Dusk held naught but torment for the young Omega. Sweat dripped down his forehead into his eyes and blinded him. His whole body was humming with an animal sense of urge to breed, but he wouldn't. Shiro didn't want to breed him, and he immensely respected the calm Alpha for that. He didn't want to give away something that wouldn't mean anything in the next two years, but on the off chance he did, he knew who he wanted to give it to.

Pidge watched Shiro work, how sweat poured from him like a waterfall as he cleaned and moved things around in Pidge's new Safe Zone. Already, vases of special, genetically-altered moonflowers dotted every surface, but Pidge couldn't smell them over the sudden overwhelming scent of Alpha. It took Shiro two different times before Pidge answered him, blinking owl eyes at him. "What?" "I asked if you wanted anything extra put into the room?" Shiro stepped aside, allowing the Omega to access the Safe Zone. The second the door was shut behind him, the sharp, calming scent of the moonflowers invaded his every sense. They whispered calming words as the natural scent got to work within his glands. Gone were the urges, gone was the pain, and his mind was blissfully blank of any animal urge. He breathed deeply, smiling in happiness. He did a small three-sixty turn to take everything in, beaming at Shiro who entered the room. "It's perfect," he whispered, hugging him. Shiro smiled as he hugged back, but suddenly pulled away. "Pidge, I want to ask you a serious question. I shouldn't be because of your age, but I must." Pidge cocked his head, curious. "Would.. I mean, it's understandable if you say no, but I thought it might help, since most Omegas do this. Do you remember the toy company I mentioned a while ago?" A nod. "They're having a sale this weekend, and... I thought about buying you something to help you if you can't get to the Safe Zone. I've noticed you've been watching me for the past few weeks, before your heat started." Here, he sat down on the bed.

"Pidge, it's perfectly fine to feel like that. I don't mind the looks, honestly. I do, however, mind your wellbeing. I've been thinking hard, and, I've wanted to ask you this... Please don't take it the wrong way. Those toys are specifically designed for Omegas. But, they've been known to take the virginity of those who've never used them before. If you could give it to someone, even in the body you hate now, who would it be?" Shiro already knew the answer. What he didn't expect was Pidge's reaction. The young Omega clambered up onto the bed and hugged Shiro, who blinked and slowly hugged back. "You should already know the answer to that, Shiro," he said, smiling a bit. Shiro flushed, his heart in his throat. He knew this wasn't the heat; they were in the Safe Zone. Heat didn't exist here. So he cleared his throat, nodding.

Shiro held Pidge close, surprised when the young Omega had fallen asleep. He was wide awake just a moment ago. Shiro laid him down, smiling slightly. He tucked him in, then quietly stepped from the room after turning the light off.

The new dawn light tempted Pidge's eyes, but he didn't want to open them, mainly because he knew the hell that would await him the moment he stepped from the Safe Zone. So, he compromised. He would go get food, then he would shower. After that, he would return to the Safe Zone. He rose from the bed, slipping his shoes on. When he stepped from the room, it felt as if the safety melted away, and reality punched him in the gut. The first thing he noticed was the smell. Something warm and buttery, like toast, led him to the kitchen, where Shiro stood at the counter, scooping out small dollops of cookir dough onto a buttered pan. Pidge smiled at the motions, going to the Alpha, stealing a small clump of dough off of the tray and popping it into his mouth. Shiro cast a glance at him, momentarily glaring, before he laughed, expression softening with a warm smile that lit his face up.

"Do you feel better today, Pidge?" He asked, and the Omega nodded with a grin. It wasn't a lie. He didn't feel the urge to breed, and the previous pain in his abdomen was gone. Shiro took an experimental sniff, before sighing. "Congratulations, Pidge. You survived your very first heat without needing to breed," he said, turning to the cookies again, finishing the preparations and popping the tray into the oven.

"How many pills do you have left?" Shiro asked, looking at Pidge, who took a quick mental check. He had taken one last night, and if he didn't forget to take one tonight, he would be down to five, but if he did forget, he would still have six. "I have six left," he said finally, confident in his calculations. Shiro nodded, pleased. "Good. I'm going into town today, so I want you to come with me. It's time you saw the world outside of the garden." Pidge squeaked with a note of excitement, hurrying to get dressed.

The town was fascinating. Small booths were set up everywhere where the shop fronts couldn't reach, and there was a plethora of movement. Something flashed in the corner of Pidge's eye, and he turned in that direction. A small mirror winked at him, and, mesmerized for a moment, he looked down into it, shocked at who stared back.

Bushy, spiky, chestnut hair seemed to spill out all over his head, while from behind circular frames, intelligent, chestnut eyes glinted with an ever-present sense of knowledge. He noticed a smudge on his cheek, which he wiped away. He tilted the mirror down. A green-and-white shirt covered his chest. At first glance, you couldn't tell Pidge was a girl unless you looked very closely. Then, small details made themselves known. The slight rise of his binder beneath his shirt, securely fastened just tight enough that it wasn't hazardous, the slope of his neck to a sharp chin that jutted from a moon-shaped face, soft in its appearance. Lower down, his knees were knobbly and lightly scarred. A few of those scars were from when he was younger and he always got himself hurt. The freshest ones were from his father.

He suddenly felt sick, turning away from the mirror. Looking around, he tried to find Shiro, and grew frightful when he didn't see him. He turned to a shop, and on a whim, he went inside. Within, shelves were to the ceiling, stocked to the point of bowing under the weight of hundreds of books. Pidge's eyes glittered as he took in the sights presented to him. Immediately, he grabbed for something to put books into, happy when his hands closed over a stack of wicker picnic baskets. He grabbed one up and began his journey.

Shiro turned away from the fishmonger, thanking her. When he didn't see Pidge, he began to panic, looking through every shop window.

"Pidge?! Pidge?!" He grew frightful and sick before he stumbled face-first into the library's front windows. He blinked, looking through the window, hurrying inside once he caught sight of Pidge. Pidge blinked, before grinning at him.

"Shiro, look! I wouldn't be able to read all of these even with all the time in the world! The nice lady said I could choose any books I wanted," he said, eyes bright and gleaming. Shiro looked at the librarian, who only smiled, looking at Pidge.

"We never get young men who want to read," she said softly. She carried the scent of an Omega, but it was clear her breeding days were over. "You can come here any time you like," she added, before passing Pidge a piece of paper that had lines for information. "I'll need you to fill this out for me, sweetheart. Then, I can give you your very own library card!"

Pidge was ecstatic when he and Shiro walked home that night, their arms full of baskets that swung merrily from their arms. Pidge had borrowed ten different books from the library, had purchased a new outfit with money Shiro had given him, and even made a new friend in the elderly librarian. Shiro was more than happy for his ward, and it showed in the kind way he watched the boy. However, the next thing Pidge said stopped him in his tracks.

"... my birthday tomorrow," Pidge was saying, but stopped when he noticed that Shiro wasn't beside him. He turned back, eyes bright.

"Shiro?"