a/n: im telling you now, there aint gonna be nasty stuff here. its... actually pretty mild, but im labeling it a T just to be sure. oh, and if it wasnt clear, fang's on his way to be an alpha. its why kaizo's so worried. that, and the subclass are what i like to call 'deltas.' theyre basically the A/B/O version of asexuals, because representations, yeah?

He'd only taken a few steps when the scent hits him.

Kaizo blinks, recognizing the familiar mix of citrus and honey. It's faint, but it's definitely there, and idly he wonders which one of them is being cooped up. Even as an alpha, he's not exactly hopeful, given how young they are, but that's the thing. There's a lot at stake with omegas, especially one who has friends that haven't presented yet.

He spares a glance to his brother, who's already reporting to Koko Ci about their latest mission. He hasn't noticed yet. Good.

He has to make this quick.

"I'm going ahead," he says, and waits for Fang's salute before nodding and going for the left corridor. Kaizo keys on the scent and takes two rights, followed by a left towards the mess hall. He quickly grabs a bottle of water, knowing that the person he's looking for is going to need it.

Even in space, heats are never easy.

It's his brother's rival. Of course.

He finds Boboiboy in his room. The only indication he's there are the quiet puffs of breath, the omega himself completely bundled up in blankets. The air is thick, almost tangible with sweetness, and Kaizo spares a brief moment to thank whatever deity out there placed him in the delta subclass. Any other alpha would already have fallen into a rut, and that's not a can of worms that even he is willing to open.

There's a shuffle, and he's back to the present, watching as Boboiboy finally catches his scent. The teen pokes his head out of the pillows, eyes glassy and cheeks stained a soft pink as he shakily tries to sit up with the covers. His head immediately turns to the door, and Kaizo can see the flicker of recognition pass through dazed features. It's enough to ease him, even if a little.

For a moment, they stare at each other.

"You're calmer than I expected," he finally says, but the other simply blinks at him. "You know I'm an alpha."

Another blink, then - "Yes."

Kaizo's tempted to smile. "You know something else."

"I - " Boboiboy pauses, then licks his lips. "Y-You smell the same," he looks down and mumbles, and this time Kaizo does smile. He's a little impressed the teen can tell. Deciding that the other is lucid enough, he walks over and takes a seat on the edge of the bed. He offers the bottle of water and Boboiboy gladly accepts, downing half of it before letting up with a stuttered sigh.

The bottle's placed on the floor, and Boboiboy flops back into bed. Kaizo chuckles.

Unconsciously, he ends up near Kaizo, close enough to reach. He looks at Kaizo and Kaizo looks back, calm despite the constant tug at his instincts. The proximity is so very tempting with its warmth, but Kaizo's had lots of practice with control, and he'd never take anything that's not willingly offered, never give anything another wouldn't want.

It's only when there's a shift and Boboiboy barely swallows down a whimper — hand twitching towards him, a fleeting thought to ask — that he allows himself to reach out and touch.

Gently, Kaizo threads his fingers through the other's hair. Boboiboy sighs, eyes falling half-mast, and he's pleased when the other doesn't lean into the contact, simply relaxing from it. He tries running his knuckles up and down the teen's spine and Boboiboy practically goes boneless. His insides warm with amusement and he chuckles, keeping it up until the other stops shaking, breaths calmer than they were before.

"Better?" he asks.

"Mm," Boboiboy hums, "T-Thanks."

After a while, he remembers what he came to do.

"Have you found suppressants?" he asks, and expects it when the other shakes his head. He frowns in thought, hand idly running through the other's hair. It'll take a while for them to get the right mix, even with Ochobot's help. Granted, the trip to earth would be easiest, but Bobobiboy's already started his heat, and even with the late arrival, his cycle will still last for at least a week.

There's another solution, but —

"Would you let me mark you?"

Even without the hand, it's easy to see how the omega startles, eyes going wide as he turns to stare up at him.

"I — "

"It's your choice," Kaizo cuts him off, voice firm but soft. The teen relaxes, and he eases back a bit. "And," he continues, "It's not permanent. I'll do it somewhere safe, some place you can hide. It's just to keep your heat in check." The kid would probably still be dazed and a little warm, but at least he wouldn't be making his friends present early.

He thinks of his brother and tries not to cringe. Boboiboy is quiet for a moment, before he agrees.

A pause to think, then carefully, Kaizo shifts to face the other, pushing the covers down to find a hand. Gently, he takes it, flipping it over so that the inside of the wrist faces him. He gives it a few licks, meeting the other's eyes before slowly biting down, teeth sinking into soft flesh, just enough to break the skin. Boboiboy bites his lip and shudders at the sudden coolness in his veins, fingers twitching as he fights to stay still and awake.

He watches as the captain soothes the bite with a few more licks, lapping up a few drops of blood before releasing him. The hand falls limply to his side and Kaizo chuckles, running a hand through his hair again. Suddenly, it feels like all the strength has been sapped out of him, and he finds himself reaching out for the other.

Kaizo meets him halfway and holds his hand, giving it a quick squeeze. "Sleep," the captain murmurs his command, and he does.