Chapter Text
Strength does not come alone.
ღ
This couldn’t be happening. Not here, not now. It wasn’t even supposed to happen ever. Yuri was starting to believe there was a grudge held against him. Someone up in the sky didn’t want things to go Yuri’s way, and it only seemed to be getting more agitated. That was just how Yuri felt right now, with the feathering of his heat starting to bloom in his abdomen. It usually started slow. Yuri would feel a little warm, and it would gradually progress into full on feverish. There were painful pangs in his abdomen along with a spattering of other ailments that made Yuri want to vomit. He wasn’t supposed to be this way, he was never meant to present as an Omega.
Yet, there he sat in one of the empty lounges, with fire licking at his skin and his insides twisting into knots. Yuri felt dizzy, hot and aching, and he had a fucking competition to win tomorrow. He knew he could still skate in the morning, at least. The clinic here could provide him a prescription that would dull the symptoms. Well, enough for Yuri to focus. “I take fucking suppressants for a reason,” Yuri mumbled to himself. He was furious that the suppressants had failed him now, of all times. They weren’t one-hundred-percent all the time, maybe more like ninety. Of course, Yuri had fallen into that ten percent. He'd heard of suppressants sometimes failing and an occasional cycle would take place. Yuri was also young, he had presented before sixteen, which didn’t happen often. His doctor had warned him that suppressants might affect him or work different.
Yeah, by making his heat hit him like a fucking train?
Yuri had yet to tell his coach it had happened. Though, he knew he needed to hurry up and message Yakov with the explanation (or, maybe get Mila to do it for him) and let his coach know about this minor hitch. There were medicines that would both soothe the discomfort and that would cover up the pheromones. That was something that could present a problem, because scents could get distracting. Yuri doubted it would cause that much of an issue. Most of the audience would be too far away and the other competitors were upwards of eighteen, where Yuri was but fifteen. Yuri didn’t think any of them would take much interest in someone his age.
Several minutes ticked by as Yuri tried to gather up the courage to get up and go find the stupid medical wing. He didn’t want to risk running into anyone else here. It was bad enough presenting as an Omega, but to have anyone see him like this? A runt Omega who couldn’t even control his own body? That was a disgusting fault and Yuri couldn't accept that. He’d kept it a secret from the media and from almost everyone he knew. Only a select few were privy to the secret, only the ones who needed to know. The longer Yuri sat there, the worse it became. He knew he couldn’t just wish away the painful throbbing in his gut. Drugs existed for a reason, to keep pathetic wastrels like him from falling apart.
Just as Yuri had given up and started to stand, a nauseating scent permeated the air. With a wrinkle of his nose, Yuri looked up at the pair of men that had just come swaggering into the lounge. They were both Alphas, and they both reeked. Yuri noticed that when he was in heat, he could pick scents apart much better, particularly that of an Alpha. Every person was different, unique, but Yuri had never smelled someone so…rotten.
“What have we got here?” The man closest to Yuri spoke first, grinning a smile that showed too many teeth. He had his brown hair tied back into a ponytail that bounced as he nudged his dirty-blond companion.
“Y’lost, Omega? Who let a pretty thing like you wander around alone?” They both broke into a filthy snicker that made the hair on Yuri’s neck stand on end. He had heard all sorts of harsh criticism and reproachful insults. But, no words had ever left such a bad taste in Yuri’s mouth like the ones he’d just heard. It almost made him want to scrub his ears.
“Get lost,” Yuri muttered, cramming his hands into his pockets and hunching his shoulders. He wanted to make himself closed off. “Go back to drooling over the sides of the ice rink at the girl skaters.” Yuri’s clipped insult hung in the air as he turned around. He was ready to storm off and take care of his problem while also leaving these dirt-bags in the dust.
Instead of that plan, Yuri found himself faced with another man, who was blocking the way to the hall. “That’s no way to talk to an Alpha, you disrespectful little brat.” This one was bigger than the other two, almost hulking, and smelling just as foul. He took a step towards Yuri, and Yuri took a step backwards. He was no coward and he wasn’t going to back down to a group of creepos, but something deep in his gut told him he shouldn’t let this guy get too close.
“Being an Alpha doesn’t make you special, you big idiot.” Yuri bared his teeth as he spoke, hissing out the words with as much vitriol as he could muster. The guy shoved his dark hair back and pinned a strange look onto Yuri, one that made him want to recoil. That wasn’t a look he’d ever seen on a person. He’d only seen it on television—on a starving big cat, ready to go in for a kill. Yuri was so focused on the one in front of him, trying not to let him get too close and gain any advantages, that he had all but forgotten the two waifs behind him.
A hand settled on Yuri’s hip, and the boy could swear that it burned. He reached down and slapped the hand away from him, only for another to bury into his hair. The hand yanked Yuri back, hard, and Yuri thought he was lucky to not hear his neck snap. He cried out at the sudden pain and reached back to try and pry himself free. “Get off me, you fucking freaks! I’ll have you thrown out of this place!”
The giant in front of Yuri gripped his chin and squeezed, forcing Yuri to stop talking. “Ssh, ssh, doll-face. Just relax a little.” Yuri felt bile rise up the back of his throat. All three of them were surrounding him, circling like they were going to eat him. Their scents were dizzying, sickening, and Yuri felt himself start to go a little faint.
One of the men behind him (he wasn’t sure which) chuckled too close to Yuri’s ear. A bony hand reached down to fumble with the bottom of Yuri’s shirt. “You need a little help getting through your heat, pretty? We just want to help you out.” A stubbly chin nuzzled against Yuri’s cheek.
Tremors traveled through the blond’s thin limbs. He tugged at his attackers in a weak attempt to free himself, but he couldn't seem to get a grip. His mind was hazy and clouded with thoughts that didn’t feel like his own. His heat was turning his own body against him, his whole body throbbed in aching rhythm. It was not arousal, not at all, it was painful and scorching hot and Yuri couldn’t shut it off. He didn’t know how to shut it off! “Get your f–filthy hands off!” Yuri’s voice faltered on him a bit. His heart was racing out of his chest, thumping so hard against his rib cage that it felt almost violent. The hand at his shirt reached lower.
Yuri couldn’t breathe anymore.
“Get away from him.” The atmosphere itself seemed to freeze, as did all three of the men harassing Yuri. The voice was familiar, but Yuri couldn’t place a guess on who it belonged to. It was menacing, and that added to the unfamiliarity.
“Hey, we were just tryin’ to help the kid out is all.” The hands removed themselves from Yuri’s person. Never could Yuri recall such an overwhelming relief. It was almost enough for his legs to give out on him, but instead he stumbled away, still dizzy and reeling, and looked at who had interrupted them.
Katsuki Yuuri. With his hair slicked back and his eyes narrowed into a scowl, Yuri almost doubted it actually was the Japanese piglet. Those dark eyes held far too much rage for them to belong to the meek skater.
“By forcing your scent onto him? By assaulting a fifteen-year-old?” Yuuri’s shoulders rolled back as he took a step forward. He appeared far more intimidating in that moment than Yuri could have ever imagined.
“Easy, we don’t want any trouble,” the greasy blond one backed up a step.
Yuuri’s scowl deepened as he came to stand in front of Yuri, blocking him from sight. “It’s too late for that. I suggest you get out of here before you find out what real trouble is.” Yuuri had every intention to report these three perverts. The cameras around here had to have gotten a good look at their faces. For now, he just wanted to get Yuri out of there.
The three excuses for Alphas scattered after that, holding no wish to test the pissed off, commanding man in front of them. Once they were out of sight, stumbling around the corner, Yuuri’s shoulders sagged. “Oh, that was terrifying. I can’t believe that worked.” Turning around, Yuuri looked down at the young skater. Glistening concern softened his eyes. “Yurio, are you hurt anywhere?”
Yuri stared numbly up at the other man, his expression tight and his eyes wide as he appraised Yuuri. Instead of answering, he replied with a question of his own. Or, maybe it was more of an accusation. “You’re an Alpha?!”
Yuuri rubbed the back of his neck a bit sheepishly. Most people were kind of surprised when they found out, it wasn’t like Yuuri was exactly the strong and intimidating type. “Yes, I am. I know it’s kind of surprising, but I can say the same for you. You’re much more frightening than half the Alphas I know.” Yuri felt a little pride at that, but it was short-lived as the same ache and discomfort began to register again. It was nothing like before, but Yuri’s mind was still reeling. Although he’d never admit it out loud, Yuuri knew this had shaken the young boy.
“Um, come on, we should take you to the clinic. They’ll prescribe you something to help with your heat, no one else will even learn about it!” Yuri was about to protest the offer of help, because he certainly didn’t take hand-outs. Still, after what had just transpired... Walking off on his own didn't seem too appealing an idea. Yuri rubbed at his arm for a second before mumbling something akin to an agreement. Though, his eyes were to the side and not looking anywhere near Yuuri.
Yuuri smiled all the same, and placed a hand on Yuri’s shoulder to guide him to the clinic. Yuri would sooner die than admit, even to himself, that he needed the protection of an Alpha. But, it was kind of comforting. The walk to the clinic was short and blissfully devoid of any other encounters. The nurse on duty was a kind, smiley sort who smelled like cinnamon and told Yuri she admired his skating. It was nice to hear, even if it was while she was gathering a heat-blocker for him.
On the way back to Yuri’s room, Yuri cut his eyes towards the older man beside him. “Don’t you dare say anything about this to anyone, you hear me? I don’t need any protection from a dumb Alpha.”
Yuuri raised his hands up in defense, waving them about as he shook his head in denial. “No, no! Of course not!” Yuuri conceded. Yuri held his gaze for a moment longer before, appearing satisfied, he looked ahead again. Yuuri breathed out a sigh of relief. He hadn’t been lying, Yurio was definitely intimidating. “And, Yurio?” green eyes cut towards Yuuri, “this wasn’t…what you said it was. It was just a friend helping out a friend!”
Yuri snorted at that. “We aren’t friends,” he grumbled, somewhat sulkily. Yuuri just smiled in response. He was fifteen, once. Not this kind of fifteen, but still, fifteen. And he hadn’t had the Omega hormones to make it worse.
“Yuuri! I’ve been looking for you! Oh, you were with Yurio?” Yuri didn’t even bother biting back a groan when he heard Viktor’s cheerful voice calling out to them. Yuuri turned around to greet his coach, while Yuri just glanced over his shoulder. “I was meaning to get a practice in before tomorrow morning, and—” Viktor stopped midsentence once he was closer to the two of them, now close enough to recognize Yuri’s heat. It had no effect on him, just like it didn’t on Yuuri, but it was still distinguishable. Viktor looked down at Yuri with serious concern, “Yuri, you shouldn’t be out—”
“It’s fine, old man. I’ve got the blocker and I’ll be fine by tomorrow. Take your boyfriend and get out of here, would you?” Yuri’s bristly nature was apparently back in full force as he jammed his key-card into the lock of his door. Before stepping in, Yuri glanced up at Yuuri for a moment. It was a quick look that didn’t last a beat, but Yuuri smiled gently at the teenager, and Yuri had to rush into his room before his own small smile could be seen.
Outside the door, Yuri heard Viktor whining. “He called me old, Yuuri!”