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Their homeroom teacher asks him to come in early before class and that makes Akihiko nervous as heck.
“Nirei,” he says in a voice that makes it ten times worse. “What are you even doing at this school?”
Akihiko hems and haws and giggles in a choked up nervous way because dang, hadn’t he asked himself that question just about every day since he got to Furin? Once an hour, it seemed, after the whole Keel thing. Since Suo took pity on him and taught him to at least be less of an embarrassment, Akihiko managed to hate himself a little less most days - but stuff like this dug it all back up double quick.
“I don’t mean that in a bad way,” his teacher says, lightly tapping his head with a print out, then offering it to him. Akihiko takes it hesitantly. “You’ve got almost double the points as the next highest kid in the mock exam. Why did you come to a school like Furin? These scores can get you into any of the area academic schools with a college prep track. The others are heading into the workforce or vocational school - or jail, for some of them -” Akihiko frowns at that and the teacher hurries along. “What I mean to say is that you could transfer your second year if you wanted to. You could probably transfer second semester, if we rush the paperwork. Any of the schools on that list are close enough to commute and would be a better fit for you, especially as an omega.”
There it was, then. Akihiko couldn’t even get mad over it. It’s the same conversation he’s been having since he went out for Furin in the first place. Akihiko half shrugs, promises to think it over, and takes the crumpled sheet back to the classroom. It’s still early so only a handful of other people are around, and they’re ones he’s not particularly close with. He’s hoping they’ll leave him alone to cool down before someone he wants to talk to turns up, but no way he’s lucky enough for that.
“Hey Nirei, you’re an omega, aren’t ya? Let me sniff you.” Kurita waves to him. Reluctantly, Akihiko shoves the paper into his pocket, walking over. Takanashi and Kakiuchi are absorbed in some handheld game, ignoring their idiot friend. Two or three others hover around, glancing at Akihiko like he’s going to settle some minor argument. He’s used to this kind of thing: is a tortoise a turtle, is a hot dog a sandwich. He’s got a half decent memory and the best grades in class somehow so he ended up something of a walking encyclopedia for guys too lazy to Google on their smartphones.
“What-” Akihiko starts to ask but then Kurita grabs the collar of his shirt, pulls it to the side, and shoves his face right against Akihiko’s neck. He jumps, or tries to - Kurita’s got a firm grip on his arm so he doesn’t go anywhere. Akihiko feels his face heat up as he pushes at Kurita’s chest, trying to get free.
“Lay off, what is that?” Akihiko complains, but he’s half smiling. They’re being stupid and rough, but it’s kind of nice to feel included.
“You’re not near heat, right? On suppressants?”
“That’s-” embarrassing.
“Rude,” Kakuichi says, not looking up from his game. “Talk like that’s why you’re still a virgin.”
“Fuck off, so what,” Kurita says, good natured. “I’m asking cause I am one, take pity on a poor virgin, wouldja Nirei?”
“Uh…” Akihiko scoots away when Kurita lets go but somehow ends up trapped between the desk, the wall, and Kurita. “I am on suppressants. I have to be, this place is full of alphas.”
“Right?” Kurita says to someone behind Akihiko. “But you can still smell it.”
Akihiko brings his hand up to push nervously at his hair, sniffing at his sleeve discreetly. Are his pheromones leaking? God, he hopes not.
“No way, really?” Someone grabs Akihiko from behind by his shirt, half pulling him across the desk so he’s sitting on it. They push his hair to one side and press their face against the back of his neck against his scent gland. Akihiko breaks into a cold sweat.
“Me too,” someone else announces, grabbing Akihiko’s arm and pulling the wrist up to their face. He can feel hot breath on his bare skin. “Smell’s kinda weird.”
“Cause you’re freaking him out,” Takanashi offers. “The stress makes the scent change, at least for my girlfriend. Oh, hey, get that power up.”
“Quit backseat gaming,” Kakuichi complains.
“We stressin’ you out?” Kurita asks, surprised. “We’re just messing around. Hell, after that bridge fight you could probably take half of us if you really wanted to.”
“N-No,” Akihiko says, not sure what part he’s disagreeing with. Another hand tugs at his ankle; someone’s standing in front of the desk between his legs. Akihiko tries leaning over to see who it is but whoever’s behind him won’t let up.
“‘S nice, like a candle,” a voice growls near his ear, and the hand on his chest snags on his shirt, popping two buttons.
“Hey!” Akihiko tries to say, but it comes out a squeak.
“Oh that’s pretty cute. Do that again,” Kurita says with a grin. He grabs Akihiko’s other ankle, waving it a little side to side like playing with a stray cat. Akihiko tries to swipe at him but when he moves his hands, his balance shifts and he ends up flat on his back on the desk instead. The hand on his chest twists and gropes further down.
“You’re doing too much,” Takanashi says, and it sounds far away over the sounds of feet shuffling closer, mouths breathing heavier. “What’s so fun about touching some guy’s chest anyway?”
“It’s not so bad, in a pinch,” Kurita says. “Hey, you ever seen a guy omega before? Naked, I mean.”
“No.” Kakuichi sounds interested. “Is it different?”
“One way to find out.”
Hands at Akihiko’s belt, then his zipper, and he’s kicking and flailing, every bit of Suo’s training out the fucking window while they strip him from the waist down. He clamps his legs together but Kurita pries them open, we’re just gonna look a sec, don’t be such a piss baby-
The door slams open against the frame.
“Helloooo - the heck are you doing? You better knock it off!”
Tsugeura’s bright voice fills up the space and then Akihiko’s free. He slides off the desk trying to get his pants back up and Kurita catches him before he topples over. He ought to be thankful he got saved from hitting the floor face first but he can’t stand it. He’s already covered in Kurita’s smell right down to the skin and he wants to puke.
Tsugeura frowns at the room in disappointment. “Stinks like horndog alpha in here. You got poor Nirei shakin’ in his sneakers.”
“I’m fine,” Akihiko says, hands shaking too badly to manage his button or fly. He just holds his pants up, leaning against the desk for a moment to catch his breath.
“Aw, hey, man. We didn’t mean nothing by it. We’re sorry. Hey, you want me to strip down too? I’ll streak across the track field if it makes you feel better.” Kurita asks, massaging his shoulder a little in overbearing, horrible apology.
“You really gotta think next time, idiot. I’m a beta and it almost knocked me flat. Any alpha’s gonna scent distressed omega all the way down the hall. You’re lucky it was me here first and not-”
There’s no sound, no warning: Kurita is standing with his hand on Akihiko’s shoulder and then he isn’t. There’s no chance for Kurita to tighten his grip, he has been as neatly excised from Akihiko’s orbit as a surgeon, which is how Akihiko knows it’s Suo. Who else could it be except Suo?
It would be cartoonish, how the bodies go flying around the room, except that they don’t land soft and easy. Suo means to hurt them and they hurt when they land. The ones closest to Akihiko get it worst but even the ones sitting at their desks don’t go unscathed. Tsugeura stands back with his hands up in the air innocently.
“Hey,” Akihiko protests again weakly, but then Sakura leans against him, keeping him still with his body weight. When did he get here?
“Better let him get it out,” Sakura advises, watching Suo work.
“Hey, I… I can’t get my pants buttoned. Sorry, can you…?” Akihiko asks, embarrassed to have to ask. Sakura glances down then turns red, looks away.
“They busted your zipper,” Sakura says shortly. “And your button’s gone, all of ‘em are.”
“Oh.” Akihiko tugs at the open ends of his shirt in mild surprise. “I guess they are.”
“Fuck, what happened here!?” Anzai asks, clattering into the room and staring at the bloodshed. “What set Suo off? They’re all down already, quit it! I think Kurita’s got a dislocated shoulder.”
“Lucky him,” Sakura says, angling his back against Akihiko protectively. “I got a feeling if we showed up any earlier, Suo’d have broken it. Better get your dumbass friends out of here while they can still move.”
“Oh,” Sakura adds when Anzai and Kakuichi are dragging Kurita out the door. Kakuichi’s got a bruise on his jaw in the shape of a foot and Kurita’s arm dangles uselessly between them. “And if you wanna know about omegas so bad, why don’t you try askin’ me next time?” Sakura grins sharply, showing his teeth.
It makes Akihiko feel even worse, watching them scurry and flee. Of course they wouldn’t try something like this on Sakura even though he’s an omega too. They respect him. He’s worth respecting.
“I’m really fine,” Akihiko says quietly into the room. “Quit making a big deal out of nothing.”
“If you’re fine, how come you’re still crying?” Sakura asks gruffly.
Akihiko, ashamed, hides his face against his shoulder. “I don’t wanna be here anymore,” he says in a whisper and then Suo is there.
The way Suo smells always reminds him of the inside of a soup dumpling: aromatic and warm. Now the smell is burnt and charred with anger but it’s still better than anything else in the room so Akihiko leans forwards until his face is buried in Suo’s shirt. He takes a few deep inhales even though it’s rude to do it like this, all obvious and without even asking. Suo wraps an arm around the back of Akihiko’s neck, protecting his scent gland and absorbing the smell of distress. It can’t smell good and Akihiko feels sorry about that too.
“My place is closer,” Sakura says gruffly, slipping his key into Suo’s jacket pocket. “I’ll clean up in here.” His eyes glint a little as he looks over the damage Suo did already, like Suo’d done a half ass job.
“You can wear my gym uniform,” Suo says, and that’s a surprise because Akihiko wasn’t even sure Suo had one since he never changes out for PE. Suo helps him dress in the corner of the class while Sakura snaps to the rest of them to keep their damn perv eyes up front already! Akihiko ends up leaving the clothes in a heap in the corner. His mom’s gonna be pissed but he can’t stand the idea of touching it, the smell of a half a dozen different alphas all over it.
The walk to Sakura’s is a blur and he only snaps out of it when Suo takes his face in his hands and says his full name slowly. Akihiko blinks, then registers that the roaring in his ears is the sound of running water. Sakura’s place is a shithole but it has a decent attached shower and bath. It was Sakura’s only luxury because he couldn’t stand the looks he got at the public baths.
“I’m sure you want to be alone,” Suo says, still holding him steady where he’s sitting on the little shower stool waiting for the tub to fill. “But you’re not in any state to do this by yourself. Do you want me to call someone? Your family?”
Akihiko shakes his head slowly; it feels like he’s underwater already. “My family is all betas,” he manages to say. “It weirds them out. Sorry. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”
“It’s hormone shock,” Suo says, voice terse. “Expose an omega to enough alpha pheromones and you get tonic immobility. I’m sure you can guess what most of them use it for.”
Akihiko shakes his head again. “It wasn’t like that. They were just messing around.”
Suo’s expression doesn’t falter but he does reach up to flick the center of Akihiko’s forehead. The sudden sharp impact makes him blink rapidly, fog receding a little.
“I’m usually one for diplomacy but you could stand to hold a grudge sometimes.”
“You hit them for me already,” Akihiko points out.
“I can do it some more, if you like. If they do anything remotely similar, you can be sure I’ll do worse.”
“You’re so nice,” Akihiko says dreamily. “How come you’re always looking out for me?”
“I wonder,” Suo says, leaning over to turn off the water.
Suo rolls up his sleeves and the bottom of his pants but otherwise stays dressed, helpfully directing the detachable shower head as Akihiko clumsily scrubs himself with a washcloth. He hadn’t known how bad the leftover smell on his skin was bothering him until it washed away. He’s starting to feel halfway normal until Suo reaches over suddenly, pulling his legs apart at the knees. It’s Suo so Akihiko lets him, even though his face goes red. If Suo wants to take a look at his junk, he probably has a good reason.
Suo stands there quietly until Akihiko glances down too, wondering what the hell the problem is now. Then he sees the finger marks on the inside of his thigh, scratched and bruised from where they’d held him open on the desk to look.
Akihiko closes his thighs again, blocking Suo’s view. Suo cuts off the water and helps him into the tub.
“I’ll find you something to wear,” Suo says, and disappears for so long that Akihiko nearly falls asleep in the hot water. When he slips a little and water goes up his nose, he decides to chance it. Akihiko steps out of the tub one shaky leg at a time and dries himself awkwardly. He’s not sure if it’s weirder to put Suo’s clothes back on or come out in a towel so he’s just kind of standing there when Suo opens the door.
“Sorry,” Suo says, keeping eye contact. “I thought you’d call me when you needed to get out.”
“I can do this much,” Akihiko says, embarrassed. He takes the white T-shirt, one of Sakura’s, and the package of cheap conbini underwear. When did Suo even manage to get those? Truly a mysterious person.
Akihiko pulls on the shirt first, then feels Suo’s hands help tug it down, hands skimming the bare skin of his stomach, his side. There’s a little pocket of Suo’s smell under his clothes there now and instead of grossing him out the way Kurita and the others did, it’s… nice. Really nice.
Inappropriately nice, especially when Suo kneels to help Akihiko step into the underwear one leg at a time, keeping his gaze down politely but brushing his hands, his wrists against the marks on Akihiko’s thighs as he pulls them up, leaving his scent behind. Akihiko escapes the bathroom as soon as he can; he needs five feet of distance and a little breathing room or things are going to get mortifying. There’s already a sweetness settling in the air as Akihiko’s pheromones sort themselves out here, in a space that smells safe with an alpha he trusts between him and the door. He flops down on Sakura’s futon to hide it, wrapping himself in a blanket like a caterpillar, head stuck out of one end. Suo sits a polite distance away, then pulls a paper from his pocket. He looks it over calmly.
“What’s that?” Akihiko asks. Suo turns the paper so that he can see. It’s the print out from their teacher.
“It was in your pocket,” Suo says, turning it around again. “I suppose Mikami High…? Or Ryuusei, that’s where Sako goes.”
“Huh?” Akihiko sits up, letting the blankets pool around him.
“For your transfer.”
Akihiko crawls forward earnestly, nearly falling into Suo’s lap. “What? No! I mean, Sensei just gave that to me for no reason, I never said anything about transferring.”
“Why not?” Suo asks, still not looking at him. “Do you really want to keep going to our school after something like that happened today?”
“Yes,” Akihiko says, as hard as he can without shouting. Suo stares at him. “They were… bad, it sucked, I didn’t like it one bit. I’m not really fine about it, I’m embarrassed. And I feel like a total weakling ‘cause they’d never do that to an omega like Sakura or Tomiyama. I just need to get stronger.”
“You really are wasted on us,” Suo says a little wryly. “You’d be better off somewhere from the list. You’d never have to worry over getting roughed up like today or like what happened with Keel.”
Akihiko takes a deep shuddery breath to stay calm but his pheromones give it away.
“I’m not rejecting you,” Suo says immediately, laying a hand over Akihiko’s on top of the duvet. His scent is warm and reassuring. “Just because you don’t go to Furin doesn’t mean you can’t be our friend. You can’t deny you’d have a better future somewhere else.”
“I wouldn’t,” Akihiko says, twisting his hand until their fingers are intertwined and squeezing to get himself under control. “I’m… pretty cliche, right? I got picked on and then I made a flashy high school debut, same old loser underneath-”
“Nirei.”
“What I mean is, it was worse than that. I quit going to school after second year middle school and took all my classes online. I didn’t even leave my house for a couple of months, my parents were freaking out.” Akihiko confesses in a rush. “Then I found a forum talking about Furin and Bofurin and it was like, bam, you know? I got a little obsessed. I probably would have dropped out without this place. It means something big to me, and so does everyone in it, even the assholes. So please don’t say I’m better off somewhere else. I’m where I want to be.”
“I like you,” Suo says, bringing their joined hands up to his mouth, kissing Akihiko’s fingers.
“Bweh?” Akihiko chokes then coughs.
“You are incredibly cool,” Suo says, like a liar.
“I am really not cool,” Akihiko corrects when he can breathe, trying to disentangle their hands. Suo flexes his fingers and the attempt fails.
“That’s why you’re so cool,” Suo says serenely, as if that makes any sense. “Do you think I’d spend so much time with someone otherwise?”
“Sakura,” Akihiko protests. If Suo was going to like a guy omega, it would have to be Sakura. “Sakura’s way cooler than me.”
“Don’t talk about other men, I’ll get jealous,” Suo says with a smile. He’s joking. Definitely, probably joking. “Sakura bothers me at least twice a week for a friendly fight and I say no. I train with you whenever you want. I scent you. I washed you. I’m holding your hand right now. You’re letting me, so I can assume the feeling is mutual?”
Akihiko’s crush on Suo was a given; it seemed impossible that anyone could be around Suo and not feel this way. It was a bit like falling in love with your second grade teacher: nostalgic and impossible. Akihiko’s love for Suo had been abandoned at first blossom only for him to see it spring up now as a towering beanstalk. If it topples, Akihiko will be the one crushed then.
“Please don’t make fun of me,” Akihiko says quietly and then Suo does let go.
“You know, for once I’m not.” Suo smiles but it seems a little sad.
“What would you even like about me,” Akihiko mumbles to himself.
“You’re cool,” Suo says again. “You’re sincere. I like how you smell.”
“Oh?” Akihiko says, trying not to sound like he wants to hear more.
“Like zucchini bread,” Suo clarifies.
“...you are just making fun of me,” Akihiko sighs.
“Your freckles are cute. You have them on your back too, did you know? You’re cute all over. You’re so cute I want to kill anyone who saw you naked back in the classroom.” Suo’s voice stays light and pleasant as he continues but Akihiko freezes.
“I’d like to pull out every one of the fingernails that left a scratch on you. I’d break the nose of any one in that room that smelled your unhappiness and let things continue. I was going to wait until some cute time to tell you how I felt, after school festival or during fireworks, but I couldn’t wait any longer. I really hope you’ll accept my confession, Nirei. Because if you don’t let me scent you, I think I’ll really lose it.”
Akihiko is barely breathing, Suo’s words sucking the air out of the room. How is he meant to reply to something like that?
“Ah yes, that. That look right there. Have I frightened you?” Suo asks, mouth turned up and eyes almost closed. “Perhaps we’re not so good a fit after all.” He tilts his head slightly to the side in an artificial way. Akihiko’s eyes narrow; Suo’s faking him out.
“I like you too,” Akihiko says clearly. “And I’m not switching schools, so do what you want.”
Suo frowns. “I feel as though you don’t quite understand the situation,” he begins and then Akihito slowly lets his legs drop onto the futon, knees apart. He leans back, propped up by his arms behind him into a long stretch, like some kind of pin up girl. It’s so embarrassing he wants to die, but he keeps looking at Suo despite the red crawling up his neck to his ears and face. Suo was the one who said to keep his eyes open.
“If you’re mad cause they scented me, you better scent me too. If you’re mad that they looked at me, you…” Akihiko’s bravado runs out. He glances away, trailing off. He’s hard and the air is full of their pheromones entangling.
Suo touches his foot, then strokes up to the knee. He tugs at the hem of the underwear high up on Akihiko’s thigh and Akihiko pushes his weight to his hands, lifting himself enough so that Suo can work them down. Shyly, Akihiko spreads his legs again, completely bared this time.
“So.” He says nervously when Suo just looks.
“So,” Suo echoes, then looks up and smiles. Then he leans down to put his mouth between Akihiko’s legs. Akihiko yelps, smothering the sound with both hands and folding forward, shuddering with each wet suck from Suo’s open mouth. Suo’s hands slot over the bruises and press hard; Akihiko gasps at the dull pain, the flood of Suo-scent. Suo slips two fingers inside him and he tightens, squirms.
Suo drags his tongue down, slips it inside Akihiko alongside two fingers and the pleasant, full, pressing sensation tilts him over; he comes and Suo fumbles with his pants.
“Are we…?” Akihiko asks, slurring his words. He wants it as much as he’s afraid.
“No condom,” Suo says, but doesn’t seem bothered. He jerks off leaning over Akihiko, taking in deep lungfuls of his smell. “I want to mark you every day,” he confesses, making a low sound Akihiko can feel in his toes before painting Akihiko with his come. It’s hot, splashing on the shirt, the futon, his face. When Suo rolls over, he takes Akihiko with him, pulling the smaller boy over to rest on his chest.
“What now?” Akihiko asks in a daze, holding tightly to Suo’s shirt. He has forgotten in the moment that Suo is the one who confessed to him.
Suo kisses the side of his mouth, then lazily licks a drop of come off the side of Akihiko’s cheek.
“We buy Sakura a new futon,” Suo says.