Okay, second time writing author notes.. yeesh. they deleted on me! :( anyway! i wanna thank my beta Theredangel for lookig this over for me, correcting what needed to be done and adding some tweaks that make it, in my opinion, even better :). I'd also like to thank the people who leave comments I try and reply if I can (zen4365 I'm looking at you because I can't send you a message thanking you for you feed back, so thankyou on here!). Anyway! no one wants to read me ramble, enjoy the chapter ^.^
The first few weeks of trying to teach Gilbert to play the Piccolo were difficult. He seemed to be having a hard time focusing, but Matthew could see how hard he was trying. He could see it, because he also saw it when Gilbert didn't try to fight whatever fog he was in during other classes. In art class, he would just poke at the clay, or let paint just dribble down the canvas - if the brush made it to the canvas at all. In health class, he would stare out the windows, and would sometimes mumble to himself…
Only in music class, with Matthew sitting in front of him and Gilbert holding the old piccolo, did the red-eyed omega seem to show any semblance of interest. Matthew used the band rooms crappy metal one. Making a beginner play on the metal one would have just sounded painful.
"Okay, let's play a simple scale," Matthew said, bringing the shiny instrument up and demonstrating a few notes. They flowed quickly and easily, sounding smooth and sweet. He lowered it, and smiled. "Okay, now you try." Gilbert's eyes flicked to look behind Matthew. Matthew turned to see the music teacher had come to observe them playing.
"Go ahead, Gilbert. Let's see what you've picked up," the teacher said gently with a smile. Gilbert looked at him warily, but Matthew gave him an encouraging nod. After a moment, Gilbert nodded back in reply and lowered his lips to the instrument. He played the scale well, a few notes hit a little too harshly, but overall good for a beginner. Matthew told him as much and Gilbert actually smiled properly.
That was when Matthew found he had a shadow. When Gilbert had first arrived, outside of their lessons of course, the pair just sort of passed by each other without a word. Now it was as if Gilbert was always by his side. Matthew worried, after spending so much of his time on his own at the haven, he thought he would grow tired of the constant company. But to his relief, he was finding he enjoyed having a friend again.
It seemed to make the staff happy as well. Teachers and orderlies would smile when they saw the two walking together. Matthew apparently was a good influence. At least, that's what the art teacher had pulled him aside to tell him as she pointed towards Gilbert who had eventually done more than poke at his clay, and dribble paint with his brush. Now he was actually making things, creating things, and showing more interest.
It was two months later, during free time after lessons that Matthew's curiosity about the albino was finally answered.
"I wasn't tested when I was eight." Gilbert started, unprompted as they sat facing each other on the floor of their shared bedroom. They were working on building a house of cards, like they often did. Matthew looked up at him with wide eyes.
"How?" It was all he could think of saying. Testing had been terrifying, but it was something you just did, something you couldn't avoid.
Gilbert placed a card flat across two joining points. "We lived in the middle of nowhere, My parents just reported me and my siblings as Alphas. But I guess someone thought it was weird. My mom was an Omega, so an Omega having five Alphas and no Betas or Omegas was unusual. I didn't even know what I was until they took us away..." Gilbert was getting that look in his eyes again. The one that looked like he wasn't really in the room anymore. Matthew frowned deeply.
"Did you know anything about Omegas or Betas at least?" He asked, pulling the other boy back into the reality of the present. It had to be hard coming into some place you had never been prepared for, never mind if you were clueless...
"Mama use to tell us about being Omega… How they use to kill us, and when that didn't work out so good, they just started shutting us up in these places." He replied, his voice and eyes both hollow.
"That explains why you were fighting so hard I guess…" Matthew mused, tipping two cards together and placing his tongue between his teeth.
"Yeah," Gilbert said, sitting back for a second, "I was pretty pissed. Then they started giving me these pills... The therapist said I was too much of a danger to myself. They make me feel so tired all the time... I hate them."
Matthew wasn't entirely sure if Gilbert was talking about hating the pills or the staff, though he could imagine he'd say the same about either. It also explained, finally, the fire in the boy that had seemed so suddenly snuffed out.
There were cases where Omegas were put on medication. Ones who had hurt themselves or were too careless, were considered high risk. The havens couldn't have a bunch of Omegas running around marking themselves up or even permanently damaging themselves. Damaged merchandise didn't sell very well, after all. And it was a havens mission to place all Omegas with an Alpha who would care for them and breed them. Matthew himself had been warned by the therapist when he had first arrived, that if he kept refusing to cooperate they'd have to consider medication.
Matthew nodded his understanding, but then looked up at the clock and smiled. "I have to get ready," He stood up and walked towards his dresser, looking in the mirror perched there. He grabbed a brush to run through his hair.
"Get ready for what?" He heard Gilbert get up behind him. The sound of the card house falling brought a groan from the albino and a snicker from the blond. Matthew looked through the mirror and smiled widely.
"Mr. Kirkland comes today to see me today. I have to make sure I look my best." Gilbert sat on Matthew's bed and pulled a face. Matthew ignored it and went back to his hair.
"Look nice for some old dude who's going to take you into a heat room and-"
" isn't going to be my mate, for one," Matthew interrupted, "for another, how the heck do you know what happens in heat rooms? You're only ten, right?"
Gilbert shrugged. "I'll be eleven in January. My Ma taught all of us 'bout what happens. Just in case. Also made it easier to understand when she disappeared into a room for a week and we weren't allowed in." Matthew's face dropped, remembering his family briefly before he set his eyes in determination and opened the drawer, pulling out a skirt to swap his pants for.
"Well, either way, he's not going to be my mate. Alfred is." Matthew said, unbuckling the pants and dropping them before he slipped the skirt on.
"And is Alfred going to be there too then?" Gilbert asked, and Matthew blushed.
"No… He doesn't know about me yet. Not until I'm of age." He grabbed knee high socks and sat next to Gilbert while he unbundled them.
"Wait… so you don't even know what this dude looks like?" Gilbert looked stunned and disgusted. "What if he's ugly or some shit?!"
Matthew glared. Alfred was not Iugly/I! He was handsome! A flush of embarrassment stained Matthew's cheeks red. "Of course I know what he looks like!" He finished pulling one sock on, then turned to grab the framed picture of Alfred. He shoved it into Gilbert's hands. It was a new picture. A current one, taken only a month prior, Mr Kirkland had said. The boy in this one posed for the picture, dressed in a suit. He was entering that awkward teenaged Alpha phase, with gangly limbs and features that were somewhere between childish and charming, but Matthew saw nothing wrong with that. Alfred was still stunning, all blue eyes, blonde hair and a sunny smile.
The other Omega looked at the picture and his eyebrows furrowed as he grumbled. "He's not that good-looking." Matthew pulled up the second sock, then took his picture of Alfred back and placed it carefully on his night stand. His flush was darker now. He was starting to feel defensive.
"Well I think he is."
"Pfft, whatever." Gilbert said, laying backwards across Matthew's bed. "Still gonna act like any other Alpha - take what he wants once a cycle and pump you full of babies until you explode." His words were bitter.
"He's not like that!" Matthew gasped, his face twisting into a frown. Tears stung his eyes.
"You've never even met him!" Gilbert reminded, propping himself on his elbows with a deep frown of his own.
"Whatever Gilbert!" Matthew stood and grabbed the bag he had already prepared earlier. "At least I have a benefactor!" He snapped, shoving his feet into his shoes before turning and stomping from the room.
What did Gilbert know anyway?! Alfred would be great! Just like Mr. Kirkland, he would be kind and gentle and he would icare/I. It wasn't like he would just forget about Matthew in between heats!
Right?
No. He didn't want to think about this. Not right now. Right now he had a visit with someone who DID care about him. Matthew walked down the stairs, towards the visitation wing. He wasn't going let Gilbert's sour, negative attitude towards Omega life spoil his visit with Mr. Kirkland.
Matthew smiled happily a half hour later when Mr. Kirkland came into the room. "Hello, sir," he said standing, from his place at the table.
Mr. Kirkland smiled and walked to him, placing the briefcase he was carrying down on the table before patting Matthew on the head affectionately. "Hello there, pet. You seem cheerful today." Matthew shined a little brighter at the touch. He was cheerful, maybe a little more then he would have been if he hadn't been rubbed the wrong way before the meeting and had forced himself into a better mood.
The pair sat down together and Arthur smiled across the table as Matthew poured the tea he had already prepared. He was a step ahead this time. Arthur had left some of his favourite tea there for visits. "Thank you, lad," He said, taking the cup Matthew had served him. He took a sip with a hum of approval.
His hands moved to the briefcase, opening it and pulling out a file. Matthew's name was written along the top tab. He opened it on the table. "I got your latest medical update from your appointment last week, and I'm very happy with you, Matthew." He said, looking over the papers "You've not only got your weight back up, but your doctor thinks your hips are starting to spread and develop as well." At this, Matthew blushed, but he also smiled a tiny bit with his eyes cast down.
"You're moving along excellently, just as I knew you would. It's the meek ones who work hard to catch up that tend to surpass the others, in my experience." Mr. Kirkland said, flipping the papers back and forth a few times, comparing the new report to the older ones. "Come round the table here, let me see you for a moment." Matthew hopped of his seat, skirt flipping a bit more than he expected, causing him to flush and squeak. His hands moved to smooth it down, feeling sheepish. He walked around the table to stand in front of Arthur.
The Alpha was chuckling. Matthew looked down, shoulders raised a bit in embarrassment as he spread his arms out to the sides again. Arthur's hands slid up under his vest, fingers probing along the slight cushioning that was starting on his hips and tummy, then moved up to his ribs. Thankfully they were no longer as easy to count. "Perfect." Arthur said with a smile as he drew his hands away. Matthew smiled in return and went back to his seat.
"Now Matthew, we do have a more serious topic to discuss today, but first…" he reached into the bag and pulled out a small book about the same size as his hand. "For your pictures.. there's a few more in there as well." Matthew was nervous at the mention of serious topics… but the album excited him. He took it and flipped it open.
There were new pictures of his future Alpha. Alfred in a football jersey, Alfred hanging upside down in a tree with Arthur scolding him, Alfred at the beach in a swimsuit.. that one made Matthew blush and he quickly shut it.
"Thank you, ." He said quietly, turning to tuck it safely in his backpack. His face was burning hot. He hoped it would cool soon, with the pictures tucked away.
"Of course, Matthew," Arthur said with a knowing smile that only made poor Matthew's blush worse. "Now, the things I wish to discuss are of a delicate nature... but I felt it best coming from me first." Matthew nodded, and shifted in his seat.
Arthur pulled another paper out, and laid it in front of Matthew. It was an anatomy diagram. He pointed to a green section that was labeled 'scrotum'. "you see this part yes?" Matthew nodded " this particular body part on an Omega isn't actually connected to anything internally. It doesn't really serve a purpose in your body, except maybe to cause some issues later on... Scientists think it is a leftover from evolution for whatever reason, but really, it's pointless to keep around." Arthur explained as Matthew nodded along, not able to look up from the picture.
"There is a very simple procedure to remove it, but it's best done before a heat. The part trends to expand afterwards, and then it becomes a little more complicated. So I would like to send you to have it taken care of sooner, rather than later." He moved back to his brief case, placing the picture back inside and snapping it shut "there are a few other benefits, but... perhaps that's best left to your doctor to explain in more detail yes?" He said, ears turning pink
It was Matthew's eyes that expanded as he looked up, the fear plain as day on his face. "They... they're gonna cut it off?" He squeaked. Surgery?! He knew some Omegas were altered.. but he hadn't considered it might happen to him.
"It's not that big of a surgery, pet. They'll only keep you in the medical center for a day or two. A few weeks of healing, and you'll be back to normal." Arthur said with a comforting smile.
But Matthew hardly felt comforted. Still, he couldn't object... he didn't have a choice. Whatever Mr. Kirkland, his benefactor, felt should be done with him.. it would be done. So, with tears gathering in his eyes, he nodded. "Aww, there-there lad," Arthur said soothingly, taking his hand to give it a squeeze, "It'll be done and over with before you know it. You'll see." His eyes were blurred with tears, so Matthew only heard Arthur's chair pulling out and a moment later felt his hand on his shoulder. His chair was pulled out and turned and he saw a blurry Mr. Kirkland bent down to eye level with him. "I can even come visit you in the hospital after, won't that be nice?" Arthur dabbed at his tears with a kerchief pulled from his pocket. "I'll bring anything you'd like." Matthew nodded, feeling numb.
"Thank you, Mr. Kirkland," he whispered, trying to smile even a little bit.
It seemed to be enough for Arthur because he stood and returned to his seat. "Now.. why don't you let me hear that piccolo of yours, hm?"
When Matthew returned to his room at the end of the visit, he was still felt like a nervous wreck on the verge of tears. He had smiled and made his way through the meeting… but the thought of the upcoming surgery was haunting him. The shared bedroom was devoid of the other Omegas, as well as Gilbert. Matthew supposed it was his first day of viewing.
HE suddenly felt bad for snapping at his friend. Hadn't he felt the same things when he first came here? He had stood in the auditorium and felt relief when he thought he wasn't going to be chosen.
He was lying, staring at the ceiling when Gilbert came back. Matthew sat up and looked at him. He was pale and frazzled looking. "Hey," he called, and Gilbert looked at him before looked down, toeing the ground.
"I'm… sorry about..." Matthew held up his hand and shook his head.
"No, It's fine. I'm sorry, it's just…" He shrugged.
"Yeah…" Gilbert answered. There was a silence that fell between them. Neither Omega wanting to discuss their afternoons.
"Wanna play Go Fish?" Matthew offered, grabbing the deck of cards he had found tossed on his bed and holding them up.
"Yes, please…" Gilbert said with an exhausted smile.