Behind The Scenes: The Secret Omega CHAPTER 5 - The Morning After

Happy birthday, Eraser Head! 🎂 💕

anyway PRESENT MIC STILL DOES THE CHARACTER INTROS. PEACE AND LOVE ON PLANET VIGILANTES.

I hope none of you disappear in the coming days. Seriously don't do anything that can't be undone.

Behind the Scenes: The Secret Omega CHAPTER 9 - The Meeting

AO3 Link SUMMARY: Eight months after Kimi has been with her alphas, she's called into a meeting that she's been dreading.

CHAPTER 9 - The Meeting

8 months later

“Thank you, Ms. Ison, for coming in to see us today. Though I do wish it were under much better circumstances.”

“Of course, thank you so much for the invitation,” Kimi responds back, not drawing attention to the last half of the sentence. Her nerves are running rampant as she takes a seat across from a notoriously harsh Society advisor. 

The advisor in question looks between the papers on his desk and the woman in front of him. “Yes, well. Let’s just get to the root of the reason we have you here today. Ms. Ison, when you joined your pack earlier this year, you signed a contract, correct?” the advisor questions. It seems that he is in no mood for simple small talk at the moment.

A pit of dread opens up in Kimi’s stomach. “Yes, sir,” Kimi responds politely, knowing where the conversation is going.

The advisor continues his questioning, tone riddled with judgment. “So, you are aware that you need to be producing an heir for either Mr. Aizawa or Mr. Yamada, within a year, yes?”

“Yes, sir,” Kimi’s voice is a bit smaller now that her suspicions of where the conversation was going have been confirmed. 

The advisor gives her a disapproving look. “Ms. Ison, to be frank. We are quite disappointed in your lack of success with this matter. It’s been reported that you have not shared either of your past heats with your alphas, is this correct?”

“Yes, sir,” she responds timidly, embarrassed by the fact.

“Do you mind explaining why that is?” their voice is heavy with accusation, causing a pit to form in Kimi’s stomach.

“Of course. The uh, the first one-,” Kimi starts to explain, nerves coating her voice. She quietly clears her throat and attempts to speak a bit more eloquently. “The first one my alphas were called to be on a mission last minute. Actually, it was right when my heat started. So, by the time they came back, my heat had completed.”

The Society advisor writes down some notes on the document in front of him. Kimi swallows, trying to lessen the dryness in her throat, but it does little to resolve her issue.

“The second time, Mr. Yamada was there, but he left,” Kimi ends her sentence quietly.

“Your alpha left you?” the society member asked, shocked. Normally, when an alpha left an omega during their heat, it meant that they were rejecting them. Considering this was not actually the case, Kimi rushes to defend herself.

“Yes,” she admits, shamefully. “He wanted his partner to be there with him for our first heat together. Mr. Aizawa had been called in to help with a school field trip to fill in for another teacher. The school wasn’t able to find another teacher and he didn’t have a choice. So, shortly after I started my heat, Mr. Yamada left.”

The last word practically comes out as a squeak. She hates how this makes her look, but has very little ammunition to protect herself with. Her head is lowered in shame, but she can still see the pen moving frantically over the page it’s on. Each scribble causes the pit in her stomach to grow exponentially. 

“I see,” the advisor says, ending his notes with a harsh period. “Well, be that as it may. You are still under obligation to produce an heir. The Society will be allowing you one more time to try things organically before we step in to ensure the process is being handled correctly.” 

Kimi’s lip quivers at his comment, she bites it to make it stop.

The advisor lets out a disappointed sigh. “We had such high hopes for you, you had the highest potential of all of the candidates in your time. Arguably higher than some of our newer candidates. Don’t disappoint us with something so,” the advisor twirls their hand, thinking of the right word. “Trivail. We’ll be in touch after your next heat and expect only positive results. Is that understood?”

“Yes, sir,” Kimi replies, her voice the smallest it’s ever been.

Seemingly unbothered by her disappointment, his tone lightens. “Great! Well, we will see you in about two months then, after the new year. Do your best to keep us impressed, yes?”

“Yes, sir,” Kimi agrees. Her ego is completely deflated and she feels like she’s just been kicked in the gut.

“Fantastic. You’re dismissed,” the advisor says with a wave of their hand. They merely go back to whatever they were working on before Kimi arrived, completely disregarding her.

Kimi stands up from her chair and respectively bows before exiting the room. She fights the tears welling up in her eyes from following as her heels click through the hallways. As she exits the building, she picks up her phone and calls her best friend. She stands to the side as she listens to the phone ring before her friend picks up.

“Hello!~” she answers in a sing-song tone. Kimi smiles and answers back in a shaky tone,

“Hey, Naomi. How are you?”

“Good, how about you?” Naomi asks, concerned by Kimi’s tone. “Are you doing ok?”

“Um, I’m ok. I just-,” Kimi takes a moment to swallow so she doesn’t start bawling. “I could just really use someone to talk to right now. Are you able to meet up? Is that ok?”

“Of course!” Naomi immediately responds. “Where are you?”

“I’m at the Society headquarters, but maybe we can go to the park or something? Just somewhere without a lot of people.”

“Oh, I know just the place! Remember that beach we used to go to in college? Why don’t we go there,”

“Yeah, ok,” Kimi answers hesitantly.  “Thank you, Naomi. I’ll see you soon!”

“See you soon,” Naomi replies warmly. “Love you!”

“Love you too,” Kimi says with a smile before ending the call. She sniffles and quickly wipes her eyes before she makes her way to the SUV waiting for her. She gives the driver the address to the beach and stuffs her purse with tissues on the ride over.

“Kimi!~,” Naomi says, practically running with her arms outstretched when she arrives. 

“Naomi,” Kimi responds with a lopsided smile, accepting the hug.

“I’m so sorry to ask you to come out when you’re so pregnant,” Kimi starts to apologize before Naomi cuts her off.

“Oh, don’t worry about it. I could really use the fresh air. My alpha just wants to keep me cooped up in the house all day and it makes me stir crazy,” she giggles.

“Ok,” Kimi says reluctantly. “As long as you’re not pushing yourself too hard. I don’t need him coming for my throat.”

 They make their way down the beach, small-talking about Naomi’s pregnancy until they find a place to sit down.

“So what’s going on?” Naomi asks, concerned. 

“The Society chewed me out today over not being pregnant,” Kimi admits. The pit in her stomach still weighs heavy from the harsh words.

Naomi makes an apologetic noise and gently grabs her arm. Kimi’s eyes start to water, but she continues.

“They say that if I’m not pregnant after my next heat, they’re going to step in and ensure things happen themselves.”

“What?” Naomi asks, completely baffled by the news.

“Yeah, I signed a contract saying that I’d be pregnant in a year and now half that year is gone. So if I don’t get pregnant next time-,” Kimi trails off. Naomi reassuringly places her head on Kimi’s shoulder.

“I’m so sorry, that’s awful.” The omega lets out some soothing waves, hoping they’ll help console her friend.

“Yeah. I don’t know how I’m going to bring it up to the guys. I mean, they already feel guilty about the last two times. And it’s not that they haven’t wanted to spend my heats with me, it’s just that they keep getting called in for things that they can’t avoid.”

“Mmm,” Naomi responds, listening intently.

“I think it just really shocked me how rude they were about it. Like, they just made me feel so small and worthless. The advisor was like ‘Oh, we had such high hopes for you and now you’re disappointing us’,” Kimi mocks. “It just made me realize that I really am worthless unless I do this.”

“Hey! You’re not useless,” Naomi reacts, sitting up. “You do so much for the both of them and you know it! You work at their agency, right?” Naomi pauses, forcing Kimi to answer.

“Yes,” she meekly answers. 

“And you’re always cooking them great meals and making sure they’re taken care of. Didn’t you say that you even bandaged up one of them when they came home from patrol all beat up?”

Kimi smiles as she remembers. Shouta had come home late one night and was trying to bandage up his own injuries quietly. The agency was too far and the wait in the hospital would have been too long since he had to teach later in the morning. Kimi had heard him come in and was quick to help him out without causing too much of a fuss.

She remembered how grateful his face was and how warm he felt when she got the rare occurrence of Shouta-only cuddles.

“I did,” she says with a light smile.

“See! You are far beyond worthless and that advisor had no right to make you feel that way,” Naomi assures her.

Tears start pouring more freely down Kimi’s face. Wordlessly, Naomi wraps her arms around her friend. Memories of the last couple of months play in Kimi’s mind. The products she helped create at the agency. The party she threw together for Hizashi’s birthday. All the sweet, tender moments she got to share with the boys.

The relationship she’s built with her packmates is something she had only dreamed of previously. She’s genuinely happy and making a difference in her alpha’s lives. She allows her emotions to flow and falls to Naomi for support.

“Thank you,” Kimi squeaks out meekly. They sit in semi-silence while Kimi cries. Waves crash on the shore, people occasionally walk by. Life continues as Kimi continues to let her emotions flow. Naomi’s hands rub up and down Kimi’s back reassuringly as she lets out a soothing wave for her friend. 

Slowly, the tears stop their descent and Naomi removes her hands, sitting back up. Kimi reaches into her purse for some tissues to wipe off her face and blow her nose.

“It’s pretty out here,” she comments to Naomi, trying to change the subject to something happier.

“It is!” Naomi agrees, taking a second to admire the view. “Oh, I heard that that one beach with all the trash is slowly getting cleared out,” Naomi says.

“Oh yeah?” Kimi asks, intrigued. Her parents had taken her to that beach a couple of times when she was younger so seeing it filled with trash always made her so sad.

“Yeah, some random volunteer is helping to get things broken down and cleared out. You should see it already, there’s been a good chunk cleared away.” 

“I will, it’s been a while since that beach has been nice,” Kimi comments. 

They smile at one another and Naomi reaches her hand out to place on Kimi’s shoulder.

“Hey. Don’t worry too much about what that nasty advisor said, ok? Just let your alphas know what they’re saying and make plans for next time, ya?”

“Yeah. You’re right,” Kimi says with a halfhearted smile. “Thank you for coming out here, Naomi. I needed this,” Kimi admits.

“Of course, no problem,” Naomi grins. “You know I’m always here for you.”

They spend another hour at the beach, catching up on other aspects of life before watching the sunset. Once the sun dips below the horizon, they wish each other goodbye and head back to their respective homes.

When Kimi gets home that night, she texts Nemuri to see if she’s interested in going to tea with her the following morning. She had some questions she wanted to ask her before talking to her alphas about the meeting she had the day. Nemuri texted back shortly after that she was more than happy to and they finalized a time and place. Kimi put her phone aside while she finished making dinner for herself. It was Friday night so Hizashi was already at the agency to prep for the radio show and Shouta was out patrolling. 

Kimi planned on spending the night listening to Hizashi’s radio program until she fell asleep while journaling how her day went. Overall, it was a pretty quiet night. As the hours went by, she made some tea before crawling into bed and enjoying the lingering smell of her alphas to get to sleep.

Early the next morning, Kimi snakes out of the arms of her two alphas, letting them enjoy their sleep. She quietly gets ready before leaving a note for the boys and leaving for the cafe. Nemuri is there ahead of her and greets her with a wide grin.

“Kimi! Darling, it is so good to see you!” she beams.

“It’s good to see you too, Nemuri. I swear, I saw you more before I was with the boys,” she teases.

“It’s true,” she sighs dramatically. “You just don’t need me anymore.”

Kimi giggles. “That’s not true at all,” she assures. The two girls go inside, order their drinks, and sit at a table outside, away from the other patrons. 

“So, I know you didn’t just call me here to see my gorgeous face,” Nemuri starts. “What’s going on?”

“You got me,” Kimi says with a self-deprecating laugh. “I was looking to get some advice for some- um - bedroom things,” Kimi says, eyes darting around to make sure no one can overhear her.

“Oooh, yeah? What’s going on? What do you need help with?” Nemuri asks, now very interested in the conversation.

“Well, um. I haven’t been able to take both of them at the same time yet. Like I can handle each of them in one hole, but, I’m struggling taking two.” Kimi’s voice is low and her face is red at her admittal.

Nemuri gives her a practically predatory grin. “I see,” she starts. “And how is it when you try? Are they saying you’re too tight?”

“Yeah,” Kimi admits. Nemuri hums before asking her next question.

“Does it feel as tight as when you’re taking their knots?”

Kimi grmaces a little. “I, uh. I haven’t been able to do that yet,” she admits

“What?” Nemuri blurts out. “What do you mean? Like it’s not fitting?”

The realization that Nemuri doesn’t know about her last heat hits her like a bus. Dread fills her veins as she worries about what the alpha will do. “I uh. I haven’t spent a heat with them yet.”

“Oh,” Nemuri says, her tone still a bit puzzled. “Have you not wanted to -,”

“No, that’s not it at all,” Kimi rushes to say. “They just keep getting pulled away for work. Please don’t be mad or say anything to them. Hizashi’s already pretty beaten up about it.”

Upset waves start to pour out of the omega, making some of the other patrons look her way. Embarrassed, she quickly tries to reign in her emotions. 

“Sorry,” she apologizes meekly as Nemuri reaches out to hold one of her hands. 

The alpha gives her a soothing look. “You’re ok.”

Kimi gives a half-hearted smile. “The uh, the Society is really worried that I won’t fulfill my duties so they’re really pushing for me to get pregnant next heat. I’m going to talk to the guys about it, but I was hoping that you’d be able to help me with my problem so there aren’t any further complications.”

Nemuri smiled gently, realizing why the omega was looking specifically for her help. “Ok, darling. I’m more than happy to help,” she says in a comforting tone. She takes a moment to think over what Kimi’s been saying. “Well, let's see. They’re saying it’s too tight, ya?”

Kimi blushes, nodding slightly before responding quietly, “Yes.”

“Are they trying to add any fingers or anything to help stretch you out while they’re in you?” Nemuri ponders.

Kimi takes a breath, slowly getting a bit more comfortable with the conversation. “Um, they’ve tried a couple of times, but they’re saying it’s hard to get anything in. Like I’m clamping down too hard.”

“Mmm,” Nemuri hums. “Gotchu. And how are you feeling when this is happening?”

Kimi’s brow scrunches as she tries to recall her feelings in those moments. “Um, I’m a bit nervous,” Kimi admits. “And then I end up getting really disappointed that I can’t do what they’re asking.”

Nemuri slowly nods her head. “Are you worried it’s going to hurt?”

“Um, a little. Like there’s a little bit of pain when they’re trying to stretch me out and then I just get frustrated.”

Nemuri places her elbow on the table, resting her head in her hand. Her blue eyes settle gently over Kimi’s face. “Was this something they originally asked for?”

Kimi nervously sucks in her lips and nods without making eye contact. “Yes, but I want it too,” she admits slowly. “They had originally brought it up after my first heat there. They said that they wanted to try to make it work so they didn’t get competitive during my heats. They’re worried that they might start getting possessive.”

All of the puzzle pieces come together for Nemuri and she let’s out an understanding “Ooooh.” Sitting up in her chair, a knowing smile graces her face. “Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. Especially if you haven’t shared a heat with them yet. Those feelings will probably settle down after your first heat or two with them.”

She smiles reassuringly at Kimi who absorbs the information she’s being given. She leans back a little in her hair, before letting out a small laugh. “They were like that when they first got together, I don’t know if they told you or not.”

“They told me a little bit,” Kimi confirms with a small smile. “But how did you think they were?”

Nemuri’s knowing smile only grows and Kimi can’t help but think about how good it looks on her. “Oh, they would get on each other’s nerves about the littlest things. Always protective about the dumbest stuff.” 

She leans forward excitedly before telling Kimi, “One time, Hizashi had gotten Shouta a drink from the vending machine to have after his workout and Shouta just blew up. Said he didn’t need to be coddled and challenged Hizashi right then and there. Luckily, I had stopped by as things were getting heated and was able to knock some sense into them.” Nemuri laughs at the memory and Kimi joins in.

Nemuri’s smile grows warm. “They’ll get over it,” she reassures. “This is all just really new for them.”

Kimi’s smile matches in warmth, looking at the alpha that shared so many happy memories with her own. “Yeah. Thank you, Nemuri,” Kimi says bashfully.

“Of course,” Nemuri says with her signature coo. “Anything for my favorite omega. Now,” she claps her hands. “Let’s see what we can do to make things easier for you, hm? Are you still taking that heat toy of yours pretty well?”

Nemuri’s voice is much louder than Kimi would like, so she quickly shushes her. She laughs bashfully before responding, “Yes. I’ve been taking the big one with no problem. That’s why I think I’m a little extra mad at myself for not being able to do this.” Her grin falters a little bit as the disappointment in her gut stirs a little.

Nemuri’s brow crinkles before asking, “Are you dropped when you’re trying this out?”

“No,” Kimi shakes her head. “But I don’t think that would be the issue, right? Like shouldn’t it be better that I’m not dropping outside of my heat?”

Nemuri nods in agreement. “You’re right, but I think I may know what’s going on.”

“Oh?” Kimi prompts, excited to get the solution to her problem.

Nemuri nonchalantly tells Kimi, “It sounds like you’re overthinking.”

“Huh?” comes Kimi’s immediate response. She was not expecting that to be the answer at all.

Nemuri laughs. “Exactly, You’re too in your head,” Nemuri continues to explain. “The reason that the audios and the large knot toys are so helpful during your heats are because they help you to stop thinking. You’re so worried about what other people are thinking that it’s getting in your way.”

Kimi’s shoulders sag, not expecting that to be the answer. “Oh,” she says quietly as she processes this.

Nemuri continues on. “That’s why when you’re trying to do something to impress the boys outside of your heat, you’re having extra difficulty. I’m sure this wouldn’t be as big of a deal when you’re dropped, but because you’re too in the moment, it’s causing issues.”

Kimi lightly nods her head, Nemuri’s words making sense to her. 

Nemuri shoots her a sympathetic look “Why don’t you try this,” she starts, before leaning back in her chair more comfortably. “Why don’t you send them one of the audios you really like? Tell them the next time you try it to have them speak to you just like the audios. Or, even suggest putting on one of the audios for you all to listen to in the moment. That way, they know how to distract you, hm?”

“Oh god, no,” Kimi blurts out. “Those audios are fine when I’ve got a little heat fog but they’re so cringy outside of my heats,” she giggles. “I think I would die of embarrasment if the boys listened to them.”

Nemuri shrugs, “Alright love, I just think it would help. Regardless, you should let them know what’s going on. And maybe, just think of some of the things you like in your audios and see if the boys are game to it, ya?”

“Yeah, I will,” Kimi agrees. She starts about how she’s going to word all of this to them and bites her lip in contemplation.

Seeing Kimi’s mind start to go makes Nemuri chuckle. “Oh, I am so glad you invited me out for tea, darling,” Nemuri comments. “We really need to do this more often!”

“Me too, we really should,” Kimi agrees back with a smile.

Nemuri leans forward and lowers her voice. “Plus, I want all the dirty details on the boys. Have you worn the cat ears and tail yet?” The devious look in her eyes makes Kimi genuinely laugh.

“No, not yet. ‘Zashi was telling me to save it for Sho’s birthday coming up,” Kimi smiles.

Nemuri’s eyes light up and a wicked smile grows on her face. “Oh, he’s going to love that! Is it just going to be you two or all three of you?” She’s happy that Kimi is giving her a little insight on her friend’s intimate life. Trying to get them to admit anything they like was always such a pain in the ass for her.

Kimi excitedly shares her upcoming plans. “‘Zashi’s actually going to give us the night to ourselves. Kind of like Sho’ did with ‘Zashi’s birthday.”

Nemuri happily claps her hands, bringing them to her chest. “Perfect. He’s just going to eat you up, I know it!” 

The girls talk a little more about things that would normally be shared in a more private setting. Before they separate, Kimi gives Nemuri a genuine hug and thanks her again for helping her out. She leaves with her head full of new ideas and a surge of confidence in her chest.

Kimi arrives back at home mid-day, right as the boys start waking up. She only had a couple of hours with them both before they had to depart for their respective jobs. After putting down her purse and taking off her shoes, she heads to the kitchen to start making their breakfast. She figures the best thing she can do is to fill their bellies with extra good food before she has the awkward talk.

She starts the kettle and coffee pot, before focusing on getting the food prepped. Hizashi is surprisingly the first one in the kitchen. 

“Good morning,” she beams as he walks towards her, stretching. As he lets his arms down, one wraps around her waist lovingly. She lightly tilts her head up to accept a quick kiss before turning her attention back to the food. “Did you sleep ok? I didn’t wake you up when I left this morning, did I?”

He seems to catch onto Nemuri’s scent on her because he quickly scents her before responding. “No, love,” he says, moving to sit across from her at the island. “You’re good. I slept like a baby honestly. This past week just wore me out so I just crashed when I got home.”

Kimi gives him a sympathetic smile. “Sorry, it was such a long week.”

He gives a half-hearted shrug. “Eh, not your fault. I think things are just a little crazy because we’re starting to get towards the holiday season.”

Kimi gives a knowing nod. “Yeah, the holidays really bring out the best in people,” she agrees sarcastically. 

“You can say that again,” Hizashi says, stretching again. His attention turns towards the hallway as he notices Shouta making his way in.

“Shower feel good?” Hizashi questions his partner.

Shouta looks up at his partner, his eyes still hanging onto some of the exhaustion his body carries. “Yeah, helped with some of the soreness,” Shouta comments. “‘Morning, Kimi.”

Kimi smiles and looks up happily at him.“‘Morning, Shouta,” Kimi mimics. “Breakfast is almost done.”

“I see that,” he says, watching her work for a few seconds. He walks around to her right side to place a kiss on his mark, also successfully scenting her. 

“Sho’,” she breathlessly giggles before turning her head to accept an actual kiss.

He puts his hands up defensively. “What? I’m just making everyone their drinks.” He shoots a knowing look at Hizashi before turning around and grabbing everyone’s mugs.

“Uh, huh. Sure,” Kimi teases back. She finishes plating up the last meal before the trio takes a seat at the table. “So how was everyone’s day yesterday,” Kimi prompts as she goes to take her first bite.

The two alphas look at each other before they both shrug. “Wasn’t too bad,” Shouta comments. “There wasn’t a lot of activity last night which was nice.”

“Yeah, nothing too special last night for me either,” Hizashi agrees.

“You were playing some good songs,” Kimi comments before adding, “as always.”

“Of course,” he says with a proud shrug. “Gotta make sure I play what my number one little listener likes.”

Kimi smiles as she continues eating, politely placing her hand over her mouth. She swallows before picking up the conversation a bit more between the two boys. Almost everyone’s finished their plates when Shouta asks, “How about you? How was your day?”

Seeing that her mates are almost done eating, she answers honestly. “Uh. It wasn’t the best if I’m being honest.”

Concern douses Hizashi’s face. “Oh, how come?”

A bit hesitantly, Kimi answers.“I, uh. I got called into the Society.”

The response is immediate. Both of her mates startle, practically jumping out of their chairs and Shouta’s head whips to her face. “What?” They both say in unison, waves of surprise and concern rolling off of them.

Kimi slowly answers with gritted teeth. “Yeah. I got a call two days ago and they requested I come in for a meeting.” Her hands soothingly rub themselves under the table.

“What did they want?” Shouta asks as Hizashi continues to stare at Kimi in surprise.

One of Kimi’s hands moves up to her opposite, rubbing it in a self-soothing manner. “They, um. They kinda scolded me for not being pregnant already.” While she knew the conversation would make the alphas upset, she knew it was still needed and fought through the awkward tension crawling through her body.

The boys look at each other, exchanging upset looks. Shouta leans back in his chair, arms crossed while Hizashi looks anywhere but in Kimi’s direction. He sighs, deflating a little. “I’m sorry, Kimi,” he says, voice broken and sad. 

Kimi launches herself in his direction, reaching out her hand towards his. “No, please don’t be upset about this. It’s okay,” Kimi rushes to say, hoping it soothes her alpha.

“No, it’s really not.” She can’t help but listen to how defeated he sounds. “I shouldn’t have left you when you needed me. They probably wouldn’t have gotten on your case.”

Shouta gives his partner a sympathetic look. “We don’t know that,” Shouta says gently, reminding his partner of a previous conversation they’ve all had. Kimi’s thankful he seems to be keeping a pretty level head. “You did what you thought was best for the pack, remember?”

“Yeah,” Hizashi agrees, a bit quietly. “I just hate that now she’s having to pay for it.”

Kimi defensively puts her hands out. “I’m all good, really. I talked it out with Naomi and Nemuri and I feel a lot better.”

“That’s why you smell like her,” Hizashi blurts out, a bit dejected. Kimi knows that there’s a hint of playfulness behind his words though.

Genuinely curious, Shouta asks, “What’d they say?”

“Well, Naomi thinks the Society was too harsh-,”

Hizashi huffs and pushes himself further back into his chair. “Fair,” he mutters.

“And Nem gave me some tips to help for next time,” Kimi continues.

Shouta gives Kimi a puzzled look. “Next time?” Shouta prompts.

A light blush graces her face. “The next time we try to, you know-,” Kimi trails off, her voice quieter than her previous statement. She raises two fingers, hoping he’ll understand.

Shouta seems to take some pity on her and doesn’t make her finish her sentence, knowing what she’s talking about.

“I see,” he hums as his pity runs out. “And what were those tips?”

Not expecting him to be so forward, Kimi stutters a little. “She, um. She was basically telling me to relax.”

Hizashi lets out a small laugh but Kimi can tell his energy is still off. “Is that all?” he says a bit smug.

She gives a shy smile. “Yeah. She just thinks I’m too in my head and that it shouldn't be as painful next time if I can relax or at least be distracted.”

“Fair enough,” Shouta shrugs. “So when do you want to try it?” He leans over in her direction, locking eyes with her and flashing the smirk he knows makes her knees buckle.

She thinks about her answer for a moment, biting her lip as she does so. “Maybe tomorrow?” she blushes. “I know you both are busy today and I don’t want to interrupt.”

Shouta leans back in his chair, mirroring his previous position. “Alright, tomorrow it is then. That sound good to you, ‘Zash?”

“Yeah,” Hizashi says with a bit of a warmer smile before it lightly drops. “They weren’t too mean to you, were they?”

Kimi hates that he still feels guilty about what happened. “I’m not going to lie, they were pretty rude, but I’m ok now. Naomi and I went to the beach afterward and she helped cheer me up.”

“Ok,” his voice still sounding a bit discouraged. “I’m glad she was able to help you. I’m sorry we weren’t around.”

“It’s all ok, ‘Zashi,” Kimi reassures him with a smile. “I’m good now and we have a game plan to make sure things are better for next time.”

Shouta locks eyes with his partner. “We should probably try to lock in the time off now if we can,” he says in his normal serious tone. “See if we can’t have the Society make sure the Association doesn’t try to step in again.”

Hizashi nods his head in agreement. “Yeah, you’re right. Maybe they’ll be less grumpy if they have even more control over what’s happening.”

“That would probably help,” Kimi agrees. Her head drops a bit in shame before she tells them the remainder of their warning. “They were saying they might try to step in themselves if I’m not pregnant after my next heat.”

The two boys let a moment of silence pass, absorbing that bit of info. “Well, we’ll do our best to make sure that doesn’t happen, ok?” Shouta says reassuringly. Kimi nods her head in understanding. Silence still lingers in the room and Kimi feels a bit guilty for bringing down the mood right as her two mates were getting started for the day.

“You guys have a little bit before you have to start getting ready, right?” she asks rhetorically, knowing they do. “Why don’t we cuddle a little bit on the couch before you do? I feel bad making you leave for work all bummed out.”

“That sounds wonderful, love,” Hizashi says, his voice warmer than before. His arms outstretch as she gets up and Kimi flings herself into his arms without hesitation. Shouta smiles and comes around her backside, sandwiching her in for a hug.

The room fills with waves of comfort and happiness as the trip breaks away from the hug. They cuddle on the couch, conversing about a show they’re all watching before the boys eventually head out for the evening. Kimi journals her day with the cute supplies they had gotten her for her birthday a few months prior. 

They had seen how much she would write down and journal at the agency or when she was at home so the supplies were a no-brainer. They even had the creative department make some custom supplies for her with all three of their names on it. It always made her smile when she was using them. 

She turns on the radio in the living room when Present Mic starts his show and does some late-night yoga in front of the large windows that display the city below. She tried to see if she could spot Eraserhead but knew that his route was way too far to see. The rest of the evening is spent listening to Present Mic’s show and reading before her eyes start drooping. 

Reluctantly, she turns everything off in the living room before crawling into their shared giant bed. Tonight, the darkness and stillness in the room is just a bit too much for her, so she turns on the ambient lighting around the room for comfort allowing its warmth to replace her alpha’s as she drifts asleep. PREVIOUS | NEXT

Seriously y'all....it's his day off.

Quick little 500 word New Year Soap blurb that was on my mind. Not the usual guy I write about, but I feel like he'd fit best in this scenario. Best wishes to everyone in the new year! ✨

~

This year had been a relentless storm of chaos. You cycled through two different apartments, three different jobs, and four heartbreaks with boyfriends who seemed to fit your life about as well as shoes two sizes too small. The year ended in a crescendo of disaster with a holiday shouting match between you and your parents. They lectured you about responsibility, stability, and your future, while you barely resisted the urge to scream back that life wasn’t a neat little checklist.

Needing an escape, you found yourself at a dimly lit, slightly sketchy bar for New Year's Eve. It wasn’t fancy, but at least it wasn’t crowded. The bartenders were surprisingly pleasant for people stuck working on a holiday, and their strong pours had done an admirable job numbing your frustration. 

You perched on a creaky barstool, your gaze drifting to the overhead TV broadcasting the glitzy Times Square celebration. The screen showed bundled-up couples and families huddling together, their faces glowing with excitement as the clock ticked down. "60 seconds to midnight," one of the anchors chirped.

Your stomach churned, not just from the booze but from the creeping melancholy that always seemed to hit when you least wanted it. A year of missteps and failed connections had left you longing for something, anything, to cut through the static of loneliness. Your eyes wandered down the bar, scanning the room like a radar looking for a friendly signal.

That’s when you saw him. A broad-shouldered man with a charmingly confident grin and a slightly rebellious mohawk slid into the seat next to yours. His presence had an almost magnetic pull, and when he turned to meet your gaze, his smile was warm enough to melt a little of the ice inside you.

“Happy New Year,” you offered, your voice light but tinged with hope.

“Same to you,” he replied with a playful edge, the kind that promised an interesting story.

As the bar filled with the sound of the countdown, the bartender appeared with two glasses of champagne, sliding one in front of you and the stranger. “On the house,” he said with a wink.

“You got a New Year’s kiss lined up?” the man asked, his grin widening.

You felt your cheeks flush, a mix of embarrassment and excitement bubbling up. “Not yet,” you admitted, glancing down as the countdown hit 10 seconds.

Something bold and reckless surged through you, the kind of courage that only a New Year’s Eve countdown and a few too many drinks could summon. You turned to him, caught his gaze, and leaned in. 5 seconds.

Your lips met his just as the bar erupted in cheers and shouts of “Happy New Year!” The kiss was electric, a jolt of warmth that cut through the haze of the year gone by.

When you pulled back, he looked momentarily stunned, but a snarky grin quickly spread across his face. He raised a hand toward you, palm up. Sitting in his open hand was a single Hershey’s Kiss.

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