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“See everyone tomorrow,” Suo said with his usual cool smile.
Sakura stared at the alpha who gave him the same lighthearted smile that he did every day. No matter how much he scrutinized it, the omega couldn’t find anything. His omega was making a fuss inside of him, telling him something was wrong. It had to be so small that if he wasn’t paying attention he probably wouldn’t even notice.
It was like the omega inside also didn’t know what was wrong with Suo. So Sakura took a step closer and closer until his chest was almost pressing against the taller. He ignored the curious stares from the group around him.
“Hmm? Sakura-kun what’s this?” Suo teased. Sakura leaned closer and inhaled at the others' neck gland. “Oh..?” Suo muttered, surprise hinting in his voice.
Nothing amiss.
He pulled back. “N-nothing…just wanted to,” Sakura muttered into the other person's chest. He then looked up, meeting his alpha’s eye. “See you tomorrow?” He didn’t know why he asked it like a question.
Something flickered in the taller's eye and Sakura couldn’t make out what it was. It was so faint that he believed it to be imagined by his anxiety.
“Okay, bye Haruka.”
Sakura blushed. They only use their given names when they’re alone. Though, it was Sakura who broke their silent no-PDA agreement. “Bye Hayato, see you.”
All Suo gave was another nod before Sakura was bombarded by teasing. The group going in the same direction as him, pulled while throwing lighthearted jabs.
Usually on nights like this Suo would invite himself over, though this time he hadn’t.
The omega looked back and saw the alpha watching him. He was far away enough that Sakura couldn’t fully make out Suo’s expression. He didn’t have the time to squint as Suo turned away.
As they got further apart, Sakura vaguely wished he had taken the lead and invited the alpha over for once.
“He’s not here today, either..?” Sakura said as he looked at the empty chair the alpha would usually sit in.
His throat tightened and his chest twisted uncomfortably. His omega was going ballistic inside him and it was bleeding into his consciousness. Usually he was good at ignoring it due to years of suppression but the anxiety and abandonment his omega was feeling was too strong.
And perhaps amplified by his own feelings of abandonment.
Now that he thought about it, he hasn’t been apart from the alpha for more than three days since he’s moved here. Even on breaks.
Sakura took in a silent shaky breath. He slapped his hands over his neck as he realized he was leaking a bitter scent of distress.
“Sorry..” he muttered, taking a seat. Trying to ignore the feeling that something was missing.
As they discussed the absence of their missing Vice Alpha, Sakura’s anxiety doubled. Rationally he knew there was no way the alpha would have collapsed with nobody finding for three days, or that the taller would let himself be taken from a local gang to try and gain something over Furin.
Or that his alpha abandoned him and their pack without a single word.
Something had to be keeping him away. Whatever it was, they would resolve it. Just like they’ve always done.
“...we’ll go straight to his damn house,” Sakura growled.
This was starting to piss him off now.
Sakura was expecting some type of fancy house, similar if not more grand the Kiryu. Not an empty fucking plot.
“Are you sure you put in the right address,” Sakura asked.
“I’m sure?” Nirei said frantically, looking over the GPS again and again.
The lump in Sakura’s throat got bigger as Kiryu and Tsugeura argued over the theory of the horse collapsing. But the omega dismissed it due to the amount of grass and lack of debris around. It was obvious the area had been empty for a long while.
So this was why Suo never invited him over. The alpha always used the excuse that his place was too far or that his parents were around. Sakura never would have assumed it was because the other didn’t even have a house.
Was he homeless? He could have asked for help, everyone at Furin would have been more than happy to help. Hell Sakura would have let the other move into his cramped apartment if it meant getting him off the street. But…no that couldn’t be right. Suo never had any signs of homelessness and Sakura would know. He’s been homeless a few times, though never for longer than about a month.
“...he lied on his papers.”
Sakura whipped out his phone and dialed the other. Once again it went to voice mail and Sakura couldn’t help the distressed whimper that escaped him.
This was turning into something, something way bigger than missing a few days of school.
They were just out of the fucking storm, couldn’t anything go right for him. A period of peace was all he wanted. He whined again.
“Sakura..” Kiryu sighed. Walking up to rub the omega’s back. The gentle scenting helped clear a bit of his overwhelming anxiety.
He took a deep breath and tried to ground himself. Panicking won’t bring Suo back. Maybe they just need to be a little more patient. Maybe he’ll be back tomorrow and they panicked over nothing.
He tried to believe himself.
As Nirei told his story, no matter how much he tried to push the thought away, one thought persisted.
Why didn’t Suo say goodbye to him?
Why did he say goodbye to Nirei but not him?
Wasn’t Sakura his omega? Wasn’t Suo his alpha? Weren’t they going to be mates?
Suo was the one that pursued him. He was the one that pushed for them to start dating, courting with the end goal of being mates. Or at least that's what Sakura believed.
Don’t you only court if you want to be mates or was that another social thing Sakura messed up.
Did Suo ever say he wanted to be mates?
Then what else were they, if not in pre-mateship.
What was the imprint they have?
Sakura stood with a snarl and kicked the nearest desk with all his strength, sending it flying into the wall. He then stormed out the room as his pheromones leaked freely in a bitter sad rage.
Memories of Suo–his alpha–flooded his mind. All he could think about was the other…and the fact that everything could be a lie. Suo had become so much to him so fast and now he was gone. Gone with no intention of coming back, gone without even saying goodbye.
[ “See everyone tomorrow,” Suo said with usual cool smile. ]
Liar.
But everyone already knew that already, didn’t they?
Sakura wasn’t watching where he was going until bumped hard into a firm chest, sending him down. Knocked out of his thoughts, Sakura looked up from the floor to see Umemiya looking over him with a concerned look.
“Huh? Sakura, are you alright!? Wait…are you crying?” Umemiya asked, alarmed.
Sakura growled and stood up, wiping his watering eyes. He willed away the tears that threatened to fall and was relieved that they did. “No.” he tried to say evenly, though he doubted he did.
“Okay..” Umemiya said cautiously. “Well I was on my way to your classroom but…I wasn’t expecting all of you.”
“What is it?” Sakura frowned.
Umemiya sighed, he looked to the door and then back to Sakura. “Well..the school received Suo’s withdrawal.”
There it was, Sakura said humorlessly to himself.
“Do any of you know what’s going on?”
Nirei explained what happened to the hard looks on their upperclassmen's face. Their faces made the situation feel all the more real.
When this started Sakura believed it would be a little conflict, find out where Suo is, help his problem and then they come back and do everything the same. But of course nothing would ever be that easy.
“So Suo was the one that beat you up?” Kaji asked. The beta nodded. “But why?”
“Be-because I tried to stop him,” Nirei said nervously.
Kaji tilted his head. “Sure but he can knock you out with one punch, he didn’t have to beat the crap outta–” The omega’s deputy waved his hands to stop him.
“Isn’t that too sudden though?” Hiragi asked.
“That’s what I–we want to know!” Sakura cut in. “Why the hell did he leave,” he growled. Leave me, was left unspoken but everyone could hear it.
“Sakura…” he heard someone say sadly.
“Sakura, did you notice anything off? Like was there anything different with him?” Umemiya asked.
“I..I’ve been racking my brain tryin’ to figure that out..but..”
Sakura looked down at his lap. That night, the few days before, nothing seemed off. The alpha was acting the same, same smile, same teasing.
He came over to Sakura’s at the same time he did the day before he left. He brought over the same food from this spot they liked. Suo held Sakura the same way, against his back, shielding him from the cold draft in his room.
Kissed him the same way.
Nothing seemed off.
But when he thought about it, Sakura actually didn’t know much about the other. He just thought he did.
Fuck.
Was Sakura the only one who thought they were friends?
Thought they were more?
Then what the hell was everything. Why would you do this Suo?
“But..he said he was going to see us tomorrow..”
Sakura didn’t lift his head. He could feel the stillness of the room and it just made him sick.
“This sucks,” Anzai growled. “We thought we were friends but he leaves like this without a word to the rest of us.”
“Especially saying nothing to Sakura is so shitty. They never officially announced it but it wasn’t like they hid it either. Suo was obviously courting Sakura and now he leaves without a trace. Was he just playing Sakura?” Tsugeure asked mindlessly.
“Dude.” Kiryu nudged the other hard.
“Ah-” Tsugeure covered his mouth. “I didn’t mean..” he cut himself off at Sakura’s now hunched posture.
Anzai frowned. “It’s like he never really cared fo–”
“You’re wrong!” Nirei shouted. “That’s not true!”
Anzai was flustered at the beta’s sudden outburst. “Huh? How am I wrong, you’re the one who said it! Suo said, ‘we’re not anything’ and–”
“Wait, Anzai. Nirei what do you mean by that?
Nirei explained what he thought. How Suo looked like he was suffering and came over to take Sakura’s hand.
“Sakura, help me look for Suo. We’ll find him and make him talk even if we have to tie him up!’
Sakura felt faintly jealous of the passion the beta felt for his– the alpha. But he knew it was just the feelings from earlier lingering. There was no time to be feeling like that. Finding Suo would get his answer.
If he truly lov– liked Sakura, or if he was just playing with him to pass the time.
“No matter where he is, we’ll drag him out!” Sakura said passionately.
Despite the conviction in his voice and the support it drew from the crowd around him. Sakura still couldn’t shake the last of his lingering anxiety. They’ll just have to see how it goes.