Archive of Our Own

When you first met Enjin he had just joined up with the cleaners, young Riyo in tow. He wasn’t a standard Omega by any means, gruff and untrusting, holding himself much more in line with traditional Alpha standards. His scent was overwhelming a deep amber and cider when relaxed but a pitch and sour undertone when angry. You catch it when he snaps at you and that’s when you realize why he behaves this way.

You got too close to Riyo when introducing yourself. Overstepping with a pup he has been caring for. His protective and territorial nature flares which was more than likely a result of outside stressers. It’s not uncommon on the ground for Omegas to be treated as second class by shitty people in powerful positions so logically you figure Enjin was in such a situation at some point; clawing tooth and nail for his own protection. Likely Riyo’s too.

Enjin comes to you later apologizing half-heartedly and grumbles that he’s ‘working on it.’ You just smile and wave him off; “It’s already forgiven and forgotten.” And return to your book. His scent eases with the tension in his shoulders as he leaves.

Enjin ends up thinking of you as a typical Omega. Motherly and overbearing much to his displeasure. You watch yourself when around Riyo trying not to overstep into his role. So you end up doing your usual thing fussing over the younger cleaners and looking out for the older ones. You even ‘bother him’ (his words) about things he needs regarding scented items for his nest, suppressants, or making sure he’s eating well.

When his first heat, with the cleaners, looms his attitude is immediately worse. He’s snapping at more than just you and when he does snap at you it’s louder and meaner than before. Initially you just adjusted and tried not to bug him as much but at some point it felt like he was purposefully seeking you out to gripe at you over anything. Eventually it all came to a head when one of his outbursts left you in tears needing to excuse yourself to avoid others seeing you get emotional but your scent change is immediately noticeable to the rest of the room. Your usual buttery sweet scent or fresh bread and cinnamon swapped out for an acrid bitter scent like rotting apple peels.

Unfortunately for Enjin as the newcomer in an already established pack dynamic he was immediately reprimanded harshly for his behavior. Corvus was even notified of the incident by Semiu prompting him to have a meeting with Enjin to try and weed out the discord in his pack.

Corvus comes to talk with you after explaining more of Enjin’s situation, with his permission. Your initial analysis was confirmed. Enjin came from a sketchy background and his secondary gender status immediately labeled him as a tool or nuisance depending on the situation. Under immense stress and pressure he was forced into a state of constant frustration and kept on high alert for his own safety, likely Riyo’s too. Treated like a feral animal. Being in this constant state can spur an Omega’s protective nature fiercely causing them to lash out with aggressive strength and agility. Something the people keeping him under their thumb used to their own advantage. A weapon for killing.

Now with his heat just around the corner to throw all those intense feelings and memories in his face he just couldn’t keep it all in. Thinking about how you would feel after all that, you definitely understand why he’s been acting this way towards you. Enjin went from being abused for his nature to witnessing someone willfully and happily living with theirs. You who was safe and content as an omega and he who never got the chance to even explore that, much less live it. He must feel overwhelmed by the difference, he’s not used to having so many people around that don’t want something from him. He doesn’t trust any of you. Your constant pestering but feel like you’re taunting him.

After your conversation with Corvus you decide to take a different approach. You gave Enjin more space, wanting him to be as comfortable as possible. His heat passes without another incident. You still acknowledge him, still make sure he eats, but you don't do more than that. You don’t go out of your way to speak to him or seek him out to check in. Months go by like that.

You do start to gain a closeness to Riyo though much to your surprise. The girl was smart and observant, something you noticed when she first arrived. You compliment her on those qualities often. She notes many people don’t notice how she watches. You reply that you people watch too; you want to keep your pack happy so you take note of things they react to. You noticed she likes having meals with everyone, yearns for connection despite Enjin’s unfriendly demeanor.

After that she follows you around when she isn’t busy or with Enjin and you pretend not to notice, don’t bother glancing when Gris comments on your new shadow. One day Enjin comes looking for her and finds you both in the kitchen. You mill around cooking and Riyo sits on the counter talking like she’s known you forever. Your smile and gentle behavior irritates him but watching how comfortable Riyo is with you stirs something in him. A longing he can’t ignore, a feeling he can’t place perfectly and that irritates him too.

That night he comes to your room, just two knocks and you're answering. Always quick to come when needed. He rolls his eyes. When you take in his presence your smile falters only a bit but he notices. He leans on your door frame crossing his arms and doesn’t speak for a moment. When you open your mouth to ask he raises his hand to stop you. He gives it another beat before he breathes out a sigh though his nose. “I want you to teach me.” He glares at the other side of the door frame.

“I’m sorry?” You don’t understand at first.

He groans as he turns his eyes to you trying to ease his frustration. Looking at you like his request should have been obvious. “I want you to teach me how to be an Omega…how to care like you do.” He grumbles clenching and unclenching his hands. His scent reads angry but you do notice a hint of anxiety bubbling just under it. If you weren’t observant you wouldn’t have noticed it. He wants to change, he’s trying the best he can with what he was given.

You agree.

First things first you need an idea of what he does know. You sit him down in your room, you figure he wouldn’t want you in his space. You ask him about the time he first presented. He shuts that down hard. You ask if he has ever been scented by friends. He denies having any friends. You ask if he’s ever taken suppressants on a routine schedule. Never took them before coming here. You ask if he’s ever had a partner before. He lashes verbally but not as bad as usual.

“Well I guess we’ll start from the basics.” You smile at him patiently. You take a handkerchief out of your closet and press it against your wrist, rubbing it into the gland a little. You smell test it and when you’re happy with it you hand it over. “I know you don’t care much for me but scenting is something you’ll have to learn regardless of your status.” He takes the cloth in both hands and brings it to his nose. If he dislikes it he doesn’t comment about it. “Your scent lingers in every room you go into, everything you touch smells a little like you. That’s not necessarily bad but it’s common to have more control over the glands and how your scent gets distributed. Right now it comes off like you stake a claim to everything you touch, including people.” You explain. “While no one expects you to grovel to Corvus or anything you might end up sending the wrong message.” He nods.

“Okay… how do I fix that?” He asks, placing your handkerchief next to his on your desk. You don’t have to think about the answer.

“Practice.” You say simply. You nod to the handkerchief, “you can hang on to that, if you wash it in the sink for a few minutes the scent will come off. I only scented it a bit so it’s not so strong. The first couple times you’ll overdue it. So you might need a couple items to practice on. I can ask the others for some things.” Before he can fervently deny this it’s your turn to hold a hand up to silence him. “I’ll tell them it’s for me, I’ll have to make something up to get them not to scent them beforehand but I’ll figure it out. They won’t ask questions even if my excuse sounds dumb.”

“People really trust you huh?” He mutters. You nod.

“They’ll trust you too, they already do by default because Corvus trusts you. But your behavior so far has been a bit off putting.” You offer him a shrug. “Gris mentioned he wanted to get to know you better. He doesn’t want to push you though.” You roll your wrist as your hands move with emphasis to your words.

Her rubs the back of his neck as he looks towards the window. “Because I snapped at you.”

“Because you snapped at me.” You confirm. When he looks back at your eyes you can tell he wants to apologize. “Like I said, it's forgiven and forgotten.” You smile as you lean back on your hands.

He looks you over with a cautious gaze. “How do you do that? Forgive so easily.” He crossed his arms and leans flush into the back of the chair.

“It does me no favors to hold a grudge. The stress makes me stink and that makes me more stressed.” You fidget with your leg while speaking. “If I humble myself to see things from other’s perspectives it helps. Not everyone can be happy go lucky all the time.” You finish.

“You could have fooled me.” He snarks.

“Well you’re certainly testing that patience these days.” You tease, when his expression changes to surprise at your words you laugh. “Let’s move on to the next thing.”

~~~

You two spend the next several hours going over more basic Omega behaviors and general traditional leanings for all status types. You also end up explaining the common overlapping of the secondary genders. Mentioning how you mistook him for an Alpha at first is due to his general vibe before speaking with him. You explain there’s plenty of people who behave outside of the traditional dynamic and how that’s okay. Especially now a days.

You also provide examples of a few cleaners who don’t quite fit the mild when it comes to ‘traditional’ standards. Tamsy was by far the best example, elegant and pretty faced like an omega but cocky and assertive like an alpha. Then there’s Semiu who despite her Beta status is very commonly mistaken for an Alpha due to her bold confidence and fighting ability. Last example was Tomme. She was an Alpha who often took a back seat to conflict, more interested in her hobbies and work, much more go with the flow like a typical Beta, you admire that.

“What I’m getting at is; there’s so right way to be an Omega. I’ll be the first to admit I’m a cookie cutter example of ‘tradition’ but a part of that is just because of who I am as a person.” You open up. “I like to help out my pack, I like to feel needed. My secondary gender just happens to highlight those qualities.” Enjin notices how your brows crease as you think more on that. Your scent even tinges a bit sour.

“Does it bother you sometimes? Being an Omega?” He asks cautiously.

“…I’ve never been ashamed of it.” You give it a beat. “But sometimes I hate that I’m so predictable, so; unoriginal ya’know?” You look him over. “I think that’s why I wanted to get to know you better too. Maybe the fact that you’re so against the grain interests me.” You admit with a sigh. “That’s the selfish part of me that wants interesting people to find me even a little interesting too.” You laugh but your smile doesn’t reach as far as it usually does.

He ends up leaving your room really late, he thumbs the cloth in his pocket and wonders for a moment how long your scent would linger if he doesn’t wash it.

~~~

The next time you both have free time you check in on his progress with the items you brought him. They range in strength of scent, a bit inconsistent but not unusual for someone just figuring it out. You praise his effort and notate where he can improve. He bristles a bit at the criticism but you emphasize it’s constructive and he’ll improve with time. He’s less irritable with you which is nice. When you’re done with that you bring up a new lesson for him to work on.

Nesting.

Scenting plays a big role in nesting so it’s a natural progression to his learning. You feel a bit like you’re teaching a cub who just presented for the first time but you know better than to bring that up. You provide him with a couple new items that you went out to purchase on your own. Some new blankets and an extra pillow. Some new shirts that you guessed the size of so there’s a few options. And lastly a new sheet set, this type is specifically made for nesting, durable and comfortable as well as moisture wicking if Enjin decides to have a partner for his next heat. You don’t bring that up but based on his looks you imagine he’ll have options if he does.

At first he’s a bit overwhelmed by the gifts and wants to deny them. You insist it’s all a part of the learning process and it’s customary for Omegas to be gifted items like these by other more experienced Omegas. You again don’t mention that it’s a more common occurrence for someone half his age. You also try to ignore the giddy feeling you get from gift giving.

You start by stripping his bed together and putting on the new sheets. He asks about the thickness of the material and the glossy underside meant to prevent leakage. You relent and explain its functionality which embarrasses both of you despite you both being well into adulthood. “I usually didn’t have to worry about stuff like that.” He mentions. “Never stuck to once place long, never needed a bed for more than one night.” You don’t comment but you file that away as something he shared with you unprompted. It’s progress.

“Well now that you’re here you may need it. It’s at least comfortable from heats. If not for the slick than for the sweat. Can’t stand being too hot.” You try to stay casual in your explanation hoping to make Enjin more comfortable. Both. Adults. You remind yourself. This is a normal thing for Omegas to talk about. He also doesn’t comment on that.

Next you lay out all of the blankets old and new for him on the floor to choose from. “Okay just take a minute to feel all of them and then make your decision based on what feels right.” You instruct. He does as he’s told awkwardly and hesitantly. Then looks at you like this is stupid. Which from his perspective probably is stupid, you remember how your first next building experience was, very frustrating. “Just try your best. If you don’t like it, we'll remake it.” You pick up one of the blankets. “I usually like something soft like this near my head so I can run my hands over it if I get overwhelmed. It’s comforting.” You explain. Enjin considers it and takes the blanket from you to inspect it. When you think he’s going to begin he surprises you by handing it back.

“Can you…scent it first?” He doesn’t look at you but you notice a red flush creeping up the back of his neck. You suppress a giggle as you take it from him. You press the material into your neck, the neck is the easiest spot for scenting larger things or people which you explained to him last time. He watches you do it intently before you hand it back to him with a smile.

“How’s that?” You ask. When he whiffs it takes a few seconds for him to reply.

He hands it back. “A little more.” You’re a bit surprised but you don’t show it. He must really want your scent to linger. Maybe he hasn’t gotten used to noticing the strengths of scents and needs more time to get used to it? Either way you scent the blanket more without complaint and hand it over again. It’s safe to say it reeks of you now. He sniffs it again before nodding in approval adding it to the bed. When he picks up another blanket he runs his hand over it then places it down again before picking up another to inspect. You watch from the side lines silently praising him as he instinctively begins building the nest. He’s a natural at this part.

When he finishes you compliment his work. It looks good. But the real test is sturdiness. Will the walls of his nest withstand abrasive movement? You have him sit in it. Then you tell him to thrash around a bit. He, again, looks at you like you said something stupid. “Like right now?” His eyebrows furrow. You nod like it’s obvious.

“I can turn around if you’re embarrassed.” You offer plainly. Though you kind of do want to see him flail like an idiot you’ll compromise for his comfort. “If your walls fall apart while you’re in a vulnerable mood you’re going to be really upset. This part’s important too.” You emphasize.

“Fine turn around.” He grunts. Aw man.

You comply like you’re asked and even cover your ears for good measure, something you made your guardian do when you had to do this part. It was really embarrassing for you at that moment. Everything about being that age was embarrassing, maybe it’s more embarrassing for Enjin since he’s a grown ass man.

When he’s done he taps on your shoulder and you’re happy to see when you turn around that his nest managed to stay intact. You clap a bit and smile at him. “That’s great! You’re a real natural Enjin, good job.” You praise. His chest puffs a bit with pride, you're definitely feeding his ego.

“Was it easy like this for you?” He asks. You immediately bristle.

“Uh no… it actually took me several days to get it right.” You admit scratching your neck feeling a bit embarrassed. Enjin looks very surprised by that so you relent and explain further. Maybe admitting your struggles will make him less insecure. “I remade it several times due to not liking the overall feel, then I couldn't get the sides to stay strong enough to not come undone.” You think back on the memories of all your failed attempts. “I even got so mad at one point I threw the blankets all over and tore a pillow up. Feathers everywhere. It wasn’t my proudest moment.” You laugh at yourself. Enjin laughs with you. For the remainder of the night you decide to go over scenting again and talk more about your own experience learning all this stuff. Enjin seems receptive to hearing about it.

When your eyes start to feel heavy you decide to excuse yourself to bed. “Goodnight Enjin.” You yawn as you step out of his room. He bids you goodnight too as you close the door.

“Well you two seem to be getting along much better.” You hear a familiar voice behind you. You nearly jump out of your skin. You really weren’t expecting anyone to be up. Your breath catches in your throat and it takes you a minute to relax again. Turning to get a good look at your surprise visitor you’re met with none other than Corvus. Your boss. Your boss who just caught you leaving your coworkers room at an unreasonably late hour. You’re immediately flushing beet red.

“H-hey boss.” You squeak out. You’re not sure why you feel like you’ve been caught red handed doing something bad but you do. “Yeah I’m helping him get better acclimated to headquarters.” It’s not a lie but not exactly a truth either. You just don’t want to embarrass Enjin by exposing that he was vulnerable enough to ask for your help. At the same time you know it’s silly to try and hide something from Corvus, he practically knows everything going on within the cleaners HQ.

He just nods and pats your shoulder as he carries on. “That’s great. I’m glad I won’t have to worry about any more spats between you two.” He chuckles as he turns the corner to retire to his room. You feel like he’s misunderstanding... Whatever, you’re too sleepy to worry about it right now. You settle for trudging to bed instead of worrying about it. You need to catch what little sleep you can manage before your mission tomorrow.

~~~

You’re relaxing in the common area after your latest mission. It’s been a couple weeks of non stop work and all your free time has been dedicated to helping Enjin establish his identity as an Omega. You’ve been working on ques and territorial behaviors. He’s a little prickly with emotions in general so getting him to understand other peoples is a work in progress... To say you’re beat is an understatement. You enjoy helping you really do but you just feel incredibly drained right now. An exhausted pull is weighing down your bones so when you got the opportunity to sit and relax, just close your eyes a second, you eagerly took it.

“Hey girl, your scents been all over Enjin lately. What's that about?” A voice breaks the silence. Your eyes slowly open as you turn to see Riyo leaning both arms on the armrest of the chair you’re relaxing in. You manage a weak ‘huh’ in response. She laughs. “Your scent. Enjin smells like your scent, has for nearly a month now.” She waives her hand for emphasis. “You guys hooking up or what?” Her tone is all cheery and teasing but you can smell her scent shift in an odd way. Then it hits you. Riyo thinks you and Enjin are hooking up, Enjin is Riyo’s closest family having looked out for her for years, Riyo is wary of your intentions and is feeling protective of her guardian.

“We are not.” You regard her promptly though still tired. “He asked for me to help him out with Omega stuff, if you want to know more though you might want to ask him. It’s not really my place to speak on it.” You whisper to her. She still takes a moment to read your face closely. Still ever the observant one you smile. She nods and apparently decides that’s all the explanation she needs.

“When you’re done would you mind brushing out my hair?” She asks chipper as ever. “It’s so much nicer when you do it.” That’s high praise, you laugh in your head.

“Mhm no problem.” You nod yawning. “Give me five minutes and I’ll meet you in your room.” You smile at her.

When you gather your things and head to Riyo’s room you notice an odd smell lingering. You can’t place it at first but as you near your destination you notice it gets stronger. It’s musky but also floral, like roses. You don't know anyone with that scent, maybe Riyo spilled perfume in her room? As you approach her door you notice it’s a bit ajar. That’s very unlike her… when you come up to it you find the scent overwhelming. That’s when it finally hits you. This scent isn’t familiar because Riyo didn't have a scent like this before. This is why her scent was so odd to you minutes ago. It’s shifting because she is presenting.

When you peak in you notice she’s doubled over on her floor. She’s likely in a lot of pain. Presenting is never comfortable. It’s a big onslaught of emotions and the quick physical changes are often painful. While you want to help her you’re keenly aware you aren’t suited to deal with this.

This musky tone is undoubtedly Alpha.

You quickly shut the door fully before calling out to Riyo though it. “Riyo I’ll be right back! I’m gonna get someone who can help you!” You quickly rush down the hall to find Tomme, another female alpha that’s what you need! Someone as gentle as Tomme is perfect! Once you relay the situation and send her Riyo’s way you can find Enjin. As her Guardian his scent will provide comfort and ease her stress, something that has to be heavily managed in these early stages. If you can’t get her adjusted and eased quickly she could get sick from how weak the hormones and body changes will make her.

When you reach Tomme’s door you knock like a mad man. When she opens the door you’re immediately tugging her with you as you run back to Riyo’s room. You don’t give her a second of explanation but as you close in on Riyo’s room again you don’t have to. She shares a knowing glance with you and even lets her scent ease your nerves as she knocks on the door. Her tone is soft as she opens the door to speak with Riyo. Riyo growls back at her, very guarded in this vulnerable moment. Her scent is still strong but now the floral part has been replaced by something bitter, a clear sign of distress.

You call to Riyo from the door again. “Riyo I’m going to get Enjin, please let Tomme help, she knows how to help you!” You give Tomme one last nod before booking it in the direction of Enjin’s room. It’s not far from Riyo’s so you're not sure how he hasn’t noticed the change in the air yet. You don’t. Have a chance to knock before the door is opened. Enjin looks surprised to see you but you don’t give him a word in edgewise. “Riyo!” You huff. “Riyo is presenting!” You can’t catch your breath yet but he doesn’t need more than that.

He’s immediately pushing past you to get to Riyo’s room. You follow quickly behind. “I got Tomme to sit with her but you need to bleed your scent into the room so she can calm down.” You explain as you nearly trip over your feet to keep up. When you both reach the door he can definitely tell Riyo’s distressed. It’s not as bad but given Riyo doesn’t know Tomme super well that’s to be expected.

“I’m gunna go grab Eishia. She’ll help Tomme with her care. She’s going through a pre rut state right now. She could be more temperamental and violent around others. Tommes here to keep her in check and Eishia can explain the steps she’ll need to take to stay comfortable and healthy in this process.” You rush out that jumble of word vomit hoping Enjin got all that. You glance quickly at his pull over before pulling it off of him and shoving it into his hands. “Scent this for her, she’ll need your scent to help her feel safe and keep her calm.” You instruct. He does it without question as you turn to again run down the halls.

When Eishia is alerted she sends you to fetch water and non-perishable foods for Riyo while she grabs a go bag she keeps for moments like these. Many cleaners are young so this isn’t the first presentation you’ve all managed. When you return to the room you notice Enjin sitting by the door looking overwhelmed. You take a minute to knock and deposit the supplies to Tomme before the door closes again. That’s all you can do for now. Best to stay close though in case they need you to run anything else. You sit down on the other side of the door mirroring Enjin.

“It’ll be okay. It’s scary for the first time but she’ll be fine.” You try to ease Enjin’s mind.

“Yeah? You know all there is to know about Alpha presentation too?” He sneers. Okay you’re back to snippy Enjin. You try not to hold it against him. It’s a high stress situation. It’s his kid after all. You don’t want to make things worse so you say nothing. You just sit there in silence awkwardly. “Why are you even still here? You got everyone she needs to be here, there’s no reason for you to stick around.” His voice is deathly serious.

“I was thinking if she needed anything I’d be here.” You try to smile but he cuts it off with a frustrated sigh through his nose.

“I’m here. I’ll handle it, I can be what she needs. Go.” His words are sharp and to the point as he waives you off. Maybe you’ve overstepped again, like the first time. You try to push down your flaring anxiety so your scent doesn’t give away your hurt feelings.

“Right. Okay...” Is what you manage as you stand. You don’t bother looking at Enjin, you don’t really know if you can right now. You just swallow your pride and slink back to your room. He was right,
there isn’t a need for an extra hand. Riyo has everything she needs to be ready. When this presentation passes you’ll take solace in the fact you did what you could for her in the moment. Still you can’t deny the stinging you feel when you think about what Enjin said. ‘I can be what she needs.’ Maybe you should have told Enjin first, talked with him about how he wanted to handle this. Was there even time for a discussion? Ugh! You flop onto your bed covering your face with your hands. Then you finally let your scent free to envelop your room in a loom of anxiety and guilt. You feel like the worst Omega in the world right now.

~~~

Riyo’s presentation lasts a week, after the first day of supervision and prep when was left to her own devices with Enjin keeping standby outside her door. Occasionally you’d see him running to get her something or speaking with Tomme likely about her state and what to do next. When you catch his eyes once he glares back at you so you keep your head down when you notice him.

When Riyo is back to active duty she’s actually excited to see you. It’s a small relief that nearly brings you to tears. She thanks you for looking out for her and you insist you’re happy you could help in any small way. Before she could speak more to you Enjin calls her away to head out for a mission. You don’t recall any missions being on the roster for today but you say nothing, just keep your head down.

The next month is another blur of missions and small tasks you go out of your way to keep busy with. You almost feel like you have too much free time now. Others notice your shift in mood but don’t say anything directly to you about it. HQ seems to have collectively decided to give you space which is honestly the last thing you need! It feels isolating. You’ve never felt so lonely, so… rejected. You feel like you’re spiraling and no one notices or maybe just doesn’t care.

Eventually the time comes when you have to hold up in your room for your heat. When the burning under your skin starts you nearly have a breakdown. Your emotional state is far from good enough to support a heat right now. You still know better than to choke down suppressants, once it’s started it’s not stopping. When you ask Corvus for leave he’s already prepared he knows everyone’s cycles, having to schedule around them. What surprises him is when you ask if you can take your leave outside of headquarters. That’s unlike you. You haven’t spent a heat outside of headquarters since you joined. He allows it anyway. When you retreat from his office he makes a mental note to ask around.

You end up spending a good portion of your savings to hold up in a semi nice hotel. If your pack doesn’t want you around maybe you should do them a favor and give them a break from you. You figure it’s been a long time since you spent money on yourself so why not spend it on hiding away? You didn’t bring much aside from water and food, you didn’t even bring your normal nesting supplies. You just didn’t have the energy. When your clothes get sticky you whine and shrug them off. When the cold seeps into your damp skin you burrow yourself into the blankets. You’re treating this like it’s a cold which logically you know is a terrible idea but you push your logical thought to the very back of your brain. You’re far too busy wallowing.

It goes on like this for three days, small sips of water not nearly the amount required, small nibbles of food but you have no appetite. Then the worst happens, the exact thing you were worried would happen to Riyo. You took such poor care of your needs your body tumbles itself into full heat sickness. Your body retches what little to no content your stomach has and your scent linger with the smell of rot. Your body is so weak you can barely lift yourself off the floor of the bathroom. When your body gets chills that don’t stop you end up pulling the comforter around you and cocooning yourself.

When your choker rings you don’t hear it. You left it on the nightstand on the other side of the main room. Too far to hear from your spot curled up on the bathroom floor. Your vision is getting hazy at the edges by the fourth day, you know you have to drink or eat something but you just can’t move. It’s like your body is a stiff statue that refuses to move no matter what your brain says.

When your eyes feel heavy you don’t notice them slip closed, you don’t feel yourself slipping into unconsciousness.

You don’t hear the knocking.

You don’t hear it turn into loud banging.

You don’t hear someone kicking the door in.

~~~

Your eyes open to a plain grey ceiling. That’s weird, you remember the ceiling in the hotel bathroom being blue. There's a beeping sound close to you that’s really annoying but your arms are too weak to help you sit up and figure out where it’s coming from. Wiggling your nose you notice there’s something blowing air into it, a cannula? It’s then you notice you’re in a med room. It’s not HQ you notice when you look around. It’s a small cramped room with X-rays hanging and a pouch with something into it feeding directly into the back of your hand. What on earth is going on? You squint. Where are you?

The last thing you notice is a weight on your lap. Managing to crane your back up you make out red hair laying in your lap.

“Riyo?” Your voice sounds hoarse.

The girl groans and rubs her eye as she sits up, “Enjin I already said I’m not heading back till she wakes up.” She swats at nothing, eyes still half closed from sleeping. You could almost laugh at her behavior. You manage to slowly pull yourself into a sitting position.

“Riyo.” You call her again. At that she whips her head in your direction quicker than expected, you’re a little worried she might give herself whiplash.

“You’re awake!” She grins wide as she moves to hug you tight. You return it with one arm the best you can. When she releases you again you’re not prepared for her to pinch and pull your cheek harshly. “And just what the hell were you thinking letting yourself nearly die?!” Now you feel like you’re going to get whiplash, emotional whiplash. You tap her arm a couple times and thankfully she releases you. “Seriously, who even does shit like that? What were you thinking?” You can hear a strain in her voice you’ve never heard from her before. Her scent relays how worried and relieved she is at the same time. Not that you couldn’t tell by the just barely noticeable tears lingering on her lash line.

Before you can say anything else someone else enters the room. Enjin. Exactly who you wouldn’t hope to see at this moment. Just looking at him you can feel a heavy rock forming in your stomach. He’s carrying what looks to be two bags of what you assume is food? But you don’t really get to guess since he drops them on the floor immediately after seeing you. It’s burgers you note when you watch one tumble half way out of a bag.

It takes him less than a second before he’s closing the gap. His arms envelop you with twice the strength Riyo used. Your groan alerts Enjin to his overzealous grip and he quickly releases you again. “Sorry!” He apologizes quickly. “I’m just…I’m just really glad you’re okay.” His voice is meek, a tone you didn’t think could come from him. You can’t manage even a half hearted smile. You notice a new scent in the air, one you’ve never smelt from Enjin either, though it’s definitely coming from him. It’s a mix of fear, relief, and quilt. It’s bitter and acidic, it sticks to your throat like tar so quickly you can almost taste it.

“When we found you at the hotel you were unresponsive. We rushed you to the nearest clinic but you’ve been out for the past 8 hours.” He sighs, running his hand down his face. “I’m sorry I got upset with you. I’m so sorry.” He pulls up a chair to sit next to you with Riyo. “It wasn’t you, I just-“ he sighs, frustrated with himself. “I just feel like I’m still failing.” He admits to you and maybe himself for the first time. “I’ve thought out how to handle Riyo’s presentation for years now, how I’d go about it, and how to help her.” His brows scrunch as he glares holes into the blanket in front of him. “When you ended up stepping up for her I got… insecure. I took it out on you.” He shakes his head before looking you in the eyes. “I keep doing that, taking things out on you when all you do is try to help me.”

He takes one of your hands in his not breaking eye contact. “I have no excuses. I was a jackass.” His tone is firm. “I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness.” He leans back in the chair, hand still holding yours. “But for what it’s worth; I am sorry. No forgiving and forgetting this time, I want you to give me shit for this forever.” He finishes. You hum weighing his words.

“Okay you’re not forgiven.” You smile at him giving his hand a little squeeze. Contrary to your words your scent sweetens the air. It blankets all three of you comfortably causing Riyo and Enjin to physically relax.

“How did you even find me?” You ask glancing between the two. Riyo smirks in Enjin’s direction immediately.

“Well…” Enjin flounders a bit, sounds like he wants to say. His nervous habit of rubbing the back of his head gives him away too.

“It was this.” Riyo interjects pulling out your handkerchief from Enjin’s coat pocket which he quickly tries to snatch back from her.

“You should have seen him following your scent like a bloodhound all over the town.” Riyo grins, patting Enjin on the back. He removes his hand from yours to shield his red face from both of you while Riyo continues. “He was like a man obsessed. You should have seen it.” She laughs. Her scent wells along with yours and you can smell the floral roses from before. You laugh with her.

As you and Riyo chat away and laugh together at Enjin’s expense your ears eventually pick up an interesting sound. It’s a low pur that you almost miss. When you glance back at Enjin you notice he’s looking at you with an unmistakably fond expression. You smile at him and reach over to shove his shoulder playfully. “You’re really turning on the charm huh? What happened to you wanting me to ‘give you shit forever’?” You laugh.

He looks at you questioning, like he didn’t know what you were talking about. Then he feels it, an odd vibration coming from his chest and radiating up his throat. He even notices the small purring sound, he didn’t realize was coming from him. His hand lays on his chest to feel it more and it stops. His gaze whips to you with a kicked puppy expression and it’s then you realize this may just be the first time he’s ever purred in his life.

“Was… was that the first time?” You ask, watching his face. He nods slowly. “What were you thinking about?” You ask, maybe you can help him make it come back. He places between Riyo and you, the former just as curiously observing him.

“I was just thinking about how nice it is to see Riyo content like this.” He whispers almost to himself. “You make her much more at ease.” He smiles at you. “You really are good at this.” And just like that a small purr trails his words. In his surprise and excitement of hearing it again it almost immediately stops but all three of you hear it. You grin wide before pulling Enjin in for a proper hug. When you get him well slotted against you, your own purr kicks up. You want him to experience this tenderness so you let the hug last and let your vibrations help him relax into you. You even motion for Riyo to join you and she does without complaint. Enjin’s own purr meets yours before you know it which spurs up a well of emotions.

When you eventually pull away you feel Enjin’s face press lightly against the crook of your neck. When you’re sitting normal again you notice his scent doesn’t leave you, if anything it’s stronger, more invasive. Did he just?

“Did you just scent me?” You raise an eyebrow at him smiling. He looks like a kid bought red handed.

“No… maybe.” He fidgets with his hands a bit. “Is that okay?” He asks nervously. You don’t respond verbally, instead you grab his wrist and press your face to it like he did your neck. Your own scent mixes with his and when you’re happy with the strength you release his arm back to him.

“Yeah it’s fine. But remember that scenting another person is usually reserved for family members or mates.” You chide wagging your finger at him. “I care about you too but some people might get the wrong idea and think you’re hitting on them.” You laugh.

Riyo feels like she should tell you how oblivious you’re being but she also wants to enjoy her show as long as possible. You two really entertain her, that's for sure. She ends up pushing herself up to sprawl over your lap, dramatically complaining about her lack of attention. You just laugh and lean in to kiss her forehead. She responds by gripping your hand and pushing your wrist against her cheek. “Me too.” She smiles at you expectantly while reaching her free wrist out to you.

When you’re all done you three absolutely reek of each other. If a stranger notices the three of you on the street later they would easily mistake you for a young mated couple and their pup. You of course are overjoyed. Enjin and Riyo are just happy to see you so happy.

You get discharged by Alice the same day, she of course drills you on proper self care during your heats and instructs Enjin and Riyo to keep an eye on you for the remainder of your cycle. You feel like your eardrum would have suffered less if you didn’t insist that you could care for yourself. “CLEARLY NOT!” She gripes at you loudly before ignoring you to instruct Enjin further about your hormones and moods; specifically how to handle this spiraling behavior if it happens again. He listens with stone cold focus like it’s the most important information he will ever receive in his life. You roll your eyes.

When you three return to HQ you’re greeted with many hugs and clearly relieved pack mates. Corvus even manages to ruffle your hair with a reminder to take better care of yourself. “This place wouldn’t be the same without you.” He insists before returning to his office. The Guita and Dear crowd you and as she complains about missing you while he tugs at your clothes. You promise to make their favorite dessert after dinner to make up for your absence.

When you finally make it to your room, Enjin is still one step behind. When you tidy it a bit you notice he’s still awkwardly hovering in the doorway. “Enjin you okay?” You raise an eyebrow at him while you tuck your nests walls out of habit.

“Mhm.” Is all he reply’s with as he watches you. You breathe out a laugh and pull him further inside and close the door.

“I’m not going to collapse if you leave me alone for five seconds, you’re gonna have to pee sometime.” You joke as you settle cross legged in your nest. He doesn’t say anything, just keeps watching you like a hawk. Jeez you really did worry the guy. He feels so guilty he won’t even leave your side, is what you think. In reality Enjin is losing a very intense internal battle. His logical side knows, based on what he learned from you, that he shouldn’t invade your personal space and stress you out while your heat is still ongoing. The other selfish side of him wants to crawl right into your nest and tangle all his limbs with yours. He wants to breathe in your scent like he breathes air. Your scent is so sweet, how could he not? Right?

He wants to bite you.

It’s an invasive itching thought that pops into his head with no warning. That scares him a bit. Biting? Marking? He wants to mark you? Does he want to court you? Marking definitely implies something deeper than courting… Now he’s the one spiraling. You give him ten more seconds of awkwardly standing in your room before you just end up pulling him into your nest. If he’s so worried he might as well make himself comfortable.

You fluff the two large pillows you keep at the head of the nest and finally relax into the softness of the nest. You let out a content sigh while doing so that sounds very tantalizing to Enjin’s ears. He’s very stiff while sitting beside you which distracts from your wanting to nap. You’re family now aren’t you? Pack families are so rigid. You pull him down to may beside you. Then it’s just the two of you laying side by side in silence. His breathing is unsteady and nervous. You try to ease him by allowing your scent to fill the room. You even place an arm on his chest and try purring to help him relax. Your eyes close to rest while doing so. It does the opposite of helping.

Now he wants to devour you. He wants to litter you with bite marks. He wants to help you through your heat in a not so friendly way. He definitely gets what you mean when you talk about the overlap in dynamics, he’s sure no overage Omega would think the possessive and dominant thoughts he’s thinking right now. His hands twitch as they move to rest on your hips.

Your eyes open again and he thinks if you bat your eye lashes like that everyday he’ll be in real trouble, he’d give you anything. You don’t even get a chance to say a thing before his lips overtake yours. His kiss is gentle, not hesitant, but soft. His hands still shake a bit when he grips your hips a little firmer. Your lips follow his instinctively when he separates them. You bring him in closer and wrap your hands around his shoulders. Your lips move together perfectly. His lead leaves you breathless. His body shifts to hover half way over yours and you respond by tucking yourself farther under him. When his hands move up your sides slowly you arch into him. Pressing your warm exposed skin into his firm cool body. When his tongue invades your mouth you allow him to take further control of the pace. Your scent shifts as a need stirs. You are still in heat. Then he pulls away again and you whine at the loss.

“Wait, I wanna do this right.” He says more to himself than you. “You deserve to be courted properly.” His huffs catching his breath. You glare up at him and grip his shirt before pulling him closer.

“I don’t want you to do things the proper way.” Your voice is low and heated, he’s never heard it like that before and he’d be lying if he said it wasn’t making him hard. “I like the kind of Omega you are.” You seal it with another kiss that you take the lead on. Your hands wander under his shirt to caress his muscled form. Your heat definitely makes you more bold that’s for sure. He allows you to take the lead, you’ve been so good about showing him the ropes, maybe his instincts can take the lead this time.

~~~

[4 YEARS LATER]

Rudo had a burning question on his mind. On the sphere dynamics are kept to a strict traditional standard. Is the ground different? Why is he watching two Omegas display mated behaviors like it’s perfectly normal. He was already shocked to learn Enjin of all people was an Omega but to see you another, more standard Omega, willfully accepting his gifts, his flirting, and his wandering hands is wild to him to say the least.

Riyo follows his intense gaze to see just what the kid is looking at, then laughs. “Oh yeah, it’s a real trip huh? Total opposites really do attract like they say.” She leans her elbows while watching you two with Rudo.

“It was weird for me too.” Zanka mumbles deadpan while focusing more on eating. He also comes from a city that values tradition. Since being taken in though he’s been unlearning that. Riyo gets why it's weird for them but for her it’s been the norm for a long time. It’s honestly more surprising you put up with Enjin’s personality rather than his status. Though to his credit he’s really mellowed out. After you two started courting he dropped trying to squeeze into a box he never quite fit into. He does display occasional Omega behaviors, the amount of stray kids he brings home can attest to that. He's also good at pep talks and saying just what someone needs to hear though Riyo credits you for that. He wouldn’t be the guy he is today without you.

To most strangers he definitely still reads Alpha, it’s convenient in a pinch, especially if he needs to intimidate someone.

He’s confident, cocky, and rough around the edges.

To you though, he’s just your type.