For the ages

by BL-lover23

The mouth of the tiger on his neck slowly dripped blood as the knife carved along. Something gently touched his cheek and his eyes immediately snapped up. He inhaled sharply, eyes widening. Gold met Rusty Red. (“You’ll come find me, right?”) Bajitora Omegaverse

9. Chapter 9: all there was

I'll leave the light on until you can sleep

But you toss and turn

Sleeping with your back turned to me

Are you lonely next to me?

Hold on to me because that's all that remains

Do you see the way out of this darkness?

Do you want out, I'm ready

This can't be all there was

Revolverheld - Hold On To Me ( Halt dich an mir fest english translation)

Baji was off.

Kazutora couldn't point his finger on it but something was different. He had noticed a few oddities in the last few days. Every time Kazutora chanced upon him the alpa seemed to flee shortly after. He gnawed at his lip thinking about what he could have done.

Baji seemed to make an effort to come into their bed chambers long after Kazutora had fallen asleep and left before he awoke. the only indicator that he'd been there at all was the fresh wood in the fireplace and the scent of pinewood in the sheets.

he had felt like an idiot for taking so long even to realize that it was the scent of the alpha he'd been smelling the whole time. it had been daunting to know he- who should not been able to smell anything at all - was able to smell the alpha's scent. but it couldn't have been anything else. after sharing more than one bath he would have been stupid not to notice.

but what did that mean for Kazutora now? alphas did not affect him mostly because he was incapable of smelling their pheromones. an omega's first instinct was to adhere to that of an alpha's. their scent alone could not put one under, but a command was a different matter. one's mind would empty of anything, reduced to their most innate instincts. in the right hands that meant protection but in the wrong…

he didn't think the northerner capable of such things. so far he had not given Kazutora a reason to doubt him. but that didn't make him any less uneasy about the whole matter. it had been so long since he had to last worry about such things --

he clenched his fist. Baji was not him. he was nothing like his sire- but he's discarding you just the same.

Kazutora flinched. ..was that what the alpha was doing? you knew he'd tire of you eventually, so why are you acting shocked

…Right. Kazutora had remained in solitude for a reason. granted the northerner had been a nice change of pace in his monotony but in the end that did not change his nature. the alpha had only realized before him.

He could feel a migraine coming. he massaged his temples. this would be the third… no fourth time, wasn't it? it was better to leave first than be the one left behind. how many more times did he need for this lesson to stick?

it's not too late. we can leave. let us fl-

"Shut up!"

"…your grace?" his head snapped to the frightened maid who placed a tray with tea on the table. the echoes of his outburst still rang through the walls of the drawing room. He jumped up in horror. crazy, crazy, they think you're crazy "I need to-" he didn't even finish his sentence before flying out the door.

the dream wouldn't shake him for days after. He had no idea who the blonde enigma was. no matter how many times he told himself that it hadn't been real, it had felt like it.

his hands still trembled with the aftereffects. he could feel his already frail control wavering further. More than once, he caught his own reflection in the halls, with long, elongated nails, as his sharp canines dug deeper into his lip. The taste of iron had become an unwanted companion. but better the taste of his own blood than that of Kazu—

He shook his head. he wouldn't let it come to that no matter what. even if he had to shackle himself into a prison cell as long as it meant Kazutora would remain away from any harm he'd do it.

"Baji-san, the sun has already set. we're heading in for a meal"

"you can go. I'm going to continue for another round"

"are you sure..? you've been here before any of the recruits even arrived.." Chifuyu sighed when he got no answer "fine.. but don't overdo it"

Baji had forgone his sword entirely and struck another dummy.

then another

then another

then another

until nothing but rubble was left and then went for the woods where he laid into the unfortunate trees closest to the castle's vicinity.

He didn't stop even as his knuckles were peeled raw from it, his fists aching from clutching them so tightly. But it wasn't enough, his body still felt restless, his alpha screaming at him to lay claim to what was rightfully his-

Fuck, shit fuck- he breathed heavily. He could not think like that.

Kazutora could not become another bloodied victim of his. The satisfying crunch underneath his knuckles as they had buried themselves deep into Prof. Yamada's face. Before he'd barely held any proper memory of it. But since his pre-rut began, all those memories came flooding back in.

The rattling of the man's chest as Baji had wanted to ensure it would be the last of his breath.

Baji didn't pretend to be a good man, he'd found great satisfaction it. The gratification of watching every southern soldier that had the misfortune of crossing paths with him burn up to blue ambers.

But now their petrified faces taunted him, melting into Kazutora and Baji could only watch as his first love burned up with his own sanity.

boom!

The cracking of splintering wood reached his ears and he blinked as the ground underneath him shook with it.

Dumbfounded, he looked around the large trees blearily as the first rays of dusk hit his sweaty skin. another day had broken. His gaze slowly turned back to his trembling hands. This time they shook more from the fatigue than anything else. He clutched it to his chest as the words of his oldest friend washed over him. Listen to me. Calm down.

He repeated those words to himself for what felt like an eternity, before disorientedly making the track back to the barracks. He felt like he was drunk on the Dragon's Breath whiskey Mikey had forced them to try after they had beaten Madarame and stolen it from his treasury. There was still paperwork waiting for him in his office. But first, he was in desperate need of a wash.

The ink scribbled blotched onto the page as he finished the last of his correspondence. With a relieved sigh he cracked his stiff neck before giving the same courtesy to his back.

He'd been here for far too long. But he wasn't able to go back to the training fields. He didn't think he'd have the capacity for another earful about 'destroying the training dummies meant for the recruits, Baji-san! the recruits! those things are not resistant to your destructive affinity! Now half the budget for the next three months needs to go to new equipment-'

His ears were still ringing from his Lieutenant. For a guy who normally followed his whims with a nod and a raised fist beside him, he sure laid into him. and Baji had been too close to snapping back physically for his comfort.

Playful sparring was one thing. but harming Chifuyu knowing full well the Beta would let him was a pill far too bitter to swallow.

so the best course of action was to make himself scarce from the training field. However, that now meant that Baji had to find different things to put his energy towards. Being alone with his thoughts these last few days had been more than just trying. his eyes fell longingly at the earring Kazutora had let him 'borrow' before reaching for it, unclasping it from the leather string he'd attached to Rampage's wolf-shaped pommel. it lazily chimed with his movements as he rolled it between his thumb and index finger. He closed his eyes for a moment, imagining the comfort of their shared bed as the omega's slow breathing lulled him to sleep as his fingers played with the bell. He wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around Kazutora and breathe his honeyed scent in, the only remedy for the chaos inside his mind.

but eventually, his eyes would have to open again and the fantasy would be over.

It wouldn't be for much longer now, he told himself. He'll wait the rut out and then he could go back to normal and let Kazutora whine all about his recent annoyances of not finding the right book on astronomy again but Baji was working on stocking the library up with every celestial book that might curry his wife's fancy and wrap himself around the omega until Kazutora had enough and elbowed him in retaliation. Baji would of course let him, feigning a hurt expression just to see the smug grin the tiger would reward him with.

Yeah. Baji couldn't wait for everything to go back and listen to Kazutora say- 'let's not meet again'

A sharp gasp of pain had him doubling over the table. Just as quickly as it had come, it was gone again. He felt like his head was spinning, his heart going a thousand miles a minute. omega is upset, we have to make it up to him-

Fuck. His face hardened as he forced his alpha instincts back down. there was one thing he'd neglected to investigate. those dreams would not stop by themselves. But maybe if he could just verify who the person who had spoken those words was, his strange dreams would finally be put to rest. and hopefully, his alpha right with it.

with a screech of the chair, he got up. If they even existed, he thought humorlessly; they might as well just be a humanoid creature his mind had conjured up from the sleep it had so successfully been depriving him of. He rubbed his eyes thinking back on the strangeness of the dream. it had been the only one of its kind. the other dreams had always depicted a battle of sorts he once had lived through. oddly the person whose body he'd been occupying had felt like a second sleeve. the only clue that it had not possibly been himself was that the faceless omega had addressed him as King as he bid him farewell. his stomach churned at the reminder.

Baji clenched his fists. he couldn't dwell on that. there were more important things to be concerned with. He remembered, that he'd mentioned a place of some sort…

Flying… afloat-

Floating Land! -But knowing its correct wording did not make it click in his mind any faster, he thought with frustration. As far as he knew there was no such place in Toman.

well.. that only left one option right now.

.

.

.

The library wasn't a place he frequented often. He'd spent a lot of his childhood scavenging for every animal book and scripture he could get his hands on. Reading itself had never been his forte, the words blurring together like a spilled ink block on paper. no matter how clean the writing or the press of the letters on the pages, his mind would grow quickly overwhelmed by the words, and before long he gave up, too drained to try again. so he busied himself with the pictures drawn next to their soupy inked descriptions. for a time that had been enough. until his curiosity about the animals on the paper got the better of him. In the end, a picture could only reveal so much about the different species.

He'd pestered everyone and everything to read the books to him when his own mind couldn't. Mikey hadn't bothered with it no matter how much he tried to get him to. Haru at least sometimes had humored him. Well, before it all went to shit in the fifth anyway. Emma had read for him once and when she'd found out that a female ferret died when in heat without mating, she had burst into tears, mistakenly thinking she'd die the moment she presented and that was all it took. The adults had banned him from asking her again.

After that, he'd tried the reading thing again but no matter how many people tried to teach him, the words were always wrong, a swampy cluster of letters that made no sense. It became so frustrating that he began to rip pages off the book. and boy did he get an earful for that. His ears still rung with his mother's scolding to this day.

he kicked the bookshelves over and swore to himself to never pick up another shitty book again.

well, that was until…

his mind wandered to the bashful eyes of a child, bony shoulders hunched up in embarrassment as he hesitantly read to him before long the shyness left him only to come back when Baji had relaxed his head on the boy's equally bony lap. He remembered closing his eyes as the vibrations of the sweet voice had lulled him into a slumber.

Later on, he had to deal with a certain brand of pouty brat, offended that Baji had dared to fall asleep while he was doing him the favor of reading to him. He smiled thinking about how those golden eyes had furrowed and nose crinkled at Baji's lack of sincerity in his apology, swearing right then and there he'd never read to him again before stomping off.

But that same afternoon he'd already picked up another book this time about sea life going right back under the tree, diligently reading passage after passage until Baji had fallen asleep once more.

Maybe he could ask him to read one of his astronomy books to him. if only to relive the days of summer long gone by. he sighed and walked inside the library. the footmen immediately straightened their faces unable to conceal the shock on their faces at his arrival. he rolled his eyes, it was not that much of an abnormality to be in here. Especially since Kazutora had begun his stay here. there were only ever four places the omega tended to frequent. though he hoped that today at least his wife had chosen one of the other three to spare him from his struggling mind. He sniffed the air and to his luck not a hint of lemons or honey reached him. his shoulders sagged in relief.

He didn't really have any idea where to start with his search. but luckily or unluckily rather he didn't have to ponder that thought for long.

"I have work to do- scram already!"

"But I didn't see you all day, Lieutenant~"

"Keep your traps shut, this is a library" He reached the corner where both Chifuyu and Ryusei were chumming it up. his nose wrinkled in disgust at their courting habits. he could see Chifuyu's face redden worse than a strawberry. He cleared his throat to spare himself further agony. he had enough to deal with. he didn't need to lose his respect for both of them now, too.

He was almost in awe at the high squeak that left Chifuyu's throat. Almost. "C-Commander..? how long have you been standing there"

"Sadly for the both of us, long enough" he eyed them skeptically. one of them spluttered in horror while the other remained unapologetically grinning "Rude, we were just having fun"

"…we" the Lieutenant paused with venom "weren't having shit. Keep your dirty paws to yourself!" Baji narrowed his eyes at the loudly whispered outburst before he could hear his second cough into his fist "..sorry"

"ignoring all that" he gestured at them both as he said that "I am in search of something. Since you both like to read you might have heard of it" he thought about how best to approach the issue before thinking fuck it "you guys ever heard of a place called the Floating Land?"

"come again?" Both of them looked at him like he'd grown another head. He rolled his eyes.

Both of them gave each other a puzzled look before Chifuyu turned to him "..no, nothing I've heard before"

"Figures… It was a shot in the dark anyway" Dreams were dreams, after all, he thought wryly. if the two guys basically lived and breathed books, fictional and research respectively, then he might as well stop right here if it didn't even ring a bell for either…

"What is this place supposed to be"

"Forget it, it's not important" he waved it away but Chifuyu didn't hear him "Floating Land… is it supposed to be some patch of land that can levitate? Maybe gravitation manipulation? or is it a spell?"

"the Southern Isles?" The hair on his neck prickled with the sudden onslaught of honeyed lemons filling his senses. He could feel electricity buzzing underneath his skin. He gripped his fist so sharply, that he could feel his nails breaking the skin of his palms. We must claim him, bite him, devour him. Mine. Mine. Mine.

"…no we were speaking of Floating Land" Chifuyu hesitantly answered, anxiously darting his eyes towards his commander's sudden change in mood.

"yes, I'm not deaf." Kazutora gave the Beta a look that looked very much like he was calling Chifuyu dumb but Baji took no note of it. His canines sharpened as the omega took another step closer. He clenched his teeth together, his jaw ached with it.

Everybody but Kazutora took a respectful step back, the latter giving them all a curious glance at their odd behavior holding a book in his arms. Baji swallowed, turning his gaze away, his fists trembling. The feeling of control became more and more of a foreign entity to him.

"according to legends, the Isles supposedly floated in the sky millennia ago as one big island. hence the name. what made you interested in some wayward myth?"

"the land floated? and you believe that?" the blonde snorted.

"I don't believe anything. like I said it's a myth much like the forgotten gods" Kazutora replied drily.

"..the celestial tigers?" the words escaped his throat before he even himself realized it, his eyes vehemently staring against the wall, refusing to look at Kazutora.

"what tigers?" Chifuyu's alarmed words were ignored by both of them.

"…touché. I suppose there might be some truth to it then.." Kazutora was impressed the alpha was this knowledgeable about the ancient gods worshipped in the isles (island..?) long before the gods of the above and beneath took their place. "but if that's the case, it was before the six kingdoms unified. the first records of Toman state them as the Southern Isles after all"

"It's hard to imagine those five isles to just be up in the sky.. though it opens the question, what made them split apart and land in the sea" The blonde rubbed his chin deep in thought. it was not lost on Kazutora how quickly the lieutenant had changed his stance after his superior seemed to give the myth some credibility. the omega rolled his eyes.

"a shame we will never know, so a myth it remains" Ryusei teased them.

"if it was before the unification, who was the last King of the Isles? maybe we can find something under their section" Chifuyu ignored Ryusei, looking at Kazutora hopefully, who was bamboozled by the sudden eagerness of the blonde Beta. Had he misjudged the man's curiosity?

"..Queen actually" Kazutora didn't know what he did wrong but the scent of smoke filled the air around them. He could see Baji's nose flaring as his brows furrowed in agitation at Kazutora's correction. "But aren't they called the order of the first Kings? And what about King Maro then? He is called the King of Kings-"

Kszutora turned back to the enthusiastic voice of the Lieutenant ".. you're hardly the first to get it wrong. it kind of got lost in translation over the decades. the King of Kings just flows better than the King of Kings and Queens. not to mention the order of the first Kings to the order of the first Kings and Queens"

"I guess… but there is something that always bugged me. shouldn't their names be the last kings? since y'know they were the last kings of their kingdoms"

"They were the first to follow King Maro's leadership and considered the first residents of Toman. A shame they never got to see the country truly united before their demise or at least that's how the story goes" Baji felt his ears ringing, his throat felt like the third's desert, his words barely a whisper to his own ears. his chest throbbed painfully. the words barely left his mouth"…were there many Queens?"

"between the first Kings? I think the Meadows's last ruler had been a queen as well, but I might be mistaken.." Kazutora tilted his head in thought, exposing a sliver of his neck. Baji sharply turned his head away his jaw clenched shut. "I meant the Isles- Floating Land whatever" he was unable to hide the frustration in his tone, sounding more clipped than necessary. his gut clenched with guilt when the omega's face fell and he too now took a step away from him. omega is sad. claim him, bite him, that will make him happy again-

with a twitch in his eye and flared nostrils he began to count back from ten.

"no, just the one…" Kazutora murmured with hesitation. he felt like he had said something wrong again. but it was the truth. legends only ever mentioned one queen. the first to be named Valhalla's child before it had turned into a tradition. the myth about them was probably the reason why the man that sired him was so pissed about the Isles not being a kingdom anymore. because the one time an omega came of rule they forced the place under the Sano monarchy.

" It's not often to be around another person knowledgeable about Toman's history. It's a real shame considering all the great stories about the First Kings alone. it must be pretty cool to be a descendant of them" Chifuyu's eyes were glittering.

"well, none of the First Kings had direct descendants. other than the King of Kings they all died pretty young."

"the King of Kings didn't have any either though, and he remained the longest reigning monarch in our history, right?"

"yes, 90 years of peaceful rule-"

"you two should write an encyclopedia" Ryusei deadpanned.

"what was the Queen's name?" Baji spoke up again, he sounded faint.

"Queen Zura" Kazutora watched as the alpha's face scrunched up, like a child who'd just been told a lie. it made him doubt his own words. hesitantly, he continued albeit with receding confidence in his own words "he was the one who originated celestial magic. The telescope in the observatory is named after his legacy. Zura's eye"

"him? I thought you said they were a Queen"

"Male Omegas do exist you know?" he raised his eyebrow at the Lieutenant.

"right.. wait!-" the lieutenant suddenly stopped in his tracks "There is this book I read-

"is it one of your romance novels again?"

"shut up, Ryusei!… it is" he admitted reluctantly

"Go ahead then, tell us all about it~"

"Anyway, the book is about the first star seeker. A human who was enchanted by the stars set out to build a magnifying glass out of eternal ice to glimpse the gold of his lover's eyes"

"oh my, is that a direct quote?" Ryusei held his hand to his mouth in faux scandal. well the telescope in the observatory did reflect gold, Kazutora could give the blonde that much credit at least. "sounds interesting..? though I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but the one here is not made of ice and it was named after the Queen's legacy in celestial magic, not a love story as far as I'm aware of"

"oh that's boring" Kazuotra raised an eyebrow at his deflated appearance as the Beta mumbled with feigned interest "What else is known about him?"

"not a lot.. let me think…he died less than five years into his reign" Kazutora scrambled for all the trivia he'd ever been presented with, which was not a lot "Uhh he was supposedly married I guess"

"what? didn't you just say he had no offspring?" Kazutora's eyes widened at the alpha's livid response.

"People can be married without having children, Commander" Both of them jumped at Ryusei's flat rebuttal. the lump in Kazutora's throat grew at the revelation that the alpha did consider children a part of marriage. terrible was too little a word to explain the feeling crawling down his spine. He was deceiving the alpha with his continuous procrastination on the matter.

"Who did he marry?" Chifuyu asked with newfound vigor unbothered by the shift in the room. Kazutora did not feel like talking any longer, but still he dutifully answered, albeit with a crumb of the enthusiasm he'd previously given "Who knows.. the citadel did not exist back then and I did say supposed.. there were also rumors that he'd had some sort of scandalous affair with one of the other first Kings"

"with who?"

who gives a fuck, it was more than a thousand years ago Kazutora was about to snap back, before he realized that it was Baji that had made the question. once again, his expression was unreadable, though the twitch in his eyebrows was more than unnerving. "…possibly all of them or none of them. maybe he shared them with the Queen of the meadows" Baji looked positively repulsed and Kazutora backtracked from his jest, wishing the ground would simply swallow him up "I'm joking… Omegas just have to stand next to another designation for rumors to spread so none of it might even be true. what got you so interested in them?"

"I'll tell you when I figure it out" Kazutora looked at him questioningly, but the alpha left before he could ask anything else. both Betas watched in concern as the omega deflated and sighed before half-heartedly waving goodbye at them and leaving as his husband had done before him.

only in the opposite direction.

how long until the beast within you snaps and destroys everything you cherish?

K-Keisu-ke, i-it hurts

you're a monster

you promised you'd never hurt me

I'm sorry, too

He flinched. he could not let it come to that. he had barely been able to sleep since those nightmares had begun. his instincts were beginning to overwhelm him, he could feel the itch coming up the surface. he needed control. before he ended up killing someone. but first needed to blow off some steam. Chifuyu's ban be damned.

He went to the training grounds and unleashed his fire. the flames turned from red to blue. It was high time he continued honing it. these last few weeks he'd neglected his own mana-training. this was the perfect opportunity to get back into it.

What had the meaning of that dream been? Why did he dream of the only Queen of the southern floating isles? and if that dream held a semblance of truth to it, what did that mean for the others he'd had?

He didn't know how many hours he spent going through his different attacks. it felt like minutes but by the sun in the sky, it was more close to hours. One last round, he told himself, his instincts still to haywire to calm properly and began anew.

He blanked out everything else. and even now as he looked back at that moment he couldn't explain how he had not noticed before… how he had not noticed him in time.

"-ji?" oblivious to the danger he was putting himself in, Kazutora had called out to him. Baji had not heard- oblivious to the approaching figure the blue inferno swallowing any sound as he aimed at another target.

an unexpected touch on his shoulder startling him out of his concentration was all it took.

One moment his fire was aiming at a dummy and the next the blue flames licked at the stunned omega in front of him. With horror, he saw his golden eyes turn green as the flash of blue flew at him. how had he not noticed him. he had been right there. "No-!" no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!

he could see it in his mind's eye. the flames enveloping his frame whole, melting the skin of his bone as he crumbled to the ground. Nothing but ashes left for him to pick up as the prudent scent of burned flesh hits his senses.

how long until the beast within you snaps and destroys everything you cherish?

you're a monster

how long until the beast within you snaps and destroys everything

K-Keisu-ke, i-it hurts

how long until the beast within you snaps

you promised you'd never hurt me

how long

how long

how loNG

HOW LONG, Keisuke?!

"phew. I'll make sure to announce myself more loudly next time" Kazutora joked as he shook off the flames of his smoking sleeve. He'd chanced upon the alpha by sheer luck and wanted to ask him if he wanted to come along for supper. only due to both of their reflexes hadn't it ended more severely. Kazutora ducked backward just as Baji hit up higher to dodge him as well.

as the adrenaline exited his body from the sudden extortion he could feel the small sting of a fresh burn on his forearm. he could see the angry redness on his skin. but so far no blisters or anything more severe. lucky, though a few strands of hair had not been as lucky.

He glanced at his husband with a sheepish smile, expecting some sort of lecture about the dangers of the training fields when his smile slipped right off when he noticed the alpha's pale expression "..Baji? Are you okay?"

the alpha was ashen, pupils shaking and breathing heavily as his gaze remained frozen on the patch of exposed skin on Kazutora's arm. "hey, hey breathe-"

Kazutora's hand panickedly reached out to reassure him but his hand was harshly slapped away.

"Don't come near me!" the sudden volume made him jolt away. Eyes wide, the omega looked at his hand, the alpha had so swiftly rejected. He ignored the scratch inside his chest as he turned back to the alpha with confusion "Baji..?"

"don't-!" he looked at the alpha's unsettled expression. his furrowed brows, the gnawed lips, and downright gut-wrenching eyes. his eyes did not meet Kazutora's even once…

as if he could not bear to be in his presence. he wants you gone. disappear from his side. he can't stand you. what else does he need to do for you to get it inside of your head-

with a jerk, he stepped away from the alpha. he had been an idiot. why did it take him so long to realize the northerner did not want to be near him. "I o-overstepped, I should go-"

'wait' the words were on Baji's exhausted lips but as he watched the omega turn away, not even looking back at him even once, the pained expression on his face before the omega had turned away ingrained in him like a particularly nasty blow to his chest cavity.

Baji had done that to him. Baji had hurt him. As his silhouette grew further and further away he could not help but think maybe that was for the best. 'I cannot hurt him further if he is not in my vicinity.'

It won't be for long, just until the rut was over and he could regain some semblance of control back from his feral tendencies.

Then… then they could go back to how it was.

It barely hurt.

Kazutora looked at the singed clothing, rattled by what had occurred. He can't stand you. He wants you gone, can't you see that?

He took a shaky breath before peeling the destroyed fabric off his skin… it didn't look too bad. It wasn't even worth the ointment he'd stolen from the staff's cabinet, not wanting another rumor to spread if he'd just normally asked for it.

"finally… why is it so difficult to find you?" his face snapped to the door.

"Lieutenant?" he instinctively tried to hide the wound behind his frame, but by the narrow-eyed look from the Beta, it was very much for naught. "give me that" The Blonde stole the ointment from his hands before Kazutora could even react, taking his arm and scanning the wound over "you're better at treating wounds than I thought" he said impressed.

"not much of a wound to treat" he replied pointedly, trying to shake the Beta off. He could fuck right off. But Matsuno remained unperturbed, wrapping the gauze over his shallow wound. "You're right. It's not that bad. By Baji-san's reaction, I thought he'd accidentally incinerated your whole limb off your body"

"Since we've cleared up the misunderstanding you can take your leave" he finally shook him off, not quite able to hide the bitterness in his tone.

"Fine, come to me if it swells or the pain worsens" The Beta sighed and gave up without further argument. finally.

"sure" both of them were well aware Kazutora would do no such thing.

A few days since then had passed. he had not seen hide or hair from Baji after.. he looked at the already healed up wound, partially still red were the skin had taken most of the brunt of Baji's flames. It wouldn't be long before nothing but a small reminder would be all there was to see of it.

Absentmindedly he played with the ring on his finger. Kazutora had circled over what had happened several times and every time he'd come up empty. He is sick of you

Baji had looked so angry just from a mere touch. No, from the mere attempt of it. He is repulsed by you

He swallowed. there was no denying it. It wasn't difficult to understand that Baji was avoiding him officially now. Even when his work desk had piled up with stacks of documents to work through before, he'd still made an effort to sleep in their chambers. But now… it was as if the alpha had abandoned the castle altogether. He'd forgone all pretenses and displayed his disregard for Kazutora now for everyone to witness. He realized there is no worth in keeping you.

He shouldn't care. What did it matter to him whether the alpha wanted to spend time with him or not.

He is bored of you, he had his fill of you and realized he can do so much better. Why keep a defective, used omega when there were so many better options out there. No one needs a demon like you.

"Shut up!" he breathed heavily, the room was suffocating. Realizing he was shouting at nothing once more he quickly stood up and left the star-seeker behind. He didn't need anyone else listening in and thinking him more deranged.

If his past self could see him now, he would be revolted. Letting an alpha of all things get under his skin like this.

So what if Baji Keisuke avoided him? That is what Kazutora had wished for for the longest time. Finally to be left alone by him.

And it was not like he held much more than a bit of fancy for the alpha. It was more the paradox behavior he had presented himself with that was so unlike anything Kazutora'd grown up with that had struck his curiosity. His unpredictability had been refreshing, that was all.

But now that the veil had lifted and the northerner had revealed himself to be as dismissive and unpleasant of an asshole as any other man of his secondary gender, he was left to wonder whether it all had been nothing more than an act to get Kazutora to loosen his defenses around him. 'I despise mindgames' he'd said, but that could have been a trick as well and Kazutora went right ahead and fell for it.

He should be thankful for the northerner, he guessed. He hadn't even realized he was letting the alpha slip through the cracks of the walls he had so painstakingly built. There was no need for the bitter aftertaste at the back of his throat.

If anything, it was a wake up call.

He walked swiftly through many corridors when he realized he was heading to the drawing room he'd frequently resided in when his the alpha spent time with him. he was met with a few strewn letters on the table. at first, he wanted to ignore it but the letter on the feet of the carpet forced him to pick it up, the nagging feeling that it might be important to Baji not letting him simply walk past it. he did it just so the alpha wouldn't search for important documents like a headless chicken again or at least that was what he told himself as he glanced at the letter absentmindedly before his eyes widened.

Baji,

Emma sends her regards. She expects the greatest apology gift basket for your declination, but she understands your decision. don't worry too much. so much thinking is unbecoming of you.

Mikey'll come around eventually. you know him, the contractual obligations were overdramatic, to begin with.

Best of luck and don't pick so many fights.

Draken

His chest squeezed into itself helplessly as his gaze read over the tidy ink again. Mikey'll come around eventually. you know him, the contractual obligations were overdramatic, to begin with.

With a sinking feeling of nausea, he found himself clinging to the chair with a shaking hand before gravity could pull him to the floor.

What more confirmation did he need? Absentmindedly, Kazutora dropped the letter on the table with the others. his thoughts going a thousand miles a minute at what that meant for him. See, I told you he wants to be rid of you-

"-left some of his papers here? How irresponsible~"

he straightened up at the sudden sound of footsteps, taking a wide berth around the letters with shaky steps, so no one would think he'd taken a peek. then he realized he was still standing in the middle of the room doing nothing, which in itself was suspicious, right?

quickly he turned left to right before realizing that the best option would be to go for the entrance of the room. at least like this, it would seem like he had been about to leave instead of standing around dumbly-

" leave the Commander be, Ryusei. He's got a lot on his plate right now"

"yeah, what is up with that anyway? hm?"

"well.. with the duchess around things are bound to be different" Kazutora raised an eyebrow at the hesitant tone. the nagging voice grew all the more potent. everybody wants you gone. leave, leave, leave,

"There is something you're not telling me"

"He is not a typical omega, his issues-" anger flared in him, not listening further. how dare the Lieutenant even speak of him? Kazutora scoffed as the door opened, a sharp smile stretching on his lips "What the Lieutenant means is that I stabbed his dear Commander among other things neither of us is legally allowed to divulge"

Sato let out a whistle "Now I am dying to know though~"

"that can be arranged" Kazutora smiled dangerously, his eyes wider making his expression all the more ominous.

"No!-"

Kazutora rolled his eyes, scoffing at the Blonde's poor attempt to stop him. With patronizing steps and an even worse tone, he spoke slowly like he was speaking to a toddler instead of a grown man, crouching down to his height. "don't you worry Lieutenant, these issues of mine won't go near your crush"

He straightened, shouldering past him quite harshly before stopping in his steps and told himself the throbbing in his chest was from the stuffy room and not the familiar feeling of understanding just how rejected he was by the world. "you should heed your words next time, Lieutenant. I have killed men for less" he blinked the mist out of his eyes and briskly left, shutting the door behind him with a loud bang. Chifuyu flinched with the rattle of the doorframe.

.

.

.

" you knew he was there, didn't you?"

"In my defense, I didn't think you were about to bad-mouth him"

"I wasn't!" He tried to grapple with the right words but realized that it was not his place to divulge Kazutora-san's private business to anyone. If he'd just kept his mouth shut to begin with this would have been avoided altogether.

"I bet if you explain yourself, the duchess and his issues will be- ow!"

"Shut up, you fucking menace!"

"Okay, okay. …sooo funny you didn't deny the bit about the crush-"

It was unforgivable.

The scent of burning flesh would not leave his nose. Kazutora's fearful face contoured into a pained expression as Baji had burned him. It would not stop repeating in his mind.

Baji had caused that expression upon his face.

Baji had done that to him.

Baji had burned his bonded.

And still the the southerner had tried to comfort him, like it had been Baji that had been injured and not him.

Omega is so good to us. Devour him, he belongs to us. Claim him, mark him, so that no one will be able to take him from us-

"Fuck" he punched a tree clean of the trunk. Get a grip you piece of shit. He'd promised him. He'd promised Kazutora, he wouldn't be hurt anymore and where had it gotten him?

He could feel the wind picking up and looked up. blackened clouds covered the whole sky. Within minutes the whole vicinity had darkened with it, midday becoming midnight as the shadows grew longer.

The distant crack of thunder lit the sky up for the first time

"Commander! We should probably head inside-"

His gaze turned downward again to his trembling fists. "You go. I'm staying for a bit longer"

"But Commander-"

His eyes blazed at them and the men scurried off. his instincts would not stop screaming at him, the itch only growing worse by the minute. His blood boiling dangerously with every thought of the omega in the tower. Devour him. He's right there waiting for us. Don't make him wait.

He thought about all the methods he'd been taught to stave off his feral tendencies. Calm, he needed calm. On shaky feet he slumped himself against a tree and went into a meditation position. Calm down and go to sleep, Keisuke.

He breathed in through his nose, counting to five, and slowly breathed out.

He could feel his mind grow fuzzier as the rain and hail pelted down on him, sizzling against his heated skin.

Bite him, claim him, mate him, knot him-

He closed his eyes.

("ne, Kei~ hurry up or we'll miss the fireworks"

the young voice whined, his golden eyes shining with impatience as he tugged him along. "Hurry!" the agitation in his shoulders washed away with the sweet sound. the ghost of a smile formed on his lips.)

Wait for me just a little bit longer.

He could do this. He breathed out.

Nothing he did, relieved his worsening mood or the furrow in his brow.

he groaned in frustration at his ridiculous behavior and buried himself in the bedding. the scent of pine and smoke had almost dissipated from the sheets after so long in the alpha's absence. soon enough it would be gone altogether.

it shouldn't have surprised him. anyone who ever showed some facade of friendship to him got sick of him soon after. People tended to abandon him after he no longer was of any service to them. just like Junpeke, just like Shu. Kazutora was not worth holding on to.

Baji was just another out of many that came to that conclusion.

Yet…

this was the first time in just as many years that it affected him. He had no right to that either. He had not known the northerner long enough to warrant such a disproportionate reaction to his…. rejection. it stung to say it. hell, it stung to just think about it.

Kazutora just got ensnared in the moment. arriving in the north had been a breath of fresh air. all these new ventures had made his head spin up too close to the clouds, he confused fiction with reality.

it was his own shortcoming. He knew better than to chase fantasies, didn't he?

and what did it matter that Baji Keisuke finally saw him for what he was? Kazutora knew from the very beginning that it had solely been a misguided infatuation. now that it was over he should be relieved. He no longer had to play the part of the perfect wife and duchess. nobody liked him and he no longer had to pretend to be cordial for the sake of it. Not that he had tried much before.

Baji had decided to wash his hands off the matter and why couldn't Kazutora? it was only a matter of time before the crown prince would come around as his Vice-General had said and put an end to the contract. Soon enough Kazutora would be back on a carriage to Central for his execution. there is nothing keeping us here, we can lea

..and with this revelation, there was no longer a need to tell the alpha of his lack of reproduction skills, he thought with bitter relief. He had almost made a fool out of himself for nothing. the alpha never had any intention of keeping him for that long for the matter to arise as another issue.

After all, he was so full of them, wasn't he? as the Lieutenant had put it. At least his deficient omega would not be used against him.

He disregarded the stabbing pain in his chest, the instinctual need to go on a search for the alpha. the only one able to scratch that itch. He doesn't want you near him, idiot. how low do you need to stoop to accept it?

Baji didn't want him. the only thing left to do was to wait for the matter to resolve itself. either a letter would arrive for him to be brought back into the crown's custody or they would skip the ordeal and have him executed right here. there was nothing else for him now. you could always leave. why wait like cattle for slaughter, you're a tiger, no?

He shuddered, ignoring the excessant whisper in his ear, and shut his eyes.

boom!

the crack of thunder had him almost flying off the bed, his eyes snapping wide open. another storm he thought dreadfully, out of all the things to-

boom!

he cringed again. curse this goddamn place and its cursed stormy season. none of the books about the First District had ever mentioned how many storm clouds resided up here.

he needed to close the storm shutters and the curtains, while his mind was not yet set on spiraling into another hysterical fit. there would be no Ryoko-san to aid him this time. She thought you a joke as well, just like the Lieutenant and Sato. After all who could ever truly stand you

Shut up, shut up, shut up, he wanted to scream before stopping himself. it was the truth, wasn't it?… they all had made it pretty clear what they thought of him. Why are you surprised? Your own parents were unable to love you, so why would anybody else?

Fuck them. He didn't need them. He didn't need anyone at all. Kazutora was fine by himself. Determined, he clutched the pillows to his ears in anticipation of the next sound of thunder and only when the muffled sound had passed did he slide off the bed and rush to the window.

there was only so much time before another crack of thunder would announce itself. frantically he went for the shutters to lock them together when he caught something from the periphery of his eye.

what the-

there hidden in the hazy snow and hail was someone. His eyes darted from the black clouds to the silhouette. it was only a matter of time before another thundercrack would light up the sky, he frantically thought. whether he was conjuring it up or there was actually somebody in the middle of the training fields- they were an adult, right? it wasn't Kazutora's business if they decided to risk pneumonia in this weather-

mind made up he quickly went to close the shutters again, when

no, no, no, no- we can't leave him! something inside of him screamed at him to glance at the silhouette one last time.

the sky lit up just as he did, his heart stuttered bracing himself for the thunder, cursing for not running right back to bed when the new source of light turned the stranger's hair a familiar shade of obsidian the thick eyebrows scrunched up in pain, the usually pale face was sickly crimson- his chest plummeted- "Baji!"

His feet moved before his mind had even comprehended what he'd seen. He rushed out of his chambers and almost fell down the stairs as he sprinted to the gates. He ignored everybody that he passed, deaf to any sound but the heartbeat that had latched into his throat.

A huge gust of rain and hail greeted him when he flung the doors open. "Baji!" he called out again, but the alpha made no sign that he had heard him. Kazutora didn't even know if he'd been mistaken when he'd glimpsed at him upstairs.

this might not even be him, he thought hysterically, wading through the hail and snow as the cold bit harshly into his skin. He could feel the vibrations on the ground as another lightning strike lit up the sky above. and now the inky hair strands clinging to far-too-pale skin and drenched clothes were confirmation enough. His eyes were pinched close, he could see the eyes underneath the flap of skin moving erratically.

"Baji, why are you outside in this-" he jumped when his fingers made contact with the alpha. "Gods above, Keisuke!" He'd expected him to be cold to the touch. hail and snow had buried most of his body after all. not to mention the cold was already biting into his own body in his unfit clothing and he'd only been outside for mere moments. he looked at his own red fingers, the touch had felt like he'd placed his bare hand in a furnace.

Another thunder crash made him flinch. Focus, you cannot be a scaredy-cat. You're a tiger, aren't you?

With ringing ears and blurry eyes, he clumsily checked for any sign of injury, ignoring the heat underneath his fingers but found nothing.

His palm moves to his chest. With alarm he realized just how fast his heartbeat was. "..Keisuke" once more he placed his hands on the alpha, cupping his cheeks. the miserable alpha shuddered and leaned into the coldness of his fingers and Kazutora somehow felt like crying from relief or pain, he could not tell. "you're running a fever"

he looked around them, frantically searching for somebody or something to help him get the feverish alpha inside. Why had his own people just left him here?!

And the alpha, too! He was from the north- he should know best how dangerous this was- "What were you thinking remaining in a storm like this?!" Baji could faintly hear the worried voice of the omega, the scent of bitter lemons invading his nose as his heavy limps were somewhat hoisted up. His heart hurt hearing it. He shouldn't be close to Baji. Didn't he understand how dangerous this was? "get..get away from me" he slurred, most of his strength had already abandoned him.

Kazutora flinched at the whispered words, almost dropping the alpha as he hauled him back towards the entrance. Tears unwittingly came to his eyes at the words thrown at him. Even if he knew it, hearing it still felt like a slap to the face "..just let me get you inside and I'll leave- I promise" he placated with a too-stretched smile, that was more grimace than genuine.

"No, no, no!-" Baji garbled before trailing off, his eyes still unseeing. his heart squeezed bitterly with the alpha's ceaseless refusal see, even half dead he wants nothing to do with you

"j-just hold on a bit longer, I'll be out of your hair before you know it-" His breath hitched and he had to bite his tongue several times to distract himself from the sting in his eyes. get a grip, this isn't about you!

"Baji-san? Kazutora-san— wha-?!" the alarmed voice of the Lieutenant wretched him out of his own thoughts. He almost sacked into himself in relief when he caught sight of both Matsuno and Sato coming his way "he was in the storm, I don't know what's wrong with him- " he babbled, the words just spilled out of his lips, trying to explain as the two put the man over their shoulder to carry him.

the sudden growl of the alpha made all of them freeze in alarm. The prickling feeling in his neck returned "..we should get him to bed, quickly" the Lieutenant finally spoke. all three tried not to react to the growing snarls the alpha let out. it was easier said than done. a threatening alpha was difficult to ignore on a normal day, let alone when he growled not a meter away from you. Kazutora had to steady his steps every time a sound left the alpha, his knees immediately knocking into each other.

and the other two were not faring much better either, their proximity to the alpha had them both sweating buckets.

without asking him, they brought the alpha to the chambers they had previously shared and placed him on the bed. He fidgetted with his fingers right next to him- them, wondering if he should tell them, that the alpha would probably not want to be disposited here. but the humiliating thought of giving either of them any more incentive to ridicule him had his jaw clammed shut.

"I can call for a physician, but with the current storm.. they'll be here tomorrow at the earliest" Sato addressed the Lieutenant.

"..I don't think that's necessary" Chifuyu refuted with embarrassment, avoiding their eyes.

Kazutora looked at him dumbfounded, ready to give him a piece of his mind when another growl left the alpha's lips. "O-Oh yeah.. we should leave" Sato hastily agreed now as well.

"what-" Before he could argue against either of them they were gone, leaving his mouth agape.

Were either of the Betas Baji's actual friends? Not to mention who'd leave their fucking warden to fend for his life with a fever so high?!

had they secretly been plotting his murder and Kazutora had accidentally interfered?

Only with the next crash of thunder did he move, jumping up with a start. He held his chest to calm his erratic heartbeat when his other hand was seized and the world abruptly flipped over "wha-!"

and he was lying flat on the bed.

wide-eyed he tried to look around but the sudden arms snaked around him made it all too difficult. and then he realized whose arms had snaked around him as a shudder left his lips with a painful throb. It had been so long since the alpha had willingly touched him, so why now?

It felt like there was a hearth pressed against his back, the heady scent of pine and smoke filled his senses, making his own mind turn into a foggy mess. "B-Baji…?"

A low rumble had him melting against the solid frame. it didn't last for long as the storm outside worsened. another crash of thunder rattled all of the window frames and him with it. In the end he'd never managed to close those storm shutters. he tried to stifle the sound of terror coming out of his throat, horrified that the other man might notice.

he could feel the alpha let out an irritated rumble and his stomach plummeted for failing and irritating the alpha laughable reaction. his mouth opened to say something, apologize - he didn't know- when the arms around him flipped him with an ooof! his face was squished against the alpha's chest and suddenly the only thing he could sense was the alpha who had wrapped himself around Kazutora like a heated blanket, muffling everything around them.

a content rumble left the alpha as his own anxiety quietened. Kazutora's eyes grew heavier with the continuous rumbling, the hand stroking the back of his neck and the encompassing scent around him filling his senses and buried himself further into the comforting embrace.

the next clap of thunder he took no note of.

Kazutora's eyes opened blearily. it was still dark outside. he wondered what had woken him, blinking again. he could feel the shallow hicks of breath. his eyes snapped open when he realized how uneven the breathing pattern sounded. panicked, he shot up hovering over the alpha's face. the scent of smoke spiked with it as well. hesitantly he placed his cool palm against Baji's forehead, stomach plummetting with the realization that the fever had gotten worse.

he needed to get him something to cool off. he had to lean over the alpha to free himself from his tight grip. a sharp intake of breath had him freeze. his eyes glanced back to the alpha, startling when he was met with open eyes, all the brown in his irises swallowed away by crimson. He'd never seen them glow before he realized with awe, his own breathing stilled.

The hair on the back of his neck raised, but he remained frozen in place. his throat felt parched as he spoke "…h-how are you feeling?" the alpha made no reaction that he'd heard his question. He swallowed, remembering Baji's previous words - get away from me

his gut clenched. right.. the alpha wanted nothing to do with him. quickly he stumbled out of bed, eyes burning, his hands clenching and unclenching as he forced himself into a more neutral expression. with one last shaky breath, he turned away from the northerner "The storm has lessened I'll check if Sato procured a physician yet"

he made to walk, when—

"stay."

the deep timber of words had him rooted to the spot, he felt dazed as his own mind grappled with what just transpired.

Baji-"You're staying"

had commanded him.

he couldn't ponder on that thought for long, the previous prickling in his neck amplified. The scent of fire and smoke was thick in the air. He could hear Baji get out of bed and his steps growing closer. With every step, a shiver of anticipation went down his spine and he could only wait, the command still anchoring him to the ground below.

He shuddered when he felt Baji's hot breath on his neck, his whole body radiating heat. Kazutora trembled with bated breath. they were both about the same height, yet he felt tiny.

But oddly enough, he did not feel threatened. surprised yes, this was more than just the alpha's usual oddities. but even if all else had failed him so far in regards to the alpha, he could feel it in the depths of his bones. He didn't need to see his face to know it. Baji would not harm him.

He had no proof for it, but something in him just knew. Like the storm outside was harsh and cold, Baji was safe and warm.

Kazutora didn't even notice what he was doing until his neck was already displayed in submission, the alpha hovering above the glant the rest of his body pressing into his. Kazutora lets out a sigh, instinctually leaning into it. Even the omega himself was surprised at how willingly he'd done it.

Mildly confused, he wondered what was going on when heated lips clamped over the space where his shoulder met his neck, right next to his scent gland, and with one long stripe of his hot tongue licked the disfigured skin of his tattoo.

"Ah!-" His back arched, a sound halfway aborted leaving his throat as his knees buckled under him. He could feel Baji's heated palm holding onto his stomach before he could fall on his ass, "K-Keisuke?" spluttering, he couldn't even comprehend what was up and what was down.

The palm on his stomach turned into a claw and the night shirt he'd been wearing was ripped open, buttons ricocheting off the ground below. Kazutora couldn't even complain about another ruined garment when Baji's teeth scraped over his skin, making his eyes roll back.

-Baji's hand began to roam his stomach and Kazutora couldn't help the moan leaving his lips.

"omega.."

Heat gathered in the pit of his belly. he tried to relieve some of the tension by rubbing his legs together, but that only made it worse. He could feel a growl vibrating against his skin, as the alpha lethally continued licking the side of his neck, making him squirm from the sensation of too much and not enough.

and even as the alpha sucked and left bitemarks around it, his teeth never made contact with the actual gland. once again, Kazutora did not know whether to feel upset or relieved at the alpha for it.

his scentgland was itching yet the alpha would not move where Kazutora needed him to go. wait.. what was he thinking? he tried to focus on a point in the room for some clarity.

but then Baji's other hand trails down before dipping into his breeches. Kazutora jumped in surprise, mewling when the alpha pushed his thumb against him. He was left with no respite, two fingers slipping inside without any forewarning. "Ah!-" an obscene moan left his lips that was successfully muffled by the alpha's sudden mouth on him. He felt like he was being eaten alive, the alpha using his distraction to his advantage, pulling Kazutora's sleeping trousers the rest of the way down as they pooled at his feet. "you look so good like this.." the alpha mustered him with a cocky smile when they finally broke off for some much-needed air.

though the only one that seemed to have trouble breathing was Kazutora alone, cheeks flushed from the exertion as his swollen lips fought for oxygen, their mixed saliva trailing down his chin. he quickly averted his eyes in embarrassment but the alpha would not have it.

Baji sharply gripped his chin forcing him to look right at him. "no looking away, omega"

the alpha turns them towards the vanity. when he's met with his own debauched gaze in the mirror he tried to jerk away but the alpha held him in a tight grip. Like this, he could do nothing but stare at his wanton reflection, hair disheveled beyond salvation whether from sleeping or the alpha behind him was up in the air. the mortification was almost unbearable. bitemarks and hickeys littered most of his neck and shoulders. at least from where his nightshirt was ripped open and slipping off his body. in the dim light of the room his scarred skin somehow still managed to be the most visible. he swallowed when the alpha clicked his tongue "look."

"I am, you asshole-mmph" he broke off with a choked moan as his husband mercilessly pumped in and out with those damned long fingers "nngh" he panted fruitlessly as another moan was ripped from him, slick gushing out, soiling his thighs as he rocked into the hand, friction building with every movement as he brushed against the hot palm. the last thread to his rationality thinning at high speed. the pace quickened and Kazutora almost fell to his knees but then the alpha suddenly stopped. "look"

but Kazutora was! hysteria was climbing up in him as he could feel the alpha's thumb purposefully circling around the place where he needed him to "You're not" the alpha answered leaning his chin on the omega's shoulder and meeting his scornful gaze with a lazy smile. "show me where to touch, omega"

Kazutora spluttered, his stomach swooning with the alpha's newfound favorite form of address. "y-you're not serious"

almost instantly the alpha removed his fingers, leaving him to fumble in protest, clutching the man's wrist. "w-wait, wait—" he almost cried as he tried to compose himself, knowing by the resolve in the alpha's eyes alone that he would not continue this if Kazutora would not comply with his demand and leave him high and dry in front of this stupid vanity "f-fine." he cursed under his breath but the alpha paid it no mind only nipping his shoulderblade. "bastard.." he grumbled.

his voice grew more bashful as his cheeks rivaled the alpha's eye color "here… touch me here" he guided the alpha where he could feel his core pulsating.

Before Baji's hand made contact Kazutora was dragged right in front of the mirror. With a gasp the alpha slipped right back in his thumb heating up further as it relentlessly rubbed against him.

"Gods-" he held on to the alpha's upper arm for dear life as his legs turned to jelly underneath him.

Baji was out to torture him he thought when the alpha shamelessly added another finger and spread them wide. Kazutora keened, falling forward. He could do nothing but hold onto the mirror before the alpha's reflection in the mirror met his gaze with a sinful smile. In this position, he was unable to hide anything,

Kazutora gulped, a shout leaving his throat as Baji immediately hammered into that spot. Kazutora let out a gasped moan "ah nnngh- Kei- Keisuke," if he continued like this, Kazutora would finish before he'd even be relieved from his clothes "I can't- I'm going to-"

"come."

Eyes whitening, a hoarse cry left his lips as he came, back arched into the alpha, before Kazutora collapsed like a house of cards back into the vanity table. static encompassed his brain, the only thing holding him was his husband's arm around his midsection as his very ribcage expanded to triple its usual size, trying to fill him with proper oxygen-

He had never-

his garbled brain scrambled for a cognitive reaction and when he was barely capable of noticing his surroundings once more his hearing was the first thing to come back- the obscene sound of his own slick being pumped in and out of his over-sensitive cunt. "t-too much.."

his moans turned to whimpers from the overstimulation.

He could hear the alpha click his tongue, making gooseflesh appear on his skin at the alpha's unusually non-talkative mood. normally he would be full of himself, whispering all kinds of sinful things into his ear to get a rise out of him

The hand retracts from his entrance only then does he realize that his trousers are a thing of the past, tattered to pieces, his slick slowly dripping down the lap of the man he was currently sitting on. huh? when had they sat down, he wondered distantly as his gaze turned back to his ruined clothing. at least in destroying his clothing, he remained consistent in, he absentmindedly thought, parts of him still trying to regain some proper function after that unexpected high.

He was too distracted; still panting, trying to catch his breath, to notice the alpha licking his fingers clean. That was all the reprieve he got before the next command registered.

"Present"

Kazutora almost jumped out of his lap, positioning himself on his hands and knees, back bowed as his folds were presented to the alpha. His whole body steamed red with embarrassment as he continued to dribble down onto the floor. his cheeks were searing, mortified by his own neediness.

But as Baji softly caressed his hipbone, his body uncoiled with the movement as he instinctively leaned into the touch with a purr, his thighs spreading out further.

The alpha's frame leaned over him, his lips right next to his ear, Kazutora shivered with anticipation. the alpha cooed "Good omega"

His breath caught in his chest just as Baji breached him with one quick thrust. He couldn't even digest his words before the alpha pounded him onto the floor. "Mmph!"

In the back of his mind, he thought that his palms and knees would be scraped raw by the end of this, but he couldn't focus too long on it as Baji began to rub him in tandem with every push.

A low rumble against his spine had him grasping for the last straws holding him to reality before a particularly hard thrust had him seeing stars. More and more slick dripped out of him and he was sure his over-sensitive nub must surely be turning purple when he keened over with the next sharp thrust.

He spluttered for purchase but Baji granted him no such thing. His face lay sideways on the ground beneath, the strength in his arms leaving him as Baji took ahold of his hips and rammed into him over and over. He cried out and broke off into desperate mewls as the new angle had the alpha's hips grounding in with deep thrusts that entered Kazutora all the way to the hilt.

His body couldn't decide if it was too much or not enough, his mouth blubbering incoherently, words unfinished. By the end only his husband's name remained, gasping it like a mantra.. begging for some sort of release, that the alpha would not give "K-Keisuke ple-lease"

He could feel it enlarging in his entrance, Kazutora's whole body spasming with the realization. "Mm!" The knot had not even caught yet before his sight whitened, his lip bitten raw by the attempt to swallow the obscene sounds that were hiding in his throat as he plunged over the edge, the wetness smearing all over his thighs and the ground beneath.

Just like that Baji's arm curled around his waist and pulled him backwards into a sitting position. He choked as the knot slid into him as gravity did its job.

Mewling and shivering, he watched dazed as Baji continued to relentlessly fondle him, the overstimulation too much, but the garble of words incomprehensible to his own ears.

Tears fell down his cheeks, not knowing whether to get away from the alpha's warm palm or rock into it, the knot inside of him still pulsing, growing bigger as the strokes against his overwhelmed nerve-endings had his toes curling.

"look at you, so perfect…"

Kazutora sniffled, his already flushed cheeks turned crimson with the unexpected praise. He could hear the alpha groan into his ear "My perfect little omega"

Kazutora gasped when Baji's hand trailed down to his abdomen "Taking your alpha so well" his hand pressed down with another groan and Kazutora wailed, the sensation of the alpha's right underneath his skin, feeling every movement as Baji's own hips stuttered and Kazutora was left shivering as the alpha followed him over the edge, his hot seed filling him, successfully locking them together.

His mind was filled with static, he didn't know how long it took him to resurface. Baji's ministrations had fried his remaining senses successfully. His bleary eyes turned to the perfectly comfortable bed then back to the ground they were sprawled on, slapping the alpha half-heartedly against his arm, grumbling hoarsely "Would it have been too much to ask, to have done this on the bed?"

Baji didn't answer at first, but instead let out a groan as he continued to lick and bite Kazutora's collarbone in almost apology. "Bed..?"

"Yes, Bed" the omega blinked at his unusually endearing behavior, between a laugh and utter confusion.

Suddenly the alpha lifted them both up and Kazutora grappled for some purchase. An obscene moan left his lips as the knot slid in further.

Baji sat on the bed and since Kazutora was still very much attached to him he now was too, just on top of him. Another string of curses left his lips at the new angle Baji's cock was pressing against that one over-sensitive spot. "w-warn a guy next time you pull a stunt like this" He could feel the slick gushing out of him with startling embarrassment. He'd just come twice in a row, what the hell was wrong with him?

"but bed.." the alpha sounded like a kicked puppy that had disappointed their owner. "yes, yes, Bed. Good job" he teased weakly, wondering what the sudden obsession was. The alpha happily nuzzles into his cheek, making him startle. That was a first as well.

Amused, Kazutora tilted his head to get a better look at him. The alpha's face was more flushed than it was before as he groused at the sudden stop to his nuzzling. His pupils were dilated, banishing the red to the outer rim of his irises.

His eyes widened when it hit him-

"…you're in rut, aren't you?" Baji just growled and continued nibbling on his shoulder. The puzzle pieces of his high temperature, the merciless behavior towards his own men, and the heavy scent he'd noted these last couple of days slotted together. Baji had been in prerut…

..and had taken every measure not to spend it with Kazutora.

Painfully, his hand trembled as he stroked the alpha's damp hair. The relieved shudder did not make him feel like any less like the scum of the earth. He had ruined everything. that's the only thing you're good at. his throat closed up with another hitch of his breath "..what have I done?" the rejection stung more than it had any right to. what had he expected? they barely knew one another. and the alpha had made it clear, what he thought of him.

yet, his chest still felt heavy. It was ironic that they were conjoined like this and rejection was the only sensation his body was capable of. Baji had not been lucid when he'd begun- not to mention he'd taken special care to keep his distance.

It felt like two separate entities now. Baji had not wanted to spend his rut with him at all. and Kazutora with his stupidity had not given him a choice. If Baji hadn't hated him before, he would definitely do so when his rut finished. he didn't know why the thought alone made him feel like throwing up. He'd probably never want to see Kazutora again.

another pained whine alerted him "Sorry... I really messed up, didn't I?" He tried to hold his breath until the sting in his chest passed and the burn in his eyes with it, but one look at the northerner made it all futile as he crumbled under the intense gaze, his hitched breath turning into a full hiccup and tears slipped from his eyes.

"I- I'm sorry, I-"

Baji's face turned full of distress and he began to lick the tears off his face and Kazutora felt even worse for the pain he continued causing him. The guilt became heavier. Kazutora took a huge breath, stifling his tears, Baji's alpha senses were already heightened, and straining them further with his poor handle on his own emotions would just make it worse " 'm fine see?" he croaked with a smile more crooked and shaky than he'd wanted it to be, but he couldn't afford to be a crybaby.

The alpha nuzzled into him again, his scent turning back to a clearer scent of pine, his body more relaxed now as he played with Kazutora's fingers, rumbling an off-tune lullaby of some sort. It felt familiar and for a moment the bitter feeling eased up.

Gods, he felt so tired. He could feel the knot deflating. Without having to ask the alpha moved them into a lying position. Kazutora shuddered as Baji barely slipped out of him, a protest on his lips before he slipped right back in, making them both sigh.

the body behind him softly snoring as he was being held tightly. Maybe he should follow suit..

For a while they just dozed, his eyes had almost closed when-

his eyes snapped open with a gasp. He looked down to see the alpha rotating his hips, slowly rocking into him again. His knot had just deflated-

Another gasp was ripped out of him when the alpha scraped against that one spot in his inner walls. "..'m hungry"

"w-what" it took him a couple of moments to register the mumbled words, rubbing his own face to forgo his sleepiness. "..okay, I'll call for some food to be brought up-"

"No." the fuck he meant, no? "well, I don't know if you remember since you haven't been in here in some time." he couldn't help but grumble spitefully "but unless you hid something in a to me unknown stashing place, there is unfortunately no food for you to eat here"

"there is" he was dumbstruck, not knowing whether to focus on the thickheadedness of his husband or that his words did sound clearer. Quickly he turned around and squeezed the man's cheeks between his hands to stare into his eyes. He mustered him for a long time, his eyes were still glazed over, pupils dilated and the heat of his skin still as hot as before. definitely still in rut then. well of course he is, he wouldn't touch you with a ten-foot pole otherwise.

he averted his gaze dropping his hand but Baji caught his wrist pulled him forward and grazed his lips against the hostage held arm of his. Kazutora's heart skipped a beat "'m hungry.. let me eat" the alpha mumbled again.

Kazutora "Baji…?"

"don't call me that"

but that was his name? he didn't think arguing would get him any closer to letting the alpha see reason. it never worked before and it definitely would not work while the man was led by pure instinct. "okay then. what is it that I should call you then?"

"..how you did back then" back then? he rifled through his memories. he'd called him all kinds of names…ugly mug, buffon, imbecile but surely that was not what the alpha liked to be called. did he like being degraded? his cheeks pinkened at the thought when he remembered. Ah.. it was the first title he'd addressed him by after the alpha had introduced himself. Embarrassed, he asked, "..Commander?"

the alpha's nose flared and in a blink, Kazutora found himself on his back as the alpha now held both of his wrists hostage above him, their noses were almost touching as the intense gaze of the alpha mustered him. he remembered that they'd been in a similar position shortly after he'd called him by that name the first time as well. only this time there were fewer clothes.

though still embarrassed, he thought the alpha's reaction was quite something as he raised an eyebrow in amusement. "oh? Is that what you're into? why didn't you say so before.." he moved his face upwards their lips were almost touching "Commander" and pressed the small distance until they were finally connected. it quickly spiraled into a kiss that felt like he was fighting for his life as the alpha mercilessly robbed him of every coherent thought. fire bloomed in his gut as smoke filled his lungs so warmly he couldn't help but sigh as the alpha played his tongue like a fiddle.

He gasped into the man's grinning mouth when the alpha decided to hitch Kazutora's leg up higher as he pressed his knee right between Kazutora's throbbing folds, his back arching with it. "y-you're playing unfair" he choked out between gulps of air.

"you provoked me"

"Did I now? If I'd know you were so easy to tease, Commander-"

"omega" the alpha said in warning, his smoldering gaze eyeing him as slick gushed between them. once more he was left breathless at what an easy effect a single word had on him. but two could play the game.

"yes, alpha?" he replied innocently, unable to stop himself from goading, an excited shiver traveling down his spine wondering how the northerner would retaliate. and he was not disappointed when a growl pressed against his collarbone before the alpha bit a circle right into it, Kazutora's stomach doing somersaults as the alpha pressed more harshly against his drenched folds. He could barely breathe as he let out a string of curses. "say it"

he whined when the alpha purposefully rubbed against him again yet what he wanted was not anywhere near it. "p-please"

but instead of complying with his pleading the alpha let go of his wrists and removed his leg away.

Kazutora whined this time in protest at the sudden loss of contact. "I'm hungry, omega. let me have a taste"

"h-huh?"

Baji's gaze remained further down Kazutora's body as the alpha's sharp teeth grazed against his bottom lip. Kazutora was enchanted by the movement "let me have a taste" the alpha repeated.

"y-yes, just do something-" Maybe it was stupid to have given him the go-ahead so easily without knowing what it actually would entail. but he was far too gone to rethink it.

Baji didn't wait for more confirmation quickly placing a pillow underneath Kazutora's lower back and burying himself right between his thighs. he reeled when he saw the hungry gaze that decorated his Baji's face. He could feel the flutter of his stomach as the man licked his lips. and with "Thank you for the meal" Kazutora's fate was sealed.

All thoughts exited his body. "gods" the hot swipe of the alpha's tongue from Kazutora's pearl to the rest of his cunt almost sent him levitating. With a wail, he was forced to endure it as Baji's lip went back and forth before they enclosed on his bundled-up nerves and sucked.

There was no help trying to muffle the sounds leaving his body. The obscene sounds of slurping combined with his puffed breathing, his hand tried to find purchase somewhere to no avail. Baji had a deathly grip on his hips, not allowing him to move them even an inch, as he continued swiping his tongue over his cunt, lapping at the slick-

"w-wait" he babbled, what for? he didn't know.

-before Baji's tongue finally plunged in. Kazutora threw his head back at the intrusion, his insides still sensitive from their previous round. Baji's name left his lips like a prayer as his husband went deeper and deeper. the omega's thighs clutched him so tight, for a moment he feared he might accidentally suffocate him.

He tried drop his thigh, but the alpha held on to it tightly "No. It stays"

"I don't want to smother you- Ah!" the alpha bit his thigh "I can take it" were his last words before he continued with his meal.

Kazutora's mind was a jumbled mess, moving against the alpha's ministrations mindlessly to relieve the building friction. He let out a curse when Baji's nose caught on his nub, while his mouth continued to devour him. His husband was showing him no mercy, when not a heartbeat later two of his fingers spread his cunt wide then plunged in alongside his devious tongue. "Nnngh-"

In between his husband still managed to speak, "You taste so good" like the task itself did not hinder him in the least from "taking it so well" If he were more coherent, he might have felt some sort of shame at his indecent behavior, but right now he could only whine and moan for more as the praise prickled something primal inside of him, slick pouring out alongside with it as the scent of pine embraced him "you were made to be devoured"

His underbelly coiled at the words. With every movement, at every word that spilled from his husband, he felt like he was nearing an edge he had not previously frequented. he couldn't explain it, but it felt different than usual, which made him nervous. but he had yet to successfully reconnect his mind to his body. More than anything the urge seemed more like the need to relieve himself, which was mortifying. The sensation built up and a sense of panic washed over him.

"Stop, I feel like I need-" The pressure in his underbelly was becoming unbearable with every continuous stroke of his husband, who shrugged at the urgency of his words. "you can handle it"

"Have you-nghh- gone mad?!"

Baji wouldn't listen. Worse even, his fingers seemed to pick up in pace. Did he want him to soil himself. Worse even, his fingers seemed to pick up in pace. The next swipe hit a particular nerve deep inside of him, which had electricity zapping through his spine. He cursed once more. The pressure was getting worse.

He wanted to move but his limbs were unable to cooperate. Everything felt like jelly. So he tried again with more urgency in his words. he felt like he was vibrating out of his skin "I can't hold it much longer.. you need to release me-"

he didn't finish his sentence, Baji's grin grew wider as his fingers fastened their pace inside of him, his mouth went back to diabolically licking his nub, and his body bent into a bowstring. He didn't know whether Baji was trying to murder him, taking most of his cunt into his mouth and sucking so hard.

"I-it's too much" he babbled, his tears leaving the corner of his eyes unbidden as everything became too overstimulated "I c-can't"

"You can. You're doing so well" he heard the cooing voice breathe hotly against the oversensitive area. he almost ripped the pillow open with the force to try to keep it in. He was at his limit, couldn't the alpha see? "N-no" he hiccuped. He really couldn't.

"Let go, omega" With a shout of his husband's name the bowstring snapped and everything became awash with white noise. He didn't even notice, tremors washing over him still as splashes of slick covered most of his husband's face, who gleefully enjoyed every last drop of it with a satisfied rumble.

For a moment his consciousness departed before it got sucked back into his body. Everything below his bellybutton felt numb, so the sure overstimulation had difficulty reaching his brain and his husband used his non-protest as a go-ahead to lick his thighs and every other part of him that the slick had reached- clean, savoring it with every swipe. blurry eyed he looked at the ceiling, trying to think of what had just occurred.

Squirting. He didn't even know he'd be capable of that. He kept his gaze upward as the alpha hummed another tune, not one thought able to form as Kazutora contemplated what just happened. He knew Baji, once his mind was set on something would be unrelenting. But he hadn't expected him to go down on him like that, unprovoked no less-

okay… Mildly provoked. He'd eaten his words all right. Not that he'd tell him. But still. "was this your plan from the beginning?" he weakly asked, breathing heavily, his gaze still towards the ceiling. Too tired to even move one minuscule of a muscle. Not that there were any left, with the way Baji had quite literally obliterated him.

He could hear the devious grin in his voice without looking at him. "Let's get to the main course, shall we?"

Kazutora's eyes widened. was he implying that what they'd done until now had been what?! an appetizer? He gulped as their eyes met, his traitorous stomach tingling with anticipation as Baji's devious eyes gleamed at him.

he'd forgotten how much of a bully Baji could be.