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It seemed like a miracle when the medical team swooped in to save the day and 008. In a way, it was. They never thought this could happen, but like every other time, 001 proved them wrong. And he did it with the same nonchalant attitude as always; overturning their expectations as if it were the most natural and easiest thing in the world.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise, 001 has always been capable of the seemingly impossible, but in the end, it still caught them off guard.
002 allowed himself a faint, amused smirk as he ended his call, calling off the operation. Their message went through to the Mercenary Union, 008 embarked on the path of healing, and everything returned to normal. The whole fuckery was behind them, nothing more than another pile of shit that they managed to clean up and survive. It was a satisfying outcome for now.
He looked down in surprise when his phone suddenly started ringing.
“Talk.” His voice was collected and cold.
He refused to admit how much his stomach clenched, especially when Alice spoke on the other end of the line. He instinctively readied himself for the worst news possible about 008 (it wasn’t unheard to have a collapse soon after a stabilizing operation), but Alice words took him by surprise.
“Get your ass back here, now!” Her voice sounded frantic but slightly muffled, as if she didn’t want to be heard. “It’s Ijin, he is… there is something wrong with him!”
002 felt a chill running down his spine. He pushed the feeling aside and forced himself to stay calm.
“Explain!”
“I can’t, damn it! He just threw up all of a sudden and then he told me it’s nothing like… you know how he is! And he went into the bathroom again just now, and I swear he seems like he will collapse in any minute, but he is… urgh! Just get your ass back here and talk to him, he is not listening to me at all, don’t even let me take a blood sample and just keep saying that everything’s fine, but it’s not!”
002 was already moving as he listened to Alice’s report. His thoughts were racing, already analyzing the situation. 032 was the closest to their base at that moment, but if 001 was poisoned or sick, it was much more efficient to call 005. But she was just as far away as he was.
“Calm down. Keep him in your sight as much as possible and record everything. Call if anything changes or his condition worsens!”
Alice only grunted in agreement and hung up. 002 took a few precious seconds to ground himself by trying to remember how 001 smelled when they departed. He couldn’t recall anything unusual or worrying. There were no lingering smell of sickness or more anxiety than what was expected considering 008’s condition. 001 had been using his pheromone masking deodorant to suppress most of his scent anyway, he done that whenever their meeting was coordinated and not just a chance run-in in a civilian setting, so it didn’t strike 002 as unusual when he arrived and his scent was dulled.
The only slightly out-of-character act he could recall was 001’s rare obedience when he ordered him to stay on base, but he didn’t attach much importance to it at the time.
He called 032. Then 005 while he speeded away from the Union’s base.
~*~*~*~
He was the fourth to return to base. 016 was walking around anxiously, 032 was working on his computer with a slightly furrowed brow stress-snacking on a piece of candy that he had obtained from who knows where, while 005 was nagging 001. Alice leaned against the nearby wall, watching their conversation like a hawk.
002’s attention was drawn to their former leader the moment he came into view, examining every little detail. He sat stoically in the medical corner, calmly enduring the nagging. Everything seemed normal. In truth, he looked healthier than ever in the camp, though perhaps a little flushed from all the attention and a little exhausted, with darker-than-usual bags under his eyes. There was already a piece of bandage on his arm that he touched occasionally, seemingly without noticing.
002 frowned at the sight. It wasn’t typical of 001 to fiddle with things.
“What’s the situation?”
“Blood test is negative to all the common poison in my database.” 032 answered barely looking up from his computer. “Diagnoses are still running on other substances.”
“He is a stubborn mule!” 005 hissed frustrated.
“I told you; it’s nothing.” 001 sighed patiently, but at the same time, he touched the small bandage again, scratching the skin next to it and he did not look at anyone. “I’m just a bit under the weather. It’s not a big deal.”
“He repeats it like a mantra, but I don’t buy it. He’s thrown up three times since you guys left and he looks dead tired.” Alice chimed in, informing them and earning a disapproving glance from 001 which she pointedly ignored. “And he started to smell… different since his suppressant wore off.”
“Different?”
001’s hands stilled on his knees. 002 watched him flinch as 005 leaned closer and sniffed him openly. She was only a beta, but she probably knew the scent of 001 better than any of them. He had always been the least guarded around her when it came to things related to his omega status.
“Yeah, it’s hard to tell with the suppressant still there, but it feels different.” 005 admitted after she pulled back. She slowly tilted her head to the side, a small, uncertain smile dancing on her lips as her expression softened. “Your scent has become softer.” She added quietly.
001 studied his hands resting on his knees with rapt interest, but 002 noticed the faint blush creeping up his neck. He stared at the boy as he tried to recall the faded memories that flickered in his mind about omegas and their pheromones. Mad Dog had never really been interested in teaching them more about their secondary gender than what little they had to know to become effective predators.
016 steps halted. He stared at 001 as if he were seeing him for the first time, his eyes widening, his mouth forming a barely audible “oh.”
032 just looked lost as he watched them in alarm.
“What?” He asked looking from the smiling 005 to the shocked 016. “What does it mean that he smells… soft, or whatever?”
“Oh, it’s gold!” Alice chucked a bit uneasy but clearly amused.
“Pregnant.” 002’s voice was shocked and distant, it felt as if he hadn’t even said it out loud, but the word echoed between them. 032’s attention snapped at him. “It means he’s pregnant.” he repeated more composed.
“WHAT?!”
Even 002 flinched at the roar coming from the entrance. They all looked at 004, whose face was crimson red and looked like he was about to commit murder (again) as he marched towards 001 with vehement fury. He only stopped when 005 subtly shifted into his path, a silent warning in her eyes.
001 sighed wearily.
“I told you it’s nothing” he muttered as he glanced sideways at Alice. “This is just a passing state.”
“Yeah, right.” 005 scoffed putting her hands on her hip. “Like hell it is!”
002 felt a rare headache approaching. He wasn’t freaking out, he really wasn’t. But what he felt was eerily similar – even he had to admit that much, at least for himself. How the hell did this happen?!
“Who?” he asked. At least his voice was calm and collected, even though he felt nothing like himself. His question cut through 004’s raged yapping, effectively silencing the other.
001 looked at him cautiously, as if trying to figure out what he thought about the situation. Tough luck that even 002 wasn’t sure what he was thinking at that moment. He stared back at their former leader until the other looked away with an embarrassed flush. 002 felt his blood run cold.
“You do know who it is, right?” he asked with a murderous chill in his voice.
001 flinched and looked at him again with unusual defiance and anger in his eyes.
“Of course I do.”
“Great.” 002 didn’t let the other’s hurt look deter him. “Who is it?”
001 hesitated for a moment, rubbing his knees with his palms. Then he let go of his nervousness with a deep sigh and shrugged.
“My boyfriend, of course.”
“Boyfriend?”
“You have a fucking boyfriend?!”
“That security guard kid you always hang out with? The tall one with the dark hair?” All attention turned to 032 upon hearing the bewildered question. 001 slowly nodded. “But he is like eighteen or something!”
“Nineteen.” 001 corrected him with a frown. “Why does it matter?”
“Shit, kid, are you both lost it?!”
“He is way too young.” 005 agreed with a disapproving scowl. “You at least can take care of yourself, but a civilian is different. What the hell could a high schooler possibly provide for the two of you?”
002 nodded along, though his thoughts were racing, already rounding up contingency plans and everything they needed to do. It was more important than ever that 001 remain hidden and far from them, but at the same time they will have to provide him with some level of protection, especially during the most vulnerable phase, and then probably some kind of support with the child. They will have to regularly check in to make sure no one was targeting them or coming close to figure out 001’s identity.
And of course, he had to make a thorough background check on the kid who had knocked him up and make sure he was a decent guy, otherwise they had to deal with him swiftly. Preferably without 001 realizing what’s happening, which might be the trickiest part.
“Does he know?”
002 forced his attention back to the present and the conversation that contained potentially crucial information.
“Yeah.” 001 smiled sweetly, as he did when he was around his family. “He was very surprised, but in a good way.”
He looked up, glanced at 005, then turned to 002. His honey-colored eyes shone with a soft, innocent happiness that 002 was not used to. He seemed more harmless than when he was first thrown into the camp. Less hollow, but just as pure and in a way: clueless.
“He is a good alpha.” He declared, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, the one that could explain everything and fix the whole mess.
Alice chucked.
“Yes, he is quite normal.” She agreed easily. “With a very distinguished upbringing. And he can pack a decent punch.” She added with a fond smile. “Perfect mate-material and let me tell you, he’s very fond of dear Ijin here.”
She winked at 001. The boy didn’t respond directly, but the faint blush crept back onto his face. 005 chuckled along with Alice, 032 fidgeted with his computer while 016 shook his head with an unbelieving smirk. 004 barked insults and protests, calling all of them (but especially 001) idiots.
002 stood still, watching them all. While he didn’t really trust Alice’s opinion without solid evidence, it was a good starting point. It was even reassuring, although the unease in his guts was still lingering as he glanced at 001. He seemed more relaxed than before, calmly bearing 004’s barking and the women’s teasing, while blushing a deeper crimson than ever.
002 exhaled slowly, gathering his wits and composure. It was okay, not the end of the world or another disaster. He was confident that this mission would be handled just as well as any other.
After all, there was absolutely no room for failure. Not this time.