A/N: I'm Omegaverse trash, y'all. Reviews are appreciated and thanks for reading!

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Set on Fire in a Silver Dream

Levi woke with fire in his veins.

He kicked off his duvet, staccato breaths puffing from between his lips. Every nerve-ending was on fire, but gooseflesh prickled his skin and chills ran down his spine like a ball falling downstairs. His cock stood at full attention, already staining the front of his boxers with precome.

"Oh God," He whispered, stumbling out of bed. His gut clenched painfully and knocked the wind out of his lungs. Levi doubled over, clutching his abdomen and wheezing. "Oh fuck." He felt slick dribble down his thighs, sticking his boxers uncomfortably to his skin.

Levi was familiar with the symptoms of Heat, but that didn't mean it was any easier to bear. He stumbled to his dresser and threw the top drawer open with such force, the entire thing shook like it was frightened. Fumbling hands managed to pull his benzo-pen from within the drawer. Shaking uncontrollably as a fresh wave of slick completely dampened the backside of his boxers, Levi stabbed the pen into his thigh ferociously and released the needle, a small red light on the pen's shaft began blinking immediately in alarm.

Panting hysterically, Levi allowed his body to drop to the floor like a sack of potatoes. Darkness invaded his vision, the technicolor lights from the shop signs outside of his window faded to twinkling spots.

The second time, he woke to his teeth chattering and the door to his tiny studio apartment slowly opening.

"Levi? Your benzo-pen alert went off." Hanji edged her way into the apartment, her snowy boots clutched in-hand to keep from dirtying the immaculate floor. Levi found himself smiling- the Beta knew him well. He watched as she carefully placed the boots in a plastic bag and set them by the door, then hung up her coat in the tiny shoe closet. The fogginess in his brain cleared a little at the familiar sight and he released a small, shuddering sigh of relief.

"I-I-I-I h-had another-r sup-suprise H-Heat." Levi spat through the clicking of his teeth and effectively drew Hanji's attention.

She gasped and immediately advanced on him, wrapping him in his own duvet, "Jesus Christ, Levi...you know you can't keep doing this. Benzodiarate is dangerous." Levi sighed, already anticipating the spiel his friend and doctor was about to go on. Hanji took off her own mittens and fit them onto Levi's shaking hands as she spoke. "Benzodiarate is an emergency Heat stifling drug first developed by the Sina Research Facility and Maria Labs in 2002. It was initially a highly volatile drug that showed a high rate of suicide and infertility in mice, however it was successful as an "off switch" on Heat hormones, thus the two pharmaceutical companies along with the help of Rose Industries and our very own government managed to make it safe for distribution in 2012 using a super secretive method that we, doctors and scientists, aren't allowed to know. Hmm, sus-fucking-picious, bro." Levi knew that when Hanji stopped sounding like a doctor and started sounding like a frat boy conspiracy theorist, there was trouble.

He hastened to stop her before she could continue, "That's all well and good, Hanji, but I really don't fucking give a rat's ass. I have work to go to, bills to pay, a life to live; I can't just take off every damn time I have my Heat and find someone off the side of the road to bang me...not when my Heat is so irregular."

Hanji flexed her fingers frustratedly in front of Levi's face, "That's what I'm tryna say, my guy! Get in on the shizzle, my nizzle! The reason your Heat is so irregular is 'cause you've never taken a full one. You've been suppressing them since you presented at age thirteen and when you developed a fucking immunity to suppressants- which is literally unheard of, you scientific anomaly- you started shooting up the benzodiarate...god only knows the kind of damage that shit is doing to your ovaries, uterus, and even your dick. The benzo-pen isn't supposed to be a permanent fix, dawg. It's a massive depressant and muscle relaxant, that's why you pass the hell out every time you use it. Your body fights the drugs by inducing your Heat out of sync with the lunar cycle. They've been more frequent lately, right?" Levi did not reply, causing Hanji to sigh. "That's your body begging you to let nature take it's course. Homie g, you aren't gonna have a job to go to, bills to pay, or a life to live if you accidentally OD on the benzo."

"Maybe that wouldn't be so bad." Levi replied, relishing the look of absolute horror on Hanji's face. "Then I wouldn't have to keep living this miserable existence."

"Dear lord," Hanji sighed. "I really wish you hadn't said that."

"I can't believe you're making me do this." Levi said, directing a poison-filled glare in Hanji's direction.

Hanji pointedly avoided looking at Levi as she carefully filled out some paperwork for him, "I'm sorry, I have to. It's my job." She sounded so pathetic and miserable, Levi almost wanted to forgive her.

Almost.

"I said that to you as your best fucking friend. I can't believe you." Levi threw his hands up in defeat.

Hanji looked up, her expression sheepish, "Well, we were talking about your medical history and my lawyer says that is within the scope of a doctor-patient relationship and…" She sighed when Levi's scowl deepened. "I'm sorry, Levi! You know the law compels me to put you into an Omega Endangerment program if you show signs of suicide; saying that maybe being dead wouldn't be so bad happens to qualify as a sign of suicide."

"They'll take away my benzo-pen." Levi accused.

"Yes, this is true." Hanji said uncomfortably. "You'll have to take a full Heat, maybe several since you've been staving them off for so long."

"So what? They're gonna shove me in a Lock Box and watch me writhe for weeks on end?! What the fuck, Hanji?" Levi exclaimed, slamming his hand onto Hanji's desk. She jumped in alarm, satisfying a sadistic need in Levi to make her suffer for this.

"Well...there's that...or…uh, well, there's also...uhm…" Hanji visibly paled and began babbling incoherently, her gaze avoiding Levi's.

"Spit it out, you shitty glasses." Levi growled between gritted teeth.

"TheycanalsopairyouwithanAlphathatmatchesyourgenome."

"Come again?"

"They can also pair you with an Alpha that matches your genome." Hanji shrunk back nervously. "Th-they have a 50% success rate in finding an Omega's true mate so-"

"Wait," Levi interrupted. "You're telling me these people will find someone to fuck me?"

"Well, they'll find a few Alphas that you're compatible with genetically and then you get to choose from the list." Hanji said, making an attempt at positivity. "You can pick according to your preferences! You don't have to find someone random off the side of the street! Isn't that great?"

"No." Levi deadpanned. "It's not great. And explain to me how this isn't finding someone random off the streets? The only difference is that I'm not doing the finding."

"Eeeeexactly!" Hanji cheered half-heartedly.

"And work?" Levi asked dubiously.

"Leave with pay."

Levi had heard of Lock Boxes a few times in his life, mostly from unmated Omegas at work that had been forced to endure an experience in one when they had forgotten to take their suppressants in advance. Essentially, a Lock Box was a padded room most commonly located at Omega Community Homes where an Omega could spend their Heat alone. Food was delivered through something akin to a doggy door by Betas and the Omega was not allowed to leave the room under any condition. Levi's co-workers had deemed the experience absolutely horrendous- the Lock Boxes were always slightly dirty and (without an outlet for their sexual frustrations) most Omegas spent the time in gross agony. Still, a Lock Box seemed preferable to the alternative.

Levi crossed his arms over his chest and glared openly at Hanji, "If you let me have my cleaning products, I'll stay in a Lock Box."

Hanji paled, "Levi, you should really consider an Alpha. You haven't had a Heat in fifteen years- enduring one alone may very well kill you."

"Listen," Levi snarled. "if I'm gonna have to have a Heat, I'm gonna do it alone. I'm not just handing my ass over to some Alpha to do with as he fucking pleases. Just because my dynamic is lower doesn't mean I'm gonna let myself be fucked into place." All the years Levi had known Hanji, he hadn't once openly revealed the loathing he felt for his dynamic, but Hanji wasn't stupid. The excess insurance payments Levi made for the benzo-pens (despite his less than ideal financial situation), the self-deprecating jabs at his Omegan existence, his ardent avoidance of Alphas- it wasn't hard to conclude that the man had a serious issue with his identity.

"Look, Levi." Hanji said calmly. "This has morphed into a government issue, understand? Omegas are endangered and you're slowly killing yourself by not having a Heat. As your doctor and as an agent of the government, I have to make you have a Heat; be that in a Lock Box or with an Alpha. As your friend, who cares about your wellbeing and has covered for you all these years, I'm telling you to put your pride aside and mate with an Alpha. Being alone in that Lock Box will either kill you or keep you in such excruciating agony that you'll wish for death. On top of that, you'll be in there at least twice as long as most Omegas are because you have never had a full Heat. For the love of god, Levi, just pick a fucking Alpha."