Chapter Text
In what would've been a normal day out to the mall, perusing the new top gal figurines, Mikoshiba finds himself in the Nozaki apartment residence instead. It’s not that strange really. Not after Nozaki had, in some ways, bribed Sakura and him after class to help out with this months’ chapter saying he would have a surprise for them as a reward. Mikoshiba found himself following along, out of the kindness of his heart, to help out a friend in need.
(It was the promised cake honestly. Nozaki had a way with baked goods that added inches on their waists, but they always ate it anyway. They were just that good.)
Surprisingly, Mayu is already there when they arrive. Crouching near the front door like a lost cat waiting for their owner to finally open up the door. At first, Nozaki's perplexed at his younger brother’s appearance, but after a bizarre 20 second one-sided conversation, Nozaki announces to them that Mayu was feeling a little under the weather and that he was going to stay with Nozaki for the day. Which makes Sakura coo in pity as they make their way inside the apartment. Mikoshiba tuts at Mayu. Surely his condition was due to eating something strange again no doubt.
And so like a well oiled machine, they begin to put their stuff down onto the table. And work on filling out the blank pages that Nozaki had no doubt put off until it got to the point where he needed them to pinch in much earlier than their usual time.
Maybe trying to draw 3 chapters at the same time was a bad idea, huh Nozaki??!
It surprised Mikoshiba that Nozaki had wanted to work ahead. But as Nozaki explained it, the chapters would flow better that way.
But really ?!!
Three at the same time???
(If Nozaki’s editor caught wind of this, oh boy!)
And so now, they work quietly. The only sound in the room being the scratches of the pen on paper and smooth strokes of ink going across in easy motions. It’s then that Nozaki decides that it’s time to make good on his promise for that cake and disappears from the room. And it’s fine for a moment, that is until Sakura runs into some problems which Mikoshiba tells her to ask Nozaki about. Even if he had helped Nozaki early on in his manga before, it wasn’t like he knew the answer. Especially if it was some vague side ass character that Nozaki decided it was a good time to make a call-back to for some bizarre reason. Mayu is left in his corner by the bookshelf curled up into a ball sleeping off whatever bug he picked up on. Which Sakura pays attention to as she tirelessly calls out Nozaki’s name in a half-whisper towards the kitchen while trying not to bother Mayu’s rest.
Only to end up ignored.
Mikoshiba quietly watches from his spot at the table as Sakura huffs in annoyance. He wants to chuckle. Nozaki had a bad habit of blocking out noises around him sometimes while he was cooking. Which proved to be annoying exactly during times like this. Sakura spins on her heel and heads towards the bookshelf. Definitely set on finding out whether the unlabeled side character needed to have a beta done. Mikoshiba tries to focus back on the flowers he’s drawing around Suzuki, but it’s hard once he remembers what exactly is inside that bookshelf. Please don’t let her get that volume. His eyes stray back to where Sakura plucks out a random book while mumbling to herself.
Mikoshiba begins to feel a hint of dread fill his body. Normally grabbing a book from the bookshelf wouldn’t be a cause of concern. But as he eyes the spine of the volume, his heart sinks even deeper.
It can’t be.
I should’ve looked at the bookshelf first and gotten rid of that volume. Burned it. Destroyed it. Why couldn’t you just storm into the kitchen and ask him in person?!!! Please don’t let it be volume 6, he begs. If the world was kind to him, then it would be any other book than volume 6.
But as he closes his eyes tight again and reopens them, that damned number stares right back at him.
Why Sakura???!! Why did you have to go straight to that volume??!!! WHY? ESPECIALLY THE LIMITED EDITION ONE!!! WHYYYYY!!!!
“Eh,” Sakura exclaims.
Mikoshiba looks away quickly from her filled with dread and he peeks at the corner of his eye. Sakura’s face takes on a pink hue as she finds his eyes to look at him directly in the eye. Mikoshiba tries not to squirm in his seat as Sakura rapidly looks down to the manga book and then back up at him in quick succession.
“EEEEEEEEHHHHH!”
Mikoshiba flushes. How did she figure it so quickly? How? Because you were the only Omega around Nozaki before she came along you idiot, his mind unhelpfully supplies. Mikoshiba lets out a distressed noise. There was no way based on Sakura’s reaction that she didn’t know that THAT scene was about him. There was no way to deny it now. Especially with the way she was exclaiming even more loudly in shock.
“WHAT!”
She’s gonna kill me, he thinks. He trembles in fear and the commotion must’ve woken Mayu up or something because now the younger male was starting to sit up slowly in the corner Nozaki had staked out for him. He looks at Mikoshiba with that same blank expression as always. Instead of easing Mikoshiba’s nerves like it usually did, it sets him on edge.
“Sakura! It’s not what you think!” He cries out with both of his hands out for protection. He was not going to get killed today! No way!
Now way he wasn't!!
He wants to hide. His instincts setting alight in his body like a switch. He tries to scoot away, willing his body to move from the potential wrath from Sakura, but he’s frozen in fear. He can’t stop the whine of distress from coming out from his mouth. And it’s embarrassing to be making those typical Omega noises. Not when it makes him feel weak when all he wants to be is cool and more Alpha-like.
Sakura still has her mouth open in shock and even Mayu’s interest is sparked seeing as his eyes take on a sharp glint as he tries to lean in to see the contents of the book.
Oh no, he thinks. It’s already embarrassing enough to know that one of his friends just found out about the lowest point of his life. But to have Mayu know it too! No way, there was no way he was going to let that happen! He jumps up at the speed of light and tries to pull the manga away from Sakura’s hands before Mayu can even glance at the pages. But Sakura who must’ve anticipated this move jerks the manga away closed and clutches it protectively against her chest.
He’s aware that he must look like some sort of maniac with the way he’s panting and how his face is redder than a tomato. He wants to cry. There’s already tears forming in the corner of his eyes and it wouldn’t take much for them to fall down his red cheeks.
“Miko-Mikorin! It’s not that bad!” Sakura tries to ease the situation desperately somehow figuring out that she must’ve messed up. Her hands are trembling. Anger? Oh god, please don’t let it be anger!
“Sto-Stop talking about it!” Mikoshiba cries out. He slaps one of his hands to cover the distressed whine coming from his mouth. It’s no use because even if he tries to muffle the noise he can see Mayu’s nose twitch.
Fuck, he thinks. I must really be stinking up the whole place.
“What’s going on?” Nozaki comes into the living room with a plate of cookies in hand. “Sakura?”
He glances at Mikoshiba. Noticing his distressed face, Nozaki immediately frowns.
“Mikorin?”
Mikoshiba doesn’t make a noise other than slumping down to the ground and hiding his face into his knees. It's the end of the world! How could this happen?!
“It’s nothing, Nozaki-kun!” Sakura starts awkwardly. “It’s just I overreacted over one of the scenes from the manga. But it's okay now! Everything is totally fine!”
Mikoshiba doesn’t have the energy to say anything other than to raise his head up with tears brimming. Sakura is still holding onto the volume tightly. She doesn’t even look at him while Mayu observes him quietly.
“Manga?” Nozaki frowns even more. He sets the plate down and moves towards Sakura with a hand outstretched.
Sakura only backs away from him. “Ah! Th-There’s no need for you to see! It’s fine now! Really!!!”
Nozaki ignores that and takes away the book despite Sakura’s desperate attempts to hold onto it. It only takes two tries before Nozaki manages to glance at the volume number and the fact that it's the special edition version. He nods no doubt remembering that scene with clarity. After all, it did happen to him. He was the one to receive the desperate phone call Mikoshiba did during his heat.
Can the ground just swallow me up and put me out of my misery?
He can’t help it that his scent is turning more sour by the minute. He’s amazed that Nozaki wasn’t running to calm him down yet. After all, a distressed Omegan smell could bring any Alpha down to their knees to try to appease the said distressed Omega in question. Then again, Nozaki had more restraint than any Alpha Mikoshiba knows.
(And Mikoshiba knows that pretty well.)
Still, he can tell that Nozaki is slightly grinding his teeth, which meant that he was smelling way more distressed than he usually did. Which was honestly amazing in and of itself since Mikoshiba was always flighty and distressed by the littlest of things.
I should’ve applied more of my scent blockers, he thinks bitterly. Usually the scent blocker he took would make his smell disappear completely and it covered for most of the distressed smells he emitted in school. But it always faded by the time he came to Nozaki’s place and Nozaki didn’t mind his smell since he never told him to cover it up. And now he regrets that very much. His emotions are laid bare for anyone to see now. He feels bad for Sakura. It must be incredibly overwhelming for her since she never had to smell the huge amount of distress he's in until now. Mayu had often smelled him in such a state though not at the same quantity as Nozaki, but he had never risen from his spot on the floor. Until now that is and this especially makes Mikoshiba want to disappear.
“Wait, so it’s true!” Sakura yells astonished.
Mikoshiba can’t honestly believe that there was still any doubt that that one shot hadn’t been about him. Hell, Nozaki wasn’t that creative. Or rather he was but even then to think of such a scene about an Omega begging for an Alpha’s knot being included in the volume with such detail was unimaginable. Especially in a shoujo manga! God, Mikoshiba wishes the ground would just swallow him up just so he could disappear already.
(He doesn’t care if it brought up awareness about suppressants not working for every Omega and won awards for social awareness! Especially not when people around him were going to end up finding out about it!! Especially when he was promised that they were never going to be able to link it to him. LIES! LIES! LIES!! NOZAKI!!!)
“Yeah,” Nozaki says, glancing at Mikoshiba who was in the process of trying to melt himself into the ground. “Mikorin didn’t talk to me for a week after that happened. I told him it was okay and that things like these happen, but he still refused to see me even after his heat finished.”
Mikoshiba lets out a strangled sound. He never expected Nozaki to be so frank about the situation.
“Nozaki,” Mikoshiba chokes out. “Please stop talking about it. Please.”
Just stop my misery please!
“Mikorin,” Nozaki turns to him, hands placed on his hips. He looks like a mom scolding a child. “There’s nothing to be ashamed of! All Omegas have heats! Yours just happened to be so painful that time that it forced you to have to call me for help! I keep telling you, it’s okay.”
“Sakura!” Nozaki turns his attention to the other Omega in the room who was still in the process of catching up with the conversation. “You have heats don’t you? You must’ve also called an Alpha friend in tears begging them to help you during your heat, haven’t you?”
Sakura looks stunned and her mouth is closing and opening like a fish out of water.
“No!” Sakura yells, recovering from her shock quickly. “I’ve never done anything like that!”
Nozaki doesn’t let this deter him as he opens his phone. “Let me call another Omega to ask them then.”
Mikoshiba can’t stand to have his humiliation spread. “No, Nozaki stop!”
He watches as Nozaki visibly freezes, how his eyes widen comically, and how his nose starts to twitch as a new distressed smell comes out from Mikoshiba. Fuck, he thinks. He needs to leave before he ends up affecting everyone with his scent. Not like he hasn’t already. He can already hardly detect the others’ smell. Even Sakura’s usual scent of apples that would fill up the apartment everyday was drowned in the bitter smell of dead flowers. He hastily picks up his books trying to dump them into his bag. His hands shake too much, which makes the job much more difficult than it needs to be and he lets out a frustrated sound as a result.
“Mikorin, you can’t go outside like that,” Sakura says. Her eyes wide with concern. Even Mayu who had been quiet the whole time was standing up with his brow forming into a slight frown, which wouldn’t have even been noticeable unless you spent a long time around him to catch the slight differences his face went through.
“She’s right,” Nozaki says. He walks carefully towards Mikoshiba as if he were approaching a scared animal.
Mikoshiba doesn’t have any strength in him to fight against Nozaki when he clutches him. He wishes he could fight back as Nozaki settles Mikoshiba into his lap while trying to press Mikoshiba’s face into Nozaki’s scent gland on his neck. It doesn’t help though with the panic coursing through his veins. Typically, Nozaki’s strange smell of bakery did the job to calm him down, but it was only making him whine more in distress.
He can’t control it either. He’s humiliated over the fact that something nobody would ever link him to-(Nozaki had promised that this was a relatable event during the time he drew the special one shot for the volume and that it happened to everyone, Omegas. Hell, it didn’t even happen to Sakura and he didn’t have the guts to ask Waka whether this was also something he experienced or not)-but no, now everyone knew. It was humiliating to think that Nozaki’s little brother knew that something like this happened between him and Nozaki. Hell, the kid looked up to him. At least, that’s what Mikoshiba thought of ever since the day Mayu had gone to look at his figurines. Mikoshiba had been more than happy to play the role of a senpai that someone looked up to. There was no way Mayu wasn’t going to start thinking differently about him after this.
And then there was Sakura’s reaction which was understandable. After all, she did have a crush on Nozaki so it would come as a shock that something like this would occur between her closest friends. (He hoped Sakura thought of him as a friend as he did to her. It would suck if she considered him a love rival when he even didn’t like Nozaki like that!!) And in the midst of Mikoshiba’s mental breakdown, Nozaki is still trying his best to calm down Mikoshiba with his scent.
“Nozaki, I don’t think it’s helping,” Sakura’s voice breaks through his thoughts.
Nozaki nods, frowning a bit. “Yeah, I don’t think he needs an Alpha’s smell right now.”
Mikoshiba tries to escape then, but Nozaki is surprisingly strong as he keeps him in place. His eyes feel puffy and he’s sure he has snot dripping. He feels gross.
“Mayu,” Nozaki beckons.
Mikoshiba tries to struggle even more as he’s placed into Mayu’s awaiting lap. When did he get here? Mayu grips him tightly. What the fuck? How are these two so strong? It made sense with Nozaki being an ex-basketball player. Ah, he remembers. Mayu does Judo. There was no way he was going to escape out of this one. He tries to pull away, but Mayu doesn’t budge and Mikoshiba is surprised that he’s even putting this much effort in. His smell must be affecting everyone too much. It must be annoying, he thinks bitterly. I should’ve applied on my scent blockers.
Mayu’s hands are gentle as he directs Mikoshiba’s face into his scent gland. As soon as his nose touches the gland, it immediately calms him down as the scent of rain and cotton descends upon him. Mikoshiba didn’t think it would have such an effect on him so quickly especially with how one: Mayu was still considered a Beta since he was still unpresented and because of that had a less noticeable scent. It would usually take Betas longer to calm a distressed Omega down than an Alpha. And two: well . . . it was Mayu.
“Oh, I think it’s working!” Sakura exclaims excitedly. Mikoshiba can practically feel the twinge of relief in her voice.
“Indeed,” Nozaki adds brusquely. His voice is less strained.
He feels Mayu’s short nod probably cementing the idea to the others that Mikoshiba was indeed calming down from his flit of panic. Mikoshiba can’t even move his head away because Mayu is gently, but insistently holding his head towards the scent gland ensuring that Mikoshiba was actually scenting him. He takes in gulps of air and feels his rabbit heart slow its fast, insistent beating. He can already feel his body growing lax. Still, Mayu doesn’t lessen the grip he has on him. Even though the grip on him was tight and there was no room to move, Mikoshiba feels strangely at peace. Was this how babies felt like when they were swaddled? It feels safe and Mikoshiba can already feel his eyelids begin to droop. The exhaustion clings to him like a blanket.
He still wants to disappear, but he feels strangely okay at not disappearing especially with the way Mayu is holding him. The scent of rain calms him down ever so slightly with each passing minute. He closes his eyes finally giving into the rest that his body wants.
Sakura watches as the other Omega sighs in his sleep. It had been surprising to find out about the “heat” incident and Sakura wishes she could redo the day over and pick a different volume. How was she to know that one shot was going to be there? And with how Mikoshiba reacted, she can tell that he still thought about it as an embarrassing moment. She's surprised that he even approved of it being released considering that there was no way Mikoshiba didn’t know about it since he drew the flowers. Maybe it was embarrassment that another friend found about it? She wrings her hands anxiously. Mikoshiba’s smell of discontentment still suffocated the room and Sakura still hadn’t moved from her spot to go open the windows. She's too frozen up to do anything that might set him off again.
“I think he’s sleeping,” Nozaki says, leaning down while at the same time being careful to not get too close. “Good job Mayu!”
Mayu leans against the wall, being careful to not let go of Mikoshiba’s head. Looking more tired than when they first met him at the entrance. His eyes droop a little bit and then just like that, he's sleeping as well. But he doesn't let his grip loosen. Mayu's arms still hold on tightly onto Mikoshiba.
Sakura sighs. She had never seen an Omega in so much distress until today.
“I think we should never mention this incident ever again,” she mumbles.
Nozaki looks at her while biting into a cookie. One of his hands is still drawn into a tight fist, but other than that, there’s no expression on his face.
“I didn’t think Mikorin would react like that honestly,” Nozaki confesses. He shakes his head. “After that call, Mikorin avoided me for a whole week. I tracked him down and then we had an honest talk afterwards. I know he doesn’t think of me that way given the way he rambled and I don’t either so I thought our relationship was close enough to move on from it. I still don’t get what’s wrong with it either. Mikorin’s heats always get too painful, which is why I always go to his home to leave my scent to ease the pain a bit before it starts. So I wasn’t even surprised when he called me. I’m his only Alpha friend so I naturally assumed this might happen. So I went to give him my jacket instead of what he was begging since I knew his feelings towards the whole thing and the jacket helped I suppose since he didn’t call me again after that.”
Ah, Sakura thinks carefully. So that explains Nozaki’s insistence of giving me his jacket when I told him I would be missing because of my heat.
“But even then when I confronted him, he didn’t smell like that,” Nozaki pauses. “I’ve never seen him act like this before.”
Sakura moves to open the window. She glances at Mayu whose wide awake again looking at his brother with rapt attention. Oh, Sakura thinks surprised. Mayu didn’t know? It’s probably because Mikorin wanted it to be a secret. If Nozaki hadn’t told her that Mikoshiba was his inspiration for the sweet Omega Mamiko then Sakura wouldn’t have been able to put together the scene so quickly. She messed up. She wasn't even supposed to know that Mamiko equaled Mikorin.
Of course, Nozaki would draw things out from real life experience.
And besides herself, who else could be the other Omega but Mikoshiba?
“I think he didn’t want anyone besides you two to know,” Sakura says with understanding. “Omega heats are private and he probably felt embarrassed that he asked you that. And then to have people know out of those involved in the situation . . . Oh and there’s also the fact that-”
Sakura pauses and chews her lip in thought. “I mean, Mikorin is well . . . you know Mikorin.”
Nozaki seems to understand the vague response because he nods. “Yes.” Nozaki frowns. “I should apologize when he wakes up. I might’ve agitated the situation more than it needed to be.”
Sakura can’t help, but be surprised at the sight of no notebook in front of Nozaki. Sakura feels pleased to know that Nozaki knew what boundaries not to cross. She glances back at Mikoshiba and she feels pang of pity in her heart. Mikoshiba looked like a mess. His eyes were already looking puffy even with them being closed and there was snot running down his nose. Mayu didn’t seem to notice or care. His eyes were still trained on his brother.
Nozaki notices and says, “Thank you Mayu. I’m happy to know your scent worked when mine didn’t.”
Sakura feels curious about that statement. She had seen Mikoshiba run to Nozaki numerous times during the school day and bump into him for no reason. But she never thought too much about it until now. Her eyes widen.
“Wait, are you saying that Mikorin scents you regularly?” Sakura can’t help, but feel jealous.
Nozaki nods. “It calms him down I think. I mean Omegas calm down from smelling their Alpha, right?”
Sakura nods hesitantly. “I mean I guess?”
What the heck? Wouldn’t that only apply to mates though? Wait, does this mean they’re dating? Didn’t Mikorin say no though? And Nozaki too? Was that a lie?? Also, does this mean that Nozaki considers himself to be Mikorin’s Alpha? Sakura feels confusion and jealousy all at the same time. She wants to ask more. But that would have to wait until Mikoshiba calms and settles down.
They hear Mikoshiba mumble as he rouses back to awareness and sits up. Mayu loosens his hold on the older Omega. Mikoshiba smells much more calmer than before which is a huge relief. She relaxes a bit. Mikoshiba looks around confused, but once he catches them looking at him, his face flames into a bright red. Sakura stills. Was he going to panic again? They had only just finally calmed him down. Instead, Mikoshiba runs a hand through his hair looking sheepish.
“Sorry,” he mumbles. “I might’ve overreacted.”
“No, no,” Sakura says quickly. “It’s my fault that I made a huge deal out of it! I was just surprised you know! Besides, I have a friend who experienced this as well. Uh-Uh, so it does happen to people you know!”
Mikoshiba seems to brighten up at the admission. “Really! I’m not the only one?! Are you sure?”
Sakura nods her head rapidly. “Yes, yup! They’re still friends with the person too so it’s totally cool, you know, if that happens accidently. It’s natural.” Her mouth rambles. She only hopes that Mikoshiba doesn't realize that she was essentially referring to him. She gives a pointed look to Nozaki.
“Yes, she’s right,” Nozaki nods in agreeance. “It’s a natural event that happens. Ken-san said so too!” As if that fact would make it all better. Ken-san was a Beta for fricks sake!
Sakura resists the urge to ask for a bathroom meeting. They weren’t exactly prepared to deal with the aftermath. One small mess up in the conversation and Mikoshiba would surely become distressed again. She was still surprised at how quickly Mayu’s scent had calmed Mikoshiba down. There were still no new scents coming out from the other Omega and it relaxes Sakura enough to sit down.
“Also, I apologize,” Nozaki says, looking straight into Mikoshiba’s eyes. Sakura sees Mikoshiba shift uncomfortably. “I didn’t realize this was supposed to be a secret."
Nozaki!! Have more tact please!!
Mikoshiba flushes in embarrassment. “It’s okay. Let’s just stop talking about it.”
“Brother,” Mayu says quietly, startling everyone except Nozaki.
Mikoshiba yelps, as he realizes whose lap he's currently sitting on. Mikoshiba scrambles up to his feet so quickly it leaves Sakura reeling at how quick it was.
“Oh, you have to leave?” Nozaki asks whilst bringing a plate of cookies to his younger brother. “Here, have a cookie before you leave.”
Mayu opens his mouth expectantly and Nozaki obliges him. He bites into the cookie and rises tiredly. Mikoshiba is still flushing. And in an attempt of moral support, Sakura begins to scoot over to Mikoshiba so she could go stand next to him.
“Make sure to get home safely,” Nozaki says in his usual monotone.
Mayu yawns nodding. He looks down to Mikoshiba and it makes Sakura freeze mid scoot. Mikoshiba was still flushed from the embarrassment and if Mayu said anything about Mikoshiba, essentially propositioning his brother during his heat she couldn’t bear to have a repeat of what happened before Mikoshiba calmed down. She watches with awe as Mayu instead only ruffles Mikoshiba’s hair in a gentle (it was actually a rather lazy) motion. Mikoshiba makes a surprised noise while also giving out a pleased whine. Mayu freezes. Hell, everyone freezes.
Mikoshiba covers his mouth in horror.
All that’s left of Mikoshiba’s quick escape is the smell of a pleased Omega smelling of flowers and rain.