Notes:
This fic is heavily inspired by two songs which I love: "Until It Sleeps" by Metallica (off the "S&M" album), and second "Confusion" by Metallica (off the "Hardwired…To Self Destruct" or "S&M2" albums.) I feel like both of these songs really encapsulate the messages I want to portray within the story.
WARNING: TO MAKE IT CLEAR: This is an A/B/O fic, Gender lines are very much blurred in this fic, Male and Female is the Primary-Sex and it does play a large role in society but not within gender norms, thats all in the Secondary-Sex. In other words: Masculinization and Feminization are rampant in this fic. Keep that in mind. Don't say I didn't bloody warn you in the comments and fucking flame.
HOMOSEXUALITY: in this universe refers to a person's primary-sex (M or F) not their secondary (A/B/O.)
UNDERSTAND: A/A, O/B, & O/O RELATIONSHIPS AREN'T POSSIBLE IN THIS UNIVERSE. INSTINCT REJECTS THE CONCEPT. HOWEVER, B/B AND A/B RELATIONSHIPS ARE POSSIBLE.
GENDER ROLES:
Masculinity means an Alpha-like appearance or attitude. (sometimes referred to as 'Alphan')
All Alphas use Traditionally Masculine Titles (Ex: Husband, Lord, Father)
With the exception of "Son and Daughter"
Their pronouns remain he/him and she/her, (Mr, Miss, Sir and Mrs still apply normally)
Feminine means an Omega-like appearance or attitude (sometimes referred to as 'Omegan')
All Omegas use Traditionally Feminine Titles (Ex: Wife, Mother)
With the exception of "Son and Daughter" and
Omady: is the same as Lord or Lady, its used for male and female omegas (female omegas are not referred to as 'Lady')
Their pronouns remain he/him or she/her (miss, mr, mrs, sir; are still the same)
There was a particular egotism surrounding the man which held a captive audience, pulled them in with curiosity and then ensnared with attraction. So many fawning skirts and peeking breasts, shameless flirting which fell on nonchalant ears. Naruto often watched this scene during lunch, typically he sat outside- underneath a rather old oak tree. A peaceful aura as he ate semi-warm with the temperature of the day and semi-cooled by the shade of the leafs. Presently however, he was indoors, sitting at his desk and rocking his pencil back and forth for lack of better to do; the teacher was marking at her desk, skillfully ignoring the loud chatter within the room, although her ease may have been because of her phone resting against a stack of papers where Naruto was certain a movie was playing. Though her recreation didn't bother him, as everyone else he wasn't doing the assigned work, the textbook sat open in front of him and the pictures of grainy black and white were prominent enough on the chrisp -shiny- white paper that they caught his eye slightly, but that was the extent of his interest. Scarcely anyone was diving into the material, rather laughing and meandering in some form of gossip. A group of women were attempting to gain the attention of the campus's most desired bachelor, though he stood rather neutral in the face of their blazie flirting, maintaining his continual stoicism all while retaining an arrogant aura which all but verbally told how their attraction was only to be expected; with his chin tilted up and the general sense that he was adapted to the situation. Several arms, in rather pathetic displays of desperation, eagerly grasped onto him for no other reason then to claim they had. While he simply sat there on his phone, payed no heed to it, and did nothing to shake away their wondering hands or shove off the random people clinging to him like fleece.
Electric blue eyes glared in with sparks projecting, towards the pale man; they had known each other since early childhood, however, their lives were so greatly contrasted against each other that their friendship had broken right through once they'd reached fourth grade. Naruto did not hate him, in fact in many ways he wished to speak to him again and perhaps rebuild what they had lost as kids; but that wispy dream was dist in the wind merely for the fact that he was continuously ignored by the other. In middle school he had tried to regain some form of comradence tried to seek him out or speak to him in class with stupid little notes and small bumps on the shoulder. In highschool he had tried much the same, but the most he had gained from the man had been a glare and a brutal dismissal that when he had got home made him cry into his Mama's arms for thirty minutes. Now in University, they were just too different.
Naruto Uzumaki had grown up poor; he had been put into the System at the age of one -apparently, after his parents had abandoned him at the doors- and grew up within a badly funded orphanage, there were few solid memories he could conjure of the time, but he could remember that the place often smelled of mold, the carpets were matted down with different types of sticky substances, and there was a draft right next to his cot. The matron had been a good woman, but she could do scarce anything- the place was not properly funded and because of her health, she had been attempting to retire. Those few people who were qualified stayed away because of the cost it would take to refurbish the place -and the pay wouldn't be good either. Yet, while the matron had been a caring woman, the kids around him had not shared her general disposition, in the orphanage there had been two sides, mostly at war with each other- and while they had just been children, the reasons for battle were of literal survival; food and shelter. Food was very limited, one meal a day had been the norm, but for young bodies growing that scarcely did anything to maintain their continual hunger, so there were battles for meals. When sleeping there were desired spots, away from the cracks where the draft came in and beds that were of either high or low quality. The lowest being those in the basement where it got the coldest. Naruto hadn't belonged to either side, he did not know why he was disliked as he was, and now he did not care. He was adopted when he was five and had only been too glad to get away.
Sasuke Uchiha was the exact opposite. The guy came from a rich and privileged household, his home being worth millions of dollars and located on private land, with trimmed hedges around the long driveway and a small grand stairway leading up to large and extravagantly carved wooden doors. Too many windows to count lined the walls, the place was also possibly an estate from Victorian times, if not older -though that was more of a speculation. The man had grown up with a stern Father who spoiled him continuously, a Mother with a famed career as a valued actress, and an older brother of which Sasuke adored. Really Naruto hadn't known much about Sasuke's family aside from what he had been told by the other boy in elementary school, he had never met them; though nowadays he had a marginal idea of why that was. There was a small rumour within the more academically inclined students that there was a minor connection between Sasuke's family and the royal family, though there was no confirmation on that and though there had been brief mention of possible ties by the media, nothing had been publicly disclosed. A more common spread speculation was that the Uchiha were of a minor noble heritage, yet again, there had been no confirmation.
Naruto Uzumaki came from the slums of life, an orphan abandoned by his parents, and a last name he did not want clinging to his back as a reminder of that fact. Sasuke Uchiha came from the high-end, with gorgeous parents, and a name that meant success.
They were stark contrasts in almost any manner one might evaluate.
Naruto had bright, goldilocks and kinky (4c) hair that he kept in a short cut, puffy afro which curled around his, down the back of his head and stopped just above the neck- he had been considering growing out for awhile, but always hesitated due to the potential hassle.. He was blessed with big and round electric blue eyes which gave the appearance of sparkling jewels luminescent; as they and his hair formed a drastic contrast between his deep brown umber skin tone. He had a round face shape with chubby cheeks and full heart-shaped lips. By no means was he tall standing at a slight four-eleven (ft), with a body that was most certainly a more feminine pear shape then anything- he was quite proud of his curvy figure. Sasuke Uchiha had an alabaster skin tone, with -obviously- straightened thick ebony black hair hanging just above his shoulders, and it matched perfectly with his upturned darkest deep grey eyes. His face was sharply defined and diamond-shaped with a sharp jawline and thinner cheeks with thin lips. In opposition to Naruto, he stood at six foot -actually rather short for an Alpha- with a lean frame that was plainly muscled, whereas the blond found building muscle was a difficult task. Sasuke wore muted tones, shades of white and black, grey, dark violet, a whispy lavender. Naruto wore all the brightened colours that existed, not considering even momentarily how stark they were on him. Naruto had the unique condition of having three downwards-facing, whiskered shaped, vitiligo patches on each cheek. Sasuke's skin was flawless. Sasuke was stoic and somewhat egotistical. Naruto was expressive and had self-esteem issues. Sasuke was white, heterosexual, and an Alpha. Naruto was black, homosexual, and an Omega.
Naruto had a crush on Sasuke. Sasuke didn't have a crush on Naruto.
With that plain remembrance reverberating within his mind once more, staring at his former friend's fawning fans again; he stood up with a huff of indignance. There were times it was a simple matter of dismissal, he could sit on the couch with the sound of his Mama cooking in the background, immerse himself in the atmosphere and entirely forget about his adolescent-minded crush. Other times, such as now, the remainder of indifference, arrogance, and nonchalance towards his very existence standing stark over him, there was nothing he would rather do then walk away. Yet, he always came back in a vicious cycle, he would detach himself from the man, then stare at him with heart-shaped pupils and a warm reverent smile, before; he stood up with an irritated expression and an insult on his tongue which would remain as a bitter taste in his mouth for the rest of the day. He slammed his textbook closed, shoved it aggressively into his bag and slammed the classroom door as he walked out. The angry mutter which returned to him every time he followed through with his emotionally self-harming cycle; in his mind the looping thought of 'stupid Sasuke,' started once again.
For a moment he stared at the rat trap sitting in its inanimate victory near the entranceway, contempt in his gave, this was only for a second before a resignation settled in and he opened the door with a heaving sigh. It should have proved no surprise unto him, it had been his idea to lay one after all, much against the advocation of his Mother claiming that there were no rats. The tightly clasped rodent corpse spoke otherwise, the blond couldn't say he was particularly pleased at his victory in this instance. Instinctively he played with the keychain in his pocket, ending with a roll of the eyes as he spun the knob anyway and there was only the resistance of the door sticking to the frame for imitating security. The laces undone he flicked his shoes off, not bothering to put them into place as he walked inside. There was little to the place he lived; it was a tiny one bedroom apartment with a sad excuse for a kitchen, a living room that doubled as a dining room and the kitchen, and one cupboard-sized bathroom of which the toilet tank continuously leaked. A cramped bedroom where there was two decent-sized ikea wardrobes backed against the inner wall and a single bed taking up the rest of the space; he lived with his Mama and both of them took turns on who had to sleep on the couch and who got the bedroom. The area was one he hated, yet loved, it was where he had grown up- free from the orphanage and blessed with a loving, caring Mother who raised him into the person he now was. On the other, it was a lowly place in a horrid neighbourhood with crime run rampant and a continual junky or alcoholic roaming about rain or shine.
He frowned in the kitchenette while opening the fridge, there were some lone celery sticks, a couple onions, a carrot, a carton of milk and margarine, that was the totality of it; besides the thawed meat he was currently taking out. His cheeks could not dip any lower with his disappointment at the sight.
A fact that he kept strictly to himself was his continual overhanging thoughts of quitting college; Naruto did not want his Mother to know of the consideration floating around, because his Mama was the type to pretend to stand tall- resigned, and then break down half an hour later. They needed income, regardless of the fact that he had earned a decent scholarship he did still have steep fees affecting him, and in turn his Mama. His Mother worked as an elementary teacher and also as a part-time babysitter on the weekends, he earned all the money to sustain them, and in so doing paid for his son's education. Naruto had no manner to explain the repulsion and bile he felt when he allowed himself to think about that fact for longer than a few stray minutes; he hated it. The only person he truly loved was pushing so hard for him, and as a result, he would watch the man come home with heavy dark bags hanging like a valley girl's shopping spree under his eyes, stress lines pulling at the corners and a tired smile that conveyed such happiness to see his son, yet so plainly faded by exhaustion. There was also another matter entirely which he had to consider with upmost importance, before even his Mother 's needs.
The door gave its usual strange creaking noise as it opened, and steps far lighter than his own hit the floorboards. A breathy sigh smoothened against his ears, watching his Mama walk in with sluggish steps and his small bag thrown into the corner, Naruto gave the biggest smile he could despite his swarming thoughts. He gained the same tired one he had expected and bit at his own tongue to stop from confessing. Instead, he stirred the stew he was working on, distracting himself with the repetitive motion as arms wrapped around his shoulders from the side. Knowing that in rare occasion they would be alone for the evening, it gave opportunity despite his own hesitation in broaching the subject there were few other times he could feel comfortable doing so- especially these days, due to his usual particular home situation.
"Hi Mama, how was your day?" There was a 'hm' from his parent and then a comfortable silence, Naruto hadn't expected any answer in truth, but it was in his commonality to ask. A small pebble of his grounded guilt occasionally getting stomped on by the foot of random weight every time he received the same response, yet lifted by the fact he knew the reason, and though it was sobering it was easy to comprehend that his Mother simply didn't wish for him to know how tired he was- how stressed, he understood the intention, in truth, regardless of his internal objection, he knew that he would have done much the same- a shameful admittance unto himself. Yet, it further fueled his determination to lessen the burden from strong shoulders. He tapped on the ladle shaking away the liquid before placing it on the oven, watching his Mother fill and place the kettle for a moment simply to grab onto the scampering possible sentence formations in his mind -jittering around like the rats hiding about. The small clicking sound of a button was heard, and Naruto took it as his que to begin.
"So, I've decided I'm going to get a job." Out of the corner of his eye the sudden stilling of a caramel hand -reaching for the cupboard- still with the index only lightly brushing on the metal handle. With the light from the windows just angled away from him, it lit at the man's caramel skin tone and he glowed with the sun- indeed his dark chocolate-toned hair shone with a bronze likened hue. His long horizontal nose bridge scar appeared so to be so deep with the shadows within his skin from the contrast of the light.
Stuttering followed his words, but not with either of their voices, both of their breaths were hitching- Naruto with nerves, yet he could not tell what his Mother's emotions were at that moment, there was a rush within his ears, palms and underarms suddenly heated with the nervous dread and he squirmed for it; the possibility of upsetting hid Mother already pitching overthinking into his head. Then there was a quiet sigh as the cupboard opened, the teabags being taken out, without asking Naruto passed him the milk. Irritation, aggravation, or even compassion aside, even his Mother would be aware of his reasonings; would comprehend the necessity given how chaotic things had become in the past three years -not that they hadn't been strained previously, but it was far different, more weighted, now.
"Naruto that's not-" be it rare but the blond felt his own gaze turn to stone, the gravitas of his stare for once more than a joke with such the intensity of a meek rain storm. It was weighted and maintained without qualm, there was little guilt circling him at that moment, for he knew the excuses which would come forth; and he had no wish to hear them. It was not an object for debate, it was a decision, he was merely informing the man of it. His sky-likened irises clashing with the warm oak colour of his Mother's, before the latter relented with a shifting expression of exasperation and flickered eyes that turned to his tea instead of his son. A nod was the answer he received, it was not quite what he wanted, but Naruto was satisfied with the response nonetheless. He absentmindedly smelled the stew he was working on, trickling thoughts coming almost traitorously into his mind. It was commonality when he cooked, he often processed his own thoughts better, with more clarity as they sorted themselves faster in his head; a trick which might've been useful within classes should it be an option. That one thought he considered often, with the poking tentativeness one would use on a sleeping lioness…
Naruto had not yet 'come out,' to his Mother. It was a subject he was entirely uncertain of how to breach. For he had no particular clues to judge his parent's perception of homosexual individuals. Neither of them paid any true attention to political issues so he couldn't glean a perception from that, and it was still slightly taboo on television. Homosexuality was becoming more acceptable then it had been, and there was some good representation for Omega workers, though that was rather blanketed by propaganda. Both cases were slightly difficult to work within regardless.
As it were, Omegas were widely classified as shameful, and in more explicit circles -disgusting. The vaguely accepted custom was a pretty Omega man falling for a handsome Alpha woman who could provide for them- or visa versa. However, society did view such unions with a dour eye, in such a marriage it was pure expectation that their Alpha keep their wife at home as much as possible, albeit the idea being widely accepted, despite its generally exasperated response. However, in rich and influential circles it was highly criticized; when rich, an Alpha married a pretty Beta, that was the accepted standard and nothing else. Many nobility had apparently disowned several sons or daughters for wedding an Omega, in past and present.
An Alpha male and an Omega male, or Alpha female with an Omega female, were far worse off; though legal, it was slandered by all classifications of person, rich and poor, black and white; scandals involving such partners often tore down any respect or status an Alpha had within society. There were plenty of cases which doctrined his fear; beatings in the street, open discrimination… Naruto knew his Mother was a lot younger in comparison to many parents, but nonetheless, he was uncertain as to how the man viewed things. The mere thought of asking him- or coming forth directly was comparable to walking over a drawbridge with one rope nearly worn away. On occasion Naruto wondered, briefly, and without any true rationality- if his encounter with that one female Alpha nigh four years ago; has caused his distaste for women. Though he knew that was not the case, rarely, he wished it were.
The click of their old electric kettle sounded and Naruto allowed himself to be pulled away from his own sombre musings.
He knew that eventually, he could figure out an adequate way to admit, even if it weren't exactly direct. Perhaps when he managed to get over his juvenile crush on a man whom hardly acknowledged his existence; and found a man who valued his unique ambitions, and personality, oh and didn't mind that he'd be continually criticized and harassed for loving an Omega, and a male one at that. Because typically speaking, Omega's whom attempted to make change within modern society, be that social norms, or merely business; were silenced rather fast by conservatives and the many different OIH (Omega's In-Home) factions around the world. Naruto had heard that the United States had been plagued with one such faction nearly as radical as the KKK. On occasion, the news reported their more grievous activities, but even the broadcasters -whom were supposed to be neutral- appeared to be inclined to validate the actions in some manner. Britain, in general, was considerably less extreme. That did not make it breezy to be one of his own and self-sufficient in his country.
A cup of tea was placed in front of him as he considered his options for possible jobs, brushing away the sting of his own closeted status.
Though pioneering, Omega jobs were still rather clearly labeled- into more domicile careers. Indeed it was well known that many Omega's were not allowed to receive post-secondary education as he had. The most high-paying jobs included: Nurse, Teacher (usually Secondary-Sex Studies or Sex Education,)- Flight Attendant, Personal Assistant -though that one was rather ludicrous for claims of sexual scandal,- Actor, and Surrogate. Naruto knew he would not grasp a career of such high standing, but there were acceptable places where he could gain minimal enough income that would reduce his Mum to merely one job and gain the much needed extra money to their home. Babysitting was a possibility despite the moniker that Omega's were disgusting, all three secondary-sexes generally agreed that they made the best maternal figures, the blond knew he was capable of watching over children or infants- that much was plainly obvious considering his circumstance. Another viable option was housecleaning, it was a commonplace job for persons of O' status, and though he was not particularly inclined to cleaning himself, that is, after himself -an example of that being the kitchen and its long-held stain of the unknown,- it would be a far more stable income then babysitting. Regardless he did need an opportunity particularly suited to work around being an active student and other his responsibilities, and neither of those options were viable within his situation.
He sipped on his tea without thought, it burned a slight on his tongue, but the teabag had been seeped long enough that the liquid was not scalding.
The clank of ceramic caught his attention, for the pronouncement of the sound; his Mother reached into one of his pockets to pull out a minorly crumpled letter. "I was planning on taking it on myself next week, but… I've never seen you back down before and I doubt you will now, so…" He was faced with sweetened chocolate brown eyes staring at him in accompaniment with a fond -if fondly exasperated- smile. The letter held out to him paper shaking so minutely he would have missed it were he not watching his Mama's hands as he passed it to him. He took it with no small enthusiasm, he had merely been planning on informing the other man that he intended to look for work; he had not expected an actual opportunity to be passed to him by the man himself. Joviality rushed into his gut with a sweeping force, springing him forward and grappling the older man into a clutched embrace, strengthened and a slight uncomfortable with the small bouncing of the blond's feet refusing to stay still. A fragile laugh escaped the other Omega for his son's sudden exuberance.
"Thank you!"
"You haven't even looked at it!" The blond pulled away abruptly enough to shift both of their balances, causing a brief tilting on both their ends, though it was such a common experience neither had an issue stabilizing. The paper was nearly torn by excitement as Naruto unfolded it to examine the contents, hardly focusing; for he knew that whatever lay inside he would be accepting- if they had accepted his Mum, an Omega, certainly he -Naruto- wouldn't be too big a shift in difference for them to complain. Though he had never held a paid job before, prior to being adopted he and the other children were expected to maintain the orphanage grounds and keep the building relatively clean. There had also been smaller children then he, shunted off into the dower place merely because they had been born as Omega- a shame unto any good breed family, and he had helped care for them as best as a, nary, toddler could.
The paper was written as if it had been printed on a typewriter, each letter large and bulked, but it did make for a professional appearance despite the oddity. In reading it was not what he had been expecting exactly, though the job most certainly suited his Mum, as his two other jobs it was that of a caretaker. This one however, rather then with watching over children, was for a nursing home. Sky eyes blinked for the change, but could not truly dwell on the fact, most jobs available to Omega were those involving caring or nurturing others. Caring for the elderly- or indeed whomever needed permanent care,- was a wonderful job in Naruto's opinion, one he was well adapt to at this point, and even if the opportunity had been presented to him by his Mother in some manner as an act of sympathy- he would have most certainly have chosen it himself. Several of his friends on campus had frequently told him he was a people person -if not people-pleaser to a degree; he wasn't certain what label he would fit into in his group of outlandish friends, but the blond would wager on the 'outgoing, comforting' one, even if that might not be the general opinion. They were personality traits he assumed would work well within a nursing environment.
The letter specifically stated to come in with soft clothing with a feminine appearance as to portray a 'warm' disposition; what that meant, and in all candour Naruto could not fathom. All of his clothes were Omegan in nature as it were so he could not see a particular problem arising from his manner of dress, but perhaps they wished for a certain type of clothing.
He flinched at reading the top of the letter: "Dear Mr. Umino, we would be most pleased to work with you-" It was to be expected of course, Naruto could snort at himself for his own discomfort, his Mother had been the one applying, not himself.
"Mama, don't you think they'll find it strange that I come in instead of you?- I mean I'm not the one they hired." Another snort was heard, larger then his own and far more dismissive then amused, humor in chocolate eyes as they rested upon his own. His mug almost hiding the amusement on the other man's face, were it not for the upturn of his cheeks and upwards curve around his eyes it would have been missed. Naruto reached for his own cup, he was thirsty, and the amused glimmer in his Mother's eyes was one he knew well enough to understand it was mocking, he almost wanted to pout for it.
"I don't think they'll care Naruto, at the moment they- and many like them, are very desperate for workers. Just skillfully hide the top of the letter, the part with my name- and merely show them the acceptance part, then you should be let in no problem. You'll only have to tell them your name later on I imagine, there wasn't even an interview involved when I applied- they don't know what I look like." On one half that was reassuring news, pretending to be his own Mother would be profoundly strange; on the other hand for them to be desperate for workers was disturbing. It was a nursery home, there should be an acceptable staff to care for those most vulnerable in society.
"Why are they short?" He was frowning and he got a much similar expression in return. Although, there followed with the other Omega the heavy clank of his cup onto the counter, and a short sigh.
"Its a new action of the OCWS they're encouraging Omegas to stay clear of the typical caretaking and nursing jobs -the stereotypes, as some sort of protest. They're trying to get the monarchy's attention onto the problem by showcasing us as a vital part of society and therein resend Bill 64. Because naturally, Alpha's stay clear from such jobs for the sake of their pride, and Betas tend to lack the necessary parental instinct required for such positions, not to mention they too, avoid that type of work. If you ask me its a bloody stupid move." Personally, Naruto for all his liberalism agreed, though he knew too little for fair judgement, he could only come to think of those who would suffer for the move. No doubt the Society were doing and had done much good in advocating for working Omega's, yet their methods were more then often a bit unrelenting, gauche in some cases, while uncomfortably callous in others, despite their noble intentions. Candidly, Naruto was hesitant to support them, regardless of the luminance he saw in their cause. "As a result many of those O's who can afford to, are quitting for the advocation-" unspoken the thought whispered in the air between them 'the only ones who could really afford to were those who were married, or were supported exclusively by their parents.' Single Omegas and -single- working Mother's would not be able to follow with the protest if they wished to; even with his disagreement of the methodology, Naruto knew, and could understand why many would want to follow.
He let the strong taste of his tea to calm his nerves slightly, the circumstance benefited him, yet there was an itch of invisible dirt on his skin because of the reasoning. Itching a slight greater as he scratched at his cheeks, knowing he would take the opportunity presented regardless. Tomorrow would most certainly be better, his interview was not for a few days true, and he had morning classes; he would be able to cuddle his greatest warmths at the end of the day. It was his greatest joy.
Thursday found him once again in a seat overwatching his history class- it was his elective,- wishing for an excuse to escape. The entire class was a dull experience, not merely for the monotonous tone their instructor drawled in; presenting each fact with all the exuberance of a statue explaining what it had seen over the centuries. There was also the fact none of his friends sat near- nor within the class with him, they were all scattered about throughout the grounds at this time of day. Worsened however, beyond the monotony of the voice at the front, the stagnant air he settled within upon every entry into the room; but on his side, closeby, his crush sat. With perception, Naruto knew that the other man enjoyed the class with no larger amount then he himself did, a small comfort. Sasuke could not care for what was being presented, nor for the flock of prim young Beta women grappling for his attention once more, as they always did. Cerulean eyes glared to the wood of an unmoving desk, clenching throat choking his breaths off.
It was a saddening fact, for with all the options he had been presented with, everything he could have chosen as an elective; he had chosen British History, because Sasuke was in it. A weakness he had retained, just hoping that perhaps once again he could simply talk to the Alpha, and reforge their friendship- it weren't even the desire for a romantic connection, merely an acknowledgement of his presence at this dismal point. The snap of something hit the whiteboard up front and many eyes followed his own to stare at the rather ired teacher at front. Her posture did not betray her emotions, but the twist of her lips certainly spoke volumes as to her opinion of their disinterest.
"If all of you will please focus on chapter twenty-six? You will be writing a detailed essay this weekend on which countries were part of the Allied Powers, and whom belonged in the Central Powers, with particular emphasis on why which each different country allied with their side." There were some loud groans, alongside grunts of displeasure and the odd interested sound of those who truely enjoyed the class material. Naruto was of the first category, noting- rather pathetically, that Sasuke was part of the second. Everyone moved to get up, and the blond found himself with a surge of courage intermingled with his own self-directed irritation, he stared at the alabaster-toned man, ignoring the scampering idiots nearby the man, trying to stuff all their supplies into their bags as quickly as humanly -or inhumanly- possible so they might have the chance to talk to him before he left.
"Oi bastard!" It was far from his smoothest conversation opener, yet it gained attention from the man, he was faced with a rather mellow expression of irked amusement. The sight of a raised eyebrow depicting obvious -if mild- curiosity, and not avoidance or exasperation, was not what the irritated Omega had been expecting. There was no smile present on the other man's features, but Naruto knew that he was in fact witnessing kindness from the other as no glare rested within deepest grey eyes. He licked at his chapped lips for the sight, happy for the shift, but also a margin confused on how to speak now that he was uncertain of the other man's attitude towards him. "I- I- was wondering, if, uh, you might consider studying with me for this one?" It was far from what he had been desiring to say, there was a whole depiction, a vivid illusionment of a confrontation between the two of them, as Naruto finally yelled Sasuke out for his dower behaviour. Now however, he had little desire to do so, because the white man's sudden lack of dismissive nature was unravelling the Omega's previous conceptions of the man.
"I can't, my brother has something planned for this weekend." Fingernails bit into the pinkened palms of his hands, as his lips while usually full and smiling thinned into a line of discontentment. He wasn't trying to grapple for the man's attention, but the grain of hope he'd been manifesting oh so suddenly, just fell into his darkened pit of emotions just as suddenly. However, because his gaze did not stray from his former friends' Naruto saw the shift in expression so subtly depicted. A mere loosening of the muscles around the eyes, a small lowering of the top eyelid, the way the naturally crossed eyebrows moved so minimally upwards. Nothing more was said despite the lighter expression, but he felt his own tensed disappointment flee at the near-softened look Sasuke presented him with before the man whisked out of the room. Truly, the blond had no way of dictating, designating, what that change meant; for he knew how to read Sasuke's shifts in moods, but many times he couldn't translate them into a rational human comprehension of feeling. The Alpha was too damn confusing for any normal mortal to understand.
The kinky-haired man ended up violently shoving his books into his bag, much the same as certain fangirls did previously, and he stomped out of the classroom. The slam of his own backpack hitting his back and buttocks blunt from his unneeded aggression slowing his pace and lightening his thunderous footfalls suddenly. Breathing through his nose with heavy inhales of no true necessity, he knew he was in the wrong, Sasuke hadn't done anything worth being angry over, despite their separation, Naruto knew the man had always been incredibly -rudely, blunt. Should he have not wanted to spend time together the Alpha would have simply said that with little courtesy, and much disregard. Naruto scratched at the whitened patch at his neck, laughing a for his own stupid automatic reaction, sheepish. It was his final class of the day, and he was to meet his small group of friends; he was rather excited to tell them about his newfound job opportunity, he had not even told them he had been looking. Though he was uncertain as to how they would react, each of his friends had a unique opinion of SS-Equality (ss; secondary sex), despite having known all of them for many years there was a vague dull cast shadow looming over some of their smiles and encouragement. Still, even if their reply was somewhat negative, he always had his excuse to escape any denigration before it began, an acceptable one which would close mouths and produce comprehensive nods.
He waved avidly upon seeing the familiar beacon of bright pale pink hair. She waved rather eagerly in return, a grin befitting her genial disposition firmly displayed as she did so. Beside her were two other familiar faces, one wearing flamboyant green- seemingly in opposition to their female companion; he was grinning broadly, albeit slightly more exuberantly then the pink-haired woman. The last person was a rather neutral man in comparison to the bold blond, bubblegum pinkette and bright grinning man. Naruto ran the small distance to them, taking a up the space inbetween the group- observing Sakura's interesting style choice fot the day, she had a rather unique sense of personal style, no less, and no more expressive then Lee- the grinning ravenet with audacious green clothing. Sakura was the only Alpha of the group- she was bold in showing it as well. Different from most, though plainly stating the fact; currently she wore tight black jeans with many chains dangling from the sides, a t-shirt which clung to her broadly muscled frame black and depicting pink gothic crosses upon it. Her hair was dyed a softened pink however in a ragged, slanted, bob; portraying an innocence she did not possess. It was not an Omegan look, it was actually quite Alphan but it was a new style-type that had traditionalists up in arms, the pastel colour of her hair was not really seen as appropriate.
As he always did, he regarded her appearance with a questioning eye, and perhaps a bit of a giggle he failed to properly conceal. "What you laughin' at Naruto?!" Immediately he held up his hands in mock surrender, his breathy chuckles doing nothing to solidify his innocence.
"Ah but Sakura! The vibrancy of your bold and handsome appearance is merely too much for any Omega to handle! I wonder if I am truly even standing right now!" There was the dramatic eye-roll of mint irises that all gathered had expected, as the pinkette lost her interest in being annoyed. More so by being exasperated at Lee's rather old-fashioned style of flirting. Really, Naruto felt bad for his green-highlighted friend, the Alpha did not even realize that the man was often -if not always- sincerely flirting with her.
Lee, was an Omega much as himself, and Naruto relished in his company- the man was one of a kind, compassionate, physically and mentally strong -outlandishly so for what society thought of Omega's- brave, and a true loyal friend. O's in general were hardly common, they only made up 9% of the global population. The blond always felt grateful to have met Lee despite the menial percentage, he loved each of his friends but it was comforting to speak to someone who could easily understand his Omegan-orientated troubles. Lee tended to fit himself into anything with a shade of green, his wardrobe was filled with the colour, he typically stirred towards rather androgynous clothing, his favourites being tracksuits and sportswear, but Naruto had seen the man wear a knee-length skirt once, and the thighs he saw were so muscled he could have mistaken them for an Alpha's any day; that said, Lee pulled it off with so much confidence and candidly the dark-skinned beauty had found his friend to be completely gorgeous that day, even if stereotypes did not. There was always exuberance in his mocha brown irises, eyes which were wide with excitement, with the joy of life every day -so the man put it.- His hair was almost comedically shiny, a gorgeous jet-black cut into a rather ugly bowl hairstyle, which Naruto had practically begged him to change, selfishly for the sake of his own eyes. He had yet to make progress in that argument.
Neji was the last of their group, quiet and often philosophical he was the most practical out of all of them, and had a general sense of rationality that all three of them lacked. He was a Beta, a man with light-appearing lilac, grey eyes, made unique by his case of aniridia, and in contrast to his coffee-coloured hipbone length hair, blending with his ivory skintone. His suits often reflected his rather, bland demeanour, with shades of grey and no colour, as far as the blond could remember having seen. Regardless, despite his personality being tame and rather the opposite of everyone else in their group- he was an exceedingly passionate man whom was most certainly a genius. The man regaled them often with old stories of his ancestors -apparently nobility- and different, but intriguing philosophical and occasionally moral viewpoints, and economics -which Naruto frequently fell asleep to.
Naruto trusted each of them implicitly, they had been there three -four- years ago when he had been in deep trouble and hadn't abandoned him. Sakura had been the most upset about everything- not really comprehending the ramifications and consequences included. Alpha rarely did according to what Naruto knew, but she had tried and remained his friend to this day regardless. Neji had given him rational options after extensively researching the subject, and Lee had been a large, and necessary emotional support, there had been many times in the middle of the night when Naruto had called -rather abrasively- crying in stress and the sweet man had not once complained.
"Hi to you too Sakura." She fondly smirked at him as they walked to the nearest chip shop, Neji was buying today and the blond couldn't be happier for it- the man had more money than the rest of them. Lee was bouncing up and down, and though he wasn't always prone to Naruto found himself skipping in a similar manner, neither of their companions commented on their strange behaviour- it was common for both of them.
"My friend! How are the adorably youthful Jiraiya and Mabui?" They were all smiling widely at the question, but he could not find it in himself to smile brightly, melancholy held his expression, a spring of worry tickling in his chest as it always did. A lump in his throat. All of their demeanours changed at his lack of enthusiasm, pinched brows and worried glances easily sliding between each of them.
"I don't know, their Father took them for the weekend." The word was spat out accompanied by spittle flying out of his mouth as he spoke the title. It was an insult to call the woman that, for she did not deserve it in any way, and regardless of his typical benevolent nature, Naruto resented- loathed, that Alpha with nigh every speck of his being. Yet, he had no choice, the court order had been clear that mutual custody was necessary. For eight months the woman had been completely oblivious of the fact that he had been pregnant, but she had caught wind and challenged his claim of custody. It had been a very difficult process because neither he nor his Mother could afford a lawyer despite the desperation of the circumstance and had been forced to represent themselves without understanding the nuances of their case as it stood in law. Yet, the judge had been a traditionally inclined one, luckily not entirely for she had taken some consideration to his situation. For while Naruto and his Mother both resented the woman for ignoring the fact that the conception had been the result of sexual assault, they were marginally pacified because she had also ordered the Father to pay child support and allowed Naruto primary custody.
Sakura growled, describing his own feelings of the matter very well, neither of his other companions questioning the sound. Lee held his hand in silent reassurance. "That bloody woman, I 'ought to strangle her one day, or break her jaw, or both." It was weak but the blond managed a tepid smile toward her, grateful for her protective nature. They were not in any way romantically inclined towards each other, but her protectiveness of him and his children was often warming, soothing because for all intents and purposes, it should have been his co-parent acting as such -if a slight more aggressive in response. Sakura did not slot into Jiraiya's and Mabui's lives as a Father figure, she was more preserved as an honourary Uncle. To society, an unmarried Mother was a disgusting idea, promoting those who were and would be as prostitutes, and the pinkette had stood by his side regardless, her status in the school considerably affected by the fact. Whence their class and teachers found out about his children, their response had been spiteful, luckily he hadn't been asked to leave.
"Actually, I will- well, probably will, be getting a job soon." That earned sharp attention from the Alpha and Beta both of the group, poignant gazes of mint and colouded lilac shifted to him with a simultaneous almost audible snap of irises. A pressure on his hand nigh just as sudden, though it followed with the jerk of his entire body as he was suddenly pushed against a muscled body, check pressed hard against the other Omega's -rather hard, and therefore uncomfortable- pectorals. Arms with impressive definition holding him firm in place. Omegas did not build muscle with ease by any standard, Lee's ability often astounded him, for the exuberant man was more clearly packed with muscles then most Alpha Naruto knew, nevermind Beta. The simple action had him laughing, it was a common occurrence after all, especially as Lee declared his happiness in his decision with great congratulation, his chest rising heavily from each exclamation. The man was ridiculous, a rare breed whom could find joy in anything- a great optimism which Naruto himself typically shared; though the blond had his moments of weakness, whereas Lee- Naruto had only ever seen the man saddened, and dare he say, actually angry; was when Naruto had announced his pregnancy -and in turn the rape that it resulted from.
Though it was smouldered a little at the ice-tinted gazes his other two friends were glancing at him with.
His pocket then started vibrating, though he wore such baggy -secondhand- pants he was surprised he could feel it at all. He pushed gently away, already in the midst of a struggle to grasp the old blackberry from his deep pockets. His stupidly large sweater not aiding either. They were old clothes that they'd got at clearance price at the thrift store, they were from the Alpha section, and though they were comfortable enough, Naruto always resented the fact that they weren't very Omegan. The melody of 'For Elise,' stopped as he answered. His phone was very rarely used, for emergency necessities, his Mother, and his children's Father were the only contacts he had.
Therein, he had been a little disturbed that to not recognize the number calling. "Hello?"
"Naruto Uzumaki?" The voice was unfamiliar, though passive enough to be cordial.
"Yes?" There was a small amount of murmuring from the other end. Naruto squirmed a little on the spot, a sweat beginning to form on his hands, contemplating if he should simply hang up.
"Mr. Uzumaki. I have some… rather urgent news. Could you please come to the London Police Station right away?" Something gripped tightly unto his throat and wouldn't let go. He nodded before realizing that the line was silent and that the man on the other side couldn't see.
"Yes, yes, um, in thirty minutes or so, I'll be there, is something-" He wasn't quite certain what to ask, but urgency was spiking into his mind, and adrenaline was starting to flow.
"-it's best if we tell you here Mr. Uzumaki, I will be waiting for you at reception." The line fell dead, therein the phone fell from his grip within that next second as well, it hit the concrete with near to no sound, but Naruto could hear nothing else within that moment. There was a grievous wrong ongoing within the world, though he did not yet know what it was, for the police to call him was more then frightening, especially with such cryptic response. Had it been Iruka, his Mama , he would have found a bit of calm in his gut. Yet, this had been an official, probably relaying to him because of emergency information- an emergency contact; he was shaking. Gentle, fingers pressed against his cheek, the tingle making his lines itch everso slightly.
"What's wrong?" Sakura's voice was firm, not quite stern, but rather prepared, ideas flying through her head Naruto knew. He swallowed for the intense gaze she rested upon him, the warm feeling of Lee's large palm on his shoulder, and Neji's ivory hand holding out his old blackberry. His breath stuttered frantically in his chest for a moment, because he wasn't certain how to react. Before he managed to still himself, and focus. His eyes turned into gemstones as he walked with no small amount of vigour to the bus stop, knowing there was a direct route to the Police Station in perhaps fifteen minutes. He did not yet know the situation, and as it were, he was not going to allow himself to panic until he knew there was a good reason; and hopefully not then either. His senses were working with precision and hyperfocus was clarifying every unimportant detail of the bench afore him -it was heavily scratched in four places, and the wood colouring was faded, chips in the metal bars at the sides.- His brain worked double as he calculated mentally how long it would be until the bus arrived, though Naruto was far from an innate genius in mathematics. The bright red double-decker coming around the corner immediately caught his eye.
"Naruto who was that?" Monotone came from behind him and he fought the instinct to kick it away and continue on his way. Rationality however told him it was Neji, and he allowed himself to breathe a slight more with the familiar voice.
"The police, something happened." The wanting, the yearning to say more, to give a vast explanation on circumstance and reasoning pitched his throat inside itself. But he had no such thing to tell, he knew nothing. Only that he was the emergency contact for his Mother, and his children and there was nothing for them to contact him for otherwise. Less he was being convicted for a crime- a matter which he would have much preferred to finding out something had happened to either one; although if he had then his co-parent might gain custody of their children and he would never allow that not even while in prison. There were no more voices behind him, but there was a hand in both of his fingers and an iron clad grip from each one. He needn't look to see that one wore bright green nail polish and the other a black shade, the hand on his back was self-explanatory. Both Sakura and Lee went ahead of him when entering the bus, their grip on his hands not relenting, a fact to be thankful for, because even with Neji's hand on his back he felt as if he could fall away from the short steps while the blood pounded in his ears instead of the rest of his body.
The atmosphere within the police station shifted immediately upon his entry, though he had no perspective of what it had been previously. Whence the glass door had been pulled open -rather violently- by Sakura's considerably impressive strength -she was stronger the Lee no doubt, one of the only other persons he had seen to be,- every single cop within glanced at him. No one's stare lingered, but were quick to look and swiftly moved away with a discomforting speed. The noise which had been audible prior to entering dimmed to a hush, and when walking further in there were softened -cracked- smiles cast his way. It made him wish to choke away the horrid feeling crushing his windpipe. He met the eyes of a rather tall man middle-aged man with grey streaked hair and a gentile expression, his entire posture controlled and professional, hand resting over top the other, standing straight, yet, there was a small freckle of defensive apprehension that the blond could not ignore. His mouth moved to speak, but nothing came forth the first time, a bit of a gagging sound escaping first; he then held his posture higher. Regaining his determined mindset and fixating himself to a less pessimistic viewpoint.
"Officer." Pride tingled down his spine for the lack of wavering in his tone. The man gave him a kind nod in return, the flick of a smile gracing his lips for a moment.
"Mr. Uzumaki, if your friends could wait out in the lobby? I think it'd be best to speak in private." He held his shoulders stiff, he would not put upon the common disposition of a weakened little Omega crumbling under pressure. It was terribly broken, but he managed to smile up at the man with teeth showing ever so slightly, still, his nerves displayed as he scratched at the patches on his cheeks. A weakened, poor excuse of a laugh falling out of his lips also made his disposition rather obvious, he followed with a hardened step, however, head held high as they walked into a rather large office. Not bothering to correct his manner of address to the man even though it was plain he was actually the chief. There was only a certain amount of respect one could betray unto persons who convicted and searched you for walking in the street past sundown, merely for walking. Nor did he bother sitting down. The Alpha did prominently groan as he sat in his ostentatious desk chair.
"I'm afraid I have some bad news." Naruto crossed his arms, that much had been evident, but he did not advert his gaze, he stared down the police chief and stood firm. For his part the man only nodded to himself as a type of reaction. "There was an… incident earlier today." A pit formed deep into his abdomen. "According to witnesses, a silver Sudan turned the corner onto Oxford Street where Ms. Nii was walking with her two children-" dread had him sinking down onto the plush couch in the corner of the room, something heavy hammering onto his brain, inside his ears. "-It spead up almost immediately thereafter, despite the red light ahead; a gun, specifically an M16, was fired from the passenger side multiple times, twenty civilians were injured from the attack including two deaths. Your partner-" Naruto did not so much as tense for the word, making no protest, he held no strength to do so, everything was ringing within his ears- what was everything? Even he did not know, his surroundings were simply too loud and yet all silence had descended around him. "-Ms. Nii was shot in her right leg, her liver was also pierced, she then fell down and her head hit across a bicycle rack in the process. She is currently at the hospital being treated, however, I've been told that she has fallen into a coma." His fingers were trembling terribly for the news, he and Yugito had never gotten along, she was a cruel woman- with all that she had done to him, yet he could find no desire to be maliceful in knowing that she had been shot twice, and now in a coma. What was gripping his attention was not her condition, but the fact he had said that his children had been with her at the time of the attack. His children whom were not cuddling his legs, in his arms, nor in the room at all.
The Alpha walked around his desk and partially sat on the edge, but in a rare move one hardly ever saw from any Alpha, his brown eyes were not focused on Naruto himself. Rather towards the stack of papers on his desk, the blond felt his lip trembling. "Your children-" Naruto found no will to breathe, nor swallow, his eyes itched with his defiance to blink. The man pulled his hands harshly down his own face, stretching skin and managed to stare into his guest's eyes, mouth a thin line. "-I'm so sorry Mr. Uzumaki. Your daughter… she was-" he pulled his words back, "-she didn't make it." Everything drew blurred around him all things suddenly in kaleidoscope, a sheen of white afflicting everything, as he acknowledged that his body had shifted. Foul coming up his esophagus, that which he could not see in truth only the heaving of his body as he threw up- where, he did not know. There was someone rubbing his back, and he could vaguely comprehend that he was heaving with sobs not just nausea.
They had been unplanned, the result of an assault, he had not been able to receive an abortion because Omega were not permitted to get one after the third month. He had been sixteen- seventeen years old when he was pregnant. Living with his Mother and still within the boundaries of high school. Their birth had been painful, the labour had lasted for over eight hours, and he had been overdue. However, after eight hours of suffering, sweat and his Mum's comforting tones he had birthed two beautiful children. An Alpha boy, and a Beta girl, both of them had been healthy and strong. There had been a scare originally because Jiraiya was born with a honey-toned skin colour, juxtaposing Naruto's umber skin, while his sister had been born with a creamy expresso brown skin; their resident doctor had laughed at the fact but had informed both the confused nurses attending and Naruto himself that it was in fact possible, just more than a little rare for a white baby to be birthed by a black Mother. Both his children had been born with ice-blond hair which was closer to their Father's vanilla shade than Naruto's own ridiculously bright golden tresses. Originally both their eyes had been a pale blue, but Jiraiya's had turned into a mocha brown- nary black, while Mabui's had shifted into a deepened emerald. That had been three years ago, and though it had been trying to raise both of them, he had never regretted his decision to keep them.
Now his daughter was gone. His three-year-old daughter, killed.
The ringing in his ears was frantically loud, but he squeezed his mouth shut, no muscle truly obeying the command because he could hardly control anything in that moment. Still, his vocal cords worked. "M-m-m- ii-i so-uh-n?" It was hardly coherent, yet as the world began coming back into a type of comprehensible vision, he could see the Alpha nod in response.
"He's safe Mr. Uzumaki, I'm really sorry, I should have said so sooner; just a few bruises- he's sleeping just in the other room." Immediately, he attempted to rise to his feet, everything in his vision was shifting from side to side, and there was an ever present blur- like a sheen over his eyes. His balance felt off and he instinctively latched on to the officer's arm so that he could walk. The man didn't make a protest as Naruto found himself guided into the adjoining room, but despite his disorientation he ran, stumbled, and fell towards the plush couch where his son was laying swaddled in a blanket and making those small mouth movements he always did in his sleep. He gently grabbed the toddler's tiny torso and pulled his son on top of himself still huddled in the blanket, head pressed to his chest and small body covered as much as possible by his shaking Mother's arms, Jiraiya did not wake, even in his early infancy he had been a heavy sleeper. Instinctually, Naruto found himself rocking backwards and forwards, a hum coming forth, before a quiet song flowed as liquid from his lips. The lyrics, however, were lost from his thoughts. There was nothing to think, save the soft breathing upon his collarbone, the warm body he held in his arms, he had nothing else to focus on. There were tears down his cheeks, wetness, and his figure shook as paper in the breeze- more fragile, his chest heaved with gasps more drastic then a suffocated man granted air. Yet, no thoughts came, nye, instinct took its hold instead.