Archive of Our Own ^beta

Mori Ougai did not usually go shopping alone.

He was usually shadowed by someone by the Port Mafia. Chuuya-kun and Akutagawa-kun would shadow him on the normal basis. Kouyou-kun also took her shifts as well, but it was less likely than Chuuya-kun when he wasn’t messing around with the gem trade again.

Akutagawa-kun didn’t appreciate guarding in a crowd. While the young man simply hated guard duty in its entirety, guard duty in a crowd was not something that Akutagawa-kun did not want to try ever. He had a penchant for violence that one.

However, since Akutagawa-kun started dating the weretiger of the Armed Detective Agency, it seems that his normal knee-jerk reactions were changing. Akutagawa-kun was starting to slowly learn that he could detain without taking off limbs.

Ougai was proud that Akutagawa-kun was learning this, but he was also slightly unhappy that it started with a pretty boy.

Ougai rolled his eyes, and Elise-chan tittered beside him, skipping along. The Omega did not appreciate that his ability was laughing at him, but he also found some amusement in the fact that one of the Prime Alpha’s under his command would change for a pretty boy.

The Port Mafia Boss wondered just what category of subgender the weretiger was. The presentation had to happen recently as well, since the last time that Ougai had seen the boy, he had been unpresented. It had tugged at the inner Omega inside Ougai, but he had pressed it down and focused on the job on hand.

Instead, he wondered about the boy’s designation of subcategory now.

Alpha would make sense with the no-nonsense attitude the boy had, and the way that he yelled at Akutagawa-kun on missions. The ability to also stand up to Akutagawa-kun, who was a Prime Alpha, could also be done by an Alpha, which the weretiger could be.

A Beta would also make sense, as they were not usually affected by an Alphan command. Maybe a Pure Beta like Yosano-kun. The ability to think outside the box and ensure that the crazy plans that could only be a product of working near Dazai-kun, but also the innate ability to just pull off insanity in general. It was something that Ougai has seen in Betas before, both Pure Betas and unPure Betas.

Omegas made a little less sense.

Omegas could most certainly lead. Of course they could, simply look at Ougai himself and Fukuzawa-dono. Dazai-kun was capable of getting Chuuya-kun to follow along with insane plans and they simply worked. Omegas could lead, it simply relied on the Alphas that were following the plans.

Akutagawa-kun did not like following plans. Any sort of plans.

Ougai sighed as he browsed the dress section, Elise-chan starting to whine and huff as she followed obediently as always.

He shook his head.

What his Executives and Sub-Executives did in their free time was of no concern to him. He could speculate all he wanted to, but in the end, he would never know unless the boy told him himself. Or Akutagawa-kun requested time off for some reason. That would make sense for a heat if Akutagawa-kun and the weretiger were that far in their relationship. But it had only been a few months since the weretiger started to be heavily scented by Dazai-kun, so it would be fine–

A curl of scent wafted on the breeze to Ougai, and Elise-chan went stiff. Stopping her pretending of being human, and a faint purple glow started to wrap around her. Ougai had barely noticed that he had subconsciously ordered her to do so, and immediately turned to the service desk that was nearby.

His shoulders were sharp and stiff as he sent Elise-chan off, to follow and try to find wherever the scent was coming from.

It was an Omega in preheat, and who knows what would happen with all the people in the buildings surrounding them?

Nothing good.

Ougai knew that, he knew that more than anyone here probably. Being a military doctor before being anything Yokohama had taught him that. He had messed up with Yosano-kun. He could acknowledge that. He knew that.

He would not mess up here.

Calling in favors was not something he appreciated doing, Ougai liked having people on the hook and having them in his pocket.

However, for an Omega in heat that needed protection and needed someone who could help them? He would absolutely call in all the favors that he could with this shopping mall. Ougai was glad that he chose to come here today. All these people who worked here had some sort of sense, they understood that when Ougai asked to talk to the person in charge that he meant business, and did not fight.

Perhaps they had a member in the Port Mafia, maybe they knew that someone coming up and insisting on talking to the person in charge was important.

He tilted his head.

Elise-chan had found the Omega going into preheat.

It took thirty minutes to contact everyone and clear all the patrons out. Reimbursing the people who had closed down the shops would come out of the Port Mafia’s miscellaneous fund, and Kouyou-kun would raise an eyebrow at him, but it would be fine.

Thirty minutes, and Elise-chan hadn’t responded to him at all.

It made him concerned, it made him very concerned. His ability never went silent on him beforehand, Elise-chan always held onto the wire that connected the two of them. They were always connected to each other, and they would always have each other’s back.

Where are you?

Elise-chan couldn’t speak through the bond, as she wasn’t human, simply an ability. She was a shadow of a human being and couldn’t truly be anything that was more than what Ougai wished her to be. Instead, she sent a mental image of the backrooms of an Omegan blanket shop.

A good place to hide away while the signs of preheat would rise further and further. Perhaps the Omega had been searching for more blankets for their upcoming heat and the preheat hit them harder than they expected? They had to be a child then, or newly presented. Most Omegas knew the timing after their first heat, so it was more likely that it was a newly presented child or someone who had only gone through one heat–

A scent that Ougai had known exceptionally well until four years ago graced his nose as he entered the blanket shop and he withheld a groan.

Did Dazai-kun forget that he needed to be in a safe room before he went into preheat or heat?

Dazai-kun’s unique biology made him fight anyone that came near him if he was in heat or preheat. This would be irritating to deal with, but it would be fine. Ougai had dealt with Dazai-kun since he was fifteen years old. He could deal with a twenty-two year old Dazai-kun.

He walked further into the blanket shop and reminisced on when he found the barely presented Omegan pup who had tried to commit suicide.

Ougai had tried everything in his power to save the boy who smelled so heavily of chemicals and so slightly of peach blossoms and some sort of wood.

As he recovered, the boy smelled less of chemicals and more of the peach blossoms and cypress. It was a lovely smell, one that would keep people calm in times of anger and distress.

However, it seemed the young Omegan pup simply wanted to die. It was something that Ougai had seen before, he was a war doctor after all. He had simply never seen it one so young before. He did not go the correct route as well. Killing the Old Boss was needed, he had needed a witness, Dazai-kun had been right there and it had needed to happen then and now.

Ougai had messed up with Dazai-kun.

Ougai had messed up with Yosano-kun.

He knew this, he wished he could go back and redo those things and protect the children. But he could not.

As Ougai got near the entrance of the backrooms, something appeared under the peach blossoms and cypress notes, making the older Omega pause. He tilted his head, inhaling the scent with more purpose and deliberation. He parsed it in his head, tasting the heady scent of peach blossoms on his tongue. The cypress came in full force a half-second later, hitting the back of the throat. The scent was full of warning, biting at his lungs, warning Ougai to stay away. Which would be normal for Dazai-kun’s scent, but it wasn’t for Dazai-kun. It wasn’t a scent to warn people away from Dazai-kun while he was in preheat and heat.

It wasn’t Dazai-kun’s normal scent, not the one that the boy had grown up with.

This was. . . . .

Ougai walked forward, pushing the door open. Soft whimpers greeted him, along with silver hair spilling on the floor like a pool of blood.

This is a Parental Omega’s scent.

Ougai stared at the apparently Omegan weretiger, who was in preheat. Elise-chan stared up at him, blank eyes staring at him, waiting for the next command from him.

Ougai shook his head, breathing deeply. Now he could smell it, the scent of rain and flowers that was hidden in the parental Omegan scent. This changed things, but it didn’t change much. Perhaps it did change how he talked to Akutagawa-kun from now on, but he needed to do that at a later date. When they were past this point in time and Ougai could talk to the young Prime Alpha in a nice, calm environment with no one around. Not even Gin-kun, who would no doubt tease her brother relentlessly.

“Pick him up.” He ordered Elise-chan, and the ability grew to the height of a young woman, slipping her slim arms under the weretiger and scooping him up as carefully as his ability could. Ougai turned away, thinking out the logistics. He would need to contact Fukuzawa-dono, perhaps get in contact with Dazai-kun. No, not perhaps. The younger Omega was the youngest Omega’s parental, it was more than likely needed that Dazai-kun would be there when the transfer would happen–

Shink

Plop

“Rintarō, I’ve lost my arm.” Elise-chan’s voice said, in the monotone it took when it was in the older form.

Ougai turned around, looking at the unrepentant cloudy eyes of the weretiger, then at the claws of the tiger on the hand, and then at Elise-chan’s arm which was down on the ground. “Why did you do that?” He asked with a sigh.

A soft hiss from the boy, but that was to be expected. Preheat often addled the mind, making even the most clear-minded of individuals unable to run on anything but instincts.

Ougai took a glance around, mentally ordering Elise-chan to place the weretiger down, and he went hunting. He came back with an armful of blankets, placing them on the ground in front of the preheat Omega.

The weretiger blinked foggy eyes at the blankets, reaching a hand out and pressing against the blankets. He wrinkled his nose at the first few, of course he did. Ougai had just chosen what was nearby, not wanting to leave Elise-chan and the boy alone with each other. He just needed some bigger blankets.

He paused on the blanket that had eucalyptus and rosemary intertwined on the blanket’s surface, feeling the silky surface. The weretiger played with the blanket, pawing at it.

“Hmm.” The weretiger muttered, picking up the blanket and rubbing his face against it. A soft purr came from the weretiger’s throat, and that was what Ougai needed.

On Ougai’s mental command, Elise-chan snatched the blanket up and wrapped the weretiger up in it, completely wrapping the limbs up to the point where the pup couldn’t wriggle out of the blanket.

Growls and hisses escaped the little pup, and Ougai tried to hush the little one, wrist extended and spreading his scent on the blanket where the weretiger’s face was. “Easy. Easy. We need to get you out of here Little One. So hush now, and let’s go.”

Ougai and Elise-chan stand, Elise-chan holding the wriggling, blanket-tied weretiger tighter.

They walked out of the mall, heading into the car that Ougai had called earlier. He was rather glad that Akutagawa-kun and Chuuya-kun weren’t on guard duty today, if they were, there would be many complications.

He gently held the little pup that was still wriggling and hissing and growling at Ougai, and Ougai could only smile and sigh at this. The weretiger must have presented only a few months ago and his heat cycle was still settling.

Ougai remembered when his children in the Port Mafia had been unpresented and he had helped them present.

Normally, people would medicate with stimulants in order to present on time if they had not presented on time. But there were other ways, healthier ways. Ways that were better than an immediate jump to hormones. Ougai did not condemn people for using these hormonal supplements, goodness knows that he has even prescribed them to others himself.

But he preferred the healthier way before the hormonal way.

The healthier way being an Omega’s nest.

If an unpresented pup was given sanctuary in a trusted Omega’s nest, then it had a high chance of kickstarting the presentation process. However, the older someone got, the less likely an Omega’s nest would work.

Ougai remembered when the Port Mafia finally had coaxed Chuuya-kun in. Chuuya-kun was unpresented at the age of fifteen, not a terribly old age to not present, but he was leaning on the cusp and could possibly turn sixteen without presenting. Ougai had swept the boy up and to his apartment, under the guise of getting his weight up to a reasonable weight and getting some good sleep, and keeping an eye on him while he was recovering from the stab wound that the Sheep had given him.

Thankfully, Ougai’s nest had coaxed Chuuya-kun into his presenting rut, Ougai himself spending that rut applying numbing gel to the pup’s gums that were coming in at a rapid pace and spooning in soft foods to the pup’s mouth.

However, Akutagawa-kun had refused to enter Ougai’s nest.

It had irked Ougai, but he couldn’t force the boy to interact with him, and he couldn’t force the boy to spend time in his nest. So of course, after Akutagawa-kun was up to a good weight, he had demanded the hormonal supplements.

Ougai could only prescribe them.

Akutagawa-kun presented at as Prime Alpha in a week.

Ougai shook his head, gently stroking a hand along the silver hair that was poking out of the blanket, being greeted with sleepy hiss and growl.

He laughed softly. It had been so long since a pup had been in his nest. It would be interesting to have another one in his nest that was not technically his, as the weretiger was Dazai-kun’s. But Dazai-kun would understand, as the younger Omega would see that the youngest Omega was in preheat and it would do no one good for him to be out and about in such a state.

After they finally reached the high rise where Ougai lived, he could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Before turning to look at the guard.

“No one is to enter without my explicit permission. Is that understood?”

“Yes, Boss.”

~~~~~~~~~~

Atsushi hadn’t known what was happening.

He was just going to look for some blankets for Kyouka-chan, maybe some for Kenji-kun. The boy didn’t have some, which was a crying shame. Everyone deserved some blankets, and Atsushi was determined to get some for the boy.

But it seemed something was wrong with him.

He got cramps in his stomach and lower body, as if someone was squeezing his muscles and stabbing them at the same time. He didn’t know what was going on, so he did what he did best when something happened to him.

He ignored it.

It’s always worked before, ignoring problems with his body until they went away. The only time that he actually acknowledged that he had a problem with his body was when he went to Yosano-sensei and got the hormonal supplements to help him present.

Atsushi was perfectly fine with ignoring these cramps and finding some blankets that Kenji-kun might like. He knew Kyouka-chan’s preferences in blankets, he could ask for the employees to put them away and let her decide later whether she wanted them or not. But Kenji-kun, Atsushi didn’t know too much about. Other than the boy liked cows and tempura soba and food.

And then his limbs started to hurt. Pins and needles started to race up and down them, like Atsushi had slept on them and cut off circulation. He shook his hands and ankles like a cat shaking water off its paws and ignored it. Like he always did. It was fine.

This was fine.

He could just get the blankets put on layaway and everything would be fine.

Atsushi could collapse in the communal nest once he got home and sleep whatever this was off.

He shook his head. He just had to go home after this. Just get the blankets on layaway, get out of the shop, and go home. That was the plan, he could follow it, He could, he could. He could follow this plan, he made this plan, he could follow this plan, it was his plan, it was his plan.

Atsushi blinked.

What was he doing? What was happening?

His head hurt a lot. His head hurt so much. His body hurt so much.

Atsushi shook his head, swallowing and trying to get some sort of liquid in his throat and in his body. What was happening to him? What was happening to Atsushi?

He felt so hot and his head hurt so much and his body was filled with pins and needles–

Atsushi ran.

He didn’t know where he was, but it was cool. It was concrete and it was cool, cool concrete. It soothed the fire that was trying to rage in Atsushi’s body, it calmed it down.

A scent that was not quite human and a little too sterile pierced Dazai-san’s scent, and soft humming was heard. “Rintarō is going to find this quite interesting. You are overheating though. We will need to get water in you right away once we get back into the nest.”

Atsushi didn’t like this voice. It was too harsh to his sensitive ears and he wanted to clamp his hands over his ears and just curl over them. But he couldn’t move, not really. So he curled up in a ball and just whimpered. He couldn’t move, he couldn’t move. He couldn’t move and he couldn’t think and he just wanted his family.

He wanted his pack.

“Rintarō is coming.”

Footsteps and a scent that Atsushi couldn’t really place. It was a nice scent, it was one that Atsushi would like on a normal day, but he was hurting too much and his nose was too sensitive to really appreciate any sort of scents that were not pack scents right now.

“Pick him up.”

Hands and arms of the too sterile scent wrapped around Atsushi.

NO no no no!

The too sterileness and the too-firmness of the hands and arms was too much for Atsushi and his overwhelmed brain.

His claws and his tiger answered his cry, and one of the arms of too-firmness went away. Now he was held with only one, but he was put down before he could slice that one away too. If he was in his right mind, he would be upset that he had hurt someone, that he could be someone that hurt others.

“Why did you do that?” The voice that had ordered for the not-person to pick him up groaned, and Atsushi hissed. He didn’t like being questioned. He didn’t like being held. He didn’t want to be held by someone that he didn’t know and someone that he didn’t recognize as pack.

Soft whispers of fabric.

Blankets.

Atsushi swiped fingers over a few, wrinkling his nose at the fake feeling from them. They didn’t feel right, didn’t look right. Weren’t right, they weren’t right.

He paused on the one with plants on it. He didn’t recognize the plants, but something about them just made him calm down. He gently touched it, rubbed his face against it. It calmed him down, this blanket did. He wondered why, in the place that Atsushi was squandered away to while the Gamma was out to play.

The hands were back!

Swaddling him up and making him unable to reach out and swipe!

Atsushi growled and hissed and groaned and wanted to cry, but since when did crying do him any good? He hissed and groaned and growled as the scent came back, soothing him slightly as he was taken somewhere.

Gentle touches to his hair and Atsushi hissed again, whining softly under his breath. He wanted Dazai-san. He wanted Kunikida-san. He wanted Kyouka-chan. He wanted Kenji-kun and Fukuzawa-san and Ranpo-san and Tanizaki-san and Tanizaki-chan and Akutagawa and Chuuya-san‑

“Easy, easy.” The monotone voice said, laying him down somewhere soft. “Rintarō will be by soon to help you. In the meantime, you’re going to drink this.”

Something was pressed against his lips, and cold liquid was in Atsushi’s mouth. It was only as Atsushi swallowed it did he realize that there were pills in the drink.

Atsushi wriggled away from the drink, before finally slumping in wherever he had been placed.

Footsteps approached.

“Thank you Elise-chan. If you could, go patrol the perimeter to ensure that no one gets in.”

“Of course Rintarō.”

Footsteps, lighter than the ones that had approached, left.

A hand rested in Atsushi’s hair, stroking the silver hair. Atsushi relaxed, no doubt thanks to whatever was in the drink.

He drifted for a while, not really understanding where he was or what was going on. He was brought out of his peaceful little bubble when a spike of pain from a cramp woke him out of the peaceful haze.

Atsushi cracked his eyes open.

The Port Mafia Boss, Mori Ougai, peered down at him with royal purple eyes. “Awake at last?”

~~~~~~~~~~

Ougai didn't immediately corral the young boy into his personal nest.

One, because Dazai-kun would have his head, and Ougai liked his head where it was right now, thank you very much. Dazai-kun was an incredibly possessive Omega. No doubt he would try to kill Ougai more than normal when he realized that Ougai had his pup.

And two, he didn't want the pup to get mixed signals. The boy was in preheat and probably going through his first heat since presentation. Family and friends would offer personal nests, and Ougai was neither.

Ougai was simply. . . . A benefactor. An Omega that could smell the pre-heat through Dazai-kun's territorial scent claim and knew that it wouldn't keep anyone away truly.

Ougai would call Dazai-kun later. He would, he promised.

But right now, he simply stroked the boy's silver hair, marveling that it was natural down to the roots as Elise-chan bustled in the background to get food ready, as there had been no one who dared to come by and try to get in his apartment. Of course there wasn’t, he was the Boss, and his word was law. But still.

Ougai stroked the hair, studying it. He had half-expected the hair to be unnatural, colored. But it was natural. How unique!

If Dazai-kun hadn't already snatched the pretty pup up, then Ougai would have. The boy was just too cute.

Then again, that would probably give Dazai-kun incentive to act and actually snap the child up if Ougai did decide to swoop in and help.

So the older Omega merely sighed, gently spreading his wisteria and patchouli scent in the boy's hair and on his shoulders, avoiding the scent glands.

He had no claim.

. . . . . Yet.

Ougai had not claim yet. But should Dazai-kun continue to not show up and no other parentals continue to show up, then it would fall onto Ougai to take care of the pup in his care.

That was fine. Ougai would have no problem with that, but Dazai-kun and other parentals would no doubt have some problems with that.

A groan greeted his ears, and the weretiger curled into a ball more, whining softly and huffing softly.

"Calm down." Ougai soothed, running his hand through the silver strands. Spreading his wisteria and patchouli scent further into the pup's hair.

A sharp hiss greeted him, but it was also edged with the scent of upset worry fear fear fear.

Ougai clicked his tongue softly and gently pulled the boy up higher. Into a hug. "I know. Heats are scary, I know. I'm sure Dazai-kun will come by eventually to find you."

The pup whined, hiding his face in Ougai's chest. Searching for a parentals comfort.

Ougai hummed softly, rubbing gently at the boy's shoulders. He was probably utterly exhausted and the heat cramps weren't helping in the slightest. Elise-chan should be by with a heat pack soon for that.

Ougai gently played with the hair, scratching at the scalp. He wondered if the boy's unnatural coloring was a result of his ability, or if his coloring was a warning for his ability.

It would be an interesting thing to look into. But also not that much evidence. Chuuya-kun only had a difference in appearance when Corruption was used. Dazai-kun never changed his appearance, always stable.

It would be both interesting and tedious, and Ougai had enough paperwork to deal with.

So instead, Ougai just cuddled the pup who was slipping further and further into preheat, the scent of orchids growing more and more potent.

Elise-chan walked forward, holding a cup of tea in her hands. Ougai nodded and held a hand out for it, taking it from her. She left immediately.

The tiger child whined, burrowing into Ougai's body more.

Ougai sighed gently, reaching for the tea and trying to coax his head out. "Come now, this will help."

The peppermint tea would help with the nausea and the cramping that the boy was no doubt experiencing in the throes of preheat.

A grumble, and the boy pulled his face out, a pout on his face and looking like he was two seconds away from hissing. Ougai just laughed lightly and coaxed him into drinking some of the tea.

The weretiger took a few sips of the tea, relaxing slightly at the heat of the drink. Ougai mentally sent an order to Elise-chan to hurry with the reheatable rice pack. It would help with the cramps, and surely it would unwind the little pup more–

A head butted into Ougai’s wrist, disrupting the hand holding the teacup.

The hot peppermint tea spilled onto the silver hair.

Ougai blinked down at the sight, remembering the multiple times that Dazai-kun did the exact same thing when he spent heats in Ougai’s nest. He groaned lightly, getting up and untangling the pup from the blanket and gently grabbed the shoulder.

He steered him to the bathroom, sitting him down on the toilet and getting the shampoo and conditioner from the shower.

Ougai started the water, making sure it was a gentle heat and gently guided the tainted silver head over the porcelain bowl of the sink.

The pup froze.

Ougai tilted his head.

“Are you alright?” He asked, cupping his hands and spilling some water on the pup’s head.

The shoulders that had become so tense slowly relaxed as the water continued to run down the drain, and was warm. Ougai cupped his hands a few more times to wet the hair fully and turned the water off. He put a towel around the pup’s shoulders and had him sit on the toilet again, and squirted some shampoo into his hands and then started to work his hands thoroughly through the silver hair.

The still tense shoulders relaxed more, leaning into his hands.

Ougai was once again reminded of Dazai-kun, the younger Omega always so feisty and refusing any sort of parental that tried to present themselves as so. The only way that Ougai could take care of Dazai-kun was when his heat hit unexpectedly and Ougai could order him to rest.

After the shampoo was worked in, he leaned the head over the sink again, and the shoulders tensed again. The water turned on, and the shoulders went higher. Then relaxed as Ougai cupped his hands and spilled the water over the silver hair.

“You two are quite alike, you know that?” Ougai said, gently working the shampoo out of the silver strands. “You both hate water.”

“I like water.” The pup muttered as the last of the shampoo was swirling down the drain. “I just don’t like hands close to my head and water combined.”

Ougai filed that away. He supposed that the orphanage that the pup came from would stoop to such means to control children.

Perhaps Chuuya-kun would like to visit that place.

Ougai pulled the silver hair back again, and started working the conditioner into the silver hair.

He waited a few minutes, humming a soft song and tapping his fingers.

The pup’s eyes immediately sharpened and focused on his fingers as they tapped away.

The time was up and Ougai guided the pup’s head to be over the sink again, and started up the water.

Ougai gently worked his hands through the wet silver hair.

Said owner of silver hair hissed at Ougai, and he clicked his tongue gently at him. "None of that. It is not my fault that you spilled the tea over your head. On purpose."

The tiger child groaned, crossing his arms and holding them tightly to his chest. “Wasn’t on purpose.” The tiger child grumbled, and hissed and grumbled without words.

"I know. Not the person you want right now." Ougai chuckled softly. "Neither of us really wanted this to happen, little tiger. But unfortunately, Dazai-kun seems to think that you're currently safe and sound where you are. He most likely thinks you're with Chuuya-kun."

A purple-gold eye peered up at him.

"No. I will not be allowing Chuuya-kun near you right now. Not even Chuuya-kun is allowed near my home. Especially not with you in preheat."

The boy grumbled, and Ougai gently pulled his head out of the sink, running a hand through the silver hair to ensure that there was no more shampoo or conditioner left in the strands. He paused on the cluster of black hairs, and wondered again why the boy's hair was this way. But Ougai dismissed it, and pulled a towel out and gently started to gather the wet silver hair up.

"I'm sure Dazai-kun will call or text Chuuya-kun eventually. And then figure out what exactly happened. Until then, let's get some food in you. I know that you like ochazuke, any other requests?"

The boy looked away.

Ah, the silent treatment.

Nakajima Atsushi was so much like Dazai Osamu.

After guiding the boy along on his wobbly feet to the kitchen, Ougai got to work on the ochazuke. It was a perfectly simple dish after all.

One a child could make.

That thought struck Ougai, and he paused for a moment, before continuing to make the dish.

Of course a child could make it.

The child behind him probably made it whenever he could in that orphanage.

The dish was done, so Ougai gently placed the ochazuke in front of the boy.

Two-toned eyes glared down at the bowl, not picking up the chopsticks or the spoon that were provided to him.

"You saw me create it." Ougai sighed gently, tapping his fingers on the top of the table. "You saw me make the tea, the rice, and pull the toppings out of sealed containers. You know that it is not poisoned."

For some reason, the eyes instead trailed to Ougai's tapping fingers. He couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. He still let his fingers tap without rhythm, as they were likely to do without a scalpel to twirl.

Atsushi-kun picked up the spoon and carefully ate a bite.

Ougai let out a breath of relief. He's eating at least.

"Familiar. . ." The boy muttered, and Ougai tilted his head.

He didn't understand what the boy meant, but if it ensured he ate, then Ougai was glad.

~~~~~~~~~~

Osamu was storming towards the apartment of the Boss of the Port Mafia.

He hadn’t been concerned about Atsushi-kun’s location at first. He hadn’t been concerned, why would he be?

The GPS tracker that he had on Atsushi-kun said that he was just at the Port Mafia’s apartments. Obviously, Atsushi-kun was with Chuuya. While Osamu didn’t like Atsushi-kun spending time with the stupid Slug, he had no reason to stop them. He had no ability to stop him.

Atsushi-kun deserved to choose his own parentals, and Osamu had no right to stop that. He had overstepped beforehand, he knew that now. He knew that before, but he had pushed it away. Now, he had no right to step in the way.

But when he had called Chuuya, requesting that Atsushi-kun be sent home, the answer had chilled him.

[“Eh? I don’t have him. He’s with you this week.”]

Osamu had hung up, grabbed his coat, and ran off after grabbing a few favorite knives of his.

Atsushi-kun was a Gamma. He would be able to fight anyone off. He would fight off any Alpha.

But Osamu would come get him regardless.

It didn’t help that Atsushi-kun was so close to the first heat after his presenting heat.

It wouldn’t be good, it wouldn’t be good at all. The Gamma wouldn’t be able to think his way through everything, not the first heat.

Osamu stood in front of the Port Mafia’s apartment high rise.

Guards were abundant.

That was fine.

He wouldn’t be killing them. Not this time. He would just be squeezing around the sides and finding where exactly the GPS tracker was taking him in this building.

As he followed it higher and higher up the building, he felt his heart getting upset and focused on settling it. His teeth started to grit and he slowed down as he stood in front of the one door that he hated and never wanted to be in front of ever again.

Osamu inhaled.

And paused.

Oh no.

Oh no.

Atsushi-kun was undoubtedly in the last stages of preheat or the first stages of heat now.

Osamu flicked his hair pins out of his pocket and started to pick the lock.

~~~~~~~~~~

Ougai looked up as he felt Elise-chan disappear into the void again. The cold wash of Dazai-kun’s ability reached him even here in the nest that he had created for Atsushi-kun, and he found himself sighing.

He carefully disentangled himself from the boy, who whined and tried to cling to his legs. Ougai just chuckled and brought himself out of the nest. The pup was in the first stages of heat, and needed someone nearby.

Dazai-kun stood in the living room, eyes wild and dark, peach blossom and cypress scent sharp and biting. “Mori-san.”

“Dazai-kun.” Ougai said calmly. “You’re a little late. He’s in the starting stages.”

Dazai-kun inhaled and exhaled visibly, trying not to attack Ougai visibly. It was an improvement in their relationship at least. He wasn’t trying to stab Ougai where he stood.

“Come. He’s in the nest.” Ougai beckoned. “He needs you. And this heat will no doubt last at least two days.”

Dazai-kun inhaled deeply, calming himself, before breezing past Ougai, purposely bumping into the older Omega.

It was obvious that he didn’t like Ougai knowing about the pup and their connection to each other, but it was fine. Ougai can take care of the two of them for the two days coming up.

During those two days of heat, Ougai didn’t allow himself to come near the nest that was constructed for the boy.

Elise-chan was sent in with food and water, but that was it.

Ougai wouldn’t dare interrupt a parental Omega taking care of a younger Omega during one of their first heats after presenting.

After the two days were up and the petrichor and orchid scent settled down, Ougai approached the nest.

Peeking into it, he smiled at the sight. Dazai-kun and Atsushi-kun wrapped around each other weas such a cute sight. He wanted to snap a picture, but he knows that Dazai-kun would no doubt stab him for that.

He remembers when Dazai-kun was the one that was the pup, and he was the parental Omega. Dazai-kun absolutely hated being doted upon, but during the heats Ougai could take care of him at last.

Atsushi-kun stirred, whining. He pressed himself upwards, pulling out of Dazai-kun’s embrace. He blinked the big, two-toned eyes at Ougai, yawning. “Good morning.”

“Good morning.” Ougai chuckled.

The change in scent must have woken Dazai-kun up, because the young man shot up, wrapping arms around Atsushi-kun again.

“Atsushi-kun, are you lucid again?”

“I think so?” Atsushi-kun said, holding onto the blanket that Elise-chan had wrapped him in in that blanket store.

“Good. We’re leaving. Good day, Mori-san.” Dazai-kun said sharply, chillingly, and dragged Atsushi-kun out of the nest and towards the door.

Ougai watched them leave.

He remembered, Dazai-kun leaving that day that Oda Sakunosuke died. The straight back and sharp steps. The sharp scent and the grip on the gun.

He compared it to now, to Dazai-kun’s arm wrapped around Atsushi-kun and the mellower scent. The lack of gun and sloped back to help his claimed pup.

Ougai liked this leaving much better than the last one.

He preferred this one.

There was a chance of seeing his pup in the future with this bittersweet parting.