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It wasn’t every day that Team Eager and Team Akuta teamed up. The bond between Tamsy and Enjin though was nothing to be ignored and the more the pack had tried to fight it the more Enjin had promptly ignored them. Enjin wore no mating bite but it would stupid to be unable to smell the way Tamsy’s scent lingered on the Alpha, in the same way that Enjin’s scent of oranges lingered on the Omega. Their late night trysts weren’t exactly quiet or hidden but more so brought on by Rut or Heat. The two often finding themselves in the deep rooms of the Cleaners HQ fucking their way through it with each other.
Enjin lingering around Tamsy more often than not even as Tamsy pushed off his arm or shot him glares when he got too aggressive with other alpha’s. After all being mated was almost just as cursed as being an omega. A damned thing almost. Binding yourself to someone who could just as easily die. Most Omegas were unmarked because of this.
The pups started a betting pool of sweets. Amo and Rudo insisting they were going to wait until the two youngest were going to present. Riyo and Zanka on the other hand made eye contact in that sibling sort of way and shook their heads saying they’re more surprised it hasn’t happened.
The bet came about while doing pack training with each other's Jinki. A rare phenomenon where packmates who were truly meant to be together could use each other's jinki. Thus being able to switch in battle based on usefulness and if the other became unavailable. Hence, how Riyo used Lovely Asistaff to take down Jabber after Zanka had been taken out by the alpha’s poisonous claws. She complained about Zanka smelling like the man for days after.
Of course Zanka would never admit that he was really curious about why the Alpha was pursuing a disgraced omega such as himself, but that was not truly the goal here. The goal was to find out if Tamsy would become Pack Omega. So bets were placed. Innocent ideas brought to life and the other Alpha and Omega of the pack decided with confidence that they were going to win one way or another.
For a while they couldn’t pin it on either of them. Tamsy always wore high collars and scent blockers. Smelling only of faintly vanilla and Enjin’s subtle orange, probably just from the way the alpha scented the others clothing any chance he got, especially the closer Tamsy got to heat as a way to help hide the sweet scent from the others in the building.
They never truly acted like a “normal” couple and maybe that’s why things weren’t picked up on sooner. Tamsy still went on his vacations and missions with team Eager. He disappeared with Enjin during his heats or Enjin’s ruts. The two lingered but never acted too much other than the occasional comment from Enjin about something. There was a slight shift to the group after a particularly bad fight and both Riyo and Enjin were hurt and left with Tamsy fussing over them with particularly parental instincts. All but insisting he be the main care taker and eyeing anyone who dared to intervene in the way he cared about them. Even Enjin seemingly particularly caught off guard by the omega's motherly instincts.
They were heading to the outskirts of a no mans land to take care of a nasty building pack of trash beasts that were seemingly looking like they were about to beeline it for a major city and would take out who knows how many small settlements on the way there. The creatures like a pack of startled jackalopes from the old books.
The car was tense with Delmon and Tamsy in the back seat. Enjin and Gris up front leaving Zanka, Rudo, Follo, and Riyo shoved into the middle. No one wanted to sit next to Delmon’s hulking hunched form and Tamsy’s too used to it sort of mentality.
They were moving on an emergency call afterall there was no time for overthinking but simply acting out what they needed to do. They could see the roar of dust as they slipped on their masks.
“Alright let’s fucking go,”Enjin grinned behind his mask. Tamsy sighing exasperated at him seemingly.
“Gris I am getting on the room of the car, mind your turns please,”Tamsy replied before anyone could react they saw the trunk opening and out climbing Tamsy onto the room the few cleaners sharing a look of mild panic and Delmon looking unfazed giving a bright joyful grin and loud laugh.
“Yes! Let’s go!” They heard the sound of Tokushin forming as they approached the pack ready to get out and slow but Tamsy’s head popped up by Gris’s window.
“Get me close and I’ll stop them so we have better odds,”Tamsy explains.
“Got it, hold on.” Tamsy hops back on top and tokushins ropes can be seen gripping the vehicle, likely to help Tamsy not fall off. They pulled up next to the barreling forward crowd. Enjin watched as Tamsy’s ropes grabbed onto one side and they watched in amazement as he all but used their horns as stepping stones flying across the front of the herd as Tokushin's ropes flew out in front of him. Gris keeps with the herd as the man jumps out in front. The crew shifting to grab at him but watching as he turns last minute and lands onto a flat surface on his knee tokushin digging into the ground and a net of yarn reaching into the sky unfolds trapping the first few rows in his net and abruptly stopping the heard where it stood and cutting off the heads of those trapped.
“Well that’s our cue,”Enjin’s already hopping out of the car bolting into the fray and the car is drifting as Gris parks it away from the fight as they hop into battle. It was hard for any to get back Tokushin's net as they tried to beeline for him.
Riyo all but grinned as she pulled out the Ripper. The blade sliced through them with ease. Team Akuta springing into action behind their Alpha. Delmon goes into crowd control with Tamsy.
“What a cleaning!”Enjin called out a wild look in his glowing eyes as the crowd dispersed around him the creatures falling into trash piles. Each of the members of their team performs their tasks with ease. Things were going smoothly. Something to be expected of the group. They were getting the group down in size slowly but surely.
“Will you hurry up!”Tamsy’s mildly irritated voice came from the front. “Delmon be careful of Tokushin!” That was a growl if the group had ever heard one.
“Sorry Tams,”his voice softened as another one was taken out as they tried to run around Tokushin's ropes. Tamsy rolled his eyes.
The group noticed it as soon as it happened. He lowered his guard as one of the last few were taken out. Tokushin's ropes rewinding into itself just as the trash sand behind Tamsy shifted rising up and knocking Tokushin into the air and out of Tamsy’s grip and throwing the man to the side.
Zanka moved through and slid into the sand to catch it before it hit the ground. A wave of power overflowing from it. He felt the core of the anime coursing through it. The warmth in his hands of all the love and care Tamsy put into his precious spinner. Then it occurred to him, he shouldn’t be able to feel this.
“WHAT THE FUCK ENJIN?!?!”Zanka yelled out holding Tokushin and Lovely Asistaff tightly as to not lose his grip on either of the weapons. “Since when were you two mated?!?!”
The air on the battlefield went still. The head Alpha looks sheepish as he rubs his neck.
“Oh shit uhhh, I forgot to tell you guys?”He laughed.
“Later please!”Riyo reminds. “You’re not off the hook but Tamsy’s not getting up!”
They jumped into action. Delmon grabs Tamsy and runs towards the jeep. Umbreakers weapon aiming for the head. When it didn’t go down they all shared a look. Zodyl.
“Zanka use Tokushin to strap that bitch down,”Enjin commands.
“But I--”
“Think about where you want the ropes to go, it’s not a hard jinki to use, that's what makes Tamsy so powerful with it,”Enjin looks at him as he drifts to the ground. “He imagines that the rope can do or be anything he wants it to be.” Zanka looks in awe at his hands and nods. Closing his eyes for a moment to steady his breath. Enjin was trusting Him to wield Tokushin instead of taking it back himself. Enjin must trust him with it then! Not that he knew Tamsy would but the point still stood. Gris had moved back to take care of Tamsy with Delmon.
The ropes listened. Wrapping around the beast and ever tightening. The more it fought the more the rope dug into it. Riyo and Rudo aim for the head to pry out the jinki from its core and take it down once and for all. When the beast fell apart Enjin pulled Zanka into an awkward side hug ruffling his hair.
“See, look at you go! You’re a natural!”He grinned as Zanka let the Jinki detransform his eyes returning to their normal hue.
“Okay but no, no!”Zanka turns on his feet. He wanted to return Tokushin to Tamsy, this felt wrong holding it. Maybe he should let Enjin hold it, no wait, Zanka was mad at Enjin. They were mated and didn’t tell anyone?!?!
“Awww Zanka!”Enjin whined following after him.
“Sorry Enjin, he’s got you there,”Riyo defends. “You mated an omega and didn’t say shit?!?! He’s pack Omega now but you couldn’t even bother telling your fucking pack.” Enjin’s metaphorical ears would normally be turned down at the scolding. Zanka ignores any response they had and goes to check on the man. Follo has Tamsy’s head in his lap sitting in the back of the vehicle holding a cloth to his forehead. Smeared blood on his face roughly cleaned up.
“How is he?”Zanka gently sets Tokushin in his hand, wrapping fingers around him as he sets it on his stomach.
“He’s definitely got a concussion, woke up briefly but he wasn’t conscious long and was extremely out of it. Best get him to Eishia as fast as we can. Luckily the rest of him just got some scrapes. He did get a nasty piece of rhubarb stuck in his back but we stabilized it so we don’t make him lose any more blood and Eishia can help us take care of it when we get back.” That explained the rolled up blanket shoved underneath his back keeping it off the seat. Follo’s words were comforting as he nodded, taking a breath. Riyo walked up from behind the man sensing his unease. They finally got another omega and suddenly the man was taken down. By no one's fault of their own and surprise of the beast showing up from nowhere. Sure it gave Zanka a bit of anxiety about the entire situation. It wasn't exactly ideal. Finding out ones Alpha mated with someone and didn’t tell anyone. His scent flaring in more distress.
Riyo pressed herself comfortingly against him in the car. Letting her soothing pheromones wash over him. He appreciated her glad they could call each other siblings. Enjin walks up to check in on Tamsy, tucking a piece of hair from his face as he closes the trunk. He sits in the driver's seat with Rudo taking the other one. The newest member of the pack shifted uncomfortably.
The drive was eerily quiet with the tension of secret being revealed all too late. The focus being on Tamsy’s stability. Having already called ahead to warm Semiu and Eishia. It’s tense even as they arrive and bring the man struggling to stay conscious. Immediately mumbling out something incoherent.
Enjin at his side in a moment's notice. They were about to be outed anyways. Tamsy’s jacket would have to come off and it wasn’t like anyone else could be his mate once that bite was shown to Eishia.
“It’s okay baby,”he whispers quietly trying to soothe his emotions. Even his negative pheromones of mild panic and distress filling the car made the pack members shift. They didn’t want to leave the two in the infirmary but it wasn’t as if there was much choice. Too many people in the room distracted Eishia and Tamsy was in no state to explain the whole mating situation. Gris and Delmon soon came out to explain things.
Enjin was by his side trying to soothe him for a little bit while Eishia worked her magic. He would still likely be on bedrest but much more coherent soon.
Only when Enjin walked out was he welcomed with the angry members of the pack.
“Yeah I deserved this,”Enjin chuckles “Let’s go to my room first.” Leading them all to his room he invited them into this space. A spot even they even have a tendency to not visit much. Only really Amo and Rudo finding solace there more than the others.
They crowd onto his bed slowly but surely as Enjin sets his chair down in front of the bed.
“I genuinely am sorry for not tell you all,”He starts. “You have every right to be upset with me and Tamsy, but it was something that happened admittedly…. Ah a bit on accident. It was my mistake and Tamsy and I have been emotionally dealing with it since it’s not as if either one of us can take it back.”
“Does he make you happy?”Riyo intervenes innocently, tilting her head to the side and Enjin nods.
“Yes, very much so. Just there’s a lot to Tamsy he doesn’t want to share yet. One of those is how much he despises his second gender,”he explains. “It’s not my place to share that story and I’m not sure it’s a story he ever plans to share with anyone else.”
“How was it an accident?”Rudo decides to ask and Enjin rubs the back of his neck awkwardly a little seemingly thinking things through.
“Well… when you present yourself whether Alpha, Beta or Omega, Alphas have ruts and Omegas have heats. Periods of time where their body decides that they must have children. It affects your mental capabilities and thinking processing centers in your noggin. I was helpin’ Tamsy with his heat as I always do and well both of us in our muddled stuff said some sensitive things and I accidentally lost control in my overwhelmed state. His pheromones mixing with mine just did something to me and that’s not something I can take back.”
Zanka looked pissed. Riyo gives him a look of worry herself. The omega was obviously even more livid at him, pack Alpha or not.
“You knot him and then mated him?!?! That’s-that’s not okay!”He stammers out.
“I know, I know it’s not okay. I understand that,”he confesses, genuinely looking down in shame. “I wanted our entire mating situation to be much more romantic than how it happened but here we are.”
“And you can’t take it back?”Amo clarifies. “Is that why Amo thinks Tamsy smells really good now? Sweeter?’ Enjin nods.
“You’re a part of our pack now Amo, that means when the scents change, you can smell it. Especially as a pup having the pack Omega be around you must be very different for you than for the rest of us. Your nose is particularly strong.” She smiles a little innocently. He knows Tomme has given her the basic talk about secondary genders and knows she plans on giving her more specialized talk in a year or two when she starts presenting.
“I guess he has smelled… happier?”Rudo comments with a frown. “I thought mating was frowned upon here on the ground?” He looks to Zanka and Riyo who nod.
“People die too easily down here. Mating is permanent. You get one chance at it. Once that mate is gone you’re going to feel that loss forever,”Riyo confirms. “Mating someone means you take away that chance of being wholly devoted to someone else.” Rudo’s mouth opens in a “oh” fashion, nodding a little bit.
“Which is why it’s even more egregious that Enjin did it in the midst of Tamsy’s heat,”Zanka explains. Enjin looks down in shame with a sigh.
“And he didn’t tell his pack,”Riyo confirms. Even her pheromones seeping into the room. Less so than Zanka’s. Zanka always had less control in how his emotions had a tendency to seep into the air around him. It was partly why he got his emotions under control and had a tendency to relate to stoicism than the others. A way to hide them.
“Trust me, no one is more upset about it than Tamsy and I. I have been doing everything I can to try and make it up to the man.”he explains and the rest of them nod.
“As long as you’re still trying to make amends,”Riyo sighs. “There’s not exactly anything that can be done right now. “ She all but grabs the Omegas hand, dragging him out. Enjin puts his face in his hands and rubs it distractedly.
“Amo thinks they’ll forgive you,”she chirps with a bright smile. “Amo just thinks they need time. You do smell apologetic.” She leaves before he can respond, leaving just Rudo.
“On the sphere Omegas were usually forced into loveless marriages with mates, and pressured into killing themselves if their mates died,”he explains. “It’s hard for me to imagine Tamsy’ll be okay if you die. Not like I would be but it could happen.” Enjin nods.
“Yeah that doesn’t sound like a pretty or healthy relationship dynamic.”
“It’s not as I’m learning. You should go check on Tamsy. I’m sure he’s not gonna be too happy about his mate not being there when he wakes up.” Enjin admittedly went a little red at that one. It wasn’t like they all didn’t know now. They did know. Semiu and Corvus had been the only ones told before but now even more people knew and he was sure Tamsy was gonna throttle him. Despite it he does as the pup recommends and goes to sit by Tamsy’s bedside. Gentle admiring Tokushin from where it sits on the small table with a lamp. Tamsy’s in more comfortable clothing. Delmon must have grabbed it for him while Enjin had his talk with his pack. He gently held his hand, the other reacting to his touch and curling on his side to lean closer. Enjin lets his other hand rest on his exposed neck gently rubbing at his mating bite. The other relaxes at his touch falling deeper into sleep as he relaxes completely against his touch.
A small thrum of pride runs through him, that he can be the one to lower Tamsy’s guard like this. That now they were tied to each other and Enjin knew the other was a private individual but it didn’t change the fact that whether each other wanted it they would be together for a long time. He lets himself relax in the knowledge that Tamsy was okay. A smile gracing his features.
They could deal with the pups some other time, but for now?
For now they were mated and Enjin was content and unaware of how sweets were exchanged to Riyo and Zanka as payment for their won bet.