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Kuon woke up to birdsong and the sound of waves with his beloved in his arms. He purred and nestled deeper in the blankets of their nest. He hadn't expected yesterday to happen the way it had, but he couldn't argue with the results. To be courting Kyoko… he buried his face in her hair, cornflower happiness floating around them. She stirred in his arms, letting out little sighs that made his heart skip.

"G'morning…" she mumbled, leaning her head so it came to rest in the crook of his neck. "Still… mad at you." She didn't sound like it. It was unfairly hard to stay mad at him when she'd gotten the best night's sleep she'd had in weeks. Not to mention how warm he was and how good he smelled. "What time is it?"

"Six something. We've got time." He pressed a kiss to her scalp.

"Need…t'make breakfast…." Though she said this, she burrowed deeper into his embrace. His heart did jumping jacks.

"We can order something. There's nothing in the fridge, anyway."

She grumbled something about disaster omegas and fell back asleep.

LINE BREAK

She woke up about an hour later, still in Kuon's arms. She yawned and stretched languidly against him, unaware of the effect she had on him. Then she met his eyes, and was steam-rolled by the amount of love in them. "...Hi."

"Hi," he echoed, leaning forward just a bit so their noses touched. "I missed you."

She blushed and ducked her head. "I missed you, too." Shit. Aren't I supposed to still be mad at him? Stupid, calming omega pheromones.

He ran a hand through her hair. "I didn't… I've not slept well. Especially not since Baarnaby started losing your scent."

"Baarnaby?"

He dug around in the blankets and held up the little black sheep she'd gotten Cain. "Baarnaby."

She stared at him for a moment, her lips pressed together, and then smacked her face against his chest. Not. Fair. Where does he get off being that cute?

"Do you not like the name?" She could smell a hint of worry in his scent.

He really does care what I think of him. "It's a good name." She leaned up and scented him, not even thinking about it until she was halfway through. Eh, fuck it. I'll be mad later.

He purred unabashedly, tilting his neck to give her better access. After yesterday, he'd been afraid she'd never want to scent him again. When she'd done so last night, he'd almost cried from relief. For her to do it again, now - he was a very happy omega.

When at last she pulled back, it was with a sense of pride. Good. Now he smells right. Then she realized what she'd just thought, and blushed to the roots of her hair. "I, uh… I'm going to go shower."

He pouted, but released her. "Okay. I'll order breakfast for you."

"And for you!" she called back, already in the bathroom.

"Yes, alpha," he said teasingly, loving it more every time he said it.

LINE BREAK

Setsu was boiling, intensifying the mix of pine and cornflowers rolling off of her. In fact, the tropical heat was making everyone's scents more intense. It was enough to make her sensitive nose scrunch. And Manaka was nearby, so her sugar cookie was overwhelming. It was enough to make Kyoko's head pound. Manaka was saying something, but she was doing a good job of tuning her out… at least until Cain walked over, and Manaka started hanging off his arm.

Maybe it was the heat. Maybe it was her being overstimulated with scents. Maybe it was leftover frustration from everything that had happened yesterday. Maybe her brain just wasn't developed yet.

But she ripped Manaka off of Cain and threw her to the ground, growling.

"Hey!" Murasame protested, but she paid him no mind.

"I'm going to say this once, so listen, brat."

Manaka whimpered. They'd been wrong - they'd all been wrong. This girl was clearly an alpha. And she was pissed.

"This man has been mine since the moment he was born. So keep your filthy paws off my nii-san."

"Y-Yes ma'am," she whimpered. Somehow, it didn't inspire the same emotions that Ren's whimpers did.

"Nii-san, let's go." She grabbed his arm and took him to their lunch room, away from Manaka's stink.

Ren let himself be led, wondering if it was bad that he'd found that hot.

LINE BREAK

"And you must eat breakfast, every day. The president gave me permission to have room service deliver it to you." She was sitting in his lap in the nest, back in Kyoko-mode. Time had come for her to leave Guam. He was doing his damndest not to whimper and beg for her to stay longer. "I want you to send me proof that you've eaten."

"Do you want to video call for proof?" That way I can talk to you every day.

She considered this for a moment, leaning back and looking up at him. "I don't know that we'd be able to do that daily, with schedules and the time difference."

"Worth a try," he mumbled, enjoying the way she shivered when he pressed a kiss to her scalp.

"Okay."

"Yeah?" Happy cornflower swirled around them.

Stop being so cute. "We can try. But on the days we can't, you still need to send me videos of you eating. Actually, do all your meals. So I know that you ate. And have a clock in the background so I know what time it is." She glared up at him, punctuating her point. "If you don't…."

"If I don't?"

"I will be upset."

"Yes, alpha," he teased, enjoying the way she flushed. "I'll send you videos."

She blushed harder and scrambled out of his lap. He couldn't hold back a pathetic little whine at the loss. "Hold on, I got you something."

He perked up at that. A new sheep?

"Here." She held out a bottle of pine-scented body spray. "It's not quite me, but it'll help masquerade Cain's scent for the next few days." And that way, Manaka might remember to keep her paws off of you.

"Thank you," he said, reaching for her. She willingly crawled back into the nest with him. "But scent me before you go?"

"Of course. I already scented Baarnaby for you, too." She swallowed, hard. "And, um… I can scent your necklace, too. If you'll do mine." She peeked up at him. "The ones we got on the shopping trip."

He was relieved he'd been sitting down for that, but was more than glad to do so. "Before my scent fades," he said as he scented the little, porous rock, "I'll be back with you."

And when she looked up at him, he could see the love in her eyes.

LINE BREAK

Kyoko: so what does one get as a courting gift for someone who has everything

Moko: what

Chiorin: girl, context? Is this about ren-san?

Kyoko: yes? Who else would it be

Chiorin: GIRL YOU JUST TOLD US YOU LOVED HIM LIKE NOT EVEN A MONTH AGO

Chiorin: damn you move quick

Moko: no she doesn't

Chiorin: ? but -

Moko: if he didn't beg to join the pack i guarantee she would still be in some sort of denial about this even to us

Kyoko: he didn't beg, he asked nicely

Chiorin: yeah with big big eyes

Chiorin: begging without begging

Kyoko: ANYWAY

Kyoko: what can i get for him as a courting gift? I'm low on ideas

Moko: yeah no im out have fun

Chiorin: kanae don't u leave me with this

Kyoko: mokoooo please (pleading emoji)

Moko: why are we relying on me for this, u know i hate this hormone bullshit

Kyoko: because you read the most and have the most ideas

Moko: fuck, idk, scent some handkerchiefs for him to carry of smth

Kyoko: that's something i do anyway. But with sheep

Chiorin: sheep?

Kyoko: i made him some sheep for his nest

Chiorin: why sheep?

Kyoko: idk i just thought he'd like them

Kyoko: but i want this to be special so i can't just make more sheep

Moko: u could make him a good luck charm like the one u made me

Kyoko: (blushing emoji) that seems so presumptuous!

Chiorin: why am i always out of the loop? What charm

Moko: (image of the chibi kyoko charm)

Chiorin: aw cute

Kyoko: I'll make u one (heart emoji) it has a grudge spirit in it to keep u safe

Chiorin: im not even gonna ask

Moko: wise

Kyoko: i was thinking of a watch but his has sentimental meaning. And he doesn't really wear other accessories aside from his necklace… plus I'd worry about being able to get him something nice enough (worried emoji)

Moko: you could literally make him a macaroni necklace and he'd wear it til the day he died but go off i guess

Kyoko: please take this seriously

Moko: i am serious

Chiorin: uhhhh what aboutttt

Chiorin: idk u know him best. All i can think of are generic guy things

Moko: does he need anything kitchen-wise

Kyoko: a functioning stomach

Chiorin: (cry-laughing emoji) drag him

Moko: (laughing emoji)

Moko: he wears fancy designer stuff so clothes are out

Kyoko: (sad emoji) yeah it's expensive

Chiorin: maybe like

Chiorin: uhhh

Chiorin: Okay FINE he has EVERYTHING

Chiorin: why don't you get naked and serve him sushi ffs

Kyoko: that sounds WILDLY unsanitary and also NO

Moko: i like that your first concern was food safety lmao

Kyoko: i thought the no was OBVIOUS

Moko: well u are gonna court him

Moko: might happen eventually

Kyoko: no

Chiorin: no to sushi or to naked

Kyoko: I'm not answering that

Moko: (eyes emoji)

Chiorin: (laughing emoji)

Chiorin: girl it's chill it's normal for people who aren't ace to want to bump uglies

Kyoko: (embarrassed emoji) don't call it that

Moko: seconded, ew. Let's not talk about this

Chiorin: boooooo fine

Chiorin: why don't u make something else for his nest

Moko: oh tru

Moko: didn't you say you had crochet stuff? U could make a blanket

Kyoko: YOU'RE GENIUSES (flurry of heart and fairy emojis)

LINE BREAK

Kuon was having, to put it bluntly, a bad time. The pine scent Kyoko had bought him was just close enough to her smell to drive him mad with missing her… without it actually being her scent. He felt like he was going mad. It certainly helped with his portrayal of Cain - after all, he was going just as mad without Setsu as he was without Kyoko. His skin crawled any time he got close enough to smell someone else's scent. He had to convince himself to ration how many times he opened his locket - he didn't want her real scent to fade.

He couldn't get back to Japan fast enough.

LINE BREAK

Finally, finally, he touched down in Japan. He had to convince himself to be re-Ren'd before he went back to his alpha. While annoying, this was a smart move, as his other packmates were there when he showed up at the Daruma-ya. Not that he noticed at first.

Because as soon as he'd entered the little private room to wait, Kyoko burst into the room, pine so intensely happy even he could smell it. "Ren!"

He'd caught her when she jump-hugged him, and he wondered, not for the first time, why Kanae dodged these. He couldn't imagine something better than this - especially not when she tugged on his shoulder, having him lean down enough so she could scent him.

"Uh, get a room?" Kanae leaned on the doorframe, looking amused.

Chiori laughed, standing just behind her. "God, you two are hopeless."

Kyoko pulled back (Ren held in a whine) and pouted at them. "What? I greeted you two the same way! Except he didn't dodge me!"

Kanae rolled her eyes. "Excuse me for not being made of enough muscle to counter-balance your attack."

"It's not an attack!"

"So are you coming up to the nest, or are you just stopping in long enough to say hi?" Chiori directed this question to Ren, who was only now registering that Kyoko had used his stage name without honorifics, and was trying not to do backflips about it.

"I -" Ren began to speak, only to be cut short by the very distinct sound of steel on steel. "What was that?"

"Oh, taisho's sharpening his knives," Kyoko said, glancing up at him.

"...I should probably go. I have to be up early." And I don't want to die tonight.

Chiori tugged an exasperated Kanae out of the room.

Kyoko's pout appeared again, but only long enough for Ren to notice. "Okay. I'm sure you're tired from traveling."

Yes, and I want to curl up with you. "Will you scent me again before I go?"

"Of course," she said, and did just that.

LINE BREAK

Kuon was vibrating with nerves and excitement. Today, Kyoko was coming over for their first nest-snuggle session since Guam. Meaning it was their first snuggle session as a courting couple.

And Kyoko… was late.

She said she'd be here at six, but it's ten past six. Kuon paced in his living room, trying not to lose his mind. Did she change her mind? He picked up speed. Does she not want to court anymore? He was running now. Is she kicking me out of the pack?

DING-DONG.

He sprinted to the door and threw it open. "Kyoko!"

"I'm so sorry I'm late!" She hefted the very large bag she was holding back onto her shoulder. "I had to finish this. Wait, why are you out of breath?"

"Uh… exercise. I was exercising while I was waiting." And not because I was going insane.

She seemed to accept this, and he stepped aside to let her switch out her shoes for her house slippers. He breathed in deeply, enjoying the real pine scent. That little bottle she'd given him had done well enough at keeping him smelling vaguely of pine for the wrap-up in Guam, but it had also made him miss the real thing that much more.

"I have something for you," she said, squaring her shoulders, giant bag still hanging off of one of them.

"I promise I have food for us."

"No, it… let's go to the living room," she said, leading the way.

When he sat down, she placed the giant bag in his lap. He blinked up at her, his confusion floating in the air.

"Open it," she encouraged.

He did, to find an enormous crocheted blanket. Not just any blanket, though - this was incredibly soft, and it was drenched in the scent of pine. "Did you make this?" he asked in awe, lifting it out of the bag.

She nodded, twisting her hands together in front of her. "I can't even begin to match what you gave me… but I wanted to get you a nice courting gift."

His jaw dropped open. She had made him a blanket big enough to cover his bed… as a courting gift. He was floored. The shoes were nothing in comparison. "This must have taken forever."

"I've been working on it pretty much any time I've not been working since getting back to Japan." She blushed, not realizing what an inhuman feat of crafting this truly was, then asked, "Do you… do you like it?"

He'd meant to tell her how much he loved it. Instead, what his mouth said was, "Can I kiss you?" He wanted to smack himself.

But then she nodded shyly and stepped between his legs. "I… I've only kissed you. So you can't make fun of me if I'm bad at it." Anteaters don't count.

"Not possible," he replied, one hand coming to rest on her waist. The other went higher, and his thumb traced her lower lip.

She bent slightly and kissed him. It was brief but electric. She pulled back to breathe -

And then she did it again, and again, and again, until she was straddling the blanket on his lap. Until their lips were kiss-bruised and they were panting. Until she pulled back enough to nip at his jaw, to scent him.

Until her stomach growled, breaking the tension of the moment.

They laughed, and went to make dinner.

After dinner, the blanket joined them in the nest for a nice, long snuggle session.

LINE BREAK

Two days later, Ren's phone went off with a text message.

Chiori: yo

Ren: hello?

Chiori: so are u aware of the plans

Ren: what plans

Chiori: kyoko's rut is next week

He may have dropped his phone.

Ren: I am not aware of any plans

Chiori: oh that's why i was supposed to text u

She sent him a date, time, and location.

Chiori: wear something comfy that u can get messy, kyoko likes smashing

He definitely dropped his phone.

The arranged day found him having a proper melt-down in his apartment over what to wear. Okay, not just over what to wear, but that had been the trigger.

Because apparently, Kyoko - his alpha, his courting partner - wanted to smash. Because she was in rut.

Just over a week after they'd had their first kiss.

He ran a hand through his hair, frazzled. Isn't this moving kind of fast? Granted, he'd messed around plenty in his early teens, but this - this felt different. Mainly because there were feelings involved. Which he still wasn't fully used to… it was all so intense.

The alarm that let him know he needed to leave in five minutes went off, and he nearly screamed. He was still standing in his bedroom in his nicest underwear.

He needed to find something soft - that was non-negotiable, Kyoko liked soft clothes best. But also, he needed to be able to get it messy, according to the text exchange he'd looked at sixty-seven times in the past half-hour.

Does that mean she's going to tear it off me?

"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" He scrubbed his hands through his hair again, shoved random back-up clothes into a bag, and threw on the softest suit he had, price or messiness be damned. He had other things to worry about, like the fact that he had to share his alpha with the rest of the pack. He did not want to share his alpha with Chiori or Kanae. He wanted Kyoko to sink her teeth into his neck while she used him however the hell she wanted.

Okay, focus, Kuon. Leave. Drive.

He must have been born under a lucky star, after all, because he arrived at the given location in one piece… and then double-checked the address. RAGE ROOM, read the sign. But he knew he was in the right place, because his pack was waiting for him outside.

What the fuck?

"Ren!" Kyoko bounced up to him when he got out of his car, and hot damn did she smell good. Her usual pine had taken on an almost spiced scent, deeper and even more captivating. "Wait, why are you wearing a suit?"

"Uh." He looked at her, noting that she was wearing what were obviously well-loved clothes. "It's… old."

"Dude, who wears a suit to smash furniture?" Chiori asked, coming up behind Kyoko. "I told you to wear something you could get messy." A mischievous twinkle in her eye told him that she knew exactly what she had done.

"Can we get inside before the paparazzi finds us?" Kanae called from next to the door.

"Coming, Moko!" Kyoko grabbed both of their hands and tugged them inside.

"Finally," she said, rolling her eyes. "C'mon, we're in room two."

"Yes, we got the big room this time!" Kyoko cheered. She dropped their hands (Ren held back a whine) and ran ahead. Ren trailed behind, feeling like he'd just had a rug pulled out from under him.

That said, the maniacal glint in Kyoko's eyes as she smashed an old table to pieces with a sledgehammer was doing something for him. WHAM. Not to mention the fact that she'd worn a tank top today, so he could see every muscle in her surprisingly toned arms. SMASH. And the way that she looked sweaty…. BAM.

"Earth to dumbass." Kanae was waving a metal bat in front of his face. "Take this and start breaking things already before I bonk you into horny jail with it."

He took it, not even having the mental capacity to be insulted. She pointed him at a decrepit dresser, then when to work out her frustrations with the medical system on a series of chairs. Chiori had been the one who introduced them to rage rooms as a way to vent Kyoko's rut-fueled energy, having been a fan of them since her journals had stopped working as a way to control her vitriol.

But something was different about this rut. Because long after the rest of her pack had slumped, exhausted, against a wall, Kyoko kept going. Ruts always made her more aggressive, that they knew. And sure, she usually outlasted the other two LoveMe girls, but not by much. Kanae gave Chiori a meaningful look and pulled out her phone.

Kanae: so i think they're courting officially

Chiori: she told u?

Kanae: no but they've both been wearing the necklaces/pendants since she told us about making that blanket. tabloids went wild speculating about the addition to his necklace

Chiori: ohh yeah i remember seeing that

Kanae: but i think that's why miss energizer bunny is still going strong

Chiori: wait is kyoko horny

Kanae: ew

Kanae: she probably doesn't realize it if she is

Kanae: but what i meant was like

Kanae: u know how mates go into rut/heat at the same time a lot when one's not on blockers

Chiori: ya

Kanae: well i think them being a couple made her rut more intense

Kanae: bc her primal alpha brain is like "must bite"

Chiori: idk why but that's hysterical

Kanae: bc it's kyoko, head of the legion of pure maidens

Chiori: yknow im starting to be glad to be a beta. this seems exhausting

Kanae: THIS IS WHY I WANT TO GET SPAYED IM TIRED OF HORMONE BULLSHIT

Chiori patted Kanae's shoulder sympathetically. She glanced over at Ren, who was unabashedly staring while Kyoko demolished what was once a chest of drawers.

Chiori: I'm gonna go get us another half-hour

Kanae: k im gonna go pee

Kyoko wiped sweat from her brow as the door shut behind her friends. Then she turned to Ren and asked, "Having fun?"

He averted his eyes so she wouldn't catch him staring. "Immensely."

She glanced at the door, usual inhibitions gone by the wayside. She lowered herself to the floor a few feet from him, then started crawling towards him. "Wanna have some more?"

His mouth went dry as she approached and then straddled his lap. "Yes," he managed.

She started her kisses at his collarbone and worked her way up to the place she'd bitten him as Setsu. She ran the flat of her tongue over that spot -

And then bit him again.

Which is why, two minutes later, Kanae was pulling Kyoko off of a very dazed and now-hickey'd Ren's lap. "Okay, that's enough out of you. We're going."

"But Moko!" Kyoko whined as the older girl muscled her to her feet.

"No buts. You told me to watch you during this rut." She turned, one arm clamped around Kyoko, and called over her shoulder. "Chiorin, it's time to go!"

"Wait, what happened - oh, fuck, girl." She rolled her eyes. "Kyoko. We left you two alone for maybe three minutes and you put your teeth in his neck?"

Kyoko pouted at both of them. She knew she would thank them later, but right now, she wanted to have fun with her omega.

"Ren-san." Chiori looked down at him. "Are you okay to drive or do we need to call glasses?"

"Whuh?"

"Kyoko, I'm taking your phone for a minute," Kanae said, fishing it out of her pocket and typing in the passcode. "Chiorin, hold her for me so she doesn't jump him again."

Kuon privately wondered if that would be a bad thing.

"Hello, Kyoko-chan!" came Yashiro's cheerful voice through the phone.

"Close, but wrong. It's Kotonami. We were doing a pack hangout and need you to come get your charge and his car. Bring a scarf." She gave him the address."

"What happened?" She could almost smell his panic through the phone.

"Kyoko's pheromones knocked him stupid. Everyone's fine. Please just come get him so we can get her home."

"I'll be there in ten. Bye."

"Bye." She hung up and turned to the others, tucking Kyoko's phone back into its pocket and taking Kyoko-holding duties back from Chiori. "Okay, we've got ten minutes. Kyoko, do you want to go back to using your sledgehammer?"

Kyoko's eyes were fixed on Ren's neck. She didn't answer.

"For fuck's sake -" She spun Kyoko, breaking her line of vision. "Earth to alpha. Do you want to break more things?"

Kyoko blinked a few times, then nodded. "Yes."

"Good girl. Here's your sledgehammer."

While Kyoko was participating in more wanton destruction, Chiori walked over to Ren and offered him a hand up. "Think you can stand?"

He took the offer mutely, at which point Kyoko stopped mid-swing and growled. Chiori snatched her hand back. "Alpha, chill."

"Sorry," she said, bringing the hammer down. "I - didn't mean to."

"I know." She huffed a laugh, then turned back to Ren. "Gotta stand on your own, dude."

He managed to do so by the time Yashiro turned up, worked into a lovely state of sandalwood panic. They smelled him before they saw him. He burst into the room, fully expecting to see broken bones. After all, it was a rage room. "What happened?"

Chiori pointed mutely at Ren's neck, and Yashiro understood why he needed to bring the scarf.

He would have fun with this later, when his idiot charge was no longer doped out on his alpha's pheromones. "Give me your keys."

Ren obeyed.

Kyoko was convinced to put down the sledgehammer long enough to say goodbye from a safe distance. Then, once Ren had been escorted out, she plopped down on the floor to pout. "I hate you both."

"No, you don't," Kanae said, rolling her eyes as she knelt down to scent her, lavender swirling around them.

"You really don't," Chiori added, taking her turn with mint.

"I don't," she admitted, their scents doing wonders to calm her. After all, she'd asked them before they'd planned this to stop her from going too far too quickly when she couldn't control herself. "Can we go back to my nest?"

"Of course. Let's go." They helped her to her feet, tried to stop at the front desk to pay (only to find Ren had covered it), and took her home for some snuggles.

When her rut was done, she would send Kuon a long, emoji-filled apology. Which he would reply to with an emoji she couldn't understand, and then a heart.