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If Umemiya has to name one thing that he despises doing, it’s definitely forcing people.
He prefers persuasion. Coaxing the other party, trying to understand their way of thinking before using it to reverse-engineer their mind, so that they are able to understand his perspective and do as he wants. He’s well aware of his charm that seems to attract people, that he’s good with his words. He’d also like to believe that he’s generally a patient person when it doesn’t involve a dangerous situation—
But, Sakura surely puts his patience to a test today.
“Sakura?” He calls as he knocks on the omega’s apartment door, again. He’s been standing here for at least fifteen minutes now, coaxing the younger man to unlock the door and let him in. A part of him rather shamefully rues the fact that the first years, perhaps Suo or Nirei, managed to push Sakura to fix his door because according to Kotoha, all of Sakura's doors were unlockable when she visited a few months ago.
“Leave.” Sakura’s muffled voice echoes within the empty corridor. “Just leave. Please.”
“I can’t do that.” He reiterates again, letting out a sigh. “We need to talk, Sakura and I prefer to see you face to face.”
“Why?” Sakura asks. “So that you can directly see me wallowing in my shame? Isn’t my embarrassment enough?” He hotly says as a little bit of desperation tints his tone.
“Sakura.” He sternly warns as his patience thinning further. His own instinct flares up in agitation at the omega’s misunderstanding and misplaced discomfort.
He invited Sakura to come up to the rooftop today at noon, a veiled attempt to have lunch with the omega, when he realized that he was drenching with sweat after tending to his little garden for the whole morning. After changing to a spare shirt, he put his used white tee on the chair and went down to get the food he ordered. However, Sakura went up earlier than he thought and long story short, he caught Sakura clutching, smelling, and purring on his still-wet-with-sweat tee.
Predictably, the omega bolted out of the place.
If this was any other day, he’d probably back down for now and simply borrow the younger man from his class tomorrow. But, he faintly smelled the sweet scent of omega in preheat from Sakura and he really, really could not ignore that.
Sakura might not be as skittish as he used to be, but he is not yet at the point where he’ll purr in contentment on just any alpha’s scent. It’s his scent. His.
Umemiya Hajime’s scent.
It’s as good as any assurance that the omega likes him as an alpha and he isn’t going to let go of the chance. It doesn’t help that his instinct is also screaming at him to comfort his omega, to properly provide for Sakura’s future needs. The thought of the younger man making a nest out of his clothes and napping while being surrounded by his scent is enough to make him extremely pleased, as the thought of his omega being all miserable due to this misunderstanding also makes him extremely agitated.
If only Sakura is willing to open the door—
With his patience completely melting away, he exhales deeply as he turns serious. “Open this door or I will break it down, Sakura.” He warns.
“I won’t.” The omega denies just as vehemently. “Just put it as me making a mistake—”
“Three.”
“Why—”
“Two.”
“You—”
“One—”
His right arm is already up in the air and halfway to break the door, when the ancient, fragile-looking wood is opened, revealing a tomato-red Sakura. He hears the younger man saying something, but his mind is blank, as his entire thought process is focused on Sakura instead.
To be precise, on the scent Sakura emits.
Now that the younger man is standing right before him, the previous sweet smell gets more pronounced and it invokes a plethora of desires in him. Both the good and the bad.
He wants to mark Sakura.
He wants to bite Sakura's unblemished neck and claims him as his. Drench him in his scent, make the little omega whimper and beg for him, for more. Sakura is already so red when he's embarrassed, what if when he's in the throes of passion and pleasure?
One, that's given by him?
He'll serve him so well. He'll be so good for Sakura, giving him all he needs and more. Sakura won't even need to ask because he'll already hand it all to him. He's ready to be at the younger man’s beck and call if he wishes too—
“-i”
“Oi!”
He blinks in bewilderment, belatedly realizing his lapse and a sliver of embarrassment hits him.
"Ah, sorry." Umemiya scratches the back of his head sheepishly. "It's just.. Well…" He trails off, his excuse dies as he notices something more interesting.
The redness on Sakura's face has deepened, the reddest he’s ever seen, while the black-and-white-haired male is perplexedly staring at him with confusion, shyness, and dare he say, want.
"Sakura?" He calls concernedly as he files the observation for later. When he stretches his hand in an attempt to check on him, the younger man is so startled that it surprises him as well.
“Uh—” Sakura splutters as he takes a step to the back. “I’ve opened the door.” He states.
“You do.” He responds just as dumbly, before the actual reason for him coming (barging) into the omega's place comes back to the front of his mind. “Right—!” He exclaims. “I—”
“I’m sorry.” Sakura cuts him out. “It's very weird and freaky. I was out of my mind so if you want to hit me or demote me it’s fine—"
“No no no—” He cuts the other as well, a little bit alarmed by the bitter scent coming in from the other. “You misunderstood, Sakura.”
“Huh?”
“Can we at least talk about this inside?" He gently inquires. “Or have you made a nest already? Should we go somewhere else then?" He asks, not wanting to push the younger man too much.
Hesitation flashes on the omega’s face, before it curbs into a grimace. “I don’t have a nest or something like that.” Sakura says before he steps aside to let him in. “Get in.”
“Thank you.” He gives a little smile at the shorter male, who only blushes again and walks ahead of him. Sometimes he wonders if Sakura’s face ever gets too hot or cramped from constantly blushing.
“I don’t have anything to offer so don’t complain.”
“I wouldn’t dare.” He assures with a small laugh as he follows after the younger man. A part of him grits in displeasure though, seeing how bare Sakura's place is as the desire to provide for the omega he likes stacks inside him. His eyes catch some convenience store bags filled with water bottles and some snacks, but he’s sure those won’t be enough once Sakura’s heat hits.
He eventually arrives at the end of the place. The whole room smells like Sakura and there’s a futon laid on the edge too, which means…
This is Sakura’s bedroom.
The realization brings another worry to his mind. His whole place is actually unfit to become a nest with how bare and exposed it is. The windows don’t even have a curtain. Is this why Sakura said he doesn’t have a nest yet—
“Speak.” Sakura defensively says as he crosses his arms on his chest, trying to look brave though he can sense the uncertainty and embarrassment rolling out from the other.
Umemiya stays silent for a moment, as he reassesses the situation again. At first, he thought that Sakura was embarrassed because he was caught red-handed with his tee, but the younger man’s earlier remark brought another concern into his mind. Had no one told him that seeking, basking into an alpha’s scent is an entirely natural reaction?
(Ah, he really really really wants to hug Sakura.)
“You insisted on meeting me face to face and now you are just standing like a statue. Let’s just fight it out and be done with it—”
“Sakura.” He cuts the other’s complaint, staring directly at Sakura's heterochromia eyes. “I like you.” He confesses bluntly, seriously.
“What—” Sakura splutters with wide eyes.
“So I don’t find it very weird or freaky, as you said.” He continues, still in the same tone. “I like it, even.” He admits with a bashful grin. “I love that you like my scent. I love it so much because I like you, Sakura.”
Sakura bewilderedly stares at him. Even with such a shocked face, he can see how the gears are running hard behind the younger man’s face as he processes his confession.
“W–what wait so earlier—” Sakura stutters, almost stumbling to the back if his reflex didn’t kick in in time.
“Earlier?” He inquires softly, encouraging the other male to elaborate.
“You— you smell—”
“I smell?”
“You smell like you want me.” Sakura blurts out. “Like an alpha…” He trails off, as another burst of red explodes on the omega’s face.
It’s his turn to blink in confusion, before he barks a laugh at the realization. It seems his desire for Sakura shamelessly bled out of him earlier. He is immensely relieved though, to see that Sakura doesn’t seem to be averse by the thought of him wanting him, if his blush and happy scent are anything to go by.
“Yes, I want you Sakura. Like an alpha for his omega.” He shamelessly confirms with a huge grin, before gently adding in case the younger man misunderstands, “But it’s also undeniable that I like you, Sakura Haruka. The first year of Furin, one of my Grade Captains.”
It’s a huge gamble, but since Sakura is not good with words, he slowly stretches his left hand toward the younger man. Their eyes are locked against each other as he gouges out the younger man’s reaction, all while making sure he relaxes his shoulder and looks unthreatening as much as possible. When he sees no rejection, he carefully rubs his wrist on Sakura’s exposed neck, spreading his scent. The tenseness that seems to clutch the young omega melts away with the slouches of his shoulder, as Sakura instinctively leans to his hand.
Umemiya is almost able to hear the roar of victory in his ear, as potent happiness and contentment also burst out of his chest at Sakura’s acceptance. He takes a step closer to the omega, and when he still sees no rejection, he carefully pulls the shorter male into his hold, hugging him tight.
Another unprecedented giddiness hits him hard, when Sakura’s scent gets thicker, sweeter after the younger man wraps his arms around him. He can also acutely feel how Sakura shudders when he buries his face into his chest and takes a deep inhale of his scent.
(Ahh, Sakura can kill him right now and he’ll die as a happy man.)
“Obviously, we don’t have to go there now. I just want to be with you, Sakura.” He starts softly. “We can also arrange things so you’ll have an easier time for your heat later.” He murmurs.
His alpha instincts might demand him to fulfill his omega’s carnal needs, but he knows very well that Sakura isn’t ready for something like that. Based on his observations and others’ reports, the black-and-white-haired male has just adjusted to living and interacting with other people recently, and abruptly being intimate with an alpha will surely overwhelm him. The most he can do right now is probably give Sakura his clothes and scent mark the omega.
(But Lord helps him, it’s going to be so damn hard when Sakura is being this adorable.)
“You…” Sakura muffledly says. “You’re mistaken.” He says as he unwraps his arms and separates them both.
“Hm?” He confusedly hums, as the omega looks up at him.
“I don’t have a heat— I don’t do— I never have have any heat. I’m unable to.” Sakura admits with a grimace. “I’m faulty in that too—”
Umemiya blinks at the unexpected remark and sorrow fills his heart as things start to fall into place. Instead of not having heat, it’s becoming clear to him that Sakura has simply never felt safe enough.
It’s rare, but he occasionally sees a case like these in the orphanage. One that’s constantly being moved from one facility to another, unused to have a place or someone they can lean to and it’s kind of fucking up their body. The constant feeling of being unsafe has suppressed their omega’s natural biology as well. It forces their body to skip their cycle, including the thought of nesting, though the desire should surface from time to time.
But now… Now that Sakura is in Makochi, surrounded by people who will support him, fight for him, fight with him, it has tremendously changed things.
Sakura feels safe in Makochi. Sakura undeniably feels safe in his presence.
(He’s going to be so good for Sakura, if he allows him to. He’s going to treat him like how he’s supposed to be.)
(Thoroughly loved.)
“No, you are mistaken.” He sternly rebukes the other. “You are in preheat, Sakura.”
“No, you are the one who is mistaken—” Sakura hotly denies.
Umemiya takes a deep inhale, suddenly reminded of the other’s hotheadedness when he isn’t flustered out of his mind. The easiest way to make Sakura understand is probably to trigger or fasten his heat, but he doesn’t want that. He wants Sakura to realize and accept it on his own, preferably with scientific proof to support it.
“Why don’t we go to Uncle Rin tomorrow, hm?” He coaxes. “He’s a doctor and he’ll be able to properly check your condition, because I am one hundred percent sure that you are in preheat.” He emphasizes.
“But– I— It’s just impossible—”
“Sakura.” He gently says, staring at the other’s heterochromatic eyes earnestly. “It’s for your good, okay? It’s one thing if your heat suddenly starts at school or when you are patrolling with others, but I don’t want you to have your heat in the middle of nowhere. If you are too embarrassed to go with me, you can ask Nirei or Kotoha-chan, or you can also go by yourself. I’ll just arrange the appointment for you, yeah?” He gently persuades.
Sakura stares at him for a few seconds before he eventually nods with a low scoff. “Fine.” He grumbles.
“Good boy.” He laughs, before leaving a kiss on the omega’s forehead and making Sakura go as red as the cherry tomato he’s currently raising again.
“Argh—! Stop–” The shorter male protests as he tries to evade from his clutches.
“You are so cute, Sakura.” He undeterredly says, pulling the shorter male back into his arms and swinging him around. “My omega is so cute!”
“Wha— I am not cute!! ” Sakura protests loudly. “And put me down!”
They don’t even need to announce their newly developed relationship to the boys at school. One whiff as the omega passes by and everyone already knows whose scent is currently latching on the younger man.
(Maybe he did scent marked Sakura too much. But can anyone blame him? Sakura is just too cute.)
(And maybe, he’s a little bit too possessive and territorial.)
(Again. That little hissy but lethal kitten is just too cute.)
.
(He can’t wait for the day Sakura is finally comfortable enough with physical affection and he’s able to kiss him properly.)
And as he guessed, Sakura is on his preheat.
He thought he’d need to scent mark Sakura more often with his steadily sweetening scent, especially when Sakura just can’t seem to stay still and he still wanders around as he pleases. The majority of Furin students are alpha too, but it is to his surprise that the alphas in Sakura’s class are just as protective towards the younger man.
(He’s so proud of his underclassmen.)
Hiiragi isn’t amused though, when the gray-haired alpha becomes his target as he chatters his worries away while Sakura spends his heat alone. The black-and-white-haired omega wanted to have his first heat alone (as it should be for any omega out there actually). But as a compromise, instead of having it in the younger man’s place (where he will undoubtedly explode in restlessness), the omega will spend it in his apartment instead. It helps Sakura to properly nest as well and so in the meantime, he’s sleeping at the younger man's place.
(He hopes he can persuade Sakura to stay at his place often though after this.)