Chapter Text
The storm had quickly rolled in on swift winds, the clouds rapidly darkening the sky and throwing everything into a shade of hazy gray. His wings beat furiously as he raced towards the forests, wings aching as they were pushed to the limits. His heart thundered in his ears in beat with the rumbling echoes in the sky. The flashes of light just above him kept his eyes from fully adjusting to the darkness, hand braced in front of them to try and stop the water from entering his eyes and blinding him further.
His wings were heavy with waterlog, weighing him down and the ocean, though tumbling and rolling over itself, looked more comforting than the sharp winds in the sky. The waves rolled over their own, crashing down in white foaming messes that seemed to be like clouds.
He felt his wingbeats getting slower, breath ragged as he tried to push himself to keep going. His vision blurred black, spotting with white as he forced himself to keep going. To reach the island. But the sea was calm and silent aside from the rolling waves. And he was already falling.
~
There was something floating in the water, casting the sea under it in a muted red glow. Red objects bobbed along the surface like rubies in an endless bowl of blue. It bobbed along with the waves, limbs splayed out as if it had crashed and never tried to stay afloat.
Touya gave his companion, a silvery blue haired male, a confused look before wading up towards the surface, tail flicking lazily behind him to propel him forwards. His hand outstretched to nudge one of the red limbs, nearly jerking backwards as they sharpened at his touch, a drop of blood bleeding from his finger.
“Lethal bird,” he told his companion before waving him off. He would handle the faerie. He swam a little higher, vision blurring as he breached the surface before going crystalline as his inner lid slid open. The heady scent of the sea overwhelmed his senses just as another scent filtered in.
His head tilted up as he focused on that scent, eyes slowly dropping to settle on the figure. His mouth dropped open, tasting the scent on the air just as a tremor went through his body. His mouth quickly snapped shut when he noticed that the man was waking, his head rolling back and forth. Muffled groans left the faerie’s lips as if trying to return to consciousness but was dragged back under.
He grabbed him by the scruff of his jacket, mindful of the sharp claws at the end of his webbed hands. Half a second had his inner lids closing, a breath had him under water, a stroke had him gliding through the water, the faerie bobbing along the surface beside him. The occasional rolling wave forced him to go higher so his passenger didn’t drown, though he was very tempted to see how long the faerie could hold his breath.
A thought for another time.
By time he saw the tall cliffs of his home his arm ached something fierce, shoulder stiff from holding the same position for so long. A few members of his pod lingered on the shallow ledges just below the surface, whistling at him in greeting as he swam past. His chest warmed slightly at how the youngest in the pod raced around each other in circles a little deeper from the surface, pausing only long enough to flash him in greeting.
He let out a sigh as he reached the last point where he could bring the faerie for now, giving him one last glance. Internally hoping he didn’t drown the pretty bird, he quickly plugged his nose and dragged him under. He felt the faerie’s body jerk, trying to get free as he rapidly woke up from the lack of oxygen.
He glared at the faerie through the corner of his eye before darting into his inlet, swimming to the top of the cave where an air pocket was. Quickly dropping the fae onto the rock ledge, his nose twitched again as he cleared the water, a rumbling croon echoing in his chest at the tantalizing scent of pine, and cherries.
Omega, his brain supplied unhelpfully.
Checking to make sure that the omega was fully on the ledge, he quickly disappeared back into the water.
He had to find real food. A scared omega he could handle, even a hostile one. But if he was sent into a drop heat from the stress he would need food.
And a nest.
He groaned as he swam towards one of the nearby reefs, already bemoaning instinct that demanded he take care of the omega.
One tide at a time, he promised himself. One tide at a time.
~
Keigo jerked up with a gasp that quickly cut off into horrid, throat clenching, chokes, water splattering onto the ground beneath his hands. His wings were like dead weights behind him, soaked and unusable until they dried.
Panic reared its ugly head, drowning him in its squeezing embrace. He whirled towards a glint of light, only to freeze, heart beating even faster. Dizziness clouded his vision as he realizes that no that was not light. It was water.
He was under water.
Just as he took a deep breath to try and jump in the water, to swim to the surface, the heady scent of ash, sage, and citrus.
He stilled. His head tilted up as he breathed in that scent more. The scent was heady, filling the entire area, clinging to every surface. His head whipped towards the far side where a low ledge was just barely out of the water, covered in fluffy green plants.
A nest.
But it was not an omega’s scent in the air.
It was an alphas.
His wings fluffed up slightly, cold trickling down his spine. This was not the time for him to wind up in an alphas den. Not when he was so close to his heat. His gaze swung back and forth from the ledge with the nest towards the water and then towards the top of the cave where another ledge extended from the walls.
Exhaustion swept in on swift wings, and he was moving towards the nest before he could decide not to. Pain dulled his senses to the point that standing felt like a chore. He paused at the edge of the raised walls before slowly stepping into it, feeling the soft, padded flooring under his feet.
His vision blurred as the pain swamped his body, legs crumpling under him as he collapsed into the nest, barely twisting out of the way fast enough to avoid breaking. His hands screamed in protest to the harsh landing, arms shaking as he slumped onto his chest and curled up, wings wrapping around him. And if he curled into the side of the nest where the smell of the alpha was the strongest, that was no one’s business but his omegas.
~
The soft lulling sound of the water hitting the sides of the ledge woke him slowly, eyes screwing shut to remain asleep before surrendering to the fact that he was going to wake up and cracking open. There was an inconsistency though. The lulling sound was parting around something, hitting the wall harder.
His head raised, just peeking over the edge of the nest. He squawked, falling backwards, and scrambling to get onto his front, wings raising and fluffing up in surprise.
Because the alpha was back. And he was resting in the shallows on the opposite side of the den, watching the nest.
His breath picked up, body tensing for flight even though he couldn’t go anywhere. His hands clenched around invisible daggers, legs trembling so badly he couldn’t do more than kneel. He frantically looked for the exit, just to remember it was under water.
His head cocked when a low croon echoed through the den, the sound too high to be an alpha, yet the presence behind the croon dared him to call him otherwise. Against his will, his wings relaxed, still fluffed in surprise but drooping lower as his shoulder dropped.
The alpha watched him with eyes that were similar to the sapphires the female omegas back at the island wore, his hair white with the tips tinged black, unlike his own ocher eyes and golden strands.
“Settle, omega,” the alpha said, voice halting as if not used to speaking the common tongue. He watched the alpha with narrowed eyes, the only outward show of distrust he could show when his omega practically rolled over at the voice. And the command.
“Hawks,” he whispered. He hated being called omega. Every time someone did they were saying he didn’t belong somewhere. Shouldn’t be learning something.
“Dabi,” the alpha replied, slowly nearing from the opposite side of the den. In his arms was a woven bag of some kind, probably seaweed judging by the color of it. His nose twitched at the sweet scent that came from the bag, creeping over to the middle of the nest as the alpha was using the far side as a leverage to stay above the water.
“Eat,” the alpha, -Dabi- uttered, dropping the bag into the nest before dropping back into the water. Hawks crept closer still towards the sack, lifting the edges and gave a quiet sound in surprise before quickly grabbing the peach that was on the top.
He bit into it without a second thought.
A trill built in his throat, high pitched, and lyrical as he savored the rich flavor of the fruit, eyes closing in bliss. He quickly put the seed back in the bag once he finished, digging through it to find the other fruits that he loved. He barely heard the low rumble of approval that Dabi made as he stretched out on the bank to watch him with lidded eyes, but his omega preened, straightening his back and letting out a lower more content trill.
A soft humming, deep and soothing, began from the alpha, Hawks’ eyes snapping towards Dabi’s before he was changing his pace to match the rhythm. His eyes dropped back to the back, shuffling through it more slowly, picking out a fruit and slowly munching on it. When he got that low rumble again, his omega yipped in excitement like a young pup, attaching on the praise and clinging to it like a lost child their now found mother.
He ate his fill, hoarding all the sounds of approval that Dabi gave for when he left. A pang went through his chest at the thought, but he pushed it away. He couldn’t get attached. He had to get back home. Home that was much warmer than this island. Again, his chest ached at the thought.
Dabi watched him for another long moment before settling down, head pillowed on his arms as his tail tucked up under his body in the water. He watched Hawks from his spot, eyes hooded and scanning him with head to toe with eyes that spoke volumes on injuries seen.
Hawks tried to hide the fact that his wings still ached, twinges going down his spine, but ater those eyes landed on them one to many times he let them slump over, face scrunching up when the muscles went lax and burned.
Dabi rose slightly, eyes widening slightly as he noticed, flicking his gaze towards Hawks’. Hawks was nodding before he realized what he asked for.
Dabi made a low rumbling sound as he came closer, disappearing for a moment under the ledge when he got too close before popping up over it. He moved slowly, pausing before he touched the nest.
Honestly, he had no reason to since Hawks had obviously stolen it from him, but the thought had him giving a small chirp and shuffling further back into the nest, vision clouding slightly as his omega fronted.
Dabi seemed to realize it, going by the way he started crooning and letting out small whisps of his scent.
Hawks was drowning in ash, sage, and citrus letting out another chirp that he only knew he did from the way his throat moved.
Dabi crept into the nest slowly, the water sliding off his body and not getting the nest wet as he slid himself in. His tail practically wrapped all the way around the nest, stopping just a few feet short of his head. Dabi was sitting on the base of his tail, slowly moving as he took one of Hawks’ wings into his hand, rubbing along the bone and relaxing the muscles.
Hawks melted.
His head tipped back as a lilting trill escape his mouth, blindly reaching towards Dabi as his eyes had closed. A warm hand grasped his and Hawks followed in till he was practically resting in Dabi’s lap.
Somewhere in the back of his head he knew this was a bad idea. Getting this attached to an alpha that was simply doing as instinct required, not because he was courting him. Because to Hawks, it seemed like courting.
And compared to all the alphas that had tried, he was very inclined to let this one have his shot.
Hawks keened when Dabi hit a sensitive spot on his wings, almost jerking away before the crooning noise started again, louder this time and continuous as Dabi slowly worked through the knots and tensed bundles of nerves.
When he finished, Hawks was practically asleep he was so calmed, his wings soft and for the first time since he was a kid, completely loose. Dabi made a low sound in question when Hawks shifted closer to him, nosing at his stomach. Hawks knew less than he did, but his omega wanted something.
Dabi once again realized, and slowly laid back down, tentatively pulling Hawks closer who eagerly burrowed into his warmth, head resting on the smooth rise of his chest. Why he wanted to be scented, Hawks had no conscious idea, but he hoarded the easy going that the alpha easily covered him with.
Dabi was barely scenting him, just the bare minimum that an alpha would do for a panicked friend. But Hawks loved it. He couldn’t remember the last time he had been scented, whether it had been by Rumi or if it had been by his parents as a kid. He nosed more firmly against his chest, settling in near the scent patch along Dabi’s side and trying to cover himself in the small trickles of it that Dabi let out.
It was weak, and not the kind of scenting his omega wanted from a courter, but it was pleased with the rapt attention that Dabi gave it. Noticing the small signs and acting on them.
Someone he knew that behavior came from a pack alpha. That the intuitive behavior and easy-going manner with an injured omega came from experience in soothing and healing them, but he chose to ignore that fact. Because that made him hopeful that he could join Dabi’s pack.
Even though one abided by the laws of the sea, and the other by the laws of the air.
His own scent that was thrumming through the air soured slightly at the thought, though was quickly soothed when Dabi reached over and lightly pet his hair. Hawks’ eyes closed almost immediately, a chirp escaping his lips as he pushed into that hand, only now noticing the claws at the tip of Dabi’s fingers. He tensed slightly, fearing those claws to near his head but when they simply slid over his scalp, the soft pads of Dabi’s thumbs teasing his hair, he quickly eased back into a molten puddle.
He didn’t know how long had passed since he rested against Dabi, stealing the warmth from the merman that had no right to be this hot when he was a creature of the sea. But eventually he felt Dabi stir, easing him back to normal as he looked him up and down with careful eyes. With whatever he found; he was satisfied.
“I’d imagine you want to return home?”
Hawks almost keened at the words, omega whining and attaching itself firmly to the alphas side, though Hawks logically stepped back and gave Dabi a nod that made his heart scream. He watched as Dabi slowly uncurled from the nest, slipping over the side into the water with a soundless grace, disappearing below the surface before coming up a moment later.
“C’mon, pretty bird,” Dabi said, offering a webbed hand. Hawks watched in fascination as the membrane slid from finger to finger, connecting them together. He took the hand slowly, dreading getting into the water but he slowly slipped into the chilly depths.
Dabi wrapped an arm around his waist, holding him close just as he neared the very edge of the den where they would have to go under. Hawks took a deep breath, inhaling the heady scent of the den one last time just as Dabi pulled them under.
Hawks’ body jerked at not being able to breathe, but Dabi moved quick and efficiently, dipping under the cliff before shooting towards the surface. As they neared it Hawks beat his wings to get there faster, lungs screaming from the sudden change in pressure. Cresting the water, Hawks clung to Dabi like a newborn, sputtering and gasping as he pulled as much air into his lungs as he could. He could hold his breath for long, and in hard conditions, but the hard change from cool to warm, to heavy was something he was not used to in the air.
Dabi hid his laugh by swimming towards the cliff face, the ledges dotting the cliffside smooth and dry. Hawks eagerly grasped onto one of them, hauling himself onto it and shaking his wings out with sharp flaps. Dabi tilted his head back, whistles and clicks echoing from his mouth.
Hawks opened his mouth to ask, wondering why he was calling out to someone just as multiple whistles sounded back, faces along the lowest ledges that were in the water lifting and sending welcoming waves towards Dabi. Hawks watched as Dabi met with his packmates, rubbing wrists against each other in familial scenting just as he was swept into a game with some of the kids.
Hawks watched the huge alpha, surprisingly agile and lithe figure easily dodging the smaller mer. A smile lifted onto his lips, omega glowing in the fact that their alpha was so good with his pod.
Hawks glanced up at the sky, noticing how the sun was nearing its high, blazing in the heavens with the gentle ferocity of the sea. His wings were heavy from the water, but still light enough to fly.
His gaze returned to the pod, watching as the few adults, only three, played with the two kids, twirling around each other. Splashing one another in games of tag and hide n seek. His omega, though happy with the sight, longed to be able to play with them. The share in the pack fun which he had never felt, and just as he was about to turn away, fly back home to escape the view that called to him like a forbidden fruit, Dabi swam over, a small grin on his face.
Hawks paused, watching as Dabi invited him into the game. Sure he was air bound, but he could be a spotter. Against his better judgement, Hawks found himself grabbing onto Dabi’s hand, the mer pulling him along as he coasted on wet wings, the movement drying them faster than trying to sunbathe.
Hours had passed by the time Keigo finally knew with absolute certainty that he had to return home. The sun was low in the sky, and his island was a few jumps away. Dabi whistled and clicked at him in that strange tongue, motioning towards the sky.
Hawks pursed his lips, trying to hold back the keen of pure mournfulness, wishing to stay with the pod that reminded him of home, but he nodded, flying a bit higher. As he flew, he noticed Dabi trailing after him for a little, making sure he stayed airborne before stopping a few leagues out from the cliffs. Hawks lifted a hand in goodbye, hoping the mer didn’t notice the tremors that went through them. Dabi mustn’t have, as he lifted a hand in goodbye, not waving but just making a wide crescent.
Hawks gave him a smile, forcing himself to show that much of a kindness before setting course for home. A home that never felt the way the pod did. He had passed the island when he felt the heavy pressure on his chest worsen to an ache, pressing inwards as he left.
No, he scolded his omega who keened in his head, urging him to go back. To return to the warmth that the pod offered. No.
Panic filled his head just as he was knocked out of the sky, breath coming out in harsh pants as pain seared through his chest. His wings flared, stopping him before he hit the ocean, again, hands pressed against his chest as he scratched at it, shredding the light tunic even further than the storm had already torn it.
His omega keened again, desperately urging him to go back.
He shook his head, forcing himself back forward again, teeth gritted and vision spotting as he felt that warm tether that went the opposite direction shred and fall icy cold. It felt like he was dumped into an ice bath when he finally got back into the air, shivers wracking his body. His omega was deathly silent, someone far in the back of his mind that he couldn’t reach it.
Hawks forced himself to look forward, ignoring the creeping feeling of dread that circled him like a hungry shark. He had to get home.
But he didn’t really know what home was anymore.
~
Hawks never thought he would be flying back to the island. But here he was, flying as hard as he could, silent tears dripping down his cheeks that were quickly swept away by the wind. His pack alphas words still rang in his ears, fresh tears dripping from his eyes every time they surfaced.
“You’re defective!” He had snarled, red hair flaming and body imposing. “An omega needs to have a scent and be able to calm a pack, or at least the pups. You can do neither! You don’t have a scent, your omegan presence is nearly gone, and you can’t even trill anymore. Fix yourself, or we will do it for you.”
A sob left his lips just as the island came into view, the tall cliffsides imposing but a welcomed sight. But what hurt the most? His omega had not once come out of its small pocket buried so deep in his mind. Not even being here drew its attention. His wings beat as he picked up even more speed, sharp eyes looking for the pod that hung out on the cliffside.
When he saw them lounging on the rocks, he quickly dropped down, landing on one of the lower ledges and slumped onto it, wings heavy from the sudden jerk into flight as he left. His breath left his mouth is shaky exhales, feeling the warmth from the pod, but as if he was behind glass.
A small figure popped up into his vision, hair a silvery lilac and tail nearly pearlescent. One of the pups.
He forced himself to smile, the feat much easier when she grinned back at him, pulling herself onto the edge of the ledge.
“Guud mornib!” She chirped, a bright grin on her face. “You’re ze pwetty bwird.”
Hawks chuckled at her words, quickly relaxing in her presence. He nodded, holding out a hand and helping her onto the ledge when she tried to do it herself. She gave him another bright smile, nudging her head into his head to which he happily obliged with the unspoken request, petting her hair.
Just like Dabi had done for him.
The thought made his head lift, looking around for the alpha.
“He’s out hunting,” the pup said when she noticed his wandering gaze. Hawks turned his head back towards her, tilting it in surprise before laughing softly.
“You got me,” he teased, nudging her shoulder. She giggled and pushed into his hand again, content to be in his presence. His eyes drifted to her white tail, feeling his omega shift for the first time in a few days.
She gave him a look before tugging him towards the water. “C’mon! Let’s play hide n seek!” She shrieked, tugging harder. Hawks followed her without resistance, hovering just above the water, wingtips brushing the watery surface with every beat. He watched as she disappeared into the coral, eyes widening in surprise as the lilac stripes on her tail lit up.
Bioluminescent scales.
His mind whirled, thinking back to how Dabi had spoken haltingly in the beginning, as if he hadn’t used words in a long time, and realized he hadn’t. He spoke in whistles, clicks, and in whatever aquatic language had been created with their stripes.
He looked back to the pup that was on the surface again, a grin on her lips as she flashed him again.
“I’m afraid I don’t know what that means,” he murmured. “I don’t speak aquatic.”
“Iz Esean,” she said, two stripes on her tail lighting up for a moment. “And I said, I Eri.” A small flare on the tip of her tail echoed when Eri said her name.
Hawks paused for a moment, desperately wanting to keep distance from the pod but eventually the want to have a family won out. Hopefully he could have a family here.
“Keigo,” he finally said. “Keigo Takami. It’s nice to meet you, Eri.”
Eri grinned and then showed him a few more words in Esean. Hello, goodbye, friend, pod, and home. If he made himself memorize those few words until he knew the pattern by heart, he was not going to tell anyone.
“So, hide n seek?” Eri asked, clasping her hands together with wide eyes.
Keigo groaned and nodded, unable to hide the smile that split his lips even if he wanted to. Eri gave him a petulant look which made him laugh, turning his gaze towards the sky and covering them with his hands. A few moments passed before he pulled them down, looking around the water and the reef before flying in a small circle around the area.
A sharp ripple in the water had his vision darting to the left, though all that was left was still water. He swung around, glancing at the reef again. Where did she go? He swept towards the reef, looking at it from directly above.
When water slammed into him from the back, a high-pitched giggle following it he bared his teeth playfully and spun just as Eri crashed back into the water. He looked past where she was towards where she came, and unsurprisingly Dabi waded there in the shallows, flashing him a teasing smile as he began to swim back.
“Welcome back, pretty bird,” Dabi greeted him just as Eri swam into his arms, winding her thin limbs around his chest and hugging him tightly. “And hello to you too, little pearl.” Dabi looked at Keigo from overtop her head, tilting his own towards the cliffs where the rest of the small pod came up from the water.
“Hello, alpha,” Keigo said as respectfully as he could, eyes flicking down and away, head tilting to the side before he could stop himself.
Bow your head, Hawks, a voice hissed in his head. You are nothing until somebody wants you. And you will be lucky if anyone wants an omega that can’t even scent its own home.
“Head up,” Dabi spoke suddenly, the order snapping Keigo’s head up. His eyes stayed lowered, though rose at Dabi’s words. “I do not deserve your respect, until I earn it, pretty bird. Chin up.”
Keigo’s eyes widened in shock at his words, mouth dropping as he tried to form sentences from the words that lodged themselves into his throat. What?
“I don’t deserve anything until I prove that I earned it. And that goes for everyone. Clear?”
Keigo nodded sharply, biting his lip to keep the tears and wobbly smile at bay. He watched Dabi as he waded towards the cliffs, grinning widely when Dabi paused to wait for him with a questioning brow. He had never moved after an alpha so fast.
Back at the cliffs, Keigo watched as Dabi set Eri near one of the kids and the adult mer, his skin richly dark like walnuts and black scales dotting his body before smoothing out into a vibrant black tail striped with red. The female was obviously alpha by sheer size, a beautiful lilac to a vibrant dark purple.
“Hi, Fumi!” Eri shouted as she neared them, dragging herself towards the back of the ledge where the other two kids were. “Hi Iro!”
“Fumikage, and Jirou,” Dabi said from beside Keigo, startling him slightly though he relaxed far quicker than he would ever admit. “Found them both out beyond the sand bar up north, too far out for them to be playing. The pod got torn to shreds by the orcas.”
“Orca’s? I thought they steered clear of humanoids?” Keigo interrupted, attention fixating on Dabi who was still watching the kids. His next words went in one ear and out the next as Keigo admired the sharp line of his jaw, the deep purple scales that dotted under his eyes, along his arms, chest, and back prominent and dull.
Scars.
“Pretty bird,” Dabi laughed suddenly, drawing Keigo out of his sightseeing. “Did you hear anything I just said?” At Keigo’s sheepish grin he laughed again, licking his lips before restarting. “Orcas go after the pups. They’re easy, not as agile or quick.”
Keigo nodded, turning his attention towards the pups before noticing the male and female pair on another ledge, chatting while the male braided her hair. He dipped his head towards them, not wanting to ask. He was never allowed to ask questions.
“Denki and Momo. They take care of the pups.”
Keigo looked at the pair as they noticed Dabi, slipping into the water and heading towards them. Dabi gave a soft smile to the eccentric blonde who crashed into his chest tail flicking water in the air. Keigo’s eyes were drawn to the vibrant gold scales wreathed with black spiderweb like marks.
They looked like lightning.
“Whose this?” The female, Momo, asked, treading water as she came to a stop next to them.
“Hawks, Momo and Denki. You two, meet Hawks.”
Keigo bit his lip for a moment before grinning and clasping the hand Momo offered, shaking it firmly. “Call me Keigo.” He made sure to glance at Dabi, letting him know he was also speaking to him.
When the alphas’ eyes met his he swallowed hard when they seemed to flicker and dance like living flames. A soft smile curled on Dabi’s lips and he nodded, breaking eye contact to look at Denki who tugged on his hand. Keigo was never so happy to have the piercing blue gaze off of him.
“C’mon! Jirou made one of those soft brushes for grooming!”
Dabi cast a glance back towards Keigo who gave a wide grin and tipped his head to the open seas. He was going to head home. Not that he particularly wanted to. But he still had a job to do at home.
“Come back soon, pretty bird,” Dabi bid, rolling his eyes playfully at Denki who tugged him towards the other mer.
Keigo did.
Keigo came back to the cliffside cove every day, sometimes coming early in the morning before he had to work, and other times closer towards the end of the day after he got reamed at for skipping work the day before.
Today was no different. His beta had absolutely laid into him about skipping the day before, calling him useless and if he ever wanted to have even the smallest of chances to have a family he needed to be a part of the wing.
Keigo shook his head as he flew over the water, eyes unfocused and muscles working off memory to take him to the small splash of light in his life. The squealing of laughter brought him out of his daze, gaze snapping up just in time for his wings to flare and stop him in his tracks, Eri jumping out of the water in front of him before crashing back down into the waves.
A smile creeped onto his lips, unhindered and easy as he trailed behind her back to the ledges. His eyes wandered over the mer, subconsciously seeking the one mer he really was here for. His heart dropped when he didn’t notice the familiar white hair or black tail, gaze dropping for a moment before he forced himself to slap on a pretty smile, though it became easier once he landed and Eri immediately set to hugging him.
“’Good noon!” She grinned, squeezing him tightly and nuzzling into his chest.
“Good sunhigh,” He shot back, chuckling when she pouted at him. “Did you have a fun morning?”
“Sort of! Fumi and Iro took me out to the edge of the cove but they wouldn’t ‘et me go farther than the reef.” Her pouting resumed after her declaration, shoulders slumping. “I just want to swim with them in the open!”
Keigo opened and closed his mouth for a moment before looking around, sharp ears catching a shift in the waves. He locked eyes with Dabi who gave him a small smile, wading towards them with easy strokes, fins swaying in the water.
“Hey, Keigo,” Eri started. He hummed, not turning his head though immediately tensed up when her head touched his throat. “Why don’t you have a scent?”
“Ask Dabi,” he murmured to her, not moving his head, and rapidly changing the subject back to what she was previously complaining about.
His heart ached at her words; eyes unfocused as he stared at Dabi’s now blurry form heading towards them.
“But he’s not here!” Eri whined.
“Who’s not here?” Dabi intruded, pausing at the edge of the ledge, and bracing on it, arms flexing to keep him above the surface.
Keigo’s vision went crystalline as his eyes snapped towards his broad shoulders and sloped arms, swallowing thickly when he noticed just how big Dabi’s hands were. Eri’s excited wiggling brought his gaze back up, though it kept shifting back to his hands that were braced on the rock, fingertips an inky black that covered most of the digits and ended in long curling talons.
“Pretty bird, my eyes are up here.”
That voice was way to smug.
Keigo’s eyes snapped up to meet amused blue ones, a raised brow drawing his attention as quickly as a shiny jewel.
“Dabi!” Eri shrieked. “Can we go swimming out past the reef? Please!” She begged, drawing out the ‘e’ and pouting.
“I don’t know, is Keigo coming?”
Keigo’s wings fluffed up when Dabi practically purred his name, shiver wracking his spine as his mouth dropped open and closed. He eventually clicked it shut and nodded sharply, eyes still wide and body simmering with heat.
Eri squealed as she plunged back into the water, darting for the open water.
Keigo watched Dabi as he turned to watch her for a moment before looking back at him. Dabi watched him with hooded eyes, a small smile on his lips as he flashed a hello friend in Esean, scales lighting up a brilliant blue.
“Hello,” Keigo breathed back, delighting in the way surprise flitted across Dabi’s face before warmth bled into the soft edges.
Dabi hauled himself further onto the ledge, Keigo inhaling sharply as he leaned back, wings splayed wide to keep his balance as he did. Dabi watched him for a lazy moment before his hand rose, brushing against his cheek in a touch too comfortable to be friends, but not quite into courting territory.
Keigo barely noticed as his omega suddenly bled through, surging forward, and causing him to turn his head into the surprisingly warm hand. Nimble fingers tangled in his hair, sharp talons brushing his skin like silk. Keigo let out a low chirp, pushing further into the hand as he leaned into the alpha.
Dabi grinned, a low croon building in his chest as Keigo pushed further into his hand, practically in his lap, only the subtle movements on his wings keeping him up. Dabi brushed a hand over his cheek again, knuckles tracing his cheekbones, thumb ghosting over his lips before he lightly nudged him back to sitting up.
The small whine in protest broke his heart and he almost gave in, though he could distantly hear Eri yelling for them.
“Come with us,” Dabi murmured.
“Okay,” Keigo breathed, eyes fluttering open just as Dabi slipped back into the water, only the slightest ripple to say he was there as he disappeared for a few moments, popping back up a little ways in to cove.
Keigo jumped into the air, coasting along the water’s surface as he flew alongside Dabi, wings casting a shadow over his already dark form. Dabi glanced up at him every time he crested a wave, a hand brushing down his side, arm nudging his own, tail slipping along his legs before disappearing back under the water again.
Keigo grinned, watching as Dabi shot out from under him, tackling Eri who had just jumped out of the water, both of them crashing into the waves in a tangle of limbs. His laughter bubbled out as he paused just outside of the spray, flying just a little further above the water as Eri jumped up from the water under him, barely reaching him unlike Dabi who barely rose over the surface and easily trailed -ironically- feather light touches against his skin.
He choked on a gasp as Dabi sped towards them, a playful glint in his eye. His wings flared, about to take him higher, but Dabi was out of the water before he could move. Droplets hit Keigo as Dabi crashed back into the water, eyes still wide from seeing the brilliant black and blue scales above his own head.
“Higher!” Eri squealed, clapping her hands excitedly.
Dabi shot him a teasingly annoyed look before slipping under the waves, making a wide circle before going towards the two of them again. Keigo swept a little higher, glancing down to see he was almost a full wing length above the water.
He didn’t have time to second-guess as Dabi easily breached the surface, body twisting and tail swinging, clearing Keigo with room to spare before crashing back into the waves with a loud whoop.
Keigo laughed with Eri, clapping his hands, unable to hide the smile that creeped onto his lips and spread them widely, even if he wanted to. Dabi swept up to them, grabbing Eri and launching both above the surface, falling back onto the water with a laugh, stripes flashing as he did.
Keigo felt that warmth from earlier bleed into his body, not a hazy heat, but a comforting heat that was like curling up in the patches of sun after hard days. He smiled and watched them play until the sun was close to setting, and his wings close to falling.
He remembers Dabi’s brilliant but softly amused smile, warm arms hugging him and water swirling around his legs. Comfortingly cold. He remembers grasping onto Dabi like a child, body sliding over his to try and scent him. Remembers the immediate sadness that crashed through him, he couldn’t. And he remembers the rumbling voice surrounding him that promised for a dreamless night.
He didn’t wake once.
~
A few days later had Keigo landing on the edge of the cliff with a satisfied sigh, wings resting after a day of work. He noticed Jirou and Denki talking on one of the other ledges. He gave an excited wave, grinning when Denki readily returned it, tail flashing in hello.
Keigo jumped from his higher ledge and glided down to theirs, settling on the small rock to keep his wings from getting sprayed to much.
“You’re later today,” Denki commented, brushing his hand against Keigo’s in a more friendly hello.
“Got held up,” He remarked, shrugging it off. “What’s going on?”
Jirou gave him a guarded look which just made his brows furrow in confusion. He knew she didn’t trust him as much as the others, but her look was pitying. Denki had no such observations or resignations.
“Oh! Dabi said to get everything ready since we leave to go back north soon. The waters are getting warm and the pups won’t be able to make the cross if the channel heats up too much.”
Leaving. Dabi was leaving.
His eyes went wide, throat closing as he stared unseeingly at the sea, Denki’s voice filtering in and out. No. No, no, no, no, no. Why did everyone leave? Why did they all have to leave? He felt his wings tremble, breaths coming out shorter even as he forced a smile.
“How long until you guys leave?”
“Next week. On the full moon.”
One week. He had one week before his alpha left. One.
“How…” he trailed off, cleared his throat before asking again. “How long will you guys be gone?”
There was silence for a long moment, Denki finally noticing the panicked look in his eye. Jirou was the one who spoke.
“Till autumn.”
His chest caved in; lips forced into a watery smile. He made some excuse that he couldn’t remember, pausing as he saw Eri to give her a quick rub on the head and a small kiss before lunging into the air. His wings screamed, having been flying most of the day but he couldn’t stay. Not with knowing that all of this would be gone. He couldn’t.
~
Another few days had passed, Keigo hiding out in his nest for most of them. Some of the betas noticed his sudden lack of interest in everything but chalked it up to a drop heat. They couldn’t have been more wrong. But thinking about them made him long for the cove.
And that is where he ended up today.
He glided on sore wings, eyes eagerly looking for the pod as he forced himself not to think about their departure. For now, all he could do was to be with them and steal as much warmth as he could.
On the horizon, a little further out from the cliffs than usual, the entire pod was out swimming. Momo was on one of the ledges, sunning, Denki and Jirou tailing each other in a game of chase. His eyes danced along till he found the pups further out, swimming in the open water.
He was about to call to her when he noticed black shapes moving in the waters further out. Moving fast but synchronized.
“Momo!” He shouted, getting her attention before gesturing to the open water and the black shapes that were rapidly closing in on the pups.
Then the screams started. Keigo whipped around to face the pups again, a panicked shout escaping his lips as he noticed two solitary black shapes darting for the pups. Fumikage swam quickly for Denki and Jirou who tried to get closer to them, but Keigo knew it wouldn’t help. Even with the two of them, the orca’s -because those were orca’s, an entire pod- were larger than both of them combined.
Eri shrieked as she dove below the surface trying to swim faster. But her deformed tail was not any help. Keigo tried to move, to get closer, but he lost sight of her when the black shapes circled around her, forcing her lower than he could see into the water.
His scream was piercing as he saw blood in the water, the black figure going lower and lower. His wings flexed, about to dive down, to get in there, to get her, when a flash of black appeared at the edge of his vision, a large body crashing into the waves just before him and diving fast.
“Dabi!” Denki shouted from being Keigo who froze, hovering in the air above the red tainted water.
The water below him started steaming.
“Get out of there!” Someone yelled.
He jerked backwards, wings flaring just as a column of water shot up from the sea, blue fire shooting up behind it. Hot, it was so hot.
He watched the water with bated breath, hands trembling as he watched the black figures retreat quickly, three missing from the pod. Dabi appeared below him a moment later, eyes blank and mouth set into a firm line.
His arms cradled a limp Eri.
Keigo followed him, blood vibrating as he frantically landed beside her body on one of the ledges, hands sparking green as he clasped her hand. He could feel Dabi’s gaze on him, the soft gaze of trying to discourage him from trying. To spare him from that hope and then the fall.
But he had to try.
His magic flared, trying to heal but all it did was close the wounds. He knew before he even put his hands on her that not even his magic, known for its speed, would be able to get her heart started again.
Gentle hands pulled him from Eri, the pale skin of Dabi slowly unclasping his hands and tugging him away. He went without question, stumbling onto the other ledge just as Dabi hauled himself up onto it.
Cool arms wrapped around his body, still dripping from the sea. Keigo’s body froze, tensed muscles clenching just before they went lax, head falling onto a firm chest as he let the silver tears drip down his cheeks. His arms quickly wrapped around Dabi, head burying into his chest as silent sobs wracked his body.
He could feel Dabi’s confusion, wondering how he was so affected, but never questioning. Just supporting.
And he would never be able to thank him enough. Not when Dabi dropped his head and simply resting it on top of his, a low croon building in his chest and coaxing him to relax. Dabi stayed with him till long after sunset, and well into the night.
When the cloudy sky blocked the moon, Keigo still didn’t leave, curled up in his alphas arms. Dabi brought him back to his den, sheltering him in the soft seagrass bedding and curling around him, arms a steady weight around his body.
Neither slept that night.
When morning came, Dabi’s quiet voice roused Keigo from the half sleep he had fallen into.
“The pod leaves tonight,” he murmured, still holding him tightly. “The waters have gotten too warm too fast.”
His omega shot to the surface faster than he could get a handle on it, a heart wrenching whine building in his chest as his eyes went wide with unshed tears gleaming along their surface. He turned into Dabi, holding him tightly just as omegan pleas escaped his lips, most of them not even coherent thoughts, but the thought was interpreted.
Please don’t leave. Don’t leave me. Please stay.
The soft croon that Dabi had kept up through the night built to match Keigo’s frantic cries, arms wrapping tighter around him as he slowly eased his omega. Soft rubs on Keigo’s head from Dabi’s own were more effective, the contact easing the panic, though only slightly, as the crushing numbness that came afterward sunk in.
“We have to go,” Dabi murmured, still holding him tightly. “The pups..” he paused. “Pup, won’t make the pass if we don’t go now.”
Keigo whimpered again, though he felt the crushing numbness coming in quicker. Before it paused.
“You can stay here,” Dabi offered, arm lifting just long enough to show him the high ledge that he had contemplated going to when he first woke in the den. “Above the ledge is a small tunnel. It leads to the forest above the cliffs so you can get in and out.”
Keigo looked at him with confused eyes, because offering the den while he wasn’t here, that was courting.
Dabi gave him a soft smile before reaching behind Keigo onto the back of the nest, pulling a beautiful blue and white jewel into his hands, closing the blonde’s fingers around it.
“A promise,” he whispered. “That I will see you again.”
A parting gift. But to Keigo, a mating gift.
The pod left late that night, long after Keigo had fallen asleep in his alphas den, curled up in a den so heavily scented that he drowned in the scent he had grown to adore. He knew the scent would fade over time, but with how heavily the presence weighed, it would be a while.
~
Spring and summer passed in hazy flashes, Keigo barely remembering anything. The first week after the pod left he had stayed holed up in his alphas den, only leaving long enough to search the forest for food and fresh water.
When the first rains of summer came, Keigo had hidden himself away in the den. His winglet had offered to send a beta with him, to ease his heat, but he had adamantly refused. No way was he going to let another scent start overpowering Dabi’s.
They persisted, driving him to take a mate while some of the betas still interacted with him. Every time he refused; he knew that they were one step closer to kicking him out. He could only wish for it at this point.
The rest of summer had been a pain filled blur.
Autumn came with soft touches and fleeting winds, kissing Keigo’s cheeks as he stood on one of the cliffs, legs dangling over the edge as he watched the northbound horizon. His wings slumped against the ground, tired, and mangled from all of his time hiding in a den that was the only safe haven he had anymore.
Hours turned to days, which quickly turned to weeks. A month was creeping upon him, the promise he had made to himself a painful weight in his chest. For today was the last day he would be staying here.
He watched the horizon as dawn bled to day, the sea glittering like thousands of sapphires. His head slumped over, resting on his hand as he waited, humming to the songs he had heard Dabi sing with the pod.
He sang the first part of it, hearing an echoing call that returned it. He truly was going mad. He sang the next verse, trilling the higher sounds that he could not hope to reach with his voice. He trailed off, not knowing the rest.
But someone did.
His head snapped up, eyes staring at the horizon as he faintly heard the rest of the song. His heart quickened, blood pumping through his body fiery hot. There was a flash of black on the water, and Keigo was flying.
Keigo gliding from the cliff, shooting towards the figures that crested the water in graceful jumps. More figures than he left with. His wings splayed wide just as he crashed into the black and blue scaled figure, both launched backwards into the water.
Keigo yelped when the cold water hit his wings, warm laughter bubbling up from the body beneath him that hugged him tightly. Deep songs were trilled at him, cold arms wrapped around his waist.
Dabi brought them both to the cliffs, Keigo burying his head into the scent glands along the alphas neck. His omega instantly surged out, snuffling the scent as much as he could. The scent that had slowly left the den and leaving it stale.
He glanced around, looking at the pod with a wide smile.
Yes, this is exactly where he wanted to be.
He watched the sea, calm and silent aside from the rolling waves. But he was already falling once more.