Chapter Text
That day was—as far as the Cleaners were concerned—fairly peaceful, even considering that the Hell Guards wouldn't be long in arriving perhaps it was because, being such a strong pack when they were together, they felt much more at ease.
Zanka had gotten up quite early, as usual. He was sitting comfortably in his uniform, his beloved *Lovely Staff* leaning against the arm of the sofa where he was sprawled out in a rather inelegant manner, completely covered by all the pups of the pack, Rudo was the one jealously claiming a large part of his chest. Dear Santa was sitting in what little space was left on the sofa, but had his small legs tangled up with the older Omega. Guita, on the other hand, was completely on top of most of the rest of Zanka's body, crushing Rudo in the process despite looking like a somewhat uncomfortable position, all three were incredibly cozy piled on top of the Omega, who calmly hummed while releasing a bit of his pheromones to keep the youngsters asleep.
After all, Zanka took it very seriously that those kids saw him as a safe figure; it made his Omega instincts feel completely at peace.
Zanka’s blue eyes immediately snapped toward the door of the base’s communal room at the sound of footsteps, a soft, welcoming purr escaping his chest at the sight of his father figure. Smiling warmly, Enjin approached without hesitation, gently brushing a hand through his youngest pup's hair while releasing a subtle wave of his own pheromones to keep the sleeping children even more relaxed.
"As always, you’re the kids' favorite pillow, Zan-Zan. But are you actually comfortable down there?" Enjin’s tone was a mix of playful teasing and deep affection as he leaned lazily against the back of the sofa, his golden eyes scanning the three children piled on top of his eldest son.
"Mhm, I’m fine. Just a bit sleepy... being surrounded by warmth is definitely relaxing," Zanka replied, offering a soft smile to the Alpha he viewed as a father. He tried—and failed—to wriggle out from underneath the cluster of kids, giving up after a few seconds. He knew full well there was a high chance the Hell Guards (specifically his brothers) would end up seeing him pinned beneath three sleeping pups.
"Oh, yeah! The boss said he’d be down here shortly," Enjin added. "He also mentioned who was selected from the Hell Guards. Your two older brothers are coming, Zan-Zan, along with about twenty new soldiers."
Zanka hummed at the new information, his eyes staring blankly into space for a few seconds. He had assumed his siblings would be selected, but having that idea officially confirmed made him feel deeply uncomfortable.
He hadn't seen his sister and brother since Mymo's accident, where he had once again become the laughingstock of the Nijiku clan.
Even though Eisha had told him it was his eldest brother who had left him at the infirmary to be treated, he couldn't help but think that Goka had only done it to prevent a regular civilian from finding him in such a deplorable state.
Enjin’s smile faded slightly as he noticed the sadness in his eldest son's blue eyes. But before he could even say a word, Rudo began to wake up, letting out a lazy groan. Zanka immediately brushed his fingers through the Sphere-ite's white hair, while Enjin gently placed his larger hand against the little Alpha's back, helping him slide out from underneath Guita, who let out a soft giggle in her sleep as she was slightly shifted around.
"It’s about time you woke up, Rudo. Help me move Guita and Dear to their rooms so they can sleep more comfortably," Zanka said, flashing a playful, teasing smile at the brat he viewed as a younger brother. With practiced ease, he scooped both Guita and Dear into his arms and stood up from the sofa a second later.
Rudo let out a small growl in response, greeting the man he saw as a second father with a lazy headbutt to the hip. He then began trailing behind his older brother like a little duckling, complaining the entire way when Zanka flat-out refused to hand over either of the sleeping children.
Enjin could only let out a low, comforting rumble at the sight of his children being so close; it made him feel like an incredibly proud father. His instincts, too, felt a bit smug seeing that his two boys were finally getting along so well. Silently, though, Enjin hoped that the arrival of the Hell Guards wouldn't be too destructive toward the warmth his pack possessed.
After all, the Cleaners were one massive pack divided into branches; the Akuta crew was their own family and a tight-knit little pack, and Enjin knew it was exactly the same for all the other teams—making the entire organization one enormous family.
A few seconds later, the blonde Alpha stepped out of the common room, softly humming a tune as he set off to finally fulfill the mission the boss had given him: to inform all the other teams that they needed to give the Hell Guards a proper welcome when they arrived.