Chapter Text
On foot, Sanemi and Sabito make it to the city by mid-afternoon the next day. The Red Light District is beginning to wake, but its activity (and likelihood of spotting Tomioka, and demons) will peak later at night, so the two wander around, first.
In the daylight, they decide to split up to cover more ground as they ask around about either Tomioka or Uzui by description.
“A new omega woman oiran,” Sanemi asks, and gets his ear talked off about the beautiful blonde - nope. (Wait, could it be one of Uzui's wives? He listens on, asks for a picture - okay, nope, even more.)
“No, thanks,” Sanemi says, turning away to the spluttering coaxes of the House madam-
“Sir Alpha, she’s available, you can consider-”
Sanemi has to shut his eyes and breathe hard. Alpha. He’s reminded all the time of what he presents as. He prefers it. He squares his shoulders.
“DID YOU FUCKING TOUCH ME?!”
Sanemi’s head whips around. The call is distant, but loud enough to break through the afternoon air, and most importantly it’s familiar. He breaks into a sprint. Three streets down he sees a furious Sabito with his foot grinding into a man’s back, the latter eating pavement.
This would be great and all, except that there are two other people trying to pull Sabito off him, grabbing onto his arms (they’re touching the one in the cast, too!) with full palms. And one of them snarls, “you filthy omega, who do you think you are?!”
Sanemi yells, “GET YOUR HANDS OFF HIM!”
The two release Sabito immediately.
Sanemi doesn't doubt that Sabito could kick these bastards asses by himself even with one arm out of commission, but the surge of protectiveness that overwhelms him must be like what Sabito feels for Tomioka, also another man that can physically defend himself.
Sanemi stalks over, and one of the snivelling men (an alpha, a beta, an alpha on the ground) raises both his hands up, “Listen, we don’t want any trouble-”
Sanemi throws him single-handed-ly through a neighbouring souvenir cart.
The Beta man backpedals, and the Alpha woman on the ground has ceased her struggling. Sanemi growls at all of them, because despite being an Omega, he’s the most intimidating Alpha these fuckers have ever come across. He has numerous scars - he’s damaged goods - he’s a vicious fighter.
Sabito runs into him, letting Sanemi wrap his good arm around his back.
“I’ve never been so humiliated-!” Sabito growls unshed tears into Sanemi’s shoulder. “They asked me what my price was, and when I told them I was just a visitor, they said, there’s no one that can’t be bought, and she grabbed my-!”
Sanemi will kill them. He scowls at the trio, none of them moving (prey), then as his gaze sweeps around the crowd (eyewitnesses), they jump back, too.
No, he can’t kill them. It’s daylight and they’re humans.
“Let’s go,” Sanemi says, and Sabito nods against him, letting Sanemi pull him away. They’re still close but Sabito is still shivering.
“Sometimes, I hate being an omega,” Sabito spits, his voice still quiet but just as arid, “everyone talks about you like you have a price tag, and… they asked me for a discount because of my scar-!”
Sanemi pulls them into an alleyway so he can look Sabito eye-to-eye. “Don’t listen to a fucking thing they say,” he growls, “You know you’re better than them. You…” He swallows. “Wear your scars proudly, and that’s nothing to be ashamed of. It’s…” He drops his head. “...Admirable.”
When he looks back up, Sabito is staring at him with shining eyes. He brings his hand to Sanemi’s temple, and Sanemi freezes, as his fingers come to brush over the scar at his cheeks, over his nose. “I think,” Sabito murmurs, “Yours are pretty cool, too.”
He’s being nice. Of course he is, Sanemi just saved him. Sanemi clears his throat, ducking his head so Sabito’s fingers fall from the bridge of his nose. “...Let’s focus on finding Tomioka.”
Oh, Sabito forms with his mouth. “Yeah, let’s.”
They finally track down any mentions of a new oiran matching Giyuu’s description, in the Tokito House of the Entertainment District. The lady of the house regards them apprehensively.
Sabito slides his arm into Sanemi’s (he stiffens) to say, “we’re together.”
“And you both…” She peers at them from above her glasses, “want to see Oiran Kana at the same time…?”
“We both think she’s attractive,” Sabito says.
“...I’ll ask.” The lady steps past them to hurry up the steps leading to the upstairs rooms. They wait by the lobby, ignoring a couple of amused stares and giggles from the other women gathered in a bunch by the rooms.
The lady emerges from the top of the stairs. “Oiran Kana has agreed to see you both.” Her lips flattened, “...and she wishes to see you immediately. Without a procession…” A tongue click. “How uncouth…”
Hearing that an alpha and omega couple wished to have a session with him was… Well, it was unusual, but Giyuu had an inkling for who he should expect.
…He can’t say he imagined the duo to turn up in this state, though. Nor could he even comprehend their logic to have broken their arms to be given medical leave.
“You both…” Giyu shakes his head, incredulously. “Look at the state you ended up in, just to visit me…”
“I think it was worth it,” Sabito says stubbornly, jaw jutted out, and Giyuu strokes his chin delicately. Despite his exasperation, he’s smiling, and the same look is directed to Sanemi as Giyuu examines the cast over his arm and bandages on his face.
“You broke his arm?” Giyuu chides Sabito.
“It was just a fracture,” Sabito whines. “And Sanemi knew exactly what he was getting into.”
“Have you apologized?” Giyuu says.
Sanemi says, trying not to blush at the affectionate display in front of him, sniffs: “If your apology is anything like that ohagi you made, then I’ll pass.”
Giyuu frowns, then, looking genuinely upset. “You didn’t like the Ohagi?”
“Um… uh...”
“He likes it,” Sabito says hurriedly. “We finished the whole box together, right, Sanemi?”
Then Giyuu nudges him. “I made the dessert for Sanemi, not you.”
“Eh, you’re so mean!” Sabito says, and hugs Giyuu by the waist to shove his big head by his cheek. “Sanemi and I can share, right?”
“Right,” Sanemi croaks, voice hoarse.
Giyuu looks over at Sanemi, and he smiles a little, is this the first time Sanemi has seen him smile, not directed at Sabito?
“I’ll help you make more after this,” Sabito says. “How have the past few days been for you? Any…” His voice drops to a whisper. “Clients?”
Giyuu winces. “A… few.”
Sabito pouts at him. “Did you sleep with anyone?”
“No,” Giyuu shakes his head. “As an Oiran, I can decline such advances.” He looks up at Sabito, “how have you been?” A gentle press of a hand to the side of Sabito’s face where his scar lies. “Is something troubling you?”
“Ah, you can tell?” Sabito says. It doesn’t show on his face, but his scent has curdled a little more, and Sanemi watches him uncurl between the both of them, sagging with resignation. “Something happened… someone tried to grab me… but luckily, Sanemi was there…” He looks nervous to be admitting, “and pretended, to be a couple with me.”
At that confession, Sanemi carefully watches Tomioka for his reaction. How would he react when he hears of another “Alpha” overstepping their boundaries to “claim” his omega, fake or no? Then again, there were so many caveats to that statement, considering that Tomioka knew the truth about his own designation…
“...Thank you for taking care of him,” Tomioka says earnestly, instead. “If something were to happen to me… I’m glad, that Sabito has someone to count on.”
Sanemi stares wordlessly at Tomioka for a beat. He finally understands everything Sabito has ever told him. Then lunges at him, eliciting a shriek from Sabito, to hit Tomioka over the head.
“You stupid-!” He straddles Tomioka with his legs to pin him down, so he can smack him with one hand. Tomioka half-heartedly tries to block him but doesn’t push into his bad arm. “Get mad! Get angry! Show any emotion, god dammit!” He knew Tomioka was capable of some pettiness, considering his "challenge" the first time Sabito left with his shirt! Did things really change so much just because he found out Sanemi was an omega? That made him even more furious - is he now not a worthy competitor?!
Sabito is staring at them with a red face, hands clapped over his mouth. “Sanemi…” Why does he sound breathless? (It’s making Sanemi flustered, too!) “Can I ask… forgive me if I’m too forward-” What is this about?! “-B-but, do you like… Alphas?”
“HAH?!” Sanemi says.
Tomioka, still on his back with Sanemi clipping onto his legs, looks at Sabito and says, “Have you been reading those books again?”
“W-what kind of books does he read?” Sanemi asks, and Sabito, if possible, turns redder to hiss:
“Giyuu!” To Sanemi, “You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to…” But he glances towards Tomioka again and then back at Samemi. He giggles. “But this is kind of hot…”
Sanemi blushes furiously and scrambles to get off of Tomioka. He hisses at Sabito, “You pervert!”
Sabito continues giggling uncontrollably, doubling over and kicking his legs out. “It’s just-! You both could… kiss!”
Sanemi and Tomioka look at each other. Tomioka has no sense of propriety, so Sanemi has to look away first. “T-that will depend on whether Tomioka finds me attractive, even,” Sanemi says, not flustered at all. He knows the answer to this, already, because he knows Tomioka’s reaction when Sanemi was horny and begging for him, stoic, unmoving, he doesn’t find Sanemi desirable at all.
“I think you’re attractive,” Tomioka replies.
Sanemi whips to glare at him. “D-don’t lie!” He didn’t even look!
Tomioka points to his cheek, “You have a scar.” A beat. “I like it.” Shit, of course he would say that in front of Sabito!
“Eee!” Sabito squeals, redder than his hair. “Is that okay, then?”
“Don’t bring me into your weird fantasies!” Sanemi exclaims, having to plant his hand on the floor too, because he also feels lightheaded, his heart is pounding, why is he having trouble breathing?
Sabito points. “You-... Ahh, you’re so red! You’re adorable!”
That’s it. Sanemi clenches his fists and grits his teeth. “I’ve had enough of this! Calling me attractive, adorable… are you both done?!”
The mood plunges immediately - Sabito stops laughing. “Huh?”
“You… you’re both making fun of me, aren’t you?!” He turns his head to the side. “I know what I am! I’m just a-”
Scarred, brash, aggressive, omega.
He looks at Sabito and he realizes he can’t say the words. Hypocrite, hypocrite, HYPOCRITE!
“Wait!” Sabito lunges for him and wraps his arm around Sanemi’s ankle so he doesn’t leave. “Sanemi, I’m sorry…” His eyes are brimming with tears. Did Sanemi make him cry, like those bastards earlier today? “I wasn’t making fun of you…”
Tomioka pipes up quietly, “Neither was I. I apologize.”
The both of them looking at him, distraught… Sanemi ruined whatever moment this is. He picks himself up and quickly leaves.