Chapter Text
The earth is saved!
Mash is the world’s hero!
Finn joins his friends in celebrating, writing off the sudden pressure in his temples for a short time. It’s only when he feels dizzy that he excuses himself back to the dorms. His injuries may have been healed, but the fatigue lazes deep in his bones. The long hallways don’t assist him as his steps waver. He braces himself on the stone wall to maintain his balance, fingertips scraping against the bumpy rock. He scrambles to loosen his tie and top few buttons when he can’t draw a proper breath. Finn looks down to check he isn’t run-through with a spear given the stabbing ache in his lower stomach. The icy stone walls don’t steal enough heat to make up for the furnace in his cheeks. He stumbles forward as he loses consciousness.
Gravity is no match for Mash’s reactions, as he catches the smaller boy by the shoulders, blinking with concern and confusion. Finn’s chest quivers, face contorted into his usual nervous pinch.
It is no stress for Mash to carry Finn the last few meters to their room, tucking him politely into bed after removing his shoes, robe, and tie. The unwell boy is red in the face and curls his knees to his chest as if afflicted by a July chill. Mash carefully places the back of his hand against Finn’s forehead. Yep. Finn has a fever. He leaves a mug of water and a cream puff for the boy, promising to be right back. Mash goes to retrieve the smartest guy he knows.
Lance is among the few students returning to the school early. The alpha grumbles as Mash wordlessly drags him towards their dorm. Given the other boy’s record with doors, Lance is the one to open it. The blue-haired boy slips away from Mash’s grip on his sleeve, covering his nose and mouth.
“What?”
“I can’t go in there—”
The strong boy insists by gesturing with an encouraging fist, “Please. You can do it. Finn-kun needs help.” In addition to being a scentless beta, Mash’s sense of smell is so abysmally poor it’s a talent.
The blossoming floral scent permeates through the air, Lance keeps his face covered — more out of respect than aversion — and closes the door so it clicks softly into the frame. “Mash. Finn is in heat.”
“Finn-kun’s a beta.”
“No, he’s not. You stay right in front of the door. I’ll visit the nurse and be right back. Until then, don’t let anyone into this room.” It comes out as a threat, and it is. Lance will graviole the fuck out of anyone that dares take advantage of Finn in his vulnerable condition.
Mash nods once.
Finn opens his eyes to a familiar ceiling. The throbbing across his body is more comfortable now, like a tightening and releasing of a hug. His clock informs him it is still afternoon and the cream puff on his bedside looks rather fresh. Bleary-eyed he slips his shoes on, wondering where his roommate might be…
The handle twists but he can’t pull the door open…
Immediately, dread is all that Finn can perceive. He bangs his fists against the wood, pleading to be let out.
Mash keeps a delicate hold on the knob, deciding he’ll invite Finn to do some training if this is all the strength he can muster. “No.”
No.
No?
Why not?!
After worry comes catastrophising. Maybe I am going to be trapped in here forever?! He shakes the handle some more, twisting it in both directions to no avail.
“I got the— What are you doing?”
“Oh. Sis-con, you’re back.”
Finn can make out his friends conversing through the wood. “Lance-kun! Help me!”
“Mash… You didn’t let anyone in there, right?”
Finn wipes away the water that accumulates at the lows of his eyes. What did I do? Why are my friends ignoring me?! “Mash-kun, Lance-kun, please, let me out, I didn’t mean to do anything—”
The door opens a crack, Mash passing through a small velvet satchel, “For your heat.”
“Idiot! Don’t open the door while I’m still here—” Lance yells, failing to wrestle the door knob from the stronger boy. His further scolding is muffled behind his sleeve, “Are you deranged?! What are you doing! I might—”
“There’s no way. You’re a good guy.”
Lance stomps on Mash behind the knee, sending him into the room, nearly toppling Finn over. The alpha slams the door closed. “Being a good guy has nothing to do with biology! Since you’re unaffected. Help Finn.” Lance exhales a sigh so heavily that the omega tenses, slumping onto the solid floor and dropping the bag, a bottle of pills rolling across the floor. Finn’s body hurts again. Like when he stays up too late studying for a test, his head is foggy. There’s a metallic tinge on his tongue and down his throat, Lance’s scent enveloping him. He whimpers like a sad pet, overcome with an emptiness which causes more tears to tumble down his cheeks. Why are they ignoring me…?
“Don’t loiter.”
Finn would recognise that voice anywhere. He weakly hits his hand on the door, “Nii-sama—”
The door flies open, nearly off its hinges with the force of the older Ames’ kick. Finn sees a flicker of disgust in his brother’s eyebrows before the door is drawn closed, the whole room seeming to shake. This pattern is getting old…
The two alphas murmur beyond the door before Rayne speaks again, “Finn. Take the pills.”
Finn’s throat is raspy and dry, his brother’s almond-ish scent encroaching his space for a moment. Did he always smell so strongly? Mash scoops up the bottle, while Finn sniffles in rejection, “Nii-sama, I don’t understand—”
Lance is the one to call back, “Your brother is gone. Take two of the pills with water. You will be fine.”
Mash tips the ration of pills into the lid of the bottle, holding it forward to his roommate. “Finn-kun, why didn’t you tell me you were an omega?”
An omega—?
As soon as he’s presented with the idea, it clicks. His hands shake as he checks the label of the bottle in Mash’s hand before forcing back the medicine with a gulp of water and a few bites of a cream puff — thanks Mash-kun. The effect is near-instantaneous. His uncertainty disappears, the tension headache gives up, and he can flex his legs with a new ease. “Mash-kun! It worked!”
“Finish your cream puff.”
Finn is happy to do so.
Mash opens the door to Lance who chides him for his carelessness until he reaches Finn’s side, crouching by the bed. “What’s your condition?”
“I’m fine— sorry for causing you trouble, Lance-kun…”
The alpha shakes his head. “The nurse suggested that these pills are only effective at delaying a heat. But, this gives you an opportunity to decide what you want to do with a clear head.” Finn wrings bedsheets between his still-clammy fingers as the alpha continues. “You can either stay here and I’ll have Mash stay with Dot and I, or you can go to the schools designated chambers. It is up to you if you want to be assisted or on your own.”
“Thanks for the explanation, Sis-con.” Mash gives a thumbs up, chowing into an unreasonably large cream puff, a comically fluffy pair of earmuffs preventing him from fainting.
Finn cringes, surely red in the face. There’s something about having an alpha explain his condition… It’s so goddamn embarrassing! “T-thanks, Lance-kun! I’ll go to the school’s room so Mash-kun’s training won’t be interrupted.”
“Are you sure— I read that it’s best to be in a familiar place for a first he—”
“Oh my god, please stop talking!” Finn covers his face, firetruck red, but not with a fever this time.
The alpha immediately leans back, “It’s your decision.” He turns to Mash who is still indulging in sweets, frowning.
“I won’t give you any—”
Lance shakes his head low before waving off Finn’s sudden burst of thanks and apologies.
Finn chest expands as he fights to take a deep breath. An omega… Just after he became closer to his brother, he’s causing problems already… “There’snowayRaynewilltalktomeeveragainohmygodohmygodI’mgonnathrowup—”
Mash firmly grasps his friend’s shoulder, the smaller boy jolting to attention, “What?!”
“He doesn’t hate you, Finn.”
Eyes dripping with disbelieving tears, he snivels, “But what if he does—?” It wouldn’t be too hard to imagine. Despite being able to play his small part in the battle with Delisaster, Rayne is the one with status and responsibility… As famous of a school as Easton is, there is no lack of discrimination be it because of competitiveness or ignorance…
Mash pats his freckled friend atop the head, “Have another cream puff.”
Finn decides to go to the school’s chambers. He writes a note to Mash who left already resumed his training and is packing socks when the door flies open, Lemon bursting in, “Finn-kun!”
“L—Lemon-chan?!”
“I saw Mash-kun, so I thought I’d check in on you. Is your body okay?”
Finn raises his hands up, “Of course. Don’t worry about it—” He suddenly wonders if her citrusy scent is where she got the name from.
Two more people storm through the open door. Lance is wrestling to hold back Dot by the hood of his robe as if he’s a wild dog on a loose chain, “You red-headed idiot— leave him alone!”
“Finn! You’re an omega?!”
The smaller boy closes his eyes in a tired smile. He supposes it’s not something he can hide from his friends… Maybethey’llkeepmearoundeventhoughI’manomega—
“Two alphas, One omega—” Lemon’s eyes glaze over, “YOU ANIMALS!! Stay away from Finn-kun!”
Dot falls to a crouch in front of the smaller boy, rubbing the back of his neck, “Man, why didn’t you tell us you weren’t feeling well— We all just stayed at the party…” The red-haired alpha’s guilt reeks of his smokey scent until Finn places a reassuring, soft hand on his knee. “We just want you to look after yourself, man. You’re always looking out for us…”
Lance sighs and Lemon agrees with a cute nod.
Finn could cry. He really has the best friends ever…