. His footsteps echoed loudly in the now deserted halls as he made
his way back, the automatic door opened with a whoosh, drawing his attention to
the screens. The central TV monitor had the two Alphas and the Omega girl where
centralized. "What is going on?"
       Niki maintained his grin. "It would seem that, not long after you left,
the normal children chased them out, as these three began to show higher levels
of exertion. Then, their heartrates jumped and have maintained their high
vitals. A response to radiation, perhaps?”
       "No," Shiro said instantly, "This type of reaction is common with fear,
it seems more like they are running from something."
       "And the other children?" Munakata questioned, it was likely that the
Betas would chase them out once the door was opened.
       "Their vitals have maintained normal levels."
       Munakata watched the screen, considering the information - predators
perhaps? Or maybe fear of their surroundings? No, he knew the Alphas at least,
neither of them would run unless they feared their lives. He watched as the
vitals spiked and varied, until the lines on Saruhiko’s profile suddenly
changed.
       Shiro knitted his eyebrows together, rapidly typing on the key board,
and Munakata had a sense of dread settle in his stomach. "What does that mean?"
       "Saruhiko has gone unconscious, but that doesn't-"
       "Interesting," Niki purred, watching his son's still image. "Do you
think my son will be the first to die?"
Chapter End Notes
     QOTC: You've seen what we've done, what would you expect from a world
     like this?
     Ok, we wanted to address a handful of things. First of all, in
     accordance to and Out-Of-Character moments, the reason they are so is
     because this is an AU, and we believe their personality may change
     slight due to these circumstance and the alterations to their past.
     As you'll see in the next chapter, the only ones who really are WAY
     out of line (to us) are Fuse and Eric, as they were needed for plot
     advancement.
     Also, on request;
     Sola writes for Fushimi, Munakata and Sukuna nearly exclusively. She
     writes mostly for Mikoto, Eric, Fuse, and Hidaka.
     Jane writes for Yata, Kusanagi, and Shiro nearly exclusively. She
     writes mostly for Anna, Takeru, Totsuka, Niki, and Sinopa (OC).
     With the exception of Fushimi, Yata, and Munakata, we do swap roles
     sometimes. A general rule is the Red Clansmen are typically Jane, and
     Sola controls everyone else. In the case on one on one character
     interaction, the more aggressive/dysfunctional is Sola. So
     MikotoxTotsuka, Suoh=Sola. YataxKusanagi, Izumo is Sola. (Hidaka and
     Eric honestly don't really have set people, neither does Anna or
     Mikoto. All four require us both to get correct) We bounce in scenes
     to give each other equal character control, so with the exception of
     those three, it just depends.
     Once written, we both edit and discuss together changes in the
     original text to speech pattern and action, combining our heads and
     editing at least twice. :)
     Also, yes, this is much sooner then expected. We are going to try to
     do two chapters a week, Jane demands it, on Monday and Friday. When/
     if we slow down, Friday SHOULD be a set day.
     Notes from Sola: All I have to say now is duh, duh DUN!!!!!! And of
     course, I hope you enjoyed. Of course, this is where we really start
     deviating from the show, up to after this it is pretty well canon-
     ish.
     Notes from Jane: I can edit! *Is proud of fluffing skills*
***** We All Have a Reason *****
Chapter Summary
     Hidaka and Takeru aren’t gay. They aren’t!
Chapter Notes
     Also, sorry for the OOC-ness with Eric and Fuse. We needed their
     characters to be the way that they are so that we could further the
     story. We’ve tried our best to make them as close as possible to
     canon and, given their backgrounds in this AU, we hope it’s not
     completely unbelievable.
     Also also, WHAT IS ERIC’S LAST NAME? SOLT? SURT? SUTR? We don’t know.
     SO we picked Surt and are running with it.
     Today's shoutout goes to Evietan! :)
See the end of the chapter for more notes
               "Akira..." Takeru whined, "Please come with me… don't you want a
new chancellor?" He leaned against his friend, begging and whining like a
child. They had been sitting in Hidaka’s room, talking and playing games as
they usually do in their down time. The 'accidents' had gotten more frequent
within the past few months and the Chancellor had done nothing, not once, to
help those who had suffered. He hadn't apologized or offered any kind of
condolence for the people had lost loved ones, only smiled that hair raising
smile of his and made some half assed excuse and explanation, most of which
hadn't even made sense.
               Hidaka sighed, looking up at his friend, "Well... Yes, but it
seems like a bad idea. Chancellor Fushimi might... I don’t know. It’s too
risky." He leaned back against the cool wall, mulling over the recent events.
He loved Kusuhara, they had been best friends for years but neither of them had
any proof Niki was actually involved – just conspiracy theories.
               "I don't think he will. He can't risk another incident so close
to the last one. At least, not without outing his cruel intentions," He
reasoned, putting his chin on Akira’s shoulder. “Please?”
               The taller boy leaned his head over, resting it on his friend's,
weighing the options. "I don't know..." He groaned. The chancellor was good at
making people disappear and he certainly didn’t want to be the next. "I have a
bad feeling about it."
               Takeru whimpered, "I don't want to go without you. Please
Akira?"
               Hidaka looked up at the florescent light in his room, taking a
deep breath of the stale air. "...Alright, but promise you’ll stay close." If
nothing else he would go to make sure the naïve male didn’t get himself into a
situation he wouldn’t be able to get out of.
               "I promise!" Takeru jumped to his feet, pulling the reluctant
male with him, "Come on! We don't wanna be late!"
               The male groaned, letting his friend drag him to where the
protesters were gathering – he was pretty sure you couldn’t be late to a
protest as long as you showed up. As they passed a good dozen guards on the way
there, his heart rate escalated; this wasn't a good idea.
===============================================================================
 
               Fuse grinned as he put on the officer uniform he had stolen from
the closet. Thiswould show them; he might have failed the test scores but he
was good enough to be a riot-control officer. He knew there was a protest
forming today and if he could help keep the crowd in control he would prove
that he was good enough. They would have to accept him into the Academy
afterwards.
               Right?
               Of course if he wanted to pull this off he would have to be
excruciatingly careful. Most of people on the ark knew each other and would
know he wasn’t actuallyin the force. If anybody figured out he was
impersonating an officer, he would be in deep shit. But he couldn't afford to
think that way - if he showed his insecurities for even a second, the others
would notice he wasn't one of them and would catch on to his lie. All he had to
do was make it through the hour and he would be good as gold, he could admit
that he had lied. He had already proven himself by finding the Alpha boy, all
he had to do was seal the deal and prove he could handle it.
===============================================================================
 
               "Takeru," Hidaka whined, looking at the large crowd that had
gathered around them, edging closer to his friend. "I'm not so sure about this,
it's a bad idea."
               "If it gets to out of hand we'll leave," Kusuhara promised,
"It'll be fine. This is how we progress.”
               Hidaka put a protective arm around Takeru, shielding him from
the bodies surrounding them, "...okay." The people around them shifted,
stirring and chanting as they marched their way through the hall towards the
Chancellor's office. They were there not only to demand an explanation for all
the 'misfortunes' that had been happening, but to get Niki Fushimi out of
office.
               The group of protestors was rather small compared to previous
riots; the last 'accident' had either killed or scared away most of the usual
supporters. Hidaka bounced from foot to foot, listening to the steady chanting
of ‘Vote Niki out! Vote Niki out!’ He wasn't really participating; he was too
busy watching the area around them for any danger. He didn't want Takeru to get
hurt. Of course, the incorrigible male was chanting right along and paying zero
attention. There looked to be about six or so guards after the majority had
left upon seeing the crowd’s size, which still seemed a little excessive to
him, but they werestanding outside the council room.
               Fuse stood at attention with the other guards, no one had
noticed he wasn’t one of them yet. That was a success, it meant he fit in, and
he could use that in a later argument to pull himself out of trouble. Still,
the people there were making him nervous, he didn't have an electro stick to
defend himself with like the others; they were only issued to licensed
officers. But nothing had happened yet, everything was under control; he just
had to be confident. Or at least, that was what he kept telling himself. Why
weren't the others reacting as the crowed continued to push closer? And why
weren't they trying to break them up? Were they crazy, or did they not care
about their jobs?
               With a grin, Kusuhara began tugging his friend to the front,
getting louder and louder with his own chanting. "Vote Niki out! Vote Niki
out!" The guards were tense, but the carefree male didn't pay them mind - he
had no reason to care, he wasn't doing anything wrong. He wanted to get closer
to see if their protesting was doing any sort of good. It had to have helped at
leasta little, right? But he didn't want to see alone - Hidaka gave him
courage. When Akira was with him, he wasn't so afraid because he knew the male
would always look after him.
               At least, he thought he hadn't done wrong - until one of the
guards lashed out and shoved him back roughly. Takeru stumbled backwards,
catching Hidaka's arm so he wouldn't fall. "Get back!" the male snarled, tensed
and ready to fight.
               "Oww..." he put a hand on his sure-to-bruise chest, rubbing the
tender skin. The guards had never hit anyone before, not even when the crowed
got within inches and were screaming profanity.
               "What the hell man?" Hidaka moved forward and shoved the guard
back, his temper flaring hot in his veins. He very rarely attended these
things, only when Takeru begged and forced him too, but he had attended enough
to know guards weren't supposed to retaliate in any form unless things were
getting violent or endangered others. Even whenthat was the case, it was only
to subdue the crowd, not attack them – especially when it was unprovoked.
               Adrenaline and fear pumped through Fuse's veins, why weren't the
others doing anything? Fists clenched, he swung, hitting the man who was
shoving him back - fight or flight. The one he had originally forced back
tackled him and both of them went down swinging - though the kid wasn't very
good at fighting, and soon he was beneath Fuse while he swung unabashedly at
him.
               Hidaka grabbed the guard, knowing that they were all going to be
in some deep shit when this was over but not really caring. Not while his best
friend was getting the shit beat out of him. He locked his arm around the guy’s
throat, pulling him off his friend and cutting off his air. Fuse squirmed,
wheezing and trying to breath, punching at the person behind him. His vision
wavered - holy shit. "Hey, get off of him!"
               One of the other, real guards rushed over, yanking Hidaka
roughly off of the boy he was choking, who hit the ground coughing and gasping.
Takeru groaned, rolling over in pain as the remainder of the guards yanked the
three of them to their feet. "Hey, who the hell are you? You aren't a guard!"
the one restraining the wheezing Fuse said, shocked.
               "Hey, that's the kid who failed the entrance exams because of
that error in the system. Why is he with us?"
               "Doesn't matter," the one holding Hidaka shook his head,
obviously the leader. "We have to take all three of them in and let Captain
Munakata handle the case."
               "Hey, wait!" Takeru tried to pull away from the guard that had
hauled him to his feet, struggling. "He hit me first! Akira was just trying to
help!" He protested, looking back at Hidaka who was rubbing his shoulder where
the fake guard had hit him. The crowd had dispersed as soon as the fight had
broken out, they knew what that meant and any involved would be put in prison.
               "We didn't do anything wrong!" Hidaka insisted, though he wasn’t
as foolish to fight against the guard’s grasp. "That asshole hit Takeru first!"
               "Doesn't matter kid, now be quiet," an older guard huffed,
cuffing the boisterous male. Takeru stopped fighting, realizing it would get
them nowhere – it was his fault too.
               Hidaka growled, glaring at the fake guard with all of the hatred
he was currently feeling. "You better be glad I'm handcuffed. I swear I'll kill
you myself for this, being floated is the least of your worries."
               "Not helping our case Akira..." Kusuhara stressed.
               Fuse looked down, feeling crushed. He had blew it - not only was
he going in for disorderly conduct, but for impersonating an officer, "Come on
kid."
===============================================================================
 
               Anna panted, shaking with the deep, gasping breaths of air she
forced into her lungs. Everything burned, every muscle aching and begging her
to stop running but fear kept her going. A bead of sweat rolled down her
temple, mixing with the fine mist that already dampened her skin. She stumbled
to a stop when the metal of the sides of the drop ship came into view, and she
would have fallen had Gojo not caught her despite his obvious exhaustion. He
coughed and wheezed, but gave her all of his strength as he held onto her
shoulder. "Are...you...okay...?"
               "Fine..." She murmured and pressed her side to his, defeated and
letting the momentary support and warmth of his body comfort her.
               Sukuna straightened, biting his cheek as he tried to figure out
what exactly to say, "We... had to, Anna."
               Anna shook her head mutely. They didn’t have to. Saruhiko didn't
deserve to end up in that situation, not when he had saved Gojo’s life. "Hey,
they’re back!" She jumped; the angry snarl making her tense and another bolt of
fear jolt her system.
               The boy instantly stepped in front of Anna protectively,
shielding her as a group from the dropship rushed over, angry shouts coming
from the crowd, "Go away!"
               "Get out!"
               “You don’t belong here!”
               Hidaka shoved his way through the group, Takeru trailing in his
wake, "Shut up assholes! They’re obviously terrified!” he turned back to the
other two, taking in their disheveled appearance. His face fell when he notice
Fushimi’s absence. “Where's Saruhiko?"
               “We were attacked... he was shot in the leg. There's people down
here!" Sukuna said, thankful there was at least one friendly face – not that he
was scared or anything.
               Hidaka's eyes widened at that, "Is he..? Did they-"
               "Why are you shirtless?" Eric asked, pushing a kid out of his
way as he joined them in the front.
               "Long story," Gojo mumbled, looking at the ground shamefully,
"we... had to leave him behind..."
               Fuse wove his way through, having heard the story as it rippled
through the crowd. "Bullshit! No people would have survived the war, not after
the bombs went off! The brat is lying!"
               "Well something did! And I don't think anything else could shoot
an arrow!" Sukuna spat, puffing up at the male's appearance. Murmurs were
spreading through the group even faster now, discussing the possibilities and
debating the claims.
               "Fushimi probably just abandoned you," Fuse accused, a look of
absolute disdain on his face.
               "He didn't. We had to leave him." Anna said quietly, her throat
feeling tight and sore.
               "Fuse. Shut the fuck up. Why in the hell would they be lying
about him dying?”Eric waved his hand at the two, glaring daggers at the crowd
as he raised his voice, "Come on. You two are staying here." He leveled a
challenging gaze at Fuse, daring him to say more.
               But the dangerous look didn’t deter the male, "No. They are
dangerous, Surt."
               "Out there is dangerous, so fuck off." Eric shoved him, stepping
between him and the Alpha and Omega, fed up.
               "Yeah just give them a chance. They haven’t done anything to
you!" Hidaka joined Eric. "We just lost Fushimi! We can't lose these two as
well!" His voice was stained with sorrow, he had always felt bad for the Alpha.
Fushimi couldn't be gone... but yet…
               "Fushimi is probably fine!" Fuse shoved Eric back.
               "He can be mean... but he wouldn't leave those two alone."
Takeru pointed out, hovering behind the two. “He wasn’t heartless.” No one knew
Fushimi now and it was obvious that Kusuhara and Hidaka were going on what they
knew about him from before he had presented.
               Eric stopped himself from hitting Fuse, gritting his teeth.
Further violence wouldn’t help. "They’re staying. I'll watch them so you and
your pansy ass followers have nothing to worry about."
               "Yeah. So go and bitch at someone who cares, they deserve a
chance just as much as we do." Hidaka added, already ginning triumphantly.
               Fuse glared at Sukuna in particular. "If one of them fucks up
once, I will personally ensure they are both out."
               "Suck my dick, asshole," Sukuna spat, earning a sharp nudge from
Anna. A quick glance revealed that she was still shaking and his heart ached to
protect her in some way.
               Fuse turned on his heel, "Keep them out of my sight." The crowd
murmured and shifted, the power play causing many of them to grow unsure but as
the Beta left the others slowly began dispersing.
               Takeru let out a relieved sigh, the tension slowly fizzling,
"So... what exactly happened to Saruhiko?"
               "He... we were running a-and when we stopped… he was shot with
an arrow in the thigh. Someone- it looked like a person, kept getting closer so
we ran. We… we tried to bring him with us but… we coul-couldn’t carry him."
Anna answered; looking down at the ground as her throat began to close, making
it hard for her to breathe as she stuttered through the events. Her eyes stung
– this never should have happened.
               Takeru swallowed, going to her and pulling her into a tight,
comforting hug. "Hey, I know. It's not ok, but you had to. Saruhiko wouldn't
have wanted you to get hurt."
               Anna shook her head, hesitantly accepting his comfort and
burrowing her face into his chest. Sukuna had to force himself to stop a growl
that had been rising in his throat, a pang of jealously surged through him.
Kusuhara wasn't a threat.
               He gently rubbed her shoulders as Hidaka looked to Eric,
swallowing back the bitter taste forcefully, "How do we convince the others
they aren’t bad?"
               "The hell if I know," he looked to Sukuna, knowing Anna was far
too gentle to cause trouble. "It's up to you kid. If you fuck up... they'll
kick you out again and I don’t know if we can save your ass next time."
               "I can handle it just fine!"
               "... Saruhiko said he was in the beginning of a rut..."
               Eric groaned, "Fuck, this is going to suck."
               Hidaka looked to Anna then Takeru, "Um… doesn’t that mean… How
are we gonna keep him away from her?"
               "Fuck you! You're not keeping me away from anyone! I’ll do what
I want!"
               "Lock him in the dropship?" Eric suggested, rubbing his face
stressfully.
               "I guess we'll have to," Akira sighed. This just kept getting
worse.
               "You aren't locking me anywhere!"
               "Would you rather have babies?" Eric raised a brow, finally
addressing the Alpha.
               "... It's not a guarantee anyone would get pregnant..." Sukuna
grumbled, looking sideways.
               "It kinda is and I'm pretty sure Anna doesn't want that."
               Sukuna crossed his arms. "Well I mean I'm not going to rape her
or something! And who said she's the one I would be fucking!" Anna squirmed,
uncomfortable with the topic.
               "We don't know if you can control yourself." Eric pointed out,
"or what to expect from your rut. If you can handle it then we won't have to
lock you up next time."
               "You're NOT locking me up," Sukuna growled, clenching his fists
and ready to fight.
               "Would you rather risk raping someone?"
               "Maybe just until we know you won't do something stupid." Hidaka
offered, watching the Alpha’s mood sway dangerously.
               "I've been locked up for two years; I'm notgoing to back to
that. So every single one of you can go fuck yourselves," He said darkly. His
temper was flaring and every passing moment all he really wanted to do was beat
the piss out of one of them. Who were they to lock him up?
               Hidaka gave Eric a worried look as Gojo turned, storming off and
out of sight before he did punch one of them. He wasn't stupid but it wasn't
like he couldn't handle himself. It wouldn't matter if here were in rut or not,
he was still in control. There was a sigh, "Should we go after him?"
               "No," Anna said, stepping away from Takeru. "He just needs to
cool off..." She hoped, watching him go. She looked up to Eric, "but it might
be a good idea to watch him… I don’t want someone to get hurt."
               Eric nodded, "Don't... be alone, ok? I mean... In all actuality
we don't know much about ruts and how to deal with them. I know that Alphas
prefer Omegas, so I don't want you hurt in particular."
               Anna nodded; she had never been close to Fushimi when he was in
rut, but they had been on the same floor. The smell alone had almost been
overwhelming even without direct contact, she wasn’t sure if she could handle
Sukuna.
               "We’ll take care of her!" Takeru said, smiling.
               Hidaka nodded in agreement, the happy tone easing his nerves,
"Yeah you can stay with us!"
               Eric studied the direction Sukuna had gone, trying to remember
what he knew about Alphas and Omegas. "Anna... I... Don't want to be rude but
it seems like I remember something about Alpha ruts syncing up to Omega heats.
Do we need to worry about that as well?"
               Anna's cheeks heated up a bit, "Yeah…" Why hadn't she thought
about that sooner? She was always either a day or two after or before Fushimi
when they were on the Ark, usually syncing up on their peak days.
               Takeru knitted his eyebrows together, "Call me stupid, but why
does that matter?" He and Hidaka hadn't been on the same floor as Fushimi,
Sukuna and Anna, so really he knew nothing about this.
               Eric exhaled, "I only know what I heard guards say. I was in the
cell next to Saruhiko and... Well... From what I understand it's like gas to a
fire. They used to... Electrocute him while he was in rut and laugh about how
Anna's heats always made him more 'fun’…" he looked to Anna in confirmation and
a little of his own confusion.
               Anna nodded, "It makes them more sensitive and aggressive," she
looked away. She had known they tortured him; the guards often called her names
and made fun of her for her actions... amongst other things, but she didn’t
want to think about that. The heats made her restless and Fushimi's scent had
both helped and made it worse, making her pace like a caged animal… “It’s the
overwhelming urge to reproduce.”
               "That's fucked up, how did they get away with that?" Takeru
asked, damn he felt bad for the Alpha - of course someone like Niki would allow
that to happen.
               "His dad," Anna said quietly and there was a mutual
understanding. If there was anything all four of them could agree on it was
their hatred of Niki and his sadistic methods. But what they didn’t know, and
Anna knew too well, was that the Chancellor had a particular hatred for Alphas
and Omegas for a reason she didn’t know.
               Eric looked down, nodding in agreement, "if it wasn't for what I
heard in that cell... I would probably side with Fuse. I remember the first
time I heard… it.” He paused, leaving out pieces of information for Anna’s
sake. “They came in laughing, saying they had a gift from Niki. When he didn't
say anything, they laughed and asked if he was even smart enough to know what a
Rubik’s cube was and when he still didn't answer... They started electrocuting
him," he closed his eyes. "I can still hear the electricity as it popped. They
shocked him until they thought he might have been dead, said they would check
back later. Through it all... he never said a word, didn’t make a sound. And he
had been in prison over four years before I was thrown in."
               "Damn…" Hidaka glanced at Takeru, who looked equally distressed.
"And now he's...” the male swallowed, “maybe whatever it was won't kill him..."
               Anna looked to the ground again, watching a beetle crawl over a
twig obliviously. Maybe, but that wasn't something she would bet on, not from
the way it had acted.
               Eric shook his head, "I spent hardly eight months there and the
loneliness... Five years. I remember when he presented and Fuse ratted him out
when we were twelve. We were all in the same class."
               Takeru looked at Anna, suddenly worried. Had they done the same
to her? To Sukuna? "It... may have been a blessing... Mentally he could have
been...” Anna didn't look up, only shaking her head faintly knowingly at his
concern - she hadn’t had that experience.
               "Dude. Not cool; if he isn’t there is no telling what whatever
that is doing to-" Hidaka stopped himself at Anna's expression, the panic in
her eyes heart breaking. "Hey, let's stop talking about all this; come on.
We’ll get you dried off and warmed up then maybe we can look for something to
eat." Hidaka said, putting his hand on Anna's shoulder.
               The Omega nodded, letting the males guide her through the half
trampled ferns towards where they had found and gathered a few edible plants.
Eric met Takeru's gaze and honestly, he felt the same and understood his
thought process. Death may have been the best thing for him, as heartless as
that sounded.
               "You gonna go check on Sukuna?" Takeru asked, glancing in the
direction the Alpha had stormed off in as he followed behind Hidaka and Anna.
               Eric stopped, sighing – he had forgotten about the little
dipshit. "I guess someone has to go after the twerp," he couldn’t quite hide
the irritation as he headed off. He halfway tracked Gojo by the faint scent
that he was leaving behind, halfway by the crushed underbrush. In a way, he
guessed he would have to pick up where Fuse refused to go.
===============================================================================
              Sukuna paced in the small clearing he had found, stopping only to
kick at a half rotten log. He felt so... wired. He wanted nothing more than to
blow off steam somehow - a fight, sex, he didn't really care at this point. His
skin itched, muscles moving reflexively as they demanded action. Even though he
was free he was feeling more and more caged, trapped by some invisible force.
It didn't help the Saruhiko's death was on his hands and even if he didn’t like
the asshole, death was death.
               The cracking of sticks and plants silenced as Eric stopped when
he found Sukuna; the Alpha looked even more agitated now. "Hey...” he said
slowly, mentally bracing himself for a fight, “Are you okay now or…?"
               Sukuna sucked in a deep breath. He didn't want to get locked up.
Not again. And the only way to do that was to keep his shit together. "I'm
fine." he said, trying to calm himself.
               "You look like you want to kill somebody," Eric argued, watching
the male closely. He knew it could be controlled, Fushimi did, but he had also
heard of the aggression Sukuna seemed to be thriving in.
               "I'm fine," he emphasized, forcing himself not to pace and root
himself to one spot. "Just... stressful day."
               "You sure?" Eric questioned further, probing carefully. If the
male couldn’t handle simple interaction, he had no hope in dealing with
antagonistic situations.
               Gojo growled, returning to his pacing like and agitated hornet,
“just fuck off.”
               Eric crossed his arms, refusing to move. "Why don't you come
with me and help look for something edible?"
               "Probably because I would punch you before we got through it,"
he grumbled.
               He had to admit, the boy deserved points for honesty. "At least
put all that energy to good use, maybe you’ll burn some of it off. Come on."
               "No. I would rather spend my time here than locked up in the
damn dropship. And I sure as hell don't want to be responsible for getting Anna
kicked out. I'm fine over here. I just need some time to calm down."
               "Look, we aren't going to lock you in the dropship. We’re going
to do everything we can to keep you out of trouble, and you'll be with me. Even
if you do something I'm not going to tell anyone. Unless it's serious that is,
and even then, I have a pretty high serious bar. Come on, it looks better if
you’re actually helping."
               Sukuna stopped again, "You know... It’s my fault. Anna probably
blames me for... Damn it." He leaned against a tree. "It’s like... being
supercharged. I mean... I've been horny but this," he groaned.
               Eric nodded, at least he was talking about it, even if he had a
feeling Gojo wasn’t one hundred percent there. "Blames you for what?" It was a
dumb question, but maybe forcing him to elaborate would help.
               "Saruhiko. I was the dumbass who lead us into the situation."
Came the irritated reply.
               Eric frowned, they were missing something, probably why Sukuna
was shirtless. "What happened? Anna said you were running, but from what? The
person?"
               "Not at first... Fushimi found the river and I jumped in trying
to show off... And this lizard thing tried to eat us. I took off running, and
they followed me, and I ran right into the person's area."
               Ah, he undressed at the river. "That doesn't make it your fault,
Sukuna. I don't think Anna blames you for that," Eric said, taking a step
closure in some sort of display of his belief.
               Sukuna shook his head. "Maybe not but I cannot, for the life of
me, get her out of my head. Her scent, her skin tone, her eyes... I mean... I
don't want to hurt her but... I guess there is a reason the Ark floated all of
us."
               "That's not your fault either and if you think like that you’ll
fall deeper into the pit. It's just because you’re an Alpha and she's an Omega.
It's in your genes to think like that, so don't blame yourself. You are the
only one who can fight it." Eric paused, "Maybe here on the ground we can find
something that'll help with your rut and her heat, like a plant or something."
He had read something or another in those boring ass history classes about how
tribes of people survived with only herbal medicines at one point in time,
maybe they could find something. That is, if they didn’t find a poisonous plant
first. Maybe that wasn’t such a good idea…  
               "Somehow, eating random plants seems like a quick way to die,"
the Alpha pointed out. Exactly, the boy had just voiced his thought.
               "Yeah…" Eric sighed – he didn’t have any other ideas. "But we're
gonna have to find something to eat so..."
               "...This is going to suck." Sukuna grumbled, pushing off the
tree. "Uh... How do you tell what is edible?"
               "See if anything else is eating it; a few things are
recognizable from Earth Survival." Eric said. "Plus, some guys have found some
different types of nuts and berries and none of those idiots have died yet so
we're assuming their okay to eat – don’t get anything red, orange, or yellow."
Eric turned and lead Sukuna around the ship to where the berry bushes were.
               There was a determined nod; all he had to do was stay in
control, it wouldn't be that hard. It wasn't like Anna was reciprocating
anything anyways, so he could handle it. 
===============================================================================
               From what he could tell, he was in some kind of structure, the
light filtering down from a set of stairs the source of the assault to his
eyes. Or at least he guessed, judging by the angle of the sunbeams and the fact
that the area overhead was dark. From what he could tell, it was once part of a
subway, or something similar, as it had a distinct earthy smell that made him
suspect he was underground. Saruhiko coughed, where the hell was he?
               Memories slowly came back to him and he groaned again, fuck. He
looked down, finding he only had his pants on, and a tourniquet was wrapped
around his leg from the feel of it. Well... at least whoever had taken him here
was kind enough to stop him from bleeding everywhere. Probably hadn’t wanted to
clean up the blood was all.
               Not a minute later, footsteps echoed down the stairs, signaling
someone's approach. Fushimi attempted to struggle free and hissed in pain,
immediately returning to his limp position. The pain in his thigh was dull but
still very much there, leading him to believe that whoever had bandaged his leg
had also put something on to ease the pain.
               A blurry figure appeared in the door way and made its way over
to Fushimi. He took in a deep breath and, oddly, smelled nothing. Not one
identifiable scent was on this person, making it impossible to tell if this was
an Alpha, Beta or Omega, though human was his bet from the hazy shape. Not that
that really mattered if they were just going to kill him anyways. He growled
when they came close to undo the bonds, a useless warning that enticed a deep
throaty laugh only a male could make.
               "Yu beda shof op," The male said in a resonating voice, shoving
him towards the light once the ropes holding up were undone.
               "...what the hell is that supposed to mean? Who are you... what
are you?" Fushimi winced, trying to keep his balance, his leg tried it's best
to give out. It didn’t help matters that he couldn’t see.
               "Human. And I said you better shut up. The Commander was nice
enough to let you live so I wouldn't push it." The male supported Fushimi's
weight, helping him up the dark, mossy stair way.
               "You don't smell human..." Fushimi grumbled, but had the sense
to fall silent as he stumbled up the stairs like a toddler. Commander? Who the
fuck was that? Who was this? And where were his glasses? And somehow, Fushimi
thought that maybe he would prefer being killed by these weird want to be
Native Americans than seeing what was in store for him out in the sun.
 
Chapter End Notes
     QOTC: What characters would you be most interested in learning the
     back stories of?
     Notes from Sola: :D Find out what happens next time! Sorry for
     leaving Fushimi neglected, but I would not be a demon if I didn’t
     torture my readers. Jane actually hated this chapter, and while we
     wrote it together, the idea was mostly mine. While main story is
     important, I felt we need character building chapters as well.
     Notes from Jane: Eric. Askin’ the REAL questions: ‘Why are you
     shirtless?’ and sayin’ the necessary things, ‘Fuse. Shut the fuck
     up.’
     This chapter is up a little earlier in the morning then normal, but
     that's because we graduate today! Our High School Graduation is later
     tonight, so wish us luck! (Well... I say tonight, but I posted this
     at 11:40 at night to its tomorrow... oh well)
     Also! Note on the tag update! It was a whim of an idea that we
     weren't sure if we were going to put in but we did so... later on
     there is some Implied/Referenced rape/non-con. We aren't writing
     actual rape scenes, but there are fragments of information and such.
***** Heda *****
Chapter Summary
     And the plot thickens… Fushimi wakes up in a society he didn’t know
     existed. Not only does he have to adjust to the new surroundings, the
     natives here are far from friendly.
Chapter Notes
     If the text is in bold, the speaker is speaking in the grounder
     language, Trigedasleng. Anyone who has not learned it cannot
     understand, in this case Fushimi.
See the end of the chapter for more notes
           The male led him the rest of the way upstairs and out into their
village, the sunlight causing the already blind Fushimi to wince and fight to
keep his eyes open. The prison was diagonally across from the Commander's
quarters, connected by a main path that led through a large central portion of
the camp. The people milling about on the main pathway fell silent, whispering
to each other about this strange person that fell from the sky as he half
stumbled through the area. Many of them had scents, but most everything was
diluted and hazy. A lot of them were strong enough to understand or,
distinguishing the blurry forms as Alpha or Omega, clarified bonds, and brought
attention to which ones were in heat or rut. The lattermost were especially
suppressed, as it only had the strength of a normal scent. A few, though at a
distance, were completely unsuppressed, like they were watching the prisoner
from afar.
           Another scentless being pulled away what Fushimi assumed to be a
heavy drape from the swish of fabric. The material covered the entrance to a
large dwelling and already he was sick of the faceless blobs of color. He could
at least tell his captor was blond, but he had no time to dwell on that fact as
he was forced into a bow with him. "Heda," he said in a respectful tone.
           Fushimi's head swam, confused by his surroundings and angered by the
forced movement. There shouldn't be people, this shouldn't be possible. The war
should not have been survivable. It didn't help that he couldn’t process what
was around him to help him understand. They were talking in a language he
didn't understand, using words he had never heard anything but a baby make.
"Heda?" He asked, agitated. "Is that like hello? Or what's up? And where the
fuck am I?"
           The person leading him pinched his arm hard as the few people
present tensed, shifting the atmosphere. "Mind your tongue boy," he growled in
warning.

           "It means Commander," said someone near the front of the room. With
the voice came the scent of someone who smelled so strongly Alpha Fushimi could
almost taste it and the voice didn’t sound the slightest bit happy. "And it is
what you shall address me as."
           There was a pause and another voice spoke up with gentle, rounded
tones that were so soft he almost didn’t catch it. "He can’t look, King."
           Fushimi jerked his arm from the person holding him, trying to decide
if the instinctive sarcasm in his system was smart. Probably not, but it didn't
stop him. "Commander of what, the pixies?"

           The blow that came to the back of his head turned his vision white
and he hit the ground on all fours, barely catching himself. A ringing filled
his ears and he was pretty sure he just received a concussion as his stomach
rolled in protest. He covered the back of his head. "Fucking Asshole!" he
hissed, which earned him a vicious kick to the ribs. What in the hell had he
gotten himself into?
           "Watch your mouth," the man said venomously, "You will respect the
Commander."

           "Why are you here?" ‘Heda’ asked, making no comment in the assault.
           "Well, someone shot me with an arrow and then knocked me over the
head so I don't really know." He spat sarcastically.
           Another kick - this one causing him to roll a couple times on the
floor. "Not what he meant, Sky person."

           "Fuck..." he coughed, bile rising in his throat as he switched to
holding his ribcage. ”I'm here to raise hell on earth and watch you and the
kicking asshole burn alive in the heat of a thousand suns."
           The Commander stood and took a step down from his throne but stopped
short when the one with the soft voice clambered up from his seat at the foot
of the extravagant chair to grab the Alpha’s arm. "Wait! Don’t kill him just
yet." The male pleaded then turned to another in the room who had only been
observant. The movement stirred the air, bringing the scent of a pregnant Omega
to Fushimi’s nose. "Do you still… car-rey those..." He searched for the words.
"Glass… shards that were on his head?" His English was clipped and broken, like
he didn’t completely grasp the language.

           "Yes, why?"
           "...Can't see without them." Fushimi grumbled. At least one person
didn't seem to be a complete moron.

           The Commander raised a brow, "So?"
           "Is not fair to... fight one that can't look.” The voice reasoned
with the Commander.

           "Should I give them back, Heda?"

           The Heda considered the smaller male before him until the pleading
eyes won over, forcing him to give in. "Sha1," He said, knowing better than to
cross his mate.
           There was a moment before the glasses were handed to Fushimi, and he
slipped them on, adjusting to his regained sight by blinking a few times. He
looked up and around, absorbing his surroundings. So there were four in the
room. The shortest, and Fushimi assumed the one who shot him as he didn’t seem
important, was backing up after handing him his glasses. A slender Omega whose
scent told of his pregnancy, the blond who he assumed had brought him here from
the prison, and the one he decided was definitely the Commander.

           He was glaring at Fushimi darkly, his amber eyes tearing straight
through him and his flaming red hair making goosebumps rise in the back of his
neck. "I think I preferred not being able to see..." he mumbled, pushing
himself up to his feet. Damn them if he would just give up.      
           "Why are you here?" The Commander asked again, watching him like a
predator would watch its prey, sending even more chills down his spine. The
smaller Omega at his side was watching him with just as much intensity, though
the tone of his gaze was completely different, composed more of curiosity than
anything.
           Fushimi pretended to think before answering, "Hmm, I'm a messenger
sent from whatever God you believe in to pull that stick - make that tree - out
of your ass."
           The Alpha flicked his gaze to his second, "Kusanagi."

           The blonde had Fushimi back on the ground in seconds, his knee
driven in between his shoulder blades and his arm twisted behind his back. Pain
flared through him, and he whimpered as the Heda came to stand over him, "I
have warriors waiting to kill all of you. Now tell me. Why are you here? I
won't ask again."
           Saruhiko grit his teeth to keep himself from crying out as Kusanagi
twisted his arm more, letting out only a guttural growl. "Kill them. I don't
care. They cast me out when I was twelve so honestly, I don't give a shit." He
spat the words out like they were bile in his throat, "So try again. Or kill
me, I couldn’t care less. It’s not like I have anything to live for anyways."
           There was a low, considering growl, “Tie him up in the prison. Yata,
help him with the prisoner." Kusanagi got off of him wordlessly while the
shorter male, Yata, came over to help drag the battered Alpha to his feet. The
Commander held up his hand, stopping them from further movement as he came
within inches of the male, eyes locking dangerously. "I will find a way to
break you, sky person." There was challenging light in his eyes that gave
malevolence to the small smile in his face.
           "Daddy's been trying for years," Fushimi said in return, keeping up
the act, "but it will be fun to watch you try, 'Heda.'" He put as much sarcasm
and venom into the last word as he could - fuck every single one of them, he
had nothing to gain and nothing to lose.
           The Commander's eyes lit up further at the challenge, it was obvious
he rarely found one that would stand up to him in any sort of form or fashion.
He inclined his head, signaling for Yata and Kusanagi to take him out before he
returned to his thrown, considering the options.

           Yata pushed the drape out of their way, tugging the stranger out of
the Heda's quarters. "You got a death wish or somethin'?" he demanded as soon
as they were out, his shoulder under the sky person’s arm as he supported the
weight of his injured leg. "‘Cause that was just plain stupid."

           "Yata... don't converse with him," Kusanagi warned.
           "Don't have to be so rude... Kusanagi, wasn't it? And no, I don't.
But I'm not about to beg and cry in front of anyone I know, let alone random
savages." He looked around, memorizing every detail of the layout. If he was
going to escape, he would have to have an escape route. The people in the
village were looking at him in either disgust or fear, not that Fushimi cared,
but it was interesting none the less. He could use fear to his advantage, bully
people into submitting to him or into getting out of the way when he ran.
           Yata snorted as Kusanagi made a face of disapproval, "You were the
one acting savage. I was nice enough to keep those… whatever they’re called."
           "Glasses," Fushimi grumbled, wincing as he moved his leg wrong. "So,
care to give a 'sky person' a friendly warning and let me know what I'm in
for?"
           "Well-"
           Kusanagi cut him off. "Because you had ta get mouthy with the
Commander, you're in for a harsh punishment. Some form of torture is likely."

           "But he'll keep you alive as long as he still thinks you're
interesting or useful," Yata added. "You'll probably end up wishing you were
dead though…"
           "Fun, fun," Fushimi said sarcastically, "I give myself a day. What
do you think? One day and he'll get tired of me. Maybe less, 'doesn't seem very
patient," he concentrated, focusing on not falling as they descended the
stairs. His leg was still refusing to completely bare his weight.
           "You're insane," Yata huffed in disapproval as Fushimi leaned more
of his weight on him to balance.
           "This is the most I've talked to any one person in five years.
Isolation and torture tends to cause that." He clicked his tongue in a
chastising manner, as if the male should have known that.
           Yata looked sideways at the Alpha, trying to make an estimation of
his character and motives. What the hell had he done to deserve that? As they
reached the bottom of the stairs, they let him fall to the floor, though
Kusanagi seemed to let him drop quicker, and yanked him back against the pole.
           Fushimi winced as his back hit the cold stone of the pillar, purple
bruises already appearing on his overly pale skin. He didn't fight as Kusanagi
tied him to the pillar, closing his eyes as he forced down the pain. "...
Thanks... For saving my glasses..." he grumbled quietly as Kusanagi cinched the
rope tight around his wrists, tying the knot off before standing and moving
away.
           "Don't mention it…" The shorter male replied, frowning, for some
reason, the sign of gratitude sound strained and odd on the sky boy’s lips.

           "Come, Yata." Kusanagi said, already half way up the stairs.
           "I'll bring you something to eat when I can," Yata promised, though
he wasn’t sure if Heda would… allow it or not. He watched the Alpha a moment
longer, unable to make himself leave right away as he took in his strange scent
and clothes. He shifted his weight from foot to foot subconsciously before
turning and heading to the door when he got no response, reaching for the door
of iron bars to shut them back. Metal clanked against metal as a lock settled
into place.
           Once they were gone, Fushimi collapsed backwards against the thin
pillar, letting out a long groan. He wondered how long he would last in this
alternate hell-hole. Maybe it would have been better to just tell the truth and
let the Heda guy kill him; it probably would have saved him a lot of pain. But
who was he to give in and take the easy path? Even foaming at the mouth from
electrocution and unable to breathe or see, he had never once given in to
Niki's underlings. All he had to do was survive until they killed him, which
was an odd paradox. Of course he would live until he died, but surviving simply
meant you fought back in some way.
           Hours went by, and the sounds of the village’s daily life changed
and shifted with the color of the light filtering into the underground chamber.
Children laughed and played somewhere outside. When the noise became clearer as
the young ones approached the prison, mothers called their children back in the
odd language they spoke and the laughter faded out into the background once
more. Conversations in both English and in the foreign tongue made their way
down to him, bouncing and echoing over the cold stone in phrases that met
nothing for the bound Alpha. Once, some shrill, screeching noise jarred Fushimi
from his dozing, sending fear through his heart as it echoed in his skull. What
the hell could have made a noise like that? None of the people had seemed
bothered by it though, as their voices remained steady, and that fact calmed
the boy back into a somewhat more relaxed state.

          In the dim, fading light of what he assumed was evening; footsteps
finally came down the stone steps, bringing the smell of food with them. The
same guy from before, Yata, unlatching the door and pushed it open. The metal
squealed in protest as he stepped through, in his hand a small, wooden plate.
           Fushimi blinked, straightening as the male approached, watching him
suspiciously. He had yet to identify what he was; whatever they were using to
suppress scent was working well. He cocked his head at the plate, examining the
contents as it came closer. "Tch, I didn't legitimately believe you would be
back. I wouldn't have thought your 'Heda' would waste precious food on a
prisoner."
           "He wouldn’t, but Totsuka convinced him that you could be useful in
learning more about your people." Yata knelt beside the Alpha, setting the
plate next to him before moving to untie his hands. He did so slowly, searching
for any movement that might signal an attempt to escape. "He's the healer, so
he wants to see if you're any different from us," he offered for further
explanation.
Fushimi rubbed his wrists once he was freed, trying to work the burn from his
skin. "I'm not sure whether to thank him or curse him for saving my life, but
no thanks on the food." He leaned back, rotating his shoulder blades to work at
the soreness collected in his back. "I don't eat vegetables."
           Yata frowned, "Why not?" He sat back, studying the male as if he
were insane. "I wouldn't be picky ‘cause that’s all you're getting, asshole."
He didn't sit completely, still on edge and prepared in case the Alpha tried
anything. He inhaled deeply, taking in as much information as he could,
noticing that he would go into rut soon, maybe in few days. It made his scent
even more appealing than it already was to the unclaimed Omega. That was going
to be fun, the hyper awareness could be a bitch.
           "I'm used to no food and no sleep, I'll be fine." Fushimi grumbled,
gaze sliding to the corner of the room. "If I get up to piss are you going to
attack me?" He had been holding it for a while now and really didn't want to
piss himself, but the opportunity hadn’t presented itself.
           Yata rolled his eyes, "No." He stood and watched the male, if he had
too much trouble getting up he'd have to help him. It made him almost feel bad,
having hit him in the thigh where he did. The location of the wound would make
any movement painful. Which reminded him, "When you're done I've got to change
your bandage. Totsuka dressed it but asked me to take care of it for tonight."
           Fushimi forced himself to his feet, using the pillar he had been
tied to for support as he stood. "Can't thank you enough for caring about
someone who you'll probably just kill in the end," he said sarcastically,
ignoring the flaring pain in his thigh as he limped over to the far wall.
           "Guess you could say I'm a sucker for a pretty face." Yata shot back
venomously – the ungrateful little ass.
           Fushimi rolled his eyes, "I'm flattered. So you shoot everyone on
your first date or just me?"
           Yata couldn’t hold back a snort, watching the pale expanse of his
shoulders, "I only shoot the ones that fall from the sky."
           Fushimi huffed when he finished, slowly limping back to the pole. He
leaned against it as he sat down, slowing the hard fall as much as he could
with the rough friction. He still hit the ground with a painful thud, but he
didn't show how much it hurt. "You aren’t going to learn anything of
importance. I'm not going tell you anything."
           "It's not my job to learn anything from you, yet." Yata said,
crouching again. He scooted the forgotten plate out of the way. "Now take your
pants off."
           Fushimi glared at him, flaring his nostrils in agitation. "You could
have said that before I sat down." he grumbled, using the pole for support as
he slowly pushed himself back onto his feet. The grounder rolled his eyes,
grabbing the taller’s bicep and hauling him to his feet with a swift tug.
Fushimi snarled, jerking out of his grasp as pain lashed through his leg.
"Don't touch me!" he spat, ignoring the throbbing heat in his leg.
           "I'm going to have to touch you to change that bandage, dickhead."
Yata growled back, not flinching in the slightest at the tone.
           "Until you have to, don't." He growled, undoing his pants and slowly
working them down his thighs. For once, he almost regretted that he didn’t wear
underwear, but then again, what did it matter? The glance at his dick was
obvious but at least the other male’s gaze didn’t linger.
           Yata crouched, meeting Fushimi's gaze before untying the bandage
around his upper thigh. He unwound it as best he could without touching the
male, not wanting to start an unnecessary fight. For the most part, it wasn’t
too hard – the bandage mostly unwound itself once untied. The noir closed his
eyes, resting his weight on his good leg. "What are you, anyway? Kusanagi had
zero smell, and the only thing I get from you is human. Are you a Beta as well?
Because your Commander is obviously Alpha and the other was Omega... But all of
the other scents are muffled."
           The grounder paused - it wouldn't hurt for him to know would it?
"I'm an Omega," he said as pulled the final strip of cloth away the reveal the
wound. Fushimi winced when the cloth pulled free from where it had stuck to his
skin. It wasn’t bleeding, if it had been Yata would have had to get the healer.
However, it was a vibrant red and puffy at the edges, the heat rolling off of
it warming the inch if air over it. The cut was clean, and it wouldn’t take
long to heal as long as it was maintained.
           The Alpha didn't comment, focusing on not showing how much the
proximity bothered him Yata reached into his pocket to pull out the small can
of paste Totsuka had given him. "This will sting," He warned after unscrewing
the lid, collecting a heavy amount on his fingertip.

           Fushimi grunted in response, clenching his jaw as the paste was
rubbed into the wound, soothing the burn in his skin but making him twitch at
the pins-and-needles feeling. "I think I would rather get gangrene."

           "What's that?" Yata asked, putting the lid back on the jar
carefully, wiping the excess goop on his pants.

           "‘Localized death and decomposition of body tissue, resulting from
either obstructed circulation or bacterial infection. In lay man’s terms, it’s
where your limb gets infected and rots off."

           Yata made a face; that was one reason he wasn't a healer, "That's
disgusting."

           "Are you done?" Fushimi grumbled, tired of useless conversation and
the safe feeling burrowing somewhere in his skin. He was far from safe.

           Yata pulled out a fresh strip of cloth, “No,” and reached between
the male's legs to thread the other end of it through.

           Fushimi jumped when the male’s hand brushed his thigh, hissing at
the pain the sudden movement caused. "You should really learn a person's name
before you reach between their legs,” he spat to cover the noise.   
             
           Yata laughed, pulling the cloth around his leg snuggly before
repeating the process, his hand brushing the Alpha's other thigh again. "Well
what's your name then?"

           "Saruhiko Fushimi," He grumbled, twitching as the third layer grated
his nerves. "Seriously, stop."

           "Well spread 'em wider of you don't want me to touch you," Yata
snorted, laughing as he brushed his leg again purposefully this time.

           Fushimi growled, but crossed his arms stubbornly without moving,
"Asshole."

           "Dick," Yata shot back. Normally, he wouldn't go out of his way to
piss someone off, especially an Alpha about go into rut - but this guy was
intriguing in a way Yata couldn’t place. Sure he used a lot of words and
phrases that he didn’t understand, and his personality was unpleasant, but
agitating him made the Omega’s blood race. The reactions he received were could
almost be called addicting, a face like that shouldn’t remain so emotionless
all the time. He brushed his leg again, just for fun, before beginning to tie
the wrap into a small knot, wondering just how close to playing with fire he
was with the volatile male.

           Fushimi bit the inside of his cheek, carefully pulling in his temper
before he ended up even more injured. He needed to keep a level head and
getting pissy about people touching him wouldn't help at the present time. "Now
are you done?"

           "Yes," Yata snickered out, standing. He spared a glance down over
the Alpha's body, his pale skin stark again the dark walls of the room in the
fading light. It brought a slight blush to his cheeks; the naked male was
beautiful in a way that greatly contrasted the rough and muscled forms of the
Alpha’s in the clans.

           Fushimi carefully pulled his pants back up, shaking his head in
bitter annoyance. "Just tie me back up and go away," he spat, sitting back
against the pole in tense compliance.

           Yata sighed and moved to crouch next to the Alpha again, reaching
around to tie his hands back together, easing the knot’s tightness. "Just a
word of advice, when Totsuka comes down here tomorrow, don't be smart with him.
If you disrespect him, the Commander will kill you in the most painful way
possible. He’s very protective of his mate."

           "At least I would be dead in the end," Fushimi grumbled. "Thanks for
the advice, but in all honesty I would rather be tortured and killed then
tortured until I die."

           "No. That's exactly what he would do to you. Only then, he wouldn't
care of he got information out of you or not." Yata sat back to meet his gaze.
"The last person that disrespected his mate died last month. Mikoto kept him
alive for five years. I don’t think you want to go through what that guy did."

           Fushimi's eyes flashed, "What's five more years to me?"

           Yata shook his head and stood, "Branwoda2,” he muttered
disapprovingly.

           Fushimi shook his head, leaning back and closing his eyes. "Tell
your Commander that whatever he wants to throw my way, just get it over with."
===============================================================================
 
           Munakata walked down the hallway stoically, brooding within himself
as he had been doing all morning. Niki had laughed, laughed, when Saruhiko’s
transmission cut out and his vitals shut down. What kind of person would find
humor in their own child’s death? It was beyond sick, making his stomach clench
at the time and remain knotted throughout the night. Sleep had been
unachievable, un-aiding to his feeling of nausea. Regardless, it did not matter
now; he was no longer welcomed to take privy in Niki’s little project. If
anymore died, if the ground was survivable, he wouldn’t know. However, as the
head doctor, that needed Shiro to interpret the data – giving Munakata an
inside man.
           For now, he would monitor from a distance. He had, after all, been
forming a resistance over the past few months, but they were far from ready to
take on that man’s sick and sadistic methods. Until they could get enough of a
grasp on the community to truly get Niki out of office, they would end up
nowhere but dead within the confines of space. Treason was dangerous, and while
Munakata had lost many battles since his rise to Captain, he would win this
war.
           The air lock doors slid open, leading Munakata into the main waiting
room for those who needed an examination. The amount of people had been at a
steady incline, and today was no exception, about fifteen waiting for
examination as opposed to the usual five or six. The captain headed for one if
the side rooms, the one Shiro was, waiting patiently to enter until the patient
was dismissed. "It's getting worse," he commented.
           "Yes it is," he nodded to a little girl who had her head between her
knees, a nurse trying to comfort her as they waited for her father to finish
speaking with another doctor. "She's losing her sight and we can't do anything
about it," the male’s head lowered defeatedly, "and there are more that are
showing signs of oxygen deprivation. The ones that already had symptoms are
only getting worse."
           As he was speaking, another person, a woman from the farm station,
came in. Dark circles adorned the space beneath her eyes, her expression that
of someone who had been worked way too long without sleep, and from appearances
her breathing was labored. One of the doctors under Shiro came to meet her,
gesturing to a space along the wall where she could sit and wait her turn.
           "We don’t have any more room for the patients."
           Munakata looked around at the people who needed the help, his heart
aching for them and their illness. "I will offer the police station for some of
the more severe cases. We have a little extra room for cots, would that be
suitable?"
           "Thank you," Shiro's voice was thick with relief.
           He nodded, "We have to find a solution, Mr. Yashiro. If we don't
think of something soon, Fushimi will call for a culling and hundreds of
innocents will die."
           "I know. That's what I'm afraid of... but what can we do?" He
touched his hand to Munakata's elbow and lead him to his personal office,
fearful of being overheard, "If we actively go against him we'll be floated."
           "I am well aware," he kept his form stoic, not giving away any form
of emotion, "I propose alerting the general public to the situation."
           "But... that would cause riots. We’ve already determined that our
systems can't support the strain."
           "I'm aware, that is why I want to wait until we know we can
survive." He glanced around, "I need you to get me copies of all the data from
the dropship that we are getting. If it is survivable, the riot strain will not
matter. In the process of removing Niki, we can prepare everyone to go to the
ground after their children."
           "We don’t have any more resources to create another dropship on such
short notice," Shiro pointed out.
           His voice dropped, "I have had a special team working on a solution;
they have been preparing the sections of the Ark’s systems for reentry since
the oxygen systems went down."
           "What? That's not possible!"
           Munakata shook his head, "That's what I thought at first, but my
lieutenant insisted. I believe the sections built by America and Russia would
survive reentry. The Japanese and Chinese are considerably strong as well, and
I believe they may make a reentry as well."
           "But... do we have the resources for that? And how would we keep
that a secret?"
           "We don't. It is possible for reentry, just time the thrusters to
move us back into Earth's gravitational field. But I can't risk that without
know if the ground is safe." he sighed, "I need the data."
           "I'll get you the copies... so far, from what I'm seeing, the ground
is inhabitable. Saruhiko... his death was to swift to be cause by radiation...”
He paused in thought, “and with the sudden spike in his vitals, he was afraid
so it musthave been something else."
           Munakata felt his stomach knot once more, "Perhaps, but as you said
it was too quick. It is too soon to tell."
           The doctor nodded, "It is. Though none of the other children seem to
be affected as of right now."
           “Do not get caught, if Niki catches you, any hope these people have
is gone.”
           The doctor nodded, his eyes determined. “I’ll do the best I can.”
Chapter End Notes
     Things are about to get bad for precious little Saru!
     1 Sha means ‘Yes.’
     2 Idiot/Foolish; It can also translate into ‘worthless’ in certain
     cases
     QOTC: What do you think would be your first reaction upon waking up
     in a society you didn’t know existed?
     Notes From Sola: Ok, heads up guys! Honestly, most the credit for
     this stuff goes to Jane – while I do enjoy the 100 I like the
     sciencey stuff on the Ark better, and understand its society more.
     Had a little MikoTotsu in there, which has to be one of my favorite
     fluff ships. :D I hope you guys enjoyed this one; it’s about to get
     rough for Saru~ Also, I will try my best to help in getting the
     chapters up in time, I'm moving 16 hours away here shortly and will
     probably be living on McDonald's WIFI. From Tennessee to Colorado!
     Ugh. Anyways, I have a handful of chapters done for Jane to edit so
     worst comes to worst she can post it for once. XD
     Notes from Jane: ^ She’s weird. SCREW THE SCIENCEY SHIT (says the
     person that is getting a degree in biological sciences) TRIBAL BLAH
     FOR THE WIN BITCHES~
***** Further into the Fire *****
Chapter Summary
     THIS BOY IS OF FIRE!!!!!!
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes
           The pale light of the early morning woke the Alpha, the floating
dust shining gold as it drifted in the air from above, plaguing the Alpha and
causing him to sneeze. The village above was already stirring, sounds of their
daily life growing louder as the sun rose. He could hear the children playing
once again, arguing and god knew what else as people passed by.

           Fushimi watched two shadowed figures begin descending the steps
through half closed eyes; his entire body hurt, stiff from sitting in the same
position for so long and bruised from the rough treatment of the day before. He
hadn’t slept a wink, the position preventing him from getting in any
comfortable position and from shifting around, making his muscles ache to move.
He kept his breathing even, waiting for whatever was coming his way. "Oh
look..." He mumbled as the Commander and his mate came into the shadow,
allowing him to identify who it was. "It's the pregnant guy and the parasite
living shoulder deep in his colon."

           Mikoto snarled viciously and drew himself up, ready to punish the
boy but Totsuka put a hand on his arm, the Alpha calming slightly. "It's okay,
Mikoto." He said, effectively reducing the snarl to an agitated huff.

           "Just do what you have to so I don't kill him."
           Totsuka smiled and came over to Fushimi, kneeling down next to him,
"So Yata says you are called Saruhiko." He smiled, obviously trying to be
friendly.
           Fushimi glanced at him briefly then looked challengingly at the
redheaded male; every instinct he had was telling him to run. He ignored the
question, instead firing back his own taunt. "Aw, who would have though the big
bad Commander had such a short leash?"
           Mikoto stepped forward, slamming his hand to the Alpha's throat and
squeezed, his nails biting into Fushimi's flesh as he lifted the male up as
much as the restraints would allow him. "Mikoto!" Totsuka yelped as the
Commander leaned his weight into his hold on the boy, threatening to crush his
wind pipe.
           Fushimi wheezed, smirking as he was held by his throat. Yes, kill
him. Let him escape, just a little more pressure to collapse his trachea; even
as he thought that his vision dimmed to promise escape. Mikoto's expression
turned to one of puzzlement, eyeing the smirk. "You wanna die," He huffed in a
gruff tone, releasing him to collapse back down. "Crazy bastard."

           The male coughed, his lungs sucking in air despite his desire not
to. "We all... die... eventually...." he wheezed between each lungful of air.
"You’ll... kill me... anyways...."
           Mikoto considered him, calculating, as Totsuka shuffled closer to
him and reached out somewhat professionally, feeling Saruhiko's throat for
damage. Fushimi jerked away, wrenching his shoulder in the process, the cry out
from the pain emphasizing his words, "Don’t touch me."
           Totsuka frowned while the Commander tensed menacingly, "I wanted to
look..." the Omega pleaded, looking hurt.
           "I don't like people touching me. Period." He said through gritted
teeth, leaning away from the male like a cornered animal.
           "You don’t.. understand; I need touch." Totsuka said, pulling his
hand back with a firm and surprisingly predatory look.
           "Tch, unless you are kissing my ass, don’t touch me," he spat out
venomously.
           "But you let Yata touch." Totsuka reasoned, glancing back as Mikoto
growled low in his throat; the Alpha had his arms crossed and a hostile
atmosphere poisoned the air around him.
           Fushimi growled back, shrinking away from them further. "Fuck off.
Both of you."
           Alarm bells sounded in Fushimi’s head when the Alpha moved but the
retaliation he had been expecting didn’t come. Mikoto instead pulled Totsuka
up, "Go get Bando," he said. The warrior was waiting outside with a small torch
and a bit of fire wood to keep the flames going while he worked; they had
already discussed what was to be done if the sky person didn’t talk.
           Fushimi leaned back, closing his eyes as he fell into survival mode.
Torture was progress, it would bring him closer to his goal, and he sure as
hell wouldn't give the Heda the satisfaction of seeing him break. The words
brought a whine to Totsuka’s throat as he did as he was told, climbing the
stairs and sending the warrior down. He stayed on the surface - he never liked
to witness any form of brutality.
           A black haired male descended, the torch in his had flicking wildly
with each movement as it created and destroyed shadows. Fushimi glared
challengingly even as the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end, gaze
tracing the tattoos that curled behind the person’s ears and traced his jaw
line and down his collar to disappear beneath his shirt. He set the wood he was
carrying down on the floor, lighting it with the torch as his features remained
stoic.
Mikoto cocked his head as the prisoner closed his eyes and fell back against
the pillar, watching him with a steady and unwavering gaze. The orange light
danced over his features eerily. "I don't get you."
           “It’s because your brain is too small to process someone who doesn’t
communicate in prehistoric grunting."
Mikoto nodded to Bando, stepping back to let him do his work before pausing,
coming back to remove Fushimi’s glasses as the Alpha jerked back with his heart
slamming in his throat. The Commander couldn’t help but smirk, folding the
pieces surprisingly carefully. “You’ll get ‘em back when you need ‘em.”
           Bando had placed a small metal rod on the fire, the tip slowly
gaining a mellow red glow to it. Fushimi squinted, trying to distinguish the
fuzzy shapes from the dark background. At Mikoto's nod, Bando retrieved the
metal, careful not to touch the hot end as the color quickly faded from it.
“Wha-” Fushimi got out before the rod was laid on his pectoral.
           Fushimi jerked, pulling the restraints tight as pain blossomed
through him, blackened skin spreading on his chest directly beneath the rod.
Red spread even further, the smell of charred flesh stinging his nose and
permeating the air. He locked his jaw, refusing to make a single noise,
focusing on remaining silent as tears sprang to his eyes. It was a lot like
being electrocuted, except the electricity overrode the brain's ability to
think. That was had been a blessing; he was still himself for this.
The process repeated several times, black marks creating deadly stripes across
his skin with vicious intent. "Ready to talk, sky boy?"
           Fushimi glared up at him, clenching his jaw and pointedly remaining
silent. He wouldn't give him the satisfaction - not now, and not ever, even as
his body screamed.
           "Continue until night fall." The Alpha ordered then left.
===============================================================================
 
           Fushimi's breathing was labored; he was so hot. Not only because of
the residual heat of the flames, but the burns killed the sweat glands that
would allow him to cool. Or at least, his brain told him that. Everything
tingled, sizzled, long after Bando had stopped. His eyes fluttered, and he
willed for sleep or death to claim him, but neither had ever been so kind in
the past. This was no different.
           "Damn... they really did a number on you." Yata said as he stopped
at the bottom of the stairs, taking in Fushimi's battered and burned form. He
felt bad for the Alpha, who quite frankly looked half dead. His skin was
covered in burns of varying degrees, through it didn’t appear Bando had gotten
his back or below his waist; the Alpha’s kindness extended to his torture as
well it seemed.
           Fushimi flicked his gaze up to Yata’s blurry form, recognizing his
voice, and grunted in response. "At some point, I'll stop feeling it," he
mumbled. He hadn't found the strength to sit up, so his body was at an awkward
angle of half laying, half sitting, his arms supporting his weight. He closed
his eyes, breath in, breath out. Breath in, breath out. At that point, that was
the only thing he could do.
           Yata bit back a whine and went to him, his Omega instincts flaring
up hard to take care of the male. "I'm gonna sit you up so don't flip out," he
warned as he moved to crouch next to him, running through how best to help the
Alpha.
Fushimi clenched his jaw, tensing in preparation of being moved. "If you were
nice you'd just slit my throat," he said before letting out a whimper of pain
as he was pulled into a sitting position as promised, his entire body shaking
in pain and exhaustion.
           "I'm not going to do that,” Yata said firmly before reaching to
untie his hands. The close proximity made him want to move even closer, the
Alpha's scent sweet and thick even through the smell of sweat and burnt skin.
He tilted his head ever so slightly, bringing his nose a fraction of an inch
closer to the Alpha’s scent glands. It made his head buzz pleasantly, craving
something more that.
           Seemingly unaware of the Omega’s fascination, Fushimi winced as his
hands dropped to his sides. He looked over at the Omega, who was now moving
back and putting a few more inches between them, with a calculating and puzzled
gaze. "Why are you being nice?" he growled, defensive, "Why don't you just
leave me alone if you aren't going to kill me?"
           "I don't really know. Normally I would have killed you when I found
you," Yata said honestly, watching his face. He’d been puzzling over that
question all day himself. He pulled a small pouch out of his pocket, looking
away from the intense cerulean gaze. “Either way, don't try something stupid,"
he opened the pouch, revealing a paste consisting of crushed leaves. "This will
help with the burns.”
           "Yes, I'm going to jump up and run away. I will out run you, avoid
everyone, and escape. My current condition would have no factor in my elaborate
escape," he grumbled, tensing as the other male dug his fingers into the
medication.
           "Shut up," Yata scoffed, gently placing his hand on the Alpha's
chest to spread the paste over a burn there.
           Fushimi closed his eyes, too tired to protest against the chill of
the salve as it was spread over his skin. He listened to Yata breath as he
worked, the steady rhythm a stark contrast to his own labored lungfuls, "Tch.
So, fire today. What do I have to expect tomorrow?"
           Yata sighed, “No idea," shuffling closer to lean over him while he
worked.
           He looked up and down Yata before closing his eyes again, the
cooling effect actually enjoyable. "I'm sure your Heda will be pleased on my
condition," he said bitterly, spitting out the title angrily.
           "Probably,” the male snorted in amusement, “Just be glad Totsuka
likes you for whatever reason. He gave me this." Yata moved to a different
area, holding the paste higher.
           "He doesn't like me; he is just interested. To him, I'm nothing but
a weird insect," he looked up at the dilapidated ceiling in a bored manner.
"So, are the others dead yet?"
           "No," Yata said, "Totsuka convinced Mikoto to let them live for
now."
           "Ironic. They wouldn't save him."
           Yata shrugged, watching the gentle rise and fall of Fushimi's ribs
then brought his gaze to the point where his pulse fluttered at the base of his
throat. Instinct surged forward suddenly, and he ached to nibble it. What was
wrong with him? "You know... I could probably get Totsuka to give you something
to help you rest." He offered, forcing his gaze off his throat to his face. He
vaguely realized he must be coming into heat early, why else would he feel the
need to be kind and close to the Alpha?
           "..." Fushimi sighed, he was tired and though sleep was far from his
reach he still didn’t want to give in and take something. "I get what your
trying to do, I get it, but no. Nobody gives without expecting something in
return. I don't want to be in debt. To anyone. I don't want people to have
power over me."
           "You wouldn't owe me anything." Yata leaned on his knee, shifting to
lean over him more, his other hand coming to rest on an uninjured part off his
chest as he eyed the male, confused. What kind of society only gave if it could
take?
           Fushimi opened his eyes, meeting Yata's gaze. At this proximity he
could at least distinguish some features, though it was a far cry from normal.
"I would be, maybe not to you, but to myself."
           "That doesn't make sense," Yata said, his eyes falling to the males
pulse again unwillingly.
           "I would feel like I owed you something. I don't like feeling that
way."
           Yata pulled his gaze away, again, and finished applying the salve.
He wrapped the paste back up, wiping his hand off on his pants. After moving to
sit next to Saruhiko, he leaned back against the wall, taking his water skin
off his belt and offering it to the other male.
           Fushimi looked at it for a long moment before giving in to his
body's needs rather than his pride, accepting it. "...Thanks." He muttered
before drinking.
           "You sure that doesn't put you in debt to me?" Yata teased lightly,
watching his movements with an intrigued gaze.
           "Tell me, something," he said, ignoring the taunt. "The two that
were with me... Did you kill them?"
           "No. I let them go. Why? I thought you didn't care."
           Fushimi paused, "I don't. I feel sorry for them." He looked to the
side, turning his gaze away from the boy and towards the wall. "They didn't
have it as bad as me at home... But they still won't be accepted with the
rest."
           "Why not?" Yata asked, curious.
           "In the society I come from, Alphas and Omegas are considered
monsters, an affront to nature, freaks."
           "Well that's just stupid. Does that mean all those people at that...
thing that you came down in are all Betas?"
           "Besides myself and the two others with me, yes. And it's not
stupid. Alphas are more aggressive, we threaten survival. And Omegas in heat
bring aggression out in others."
           "But… down here it helps us survive. We’re more fertile then the
others."
           Saruhiko shrugged, "It doesn't matter now."
           The Omega bristled visibly, "It's not fair though... you can't help
what you are. You wouldn’t have even known you were Alpha until you grew up."
           Fushimi shook his head, "Up there, we were stains on the bloodline.
All of us were. Those who are Betas and came down were criminals up there."
           Yata's features scrunched up in confusion, trying to piece together
the information. "So that's why they sent you down? You weren’t acceptable up
there?"
           Fushimi clicked his tongue, trying to decide how to word it. "Up
there... We were dying. We are just an experiment. We thought the Earth was
unsurvivable. That band on my wrist that you ripped off... It tells them it's
survivable."
           Interesting. "So they pretty much sent you to your deaths," Yata
concluded. "That's fucked up. "
           "We would have been killed up there when we turned eighteen. All
criminals, no matter the crime, are killed. We were just underage to be killed
legally."
           "That's awful…"
           "Its life." Fushimi laid back slowly, stretching on the cold floor
as he tried to will away the soreness at least.
           Yata frowned and shrugged out of his shirt, the Omega instinct
coming back. "Here."
           Fushimi looked at the clothing, confused. "What?"
           "It's cold," Yata explained, as if that was a perfectly normal
reason to remove his shirt for the Alpha.
           Fushimi cocked his head to the side, "You don't have to do that.
I... Tch." He clicked his tongue and looked away, "Put your shirt on, idiot."
           "Shut up and take it," he dropped the shirt on Fushimi’s face.
           The Alpha pulled the material off his head, "I don't 'take' what I
don't want to." he winced as he threw the shirt back, his body protesting the
movement.
           Yata rolled his eyes, catching it easily, "You'll freeze."
           "The cold numbs so I won't feel the pain." Fushimi defended, sitting
up and scooting over to the pole despite his body’s reluctance. "Just... Finish
up and tie me back," he said, feeling flighty about the display of kindness.
           "No," Yata said firmly, holding the shirt out once more.
           "I'm not taking the damn shirt," he grumbled.
           "Fine. Don't take it, borrow it until I can figure out where yours
went."
           Fushimi glared at him, "Will you go away?"
           "Yes." Yata smiled at his small victory.
           The Alpha rolled his eyes, "it's not going to fit me."
           "Yes it will."
           "We have very different body types, Yata."
           "So?" Yata found himself eager to see the Alpha in his shirt, but
also annoyed that he wouldn’t just put it on.
           Fushimi sighed, carefully pulling the cloth over his head. It wasn't
too bad of a fit, though it was slightly too short on his torso. "... Happy?"
He attributed the poor fit to the fact that the clothing was baggy on him. He
squinted at Yata, the black haziness that was the male’s tattoos were hard to
distinguish without his glasses, and he couldn’t quite see them to tell what
they were.
           "Yes," Yata said, shifting to tie Fushimi's hands again. He tilted
his head slightly to catch the Alpha's scent again. What was wrong with him? He
must be coming into heat, that was the only explanation. Yata made a mental
note to take the herbs that would lessen the effects of his cycle when he got
home, as well as the ones that would keep him infertile during the next week.
           Fushimi froze as Yata's scent hit him, the cloths must have been
dusted with whatever suppressant they used. It was sweet, making his mouth
water and filling him with the need to bite, proof he was coming into rut. He
clenched his jaw, taking shirt and shallow breaths as his brain began humming
despite the pain his body was in. He should have known, with the overload his
brain had been taxed with, but he had attributed it to Earth. Now, he knew Yata
was in heat, the proximity of the Omega set a fire in his blood.

           "Something wrong?" Yata asked, his voice thick and faintly odd
sounding just as he noticed the tension in Fushimi as his shoulder pressed
against the Alpha’s, concern echoing in his mind once again.
           Fushimi forced himself to swallow and breath. "No. I'm fine," he
said shortly, keeping to his shallow breaths. "Just... Finish tying me."
           "Okay..." Yata finished quickly and pulled back. "I'll bring you
something to eat in the morning," he promised, but made no move to get up.
           The Alpha blinked, staring at the blurry skin that hadn’t bothered
him two minutes ago, but now had his mind buzzing. He tore his gaze away,
tilting his head back and closing his eyes. "... Thanks."
           Pausing, Yata watched him intently. "You sure nothing’s wrong?” he
pressed gently, sensing the change. It was probably his scent, now that it
wasn't being masked but... hadn't he been with that Omega girl? Or maybe it was
the fact that the Omega was very sure he was close to going into heat, what
with the way he really wanted to bury his face in the Alpha's neck and lose
himself in his scent. If he was going into heat, it was early by a month, but
it was still possible.
           At the same time, he thought it odd Fushimi seemed so… calm. His
scent had been of one in rut, but he didn’t act like it. He acted rather…
normal. Yes, it was early in the cycle, but it was evident enough in his smell
for the excess hormones to be effecting him.
           Saruhiko forced himself to take deep breaths, nodding. "Yes. I'm ok.
Just hurting." Not a complete lie. Fucking rut. The rut, that had to be why his
brain couldn't focus. Maybe because he had never been so close to an Omega like
this... He wasn't sure, but it was hell.

           Yata frowned but stood, "I'll be back in the morning before they...
start again,” he said, retrieving his water skin from where Fushimi had set it
down by his side.
           The boy winced and nodded, shifting into a more comfortable position
to stay in for the night. He closed his eyes. "...See you then," Fushimi
sighed, Yata's scent encircling him as it came off his shirt - even through the
suppressant. His mind hummed with the pheromones, giving him a distraction from
his current situation.
           Yata nodded once and turned, leaving the room and latching the door
behind him. Even as he climbed the stairs and out into the open air, his nose
was still filled with Fushimi's scent. It clouded his mind, filling it with not
completely unwanted images of the male; he had already seen him naked after
all. He sighed, most everyone had already retired for the night and as he
returned to his home he found himself anxious for the morning to come.
===============================================================================
 
           Sukuna growled, pacing back and forth. "What the hell is the point
of this?" He threw one of the nuts they had gathered, "It's fucking stupid! Why
isn't everyone picking? And why the hell do I have to pick? It’s fucking
boring!" Not to mention, they had been at it since dawn.
           "Because, you want to screw everything that moves or fight anything
that makes eye contact." Eric answered. "And because I don't think you need to
be working with the knives to make the other stuff so here you are." He picked
up the nut, adding it to his bag.
           The Alpha crossed his arms, "I do not want to screw everything that
moves; I sure as hell don't want to screw you. Fuck off." He turned, storming
back towards camp.
           There was a groan and Eric let him go, he wouldn’t get anywhere.
Hidaka and Takeru were looking after Anna, and he had already almost gotten
into a fight with the Alpha three times - it was best not to push his luck. If
they got into it, neither would come out unscathed, and the fist-sized bruises
would be difficult to explain away.
           Sukuna took a detour to where some flowers had been growing, picking
a red one that faded to pink at the ends of the petals. Hiding it, he headed
for the area he knew Anna was, careful to avoid anyone seeing him lest they
stop him. He waited until Hidaka and Takeru were far enough away before he came
up and draped his arms over Anna's shoulders, holding the flower in front of
her face. "I got something for you!" He grinned, chin resting on her head.

           Having sat down for a break, Anna still felt tired after picking
berries with Hidaka and Takeru. Her heat was coming on quickly in response to
Sukuna’s rut, over the last few hours it had become noticeable. It was probably
because the Alpha’s had been so forceful in its presentation, but the heat was
making her stomach cramp painfully with desire. She sucked in a sharp breath,
startled at first before she relaxed against him instinctively. The breath on
her neck brought not only the sickly sweet scent of the flower, but the Alpha’s
scent as well. It wrapped around her, comforting and soothing, his rut making
everything sharper and more prominent.
           "Thank you…" she said, but didn't move to take it from him – she had
to keep her head.
           Sukuna pouted, tucking it into her hair and dipping down to whisper
in her ear, "You look beautiful today."
           Anna smiled shyly, turning her face away as her mouth watered.
"Thank you," she repeated quietly.
           He looked at her neck, his rut hitting him like a freight train
while in such proximity. He dipped down, kissing and suckling her scent glad
devilishly as his hands moved to her hips. She squeaked, tensing up as her
instincts clashed with her rationale. She wanted to jerk away, but at the same
time she wanted to pull him closer, the feeling of his teeth grazing her neck
sent waves of submission through her. "No..." she huffed, but made no move to
push him away.
           "But Anna!" the boy whined and held onto her, applying more pressure
with his teeth and eliciting a shiver. "If we sneak away now, no one will
notice."
           "No. I don't want that." Anna forced herself to pull away, trying to
convince herself just as much as him.
           Sukuna stopped, looking like a kicked puppy, "But... I can smell..."
           "Hey what are you doing?" Hidaka came running up, closely followed
by Takeru, "Where's Eric?" Anna sighed with relief, standing and taking a step
towards them. If they hadn’t of come… she wouldn’t have stopped him and she
knew it.
           "It's none of your damn business what I'm doing!" He snapped, his
temper flaring angrily as they came up, adding to the ever growing list of
frustrations.
           Takeru have him a sympathetic look. "Gojo..."
           "Shut up!" He snarled, balling his fists. He was so damn horny, and
everything about Anna was drawing him in. Why wasn't she doing the same? Why
wasn’t she giving in? His aggressive tone made her flinch, stepping closer to
Hidaka.
           "You're scaring her..." Takeru said softly, obviously trying not to
upset him further.
           Sukuna's fists clinched tighter, causing Hidaka to tense and use his
body to shield Anna as the Alpha shook with... Well... Neither of them was
sure. “Chill the hell out!”
           Gojo wasn't sure if it was hurt or rage that was filling him at the
present - he just desperately want to quench the painful fire just under his
skin. He had tried everything, but the only thing his mind focused on was
Anna's scent. It had drove him crazy all night, he had been day dreaming all
day. And yet... She wasn't...
"Fuck off! All of you!" He exploded, shoving Takeru hard as everything boiled
over.
           "Ow! Hey!" Takeru grabbed the younger male, pulling him down with
him and tried to force him underneath him, using his larger size to his
advantage. If he could pin him down, maybe they could get him calm.
           Hidaka stepped away from Anna to help his friend. "Go get Eric." He
told the girl as he pinned one of Sukuna's arms down while Takeru held the
other, the Alpha growling and spitting curses the entire time. Anna nodded once
and took off, following Sukuna's scent for the most part – which made her
stomach cramp more. It was the only way she'd find the Beta in any reasonable
amount of time, so she ignored the fact that every other step making her ache
and wince.
           When she found him, she stumbled to a stop, panting and catching her
breath. Unable to speak clearly through the pain and lack of breath, she
pointed in the direction she came, hoping he understood. Eric dropped the
makeshift bag he was using quickly, though not quickly enough to scatters the
nuts and berries. He put his hand on her shoulder gently, a silent and quick
'good job, wait here ' before running in the direction she indicated. It wasn't
hard to find the Alpha, his strong scent and yelling allowed Eric to find him
without issue.
           "Get off of me!" Sukuna twisted, punching Takeru in an effort to
dislodge him, cussing and shouting. The moment he got Takeru off, Akira took
his place, only he didn't hold back. Pain exploded through Gojo's jaw as the
larger male punched him, adding to his anger and drive. He punched back, the
two of them rolling in the dirt.
Hidaka kicked him off, snarling at the Tasmanian devil he was dealing with. He
rolled to stand, instantly a heavy weight hit the center of his back, forcing
him into the dirt.
           He squirmed, cussing as he tried to get leverage to dislodge Sukuna.
“You little shit!"
           "Hey quit fighting you're just making it worse!" Eric lunged,
grabbing Sukuna's arm just as he was about to swing, Takeru taking the other
and dragging him off of Hidaka forcibly. The instant they had him off, Eric
grabbed the other arm and wrenched them both together. Akira got up and shook
the dirt from his clothes, standing back as back up. "Help me get him to the
drop ship." Eric snarled, proceeding to try and drag the Alpha, not without
protest, to the ship.
           "Easier said than done, Eric," Takeru huffed when Akira took his
place, being the stronger of the two and he had been struggling to help the
blond restrain the male.
Sukuna thrashed and kicked, trying to tear himself free with the desperation of
a wild animal. "Fucking pussies! Let me go you damn asshole! Fuck you Eric, let
go!"
           "Shut up and quit being so damn loud," Hidaka grumbled as they
approached the ship, already sore where the younger male had hit him.
           "Find us some rope," Eric ordered to no one in particular, the slick
metal making it easier to drag Gojo into the structure. A girl ran into the
dark entryway, returning with the item just as the two drug Sukuna deep into
the bowls of the ship, her eyes terrified.
           The male's fight doubled, "No! You fucking bitch, don't you dare tie
me up! I'll beat the piss out of every single one of you!" He spat, twisting to
try and bite Eric.
           Takeru took the rope, the girl running away the first chance she
could, her entire body shaking, "Fuse is going to tear this apart. I only wish
Saruhiko were here, he would know how to handle it."
           "Shut the hell up, Takeru! Go to hell!"
           Hidaka growled, pinning Gojo’s wrists together with but more force
than necessary. "Don't talk to him like that."
           The rope was wrapped first around his wrists and tied in a sturdy
knot before the other end was tied to a support beam so Sukuna would be unable
to escape, "Stop it!"
           Hidaka growled, "Shut up, kid. It's for your own good. Should we tie
his feet to?"
           "No, that'll be fine but I think it would be best if someone stayed
and watched him." Eric said, ignoring the animalistic snarl directed at him in
particular.
           Takeru sighed, "I'll take him first. He is most pissy with you two
and you both need to be here and clear in the head when Fuse comes knocking. In
all honesty I can at least diffuse some of the situation."
           "If he gets lose don't try to fight him," Hidaka warned, concerned
for his friend’s safety.
           "Yeah, wouldn't end well for you," Eric agreed, "and come get us if
Fuse tries to start shit.”
           "Fuck you, let him start shit! Let me beat the piss out of him too!"
           He nodded, "Trust me, if he fights me I'm just going to roll over
and play dead. As for Fuse, I'll try to deflect him as best I can."
           "Come on, I left Anna where I was picking those berries and stuff,"
Eric said, turning. "Good luck with the piranha," He sent over his shoulder at
Takeru.
           "Yeah, don't get to close or you'll lose a hand." Hidaka offered,
giving Sukuna a look of distrust before following the male out of the ship.
Chapter End Notes
     QOTC: What do you think is the most brutal torture method?
     From Jane: I apologize SO FUCKING MUCH. I take full responsibility
     for the delay! But, in my defense, I was growing through emotional
     issues with Sola leaving for Colorado, my own health issues and a
     very serious illness in my family. But its getting better, I’ve
     stopped crying my eyes out every other time I turn around and can
     (somewhat) function like a normal human being. SO I promise updates
     will be more regular now :D
     Notes from Sola: Ow… Gotta hurt. And yes, Fushimi meant to let
     everything slip. To him, he can’t give Mikoto what he wants, not
     directly, but tell Yata and the guy HAPPENS to tell the Commander… oh
     well. Also, poor Sukuna, but I love writing him. We hope to get this
     back up, everything up to chapter 12 is ready for editing so. :) Not
     sure of we will have something up Friday, but hopefully life doesn't
     hit us anymore and we can at least get back to normal come Monday.
***** Double-Sided Knife *****
Chapter Summary
     Fushimi doesn’t get a day of peace it would seem, and it seems Yata
     is more invested in him than anyone would have thought.
     Note, mentioned Rape/Non-Con at the end of this chapter.
     Note #2: Just a reminder that bold is grounder-language. :)
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes
                Fushimi watched the morning light slowly illuminate the steps
once again, the activity outside growing… again. He hadn't gotten any sleep,
but it wasn't unusual. However, it was considerably more annoying as the burns
flared up occasionally. Totsuka’s salve seemed to do… something, however, as it
wasn’t as bad as he expected. He played mind games with himself, waiting until
one of the grounders came down. An asteroid is headed for the Arc and 58.2
miles per hour, while the Arc is traveling at a steady 45 around Earth…
                After sneaking an extra portion of meat for Fushimi, Yata made
his way to the prison without interruption, thankful as his guilty conscience
probably showed. He had to stop himself from taking the stairs two at a time;
he was eager to see the Alpha that had filled his thoughts and dreams during
the night. His heart thudded in his chest as he reached the bottom stairs,
making him realize he was actually nervous. What was wrong with him?
                The Omega’s presence was announced by his shadow disrupting the
beam of weak sunlight. Fushimi had to force himself not to react, to his own
surprise, as Yata came down the stone stairs. He cocked his head, raising an
eyebrow in a condescending manner. "You sound like a horse running down the
stairs."
                Yata snorted, smiling despite the comment as he unlatched the
door. "And you sound like an ass." He moved to sit next to the Alpha and untied
his hands without second thought, noting the more prominent scent of rut on the
male.
                Fushimi had to focus so he didn't try to catch more of Yata's
scent; somewhere along the lines instinct had started trying to reprogram his
brain. "Tch, Here..." He slowly pulled off the shirt, careful not to aggravate
the wounds. "You wouldn’t want to get in trouble with your Heda, so you should
be quick."
                Yata frowned, taking the shirt and wadding it into a ball in
his fists. "Mikoto wouldn't mind me being down here but..." He paused with a
bite to his lower lip, placing the article of clothing down on the floor. He
reached into his pocket, taking a wrapped piece of meat about the size of a
couple golf balls and offering it out. "He might not like me giving you that."
                Fushimi sniffed curiously, holding it with only the tips of his
fingers. "Another gift from a Totsuka?" he nibbled it, realizing he was a
little too hungry to turn it down.
                "No. I snuck an extra piece for you.”
Looking over, Fushimi weighed the words and trying to find the ‘but’ that had
to be hidden somewhere. "Tch, idiot. You’re going to get yourself in trouble."
                "Only if I get caught." Yata countered defiantly, stuffing the
wrapping back in his pocket.
                "Tch, just leave before your moronic self is caught. They will
be here soon," he said, laying down on his back to stretch on the floor.
                "They'll still be a bit. Totsuka won't let Mikoto leave early
like he used to." Yata informed softly, making a mental note to leave soon
enough that he could catch the Commander before he came down. Hopefully, with
the information he had obtained last night, Mikoto would stop torturing
Fushimi.
                Fushimi closed his eyes, letting himself doze and wishing he
had his glasses back again, "You know them better." He replied in a bored,
matter-of-fact manner.
                "Mhmm," Yata watched the Alpha, noting the dark circles under
his eyes. He looked like he hadn’t slept in a long time and, now that he was
able to examine him more completely; he noticed how unhealthy the boy looked.
He was rail thin, and though he suspected it to be partly the Alpha’s build,
his ribs showed unhealthily. His skin was so white Yata could imagine it being
see through, and the burns did nothing to help the unhealthy appearance. His
facial features were sharp, almost delicate, and held a very elegant sort of
masculinity.
                "Still aren't going to kill me?" he teased, the silence making
him uncomfortable – Yata shouldn’t be quite. It was creepy.
                "Huh? No." Yata started, the Alpha's voice pulling him from his
thoughts.
                Fushimi sighed, his voice dripping sarcasm. "Then yay for
today." He sat up, scooting back against the pillar with a wince. "Go ahead and
tie me back."
                "It'll still be a few minutes at least," Yata insisted. He
didn't want to leave just yet, and that would eliminate the reason for him to
stay.
                "You don’t want to get into trouble."
                "I won't get in trouble, Saruhiko." The Omega tried out the
name on his tongue, finding that him liked the feel of forming the syllables.
                He leaned back, ignoring the use of his first name. "Just do
it. There is no point in becoming my ‘friend,’ or in your kindness. Your time
is better spent elsewhere."
                "Probably," Yata conceded. There really wasn't a reason he
should be trying to befriend him. He had shot the guy, was from a whole
different culture, and, on top of that, he didn't even know if his people were
a threat to his. But... after he'd carried him back to camp... something
changed in Yata that made him want to know this person; made everything in him
crave to be close.
                "Then stop this nonsense and just tie me up."
                "It's not nonsense," Yata barked defensively, crossing his
arms.
                Fushimi rolled his eyes. "Tch... Also should probably stay away
tomorrow and the day after," he mumbled quietly, almost as if he were
embarrassed.
                "Why would I- oh," Yata's cheeks heated up at that, realizing
what he meant. An aggressive Alpha could forget themselves in rut, especially
round an Omega. "But…" he didn't want to stay away.
                "I've never been around any one while I was rutting, unless I
was being tortured. The beginning and tail end of it isn't so bad but... The
height of it sucks. I assure you, I am quite in control most of the time, but
there is always a possibility."
                "We have something that will take the edge off of it," Yata
offered, it was the central way to keep some of the more adamant Alpha’s in
control; like Chitose.
                "No. I don't trust how I'll react to it..." He trailed off as
footsteps started to descend, his heart rate picking up slightly. "Looks like
they came sooner then you expected."
                "Damn it," Yata growled, grabbing Fushimi's wrists and tying
them back quickly, fumbling with the knot. He stood just before Mikoto entered,
bowing his head. "Heda,” his heart hammered a from the rush, thankful Fushimi
had finished the food as he held his shirt behind his back.
                Mikoto looked between the two as Totsuka pushed past him,
approaching Fushimi pleasantly. "How are you today, Saruhiko?"
                "I'm alive, though if that is good or bad I don't know."
                The male reached out, touching the area around the burns.
Fushimi tensed, leaning away as he bit back a growl in his throat. He clenched
his jaw, wanting nothing more than to lash out; to fight against his
restraints. He hated when people got touchy feely, he hated touching in
general. Most of the time, it made his skin crawl for a long time after, and he
felt so uncomfortable. Blame it on conditioning, Niki’s doing.
                Yata looked up at Mikoto, hoping he'd get the chance to talk to
him before he sent someone down to torture Fushimi. He glanced back to Totsuka
and Fushimi, who looked like he'd just swallowed a live fish and choked down a
concerned whine, what if Mikoto didn’t let him go? And why did that thought
panic him so?
                Totsuka ran his hand gently over the wounds, examining them
closely. "Well, you're healing like we do," he beamed, looking up at Fushimi.
"Sorry for the wounds. Mikoto would be gentler if you were not so...
aggressive."
                Fushimi wrinkled his nose, "I somehow doubt that." Stop
touching me, stop touching me, stop touching me…
                Totsuka cocked his head, flaring his nostrils slightly. "You
are in rut but not effected-"
                "I'm not usually affected the first day or after the fourth.
Day two and day three are the only ones I feel or show signs. Please stop
touching me," he had to spit out the please - he just wanted the male away from
him.
                Totsuka withdrew his hand and leaned back, smiling happily. He
looked back at Mikoto, pleased with the progress and communicating the feeling
to his mate. Or at least, Fushimi thought. They seemed to communicate silently.
                "’Least yesterday taught you," Mikoto huffed, eyeing the Alpha
distastefully. To the Commander, he smelled aweful. The pheromones he was
putting off were making him more agitated, making him want nothing more than to
tear into him simply for existing.
                "Can't say the same for you." Fushimi spat, "You’re still as
stupid today as you were yesterday. What did-"
                Whatever he had been about to say was lost as Mikoto’s fist
collided with the side of his face. Blood filled his mouth as his vision
wavered, but he didn't have time to recover as his head was slammed back
against the pole he was tied to and a hand closed around his throat. "Are you
satisfied, Tatara? This waste of space is testing my last nerve." He growled,
making sure Saruhiko wouldn't understand.
                Yata swallowed a growl, forcing himself not to react as every
instinct drove him to defend his Alpha. He knew better than to interrupt him
now but, thankfully, Totsuka already had a tight grip on the older male.
"Mikoto!" he hissed, yanking the Commander's hand away and stood, forcing him
back despite his small size. "Leave before you kill him," he growled, the
aggressive look startling on his usually kind face.
                Mikoto glared at Fushimi, who was coughing and spitting blood.
"Fine." Mikoto grunted, "’waiting outside.” He turned away briskly, taking long
strides up the stairs.
                "I don't need... Your... help," Fushimi wheezed.
                "Please stop testing him," Yata whined as soon as Mikoto left.
“You’re making it worse-.”
                Totsuka caught the desperation in his tone and gave him a hard
look, silencing him instantly. "That is not a great...” he shook his head a
bit, searching, “suggestion, Yata," he warned.
                "What do you mean?" Yata asked, confused.
                "Getting attached to something with an expiration date on it,"
Fushimi spat, swallowing the remainder of the metallic substance in his mouth.
"Next time, just let him kill me."
                When he noticed Yata's pained look, Totsuka stood and placed
his hands on the side of his face and sniffed his forehead, something that
wasn't the least bit out of place for the Omega, but brought a concerned look
to Saruhiko’s face. "Your heat is early," he noted, releasing Yata's head and
confirming his suspicions.
                Fushimi looked at the two - whatever the hell that meant. It at
least explained Yata's clinginess. "Yeah, so?" The Alpha’s tone was careful,
watching the healer closely.
                "It means he is attached to you." Totsuka said, tilting Yata's
head so a beam of light shone in his eye. "And… scent bonded."
                             
                "Huh? No I haven’t!" Yata argued, a sudden wave of panic flying
through his system.
                Fushimi knitted his brows together, "What does that mean? I
didn't bite him or anything."
                "It's..." Totsuka considered his words. "It's like..."

                "It's like that but just with scent."

                "I was explaining in more... deepness." Totsuka said, looking
between the two. "A scent bond is… soulmate almost. You’re perfect for Yata but
it is not the opposite sometimes. Yata has a strong desire to be with you.
Mikotowon't be happy about this."

                "No!Totsuka, please don't tell him... it'll just make things
worse."
Fushimi made a face of disgust, "So wait a second. He's bonded to my scent?"

Totsuka watched them apologetically, nodding. "I have to report these things to
him,Yata."
                "It's not my fault," Yata said defensively, "I just don't want
him to take it out onSaruhiko." Yata reasoned. he hated seeing Mikoto hurt him
and, for the first time, he had actually wanted to step between the Commander
and his target.
                "I never said it was either of your faults - and maybe he will
understand. He and I scent bonded, after all. And Yata, when, if King kills
him, you'll need medicinal herbs to help ease the loss. He has to know about
that."

                Fushimi felt left out, Totsuka having switched to their native
language that he didn't understand, but he could sense whatever they were
saying was private in a way. "But… he can’t." Yata argued, "he hasn't done
anything... even if he's an asshole."
                “It's our way, Yata. You know that. You can't tell me he fits
in here, even I recognize that. We've executed better for less. Don't let the
bond cloud your training." Totsuka sighed. "Heda does not like him at all.”
                Yata whined, "You'll do what you can though... right?" If there
was any hope of Fushimi surviving, Totsuka held the key to it. He hated the
idea of causing strife between the two mates, but he couldn’t let his scent
bond go.
                Totsuka nodded; "Of course." he looked at Fushimi, "Best of
luck, sky person. I send herbs with Yata later."
                Fushimi looked him up and down, a sinking feeling settling in
his stomach. "... Tch. Whatever," he looked away, refusing to show his own
vulnerability.
                "You might not want to stay much longer though." Totsuka
warned, "King will probably want to talk to you." The healer said as he climbed
the stairs, disappearing in the blinding white light of the morning sun.
                "I'm sorry..." Yata shifted awkwardly from foot to foot, was
the bond mutual? No, of course not, or Fushimi would be feeling his emotions;
he certainly wouldn’t be so aggressive and callous towards him… would he?
                Fushimi shook his head. "Somehow, I think you have the worse
end of the deal. If you’re going into heat... You should probably stay away
or..." He clicked his tongue again. They risked doing something that may not be
all that consensual to either of them. The last thing he wanted was to be held
down by someone he barely knew. Not to mention that Yata would have to deal
with his death should the Commander decide he wasn’t worth the time.
                Yata groaned at the thought, he didn’t want to imagine how hard
it would be to stay away from Fushimi once his heat hit full force. "That'll be
easier said than done," he grumbled honestly.
                "I'm tied up, so it's really a test of your will. Do not blame
me for your short comings." Fushimi couldn’t help but point out.
                "I'm attached to you. I won't really able to function without
you." Not to mention the emotional shit that came with bonding with someone who
didn't feel the same way. Yata looked down and away; this was going to suck.
                "... If you want to bite me for payback... I'll understand."
Fushimi said after a moment.
                "No. That wouldn’t..." Yata shook his head, though his eyes
immediately sought out the Alpha's pulse. "That wouldn't be fair to you."
                Fushimi tilted his head up slightly, exposing his throat more,
"It’s not fair to you as it is."
                "No." Yata made himself look away. Even if he bit Fushimi it
wouldn't help unless he bit he back, a one-way bond tended to create a lot of
problems in their society. It was ownership. "Plus that only works if we....
..uh…” His checks turned scarlet, “if you're stuck."
                Fushimi shrugged and clicked his tongue. "You can bond me to
you, if you ever change your mind. I know it doesn't have to go both ways.
Usually the Alpha binds the Omega... But I do know it can go the other way."
                "It's not the same if it doesn't go both ways," Yata insisted,
sighing. He wouldn’t want to be bonded if it wasn’t mutual anyways.
                "It doesn't go both ways now," Saruhiko pointed out. "It-"

                Someone came down the stairs, holding a knife. The male paused,
"Yata, are you staying?" he said, frustrating Fushimi. Why couldn’t they speak
English? And he hated not being able to see properly, unable to make out any
features from the light.
                "No," Yata answered, eyeing the knife that Dewa was holding. A
shiver of fear and the need to protect Fushimi traveled through him. He
couldn't watch Fushimi be tortured, not without risking him trying to stop it.
But leaving him hurt too, strengthening the Omega’s determination to do
something.
                He nodded, "Tell the family I said hello." He said pleasantly,
dark brown hair bouncing slightly as he finished his descent down the stairs,
                Yata nodded once before heading towards the stairs, "I will."
He glanced back once at Fushimi, hating that he had to leave and hating that
the Alpha was going to be tortured further. Why hadn’t he simply cooperated
with Mikoto? He climbed the stairwell swiftly, steeling his shaky nerves to
head straight to the Commander's quarters.
                Fushimi glared at the man who was watching him almost
sadistically as he approached with the knife. “The name is Dewa,” said as
grabbed Fushimi's bonds and yanked him into a standing position. Saruhiko
winced, his shoulders aching and sore from the position with his arms awkwardly
over his head. After some careful adjustment on ‘Dewa’s’ part, Fushimi had to
almost stand on his toes to keep from hanging, his body exposed and stretched
taunt.
                Through it all, Fushimi didn’t breathe a word, choosing
silence. "Bandou told me you didn't scream once with the fire." Then man
laughed at that, cutting a thin line on his bicep, scarlet rising in trail of
the blade. "Let’s see if I can change that, Saruhiko.”
===============================================================================
 
                Totsuka and Mikoto's voices argued loudly inside the tent,
though not loudly enough for the frenzied words to be understood. To witness
them being at odds was a rare sight and it made Yata wonder if he should leave
and try again later. But then again, he knew he was the reason for their
arguing. It wouldn’t help to remain outside and every moment he wasted Saruhiko
was going through more pain.
                "Heda?" He called timidly at the entrance, listening as the
voices quieted before a gruff voice barked out a simple ‘Enter.’
                Yata pushed the heavy maroon drape out of the way as he stepped
inside, stomach fluttering with anticipation. Totsuka was perched on the wooden
arm of Mikoto's throne, looking worried and frustrated but trying to fake a
smile. There was a slight gap between them which was even rarer than an
argument. The two mates were always as close as they could get to each other.
The Commander, however, looked none too pleased at the interruption,
aggravation plain on his face. Mikoto inclined his head from his seat, a signal
to explain his interruption.
                "I know why they came here."
                Mikoto sat back, glaring at Yata with a sharp, intelligent
gaze. His eyes wandered up and down, suspicious by nature and still frustrated
from arguing with his mate, but far from the ignorance some claimed the
Commander had. "Explain," he ordered gruffly, resting his cheek down on his
knuckles opposite of the Omega at his side.

                "Saruhikotold me last night. They sent them down to see if they
could survive here. All of them but Saruhiko and the two others I saw are Betas
that have committed a crime.Saruhikoand the other Alpha and Omega were sent
down just because they weren't a Beta. The rest are coming down after them."
The words left Yata in a rush, sounding as though he couldn’t get them out fast
enough.
                Mikoto let out a long exhale, "So I need to prepare for war,"
He said, more to himself then anyone. His eyes cut away, lost in thought.
"Dismissed."

                "No!” Yata shouted, then immediately shut his mouth; realizing
he had just stepped over a boundary as Mikoto’s gaze snapped to him. Totsuka
placed a gentle hand on Mikoto's arm when he shifted, his poster straightening
at the indirect challenge.
                "Let him speak."
                A silent thanks was sent to the healer. "It isn’t their fault
they came here. They haven’t caused trouble yet... A-and I doubt they even know
that they are on our territory." Yata glanced to the side of the tent where a
bristled tail flicked lazily out from behind a table, making him a bit more
nervous and causing him to stutter. "Wh-why don't we give them a ch-ance? Blood
hasn't been spilled on either s-side..." Except for Saruhiko, but that would
have to be overlooked to get him out.
                The Commander worked his jaw, keeping a predatory gaze locked
on Yata as he considered the words. He could feel his mate’s stare boring into
him and he could feel the pregnant male’s desire for him to agree. "They aren’t
peaceful. You cannot claim a race who casts out their own as such will coexist,
even if the other clans would allow such a thing. They will kill us just like
the mountain men."

                "But these kids might be!" Yata paused then brightened, maybe
there was a chance. "The bracelets they wear, like the silver one Saruhiko had
on, they tell their people if it's safe here. If we get those the others won't
come! We could save their lives and…" he trailed off, noticing the look he was
receiving from the Commander.
                "I understand the... implications of your condition," he cast a
warning glance at Totsuka, bidding him to hold his tongue. "But false hope is
only going to get you killed. I've seen how the sky boy acts, how he treats
people who are defending him. This discussion..." again, he looked at Totsuka,
"is over. He, and the rest, will die."
                "Give me three days!” Yata objected, not caring at this point,
desperation making his voice waver. “Just talking to him a couple hours made
him open up! H-he wasn't all bad then… if he could fit in then any of them
could. Please!"
                "That's fairMikoto." Totsuka murmured, leaning against the
Alpha, “Give the boy his chance.”
                "Totsuka," Mikoto growled in warning, "Enough. You are
dismissed, Yata." There was an air to him that dared the smaller Omega to
challenge him further, to say more. His eyes burned like fire already from the
outburst.
                Yata ducked his head, his heart aching. "Yes, Heda," he
murmured obediently, leaving the room with his eyes stinging. At least he had
tried… right?
                Totsuka rounded on Mikoto the moment Yata left, fire of his own
alight in his eyes. "You know how it feels to be scent bonded. What could three
days hurt? Those kids in the forest are not a threat, they barley even know
what's safe to eat and that was by trial and error. Several have already died
from it. Yata had a point. Saruhiko was much better than yesterday, even if he
was still not acceptable."
                "I will not be swayed on this, Tatara."Mikoto growled."The kid
will get over it; the bond is not mutual. He insulted me, he threatened you and
he systematically chooses the wrong choice, pulling every string to ensure his
death. And as for the children who came with him, they sent them down here to
die and I will not allow them to think they can come for free."
                "And if Yata can change him he'd be a very valuable weapon!"
Totsuka argued, looking hurt when the Commander growled. He set his chin on
Mikoto's shoulder, pouting. "Give him a chance. How about one more slip up
fromSaruhikoand I'll drop it."He let himself slip into Mikoto's lap and nuzzled
into his chest affectionately."Even if you take out the fact Yata bonded, he
has a point."
                Mikoto sighed, his hand coming up to trace the smaller male's
spine, their bond and the affection soothing whatever it was that had upset
him. "One slip up, and I will feed him to Durga." He conceded finally, as the
Omega pressed against him sensually.
                Totsuka smiled, wiggling in Mikoto's lap, excited that he got
his way, as always. He tilted his head up, kissing the mark at the base of his
Alpha’s throat; the one that marked them as mates. "Thank you, King."
                "Don't thank me yet, Tatara. Because I'm making Yata watch when
I do."
                Totsuka sighed, he could only make it so far with him. "So
vicious."
===============================================================================
 
                Niki came forward; pressing Kisa up against the wall hard
enough to knock the breath out of her, his teeth raking across her throat as he
caged her there. Her face paled, struggling as she pushed his chest. “Niki,
stop! This is wrong.”
                The male smiled against her throat, leaning forward to whisper
in her ear. “That where you are wrong, my darling Kisa.”
                Her heart slammed into her chest as his hips rolled forward;
even through their cloths she could feel him press against her core as his knee
forced her legs apart. “My darling Kisa, don’t you see? I’ve had my eye on you
for quite a while, and I know you want this.” He pressed against her for
emphasis.
                “But-“
                “Marry me Kisa.” He purred, resting his forehead to hers, a
smirk on his lips as he met he frightened eyes. “You are set to be on the
council, and with your family’s reputation, I will be voted in without a ripple
in the ship. You’re my key.”
                The woman swallowed, pushing harder. “You tricked me here, and
this is rape,” she said firmly. “Get off, I’m not helping you with this little
game.”
                “And what game would that be, dearest Kisa?”
                Her eyes narrowed, hating his knowing smile and the arrogance
surrounding him. “You know well, Niki. I know you had a part in that air lock
fail, the one that killed the chancellor. Like hell I would help you get into
office. You’d be a disgrace to my family.”
                There was a chuckle, then a laugh that had the hair on the back
of Kisa’s neck rising in alarm. “Oh, sweet Kisa, you skipped some on your
research.”
                “What do you mean?” She snapped, gasping when his hand went
down her pants, playing with her clit. “Th-this is r-rape…”
                “That air lock? You’re right, I messed with it. But if you had
done your research, darling, you would find a paper trail in the systems.
Stolen parts, traded morphine, it’s quite sad that your parents resorted to
drugs. As head of the Ark repairs, your Father had someexclusiveaccess.”
                Kisa paled, struggling more, “How could you…”
                “Computers are so simple, a mistype here and there can lead to
such miscalculations. Like an oxygen failure… one that a certain Mr. Ivanov
caused when he entered a wrong calculation that put the system in pieces. Only
he could log in to type it in.”
                “You hacked his-” she yelped, a finger pressing into her.
                “I did no such thing. And I, the noble Niki Fushimi, was paid
off to keep the information quiet how? Oh yes, by sleeping with his whore
daughter. After all, they can’t prove who took you virginity. If you don’t help
me, sweet, darling Kisa, everyone in your family will be floated except you.”
                “You liar!” She spat, shoving him harder despite his lack of
movement from the blows. “You wouldn’t hurt them!”
                “Then I guess your well-loved family is going to help me get
into office; isn’t that right Mrs. Fushimi?”
Chapter End Notes
     Thought we should clarify...
     In reference to the rape/non-con tags, there are non detailed scenes
     at this time, and this chapter is just about the closest it gets.
     Everything happened in the past, and is referenced in thoughts and
     actions of the characters.
     Any direct reference will receive a warning at the beginning, like
     this one. Also, if we do decide to write a detailed scene it WILL be
     skip able in a separate chapter. :) And sorry for the referenced Non-
     con, but this isn’t the last time unfortunately. That was a
     flashback, if you didn’t get that.
     Notes From Sola: Ah Totsuka, always Mikoto’s weakness. If not for
     him, this would have already ended. And Niki, that sneaky bastard.
     Blackmail marriage; it explains why Kisa had nothing to do with
     dearest Saru.
***** Disease *****
Chapter Summary
     All the dropship. :)
     I apologize that this chapter is much shorter then the rest but for
     timeline and blah blah I couldn't add it to a chapter. BUT, chapter 9
     will make up for it. ;)
     Pre Warning: Mentioned Underage Rape :,(
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes
                Sukuna groaned as he returned to consciousness, his body aching
from having slept with his arms behind his back in a sitting position. Damn
this sucked and it didn’t help that he constantly had someone watching him;
even when he went to pee. Sure, maybe he was a little aggressive but seriously,
everyone seemed to just want to piss him off. Arching his back to pop it, he
let out a small grunt.
                He blinked his eyes open, trying to maneuver himself to wipe
his eyes on his shoulder with little success. A yawn tore through him as he
took in his surroundings, instantly overwhelmed with smell and hearing. He
almost choked when he caught just a whiff of Anna, his body responding full
force while all he could do was let out a long groan and shift to try and ease
the tension in his pants.
                His gaze leveled on Eric, who was sitting across from him with
a lidded gaze, appearing to be about as irritated as the snake he poked with a
stick the other day. Sukuna wrinkled his nose, growling menacingly. “When did
your ugly ass replace Hidaka?”
                “About an hour ago,” he answered flatly, giving Sukuna a once
over. “You stink.”
                “It’s not like I can take a shower!”
                “No, I mean, your rut is getting worse. How long is this shit
supposed to last?”
                Sukuna shrugged. “Roughly a week I think. Sometime in the
middle is the peak time, but I don’t know anything about it. All I know is
Fushimi smelled it on me the first day down here.” Which meant he was dead in
the center of it, along with Anna. God Anna… all he wanted was to bury himself
inside of her and lose himself…
                Eric sighed, “So then this would be day three. Great. You-”
                “What is the meaning of this?”
                An angry snarl made Sukuna bristle, the instant reaction to
attack whatever hostile being was behind him jumping to the forefront. Not that
he could attack, but he would have loved to kick Fuse’s ass. Not just because
the fucker was always against him, but because it would just feel good. Eric
seemed unaffected by the appearance, however, looking up to meet the male’s
gaze. He had expected as much. “It is a safety precaution.”
                The male crossed his arms, refusing to look at the Alpha, “What
ever happened to the defense that he was a person as well? And yet, here you’ve
got him tied up like a dog.”
                “You’ve never seen a damn dog. You wouldn’t know how they’re
tied up,” Sukuna grumbled, slumping down against the metal pole he was tied to.
                Eric gave the Alpha a ‘shut up’ look. “He is a person, but the
rut complicates things. I don’t want to break up a fight”
                “He isn’t normal.”
                “Look. No, his rut isn’t normal for us, but neither are
periods. It’s the same thing, it lasts a week and then they are done. Except
for them, it happens every three to four months instead of having to deal with
a PMSing bitch every month.”
                Fuse snorted, slightly amused by the comparison. “If you would
read your history books, you would know that in the past there were laws to
exempt their behavior during a rut or heat. I know well-“
                “Then let this be a case of that. And don’t give me the follow
the rules bullshit, not a single one of us followed the law. Except, mind you,
Sukuna and Anna.”
                “He can’t stay locked up.”
                “Then I will watch him, and show him everything we set up over
the past couple days, but you have to cut him slack.”
                Fuse growled, “Fine, but if he so much as cusses someone not in
your little ‘rights’ group, he is out. This is the last chance, and I’m only
doing it because we’ve already lost seven people. And if someone tries to chase
him out, you can be damn well sure I won’t stop it.” The male spun on his heel,
marching to the door where his hand selected group of guards waited for him
like he owned the camp.
                “Three people are dead?” Sukuna asked as Eric came to his side,
untying his wrists.
                The Beta nodded, “Yes, and don’t try anything. One committed
suicide, four ate poisonous stuff and the other two … well were shot.”
                Sukuna froze, images of Fushimi replaying in his head. “Shot?”
                “They were on an exploratory patrol, trying to locate a
reliable water source when they were attacked. The first two fell to arrows,
and the remaining three escaped back here. The grounders, that’s what we’ve
started calling them, they are keeping us caged. There is a perimeter around
the camp the they are guarding. And I say shot loosely, they were speared.”
                His stomach knotted as he stood, rotating his shoulders in an
attempt to work loose the soreness. “That’s why everyone was shouting… who was
it?” He was almost afraid to ask
Eric sighed, “A girl by the name of Sumika Inaba and a guy named Daniel Webb.
We’ve started stripping the nearby trees and bushes to make a wall to try and
protect ourselves. The boundary they set isn’t too small, so fallen logs have
been drug to help as well. Fuse is preparing us to fight.”
                “Even I know that’s a bad idea.”
                The Beta only snorted, leading the boy towards the door as he
contemplated the statement. The sunlight was bright, stinging Sukuna’s eyes due
the amount of time he had spent in the darkness of the dropship. He blinked
rapidly, sunspots littering his vision to render him blind. Once he was able to
see without having to squint, he was able to become absolutely shocked by what
had changed since last afternoon. Several people were sorting rations of
berries and nuts into rationed sizes, wrapped in leaves to hold it together –
that wasn’t new but there was a hell of a lot more food.
                Then there was a group of kids using knives to sharpen sticks
into arrowheads. Someone seemed to have found some flint or something similar;
they were also pounding it into shape for arrowheads and more knives. In a way,
it was kind of sad, considering the technology they had come from, but he
supposed it was better than being defenseless. Some people were doing nothing,
relaxing on the grass and enjoying the sunlight, while others chit-chat as they
ate.
                “We tried scouting for any abandoned bomb shelters, and managed
to get a few more knives and one pistol, but since they are keeping us in the
area that’s all we have.”
                Sukuna snorted as Eric walked over to the wall that the
majority of people appeared to be working on. It looked far too intricate for
Sukuna’s liking, the branches held by vines, sap, and bigger branches, like a
braid the held its shape when released. The Beta walked over to a couple of
kids trying to shove a piece into place, and after a short chat, they nodded
gratefully and walked towards the food station.
                “What are you doing?”
                “Burning your energy. Come on, we’ve got this section of wall
to finish by sundown.”
                “Where’s Anna anyways?” He couldn’t stop the question from
slipping off his tongue.
                “She is out gathering food. Now get your ass moving.”
                Sukuna wrinkled his nose, work? In this heat? On something that
made no sense? “How big is this section?”
                “The next three feet.” Of a seven-foot wall.
                “Fuck me.”
===============================================================================
 
                “Fuck you, you motherfucking dumb ass son of a bitch! You did
that bullshit on purpose!”
                Sukuna cradled his stomach, tears clinging to his eyes as he
fought for breath between the pain and the long strings of cuss words he was
currently spitting at Eric. One of the branches that they had been pushing into
place had come back and caught the Alpha right across the abdomen.
                Eric jumped down from his place on top of the wall, stumbling
as he hit the ground when the shock of the impact jolted through his knees. He
quickly moved to the younger, his face concerned as he tried to get Sukuna to
straighten up. “No, I didn’t. Are you okay?”
                The boy fell quiet, shaking his head. He whined as he
undoubled, showing Eric the damage. The branch hadn’t just been a small one. In
fact, it had been a limber one with many sub-branches sprouting from it - in
addition to the thorns that had been the tree’s defense mechanism.
                It had completely shredded his shirt, the material tattered
beyond repair. Sukuna gingerly pulled it off, revealing the angry red lines
that marred his ribcage to the point it was difficult to tell apart the
individual scratches. “They are starting to burn…” He whimpered, blood pooling
up from his skin.
                Eric winced, feeling bad now for putting the Alpha in the more
dangerous position, but he hadn’t expected the branch to let go like it had.
“Come on, let’s see if we can get you something. Damn that looks like it
hurts.”
                “No. It feels like a fucking rainbow.”
                Naturally he should have expected the venom, but it still
irritated Eric as he led Sukuna to the makeshift infirmary area. It had become
pretty apparent when they had landed that there would need to be some sort of
area to deal with injuries, so they had used living trees to form a sort of
natural canopy and used the shaded area. One thing was for sure, Fuse at least
made sure shit got done if nothing else and there were piles of the medicinal
plants they had found.
                There were a couple people there tending to various wounds,
slight cuts that would need patched. Of course, when they saw Sukuna with his
shirt balled in his fist, sympathetic looks passed over all of them, though no
one made a move to help him.
                Eric gave a disgusted look at the group as Sukuna sat on a
makeshift hammock, the blond going to get some of the leaves they had gathered.
“Lay down,” he barked, “This is the best stuff we have, but I’m not really sure
if it actually helps.
                Sukuna nodded mutely as he laid back, using the remains of the
shirt to soak up the blood. Eric twisted the leaves to break them up, letting
the natural fluid in them break free and come to the surface before he laid
them out over the cuts like wet paper, the leaves marbled where they broke. A
slight shiver left him, the leaves colder than he had expected. He sighed,
relieved at the soothing numbness that began spread through him. “Are you sure
these things safe? I can’t feel my ribs anymore.” He didn’t even know that part
could go numb.
                “I used it yesterday and I’m not dead so…”
                He trailed off as a man came stumbling in, coughing and
sputtering, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth. Sukuna sat up, alarmed
as he realized the blood wasn’t from his mouth, but rather the bloody tears
streaking down is checks. The others who had been resting and healing jumped to
their feet, rushing to his side as he collapsed forward onto his knees. “Sota!
Sota! What’s wrong? What happened?”
                He wheezed, coughing up more blood as he shook and convulsed in
his friends’ arms. “Someone get something!”
                “What?”
                “I don’t know!”
                “Take him to the dropship!”
                The group scrambled to get Sota on his feet as he finally
wheezed, “What’s happ-ening to me?”
                Sukuna stood, holding the leaves to his stomach as Eric stopped
him from getting closer by putting a hand on his chest. “Stay back, if you get
in the middle of things it could get ugly since they won’t trust you.”
                The man’s friends had to take him through the central part of
the crowd to get him to the dropship, and instantly panic started spreading as
everyone got a look at Sota’s condition, from his pale fevered face to the
blood. Sukuna and Eric trailed behind like many of the others, curious and
scared for their comrade.
                “He’s bleeding from his eyes!”
                “Is it radiation?”
                “What the hell is going on?”
                Fuse came running, followed by a boy who had hair long enough
to touch his waist. In fact, it confused Sukuna for a moment, believing that it
had been a girl until he spoke. “Get him to the ship and away from everyone,”
his voice was a medium pitch, but masculine. “Sota, did you eat anything?” he
tilted the boy’s chin up, examining him through an intelligent and calm gaze.
                “N-no… I felt like shit so I w-ent to the rest area…” he
laughed weakly, “And started bleeding…”
                “It’s probably a disease.” Fuse said stepping back, “Kuroh, you
should back up.”
                “Getting sick is worth helping someone.” He said cryptically,
leading to group to the dropship and away, so Sukuna could no longer hear them.
                Eric grabbed Sukuna’s shoulder, pulling him towards the wall.
“Let’s get out of here.”
===============================================================================
 
                It spread like wildfire.
                It started with Sota, but unfortunately for everyone his fever
grew to the point that he was unable to speak. No one knew where he got it, or
if it had been environmental and they needed to avoid a certain place, but as
time went on more and more became infected. Those who had touched him were the
first to get sick, but it came to the point that the disease had to be
airborne. The symptoms started with fatigue, then the bleeding from their eyes,
then the coughing and fever. Some threw up, and others fell into a coma like
sleep.
                Kuroh became infected, but he effused to rest, helping everyone
as much as he could while the uninfected stayed back. After a little digging,
Sukuna learned Kuroh was there for stealing drugs for the sick, and it seemed
even now his regards for his own safety in the light of others suffering was
nonexistent. His partner, Kukuri, who had been caught with him, tried to help,
until she too slipped into a sleep.
                By that night Takeru, Fuse, and Eric had also succumbed to the
illness. Hidaka paced at the edge of the camp, panicked about his friend as
Sukuna struggled to stay away from Anna. Without supervision, it wasn’t going
well.
                “No.” Anna leaned away from him, trying to ignore the heat
pooling between her thighs and the desire to submit to Sukuna. But he didn’t
seem deterred, sliding closer to her.
                “No Eric, no Takeru, and Hidaka is too distracted. Come on
Anna, I know you want it as much as I do. I can smell it.”
                Anna leaned further away, but that was a mistake. From her
place sitting on the ground, Sukuna suddenly had leverage above her, and she
found herself trapped beneath him. Panic rose into her throat, too many
memories flashing through her from her time in jail.
                Sukuna’s lips found hers, surprisingly gentle as his weight
settled over her and no matter how much she didn’t want this, didn’t want to be
reminded of the vile guards who had attacked her, her body was responding.
                They had defiled her. Her body giving into the things that she
didn’t want, but the taste of an Alpha had everything in her sizzling…
                “Hey!” The weight was suddenly yanked off of her, allowing her
to breath as tears came to her eyes finally, the memories lashing through her
and stinging all over again.
                A snarl left Sukuna as Hidaka ripped him away, and he didn’t
think twice before turning and swinging. Hidaka grunted, and they began to roll
in the dirt as Anna brought her knees to her chest, reminding herself the
Sukuna wasn’t the same as the guards. They had no excuse. He was kind, or he
tried to be, but the hormones…
                Hidaka pinned Sukuna beneath him. “Look you little fucker! It
is rape! Do you know what that means? She doesn’t want sex! She doesn’t want
you!” he spat.
                The Alpha squirmed beneath him, the smell of Anna so strong
around him it was hard to think. “I just want it to stop. Get off!” He shoved
Hidaka off of him, bolting to the nearest tree and scrambling up it. He had to
get out of it. Out of the scent, away from Anna, fuck he needed to get away
from himself. He had found from climbing the wall, the scent stayed low.
                At least up there, he would suffer alone.
                “Are you ok?” Hidaka went to Anna’s side, the scent of her heat
stirring in even his stomach at this point.
                She shook her head, curling up into his embrace as she cried
silently. “It’s not him.”
                “…I know. Hush…” He held the girl, cursing the Ark in that
moment, cursing Niki.
                But he knew he couldn’t change the past.
Chapter End Notes
     From Sola: Ok, so this chapter was a pain. And I’m writing this first
     part of the note before I even start lol. It’s all written by me, so
     if I was OOC I’m sorry! I would say you could burn me like Fushimi,
     but I’m a demon and immune to fire. \^^/ (Too soon?) Anyways, Jane
     edited it after much GET YOUR ASS IN GEAR because she hates the
     dropship! Personally, I think it’s important because it shows the
     struggle and sets us up for later. Sorry the chapter is so short, but
     the end of the dropship updates are near. One more after this, and
     that isn't until chapter 12. ;)
     From Jane: FUCKING HATED THIS CHAPTER (also written before I read the
     damn thing)
     (Also, can we point out the chapter posted during SaruMi Fest didn't
     have any SaruMi? Wtf?)
***** Moving Day *****
Chapter Summary
     A spoonful of MikoTotsu helps the torture go down!
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes
  Mikoto let out a low growl, slinging the doors open to the throne room - his
throne room – violently, the doors clanging against the wall. He was still
adjusting to the position of Commander, and it seemed like he could finally
relax and at least consider the idea. Or at least, that was what he thought
would have happened. Seventeen other night bloods dead at his hand; he was
finally at the top. What no one told him was it would be nothing but war with
the clans, training with the Keeper of the Flames, and overall unrest. Perhaps
the most annoying setback, however, were the attempts on his life.
  This was one such time and, once again, the assassin had paid with his life.
  "Heda, are you sure you don't need assistance? I can call for someone..."
Sinopa clung to his uninjured arm; she was nothing more than a parasite to his
existence. Mikoto wrinkled his nose slightly, she wasn't wearing any
suppressants now; the smell of Omega overwhelmed him with the close proximity
and the nature of his mood. To him, her scent was naturally more potent than
other Omega’s and, quite frankly, he found it obnoxious. "Please, I cannot bare
to go home like this... knowing you are in danger. I shall have my army move to
Polis to protect you, to protect us..."
  "No," Mikoto grunted, shrugging her off and sitting on the padded seat of his
throne. The woman was dressed head to toe in furs, and how she kept from
overheating he wasn’t sure. "You shall not abandon your people in the north."
  "Can't you see I care about you?" She argued, moving closer. "I want you,
Heda, that I have the deepest affections for you, and would do anything to
please you."
  Kusanagi cleared his throat as he entered after them, the sight of Sinopa
making his stomach churn with tension. "I think the Commander is in need of
silence for now." The leader of Azgeda had been practically stuck to his side
sense Mikoto had ascended to power, determined to make him her mate. Never mind
that Commanders never took mates.
  She pouted, "Such a downer, Kusanagi. Why can't I spend time with the
Commander?"
  Mikoto huffed, fed up with the false display. "Go Sinopa, we'll talk later."
  The queen pouted further, giving Mikoto a rejected and hurt look before she
turned and left the room. "Should jus' fuck her and get it over with," he
grumbled, mostly to himself.
  "You know as well as I do she's nothing but trouble." Kusanagi waited until
the queen had a chance get to the elevator before going to the door and
ordering the guard to send for a healer, “She just wants the title, since she
isn’t satisfied at ‘Queen Bitch.’”
  "She can't take my place," he pointed out. "It'll stop those damn raids, put
Ice Nation under my control. Aren't you supposed to keep your enemies closer?
She'll turn on the coalition if I don't."
  The Beta sighed, hating that the male had a point. "Maybe. But my advice to
you is to find a way out of that." He returned to Mikoto's side, inspecting the
gash on his arm that the Alpha didn’t seem to notice.
  Mikoto poked at the wound in a bored manner, wincing when it hurt before
leaving it alone. "Eh, to be honest, I don't need it anyways. No Commander has
ever had a mate or kids, only consorts. Zenjo gave a big long speech about not
succumbing to temptation and a bunch of other shit I ignored."
  "You should listen to the Keeper of the Flames; he’s there for a reason.
She's betting on you not being able to resist her next heat," Kusanagi thought
aloud. "Think you can resist that?"
  "Dunno. Depends on the day. You know I prefer Omega males, but we've both
spent enough time in the heat houses to know a fuck is a fuck. Not really
worried 'bout it," he shrugged, leaning back and closing his eyes. "Besides,
I've got you and Zenjo to keep me straight. Don't gotta worry."
  "You should worry more," Kusanagi sighed, "She'll-" 
  There was a light, dainty knock at the door, the wood letting out a tired
groan as the worn wooden frames were pushed open. A small, almost delicate boy
entered with barley contained excitement. His entire frame shook as he
practically bounced forward. "Sorry if I'm interrupting anything! My instructor
was busy so he sent me."
  Mikoto glared daggers at the new healer, five seconds in and he was already
annoyed by him. He ignored him, looking back at Kusanagi. "Just fix my arm.
Anyways, she'll what, jump in bed with me? Everyone knows she's trying and I
don't really care. Sex is sex, it's not like I'm going to bite her or
anything." His curtness didn’t deter the Omega, who was still approaching with
the enthusiasm of a child.
  "But if she gets pregnant? I know that usually doesn't matter but with her...
she's planning something."
  The healer kneeled beside the Commander and set his small bundle of supplies
next to the wooden base of the throne. He began pulling various things out of
the bag as the two continued their conversation. "She can't prove the child
would be mine, and I could make her take the herbs to prevent it. And what
would a kid do for her beside make her look weak? 'An Omega's place is one of
that beneath the Alpha.' Having a kid just seals that." He kept his gaze on
Kusanagi, watching the healer in his peripheral to make sure didn't try
anything.
  "That's changing, Mikoto. And she could try to use that to bind you to her."
He shrugged, "I'm just thinking of possibilities. Who knows. She could be just
wanting a good lay."
  The healer didn't seem to listening, though the slight tilt of his head
towards the Commander said otherwise. With the medicines already prepared, he
gathered a damped cloth in his hand, reaching up with other to take hold of
Mikoto's arm, his touch gentle but firm. The action caused Mikoto to give a
slight glance over, taking a deep breath as he took in that healer's unique
smell before returning back to the conversation. "She isn't getting anything
from me."
  The male had dusty hair that he wasn’t sure if it qualified brown or blond,
his eyes a deep brown. He had the air of a child, and from the delicate tattoos
peeking out around him he could tell he was once Trikrew, but he didn’t
remember the kid from his time there.
  Kusanagi opened his mouth to reply but stopped, making an odd and puzzled
face as he studied the healer. "Totsuka?"
  "Hmm?" ‘Totsuka’ looked up, playful light dancing in his eyes as he dabbed
the cloth over the wound.
  Kusanagi smiled, "I didn't recognize you!" The male snorted, disbelieving,
"You've shot up since I last saw you, and you've grown out your hair. It’s been
what, two, three years? I thought you were apprenticing for fishing, when did
you switch to healing?"
  Mikoto rolled his eyes, resting his head on the opposite knuckle as the one
this 'Totsuka' was working on. "I got bored of it. But I like this. I can help
people like this." He wiped more of the dirt away from the gash on the
Commander's arm. "I was waiting for you to recognize me; I think I should be
offended it took to this long," he teased.
  "Ya can't blame me. You don't smell like fish anymore. Yer two years younger
than Mikoto right? So... Seventeen?" He said easily, examining the boy.
  "Eighteen," Totsuka corrected lightly, carefully cleaning the wound’s edges.
He glanced up at the Alpha, watching his face for any sign of pain as he did
so. Mikoto huffed under the scrutiny.Blah blah blah. He found his eyes sliding
over to the Omega, nostrils flaring slightly as he tried to intimidate him with
his gaze.
  Kusanagi snorted, looking Totsuka up and down with an interested light in his
eyes. "You grew up well, Totsuka. Hard to believe you were the little kid
following me around with yer little crush."
        "I did not!" Totsuka turned, puffing his cheeks out and paying no mind
to the hostility being displayed by his Heda. He found his eyes flicking back
to the dominate figure of the room, hoping that he was still watching him.
  Kusanagi snorted, "You flat out told me you did. You were twelve I think?"
  Mikoto kept his gaze on the youngest, trying to place the off feeling he had
as the Omega whined loudly. "I was twelve!"
  "So you admit you had a crush," Kusanagi snickered as Mikoto shifted his
predatory gaze, now tracking every movement the healer was making.
  "No!" His voice became slightly shriller, childishly protesting the claim.
His focus turning back to the Commander, hands gracing the tanned skin once
more as his stomach fluttered forebodingly.
  "Pfft, sure. It’s been good seeing ya though." He said, not really paying
attention to the electricity building in Mikoto.
  Totsuka smiled widely, "Don't say that. It makes it sound like we won't see
each other for a while." The healer moved slowly, purposefully, partially
because he wanted to talk with Izumo and partially because he wanted an excuse
to stay close to the Alpha, his powerful scent pleasant but heady in his mind.
  "Well it has been a while and hey," he winked coyly, "your all grown up now."
  Mikoto glared at Kusanagi, the flirt striking a nerve as he resisted the urge
to attack him for the very Kusanagi-like comment. Totsuka's cheeks tinted the
faintest shade of red. He returned to cleaning the wound, his head ducked
shyly. Too bad his interests weren’t in the Beta now.
  Kusanagi noticed the glare, cocking his head at his friend. "What is it
Mikoto?"
        The Alpha shook his head to clear it, aware that the scent around him
had another part of him waking up. "Bored of your gossip," he grunted, shifting
in his seat to a more comfortable position with the warmth in his crotch.
  "Ah. Sorry." Kusanagi halfheartedly apologized, slightly confused as to why
the Commander would mention it now.
  "You're like a King." Totsuka said almost randomly, looking up at Mikoto with
his large brown eyes, their depths sparkling with untainted life.
  "What are you talking about, brat?" Mikoto said in an agitated and bored
tone.
  Totsuka smiled, picking up the medicine he was to rub into the gash. "You're
going to be great someday, like the Kings in the stories I was told when I was
little." He laughed. "They were kinda lazy, but I think you'll be a good leader
like a lot of them were."
  Kusanagi raised a brow, hoping Mikoto didn't take offense to the lazy part.
For the most part though, he only glared at him. "Watch it kid." His nostrils
flared slightly, the medicine bitter smelling, "And hurry up."
  Totsuka practically ignored him. "It's true though. You're gonna be a great
Commander."
  "Tatara..."
  Mikoto took a deep breath, prepared to chew out the young Omega. But as his
scent washed over the Commander's upper pallet, he found himself moving forward
instead, catching Totsuka's lips against his and his fingers threaded into his
hair to keep him in place. The other arm snaked around his waist tightly,
uncaring of the injury.
  Kusanagi's jaw dropped, watching Mikoto pull his friend up and almost into
his lap, very obviously not caring to hold back. "Mikoto?!" He asked over the
startled squeak that escaped the Omega.
  The Heda made no comment, mostly because he was busy shoving his tongue past
Totsuka's lips while the hand at his waist moved down to cup his ass, lifting
him onto the throne with ease. Totsuka, once over the shock, attempted to pull
away. The Commander was rough and unyielding, overpowering him with ease – it
was making him panic a little at the suddenness despite his body’s willingness.
  At that point, Kusanagi stepped up. "Mikoto. Stop."
  Mikoto pulled back, tugging Totsuka's lip. "You taste better then you smell,"
he rumbled, ignoring the Beta in the room.
  "I uh... um." Totsuka's cheeks were flushed red. "I-" His mouth opened and
closed, searching for the proper words.
  "Mikoto. You know better than that."
  Mikoto attacked his lips again, feeling like the kiss was a drug (and
certainly not caring about Kusanagi’s opinion). This time he went slow, tender
almost.
  "Hey." Kusanagi snapped, grabbing Totsuka's arm in attempt to pull him away.
Before he could do much, however, Totsuka raised his hand and hit the Alpha
hard in the chest.
  Mikoto flinched back, confused and offended as he released the Omega,
blinking as he tried to figure out how a blow as weak as that could hurt and
how the boy could dare to hit him. He didn’t move as Totsuka sat back, not
moving from his lap. The smaller male’s lips were a bit swollen with the abuse
though he was smiling all the same. "Slow down," he said gently, shocking
Kusanagi all the more.
  Mikoto blinked at him, then at Kusanagi. "What is going on?" he asked,
bristling angrily as the hormones and smells grew jumbled with his emotion.
  "Um..." Kusanagi looked between the two.
  "I have an idea- but I'm not sure..." Totsuka said sheepishly, meeting the
strong amber gaze as the Alpha waited. "It might be a scent bond. I just
learned about that and how if one of the pair dies the other has to take
medicine and stuff..."
  Mikoto searched his brain, "Never heard of it. Kusanagi?"
  "Yeah... but doesn't that take a while to take effect?"
  Totsuka shook his head, "Strong ones don't." He shifted on Mikoto's lap,
chewing his lip. "But... it feels like what was described to me – I have to ask
to be sure."
  Mikoto glared at the Omega, thinking. Bonded? For once, he wished he had paid
attention to something other than fighting, but books and history weren’t his
thing. "So the urge to fuck you right now, that's this bond thing?"
  "Probably," Totsuka shifted again, fighting his own attraction and
uncomfortable by the crudeness. "It's not something you can help, it's just
natural. We're a match."
  Kusanagi cleared his throat, "From what I understand it's different for
everyone. Totsuka, you should leave. Now." he said, looking at Mikoto. "Zenjo
needs to be alerted. I am not sure how this could affect your status, and I
think his advice would be best."
  "But-" Totsuka puffed a short breath of air in protest.
  Mikoto glared at Kusanagi, obviously about to pull rank when the older cut
him off. "Mikoto, this isn't a game. This isn't a quick lay, this is something
so rare you’re the first I know of and honestly, I don't know enough about it
so please, let the Omega go and go to the room that holds the Flame."
  Totsuka started to stand, every fiber of his being protesting the action.
"You can’t break ones that are this strong." The feeling was growing, demanding
that he stay where he was even as each moment ticked by.
  The Commander put a hand on Totsuka's hip, holding him in place. "I will.
Just give me time with him." He didn't take his eyes off Totsuka.
  Kusanagi looked between the two, "I don't think that's a good idea, Mikoto.
You said it yourself, I'm here to keep you straight, and you'll do something
stupid."
  "Not gonna do anything stupid."
  Kusanagi knew he would have to go over the Commander's head on this one and
he hated it. "Fine." he turned to walk out, "Don't have sex, Mikoto, it's
unprotected and it's too high of risk." He had to get the Keeper of the Flames,
or else Mikoto could throw away everything, he just knew it.
  Totsuka smiled lightly, "I wouldn't do that, you worry too much Kusanagi." he
searched Mikoto's eyes. "It will all work out in the end."
===============================================================================
 
  Fushimi hung his head, feeling lightheaded and dizzy from the blood loss as
streams continued to drip down his arms, torso, back, thighs… anywhere that
bastard had been able to slice him open. Scarlet lines decorated his skin, the
cuts further down losing their edges as blood from the upper wounds slid past
them, vibrant stains across the porcelain expanse of his body. It dripped onto
the floor, splattering in tiny eruptions of color, beading and running where it
pleased. "Fuck..." He mumbled incoherently. At least the Alpha had removed his
pants shortly after starting, the clothing in a heap to the side and thankfully
mostly blood free - it was a strange thought in the moment but it was one
Fushimi thought nonetheless.
  Yata sprinted through the village, Totsuka having told him mere moments ago
that he convinced Mikoto to give him the three days. He had hugged the healer,
thanking him god knew how many times as Totsuka had given him more medicine for
Saruhiko, this time for the cuts that he had received. All it had taken was a
gentle push and the younger Omega’s heart had fluttered and skipped, rushing
him to the prison.
  So now, Yata took the stairs two at a time, the fading light casting his
shadow in front of him as he reached the bottom and unlatched the door. A grin
plastered to his face, "Saruhiko! I-" his excitement sputtered out when he saw
the Alpha's state. He didn’t think it possible, but his heart felt like it had
slammed to a cold stop.
  Saruhiko was hanging from the rope that had been secured in a notch in the
slab, his arms high above his head. The room was usually used for just this,
but he had never found it cruel until now. The others… they had deserved it,
but Fushimi hadn’t done a thing. It was obvious his legs had given out long
ago, his weight only held by some twine that was blatantly cutting into his
skin at the wrist.
  Fushimi looked up, his eyes a little unfocused, but he was able to find Yata
through the blur in his vision, though he didn’t know how much was his poor
sight and how much was something else. "...tch..." He swung limply on the rope,
his reaction severely delayed and hesitant. His entire body had gone numb, so
it wasn't as if he was in pain, though he knew that probably was a bad thing.
  The Omega rushed to his side, the scent of his blood filling his senses as he
untied him, sending his mind into a panic. He should not smell like this; he
didn’t smell like Saruhiko. He caught the Alpha when he started to fall, gently
lowering him to the floor as he supported the sky person’s weight. He didn’t
care about the blood getting on him, or the strain it took to hold him up; all
he cared about was taking care of his Alpha. Anger flared hot in his veins,
Fushimi hadn't done anything to deserve this.
  The male leaned against Yata, too tired to fight. He just wanted to close his
eyes, but he couldn't, his head would never let his body just give up. It was
always his mind, processing and fighting, even when he wanted to cave. He
rested his head in the juncture of Yata's shoulder, comforted by the Omega’s
scent wafting around him. Just end it…
  Yata pressed his cheek to Fushimi's forehead, the sudden urge to cry hard to
contain. "Can you sit up? I brought medicine but..." This was worse than he or
Totsuka had expected, and he wondered how Dewa could be so heartless. "We need
Tostuka…"
  "No. I can..." He closed his eyes, forcing his brain to work his muscles and
to sit on its own. But with movement came a price, and pain laced along his
spine as his body seemed to finally wake itself up. His breathing strained as
he sat back on his palms, will power alone keeping his shaking frame up as some
of the deeper cuts bubbled more adamantly.
  The smaller male whined, hating the way he shook with effort to keep himself
up. He wanted nothing more than to let the male lay down, but there where cuts
on his back that needed to be cleaned. He wasn’t sure there was anywhere his
torturer had skipped. Yata pulled the strap of the bag Totsuka had given him up
and over his head, dropping it to the ground as he moved as quickly as
possible. He opened it, fanning the continents out around him as he tried to
remember through his sympathy what the healer had told him. He looked up,
meeting the Alpha's bleary gaze before giving a weak smile. “Here… Figured you
may want these back…” he said carefully, pulling out the ‘glasses’ and sliding
them onto his face before shifting to wipe off his back gently with a damp
cloth.
  Fushimi tensed, the cloth warm against his skin. He closed his eyes, despite
having regained his sight, letting the grounder clean his wounds as he willed
himself to relax. Every once in a while he heard Yata dip the cloth in the
sealed tin, and from the smell, it wasn’t water but rather some sort of
mixture. "Your friend knows his way around a knife,” he grumbled, finding
Yata’s silence unnerving.
  "I'm sorry..." Yata bit his lip, cleaning a particularly deep cut on his
shoulder. He didn’t say more, his stomach clenched in sorrow and anger. The
Alpha had literally fallen from one hell to another.
  Silence fell over them, only the slight clinging of the metal tin on the
stone floor when the rag was dipped in breaking that. Fushimi sighed, counting
his breaths and tried to be at ease, willing himself to stop shaking.
        Yata made quick work of the wounds on his back before moving to the
ones on his chest. "Totsuka convinced Mikoto to stop torturing you... he said
he'd give you three days to see if you could live with us." He said, turning
the cloth over to a clean side as a small, hopeful smile tinged his lips.
  Fushimi exhaled through his nose, absorbing the information. "...that's
stupid of him."
  "Why?" Yata pulled back, confused. Shouldn't he be happy?
  "Do you honestly think I can fit in here?" Fushimi sneered, "If he believes I
can, he is being ignorant and irrational."
  "He didn’t. I asked and he said no; he was mad at the suggestion. But Totsuka
hunted me down just before I came here and told me he had convinced him to give
you a chance, or feed you to his pet. Shouldn’t you be happy?" 
  "...pet?"
  "A lupid," Yata sighed, "It's... huge and scary."
  "...Sounds like a quick way to go," he said, considering the possibility.
  "No. It's trained to kill how Mikoto wants it to. It'll either tear you to
shreds or eat you while you’re alive." Yata wiped the rest of the blood away
from Fushimi's chest then started smearing the salve onto the cuts.
  Jerking, Fushimi hissed at Yata's touch. "That stings!"
  "Did it not sting when I put it on your back?"
  "These cuts are over the burns..." Fushimi grumbled, looking away as if
embarrassed.
  "Oh…" Yata said, feeling stupid. Of course those were more sensitive, and
this medicine wasn’t meant for the burns. He resumed his work, taking care to
be more gentle.
  Fushimi winced, gritting his teeth against the sensation, "And what would
make Mikoto decide to let it rip me apart?"
  "He didn't say... only that if slipped up one more time, it would be over."
Yata said timidly, fearful to even let the thought pass through him.
  Fushimi fell silent for a moment, wondering just how invested Yata was to
him. "Shouldn't be too hard to piss him off then."
  "No! Don't do that," Yata huffed. "Just try to be nice… please?"
  "You realize two of those three days are in the middle of my rut, right?
Plus, the others aren’t going to make things easy for me, and I hate people. I
have better chances of learning to fly."
  "I know…" Yata whimpered in defeat, finishing up with Fushimi's wounds and
grabbing the gauze to wrap them. 
  Fushimi shook, keeping himself sitting up. "This won't work."
  There was a lengthy pause as he finished, considering what to say. "It will
if you actually try." Yata finally murmured, putting everything back in
Totsuka's bag. If the Alpha tried…
  Fushimi shook his head. "Forgive me," he said sarcastically, "but I stopped
trying to make people happy a while ago."
  "You don't have to make them happy!” came the instant outburst, “Just don't
be a dick!" Yata set the bag aside and looked up at Fushimi, his scent much
more prominent without all the blood on his skin and making him feel far more
protective.
  Fushimi slowly laid down, exhausted, "Whatever."
  "Hey don't lay down, you can come back to my place." 
  "...Is that really a smart idea?" Why would Mikoto not only allow that, but
Yata welcome it?
  "Why not? My family lives in a separate part of the house and they wouldn't
bother you, plus you can actually have a bed to sleep in."
  "You’re going into heat," he said blandly, making no move to get up.
  Yata whined; damn it, he hadn’t thought about that. "Well… we don't have to
stay in the same room."
  "...that won't stop anything, idiot."
  Whining again, Yata flopped down next to the male, fighting the desperate
urge to scoot against him. "It'll just make it worse for me if I stay away."
  "Then I guess we can try," he sighed in a bored tone, "But we need to
minimize our contact."
  Yata smiled widely, hazel eyes dancing with their own light. "That's better
than nothing! And you won't have to sleep on the floor anymore!" Of course,
he'd have to tell his parents but they couldn't say no, especially since he
didn't exactly live under the same roof despite his home being connected. As
long as Saruhiko wasn’t a threat to the kids, his mom would allow it until his
father returned from his trip.
  Fushimi sighed, this was going to end with sex; there were honestly no ifs,
ands, or buts about it. "I hope you realize what you’re doing, Yata. You’re
taking a rutting Alpha into your home. That isn't very smart."
  "Maybe not but it's better than having you sleep down here." Yata sat up and
took Fushimi's hand, tugging gently. "Come on!"
  Fushimi winced, "Idiot..."
===============================================================================
 
  Once they arrived at his place, Yata held the door opened for Fushimi,
letting him enter first. The male limped in, his pants rubbing the cuts on his
thighs raw as he had followed Yata towards the opposite side if the village.
Once inside he leaned against the wall and winced, closing his eyes as he tried
to rid himself of the hostile and untrusting stares. "...Good to know what the
village thinks."
  Yata chewed his lip, trying to decide how to soften the situation. "They just
know that you insulted the Commander," he said slowly, watching Fushimi for a
moment. "I'm going to go let my mom know you're here."
  "...where am I staying?" he asked, trying to figure out where he could hide
from everyone. He just wanted to rest.
  "My room is that way," Yata indicated the direction. He jumped in quickly
when he saw the male about to protest, "I'll sleep on the couch."
  Fushimi nodded, turning and heading the direction indicated. Yata watched the
male go, achingly, before leaving to inform his family.
===============================================================================
 
  Yata sighed, relieved that his mom hadn't been completely opposed to the
idea. He closed the door behind him and paused, listening for Fushimi. When he
heard nothing, he went ahead and undressed but left his underwear on, deciding
against being completely naked in the presence of a rutting Alpha - no matter
how appealing that idea may be. When he still heard nothing, he quietly slipped
into his bedroom to check on the male. Fushimi was curled up in Yata's bed,
completely surrounded by his smell as he snuggled into it. It brought a smile
to the Omega’s lips to see him in amongst the furs, and eased his heart as he
returned to the couch and laid down.
  Yata finally drifted off sometime later, but kept waking up, restless as his
heat was becoming more prominent with the proximity to the Alpha. He had
forgotten to take the medicine, as usual, and had missed the period of time
that would dampen the effects for the remainder of the week. Fushimi's scent
drifted to him from the other side of the curtain separating them, making his
skin crawl with need. He groaned softly and stood, unable to take it, and made
his way to his own room and to the Alpha.
  Fushimi woke up at Yata's movement, the Omega crawling into the bed with him.
The sweet scent of him in heat caused his mouth to water, sending a direct line
of want to his groin. "Not a good idea..." he mumbled, rolling so his back was
to Yata, trying to put some sort of barrier between them.
  Yata huffed in response and pressed their backs together, the warmth of his
skin instantly soothing him and easing his nerves, “Shut up.” He made sure not
to apply much pressure, for fear of agitating the wounds.
  Fushimi closed his eyes, trying to calm his now sizzling nerves. He had been
blissfully unaware while he was asleep, but now that he was awake, the scent of
Omega heat was overwhelming. This was going to be rough, at least he and Anna
had been separated and it wasn't as strong as right fucking next to him. It
didn’t help when Yata rolled over, settling his forehead against Fushimi's
shoulder. The Omega inhaled deeply, the scent calming and making him feel much
better than before, enough to allow him to relax and doze.
  Fushimi started counting down from 1000, he just needed to fall asleep and
everything would be fine. He had to try, even though he knew once awake he
wouldn’t fall back asleep. Yata closed his eyes contently, the training he had
done finally catching up with him as his breathing slowed. As Fushimi heard the
rhythm become one of sleep, he sighed; this was going to be a long night.
Chapter End Notes
     From Sola: Ok. I hate editing MikoTotsu. Love the ship, hate writing
     it.
     From Jane: ^Fuck her. WRITING MIKOTUTSU IS THE BEST! AND JUST SO YOU
     KNOW SOLA LOVES TO SEND THESE CHAPTERS TO ME IN THE WEIRDEST FONTS
     AND I HATE IT! (I get pissed off at random things, can you tell?) IT
     TAKES LIKE TWO SECONDS TO CHANGE IT BUT WHY?!?!?!
***** It Takes Two to Tango *****
Chapter Summary
     Yata and Fushimi's interactions finally come to a head. ;)
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes
  A comforting scent and warmth woke Yata, bringing him from his sleep
languidly. He shifted, stretching some as he yawned before rolling back against
the warmth that had kept him asleep all night. Fushimi swallowed at the
movement, every nerve in his body was sizzling with energy; which didn't really
help the fact he was in pain. His senses were beyond heightened, every movement
brought a flare to the cuts and burns, every breath brought an assault to his
sense of smell. His head was flooded with Yata's scent, his entire body
reacting with demand. Even shallow breaths didn't help, it was invading his
nose, his mouth; it wouldn't surprise him if his skin was pulling it in. He was
almost positive he could smell the increase overnight as Yata’s heat began to
increase in intensity.
  When he finally opened his eyes, Yata realized he was pressed firmly against
Fushimi's back. He jumped, sitting up and away. There was no way he'd been
snuggling him, nope, no way. "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to..."
  Fushimi snorted, trying to control his boiling blood as he dismissed the
male. "That stuff that suppresses scent... Do you have any, and can I shove my
nose in it?"
  Yata laughed lightly, Fushimi’s own scent making warmth pool between his
legs. "Yeah but I wouldn't put it in my nose if I were you." He rolled,
reaching over to grab the small rusted can off the floor. "It works best if you
put it on your clothes though."
  The Alpha rolled over, his breath catching as he caught site of Yata. Lithe
muscles moved beneath his tattooed skin. Each rib was lined with stark black,
the design bold at first sight. Though as he continued his stare, he realized
there was a certain delicate intricacy. Another line of ink traced up each
vertebrae of his spine, mimicking the delicate flames that encased his ribs.
 He didn't reply, his mouth falling dry as he looked the male up and down,
every inch of skin igniting desire and awakening instinct and raw need.
Somewhere there was a faint echo of question as to why the male was only in
underwear, but the forethought demanded he pin the Omega to the very bed they
were on.
  When Yata twisted back around and, upon seeing Fushimi's expression, he
thought maybe he should leave to prevent anything from happening that they
might regret. But, as he met the other males gaze, he couldn't bring himself to
move away. He wanted to be closer, his pulse fluttering quicker.
  Fushimi swallowed, his mouth watering and brain humming. He closed his eyes,
trying to control his hormones as a tense and silent moment passed. "Yata..."
he warned, try to convey the barely-there restraint he had.
  It was easy to tell the strain, but Yata honestly wondered how the Alpha was
holding himself back. It didn’t help matters when he opened his mouth to speak
the Alpha's scent hit him that much harder, further holding him in place.
"Saruhiko..." The scent bond reared its head in that moment, urging him to move
closer and...
  Fushimi opened his eyes at the tone Yata’s voice had taken, shit. Fighting
every instinct he had, "We need to separate..." he sat up, his lower half
demanding otherwise.
  Whining, Yata forced himself up and away from Fushimi, telling himself it
wasn’t worth it. Quickly, he opened the chest that held his cloths and snatched
a set of clean ones, tossing some toward Fushimi. "You can borrow one of my
shirts again. Just put a little bit of that powder on it. That should be one of
the longer ones.”
  Fushimi nodded, catching the shirt. "...ok..." He managed out after a choked
breath. He was drowning in desire, in smell, and he couldn't process anything
else, couldn’t think past every flex of muscle beneath Yata’s skin.
  The Alpha let out a shaky breath as Yata stepped out, standing and dressing.
His pants had been in better shape, but he had no choice but to continue
wearing them. All he could do was hope that between the suppressant he was
patting on his cloths and his own self-control, he wouldn’t pounce Yata. The
fabric of the front is pants was tight, forcing him to make adjustments to try
and hide his erection, the touch of his hand on the heated skin sending chills
through his body. 
  When Fushimi finally followed after Yata, he found the Omega busy rummaging
through the shelves of the dividing wall that connected this area to his
parents, looking for his extra can of scent suppressant. He found it with an
outcry of excitement and popped open the lid, dusting his clothes with it.
Normally, he would do this outside. He didn't like his home smelling of
nothing, it was strange and made him think of it as a space that wasn’t his
own. But at least now it would be easier to think.
  Fushimi sighed, thankful when Yata’s scent was blotched. The powder hadn’t
completely blocked his scent, but it at least made it easier to think and
control himself. He stood, looking away. "Tch... Sorry."
  "Why are you sorry?" Yata set the can down and sat down on the couch,
watching the Alpha. The powder had the same affect for him, the Alpha’s
presence was no longer intoxicating. 
  "I can't control myself," he said flatly, carefully sitting beside him.
  "That's not your fault. And you did control yourself," Yata pulled his feet
up, crossing them under himself to try and relieve the slight pressure the
couch was applying against his ass, “I don’t know of a single Alpha who
wouldn’t have assaulted me by now.”
  Fushimi leaned back, closing his eyes. "Every nerve is on fire..." he
grumbled.  "Every fiber is demanding sex."
  "Are you not used to that?"
  "I usually don't have any sort of outside contact, and normally I get
electrocuted so... Yeah. I'm not use to having to control myself in proximity
to others." he mumbled.
  “Electrocuted?”
  “Tch. To injure or kill someone by electric shock.”
  "And what did you get ‘electrocuted’ for?" Yata asked, turning to face him as
the definition confused him further.
  "Because I was an Alpha and 'daddy dearest' found it funny," he turned his
head away from the Omega’s gaze, the memories bringing a vial taste to his
throat.
  "That's fucked up... why would he do that?" Yata leaned a bit closer,
concerned and longing to touch Fushimi.
  "Because Niki is a fucked up sadistic bastard," Fushimi swallowed, "and I
just want to leave it at that."
  "Okay…" Yata shifted closer tentatively, testing the boundaries. "Well, I'll
never do anything like that to you." He promised, meaning it.
  Fushimi looked over at the male, feigning boredom. "So what is this... Scent
bond thing? I know about the biting kind but scent..."
  "It's like... your scent matches mine but mine doesn't match yours... if that
makes sense."
  "Not really, no." If anything, he was more confused.
  Yata looked up, thinking. "Well, Mikoto and Totsuka scent bonded not long
after he became the Commander. But that was mutual and I don't think Beta's can
but there's only a few here so I’ve just never seen it…"
  "My society avoids bonding, Alphas, Omegas... Really everything it can." he
sighed, "They are formally bonded as well, I can see the marks."
  "Mhmm." Yata watched his face, his expression. "I think scent bonding is just
the chemicals in my body are attracted to yours, but I don't know for sure. It
doesn't happen very often."
  "Maybe... That offer still stands you know."
 "I know... but..." Yata leaned his head against Fushimi's shoulder, closing
his eyes.
  "Is it because you don't want to have sex with me?" Fushimi said slowly,
watching for reaction.
  "N-no th-that's… uh… not it at all! I uh.. I just d-d-didn't think you liked
me." Yata's cheeks flushed red as he ducked his head into the crook of
Fushimi’s neck, the mention of sex flustering him.
  Fushimi shrugged the shoulder that didn’t have a head on it, "To be fair, I
don't like anyone. I wouldn't mind, Yata. The way I see it I'll be dead in a
few days anyways. Becoming basically your sex slave is pretty low on the list
of bad things that could happen."
  "I don't want that though..." Yata took a deep breath, searching for
Fushimi's scent through the suppressant.
  "It’s only fair," he reasoned, "if you’re bonded to me through scent, you
have the right to bind me to you."
  "No I don't." He didn't mention the fact that the simple idea of a one-way
bond made him wish he were dead; he didn’t want to own anyone. He wanted to
belong with someone.
  "Yes, you do," the male argued. He sighed, sitting up slightly. "Don't you
have a job or something you’re supposed to do?" In such close proximity, he was
catching traces of Yata's scent, his ‘Alpha’ side calling out.
  “I have to train with Mikoto later, but not right now." He paused, "If you
want you can come meet my mom and my siblings."
  "Not sure I know how to properly socialize, plus I can't speak your
language."
        "I can teach you!" Yata said, smiling and sitting up straight. "Come
on, she was the one that said you could stay. She'll like you."
  Fushimi leaned away, "I'm in the peak of rut, and doing very well not to fuck
you as it is. I don't think it's smart-"
  "But you're not reacting, so it'll be fine." Yata interjected as he stood,
taking Fushimi's hand. "Come on! You'll be fine."
  The Alpha tugged Yata down, the boy landing on his lap. He ignored the sting
of his wounds. "I don't think you realize just how delicate my current control
is."
  Yata sucked in a sharp breath, heat searing through him as he felt the bulge
in Fushimi’s pants. "Well... if you can stand being this close..." He raised
his chin a bit, exposing his throat. He shivered, not sure how he wanted the
male to react.
  Fushimi growled low in his chest. His body started moving for him, pressing
his lips to the Omega’s throat promisingly. "Don’t tempt me."
  The smaller male instinctively lifted his chin higher as a blush crept into
his cheeks, his heart thudding in his chest so hard he was certain Fushimi
could feel it. "Maybe that's what I want." He said, his voice low with want,
his stomach fluttering at the suggestive undertone to his words.
  Fushimi's breathing wavered, his heart jumping in tandem with the pulse at
his lips. He let out another growl - this close he could easily smell the Omega
- and forced himself back. "You're playing a dangerous game." He breathed,
trying to reel in his desire.
  Yata looked up at the Alpha, his pupils blown wide with lust. He shifted,
sitting up straighter in his lap. "If you can resist that then you'll be fine
meeting other people. I don't know of an Alpha that wouldn’t have… yeah."
  Fushimi's hands tightened where they had come to rest on Yata's hips. He
opened his mouth to speak and then laid back with a half groan half growl.
"Don't blame me if it ends badly."
  "It won’t." Yata smiled and leaned forward, kissing Fushimi's cheek
affectionately, the action completely subconscious. He already felt comfortable
with Fushimi and he wanted nothing more than to stay with him and be able to
keep him alive. If that meant forcing him to interact with others, then so be
it.
  The Alpha stiffened, willing himself not to turn his head and catch those
soft lips on his own. "Get off my lap before I forget who I am for a bit," he
grumbled begrudgingly, working his jaw.
  "Well you put me here," Yata said playfully as he stood, swallowing when he
could feel just how strained Fushimi was.
  "I was trying to prove a point," he winced, forcing himself to stand - the
cuts and burns stung as he made any movement. It helped in a way, taking his
attention somewhere other than the desire in his veins.
  "I probably need to change that bandage again..." Yata said suddenly,
noticing Fushimi's wince and stiff movement. 
  "... On a list of bad ideas, taking my pants off is probably pretty high up.
I'll be ok." Fushimi shook his head, the pain grounding him.
Yata's cheeks heated up again, "It'll get infected though…"
  Fushimi shook his head, "There are a lot of things I can control, but that,"
he pointed at his crotch, "Is not one of them while I'm in rut."
  "Okay, fine. But if you're leg rots off don't blame me." Yata took Fushimi's
hand and tugged him gently towards the door. "Come on. And just so you know, my
little sister and brother will probably be all in your space until they get
over meeting a new person."
  "... I don’t want to do this." he wrinkled his nose, "I don't think I can
handle kids. I do good to handle adults."
  "You never know. Just try not to snap at them, they get their feelings hurt
easily." Yata led Fushimi around to the front, ignoring the stray glances
others were casting their way. “And Mom is the embodiment of overprotective
Omega mother.”
  Fushimi exhaled, "They won't understand me anyways."
  He gave him a puzzled look, until he remembered Fushimi had been in a prison
cell for five years. "That doesn't matter to kids. If you try to be friendly
they'll love you. Plus, I'll translate for you." Yata pushed open the door,
revealing the two children wrestling in the floor, his sister trying
desperately to smash a berry onto his brother’s face. "Megumi, quit that.
That's not nice,”
  They both froze, looking up at the two males with large, round eyes,
instantly focusing on Fushimi. "Just so you know, I hate this." He grumbled.
  The kids looked at him fearfully, looking at each other and then at Fushimi
again. They muttered to themselves before taking off deeper into the house.
"Mother! Yata brought the sky person!"
  "Quit being so negative," Yata huffed as stepped into the house, inhaling the
familiar scent of the home – a mixture of kid smells and food. His mother
stepped out from a divider, being tugged at by his siblings as she scolded them
for being rude, but smiling as she did so. Once subdued, the children sat
heavily on the floor, pouting as they eyed Fushimi in a mixture of curiosity
and fear. 
  The woman reminded Fushimi of someone you would see on cooking supplies. She
was heavier set for the others on the ground, though still slim, with greys
streaking her brown hair. Her eyes said she was tired, but a gentle smile gave
them a friendly light that Saruhiko wasn’t sure how to handle. She looked both
of them over with that soft smile before she introduced herself. At least that
wasn’t really a requirement to be translated; he understood that her name was
Tsubaki. She was polite and mild through the entire thing, the ‘definition of
an Omega mother,’ he could only assume.
  Fushimi nodded, "Uh... Hello. Thank you for... Uh... Being kind enough to let
me stay with Yata..." He said, shuffling nervously as he forced the words past
his throat. He didn't like this, it didn't feel right to him and her damn smile
made him feel… worthless in a way. It had a true generosity to it that made him
want to be polite. He could never remember his mother ever acting like this and
it made him wonder what it could have been like for Yata.
  "Don't be nervous." Yata murmured, bumping his shoulder against Fushimi's. He
relayed what the Alpha said to his mother, also explaining vaguely what Fushimi
had been through the past couple nights. His mother's eyes widened as she
looked back to Fushimi and started talking again, looking sympathetic. "She
says you don't need to thank her and that she's sorry she can't speak your
language; she knows it's a huge inconvenience but she'd be willing to help you
learn ours. And she wants to know if you are hungry." 
  The children had started inching closer by scooting across the floor, curious
of the new comer.
  The Alpha watched the kids warily, "To be fair, I don’t think I'll be here
much longer. Don’t tell her I said that, just say something along the lines of
thank you and I’m not hungry." He didn't meet anyone's eyes, looking around the
room as he watched them in his peripherals.
  Yata nodded and did as he was asked, making his mother smile. "It's amazing
how much control he has." She said, her nostrils flaring ever so slightly. "But
I still want you to be careful, your heat hasn't hit full force yet so be ready
for that. And if you do honey, make sure you take some herbs to prevent an
unwanted pregnancy."
  "I know, mom." Yata said as the kids edged even closer, his cheeks flushing
pink. He finally noticed the action and gave then a hard look, causing them to
hesitate. "He doesn't like to be touched." When they looked hurt he added,"He
wasn't allowed to have friends. His people weren't very nice to him just
because he was an Alpha." They seemed to accept that as a reasonable excuse for
someone to dislike contact.
  Fushimi shifted nervously, his instincts telling him to go somewhere else. He
huffed, "There. I met them. Are you happy now?"
  "Yes." The Omega smiled, catching his sister and picking her up as she tried
to sneak past him.
  Fushimi watched as Yata started talking to his sister, who had to be about
five. The way his voice softened, how he held her, the easy tone… it all looked
natural. It was almost the same as the look from his mother and it made him
wonder, was that just the way Omegas were? Yata had a certain explosiveness to
his character, but he, Tsubaki, Totsuka and Anna… they were all so gentle in a
way he didn’t understand. While he was lost in thought, Minoru had jumped up to
hug Fushimi’s leg, causing him to jump and stiffen. "Can we go now?!?" he
squeaked.
  Yata's mother laughed, watching the Alpha in a manner that said she would
kill him if he hurt her son. "He isn't very good with children, is he?"
  "No." Laughing, Yata bent to pry the boy off Fushimi's leg, balancing his
sister in his hip. "He literally had no contact with anyone other than the
guards there and they weren't very nice to him. It’s not just kids, he isn’t
good with people either."
  Fushimi crossed his arm uncomfortably, hating that he couldn’t understand.
"Please?" 
  Yata rolled his eyes, leading Fushimi to the living area as he set Megumi
down, nodding to the worn and stained couch. “It looks like hell but it’s been
through like, six kids. Me and my siblings plus my Step-dad and his.”
  Sitting down, Fushimi crossed his arms begrudgingly as he glared at the
children. He knew they were talking about him, but there wasn’t much he could
do as they did so but hope and pray the children left him alone.
  "How does Heda feel about this?" She watched him as the kids gravitated
towards Fushimi, much to his displeasure, as she sat delicately down next to
him. "I know I'm a little conflicted on you staying with a rutting Alpha, no
matter how much control he has and how much I know you are grown. Plus, if he
doesn’t understand people..."
  "He wants to kill him.” Yata answered honestly, “Saruhiko… wasn't exactly
friendly when I brought him here and just kept provoking him. He still does.”
Yata sat on the floor to give the two room, leaning back on Fushimi’s legs.
  "I would not trust someone who would provoke such an Alpha."
  "I know but he's never been around people. I think he's doing pretty good
considering that. I think he expects violence of others and Heda feeds that."
  The little boy reached around and placed his hand on Fushimi's knee, smiling
in his four year old way. "Saruhiko."
  "Even a blind man could see that Mikoto is not one to provoke."
       The Alpha looked like he would rather be tortured and he probably would
prefer that alternative considering how uncomfortable he was. "Yeah... What
is... uh... your name?"
  Yata smiled, laughing as he watched his brother’s reaction. "I never said he
was smart."
  The small boy looked confused for a moment then answered, recalling what Yata
had taught him, as well as using some reasoning. "Minoru."
  Fushimi nodded, still looking like he would rather be stabbed as he looked
away from the child. Minoru concentrated on him for a moment before he tried to
lift up the Alpha’s shirt. "Do you have wings?"
        He jumped, practically crawling up the back of the couch as he fought
the urge to bear his teeth. "What are you doing?!"
  Yata grabbed his brother, pulling him into his lap as he tried hard not to
laugh. "No he doesn't have wings." 
  "Then how did he get in the sky?"
  Fushimi bristled, "I think I would rather take my chances back in the
dungeon. Do we have to stay? I don't appreciate getting molested by small
children."
      "They were in a ship, like Captain Hook." Yata answered and stood,
handing the boy to his mom. He stepped in front of his sister when she tried to
reach for Fushimi, wanting her moment as well. "No. He’s grumpy right now. You
can see him again later.” He promised and looked back to his mom smiling to
her. "We’ll come back later." He said firmly, looking back at Fushimi.
  "...I have no clue what you're saying."
  "Oops." Yata laughed, "I said we would come back later, after you aren’t so
grumpy." 
  "Don't forget you have to train with Mikoto later." His mother reminded him,
standing slowly with Minoru in her arms. 
  "I know." Yata smiled and turned, motioning for Fushimi to step out.
  Fushimi practically ran out the door, thankful to be away from the kids.
"Tch, I hate children." He rubbed his arms, barely registering the pain it
sparked up as he worked out the tension. "I feel like I'm infected or
something." Not to mention his leg was going a little numb, which couldn’t be
good.
  The Omega snorted, waving to his mother and siblings as he led Fushimi back
around the house. "Why? They weren't even that bad."
  "I just don't like kids." He clicked his tongue again, following.
  Yata sighed, noticing his limp. "I really do need to take care of your leg
now."
  ".....Tch." He worked his jaw - there was no way he could get through that
without getting an erection and that bothered him. The last one had gone down
as soon as the children had touched him, but that was really the only reason.
He hated that he couldn’t control that and he wasn’t sure Yata would appreciate
it either.
  "Come on, Saruhiko." Yata pulled him through the door before going and
rummaging through a cabinet to find everything he needed.
  Sitting down, Fushimi was once again engulfed by Yata's scent. "I know it's a
little late, but I prefer being called Fushimi." He grumbled, already
responding to the smell alone.
  "Why?" Yata came back to sit down in front of him on the floor, looking up at
Fushimi.
  He shifted uncomfortably, "My father named me and I just prefer Fushimi...
I'm not sure about this."
  "But…" Yata sighed, choosing not to argue. "It needs to be taken care of." He
tugged at the leg of his pants, setting the salve and rag to the side. "Take
your pants off."
  Fushimi's cheeks heated up a little, not that he would admit it. "Ah... um...
You do realize while I'm rutting I stay at least half hard constantly with you
coming close...?"
  "Yeah but there's nothing we can do about that." He swallowed, mentally
preparing himself for that.
  The Alpha swallowed, cursing himself for being stupid before he tugged his
pants down, looking away. "Is it easier if I stand or sit?"
  "You should probably stand." Yata said, trying his best not to look at him as
heat rose to his cheeks.
  Fushimi stood, spreading his legs so hopefully Yata wouldn't brush his thighs
too much. He took a breath, and began doing math as he tried not to recognize
how close Yata was to the part of him that begged to be touched. The Omega
swallowed hard as he untied the not, careful not to touch Fushimi as he
unwrapped the cloth. It was all the Alpha could do to hold still, biting his
lip as he tried to keep his body under control. 57÷2.46 is 4.5746….
       The Omega took a deep breath and instantly regretted it, Fushimi's scent
washing over him thick and sweet. "Yeah… this wasn't a good idea." Yata
squeaked, his voice choked as he started cleaning the wound. “Should have gone
to Totsuka…”
  Fushimi tried to keep his breathing shallow. He had stopped fantasizing a
long time ago, spending puberty in isolation erased any hopes, but now his head
was filling with images he didn’t know he knew about. No, no, no, no... "Just
hurry up." His voice was strained.
      "I'm trying." Yata said, quickening his movements until the wound was
cleaned and the ointment was pressed into it. Fushimi's scent was filling his
mind with his own images. He squirmed, uncomfortable as his body began
producing slick in response to the Alpha.
  It came to the point that Fushimi couldn't breathe, couldn't think, and it
didn't help that his cock was responding to the ideas in his head. This was a
bad idea, worse than he would have originally thought. He closed his eyes,
sucking in as he tried to maintain control and ended up breathing in even more
of the Omega smell, arousing him all the more.
  The smaller male wrapped the cloth around his leg, his hand brushing the
male's thighs with the back of his hand in his haste, trying to get it done.
Fushimi jerked, his cock twitching at the contact and making Yata bite his lip
with more unwanted images. The Alpha clenched his fists, "As soon as you’re
done, we need to separate..." He growled, shaking with effort to control
himself.
      Yata knew he should agree with that statement but, suddenly, all he could
think about was Fushimi inside him. Everything inside him was aching for the
Alpha, aching for his touch. His movements slowed as that realization came over
him, his hand brushing Fushimi's thigh purposely now.
  Fushimi swallowed, still avoiding looking at the Omega. "Yata," he warned,
growing harder with every touch. "Please be more careful..." he whined a
little, eyes squeezed shut in effort.
  Yata finished tying the cloth and stood, his mind set now. Before he could
think about the consequences of what he was doing he reached up, grabbing
Fushimi behind the neck and yanking him down to connect their lips, his heat
making him bold. The reaction was instant; Fushimi groaned and wrapped his arms
around Yata as his mind lost all thought. They couldn’t fight it and he
couldn't control himself with Yata's smell and taste assaulting him. He parted
his lips, seeking and demanding more as warmth began spreading through him.
      Parting his own lips, Yata submitted to the Alpha entirely as he fisted
his hand in his shirt, pulling their bodies flush against each other. He let
the male steer them somewhat blindly to the bed, his heat demanding the Alpha’s
touch. He moaned; stumbling some before the back of his knees hit the edge of
his bed. He fell back, squeaking in surprise as they briefly broke apart.
  Fushimi left no room to recover, bearing down on him as his own Alpha
hormones surged up, years of unspent lust hitting him all at once. His hand
curled around Yata's pants, the male yanking them and his underwear off before
pushing back down to reconnect their lips, both desperate for the other.
  Sighing in relief, Yata was too far gone to be embarrassed now.  He pulled
Fushimi down on top of him, slipping his tongue between the Alpha's teeth. The
fabric of his shirt rode up, aggravating his sensitive skin though he was too
focused on Fushimi to actually do anything about the nuisance. He felt hot,
every part of his body wanting more and more contact with the Alpha. He reveled
in the weight that pushed him into the furs, the scent of heat and rut mixing
into a drug like cocktail.  
  The taller male settled between Yata's legs as he pulled back, moving to bite
and nip at the Omega’s neck and collarbone harshly, too busy to notice the tips
of the tattoo that peaked out from around his sides.. His hand pinning one
wrist to the bed while the other pushed his thigh back, lining up and thrusting
in as instinct erased any hesitation and replaced it with aggression and
desire. His body didn't care about anything but finding his release, his head
blocked by that and he was far from gentle in his entry.
  Yata’s hiss broke off with a moan as he tilted his chin up and to the side.
Everything melted into a blur, the sensation of finally being filled making him
moan loudly as he brought his legs up to wrap around Fushimi's waist as best he
could, wanting him even deeper. Somewhere in the back of his head he realized
there was no pain, but then, he had always been told that during a heat was the
best time for a first, as it would prepare his body before he was even
stimulated.
  Fushimi sucked Yata's neck hard enough to bruise as he started moving,
thrusting shakily into the tight and wet heat, the Omega's body already slick
in its midheat and welcoming the Alpha. Still, his movements weren’t smooth or
steady, and they were more animalistic in nature as the rut overrode his brain,
his movements showing his inexperience.
  Yata pulled his hand free of Fushimi's hold to grasp at the back of his head,
pressing the Alpha’s mouth to his neck. He moaned louder, his pleasure making
him lose any concern for someone hearing. "Saruhiko.." The Alpha's name fell on
a panted breath as the Omega gripped him tighter between his thighs,
registering somewhere that he hoped the Alpha would bite.
  The tempo of Fushimi’s thrusts grew as he found a rhythm, his rhythm  more
fluent. He found that he especially didn't care if anyone heard the sounds
coming from Yata. He didn't care if he died. He didn't care about the
implications. All he cared about was sex in this primal state. His weight
pressed down as he let out a guttural noise of pleasure, nuzzling up and into
the Omega's hair.
  The noise sent chills through Yata's body, the weight both comforting and
completely welcome. Yata lifted his head to nip at Fushimi's ear, the need to
bite and claim him becoming stronger with every thrust. Fushimi frowned, a
spark of thought reminding him to keep himself away from Yata's neck, the
instinct to make the Omega his and only his extremely prominent in his blood.
The same spark brought a sense of guilt, urging him to leave his own neck
exposed and close to Yata's mouth, just in case the male decided to claim him -
as backwards as it was.
  Yata trailed his teeth over Fushimi's pulse, nipping gently before whining
softly. Why wasn't he biting? Had he done something wrong? He turned his head,
his hand tightening in Fushimi's hair when he hit a particularly sensitive
spot.
  Fushimi shuddered, nearing his end as his knot began to swell. He picked up
the pace, groaning as he inhaled the Omega's scent, getting almost drunk off
the pheromones from his heat. Yata couldn’t do much more then shudder, the
pressure in his abdomen growing with every thrust, burying his forehead in the
juncture of Fushimi's shoulder and throat. The entire thing overwhelmed him,
scattering his thoughts as neared his own release, the thickening of the base
of the Alpha's shaft border lining painful.
  The Alpha panted, letting out a low growl as he teetered, it was becoming
harder and harder to move, to pull out and thrust in, his knot popping in an
oddly satisfying way. "Yata...." He murmured nosing his hair.
  Yata stiffened, just as Fushimi's knot locked him into place, his back
arching slightly as he came. He just barley stopped himself from turning his
head and biting Fushimi, his lips already parted and his teeth bared. Instead
he fisted his hand in the Alpha's hair, the other in a fur draped over his bed.
He whined, and Fushimi clenched his jaw, shuddering with the first release as
he became stuck, instinctively falling still to prevent from hurting either of
them. He panted, trying to catch his breath as he waited for the second wave to
hit.
  Yata sighed, his chest heaving as he felt the first pulse of Fushimi's cock
finish. He blinked slowly, relaxing his grip on Fushimi's hair. "Why... didn't
you bite...?" The Omega in him was disappointed and upset at the fact.
  "Because I'm still expecting to die... And if I bite you..." He trailed off,
carefully shifting his weight off of Yata. "Let me know if I'm putting too much
weight on you."
  "But I want you to..." Yata trailed off, chewing his lip. "Don't move...
you're fine. You can put all your weight on me."
  "I won't take you down with me like that," he stilled, finding this slightly
awkward. "I have no clue how long this will last, or how many times I’ll cum."
  "But... if you did then maybe Mikoto would let you live." Yata's walls
tightened and fluttered around Fushimi as he came again, warmth spreading deep
inside of him.
  Fushimi waited for the spasm to end, swallowing down a groan. "Why are you so
determined to see me live?" He said drolly. "I'm not anything to you."
  Yata shook his head, "You are something to me... I'm afraid that I'm not
anything to you." He turned his head to the side, his cheeks heating up at the
confession. Fushimi was something to him, what exactly, he wasn't sure, but he
knew he wanted to be something to the male.
  There was a moment of silence. "...You’re the only person to give me a
chance," he said quietly. "I’m not going to ruin that."
  The Omega sighed softly, combing a hand through Fushimi’s soft hair. "You
won't ruin it," he turned his face to the Alpha and leaned up, kissing him
gently. "You should give yourself a chance."
  Fushimi shuddered with another release, not replying to the statement. "I
don't suppose birth control is a thing down here, is it?"
  "Huh? Oh well… yeah sort of but..." His face grew bright red. "Fuck. My heat
was early and I got caught up… I forgot to take it."
  "... Well shit." Fushimi grumbled. "Are you sure I'm not too much weight?" He
tried to dodge the topic.
  "I'm sure..." Yata swallowed hard, his mind racing a hundred miles an hour.
"I'm sorry... Shit… uh, if it helps it's not uncommon for people our age to
bond and- have kids down here..."
  Fushimi's mouth felt a little dry, what? His brain looped on that, the male
obviously not getting the hint. "Uh... Yata...? I mean, I get that you scent
bonded and whatever but... Uh... I don't know anything about this world... And
I mean... I like you. But I don't think I'm ready.. for that." he took deep
breaths, trying to calm down as his body shuddered again, but this time it felt
damning to him, the pleasure almost completely taken out of it.
  "Well… neither am I but it's not like we have a choice now." Yata's sentence
ended in a soft whimper. "If you keep that up I swear I'll pop." He tried to
joke.
  "...I'm not unstuck yet. The average I think is eight... And uh... I'll be
stuck for the better part of the hour." If he remembered that book correctly.
  Laying back, Yata sighed. "Well I can't think of anyone else I'd rather be
stuck with," he teased.
  "Ha. Ha. So, what are we supposed to do while we are like this?" he asked,
resting his weight on his elbows.
  "I dunno. Have a heartfelt, meaningful conversation?" Yata laughed lightly,
"You know... it's not too late for you to... uh..."
  "I don't want to tie you to me. I know it would be worse for you if I died. I
don't want to do that to you."
  Yata sighed, "But... I want you to. I want to be with you."
  "I think we are pretty together right now," he pointed out, "and what would
happen if Mikoto decided to kill me after all?"
  "It would make him less likely to."
  "I'm not willing to bank on that." He paused, "Is this your first...?"
  Yata nodded, looking away.
  Fushimi swallowed, "I'm-uh... Sorry," he mumbled.
  "Don't be. It's was my fault to begin with."
  "I should have made it a little more.. special I guess? I mean, we didn't
even get out of our shirts." he winced as his body tightened again. "Is that
four? Or five?"
  "No it was fine. And... four? I think? I dunno." Yata sighed, the Omega in
him loving every second of it, practically purring at the thought of children.
  Fushimi dropped his head on the Omega’s shoulder. "Halfway there." he groaned
- who knew sex would be so tedious?
  Yata wrapped his arms around Fushimi's shoulders, mindful of his wounds. He
sighed, chewing his lip as he fell silent for a moment before he kissed the
Alpha's temple. "Please don't do something stupid. I really don't want to lose
you." He felt ridiculous, feeling so attached to someone he barely knew and had
shot with an arrow at first glance. The Omega blamed the scent bond but, never
the less, he felt the connection.
  "I feel the irrational need to do stupid things to piss off your commander,
but I'll try," he mumbled.
  Yata snorted then stiffened as realization dawned on him. "I've got to train
with him soon! Dammit!" He tried sit up and gasped, pain shooting up his spine
as the Alpha's knot held them together.
  The Alpha tensed, pain shooting through him and he automatically pushed Yata
down and held him there forcibly. "Don't move," he hissed as the pain throbbed
through his system.
  "I'm sorry." Yata whimpered, pressing his lips apologetically to Fushimi's
collarbone.
  Fushimi shuddered over him, he next release rushed by the movement. "It’s ok,
and I'm sorry you’re going to be late, but I physically can't separate from
you." 
  "No shit..." Yata settled beneath and sighed helplessly. "At least this will
help with my heat." Training during his heats was awful, even with the herbs,
and most of the time Mikoto would just push him harder despite the pain. But he
never complained, it made him stronger.
  "You know; he is going to be pissed on two levels. One, you were late. Two,
you're going to reek of me after this." He kissed the male's forehead. The
thought of everyone knowing what they had done was oddly pleasing, it was like
claiming him without actually doing so.
  "Somehow… I can't bring myself to care." Yata said, smiling up at the Alpha,
his eyes sparkling at the truth behind the words.
  Fushimi gave a half smile. "So... Uh... What am I supposed to do while you
train? Coming with you seems like a really stupid idea."
  "Well you could stay here, but it'd look better if you came with me. You
could sit farther away, just don't get mad when Mikoto kicks my ass."
  Just the thought of that made Fushimi growl, "Not sure I can sit back. Do you
know how protective Alphas are? Especially while you smell like me."
  "Yeah… I know. You forget I’ve watched Mikoto around Totsuka for years." He
said, remembering the time someone one tried to hurt Totsuka. No one would envy
that death. "And Mikoto will beat my ass into the ground today."
  "...I'll try. But I won't be happy about it." He growled, "I certainly won't
be happy."
  "Are you sure you could handle that? He'll try to provoke you every second
you're there."
  The Alpha sighed, "I can handle jabs at me. It’s anything he throws at you
that will bug me. I guarantee I've been called worse than anything he can come
up with."
  Yata shook his head. "Mikoto doesn't call names. As soon as he figures out
what bothers you, he'll keep on until he gets the reaction he wants."
  "I'm a master at not giving people what they want..." he shuddered again with
another orgasm. "Tch. Whatever. If he thinks he can get me that easily..."
  Yata sighed. "If you think you're gonna do something stupid just walk away.
Unless he directly speaks to you. If you turn your back to him without being
dismissed, you'll be dead before your foot hits the ground." He made a face,
feeling very full as he shifted ever so slightly.
Fushimi nodded, "Am I allowed to look away and pointedly ignore him?" God he
was tired. He had to be close to being done, right?
  "Well... you can look away..." That was considered a display of submission.
"But you really should answer him or at least acknowledge he said something."
  Fushimi sighed, "Maybe he will opt to ignore my existence," he grumbled.
  "Hopefully…" Yata shifted again, anxious to get ready. If they hurried, he
could make it in time.
  "Stop moving please." Fushimi moved his hips to stay in position with the
movement.
  Yata groaned. "Hurry up. Why would anyone want to do this? It takes forever."
  "It probably quite nice to be this close without worrying about time. And I
can't. I have at least one or two more times to go and my body will give it up
when it can," he drolled tiredly.
  Yata whined, frustrated at being kept still for so long. "Next time, let's
wait until we go to bed."
        "Tch, I wasn't the one who instigated this."
  "I'm sorry! It was there and it was in my face and what else did you expect
me to do? "Yata puffed.
  "Hm, not kiss me. Not change my bandage. Walk away. Leave me in that hole to
die. Any way you look at it this is your fault."
  Yata blew a puff of air into his face. "I said that, asshole."
  "Well you asked me what else you could have done-" he shuddered, pausing to
see if he was done, only to realize they were still stuck. "For fucks sake."
"This is going to be messy…" He groaned, Fushimi's cock pulsing inside of him.
  Fushimi suddenly clenched above Yata, his body giving one last ditch effort
before he was finally finished, exhaustion taking over everything as he went
flaccid. "I'm.. pulling out now," he warned before carefully raising up.
  Yata made face, a sticky slime rolling over his thighs and buttocks as the
Alpha did so. "That's awful! Would you get and a towel?” he pointed to the
other section.
  The Alpha nodded, standing up to grab the woven cloth he assumed to be a
towel and came back over quickly, seeing his spend leak onto the bed beneath
Yata. "Here..." he lifted up the male's hips, sliding the towel beneath him and
cleaned his backside, smirking in slight amusement. As an Alpha, he was very
pleased to see so much of his spend in the Omega, though the sensible part of
him cringed.
  Yata whined, sitting up some and wrinkling his nose as more semen poured out
of him. Fushimi couldn’t help but laugh at the face, holding the towel in
place. "Sorry."
        "No! You’re not! Asshole!" Yata huffed, crossing his arms and pouting.
        "I am a little," Fushimi snorted, "the best thing is to probably get up
and walk around, it will flush out what is sliding down and isn’t up in there."
  "Ew, no that sounds even worse."
  "You're going to have to get up eventually, and that will make the process
faster. Training, remember?" Saruhiko didn't want to go, not in the slightest,
but Yata had to and he wanted to minimize the trouble the boy got into, if only
to minimize the chance of blowing up at Mikoto.
  "Shit." Yata pushed himself up, standing and causing more spend to run down
his legs. "Fuck! How much is there? "
  Fushimi grabbed the towel off the bed, wiping Yata's legs, "A lot
apparently."
  Yata shifted his weight, "Mikoto's gonna kill me, " he groaned, thankful the
Alpha was the one cleaning him up. “I can do that you know.”
  "Well, just know I'll die trying to avenge you." 
  Yata smiled softly. "You'd do that for me?" He teased, tugging a piece of the
Alpha's hair.
  "Well I am here wiping your ass for you," he said dully.
 Yata snorted and rolled his eyes. "I think it stopped."
  Fushimi removed the towel slowly, "You good?"
  The Omega nodded and took the towel, finding a clean spot and wiping off his
stomach where, thankfully, his shirt had been shoved up to his chest and
avoided getting dirty. He noted that he didn’t actually ejaculate, only leaked
precum, which he attributed to either the heat or the fact he was Omega. He
sighed, noticing that his back wasn't aching like it normally did during his
heat, not that it was a bad thing.
  Fushimi looked him up and down, his body satisfied and tired. He wasn't as
wired now, really he wanted to sleep, which never happened during his ruts.
Yata threw the towel into a corner of the room. He bent and grabbed his pants
from where they had been discarded on the floor, tugging them on hastily.
  The Alpha grabbed his own pants, pulling them on. "What other do's and don'ts
do I need to know besides the turning my back thing?"
  "Um… Just don’t be a dick really."
  "Tch... Right."
Chapter End Notes
     Notes from (the least tech-savvy fox ever) Jane: So, once again, it’s
     all my fault that the chapter is late, BUT NOT BECAUSE I DIDN’T GET
     IT EDITED IN TIME NOOOOOOO APPARENTLY I CAN’T EMAIL SHIT AND HAVE IT
     ACUTALLY SEND. ….. I hate my computer and I do believe the feeling is
     mutual. Anyways, I sent the email to Sola last night then went home
     (there is a significant lack of Internet at my house) because
     SOMEBODY CAN’T FOLD HER DAMN UNDERWEAR AND TALK TO HER BEST FRIEND AT
     THE SAME TIME. ANYWAYS, POOOOOOORRRRNNNN :D
     Notes from Sola: So Jane and I took a very different spin on ABO
     dynamics here, I know. But, to us, this is how we wanted to do it.
     Being animal people and knowing that Alphas have a knot, they would
     get stuck just like dogs, and it meant forced talking. Also know our
     sweet little virgins are doing it wrong, but when that will be
     apparent really depends... Let us know what you think on our spin on
     things as always! Also IT ISN'T MAY FAULT I HAD TO DO LAUNDRY. (And
     that Pokemon go has taken over my life.) Heads up, next chapter might
     be delayed, life events!
***** Chain of Command *****
Chapter Summary
     Yata gets his ass kicked, Totsuka plays Heda, and Niki is a dick. :
     ) A short, stubby limp one to.
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes
          The Alpha and Omega had barely arrived in time, earning a withering
look from the Commander. The muggy air was already making Yata’s clothes cling
to his body with sweat as he stood in the short line of the other nightbloods,
unpleasant and heavy in his lungs. He was the oldest and therefore went last
against Mikoto in nearly all training sessions. He could see Saruhiko out of
the corner of his eye, sitting well away from the few people milling about the
area.
          Fushimi tried his best to ignore what was going on, to ignore the
itch to attack Mikoto. Though he was sedated and satisfied, his senses were
still in overdrive and overly sensitive. He could smell Yata even from his seat
on a log on the edge of the training circle - or maybe the male's scent that
still clung to his skin. Still, watching each person go in turn agitated him
more and more. Every move the Commander made agitated him. How was he supposed
to sit back when Yata was up there?
          The goal for day was to land a hit on Mikoto, who thankfully was
going fairly easy on the younger children today, mostly because of the heat and
humidity. But as the Omega’s turn drew nearer, he couldn't help but feel
nervous for the first time in years. Mikoto kept glancing at him, no doubt
smelling Fushimi's scent on him. It was all he could do to smell anything but.
He waited as patiently as he could, hands clutching his stick behind his back
as he shuffled from foot to foot. He watched silently as another was dismissed
for the day, his stomach knotting as he counted only three more until his turn.
          Fushimi growled, every time Mikoto looked at Yata, his anger flared a
little more. He yanked up blades of grass, shredding it into the finest strands
he could before braiding the strands together in an effort to distract himself,
busying his hands without much help to his mind.
          When his turn came, Yata stepped up, carefully not meeting the
Commander's burning gaze, and Mikoto didn't hesitate, moving forward at
lightning speed to sweep Yata's feet out from under him. "You're too slow." He
growled, watching him. "Get up."
          Fushimi clenched, chanting to himself. Don't react, don't react,
don't react...
          The Omega sucked in a breath, pushing himself up to his feet and
immediately blocked another strike with his stick, barely catching himself as
he was forced back. With his heat temporarily sated, he wasn’t unbearably
sensitive but that didn’t mean the blows didn’t sting more so than usual. He
spun, trying to catch Mikoto across the leg but ended up missing when the Alpha
knocked his stick back, twisting his wrist painfully with the force of the
blow. Mikoto kept the momentum, striking Yata in the ribs in the same motion.
He certainly was not going easy on him. It was rare Mikoto that let his
emotions influence his actions during training, and it was obvious to the Omega
that the scent of his heat mixed with Fushimi’s was the reason for the
increased aggression.
          Mikoto attacked mercilessly, taking advantage of every flaw and
misstep as well as creating opening for himself. "I guarantee," he jabbed
Yata's shoulder and spinning the training stick to catch him on the hip, "When
we’re done, you’ll have far more bruises from me then him." He struck again,
keeping the boy on the defensive.
          Fushimi's nails bit into his palms, the urge to attack hot in his
veins as he tried to keep himself seated. He couldn't do this, couldn't sit
back. Just when he was sure he would intervene, Yata saw his opening and
struck, hitting Mikoto in the ribs. The motion was carried out successfully,
but it cost him. The Commander had already been in the middle of an attack and
despite his efforts, the Omega wasn’t able to dodge it completely. The tip of
the stick caught his cheek, slicing the skin there wide open.
          Leaping to his feet, Fushimi barely caught himself from going after
the other Alpha. And though he stopped the motion, he couldn't stop the growl
in his chest as he tried to reel in the protective Alpha side of him. Mikoto
stepped back, looking over at Fushimi challengingly with a hint of a smirk in
his golden eyes. The younger male tensed, a dose of cold fear running through
him.
          Don't, don't, don't, don't....
          Yata straightened, tensing as the two Alphas made eye contact and his
heart fluttered in momentary panic. He forced himself not to step between them,
instead he crossed his arms behind his back. He carefully cleared his throat,
before saying "Heda," in hopes to gain Mikoto’s attention and defuse the
situation.
          There was a calculating look shared between the two Alphas, all three
parties weighing the chances and odds. The other nightbloods who had lingered
watched intently, their eyes alight with interest. "Do you have a problem, Sky
Person?" The red head finally rumbled.

          Fushimi looked to the side, breaking the gaze before his blood boiled
over. "Tch..." Anything he said would be sarcastic and wouldn't end well, and
only Yata’s scent gave him second thought. He had made it out alive from the
torture and he would unfortunately have to play his cards carefully to escape
the town.
          With a held breath, Yata hoped Mikoto wouldn't take offense to that
response. It could go either way. Sure, Saruhiko hadn’t directly insulted or
opposed Mikoto, but he had refused a direct question as well. A simple no would
have been better and his stomach twisted for a moment.
          Mikoto let out a low growl and looked back to Yata, his expression
considering. "You’re dismissed."
          Yata sighed in blatant relief as the Commander walked by, thankful
that he'd let the training end early and that Fushimi hadn’t been slaughtered.
Since Totsuka had become pregnant, the Commander had spent more and more time
with him and very rarely left his side. But with the hot, muggy air today, the
healer had stayed in Mikoto's quarters and in the shade – no doubt in concern
for his own health. He placed his training stick on its stand beside the arena
after the Commander left before darting toward his scent mate. "Next time, say
'no, Heda." He hissed instantly, looking at Fushimi worriedly.
          "He's not my Commander," He stepped towards Yata, his eyebrows
knitting together as his gaze fell to the two-inch slash. "Are you ok?" The
blood slipping down his skin looked like tar, a black and inky substance that
appeared to have none of the usual red color. There was a flutter of panic as
his mind raced at the possibilities, was he sick?
          "He's your Commander while you're here," Yata corrected as he raised
his hand to the cut, finger tips catching the blood. "I'm fine. It's just a
scratch."
          "Why is it black? That's not healthy - or normal..." He looked
around, noticing a few of the nightbloods were lingering back to watch the two,
hostility practically oozing from them.
          Yata pulled his hand away, black staining the pads of his fingers as
he smeared his blood between them. "Huh? Yeah, its normal. Everyone that was
training here has it."
          "Blood shouldn't be that color," Fushimi began to search his memory,
"it has to be a deficiency or something... a pigment or disease…"
          Yata shook his head. "It's a sign, Saruhiko. Only those worthy of
leading as a Commander have it."
          Fushimi wanted to comment further, but one of the trainees walked by
at that moment and purposefully ran into him to shove the Alpha into Yata.
"Branwoda.1" The boy spat at them, sneering in their direction.
          Yata growled, grabbing the back of his shirt and yanking him to the
ground before Fushimi could act, using his weight to throw the boy off balance
and achieve that. He went for his throat, his mood pulling a one-hundred-
eighty-degree turn in less than a second as his temper flared wildly. His hands
wrapped around the man’s neck. "Take that back." He snarled as he dropped his
weight and planted his knee in the Alpha’s chest.
            "Oh, so now you won’t even speak your own language? Why would I
take back what is true?” He said, completely calm despite the Omega atop him.
“He isn't one of us; he is nothing but dead weight."

          Fushimi grabbed Yata's arm, yanking him off. "Let it go. I've been
called worse by more intelligent cockroaches." The others who’d been wearing
particularly hostile looks were gathering around them, and Fushimi had the
feeling that he would be on the losing end even if these were kids. He had seen
them fight and while Yata seemed more skilled, he doubted Yata was good enough
to take on four of them at the same time.
          The Omega growled again, refusing now to speak his native tongue. "He
may not be one of us, but he's better than you. " He let the Alpha go, standing
and pushing Fushimi back towards his home as he glared angrily at the others.
          A couple of the guys there blocking their path, eyes narrowed and on
Fushimi as they crossed their arms. "Stop protecting him, Yata. We don't want
to have to hurt you just because you think he is actually worth anything.”
          "The Commander said three days. So fuck off before he kicks your
asses too."
          One of the guys nodded, and the crowd of both trainees and the few
others that had gathered surged, each half grabbing onto the two and wrenching
them away from each other. "He said three days, but someone who is weak doesn't
fit in here." The leader lunged and punched Fushimi in the gut with a loud
snicker.
          Pain flared through the Alpha almost instantly, not only with the
blow, but the cuts and bruises on his torso as well. The others released him as
he doubled over, gasping for air when another strike came to the side of his
head, causing him to stumble and hit the ground on his knees.
          Yata twisted in the arms of his captors, snarling as he bit into the
one of the boy’s wrists, making him let go. The Omega was quick to round on the
other guy with his newly freed hand, punching him square in the jaw. He forced
his way to Fushimi, who had gotten back up and was fighting back as best as he
could, knocking the main Alpha away from him before he could hit Fushimi again.
The others backed up, seeming to wait for the leader’s retaliation.
          Fushimi clenched his jaw, fighting for breath as he forced himself to
stand straight. "You know; I find this quite amusing. You call methe weak one,
yet you won't speak up unless your Heda is absent and you have your friends to
defend you." he paused, forcing another pained breath into his lungs, "It
appears rather cowardly to me. And I can guarantee, you would never survive
where I come from."
          "The fuck did you say, sky boy?" He shoved Fushimi, earning another
snarl from Yata. "Your people left. Ran away with their tails between their
legs. They wouldn't survive here."
          Fushimi pushed back, fed up and losing his temper. “Would you like to
make a bet on that? By all means, when that man comes down here, have fun. He
killed his own people for fun, sent children to die for the hell of it, and
tortured me for shits and giggles. It will be fun to watch him eat you alive."
The people respected strength to the point of brutality, laying back with snide
remarks would not help him as it did on the ark. He was beginning to realize
that now, not that he could do much to fix it.
          The man snarled but didn't move to go after him again, something
Fushimi noted. “I’d watch yourself if I were you, sky boy. Whatever the hell it
was your leader did to you won't compare to what the Commander will do."
          "Really?" Fushimi scratched his arm, reopening a knife wound that
instantly began bleeding again. “Good, because I think I'm starting to enjoy
the pain."
          Yata's eyes widened but he held his tongue, unsure how to react.
There was something vile in Fushimi’s posture, something cruel unlike anything
he had ever seen. It sent a cold chill up his spine, and it had a similar
effect on the others as they began giving each other unsure looks.
          Fushimi sneered and adjusted his glasses, the light reflecting off of
them eerily to hide which way he was looking. "Are we done here? Or do you have
any more pathetic attempts to harm me?"
          The man curled his lips and took a step forward, shoving past him as
the crowd began to dispersed. "Watch your back, sky boy." His posse followed
close behind him, giving the two disgusted looks.
          Fushimi waited until they all had left before letting out a long
breath of air, slumping as he winced in pain. "Nice friends."
          "My friends didn't participate," Yata said almost numbly, watching
them go. After they had learned that Yata had scent bonded with Fushimi, they
had chosen to leave the Alpha alone and stay out of the politics. But it
bothered him that the other night bloods would… attack like that. They didn’t
know anythingabout Fushimi, and if they were that unaccepting… what would
happen if one of them became Heda?
          "Tch," Fushimi leaned back on his heels, wincing as he crossed his
arms. "They will never accept me."
          "They didn't kill you… or continue trying to fight. So that's
progress."
          Fushimi shook his head; no, it wasn't. It was just like the Ark - he
was the outcast. Either way, he was condemned by the majority of the people
around him. If he fought back, they would point to him as an excuse and say he
was a threat, and single him out in that manner. If he didn't... Well, it was
weakness. Human nature was to take advantage of weakness. Either way he was in
trouble.
          "Come on... let's go back." He took Fushimi’s hand, gently tugging
the Alpha back towards his home.
          "...And do what?" Fushimi clicked his tongue, suddenly irritable
about the whole thing. "Don't you have duties to do?"
          "No, not really. Tomorrow I do, though."
"Then teach me something I can actually use." He stopped, locking his legs as
he stopped moving. "Going back to your house isn't going to help."
          "Well, what do you want to know? " Yata asked, turning to face him.
          "Your language for one, but fighting, hunting, what to eat and what
to avoid. Politics, rules, norms, how to navigate and what threats there are.
Anything you can teach me."
          “Pick a place to start." Yata said, rolling his eye. It was a good
thing that Fushimi wanted to learn, even if his attitude was a little off about
it. Hopefully he would be good at something and prove his worth – it would make
Mikoto more willing to accept him.
          "Let’s start with how to survive." Fushimi sighed. If he was able to
run, he would need to know how to make it on his own before he did so.
          "Don't die," Yata smirked, "And be smart. Don't eat anything bright
colored unless you see something else eating it. Everything else I'll have to
show you. Like what kinds of plants are poisonous, like... well we don't have
any near here but there's a tree that has yellow sap that burns your skin.
Plus, if you burn it and breath in the smoke, it'll kill you."
          Fushimi nodded, "Bright colors are bad - simple enough. What about
water? What is safe? I was attacked by a large... Reptile thing, so deep water
is out."
          “It was probably an Adile. They are nasty sons-of-bitches. If you
have a fire, boil it of course, but mostly look for clear and moving water.
Don’t drink anything that’s just sitting there, or if you are unsure at all.
Rain water is the best, and some plants can be cut to get water from their
stems.”
          He sighed, absorbing all of the information just spit at him.
"Well... I guess we can go adventuring, if you're going to show me what plants
are no-nos."
          "No-nos?" Yata asked, turning and leading him in a different
direction.
          "Things I don't want to get into, and want to say no to." He snorted,
following. What kind of people had never heard of a no-no?
          "Oh. Well there are a lot of those, it’s probably easier to show you
what is good." Yata lead him around the village and into the woods.
          "Hod op!2"

          Fushimi cocked his head as the asshole who had beat the piss out of
him in the tent, Kusanagi, came running over. He cast a suspicious glance
between the two, switching to English for Saruhiko's sake. "Where are you
going?"
          "I'm going teach him what's dangerous and where things are." Yata
explained, trying to gauge what Kusanagi would do.
          "Have you asked Heda if it is ok for him to leave camp?" Kusanagi
asked pointedly, crossing his arms. “I was told to still consider him a
prisoner.”
          "No…” Mikoto still thought that? “I figured he would be busy with
Totsuka.”
          Kusanagi shook his head, "Then I can't let you leave. Heda is on
short enough terms when it comes to the boy, let alone if you were to take him
outside camp."
          "Well I’ll ask him then." Yata said obediently, looking up at the
blonde.
          "Tch."
          Kusanagi's gaze pulled over to Fushimi, who had crossed his arms. His
eyes narrowed slightly, taking on the defensive posture. "I would watch it if I
were you. Even an indirect attitude is still dangerous." He nodded to the
Omega, "Go ask."
          "Okay." He looked to Fushimi, considering for a moment. "You might
wanna wait here."
          Kusanagi nodded. "That’d be best.”
          Fushimi crossed his arms, moving to lean against a tree, its grey
bark rough against his arm. "Whatever."
          Kusanagi tilted his head, "I'll stay and watch ‘em."
          Yata nodded and headed off, jogging to the Commander's tent. He
trusted Kusanagi, more so than the others. He would respect the three-day
condition, and he understood what it was like to be an outsider. Once there he
paused, a little nervous as he called through the drape. "Heda?"
          "Enter," Came Mikoto's gruff voice, and the Omega wasted no time
entering the tent. The first thing he noticed was Totsuka, sprawled out on the
floor and playing with Durga's tail.
          "Hey Yata!" Totsuka grinned, stroking his hand through the fur of the
animal.
          Mikoto sighed, already looking irritable and frustrated. "What is
it?"
          "I wanted to teach Saruhiko what's dangerous and what's not out in
the forest around camp." He said, giving Totsuka a half smile before turning
his attention back to the Commander.
          "Huh," Mikoto looked over at his mate and pet, looking rather bored.
"No, he stays in camp."
          "No! It's a good thing he wants to learn! Let him go." Totsuka rolled
to meet Mikoto’s gaze, resting his head on Durga's hindquarters as the animal
wagged her tail.
          "He cannot be trusted. If he runs off to his people, he could give
them time to prepare for a strike."
          "What if Kusanagi went with us?" Yata suggested, hopping the idea
worked.
          The Commander looked like he was going to refuse again when Totsuka
interrupted whatever he was going to say. "I think it's a great idea! Then
Kusanagi could help him to! At least he's trying to fit in." The Omega
stretched, making it look like he was showing more than he already was as he
played with the long guard hairs on the animal’s coat behind him.
          Mikoto sighed, "Getting tired of this..." he grumbled. "I want him
back by sundown." He said, eyeing his mate. "and Kusanagi stays with you."
          Yata smiled, "Thank you, Heda."

          "Don't thank me. Thank him."

          Totsuka grinned, satisfied with the result. "Go on Yata."

          "Thank you!" Yata shot out the door, running back to Kusanagi and
Fushimi.
          Mikoto leaned back tiredly, "And now you’re dismissing for me. Do you
just wanna sit on the throne?"
          "No one would take me seriously. You have that 'I'd rather kill you
than look at you' look that makes your enemies bow before you, King." Totsuka
teased.
===============================================================================
 
          "He said you could go. But we have to be back by sundown and Kusanagi
has to go with us."
          Kusanagi folded his arms. "I am not a babysitter," he said, offended.
          "I'm sorry! I'm just the messenger; it was Totsuka’s idea."
          Fushimi clicked his tongue, "So you aren’t taking us."

          "Now, I never said that," Kusanagi sighed, though there were better
things to occupy himself with. “Unfortunately, if I don’t Totsuka will have my
head.”
          "Come on then! Before we run out of daylight!" Yata grabbed Fushimi’s
hand, heading for the woods.
Kusanagi and Fushimi both sighed, followed by a sharp tongue click on Fushimi's
part as the trailed behind the Omega. "I'm voting to have to have a talk with
Mikoto later." Kusanagi sighed.
          "Huh? What for?" Yata asked, leading them onto a path through the
trees.
          "For sticking me with you two," Kusanagi huffed.
===============================================================================
 
                Munakata sighed and leaned back; even with his eyes closed he
could see the charts swimming in front of his eyes. He was so tired, trying to
decide what the data meant. Of the ones who died… several showed signs of
reduced vital rates. He suspected they died because of illness or food. Some
had cut out rapidly after uneven rhythm… Those were more puzzling. Perhaps
suicide or predators? But then there was Fushimi, who just didn't make sense.
It was like…
                The bracelet had stopped reading.
                He sat up, of course. The obviousness of the solution
aggravated him, and it was a true wonder he hadn't thought of it sooner. Now,
if only he could understand the current information.
                This, this looked more like radiation poisoning. The mass of
the children showed drastically decreased vitals, some of which had cut out.
This somewhat sudden decrease over almost the entire group happened in less
than twenty-four hours. Why some were unaffected, like Sukuna, he didn't know,
but out of the current 89 living only 12 had normal vitals.
                He would wait until tomorrow's charts before he made any
assumptions, though if this continued he suspected the ground was unsuitable
for colonization, which opened a very large floodgate of problems.
                Niki had already casually suggested a culling of the people to
extend the lifetime of the Ark. Thankfully even Vladimir had objected the idea
and the motion had not passed, but Munakata did not know how long he could
count on his vote to remain against the culling - he was truly working against
far too many clocks.
                Munakata slowed his breathing, allowing himself some time to
doze as he worked through the problems presented. If it was radiation poisoning
that had afflicted the children, then the options were very limited. The
resources wouldn't last, not with the current population.
                He wasn't positive how long he sat like that, just barely on
the side of consciousness as he floated peacefully beside blissful unawareness.
What he did know, however, was the blaring sirens that awoke him, and eerie red
light filtering in from under the door. He stood, instantly alert as his radio
buzzed, Kamo’s voice filtering in. “Sir, the doors in section 5 have been
opened! We have the hall sealed but…. It’s bad.”
                “Hold your position Kamo, I will be there in a moment.”
                He left his room, wasting no time in heading for the section.
He lived in section 6, and the police headquarters were in Section 4; the
catastrophe had happened in his backyard.
                Several citizens had exited their rooms into the hall in fear.
“Please return to your place of residence until the situation is under
control.”
                It didn't take long for him to reach the gathering of police
outside the sealed doors, tablets already bringing up security footage. “What
happened?”
                “Sir… A suicide killer opened the hatch. Everyone in that
sector… is dead.” Akiyama said, disbelief on his face.
===============================================================================
 
                Niki stood solemnly at the microphone, his head bowed
respectfully as the anthem played for the victims who had passed. Of course,
Munakata could almost swear he saw a smirk adorned on Niki’s face. The
Chancellor had been watching him in that smug manner, and he knew to expect
something big.
                As the song ended, echoing off the walls in a way that
reverberated to raise goosebumps along Munakata's skin, Niki raised his head to
meet the crowd’s gaze.
                “Yesterday evening,” he began calmly, “We lost 315 people. They
were friends, family, our children, and our loved ones. Today we mourn the loss
of not only 315 lives, but 315 people who meant something to each and every one
of us.
                “What happened yesterday was something that should never have
been allowed to happen. The simple idea that something like this could have
happened…”
                “What are you going to do about it!” Someone in the crowd
shouted.
                It was a ripple effect, angry voices rippling across the
expanse of the ballroom. “These accidents keep happening!”
                “You have done nothing to help us! You’re a plague upon our
children!”
                Niki waited patiently for the outrage to quiet down before he
spoke up. “You are correct, all of you.” He said, shocking the crowd. “I have
failed as a Chancellor. The riots have not gone beyond my notice, and I know I
have not addressed them before. If I have in anyway seemed apathetic to our
trials, that is not the case. In truth, I have been troubled.
                “I allowed someone into my inner circle, and they have been
betraying me. They deface my name so that they may take my position, and allow
the crimes against us to occur without prevention. I did not want to believe
it, but the loss of 315 has forced me to admit it.”
                He paused.
                “Munakata Reisi, please step forward.”
                Munakata felt his blood freeze as he stepped forward, careful
to keep his expressions neutral. So this was his plan.
                “Reisi,” he said softly, “You have allowed this charade go for
too long, and in your blind climb for power you have allowed to many to get
hurt.
                “I believe it as unintentional, to be honest, as I know how the
people love you. Because of that I will pardon your neglect to the force.”
                He looked at the crowd as Munakata considered how Niki had
played his cards. He had appeared generous, while turning the blame from
himself. Clever, though Munakata knew it was not over.
                “I will take command of the police force in place of my dear
friend Reisi. I will prevent the occurrences from happening, and stop the hurt
that we have had to learn to cope with.
Munakata, I am sorry to say, but you are relieved of your position as Captain.”
Chapter End Notes
     1 Idiot/Foolish; It can also translate into ‘worthless’ in certain
     cases (Pretty sure we’ve used that one before)
     2 Hold up!
      
     From Sola
     Ok. So this massive gap is 100% my fault. And allow me to explain
     why.
     First and foremost, this fiction will not he done until it is
     complete. I promise! It is ALL written! It simply hasn't been put in
     a smooth format, and a few things need changed. I have a 170,00+ word
     document of raw unedited material. It will get done!
     Now, the near six month gap is my fault. In July, which was the last
     time we posted, I moved from Tennessee to Colorado. Jane and I went
     from being 10 minutes from each other to 16 hours, so we spent a lot
     of time just spending time together instead of worrying about the
     fic, which had been a running project for most of our senior year.
     Then came college. To sum it up, I didn't have the funds or
     scholarships to go, and it spiraled me into depression. This happened
     early August, and it lasted a couple months. I didn't want to write.
     I didn't want to edit. I didn't want to do anything but curl up and
     sulk.
     Then Jane and I had a fight. And that pretty well killed the last of
     September and most of October in terms of writing.
     Now? Now I have a job and am starting to get some inspiration back.
     But I owe that to no one other then you guys.
     This past couple weeks a few of you guys commented asking for
     updates, and I really want to thank you all for that. It is the
     comments that made me want to write again because if you guys are
     enjoying it, then I will work on it. Thank you, thank you for letting
     me know that even near six months of no word that some of you are
     still waiting. :) it means a lot, and you guys are amazing.
     <3
***** Humble Beginnings *****
Chapter Summary
     Butterflies and death~
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes
             The earliest memories I have are of the fires.
             I came from Sankru, or the desert tribes. Of course, life was hard
but we were a harder people, and unfortunately easy to target. The sands were
unforgiving, a harsh sun that beats you down with the dust storms that buried
you alive. The villages were, and still are, few and far between, centered
around the life giving oases. Our enemies, the Ingranrona, knew that all too
well.
            During Kugutsu’s reign, who was the Heda before Mikoto, the nations
were all at war. This was where my story begins.
            The smoke burned worse than the heat from the flames, forcing my
chest to contract painfully as the rancid tar assaulted me. I didn’t dare move
from the bush concealing me, father had strictly instructed me not to. If I
disobeyed, he always made me clean everybody’s weapons. I despised it, I could
never get all the sand out of the cracks.
            Stay in the bush Izumo, and don’t come out until I come for you!
And stay quiet!
            I held in my coughs, reminding myself not to make a sound as
footsteps approached my hiding place. Curiosity got the better of me and I
dared peek out, a creature unlike anything I had seen walking my direction. It
looked almost like a camel, but not nearly as ugly. It had a thicker neck, with
a broad, flat back and a smooth nose. Its pelt was the color of the sand, with
a creamy mane that waved lightly in the wind. It looked at me, snorting and
bobbing its head.
            “What is it girl?”
            I shrank further down; that voice wasn’t my father’s, nor was it
anyone else from the village. The words were the same, but pronounced funny. It
was supposed to be ‘Whats’it girl?’
            I could only watch in fear as a pair of feet appeared, the animal
turning to look as a man walked beside her. My chest gave a painful squeeze as
I stayed low, tears forming from swallowing down my coughs. “Wha- ah damn it.
What are you doing in there kid?”
            He crouched down, letting me get a good view of him. Reddish hair
covered his face in a large beard. I held my breath fearfully for a moment, he
was nothing like the people in my village. He wore a hot looking greenish mesh,
and shoes that covered his entire feet rather than the flat sandals I was used
to.
            When I did start to reply, no words escaped my throat, only a
horrendous, choked cough as my lung fought to rid themselves of the smoke. The
tears I had in my eyes slipped free as the man pat my back to help me, my
entire frame shaking from the forces of the spasms.
            His eyes grew sad as he watched me, glancing over his shoulder.
“What your name, kid?”
            “Kusanagi… Kusanagi Izumo…” I wheezed. “Where’s father? Who’re
you?”
            He sighed. “The Plains Riders destroyed your village, Kusanagi. And
from now and, you can call me Master.”
===============================================================================
 
            Fushimi sighed as they headed into the woods, lush greenery
engulfing them after a couple minutes of walking on the well beaten trail. He
looked around, trying to memorize every detail, a difficult task when
everything looked the same to him. Trees towered over him, their boughs
stretching up to the sky.  It made the Alpha feel insignificant, being
surrounded by such massive living structures. He could stand for a few to be
cut down. Ferns and low light brush littered the floor, and while Kusanagi and
Yata seemed to have no problems navigating, he kept tripping over jutting roots
and snagging his pants on bushes.
            "I'm sorry," Yata repeated for the umpteenth time as Kusanagi
walked with them. “I didn’t mean for you to get stuck with us.”
            "Tch," Fushimi felt agitated at being ignored ever since this
little trip had begun, even if he hadn't said anything and only looked at
foreign plants. "Any of this important?"
            "Any of what?" Yata asked, pausing to let Kusanagi pass him so he
could walk next to Fushimi.
            "These plants, your bickering, tch. Does anything matter?" He
snapped,  even more agitated now.
            "Well yeah, since you asked about the plants and stuff."
            Fushimi rolled his eyes, exasperated. "Not what I meant, idiot. You
aren't explaining what anything is, which I thought was the point. Does
Kusanagi even have any sway with Mikoto? I can't pick up through osmosis.”
            "What's osmosis?" Yata asked, his gaze falling on Kusanagi's back
as the beta walked further ahead of them, though he had a feeling the older man
was listening to them with a careful ear. "And yes, he does. Kusanagi is the
leader of Trikru." Seemingly randomly, the omega bent, snatching a small, fern-
like plant up with the dirt. A root system similar to a web came with it, the
thin spider-like strands clinging to the dirt around them in a tangled mess.
Yata shook the dirt off as best he could before handing it to Fushimi, who
looked a little grossed out by the soil. "If you chew the roots up, it'll cure
a stomach ache. I don't know what it's called, Totsuka just shows us what to
look for."
            "Osmosis is the spontaneous net movement of solvent molecules
through a semi-permeable membrane into a region of higher solute concentration,
in the direction that tends to equalize the solute concentrations on the two
sides." He said, taking the plant and inspecting it closely, committing it to
memory after shaking off  more dirt.
"Huh?" Yata blinked, thoroughly confused by the definition.
            "I can't take in the information you know without some sort of
effort put into communication." Fushimi simplified.
            Kusanagi tilted his head, glancing back at the two. "You use a lot
of speech that isn't required."            
            "You use so little it makes me question your intelligence."
            Yata snorted, holding back a laugh at the affronted expression
Kusanagi tossed over his shoulder at the Alpha.            
            The blonde shook his head as he turned back. "Your audacity makes
me question yours."
            Fushimi narrowed his eyes, obviously offended by the words. "Tch.
What was else besides the stomach plant?"
            "Um.." He opened his mouth the closed it as a florescent blue
butterfly flitted across their path, brushing Kusanagi's hair with its wings
before fluttering back to the Alpha and Omega and landed on Yata's forehead,
opening and closing its wings in a black and blue display.
            Fushimi made a face, "That is a very stupid creature."
            "No, it’s not!" Yata jumped to the insect’s defense as it crawled
on his nose, flaring its wings to block his view every few seconds.
            "It obviously is," he reached out, plucking the bug up by its wing.
It fluttered and struggled, trying to get away, and he grabbed onto it’s body,
releasing its wing to let it flap helplessly against his fingers.
            "Hey! Let it go!" Yata grabbed the Alpha's hand, forcing him to
release the insect. It flew up before it flapped its wings in Saruhiko's face
in retaliation before fluttering off into the forest.            
             Kusanagi glanced back, disapproving. "You shouldn't be cruel to
things simply because you find them useless."
            "Says the man who beat me to the ground for no reason," Fushimi
said sarcastically. "Tch, that is all the useless are. Prey for bigger
creatures."
            The Beta didn't respond as more butterflies filled the air around
them, disturbed from their resting places by the humans only to land back on
trees and flowers as they passed. "At least they don't have orange dots. Those
would bite you and your insides would melt." Yata said, holding his hand out as
one landed on him.
            Fushimi flicked one off his shoulder. "Orange is bad. Got it." He
mumbled, mildly irritated that these things would dare touch him.
            "Quit being mean to them!" Yata huffed, "You're such an asshole."
            He shook one out of his hair. "It’s not like they matter."
            "No but still."            
            "Predators don't like the moss hanging above our heads." Kusanagi
interrupted, indicating the faintly glowing moss that clung to the trees and
dangled from its limbs. Fushimi would have to learn something, or Mikoto would
chew him out.
            "Why not?" Fushimi asked, looking up and ignoring Yata’s last
comment.
            "Not really sure. We just ne’er see them in areas where it grows.
They will chase prey beneath it, but won’t linger."
            Fushimi cocked his head, thinking. "Do prey animals come beneath it
though?"
            "Yes." Kusanagi answered. "But usually only small ones and the very
occasional larger one."
            "Hmm, it would be worth testing." He mumbled to himself, intrigued.
            Sighing, Yata rubbed at the remnants of the blood that still
stained his cheek. His stomach was starting to cramp again, worse the time
before he and Saruhiko had had sex, meaning his heat was coming in full swing,
the pheromones rapidly building.
===============================================================================
 
            I stood behind my master, my gaze locked respectfully on the ground
at my feet. We were meeting with people who seemed to know my master, but who I
had never met. They never addressed him by name, something that I had always
wondered about. We had traveled far and wide, village to village for the last
several years, but this was the first time he had taken me to Polis.
            The city was massive and I was itching to explore its winding
paths, numerous sellers and bustling crowds of people. Of course, I couldn’t
until I was given permission. Unfortunately, I was bid to stay quiet and stay
put for now with the promise I would have my time later.
            I didn’t know that because of his strict training and this trip to
Polis, I would meet the most influential person in my life.
            “I didn’t expect you to live this long.”
            The deep, gravelly voice made the hairs on the back of my neck rise
as the scent of an Alpha wrapped around me, matching the newcomer’s pitch. My
master laughed, seemingly unfazed. “And you, Kagutsu. I see the assassins
haven’t killed you yet.”
            He grunted, and I dared a look up at the person we called
Commander, only to find his gaze firmly on me. I felt my cheeks heat up,
knowing I had been caught and I quickly lowered my gaze down to my boots,
unwilling to invoke the Alpha’s anger. “Heda.” I said, my tone respectful and
low.
            “Where did this kid come from? Did you have a one nighter go
sideways?”
            “He is from a Sankru village. It was burned down some years ago,
and he has made quite the pupil since.”
            “What is your name?”
            “Kusanagi, Heda.”
            “Look at me when I talk to you.” He barked, forcing my eyes up to
meet his piercing ones.
            “Kusanagi, Heda.” I repeated, the words shakier than I would have
liked.
            “That’s better, you actually look like your halfway to being a man
now.”
            I decided to take the comment as a complement. His gaze fell away
from me and back to my master. “So, you gonna help me with the nightbloods
now?”
===============================================================================
           Kusanagi glanced back over his shoulder, studying the Alpha as he
seemed to pay no mind to the Omega brushing against his arm. "How is it you two
are in control of yourselves?"
            The Alpha cocked his head, "What do you mean?" Sure they had lost
control earlier, and yes he wanted more than anything to pushed Yata to the
ground again, but instinct and urges didn't rule you. Why would he act like
that?
            "Most Alpha's would be all over him right now. The scent
suppressants don't cover everything." He gave them a pointed look, well aware
of their morning activity. Yata blushed, looking down and kicking a few twigs
in embarrassment.
            Fushimi shrugged, "When I was little... some doctors said I had a
neurological disorder. It's like my brain doesn't process my body correctly.
Pain doesn't particularly affect me, it hurts yes, but my mind thinks over that
and I am not consumed by the feeling. I guess it is the same for my rut - my
head processes over it." It didn't bother him that anyone knew they had sex, it
wasn't something he felt ashamed of. "It isn't until that is the only thing I
have to focus on that it becomes unbearable."
            "Hmm, interesting." The Beta kept walking without looking back
again. He paused his stride briefly, before pointing light colored tree. "The
bark of that tree is used in the salve that treats burns. But not directly. You
have to soak it first then use the water, and thicken it with the crushed
leaves of another plant." He knew because the Commander's favorite punishment
was burning, so Totsuka was making the medicine often.
            Fushimi itched the burn he had opened earlier absently. "Uh huh."
he mumbled, looking over at Yata. He looked like he was in pain, his face
strained. "Hey, are you ok?"
            "Yeah I'm fine." The smaller male answered, feeling tired and
uncomfortable. His skin was becoming more sensitive to touch, every time he
brushed against Fushimi chills ran up his spine and his mind begged for more
contact to ease the pain.            
            Kusanagi looked over his shoulder, seeing the situation. "We’ll
start making our way back." The Alpha may not be in tune with his rut, but Yata
certainly was with his heat.
            Fushimi shrugged, "Whatever." He clicked his tongue, when had
Yata's scent become so strong? It swarmed his brain, fogging his thoughts. He
shook his head. "So what else?" He asked as they walked towards camp.
            "The safest place from things out to kill you is the trees if you
can't get to a place with moss to hide… just make sure nothing is in the tree
before you climb it." Kusanagi said, turning on a path that was almost parallel
to the one they had been on, the quickest way back to the village.            
            The Omega remained uncharacteristically silent, intentionally
brushing against Fushimi every other step.
             Fire sizzled from the contact, and he tried to ignore how close
Yata was. If he could keep Kusanagi talking... "Ok, so climb a tree. What about
like, the orange butterflies? How do you get away from those?"
            "You don't. But they don't bite unless you try what you did with
the harmless one." He said in all seriousness. “Don’t swat at them.”
           
             Yata took deep breaths, tilting his head ever so slightly to hunt
for Fushimi's scent. Damning the scent suppressants, he moved closer to
practically press against Fushimi. The scent was still there just muted, and
that made him feel irritable.
            The taller adolesent was able to focus on that. "Isn't that banking
on luck? Why can't you smack and kill it?"
            "Because they are docile until you piss them off." Kusanagi
explained and looked back, picking up his pace by lengthening his stride. At
this rate Yata wouldn’t last.
            Fushimi followed suit. Did Yata have to stand so close? Didn't he
know that made it worse? "Uh huh."
            "And yes. You can kill one, but after you do the others will
swarm."            
             Yata let out a soft, barely there whine as he was forced to move
faster. The friction of his clothes moving against his skin was becoming
unbearable.
            "Fun." Fushimi's breathing hitched, desire hitting him hard as they
fell silent. So strong it hurt, and his mind was so focused in this new
development he wasn't sure how to distract himself.
===============================================================================
 
            “Who are you, kid?”
            I turned around from where I had been practicing a few basic
stances, practicing shoot arrows from various angles and positions. A young,
red haired boy was watching me with his piercing amber gaze, hostility plain.
“Kid? I’m fifteen. What are ya, twelve?”
            “Thirteen,” he grunted defensively, eyeing me. “Why are you hanging
around the nightblood training area? You aren’t one of us. Hoping to catch a
glimpse of a real warrior?”
            I shrugged, “I hope you don’t mean yourself. My master told me to
train here while he talked with the Heda. My name is Kusanagi.”
            “Mikoto.”
            “Nice to meet you.” I turned away.
            He watched me shortly. “Wanna fight?”
            After a brief argument about whether or not we would get into
trouble and if it was worth it, we ended up testing each other’s skills until
the sun sank and dawn settled in, even after I was released to explore. We both
learned the other pretty quickly, finding that we were evenly matched at the
time. We taught each other new tricks and skills, promising to use them to
catch our opponents off guard.
            We spent that night together, learning more and more about each
other. He showed me the heat houses, something I enjoyed a little too much. We
chit chatted as we ate and recovered, exhausted but happy. Three more days went
by like this, before I once again had to leave with my Master. I wondered if I
would see my friend again soon.
===============================================================================
 
            The sounds of the camp were quiet as they approached, growing
louder as they got closer. "Take him straight home." Kusanagi said, sighing in
relief when he saw people milling about through the trees. He didn’t want to
babysit the two while they went at it like rabbits.
            Fushimi wasn't sure which one of them Kusanagi was talking to, but
he didn't care. His mind was set and all he could hear, taste, and smell was
Yata.
            Kusanagi glanced back, searching for Saruhiko's gaze when he didn't
answer. "Did you hear me?" They were just outside the village now.
            The truth was, he didn't. His gaze was locked on Yata's neck, heat
curling south to change into desire. He smelled so good, so perfect, he
wanted... Everything. He wanted to be deep inside of him, he wanted to bite, to
hear the sounds Yata made. It was overwhelming.
            The Beta searched for a way to get the Alpha's mind off Yata and
found none. He knew better than to get between an A lpha in rut and the thing
he wanted, Mikoto and he had fought enough. So instead he did the only thing he
thought had even a remote chance of working, distract the Omega.            
          "Misaki."            
           "Hey don't fucking call me that." Yata snapped, growling as he broke
away from Fushimi and his intoxicating scent. "You know I hate being called
that!"
            Was it wrong to take advantage of a reflexive habit? Probably, but
it worked.
            Fushimi blinked, shaking his head as the outburst gave the
distraction he needed and his thoughts cleared. Fuck, he never had this much
trouble in rut. Yes, it should be peaking right now, but wasn't the sex
supposed to have lessened it? "Misaki...?" he said slowly, confused.
            The Omega's cheeks turned bright red. "That's my second name." He
mumbled, glaring at Kusanagi who held his hands up.            
            "I had to do something to distract you two without getting killed
in the process."
            Fushimi cocked his head, had he been that locked in? He hadn't
thought so. "Well it is only fair, Misaki, I deserve to know those things."
            Yata turned his glare to the Alpha. "Don't call me that! I didn't
tell you ‘cause I hate that name."
            "Tch, I like the way it sounds though, Mi~Sa~Ki~." He drawled,
emphasizing each syllable.            
             Kusanagi sighed, suddenly regretting his decision. He should have
just let them have sex on the ground. They wouldn’t be the first.
            "Fucking asshole." Yata huffed as they resumed walking.
            Once out of the trees, Kusanagi broke off, headed to Mikoto's
dwelling. "You two go around, I don't want you to start any fights." He called
over his shoulder. Every Alpha would have their eyes on Yata in this state.
           
            "We will." Yata said, his tone still aggravated.
            Fushimi smiled, liking the way the red stained Yata's face, and how
he puffed up when he was mad. "Tch, it's just a name."
            "It's a girl’s name." Yata grumbled, then winced as pain shot
through him. His heat had caught up with him again and was making its presence
known. Distraction was only that, distraction and not a fix.
            The smell was so strong it was beginning to hurt, his own
pheromones responding in turn and fueling his need. "Ah... Um..." focus. "Kinda
fitting, since you're an Omega."
            "No its not! Just because I'm an Omega doesn't mean I'm girly!"
Yata exclaimed as they reached his home. He pushed the door open roughly, as if
it had been the one to offend him.
            "Don't take it out on the door..." Fushimi grumbled, his gaze
falling firmly on Yata's ass as he trailed behind them. He was already warm and
with the pheromone cocktail swirling between them, he couldn't pry his eyes
off.
            "Would rather me take it out on you?" Yata half turned, catching
Fushimi staring at him. "Hey, asshole! Don't stare at my ass!"
            Fushimi's gaze slowly trailed up to Yata's eyes, something
completely predatory in it and making the Omega’s breath catch in his throat.
He stalked forward, pushing Yata up against a bare wall. "Maybe I do want you
to take it out on me." he growled.
===============================================================================
 
            It was about a year after meeting Mikoto that my Master began his
coughing spells, and we went to Trikru, the last place he would ever  take me.
            He never complained about the coughing spells, he preferred to
avoid talking about them. When I asked if he was okay, he always brushed off my
concern saying a cough never killed anyone. So I stopped asking, only listening
to his coughing all through the night.
             The leader of Trikru knew my Master, like everybody else, and
after a short introduction I was allowed to go on my way. I was shocked, I had
never been allowed to just go. I didn’t talk to anyone, sensing something was
wrong and keeping to myself. At some point a kid, an Omega who had barely
presented, started following me around and fighting for my attention. Totsuka
was a cute kid, harmless, and I let him hang around. He was nice to talk to and
he helped me through my troubles.
            After staying there for a full moon cycle, I was woken in the
middle of the night to my master summoning for me.
            When I entered, he lay in bed, pale and exhausted looking, but his
eyes as caring as they had always been. “Izumo, come, sit with me.”
            I obeyed, confused. He had never called me Izumo before.
            “Izumo… I am dying. It is something that happens to us all as you
know, and I wanted to tell you that the years you traveled with me gave me
purpose. Thank you.”
            I swallowed the emotion building in my throat. “You saved my life
master. It is I who should thank you.”
            “Regardless, Izumo, the leader here and I are good friends. I have
made a request and with my passing… should you want it… you will be his second,
and eventually be the leader of Trikru.”
            I gaped, speechless. “It would be an honor…”
            “That is what I hoped to hear…” He broke off into a coughing fit,
anything else lost.
            I helped him through it as best I could, and when he was able to
speak again, he wheezed as he talked. “You have been the best pupil I could
have asked for Izumo, you never questioned my methods. And for that, I will
answer any questions you have.”
            Dozens came to mind, from why he made me burry a bee I had killed
when I was younger to why we couldn’t have stayed in Polis longer. So many came
to mind, but all of them felt wrong to ask while he was on his deathbed.
            “…Master, I only wish to know one thing. What is your name?”
            He gave a wistful smile. “That is a word I have never spoken to
anyone currently alive. Come here, my pupil, and I will tell you.”
            The name he whispered in my ear is one I will never forget, and one
I will take with me to the grave.
            “Can you do this old nomad a favor? Stay in this hut with me, keep
me company.”
            “Of course, Master.”
            It was another week. A week of restless nights listening to him
cough and wheeze through the night.
            One morning I woke, with a smile on my face and a stretch in
progress. I had slept peacefully for the first time in a while, and dreamt of
leading Trikru to defeating Azgeda and keeping all future generations safe. I
stood quietly, looking over only for the smile on my face to die.
            He hadn’t coughed all night.
            It’s odd, how you can miss a sound that once caused you
restlessness can become something you crave most. A sound that lets you know
that the person you care for is still there. Is still alive and by your side.
            I built his pyre alone, carefully placing each log before I placed
his body on top. The leader was there, and Totsuka stood by my side
supportively as I watched the flames consume the man who had raised me.
            I swallowed the tears; he would not wish me to cry. He was strong,
and I too would be strong and carry his spirit in my heart.
            The leader said the words I couldn’t. “Yu gonplei ste odon, Mebi
oso na hit choda op nodotaim.” He couldn’t have said it better.
            Your fight is over, may we meet again.
Chapter End Notes
     Notes From Sola: T.T I’M SORRY FOR THE PAIN. I COME BACK AND INFLICT
     PAIN. To be fair, Jane was supposed to write Kusanagi’s past so it’s
     her fault for giving it to me. T.T
     Notes from Jane: SWEET MOTHER TERESA ON THE HOOD OF A MERCEDES BENZ
     THAT WAS SAD IM SORRY SHE DID THAT MY GOD
     Also, did you like the change of pace? The different point of view?
     Let us know! We are working on getting more (if not regular) updates
     going. ;)
***** Bonded *****
Chapter Summary
     “Mommy, why does Misaki keep making those noises?”
     “Just go to sleep honey.”
Chapter Notes
     It is officially 12:12 on 2/14! Happy Valentines Day!
See the end of the chapter for more notes
            The fabric of Yata’s pants rubbed at his skin, enticing a shudder
from the Omega as he was pressed firmly to the wooden wall. He tilted his head
back, pliant and willing with the others scent in his nose, his mouth watering.
Fushimi leaned down, biting his jaw before working his way up to his ear. "Bite
me this time." The Alpha said lowly, pushing his body up against Yata’s more
forcefully.
            "But..." Yata took in a sharp breath, feeling just how hard the
other already was.
            "But nothing," he rolled his hips against the Omega’s - even the
clothed friction was sizzling through him.
            Yata whined, pushing Fushimi back to grasp at the hem of his shirt,
pulling it up and over his head. As more and more skin showed, Saruhiko looked
his torso up and down, his mouth practically watering at the sight of his
sinewy build. He didn't move, drinking in the sight as his mind blanked,
tracing each tattoo pattern curling around his ribs and chest.
            The Omega's hands moved to Fushimi's pants, only to fumble with the
unfamiliar fastening. "How do you...?"
            Fushimi smirked teasingly, before tugging his own shirt off. "The
metal button goes through the hole, and you pull the zipper down." He did as he
had said, undoing it for Yata quickly.
            "Tying it is so much easier though..." Yata huffed indignantly,
watching how the Alpha undid his pants.
            "No it's not," He redid the fastening and undid them once more.
            "Quit that and just take them off!" Yata groaned, shoving at the
waist band of the Alpha's pants.
            The taller male let them fall to the floor, leaning forward to
nibble Yata's ear as his cock brushed against Yata’s thigh. He pressed his
mouth closer, letting a purr escape his lips. "Misaki.”
            Yata moaned, his voice breathy as his hands fell to Fushimi's hips,
his thumbs settling on the peaks in the bone. That name… it sounded delicious
in this setting and made him crave every touch more. "Stop making me wait..."
He begged breathlessly, turning his head to nip the Alpha's throat in an act of
instinct.
            He instantly obeyed, not wanting to wait himself, and hooked his
fingers in Yata's pants to push them down, the clothing settling in the
gathering pile at their ankles. They kicked the material aside, the pieces
landing scattered across the floor. "Bite me Yata. In all seriousness." he
nuzzled his neck. "Maybe... It will make me feel like I have a reason to live."
            Yata frowned, considering what Fushimi had said as the words pinged
against his Omega nature. He kissed the Alpha's shoulder sweetly, making his
decision in hopes of reciprocation. "Alright..." The word rode out on a breath,
whispered.
            He kissed Yata's neck, the answer loud to him in the still air as
his heart picked up. "Now, do I have to take the time to make it to the bed or
can I fuck you against the wall?" The latter sounded pretty fun.
            "I think the bed would be better…" Yata whined, shivering slightly
at the feel of Fushimi's lips so close to his scent gland. Maybe he should let
him.. no. He doubted splinters in his ass would make for a pleasant night..
Yes, maybe when he bit him the Alpha’s instincts would take over and he could
feel what Totsuka did.
            Fushimi grumbled, disappointed. "Of course you would say that.” He
then picked Yata up, placing the smaller male's thighs around his waist. He
carried him to the bed, nipping and sucking and his neck as he moved. Yata
protested, squirming before settling. "I could I have walked!" He clung to the
Alpha with his arms draped around his neck.
            "Maybe," He set his Omega down quickly, silencing any protest with
a kiss. He pushed him back on the furs, settling between his thighs.
            The boy relaxed into the kiss, lifting his legs up impatiently as
the sharp pain in his back reminded him of his predicament. He felt overheated,
his body begging for more contact with the Alpha, practically begging him to
hurry up and knot him.
            Once again Fushimi lined up, but pushed in slowly in an effort to
try his best not to rush as he had their first time. God he felt amazing… warm,
wet and tight. It frenzied his senses, feeding his drive and making his resolve
weaken.
            "Saruhiko… don't be gentle," Misaki almost begged, his walls
stretching easily to accommodate the Alpha’s size. This heat was demanding to
be satisfied and gentleness would get him nowhere. His breath came in a more
ragged pattern, his heart fluttering in his chest as the demand to be joined
with his Alpha was being recognized.
            Fushimi growled, teeth closing on Yata's ear before he thrusted
roughly, burying himself in deep. The time for talk was over, and he picked up
speed, every thrust driving into the male beneath him hard enough to shift him
up on the bed. The Omega’s hands came up, gripping his shoulders in a desperate
attempt find some sort of stability. He panted, lifting his hips up to try and
meet Fushimi's thrusts as each one rubbed over a spot deep inside him that had
him writhing, drawing low groans from between his teeth.
            The Alpha growled in warning before he was changing the angle, the
power and speed never wavering. In the heat of rut, pheromones took over and
gave him the drive he needed to impregnate as many Omegas as he came in contact
with, but he only needed one. And that one reached up, cupping the back of
Fushimi's head to pull him down in an eager kiss. He connected their lips
clumsily, his teeth bumping into his mate’s. Fushimi met the kiss passionately,
heat sparking between them in the sloppy grazes of teeth and tongue they
exchanged. The pace rapidly slowed, the knot forming and forcing him to slow
his thrusts so he didn’t hurt the smaller male.
            Yata pulled away from the kiss to brush his lips along Fushimi's
jawline and down to where his pulse beat frantically just beneath the skin. He
winced, the Alpha's knot pulling free of him before being forcefully pushed
back in. While it did hurt, the pain wasn't entirely unwelcome, it made his
walls constrict around the member assaulting them that much more, desperate to
hold Fushimi in place. The Alpha pushed his nose into his partner’s hair,
forcing himself with a few more thrusts before he felt the male below him
convulse and gave one final push, burying himself deep inside before he was
held in place by the tightened muscles.
            The Omega hesitated only a second before he bit, his release making
him clamp down on the sensitive skin and grip Fushimi's shoulders even tighter.
The taste of iron filled his mouth, along with a taste that was so purely
Fushimithat he felt like he was drowning in it.
The male above him tensed, his orgasm rocking through his body hard enough for
him to see stars. He gasped, the urge to bite Yata in return filling him… but
he withheld. He didn't feel any other immediate effects, other than the
forcefulness of his orgasm and desire to bite.
            Yata sighed against the skin, panting desperately despite his
unwillingness to let go of Fushimi. He kept his teeth firmly in his skin, his
tongue flicking out to lick the flesh between the places his teeth had sunken
into his tender pulse. The texture of the furs beneath him became more
prominent, whereas before he had felt nothing but the Alpha above him,
signaling his body’s satisfaction.
            There was an odd stirring in his chest, and Fushimi groaned as the
tingling spread and settled into every part of his body. He curled his body
around his Omega, caging him in his arms with the urge to maintain contact
running strong as Misaki’s scent permeated his senses. He knew his own scent
would change, and he would feel the need to... well... only be Yata's. Usually,
it was the Alpha who bound the Omega to them, often in a case of rape, so that
the Omega was dependent and tied to them forever. Fushimi wondered how it would
affect him, being tied to the weaker sex.
            A soft whine begged Fushimi without words to make the bond complete
and mutual. It almost physically hurt to know Fushimi didn't want to finish the
binding and that instinct hadn’t won. Even with just the scent bond he was sure
that he wouldn't want to live without him if something were to happen, and he
wanted the security of knowing Saruhiko felt the same.
            "No," Fushimi muttered as his body tensed again, letting another
wave of his seed fill the smaller male. He wouldn't drag Yata down like that.
"...No..." He relaxed atop Misaki, his weight pressing down on him. He closed
his eyes, drinking in the feel and warmth as his nerves settled.
             Yata continued holding on until finally, he released Fushimi,
gently pulling his teeth from his skin. His tongue flicked out, smoothing over
the edges of the wound and causing the boy to shiver above him, though not from
another ejaculation. “I belong to you now."
            He swallowed thickly, wishing he knew what Fushimi felt like in
that moment. Was that good? Bad? "I love you… " He murmured, unable to let
silence over take them before pressing his lips to the space between the
crescent shaped marks.
            Fushimi didn't reply, exposing himself like that felt... he nuzzled
Yata's hair, terrified and unsure as new emotions began forming. He closed his
eyes, sighing as he let his body go through its processes. The Omega only
leaned his head against Fushimi's, taking in his comforting scent. It wasn't as
overwhelming now, more soothing and bringing a sense of peacefulness over the
crestfallen boy. It upset him slightly that Fushimi didn't return his feelings,
especially in a moment like this...
            The Alpha sighed, "This getting stuck thing sucks." He mumbled,
trying to turn the conversation away from emotion as it began feeding to him.
            "Yeah..." Yata shifted underneath him and looked away.
            He fell silent, not really sure what to say to the smaller male so
he stayed quiet. He closed his eyes, resting while he waited. The boy shifted
again, trying to get comfortable. He sighed, confused about what exactly he
should be feeling in this situation. "Don't be so quiet..."
            Fushimi moved to take off a large portion of his weight. "Tch, what
do you want me to say?"
            "Something… Don't just sit there and make me feel bad..."
            "How am I making you feel bad?" He pulled up to look at the male,
"I'm just waiting to finish."
            "Well… I don't know if I hurt you or... anything." He wiggled some
then winced, falling still again. "Just don't be quiet."
            "Tch, it's going to take more than a bite to hurt me." He grumbled.
"I just don't have anything to say."
            "But... don't you feel different now? Your scents starting to
change..." Yata said, every breath taking in more of the Alpha's scent. It
didn't change exactly… only some new element seemed to be added on top but he
couldn't exactly tell what it was.
            "As of right now, I don't feel any different." He lied, "Other than
wanting to sleep."
            Yata whined, his gaze falling to the fresh bite mark. "I'm
sorry..."
            "Sorry for what?"
            "I dunno. I just felt like it needed to be said. " He reached up,
touching the aggravated flesh surrounding the wound. Could a bond fail?
            "That makes no sense." Fushimi tilted his head slightly. "Stop
being an idiot."
            "Hey don't call me an idiot, asshole!" Yata huffed, glaring up at
the Alpha for ruining the moment.
             "Stop acting like one and I won't."
            "I'm not! You're being an ass!"
            "Tch." Fushimi's face tightened, another ejaculation rocking his
system.
            Yata sighed, the warmth spreading through him. He dropped the
argument, instead saying, "Being stuck isn't that bad..." Maybe it would even
be enjoyable if Fushimi wasn't being such an ass.
             "It's a little inconvenient." He shifted, wincing when he couldn't
tug free.
             "Ow don't do that!" Yata whined, squeezing Fushimi between his
thighs to hold him still.
            "Sorry." He grumbled. "Thought I was done."
            "It's only been what? Three times? How the hell could you be done
already?"
            "I was hoping we wouldn't be stuck for an hour, and that maybe I
would not last as long with the earlier activity." He rested his head in the
crook of Yata's neck and shoulder, truly tired.
            There was a huff and a yawn as a response before he turned his
head, pressing his nose in Fushimi's hair. The Alpha closed his eyes, realizing
he could almost fall asleep like this, or at least come close.
            "Are you sure you don't feel any different?" Yata asked again, his
voice quiet.
             "I won't while I'm inside you, Misaki." He mumbled an excuse. "It
won't be until we separate that it will hit me."
            "How do you know?" Yata asked, playing with a piece of his hair.
Was that a thing?
            "I just assume. Your scent bond meant you wanted to be around me
right? And it didn't affect you while we are having sex as far as I know so...
Tch." It seemed believable.
            "Well… I mean we were giving it what it wanted so I guess it was
still there it was just... satisfied."
            "I assume that is why I won't feel it until we are done." he
sighed, bearing a little more weight down. God he was tired.
            Yata yawned, "Well I'm wore out so hurry up."
            "Well..." he shivered. "That is only four so..." he trailed off,
watching the male "You can sleep."
            "I don't think I can while we're still… uh..."
            "Stuck? I think I just about could." He grumbled, yawning.
            "Don't just say that! It's weird..." Yata's cheeks heated up.
            "I could be technical and talk about how your walls closed around
my knot as it swelled to result in a plug to keep my sperm inside of you for an
extended length of time."
            "Stop!" Yata whined, the heat creeping to his ears. "Don't talk
about that stuff!"
            "Why? It's happening right now."
            "Because! It's weird and embarrassing!" Yata turned his head to the
side, hiding.
            Fushimi shuddered again. "Tch."
            "Why do you do that?"
            "Do what?"
            "Click your tongue."
             "It's habit. I don't even notice I do it." He shrugged.
            "Hmm." Yata sighed as he felt Fushimi release once more.
            Fushimi groaned, the weight of everything falling on him. He didn't
want a kid, but it would be a miracle of Yata didn't end up pregnant. Of
course, it would be a miracle if he lived past tomorrow. He wouldn't be able to
go out with Yata, he didn't have the knowledge, which meant he would be here
alone while the boy was off doing god knew what.
            The Omega closed his eyes, yawning softly. "What was that noise
for? " He asked.
            "I don’t want to be a dad." He grumbled.
            "Well neither do I... not right now at least." He was quiet for a
moment, thinking. "I think Totsuka mentioned something before that would...
um... get rid of it... but it's only used for when someone's been raped." He
looked up at the Alpha, not telling him that it was also very painful for the
person carrying the child.
            It was a few years ago in the spring the Ice Nation had invaded a
neighboring village, stealing and burning the homes and all their supplies. A
few Omegas had fallen victim to rape and had come looking for Totsuka to see if
he had any of the illusive plant.
            "If you want I could see if Totsuka had any.."
            "Tch, wouldn't that be risky to you?" Fushimi shook his head,
pulling up yet again to look at Yata. "I don't want it but that doesn't mean I
would want to hurt you to get rid of it."
            Yata swallowed, debating whether or not he should lie. "I would do
it for you. I... wouldn't mind." He said, though the thought of destroying life
made his stomach turn. He couldn’t lose Saruhiko.
            "I'm notrisking your health like that." He emphasized. "Besides, we
don't know ifyou'll get pregnant, and getting rid of an infant like that fucks
up the brain."
            "Well yeah... but..." Yata looked down and to the side, unable to
meet the male’s eyes. "It's not that big of a risk." Though he did have a
point. The majority of the time an Omega never recovered fully from losing a
child at any stage of its life. It made them prone to depression. It took away
their sense of purpose and often ended with suicide.
            "Can't we like... I don't know." he sighed. "I'm not going to ask
that of you."
            "Can we what?" Yata asked, looking back up at him.
            "Adopt it out or something?"
            "What do you mean?" Yata squirmed as another orgasm swept through
the Alpha.
            Fushimi shut his eyes. "Give it to someone who wants it."
            "Oh.. no one.. really does that unless the parents are dead."
            "Oh..." Fushimi sighed. "Then I guess we are stuck with it..."
            "No we're not..." Yata said, then added. "I really don't mind...
taking that stuff. It's not that bad."
             "I'm not stupid. It is, I can see it in your eyes."
             "I could just take it without you knowing." Yata mumbled,
aggravated at being caught in his lie.
            "Don't." Fushimi said firmly, glaring at him.
            "But you don’t want it! " Yata shrunk under his glare, ducking his
head as much as he could in their position.
            "That doesn't make hurting you right!" Fushimi growled back.
            The Omega flinched and fell silent, thankful that the knot had
started going down.
            Fushimi shuddered over him one more time before he pulled out.
"Don't." he growled, going to get a towel.
            "Don't be mad." Yata said, his features a crunching up at the feel
of the Alpha's spend and fought the urge to sit up.
            "I'm not." He sighed, coming back to press the cloth to his
backside. "I just don't want you to hurt yourself because I don't want a
fucking kid."
            "But it makes sense... neither of us are ready for that kind of
thing and I don't mind."
            "No. End of discussion." He growled
            Yata huffed and propped himself up on his elbows. "Do you feel
anything now?" He asked, changing the subject.
            "I feel... Tch." He felt vulnerable, protective and terrified of
losing Yata. He didn't want to be apart, and he really just wanted to be with
him constantly. "I guess it didn't work." he lied.
            "What?! How did it not?" Yata sat up, looking at the mark to make
sure he had put it in the right place.
            "Don't know." Fushimi said. "Maybe I'm just not normal, but I don't
feel anything."
            Yata's face fell. "But your scent isn’t not the same."
            "Maybe that's all that changed. Remember, my brain does function
right." He shrugged.
            "I'm sorry..." He apologized since Fushimi had asked for the bond.
            "It's not your fault I'm defective." Saruhiko said, looking away
like he was bored, though really it was out of guilt.
            Yata was silent for a moment. "I think I'm good now." He said,
scooting back on the bed to make room for Fushimi.
            After tossing the towled away, Fushimi stretched out lazily next to
Yata, reminding himself not to snuggle despite the overwhelming sense to
protect the boy and keep him close. "Maybe I'll actually sleep tonight."
            "Maybe..." Yata trailed off and sat up to pull his blanket over the
both of them. He settled down next Fushimi, hesitantly nuzzling in his side.
"Even if it didn't work... I still love you.”
            Fushimi paused and clicked his tongue, nuzzling his nose into the
Omega's hair. "Goodnight, Misaki."
            "Goodnight…" Yata said, sighing as he closed his eyes.
            Fushimi swallowed, letting himself relax, satisfied and able to
rest. "Sorry..." He half mumbled before falling into a light sleep.
===============================================================================
           A shrill, high pitched scream filled the air, causing Fushimi to
jerk awake, his arms wrapping around Yata in his momentary panic, heart flying
in fear of losing his mate. "What the hell is that?!"
            Yata groaned, waking at the sudden movement. "It's just Durga." He
mumbled, burying himself deeper into the male’s warm chest and receiving a
sense of security.
            Fushimi swallowed his pounding heart back into his chest from his
throat. "What...?"            
           "She's Mikoto pet. He must have let her out..." Yata sighed, putting
his arm around him.            
            "...should we...uh...?"            
            "No. He usually let her out at night so someone won't accidentally
piss her off and she eats them."            
             "...oh..." Fushimi forced himself to loosen his grip.            
             "I wouldn't poke your head out though. She doesn't know you so
she'd probably eat you." Yata yawned and snuggled even closer. "Why are you
holding me so tight?"
            "Tch, must have been dreaming." He released the male completely.
            "Hey, no, I liked it!" Yata protested, tightening his arms around
him longingly.
            Fushimi wrapped his arms back around him, "Tch, fine."
            The Omega smiled, snuggling against his Alpha. He closed his eyes,
yawning as he started drifting back to sleep. Fushimi sighed, staring at the
wall as he waited for dawn, so much for sleep.
===============================================================================
 
            Anna was among the ones who got sick. And she got really sick.
            After about twenty-four hours, people had started getting better.
So as night settled in the camp slowly regained its routine, relighting cold
fires and taking everything nice and slow. But Anna… Anna had yet to regain any
resemblance to normalcy, and it was impossible to pull Sukuna away. The young
Alpha had snapped and growled threateningly at anyone who dared try and take
him away.
            “Shh,” he brushed her hair back as she coughed weakly. “Look,
everyone is better. You’ll be there soon to.”
            She smiled weakly, not pointing out how two more had died from the
illness. She closed her eyes, his touch a little soothing as he put a damp
cloth on her forehead.
            He sat by her diligently, watching the camp move about away from
them. He shivered, before wrapping Anna in the blanket she had as well as his
own. He couldn’t stand seeing her like this, every instinct telling him to do
more, to pull her out of this.
            “Hey, I uh… thought you may need this.”
            A soft voice made him look up, a brunet girl handing him a bundle
of food. “I know you haven’t eaten so… I thought you might need it.”
            He looked between the food and her. “Who are you?” He asked
suspiciously.
            “Kukuri.” She smiled. “Its ok, I promise. I am not like Fuze. I
know you weren’t…. thinking right.”
            He took the food, eating a few of the harder nuts and leaving the
soft berries for Anna. “Thank you…”
            She sat down. “So… you didn’t get sick.”
            “No.” Please go away, the Alpha screamed inside.
            “It stinks… how is Anna doing?”
            “Fine.”
            She sighed, “It’s nice being outside a cell.”
            Could she not take a hint? “I haven’t been outside since I
presented.”
            Her eyes softened. “I am sorry.”
            A long, drawn out howl instilled a thick silence over the camp,
everyone quiet and listening for a moment before everything resumed.
            “What’s it like, being an Alpha?”
            He shrugged. “Like being a Beta, accept everyone hates you and you
want to kill everyone who comes near those you care about.”
            “I don’t hate you. I just…”
            “Feared me?”
            She looked down. “Yeah…”
            The howl came again, much closer this time around.
             “What do you think that is?”
            Sukuna shrugged. “There are a lot of weird things here, I have no
clue. But it will probably stay away from all these people, or the grounders
will shoot it.”
            “Maybe.” She looked up at the clear night sky. “Can you believe we
were once up there? That one of those blinking lights could be the Ark? I mean…
we lived up there when we didn’t have to.” She smiled wistfully, “The sun… the
stars… I think they look so much prettier here.”
            Sukuna sighed, annoyed. “Look, I am tired, can’t you just-“
            He didn’t get a chance to say ‘leave’ as screams rippled through
the camp, blurry shadows running in various directions in panic. It was like
watching a horror film as a monster came out of the shadows, giving chase to
the prey running from it. Kukuri screamed as well as the beast neared, standing
and bolting as its focus changed to them.
            Sukuna moved, covering Anna with his own body as he growled
fiercely, though the sound was in vain as the animal lunged after Kukuri,
bounding her. He could only watch in horror as Kukuri, the girl he had just
spoken with, tripped. The monster ran into her, tripping over her as it snapped
its teeth viciously while it slid, a scream letting Sukuna know the beast had
its mark.
            The creature stood, shaking the girl in its jaws. It stood on four
long, spindly legs, it’s shoulder easily five foot high. It had a long, fluffy
tail that flopped and lashed about as a high pitched laughing sound came from
its throat. Its ears were tipped in fluff, and the rows of its upper teeth
stuck out from its jaw.
            It released the girl, her body moving as she tried to get away. The
animal sprang up into the air, landing on her with both front paws. It circled
her body, ears perked as it tilted its head from side to side and repeated,
tearing into her with teeth and claws when it landed, laughing again.
            Two shots rang out from a gun, making Sukuna flinch as the creature
looked up and chomped a couple times before grabbing the body and bolting back
the way it came, disappearing with the ragdoll in its mouth.
            Sukuna stayed where he was, fighting not to be sick as mournful
murmurs rippled through the camp, and the sound of running feet approached.
            “Sukuna! Are you-“ Hidaka reached for him.
            “Don’t!” He snarled, tears in his eyes. She had been nice, brought
him food, and he repaid her with cruelty and dislike. “Don’t touch us!”
            “Hidaka...” Eric warned.
            Sukuna cried, wishing Anna would wake up. Wishing he was a better
person.
Chapter End Notes
     Sola: WE GOT THIS OUT IN RECORD TIME FOR US. WITHIN LIKE A WEEK.
     Also, I killed Kukuri. #NoRemorse. xD Hope you enjoyed our valentines
     special! We had Valentines sex AND someone’s heart! :D
     Jane: ^ she’s so heartless
***** Durga *****
Chapter Summary
     Woof, woof.
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes
            The pale, sickly light of early morning just barley illuminated the
room as it filtered in through the few holes and cracks in the wall, waking the
Omega occupant of the bedroom. He groaned softly, stretching only to nuzzle
into the warm figure laying flush against his body. At some point in the night,
one of them had kicked the furs and blankets to the end of the bed, exposing to
the chilled morning air. He reached down and found that he couldn't move more
than an inch or two down in the bed, his newfound mate’s arm was wrapped firmly
around him, holding him in place.
            Even that tiny movement made the Alpha mumble in his sleep, his
body curling into Yata for warmth as he tightened his hold. He had only fallen
asleep again about thirty minutes prior, so he wasn't in a deep sleep, just
enough to be in a half-conscious stage.
            Misaki sighed, slowly hooking the blanket on his heel and pulling
it up within his reach. He managed to grab the edge, gently tugging the
tattered cloth back into place over the two of them. He yawned, tucking his
head back under the Alpha's chin as he worked on resettling.
            "Don't you.. have.. patrol...?" he grumbled, stirring slightly at
all of the movement.
            "This evening I do..." Yata murmured quietly, intertwining their
legs as he stilled.
            "Mmhmm..." he buried his nose in his Omega's hair, the mark on his
neck tingling slightly to remind him of the bond. He felt.. safe for once.
Content. He didn't feel the need to run, to avoid people. For once, he was okay
being near someone… and that worried him.
            Yata smiled, closing his eyes. "Did it work?" He asked softly,
hoping that maybe the bond had formed over the hours they had slept. He rested
his hand on the curve of Fushimi's side, just above his hip to move his thumb
over the skin.
            "I'm half dead. I don't feel anything right now." he grumbled,
lying again.
            The smaller male whined, becoming upset as he was the night before.
With his hope effectively crushed, he decided he would have to go ask Totsuka
about it later.
            Fushimi sighed, the twinge of disappointment fresh in his system.
"Sorry..." he mumbled, guilt following.
            Yata didn't answer, staying quiet as he thought about what this
could mean. Did that mean if Fushimi bit him, he wouldn't feel anything? That
he wouldn’t be able to share the bond so many mates did? He breathed in,
confirming more for reassurance that Fushimi's scent was definitely different.
            The Alpha opened his mouth to say something about the feelings he
was receiving, but at that time, there were a series of yips and howls that
caused him to freeze, unsure how to react to the noise bouncing around outside.
"...what?"
            "That's Durga again." Yata said, pulling away from the Alpha.
            Fushimi felt a sharp pang as his bond mate pulled away, but he
ignored it and buried it deep down. He sat up, stretching carefully. "That's
Mikoto's pet, right? I thought it only went out at night."
            "It's still technically night time." Yata said, rolling out of the
bed. "Come on, you might get to see her. Just try not to get her attention and
don’t look her in the eye."
            He scooted to the edge, "Tch, I don't really want to. Can't we stay
here?"
            "Come on! Don't be lazy," Yata said, dressing quickly.
            "It's more self-preservation then laziness." He stood, eyeing the
Omega carefully "Besides, just because it didn't work doesn't mean we can't
have sex."
            "W-wait. You want to...?" Yata stopped, one leg in his pants.
            Fushimi smirked, "You're so fun to mess with Misaki~ if it means I
don't have to leave I'm willing to take that hit."
            "N-no! We need to get up... not that I... uh..." Yata blushed
furiously, focusing on his name. "And stop calling me by that name.”
            Fushimi rolled his eyes, hunting down his cloths. "I really need a
bath..." he grumbled, feeling grimy.
            Yata sniffed loudly, pretending to be offended. "Yep. You sure do."
            "Fuck off," Fushimi mumbled, listening to the excited yapping
outside. "Why is it doing that?" He asked as he dressed.
            "Usually that means she has something for Mikoto, she likes to
bring back bits of prey or things she finds." Yata explained, grabbing an extra
set of clothes for Fushimi. "Come on, I need to take a bath too. It'll be cold
though."
            Fushimi sighed once he was dressed. "Are you sure it's safe?"
            "Yeah? Why wouldn't it be?” Yata asked, pulling on the rest of his
clothes and heading for the door, grabbing a small can and a strip of cloth on
his way by.
            "Tch, you keep talking about how vicious it is." He cocked his
head. "What are you doing?"
            "You said you wanted to take a bath? And yeah but I meant if you
were by yourself she'd probably eat you. She should listen to me… at least
enough to double check with Mikoto before she bites.” He opened the door,
stepping outside.
            "’Should’ isn't very assuring." He grumbled, following. He listened
to a howl, followed by a series of yips. "What the fuck is it doing?"
            "She probably still trying to get Mikoto's attention." Yata said,
smiling as he closed the door behind them.
            "...is it defective? It sounds like it..."
            "Don't insult her!" Yata puffed defensively, leading Fushimi
towards the noise. "We have to go by Mikoto's quarters to get to the bathing
area so don't do something dumb." Yata glanced over his shoulder at Fushimi,
the rays of the early morning sun glinting off his pale cheekbones and making
Yata's breath catch in his throat. He wasn't used to the starkness of Fushimi's
skin, or his coloring; no one he knew had black hair and blue eyes. "And...
uh... try to keep me between you and Durga."
            A shriek brought his attention back to the path, the beast and its
master coming into view. The Commander was giving out orders to a small patrol,
a group of three that was taking up the majority of the walkway.
            Fushimi stopped dead in his tracks when he finally saw the animal
Yata was talking about. The first thing he thought when he saw it was wolf, but
that wouldn't be near the size of the creature. It was easily five foot at the
shoulder, walking on all fours like a canine. It had a long, sable coat of red
and grey, it's tail hanging submissively between its legs as it pranced behind
Mikoto, trying to gain his attention without getting too close. Its teeth were
too long to fit completely in its mouth, their jagged edges hanging out as it
held... Something in its mouth. Her fur was marred and dark around the maw and
chest with what he assumed to be blood, as it was the only thing that had a
tint like that. Her nails left scratches on the hard dirt path, and Fushimi
felt truly afraid.
            Sights like this weren't unusual in the early mornings. Durga had
obviously woken Mikoto, who didn't seem at all pleased by that fact. His scowl
plainly told that he was in a foul mood and, as the two approached, he sent the
group off with a wave and his eyes narrowed.
            "Heda." Yata said when he came to the appropriate distance and
tilted his head down an inch. The lupid stopped her prance to sniff at Yata and
Fushimi. Her lips curled up ever so slightly when her gaze locked on the new
Alpha, his unfamiliar scent sparking a show of aggression.
            Mikoto cuffed his pet roughly over her muzzle. "Plenti1." He
snarled, his tone demanding obedience. His amber gaze swung back around to look
at Fushimi, almost immediately finding the fresh bite over his scent gland. He
looked to Yata, expecting the same mark on him though, when he found none, his
eyes narrowed further.
            A sudden nervousness came over Yata; he wondered what exactly his
mentor would do. The tension was fractured by Durga chomping on the item she
held in her mouth, her ears tucked after being scolded. Fushimi couldn’t help
but swallow, his heart beat staccato in his chest as he focused on keeping the
shake from his limbs and the waiver from his voice. Misaki’s fear was feeding
his own, a one-way connection that was giving constant feedback. "Heda." he
forced out, trying not to grind his teeth on the word.
            Mikoto cocked his head ever so slightly, curious as to the attempt
he had made to be respectful. "Yata," he said shortly, still ignoring Durga and
her crunching. "Where are you going?"            
           Fushimi had his gaze locked on the yellow eyes staring him down,
freezing him in place as the smell of drying blood assaulted his senses. Good
god, what had this thing done? It looked like it had rolled in a valley of
innards, and smelled like it too.
             "To take a bath." Misaki answered just before Durga tilted her
massive head, rubbing Mikoto with the space just behind her ears. Obviously,
she was fed up with not being given his attention and chose a more direct
approach.
             The Omega took that as a chance to glance at Saruhiko. The Alpha
looked paler, his fear practically rolling off of him, something the boy found
shocking compared to his previous actions. His focus jerked back to Mikoto, who
shoved the animal’s head off of him before she could unbalance him.
            "No!" He snarled, causing the beast to duck her head and open her
mouth ever so slightly, letting whatever it was that she had roll to the front
of her mouth. She grasped the object with her front teeth and offered it to her
master.
            Fushimi looked down, and a knot formed in his stomach as he
realized what she had. It was one of the metal bracelets that they had all been
wearing when they were sent down to earth. Ice seemed to spread through his
veins as he fought to keep the possibilities from running through his mind. He
stepped toward the lupid, "Where did she get that?"
            Durga let the Alpha slip the bracelet from her mouth before wiping
her head up at the movement, her mouth falling open to let a shrill scream roll
off her tongue. In a flash, Mikoto had the lupid by her nose, effectively
stopping the sound as he examined the device.
            Misaki grabbed Fushimi, yanking him back at the same time in
recognition of the warning. He watched as he released his pet, fear making his
heart race. "That's a good way to get killed, Sky boy." The Alpha male tossed
the bracelet to the younger, watching his reaction carefully.
            Fushimi caught it, though he really didn't want to hold it, didn't
want to face the possibilities. Was is Sukuna's? Anna's? Eric or Hidaka?
They... he guessed they were the closest classification to friends he had. He
turned it over, though there were no identifying marks on the item and he had
expected none. He let out a low growl, and threw it at Mikoto's feet. "Was
there even a remote chance you were going to let any of us live?"
            Mikoto shrugged indifferently. "I didn’t send her. She wanted out,
so I let her out." Durga snatched the bracelet up again, prancing in place at
his side before dancing around the three of them in pride of her prize. He kept
his eyes locked on Fushimi's, the challenge in his gaze shining blatantly.
            "Saruhiko..." Yata started, only to be cut off by Durga, who
pranced between the two Alphas, breaking the eye contact as she bounced,
happily chewing on the metal. She stopped and spat it out, staring down at it
with her tongue stuck between her front teeth.
            Fushimi's nails dug into his palms, fear and anger playing equal
roles. He wanted to lash out, all of this was so fucked up. He glared
venomously at the dancing monster, hating her for the blood, for the bracelet.
He hated how she pranced and acted so stupid and soignorant. She jumped up and
down excitedly, looking at Mikoto. Maybe it was a mixture, maybe it was the
fact he couldn't lash out at Mikoto, but the grounder word left his throat as
the male's earlier command left his throat in a snarl. "Plenti!"
            Durga twisted to him, ears pinning as she fell the ground on her
stomach, whining shamefully as her tail tucked. Her gaze locked on Fushimi, her
body shaking slightly as she shivered then glanced away submissively. The
bracelet forgotten, her entire focus was on the Alpha.
            Yata gasped, then held his breath, praying Mikoto didn't take
offense to Fushimi's action. Shear awe washed over him. Durga never coward
beneath anyone but Mikoto, and even then it took the harshest words and worst
of tempers to evoke the reaction Saruhiko had summoned.
            The Commander didn't respond, looking as if he was trying to figure
out if that had been an insult to his authority or simply a show of power,
calculating his pet’s actions. He looked between the beast and the Alpha, then
locked his gaze on Fushimi once more. There was no way the boy could have known
the risk he had taken. Lupids were rarely domesticated for a reason; they were
vicious and often ate the hand that fed them. Only the most powerful, most
dominant of people could control them, and if they could, it said mountains
about their spirit. None in twelve clans had one as of current, except for
Mikoto, and he had not yet been challenged by his pet. Despite that, it was
expected that she would do so eventually.
            A long, tense moment passed before the Commander finally broke the
silence. "Too bad you don't the blood of the night."
            Yata let out a breath he hadn't known he had been holding. He
fought to keep the smile off his face, there was still time for something to go
awry despite the compliment his mate had received.
            Fushimi wasn't sure what that meant, but he got the feeling it was
indeed a compliment of sorts. He didn't know anything about the animal at his
feet, but by the look on Yata's face, she shouldn't have caved to him like she
did. He met Mikoto's gaze, clenching his jaw, "Looks like your pet isn't as big
of a threat to me as I was led to believe."
            "Try hurting me and see how far you get." The Commander
straightened some, then paused, stilling as his attention flicked back to his
dwelling. He turned, but not before inclining his head to Yata, dismissing him
and his charge. "Kom." He barked, sending Durga scrambling to her feet and
following after him, as low to the ground as she could get as she glanced from
him to Fushimi.
            Yata's posture loosen significantly. "Holy shit, how did you do
that?" He asked excitedly, turning to face Fushimi fully.
            "I just repeated what Mikoto told it..." He sighed, tension leaving
his body. "Tch, I don't know." He toed the bracelet that Durga had left in the
dirt.
            "If anyone else had tried that they would have lost their head and
probably a lot of other body parts." The bracelet was dull with dirt and
saliva, the metal not shining at all. Instead it sat there dully, like it too
had died with its wearer.
            Fushimi stepped over the object, clicking his tongue in response.
"Let’s go."
            Yata frowned, maybe that wasn't the best thing a say with a
bracelet that could have belonged to one of Fushimi's friends at their feet. He
ducked his head, feeling ashamed as he led Fushimi towards the edge of the
village. He should have been more considerate…
            Taking a deep breath, Fushimi shoved his feelings aside as he
trailed behind Yata. He was annoyed with himself; why did he care about the
others? It wasn't like they cared about him or anything. And besides, if they
died didn’t that mean that man would stay in space?
            The forest around the village was slowly coming alive with the
sounds of chirping and clicking from various birds and insects, golden rays of
sunlight slicing harshly through the trees to stripe the ground with gold,
brown and green. The slowly brightening light shown through the leaves of a
flowering vine, dappling the path the Omega led his mate on, it's blooms
braking out of their tight knit buds.
            Yata reached up to take one of the flowers by the stem and stripped
it from its branch. He fell back a couple steps, walking next to Fushimi and
eyeing a spot in his raven hair. Reaching up before he could draw further
suspicion from the male, he stuck the pale blue flower into the space just
above his ear, the red anthers bouncing with the movement.
            Fushimi shot an unamused look at Yata, immediately snatching the
blossom from his hair. "What the hell?" he grumbled irritably, holding the stem
between us is thumb and forefinger. "I'm not a girl."
           "Don't take it out!" Yata reached for the flower. "And no but you're
still pretty." He said, then thought about his words, heat creeping into his
cheeks. "Well... I meant... uh..."
            Clicking his tongue, Fushimi gave up the bloom. "Ah, cute little
Misaki is flustered~" He teased, smirking.
            "Shut up, asshole! And stop calling me that!" Yata knocked his
shoulder against Fushimi's, the system they used to filter the water and direct
it away from the river coming into view.
            "But why?" he ruffled Yata's hair. "All bark and no bite, it's
adorable."
            Yata ducked his head, batting Fushimi's hand away. "I bit you
didn't I?" He stopped to lay the clothes and items on a flat, carved out spot
on the fallen tree that lay next to the sunken pool. The large stone formation
surrounding it was still damp and shiny from the dew that had settled there
during the night.
             He shrugged, "Tch, whatever. " He eyed the pool of water,
hesitating. "Ugh, it's going to be cold." he complained.
            "I already told you it would be." Yata stripped himself of his
clothes, draping them over the tree. "If you jump in its not as bad." He said,
stepping up to the edge.
            Fushimi undressed, then carefully peeled the bandage wrapped around
his leg. "I think I will skip jumping in anything."
            Yata laughed and proceeded to jump right smack the middle of the
pool, making the water splash up onto the grey rocks. When he broke the surface
of the water again, he smiled despite the intense chattering of his teeth. "C-
come on!" It’s n-not that bad!" He shook the water from his hair.
            The Alpha gave a look of disapproval. "Says the village idiot." He
carefully dipped one foot in, entering slowly.
            "I am not!" He went under the water, swimming over to  where
Fushimi was gingerly lowering himself in.
            Fushimi jumped back. "Uh uh. I know what you're doing," He grumbled
to himself, waiting for the male to resurface.
            The Omega took a deep breath as he came up, reaching for Fushimi
and missing by an inch. "Hey!" He shook his hair out of his face. "I wasn't
gonna do anything!" The smile on his face betrayed him, making the lie obvious.
            "Were to. You were going to yank me in." He narrowed his eyes. "I
don't like cold."
            "Was not!" Yata insisted, crossing his arms on the stone and rested
his chin on his wrist. "Come on. It really isn't that bad."
            Coming closer to the pool, Fushimi sighed, sitting down at the edge
of the drop of. He carefully positioned himself, dangling his legs over the
edge. "Is to that bad."
            "Is not." Yata pulled himself up some, looking at the wound on
Fushimi's thigh. The angry, puffy redness had left it, and now it was well on
its way to healing. Chilled water streamed over his body, raising bumps over
his skin in reaction to the frigid temperature.
            Fushimi admired the toned muscles as they shone with water. "Is
too. My feet are already so cold I can’t feel them." He tried for agitated, but
couldn't stop the smirk on his face.
            Yata returned his smirk just before lunging out of the water,
wrapping his arms around Fushimi and dragging him into the water. The slippery,
smooth rocks allowed him to slide the male into the water easily, the water
engulfing them eagerly in a slosh. The Alpha shot up out of the water, gasping
at the cold liquid assaulting him. He sputtered, shivering from both the
freezing temperatures and shock. "W-w- why wo-ould y-you..." he chattered.
            "That's what you get for being a dick!" Misaki laughed, holding
Fushimi's warm body close to him. He reached up as he supported the other in
the water, pushing the wet hair out of the Alpha's face. His body had already
grown accustomed to the temperature.
            He shivered, glaring down at Yata as he tried to control the
shaking. "That wasn't very nice..." he grumbled.
            "Neither are you." Yata shot back and ran his hands over Fushimi's
body, gently washing away the dirt, sweat and what was left of the dried blood.
Warmth radiated between them in the cold water, the sun rising slowly behind
them to cast it's light into the pool.
             The Alpha hesitated before he reached out, gently running his
hands over Misaki's skin as he returned the favor and gently worked the grime
from his skin. Light played across the moisture collected on their skin and in
their hair, refracting as if the beads had their own light. Fushimi felt the
bond tug his heart, willing him to... He wasn't sure. It just ached for the
male in front of him. "So... Where are you going later?" he mumbled, dodging
the feelings forming.
            "Just out on patrol. I'll be gone a few hours unless you think you
can ride a horse." Yata pulled back slightly, watching Fushimi's face. The
wound in his leg would make that a very difficult task, and he was pretty sure
there were no horses in the sky.
            "Uh, no. Somehow I don't think I'll be staying on a horse." He felt
like he was ripping something open in doing that; he didn't want to be
separated from his Omega , but he had no choice. And he couldn't voice his
worry, it would give away the bond had worked. "Tch, I'll find something to
do."
            Yata nodded and pushed himself back, reaching for the small tin he
had brought with them.
            "I'm sorry the bond didn't work..." he mumbled, that guilt
resurfacing. "That I'm not normal."
            "Don’t apologize." Yata said, popping the rusted tin can open and
taking a few white flakes from it, handing them to Fushimi.
            "What is this?" he asked, eyeing it suspiciously.
            "It's soap." Yata laughed. "It won't kill you." He took the Alpha's
hand forcefully, dropping the flakes in his palm.
            "It looks weird. Soap up there comes in bars..." he grumbled.
            "Well this does to. I just like it better like this. And it looks
like that ‘cause we make it with ashes from the fires." Yata peered into the
tin. "I need to take it and fill it up again, it's getting low." He took a
pinch of the flakes for himself and closed the tin.
            "Our soap is made from the oils of plants we grow on the Ark," he
began washing himself, small bubbles forming.
            "Hmm. We use what's left over of the fat from the animals we kill
too." Yata rubbed the soap between his hands, then over his arms and upper
body.
            The Alpha took his time, gingerly cleaning over burns and cuts,
trying not to agitate them more. "I think that is how it used to be made... But
we didn't have animals in the arc."
            "Then what did you eat?" Yata asked, shuddering slightly as a
breeze drifted lazily around them to chill their damp skin once again.
            "Our food was made from plants into little discs that had all the
required nutrients." He shrugged, "I ate as little as possible. They had no
taste and left a weird texture in your mouth."
            The smaller male made a face. "That's awful." He finished washing
before ducking under the water to rinse off.
            Fushimi gingerly rinsed his hair, sinking down into the water and
gently working his fingers through the black strands. He didn't dive under, he
was not that comfortable with his ability to swim so he simply leaned his head
back.
            Yata came up, closer to Fushimi than before.
            "The water down here is so different," he mumbled. "It's stale up
there, smells funny and just... It’s not as... I don't know how to describe
it."
            "Well you smelled funny too." Yata teased, leaning back against the
rocks as he waited for Fushimi to get done, eyes trailing over the pale exposed
skin.
            Fushimi flicked water at Yata, his hair now suds free. "At least I
didn't smell like you."
            "Hey! What's that supposed to mean?" The Omega flicked water back
at the male.
            "I'm just saying, you smelled like something died." He teased.
            "I did not!" Yata splashed him again and turned, pulling himself up
and out of the pool. The sun shone down on his back, warming him as he exited
the chilled water.
            Fushimi's gaze roamed Yata's backside. "Though at least the view is
worth it."
            "Shut up!" The Omega's cheeks heated up as he tried not to fidget
under Fushimi's gaze.  "O-or I'll take your clothes and leave!"
            "You think that would affect me? That's cute." He snorted, climbing
out with a violent shiver in his shoulders.
            Yata grumbled underneath his breath, shaking the excess water out
of his hair.
            "What was that Mi~Sa~Ki~?"
            "None of your business!" Yata puffed, turning to glare at the male.
Thin streams of water poured over the Alpha's body, dripping down and hitting
the rock he was standing on, making Yata's cheeks redden further and his mouth
go dry as he was reminded of just how attractive Fushimi was.
            The taller smirked, folding his arms knowingly. "Ha, you can't yell
at me for staring now."
            "I am not staring!" Yata turned away, grabbing his shirt and
yanking if over his head. "Dickhead."
            Fushimi came forward, draping his arms over Yata's neck and leaning
his weight on his back. "That isn’t nice," he purred.
            "Well you’re not nice," Yata leaned back, the dampness of Fushimi's
skin adding to the dampness his shirt already held but he couldn't quite bring
himself to care. "And for some reason I-I like you even more because of that."
He said truthfully, his cheeks feeling hot.
            Fushimi smirked even more, nuzzling his neck affectionately before
pulling back and retrieving his borrowed clothing. "Thanks for helping me dry
off Mi~Sa~Ki~"
            "Thanks for making me wet again, asshole." Yata grumbled, pulling
on the rest in his clothes.
            "Let’s face it, you're alwayswet for me, Misaki."
            "I didn’t mean it that way!" Yata could feel his cheeks burning
now. He grabbed the small can and strip of cloth he had brought from his home.
"I still have to bandage your leg." He grumbled, stopping the Alpha from
pulling up his pants.
            He couldn't keep the chuckle in his throat, "See, and now you’re
trying to get close to my fun zone. Are you sure you were in heat or are you
just that turned on by me?"
            "Fuck off asshole! I think it stopped anyway." The Omega hadn't
felt hardly any of the symptoms since he'd woken up, only the usual stiffness
in his back, but that was a common occurrence after any Omega’s heat.
            Fushimi looked away, reminded once more of their mistake. Nine
months from now... if he even lived that long. "Tch, just hurry up."
            The Omega knelt, grumbling something along the lines of how he'd
take all the time he'd want. He took the can, unscrewing the lid and dipped his
finger in the salve, smearing it over the wound.
            "What was on your arrow?" Fushimi asked suddenly, "When you shot
me, my entire leg went numb. Why?"
            "Because the arrow I used was dipped in a poison that causes
temporary numbness." He started wrapping the cloth around Fushimi's leg. "It
isn't fatal though."
            "Well I'm obviously not dead," he pointed out. "Otherwise I would
be concerned you were into dead guys."
            Yata snorted. "Just be glad I didn't feel like killing you in front
of those kids." He tied off the cloth and stood. "And is that a thing? Are
there really people who are into that kinda stuff?"
            "Necrophilia, yes." Fushimi pulled up his pants, "When do you
leave?"
            "In a couple hours."
            "Well... teach me something in that time then."
            "Um..." Yata gathered up the dirty clothes, making a mental note to
wash them later. "What do you want me to teach you?"
            "I don't know. I pick up quickly, so while we are doing whatever it
is we are doing, teach me the language you speak down here."
            Yata groaned. "But that's boring."
            "I don't mean focus on that, I mean whatever we are doing teach me
grounder while we do it... teach me to fight like you guys do." He said
suddenly.
            "But your leg..." Yata shook his head and moved to start heading
back down the path. "I don't want to hurt you."
            "I'm hurting anyways, and if I can’t fight... tch, no one will take
me seriously."
            Yata sighed, he had a point. "Fine. I'll teach you the general
rules and stuff... but we aren’t fighting." He bumped his shoulder against
Fushimi's as they started walking back to the village.
            "If I saw an opening, I would take it." Fushimi snorted, bumping
back.
            "Good." Light danced in the Omega's eyes. "You don’t need to hold
back, but when your enemy is defeated, you stop unless blood has been spilled."
The sun was bright in the sky, already a quarter of the way through its journey
through the sky. "Jus drein jus daun."
            "Jus drein jus daun," He mimicked. "Translate?"
            "Blood must have blood. That's how I got Mikoto to give you a
chance. You hadn't harmed or killed any of us."
            "To be fair, all I did was run away from the reptile thing. You
were the one who shot me."
            "Exactly." Yata smiled. "But you were in our territory for no
reason so anyone from this clan would have had the right to kill you or bring
you to Mikoto. And our clan is called Trikru. It means Woods Clan."
            "Trikru? Ok, what about other clans?" He asked, absorbing the
information.
            "There's twelve of them so.. there is the Ice Nation, the Desert
Clan, the Broadleaf, Plains Riders, Shadow Valley, the.. Lake People and.. "
Yata paused, thinking.
            "My head already hurts," He grumbled, "You already mentioned the
Ice Nation in that they had attacked, so I assume they are bad, but what of the
others?"
            "Mikoto is the leader of all the clans but... they each choose
their own leader while the Commander is always chosen by its spirt. So... the
Ice Queen hates Mikoto. She looks for any reason to go against him. The reason
they attacked the village was because she claimed their leader had trespassed,
but we all know she was lying. We just can't prove it." Yata looked up at the
Alpha. "I'm sorry. I know it's a lot."
            "It makes no sense. 'Chosen by its spirit?' What the hell is that?
And why would the ice queen hate Mikoto? Also, why would she risk going against
him?"
            "I... can't exactly explain. And because she wanted to be Mikoto's
mate. So since Mikoto and Totsuka scent bonded and she didn't get her way,
she's been trying everything she can to break the alliance without breaking a
law that would get her killed or dethroned."
            "The plot thickens." Fushimi grumbled, "So ice bitch wants to screw
Mikoto, can't imagine why, but why doesn't she find someone else?"
            "There's no one else more powerful and that's what she's after."
Yata glanced up as they passed by the pale blue flowers again.
            "Tch, she's targeting the wrong person..." he half grumbled to
himself.
            "Huh? What do you mean? "
            Fushimi paused, before dropping his voice - though he wasn't sure
why. "If she was smart, she would go after Totsuka. If you control him, you
basically control Mikoto. So if you want to get technical... he's the one she
should focus on manipulating."
            Yata paled a little at the thought. "She'd die the worst sort of
death if she tried that." He simply couldn't picture Totsuka anywhere but
bouncing happily at Mikoto's side. The healer was loved by practically
everyone. "We are pretty sure she's the one who sent someone after Totsuka. But
we couldn't prove it."
            "... Not if she kept him alive. Would Mikoto bow to her whim or
kill his mate and baby?" He shook his head. "Totsuka is more valuable alive."
            "We shouldn't talk about that." Yata said, voices floating through
the air as they approached the village.
            He shrugged, clicking his tongue. "That’s what I would do."
            "What would you do?" Totsuka asked, appearing next to Fushimi just
as they stepped onto the main pathway, his voice bright and cheery. The healer
paused, leaning in and inhaling near Fushimi. His face lit up excitedly. "Oh
you bonded!"
            "Tch, it didn't work." He said pointedly, glaring at the healer
venomously as he picked up on what the Omega was saying. "My scent changed but
I don't feel anything." He looked around suspiciously, half expecting Mikoto to
appear as well.
            "Huh?" Totsuka tilted his head and peered at the bite mark. "Not
possible." His words made Yata look up sharply, hope creeping back into his
system.
            Fushimi fought not to bristle, to not give away himself when he
really wanted to tell the male to shut the hell up. Instead, he rolled his
eyes. "Apparently it is. I don't feel any of the symptoms and I don't feel any
different."
            "Hmm." Totsuka moved around him, his hand going to Yata's
collarbone.
            The Alpha held his breath to keep from growling, every instinct
yelling at him to get Yata away from the healer. Not to mention, he didn't want
anyone touching him, and the protectiveness sent waves of anger to his brain.
The only thing he could do was stay silent.
            Totsuka glanced at Fushimi, carefully reading his expression. He
was lying for some reason; the Omega could see it in his eyes. Instead of
calling him out, he said, "It’s... uncommon event that you... not bite him.
Your... resistance is strong."
            "I'm just an anomaly I suppose." He clicked his tongue.
            "Anomaly? That is...?" Totsuka asked, confused.            
             Yata looked up at Fushimi as well. That was a word he didn't know.
            "Something that deviates from what is standard, normal, or
expected." he said, somewhat annoyed that he had to explain a word yet again.
            "Ah, you are different. " Totsuka agreed.
Chapter End Notes
     1) Plenti means enough
     Sola: Helllloooo, we have a somewhat regular update! Yaaaaay! As
     always, hope you liked it. We had depression and fluff! :D
     And just to clarify, it IS canon that small children and animals LOVE
     Saruhiko, so we translated it here, and later, we see how Durga
     responds to him even more. ;)
***** Second *****
Chapter Summary
     Totsuka kicks Saru's ass and Kusanagi takes interest.
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes
            The few hours passed by quickly and Fushimi, having become bored,
somehow convinced Yata to teach him more of their language, Trigedasleng. He
picked it up quickly, much to Yata's surprise. The structure of the sentences
and the pronunciation came easily, so now it was just a matter of memorizing
the rules, oddities and vocabulary. They had sat at the edge of the tree line
once Totsuka had left them, people casting them odd looks with the occasional
boisterous person interrupting to greet Yata and earn a growl from Saruhiko.
            One of those such people had just left them, informing Yata that
they would be heading out soon.
            Swallowing, the Alpha felt  an edge of anxiety filling him at the
thought of Yata leaving. And though he really didn't want him to leave, he sure
as hell didn't want Misaki to know. "Tch," He leaned back, trying to think on
how to word it in their native tongue. "How... Long... Be gone?" he said slowly
before clicking his tongue because he knew he got it wrong.
            Yata corrected the sentence, adding 'yu'. "You're getting really
good at it." He said, smiling. "And I'll be back before dark so it'll just be a
few hours." He paused, finding Dewa walking towards the fenced in pasture where
they kept their horses. "Do you want to come with me while I get my horse
ready?"
            Yes!, his brain screamed, but instead he shrugged. "I don't care."
            "Come on!" Yata stood and grabbed Fushimi's hand, pulling him to
his feet. "Just don't walk behind any of them. They don't know you so they'd
probably try to kick you." He started leading the Alpha through the village.
            Fushimi grunted in acknowledgment, letting Misaki drag him down the
worn dirt path. It was still obvious that he was not accepted, but it seemed
like most of the camp had settled on pointedly ignoring him. Now that he had
gotten used to the suppressants, it was easier to tell who was what, and it
surprised him to find that Betas weren't all that common around here. Still,
the lack of... knowledge here bothered him. From what Misaki had explained,
everything was based on a very primitive sense, and yet they weren't. It was
complicated to the point his head hurt.
            They followed the main pathway through the homes and small
buildings into a part of village that Fushimi had not been to before. A large
field opened up and the buildings abruptly stopped. The large grassy area was
framed by the forest and a crude fence, massive trees stretching their branches
out over the clear ground where long blades of dark green grass waved with the
breeze. The path declined slightly and, set back into the trees, a building
appeared. Dark, three sided rooms stood connected in a row, with one slightly
longer room that was closed off on the end closest to the village.
            "That looks ominous," Fushimi said, eyeing their surroundings
warily. A few horses were tied to posts, grazing lazily and overall ignoring
the people bustling about around them. He stared at the animals uncertainly,
they were a lot bigger then he had imagined. It didn't help that a few had
facial deformities that just creeped him out.
           As they got closer, Fushimi noticed a couple people were already on
horseback, walking their mount s to either retrieve other animals to perform
other tasks while they waited for the last of the group to get ready. Fushimi
tensed slightly as a male he recognized to be Bandou approached, his horse
bobbing its head at them. "Yata, hurry up. You’re the last one here," he said,
ignoring Fushimi.
           "I'm sorry! I'm not late, you guys are just early." Yata lead
Fushimi in the direction of the horses that were tied. "Thanks for catching
Soncha though."
            "I didn’t. I told Kosuke to tie her on the other side of the field
but he insisted on being nice."
            "Asshole." Yata puffed, making Bandou laugh.
            "Just hurry up." The Alpha turned his horse, heading towards the
group of three that had gathered at a small trail that lead into the forest.
            Fushimi followed, but hung back once Yata got close to the animal.
He wasn't so sure about the horses and he preferred to remain some distance
away. Just to be safe of course, their hooves looked like they would hurt.
"Tch, what am I supposed to do while you’re gone?"
            "Um... I don't know. Don't piss off Mikoto? If you want you could
try to find Totsuka, he could teach you some stuff." Yata picked up his saddle,
swinging it easily onto the pale coated horse. "But I wouldn't go near Mikoto's
quarters if I were you, that's where he's usually at." The Omega cinched the
saddle, causing the mare stomp in protest.
            The thought of talking to the overly conversational and intuitive
Omega made Fushimi feel extremely annoyed; he would be avoiding Totsuka like he
was a disease infested rodent. No way in hell was he letting him pick apart his
brain. "Avoid head asshole, got it." He grumbled. "I'll find something."
            Yata snorted, untying the horse and slipping the reins over her
head. "This is Soncha, By the way. Her name means light." The horse blew a puff
of air at Fushimi, blinking her large blue eyes.
            "Yeah..." Fushimi watched it wearily, "not sure I like horses."
            "Come on, Yata!"
            "You're taking forever!"
            Yata stood on his toes, kissing Fushimi quickly with a faint tint
to his cheeks before turning and pulling himself onto the horse. "I'll see you
when I get back."
            Fushimi swallowed thickly, watching as Misaki left with the others,
his idiotic smile plastered to his face. His heart ached, but he only clicked
his tongue, turning and forcing himself to walk away as the bond screamed in
protest. He kicked the dirt as he walked, debating the twists that had lead him
here. He could feel the happiness, then anger, then embarrassment filtering
from Yata even as he and the other headed off. It was frightening and
unsettling.
            "Why are you speaking Yata an untrue thing?" Totsuka caught the
Alpha as soon as he reached the beginning of the buildings.
            Fushimi jumped slightly, where in the hell had the Omega come from?
"Tch, I don't know what you’re talking about." He grumbled, continuing his walk
towards Yata's house.
            "You feel bonded." Totsuka explained as he followed the Alpha. He
had managed to slip away from Mikoto; he knew his mate wouldn't want him around
the person from the sky alone.
            "I don’t know what you are talking about." Fushimi growled,
mentally willing the pest away. With his luck, Mikoto was going to come out of
nowhere and kill him simply because he was near his pregnant mate. "Go away."
            "You hurt him greatly when he knows." Totsuka moved to stand in
front of the Alpha, blocking his way. "You don’t... desire that. It will be
bad."
            The Alpha stopped, crossing his arms and glaring at Totsuka
venomously. "He won't know. He won't feel the effects because I didn't bind him
and he never has to know that I do. Besides, when he moves on from his
infatuation, or better yet I die, he can move on. Now leave me alone, I don't
need you telling me how to live my life."
            The Omega shook his head. "He won't move on. Scent bonds last a
permanent time. I'll help you. Tell that I gave you herbs that made your bond
show through." Totsuka offered, his tone almost begging.
             Fushimi clenched his jaw. "No. Hodnes laik kwelnes.1"
            Totsuka's eyes widened. "No! Em ste nou, em ste yujnes.2"
            Fushimi shook his head and laughed, "Ste plenti.3 You may not see
it, but it is..." He moved to walk away but paused, "And just in case he asks
you, because I don't trust that idiot, if he asks for whatever the hell it is
that would abort a baby, don't give it to him."
            "Chit?4 Why he ask for that?" Totsuka tilted his head, not catching
on.
            "...he wants to get rid of it because I don't want a kid."
            "Oh he’s..." The healer trailed off. "Yata wouldn't desire that."
He said. "I can’t... think  that."
            "We don't know for sure if he is but... we had sex twice during our
peak times." Fushimi shrugged, "We figured it was pretty much a guarantee.
He... threatened to go to you already... threatened to take it without my
knowledge... I figured I would beat him to the punch line. I don't want it, not
in the slightest, but I'm not letting him hurt himself because of it."
            Saddened by that news, Totsuka frowned. "He possesses... right to
decide. I'll try to... sway him."
            Fushimi growled, "If I find out you gave it to him..." He trailed
off, knowing if he threatened him and Mikoto found out he was as good as dead.
"Just don't. I don't give a shit what you tell him, you can even blame it on
me, but don't give him the fucking plant." He turned away, resuming his walk to
Yata's home.
            Totsuka followed again. "If you bonded him you could say, but I
can't… deny him." The healer knew he was pushing it, but Fushimi needed to
understand that unless a pair were both bonded to each other, he couldn’t deny
Yata in his decisions.
            Looking around to make sure no one would see them, Fushimi turned
and pushed Totsuka up against a building, out of sight from passersby. He had
an arm across the male's throat, the other across his chest. "Now listen to me
carefully. Don't. Give him. The Fucking. Plant. Got it?" He growled, faces
inches from Totsuka's.
            Totsuka bared his teeth, a low growl rolling deep in his throat. In
a flash, he grabbed Fushimi's wrist and bent it back until pain flickered
across Fushimi's face. He shoved hard, twisting in the Alpha's grip to force
Fushimi's arm behind him, switching their positions. "Don't threaten a pregnant
Omega." He snarled, twisting his arm harder. "Ever."
            Fushimi hissed, holding himself still. Shit, he thought he could at
least take Totsuka, but it was now obvious how he had underestimated this
society. Tears sprang to his eyes against his will as the pain flared in his
shoulder, "I'll threaten whoever I deem necessary if it means keeping Misaki
out of harm’s way." He spat, hating himself for being weak.
            "He has rights. You do not. Bind him to you, then I will hear you.”
The Omega released him and stepped back.
            Fushimi swallowed, he would have to find a different way then. He
wasn't even sure if Yata would take it but... He rolled his shoulders, wincing.
"Tch, fuck off." He said, walking away angrily. How was he even supposed to
survive here? Be more then someone others took pity on?
            Totsuka sighed, watching the Alpha leave. As much as he wanted to
honor his request, he couldn’t. He turned, heading back around the building
Saruhiko had pushed him behind, praying that Yata didn't or wouldn't come to
him for that reason.
~
            Once Fushimi reached Yata's home he began to filter through the
Omega's things, it wasn't like he had anything better to do, not would Yata
notice; everything was messy anyways. He found a few different tins of
unfamiliar substances and a drawer full of herbs bundled together by thin
grass-like vines. Honestly, it was nothing interesting. After some digging
through a collection of useless scavenged items, he found a box with a set of
old knives in it. They were simple, throwing style knifes that he couldn't help
but smile upon seeing. They needed a little help; they had some splotches of
rust and looked a little dull, but it would give him something to do.
            He took them out, carefully hiding them so no one would see he had
found weapons - somehow he figured Mikoto would be beyond pissed off by that
fact. It took him a full thirty minutes to find a secluded place within the
camp. Whenever he attempted to slip off he was intercepted by random people
with varying degrees of unfriendliness and was herded back into the village.
Once he had though, he began trying to throw the knives at a tree stump.
            Of course, he sucked. When he did hit the stump, the knives bounced
harmlessly off the wood. But it didn't deter him, at least he was doing
something productive and not just waiting for Misaki like a lovesick puppy. If
it distracted him, he would take it. It wasn't that hard to figure out how to
aim and he quickly figured out how the blade was balanced to give it an even
weight to fly. After about an hour and a half, he was actually nicked the
stump, shaving off a bit of the bark, though he could seem to get the force to
have it stick in the wood. When he tried, the blade bounced of harmlessly, but
at least if he backed off the power he got the blade to hit the decaying stump.
            "Your stance is wrong." Kusanagi said into the silence, leaning his
shoulder against a large tree situated behind the boy. He had been looking for
the Alpha, Mikoto had sent him to check up on the young Alpha since he hadn't
gone on patrol with Yata. It had taken him a while to track him down, most
people had seen him but all had pointed the Beta in a different direction. The
only reason he had found him was because he had caught a trace of his scent at
the entrance of the almost hidden path he had taken to get to this secluded
place.
            Fushimi jumped, whipping around in alarm, Kusanagi hadn't made a
sound in his approach. "Jesus... wear a damn bell or something." He grumbled,
looking away like a child who had been caught taking cookies from the jar but
who only regretted getting caught, not the action itself. He crossed his arms,
clicking his tongue. "I'm guessing you're going to take the knives?"
            "No. Not until you show me you can't be trusted with them. Besides,
right now you could hardly do any damage with them." Kusanagi looked to the
stump, only a few of the nicks were more than a fraction of an inch deep, the
rest shallow. "Stand with your back straighter and your feet apart. If you’re
not balanced, then neither is your knife."
            The shorter male didn't move, watching Kusanagi wearily. "Why would
you give me advice?" he said slowly - he wasn't completely sure how the Beta
felt about him. He had yet to say one way or another if he though Fushimi
should be killed or not, and he wasn't positive if Kusanagi was the kind to
kill him just because either.
            "Because you are different. You have more control than any Alpha
I've ever seen and it would be a shame if you were killed and that talent be
wasted." Kusanagi flicked his gaze to the stump. "Now try again."
            Fushimi watched him for a moment longer before turning once again,
taking Kusanagi's advice and shifting his feet further apart. He straightened
his back, then shifted a little more to make sure he was stable before throwing
a knife. The blade glanced off the edge, showing how off his aim was with the
change. The set had come with five, and he had thrown two before Kusanagi had
said anything, so that left two more. He threw the fourth, the weapon hitting
the stump but bouncing off harmlessly. He sighed, annoyed, but focused with the
last knife before throwing it once more. The tip stuck solidly into the wood.
            He clicked his tongue, not sure if he should be happy or annoyed
that Kusanagi's advice had worked. He didn't say anything, instead walking over
to begin gathering the knives once again for the umpteenth time.
            Kusanagi watched, calculating. The Alpha was quick to learn, the
next five tries all hit the stump in the center but only three stuck. His form
was still a little off but with every throw he corrected it more, the skill
coming to him almost naturally. After the next set, the knives were sticking
every time. "You need larger ones. Those are too small for your hands." He
commented when Fushimi returned to his previous position after retrieving the
knives once again.
            "We use what we have access to, besides," thunk, "You may not care
but do you really think," thunk, "Mikoto is going to let me keep theses,"
thunk, "Let alone ones I could work with better?"thunk, thunk. He glanced over
his shoulder, "Learning to throw is nothing more than an exercise in futility."
            "He will if you become my second." Kusanagi said, watching and
trying to gauge Fushimi's reaction. Since he had accompanied him and Yata in
the forest he had been thinking about the possibility. Fushimi brought back…
old memories, though he was unsure why. He had spoken with Mikoto directly
after, describing the control Fushimi had exhibited and the inner strength he
had. The Commander had only nodded and told Kusanagi to watch him, as he had
been, and report back his progress. Surprisingly, it had been nothing but good
so far.
            Fushimi turned away, walking over to the stump. "That would be very
stupid on your part." He yanked the knives free. "For one, no one trusts me. I
come from somewhere that you never thought could exist and I'm very different
from you. Second, it would drive a wedge between you and Mikoto, because he and
I will never get along. Third, many would look down on that decision and see
you as unfit and unfavorable. Fourth, it would make you a target for any who
wish to eliminate me and Fifth," he turned, holding the knives loosely. "I
don't even know what that means."
            "No one would question my choice. I am the leader of this clan and
a close friend to Mikoto. For one, I want you to because if your different.
Second, Mikoto respects me and my choices. Third, no one would dare view me in
that light. Forth, I earned my place here and no one would try that. You would
be under my protection and therefore safe. And fifth, it means that I will
train you until I die, at which point you would take my place." He said,
copying the Alpha’s tone.
            Fushimi crossed his arms, wary and unsure about what Kusanagi had
said and what he was offering. He walked back, turning around and throwing the
knives once more, silent as he thought. "And why should I even trust you?" he
asked after his hands were empty. "How do you even know... Tch. You make no
sense." he turned away, going for the knives again, using them as a ground.
            "Because I'm offering to teach you everything I can about our
people and how to defend yourself and Yata." Kusanagi said, his eyes falling to
the bite mark on the Alpha's throat. "Mikoto would hesitate to kill you if you
were under my protection."
            "I find it difficult to believe he would hesitate in anything." He
mumbled, closing his eyes. "And what do I have to do? Besides learn, that is."
            "Respect me and follow the orders I give you."
            Fushimi looked at a knife before shrugging. "Tch, whatever. It's
not like I have anything better to do with my life." He looked up at Kusanagi.
            The Beta snorted. "Now come with me. And put those knives away." He
turned to leave.
            He sighed, tucking the weapons into his cloths as he trailed after
Kusanagi, "Five seconds in and this is already annoying."
            "Watch your mouth." Kusanagi led them out into the village, turning
towards Mikoto's quarters.
             Fushimi rolled his eyes, maybe this wasn't the best decision; he
wasn't exactly the greatest at being bossed around. He looked at Mikoto's
quarters, then to the ground, great. Apparently avoiding the place was a little
too much to ask.
            "When we enter, you stay a step behind me to my right." Kusanagi
said as they approached. "And try not to meet his eyes or give him lip."
            "Not really good at the whole submissive thing." he mumbled, moving
to the position Kusanagi had said, which in itself received several curious
glances their way from a few different grounders.
            "Heda?" Kusanagi called and was answered with a gruff, ‘Enter.’
Kusanagi pushed the drape aside to step into the darkness of the dwelling.
            "What's this?" Mikoto asked, his attention immediately going to the
position Saruhiko took. It wasn’t so much as the position as the change in his
posture.
            "He's your second? That's great!" Totsuka cut Kusanagi off before
he could answer, sitting up from where he had been laying with Durga at the
foot of Mikoto's throne.
            The lupid raised its head, panting happily and wagging her tail at
the sight of Fushimi. The male looked away, counting in his head as he tried to
follow the instructions Kusanagi had given him.
            "Surely this is no surprise, Heda." He said calmly. "I told you
yesterday I had an interest in him."
            Mikoto considered his most trusted advisor, trying to decide if
this was an act of defiance or not. A long moment passed between them. "Fine.
But if he makes a mistake, you bring him to me and I will deal with him."
            "Of course,." Since Fushimi was still under Mikoto's custody, that
much was to be expected. "I figured training him would help him to fit in."
Kusanagi added, speaking more casually to the Commander now that the initial
fact had passed them.
            Make a mistake? What did that mean? Was he referring to Fushimi
lashing out or was there something else? What rules was he even expected to
follow? Ugh, fuck all of them.
            "I am not concerned with him 'fitting in,' Izumo." Mikoto said
calmly. "I worry of the threat he and his people pose on us."
            Durga whined, upset that she was being ignored by the Alpha, and
let out a small bark, trying to get Fushimi's attention.
            "So far he's done nothing and neither have his people. With
training he will be a very valuable warrior. Trust me, he has some of the same
qualities you did before Kagutsu trained you. Brazen and hard headedness
included."
            Totsuka laughed at that and crossed his legs underneath him. He
leaned over, pushing Durga slightly to urge her to go to Fushimi, curious about
this development.
            "And he has a habit of having no regard for his own life, not to
mention he doesn't know how to watch his mouth."
            Fushimi wasn't sure how he felt about being compared to Mikoto and
it made him want to leave. Not to mention he reallywanted to retort to that,
but refrained simply because... he wasn't really sure, it just held him silent.
He shifted his weight, uncomfortable and willing them to stop talking so he
could leave. Durga glanced at Mikoto before standing slowly and slinking over
to Fushimi, glancing at her master to make sure he wasn't going to come after
her in some form.
            "He's watching it now isn't he?" Kusanagi ignored the lupid as she
circled him to sniff Fushimi's shoes.
            "He has improved." Totsuka said, pushing himself up only to sit
back down on the arm of Mikoto's throne.
            Fushimi rolled his eyes at that, unable to stop himself at the
discussion going on. He was standingright there. He huffed, raising his foot to
kick at the animal's nose. "Don’t. Unless you want to lose your leg." The
Commander said without looking at the Alpha.  
            "Gyon au ouder.5" Fushimi grumbled at her quietly.
            Durga puffed, disappointed and offended as she turned to slink to
the other side of the room.
            Kusanagi snorted. "Doesn't look like she'd take his leg off."
            The younger Alpha smirked, chancing a quick glance at Mikoto if
only to see his expression. Of course, the Alpha was glaring directly at him,
so he dropped his gaze but kept the smirk.
            Kusanagi cast a side glance at Fushimi, willing him to behave.
"Regardless, I wanted to ask your permission to arm him, since I have a feeling
you still want me to come to you about weaponry."
            Mikoto continued watching the other Alpha. "Do you trust him?"
            "Yes, I do." The Beta said, a slight smile twitching on his lips.
Mikoto, of course, didn't know that Fushimi was currently armed, and if the
Alpha had enough sense not to attack Mikoto while he had the chance... "He has
more restraint and control then you did at that age, the only problem is that
he knows it."
            Fushimi rolled his eyes again, could have saved your breath and
just said I was cocky, he thought to himself.
            "Then yes, I give you permission to arm him." Mikoto sighed.
            "Thank you, Heda." Kusanagi bowed his head and glanced back at
Fushimi, willing him to do the same.
            The Alpha  glanced over before forcing himself to bow when he
really, really, wanted to stab something just for the thought.
            "Unless you have something further to discuss, dismissed."
            Kusanagi nodded once and turned to leave, ushering Fushimi out as
well. "Well that went better than I had hoped." He said once they were outside.
            Fushimi clicked his tongue. "Sure," he grumbled irritably. "What
now Obi One?"
            "Now you'll tell me what Yata has taught you so that I can see what
you still need to learn." He said, ignoring the unfamiliar term.
            "A little bit of Trigedasleng, what you saw yesterday in the woods
and I've got a few bits and pieces of things. I know there are.. twelve clans,
though I think Yata could only name six or seven, and that the ice nation is
ruled by a bitch who wants to screw Mikoto. Uh..." He thought, "Other than
that... mostly he just talks about how great and scary Mikoto is. I know stuff,
but it’s in the sense that I don't know what it means."
            Kusanagi snorted at the bitch comment. "What you do you want me to
elaborate on? " He asked as he led the Alpha through the village.
            "The black blood thing." He said, following. "Yata didn't really...
Explain. Simply said that he and Mikoto had it and really just left it at
that."
            "When a child is discovered to have black blood they are sent to
Polis. That's the Capital where the Commander usually stays. There they are
trained to by the Commander to take his or her place when they die. The Spirt
of the Commander chooses which will be the next." The Beta paused. "The ones
with black blood are reincarnations of previous Commanders. Mikoto is a
reincarnation of the first Commander."
            "Okay..." he said slowly, thinking Kusanagi had lost it, "Even if I
did buy that, how do you know Mikoto is a reincarnation of the original?"
            "They are the same." Kusanagi answered simply, ignoring the stray
looks they got from a group of hunters returning to the village.
            Fushimi snorted, "I don't buy it. Makes no sense, not to mention,
it's very narrow sighted."
            "Explain." Kusanagi said, glancing at the Alpha.
            "Well, let’s say for a moment that the reincarnation is real, which
I don't buy into but I can't prove or disprove that. You say that each person
with black blood is the reincarnation of a Commander, and that is what makes
them fit to lead. That is narrow minded; just because they led in a past life
does not mean they are right to lead now. If only they can become Commanders,
you never have the reintroduction of new blood that could very well save the
army. For example, if you and Mikoto had a different way of dealing with a
situation, and Mikoto led because he is a reincarnation, he could get everyone
killed whereas your idea may have saved thousands, but you never got the
chance."
            "That's why the Commander has advisors. When a Commander is chosen
the Spirt awakens their memories so that they may learn from the mistakes they
made in the past. When something of great importance needs to be addressed, the
leaders of the twelve clans and their advisors go to Polis where the matter is
discussed. Every Commander is chosen for a reason."
            "And if the 'spirit' chooses, how do you know someone isn't
bullshitting that they are the true leaders?" Fushimi said blandly.
            "Because you watch the Spirit."
            Fushimi shrugged, "Whatever, it doesn't matter in the end anyways.
I just think it is all a bunch of bullshit."
            "The Spirit is a physical thing. If you don't believe me look at
the back of Mikoto's neck, that's where it resides."
            "I would rather stay away from him," he grumbled. "Where are we
going anyways?"
             "To find a proper weapon for you." Kusanagi said, turning onto a
side path. "Anything else you want to clear up?"
            "No," He clicked his tongue, "Not unless you can explain to me why
the lot of you won’t let Mikoto kill me."
            "You’re different." Kusanagi said, smirking.
Chapter End Notes
     1) Hondes laik kwelnes - Love is weakness,
     2) Em ste nou, em ste yujnes - No it is not, it is strength.
     3) Chit -What
     4) Ste plenti - is enough
     5) Gyon au ouder - Go way over there
     Notes from Jane: this is from both of us BUT *while editing Totsuka’s
     speech* Jokes on you gay shit, I don’t speak ze engrish. THAT’S FROM
     BRANDON ROGERS FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT DON’T KNOW, SPECIFICALLY THE
     VIDEO ABOUT THE JAPANESE GIRLFRIEND
     Notes from Sola: ^Still dying from it XD
***** House Cleaning *****
Chapter by JaneNyx
Chapter Summary
     Fushimi is stubborn and we see how Niki treats his child.
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes
               After a little further of a walk, they stopped at what seemed
like a random building; it was small, nothing significant. A rough hand swung
the door open, revealing a wall of vicious looking weapons and gestured for
Fushimi to go inside. "Pick something out. We don't usually keep sets of
throwing knives but there are a few mismatched ones. When I go to Polis I can
have a set made for you if you still want to use them."
                "It’s the only thing I know how to use." He walked in, looking
over everything curiously, taking in the various weapons. There were swords and
knives but other than that... he wasn't sure what some of the objects were.
A... scythe he believed and another object that looked like some sort of blunt
weapon, but it annoyed him that he didn't know the name of what he was looking
at.
                Kusanagi watched him from the threshold. "Just pick something
and try it. If you don't like it then pick something else. I'll teach you how
to use whatever you decide on."
                Fushimi's gaze swept over everything, before picking up a long,
slender sword. He slid it out of its sheath, inspecting the metal. "What type
of sword is this?"
                "It's a sabre." Kusanagi said, noting that he had went for a
plainer sword than the extravagant ones hung upon the walls.
                "I want to continue with knives, but this I suppose is as good
a start as any. What is the blade's name?" He carefully tested its weight,
learning the balance.
                "Pleiades. That's its sister sword, Sirius." Kusanagi gestured
to one of the more decorated and longer swords hanging just to the right of
where the one Saruhiko was holding had been sitting. “They were forged
together.”
                The Alpha glanced over, sliding the sword back into its sheath.
"I want to keep the set of knives I have for now." he said dully, pretending to
be disinterested.
                "That's fine. But you need a weapon that would do good against
a sword."
                Fushimi glanced back at Pleiades, in all honesty it was the
only weapon that interested him remotely. "It will be difficult to hit me with
a sword when I am out of range, and a knife is in your chest."
                "Yes. But if you miss or there are multiple enemies?"
                Fushimi shrugged, "If you’re that worried then train me in
everything."
                "I'm not worried. It's common sense. But if you would like then
I can train you to use every kind of weapon to some degree. We can start with
the sabre."
                "That would be the most sensible thing then. It would be useful
to be prepared for any situation." He looked around, this could keep him busy
for a while. "What times do I train with you?"
                "Whenever I decide you will. But until your leg gets well
enough to actually train you'll be cleaning these weapons and learning about
our culture."
                "Again, with the damn leg." Fushimi growled, "It’s fine. I
don't even notice it."
                "You limp when you walk." Kusanagi pointed out. "You said pain
doesn't register with you and the wound hasn't had time to heal properly. So,
you'll sit and learn. Don't question my orders."
                Did he really limp? He tried to think back, but found he
couldn't recall. He sighed, irritated. "Fine, whatever, but I question
everything. I'm not good when I don't have a reason."
                "You don't need a reason until I say you do. Now," He moved
over to a shelf, taking a can and a cloth from it and handing them to Saruhiko.
"Start cleaning and asking me questions."
                 "Why are you all assholes?" Fushimi quipped venomously, moving
to start on the very back wall. He grabbed the... thing in the very far corner
and started with it. Before cleaning it, he inspected it. It was circular, the
edge razor sharp. He assumed it to be a throwing weapon, though he could see
how you could hold it in hand to hand. He then began cleaning, sitting on the
floor as Kusanagi gave a drawn out sigh.
===============================================================================

                Having already unsaddled his horse and turned her out to graze,
Yata went in search of Fushimi. He asked around when the Alpha wasn't at his
house, most saying that they had seen him earlier that day. One particular
Omega said they had seen him going into Mikoto's quarters with Kusanagi, and
that set a panic and worry in the pit of his stomach. Had he done something
wrong? Surly they would have waited until he returned to punish his bond? He
asked a few more hurriedly, panic increasing as one person directed him to the
weapon shed.
                He set off at a brisk pace, worry and confusion growing with
every step. Why would he be with the weapons? Had Mikoto demanded that he pick
out the weapon he would be executed with? Yata shook his head. That wasn't a
good possibility, but it was very plausible had the male done something wrong.
                He pushed open the door to the room, the sun falling behind his
back. "Saruhiko?"
                Fushimi glanced up from where he was cleaning a handful of
pocket knives, a small smile twitching the corner of his lips affectionately
before he turned back to cleaning. "You took too long, Misaki." He clicked his
tongue.
                Kusanagi nodded in greeting, "Yata. How did the patrol go?"
                "Oh, it went alright." He rubbed the back of his head. "Shohei
shot a deer but other than that we didn't see anything." He left the door open
to the last rays of light of the day into the room and went to sit next to
Fushimi, so close their thighs and shoulders pressed together. He couldn’t help
but be relieved that the Alpha’s life hadn’t been in danger. "So... why are
you...?"
                "Kusanagi decided to train me, something about seconds.
Basically, I've been getting a history lesson for the past hour and my head
hurts. Oh, and I stole the throwing knives that were under your bed."
                "Wait, what?" Yata looked up at Kusanagi who was watching them
curiously, studying how they interacted and noting that Yata didn't have a bite
mark over his scent gland. He nodded. "He's my second now. Mikoto approved it
and said I could train him in weaponry." He smiled comfortingly, knowing it may
save Fushimi’s life… if he would listen.

                "That's awesome!" Yata smiled, wiggling excitedly as the
opportunities spread out before him. "Oh wait... you stole my knives!" He
smacked the Alpha. "You dick."
                Fushimi rolled his eyes, "Well they are mine now since I can
throw them" He shrugged, using the rag to clean out the crevices surprisingly
patiently. "How do weapons hanging on the shelf get so dirty?"
                Yata sighed and leaned against Fushimi, the contact soothing to
him. "So when can he be done?" Yata asked, looking up at the Beta.

                "After he gets done with those knives." Kusanagi said,
stretching in his seat. He was getting hungry anyways, and today was more of a
‘introduction’ day.
                 "Why do you answer him but all I get is a 'when I say so?'"
Fushimi grumbled, inspecting the knife to make sure he got all of the dust off.
                "Because I was about to tell you that anyways."
                "Mikoto does that to all of us when we're training. I think
it's a lesson of some sort."
                "Or not," He grumbled, happy about the results and moving onto
the next knife. He wanted to hurry, but he wasn't about to half-ass his job
just because of that. Kusanagi would just make him redo it anyways. "For the
record, Misaki, I blame you for this. Just had to shoot me in the leg."
                "I'm sorry! How many times do I have to apologize?" Yata
huffed, making Kusanagi laugh at their bickering.
                Fushimi glared at the Beta, "Fuck off." He grumbled at the
older male irritably.
                Kusanagi got up, earning a worried look from Yata, and took the
largest sword from the wall and set it down in front of Fushimi. "Watch your
tongue."
                Fushimi glared at Kusanagi, before letting out a frustrated
growl. "This is never going to end." He grumbled. "So, oh wise one," he said
sarcastically, "What kind of 'mistakes' was Mikoto referring to when he told
you to bring me to him?"
                "Harming someone, being excessively disobedient, anything I
deem worthy of removing you as my second."

                "In other words, just try not to do something stupid." Yata
added with a sigh.
                "You're one to talk Mi~Sa~Ki~, you practically embody
stupidity." Fushimi teased, smirking as he began polishing the blade of a small
knife.
                "Shut up, asshole!" Yata crossed his arms, offended. "Just
hurry up. I'm tired and wanna go home."
                "If he keeps adding shit that may be a while." He grumbled,
nodding to Kusanagi as he finished another knife. He had two left and the
sword, hopefully it wouldn’t be too long.
                "If you apologize you can clean the sword tomorrow." Kusanagi
offered.
                 "Tch, I don't apologize." Fushimi said stubbornly, polishing
the knife.
                 Yata groaned as Kusanagi leaned back in his seat, his back
resting against the wall. "Come on, Saruhiko…"
                "No." Fushimi said, annoyed at the thought of apologizing and
caving in to their ridiculous sentiments. Just because some said sorry didn’t
mean they were.
                The Beta sighed, accepting the fate he seemed to have condemned
himself to. "You are going to be a handful."
                "He's a dick." Yata grumbled, watching the Alpha’s progress.
                Fushimi shrugged, taking the last knife. "One more question,
why does everyone keep telling me to stay away from Durga when she just acts
like child?" He shook his head, "She responds to scolding, so why would I be
afraid?"
                "She's the only domestic lupid in the twelve clans, as of last
winter. All the others turned on their owners and ripped them apart before
going feral. They're vicious and she has only ever responded to Mikoto, anyone
else gets bitten and Totsuka is only tolerated. Why she listens to you I have
no clue, but I'd still stay away from her. Not for your sake, but for theirs.
If she starts to recognize you as her Alpha then she could turn on Mikoto or
Totsuka, seeing as they would be a challenge to your dominance."
                "I don't want anything to do with it," Fushimi spat, "I just
want it to leave me the fuck alone."
                Kusanagi shrugged. "Just ignore her and let Mikoto handle her,
she should eventually give up."
                Fushimi moved on to the sword, "Whatever," he grumbled. He
wouldn't be sad if the animal ate Mikoto, but he had a distinct feeling he
shouldn't voice that.
                Yata sighed and set his head on Fushimi's shoulder, closing his
eyes and resting. At least the male seemed to by trying now, or maybe at least
taking the opportunities given to him. Either way, it let him relax… maybe he
wouldn’t be killed.
                Fushimi instinctively moved to tilt his head but forced himself
not to as he rubbed down the sword, cleaning the dust out of the decorative
crevices. "What time do I need to be here tomorrow?"
                "Before the sun rises." Kusanagi said, studying them as he
tried to place what was off.
                The Alpha sighed, clicking his tongue in acknowledgement before
he turned the weapon over and polished the other side. He didn't like how
closely the male was watching them, because while he didn't think Totsuka would
say anything, he wasn't sure about Kusanagi. If the Beta figured out that he
was lying… he might be more apt to point Misaki in the right direction if not
tell him flat out. He knew the Heda would.
                Turning his head slightly, Yata pressed his cheek to Fushimi's
shoulder and inhaling his scent, finding comfort. He wondered… what was
Saruhiko feeling? Would he know if Saruhiko bit him? Would the Alpha realize
what he felt if the bond worked?
                Fushimi forced himself not to react, to not lean over and
nuzzle into his hair and kiss him, focusing solely on the sword, moving up to
the hilt as overwhelming feelings of contentment wash over him. In the little
bits of silence between him and his new mentor, he had begun sorting how to
tell their tangled emotions apart.
                Ever observant, the Beta continued to watch them and try to
figure the two out. Finally, when Fushimi was done, he stood, taking the rag
and the can of cleaner and placing them back on the shelf. He looked over the
weapons the younger male had polished, inspecting them. He was surprised, he
figured he would have had to correct a few techniques but Saruhiko had done
much better than most… of course, he was older than most that did this.

                Yata sighed in relief, standing as well to stretch out his
muscles. "Come on, Saruhiko, I'm hungry."
                Fushimi rolled his eyes, following suit of the other two. He
stretched as well, his back crackling as he did so. "So impatient. You didn't
have to come here you know." He adjusted his glasses. "Is there some formal
dismissal shit expected of me or can I just say see you tomorrow?"
                "Not today. You may leave." Kusanagi nodded to the two before
opening the door and exiting, Yata close behind him. The Omega took his Alpha’s
hand, searching for more contact as the fading light made them blink. "Come on,
I bet my mom has something we can eat."
                Fushimi groaned, squinting "But your siblings..." He whined,
not in the mood to deal with the children. "I'm not hungry enough for that."
                "You'll be fine." Yata tugged him in the opposite direct that
Kusanagi had gone. "Besides, I missed you."
                Fushimi snorted, "Aww, Misaki is being all sentimental~" he
teased, letting the male lead him with a nagging sense of satisfaction.
                "Shut up! I really did." Yata cheeks heated up in the dusky
light of the sunset.
                The Alpha ruffled his hair affectionately before he could stop
himself, laughing. "So I have to face the children?"
                "Yes." Yata said, smiling and enjoying the sound of Fushimi’s
honest laugh; it was something he would have to try to bring out more often. He
didn't bother to try and escape the touch, it was completely welcome after the
hours apart.
                Fushimi fell silent, his conversation with Totsuka coming back
to him, along with a wave of anxiety. Maybe if he talked to Misaki's mother,
she could have more influence then him. In truth, the idea of Yata doing
something behind his back like that made him panic a little, and he was willing
to try anything to prevent it without telling him about the bond.
                "What's wrong?" Yata asked, the silence seeming abrupt.
                The debate on whether or not he should bring it up made the
Alpha pause. He didn't have any proof Yata was still considering it, maybe
their talk alone had been enough. "Nothing, just... Trying to adjust. It's been
a long few days."
                Yata leaned his shoulder against Fushimi's, an action that was
quickly becoming a habit. "It'll get easier." He promised, intertwining his
fingers with the Alpha's as they walked.
                "Tch," Fushimi squeezed Yata's hand for a moment, letting
himself admit to how much he had wanted to be by Yata's side. When he could
feel Yata’s mood through the day it bothered him; what had made the Omega
embarrassed? Angry? Up on the ark, bonding was highly unusual – Betas didn’t
have near as strong a bite instinct as Alphas or Omegas. When it did happen,
there was a big formal ceremony and it was considered romantic.
                When they were kids, everyone had talking about finding the one
they wanted to bond with, having that perfect match that you never wanted to
leave. Of course, Saruhiko never had that dream.
                Or at least, that man had crushed it pretty quickly.
~

                This was before he had truly learned to distance himself, when
blind childhood innocence still existed in his world and his Alpha nature had
yet to show itself.
                Their homework for the night was to ‘interview’ their parents
about their views on bonding and decide for themselves if this was a practice
they would consider. Fushimi was only six at the time; the assignment more
about the love aspect then the actual act of bonding. He didn’t know why, but
when his teacher had mentioned how the two exchanged a bite on the neck his
heart had begun to race. She showed them her bite, encouraging that it didn’t
hurt. A few hours in the library and Saruhiko had learned everything he could.
It was somewhat frowned upon because it was mostly an Alpha-Omega dynamic, but
why should it be when the mates could feel emotion through it?
                 He followed his normal routine, sitting in the spacecraft’s
library until his mother retrieved him. Except, to his surprise and minor
excitement, it wasn’t Kisa who came to get him. He sprung to his feet, racing
over to his father. He wasn’t always nice but… at least he brought toys and
acted interested in him some days. Tugging eagerly at the tall man's coat he
asked, "What was bonding like with you and mommy? We learned about that today."
                Niki had bent, grinning down at his son, his mind already at
work with the possibilities. "Did you? And what did you learn about it?" He
picked his child up, discreetly taking him back to the two bedroom quarters.
                "That it was special..." he said hesitantly, unsure how to
react. His father never picked him up like this… but maybe he just was happy
about talking about it?
                "How so?" He prompted, looking ahead, the smile never leaving
his features.
                "Because the person you bond with will stay with you for the
rest of your life." The words tumbled out over themselves. “They will always
love you, and you can feel it!”
                "I see." He set Fushimi down, ruffling his hair semi-
affectionately. "What do you think your bondmate will be like?"
                His eyes widened a bit, having not expected him to ask anything
of that nature. He thought his parents would grill him on facts... "Well.. I
hope they're nice and.." he trailed off, trying to picture it.
                "Just nice?"
                "Um.. I think that would be the most important thing."
                "What else?" He prompted.
                He frowned, thinking hard. "I would want to get along with them
of course. And it would be nice if they were pretty or cute." His cheeks
flushed a little red. “Like the boy in the other class…”
                "Do you want kids?" Niki asked quickly, deflecting the topic
that Saruhiko had just opened up. He would make note, but for now he only
wanted to focus on one topic. He would use the new information to torture
Saruhiko later.
                “Uh... I don’t know." He said hesitantly, trying to keep up
with the topic switch.
                "You don't?" He prompted, searching for what had ignited his
interest in the first place.
                Saruhiko shrugged, "They are really loud."
                "What else did your teacher say?"
                "She said she could feel what her mate felt."
                "Does that excite you?"
                "I think it’s really neat." He said in a roundabout way.
                "And what would your bond feel like?"
                He looked confused at that.
                "What would a bond be like?" Niki repeated patiently, sitting
down in a chair halfway in the middle of the floor.
                "Happy?"
                "Now I know you know more than that." He ruffled his son's
hair, grinning from ear to ear.
                "I wouldn't know from experience! I can just guess." He ducked
his head at the now unwanted contact. "Lots of people seem happy when they're
bonded."
                "Well, little monkey, can I tell you a secret?" Maybe this game
needed a turn.
                He frowned at the nickname but nodded.
                “No one will ever love you."
                His eyes widened, and he could have sworn his heart skipped a
beat; and not in a good way. "W-what?"
                "How could anyone love someone so puny, and worthless?" His
grin was like a cat's, his gaze calculating as he analyzed his son’s reactions.
 "You'll marry someone cold and mean, because that is the only one who will
settle for you." He tilted the child's chin up. "And do you know what you'll
feel if you bond?"
                He swallowed thickly, feeling himself tear up. He wanted to
cover his ears, he didn't want to hear this.
                "You will feel nothing but hatred. Every time you touch them
you will feel disgust. Your teacher? She is lying to all of you. Love doesn't
exist Monkey. Its sex and that is all."
                "B-but.. that can't.."
                “They will despise and hate you," He let go of his son's chin.
"None of you will ever find 'love' because it does not exist. Your teacher will
hate her husband in a year."
                "But..."
                "But what?" He purred. "Mommy already hates you, no one else
will love you. "
                "She..." he quieted, crying. The reality of it began to crash
around him. She never played with him, and wasn't a mother's love supposed to
be the strongest? If no one loved him, what would he do? Would they float him
if everybody hated him.
                Niki watched, satisfied as he watched the child sink inside
himself and his fears. "You will be stuck with me forever, Monkey."
~
                "So what are you going to do tomorrow, Misaki?"
                "Probably train with Mikoto most of the day. It's not going to
be so humid so Totsuka will be able come out and watch. That's why it was so
short yesterday, Heda doesn’t like his mate being out of sight for to long."
Lights were flickering in the window of his home, his mother must have gone
ahead and lit candles in preparation of the coming darkness. "We usually train
a lot longer than that, and he always takes short breaks to make sure Totsuka
drinks enough and isn’t getting hungry. He's actually really caring when you
get to know him; that's what makes him such a great leader."
                Fushimi snorted, finding it hard to believe that Mikoto could
be caring. "Let’s face the little beasts."
Chapter End Notes
     Notes After: Notes from Sola: So…. Jane is gonna blame me and yes, it
     is somewhat my fault. My computer is dunzo and I lost inspiration,
     plus I am a greedy little dragon and won’t let her edit without me.
     xP Anyways, I got a new tablet with the attachable keyboard and look!
     WITHIN ONE DAY I HAVE THE CHAPTER!! :D Also, Sorry this one is short,
     the next two at least will come out this month a promise! They should
     make up for it.
     Notes form Jane: YEAH I’M GONNA BLAME SOLA SHE REFUSED TO LET ME HAVE
     THE CHAPTER AND REFUSED TO WORK ON IT EVEN WHEN HER COMPUTER WASN’T
     BROKEN. GREEDY LITTLE DRAGON. … also, this is the first chapter that
     shes letting me post by myself SO IF THERE ARE ANY MISTAKES KNOW THAT
     I’M DOING THIS WITH MY MOTHER TALKING NON-STOP WHILE I’M TRYING TO DO
     IT AND IT’S REALLY DISTRACTING BUT I GOT THIS… HOPEFULLY OH THANK YOU
     TO THE PERSON THAT COMMENTED BECAUSE IT GOT SOLA TO GO OUT AND BUY A
     NEW COMPUTER WHICH I HAD BEEN BEGGING HER TO DO
***** Breaking Point *****
Chapter Summary
     Fushimi's learns that the bond isn't something to mess with
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes
    Flopping down on the bed like a ragdoll, Fushimi sprawled out with a groan
amongst the furs on his stomach. "Tch, I told you I didn't want to go and I end
up with weird bugs down my shirt." A sharp glare was thrown at his Omega, who
standing at the side of the bed.
    Yata laid across the Alpha's back, laughing at the reaction. "At least they
weren't the kind that bite."
    "I probably would have killed your brother if it had," he grumbled,
completely limp beneath him.
    "You wouldn't have. And usually it is Megumi pulling stuff like that." Yata
rolled so his back was pressed to Fushimi's, sharing their space and warmth.
    Fushimi sighed, "I don't know which one did it, I just know I had weird
insects in my shirt." He looked over his shoulder, inspecting Yata as he
debated on what Totsuka had told him. Should he say something..? No, he
shouldn't; he shouldn't let a fool like that influence his thoughts and doubts
either.
    "It was just a shell bug. And you didn't seem too bothered by it."
    “It was just a bug, but still. That's a prime example of why I hate kids."
He grumbled, unwilling to admit he found the insect interesting.
    "You don't hate them. You just don't know how to deal with them. " Yata
wiggled, rolling until he was on his stomach yet again.
    Looking over his shoulder, Fushimi snorted. "No, I hate them, just like I
hate vegetables. Also, stop squirming damnit."
    "Uh huh. You're so grumpy." Yata reached over, placing his hand in the
Alpha's hair.
    And you're cute Mi~Sa~Ki~" Fushimi teased, smiling.
    "I am not! And quit calling me that, I don't like it! "
    "But Mi~Sa~Ki~" he whined, trying to keep from laughing at the red
spreading across the other’s cheeks. "You are! Besides, you aren't going to
make me stop-"
    "I could! I'd kick your ass if I didn't already feel bad about shooting
you." Yata scrunched his features in agitation.
    "You couldn't kick high enough to reach my ass, shorty."
    Yata pushed himself up, growling. "Quit being an asshole!"
    "Tch, why Mi~Sa~Ki?" Fushimi flipped over, smirking at the male. "Are you
embarrassed because it's true? Because it is."
    "No! I'll prove it when your leg gets better." The Omega sat back, sitting
next to Fushimi. “Then I will show you why I’m a nightblood.”
    A swift flick was delivered to Yata's nose, "Uh huh, Sure."
    "Hey!" The hand was batted away and Fushimi was pushed to the edge of the
bed, balanced precariously. "Quit it or I'll push you in the floor!"
    In one swift motion, Fushimi wrapped his arms around Yata and rolled. He
drug the smaller male off the bed with him, successfully putting himself on top
of the grounder. The slight impact smarted in his leg, but he easily ignored
that, too focused on the body beneath him. "Now you can't. I pushed you to the
floor."
    The Omega squirmed, growling as he rolled the Alpha, reversing their
positions to prove that he was the stronger one. Fushimi snorted, looking up at
Yata, candle light dancing in his eyes to prove how much he enjoyed this. He
tugged a lock of Yata's hair, the stands soft between his fingertips. "Cute."
    The smaller male growled, the action becoming rather common when it came to
Saruhiko, puffing out his cheeks in frustration. "I can’t wait until your leg
heals."
    He laughed, "Somehow, I'm not afraid."
    "You should be." Yata said, letting the aggravation diffuse with Fushimi's
laugh.
    "Nah," he bent up and kiss Yata's throat. "Not in the slightest."
    Yata tilted his head up instinctively, the skin over his scent glands
tingling at the caress of Fushimi's mouth until the Alpha pulled back. "You're
far too easy to pacify."
    "Am not." Yata huffed childishly, sitting back on Fushimi's stomach.
    "Are to," he teased, gently brushing the fiery red strands out of the boy’s
face.
    "Am not." Yata argued as he pushed himself up, moving to sit on the bed.
The room was dimly lit by one candle, the tiny flame flickering on its perch
above the melting wax. It provided just enough light to see by and, being set
on the wooden chest next to Yata's bed, cast deep shadows over Fushimi's face,
highlighting his high cheekbones and pale skin.
The Alpha sat up, "I'm probably going to head out pretty early, I won't get
much sleep so I'll leave before dawn so I can get a head start."
    "Why won't you get much sleep?"
    "I have insomnia." Fushimi explained, getting back onto the bed with a
slight wince at his leg. "I normally only get roughly two hours of sleep in a
day. The past couple nights I just watch you while I'm awake but... Might as
well do something if I'm up."
    "Huh? What's insom..nia?" The last syllable was distanced from the rest of
the word as if Yata was trying to sound it out as he scooted back to give him
room, trying not to be creeped out by the new information. It was.. oddly
endearing but..
    "It's the inability to sleep." He simplified with a bored tone, stretching
out on the bed.
    "Hmm... I bet Totsuka has something that would help with that." Yata
paused. "I'll go see and if he does then you can try it and see if it works."
    Saruhiko stiffened, the thought of the healer setting him on edge. "No.
It's fine. I'll be ok."
    "What's wrong? Why'd you tense up?" Yata asked, instantly concerned.
    "I don't get along with Totsuka. I'm fine, I'll sleep a little." It wasn't
a complete lie but he didn't want Misaki to even get the chance to ask about
pregnancy herbs.
    "But Totsuka gets along with everyone! And you wouldn't have to actually go
there. I can go get it you know."
    "No, I'm fine." He emphasized with a slight growl.
    "But.." Yata frowned, the change of mood not sitting well with him. No one
should be like this when it came to help. "What would be the harm in trying it?
"
    "Misaki, I don't want to take it. I hate medication and I can't stand
taking things." Which was true, though not the reason. You tended to gain an
aversion when pills you didn’t know the name of were shoved down your throat.
    The Omega whined but finally accepted that answer. "I just wanna help..."
    He let out a breath he didn't know he had held. "I know, but I don't like
help, remember?"
    "Well…. you know you should at least let me try. Down here, that's how we
show we care. By helping. There isn’t much else we can do." Yata tugged his
shirt up and off, getting ready to sleep all of this tense emotion away.
    "It’s the same up there, I just don't like people who care. Everyone looks
out for themselves first, so you can't rely on kindness. It leads to
disappointment, and those who are too kind are taken advantage of." His tone
was bland and cynical, set in his beliefs.
    Yata shook his head, worming his way out of his trousers. "On some level I
guess I agree, but you should accept it from the ones that love you."
    "I don't believe in love." He clicked his tongue instantly, looking away.
"It's a lie."
    "I'm not lying.." The Omega said, looking hurt as he pushed his clothes off
the edge of the bed. He tried to remind himself the Alpha had a hard life. "I
know I love you with my heart. And not just because of the scent bond. I love
everything about you, even if you're a dick sometimes."
    "Tch," Fushimi pulled off his shirt. "Hodnes laik kwelnes."1
    "Em ste nou.."2
    "It is." He stated blandly, stripping off his pants and rolling over.
"Someone will always use what you love to destroy you."
    "I'm willing to take that chance." With a sigh, he laid back beside the
Alpha, thinking about how to get his point across.
    "...I'm not." Fushimi left his back to Yata, hurting for the male. He
didn’t deserve the kick in the ribs life would deliver - not by a long shot.
    Rolling over and nuzzling into Fushimi's back, Yata whined, desperate now
to be close. "Don't be that way..."
    "It's what I believe, and it's the truth." Came the deathly quiet reply.
    "But it's not." Yata pushed himself up to blow out the candle, plunging the
room into darkness. He grabbed Fushimi's shoulder, pushing him flat on the bad.
He dipped his head and kissed the Alpha clumsily, spurred by the lack of sight.
    Fushimi blinked a few times, unable to see, before his hands felt their way
to Yata's hair and he moved for a better kiss, swiping his tongue across the
others briefly. The action had caught him by surprise and the darkness
certainly made Yata's movements clumsier, his hands bumping awkwardly along his
skin. His tongue darted out, licking along Fushimi's in further desperation to
feel his Alpha.
    The Alpha sucked on Yata's lip, slightly riled up by the frenzied emotions
he was receiving before drawing back slightly. "I can't see anything."
"So?" Yata moved his lips along Fushimi's jaw then down his throat, kissing the
bite mark in search of a response.
    The Alpha wasn't able to control the slight shiver that came with the
contact, the Omega smirking against his skin. He felt his way along Yata's
chest, using his other senses in the dark. "It makes it harder when I can't
see.”
    "Well I like it. I don't need to see you. I just like feeling your skin
against mine." The Omega murmured, breathing in Fushimi's scent and smiling at
the slight and small reactions, slowly learning the albeit small changes the
Alpha showed.
    Fushimi brushed his hands down, running his thumbs over his hip bones. "Of
course we don't need to see, it just makes it easier. And… I like seeing you."
    Yata sighed softly, bringing his lips up to kiss just under Fushimi's ear
to end the conversation, impatient. Fushimi let himself relax, with the
darkness at least Yata couldn’t see his expression so he didn't have to be
guarded. He gently felt along the smaller males back, following the dips and
curves of his ribs as he allowed himself to smile.
    "I really do love you.." Yata said, his voice quiet and breathy in
Fushimi's ear.
    "You shouldn't. It will only get you hurt." Fushimi murmured, an ache
settling in his chest. As unfortunate as it was, he knew it was true.
    "I don't care. You're worth it."
    Uncomfortable with the turn of conversation, Fushimi rolled Misaki beneath
him and kissed his collarbone, not answering to the statement. Yata exhaled
when his back hit the bed and huffed a bit in protest. "Hey! Maybe I liked
being on top."
    "I'm an Alpha. I don't bottom." Fushimi snorted, pecking his lips.
    "You could." Yata laughed, wiggling and playfully trying to flip the Alpha
over again, the idea tucking in his head.
    "I wouldn't like it." He snorted, pressing down more weight in
determination.
    "Why not? It feels good to me." There was a half-hearted push at his chest.
    "Because," Fushimi defended.
    "Because why?" Yata pressed, teasingly leaning up to bite at the unmarked
scent gland.
    "I just don't like it." He wrinkled his nose - not that Yata could see it.
    A gentle nip was placed on the gland then Yata sucked lightly as he
continued to wiggle beneath the male, teasing with his body. It caused the
Alpha to growl, pulling back slightly. "Stop...." he whined.
    Yata whined as well, stilling in response to the growl. "That can't feel
bad."
    It didn't, but it made him feel sensitive and open, which he didn't like.
The glands were just too damn sensitive. He sighed, not really sure how to
handle Yata or the new emotions. "Let’s just go to sleep..."
    "Are you sure?" He couldn't keep the disappointment from his voice. Yata
lifted his hips some, making it more obvious that they were both already half
hard. What had changed his mind so quickly like that?
    "Well..." Fushimi tried to pick through his emotional cocktail that seemed
to be there constantly, figuring out what was his and what was the Omega’s.
"Tch, We just keep fighting."
    "We aren't fighting. Are we?" Yata asked, thoroughly confused.
    "You sounded hurt." He grumbled, seeing the tone as rejection.
    "I'm not. I just don't understand you."
    "I don't get what you don't understand." He rolled off of the smaller male.
"I've spelled everything out for you."
    "But.. it doesn't make sense." Rolling with him, Yata fitted himself into
the Alpha's side, fighting a whine that threatened to sound in his throat.
    "How does it not make sense?"
    "It just doesn't." Yata nuzzled closer, placing his hand on Fushimi's
chest, directly over his heart, the beat comforting. Maybe it was a sky person
thing...
    "How? I don't know what you mean." Fushimi squinted in Yata's general
direction.
    The Omega sighed and leaned up, kissing Fushimi's mark as he pushed the
thoughts out. It wasn’t worth it, they would learn in time. The movement had
Saruhiko holding still, biting his lip as he let the question go despite not
understanding what was going through the grounder's mind. The Omega only nipped
him harder, searching for the response he had given before.
    Fushimi shivered, the need to be near Yata and to protect him jumping to
life, like a spark had come from Yata into the bond. "What are you doing?" he
grumbled, alarmed.
    He pulled back, moving to his previous position at the Alpha's side,
resting his cheek on his shoulder. "There's no way you can't feel that. It's an
instinct. Like this morning when we woke up. It just felt right to have your
arms around me but every time I try to get closer you pull away." Yata paused.
"I won't hurt you. I would never do that. And I would protect you with
everything I have but... you just keep pulling away..." The Omega's voice
trailed off, his emotions shining threw in his tone.
    The darkness covered whatever expression flashed across Fushimi’s features.
Oh. Shit, when had Yata suddenly gotten smart? "Maybe it's subconscious for me
then." He said slowly, carefully. He couldn’t give anything away. "I don't feel
anything as is, but... Maybe on some sublevels I do." He paused, "I just don't
feel anything I notice, like I just shiver for no reason."
    That didn’t sit well with Yata. He shook his head. "No, you don't."
    "No reason that I feel," Fushimi corrected, trying not to stiffen.
    "You feel something at least." Yata insisted. "Please don't lie."
    Fushimi was thankful for the darkness, he was positive his face would have
betrayed him, even if his voice didn’t. "I don't, Misaki." He grumbled, trying
to sound disappointed. "At least not on a level that I can sense."
    The smaller male sighed and rolled over. "I think you do. You just don't
want to get hurt."
    The Alpha swallowed thickly before clicking his tongue and putting his back
to Yata without word. Was that so wrong? What was this hurt clawing into his
throat?
    Yata closed his eyes, his heart aching suddenly and fiercely, making
wetness brim along his eyelashes. Which would he rather? If Fushimi were
telling the truth then it would mean something beyond his comprehension, that
they weren’t meant to be together. If he was lying… well didn’t that mean he
not only didn’t trust him, but didn’t want to be with him?
    At the same moment, there was a sharp and painful tearing sensation in
Fushimi's chest and he sucked in a sharp breath automatically in response. What
in the hell was that? And why where his eyes suddenly stinging? His heart
picked up dramatically and he suddenly couldn’t breath, fear and hurt swelling
into full blown panic.
    "What's wrong?" Yata asked quietly, only half expecting an answer as his
voice wavered.
    "I-I don't... know..." He wiped his eyes, confused at the incomprehensible
sensation. Abandonment… pain… was he dying?
    Concern washed over the Omega. He rolled back over, facing the Alpha. "Are
you hurt? Or sick?"
    Fushimi withdrew slightly, no. He wouldn't let Yata know he was crying for
no fucking reason. Not to mention he was now feeling very vulnerable, and it
made him feel defensive and pissed. "I'm fine. Just go to sleep." He snapped,
trying to control himself, trying to calm.
    Fighting the urge to shrink back, Yata instead puffed up at the harshness.
The withdrawal was what the other expected; he wasn’t giving in. "No. You're
not or you wouldn't have snapped at me." He rolled the male over, pushing his
shoulders to the bed.
    The Alpha let out a low growl, trying to roll away out of pure defense.
"I'm fine, Misaki."
    "No you're not. And don't growl at me." Yata raised his hands and carefully
cupped Fushimi's cheek. He instinctively flinched away as another tear ripped
through him, drawing more hated tears from his eyes. It was like a dam had
finally let go with the contact, his breath shaky. What in the hell was going
on? "Why are you crying?" Yata asked, his voice soft and concerned. The wetness
of the tears pooled in the curves of his hand until he gently brushed them
away, concerns hitting him like a wall.
    Fushimi let out a choked sob, "I... don't..." He gasped, trying to turn
away from Misaki. Embarrassment, fear, and the need to get away flooded his
senses, only emphasizing the confusion cocktail brewing in his senses.
    Yata pushed himself up, crawling over the Alpha to lay in his other side.
Before his could roll over or protest, Yata pulled him into a tight hug,
willing him to be happy and to stop crying. He pressed his cheek to Fushimi's,
his own distress forgotten. Instead he only felt love and concern, just wanting
his Alpha to be ok.
    As quickly as the onslaught had come, it vanished, replaced with a warm and
fuzzy feeling and an added calming level on top of everything. Fushimi’s breath
hitched only a few more times before the pattern calmed. Instead of being
relieved, he only felt more confused. Had that been the bond?
    When Yata felt the Alpha relax in his arms, he pulled back just enough to
nuzzle his throat, confused and worried as to why Fushimi had started crying.
But he waited patiently for the other to say something first.
    Fushimi swallowed, "I'm... Okay." He grumbled, hurt, irritated, and
emotionally exhausted.
    "Don't lie.." Yata said, kissing Fushimi's jaw and ear with all the love
and patience he could. “You can talk to me.”
    Fushimi leaned away, feeling too sensitive to deal with the touchy male. "I
am..."
    "Hmm?" Yata pulled him closer, refusing to let him move away. What was it
that Totsuka had called something like this? A mental breakdown?
    Fushimi clicked his tongue, going silent and hoping Yata just went to
sleep. It was really his only thought to avoid having to explain the situation
that occurred.
    "What did you mean?" Yata pressed, tracing shapes over the Alpha's back
patiently.
    "Nothing Misaki. Go to sleep."
    "Please tell me." Yata whined.
    Saruhiko stayed silent to keep distance, trying to ignore the male as best
he could. "Hey, don't just sit there. Say something." Yata punctuated his words
with a small nip to the male’s shoulder.
    He flinched, curling up slightly. "I am fine. Go to sleep Misaki. I'll see
you tomorrow."
    "Nu uh, asshole. Tell me." Yata pushed at his shoulder gently. "You can’t
just do shit like that and then tell me you’re fine. Talk so I can help you."
    "Fine, then I don’t want to talk about it." he said irritably. “Forget it.”
    The smaller male sighed frustratedly, settling back next to the Alpha. What
else could he do? If he was stubborn Fushimi was three times as much, and if
the Alpha wouldn’t talk then there wasn’t much he could do but wait. After
laying in silence for a while, Fushimi exhaled, closing his eyes as he fought
off the sickness that had settled into his stomach. This was going to get
worse...
===============================================================================
       As the hinge creaked as it opened, Saruhiko glanced up and clicked his
tongue, glancing at the light behind Kusanagi. "What happened to before the sun
rises?" he said irritably, wiping down a battle axe.
The Beta yawned as he pushed the door to the weapons room, stopping in surprise
when he saw his second had already cleaned a good portion of the weapons.
Fushimi sitting in the floor, most of one wall already clean and ready.
    Kusanagi snorted. "It hasn'." He moved into the room, leaving the door open
to let in more of dawn’s rays. He inspected the cleaned weapons, pleased to
find that the boy had even been careful when putting them up so as not to leave
fingerprints.
    The young Alpha clicked his tongue, finishing up the axe. "The sun has to
rise in order for there to be light." He grumbled, stopping himself just short
from saying 'idiot.'
    "Morning is when ya can see the sun." Kusanagi said, sitting down in the
one chair in the room. "Not when it begins to grow light. What do you wanna
learn today?"
    "I figured you would have me in here all day." Fushimi said drolly. "I
don't care."
    "Pick a subject."
    Fushimi shrugged, feeling irritable and pissy. "I really don't give a fuck
as long as it is relevant to me."
    "That wasn't a request." Kusanagi said, testing the male.
    "I. Don't. Know." He emphasized. "You answered all my questions yesterday."
    The older male raised a brow, waiting. The sky person was certainly a
challenging one, but if there was anything he had learned it was that patience
won out against even the most hard headed. Fushimi went silent at the, cleaning
a little rougher than was required. He didn't have anything to ask, and he
didn't know what the male expected, frustrating him.
    "Come up with another." Kusanagi’s voice held a warning. Punishing the boy
for not asking a question may have seemed harsh, but he was disobeying him in
doing so. If he was to survive in the new society, he couldn’t afford to be
picky with what orders he took.
    "Ok, why can't you pick a damn subject?" He growled bitterly, the still
unsettled emotions not helping to control his tongue.
    "Because it's a test meant to see if you'll obey me."
    "Well I know I passed with flying colors," he rolled his eyes
sarcastically, standing to put the axe on the wall.
    Kusanagi snorted. "Ya can’t learn about an entire world and culture in one
day. What about the other clans or the wildlife? Or methods we use to hunt?"
    "None of that helps me right now." He paused, considering for a moment
before he sat down and clicked his tongue. "Maybe information about other
clans, but in terms of wildlife and hunting, I have to learn in the field,
which you won't take me until my leg is healed." He shook his head, "And even
if I wanted to learn more about other clans, I asked all of those questions
yesterday."
    "You really are difficult." He stood with a sigh, moving to the door. "I'll
come get you later." He stepped out, closing the heavy door behind him. As the
leader of the clan, he had more important things to than sit and watch a kid
clean knives. For now, he would give him the small victory, but the boy would
learn quickly that next time information was offered, he better damn well take
it.
Fushimi could only look up, shocked that Kusanagi had just... Left. What the
hell? Wasn't he supposed to be teaching him? He turned back to his task,
annoyed and confused. ‘Whatever’ was all he could think, oblivious to what was
to come.
===============================================================================
    The sun had just tipped over the horizon, shining brightly and casting pale
gold beams of light across the village as Yata crossed the well-worn paths,
heading towards the Commander's quarters. It was early, and he hoped that
Totsuka was already awake so that he didn't disturb either of them. Fushimi
crying last night had been so random and out of character for him that the
Omega was afraid something might be wrong, but he knew the male would never
admit it and get help. He stopped, staring at the maroon drape that covered the
entrance of the dwelling as a small spark of apprehension wormed its way in.
Dew sparkled where the fibers of the material had caught the water, catching
Yata’s attention briefly while he debated if he should risk requesting an
audience with the healer at this time, or if it would anger the Commander. He
shook his head steeling himself, he needed to know if he should be worried
about Fushimi.
    "Heda?" He called, fiddling with the hem of his dark grey, tattered shirt.
It was a full minute before the response came and the Omega had just begun the
turn away when he heard the gruff, "Enter."
    Hesitantly, him pulled the drape aside and stepped inside.
    "King, put some cloths on!" Totsuka whined as Mikoto crossed his arms,
walking to meet Yata at the entrance almost defensively.
    He gave an exasperated sigh. "He's the one who came here ." He said back,
looking at Yata. " What brings you here?" he grumbled irritably, it was obvious
he had been asleep at the time of Yata's call.
    "I uh... um... ” Yata looked away, his cheeks turning the color of flame at
the sight of his leader without a stitch of clothing on. " I-I came to.. see T-
Totsuka." He fidgeted uncomfortably, the movement behind the curtain that
divided the sleeping area from the main room catching his attention. Moments
later the healer lunged, dragging Mikoto back into behind the curtain, much to
his protest and exasperation.
    "King, put some cloths on or go back to sleep! " Totsuka insisted before
reappearing. " Sorry about that, Yata. " He laughed, rubbing the back of his
head. " So what do you need? Is your back hurting? I know it does that after
your heats."
    "No, it's not that, I'm fine but.. I'm worried about Fushimi.”
    Totsuka's expression grew worried, more attentive now. "What's wrong? Did
he get into a fight?" Something flickered in his eyes, " Did you two get into
it about something?"
    “No... well kind of... and I got upset last night. He started crying but he
wouldn't tell me if he was hurt or sick or anything." Yata said, looking up at
the slightly taller male.
    Totsuka visibly relaxed, before smiling almost sympathetically. "So you got
upset, and he started crying." He dropped his voice to give some privacy from
Mikoto. “Were you crying or on the verge of?"
    Yata glance to the divider almost as if he were ashamed, then back to the
healer and nodded meekly. Admitting that verbally made him feel weak in the
presence of his leader.
    Totsuka sighed, closing his eyes as he seemed to debate his words.
"That's... The effects of the bond, Yata. When it a is two way, like King's and
mine, we feel each other's moods and feelings. Fushimi should be able to feel
yours, and the force of it more than likely shocked him. He felt your sorrow
amplified, and his body responded to the rush of emotion."
    "I know but he said he didn't feel anything right before that." Yata said,
watching Totsuka's face. Did the healer know something he didn’t…?
    Totsuka let out a long breath, trying to respect Fushimi’s feelings in the
matter. "Maybe he only reacts on a physical level, or his mind doesn't register
it." He said slowly, " You could... Send him here and I could try to see if
some herbs will help..."
    A growl came from the other room. "No. Stay away from him Tatara."
    Totsuka puffed up immediately. "It's my job to see if anything is wrong,
and treat the problem!" He insisted. Yata kept his mouth shut, knowing better
than to interrupt either of them.
    "Don't trust the lying shit." Came back the growl. "Yata, he feels it. It’s
not something you can ignore. He's just a manipulative snake." He appeared,
clothed this time but still looking angry.
    "But.. he said he didn't.."
    "Don't call him that! He just trying to protect Yata. That's not being
manipulative." Totsuka growled fiercely, making Yata shrink back. The pregnancy
must have caused his mood to swing in such a way; Totsuka was always so gentle
and soft spoken that when he did get angry, or even agitated, people tended to
back off.
    Mikoto rolled his eyes, "He's being idiotic. And he's not protecting
anyone, he is just set on getting himself killed." He slinked over to a shelf,
grabbing a large jar of antiscent powder.
    "But he's trying really hard.." Yata said, glancing over to the Alpha.
    "I'm not in the mood to talk about the sky boy." He said. "Stay away from
him Tatara, that's an order." He walked out, leaving the two to feed Durga.
"Don't be late to training."
    Totsuka growled again, frustrated. He turned back to Yata. “I think he
feels the bond..." The healer paused, choosing his words carefully. It was hard
for him to lie but Fushimi obviously had his reasons for not telling Yata, and
informing him would only make the Alpha mad. Which would probably only cause
the pair more trouble if not get Fushimi killed. "He just doesn't know it or
maybe doesn't realize what he's feeling is the bond." He forced himself to
shrug. "With time he might realize it."
    Yata nodded, sighing some. It wasn't the answer he wanted but it would do;
at least he had a reasonable answer.
    "... Is there anything else you need?"
    "No.. I'm sorry for bothering you this early." Yata lowered his gaze.
    "Hey, everything will work out in the end. Don't be afraid to come talk to
me or ask me anything." He put a hand on Yata's arm.
    "Thank you, Totsuka." Yata forced a smile.
===============================================================================
    At mid-day, the villagers were out and about, trading with each other,
sharing stories or going out to hunt. The children romped and played along the
path, scattering only when an adult passed by to get out of their way. Elders
sat in chairs or benches made from fallen trees, the wood grey from use and the
wear that the weather had dealt it. They whittled figures for the children to
play with, or cups and eating utensils for their families.
    Kusanagi breathed in deeply, the air clean and cool. He had finished
discussing the matter of the sky people with Mikoto, who still wanted to kill
them off. Since it was Kusanagi's territory, the Commander was compelled to
listen to his opinion and how he thought they should deal with them, but that
didn't make reaching an agreement easy. If anything, it was causing a rift
between them.
    The Beta had set off to retrieve Fushimi, another lesson in mind, though
when he pushed open the door to the room, his second was gone. Frustrated, he
turned, catching Fushimi's scent that lead to the right of the building. "I
didn’t say you could stop cleaning." He said, finding the male with his back to
him just around the corner and out of site of the main path, a scold already on
his tongue.
    Fushimi jumped a little, looking over his shoulder. "I had to take a piss."
He said, offended at being interrupted. "I figured since I had most of it done
I could take a pee break, or do you control that too?" He zipped up his pants,
irritated.
    "Fortunately for you, I don't mind. But most would. Now come on I have
something else for you to do." Kusanagi turned and started walking, leaving the
Alpha with no choice but to follow. At least Fushimi wasn’t so dumb as to take
a break for a dumber reason.
    "Where the hell are we going?" He grumbled after a long groan of
resentment.
    "You'll see when we get there." Kusanagi said, the sounds of the training
area reaching his ears. They weren't using training sticks this time, today was
hand to hand combat and he watched his second closely.
    Annoyed that he never seemed to get answers from the male, Fushimi took the
opportunity to absorb his surroundings. It wasn't hot out, but just warm enough
to make him feel uncomfortable as he wasn't used to the exposure. People still
watched him distrustfully, and called children to their sides when they caught
sight of him.
    As they passed by, Fushimi noticed that Yata and another kid were going at
each other, Mikoto supervising. He hadn't even noticed he himself had stopped
following Kusanagi, gaze locked on the Omega as instincts started to stir.
    Kusanagi stopped as well, he had expected Fushimi to get distracted. "Come
on." He said, looking over just as Yata was swept off his feet.
    Fushimi clenched his fists as the boy Yata was fighting jumped on top of
him, literally beating the shit out of the male. "Why isn't he stopping it?"
Fushimi growled, looking at Mikoto, who appeared bored.
    "Just watch."
    With a fierce snarl, Yata grabbed the boy’s shoulders and rolled them,
reversing their positions. Yata returned the previously dealt strikes before
the boy wedged his knee between them, forcing him up and off. The blows seemed
to have affected the boy more than they had Yata, giving the older male the
advantage. He dodged, taking a step back before lashing out and grabbing the
other male, twisting his arm around behind his back, immobilizing him and
winning the fight.
    Mikoto nodded and the omega released the boy, all aggression leaving them.
    Fushimi sighed, relieved Yata didn’t appear severely hurt. "...Alright." He
turned, forcing himself to look away. "Let's go."
    Kusanagi studied him for a moment before turning and continuing to lead his
apprentice to their destination. After a few strides, he paused and reached
into his pocket, pulling out the tin he gotten from Totsuka. "Here. Put this on
your cloths." He held the container out to Fushimi, a slight smile in his eyes.
Chapter End Notes
     1) Love is weakness
     2) It is not
     From sola; HAPPY SARUMI WEEK! We managed to get this one out, and we
     plan to have another chapter out the 14th to celebrate the end, but
     we all know how plans work at this point.
***** Butterfly Sneezes *****
Chapter by Sola_The_Demon
Chapter Summary
     We hold a funeral, make bad smells, and 'daddy.'
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes
    Fushimi accepted a small rusted tin from Kusanagi, who began walking back
down the path again, a little weary about the look the Beta had been giving
him. He opened it, curiously sniffing the powder within. He regretted it almost
instantly, the overly sweet scent causing him to sneeze repeatedly. He held it
away from his body, wiping his nose on his shoulder. “What the hell is this?"
     "Stop questioning me." Kusanagi said without turning around.
     With a growl of frustration, Fushimi popped the tin open with
apprehension. He slowly began patting the powder on his cloths, causing another
sneezing fit. "You want me to ask, you don't want me to ask, make up your
mind." He was leading them out of the village and into the forest now, the dirt
path eventually turning to grass. The trees surrounding them cast dappled shade
across the ground. The stray, unkempt grass brushed at their shins, small
jumping insects fleeing from one blade to the next. One landed on Saruhiko’s
arm, the Alpha flicking it off and earning a glare.
     "I want you to ask questions, not question my orders." Kusanagi said,
laughing. "You’re smart. I know ya know the difference, so stop acting as if
you don’t. "
     "...read my bubble thought." He grumbled under his breath before sneezing
again, beyond annoyed as his sinuses closed up to force him to breathe through
his mouth.
     "What do you mean by that?" Kusanagi glanced over his shoulder, one brow
arched in question at the strange comment.
     "Tch, nothing," he grumbled, the Beta narrowing his eyes as if he
understood.
     Silence fell over them and, after a few minutes, Kusanagi stopped at a
seemingly random spot. It was in the same general area the butterflies had
been, only this time, the insects were no where to be seen. It was somewhat
clear here, with the trees spaced much farther apart. "Sit down with your back
against the tree." Kusanagi said, tipping his head towards the large, moss
covered tree next to the boy.
     Fushimi looked at him wearily before he sat down and followed
instructions, making himself as comfortable as he could be against the rough
bark. "Why am I doing this...?" he asked, a little suspicious now.
     Kusanagi took a step closer before suddenly pinning Fushimi to the tree by
his throat, much to the boy’s alarm. He put pressure, but didn't squeeze as he
looked directly into the Alpha's eyes. "You will stop questioning my orders.
I'm an easy going guy, I don't like punishing people. But I can and will turn
you over to Mikoto if you do not obey me. It is key to our society. When you
earn my respect, you'll get answers but until then," He tightened his grip.
"Do. Not. Question. Me."
     Shock crossed the young Alpha’s expression first, then anger sparked in
his gaze as he felt the pressure on his windpipe, even though it wasn’t enough
to hurt. "...Fine," he growled, already thinking about revenge. "I'll stop
questioning you."
     The older male smiled, releasing him. "Good. Now sit and wait." The Beta
backed up a few steps, leaning against another tree.
     "Wh..." Fushimi stopped himself, letting out a groan of frustration as he
leaned his head back against the bark of the tree and waited. For what? Who
knew, but it pissed him off. He would get the damn Beta back.
     Kusanagi’s smile turned into to slight smirk when the first butterfly
started fluttering around the tree. It drifted and whirled towards Fushimi
before landing neatly on his shoulder, opening and closing its wings in a
beautiful display of blue. "Do not move. Sit perfectly still."
     Annoyed, Fushimi cast a glare at the insect as its proboscis probed at his
cloths. "What the hell is going on right now? Or does that count as
questioning?"
     "It does, so shut it. Talking counts as moving."
     Fushimi looked about fourteen kinds of pissed off as two more butterflies
joined the first, delicately perching in his hair and on his knee respectively.
He made a face, trying to move his head ever so slightly as the first flapped
its wings on his cheek, tickling the nerves there.
     "Don't move." The Beta's voice dropped lower in warning, tired of the
slight disobediences. More butterflies drifted over from the surrounding area,
most settling on his shirt where the powder had been spread the most. The boy
unwillingly froze, hating Kusanagi in that moment. Whatever the hell he had put
on his shirt was attracting them and now that he couldn't move, couldn't do
anything, it made his thoughts buzz around angrily as he had nothing to focus
on. In addition, it seemed that something somewhere was pissing Yata off, which
only fed his own distaste.
    A minute later another butterfly landed delicately on the bridge of his
nose and fanned its wings to block Fushimi's view. Kusanagi snorted, barely
containing the laugh that that threatened to escape his throat. Unfortunately,
though Fushimi could tolerate many things, an insect on his nose was not one of
them. He held still for as long as he could bare before jerking and flicking
the butterfly off, the rest exploding into the air as their perch moved,
carrying the attractant with them and sending Fushimi into a sneezing fit. The
butterfly he had flicked landed on its back, flapping is wings weakly before it
fell still, dead from the trauma.

     "I thought you would do that." Kusanagi said. "Pick it up. Gently."
     It took Fushimi a minute, still sneezing from whatever he had put on his
cloths. "What..." sneeze, "is that..." sneeze... "Stuff?" he asked, rubbing his
nose and eyes before he held the insect up by a wing.
     "Totsuka likes butterflies so he makes it and comes out here to play with
them. If you want to know what's in it, ask him." Kusanagi said as he moved
around Fushimi to the other side if the tree where he had previously placed a
spade. "Now," He said, moving back around the tree. "Lay that butterfly on a
leaf or root and set it to the side. "
     Fushimi looked at Kusanagi like he was insane, which he was starting to
think he seriously was, before doing as he was told and putting it on the first
dead leaf he found on the ground. "I'm not getting the point in this." He said,
monotone.
     Kusanagi held out the spade expectantly. "Now dig a grave for it." He
pointedly ignored the Alpha's statement. "Usually it would be a six foot grave
but because of your leg, I'll make it three."
     Fushimi looked stunned, his brain trying to process the order. "It’s a
useless insect!" he blurted out. Why would he bury a  bug ? Its life was
insignificant to him!
     In a flash, Kusanagi knocked Fushimi's feet out from under him, making the
Alpha land hard on his ass, the spade thudding to the ground next to him. "If
you run into any significant roots, restart somewhere else. And make sure each
side is at least one foot square long. Anything less and you'll have to
restart."
     Fushimi sat there, dazed and confused and really,  really  pissed off. He
stood up, glaring at Kusanagi and absolutely seething inside before he picked
up the shovel. He looked around, trying to gauge a spot that didn't have roots
so he could get this over with. Restart his ass, he would cut through anything.
Picking a spot, he began digging, sweat already forming between his shoulder
blades in the muggy, heavy air.
     The Beta crossed his arms, watching silently until he heard the metal hit
something, and Fushimi obviously moving the spade with more force. "Make the
hole two feet wide. And restart." He said when Fushimi flung the root piece out
of the hole.
      "Okay, how am I supposed to find a two foot wide space in the middle of
the woods?" he demanded, whipping around. "Its not possible!"
    Kusanagi raised a brow, watching him with a bored expression. "Should’a
listened to me the first time."
     "This is so stupid," he growled, looking around to try and find and area
that might remotely be big for a two by two hole free of roots. Picking he
began digging again - this was beyond pointless.
     Kusanagi waited, this time Fushimi got farther down before he hit a root,
the male smirking as anger filled the Alpha’s features. He pinched his nose.
"Just let Durga eat me. Seriously. Can't I dig through it?"
     He patiently waited for the young male to answer his own question, a smirk
resurfacing when the response came. "I hate you." Fushimi growled, stepping out
and starting to dig elsewhere. "I’m learning  nothing  from this. I don't get
why I have to do it."
     There was a lot to be improved on with Fushimi, mainly his sour attitude
with everything, Kusanagi thought to himself. But, there was still that under
lying tone of untapped skill and talent and that was what would hopefully make
training this kid worth the trouble.

     After the fourth time he attempted to dig he finally encountered no major
roots. Fushimi measured and remeasured several times, just to make sure the
hole was two by two by three, looking at it every which way. "There," he
finally said, his cloths drenched in sweat. "Happy?"
     "Yes. Now bury it. And be respectful or you'll dig another hole."
     Fushimi tried, and only barely succeeded, to not roll his eyes as he
retrieved the butterfly and set it in the center of the hole as respectfully as
he could manage, stepping out with a slight wince. "Would you like me to say a
few words on the life of the butterfly?" he asked, trying  really hard  not to
sound to sarcastic.
     "Ya may if ya wish."
     "I'm not so sure the stuff I want to say is 'respectful' so can I just
bury it?"
     With a nod, one corner of Kusanagi’s mouth pulled upwards. Had he been
this snarky in training? Fushimi shoveled the dirt over top of the butterfly,
covering it up as he filled in the hole. "Are we done here?"
     "Was it on its back?"
     "I don't know. What does that have to do with anything?"
     "Dig it up and set it on it back. If ya cut it with the spade you will
have to dig two more Graves for the pieces.”
      "You're joking, right? Please tell me you're joking."
     "I believe you are questioning my orders."
     Looking down at the dirt, Fushimi growled. How was he supposed to dig it
up without cutting the butterfly? All it would take was a nick and it would be
finished. He shoved the spade into the ground, at least the first two feet were
safe.
     Kusanagi leaned back against the tree once more and watched the boy
analyze the situation, thinking through the problem.
    The Alpha knew the butterfly was roughly in the center, so he dug out the
edges of the hole and worked his way inward, isolating a six inch by six inch
mound in the center almost methodically. "So..." He huffed as he dug, "Why do
you have and accent compared to the other grounders?" It wasn’t always obvious,
but occasionally the Beta would drop the first or last part of a word. His
vowels usually sounded elongated and some words fluctuated in pronunciation.
     "I came from the Desert Clan. My family was murdered when I was a child. I
was the only survivor. A nomad found me and took me with him for a while before
he died of a sickness. Then I found my way ‘ere." That was good, his second was
focusing back on learning.
     Fushimi glanced over, pausing on his digging. "That sounds like it sucks."
     "Be glad you've never experienced a loss like that."
     "I would have been happy had my parents been killed." Fushimi flipped the
spade around, tenderly using the handle to move the dirt in search of the
insect, "I would have been overjoyed."
     "Why?"
     "Because Niki was never a father to me. He would find things I enjoyed and
systematically destroy them and when I became an Alpha, it became a game to see
what would break me. Kisa didn't give a shit." He continued nudging through the
dirt.
    "That would have never been tolerated down here." Kusanagi paused. "It
wouldn't have happened in the first place."
     "My father is the leader up there, and he has everyone blindfolded." He
finally found the bug and pulled it out. "He killed anyone who tried to expose
him for what he had done, and people who were against him died in ‘accidents’."
     "Hmm.. if he should come down here, you would have the grounds to kill him
for all the wrong he's done to you." Kusanagi said. He didn't pity the boy, but
he had been done wrong, it was obvious in his personality and actions that he
had lived a life of abuse. The pieces began to click. Like an animal
conditioned to eat at the same time, the boy expected all attachments to be
destroyed. He felt Yata would leave.
     "There would be no point." He set the butterfly to the side and worked on
getting the remaining dirt out. "Besides, he would come through and wipe every
single person out down here. And he wouldn't even lift a finger."
     "I doubt that." Kusanagi crossed his arms, watching the Alpha. "What do
you think would happen if we tried to contact your people? The kids that came
down with you."
     "...That depends on who you contact. The majority of them will despise
anything to do with Alphas or Omegas."
     "Do you know the ones that would be peaceful?"
     "I can guess, but no."
     "Mikoto wants to kill them all. But you probably already know that. I'm
trying to convince him that they may be useful and that not all of them would
be a horse’s ass like you." The last portion was said with a slightly teasing
note.
     "Flattered." Fushimi put the butterfly on its back and climbed out of the
hole. "I can't speak for 'my people.' They outcast me when I was twelve so..."
he shrugged.
     "Do you know which ones have skills that would be useful?"
     "No," He shook his head. "The only human contact I had for five years was
insults. I had more of a relation with the electric rods." He began to cover
the insect again.
     "The what?" Kusanagi asked, confused.
     "It's a metal stick that shoots electricity through you. It leaves a small
fingernail size burn, and it locks all of your muscles to leave you convulsing
and unable to function. Applying it to different places at different settings
can change what it does..." he fell silent, swallowing.
     "Electricity?"
     "... Ever touch someone and get shocked? A white light and it stings for a
second? It’s the same thing, only amplified."
     "Ah.. that sounds.. unpleasant."
     He shrugged, "No different the getting burnt or sliced open." He absently
scratched his chest, irritated by the burn there.
     Kusanagi sighed, now sad for the boy. "Hurry up and finish. I am going to
teach you how to clean a deer."
     Fushimi dumped in another shovel load. "I still don't get the point of
burying a damn bug."
     "Teaching you obedience. And all life is precious, do not take things for
granted." Kusanagi said, reaching forward to take the shovel once Fushimi was
finished.
     He sighed, feeling exhausted and a little sick. He  really  didn’t want to
do anything now. "I now hate the insects more."
     In response, Kusanagi snorted. "Come on. How do you feel about gutting an
animal?" He asked as he started walking back to the village.
     "Uh..." Came the response. He wasn't really sure how he felt.
     "I told you I had a deer and that I was going to teach you to clean. We're
you not listening?"
     "I was listening, I just don't know how I feel about it." Fushimi
grumbled. "I'm not one hundred percent sure what a deer even is.."
    "You'll see."

     Silence fell between them as they walked back to the village, the voices
of people reaching their ears. The second sighed for what had to be the
millionth time, trailing behind his mentor silently while ignoring the hushed
murmurs about them. It was no different than the whispers on the ark.
     The deer lay on its side, both heads lolling to the side with its neck at
an awkward angle. There was a dark stain on its side, a pink and white foam
bubbling from the epicenter, indicating a lung shot. Flies were already
beginning buzz about the corpse, and somewhere up above a carrion bird called.
     Kusanagi had placed it away from any buildings incase Fushimi accidently
ruptured any organ in its digestive tract, knowing well that the first time
mistake resulted in a foul odor. The Alpha wrinkled his nose, nudging it with
his foot. "I'm supposed to do what now?"
     "Clean it." Kusanagi said, taking a rope and tossing it over a branch.
“It’s hard work, but well worth the reward. Normally, you would field dress the
animal, but I asked they leave it intact so I can show you how to clean it.” He
took a knife, slicing a hole between the tendons and main bone, threading the
rope through just above the hock of the deer. “Now,” he passed the knife to
Fushimi. “Remove the organs, then we will hang it from the tree.”
     The boy gave the tool and apprehensive look. "And how do I do that? Ask it
to puke them out?”
     The Beta growled. “No, here. Begin cutting the body cavity here just above
the ribs, and you’ll go all the way to its rear.” He pointed, parting the fur
with his finger to give a clear picture.
     Fushimi moved to the other side of the animal, following the instruction.
“It’s hide is too thick.” He growled, struggling.
     “No, here.” He took the knife, demonstrating how to pull up the skin and
slice through it, the membranes coming apart with a ripping sound.
    Fushimi took the knife back, his cuts short and jagged compared to
Kusanagi’s long smooth strokes, but the Beta didn’t correct it. Many things
took practice, and while most of their people learned to do this before they
were eight, Fushimi had never even seen the animal.

     “Hey, don’t dig so deep, you are hitting organs.” He pointed out cuts in
the lungs. “It isn’t so bad with the heart and lungs, but the stomach and gut
will spoil the meat. You're going to regret it if ya cut that open."
     Fushimi paused, stilling is knife. "How do I get it out then?"
     “Make sure you are not going deeper than necessary.”
     With that oh-so  useful  tidbit, Fushimi resumed slicing the hide, making
several small, shallow cuts. It angered him, so he pointed the knife down a
little bit to get a better angle. After a few cuts, and awful stench filled the
air. It’s was a mixture of decay and feces, and the distinct smell of stomach
acid.
     "I told you not to do that." Kusanagi took the knife from Fushimi, rapidly
cutting the rest of the skin, starting at the top near the neck and carving out
underneath the organs. "I'll finish it." He said, the Alpha's pale skin turning
slightly green as he gagged. "I’ll show you next time how to get it out a
little better. You're dismissed, I will have to do this too quickly for you to
learn-”
     Fushimi stumbled over to the bushes, losing his stomach contents. His eyes
stung as he coughed, and the Beta simply stopped talking. It wasn’t as if they
boy was listening. "How do you even stand that?"
     "I'm used to it." The Beta replied, the organs coming out in one massive
cluster. “And dealing with the same mistake from other first timers.”
     "That is disgusting." He coughed, spitting the acidic saliva onto the
ground.
     “Be at the weapons room in the morning."
     "Whatever," he grumbled, moving away from the smell as his whole body
shook with exhaustion, the tired feeling turning to a more sick ache through
him. He felt like crap now.
===============================================================================

     Yata walked into his home, smiling when he saw Fushimi on his bed,
relieved that he seemed to be okay now. "How was your day?" He asked, flopping
down beside him.
     "I give up on living," he grumbled. "I buried a butterfly twice and threw
up."
     Yata wrinkled his nose, sniffing. "That explains why you smell weird, like
flowers and blood."
     "That would be the shit Kusanagi made me put on to attract butterflies and
the blood is from a deer he made me attempt to dress."
      Yata laughed lightly, “Mikoto did something similar to the butterfly
thing to me when I first started training. Except we went out in the middle of
the night and got swarmed by mosquitos."
    "Yeah, well, did you kill one?"
     "No.. they were annoying but I didn't kill any of them. You don’t go
against the Heda’s orders. Kusanagi must have done butterflies since your leg
is still healing."
     "Well I flicked one off my nose and Kusanagi made be bury it, re-dig it
up, and bury it again."
     The Omega laughed again, rolling onto his side so that he was pressed up
against Fushimi. "You shouldn't have killed it."
     "Yeah well, it shouldn't have landed on my face." he grumbled irritably,
causing the Omega to smile and push at Fushimi's side, rolling him so that he
could worm his way into his arms.
     Fushimi looked down at Yata, debating for a moment. "I saw you in training
today. Kusanagi walked me by on the way to the butterfly thing." He didn’t
mention that Kusanagi had threatened his life.
     Yata looked up, blinking worriedly. "You didn't see me get my ass handed
to me did you?"
     "Well it looked like it but it ended with you winning." He said, brushing
Yata's hair back. "We still have a bit of sunlight, what do you want to do?"
     "Anything, as long as I'm with you." Yata said, his cheeks reddening ever
so slightly.
        The Omega gave a half smile, eyes softening briefly before he pulled it
back and snorted, "You’re so cute, Misaki."
     "I am not! I'm just being nice to you, dick head, so fuck off."
     Fushimi tugged a lock of Yata's hair, "You just get offended and flustered
too easy."
     "I do not!" Yata pushed at Fushimi's shoulder half-heartedly.
     "You didn't answer my question. What do you want to do?"
     "Kick your stupid as-" The excited screaming of children cut him off,
Minoru and Megumi running through the door to launch themselves onto the bed.
     "Nontu ste houm!" 1  Megumi said excitedly, bouncing on Yata.
     Fushimi let out a small yelp as Minoru planted himself firmly on his
chest. "Eh,  get off ." he growled, switching to the little bit of grounder he
knew. The words caused Minoru’s eyes widened as he scrambled to get off of the
Alpha, effectively pushing his sister off of Yata in the process and onto the
bed where they rolled.
     It took Fushimi a moment to think how to speak, " Don't jump. It hurt ."
he grumbled, sitting up and clicking his tongue.
    "Sorry." Minoru said, looking down as Megumi tried to copy the word.

     "You shouldn't growl at them. They get their feelings hurt easily." Yata
warned. “Its ok. He is just grumpy because he didn’t listen at training and got
in trouble.”
     Fushimi switched to English, "It hurt! They shouldn't jump on people like
that."
     "They’re just kids. And they only do that to me. They're playing so
lighten up." The two children shifted uncomfortably, knowing they had done
something to upset Fushimi.
"Tch."

     Megumi wiggled, "Papa’s  home, Misaki!"
    Yata smiled, "I know. We'll come over in a minute."

     Minoru nodded and climbed off the bed, "Hurry! He got you something!"
    Megumi huffed at Fushimi, "Sky person come?"

     The Alpha sighed, "Sure, I'll come." he grumbled, the girl jumping down to
run after her brother.
     "Come on. And don't let him intimidate you. He'll try because you're
staying with me. And try not to be a dick, he could get mad and try to kick you
out."
     "Wonderful." Fushimi said sarcastically. "Just how I wanted to end my
butterfly, dirt, and blood filled day."
     "I'm sorry.. you could stay here of you want." Yata offered genuinely,
concerned about the foul mood.
     "Somehow I think that would be worse." He grumbled, not wanting to admit
he just wanted to stay near Misaki. "Better to get it over with."
     "No, he wouldn't mind. I'll just say you're sick."
     "I'll have to meet him eventually." Fushimi pointed out.
     "Yeah but if you're in a bad mood it might not go well."
     "I'm always in a bad mood." He grumbled irritably. "I'm... happier with
you." He barely mumbled the words, looking away as if he had never said
anything.
      The Omega beamed, smiling widely. "Well come on then." He rolled off the
bed, standing, his mood lightening.
    Fushimi rolled his eyes, stretching as he stood. "For the record, I wanted
to stay in bed and have sex.”
        Yata's face turned bright red at that. "Hey asshole! Don't talk about
that shit."
     "Why? We've had sex. Why can't I talk about how good you feel?" He wrapped
his arms around Yata's waist.
     "B-because. It's embarrassing!" Yata wrinkled his nose. "And you might
want to change your shirt. You smell really weird."
     Fushimi sighed, stepping back. "Fine."
     "So are you gonna come or do you wanna stay here?"
     "As much as I'd like to stay here we're meeting your father, remember?" He
pulled his shirt off.
     "Oh he's not my dad. He uh..." His hesitation caused the male to look at
him, raising a brow. "He... killed my dad because he was abusive to my mom and
me."
     "Well... That sounds lovely." He said, pausing halfway through putting a
shirt on.
     "Yeah... but it's okay now. He treats me like he does Minoru and Megumi.
He and mom had them after me."
     Fushimi finished dressing, "Great. Sorry about your uh, tch, real dad I
guess." he looked away. "Let’s go."
     "Don't be. He's really nice just make sure you don't be mean to my mom or
Minoru and Megumi." Yata said, heading towards the door and leading them
outside.
     "So basically, I should just shut up?"
     Yata snorted, laughing lightly. "Maybe, but answer questions if he asks."
     "Wonderful. More people to hate me," he mumbled under his breath as the
squeals of happy children reached his ears upon opening the front door.
     Megumi and Minoru were both playing with little wooden cravings of horses,
with a few other different animals spread out around them in the floor. Yata
carefully stepped around them before sitting down on the seat big enough for
two, motioning for the Alpha to join him. His mother's mate was sitting across
from him in the floor, playing with his children. At their entrance, he had
looked up, eyeing Saruhiko and the bite on his neck. His gaze darted to Yata's
and found it unmarked, though it was difficult to tell his thoughts on the
matter.
    Fushimi remained standing, not liking the gaze that was turned to him -
this was something completely different. Mikoto was an ass and he wanted
Fushimi dead. Kusanagi was an ass but wanted to make him a grounder. But the
gaze that was crawling over his skin... He couldn't place it. Like the feeling
you get when you are alone in a room, yet you feel someone is watching you.

     Yata's mother came up behind her mate, rubbing his neck. "Be nice," she
cooed, "It will do no good to yell at them. You know how Misaki is."
    Yata reached out, taking Fushimi's hand and gently tugging down, trying to
convince him to sit.

    "I’m aware." Came his gruff reply.

    "Saruhiko is cool!" Megumi announced loudly, Minoru joining in with her.
"He didn't even flinch when I put a shell bug in his shirt!"

     Yata's mother laughed. "They're quite fascinated when he isn’t grumpy."
     Fushimi eased down next to Yata, " So it was you."  he said slowly, trying
to speak in grounder. There was obviously a hesitation as he processed the
words. " Just make sure you don't... get something... that bites ." he made a
bit of a face, trying to remember the words Yata had taught him.
    Minoru straightened, realizing his mistake. "I'm sorry! Megumi dared me
to!"

    "Did not!"

    "Did too!"

     Yata laughed, shifting so he was leaning against Fushimi as he clicked his
tongue, looking away as the children argued. Yata's mother shook her head,
"They are incorrigible. Speak honey, you’re making them nervous."
     Her mate looked up, finally taking his eyes off Fushimi. " Why are you
nervous? I wouldn't say or do anything hurtful. I'm just trying to judge his
character. " He looked back to the other Alpha. “ At least, not with the
children here .”
     " Because so far, I'm the master of..."  he stopped, trying to find the
right word. " People hate? " he growled, switching to English. "That's not
right."
    "Pissing people off?" Yata asked, then translated it.

     "Watch your language. I don't want the little ones picking that up."
Yata's mom hissed, making her mate laugh.
    "Yeah, that." Fushimi mumbled.

     Minoru bounced, "Dad! Did you know Fushimi can control Durga?"
    "No. I did not." He looked up, tilting his head slightly. "That’s an
interesting quality."

     "Yeah! All the kids are talking about it. She listens to him better than
she does Mikoto!" Megumi piped up.
     Fushimi clicked his tongue. " I do not. I only… tell her... leave me
alone. "
     " She hit the ground and shook when you got mad at her. " Yata pointed
out, making his mother's mates eyes widen.
    "Don't underestimate that gift," his mother said, "Lupids don't listen to
just anyone."

     Fushimi shrugged, "I didn't do anything."
     " Are you intelligent?"  The little ones father asked, the corner of his
mouth pulling up in a small smirk. " You have a gift. Recognize it."
     "Tch," Fushimi looked away - he didn't like the looks of awe. " If you ask
people, would tell you… I am stupid. The only… reason I am alive is… because of
Misaki."
    "Hmm.." The Alpha was silent for a moment before his gaze drifted to Yata.
"Does this mean I'm a grandfather?"

     Yata face instantly turned red and his mother smacked her mate’s shoulder.
Fushimi coughed, regretting coming over here and wishing he had taken Yata's
offer to fake being sick immediately. Well, they couldn't deny it, seeing as
Fushimi was marked, and Yata had obviously not taken any suppressing herbs.

    The kids looked confused, trying to piece it together. "Wait... What?" They
asked as Yata stammered, unable to form a coherent sentence.

     "You know... that's why I was against him staying, but now there isn't
really anything we can do about it." He turned to the children. "Misaki is
probably pregnant." He explained.
    Yata's mother cleared her throat. "I forgot to tell you before he came to
stay that the scent bond threw Misaki into heat to time with Fushimi's rut."

     The children instantly attacked Yata, firing questions about if it was
going to be a boy or girl and what color hair would it have and when would it
be born. Fushimi looked at the door, debating if he could make a break for it.
Yata's stuttering didn't stop, barely intelligible 'I don't knows' were all he
could manage in this state.
     "Tch," Fushimi nudged Yata with his leg. " I think you broke it ."
    "He's always been shy about that kind of thing." Yata's mother shook her
head as her mate laughed.

    "Misaki! I hope it's a girl!”

   "No! It's gotta be a boy."

    "Y-you’ll just have to wait and see." Yata finally stammered out.
    The Alpha looked away, uncomfortable and unsure about this – at least now
that his parents knew Yata would be less likely to take the damn plant. He
sighed, hoping this would end soon.

     Yata’s father sighed, "I guess I can't be too mad, you’re of age to settle
down."
    The children stopped their assault on Yata and turned to Fushimi, watching
inquisitively. "How did you do it?"

     Yata choked as his mother ended that conversation before it could start.
"Come on, you two. I have your dinner made!" Which sent the kids flying off of
Yata to the back of the home.
     Fushimi coughed as Yata's step dad laughed, " So, what did you two talk
about when you got stuck?"
     Yata made half choked, half whining noise, his ears and throat starting to
turn red. Fushimi almost choked on his own saliva as well, thrown completely
off guard by the question and really  really  wishing he could hide. He
snorted, covering his own embarrassment with a tongue click. "Well, Mi~Sa~Ki,
Why so embarrassed? You were  so  talkative before..."
    "W-was not, asshole!" His retort was instinctually grounder.

     "Language, Yata!" His mother yelled from the back.
     "Was too~ confessing all your feeling and stuttering like a mess," he
switched to English, just because he wasn't sure how to word all of it in
Misaki’s native tongue.
     "D-dont say stuff like that as-." He broke off and resolved to hiding his
face in Fushimi's shoulder.
     Fushimi laughed, "but Misaki..."
    "No. You're awful."

     Yata's step dad quieted, watching them closely.
     "Tch, I can't help that Misaki is cute~"
    "Am not." Yata grumbled into the fabric of the Alpha's shirt.

     "And I assume you'll take care of him? " Yata's step dad asked, in
English.
     The Alpha looked up from where he had been teasing Yata, not really sure
how to respond to that. He paused, somehow sensing sarcasm was a bad idea. "If
I can learn to live here." he finally replied.
    "You will in time if you don't make the wrong people mad."

     "Do you two want anything to eat?" Yata mother asked, sticking her head
back into the room.
     " No, thank you ." Fushimi said after a moment of thinking to translate. "
Misaki is… probably hungry though. " Yata nodded eagerly at the mention of
food, sitting up some. He switched back to English. "Considering Mikoto hates
me I believe my life is finite."
     "If you prove your worth to him, he'll keep you around." Yata's step dad
said.
     Fushimi clicked his tongue, "I don't need to prove my worth to anyone."
    "You do if you want to live." The older Alpha's voice turned serious as
Yata's mother brought out a bowl of soup, handing it to her son.
     Fushimi didn't respond, he didn't  want  to live, he just kind of did. He
would do the bare minimum to survive, but that was about it.
      If not for you, then do it for Misaki."
     Fushimi glanced over at the omega and clicked his tongue, adjusting his
glasses. "...Yeah, sure." he grumbled.
    "So why didn't you bite him? Not that that wasn't a smart idea since
Mikoto's likely to kill you."

    Yata stayed quiet, silently eating beside Fushimi as he tried not to get
between the two. "Because if I die I want him to be able move on." Fushimi
hated that he felt the need to be honest, but for some reason he just... told
the truth. Yata frowned, instinctively pressing closer to Fushimi.

     "I wouldn't count on that. If a scent bond is strong enough it will last
after the one it was formed with dies." The Alpha looked between the two. "Some
fade with time."
     Fushimi shrugged, "A chance is better than sealing it with a bite." He
looked away, eyeing the door as he debated leaving before anything else came
up.
     Yata's step father nodded, then noticed Yata's expression. "It's all
right. Maybe on time you can bond properly.”
  Yeah, now it was defiantly time to go. "Tch, I'm going to let you visit with
your family. I have to leave same time tomorrow..." He stood up. "I'm going to
get some sleep."
     "Hey, I'm almost done just wait." Yata said, grabbing the male's hand.
     Fushimi shook his head, pulling his hand free. "Spend some time with them
Misaki." he chided, "Family bonding... or something." He turned and headed for
the door, shoving his hands on his pockets.
     " Saruhiko's leaving ?" Minoru said, appearing around the open doorway. "
But I found a bug for you."  He held up a large beetle with pinchers.
    "And Yata still has to see what papa brought him !" Megumi added.
    Fushimi clicked his tongue, thinking what to say. "Cool bug, you… need…
start a collection. I want to give Yata time to visit." He didn't give anyone
else time to object before he rushed out of the door, the Omega deflating a
bit.

    "He is an odd one." Yata's step father commented.

    "Yeah... he is." Yata agreed.

    Yata's mom came back into the room, carrying a long, wrapped package. "I
think you'll like this." She said, taking his bowl and setting the package in
his lap.

    "Yeah its awesome!" Minoru said, plopping down at his feet to watch him
pick at the string holding the thick paper.

    "You didn't have to get me anything.” He said, glancing up.

    "Just open it." His mother said, waiting.

     Yata nodded and pulled at the rough string, the wrapping falling away to
reveal a dark bow, the wood crafted elegantly and a notch for an arrow.  "Your
old one was getting to be in pretty rough shape." His step father explained.
    Minoru jumped up and down, "Can I help to test it? I want to shoot it!"

    His mother chuckled, "When you're a little older, Minoru. Lets get ready
for bed and let Misaki and your father talk."

     Once they left, he turned back to Yata. "Do you like it son? I tried to
get one close to the dimensions you were used to."
     " Yeah, it's amazing. I can't wait to try it out ." The Omega slid his
hand over the smooth wood. Someone had polished it until the different shades
of the grain shone brightly in the dim light, adding detail.
     He nodded, " You care about him a lot ." He commented.
     Yata looked up from the bow. " Yeah... I do."
     He nodded,  "He cares about you as well - if I thought he didn't he
wouldn't be here but... He seems uncomfortable with domestic surroundings."
     " He's uncomfortable around everything and everyone I think. Well, except
for me."
     " I wouldn't say he's comfortable with you either."  He commented. " He
reminds me of the lupid from a few villages over. Its master kicked it a few to
many times until it crawled everywhere. It expected to get kicked. And one day
when it's master went to feed it... Well..."  he trailed off.
     Yata's eyes widened. " Well... his parents weren't very nice... in a way
they were worse than my real dad..."
    "Just... Be careful. I don't think he realizes when he lashes out." He sat
back, gaze darkening. " And if he isn't careful his death wish will come true."
    "I know... but he's trying..."  Yata said, fiddling with the bow’s string.
     He leaned forward, placing his hand on his son's shoulder. " I just don't
want you hurt. Go join him, I understand how you feel."
     Yata nodded, quickly and carefully folded the paper so that it could be
used again. " Thank you for this. It's really amazing. "
     " Of course."  he hugged Yata, " It’s good to see you growing up ." Yata
smiled as his step father nudged him towards the door. " Go on ."
     As soon as Yata was out the door his mother came back into the room.  "I'd
never imagine that you'd be one to encourage them."
     He sighed, " He'll be eighteen soon,"  he kissed her forehead. " You were
fifteen - I'm just worried he's going to get hurt."
Chapter End Notes
     Sola: SO FUN FACT: This chapter is inspired by a true story! My dad
     was in the Marine core, and they were standing at attention. The
     instructor told them not to swat at the sand fleas but one guy (not
     my dad) did and killed it and had to dig a six-foot hole for it. XD
     THE INSTRUCTOR THEN PULLED OUT A MATCH BOX BECAUSE HE KNEW IT WOULD
     HAPPEN. Dad had to watch it get buried twice.
     I also got the deer cleaning seen as close to realistic as possible.
     Dad is a hunter and I have seen him gut one a few times (never
     gutted, but I have taken meat out). Also, this chapter turned out to
     be a monster of like 7000 words so… yeah XD
     Jane: FUN FACT: Sola’s dad scares the shit out of me. ALSO, here’s a
     little portion of a conversation between me and Sola:
     *me, nagging at her to work on the next chapter* JUST DO IT
     Sola: *whines like a little bitch*
     Me: You infuriate me so much you make me want to stick MY OWN tongue
     in a toaster.
     Sola: XD
      
     AND we have a jank-ass posting schedule. XD (So professional) It is
     basically a chapter everytime there is a birthday so the next is
     Misaki's on the 20th! Happy end of Sarumi Week!
***** Tears on the Pillows *****
Chapter Summary
     MikoTotsu! (Remember chapter 8? No? It continues that)
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes
    A small smile pulled up a corner of the Commander’s mouth, he was too busy
watching the Omega to hear Kusanagi leave, only the clicking of the door
registering. Now that he was alone with Totsuka, he threaded a hand into the
blond, feather-like hair, admiring the gentle curves and sharp angles. He was
beautiful.
    "I'm sorry I hit you." Totsuka apologized, face flush. “You caught me off
guard.”
    "Mmhmm," Mikoto hummed, tightening his grip to bring the male’s lips
forward to his.
    The Omega put his hand on Mikoto's chest to stop the movement, gaze firm.
"We're supposed to be talking."
    Mikoto growled, "Don't wanna talk."
    Vibrations traveled from the Alpha's chest and into his hand. "But.." He
swallowed, fighting the instinct to submit, to please the male. His scent was
outstanding…
    "You can't tell me you don't feel it," he rumbled, sensing the boy’s
hesitation. "My bed is down the hall."
    "Well yeah but.. Kusanagi will be back. "
    A quick movement found Mikoto’s mouth at his throat, his teeth raking
harshly across his neck, "Don't care."
    Totsuka squeaked, struggling to find a reason to not give into what his
body was demanding. Arousal rushed through him, the need to be claimed was
powerful with his scent bond in such proximity. He angled his head so that he
could catch more of Mikoto's scent, the teeth scraping over his own glands and
making hairs stand on their ends. For moment, the healer was worried that he
was about to be bitten but found that he really didn't care. If anything, he
wanted the Heda to be buried deep within him and binding them together. Mikoto
squeezed Totsuka's thigh, moving up to bite his earlobe. "Say yes and I will
make you the luckiest Omega there is."
    "I.." Totsuka closed his eyes, his legs falling open a little wider on
their own accord, setting him down flush with Mikoto’s lap.
    Mikoto turned and caught his lips finally, encouraging Totsuka to sit lower
so he could grind against him, his cock hard in its confines and pressing into
the male through their cloths. A small gasp escaped the Omega at the sensation,
it was hard to fight against something you wanted more than anything in the
world. He shifted on the Commander's lap to press more firmly as the Alpha’s
hand slipped into his pants to give his ass a playful squeeze.
    The Alpha growled, ready to go hard and fast, when the door suddenly swung
open before he could make any more headway. "Mikoto, stop now. Totsuka Tatara,
leave."
    Totsuka ducked his head, embarrassed. "But-" A commanding ‘Now.’ had him
rising from Mikoto's lap.
    Mikoto growled but let the healer go, eyes snapping to Zenjo and the Beta
behind him. "You went over my head, Izumo?" He snarled, anger filling his
features.
    "Did you think I was just going to take stroll around the tower?" He took
Totsuka's upper arm, pulling him away from the throne. "This is serious, and
shouldn’t be a concern.”
    Mikoto stood up, a dangerous aura rolling off of him. Zenjo didn't back
down, level with Mikoto as he stood between the two friends. "Enough of this
nonsense, it's only a scent bond. Break it and move on. You don't have the
leisure to mess around with some random Omega."
    "But you can't break strong ones!" Totsuka piped up. His voice wavered,
emotions welling up for the Commander he had just met, revealing that he was
scared. He didn't want the bond to break. He didn’t want to feel that loss, or
leave his side.
    "You don't get to decide." Mikoto snapped. “I am Heda.”
    "That's where you’re wrong," Zenjo came forward to stand toe to toe with
Mikoto. "No Commander in history has taken a mate, and you aren't the first to
scent bond, not the last. Man up and get over it; don't let something so weak
taint your command. No one would follow you if you pursue that path."
    Totsuka felt his heart break with these words, he didn't want to be a
burden to their new leader. But at the same time, he didn't want to be
separated from him and the thought of having the bond broken terrified him.
    "Mikoto.. think about this." Kusanagi put his arm around Totsuka's
shoulders in an attempt to ease his worries.
    Zenjo softened slightly, "You would be starting war with Azgeda, and
several other clans who would find you unfit. You cannot keep a mate if you're
to lead here in Polis."
    Mikoto glanced at Totsuka, the boy’s eyes shining with unshed tears. "Would
breaking the bond hurt him?" He asked after a long moment.
    "It will hurt you both, but it is better than ending up at the edge of
Sinopa's blade."
    "Then no." Mikoto drug his gaze away from the Omega and back to Zenjo.
    Zenjo stiffened, "No? What do you mean no?"
    "I'm not gonna let you hurt him."
    "If we don't remove the bond it will only get worse, or would you rather he
dies?"
    "Is that a threat?"
    Zenjo met his gaze, "Not from me, but it is a guarantee from your enemies."
    "It'll be my responsibility." He looked up, searching Totsuka and
Kusanagi's face. Mikoto knew this was wrong, that he shouldn't even be
considering it, but the gentle face watching him from Kusanagi's side made it
impossible to push him away.
    Kusanagi pushed Totsuka behind him, breaking eye contact. "Mikoto, you’ll
get both of you killed, and I'm not keen on losing friends. Reconsider."
    "No." The Commander bristled when Totsuka protested the not so gentle
treatment.
    Zenjo placed himself in the direct path. "We can't let you do this,
Mikoto."
    "It's not your decision to make."
    "It's not your right to take it." Zenjo argued.
    Mikoto growled, fed up with the argument and wanting his Omega.
    "Mikoto, just let it go."
    "No." Mikoto prepared himself for a fight, if it came down to him
physically throwing Zenjo out of the room, he would. Rules and expectations be
damned.
    "Don't fight." Totsuka said, peering out from around Kusanagi.
    Zenjo stiffened as well. "Listen to him. You are possibly one of the best
Commander's at combat that I trained, don't throw away everything for a bond."
    "I'm not going to let anyone hurt him."
    "No one will hurt him if you leave him alone, Mikoto." Kusanagi said
gently.
    "Just.." Mikoto shook his head, trying to think through the foreign
emotions.
    Zenjo kept his gaze on Mikoto. "Kusanagi, get him out of here."
    The Beta nodded, gently herding Totsuka towards the door. "Come on
Totsuka."
    Mikoto stiffened instantly, the thought of another male removing his Omega
from his presence making hatred coil through him. "No."
    Totsuka stopped, unsure of what to do.
    "Kusanagi."
    The Beta pushed harder, "Go, Totsuka. Come on, you need to get back to your
mentor.”
    "Stop." Mikoto commanded, brushing Zenjo out of his way as he crossed the
room to his friend and the Omega.
    Kusanagi stayed between them, "No, Mikoto, you stop." He said, his tone
taking on that of the man who had taught him in new combats. "A good leader
knows when to let go.
    Mikoto bristled. "Leave and give me ten minutes to talk with him."
    "I left and you were getting ready to throw caution to the wind. No Mikoto.
I don't challenge you on much but I'll challenge you on this."
    "Now, Izumo."
    "I won't let him do anything. If I can't stop him I'll call for you."
Totsuka assured the Beta, desperate to be close.
    Kusanagi ignored Totsuka. "Mikoto, stand down on this one."
    "No."
    "It's okay, Izumo." Totsuka pulled at his shirt, the action eerily similar
to when they were kids.
    Kusanagi shook his head, "Then count this the one time I go against you
Mikoto."
    The Alpha snarled, preparing to throw him out when Zenjo reached out to
grasp Mikoto's shoulder. "We'll be just outside the door, you have five
minutes."
   Totsuka swallowed as the two left, unsure about all the violence. He
laughed, rubbing his neck.  "Who would have thought today would be anything but
normal, huh?"
    Mikoto sighed. "So, what do you want to do."
    Totsuka's smile wavered, "I want to be by my king's side."
    "Then you stay."
"I don't want to be trouble..." Totsuka said. "Kusanagi and Zenjo really don't
want this..."
    "I don't care. They can't do anything if I order them not too."
    Totsuka fought the urge to move closer, to practically hang off Mikoto's
arm. "But... Aren't you worried?"
    "No."
    Totsuka walked up to him, his smile slowly growing as the words warmed his
insides. "Then I guess will just have to figure it out."
    "Mm." Mikoto reached for the Omega, pulling him flush against his chest.
"So your names Tatara." He hummed, face inches apart.
    He nodded slightly, memorizing Mikoto's face. "And you're the one and only
Heda, Mikoto Suoh."
    "Hmm?" Mikoto met the healer’s eyes.
    "You're a lot less scary then I thought you would be. You're more soft and
squishy."
    Mikoto huffed, to focused on searching the depths of Totsuka's eyes to be
offended. The Omega laughed, reaching up to tug on a strand of Mikoto's bangs.
"They are like feelers!"
    The Commander pulled his head back sharply. "Brat."
    The boy beamed, "Am not!" He said without a drop of seriousness.
    Mikoto sighed. "You're gonna be a lot of trouble, ya know that right?"
    "It'll all work out In the end."
    "Right. Sure." The Alpha sighed as the door clicked open. 
    "Time’s up."
    Totsuka deflated visibly, "I'll see you later. Promise?"
    Mikoto frowned, he hadn't planned on the Omega ever leaving. He brushed the
tip of his nose against Mikoto’s, speaking softly so the others wouldn't hear.
"I live on floor thirty-four. Three doors down on the right."
    The Commander hummed in response, breathing in deeply to catching the
male's scent before he pulled away and headed for the door, forcing himself not
to complain.
    Kusanagi looked at the Commander apologetically. "It's for the best."
    "You are not touching him. I've made up my mind."
    He stiffened, but Zenjo stepped in. "Mikoto, consider-"
    "No. And that's final. If you touch him, I will kill you."
    Zenjo looked stunned, then growled. "Mikoto you are making a big mistake."
    "Tell it to someone who cares."
    Kusanagi shook his head, "Zenjo, with all due respect, it’s no use. I only
hope you realize what yer doing Mikoto."
    "I do." He looked to Totsuka suddenly. "You still need take care of this."
He held arm out.
    The male jumped, looking like he had been scolded. "Oh! Um... Sorry!"
    "'s fine." The Commander returned to his throne, sitting down and yawning
like the whole ordeal was more tiring than anything. His gaze challenged
theother two as Totsuka came over loyally, pulling the salve back out and
returning to his arm.
    Mikoto found his gaze fixated on the other two occupants of the room.
"Don't you two have something better to do than stare?"
    Kusanagi sighed and left while Zenjo stayed. "No." The Alpha gave the
Keeper a not so friendly look while Totsuka snatched the forgotten tin and
secured the lid. "I can't allow you to do this." He said firmly. "I can't stand
by."
    "You don't have a say." Mikoto looked down at Totsuka where he was
preparing a bandage. "I meant what I said. If you touch him, I will kill you."
    Zenjo growled, "I won't have to. I'm sure plenty of others will do the job
just the same."
    "They can try." The Alpha narrowed his eyes at his elder before resting his
cheek on his knuckles. His posture dared him to say more. He was fed up with
the arguing, his word was final. Zenjo growled and stormed out, obviously
furious but Mikoto only sighed, thankful when the room was no longer filled
with tension and noise.
    Totsuka carefully wrapped his arm. "You should be more careful about
angering the people."
    The Commander closed his eyes and hummed in response as he listened to the
gentle rustling as Totsuka moved around. Placing everything carefully back in
his bag, the smaller male stood. "All better king!"
    "Not a king." One eye lazily cracked open to stare up at Totsuka.
    Totsuka made no comment, smiling childishly and moving away from the
throne. "I better go back, the other healers are probably starting to wonder
what is taking me so long."
    The Alpha's brow furrowed. He didn't want him to go, the urge claim him as
his and the need to keep him close was stronger then he cared for. Totsuka
groaned at Mikoto's reaction. "We’ll see each other again."
    "Not soon enough." Mikoto grumbled.
    The Omega padded back over to the Alpha, pressing a gentle kiss to his
lips. "We will always find each other king. It’s in our blood."
    “Mmm. Just don't tell anyone about the bond yet." Kusanagi and Zenjo
wouldn't tell anyone, and in the time before the public knew, he and Totsuka
would have a lot to discuss... if the Commander could get over the need to fuck
him.
     Totsuka pouted, "I wasn't going to!"
    "Good." Mikoto suddenly tugged the smaller male down to press his lips
against the Omega's scent gland. Totsuka was wearing a small amount of
suppressants; his scent was barely detectable and very different from Sinopa's.
It was much more pleasant and not nearly as strong, more like a soft breeze
then a brick wall. The Commander's tongue flicked out, tasting the soft skin
eagerly.
    He gasped, tilting his head on instinct up as pleasure tingled down his
spine. His back arched slightly as he found stability by gripping the
Commander's shoulders, tightening his thighs. Every instinct burned to let the
Alpha not only take him here and now, but to be bitten and claimed. "King..."
    The Alpha pulled the skin in between his lips, impulsively sucking a bright
bruise into the flesh covering the gland. His thumbs gently brushed the male’s
hips. "That's going to be hard to explain..." he whined, even as he closed his
eyes.
    "Probably." Mikoto gave the area one last swipe with his tongue. At least
now people would know he belonged to someone.
    The Omega let out a small whimper, pulling back. "Now what am I supposed to
tell people?" he demanded, meeting Mikoto's eyes, but no malice in his own.
    Mikoto shrugged, leaning his shoulders back against the smooth wood of the
throne. Totsuka smacked him lightly on the chest. "Meanie."
    The Alpha grabbed his hand, roughly pulling him further into his lap.
"Anyone else that tried that would be dead."
    Totsuka yelped a little at the sudden movement. "No one else knows how
great you are! You aren't violent, you use your status to protect. So I'm not
worried." Mikoto responded with a grunt but released him. Totsuka stayed in his
lap, brushing a hand through Mikoto's hair before leaning down to plant one
last kiss on his lips. "I really should be going."
    "Mm." Mikoto nipped the Omega's lower lip. It was strange, feeling close to
someone he hadn't even liked. Or known.
    Totsuka rested his forehead against Mikoto's. "I don't wanna leave. Promise
you'll come find me?"
    "Mhmm. When?"
    "I'm usually home by sundown." He said, features lighting up.
    Mikoto nodded, taking one more deep breath before pushing Totsuka out of
his lap. Totsuka stood, grabbing his things. He paused, chewing his lip. "Um...
Bye."
    The Commander huffed with laughter. "Get outta here, brat."
    He stuck out his bottom lip, pouting, before he turned away and left.
===============================================================================
 
    That night found the Commander dozing on a small bed, enjoying the scent of
the Omega it belonged to. He had followed the directions Totsuka had given him
and had only run into a couple of guards on the way there, earning a raised
brow from one of them, but none asked questions. He sighed, sleep tugging at
his consciousness.
    Totsuka laughed as he entered his room, setting his stuff down carelessly
at the door. "Yeah, good talking to you too!" He called to someone as he shut
the door. He hummed, paying zero attention to anything and everything as he
went to his storage cabinet and began scrounging for something there to eat.
    Mikoto cracked open one eye to watch the smaller male rummage through his
things noisily. "You make a lot of racket." He growled.
    The smaller male jumped, spinning around. "You're going to give me a heart
attack! How long have you been there?"
    "Since you came in." How had he not noticed him? Mikoto closed his eyes
again and yawned. That was something they would need to work on.
    He huffed, "You need a bell or something." He turned back around, resuming
his digging. Mikoto's brow furrowed at that, unsure if he should be offended,
but before he could comment the Omega was speaking again. "Hah!" Totsuka
exclaimed in triumph, pulling out some dried dove he had stored. He popped a
piece in his mouth with a grin before he went back to digging. "Where did I put
the canteen..." he mumbled around the food.
    Mikoto's patience was wearing thin between the clanging metal container,
rustling and the scent of the object of his thoughts for the past few hours,
which only served to frustrate him more. "Come here."
    "Nuh uh, I'm hungry!" Totsuka whined. "It’s not in here." Hr pursed his
lips and shifted his attention to his bag. "Don’t remember packing it..."
    "Now." Mikoto growled. He could eat later, and hopefully be quieter while
he did so, but there were more pressing things.
    "No!" He whined. "If this is going to be a normal, you can't just boss me
around at your every whim. There it is!" He took a large drink.
    That had the Alpha raising up off the bed, obviously unhappy with being
disobeyed. With an unamused expression, Totsuka eyed him sternly, "You’re macho
scary Alpha act doesn't work on me king, so cut it out."
    With a growl, Mikoto reached out and cuffed the Omega on the back of the
head. Of course, he yelped, rubbing the back of his head. "Hey! That hurt!"
    "Don't test me." He warned, staring down at Totsuka.
    The shorter male stood, rubbing the back of his head before he shoved
Mikoto's chest. "Don't hit me!"
    The push wasn't much, but the Alpha took a half step back, a hurt
expression crossing his features as Totsuka brushed past him, now pointedly
ignoring the Alpha as he sat down at his table to eat.
    Mikoto gritted his teeth. "How did you..?" It didn't make sense. A scrawny
little Omega shouldn't have that much power over him.
    He glared at Mikoto. "Don't hit me." He snipped. "If you're going to do
that then leave."
    It was temping, but he had waited too long to see Totsuka to just leave;
nor would the draw he was feeling towards the other allow it. Fine. The Alpha
sat back in his previous position on the bed. Totsuka ate silently, clearly
testing to see what Mikoto would say or do, while the Commander watched just as
silently, trying to figure the Omega out.
    Once satisfied, Totsuka came over to the bed. "That's better." He smiled,
back to his usual self. "You don't always have to be so forward or aggressive."
Mikoto puffed and laid back on the thin blankets lining the bed. "I like it
when you’re gentle and nice." He sat down beside Mikoto, "it's what a leader
should be."
    "Hmm." Mikoto reached up and threaded his fingers through the soft light
brown-blond locks.
    Totsuka leaned into his touch. "Kusanagi told me not to do this. To stay
away from you." A growl escaped the Alpha’s throat and Totsuka squeezed his
wrist, "He didn't hurt me. He doesn't want to see either of us hurt, he's just
trying to look out for you."
    "Don't care." Mikoto tugged him down next to him, a feeling of
possessiveness washing over him.
    "Don't be mad at him," Totsuka said firmly.
    "Can't stop me."
    "Don't or I won't let you have sex with me."
    "Huh?" Mikoto frowned.
    "Isn't that why you came here?" Totsuka asked, puzzled. It wasn’t a secret
Alpha’s had one track minds.
    "Not solely."
    With a grin, the Omega snuggled up against him. "Still... Don't be mad at
Kusanagi."
    Mikoto sighed, "I can’t fight you." It was an odd realization.
    Totsuka smiled, rolling onto his back to stretch. "It’s been a busy day."
    "Mm." Mikoto watched the gentle curve of the Omega's body, his pale stomach
peaking out from under his tattered shirt delectably.
    Totsuka relaxed, closing his eyes and taking deep breaths to inhale the
Alpha’s scent. "You don't use suppressants much, do you?"
    "Why would I?"
    "I don't know, just an observation."
    "Mm." Mikoto rolled onto his side, facing Totsuka. "So what does this
mean?"
    "It means that our scents match, they fit together perfectly like two
halves of a shell. In theory, you can have many scent mates, but for some
reason the occurrence is rare. It’s also common for it to be one sided and not
mutual, unlike ours." He sighed, "It isn't binding like a bite bond, but it
hurts just as much to lose a scent mate once found. They can fade if the two do
not bond but that means either altering your natural scent or spending a lot of
time away from another."
    "Ah." The Alpha leaned forward, burying his face in the other’s hair.
    "Some say it's the same reason lupids mate for life. They find their scent
mates and start a pack." He pulled Mikoto's wrist up to his nose, "And a scent
mate finds comfort in smell alone." He pressed his lips to the fragile skin
there, testing.
    Mikoto didn't respond. What if their personalities didn't match? What if
someone killed one of them? And even then, he shouldn't care. These emotions
were his but at the same time... This was too confusing and quite frankly made
him tired.
    The healer fell silent, basking in his scent as it soothed or did whatever
it was scent bonds do. "It’s like... A pre-bond. But that's all I know. It's
less permanent."
    "Mm." The Commander brought his hand to rest on Totsuka's stomach, the skin
soft where his shirt had ridden up. "So. It would hurt you if we broke it?"
    "It would hurt you too. Oh, and all scent bonds I've heard of are between
Alpha and Omega." Totsuka said, stomach flexing beneath Mikoto's hand. He bit
his lip, "Mikoto... If you have any doubts I don't want to do this. I've
been... Waiting for a mate." He shifted awkwardly, frowning.
    "Waiting?" The Alpha slipped his hand under the fabric.
    "I've never had sex," he said, stiffening slightly. "I've always wanted to
wait until I found someone who wanted to bond mutually."
    Mikoto paused, thinking about that. He had been with several, having never
thought he'd take a mate. But.. these feelings, not only the desires, we're
very real. "I want you."
    "I want you too..." Totsuka twisted to look at him. "But I don't want to
lose myself to the scent."
    "I want you as my mate.”
    The male's breath hitched. "That could start a war."
    "What else can we do? I'm not going to let anyone hurt you."
    "If we stay apart... I could move back to Trikru once my training is done.
The distance would break the bond. It would hurt for a while... Both of us
but... We would both get out free."
    "No." The Alpha didn't care if it was the bond or not. Nothing was going to
hurt this precious Omega at his side.
    Totsuka searched his eyes. "Then you're going to be stuck with me King."
    "Good." Mikoto brushed his lips over the Omega's temple.
    Totsuka smiled gently, the hand on his stomach warm. "So, what do you want
to do?" He said almost timidly.
    Mikoto brought his lips to the smaller males, answering the question
without words. He hesitated beneath him before closing his eyes, giving in to
instinct and entirely submitting to the Alpha, it couldn’t be hard. Plus he
trusted the Alpha. Mikoto raised himself up to pull the Omega underneath him.
With his hand still under the fabric of his shirt, the Commander roughly tugged
it up, impatient and wanting to get rid of everything separating them.
    There was a new kind flutter in Totsuka’s stomach, one that wasn’t
unpleasant in the slightest. For a moment, he worried that Mikoto wouldn't bond
to him, just wanted the sex but... Surely he felt the bond's pull as well. He
arched his back up, tugging the shirt up as far as it would go before wiggling
it off his shoulders. The Alpha’s own shirt followed and he flung both across
the room, careless about their condition.
    Mesmerized by the toned perfection, Totsuka watched the muscles ripple. It
made his body shiver, and slick was beginning to form in anticipation. With the
scent of Totsuka's arousal permeating the air, the Alpha's nostrils flared. It
prompted his hands to fly to the younger's pants, eager rid him of the battered
fabric. Totsuka arched his hips willingly, eyes trained on Mikoto. His head was
swimming, intoxicated by the scents dancing in the air.
    Without hesitation, Mikoto stripped the fabric from the other male quickly
and stood, aiming to take the rest of his clothes off. Totsuka curled in on
himself slightly, embarrassed at his nudity but still entranced as Mikoto
removed his cloths.
    "Don't be shy." Mikoto mumbled, stepping out of his pants, noting the
flustered look on Totsuka's face.
     "I'm not! I've just... Never been in this position." He looked away,
Mikoto's own arousal making his face heat further. With a soft huff, the
Commander climbed back over the Omega, pausing and making the decision to take
this slow, atleast at first. "You're doing fine." He murmured softly, lips
playing across skin
    Totsuka swallowed, "I haven't done anything."
    "You're nervous."
    "Well yeah... I mean... I've heard knots hurt…”
    "Only sometimes." The Alpha leaned back down, covering the mark from before
with his lips. The Omega's eyes fluttered shut, hand gripping Mikoto's hair.
    "... Will it hurt?"
    "Maybe." Mikoto's hand drifted down, stroking the soft skin of Totsuka's
inner thigh. “But I’ll take care of you.”
    He laughed nervously. "Points for honesty..." Fingertips brushed at his
entrance, gathering slick as they circled the muscle gently. Totsuka tensed up
nervously, lightly squeezing Mikoto between his thighs.
    "Don’t." Mikoto waited for Totsuka to relax, nuzzling his throat to get at
more of his scent. The oils were soaking through the light dusting of
suppressants, giving off more and more scent which the Alpha drank in greedily.
    He swallowed, willing himself to relax. "Sorry."
    "Don't apologize." He nipped the tender skin of his collar bone and
hesitated. "We can wait." The words were forced but he knew it was the right
thing to do, he cared about this Omega. He was worth waiting for.
    "I don't want to wait it's just... Sudden." He looked away.
    "I know." He felt the same, minus the nerves. The Commander kissed the male
beneath him softly, the movement tender and careful as he slipped one finger
into the slick hole. Totsuka’s breathing hitched like he expected pain or
something from the intrusion, but when that didn't come he relaxed a lot more.
    "It shouldn't be too bad cause you're an Omega." Mikoto said, pushing in
another easily. An Omega male's body generally loosened itself up when aroused,
making sex easier with them even if they weren’t in heat. Of course, Totsuka
swallowed, the feeling coiling in his spine as he tried to decide what to
think. He nodded, rubbing Mikoto's back lightly.
    The older male withdrew his hand, deeming him stretched enough. He rose up,
positioning himself. Totsuka looked up at the Alpha, nervous. He supposed he
would, at least, be rid of the intense cramps during heats. Mikoto sighed,
studying the Omega's expression. "I'll take care of you." He promised again,
pressing the head of his cock past the ring of muscles, entering him slowly and
with great care.
    Totsuka took a deep breath. "I believe you-” He arched, body opening up for
the commander like a flower. Mikoto kissed his forehead, pressing the rest of
the way in gently until he was burried, the muscles tightening around his
mumber and making his head swim.
    "So that's what it feels like."
    "Mm. Not hurting you am I?" Mikoto pressed down with his weight, knowing
most Omega's found that soothing, fight the urge to begin his harsh pace.
    "It doesn't hurt it's.... Weird.” He said with a breathy voice, grateful
for the gesture.
    The Commander chuckled. "Lemme know if it does." He pulled out slowly.
    Totsuka nodded, still tensing slightly as Mikoto pushed back in before
closing his eyes and accepting the sensation. Mikoto sped up after feeling
Totsuka's muscles finally relax. He gripped the Omega's leg, pushing one knee
up to allow for a better angle. He growled quietly, knowing how to pull out the
reactions he craved.
    Totsuka's heart fluttered, his spine arching off the bed in response to the
electricity sizzling through him as Mikoto's scent wrapped around him stronger
than before. He let out a low moan, holding Mikoto's shoulders. The sound
encouraged Mikoto to thrust harder, quicker, as the need to bite rose. The
smaller male whined, drawn up beneath Mikoto like a bow, nails digging into the
Alpha’s shoulder praying, hoping that he bit him. His legs tightened,
straddling the edge as Mikoto's scent seemed to swallow him whole.
    As his knot his began to form, Mikoto gritted his teeth. This Omega was his
and only his now. No one would touch him. No one would dare harm him. His
pheromones lashed out, potent with intent to let anyone in the vicinity know
that Tatara was his.
    It was almost too much for Totsuka, the knot popping in and out drawing a
whimper from the back of his throat. It was expanding with every movement; his
Omega side loved that, and soon he cried out, his entire body shuddering as he
called for the Alpha. An Omega’s call for a mate was special, something that
beckoned to an Alpha’s primal instinct to claim and bond.
    In response, Mikoto crooned quickening his pace to short, shallow thrusts
so that the swell at the base of his cock wouldn’t pull free. And, more
importantly, so that he didn't hurt Totsuka. He pushed hard to set his knot
deep inside the smaller male, becoming locked together as his orgasm hit him.
    Feeling the hot seed strike against his insides, the Omega came with a
whimper, pressing his lips to Mikoto's neck. There was a small hesitant moment
when neither did anything. It took only a short breath ghosting over the
Alpha’s scent gland to spark a flurry of action. He bit down hard, breaking the
delicate skin with ease. The Omega's blood and pure essence filled his mouth,
pulling a content hum from his throat as the bond formed. The bite that came
from Totsuka was not near as hard, just enough to break skin. He took deep
breaths, the coppery taste filling his mouth.
    Mikoto swallowed the sweet, metallic fluid in his mouth, licking the skin
between the teeth. He relaxed his jaw muscle but refused to let go. Nothing
would take Totsuka away from him. Nothing.
===============================================================================
    
     With the new weapon cradled to his side, Yata made his way around the home
to his own place, entering and letting Fushimi's scent wash over him,
comforted. By the time he got there, the Alpha had already stripped down and
curled up in bed, his glasses folded neatly on the bedside table.
"You could have stayed longer you know." The form on the bed didn’t in response
to the others entry.
    "I know. But I don't like being away from you." Yata set the bow down
gently in a corner where it wouldn't get damaged, eyes adjusting swiftly to the
darkness.
    "Tch, and you wonder why I make fun of you.”
    "Quit being an ass." Yata puffed, letting his gaze trail over the exposed
part of the Alpha's body before starting to remove his own clothes.
    Fushimi rolled onto his back, looking at Yata. "Stop making it easy."
    "Fuck you." The Omega growled as he finished undressing and flopped down on
the bed.
    "Mmhmm."
    "I think you're the king of all assholes." He stated, worming his way under
the furs and blankets to press against the other male.
    "Better than the king of idiots," Fushimi shot back smoothly, rolling back
onto his side so his back was away from Yata.
    "Hey!" Yata grabbed the Alpha's shoulder and pulled, returning him to his
position on his back.
    Fushimi blinked at Yata's fuzzy form. "What?"
    "Don't turn away. I don't like that. I like facing you when we sleep." He
said honestly while scooting closer, taking a deep breath.
    Fushimi sighed like it was the most tedious thing on the planet.
    Eyes rolled in the dark as he snuggled into Fushimi's chest. "You still
smell weird.”
    "You look weird."
    "Fuck you!"
    A slightly misplaced but gentle kiss was set on the corner of Yata’s mouth.
    Teasing, Yata pushed at his face playfully, "Noo... you're mean."
    Teeth pinched the flesh of the fingers placed over his mouth. "I only speak
the truth."
    The hand wandered, moving to trace the ridge of Fushimi's cheekbone,
falling silent as he studied the Alpha's face in the almost non-existent light.
Fushimi had closed his eyes, not quite leaning into the touch as the tension
slowly left his shoulders. "So you didn't bite me because you wanted to protect
me?" The question floated in the air between them on a soft breath, accompanied
by a gentle brush of Yata’s thumb over the others cheek.
    "...Tch. Why did you think I didn’t bite you? I told you that at the time."
    "No you didn't... Or not in a way that I understood."
    "That's not my fault.”
    "So mean..." Yata moved his hand to thread his fingers through Fushimi’s
hair.
    Fushimi blinked his eyes open, squinting at the Omega. "I'm not mean. I
just say the truth."
    "But in a mean way." Yata argured.
    "The world is a cruel thing."
    "But I'm not."
    With a shrug, the Alpha’s gaze flitted away. "You will be eventually."
    "I will not. I would never be mean to you unless you’re being a dick
first."
    Fushimi turned and faced the Omega, tilting his head so their lips could
connect, his tongue dragging playfully along the seam of Yata's lips. If he
believed that, he would let him. But life was a cruel thing and those who were
not cruel in return were destroyed… similar to the butterfly. Yata had parted
his lips for the Alpha, flicking his own tongue out to meet the others, his
hand tightening in the silky black stands as if to prevent any potential
retreat.
    On an exhale, Fushimi wrapped his arm around Yata and pulled him closer,
the tip of his tongue playing along his teeth and upper pallet, being teasingly
gentle and avoiding Yata's tongue as much as possible. Rather than focusing on
the negative he tried to fall into the sensation, concentrating on pulling
little frustrated noises he loved from his partner.
    "Quit iiittt." Yata whined and pulled back some, his face flushed in the
darkness.
    "Quit what?" He said devilishly, teeth dragging at skin.
    "Teasing." Yata said, pulling Fushimi back up to him and reconnecting their
lips, forcible shoving reconnecting their kiss in an attempt at dominance. But
of course, he didn't - keeping up his antics and playing with Yata almost
leisurely, not unlike a cat. "Asshole." Yata muttered, his tongue chasing after
Fushimi’s.
    When he got too pushy, Fushimi pulled away and nibbled at his chin again
and ignored the insult. There was much worse… and more creative. All Yata could
do was whine, puffing out air in frustration and waiting for him to tire of the
games. He reached down, pinching the Alpha's nipple in warning.
    Fushimi let out a quiet hiss that, had it not fallen against his skin, he
would have missed. "Be nice or I'll make you beg for it."
    "You could try." Yata challenged, his hands moving along Fushimi's sides.
His muscles were tense… was it pain? The fleeting thought was banished by a
bite to his collar.
    "You don't think I could?" he smirked. "I bet you'll cave before me."
    "Uh huh. Sure I will." Yata's eyes lit up at the challenge, his lax posture
tensing slightly.
    The Alpha smirked, running his hands over the smooth skin of Yata’s sides.
Fushimi pushed him onto his back with surprisingly little protest and moved
over him, scattering bites and kisses across his chest, a few making it to his
ribs. This close, he could see the individual black bands of his tattoo, even
if they were still a bit fuzzy. He glanced up on instinct for a reaction,
dipping down to take a nipple into his mouth. The smaller male gasped, jumping
slightly as the Alpha sucked, using more teeth than tongue as if he would tear
into the Omega. He hummed, sending little sparks through the Omega’s chest and
his hands worked circles over his hips to bring the sensitive skin to life.
    Underneath him, Yata shivered, his hips pushing forward in response. The
movement brushed the curve of his bare thigh against Fushimi’s quickly growing
arousal, coaxing a groan from the Alpha; the contact coiling in his spine as
his cock gave an eager twitch. He nipped once more before his lips started
trailing lower, leaving a trail of dark marks along his stomach as the Alpha’s
possessiveness began to awaken.
    Whines filled the air as the Omega protested against the pricks of pain.
Fushimi looked up from where he had been sucking Yata’s hipbone, a small flare
of concern making him pause. "No?" He asked, letting his breath wash over the
male, taking in where his mate’s scent was strongest.
    The Omega's cheeks heated up. "N-no! I don't know..." He turned his head to
the side, flustered and if he was honest, confused why Fushimi’s mouth was
inching closer.
    His reaction seemed to encourage the male, a smirk erupting as he turned
his head to wrap his lips around Yata’s head, sucking lightly. His tongue drew
leisurely circles, testing. A brief flash of a memory crossed his mind but his
shoved it away, refusing to bring forth those less than images. Now he was
focusing on his Omega.
    The sensation was better than anything they had done previously and the
shorter threw his head back, his back arching off the bed at the feel of
Fushimi lips wrapping around him. "S-saruhiko..."
    Fushimi placed his hands on Yata’s hips, allowing the boy to adjust to the
sensation before pushing himself down to take it in the entire way, his nose
buried in the dark red curls at the base of the lenght. He closed his eyes,
tongue moving from one side to another before he began bobbing his head. Moans
and pants quickly filled the air around them, Fushimi humming as Yata’s hips
began jerking up into his mouth.
    Yata let out a breathy moan, his thighs twitching and toes curling.
"Saruhiko... quit it. I’ll..."
    The Alpha pulled off, laughing as he wrapped his fingers around him and
squeezed lightly. "I wasn't going to let you finish anyways."
    "Shut... up..." Yata whimpered at the loss and the grip suddenly around
him, the denial borderline painful.
     The taller male patiently waited a moment before removing his hand, though
he didn't completely pull it away. Instead he trailed it down, nudging his
entrance once before sliding two fingers into his partner easily with the
amount of slick; he made a note of the difference in texture now that Misaki
wasn’t in heat. There was a grateful sigh, the muscle and tissue welcoming the
Alpha. "Hurry up..."
    "Told you I would win~" Fushimi purred instantly. "And I want to take my
time."
    "That wasn't begging!" Yata growled, squirming and sitting up to pull away
from Fushimi. Much to his relief, he didn’t react to the loss of the digits
previously inside him.
"Were too." He purred, rising and slinking back over the Omega with a predatory
gaze.
    "Was not!" Yata pushed himself up fully, a hand set on Saruhiko’s chest to
stop his advancement. "Ass."
    The Alpha sat back on his knees with a click of his tongue. “You were a
whining, whimpering mess. Admit it."
    Yata growled, puffing at his words before lunging, dragging Fushimi back up
and rolling him, switching their positions with an ease that surprised them
both. Saruhiko tensed beneath Yata, the sudden switch and his blurry vision
tilting his world. He growled, the automatic response escaping.
    "Shouldn't 've pissed me off." Yata pinned him and latched onto the side of
throat, just above the binding mark. The action pulled out a hiss, the male
squirming beneath him as the action sent a thousand tiny arcs of electricity
through him. Was the bond that damn strong? Or his neck that damn sensitive?
The shorter male grabbed his shoulders, leaning his weight down and stopping
any possibility of the Alpha escaping his hold. He nipped lower, teasing the
healing bite with great care. His teeth and tongue caught on the skin, slowing
as he remembered the sensation of his teeth sinking in.
    A low growl rumbled in Fushimi’s throat, trying to flex his chin to cover
the bite "Stop that!" How was Yata this fucking strong? He was short and thinly
built, and yet he held Fushimi like it was nothing.
    "Make me." Yata nipped harder then flattened his tongue to the sensitive
flesh. He ground his hips down into Fushimi's to taunt him further, determined
to turn the tide of the game.
    Fushimi's jaw clench, his hips instinctively moving up against Yata's. Oh
how this was pissing him off, he should be on top! It felt… weird to be on his
back. It reminded him of how powerless he was on the ark, how weak. He was an
Alpha, this wasn’t the way it was supposed to be. Yata smirked against the
Alpha's skin then released him, rolling off. Both their faces were flushing,
dark splotches interrupting the milky expanses of skin.
    Rolling with him, Fushimi reconnected their lips aggressively as he went to
put Yata beneath him - as he called Fushimi an ass. All of that was uncalled
for, and again he tried to reclaim his position.
    A wicked smirk shaped Yata’s lips as he pushed him off. "Nope. Not unless I
get to top."
    Fushimi blinked, taking a moment to process. "What? No! I'm the Alpha, I
top." he tried to force Yata beneath him again, irritation plane in his
features.
    "No. You were an ass, so I get to." He pushed Fushimi off again.
    "That's not fair!" he said childishly.
    "Is too." Yata said as he reached down to trace along Fushimi's inner
thigh, looking for a different sort of reaction.
    Fushimi took a sharp breath. "Is not...." He grumbled, biting his lip and
debating just how badly he actually wanted this. How long it would take to
break Yata down?
    "You could try it. If you don't like it I'll stop." The Omega negotiated,
moving his hand up, brushing his fingertips over the Alpha's cock.
    "You're making it really hard to say no when you do that..." He complained,
hips bucking against his will.
    "Then just agree." Yata said with a new-found confidence, rubbing slow
circles into the base of Fushimi's shaft. "I'll be gentle. I promise."
    "Fuck..." He shuddered, then growled. "Fine, but only because I’m a little
far gone."
    Yata smiled and pushed himself up, quickly kissing the Alpha before raising
his hand to his mouth and taking three digits between his lips. Fushimi, being
an Alpha, wouldn't produce the slick that he did or open up easily. He tried to
recall what Bandou had said about these things, which was hard when Yata had
been covering his ears the entire time. He supposed he could just use his own
slick, but that was out of the question. The thought of reaching between his
own legs at this point almost murdered his confidence, actually doing it would
make him wimp out for sure.
    The Alpha watched him with apprehension. "I don't know…" He grumbled. Just
shut up and get it over with... Right?
    "I won't hurt you." The Omega leaned down, removing his hand from his mouth
to kiss Fushimi's stomach before positioning one finger at his entrance with a
bit of hesitation, testing the ring of muscle carefully.
    "Not really worried about pain. I'm more worried about the fact I
physically cannot come from anything you do until I have pressure on my knot -
this could literally be torture…” Not a complete lie. He could, but it wouldn’t
leave him satisfied.
    "Well.. if it is I'll stop." Determined, Yata started sucking lightly at
his stomach to distract him from the act of pushing past the tight ring of
muscles. He went slow doing what little he could remember from Bandou’s
unwanted speech, careful and worried as Fushimi clenched briefly, adjusting to
the weird feeling presented to him. He closed his eyes, hoping Yata would get
bored of this experiment quickly. His lips made their way down further to give
the Alpha's member an experimental lick, tasting the salty skin.
    Fushimi sucked in a sharp breath, hips twitching. "Misaki...."
    Yata, feeling a bit braver now, wrapped his free hand around Saruhiko's
base and took the head into his mouth, sucking gently as he worked his finger
further into the male. It mostly tasted like skin, the bead of moisture leaking
at the tip bitter on his tongue. Not… unbearable, but unpleasant.
    Grabbing the fur beneath him, Fushimi tried to stabilize himself and keep
himself from jerking up into Yata's mouth, well aware of the effects that had.
His breathing stuttered irregularly, "M-Misaki..."
    With a smirk, Yata inserted another finger in time with the movement of his
lips. He pressed his tongue flat against the Alpha's head, testing. He ignored
the aching feeling in his ass, focusing instead on the Alpha instead and not
the desire to have something filling him.
    The brief flare of pain was nothing to the electricity in his abdomen. His
eyes were shut and jaw clenched, trying to fight the moans in his throat. Fuck,
he had never thought about it, but in the teasing game Yata would win every
time - simply for the fact he couldn’t resist...
    The little growls and puffs of air coming from Alpha only served to
encourage Yata more. He sank down further, taking another inch into his mouth
as he stretched Fushimi, carefully scissoring his fingers. Saruhiko knew that
if he had been on top that would have been burying his knot in right now, and
he instantly hated being an Alpha even more then he already had.
    Yata felt the muscles relax a bit more and pushed in a third finger as he
sucked harder, concentrating only on making it as painless as possible for
Fushimi. He pulled back, face a flush as a small gush of bitter fluid entered
his mouth. Did that mean Saruhiko was close? He thought so.
    The Alpha grunted, but it was quickly followed by a long moan when Yata
resumed his menstruations after he recovered. The pain didn't bother him, he
had felt worse, but his entire being wanted to flip their positions.
    "Are you okay?" Yata asked, pulling up again to look up at the Alpha.
    "I would love to knot you right now." He growled.
    Yata suppressed an embarrassed speak as he turned his attention back to
stretching Fushimi. When he deemed him ready he shifted, filling his mouth with
saliva before expelling the glob into his hand and rubbing it over his own
arousal, hoping it would help with any catch. There was no going back now, he
had come too far to abandon the experience.
All the while the Alpha panted and watched him - god he wanted to reverse this.
"I'm going to get you back for this somehow."
    Yata leaned over him, lining himself up. "Mhmm."
    Against his nature, Fushimi held still, bracing himself. "An Omega on top
of an Alpha. This isn’t exactly natural."
    "Neither is person falling from the sky." Yata said, gently pushing in.
    The Alpha sucked in, body tensing and refusing to allow the intrusion in at
first. Finally, the smaller coaxed through, pain flaring up as he was stretched
to accommodate the girth. "It's not that unnatural..." he argued, looking up as
he winced, shifting his legs a little wider.
    Yata sighed, the tightness making him shudder as he sank completely in. It
wasn’t nearly as good as when he was the one being taken, but it was
pleasurable. "We can... stop if you want." He mumbled; it was obvious Fushimi
wasn’t enjoying this as much as he was.
    "It's not that bad..." he grumbled. "Just keep in mind I can't completely
finish like this.. please."
    "I will." Yata dipped down, kissing Fushimi's chest as he pulled back
slowly, keeping his movements soft and slow to avoid the jerkiness of
inexperience. The Alpha swallowed thickly, adjusting quickly as he could to let
Yata try this little venture. Why was this even-
    Fushimi suddenly hissed, hips bucking wildly as pleasure arced through him,
erasing his thoughts; a small string of cum finding its way to Yata’a chest.
    "Did I hurt you?! I'm sorry, I'd didn't mean too..." Yata started to pull
out, confused as to how he had hurt him. He paused, looking down at the warmth
dripping down his stomach.
    "No," Fushimi panted, "You didn't hurt me... You just hit... Something.
That felt really fucking good."
    "Oh... okay." Yata sank back into the male with relief, restarting his slow
pace, carefully searching for the spot he had hit, comforted and curious. It
was obvious Saruhiko wasn't as caught off guard the next time he found whatever
it was, but he still let out a long moan, eyes fluttering closed. He wrapped
his hands over Yata's shoulders, trying to ground himself. Yata smiled and
leaned up, licking Fushimi's throat as he sped up.
    The Alpha shuddered beneath him, his entire body aching and shuddering as
his brain buzzed with pleasure, his hips moving in time with Yata while his
nails dug into his shoulders. Holy shit… Yata pushed himself a bit faster,
angling his thrusts downward so that Fushimi made a noise beneath him with
every stroke, his menstruations over the skin growing more aggressive.
    "Misaki..." Fushimi whimpered, his groin aching for contact and his entire
body ached for a slightly larger release. Yata whined, forcing himself to stop
and pull away. It was cruel really, that they couldn't continue like this.
Well… not without him asking Dewa how they managed it and that sure as hell
wasn’t happening.
    Fushimi panted, instinctively moving to roll Yata beneath him, meeting his
lips furiously as he lined up and pushed in with a brutal force. Yata yelped,
the force and aggression used startling him. At least he was soaked, how there
was even a hint of friction was beyond him. He lifted his hips, welcoming the
Alpha hastily, not wanting to tempt him into being more forceful. The thrusts
came rapidly and firmly as it was already too difficult to move. The Alpha
wasn't going to last long, so he had to make every movement count, reaching
deep into his Omega.
    The smaller male called out as the ache was sated, his nails biting into
the skin of Fushimi's back. Tight pleasure was coiling rapidly in his lower
abdomen, his instincts in love the dominant display. Fushimi wrapped his
fingers around the male in desperation as his knot began to catch, stroking him
as his knot caught, unable to last any longer.
    Yata let moaned loudly, the sound shrill as he tensed and spilled his
release over Fushimi's hand and onto his stomach. He shut his eyes tightly as
the Alpha buried his head in his neck, slowing his hand as he finished his own
release, or at least the first one. "Satisfied?" He grumbled after a long
moment, panting.
    "Mhmm." The Omega tilted his head up, sighing in contentment with the
warmth spreading inside him. Fushimi closed his eyes with a smile, relaxing as
he fell silent and waited to separate. "That wasn't so bad, was it?" Yata
prodded, running his hand through Fushimi’s hair.
    "Except that I was so hard it hurt." he grumbled.
    "I'm sorry.. you looked like you were enjoying it though." He nuzzled
Fushimi, brushing his lips over his skin. “Maybe we can try again…?”
    "It felt good, it just wasn't getting me anywhere." Again, not a complete
lie, but it wasn’t going where he needed it. Hopefully he would just accept it.
    Yata fell silent, another orgasm shuddering through the Alpha, drawing his
mind back to the earlier conversation with his mother's mate. When Yata didn't
say more, he got worried. "What's wrong? You aren’t usually this quiet.”
    "Nothing is wrong. I'm just thinking."
    Fushimi grunted in acknowledgment, letting out a long sigh as he let
himself doze, accepting that.
    "...You know... if we do it now it won't be as bad." Yata said, hoping
Fushimi caught on to what he was talking about.
    There was a moment of thinking before he went rigid, and instantly his
fight with Totsuka came to mind. Surely he wouldn't. "No Misaki. I'm not
letting you put yourself in harm's way."
    "But it won't hurt me now..." He argued.
    "You don't know that." He snapped back, "And it would always haunt you."
    "Maybe... but that would be better than me having it and you not wanting
it."
    "That's not better, Yata... And I talked to Totsuka. He doesn't think you
should either."
    "It would be better too..." Yata said with a swallow, unable to finish the
sentence. "I don't really want it..."
    "Yata no!" he growled, switching to intimidation. "I said no, so drop the
idea!" The Omega flinched at the name used, shrinking underneath him. He turned
his head away, falling silent as Fushimi’s voice filled the small room. "Your
parents looked excited, Totsuka said it was a bad idea, and I said no. Why
can't you let it go?"
    "Because you don't want it."
    "That doesn't mean a damn thing Misaki. Just... No. I don't want it, but
that doesn't mean I can hurt you because of it."
    "But the bond didn't work... it shouldn't affect you. " The words were more
spiteful now, baiting the male for an admission, confession, anything to prove
Mikoto’s claim true.
    "This isn't about the bond," Fushimi growled. "Yata, abortions were a
common thing in the ark. Seventy percent of people had to have one because they
became pregnant with a second child. I saw what it did, so no. Don't do that to
yourself." He paused and the Omega sighed, swallowing as felt another telltale
twitch. "Just don't do it." Fushimi grumbled, closing his eyes. "Please."
    "But I want to." He lied. In all reality he was excited, but he wasn't
going to screw everything up for Fushimi either. He had seen Fushimi with his
siblings and while he was irritable… he took care of them. He would make a
wonderful father, but being forced into the position wasn’t what he wanted. It
felt wrong
    "Misaki..." Fushimi groaned, trying to find a way to convince him not to,
but at the same time those words hurt. His subconscious said he wasn’t good
enough for the Omega to want him as a father to his pups. "Fine. Do whatever,"
he finally growled. "Sorry you couldn't scent bond with someone who wanted a
kid."
    Yata flinched again, the words stinging more than they probably should
have. "I wouldn't want anyone else-"
    He was cut off. "Yeah well, that's the damn bond. If you don't want the
kid, Totsuka made it clear that's your choice. I'm only temporary anyways."
    "No you're not." Yata said, his voice breaking. Why did they have to get
into these kinds conversations while they were stuck? It was his fault, he
shouldn’t have brought it up.
    "I am. Denying it will just get you hurt more." He grumbled. "The bond
didn't work, I didn't scent bond to you, it’s all just a sign." At this point
he was just saying things to lash out. "I'll be out of your hair soon enough."
    Squeezing his eyes closed, Yata tried to pull away. He instantly regretted
the action, the still fully inflated knot shooting pain through him, but the
action seemed to trigger his partner. Fushimi grit his teeth, and in a mixture
of self-hate and the need to get away he yanked back, forcing his way out
despite the gut tearing pain it caused him, ignoring the tears that sprang to
his eyes.
    Misaki cried out and whimpered, tears spilling over from the physical and
emotional pain. The loss hurt in more ways than one, he felt an abrupt strike
of loneliness hit his heart, making him gasp. His Omega instincts were set on
fire, screaming danger and alone.
    Fushimi clamped down on not only his own emotions, but Yata's as well,
fingers digging into tanned skin. It hurt more than he had expected, a war
raging in two fronts that was ripping his insides. The need to protect, the
need to be an Alpha and love his mate, just… need. He shot off the bed, pushing
up and away and only stopping long enough to grab his pants, fighting the tears
and the pain that felt like he had just ripped his dick off. He had to get out,
that was his only thought.
    Aching for Fushimi's touch, his comfort, the Omega pushed himself up.
"No... don't just..." Yata fell silent, realizing there was no point, his soul
crying out.
    "Sorry I fucked everything up." How he didn't choke on the words he wasn't
sure, but he didn't. He didn't even give himself time to get a shirt before
leaving, tears sliding down his cheeks from the mixture of his and Yata's
sadness.
    The air felt thick in his lungs as Yata opened his mouth to beg him to stay
then shut it again. He let himself fall back onto his bed, rolling to the side
with his breath hitching with every ragged intake. He had finally found someone
he loved and he had fucked it up. He should have taken that stupid medicine as
soon as his heat cycle had started slowing up, plans or not. The Omega turned
his face, burying it into his pillow as sadness rose up, pulling sobs from his
lungs and shoving a painful ache in his heart. Maybe tomorrow he'd find time to
go ask Totsuka for that plant. No… he would.
    Outside, Fushimi rubbed his eyes furiously as he walked, trying to stop the
sobs and tears that were shaking his foundation. He hadn't cried since the
night he was put in jail but now here he was, sobbing. He hadn't cried when
they tortured him, when they humiliated him. He hadn't cried when the guard had
forced him to his knees and throat fucked him, or when they shocked his cock
during rut to force him to ejaculate.
    And here he was crying.
    You don’t belong in my world, Misaki.
    A soft pad pad let him know Durga was following him, but he ignored the
lupid, to hurt to care. He wasn't sure what emotion was his and what was
Yata's, but it all hurt. The only thing in existence was an earth shattering
pain in his body, in his heart, in his mind. He blindly made his way to the
weapons storage, shoving the door open and grabbing every knife he could find.
Choking back the tears more tears, he went outside and started throwing, Durga
laying down some distance away.
    Even when the tears stopped and he knew Misaki was asleep, even when his
muscles screamed and insects bit, he didn't stop throwing and retrieving.
    It was the only thing he could hold on to.
===============================================================================
 
Chapter End Notes
     From Sola: HAPPY BIRTHDAY MISAKI!!!!!!
     So our next chapter will be about a month, but if you want we have a
     special contest! The FIRST person to figure out how we made our
     posting schedule cab request a one shot from this universe or
     anything else they want between any K characters (and attack on
     titan.. shh... this is Jane and im seeing if Sola notices this cause
     she hates aot) :D
     Our upcoming dates:
     August 13
     August 25
     September 1
     September 11
     October 1
     GOOD LUCK :D
     Jane: IT TOOK ME 40 FUCKING MINUTES TO EDIT THE FIRST FUCKING PAGE
     FUCK
     SHIT
     BALLS (She changed my commemt. Please ignore her option. She is
     stupid and delirious. )
     (^she's mean :( No one ever laughs at my jokes)
***** Pushing Boundaries *****
Chapter by Sola_The_Demon
Chapter Summary
     Finally, horses, and Fushimi pisses Kusanagi off. Oh, and Yata has a
     talk with Totsuka.
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes
    The sun was still down, hazy light just beginning to surface and blur out
the farthest stars to the east. Not even the birds were singing at this hour,
still asleep and awaiting the sunrise. Kusanagi stood some distance away from
his apprentice, the boy still unaware of his presence. The Beta had been
determined to arrive at the weapon’s storage room before Fushimi but the boy’s
scent had already been present, old but strong enough to suggest he had been
there after their lesson had ended. He had followed the ever strengthening
scent until he heard the gentle thunkof metal sinking into wood. The Alpha's
posture was rigid, telling Kusanagi all he needed to know about his mood.
    The last of twenty plus mismatched knives was embedded into the abused
flesh of a fallen tree.  Numbly, Fushimi retrieved the blades, too lost in his
thoughts to notice his silent observer. Sometime in the night, his chest had
stopped hurting and turned to a ache, and then it stopped hurting all together.
That was what he wanted, a state of numbness, uncaring. It was what he wanted
to return to. He wanted to go back to the ark now, go back to counting the days
until he would die. He wanted to stop feeling.
    Another set of throws was completed before the Beta spoke up, not wanting
to risk getting a knife thrown in his direction. "How long have you been here?"
He asked, the dark circles under Fushimi's eyes letting him know just how weary
the Alpha was. And to further his suspicions, Fushimi didn't particularly jump
like he normally did when someone snuck up on him, but he did jerk a little in
surprise. He looked over, reflexively rubbing his eyes beneath his glasses.
"Don't know." He said before shrugging. "I wasn't keeping track."
    "Maybe ya should sleep in a few hours today." Kusanagi suggested. His
apprentice wasn't sluggish but he wasn't fully alert either... and his eyes
were red and puffy, like he had been crying.
    "I won't sleep." He said matter of factly. "I can't. Trust me, it's just
better if we start whatever it is you have planned today."
    "Then come on. ‘Rest of the weapons need to be cleaned."
    Fushimi hesitated, "Can we do something more.... Draining?" He said
carefully, "Even if it is burying a damn butterfly."
    The Beta paused; that was a very odd request. "You seem tired enough
already."
    "Tch, I'm fine." He grumbled, as long as he was doing something he didn't
have to think, and cleaning left him too much time to do so. He looked away, "I
don't care what."
    A bird began singing to their right as he considered the younger male.
“Come with me." Kusanagi turned, walking in the direction of where they kept
the horses.
    Fushimi sighed, somewhat relieved that Kusanagi hadn't gotten offended by
the request and even more relieved that he had taken it. He glanced at the
knives, embedded in various trees. "Um, do I just leave those?"
    "We’ll get ‘em later." The Beta said, glancing back to see the other
following him, leaving the weapons behind.
    The two walked in silence, Kusanagi occasionally looking over his shoulder
at the Alpha. His expression was even more gloomy than usual, which led the
older male to believe he and Yata had had some sort of fight. It had to be,
because Fushimi didn't give a shit about anyone else here.
    The looks didn’t go unnoticed. Fushimi didn't like the way Kusanagi kept
checking on him, that calculating gaze that was picking him apart. It made him
uncomfortable, but in the same sense, there was no point in hiding it. He
clicked his tongue, sighing. Why was he even doing this? He was only ruining
Misaki's life more by being here.
    Soon they arrived at the open field, a soft peachy glow of light falling on
the backs of the horses standing in the middle on the field dozing. Kusanagi
went to the small shed first, unlatching the door.
    Fushimi narrowed his eyes at the animals, still unsure about them. "What am
I doing?" he asked finally, the creak of the door punctuating his question.
    "You are going to pick out a horse for yourself." The Beta entered the dark
room, rummaging around in the tangle of leads. Suddenly, he cursed, startled as
a large rat-like animal scurried across his boot. Fushimi watched the animal
run away, catching a scoff at Kusanagi's surprised tone before it left his
throat.
"I don't know anything about horses, how am I supposed to pick one?"
    A length of rope was tossed out of the room, the braided twine landing
limply at Fushimi's feet while Kusanagi continued to sort through the rooms
contents. "Pick whichever one that catches your attention. The ones that aren’t
claimed are in the smaller field to the side. Next to the trees."
    A closer look revealed a section of the pasture Fushimi hadn’t noticed
before. The crooked fence blended in with the dark shadows of the woods and, if
he squinted, he could make out the shapes of a few horses standing just within
the trees. He picked up the rope, grumbling, "I feel like there are a few
things to consider when picking out something triple my size."
    "Yes, and you'll figure it out." The Beta gave up with the leads, letting
them fall back into their original position on the ground. "After you choose,
you'll organize that room. Those idiots don't know how to put anything back
where it goes." He headed for the fence, ducking under the single wooden rail
that made up the gate.
    "Why do I have to do other people's jobs?" He complained, following him
through the long grass to the edge of the field. A few horses looked up at them
from their place amongst the trees, snorting and nickering curiously. Now that
he was closer, Fushimi could spot light through the woods, revealing that these
unclaimed horses had their own pasture to graze on the other side of this
peninsula of forest.
    "Because you wanted something to do besides cleaning knives." Kusanagi
leaned against the railing separating the two groups of horses. "Now, when you
catch the horse you want, tie one loop of the rope around its neck, just behind
the ears and then another around the nose."
    Fushimi looked at the rope, there was no way that would hold one of these
things if it decided to kill him. He looked back up at the horses, unsure and
feeling like this was a cruel joke before he hesitantly began approaching the
cluster of animals.
    One looked up, whickering, and the others followed suit as they called to
the new and unfamiliar human. They watched him with great curiosity and Fushimi
slowed, his heart rate picking up as the animals watched him. There was a
silent moment between him and the herd, little movement coming from either
side. Something happened, what he couldn’t tell, that broke the spell and they
all suddenly made a beeline for him, charging at him. He made a sound that was
far less than manly, running the other way, but was easily overtaken. They
circled him, stopping feet away and began nosing his chest, their snouts warm
against his skin as he stood frozen, unsure what to do as six horses all nosed
him curiously. Their tails swished and feet stomped, investigating this strange
new human.
    Laughter filled the air as one of horses nibbled his hair from behind. "At
least they like you! They usually all run when we try to catch them." Kusanagi
called, another horse nosing the back of the Alpha's pants.
    Fushimi tried to shove one's head away. "How do I make them go away?"
    "Just pick one." The youngest horse bit the rope and chewed, making it
sticky with chewed up grass and saliva.
    "Hey! Stop that!" Fushimi yanked the rope, swatting its nose. "Well what do
I look for? I don't-Hey!" he stumbled, the one that had been sniffing his pants
hitting him with his nose and pushing him into another horse. "I don't like
this!"
    "Then hurry up."
    Fushimi fought off the herd, randomly looping the rope around a horse like
he was told. After tying in place, he looked over. "Now what?"
    "Lead it out the gate." Kusanagi said, his tone implying that it should
have been obvious.
    With great frustration, Fushimi fought off the other horses, moving to lead
the horse-
    Except when he pulled it didn't move.
    "Hey, Asshole, let's go!" he pulled, but the animal just looked at him with
a bored expression.
    Kusanagi laughed as the horse lowered its head to graze and ignored the
pulling of the rope.
    "Why isn't it moving?" Fushimi complained, looking at the horse. "Is it
stupid?"
    "No. I'd say he's smarter than you."
    Fushimi tugged harder, the animal raising its head tiredly. "Move damn it!"
    The horse took a step forward then lowered it's head again, grazing.
     The Alpha kicked its nose. "No!"
    "Do not kick the horse."
    "I didn't kick it hard!" Fushimi objected, "It's an eight hundred or more
pound animal, it's not going to hurt it." The horse looked at him, offended,
before grazing once more.
    "More towards a thousand and yes, their noses are very sensitive." A red
horse nudged Fushimi, lipping at his shoes. He gave up, letting the rope go.
The animal didn't seem to notice and continued its eating, unbothered. "How the
hell am I supposed to make it move then?" He stepped away from the other horse,
wrinkling his nose.
    "It's pretty simple. You take the rope and lead it out."
    "But it won't move! It won't stop eating." Fushimi pushed the red horse's
head as it nosed him insistently. "Can't I switch to this one? At least it
moves."
    "No, instinct brought you to that one. Now lead the horse to the gate. When
it picks it's head up, don't let it try to graze. Just pull before it gets it’s
head down.”
    Pushing the red horse away and grabbing the rope once more, Fushimi sighed.
He jerked it, hard, causing the horse to sling its head up and move backwards.
Fushimi locked his legs, trying to pull it. "Wrong way asshole!"
    Kusanagi sighed, shaking his head. "You aren't going to out pull a thousand
pound animal."
    The horse locked its legs, refusing to move. "What else am I supposed to
do? Get behind and push? Because incase you didn't notice, it doesn’t want to
move."
    A sharp whistle caught all of the horse's attention, even the ones in the
separate field. The red horse moved first, snorting and lunging to sprint
towards the Beta. The others took off after it, bucking and kicking as they
followed. Fushimi's horse jerked the rope from him and snorted as it passed
him, following the herd.
    Startled, he yelped, jumping away from the animal as it passed. "What the
Fuck? Why does it listen to you?"
    "Because they respect me." Kusanagi reached out, petting a large black
horse just as the claimed horses reached him, stopping around him in half
circle, Yata's horse among them as the unclaimed paced along the other side of
the fence.
    "I hate you." Fushimi grumbled, "This is so not fair."
    "Come on, sky boy. You wanted something to do that was draining."
    "This is more frustrating then draining." Fushimi grumbled, walking over to
where the horse has started grazing again. He grabbed the rope, tugging on it.
"Come on dumbass." The horse snorted but put his head up. It turned, pulling
Fushimi back toward the middle of the field, forcing him to lock his legs, "No
damn it! This way!"
    Kusanagi laughed and ducked under the second gate, the horses moving out of
his way as he approached the dark horse. It stopped, looking behind it to see
what he was doing. "You know, if you had been more gentle with him he probably
wouldn't have been so difficult." The Beta took the rope from his second.
    Fushimi crossed his arms, "What about 'I know nothing about horses’ are you
not getting?"
    "It's common sense." Kusanagi tugged the rope, gently, and the horse
followed.
    "It's stupid is what it is." He grumbled irritably.
    "No. You disrespected him. He's ten times your size and he knows it. You
have to make him want to please you." He gave the rope back to Fushimi. The
horse flicked its ears at him, before dipping its head to graze, which made
Fushimi tug him back up. "I don’t think it really cares." He said as the animal
threw its head up, tugging the rope.
    "Relax the rope and when he puts his head down, pet him but don't let him
eat."
    Fushimi gave Kusanagi a look that said he thought he was an idiot before
turning his attention back to the animal. He took in the tense animal briefly
before he relaxed the rope. The horse stayed frozen and stiff for a moment as
if confused before his coat shivered and he relaxed to lower his head and get a
better look at Fushimi. When it did the male made a face that said how much he
hated this and rubbed the space between its eyes.
    "Now try to lead him."
    Taking a step backwards, Fushimi tugged the rope and the horse took a step
as well. "Tch, he's going to make everything a thousand times more annoying."
    "How so?" Kusanagi started walking back.
    Fushimi walked towards the gate, the horse following him curiously now.
"Because it should have just followed me from the start."
    "You didn't treat it with respect. Why should it follow you when you treat
it in such a way?"
    "Durga listens to me and I haven't done shit with it."
    "Lupid’s don't interact like horses."
    "Tch," Fushimi rolled his eyes, "Whatever."
    Kusanagi opened the gate, shooing the other horses away when they tried to
get through. Fushimi’s animal froze, backing away from the gate. "What's wrong
with it now?"
    "He wants to stay with his friends. Just pull."
    Fushimi did, and the horse reluctantly walked out, bobbing his head.
"You're more annoying then Misaki..." Fushimi grumbled at the equine. The horse
proceeded to blow snot all over the Alpha's back as the other horses started
surrounding them, Soncha leading them.
    The Alpha made a face, the slime clinging to his skin. "That's disgusting.
What now?" He glared at the next set of horses, hoping they wouldn't be as
nosey.
    "Lead him through them without getting kicked." Kusanagi said, starting for
the other gate.
    "Wait-" Fushimi backed up, away from the horses. "Why would they kick me?"
    "You'll see. The mare's will especially." Just as the words left his mouth,
Yata's horse squealed, striking the ground at the dark horse. Fushimi flattened
himself to his horse's side. “I'm not going out there!" he squeaked. He didn't
like horses as it was, let alone with them getting all pissy - not that the
horse he picked seemed to care.
    "Then you'll just have to stay in the middle of them." The mare struck out
again before whirling, preparing to kick.
    "Shit- this isn't funny!" Fushimi tugged the lead, "Move it asshole before
you get me killed." He pushed, trying to get him to sidestep away from the
mare. The horse followed reluctantly, shying away from the kick. Fushimi tugged
a little harder, "I swear to god..." He jogged, pulling the horse behind him as
he tried to avoid the other horses altogether - which was hard when several
raced threateningly at them.
    "They aren't used to him being in this field. That's why they are acting
that way." Kusanagi called. Yata’s horse bit at the gelding’s neck, quickening
the darker horses stride. The other animals acted out against each other, their
pecking order momentarily thrown into turmoil with the addition of a new horse.
In the moment, Fushimi felt a little bad for the animal, he understood how he
felt - but he was more worried for his own health. "Can’t you call them over
there or something?!?"
    Kusanagi whistled again though only half the horses listened, running and
bucking on their way to him.
    Well, atleast that got a few of them away, though Yata's horse seemed to be
the most vindictive towards the poor gelding. Wordlessly, he jogged to the
gate, opening it and ushering the horse out, careful not to let any of the
others follow. When he pulled it closed, the ones who had been attacking him
took off bucking and snorting angrily. Fushimi let out a relieved sigh, closing
his eyes and leaning against the wood while he begged his heart to slow down.
Yata's horse stayed by the fence rearing and pinning her ears aggressively.
    "Now you have to name him." Kusanagi said, ignoring the mare.
    Fushimi opened his eyes, his heart hammering. "I'm guessing ‘dumbass’ isn't
going to fly by you, huh?"
    "No, we usually call him Trikova but you can change that since he's
your's."
    "Tch... Pluto." He said, watching the horse, "Synonymous with Hades, Pluto
was the god of underworld and who hated mortals. He was tricked by his older
brothers into ruling over death, and because of it, he was outcast by not only
the gods, but was feared by the humans who worshiped his brothers."
    "Such a ray of sunshine you are." Kusanagi shook his head, but didn’t
question the foreign the lore. "Now, first, you tied the halter wrong." He
started working on the rope, redoing the loops so it fit better.
    "You said tie it behind the ears and around the nose, I did that." He said,
crossing his arms defensively.
    "Yes, and you did good for your first try, but you did it wrong. If he had
really wanted to, he could have slipped out of it."
    "Well don't I feel warm and fuzzy about that." He snarked, watching how
Kusanagi tied the rope. "For the record, I don't trust it. I would trust Durga
to put my head in her mouth before I trusted one of these things."
    "Good. Because this one in particular is unpredictable, but most of the
time he's just lazy." Kusanagi tied the horse to a pole next to the shed. "Go
get a brush."
    "And why exactly couldn't you have informed me of that?" He growled, going
into the shed where he had seen the brushes laying out. "I should have picked
the red one."
    "That one is young. It's never been ridden before so it would have been
more work."
    "He's probably not as stupid." He grumbled, picking up several different
brushes. "Which one?"
    "The circular one. He's still shedding his winter coat."
    "It’s more of a metal ring then a brush," Fushimi commented, picking up the
comb. He made his way back towards the horse, "Do I start on the neck or
shoulder...?"
    "Doesn't matter. But he's gonna start turning a whitish color instead of
black." Fushimi started at the withers, brushing out ungodly amounts of dust
and fur as he began brushing, not caring about the beast’s color. "His color is
called a blue roan." The Beta informed him. The horse had a distinctive black
head, legs, mane and tail. The rest of him was currently a muddy black, flecked
with patches of a blue hued grey where he had already shed the winter coat.
    Fushimi nodded, pulling hair out of the comb, "What makes him
unpredictable?"
    "One minute he'll be perfectly calm and the next you’re in the dirt."
Kusanagi went to the shed, grabbing a comb to brush out the thick, tangled mats
in the gelding’s mane.
    "That sounds like I'm going to kill the idiot at some point." Fushimi
grumbled. He winced suddenly, a flare of pain rushing through him - Misaki was
awake. He sucked in a breath, carefully holding his composure.
    "Something wrong?" Kusanagi asked, his sharp gaze catching the abrupt
intake of breath.
    "Nothing," Fushimi said, brushing with a little more force than needed. His
horse shifted in mild discomfort, but didn’t otherwise react. "Just pulled a
sore muscle."
    A noise of acknowledgment came from the Beta as he worked another mat out.
Fushimi fell silent, brushing the animal's coat as he grew determined to shove
the stray feelings down and bury them deep in the pit of his stomach. He
refused to let himself be affected so easily.
    "When you get to the back legs watch his ears. He shouldn't kick but if he
does he'll pin his ears first."
    "The ‘should’ in that definitely makes me feel better." He continued to the
beast’s flank.
    "Like I said, he's unpredictable."
    "I want a different one." Fushimi wrinkled his nose.
    "No. You'll work with this one."
    The roan put his head down, tugging at the rope to try and reach the grass.
Fushimi snorted at the failed attempt, "Ha, fat ass." He grumbled at the
animal. "Why didn't you give me any advice in picking?"
    "Why did you choose this one?"
    "It was the only one not touching me." Fushimi said blandly.
    "I wanted to see your thought process. You chose the one I thought you
would. Out of the ones that aren't claimed, there's only two that would really
be a good match for you and that was this one and the black one."
    "Yeah and that one was nosing my ass. Why would the unpredictable one be a
good match? Doesn't that put me in more danger, especially considering I know
nothing?"
    "Not necessarily. He’s generally a good horse. Once your leg heals I'll
teach you how to stay on and how to fall off." The roan lifted it's head
suddenly, tilting it to the side and wiggling it's top lip when Fushimi ran the
brush over the center of its back.
    Fushimi stopped, eyeing the odd display. "What the hell does that mean?"
    "They can't scratch that part of their back so that means he likes it.
That's a quick way to make a horse your best friend."
    The younger male went back to brushing. The animal was slowly becoming
lighter, more of that bluish grey color. "I don't need a best friend, I just
need an animal that listens."
    "He will if you earn it. "
    "Annoying." He grumbled, glad the sharp pain had turned to a dull ache. He
hesitated on the hind quarters, instead walking around the front of the horse
to do the other side.
    "After this I'll teach you all the basic things about horses, like the
names of their gaits and how to saddle them." Fushimi clicked his tongue in
acknowledgment, flicking dirt and hair off of his brush.
    Kusanagi sighed as he finished combing out the horse’s mane. The sun broke
the horizon, shining brightly to turn the sky into light, soft colors with
streaks of purple and red clouds. It was going to be a long day, especially
with Fushimi's particularly sour attitude.
===============================================================================
 
    With tear stains on his cheeks, Yata climbed sluggishly out of bed, the
saltiness making sticky streaks on his skin that he furiously wiped at. The
argument from the night before slammed back into him, a sharp pain in his heart
as he struggled to breath. He just wanted to go back to bed. He had to force
himself up to dress, staring at the mirror as the tried to bring some sense of
normalcy to himself.
    Now, he stood outside the Commander's quarters, the sun casting long,
frigid shadows over the earth. He had seen Mikoto already, the Alpha had been
checking with the scouts and archers that had returned from watching the ship
the sky people had come down in. The pain had dulled while he had been dressing
but now, as he called the healer’s name, returned with a vengeance.
    "Come in~ " Came the cheery reply from beyond the tattered curtain. Totsuka
had been busy organizing his stores and was standing to see who was at the
entrance. When Yata entered and he saw the Omega's state, he rushed over and
wrapped Yata in a hug. It wasn’t difficult to guess what was going on, and his
heart gave a lurch. "Hey, shhh... What's wrong?" he asked softly, rubbing his
back in slow circles, sensing his delicate state.
    Yata wrapped his arms around the healer, welcoming the tender comfort. He
buried his forehead in the other Omega's collar, fighting back a new bout of
tears. "I.. I don't want.." He swallowed, regrouping. "I don't want this baby."
   Squeezing the younger Omega, Totsuka closed his eyes, his dark suspicions
confirmed. "Hey, don't talk like that. You're just feeling emotional." He said,
hoping it would snap Yata out of this.
    Yata shook his head."I'm not. I'm not far enough along to be emotional
because of it." He pulled back, looking away. "I've thought about it. I really
don't want it."
    "Yata, the plant has the same effects whether you are not pregnant, or
you're due tomorrow. It causes pain, and is only helpful if having a child
would be more painful. And yes, you aren't thinking rationally right now, I can
see it in your face." He cupped Yata's cheek.
    Refusing to meet Totsuka's gaze, Yata turned his head away from the touch.
"I still don't want it."
    "Look at me Yata, you don't want to do this." He said gently.
    Yata hesitantly brought his eyes up, his vision a bit blurry from the
wetness. "Yes, I do." He said more firmly.
    Totsuka gave a sympathetic look, "Why? You would make a wonderful parent."
    "Because... I like being a warrior and I can't fight or train or become
commander if I have to worry about a kid... plus Saruhiko doesn't want it..."
Totsuka sighed, "He doesn't want to get rid of it either."
    "No... but he doesn't want it."
"Yata, he was willing to attack me in an attempt bully me out of giving it to
you." he said quietly for fear of Mikoto hearing, but he knew the information
needed to be heard.
    Surprised, Yata's eyes widened a bit. "He did?"
    Totsuka nodded, "No one knows but yes, he did."
    Yata swallowed, looking away. "But I still didn't want it."
    Totsuka sighed, "If you truly want the medicine, I have to give it to you,
but promise me something, Yata."
    "Promise you what?"
    "Talk to King before you take it." He watched Yata carefully, "and tell him
I sent you."
    "Talk to him about what?"
    "About getting rid of the baby."
    "Why? I can't do that. He's got more important things to worry about."The
Heda shouldn’t be bothered by his own issues. It was his fault he was in this
mess, he should be the one to fix it. It was nothing to do with Mikoto.
    "Just promise me, Yata."
    There was no denying Totsuka, not when he was giving him that begging look.
"Okay... I will..."
    Totsuka hesitated a little while longer before he sighed, and turned back
into the area he kept all his herbs. He pulled a small box off the top shelf,
and pulled out a palm size dried up black flower. "If you take it, " he
instructed. "Crush it up and put it in a cup of water."
    Yata nodded. "Okay.." He eyed the flower, taking it from the healer.
Despite being dead the petals were eerily soft. "Thank you.."
    "This isn't something to thank me for."
    Yata nodded silently, shifting his weight awkwardly. "...Do you think
Mikoto's done talking to the ones that were watching the ship?"
    "I don’t know but Yata... If you do that you will never recover." He said,
a hand brushing his own stomach almost worriedly, the urge to thoroughly rinse
his hands after handling the plant strong.
"Huh? It’s just the emotional stuff right?" Yata eyes tracked the motion before
coming back up to the Omega's face.
    "It can... Make it to where you can never have kids."
    "Oh." He hadn't known that part… but would it matter if he was to become
heda?
    "It's about a fifty-fifty chance you'll never be able to have kids again. I
thought you knew that?"
    "No... but..." Yata looked down at the shriveled flower. He didn't really
know how to feel about that fact. He still wanted to do this for Fushimi but...
at the some point had thought he would have children if he didn’t become
commander.
    "It’s not something to be taken lightly, Yata." Totsuka murmured, "But if
you truly want to abort the child, well...."
    Yata nodded and slipped the flower into the pocket on the outer part of his
thigh. No one needed to see that and ask questions. That would just cause
trouble for Fushimi.
===============================================================================
 
    With the sun casting warm rays of light across the field, Fushimi finally
finished brushing Pluto. Even the slightest movement while he was brushing the
horse’s hindquarters sent him scampering away, paranoid about being kicked. "I
didn't know this much funk was on him."
    "You still need to comb out his tail." Kusanagi said, leaning against the
horse’s shoulder.
    "No," Fushimi said flatly. "I am not standing behind it."
    "You don't have to. Just pull his tail to the side." He moved, reaching
around the Alpha to grab the horse’s tail. "Now if he was a mare I'd be more
careful."
    Fushimi stepped as far away as he could without being unable to brush,
watching the horse carefully. "I don't like this."
    "Do you want me to put hobbles on him?" Kusanagi asked, exasperated.
    "That sounds really fucked up, what the hell is that?"
    "Hold on." Kusanagi left to dig around in the shed, coming back with two
thick leather straps connected with a chain.
    "That looks cruel."
    "It's not, I assure you." Kusanagi trailed his hand down the horse’s leg
and picked up his foot, fastening the leather. Curious as to what he was doing,
Fushimi watched silently to take in every detail of the process. The Beta
dropped the horse’s foot and pushed the leather to the other side with his
foot.
    "And this keeps them from kicking?"
    "Well he could kick but it wouldn't really work. His other leg would stop
the force."
    Fushimi still looked a little worried. What if the leather or chain broke?
    "He won't kick either way." Kusanagi assured him, fastening the other
strap. "Now brush."
    The hobbles did little to ease the Alpha’s worry. He stood well away and
moved carefully, alert to any change. After a few minutes, he relaxed, until
the horse stomped. With a squeak, he jumped backwards and away, Pluto looking
back at him with a mocking expression. Kusanagi let out a snort of laughter.
    "Don't fucking laugh at me!" He growled, stomping back over.
    "He was stomping at a bug." The Beta said, biting back his laughter.
    "Shut up! I didn't know that!"
    "You'll learn his body language in time." Kusanagi leaned on the horse once
again.
    He went back to brushing the tail, "I hate you."
    “I'm saving your life by putting up with your shit. Could you be a little
grateful?"
    "I didn't ask you to help me." He snipped irritably.
    "No, but never the less, I'm saving you."
    "You would save everyone a lot of trouble if you killed me," He grumbled,
"It's obvious I’m never going to fit in."
    "You don't give yourself enough credit."
    "Tch, I don't?" He scratched the healing mark on his chest. "I just piss
people off."
    "You'll learn to hold your tongue. If only for Yata."
    "Tch, sure." The steady pain in his chest let him know just how well the
male was doing, and he wasn't. "I’m sure I'll settle down with him and live
fucking happily ever after."
    "Maybe. If you're lucky, which you’re most certainly not." He shrugged.
"But one can only hope."
    "That was sarcastic." He said. "Misaki would be better off without me."
    Kusanagi fixed the Alpha with a sharp stare. "Do not underestimate that
boys feelings for you. He might be better off without you, but he doesn't
believe that. When he feels for something, he feels with everything he has.
Don't break that kind of love."
    "Love doesn't exist. I figured you would be smart enough to know that." He
clicked his tongue, "And besides, he's going to hurt himself if I'm around."
    "It's real. You just haven't experienced it yet. And how is he going to
hurt himself? Besides protecting you?"
    Fushimi fell silent, pausing in his brushing, "I don’t want a kid." He
said, assuming Kusanagi could figure it out.
    "Neither does the Commander. But he and Totsuka love each other enough to
accept the fact that it's going to happen. In the past, the Commander never
takes a mate because it is seen as weakness. But with Mikoto, it focuses him
and gives him a reason. It gives him power. Love does not make someone weak,
though most would agree with you. In our society, people die all the time and
pure, true love is very rare and almost always ends in heartbreak. But it does
not make you weak."
    Fushimi scoffed, "Love is a method you create to destroy yourself. It will
destroy Mikoto, and it will destroy Yata. Love took away your family, and my
father used it to hurt me. Love itself may be strength, but it can only create
destruction."
    In the blink of an eye, Kusanagi had the Alpha pinned to the ground, his
hand squeezing Fushimi's throat. "Do not speak of my family. You don't know
anything about the circumstances of their death." Fury made his voice low and
dark. "Yes. It will destroy them if it's not handled properly. But you will
watch your tongue. Mikoto and Totsuka are the closest thing I have to family
and you will not disrespect them any further." The horse jumped to the side
away from them, stumbling in its restraints.
    Wheezing, Fushimi struggled beneath that male in an almost panicked like
manner, fighting to breath. He tried to pry the hand off his throat. "I only
tell... The truth... It will.. Kill... Us all..."
    "You'll keep your mouth shut." Kusanagi squeezed a bit harder before
releasing him and standing. "Now get up."
    He rolled over, coughing as air flooded his lungs. The coughs shook his
entire body, but he forced himself to his feet, not wanting to show weakness.
    "Take the hobbles off after you're done with his tail. Then go catch the
rest and do the same. In both fields." The Beta turned, starting back for the
village. "And organize the tack room." He called over his shoulder. Nothing
made he blood boil more than someone talking about his friends and family like
that. He had to get away, or else risk doing something he would regret.
    "That's impossible!" he exclaimed. "There's twenty of them!"
    "Don't question me or you'll do it again every day for the next week."
    Fushimi gaped at him, surely he was joking? Surely he was, there was no way
he could get it done, especially given that he knew nothing about horses.
"But...What..." Fushimi fought the create a sentence. "How...?" His questions
went unanswered and he was left to look over his shoulder at the horses - this
was going to be impossible.
===============================================================================
 
    After a while Yata approached the Commander nervously, having finally
caught him at a time he wasn't busy. "Heda?" He asked, already feeling
embarrassed.
    Mikoto looked over, raising an eyebrow. "Hmm?"
    "Totsuka wanted me to uh.. talk to you." The Omega looked down, worried and
unsure.
    "Then talk."
    "I um... want to get rid of the baby. Saruhiko doesn't want it and I don't
either." Yata shifted uncomfortably, not meeting Mikoto's gaze.
    Mikoto tensed, a low growl forming in his throat. "Did he tell you do get
rid of it?"
    "No! Saruhiko told me not to but... he doesn't want it so..." Yata took an
unconscious step back.
    "Ah," The Alpha relaxed. "That’s why he sent you." He muttered, then rolled
his eyes. "I don't want a damn kid."
    “What? You don't? I thought..." Yata tilted his head, confused.
    Mikoto let out a long sigh. "I have to deal with the brat as it is, do you
think I need a twerp running around? I am commander. I've never wanted kids.
But when I had Totsuka straddling my hips during his heat, begging for them, I
realized it was part of it. I hoped he wouldn't, and while I don't want it,
I'll still take care of the thing when it comes out. Not that I would blame you
for not wanting his kid."
    Yata's face became bright red at that. "O-oh... well I uh..." This didn't
really help his situation but... if Mikoto didn't want his own then... He kept
his gaze down.
    "Totsuka probably wants me to tell you not to get rid of it, but I can't
make up your mind in this. What I will say is that just because he doesn't want
it doesn't mean he won't care for it, if he's even capable of emotion."
    Yata nodded, the flower feeling heavy in his pocket. "I'm sorry for
bothering you, Heda."
    "You weren't bothering me." He said, gaze flicking up as Kusanagi all but
stormed by. "Dismissed." he said, going after the male. He had known him long
enough to know when he was pissed. "What's wrong?"
    Kusanagi looked between the two as Yata ducked his head and turned to
leave.
    "What was that all about?" He asked, noting the Omega's torn expression.
    "Yata wants to get rid of the kid and Totsuka is trying everything to make
him not to. You didn't answer me."
    "Hmm... hope he knows that the flower gets rid of is worse than living with
it, but Fushimi’s mood makes more sense. And nothin’s wrong. I just left
Fushimi with the horses. He picked out the roan that dumped you in the dirt."
    Mikoto snorted, letting the topic of Yata drop. "And you let him pick that
idiot? I thought you liked the kid."
    Kusanagi shrugged. "Maybe the horse has mellowed out over the last year, it
is older now."
    "I told you that horse should be killed. He'll get himself hurt." He said,
eyes narrow. "And just to note, I'm not stupid. I know when you’re pissed."
    Kusanagi searched Mikoto's expression and knew he wouldn't get away with
lying. The commander was too perceptive and they had known each other too long.
"Fushimi. He said something... but he didn't mean it in the way I took it. It
just struck a nerve."
    "I don't think he says anything he doesn't mean. Are you sure he wasn't
baiting you?"
    "Yes. I'm certain he wasn't baiting me."
    Mikoto nodded, "I'll trust you, but make sure he knows in the future to
keep his opinions to himself."
    "Yes, Heda."
    "Dismissed." Mikoto headed for his tent - he had a particular Omega to deal
with.
Chapter End Notes
     Sola: WOO A DAY LATE. THIS POSTING SCHEDULE IS ALREADY FUCKED UP.
     Totally my fault. I procrastinated and didnt do it. BUT I am going to
     make a lame excuse the life came up. XD Happy yesterday birthday
     Mikoto!
     ALSO
     We are working on SilverThunder's prompt but we keep changing the
     idea halfway through so that will hopefully be a thing soon.
***** Anger *****
Chapter Summary
     Fushimi starts more shit.
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes
~

    The sun was going down, painting the sky in vibrant colors and lining the
clouds in gold. Birds of night called to one another in the trees high above
Kusanagi's head as he approached the horse's field. The boy was obviously not
getting any better with his nerves, he could see that from yards away.
      A breeze kicked up, bringing the older male’s scent to the Alpha and
alerting him to his approach. Fushimi jumped away from the horse he had been
brushing for the god knew how long. This particular beast was twitchy, which
definitely didn’t speed up the process. Over the course of the day had had only
gotten about halfway through the animals, and he hadn't touched the tack room
yet. "Damn it," he muttered at the bay animal, "Stop it."
     "Done yet, sky boy?" Kusanagi rounded the horse’s front to lean on the
pole.
      "Nowhere near." He replied, running a hand through his hair. "I've
decided that I hate horses though."
       Kusanagi snorted. "How many have you gotten done?"
      "This is number seven." He said, stepping back to brush the tail once
more.

      "...Finish that one then I'll take you to get something to eat."

       "I'm not hungry." He said, flinching as the horse moved.

      "That was an order."
 
       "No disrespect but I'm NOT hungry." He didn't look over from his task.
     
       "You will eat something. If only because I tell you too."

      "I'll throw it back up." Fushimi growled. Why wouldn't he let it be?

       "Fine by me. But you will follow my orders."
   
       "If I throw up, it will be even more taxing on my system. I don't want
to vomit two days in a row."

        Kusanagi worked his jaw. He did have a point but...
       "And besides, why would I waste time eating when I could be attempting
to finish these damn horses?"
       "You won't finish it before nightfall. Just come back in the morning and
start."
       "I'll work through the night then. I don't have anything better to do."
He said.
       "No. You're coming back with me."
      "I'll stay here and work on finishing my job." He countered, "I'll come
back whether you drag me away or not."
      "Fine by me. But you will come with me. You need to learn our ways of
interacting."
      "Or I could just avoid interaction altogether." Fushimi grumbled.
      "Watch your mouth."
       Fushimi grit his teeth, "I don't want to be around people. If anything,
I want to go throw the knives some more."
       "I don't give a shit. Now hurry up and finish."
       The Alpha let out a noise of frustration, but didn't speed up his
movements. If anything, he slowed down slightly, both because he himself was in
a bad mood and another part that wanted to provoke Kusanagi.
     His efforts didn’t go unnoticed. "Testing me right now would be unwise."
     Fushimi looked over, "I'm brushing the horse, like you told me." he said
calmly.
     "You slowed down."
      "Did not."
       The horse spooked, jumping to the side as Kusanagi lunged, landing a
blow to the center of the young Alpha’s chest. Every bit of breath left him and
Fushimi ended up, yet again, on his ass and clutching his chest. "What the
hell?"
       "Do not argue with me. Now get up."
        He watched as the horse was untied and lead back towards the field.
With a pasin huff, Fushimi forced himself to his feet, "Stop doing that!"
        The small space between them was quickly closed as the older male
growled and pushed the Alpha again. "I've been lenient with you, now it's time
for you to learn to hold your tongue."
        Aggression radiated off of his usually level headed mentor, leaving
Fushimi reeling. What in the hell had happened? Against his better judgement,
he spoke, "I'm only saying the truth!"
       "Keep it to yourself." Kusanagi snapped, leading the horse back to the
field.
        He blinked, confused and pissed off. What had changed? "Sorry." he said
sarcastically.
         Whickering filled the air as Kusanagi let the horse go, the horses
greeting their friend as the gate was shut behind it. He set the rope down next
to the fence post, the dying light making long shadows stripe the ground.
Without a word, he turned back and started for the village, the silent command
to follow forcing the younger to move.  The Alpha worked his jaw agitatedly. He
would get back at Kusanagi somehow, he deserved his own opinions.
         Small fires were dotted throughout the open area at the center of the
village where families and friends were cooking various meats and vegetables.
The night promised to be cool and bright with the full moon just beginning to
rise over the trees. Children ran, howling and laughing as they played games.
Young Alpha's and Omega's played, mock fighting and practicing swordplay with
sticks. One group, louder than the rest, bounced around a fire dancing and
acting. One fell over, tripping over a log they were using as seat and the
action was immediately followed by howls of laughter.

    "Ow, shit, that hurt."

      "Ha, that's what you get for being a dick, Chitose!"

      "How was I being a dick? I was trying to cheer him up!" The Alpha puffed
up, scrambling to his feet to tackle another Alpha.
       Dewa snorted, rolling with Chitose across the ground until the male was
beneath him. "Pft, you can't beat me!" A rather vocal battle began, the Alpha’s
tussling and rolling on the ground.
        Fushimi clicked his tongue as they walked through the camp, ignoring
everyone as best he could, as well as the curious glances he got. He was still
shirtless after all. He didn't want to be here, and he was painfully aware of
where Yata was. It was like a magnet, his chest aching to go to him.
      "You can go to them." Kusanagi said, glancing back at the Alpha. He had
spotted Mikoto and Totsuka not far from where Yata and his friends were.
       "Tch, I don't want to be here, let alone listening to those idiots." He
grumbled, keeping his eyes fixed pointedly on the ground.
         "Fine. When you get the chance, look at the back of Mikoto's neck.
That's where to spirit resides." Kusanagi said before they came within earshot
of the Commander.
          Fushimi clicked his tongue in acknowledgement, listening to the
whispers of ‘sky person’ and the insults he could pick out, along with ones he
didn't know. Why was he here? He obviously didn't belong, and there was no way
in hell he was going to eat anywhere near Mikoto.
        The Commander was seated on the ground with Totsuka tucked neatly
against his side. The Omega was munching on a piece of sweet smelling fruit. He
glanced up at Kusanagi's approach, a few hunters and warriors on the other side
of the fire calling a greeting as well.

    "Hi Izumo! Hi Saruhiko!" He smiled, sitting up straighter as Kusanagi's at
next to him on the ground.
      All the tension from before had seemed to evaporate for Kusanagi smiled
easily, "Heda, Totsuka," he greeted. "What's to eat tonight?" The people on the
opposite side of the fire struck up a quiet conversation amongst themselves.

       Fushimi clicked his tongue again, edging away to go and sit down away at
the outer reaches of the fire’s light. As he passed, he took a quick glance at
the back of the Commander’s neck. What he found there was a long, vertical scar
the ran about three inches down, starting at his hairline. Tattooed over it was
an infinity sign, but Saruhiko couldn't help but think the scar made it look
broken. Over all he wondered how something like that didn't harm his spinal
cord.
       "Food." Mikoto said, earning a laugh from Totsuka.

        A loud, obnoxious howling filled the air, followed by laughter. The
noise came from the group Yata was in, making Mikoto roll his eyes. "They've
been like that since you left."
       "They're always like this, I don't know what ya mean by ‘since I left’."
He snorted, grabbing himself a serving.
        "There even louder than normal." Another howl punctuated his words.

         "They are a lot louder than they usually are." Totsuka agreed as he
leaned back, nuzzling into Mikoto.
         "There's no telling with them." he said, sitting down with his meal.

         Detaching himself, Fushimi looked at the sky. How long did he have to
hear this? The night was what he thought most would consider beautiful, with
the sun now completely set, what few clouds drifted were almost luminescent
with silver moonlight. Everything was highlighted in that ethereal glow and the
birds and insects of the night sang in the forest. The Alpha buried himself in
these details in attempt to escape the obnoxious commentary from the groups on
either side of him.
        "Come on, Yata! Cheer up! What's got you so quiet?"

        Totsuka frowned. "I guess Yata's upset..." He looked up at Mikoto.

         Mikoto shrugged, "Guess so."
         Totsuka sighed and glanced at Fushimi. "Do you want eat, Saruhiko?” He
offered.
        "No, I'm not hungry." he said, not looking over.
        "Are you sure? There plenty for you too."
        "Positive."

        "Yata! Why don't you go hunting with us tomorrow? I'm surprised you
haven’t tested the bow yet."

       Kusanagi glanced over at his second, how could he not see he was hurting
the boy? And why wasn't he doing something about it?
       "Fushimi, go over there with them." Mikoto said, looking back over his
shoulder. Before his second could say anything, Kusanagi added, "Go over there
for a while and then you can come back."
       The Alpha tensed, they couldn't order him around like that... Could
they? Of course could and he knew why Kusanagi had jumped in, to keep him from
crossing Mikoto, but it still pissed him off. He let out a long breath, before
he got up, giving them a glare that said exactly what he thought about this. He
made his way over silently, planning to sit even further back from that
campfire then he had the other.

       Totsuka sighed, "He's… getting a little better."
      "Not much." Mikoto huffed, resting his head on top of his mates.

      "He's progressing." Kusanagi said, watching him go.
      "He’ll get there." Totsuka assured them.
       “I know." The Beta looked to Mikoto. "I just hope he learns to control
his tongue better."

        The group around the other fire quieted some when Fushimi had
approached. All of them were male, and close to Yata's age though a few seemed
older.

        "Hey, sky boy, come to see your boyfriend?" One called out then was
promptly smacked on the back of the head.  

         "Be nice, Chitose."
          Fushimi sat down away from them, ignoring Yata to the best of his
abilities. He clicked his tongue, "Isn't there something better for you two do
with your three brain cells then act like an idiot?"
          Drawing up to his full height, Chitose growled. "At least I have
sense enough to put on a shirt."
          "You mean you’re weak enough to put on one." Fushimi countered,
ignoring the male’s dominant displays in body language. "If you even had half a
functioning brain you would realize that it would be much manlier to go without
- but you wouldn't know about that would you? Manly isn't your thing."
          "You're an idiot. You'll get even alive by bugs." Dewa grabbed
Chitose, breaking the eye contact.

          Yata, who had been trying his best to ignore the conversation looked
up, hoping they wouldn't get in a fight.
          "I survived last night, I think I can handle a few insects. It’s kind
of sad that a mosquito bothers you - here I thought grounders were supposed to
be tough." he said cruelly.
          Chitose pulled away from Dewa, marching up to the younger Alpha. "Do
you want me to beat the shit out of you?"
           "Tch, you’re nothing more than an ignorant, insignificant soldier
and besides, it would just prove how easy you are to provoke."

            Kusanagi glanced over at Fushimi. "Mikoto." He said, eyes locking
in the scene.
           "What do you want me to do about it? If he picks a fight he can face
the consequences."
           "Because, Mikoto, it's already escalating to more than just him."
            Chitose snarled and bent but before he could grab the male, Yata
shoved him hard from the side, baring his teeth in a challenge. Fushimi rocked
to his feet just as Dewa rushed over, grabbing Chitose. "Hey dude, chill!"
           The Alpha calmed a bit, taking his eyes off the other Alpha.

            "He's not worth it." Dewa said, pushing away.
            "You don't have to come to my rescue, you know." Fushimi growled
low at the Omega.
             Yata turned on him. "Your right. Next time I'll just let you get
your ass handed to you." He spat.

             "Looks like they're handling it just fine." Mikoto said, watching
closely. What did Fushimi have to gain? He didn't have the skill to take on
anyone in camp, yet it didn't stop him.

             The bond warned him against fighting with the Omega, but it also
loosened the emotions that he had sealed off, and his own growl matched Yata's,
the boy's anger fueling his own. "Well I'm sorry I hurt your feelings Misaki,
but not everyone is looking for a shoulder to cry. Unlike you, I don't have to
have the approval of others to be happy, so why don't you just go fluff out
your tails feathers and strut around in your pathetic attempts to please
Mikoto?"

              Yata growled low in his  throat, anger making him see red.  How
dare he insult Mikoto.

             "Yata… He's your mate… Don't do anything stupid." Komamoto said,
nervous in the growing tension.

             "Stay out of it." Yata snapped, not taking his eyes off Fushimi.
             "You're so weak Misaki," Fushimi spat, "That you can't see the
reality of what's standing in front of you. You and all of the people here are
stupid to believe in this bonding shit, and you can't seem to realize that the
person who you scent bonded to is everything you hate. Hell, even biting me
didn't work! You walk around with you tail tucked terrified, god forbid, that
you step on any toes." It felt wrong to be so mad at him, the bond making the
emotion unstable and awkward.

          Kusanagi tensed, not sure if he should break it up or not. Fushimi’s
tone became more cruel with every word, and everyone was watching him now.

          "Do you not realize how fragile the life you live is? How easy it
would be for me to literally rip it apart? And then you, and Kusanagi, and
Totsuka come in with the solution to put me in the middle of this system, but
maybe, just maybe, I don't want to be a love sick sap just waiting for someone
to come along and fracture the glass I am standing on."
         Every word fanned the fury boiling up in Yata's system until, finally,
he lashed out, knocking Fushimi to the ground.

        "King, they're going to hurt each other." Totsuka gasped and started to
stand.

         "Yata, let it go! You aren't thinking clearly!" Kamomoto tried to
reason.

         Fushimi laughed, "Is that all you've got Mi~Sa~Ki~?"

        "Enough." Mikoto stood up, making the already quiet crowd grow
completely silent. Fushimi clicked his tongue, looking away as the anger erased
the pain he had been stuck with all day - if making Yata hate him was the key
to making it stop, then that's what he would do.
         The Omega took a submissive step back as the Commander approached. He
looked away, even sharper pain filling his chest. "I apologize, Heda." Why the
hell would Fushimi say those things? What was so wrong with trying to fit in?
         Pain rippled through Fushimi once more as he pushed himself to his
face. Fuck being dismissed, he wasn't about to stay here. He purposefully
pushed past Yata, a low growl in his throat. "So, did you get rid of it yet?"
He hissed, before storming off in the general direction of the horses.
         Yata froze, choking on whatever words he had started to say. They
lodged in his throat, making him bite his tongue so hard that it bled. He
clenched his jaw, eyes downcast so no one would see the tears brimming in his
eyes. The flower was still in his pocket, where he had left it, planning on
returning it to Totsuka.

       "Get rid of what, Yata?" Komamoto asked tentatively, glancing in
Mikoto's direction.
       Mikoto let out a low growl, that was fucked up in so many ways he didn't
even know HOW to respond. Totsuka jumped to his feet racing to Yata's side,
quickly trying to herd him towards his and Mikoto's shared quarters. The
Commander growled a fierce warning at the people staring, causing them to jump
and turn back to their previous activities.

      Mikoto crossed his arms, Fushimi was already out of sight. "He isn't
getting away with that." he said pointedly, looking at Kusanagi.
      Kusanagi stared after the Alpha in disbelief. "I... I've never seen
anyone treat the one they were bonded to like that.” Not even unbonded couples
were that cruel in Trikru, not any that are alive anyways. He glanced at Yata
just as the male paused, trying to pull away from the healer. "I'm fine. I'm
fine. Just..." It was obvious the Omega wasn't okay, his voice betrayed the
pain he must have been feeling.

       The group of Yata’s friends were looking between each other, murmuring
amongst themselves as they shifted and moved closer together. A few cast
worried  looks to their distressed friend, other glaring in the direction
Fushimi had gone.
         "Yata, please. Just come with me. Don't look at the others." Totsuka
murmured, tugging him. The request didn't really have any room for objection,
the omega ready to drag Yata. 

        "He isn't normal, Kusanagi. He seeks pain rather than avoid it. If you
don't deal with it, I will."
        Yata fell silent, letting Totsuka lead him. Silent tears rolled down
his facw, making him turn his head from any potential prying eyes. Damn
Fushimi. All he wanted was somebody to love and lobe him back. He never felt so
alone and, worst of all, many had seen it.

        "What do you suggest I do?" Kusanagi asked, his voice low.
         "Personally, I would bring him so close to death that they would be on
a first name basis." he growled, low. "He is your second, you figure it out."
Kusanagi sighed, hope for the Alpha fading.

         The Commander shook his head, "I don't understand him." He said
honestly. "He's happier in pain and he lashes out at any sign of kindness."
         "It's all he's ever known, Mikoto. Maybe it's like a comfort to him in
a way."

        "Regardless, I won't have him hurting anyone like that." He growled.
         "I'm not defending him. I'm just stating a fact. Think I should let
him stay out there tonight?"
          "I think you should drag his ass back here. If he's going to stay
here he can't run from his problems."

          "True. But what about Yata?"

          "Totsuka is handling him right now."

           Once again, Kusanagi sighed. "I know that. I meant what should we do
with him? I don't know how he'll react to Fushimi being punished. And
technically, it would be his decision and right to choose the punishment and to
execute if he wanted."
           "Then let him decide, but he isn't stable right now and you'll have
to drag the sky boy's ass back anyways."

            The Beta nodded. "Then I'll go get Fushimi." He paused, then added,
"He'll stay with me tonight. Even if I have to tie him up."

           "Very well. You're free to go."

            Kusanagi dipped his head, turning and setting off in the direction
Fushimi took.
 
===============================================================================
 
        Once in the home, Totsuka pulled Yata into his arms. "Shh, Shh, he
didn't mean any of that."
         Yata shook his head, leaning into Totsuka, a long, low whine escaping
him as his throat closed up. His breath became more ragged, the flower burning
in his pocket. The older Omega held him close. "He didn't Yata, he didn't. He
couldn't have. Shh, he's just... Scared and hurting. He didn't mean it."
         There was a tense, silent moment when neither spoke. "Do you have any
water?" Yata asked, his voice ragged as he pulled back from the Omega.
          The words felt like a blow to Totsuka’s chest, "Please don't Yata, he
didn't mean that he... Maybe he's lashing out because he thought you did." he
tried desperately.
          Yata looked down, his frame shaking. He had meant it. There was no
way that he hadn't.
          Torn between duty and comforting Yata, Totsuka whined. He had always
prided himself in keeping other people's problems secret, but if he didn't tell
Yata... "Please believe me Yata, he didn't mean it the way you are taking it."
         "How else could he have meant that?" He squeezed his eyes shut,
bringing his hands up to wipe furiously at the moisture gathered there.
         Totsuka bit his lip, "He said it only to hurt you, to hurt himself.
He's been feeling your turmoil all day and-" he broke off, wincing as Fushimi’s
secret slipped.
         "He what?" Yata asked. looking up at the taller male, confused.
Fushimi couldn't feel anything he felt.
         The taller male chewed his lip, "Yata... He feels the bond. It is
physically impossible not to. There is no case of it ever, but why he is
lying... I don't understand."
         "He lied? But that..." Made so much sense. He had guessed it, but
usually his guesses were never right. He had just assumed, trusting his Alpha.
"I don't understand." He looked away, his hand fidgeting with the hem of his
pocket.
          Totsuka sighed, "It's really not my place to tell you that but... He
feels it Yata."
          Yata nodded slowly, blinking away the tearing in his eyes.
         "I can't pretend to understand him Yata, but I know that killing the
baby would not only break you, but it would kill him. He would feel it same as
you, if not more so."
          Upset, he shook his head. Damn the stupid scent bond, damn Fushimi
and damn the love he thought they could build. A small whimper escaped him and
he brought his arm up across his chest, every heart beat tearing through him.
          "Yata..." Totsuka came closer, trying to hug him again, to offer any
form of comfort.
           "I couldn't raise it on my own anyway." He said, leaning away from
him. Fushimi had called him weak, and excepting comfort was only proving that.
And then there was the matter of him becoming Commander. If he survived the
conclave.
           He pulled back. "Don't Yata."
           Yata swallowed hard, dropping his gaze. "I couldn't." He said
quietly, hiccupping. It was all talk, he would never hurt someone innocent.
Never
          Totsuka sighed in relief. "Do you want some sleeping herbs?"
           "No." He didn't want to sleep. Not when he would wake up cold and
alone in the morning.
           "How can I help you?" He said worriedly, trying to figure out what
to do.
            "I don't think you can." Yata wiped at his eyes again, trying to
calm his ragged breaths.
            "Then who can I get that can?"
           "I don't know..." Yata trailed off, the only one he wanted was
Fushimi, no matter how much he had hurt him.
          With another sighed,Totsuka said, "Is there anything Yata? At all? I
can't leave you like... This."
         "No, there's not, Totsuka." Yata sniffled, keeping his eyes firmly on
the floor. Maybe everyone would have gone home and to bed already and he
wouldn't have to face them, though that was unlikely.
         "Do you want to stay here tonight? I will make King sleep in the
throne room, he does sometimes anyways."
           Yata shook his head. "I can’t ask you to do that."
          "You don't have to, in offering."
          Yata considered that for a moment. "...if you don't think Mikoto
would mind too much."
           "I don't particularly care what he thinks."
           "Don't care what who thinks?" The Commander asked, stepping into his
home and cutting off Yata's shock at the words.
            Totsuka gave a brilliant smile, "Yata is staying here with me
tonight."
            Mikoto frowned. "That means I'm sleeping in my throne, doesn't it."
The words weren't phrased as a question.
            "I love you though," Totsuka said, pecking Mikoto on the lips.
"I'll make it up, promise."
            "Brat." Mikoto sighed tiredly and ruffled Totsuka's hair, making it
stick up at random angles.

           Yata watched them closely, another pang of hurt slicing through his
heart. Why couldn’t he and Fushimi have something like that?
           The other Omega swatted at Mikoto's hands, "Go keep Durga company.
I'll see you in the morning." Mikoto bent, kissing his mate one last time and
swiped his tongue across the seam of his lips mischievously before pulling
back.
            Totsuka rolled his eyes, shaking his head as the Alpha left. He
smiled at Yata, "Bet you thought he was the boss, huh?"
          "Watch it, brat, or I'll show you who's boss when the kid leaves."
Mikoto called from the other side of the divider, making Yata's cheeks turn
bright red at the thought, their earlier conversation coming to mind as well.
           "Lookin' forward to it!" Totsuka countered back, a chuckle coming
from Mikoto as his voice faded off. Totsuka sighed, and rubbed Yata's arm.
"I'll make you a tea to ease the ache a little." he said calmly.
           "Thank you..." Yata said, the pain easing a bit with their
playfulness.
            Totsuka nodded, "I'm... sorry. You didn't deserve all of that
Yata." He turned, going to his stores to gather several herbs.
            "It's fine... I'll live." Yata shifted awkwardly. Being in the
Commander's sleeping area was off limits on normal circumstances.
             Totsuka shook his head, "Surviving, Living, and being happy are
three different things. But it will all work out in the end, just you see."
            "I hope so." Yata said, looking around the room, finally taking in
his surroundings. Compared to his home, it was extravagant though sparse. Being
the Commander, Mikoto sometimes had to travel a lot, so he didn't have very
many things. He prefered staying in this village as of late, mostly because of
Totsuka’s pregnancy. It was safer for his mate than Polis, where members of
almost every clan trafficked the streets daily. Yata had thought a part of it
was because he had originally been raised in Trikru and had friends here as
well.
             The bed was large, at least three times the size of his own with
beautifully colored with patterned furs and blankets strung across its surface.
Everything was detailed, down to the dividing curtain that was woven to look
like autumn leaves.
            The older Omega busied himself filtering water through the herbs,
soaking them and letting the water take on their properties. "You’re free to
look around Yata."
            "No, I don't like being nosy." Yata dropped his gaze back down. On
normal circumstances, he would have jumped at the opportunity. Now, he just
wanted the pain to end.
           Totsuka sighed, "I wish I knew how to help you."
            "I'm sorry... I know I'm a lot of trouble..."
           "Don't you dare start apologizing." Totsuka growled softly, "None of
this is your fault and you're no trouble, so don't start."
           "Sor-" Yata caught himself and stopped, ducking his head some.
Totsuka smiled, "Yata, it’s okay." he brought the tea over. "Here, it should
calm you a little, but it may induce vivid dreams. The herb is used to help
Commanders make decisions, and many report dreaming of their past experiences."
            "Thats... interesting." Yata peered into the cup, the black liquid
smelling a mix between bitter and sweet.
             "It relieves stress, and it’s supposed to help with decisions." He
pat Yata's arm. "Mikoto says it’s best to chug it in one go."
             Yata glanced at the healer then back to the cup. Now he had no
doubt that it would taste nasty. He raised the cup to his lips and took a huge
gulp. It wasn't the worst thing he had ever tasted, which wasn't saying much
when he and Kosuke had been convinced by Chitose and Dewa to eat stink bugs.
The tea tasted like fruit that was over ripened with an underlying acidic taste
to it. "That’s... awful." He wrinkled his nose at the after taste.
              Totsuka snorted, "I wouldn't know, I've never tried it. I'll put
some lavender out too, it will help you sleep."
             The younger Omega scowled at the remaining contents before downing
the rest of it. "Be glad you haven’t."
             Totsuka laughed, "It’s only given to nightbloods." He went and got
a small metal tin, and filled it with dried lavender. "Shake it and place it
under your pillow when you go to sleep."
             Trading the tin for the cup, Yata turned it, the scent of lavender
seeping from the thin slits in the metal. "Um... am I sleeping on the floor
or...?"
             "You’re sleeping in the bed, otherwise Mikoto would have no reason
to sleep in the throne room." He smiled, amused.
              "Oh. Uh... okay." Sleeping next to Totsuka didn't seem like it
would be too bad, though he felt awkward about the whole ordeal. Like did he
leave his clothes on? How close could he get without offending the other male?
He didn't normally spend the night with anyone other than Komamoto, and his
awkwardness was probably obvious.
             "Relax Yata. We’re both scent bonded Omegas, I'm not worried about
anything. Just leave your underwear on, or if you aren't comfortable with that,
leave your clothes on." He smiled, amused.
             "Or you could both get naked. That would be pretty nice sight to
wake up to in the morning." Mikoto piped up, making Yata's face flush bright
red again.
             "Oh hush, King!" Totsuka shook his head. "Don't listen to him,
Yata. He has zero interest in you, and it's whatever you’re comfortable with."
             There was a snort from the other side of the divider. "He right,
kid. If it wasn't for Tatara I'd sleep well past the time I need to get up so
ya don't have to worry about me walking in a on you or anything. He'll get you
up first."

             "Okay..." Yata said, watching Totsuka to see what he did first.
             Totsuka chuckled, "So now you’re admitting I'm the one who keeps
this place running." he called, pulling off his shirt.
              Yata nodded, a small smile gracing his features. He followed
suit, pulling his shirt off and over his head. It was interesting, seeing them
act without the presence of others. They seemed more open, relaxed.
           Grinning, Totsuka mouthed, 'I'm the boss' before taking his pants
off as well. With an amused snort, Yata copied his actions once more. He felt
like this was more awkward than it should be, especially considering he'd been
naked in front of Totsuka plenty of times before. Maybe it was the fact that he
hadn't been planning to sleep with him in the Commander's bed.
           Totsuka finished undressing before grabbing a root and popping it
into his mouth. "Morning sickness." he explained before walking over to the bed
           Yata followed, leaving his underclothes on. "Is it bad?" He asked,
curious.
           "More annoying, everyone has different levels. Just being nauseous
in general is a hassle." he crawled into bed, worming under the blankets. The
younger Omega paused before tentatively climbing in after him.
           "You'll be fine Yata." Totsuka said, "Don't worry."
           "It’s not me I'm worried about." The smaller male said as Totsuka
shifted, blowing out the candle on the bedside table, plunging the room into
darkness. There was still a few candles lit on Mikoto's side of the divider,
shining through the heavy material like little stars.
           "It will all work out in the end."
            "I hope." Yata sighed, closing his eyes and letting the warmth
Totsuka was emitting comfort him, lulling him to sleep.
Chapter End Notes
     Sola: Ha its on time!
     WAIT WHAT THE HELL I POSTED IT. WHY DID IT SAVE AS A DRAFT.
     WHYYYYYYY.
     It was ready yesterday. Archive hates me :/
     Jane: NEXT TIME I SEE HER I'M GOING TO MURDER HER OH MY GOD. ALSO,
     SORRY FOR THE WEIRD FORMATTING THAT ISN'T MY FAULT I AM FIXING IT NOW
***** Jailed *****
Chapter Summary
     Lots of Kusanagi and Fushimi arguing, then Niki is up to being
     himself.
Chapter Notes
     Jane: SilverThunder, YOUR PROMPT IS COMPLETELY FINISHED AND WILL BE
     POSTED LATER TONIGHT OR SOMETIME TOMORROW!!! We hope you like it and
     apologize for the weight, it just had to be perfect!
     Sola:.... Weight?
     *added the next morning* Jane: WAIT* DON'T MAKE FUN OF ME I'M JUST A
     STRESSED OUT COLLEGE KID
      Once out of sight, Fushimi ran, pain lacing every bit of his psyche. He
ran somewhat blindly and, after stumbling a bit, he collapsed onto a fallen
tree as tears shook his entire body. He felt like his heart was being ripped
out of his chest. His breath came in ragged gasps as he fought to think, to
gather himself up enough to go elsewhere, further, but he couldn't. God it hurt
so much, he would rather be tortured at this point, would rather be dead. Fuck,
why had he said that? Why had he lashed out?
      His breath hitched and shuddered, he wasn't sure what was his own
personal emotions and which were Yata's, but he just hurt. God he hated
himself, he hated Misaki, he hated earth and the ark, and Fuck. Him. He
couldn't stop sobbing.
     Not far away, Kusanagi followed the Alpha's trail through the dark forest,
seeing places where he stumbled and once where he cut his leg on a root. The
path was fairly straight and, within minutes of searching, he heard the choking
sobs of the Alpha. His approach was cautious, unsure about the Alpha’s state.
     Fushimi whimpered, curling in on himself as the pain multiplied suddenly
and violently. His nose was stopped up and he couldn't see, couldn't breath.
The shuddering breaths between sobs were not enough, and he felt like he was
drowning. "Fushimi?" Kusanagi hesitantly called to the boy, stopping a few feet
from him and out of his reach.
     The sobs stopped suddenly, Fushimi choking on the noises as he went
completely still. No, no, no. No one could see him like this. He forced air
into his lungs, wheezing. "Leave." His voice was raspy, high pitched and
wavering, but he refused to cry with someone near.
      His mentor sighed and leaned against the tree next to him. "No. You can't
be out here alone."
      Fushimi bit his tongue to fight away another sob. "Just leave me the fuck
alone or kill me!" He spat, the words lacking their sting as they were followed
by a whimper.
      "No. That would be too kind to you after what you did to Yata." Kusanagi
said with the hope that this tactic would get through to him. "You need to get
your sorry ass up and face what you did. You are killing him."
       Fushimi was quiet, "I don't want anyone to see me like this."
       "Then get yourself together. " Kusanagi crossed his arms, sighing
inwardly in relief.
       A few more sobs escaped the Alpha as he tried to stuff his emotion back
down. He forced himself up, wiping his eyes before he tried cleaning his
glasses on his pants. "Where are we going?" His voice was more normal, but it
lacked all life, the tone dead and dry.
       "I told Mikoto I'd have you stay with me tonight. But if you think you
can handle apologizing to Yata, I would. Otherwise things aren't going to be
pretty in the morning." Kusanagi turned, his steps slow at first so he could
walk beside the Alpha.
       Fushimi looked away, "He doesn't want to talk to me... And it's better
if he hates me" He kept his gaze down. "I don't fit in anywhere anyways." He
mumbled, "So when he goes to kill me don't stop him."
       Kusanagi rounded on the Alpha, snarling as he pushed his second into a
tree. "Are you blind? Are you stupid? Or just selfish? That boy loves you and I
guarantee that he will forgive you if you go to him and tell him the truth.
About everything. He has the biggest heart out of all the people in Trikru and
I'm not going to sit around and let some idiot that fell out of the sky ruin
that. So what if he's pregnant? He knows everything there is to know about
children. He practically raised his siblings and I'll be damned if I let you
destroy his chances of being happy." The Beta leaned in closer. "You don't fit
in here, but you better try and succeed for him because he deserves it."
      A shiver ran through the younger male's body as he fought the tears and
tried to shove the male off of him. "I know that! I told him to keep it but he
refuses to listen, and look where 'love' has gotten him, gotten me. It inflicts
nothing but hurt, so at least if he hates me he can't get hurt by me! I didn't
ask for any for this!"
     “Don't be stupid. You will kill him thinking like that. You should
consider yourself lucky to have someone like him bonded to you. He saved your
life and now you're ruining his and all the work he's put into helping you.
Stop acting like a child. You're an Alpha with an Omega that would do anything
for you so act like one and treat him the way he deserves."
      Fushimi pushed harder, "Stop calling me stupid! You don't know shit about
me!"
      "You are the most ignorant, ungrateful, selfish little bastard I've ever
known." Kusanagi shoved him against the tree again, feeling the boy’s shoulders
pop. Normally, he would never speak this way to anyone, but how else was he
supposed to get through to Fushimi? The boy was set in his thoughts and refused
to budge, even when a better path was put right under his nose. "Yata didn't
ask for this either, but here you both are. How about you stop whining about it
and tell him the truth before you kill yourself and him."
      Pain flared through the Alpha, causing him to wince and clench his jaw.
"I wish he had just shot to kill me."
      "What part of quit whining like a bitch don't you understand? You can't
change what's already happened but you can make what is to happen better and
try to fix your mistakes."
      "I'm not apologizing. It's better this way, even if you don't understand
that." Fushimi said quietly.
      "It isn't. And you will apologize one way or another. Don't you care
about him? Don't lie to me."
      "It's why I'm doing what I'm doing."
      "You make no sense. If you care then give him what he wants."
      Fushimi shook his head, "It's just a way for him to get hurt."
      "It's not if you actually try."
       The Alpha shook his head tiredly, closing his eyes. This argument was
pointless.
      “Try, Fushimi. You won't regret it." The older male said, barely keeping
the pleading tone out of his voice.
      Fushimi looked off, "You're right, but he will."
      "You don't know that." Kusanagi relaxed his hold. "He only wants someone
to love. The others, besides that group you’ve seen with him tonight, pick on
him because he's an Omega. The Nightbloods are usually Alpha's and the ones
Mikoto is training use that against him. He's excluded from a lot so you can't
tell me he wouldn't jump at the chance to actually have a mate or another
friend. Before Mikoto, he wouldn’t have been allowed to have you."
      "I'm not a friend he needs, and I don't have friends." He grumbled. "And
don't say that I can make them, I don't want them. It’s just more to bring
hurt."
      His mentor sighed. "Just shut up and listen. He loves you and if you
don't care about yourself then what is there to hurt in making him happy?"
      "What are you not getting?" Fushimi snapped. "I may make him happy, but
it won’t last. It’s like a cut, it’s better to clean it now and let it sting
then wait until it gets infected. I don't belong here, and it’s only going to
make things worse for Misaki because it doesn't matter what road I take - it
doesn't end pretty. I'm protecting him, believe it or not, by being away from
him because everything and I do mean everything I care about is ripped to
pieces."
      "You don't know that. He's pregnant, Fushimi. Do you know how hard that
will be on him without you? Let him decide if you’re worth keeping around. Even
if it all goes to hell in the end, it would have been his decision and you're
not leaving him wondering 'what if'."
      Fushimi looked at the ground, "He may not even be pregnant," he was still
holding onto the hope. "I can't be what he wants, Kusanagi."
     "You know as well as I do that he is. How many times have you had sex now?
And how many of those times where when you two were in your rut and heat
cycles? It’s almost a guarantee with just one time."
      "Two and a half and twice." He grumbled, answering the questions. "I
don't know anything but rumors. Alphas and Omegas were isolated and killed."
      "Half?" Kusanagi tilted his head, confused.
      "...I, well, yanked myself out early." He grumbled.
      His mentor's jaw dropped at that. "That hurts me and I don't even have a
knot”
      "We were fighting..." He clicked his tongue. "It’s no big deal."
      With a heavy sigh, Kusanagi released the Alpha fully. "That is a big
deal, that hurts. A lot and more than just a physical pain too."
      "It only stung for a while," He grumbled, rolling his shoulder, "And I
don't particularly want to talk about it.”
      The older male snorted. "Didn't mean to get in the subject of your sex
life but... it's most likely that he's pregnant. Honestly, there isn't a doubt
in my mind."
      Fushimi looked down, falling silent - he had ruined everything in Yata's
life, and he hadn't even meant to. "Hey. I know that look. It's not your fault.
What is your fault is abandoning Yata with it. Down here, people at your age
have children, though not usually ones in training, like Yata. But with him, I
doubt it'll be much of an issue.” Well.. unless he becomes Commander in the
next few seasons. “Trust me, he needs you to be there for him instead of
running away."
     "Tch," the Alpha glanced off into the woods. "Where I came from, the day I
turned eighteen I would have died. Just because it's normal doesn't mean it
should happen. Do you really think I have a chance at being a good parent? I’ll
just end up like my mother or father."
     "I think you underestimate yourself and don't realize that Yata wouldn't
let you be a bad parent."
      "Do you think I’d be a good parent? Seriously?"
      "I didn’t say that. You'd be awful if it wasn't Yata the one beside you."
      Fushimi snorted, the ache in his chest had eased slightly. "At least
you’re honest."
      "There's no reason for me to lie." Kusanagi said as he started walking
back to the village. Fushimi followed silently, how long would this last? "So,
what are you going to do?" Kusanagi questioned, falling in step with the Alpha.
      "Tch, I already told you." He grumbled. "He is better off without me,
even if he doesn't see it."
      Aggravated, Kusanagi sighed heavily. "And I already told you that will do
more harm than good."
      "And I don't believe that."
      "Well it's true."
       Fushimi shoved his hands in his pockets, "Happy endings don't happen in
my society, and it's no different here."
       "You're right. But isn't the part that's between the beginning and end
worth it?"
       "Not when it makes the ending worse."
       "You make no sense." Kusanagi stopped walking, thinking. How could he
get through to him? "Just try it for a month. You can make it work."
       "Tch, this isn't something that's simple as that, and it will make
pulling away worse."
       "Will you give it a chance for Yata?"
       "I'm not hurting him more. This will heal, after a month... Tch."
       "No, it won't. Without you it'll just get worse. The scent bond might
fade but that's unlikely and it will take time if it does. The further along he
gets the worse he'll feel without you.”
       Fushimi rolled his eyes, "He has his family and friends, he doesn't need
me”
       "But the bond demands contact with you. I know you feel what he's
feeling, there's no point in hiding it any longer. The longer you stay away the
worse it'll be for him and even if the bond fades, it'll leave a lot of
emotional damage."
       "He's only scent bonded, it's not as bad for him." Fushimi said,
"Everyone has scars to bare."
        The Beta sighed. "We're just going back and forth here. The point is
that you will do more damage than good. And if he's still able to function by
the time your child is born, the process would be so draining he wouldn't have
the will to keep on living." Omega’s tended to be in a delicate state with they
raised their offspring without a mate. With Yata.. He wasn't sure what he would
do, but Fushimi didn't need to know that. He shrugged and continued. "I can't
make you decide to stay with him no matter how much I wish I could. But you
will kill him."
        Fushimi looked down. "He might not be pregnant..." He grumbled.
       "He is, Fushimi."
        Fushimi fell silent, unsure. He would just hurt Yata more down the
road, he wouldn't be able to help him any. Like a wound, he would just infect
it and make it worse.
       "Just be there for him." Kusanagi said, crossing his arms.
       "Tch..." He rubbed the bite mark subconsciously, "Annoying."
       The older male shook his head, frustrated. "Come on. We have to get up
early in the morning."
       "Tch..." He grumbled, trailing behind tiredly. He hadn't slept the past
two nights and it was taking it's toll.
       They were at the edge of the village now, and most had already retreated
into their homes, their fires doused and abandoned. The first fire though,
where Yata's friends had been, was not. They were all still gathered, murmuring
amongst themselves and waiting for Saruhiko to show.
       The Alpha forced himself not to hesitate, but he drifted to the other
side of Kusanagi so the male was between them. At least he had stopped crying,
but he still didn't want any contact.
       Kusanagi slowed, letting Fushimi walk directly beside him. The younger
males looked up and straightened at the sight of Fushimi, aggression displayed
blatantly in their postures. The Beta shot the group a warning look, making
most of them look away.
       “Wish I had been the one to find him instead of Yata, I would have
killed the bastard." Bandou growled, his voice just loud enough to reach the
two passing. Fushimi clicked his tongue, he could handle words. He could handle
a fist thrown. These people meant nothing to him.
       Chitose snorted, "At least you got to torture him a little."
       Dewa growled, "I know I would have savored my day more if I had know
exactly what kind of ass he was." Kusanagi pushed Fushimi to walk a little
faster, realization dawning on him. This was where the boy found the fuel for
his own personal hatred.
       "Yata deserves better. Fates a cruel bitch to stick him with that
asshole."
       "Why hasn’t Heda killed him anyways?"
       "Yata probably asked him not to, my question is why hasn’t he killed the
rest of them yet?"
       Fushimi exhaled, keeping his gaze fixed on the ground as the
conversation faded as they reached Kusanagi's home. The building was similar to
the others and was located right next to the Commander's quarters. The Beta
opened door, pushing the Alpha in before him.
       The younger male stumbled a little, "Tch. I'm not going to go after
them, I don't care what they think." he grumbled.
       “I'm not worried about that. Those guys can and will kill you if given
the chance." They were hot headed and wouldn't consider any consequences.
Kusanagi shut and latched the door behind him. "Make yourself at home.” What
was ‘home’ to the Alpha anyways?
       Fushimi looked around, his mentor's residence wasn't anything grand, but
it was certainly more decorated than Yata's. He clicked his tongue, "Let them.
I'm not afraid to die."
       "If you didn't mean anything to Yata, I would have. Without hesitation."
Kusanagi lit a few candles so that they could see the room more clearly. The
Alpha sighed, if Kusanagi was stuck on that he couldn't change his mind, but it
would hurt Yata more and repeatedly to have him near. He walked silently over
to a corner, putting his back to it and sitting down. He rested his head on his
arms and his arms in his knees. It was actually comforting - something he had
done daily in prison, and found an odd comfort. If only he had some math
equations.
       "You can sleep on the couch you know." Kusanagi said, pulling off his
shirt.
       "I don't sleep much." He said. "At most I'll sleep a couple hours."
Kusanagi shrugged, continuing to undress. "Fine by me, but don't leave. I'm a
light sleeper so don't think you can sneak out.”
       "If I do it's to go throw knives." He said, looking away. It was a
little uncomfortable that Kusanagi was having no reaction while undressing like
it was normal.
       "I don't care. Do not leave." He left the candles burning, their waxy
scent filling the air. "Blow out the candles before you sleep." He said,
climbing into bed.
        Fushimi got up instantly to blow them out. "I don't need light." he
grumbled irritably, shuffling back to his corner.
        A sigh came from Kusanagi as he turned his back to the Alpha. His
thoughts turned, planing and trying desperately to find a strategy that would
bring him and Yata back together. The fiery Omega would either be crushed, or
turned into another version of himself. Neither of those options were
acceptable.
       The Alpha closed his eyes, simply resting them as he slowly buried the
emotion once more, layer after layer of convincing himself it was better that
way. After that was safely tucked away, he imagined problems and began working
through them.
       It was going to be a long night.
 
===============================================================================
 
     
      Munakata stood at a porthole, gazing into the inky black abyss of space.
It had been their home for far too long, and now Munakata was determined to let
the next generation tread on dirt rather than metal. But the task was now more
difficult then when he had power. Now he had practically no influence.
      Almost, anyways.
      “Ms. Awashima.”
       The well endowed blond straightened ever slow slightly. “Yes captain,
you summoned me?”
       A playful smirk played on his lips. “I am no longer you captain.”
       “You are the only one for the position.”
       The smile stayed across his lips for a brief moment, before his lips
turned down. “Tell me. What has Fushimi done with my force?”
       The woman was quiet, a somber silence stretching between them. “He is
framing people who speak out against him. He is having those in the force loyal
to him plant morphine and other drugs, then floating the innocent.”
       There was little surprise in Munakata’s tone. “I see. And his plans to
deal with the oxygen shortage?”
       A pained expression crossed her face. “I am not privy to that
information. He demoted me, knowing that I would remain loyal to you.”
      “That is unfortunate.” There was another somber silence. “I need
something from you.”
      “Of course. Anything for you."
       “Figure out who remains loyal to me.”
       She nodded. “Yes sir. Of course.”
       “And gain Niki’s favor.”
       “But- “
       There was a knock at the door, effectively silencing Awashima’s protest.
Munakata turned as Shiro entered, tension visibly leaving his shoulders. “Ah,
Ms. Awashima you are dismissed.”
       She nodded, leaving them quietly.
       “I am glad you came.”
       Shiro eyed him. “You said it was urgent.”
       “Yes, very much so. I believe there is a life pod in section G-8?”
       “Yes but what does that have-”
       “I want you to repair it for atmosphere entry.”
       His eyes widened. “Surely you cannot be serious. No more than twenty
would fit on that vessel, it would be a waste of resources…”
       “I understand the implications, and I implore you do so. There is good
reason.”
       “What makes you so sure I can fix it?” The slighter male shifted,
obviously anxious.
       “You are the only with with the experience of repairing equipment I can
currently trust. You fix your own medical devices.”
       “I know only so much."
       “It is already prepared for atmospheric reentry, it is the electrical
systems that require assistance.”
       “I can… attempt...” Shiro agreed reluctantly.
       “That is all I require.”
===============================================================================
 
       The hollow thunk thunk of his heels striking the metal was rather loud
to him in the empty hall. He glanced down every hall, wondering if he was being
watched or not. Surely he was, but the question became how closely?
      As the hall began to open up into the many chambers, coughing and
wheezing filled the air. People talked to one another, covering their mouths to
cough. It wasn't because of sickness, however.
     Others were pale and sickly, but the cough came from oxygen deprivation.
Someone slurred their words, and others had to repeat phrases because they
could not function.
      Munakata’s heart ached as a father comforted his little girl, who was
crying into his shoulder. “I can’t see… dad… Everything is blurry.”
      “It's okay sweetheart. We have an appointment.”
      “I want it to stop…”
      Munakata approached, bringing the father's attention up. He knelt next to
them. “What is your name?”
      The girl sniffled. “Melody.”
      “Can you look at me, Melody?”
      She turned, her eyes cloudy and unfocused. The damage was obvious.
      “I can't fix your eyes.” He said sadly, reaching into his pocket. He
pulled out a tin and pressed it into her small hands. “But here is a little
extra to eat.” Hopefully, if she stayed healthy, it didn't have to be
permanent.
      Both father and child look surprised as the girl took it, Munakata
standing from his knelt position before they could protest.
     Loud bangs filled the are, many people letting out surprised screams or
ducking. Instinct grabbed him, and Munakata raced toward the sound. Those were
gunshots.
     It was only the next chamber over and as he runs, he can already see the
bodies. Already see the people motionless on the floor. But as he enters what
horrifies him the most is his police force, with Niki standing at the head.
     Something snaps, the grin Niki has saying it all. Munakata didn't have to
hear the excuses as he marches toward him. It was a riot. A weapon discharged
and the others followed.
     Surprisingly, no one stops him, and Munakata is standing toe to toe with
Niki.
     “This is the last time you kill innocents, Fushimi.”
      The coy grin spread even wider. “They were not innocent. They were going
to attack me.”
      “They were not and you are well aware of it.”
      “I would back down if I were you.” He didn't.
     “I don't care if it kills me in the end but I will bring you to justice. I
won't have you floated, I will have you publicly executed for your crimes.”
      “That sounds like a threat.”
      It was Munakata's turn to smile. “That, and a promise.”
     Hands grab his wrists, forcing them together in handcuffs, but he doesn't
look away. Nikki leans in. “I can't wait to watch you float into space.”
     He steps back. “Throw him in jail. We need to clean this up before we deal
with the traitor.
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