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Erwin should have recognized the signs of his beloved mate’s distress when the scent of lemon and pine hit his nostrils. It was pungent to a point of acrid, causing his nose to wrinkle in disgust. The bitter citrus was so juxtaposed to its naturally fruity sharpness that the concomital nature of it caused the blond’s natural omegan scent to waft into the air. The tendrils of its fragrance spread out, tangling about the room like feelers seeking out information based on their squishy, tactile scent glands. In this case, it was quite the opposite: instead testing and inquiring, the scent was responding to unusual stimuli. The bouquet of pervasive juicy pulp and Erwin’s own natural comforting scent filled with sage and lavender wasn’t exactly pleasant. Citrus usually went with lavender, but not in this overpowering fashion. It was almost like another stark reminder of the angst that no doubt lay in wait for him he didn’t recognize, immediately.
“Levi?” The baritone spoke into the darkness of the living room, fretting and bouncing around like a spring that had been sent careening into a wall. It prompted a sharp intake of breath and muttering. If the warning signs weren’t there before, noticeable to the blond, they were now starting to trickle in like a stream slowly adding itself into the river below.
Having heard, his footsteps began towards the sound, tossing the coat he held in his palm carelessly across the room and onto the sectional that sat in oranges, reds, and blues - isolated and looking forlorn towards the large sliding windows leading towards the outside world. But they weren’t there in that outside world, and it was obvious from the smells in the room Levi hadn’t aired out the (bordering on) acidic chemical odor towards that place the entire day. More proof of his struggles showed in the unsoothing sight of his mate in the hallway, on his bleeding hands and knees and crouched down over a painfully scrubbed linoleum floor.
Instantly, the hairs on the back of Erwin’s neck stood up. It was the reaction of a distressed Omega, the hairs meant to display their mating mark and scent glands - calling out potential dangers to any other in the area while also calling to any protective Alpha in the area for protection. Omegas had traditionally packed together in the caveman era, a time when it was a lot more primitive for their kind. Alphas would occasionally band in pairs of two, but no more and no less. They tended to be solitary humanoids, living isolated on their own unless having taken a mate. Omegas were the opposite, they banded together in large groups (the larger the better for protections against unwanted advances or danger). That primeval instinct never quite left them in the modern world and as a result still occurs when an omega was in distress.
In response Levi’s head tilted up, sniffing the air but merely going into a coughing fit from the chemicals that filled his nostrils as a result of his actions. Erwin’s eyebrows furrowed as his blue orbs finally seemed to register the bright crimson that his lover had been previously scrubbing away (for god knows how many times in a row now) and he quickly sprung into action. Every instinct inside him was screaming to scent his fellow omega and keep him safe, warm, protected. “Levi, dear god…” He choked, pulling the man into his embrace; “Oh love, why didn’t you call me? What happened?”
Erwin tried desperately to keep an accusatory tone out of his voice but it seemed not to matter, even the soft and concerned lilt seemed to cause Levi to shrink down into his arms and struggle slightly against the hold; “Blondie, stop-stop, I’m fine, damnit-”
“This is not fine, Levi.” Erwin said matter of factly, looking sad as he tried desperately to press his cheeks into Levi’s neck, sage and lavender popping and fizzing into the skin absolutely soaked with citrus and Isoparaffin (among other uncomfortable chemicals no doubt seeping into his pours from extended exposure). He didn’t raise his voice, merely held the struggling man softly against his chest until the inevitable occurred and the smaller form against his own, larger but lean, finally took a rattling breath that ended in a sob.
“Oh Levi…” Erwin choked, the waves of sorrow coming off his mate more than he could handle. It caused a whimper to leave his mouth, tears pricking his eyes. He felt slightly weak for it, but omegan hormones were omegan hormones and there really wasn’t a way around the resonance Levi’s scent had upon him. The same, of course, applied to the darker haired man as his head dropped into one of Erwin’s pectorals and began shifting back and forth repeatedly (nestling into his chest). Now, the smaller man seemed to not have tears that threatened his ducts, but he was left in a stuttering mess as his fingers tangled within the suit Erwin wore from work. His own clothes were distraught, ruffled from all day scrubbing on a seemingly mundane spot.
It wasn’t uncommon for these breakdowns to take Levi to these dark places. The hothouse he came from was unkind to him; leaving him with nothing but copious amounts of trauma and the self-inflicted belief system the only thing that worked about him was his anger management issues that flared. That place was filthy, not just in foulness of dirt and grime but in practices. Levi thought he was inherently broken, having been raised there with no other choice and no other understanding of life until it was shut down. After that he had drifted in confusion, not understanding society at its core. The mental health struggles he had didn’t help, a social worker he’d been assigned to caring but overworked from the amount of omegan abuse cases she’d been handling.
For a whole year Levi barely fit into society and before long, could either be found in one of two places: drinking away the little money he had or trying to sell his body just so he could make ends meet. It didn’t matter that the social system tried “reintegrating him” into society; they were overworked and underfunded. The small amount of government money he received barely covered the rent let alone basic necessities he needed to survive. And now, his habits weren’t helping. Eventually, he ended up on the short end of a long rope - desperate for help in any direction.
Erwin’s friend Nile was part of the bust that left Levi without a home and seemingly out of chances. The opposing part of the case tried to label him as a dangerous omega without control, a ‘failed’ integration case who was doomed to nothing but being a menace to society. Erwin happened to be on the jury back then, and he saw the side of Levi’s case because he saw something in him no other person did. When the jury deliberated, Erwin refused to give up on the plight of a fellow Omega he could see had been failed by society. And when it all ended, Erwin had actually managed to convince the jury of giving Levi leniency. The end of the criminal trial was Levi being assigned to a shit ton of therapy and community service.
Erwin opted to contact Levi after the trial, apropos of giving him resources. He apparently was particularly connected in a network of community support resources for Omegas with abusive backgrounds. He even went out of his way to complain about the system and how often it fails their secondary gender, surprising Levi beyond measure. Surprisingly, they hadn’t fallen out of touch after that; and within a year Levi found himself strangely warm when the man was around. It was almost inevitable really, and yet nothing sudden or overwhelming. It was something that happened gradually. Before long Levi noticed his schedule filled up with therapy, omega support groups, and late night anime watching sessions with the surprisingly nerdy blond. During the support group sessions he ended up even going alongside Erwin, as he insisted it was good for Levi to have somebody to emotionally support him at first - even though the man never stopped coming.
And before much longer Erwin asked Levi if he would attend ‘a festival’ with him. Which was pretty much as close as Erwin ever came to officially asking Levi out on a date. At first Levi had been hesitant when Erwin began showing more affection towards him, even curious if two omegas could even be together in such a way. But Erwin merely smiled and smoothed away any concerns, telling him there were plenty of untraditional omegan, alphan, and betan couples in the world. ”Just because it’s claimed as untraditional by society doesn’t mean it doesn’t belong, Levi. You and I are just as normal as any Alpha-Omegan couple out there.” And then with a kiss, he reminded him even Erwin wasn’t a ‘traditional’ Omega with his size. It made Levi feel a little better, especially considering how much he idolized the blond.
Erwin always knew what to say.
Yet, even with the therapy, Levi still relapsed. It was normal, his therapist Hange Zoe, often reminded him, to have lapses where his mental health was poor. Mental health was never straight lace and clean cut, it was rocky and harsh, like hitting the gravel after falling out of a fast moving vehicle, they once remarked. They reminded him that the EMTS would always be there to pick him up and tend to his wounds, and those EMTs were the people who supported him in his life.
But Levi still felt like a burden when they had to despite Hange’s reassurances.
This was one of those times.
Erwin, of course, felt the exact opposite. He was honored to be there for his mate and help him through whatever he required. It was his most sacred duty and the fact that Levi trusted him so much to be able to do so was a miracle in itself. He was perfectly happy to sit here all night, now if he had to, just to make sure his miracle would feel better.
“Have the nightmares come back….?” Erwin guessed accurately when Levi didn’t respond. He frequently had nightmares of the Alphas from the hothouse, memories of when he was young that no child should have had to go through.
The soft, pitiable noise that left Levi was all Erwin needed to hear to know the truth of the matter, suspicions confirmed in one fell swoop. He wrapped his arms further around him, taking the cloth and pushing it far aside. Levi’s body was so small compared to his, and he happily took the male onto his lap, using his unusual height (for an Omega) to ensure Levi felt cocooned in warmth. It soothed the smaller’s weakened and unstable omega, making it feel more secure. The gratifying response was immediate, for Levi pressed his face into the male’s neck and inhaled in a long breath that ripped past his bronchial chord and filled up his lungs with the scent of comforting safety. Lavender would always be his favorite scent now, nothing like his own cardamom and musk which Erwin frequently claimed was outstanding (even though Levi despised it).
They sat like that, embraced in each other's arms for what seemed like an eternity. Erwin did nothing but rock Levi back and forth, holding onto him just the same as Levi clung to the blond. There was a certain desperation in Levi’s side, but on Erwin’s side there was nothing but understanding kindness. This eternity seemed to stride onwards, walking its path forever - until the street lamps flickered their light for the millionth time and a car screeched into a halt, whatever it was struggling to avoid. Finally, the silence was broken by Levi; “...thanks, blondie…”
Erwin, relieved to finally hear his mate’s voice again, nodded and said; “Do you want to head upstairs to our nest? I’ll clean things up down here, alright?” Levi opened his mouth like a fish, but Erwin kissed away the objection with a well thought-out preemptive counter argument; “I’ll make sure to put everything in the right places. Please…my beloved, wash up your elbows and knees, alright?”
Levi deflated and nodded, much to Erwin’s relief. The silence then resumed save for their footsteps parting from one another, headlights flashing once below and the building in front of their large-scale windows flickering with a signal that showed somebody probably left their TV on. It cast itself across the orange and blues in the room, the only change in atmosphere as Erwin cleaned up the blood and placed Levi’s cleaning supplies back where they rightfully belonged inside their cupboards. He also grabbed some gauze strips and medical tape they kept stored away in their first-aid kit. Erwin made sure it was always well stocked in case his omegan mate had one of his bad nights.
Before long he was back with his mate, kissing away his fears and wrapping him up with tender, soft hands that never pressed too hard and always paused when the man hissed in pain. Erwin took such good care of his wounds, ensuring they were perfectly wrapped up with no sign of breakage to the gauze and tape. In short order, he ran his fingers up the man’s arms and took his mate into his arms once more, kissing the forehead he was so familiar with seeing at the bottom of his vision first thing in the morning; “I love you…you know this. Please don’t have that guilt in your eyes…”
“You shouldn’t have to worry about this shit, blondie. You should be-”
“-should be with you.” He interrupted, “Nobody else. I would have it no other way save for within your arms. Please…lay down. You need your rest. You know Doctor Zoe says the best thing for it is rest after one of your ‘bad nights’...you took your PRN anxiety medication? The clonidine on the top shelf?”
Levi nodded, not patronized. Perhaps it would be to somebody else, but Levi had asked Erwin to make sure and check with him on the location every time. It helped ground him if he could visualize the item, and if he forgot it he knew exactly where to look. It was something about the organizational nature of his mental disability.
“Good, I’m so proud of you…” He whispered as he laid down with his fellow Omega, not letting him go even long enough to settle in. Erwin kept his lover there, close to his chest and unable to let go. He wanted to pull away at the thistle and weeds that tangled around Levi’s psyche and smooth kisses into the injured person underneath.
His person.
His mate.
His Levi.
After a while of Levi not closing his eyes, Erwin prompted him again. “Please try and get some rest…” And after a second’s more hesitation, the man finally rolled his eyes in irritation at the man and allowed himself to drift into subconsciousness. While time ticked on, Erwin couldn’t take his own advice at first. It was almost as if he was wide awake, on edge until he made sure that every bit of Levi’s face and form relaxed. If there was any tension left, the omega couldn’t settle.
Perhaps it was the same antediluvian instinct that drove Omegas to once curl up in caves in the stone age, desperately pushing at each other for warmth as they banded together for warmth and comfort.
Perhaps it was simply just his protective streak over Levi.
Whatever it may be, it continued well into the night - even past the point of tension ebbing out of the smaller man’s form. By the time that dawn was peaking, Erwin was swaying…swaying…
…Finally…into rest…holding Levi steadily within his strong upper limbs.