Author's Note:
Truth be told, I'm only into omegaverse for the world building possibilities :'D Any smut written by me will be vague, very emotions based, or both. So, fair warning of that right off the bat.
Anyway, the idea for this story was thought up by one of my friends (egyptiansapphiredragons on Tumblr), and I dragged my other friend (Trickstermel) into it so we could all plot ideas together. *WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHERRRRR* I honestly heavily credit and thank them for everything.
Also, this fic, like my others was originally on AO3 before I decided to transfer it onto here, too. Any smut written by me won't be very detailed and will mostly be vague and?or emotions based.
Pairings in this fic: Giripan (the main one), USUK, PruCan, DenNor, Spamano, and many side pairings like GerIta, AusHun, RoChu, and SuFin.
Chapter 1: A Quick and Messy Beginning
There's the sounds of branches and dead leaves being crushed by his bare feet; accompanied by his quick, ragged breaths. The small child- barely twelve- prays to the moon and stars above that the quickly thickening forest will hide him from those pursuing him. He doesn't dare turn around to face the many booming shouts behind him, spewing curses at him like the fire a dragon breathes at its enemies. His heart hammers rapidly in his chest. He can hear it in his ears, nearly drowning out their yelling. So afraid- He's never been so afraid before-
Kiku snapped awake at the feeling of a hand gently shaking his shoulder. A small, embarrassing yelp came out along with the sudden realization that he had been drooling in his sleep. It was incredibly abnormal to him that his body had found comfort to peacefully rest while his brain replayed a nightmare of an event. He would have also appreciated having no one see him in such a poor sleeping state. Kiku looked up at the flight attendant standing by his seat. She was giving him a sympathetic look as she handed him a few tissues.
"We'll be landing soon, sir."
After accepting them with a mumbled thank you, Kiku looked out the window over the landscape of unfamiliar territory. The place he'd be landing at soon was a city on the east coast of America, and the reason why was a permanent job transfer. While a few other omegas from his previous place of employment had been in awe of him getting such an opportunity, Kiku felt no buzz of excitement about the entire ordeal.
Admittedly, however, there was a blooming feeling of pride in his chest over the fact that he was being moved from Japan to America due to excelling in his work at the small Japanese branch of Beautiful World- an international company based around the idea of sharing cultures. He was heavily complimented for his work ethic, intelligence, and skills- even if there were the occasional complaints about him working far too much. Not only would this move be giving him a higher position, but he would also be working around those of a much higher dynamic than his own. Alphas. Kiku involuntarily shivered at that. His former boss had made sure to warn him of this massive shift. That "minor" drawback wasn't the worst thing in the world at the end of the day. Another positive for him in this situation was that he would no longer feel like he was wasting away among other omegas. Now, he would be at a level that felt like it was truly testing him. In more ways than one. He hadn't always had the best track record with alphas.
On top of the issue of working with a group of people who seemed to be naturally haughty most of the time about their status, Kiku also had to deal with another huge problem that would stick to him in places outside of work. As the small omega was ushered off the plane, said problem quickly came to slap him across the face. Kiku swallowed in dread of all around him. Throughout his entire life, he had lived in some form of isolation; whether it be as a small child hidden from most of the world or a young adult hiding himself away in a forest home. He didn't start working for Beautiful World until the age of thirty-one. Now, he was a thirty-five year old omega who had spent the better part of four years avoiding as much human contact as possible. He prized his precious peace and quiet as though it were a gem carved from delicate glass made just for him, but here... here was too large and noisy.
Kiku scurried through security and baggage claim as everyone went about the hustle and bustle of their own lives. There were just too many people. The beginnings of pride he had felt earlier were quickly shut out by turbulent feelings of panic and increasing levels of anxiety, making him sick to his stomach. His senses were running on high with all the sounds, smells, and sights, and he didn't know if that was a part of his omega brain or actual personality. If his biology was to blame, it just felt like another thing to hate about the road he had been cursed to take in life.
He hadn't been paying any attention to his surroundings. Everything just passed by in a vague blur, but being outside felt like a chance to calm himself. Flipping between emotions so rapidly like this couldn't be healthy. Kiku steadied his breathing, looking forward to bringing his few possessions to a recently refurbished apartment close to the company. He focused his energy on more positive thinking, like the chance to have the rest of the day to himself. There would be very little work in order to get settled in. A few deep breaths later, and his ride to his new residency had finally arrived.
The ride to the apartment complex was half spent with Kiku continuing to calm himself down and being grateful for previously living in a village where there were no sky-high buildings made almost entirely of glass, seemingly for the purpose of blinding him. Once more, the sights of the city aren't truly absorbed by Kiku as thoughts of how far he'd made it danced through his mind afresh. Images of his family appeared; only for them to be swiftly shut out. It was enough that his sleeping mind decided he needed to revisit one awful thing from the past. He didn't need to open the gates to that hell right now.
"So, you're new here right?"
Kiku almost failed to hear the taxi driver speak to him. He was pulled from his thoughts instantly and for that he could nearly thank the driver. "Y-Yes."
The other man looked up at his passenger through the rear-view mirror and grinned in a way that caused the skin around the corner of his eyes to crinkle. "You're gonna come to love this city. Been here since I was born."
Kiku averted the need to roll his eyes at that. It was a bit of a cheesy thing to say and assume
"You'll be living in a good neighborhood, too. I'm assuming you work at-"
"Beautiful World, yes." Kiku interrupted. There was absolutely nothing of interest for this man was there? Small talk could be a bit of a nuisance
"I've heard a lot about that place. Supposedly a lot of weirdos work there." He replied with a light chuckle. "You can probably handle them."
Kiku opened his mouth to say something, looked awfully confused for a moment, and then leaned back into his seat with his mouth shut. Really, what was he supposed to say to such odd statements? Feelings of uncertainty that hadn't died down began making themselves known again. He covered his face with both hands, letting out a breath he hadn't even known he was holding in. Sometimes, the idea of not thinking at all seemed so alluring. Just then, something akin to the words he had been waiting to hear were spoken when the car slowed down to a stop in front of a tall building just like all the other ones around it.
"Home sweet home." The driver announced
Kiku nodded to him, gave him his payment, and went to gather his belongings. He acted as though the weak feeling in his legs was merely from sitting for what felt like two eternities. Once the driver pulled off with a wave goodbye, Kiku felt it best to actually take in his new environment. He stood on the sidewalk, clutching the handle of his suitcase as he glanced around the neighborhood with slight interest. It was pretty quiet for the time being.
The building he would be residing in had two plots of grass in the front that were big enough to fit several colorful plants and four trees- two of them being oddly tall as they swirled towards the sky, and the other two were dotted with several reddish flowers. Omegas did have a thing for gardening, or so the generalized beliefs about them said. A path leading up to the stairs cutting through the garden was made of red bricks while the building itself was more pale in color. A balcony was on every floor but the first. Those too had their own collection of plants, leading Kiku to make some safe assumptions about the residents. Hidden in the darkness, he could even see the eyes of many stray cats watching him.
"Hey!"
Kiku jumped. He had barely been there for a few hours, and yet, here was the second person looking to make conversation with him. Maybe he should have just went inside right away. That's what he gets for a little bit of sightseeing.
"I'm talking to you, short guy!"
Did this person have no manners?! Kiku spun around to see a blonde woman leaning out of a window on the second floor in the building he would be living in. Er... At least he thought that was a woman. The voice wasn't too feminine, however.
When he failed to answer a second time, this mystery person puffed out their cheeks in a look that Kiku assumed was one of annoyance. "I hope you aren't always like this, or else working with you is gonna be really difficult!"
The omega heard a second voice coming (This time it was undoubtedly a male). "Leave him alone! You can't talk to someone you just met like that!"
While the two of them bickered over how to treat strangers, Kiku stood alone outside, feeling even more painfully confused. All he wanted was his alone time. Not whatever this was! Kiku removed his hat and covered his face with it while muttering several phrases in his first language. The headache he had predicted was also starting to rear its ugly head just to make things more difficult. Please, don't tell me these are my new neighbors, Kiku begged to any higher power listening.
"I'm so sorry about his behavior!"
Kiku looked over the rim of his hat to see the owner of the second voice he had heard. Another man appeared. He also had shoulder-length hair, but brown with short bangs, and his face was one of concern. His voice was full of sympathy and the hope that he would forgive this sudden outlandish behavior. Even though every nerve was screaming at him to just ignore them and tend to his own personal task, Kiku reluctantly nodded, placing his hat back on properly. The brunet gave him a small smile before the blond intervened.
"You should totally come up here already and stop standing around all day. We could show you around and properly introduce ourselves. After all, we're your new coworkers!" He shouted happily and ducked back inside.
The brunet followed and closed the window. Was this the land of unfortunate coincidences? How did they even-? What were they-? Who are they? Why were they-? Kiku's mind returned back to racing at a million miles a second. He deeply regretted not trying to escape before it could get like this. This was racing in the direction of everything he feared happening. How could his first day here already go so quickly downhill? Small whimpers escaped his barely parted mouth as he begrudgingly made his way upstairs and inside. On the very thin bright side of all this nonsense, he knew for sure that neither of them could be alphas.
The apartment lobby wasn't anything fancy, but it had a nice aesthetic with even more plants sitting in each large window. He glanced down at a welcome mat that had been oddly placed facing the wrong direction. Perhaps I should find that charming. The color theme was somewhere between soft and nonsensical with each window either having green or orange sheer curtains. The wallpaper was tan with images of white, blue, and green flowers coupled with the flooring being of dark zigzag patterned wood panels. The furniture was all pastel blue, and there were two mismatched coffee tables by each sofa. His eyes passed over a wall lined with various vending machines before finally settling on the front desk.
The small room was nearly empty and just as quiet outside, besides the humming of the machines and the tapping of a keyboard. At the very messy desk was an open, purple laptop covered in stickers with a woman sitting behind it. Upon finally realizing she wasn't alone, she leaned her head to the side and looked a bit caught off guard. Her face held a certain maturity to it yet still looked so young. Was she an omega too?
"Good afternoon." Kiku bowed to her. "I'm taking up residency in a room here?"
The woman continued her deer caught in headlights face before suddenly rushing out of her seat so fast that it caused the chair to fall over and give Kiku his second good scare of the day. Possibly third.
"Ah! My apologies! I-I'm the owner of this building, Anna Braginski." She reached out her hand for a messy handshake. "And you?"
Kiku pulled his hand back and let it awkwardly fall to his side. "Honda Kiku. I should have introduced myself first."
"It's no problem! Really, it's all me." She disappeared under her desk, shuffling through papers and what Kiku assumed to be keys. "Some of your paperwork and payment has been tended to by a Mr. Hideki and Mr. Jones, respectively."
Mr. Hideki- of course- and oh, his new boss that he hasn't even met face to face yet. Kiku idly wondered if it was really okay for him to do such an act while Anna continued digging around, sighing before she bumped her head on the edge of the desk. She whimpered in pain and rubbed the top of her head. At least he wasn't the only one having a bad day.
"I'm so sorry about all of this!" The woman slid a couple of papers to him and gestured to a pen. "Once this is complete, I can hand you your keys, and you can move in."
A hint of a smile ghosted across his lips until he remembered that he had to introduce himself to the strange people claiming to be his new workmates. It only took a few signatures, statement readings, and going over basic rules to get the blessed key. Kiku just had one question. Maybe it was rude to ask it out loud, but he needed to know.
"How did an omega come to own this?" Kiku almost whispered.
She tilted her head to the side like a confused puppy. "Omega? People get that wrong all the time..."
Here came the embarrassment. "Ah! I didn't mean to-!"
Anna waved her hands in front of her and laughed nervously. "Really, it's an honest mistake! I'm really just a plain old beta."
Kiku silently prayed that he didn't sound like an alpha belittling someone of a lower dynamic. He pressed his lips together and bowed once more, taking his leave to escape from doing anything else potentially awful. He made his way to the second floor and had only stepped one foot onto the pale gray carpeting of the corridor when a familiar voice called out to him. There was no time to react to the sudden invasion of his personal space by the mysterious blond who spoke too loudly for his own liking.
"So, you're the new guy. Kiku." He said in a matter of fact tone that had Kiku biting back a snarky remark.
The brunet watched the exchange a few doors down from the stairwell, sipping coffee and clearly waiting for any moment in which he would have to chastise his friend again
"Yes, that would be me." Kiku muttered.
Somewhat lazy looking green eyes lit up with a hard to define sparkle. "You haven't even started work yet, and you're already a big buzz around the office! I gotta tell you all about it! Oh, by the way, my name is Feliks, and this is Toris."
Toris gave a tiny smile and raised his mug in a silent gesture of hello as Feliks practically dragged Kiku into the apartment. His smile turned into a look of worry for how petrified Kiku already was thanks to Feliks' antics. This was no way to welcome a newcomer. He gently closed the door to save their neighbors from anymore of his loud gossip.
Kiku's mind was swimming once again. In any normal occasion, he would have removed his shoes at the door, but taking a quick peek down, it seemed that wearing shoes indoors was no problem for them. it didn't feel right. Kiku may have not been a social person, but he had basic manners.
"He isn't always..." Toris moved his hand in a circular motion at Feliks who was sitting on the couch adjacent from their guest (or maybe hostage was the right word), "this bad."
The attempt to reassure him was futile, but Kiku nodded at Toris anyway. "Um, we'll be working together?"
"That's right! Really, let's be honest here and say that you're lucky for getting to talk to us the day before work." Feliks smiled proudly. "You won't look like a fish out of water on your first day if we explain everything to you."
Toris raised his eyebrows as he took another sip of his coffee. Kiku internally admitted that his new coworker had raised a good point. Settling into the matters of business, Kiku attempted to look more comfortable. "Go on, please."
"Ahhh~ Now you're interested in what I have to say." Feliks cleared his throat as though he were about to make some grand announcement. "First thing's first, the day Alfred agreed to take you in and, like, work with the other alphas on the top floor, word got around real fast."
"Of course, you only knew so quick because you kept pestering me for the inside scoop." Toris set his mug down in order to do air quotes on the last three words.
Feliks stuck his tongue out and shushed him. "Toris is Alfred's secretary. Anyway, like I was saying, omegas and betas make up most of the company, but pft, we don't really do big business work like the alphas do. Not that I would want to anyway."
Alright, so they definitely weren't alphas. Mr. Jones' business was no different from the one Kiku had left behind- except one of these bosses was more willing to allow an air of change. If even just a tiny one. The only other thing that felt so different was that it seemed there was an imbalance between the dynamics.
Depending on what region of the world one was in, omegas were either heavily or lightly expected to live up to their biology. It could be particularly soul crushing and even traumatizing if one wasn't lucky. Due to ill-thought ideas about how omegas worked, they would often be forced to work lower positions in fields viewed as suitable for them. At his previous workplace, there was an alpha keeping watch over a certain group of omegas and each alpha would have a beta assistant. One alpha for every five to ten omegas. Kiku had rarely even seen whoever was in charge of him. It's probably a good thing he hadn't, or else he would have had a few bitter words on his tongue for the man.
Kiku realized he was staring at a random spot on the cream colored wall behind Feliks and returned to giving him his attention. The- possibly a- beta was going on in more detail about the situation he'll be looking forward to when he gets to work.
"No one would even dare dream of making it that high around there. You're," Feliks tapped his chin lightly, looking for the right word, "doomed to spend your time at BW constrained by one set position."
Kiku swallowed nervously, causing Toris to speak up. "Not entirely true. I became Mr. Jones' secretary after going through some lower ranks."
Feliks looked like he didn't believe him for a second, and Kiku wondered where their friendship even was. "So, like, you must be pretty damn smart for Alfred of all people to want you. I mean, I guess he isn't that bad but still. We aren't entirely old fashioned either but..." There was an annoyed sigh. "Not to sound like I'm putting a lot of pressure on you or anything, but you're practically making history here!"
"No pressure felt." Kiku responded in a low voice.
"Good! What did you even do at the last place that was so amazing?" Feliks propped his face in his hands with his elbows resting on his knees.
Toris groaned. Kiku ignored the reaction and opted to be humble about his achievements. "It was nothing special. My former boss may have finally taken notice of my abilities when I was assigned to help others."
A look of mild disappointment graced his features. It was clear Feliks was hoping for a more juicy and interesting answer. Toris added his thoughts on the matter of the vague reply. "Regardless of what you've done or haven't done, you've clearly deserved this spot. Mr. Jones was having a bit of difficulty at first but was more than excited to accept you in place of the former alpha who had the position you'll be getting."
He hadn't known anything about a previous alpha. "Excuse me?"
Toris eventually caught on to what the simple question was asking. "Oh! You don't know anything about the last guy, do you?"
Feliks placed his arms in an X formation as a cue to get Toris to stop. "Don't even worry about that loser! What's more important is that he's gone now, and we'll have you! You don't seem like a bad person, yet. Just way too quiet."
Kiku flinched at that. How could someone have no problem stating what was exactly on their mind so loudly? And what was the reason for the rushing away from the chance to talk about the unknown alpha? He felt like he was being left with more question than answers when it came to these people. They had only known each for less than an hour. The thrumming pain in his head raised in intensity.
Before Feliks could continue rambling on in a way that left Kiku feeling helpless, a shrill ring scared them all. Feliks cursed in a language that Kiku wasn't familiar enough with to even name and pulled a cell phone out of his jacket pocket. "Speak of the devil! Alfred is calling you, Toris." He glanced at the time. "And crap! I have to go back home before it gets too late."
He tossed the device over to the brunet who quietly asked how he even managed to get his cell phone in the first place.
Seeing the opportunity to make his getaway, Kiku stood up. "It's a shame we weren't given time to know each other better before my first day, but I really need to go to my room."
Feliks stood up as well and placed his hands on his hips. "Don't worry about it! Toris lives here and you can, like, come over whenever you want and even carpool with him."
Kiku gave him a faltering smile out of kindness. "Eh... I don't want to be a burden." Was he inviting someone over to his friend's house without Toris' permission?
Feliks made a slightly exaggerated pouty expression. "Aww, too bad, but don't worry about tomorrow either. I'll get Feliciano to give you a tour of the place right when you walk in to save any dumb confusion."
On one hand, Feliks was being pretty kind, but on the other hand, he really didn't need to do all of this for him. There was really no chance of getting him to turn down this offer too. Whoever this Feliciano was, he could only hope his tour guide wasn't as bad as Feliks. "Thank you." Kiku bowed.
"No problem. Plus, maybe you'll, like, make friends. He's pretty good at that sort of thing." Feliks gave one last look at Toris who was still on the phone and gave him a surprise goodbye hug.
Kiku went to grab his suitcase as slowly as possible to avoid having to leave at the same time as the hyperactive blond. When the coast was deemed clear, Kiku began making his way towards the door. It would be rude to not say anything to the man who's apartment he had been pulled into, but Kiku also didn't want to interrupt him. The issue cleared itself up when Toris placed his phone against his shoulder and quietly said his goodbyes to Kiku. They would definitely be seeing more of each other at work and even at home. He supposed it was easier to feel glad about that since Toris appeared to be more of Kiku's type of person.
The elevator was luckily located near Toris' apartment, and in a short time, Kiku was on the fifth floor. His pace picked up as he made his way to the last door on the right side of the hall. Nothing would stop him from getting his much needed recharge time, now. Kiku unlocked the only barrier keeping him from his new personal space, and threw the door open with a little bit more force than intended. He was greeted by the sight of his living room, bathed in earthy tones. It was certainly a calming sight. Kiku softly closed the door behind him and slipped out of his shoes. He left his suitcase by the door to do some quick exploring of the place he would be calling home for who knows how long. Kiku observed his kitchen full of up to date appliances, absentmindedly running a hand along the smooth tiles of the kitchen island, stopping just short of the table. Home.
That was a heavy word for him. Yet at the same time, it contained no real meaning to him. He had been in various places over his life that were by textbook definition, a home, but only one he felt connected to. Would this be a second one? The room almost started spinning around him as he realized this would be the place he'd be coming back to every day. Home sweet home, the driver's words repeated in his head. It was a bit scary to have this settle in on him when standing alone in his kitchen. Kiku raised a hand to his left temple and went back to his bag to retrieve headache medication.
The sun had gone down by the time Kiku was done getting situated with his new living quarters. Or at least mostly done. His belongings had been put away in their proper places, and he had become familiar with the locations of necessities around the apartment. There was a bit of trouble learning how to turn on the shower, but that was done, too- at the expense of soaking him in freezing water. At the moment, Kiku was sitting on a lawn chair on his balcony, looking out at the city streets below him with a bored expression. Nothing of interest was happening and even then, Kiku wasn't too sure he would actually care. Then, a meow caught his attention. Kiku looked over his shoulder to see an orange tabby on the railing.
"How did you get up here, little one?"
The feline slowly approached him and sat down at his feet, looking at him with curious green eyes. It leaned forward to sniff at his pant leg while still eyeing his face. Kiku adored cats. Their personalities were something he could relate to in a way, and not to mention, they were pretty cute. Kiku watched his unexpected guest and decided to make conversation. It was much easier to talk to an animal rather than a human.
"I'll be staying here from now on. I saw your other friends greet me when I arrived." If that's what one could call the calculating stares he received from the shaded balconies and bushes. The cat slowly blinked at him. "Will I be seeing you around more often?"
The cat meowed again before suddenly leaping away. Kiku could hardly follow its path in the low amount of light but continued staring in its direction anyway, even after it was long gone. He took one last look out at the nightlife scenery and rose up. "I'll be going back as well."
Sleep wasn't coming as easily as it should have to him. Maybe because you fell asleep on the plane, fool, Kiku mentally slapped himself. The omega possibly would have had an easier time falling asleep outside due to a sudden surge of boredom. Being back inside his scentless space just reminded him of everything he was thinking throughout the day. He stared at the bookcase across from him and slipped lower into his recliner. To escape from his inner turmoil before it could have a chance to worsen, Kiku reached over to the wooden coffee table to pull up a folded stack of papers, believing that rereading the apartment overview would be enough to put him to sleep.
In the middle of a page about the rooms being scent proof and alphas staying in a separate building, Kiku's mind wandered back to his old job. It kick-started memories of how the building wasn't scent proof, and the smell of omegas was strong. Alphas took no issue with leaving their smells around as well. It was occasionally bad enough to make his nose burn. Luckily, omegas were never present at work during heats. Even more lucky, was that their heat cycles never really matched up so it wouldn't leave half the room gone. Speaking personally, Kiku didn't really have to worry about heats like he used to. His older age reduced any pain or other discomforts... or needs. Kiku coughed loudly in his living room with the need to remove the disgusting taste the words had caused in the back of his throat. Yeah, he was done with that.
His mind continued to stay adrift on randomly connected thoughts until he fell asleep with his head resting against one of his shoulders; his body slouched in an uncomfortable position. The last thoughts on his mind were of how to mask his scent if that became necessary and places to hide a sword. Oddly, they were much more pleasant topics in the last minutes of restlessness than any of his other worries.