Chapter Text
“That’s not how it works!”
“But that’s how it always works, little guy.”
Kaido and Nendo were at it again. Considering how easy it was to set Kaido off; the argument could be about absolutely anything. They were far too noisy in the classroom at the beginning of another school day. At least they were not at his desk practically yelling in his ears.
Kusuo was content to be left alone until class started, but Kuboyasu appeared at his side.
“What’s all the ruckus about?” he asked.
“No idea,” the psychic answered telepathically. He was being truthful, trying very hard not to focus on Kaido’s thoughts.
“Aren!” Kaido called out, rushing to the former punk’s side and pointing emphatically back at Nendo. “This idiot thinks he’s unbeatable just because he’s an alpha!”
“That ain’t how it works,” said Kuboyasu, baffled.
Nendo stepped up to the other side of Kusuo’s desk. “What? Oh? No, I said it’s hard to beat me ‘cause I’m awesome,” he said.
Kuboyasu raised an eyebrow at his shortest friend. “Well, it is true that alphas tend to be physically superior. That doesn’t mean betas or omegas can’t be just as impressive though. Think of it like athletes training to be good at their sport; the more you train, the better you’ll be.”
“If my power wasn’t sealed, I would’ve presented as an alpha,” Kaido grumbled, glaring at his wrapped right forearm before crossing his arms in a huff.
“Being an alpha isn’t all it’s cracked up to be,” said the ex-delinquent. “There’s nothing wrong with being a beta.”
Honestly, everyone in their closer social circle had been surprised when Kaido became a beta. All of them, every single one, except perhaps Yumehara, had fully expected him to be an omega.
Nendo clapped Kusuo on the back. “My pal will be my pal no matter what he is. Right, Pal?”
“That’s right, Saiki hasn’t presented yet,” said Kuboyasu.
Kaido uncrossed his arms and tapped his chin with a finger. “Neither has Hairo or Teruhashi.”
Kusuo was not looking forward to the day Kokomi Teruhashi presented. Every guy in the school was eagerly awaiting to see what rank she presented as, hoping against hope that they would be a great match for her. All of the alpha boys were praying that she turned out to be an omega, while the omega guys were hoping she became an alpha. The betas were safe either way, though there was a higher chance of children with her if she was also a beta.
People still seemed to place so much importance on ranks despite the fact that modern society had largely moved beyond the traditional roles. An alpha could be a daycare worker, and an omega could be a CEO of some big, important company unlike how things worked even three decades ago.
The pink haired teen didn’t care what rank he presented as. He honestly wasn’t sure if he was normal enough to even present in the first place. It was one of the things Kusuke had taunted him about the last several times they had spoken. His older brother had presented as a beta fairly early, although their father always said Kusuke acted more like an alpha.
Both of his parents were betas as well so, if he did present, he figured genetics would win out and he’d end up as a beta too. Although he had once been surprised that his mother wasn’t an omega – then her scary alpha side had temporarily emerged, and he’d realised that her being a beta was a great mix of her traits.
The most common and normal of the ranks was perfectly fine by him.
“Hairo will probably be an alpha,” mused Kuboyasu.
The class rep definitely had those leader-like qualities people prized in alphas. No one seemed willing to speculate about Teruhashi out loud, although Kusuo was privy to their silent opinions and wishes. Well, apart from Nendo, but he wasn’t giving his opinion out loud either. A strangely wise move for the moron.
“What rank are you hoping to be, Saiki?” asked Kaido. He was staring right at purple eyes partly hidden behind green lenses.
Kusuo shrugged lightly. “Don’t care,” he said.
“Wait, really?”
“Seriously?” Kuboyasu asked, backing up Kaido’s scepticism.
I thought all boys wanted to be alphas, Yumehara thought, having eavesdropped on the whole conversation.
While that may be true of most boys, Kusuo knew it definitely wasn’t true for all of them. “I’ll probably end up as a beta like the rest of my immediate family,” he offered. There, that should keep them from speculating about his currently non-existent rank.
“I didn’t think genetics mattered,” said Kaido, confused. “Isn’t that what all the latest research shows?”
Damnit Kaido. Kusuo merely shrugged again.
Those results were shown to be a sham – the whole thing was proven to be inconclusive.
Thank you, random classmate that was also eavesdropping. Why were people paying so much attention to his little group? He was trying to remain as unobtrusive as possible, but all these weirdos that insisted on hanging around him were too strange for him to successfully slide into the background while in their proximity.
Thankfully the class bell rang and Kusuo had something of a respite until lunch rolled around. All of his nuisances, except for Toritsuka, were around him, crowding the table in the cafeteria. Everyone was too close, the place was too loud physically and mentally, and the psychic felt oddly boxed in. He stared at his food and felt an odd roiling in his stomach, like he’d just seen a bug.
He was hungry. He knew he should eat, but the more he stared at it, the less inclined he was to eat it. The others would surely notice if he stopped eating. Kusuo carefully took another mouthful and instantly regretted it. There was no way he could spit it out, so he forced himself to chew and swallow. His stomach rebelled and he hastily repressed a shudder.
“I’ve never seen Buddy look so green before,” said Nendo.
Damnit Nendo! He was not green, he was fine.
“Oh, hey, you’re right!”
Shut up, Kaido!
“Saiki, are you feeling well?” Teruhashi asked, eyeing him with concern. If he’s sick, then I’ll take care of him! I’ll do such a good job and be the most beautiful caretaker he’s ever had. Saiki will have to say, “Oh wow!” to me!
Teruhashi as his nurse? Definitely not. He wasn’t even sick. Maybe it was that mysterious illness that had come over him on Saiko’s ship. At least another shipwreck was out of the question.
“I’m fine.”
He won’t mind if I check, right?
Who was doing what now? He jumped as a hand flashed briefly in front of his face before settling against his forehead.
“You are not fine, you’re burning up!” Aiura exclaimed directly behind him. You’re never sick! What’s wrong?
Kusuo sighed and closed his eyes. Her hand felt oddly nice on his forehead and his shoulders slumped as he let her hold his head up. He didn’t answer.
“Whoa there! Yeah, babe, okay, I’ve got you,” Aiura said softly. She stepped right up behind her soul mate and wrapped her other arm across his clavicle, her hand resting over his heart.
Who does she think she is draping herself all over Saiki like that?! Teruhashi’s mind screeched.
Kusuo, I dunno if you’re listening, but your heart is racing. I’d be loving it if we were on a date, but I am actually worried about you, the gyaru thought firmly.
The psychic groaned aloud.
Kaido’s fingers anxiously tapped on the table. “Should we take him to the nurse?”
“I’ll carry him on my back!” Hairo announced.
“Does my buddy need mouth-to-mouth?” Nendo asked, tilting his head.
“No, I don’t,” he managed to broadcast. “Don’t you dare even – ugh – think about it!”
Aiura took her hand off his forehead and started rubbing his back instead in gentle, circular motions. “What about going to see the nurse?”
“I’m fine, it’ll pass.”
Your heart and other symptoms say otherwise, thought Aiura. Her tone came across as flat, but there was a distinct wobble in there.
Kusuo tried to get his heartbeat under control, along with his temperature, but the concentration needed to do so eluded him. If he tried anyway, he might explode his heart or something. Damn. Nothing was going his way.
“Hang on, let me try something,” said Kuboyasu. He got up and made his way to Kusuo, shooing Aiura away.
He was ashamed to even admit to himself that he missed the oddly comforting touch. He froze as Kuboyasu leaned in and heard him sniff discreetly. The boy then laid a hand on top of his head and gently scritched through vibrant pink hair. What the hell-
Oh.
Ooooh.
That was nice.
The psychic vaguely registered that he was being tilted down, a hand slowly lowering him, until he was folded in his seat, his upper half laying upon the table. Someone had moved his lunch. He gave a pleased hum as if he were eating dessert.
“What happened?” The hell was that? “What did you do?” Saiki is smiling?! “Is he okay?” But he doesn’t like to be touched, does he? “Oh! You killed my partner!” Saiki’s DEAD?! “He’s not dead, you idiot, you can see him breathing!” He’s not going to finish his lunch anyway, so I’ll just-
Thoughts and voices swirled around his brain, blending together. He couldn’t tell which was which, so he kept silent, unwilling to accidentally answer the wrong thing. Besides, the fingers in his hair were still working their magic, and he didn’t want to do anything to break the spell. Ha, now he was sounding like Kaido. Good grief.
“Our little pup here is growing up,” said Kuboyasu proudly.
“Saiki’s presenting? Wow, way to go!” Yumehara cheered.
Saiki is presenting? Right now?!
That was Teruhashi’s panicked thought, but it was echoed by the rest of the group. Plus, the thoughts of wondering what rank he would be. People needed to stop caring about ranks so much. It honestly had such little impact on daily life.
“Terrible timing,” stated Aiura.
“These sorts of things can’t be helped,” said Nendo, giving a shrug as he blinked, a blank expression on his face.
…it never failed to surprise him when Nendo said something smart.
“Shouldn’t he go home then?” asked Kaido. He was no longer tapping on the table, his red eyes fixed on his ailing friend, an unsure frown marring his face.
Kuboyasu nodded. “Yeah, that’s for the best. Sometimes a presenting pup will lash out if they feel threatened in some way. The more people around, the higher the chance of something going south.”
“We should take him to the nurse,” said Teruhashi. She reached out with slim fingers towards pink hair.
Kusuo could clearly understand her intentions from her thoughts. He did not want her touching him; he was not even sure why he was tolerating the ex-punk. He twisted his head just enough to see the encroaching fingers. Rejecting Teruhashi in public like this was a massive taboo, but a growl burst from him before he could even think of stopping it.
Various noises of surprise rang out and Teruhashi quickly pulled her hand back to her chest, eyes wide and confused.
“Saiki?” someone inquired.
“Sorry, sorry…”
“It’s okay, you’re not feeling well,” she said gracefully. He growled at me? Me?! How dare he? Every other boy would be tripping over themselves for my touch to grace their person! He’s obviously not well, but he better not do that again!
Good grief. He didn’t mean to growl in the first place. Kusuo’s eyes slid closed.
“Will you let me take you to the nurse?” Kuboyasu asked quietly, leaning in a bit.
He groaned again, his body unwilling to follow his commands to sit up. “...fine.”
“Thatta boy!”
His chair was pulled out, thankfully not far enough for his head to fall off the table, and hands were on him, pulling him up to stand. One arm snaked around his back and under his armpit, holding quite a bit of his weight as his feet and legs acted like jelly.
Kuboyasu kept up a steady stream of encouragement as they awkwardly shuffled along. They made it to the infirmary and, as usual, the nurse was nowhere to be seen. Kusuo had to wonder if the nurse was ever here or if she was actually some sort of urban myth.
The pink haired teen all but fell onto the nearest infirmary bed. It took a colossal amount of effort to get himself situated until he was laying down.
“I should go find a teacher,” said Kuboyasu.
Kusuo saw him turn around to leave and fear suddenly overwhelmed him – he didn’t want to be alone, what if Teruhashi came by? His hand flashed out and snagged the back of Kuboyasu’s green uniform jacket.
What was he doing? He didn’t need company, a babysitter, or a bodyguard. He was ridiculously powerful and perfectly capable. He could easily fend off Teruhashi, so what was there to possibly be scared about? He couldn’t get his fingers to let go of the fabric.
“Hmm? Saiki?”
His telepathy seemed to fail him, but his vocal cords let loose a small whine.
Well…that was embarrassing. Had he lost all control of himself?
The alpha froze, straightened up, and stepped closer to the bed, not even trying to break Kusuo’s hold. He cleared his throat. “I’ll stay.”
Kusuo relaxed as if those two words were a magic spell. His fingers finally released their grip, and he was tempted to lay on his hand so it couldn’t cause further mischief. He entwined the fingers of both hands together and let them rest on his stomach instead. Nice and normal.
Thoughts about ranks and behaviours flitted through Kuboyasu’s mind at a speed that Kusuo couldn’t be bothered to try and follow. His mind was absorbed with the cold, hard reality that he was, in fact, going through his presentation just like every other teenager around the globe. It was happening. He was normal enough for it to happen.
He wanted nothing more than to shove this fact right into his older brother’s smug face.
His stomach had settled somewhat now that his nose was no longer assaulted by the smells of various foods. His whole body felt weighted down and overly warm. It was alien to him, but he fought to keep what emotions he could off his face.
“Was your presentation like this?” he couldn’t help but ask.
Kuboyasu shrugged, ruffled his own hair, and gave a resigned smirk. “It started off the same, with feeling sick and all, but then I just kinda lost it? I got loud and violent, snarling, snapping, breaking things. Thankfully I didn’t break anything important, but if I hadn’t been alone in my room I bet I would’ve beaten the crap out of someone.”
“Are you saying I’m going to go on a rampage?”
The former delinquent chuckled. “Nah, that’s my style, not yours. You’re a pretty quiet guy so you should be fine on your own. Although I must admit that it was really out of the blue to see you growl at Teruhashi.” He raised an eyebrow. “You’re not gonna rush me, are you?”
Kusuo blinked at him. There was no trace of fear, no inclination to growl. The only desire to move that he had was to go home. “Not today,” he said flatly.
“Ha!” Kuboyasu barked out a laugh. “I am going to steer Teruhashi clear of you though. Let me know if anyone else bothers you, yeah?”
“Everyone bothers me,” the psychic muttered. It earned him another chortle.
Kuboyasu gave his shoulder a quick pat. “I dunno, you seem to be tolerating me well enough.”
It was undeniably odd, but true. If he really did mind, he would’ve growled at the boy just like he did to the perfect beauty of the school. Yet he hadn’t, even letting the boy lay hands on him. Kuboyasu was far more tolerable than Teruhashi, but he was still one of the nuisances that followed him around. A better option than most to be fair. He hadn’t even growled at Aiura and he hated her advances.
This presentation was really messing with him. He had to get home before he accidentally revealed his powers. It was a minor miracle that it hadn’t happened already.
“You sure you don’t want me to find someone? The sooner I do, the sooner you can go home.”
That was true, and he really should get home ASAP. Kusuo waved his babysitter away. A whine escaped him again when Kuboyasu reached the door, making the boy stop and look back. The psychic frowned and waved him on, determined to ignore the feelings of loneliness and abandonment. He was an introvert for crying out loud – he enjoyed being alone!
Kuboyasu hesitated.
“Ignore me, just go,” he said firmly.
The dark purple haired teen nodded after a moment, looking unsure, but left, shutting the door behind him with a quiet click. A low whine began in Kusuo’s throat, steadily building in pitch and intensity until it was almost a howl. A purely instinctual cry for comfort. He slapped his hands over his mouth, desperate to muffle the noise.
The urge to teleport home was overwhelming, but he couldn’t simply disappear from school like that. His absence would be noticed and questions would be asked. No, that was not something he could afford. He would go through the normal process like a normal person.
That noise! It tugs at my alpha soul! Should I go back? He told me to ignore him, but everything in me is shouting at me to go to him! No. No, if I wanna help him, I gotta help get him home. Come on Aren, find someone quick and get back here!
Kusuo didn’t think the cry of an alpha would tug at another alpha like that. Maybe it would, he didn’t know. He didn’t know much beyond what his family had told him, or what his various schools had taught, and he had never cared to. Until now. Good grief.
He had no idea how much time passed until the door was slid open. In walked Mr. Matsuzaki with Kuboyasu right behind. The teacher came right over and looked Kusuo up and down, reaching out and feeling his forehead for several seconds before pulling it back and giving a thoughtful hum.
“Kuboyasu already informed me of your situation, and I must agree with his assessment. Saiki, I’m going to call your parents to come and collect you. I want you to stay here and rest – Kuboyasu will stay with you just in case,” said Matsuzaki.
He moved, his thoughts focused on finding the phone numbers of the parents in Saiki’s file, and then he was out of sight.
Kusuo let some of the tension in his muscles bleed away. It had taken some effort to hold still while the teacher got close. At least he hadn’t growled at the guy. He stared blankly at the ceiling, unwilling to look at his classmate.
“How are you feeling?”
“Sick.”
The teen sighed. “You’re a tough nut to crack, Saiki. We’re homies, aren’t we?”
Homies? Kusuo was never in a gang, especially not Kuboyasu’s. Still, the boy clearly had some attachment to him. He glanced over. A face and eyes full of concern, hope, and cautiousness met his green tinted gaze. Something in his still unsettled gut flipped over and he quickly looked away.
Kusuo sighed. “I don’t get sick much. I’m not used to it,” he admitted. “And this isn’t exactly an illness anyway.”
“That doesn’t make it a walk in the park to deal with,” said Kuboyasu with a shrug.
“How long will it last?” he asked, genuinely curious.
Kuboyasu scratched at his cheek. “I guess it depends on your rank? And how well you adjust? You might be back here at school tomorrow or it might take a couple of days.”
The psychic hummed. His usual frown was back in place, and the corners of his lips were downturned as he contemplated the ceiling. Having the other boy here was weirdly reassuring and Kusuo didn’t want to examine that any closer.
Saiki is such a closed off guy, it’s hard to know how he’s gonna come out the other side.
Geez, it wasn’t like he was going for major surgery or something.
The two teens fell into silence, although it wasn’t awkward. Mr Matsuzaki poked his head in at some point to let Kusuo know that his parents had given permission for him to head home. The man didn’t look too pleased, but Kusuo knew that his parents were relying on him to teleport home the first chance he got. He merely nodded and the teacher left.
“You’re going to walk all the way home by yourself?” Kuboyasu asked doubtfully.
“Yes.”
“I’m coming with you,” stated the ex-punk.
And actually make him walk all the way home instead of taking his shortcut? “No, I’ll be fine on my own. You’ll get into trouble.”
“Who cares? You’re in no shape to go anywhere alone!”
Saiki could get mugged along the way, or collapse, or get kidnapped! School can wait today; I need to protect my friend!
Various scenes of Kusuo in trouble were vividly painted in Kuboyasu’s mind. He wanted to roll his eyes, but his body probably wouldn’t appreciate that, so he refrained. “My dad’s workplace is close, so I was going to head there.”
Kuboyasu was thinking hard, dithering between respecting Saiki’s wishes or protecting his ill and vulnerable friend.
The teacher poked his head back in. “Kuboyasu, get back to class!”
And that was that.
Thank you, Mr. Matsuzaki.
The ex-delinquent warned him to be careful and stalked off back to class. Kusuo slowly sat up, wincing as the room swam, and slid off the bed, leaning on it until he felt steady enough on his feet to let go. He walked to the shoe cubbies, swapped his footwear over, and made his way outside of the school gates.
At the first chance he got, Kusuo ducked out of sight and teleported straight home. He arrived right next to the table, his hands slamming down on it as his knees buckled.
There was a squeal of fright then an exclamation of “Ku!”
Hands were on his face, brushing aside his fringe, feeling his forehead, thumbs caressing his now flushed cheeks. “I’m okay, Mum.”
“The school said you were sick! What’s wrong, Little Ku?” the distraught mother anxiously asked.
“I’m presenting.”
She gasped. “Oh, my little baby! Oh, Ku!” She pulled his face down and planted a quick kiss on one cheek. “Go get changed into comfy clothes and curl up in bed or on the lounge in front of the TV with some pillows and blankets. If you want it, grab it, don’t second guess yourself.”
He raised an eyebrow at the unusual instructions, but she ducked and tugged off his shoes before he managed to take a step towards the stairs. Once she moved away, Kusuo headed to his bedroom. He changed into his pyjamas and stared at his bed. No second guessing. Kusuo grabbed his pillow and comforter, lugged them downstairs, and curled up in a ball on the lounge, the comforter wrapped snugly around him. He heard his mother coo happily.
My baby chose to come down here! I was so sure he would hide away in his room like Big Ku did. I’m so happy! He needs to keep his fluids up, so I’ll get him a drink. Oh, my little one isn’t a pup anymore!
With a genius and a psychic for children, Kurumi Saiki had missed out on some motherly things that others took for granted. There were times when Kusuo felt guilty about it, so he was pleased that his presence in the living room made her so happy. She better make the most of it though, because his father might convince him to go hide depending on his behaviour when getting home after work. He was in no mood to put up with Kuniharu’s shenanigans.
His mother appeared with a glass of water and Kusuo reluctantly snaked out a hand to grab it, sculling the whole thing. Oddly, he didn’t feel particularly thirsty. At this point he should probably just resign himself to anything out of the ordinary regarding his body.
His mother refilled the glass and set it down on the floor in easy reach. He pressed his nose into his pillow. Hmm. Something was missing. Kusuo frowned, got up, and trotted upstairs. He came back down with a pillow in each hand and arranged them with his own pillow on top before curling back up beneath the comforter.
Kusuo sniffed again and smiled softly. Both of his parents will simply have to go without their pillows tonight because they were his for the foreseeable future. Now he was comfortable. He took his glasses off and let them fall to the floor as his eyes closed.
The television turned on.
“Aww, baby brother, don’t you look as snug as a bug in a rug!”
He growled and pulled the comforter over his head.
“Don’t be like that, Kusuo!” Kusuke said cheerfully.
His mother squealed and clapped. “Big Ku! Isn’t it great? Little Ku is presenting!”
Yeah, and the blond could choke on that fact.
“With my dear brother going through a big transition in life, I thought I would check in to make sure his powers didn’t go through their own growth.”
Oh… Well, crap. He hadn’t thought about that. It didn’t give Kusuke the right to butt in on his life like this though. He pulled the comforter down just enough to let his brother see his unobstructed glare. His body might currently be wonky, but there was nothing wrong with his powers. He was in no mood to be a lab rat to prove it true or otherwise. Kusuo made a little shooing motion. “My powers are fine. Go away.”
“You know I can’t hear you, Kusuo, but I’m sure you’re saying that your powers are fine. I’ll be checking in!” Kusuke said in a vaguely sing-song way. He gave a peace sign and the TV turned off.
Kusuo snarled and pulled the comforter back up over his head, any peace he had now gone.
Little Ku is upset…
He was not upset, he was annoyed. A soft weight rubbed up and down his side through the comforter. The pink haired teen sighed and tried his best to relax. He groaned as his stomach churned, curling up a tiny bit tighter. He heard his mother coo soothingly.
Everything was weird and heavy, and he was so tired and done with the day. His eyes closed and he sighed again.
The sound of the front door dragged his mind away from the dark.
“I’m home!” Kuniharu loudly announced.
Dad was back? Already? Ugh, he felt groggy. Had he fallen asleep after his big brother hung up?
“Keep your voice down, honey, Ku is asleep on the lounge.”
“Kusuo’s asleep? Down here? At this time of the day?”
“Oh, honey, Ku is presenting!”
There was silence, then some sniffles. “He’s growing up…”
“Will you two knock it off?”
A pair of gasps and exclamations followed his question. There were footsteps and then hands on him, larger than his mother’s. They gave a quick rub then a couple of pats. Kusuo gave a soft growl, and the hands froze before disappearing.
“You doing all right there, Kusuo?” his dad asked.
“I’m fine!” he repeated for what felt like the hundredth time today.
Okay, okay! No touching, got it. I don’t know if Kusuke was like this since he avoided everyone the entire time. Forgive your old dad, please Kusuo?
The teen huffed. “Dad, give me your tie. Mum, give me your apron.” He wriggled a hand out and twitched his fingers.
Both of them were baffled but complied. Kusuke had never asked for anything of theirs, but no one was meant to deny a request made by someone presenting unless it was unsafe. The requested items were swiftly tucked away against Kusuo’s chest.
His parent’s thoughts were sappy things about their youngest actually reaching out to them, and how happy they were, and how much they loved each other. Kusuo frowned and tried, futilely, to ignore them. After over a decade of being exposed to such thoughts from them, he had at least been able to relegate them to background noise. He was quite sure that no other couple was as sappy this long into their marriage like his parents.
The scents of his parents quickly mingled with his own in the confined space, more concentrated than that of the house. Something in him let go and the last of the tension left his frame. Kusuo sunk down into the pillows and furniture, closing his eyes and drifting off again.
The teen never heard the latest coos, observations, and exclamations from his parents.