Chapter Text
“It’s a good thing you’re coming to help me study for the exam!”
‘Hikaru’, who was a Beta and Yoshiki’s best friend, exclaimed gratefully as they made their way to his house on a Saturday.
“You saved my ass, really! How could I ever repay you, my savior?” ‘Hikaru’ clung dramatically to Yoshiki’s arm, making them sway as they walked.
“Keep that up and I’m turning back and going home,” Yoshiki threatened, pulling his arm away from his grip.
“So mean! Sorry, Yo-shi-ki,” ‘Hikaru’ whined, not sorry at all.
After bothering Yoshiki for a while longer, ‘Hikaru’ calmed down and they walked leisurely down the road.
“My brother is going to be there, but he won’t disturb us. You remember him, right, Yoshiki? My older brother, Hikaru?” ‘Hikaru’ asked cheerfully.
Yoshiki froze.
Of course Yoshiki remembered ‘Hikaru’s’ older brother, who confusingly had the same name as him. They only had different middle names to tell them apart.
But the thing was… Yoshiki had always had a crush on him.
Yoshiki had met younger ‘Hikaru’ when they were kids, and they had immediately become best friends. So ‘Hikaru’ constantly invited Yoshiki over to his house, where he met the older Hikaru.
Both Hikarus were very alike, inside and out. But they had their differences.
When Yoshiki visited ‘Hikaru’ as a kid, the older Hikaru would indulge them and play with them too. After a while, though, he would get overwhelmed and go do something else. Yoshiki had always wanted to follow him. Whatever Hikaru went to do just seemed cooler. Older kid stuff.
He had also been Yoshiki’s first crush—the reason he first suspected he liked other boys.
Unfortunately, ‘Hikaru’s’ parents were living separately. They hadn’t divorced, but Kouhei had stayed in Kubitachi living with the younger ‘Hikaru’, while Yuki had taken Hikaru to live with her in Beppu, Japan.
It happened when they were still very young, so Yoshiki had stopped seeing Hikaru for years. And ‘Hikaru’ never mentioned his brother or his mom. Yoshiki figured it had affected him a lot.
When Yoshiki told his mom, she had advised him to be discreet about it in order to protect his best friend’s feelings. So Yoshiki never asked questions.
“Yeah, of course I do,” Yoshiki said casually. “…Why is he here? Did your mom come too?”
‘Hikaru’ kicked some pebbles. “No, just my brother. I think he had some free days at his university, so he came to see Pa, or something like that.”
“Mm,” Yoshiki hummed. “Well, that’s good, right? You hadn’t seen him in a while.”
“Yeah, I guess… it’s just…” ‘Hikaru’ trailed off.
“Just what?” Yoshiki asked curiously.
“We’re not like you and Kaoru… He’s been away for so long that having him back is… Well, I’m just not used to it.”
“Mm,” Yoshiki acknowledged again, nodding. “That’s normal, I think. You got used to having the house all to yourself.” Yoshiki nudged ‘Hikaru’s’ ribs with his elbow, trying to joke.
“Heh, yeah, I guess,” ‘Hikaru’ chuckled a little, throwing an arm around Yoshiki’s shoulder. “Can’t help wanting it all to myself.”
“Greedy…” Yoshiki commented. “What I don’t understand is why you’re both named the same…”
“I don’t know! Ask my mom!”
-.-.-.-.-.-.-
When they finally reached ‘Hikaru’s’ house, Yoshiki couldn’t help but glance toward the windows.
He wasn’t sure what he expected to see. Maybe older Hikaru sitting in the living room. Maybe hearing his voice from somewhere inside the house.
But everything seemed quiet.
‘Hikaru’ slid the door open and slipped inside like usual.
“I’m home!” he called lazily.
No answer.
“Told you,” he said, shrugging as he kicked off his shoes. “He’s probably hiding somewhere.”
Yoshiki followed him inside, carefully placing his shoes by the door. His eyes flicked briefly toward the hallway, half-expecting someone to walk out.
But still nothing.
A strange mix of relief and disappointment settled in his chest.
There was a faint scent lingering in the house he didn’t recognize. Something warm and unfamiliar that made the back of his neck prickle slightly.
Yoshiki rubbed the spot absentmindedly and ignored it.
“Well, whatever,” ‘Hikaru’ said, already walking toward his room. “Let’s go before I forget everything I studied yesterday.”
Yoshiki snorted and followed.
-.-.-.-.-.
For a while, they actually studied. ‘Hikaru’ groaned dramatically every time Yoshiki made him redo a problem.
“You’re enjoying this way too much.”
“I’m not,” Yoshiki replied calmly. “You just don’t know basic formulas.”
“I do!”
“You absolutely do not.”
After about forty minutes, ‘Hikaru’ collapsed face-first onto his notes.
“My brain is melting.”
“You’ve done three questions.”
“That’s enough for today.”
“No, it’s not.”
A pillow hit Yoshiki square in the face.
“Video game break,” ‘Hikaru’ declared. “Please!”
Yoshiki groaned but complied. Ten minutes later, they were sitting side by side in front of the TV.
“You ain’t got nothing on me, Yoshi,” ‘Hikaru’ laughed as his character knocked Yoshiki’s off the platform.
“You were running away from me just five minutes ago,”
“It’s called strategy.”
“If you say so,”
After a few rounds and a lot of bickering, they eventually returned to their notes.
Another hour passed before ‘Hikaru’ stretched dramatically.
“I need snacks or I’m going to die.”
“You’re not going to die.”
“I will, actually.”
With that, he stood up and dragged Yoshiki with him toward the kitchen.
-.--.-.-.-.-.-.-
As they stepped inside, Yoshiki immediately noticed someone standing by the sink.
Broad shoulders wearing a red shirt. Fluffy white hair, and tall.
“Ah, bro. You’re here,” ‘Hikaru’ said when he saw his older brother putting away some dishes in the kitchen, his back turned to them.
“Hikaru, long time no see…” Yoshiki greeted.
Older Hikaru paused.
Slowly, he turned around. His eyes landed directly on Yoshiki, pinning him in place.
That was when Yoshiki noticed it. The scent of an Alpha. Older Hikaru was an Alpha. The realization hit him like a punch on the throat.
There was a moment of silence.
Hikaru’s gaze moved slowly over Yoshiki, up and down, like he was confirming something. Yoshiki felt his ears heat and suddenly the floor became very interesting.
Right. Of course he could tell. Yoshiki was an Omega.
“Yoshiki,” Hikaru said finally. “Hello. You’ve grown.”
“I could say the same.”
And it was true.
Yoshiki remembered Hikaru as tall when they were younger, but now…
Now he was way taller even taller than him. His shoulders filled out his shirt in a way Yoshiki definitely did not remember. His features had sharpened too, giving him a calm, mature kind of attractiveness that made Yoshiki’s stomach do something very inconvenient.
He looked… unfairly good.
Beside him, ‘Hikaru’s’ eyes bounced back and forth between them.
“Anyways, we just came here to get some snacks,” ‘Hikaru’ said quickly.
He opened a cabinet and grabbed chips and popcorn, shoving some into Yoshiki’s arms.
Hikaru had already turned back to the dishes.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Back in the room, ‘Hikaru’ shut the door behind them.
“See what I mean?” he muttered. “It’s just awkward now.”
Yoshiki brushed it off. “It wasn’t awkward. Maybe you’re just imagining it, ‘Hikaru’.”
He reached over and ruffled his hair.
“Oi!” ‘Hikaru’ complained, swatting his hand away.
They returned to their notes, though their concentration was noticeably worse now.
Eventually ‘Hikaru’ slowly slid down until his head rested against the kotatsu.
“Yoshiki…” he whined pitifully. “I can’t anymore.”
His voice sounded completely defeated.
Yoshiki, who was starting to feel a headache forming himself, closed the book.
“Yeah, I agree,” he sighed. “Let’s just call it a day and continue tomorrow.”
-.-.-.-.
Yoshiki went to the bathroom to brush his teeth. While he was there, a strange heat suddenly filled his face, and a wave of weakness passed through his body.
It almost felt like the start of a fever. He frowned at his reflection.
“Great timing…” he muttered under his breath.
He cupped some cold water into his hands and splashed it over his face. The coolness helped a little, easing the warmth crawling under his skin.
Still… it felt strange. His limbs were feeling tired. He dried his face and stepped out of the bathroom.
For a moment, he half expected to run into older Hikaru in the hallway. But the house was quiet.
Yoshiki clicked his tongue softly and headed back to ‘Hikaru’s’ room.
Inside, ‘Hikaru’ was already in his futon, scrolling lazily through his phone. His eyes flicked up the moment Yoshiki entered. Yoshiki grabbed his pajamas and started changing.
He ignored the way ‘Hikaru’ very obviously pretended not to watch him. Lately, ‘Hikaru’ had been unusually clingy, more so than usual. Yoshiki didn’t know what to make of it.
He pulled his shirt over his head. From the corner of his eye, he saw ‘Hikaru’ immediately look away. Yoshiki almost rolled his eyes.
Once changed, he slipped quietly into his futon.
“Good night. Don’t kick me in your sleep this time, please,” Yoshiki muttered.
“It only happened twice…”
As the night went on, the house grew quiet, but the grasshoppers continued their song outside.
‘Hikaru’ was already asleep beside him, his breathing slow and steady. But Yoshiki couldn’t seem to settle. The warmth from earlier hadn’t gone away. If anything, it had grown stronger, spreading slowly through his chest and stomach.
He kicked the blanket away; it was too warm for him. The fan in ‘Hikaru’s’ room didn’t help much.
Something about the air in the room felt different tonight.
A faint scent drifted through the house—something musky and unfamiliar that made his chest tighten in a strange way.
Yoshiki almost felt the urge to venture out into the dark hallway to satisfy his curiosity.
After tossing and turning for two hours, Yoshiki finally managed to fall asleep. He slept, but he didn’t rest.
He dreamed of white hair and a lovely scent surrounding him. But there was a fire between his legs that wouldn’t let him be at peace. Even in his sleep, he felt himself tossing and turning again.
Soon, the fire and the need between his legs began to subside when he felt something against him. Yoshiki was finally able to breathe when he felt that pressure. Involuntarily, he rubbed against that hardness, but the sensation building from his actions grew so intense that he began to wake up slowly.
The first thing he saw was ‘Hikaru’s’ peaceful face in front of him.
Yoshiki gasped and jolted awake. He realized he was clinging to his best friend, his arms wrapped around his neck and his crotch pressed against ‘Hikaru’s’ thigh, rubbing against him in search of more pressure.
Yoshiki pulled away as best he could, ignoring how his body protested at the sudden loss of contact and warmth.
Poor ‘Hikaru’ was still sleeping as if nothing had happened.
Yoshiki turned toward the wall and squeezed his legs tightly together. Eyes wide open, he realized what was happening to him. The heat in his body and the hollow feeling inside him were something he had felt before.
It was his heat. It had come earlier than expected.
Yoshiki gasped again as he tried to calm himself. He rolled onto his back, staring upward, and realized slick was already running down his legs.
Alarmed, he glanced at ‘Hikaru’s’ thigh. Thankfully, there was no evidence on him.
Suddenly, a sharp pang in his stomach made him curl in on himself slightly, as if his own body were punishing him for pulling away from that warmth.
‘Hikaru’ smelled good, but it was easy for Yoshiki to ignore it since he was a Beta.
Yoshiki waited a moment, trying to gauge how intense the pains were. But almost immediately, the spasms and that hot, tingling sensation surged back over him.
He let out a soft groan of pain. To his horror, he realized more slick was still coming from him. He understood his heat was going to last a while.
“Shit…” he whispered.
He turned toward the windows of ‘Hikaru’s’ room. A faint light was beginning to seep through, signaling that dawn was just breaking.
Feeling a bit reassured, Yoshiki gently shook ‘Hikaru’s’ shoulders, which felt cool—though he knew he was the one burning up.
“‘Hikaru,’ ‘Hikaru’! Wake up, please,” Yoshiki said, his voice unsteady.
‘Hikaru’ frowned and kicked slightly before waking.
“Mmm… Yoshiki?” he murmured sleepily, rubbing his eyes. He looked like a total baby.
“‘Hikaru,’ wake up. We have a problem.”
‘Hikaru’ blinked and turned to look at the dark-haired boy. “A problem?”
“My heat started, and you have to help me, okay?” Yoshiki tried to stay in control of the situation.
He wrapped himself in ‘Hikaru’s’ blanket. Embarrassed, he realized he would have to return it washed—and the futon too.
“What!? Your heat?” ‘Hikaru’ asked, alarmed.
“Shh! You’re going to wake your whole family!” Yoshiki whispered, almost shouting.
“My dad and my grandpa aren’t here,” ‘Hikaru’ clarified.
“Why not? Well, that doesn’t matter right now. Help me.”
Hikaru sat up and raised his arms to the sides. “What do I do? What do I do? Why did it start now? Didn’t you know?”
“Of course I didn’t know, ‘Hikaru’. I don’t know why it came early. Now listen. You’re going to have to go to the pharmacy and then to my house for some special medicine my—”
Yoshiki stopped when he suddenly felt as if his intestines were being squeezed inward. He let out a sharp, pained cry that genuinely startled ‘Hikaru’. He had never heard Yoshiki make sounds like that in his life.
“Yoshiki!?” ‘Hikaru’ asked in alarm. He didn’t know what to do with his arms—whether to hold Yoshiki or if that would just cause him more pain.
“Ah… ah… ‘Hikaru’, you have to help me,” Yoshiki said once he could speak.
“How!?”
“You’re going to have to hurry. Listen carefully. At the pharmacy, get some compresses, about three electrolyte drinks, and gauze. At my house, just go in. If my mom sees you, don’t tell her about my heat. Just say I forgot something and you went to get it. Go to my room and bring a black box that’s under my bed. I think you’ve seen it before.”
“Was it the box I asked you about and you wouldn’t tell me?”
“Yes, that one.”
“So that’s what it was…” ‘Hikaru’ said thoughtfully.
“Congratulations. The mystery’s been solved,” Yoshiki said sarcastically.
“Yoshiki… I don’t want to leave you. There has to be another way…” ‘Hikaru’ said, a little sadly.
“Trust me, ‘Hikaru’. There isn’t,” Yoshiki panted. “Why are you saying it like you’re leaving me to die?” he joked.
Once again, the walls inside Yoshiki tightened, but this time he didn’t let out a cry—he let out a moan instead.
They both froze. Yoshiki out of embarrassment, and ‘Hikaru’… for other reasons.
“Hurry, ‘Hikaru’! It hurts…” Yoshiki said, a blush spreading across his cheeks.
“Y-yeah!” ‘Hikaru’ stood up with stiff, almost robotic movements. “I won’t take long, Yoshiki… I’ve got you.”
And he ran out, slamming the door behind him.
Yoshiki watched him go, listening as his footsteps faded away. After a few minutes, the room fell silent once more.
.-.-.-.-.-.-…-.
‘Hikaru’ rushed down the stairs, nearly tripping over his own feet. His mind was racing. Yoshiki was in heat. Right there in his house. In his room, wrapped in his blanket.
His best friend was in heat.
“Shit…” he muttered under his breath as he searched for his sneakers by the entrance.
He shoved them on in a hurry, stepping on the heels before fixing them properly. His hands trembled slightly as he grabbed the keys to his bike lock.
Okay… thinking back to what Yoshiki said, he had to go to the pharmacy, then to Yoshiki’s house, and then get back before Yoshiki—well. Before Yoshiki got worse.
The thought made a strange heat rise to his face. He shook his head hard.
“Focus…” he told himself.
He was about to open the door when a voice behind him stopped him.
“Where are you going in such a hurry?”
‘Hikaru’ nearly jumped. He turned sharply.
His brother was leaning against the hallway wall, arms crossed. He didn’t look upset, but his eyes were fixed on him with far too much attention.
“H-Hikaru?” ‘Hikaru’ stammered.
The older one raised an eyebrow.
“Who else would it be?” he said calmly. “Dad and Grandpa aren’t here.”
‘Hikaru’ let out a nervous laugh.
“Ah, yeah… right. I just… need to head out for a bit.”
His brother watched him in silence for a few seconds—seconds that felt like minutes to ‘Hikaru’. Then he frowned slightly.
“Why do you smell like that?”
‘Hikaru’s’ eyes widened. He glanced to the side, then back at his older brother.
“Like what?” he asked quickly.
The older one took a step toward him. He didn’t seem aggressive, but his presence echoed against the wooden walls.
“Like an Omega in heat.”
‘Hikaru’s’ heart lurched violently.
For a second, he thought his brother was going to head upstairs. Panic hit him, and his brain decided to spill the truth.
“It’s Yoshiki!” he blurted out before thinking it through. “His heat started suddenly and he asked me to go get medicine.”
The older one went still. The surprise lasted only a moment, but ‘Hikaru’ caught it. In the blink of an eye, he returned to his usual relaxed demeanor.
Then, his brother looked toward the stairs—toward the second floor, more specifically toward his room.
The air in the house seemed to grow heavier, and the silence turned uncomfortable.
‘Hikaru’ instinctively stepped in his way.
“I’m going to get what he needs,” he said quickly. “So… don’t worry about it.”
The older one looked at him first, then at the door.
After a few seconds, he sighed.
“Go,” he said at last.
‘Hikaru’ didn’t wait for him to change his mind. He opened the door and rushed out into the street.
Inside the house, the silence settled once more. The older brother remained there for a few moments, staring at the stairs. Then, very slowly, he turned his head.
Because now that the Beta was gone…
The Omega’s scent was impossible to ignore.
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Yoshiki kept staring at the door for a few seconds, as if expecting ‘Hikaru’ to come right back. But he didn’t.
The silence in the room began to feel too large.
“Mmm…” he murmured; his voice unsteady.
He let himself fall back onto the futon, still wrapped in the blanket. The heat in his body had gotten worse. It was no longer just discomfort; now it felt like something inside him was slowly twisting, tightening and releasing without mercy.
He took a deep breath, but it was a bad idea. The air burned his lungs. His body punished him for it. Air wasn’t what he wanted to fill himself with.
Another spasm ran through him, and Yoshiki curled in on himself, pressing his forehead against the pillow.
“Ah—…”
This time, the sound that left his throat was weaker, more trembling.
His fingers clutched at the futon’s fabric.
The heat kept spreading through his abdomen, down his thighs, rising like a slow fever that refused to break. Shivers ran along his body.
Yoshiki wondered why now. According to his cycle, his heat should have come a week later. Still, he remembered that his last heat had also come early by two days. But an entire week was too much.
He tried to focus on something else. On the crickets still chirping outside. On the fan slowly spinning in the corner of ‘Hikaru’s’ room. On ‘Hikaru’s’ footsteps coming back. On white hair and a crooked tooth.
But the minutes passed, and the pain didn’t lessen.
Yoshiki turned on the futon, trying to find a position that didn’t make him feel like his body was burning from the inside out.
It didn’t work—of course. Yoshiki knew there was only one absolute solution to his problem. He tried not to think about the fact that, conveniently, there was an Alpha under the same roof.
It was possible his medication wouldn’t even help. He should have taken it before the heat started. So he knew that sending ‘Hikaru’ out might have been for nothing.
Another spasm suddenly tore through him, and Yoshiki let out a muffled gasp, burying his face in the pillow so no one in the house could hear him. Even though he knew the only ones in the house were himself and… him.
His breathing started to turn uneven.
“Hurry… ‘Hikaru’…” he whispered.
He tried to convince himself that ‘Hikaru’ would be back soon. But his body didn’t seem willing to wait patiently.
Now the fire burning in his core spread down to his hips and his crotch—more insistent with every passing second.
Yoshiki squeezed his eyes shut. For a moment, he thought he had imagined the scent. But then he felt it again—stronger this time.
A scent that didn’t belong to the room. Clean, deep, and masculine.
The kind of smell that made his body react without permission. Yoshiki went still. His heart began to race.
“…‘Hikaru’?” he asked, confused.
But he knew it wasn’t ‘Hikaru’. Because ‘Hikaru’ was a Beta.
And that scent… that scent belonged to an Alpha.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
For a moment, Hikaru tried to go back to what he had been doing. He took a plate from the rack and put it away in the cabinet, then stored a second one.
But his hand froze in midair before placing the third.
Hikaru’s eyelid twitched. The smell was still there.
At first, it had been barely noticeable—something faint drifting in the air when ‘Hikaru’ rushed down the stairs.
Not anymore.
Now it was impossible to ignore. As if a wave of that scent had calmly descended the stairs and brushed against Hikaru’s cheek, greeting him good morning.
The Alpha slowly set the plate down in the cabinet and closed the door.
He inhaled once more to steady himself, but it only made things worse. The Omega’s scent filled his lungs like a warm current. It was sweet and fresh.
He ran a hand over the back of his neck, trying to shake off the uncomfortable feeling spreading through his body. It wasn’t like he had never smelled a heat before.
But this was different. Because the Omega was upstairs, in his own house. In his brother’s room, within reach.
And it wasn’t just any Omega. It was Yoshiki. The cute kid who used to follow his little brother around everywhere. Back then, Hikaru had only thought he was cute—that was all.
Over time, through social media—something his younger brother used a lot—he had watched them both grow up. He would have had to be blind to deny that Yoshiki had become a handsome young man. If only he’d cut that stupid fringe hiding his face… his moles.
Now Hikaru felt the urge to grab that fringe, just so Yoshiki would show more of his face.
The day before, when Hikaru saw him again, he had noticed how much he had grown. He wasn’t a kid anymore. After all, Yoshiki was only three years younger than him.
Obviously, his brother’s best friend—at least to Hikaru—had always been off-limits.
But now, Hikaru found himself reconsidering those limits.
And with every passing minute, the scent seemed to grow stronger.
He walked to the sink and turned on the cold water, bracing both hands against the edge. The water ran, but it did nothing to clear his mind.
From upstairs, the scent drifted down, as if seeping into every corner of the house.
Then, suddenly, a very faint sound could be heard. Something between a gasp and a whimper, barely audible from below.
The Alpha’s eyes slowly opened—he hadn’t even realized he had closed them.
“…”
He stood still for several seconds. Then he let out a long breath through his nose, clearly irritated with himself. But his gaze lifted toward the stairs again.
Before he could start panting, Hikaru decided it would be best to try to go back to sleep—before he did something stupid.
He crossed the living room in silence and climbed the stairs slowly. The scent grew stronger the higher he went. His steps felt light, almost as if they were moving on their own. It was as though the scent itself was carrying him.
The Alpha placed a hand on the railing. For a moment, he hesitated. Then, after a blink, Hikaru continued up the stairs until he reached the second floor.
His brother’s bedroom door was still closed. But now he could hear him clearly.
The Omega’s uneven breathing on the other side. The Alpha stopped in front of the door and didn’t move. His hand hovered in the air, just inches from the wood.
Yoshiki was right behind it.
Reason told him to step away. Not to be a brute. Not to be a pervert.
It was his brother’s best friend.
But Hikaru couldn’t help but breathe in that sweet scent. He glanced down. His arousal was already visible against his shorts.
“…-karu’?” he heard faintly.
Yoshiki was probably calling for his younger brother.
That was enough to make Hikaru huff and turn around, finally heading into his own room.
On the other side of the door, Yoshiki felt as if his blanket had been ripped away. That delicious scent was leaving, and he couldn’t help but let out a soft whine, almost petulant in sound.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
Half an hour passed, and ‘Hikaru’ still hadn’t returned. In his defense, even though they lived only five minutes apart, Yoshiki knew that everything he had asked for wouldn’t take just thirty minutes.
But Yoshiki couldn’t hold out any longer.
Now shameless moans of pain and need slipped from him. He wasn’t even embarrassed anymore; the pain and the hollow ache inside him were stronger.
His head began to spin. He ground his teeth, enduring the sensation as he swallowed with difficulty.
His face was flushed and damp with sweat. His hair was messy and disheveled. His knuckles had gone white from how tightly he was gripping ‘Hikaru’s’ blanket.
He wasn’t thinking rationally anymore; desperation made him toss and turn across the futon.
Yoshiki pushed himself onto all fours, staring at the floor one last time before throwing any coherent thought out the window.
Enough was enough. There was no point in suffering when the solution was so close—he just had to reach out for it. And, of course… hope his crush would agree.
Yoshiki was willing to accept the consequences of his actions, no matter how embarrassing they might be, if it meant no longer having to endure his relentless heat.
Even if he regretted it later, at least he would have tried.
Yoshiki stood up, determined to go to Hikaru’s room. But slick slid down his legs the moment he straightened, so he wrapped himself in the blanket again and, like that, slowly stepped out of ‘Hikaru’s’ room.
It wasn’t hard to find the older brother’s room—the Alpha scent grew stronger and stronger toward the end of the hallway, where a sliding door stood.
Yoshiki had been to ‘Hikaru’s’ house many times. He already knew which wooden boards creaked when stepped on and which didn’t. Usually, he avoided them to stay quiet while following ‘Hikaru’, but this time he didn’t care.
He wanted to be heard. He wanted Hikaru to hear him approaching.
Once in front of the door, Yoshiki hesitated. He still had time to back out. Maybe this was too extreme, maybe—
Another sharp cramp hit his stomach, making him double over for a moment.
No. Enough. It was better to try.
“Hikaru… I’m coming in,” Yoshiki announced, his voice trembling.
Slowly, carefully, he slid the door open and stepped into the room, which was completely dark. Once inside, Yoshiki remained standing, looking down at the floor. He knew Hikaru was there, but he still didn’t want to look at him.
He swallowed the saliva pooling in his mouth. Finally, his eyes adjusted to the darkness and focused on the shape that had to be Hikaru on the bed.
Unlike his younger brother, Hikaru had a tall, Western-style bed.
Now, with a thousand thoughts in his mind and so much stuck in his throat, Yoshiki began to feel nervous.
“Um, Hikaru…” Yoshiki called helplessly.
“What are you doing here, Yoshiki?” Hikaru asked in a neutral tone—so flat that Yoshiki felt like he might be angry. He swallowed again. But it was too late to back out now.
“Sorry for intruding, but… I was wondering… well, since you’re an Alpha… if I could… maybe stay here with you for a while.” Yoshiki knew what he was saying was foolish. There was no way an Alpha, so close to an Omega in heat, would bring him relief—if anything, it would only make that itch burn even worse.
There were a few seconds of uncomfortable silence. Yoshiki felt the embarrassment almost overpower the pain and desire of his heat. He wanted the ground to swallow him whole right then and there.
The sheets rustled, a sign that Hikaru was moving on the bed.
“Why?” Hikaru finally asked.
Why? Wasn’t it obvious? Hadn’t Hikaru noticed when they caught each other’s scent in the kitchen?
Yoshiki let out a breath. That desire was beginning to purr now that he could smell an Alpha so close to him. He kept his gaze fixed on the floor.
“Because I’m an Omega.” This time, Yoshiki said it with a less friendly tone. He had never liked admitting his secondary gender, especially to people he hadn’t seen in a long time. “And I’m in heat.”
The last part came out in a whisper that seemed to echo against the walls of the room.
The wooden boards creaked under Hikaru’s weight as he seemed to move closer to Yoshiki—he wasn’t entirely sure. The fire inside his body grew, and the dark-haired boy began to pant lightly, as if he had just stopped running.
Hikaru moved slowly, as if a single wrong step might make Yoshiki bolt out of the room.
Yoshiki remembered that, despite being more serious—definitely more than ‘Hikaru’—Hikaru had always been gentle and kind with him.
That’s why Yoshiki was almost certain he would help him somehow. Just like his younger brother was trying to help right now, going out to get his medication.
Several things could happen: Hikaru could throw him out of the room, or make him some tea while waiting for ‘Hikaru’ to return, or let him stay… maybe even allow him to curl up against him. Maybe even let Yoshiki kiss him.
Hikaru was close now. Very, very close.
Yoshiki gasped harder, feeling ridiculously exposed.
Hikaru kept moving slowly, and Yoshiki got the impression he was about to stroke his head, the way he always did with ‘Hikaru’.
What Yoshiki didn’t expect was for Hikaru to grab him by the shoulder roughly, spin him around, and shove him against the wall. If Yoshiki hadn’t turned his face in time, he would have hit it—though even if he had, it probably wouldn’t have hurt; the walls were thin.
After that, Yoshiki felt Hikaru’s full weight pressing him against the wall. The blanket slipped to the floor as his arms were pinned against his own body.
“What were you thinking?” Hikaru now sounded angry, gripping him by the back of his biceps. “What kind of idiot Omega goes to someone else’s house when they’re about to go into heat?” he scoffed, burying his face into Yoshiki’s neck from behind.
“I-it’s not like I planned it… it came early,” Yoshiki defended himself. But his words came out weak, accompanied by the tremble in his body as Hikaru’s breath brushed over his skin.
Hikaru completely ignored what he said.
“Or maybe you’re trying to seduce my brother,” he muttered.
“No, we’re not like that,” Yoshiki replied quickly.
Shamelessly, and pushing his luck, Yoshiki pressed his hips back, right where he knew Hikaru’s crotch would be. To his satisfaction, he felt hardness.
At this point, if Hikaru hit him, threw him out while cursing at him, or fucked him right there—any of those options would’ve been fine.
“Yoshiki,” Hikaru said, as if scolding him.
“What?” Yoshiki shot back, a bit defiant. “Are you going to help me or not?”
Hikaru pulled away, and Yoshiki nearly whined out loud, but Hikaru was already grabbing his bicep again and dragging him toward the bed.
Since Yoshiki was turned around, he almost tripped over his own feet. Without any gentleness, Hikaru shoved him onto the bed—but Yoshiki barely made it onto the edge; he fell to his knees, with only his elbows and torso landing on the mattress. He could tell Hikaru was, obviously, angry.
Yoshiki let out a low sound at the rough treatment, but Hikaru’s growl was even louder.
“Didn’t you say you just wanted to stay here?” Hikaru asked.
“I changed my mind. I want you to help me,” Yoshiki replied, a mix of irritation and boldness in his voice.
Yoshiki heard Hikaru suck in a sharp breath, and suddenly, he dropped to his knees as well, covering Yoshiki’s body with his own.
Completely overtaken by his heat, Yoshiki turned his face to the side and arched his back, pressing their bodies even closer together.
“And how do you want me to help you, Yoshiki?” Hikaru asked, squeezing the dark-haired boy’s chest.
Right after, Hikaru pushed his hips against Yoshiki’s, making it clear what he could offer.
Yoshiki tried not to moan. He swallowed the saliva pooling in his mouth again. Hikaru’s hands kept roaming over his body—his chest, his legs, his length.
“Do whatever you want,” he breathed.
That was all the permission Hikaru needed. Without wasting another second, he pulled Yoshiki’s shorts down and circled his damp entrance with a finger for a moment before pushing it inside.
Even though Yoshiki was desperate, he couldn’t help but jolt at the sudden intrusion.
Still, he let out a relieved sigh when something—anything—was finally inside him.
“You’re really wet,” Hikaru commented.
“Mmm,” was all Yoshiki managed, as he moved his hips, asking for more.
Hikaru added another finger, then another, stretching Yoshiki without gentleness—but the dark-haired boy needed that roughness, like finally scratching an unbearable itch. Yoshiki writhed for a moment; his body was already producing more slick.
“Hikaru…” Yoshiki turned to look at him urgently. “Please.”
But Hikaru had the nerve to shake his head.
“No, not yet.”
“What?!” Yoshiki whispered, almost shouting.
“Come.” Hikaru, being gentle for the first time, nudged him so he could move onto the bed. “Like this.”
Yoshiki thought he wanted him face down, but after pulling his shirt off as well, Hikaru turned him over so he was on his back.
The room was dark, but Hikaru quickly turned on the lamp beside the bed so he could see him better. Yoshiki couldn’t help but flinch slightly at the sudden light.
A bit self-conscious now, he closed his legs and tried to cover himself with his hands.
But Hikaru seemed to devour him with his gaze. “What’s wrong? Weren’t you so sure a moment ago?” he teased.
“Don’t play around.”
“Let me see. I want to see,” Hikaru said, pushing Yoshiki’s knees apart, which resisted slightly.
Yoshiki’s cheeks burned. He knew he had several moles on his body—one near his groin, one below and to the left of his navel, another on the inside of his thigh.
He endured it as long as he could, until Hikaru’s eyes settled on his erect length. Without warning, Hikaru spat on it, and Yoshiki shuddered in surprise.
Hikaru didn’t waste time and took him into his mouth. First, he teased the tip, then gradually took more of Yoshiki in, moving down as he sucked.
Yoshiki let out a trembling sigh. He placed his hands on Hikaru’s soft hair, following the movement of his head.
Then Yoshiki allowed himself a small moan, which only encouraged Hikaru further.
After a few more pulls, Hikaru’s fingers returned to Yoshiki’s entrance, pushing inside him and stretching him even more.
Now Yoshiki was being stimulated from both sides. That nagging, itching desire began to ease under Hikaru’s touch. And suddenly, Yoshiki needed more—more and more.
“Hikaru…” Yoshiki said in a very soft voice. “Do it.”
To his relief, Hikaru pulled down his shorts. Yoshiki didn’t know what he would have done if Hikaru had told him to wait again.
But Hikaru no longer seemed in the mood to keep playing.
Firmly, he pushed Yoshiki’s knees up toward his shoulders and positioned himself at his entrance. Yoshiki trembled once more in anticipation.
“Slowly, slowly,” Yoshiki warned him, but Hikaru only looked at him and shook his head.
He pushed inside Yoshiki—not all at once, but still without much gentleness, as if trying to make a point. It seemed Hikaru had anticipated Yoshiki’s loud moan, because he covered his mouth with his hand as he cried out, muffling the sound.
“You wanted this. You came here. So now take it,” Hikaru said, locking eyes with him.
Yoshiki returned his gaze, though it was blurred by tears. That was when he realized just how different the two brothers were—especially in their eyes.
In ‘Hikaru’s’ eyes, Yoshiki saw gentleness and hesitation; in his older brother’s, he saw firmness and authority.
It wasn’t a bad thing—just different. Still, the dark-haired boy couldn’t help but tremble again.
Hikaru at least stayed still until Yoshiki opened his eyes. He uncovered his mouth, though his gaze now lingered on Yoshiki’s flushed lips.
Hikaru brushed his cheek softly and met his eyes again.
As best he could, he leaned in closer, pressing deeper into Yoshiki just to reach his lips.
Finally, they kissed. Yoshiki parted his lips, allowing Hikaru to slide his tongue in and trace along them. He was so gentle about it that it almost felt like an apology for how rough he had been earlier.
Still kissing him, Hikaru began to move again. Yoshiki endured it as much as he could, but Hikaru only grew rougher with each thrust.
Yoshiki had to pull away from his lips.
“Please, please…” he begged. It almost sounded like Hikaru was hurting him.
“Please what?” Hikaru asked, quickening his pace as he gripped Yoshiki’s jaw.
“Please, Hikaru… don’t stop,” Yoshiki sobbed.
Once again, Hikaru covered his mouth roughly and drove into him harder.
“Take it, Yoshiki, take it,” he said—each word punctuated by a thrust.
Hikaru moved easily inside him, helped by all the slick Yoshiki’s body was producing.
Yoshiki grabbed Hikaru’s forearm, which was holding him in place, but he endured it.
Finally, Hikaru let go—but not to stop.
With ease, the white-haired man flipped Yoshiki onto his stomach and lifted his hips. Yoshiki barely managed to brace himself before Hikaru was filling him again.
In this new position, Hikaru brushed against a spot that made Yoshiki see stars.
As soon as he found it, Yoshiki buried his face in the bed. He let out a broken moan, and the sounds of skin against skin filled the room.
Not long after, Yoshiki could hear Hikaru’s moans too—short, but just as intense.
Hikaru bent down and began biting at his shoulder and neck. Small bites paired with thrusts that made Yoshiki melt, like a kitten’s instinct when it’s held by the scruff of its neck.
“Wait, wait…” Yoshiki whispered. “I’m going to come.”
Hikaru rolled his hips slowly, pushing deeper and deeper inside him.
“Go ahead, it’s fine,” he encouraged. “Do it as many times as you want.”
Within minutes, Yoshiki was already coming. His release spilled onto the bed.
Shuddering and trembling, Yoshiki tried to collapse onto the mattress, but Hikaru was still holding him by the hips.
“Good job, Yoshiki,” Hikaru praised.
After that, Hikaru kept moving, thrusting in and out, using him for his own satisfaction. Yoshiki let himself be carried along as he recovered, his mind still floating somewhere high above.
After a few minutes, when Yoshiki came back to himself, he turned to look at Hikaru.
“Do you want my knot?” Hikaru asked, with surprising consideration.
Yoshiki was startled—he had never taken a knot before—but he nodded anyway.
Suddenly, as if a surge of energy had hit him, Hikaru sped up, and the desire that had faded inside Yoshiki threatened to flare up again.
Hikaru covered Yoshiki’s body with his own, pressing him into the bed with rough movements. Yoshiki’s eyes widened as he felt the intense thrusts, stirring something deeply instinctive within him.
Once again, waves of pleasure coursed through his body in rhythm with Hikaru. The sensations overwhelmed him—surges rising and falling without giving him a moment to recover.
“Damn it…” Yoshiki cursed under his breath at the feeling. “H-Hikaru—”
He couldn’t finish the sentence.
Hikaru held him even tighter, pressing him down against the bed as if he wasn’t going to let him go.
Hikaru moaned—a long, genuine sound that seemed to come from deep within him. He came inside Yoshiki, who felt that warmth fill him all at once. His body reacted immediately: satisfied, overwhelmed, flooded with energy at finally receiving what it had been craving.
And that was when Yoshiki felt it—the stretch.
It started subtle, almost gentle, but soon became impossible to ignore. The pain sharpened as Hikaru’s hips grew more insistent.
Yoshiki twisted, trying to pull away, but Hikaru held him firmly in place.
“Wait, Hikaru… it hurts,” he complained.
Hikaru answered with small kisses along his shoulders and the back of his neck—tender gestures that did little to ease the discomfort.
Yoshiki’s body tensed.
Hikaru wrapped his arms under Yoshiki’s, holding him even more securely.
“Hikaru!” Yoshiki struggled harder, as if he could push him off.
His body was at its limit, caught between pain and pleasure that wouldn’t let up.
“Easy, Yoshiki. You can handle it. Just relax,” Hikaru murmured, rubbing his shoulders in an attempt to soothe him. “Relax… I’ve got you.”
Yoshiki tried—he really did. But his body wouldn’t yield.
When Hikaru shifted slightly forward, Yoshiki let out another pained sound.
“Forget it… I changed my mind,” he said urgently.
“No, no, no,” Hikaru replied quickly. “I’m sorry. We’ll do it in a way that doesn’t hurt, okay? It won’t hurt, love.”
Yoshiki went completely still at the nickname. He knew Hikaru was more direct than his younger brother, but he hadn’t expected that.
With a display of strength, Hikaru adjusted them until he was sitting at the edge of the bed, Yoshiki settled in his lap.
“Like this… move at your own pace, okay?”
Using some of Yoshiki’s slick, Hikaru began to touch him, while his arousal slowly returned.
Yoshiki swallowed hard, cursing his own body—the same one that had been begging for this for hours… and now, at the crucial moment, seemed to resist accepting Hikaru’s knot.
He squeezed his eyes shut in frustration.
But Hikaru didn’t stop. He kept touching him, while Yoshiki let his head fall back. Hikaru’s kisses grew wetter and more insistent… hungrier.
Yoshiki inhaled and exhaled deeply. Without realizing it, he began to run his hands over Hikaru’s knees.
“You’re really handsome, you know that?” Hikaru said suddenly. “I’ve always thought so.”
Yoshiki had a brief moment of clarity.
“I’m sorry for putting you in this position,” he murmured.
Hikaru let out a low chuckle.
“Shouldn’t I be the one saying that?” he replied, caressing his abdomen. “Although… right now, it’s a shame so much is slipping out.”
Yoshiki didn’t understand what he meant until he looked down and saw his release leaking from inside him.
“Is that why you want the knot so badly?” he asked.
“No,” Hikaru answered calmly. “I just want to knot you. That’s all.” He continued stroking his abdomen. “There’s no ulterior reason.”
“I’m not so sure about that…” Yoshiki whispered.
Hikaru laughed again.
After a few seconds, he slipped back into that soft, insistent tone.
“Come on… you can do it… take it,” Hikaru said, referring to his knot, as he continued to touch Yoshiki.
Yoshiki tried to lower himself again, to take Hikaru’s knot, but a sharp pain stopped him once more.
“On second thought, we shouldn’t. ‘Hikaru’ is going to be back any moment,” Yoshiki remembered.
“Mmm,” Hikaru hummed. “I’ll handle my brother. Don’t worry about that.”
This time, his patience gone, Hikaru pressed his hips against Yoshiki’s entrance in warning.
“Wait, wait…” Yoshiki stammered.
“Yoshiki, if you’re in heat, we’re going to have to deal with it at the root and do this over and over again. My brother is going to find out whether you want him to or not,” Hikaru explained shamelessly.
In another fleeting moment of clarity, Yoshiki felt embarrassment rise again. ‘Hikaru’ was his best friend after all; of course it would be humiliating for him to find out—especially like this.
“But…,” Yoshiki protested, but Hikaru shifted them both onto their sides on the bed.
“Let me help you. I want you to come again.”
Somehow, he adjusted the angle of his hips, lifting one of Yoshiki’s legs into the air as he kept thrusting. The mix of Yoshiki’s release still inside him and his own slick made it easier for him to slide in and out.
The sensitivity Yoshiki had felt after finishing faded, and his heat took over his body again, making him burn even more as Hikaru kept moving.
This time, Hikaru chose a fast, relentless rhythm that reached deep inside Yoshiki. Only like that did the pain seem to lessen.
Yoshiki moaned intensely. “Hikaru, wait…,” he warned as another orgasm began to build. But when the sensations became too overwhelming—saliva slipping from his mouth, tears gathering in his eyes—Yoshiki changed his mind.
“Keep going, keep going, like that… just like that,” he barely managed between thrusts.
Hikaru panted hard behind him, moving with even more intensity.
Within minutes, Yoshiki couldn’t hold back and came again. Hikaru took advantage of it, giving one final push and locking inside him at the same moment Yoshiki reached his climax. Yoshiki didn’t even realize the knot was already inside him.
After a few minutes of heavy breathing, Yoshiki slowly came back to himself. The room stopped spinning, and he managed to catch his breath.
Only then did he realize how close he was to Hikaru—and how his arms were wrapped completely around him, pressing him against his chest.
“Aah…” Yoshiki sighed.
“Are you okay?” Hikaru asked, his hands tracing along Yoshiki’s ribs. “You got it inside…”
Yoshiki tried to pull away slightly and felt the tug of what connected their bodies.
“Ah!” he exclaimed.
“What are you doing?” Hikaru asked, amused. “Do you feel better now?”
“Yes,” Yoshiki answered. “Thank you…”
The ache and that relentless itch deep inside him had, for the moment, faded. But Yoshiki knew it would come back soon.
Without the haze clouding his mind, with his thoughts finally clear again, Yoshiki felt his cheeks heat up. He had actually done it—with his best friend’s older brother. The same best friend who would be back any moment.
Thoughts began racing through Yoshiki’s mind, one after another. Slowly, the weight of the situation started to settle in, and anxiety began to creep up inside him.
Behind him, however, Hikaru began cleaning him up with some wet wipes he had pulled from somewhere.
“Relax… you’re really tense,” Hikaru murmured, sliding his hands over Yoshiki’s shoulders in slow, firm motions.
That was when Yoshiki realized just how stiff he was—his muscles tight as stone under Hikaru’s touch.
Then, suddenly, a fresh, enveloping scent filled his senses, making him inhale without thinking. It was musky, warm… but with a softer undertone, almost sweet—something he couldn’t quite place, and it made his skin prickle.
Yoshiki blinked, taking only a moment to understand.
It was Hikaru’s pheromones.
The Alpha was releasing them deliberately, blending them with his natural scent, letting them wrap completely around him.
And it was working.
The tension in his body began to ease little by little, as if that scent seeped beneath his skin, calming him from within. His breathing slowed, deepened, while the weight in his chest melted away before he could stop it.
Without realizing it, Yoshiki relaxed against him.
“Just like that,” Hikaru encouraged, stroking him with a softness and slowness that almost felt like love.
Yoshiki shivered once more.
But before he could think of what to say, there was a knock at the door.
“Hikaru!” It was the other ‘Hikaru’. “Do you know where Yoshiki is? He’s not where I left him,” he called from the other side. The door rattled when he tried to open it, but it was locked.
Yoshiki sucked in a breath and tried to get up, but Hikaru pulled him back against his chest.
“Yoshiki’s fine. He fell asleep here,” Hikaru replied, raising his voice from behind him.
“What!? What do you mean he’s asleep!?” The urgency in ‘Hikaru’s’ voice sharpened. The door shook again as he tried to force it open. “I need to see him! He needs his medication!”
This time, Hikaru’s voice changed, taking on an authoritative tone—pure Alpha—that seemed to echo against the walls.
“He doesn’t need anything anymore! I worked hard to get him to sleep, and your Beta scent would only make things worse,” the older one shouted.
Something about what he said didn’t sit right with Yoshiki. His expression tightened, and he clenched his fist before hitting Hikaru’s thigh.
Hikaru hissed in pain, surprised by the blow.
An awkward silence followed, none of the three saying anything. Then suddenly, in a very neutral voice, ‘Hikaru’ said:
“Both of you, come out in thirty minutes.”
His footsteps could be heard walking away. Yoshiki went completely still.
That voice…
He had only heard it a couple of times before. It had nothing to do with the loud, cheerful, dramatic ‘Hikaru’ he knew. It was flat, cold…foreign. As if, for a moment, it wasn’t him at all. As if it were something—or someone—else entirely.
A chill ran down his spine.
With a tight knot in his chest, Yoshiki let out the breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding and buried his face into the pillow, hiding.
They had been caught red-handed. The weight of it crashed down all at once. He felt selfish and guilty.
Even so, his body remained warm, satisfied—betraying him with every slow heartbeat, with every lingering trace of heat that refused to fade.
Yoshiki squeezed his eyes shut. He didn’t want to think about that. Not now.
He had barely caught his breath when he felt Hikaru move behind him.
His arms tightened slightly around him, firm, almost possessive, as if he wanted to keep him exactly where he was.
“Hey…” he murmured near his ear, his voice lower now, but just as steady. “Breathe.”
Yoshiki swallowed, his face still half-buried in the pillow, but he obeyed. He inhaled… exhaled… again.
Hikaru’s hand slowly moved up his arm to his shoulder, pressing with intention.
“You’re still shaking,” he added.
Yoshiki didn’t respond. He didn’t know how.
Outside, the silence left behind by ‘Hikaru’ felt heavy, as if the entire house were listening. Waiting.
But Hikaru didn’t seem worried.
If anything, he felt more present and certain.
“Listen to me,” he continued, his voice carrying that same authoritative edge as before—but more controlled now. More directed, just at him.
His fingers slid down until they intertwined with Yoshiki’s for a moment, giving a light squeeze.
“I’m not going to let anything bad happen.”
He paused for a second.
“Or let anyone unsettle you more than you already are.”
Hikaru’s thumb brushed absentmindedly against his skin, the gesture contrasting with the firmness of his words.
Yoshiki closed his eyes.
There was something about it… about the certainty in his voice, the way he didn’t hesitate for even a second…
That calmed him.
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
The thirty minutes passed faster than Yoshiki would have liked. At some point, he had drifted off, but the situation itself made him wake up again.
Hikaru was no longer pressed against him. He had given Yoshiki just enough space to sit up, though his presence still lingered close.
Yoshiki avoided looking at him while Hikaru helped him get dressed.
He adjusted his clothes with slightly trembling hands, still feeling the weight of everything that had happened clinging to his skin. Not just what had happened with ‘Hikaru’, but also what those four walls had just witnessed.
“You alright?”
Yoshiki nodded, swallowing.
“You can stay here,” Hikaru said.
As much as Yoshiki might have wanted to, he knew he couldn’t hide in the older Indou’s room forever.
Hikaru, for his part, remained unfazed. Yoshiki wasn’t sure whether that made him feel better or worse.
They walked to the door, and Yoshiki stepped out first.
And there was ‘Hikaru’, waiting for them in the hallway. His eyes lifted to them immediately. There was no trace left of the urgency from before. Nor the panic. Just that strange calm.
‘Hikaru’s’ gaze settled solely on Yoshiki, scanning him from head to toe, just like his older brother had when he first saw him.
“Did you finish resting?” ‘Hikaru’ asked.
His tone was light—normal. But it wasn’t.
Before Yoshiki could answer, Hikaru stepped forward. Just enough to place himself subtly in front of him.
“He’s doing better,” the older one replied calmly.
‘Hikaru’s’ eyes narrowed slightly.
“Oh, really?”
He paused, then stepped closer.
Now the three of them stood at an uncomfortably close distance.
“That’s strange…” ‘Hikaru’ murmured. “Because Yoshiki didn’t look very ‘fine’ earlier.”
The air tightened. Yoshiki felt his heart pounding in his throat. Hikaru didn’t move an inch.
“I already told you he’s fine,” he replied, his voice firmer now. More Alpha.
The silence that followed was even worse. ‘Hikaru’ looked back at Yoshiki again. And for a second, Yoshiki caught a glimpse of his ‘Hikaru’.
In his expression, he saw doubt, confusion, sadness—and something deeper Yoshiki didn’t want to name.
“Yoshiki,” he said at last. “Come here.”
It didn’t sound like a suggestion. But Hikaru didn’t move to let him pass.
Yoshiki stepped forward to go to ‘Hikaru’, but the older Hikaru stopped him, grabbing his arm. The gesture was firm and sudden, echoing in the hallway.
Something in Hikaru’s instincts didn’t take well to his younger brother giving orders to someone he had just knotted.
“I think you should let him rest a little longer, little bro,” he said calmly. “He’s better now, but he might need to sleep again.”
“If Yoshiki needs to sleep, he can do it in my room,” ‘Hikaru’ shot back without hesitation.
“I don’t think your room is quite… prepared for what Yoshiki needs.”
The tension in the air tightened even more.
“What did you—?”
Yoshiki reacted immediately.
Before things could escalate, he gently slipped out of Hikaru’s grip and turned toward him, placing himself between the two brothers.
“Hikaru…” he said quickly, forcing a small smile. “Thanks for… um, letting me sleep in your room. I think I’ll be okay now.”
He didn’t wait for a response from the older one—his nerves were pounding in his chest.
Quickly, he grabbed ‘Hikaru’ by the arm and began guiding him toward his room, almost dragging him along.
He needed to get out of there. Right now.
The moment they crossed the threshold, ‘Hikaru’ shut the door harder than necessary.
The sound echoed in the small space. Yoshiki barely had time to react before ‘Hikaru’ turned to face him.
“What’s going on?”
There was no playfulness, no teasing tone. Yoshiki froze.
“What are you talking about…?” he tried, but his voice didn’t sound convincing—not even to himself.
‘Hikaru’ stepped forward.
“I mean this.”
His hand rose without asking and grabbed Yoshiki’s wrist, turning it slightly, as if searching for something invisible. As if he already knew.
“About how you came out of there.” He took a step closer. “About why you smell different.”
Yoshiki’s heart skipped for a second. ‘Hikaru’ frowned, leaning in just a bit more—like he needed to confirm it. Like he didn’t want to believe it.
“Yoshiki…” His voice dropped. It wasn’t confrontation anymore—it was something softer. More fragile. “Are you okay?”
The way he said it—so gentle, so genuinely worried—made Yoshiki’s chest tighten painfully. That concern… it was real. Bigger than anything else ‘Hikaru’ might have been feeling right now. It hurt more than any accusation could have. Yoshiki looked away.
“No… I…”
But the words wouldn’t come. His mind had gone completely blank. ‘Hikaru’ clenched his jaw. His grip on Yoshiki’s wrist wasn’t tight—but he didn’t let go either.
“I went to get your meds because I knew you were suffering,” he continued, quieter now. “And when you weren’t there… when you weren’t where I left you…”
He swallowed.
“I thought something had happened to you.”
Silence. The heavy kind—the kind that presses down on your chest.
“And then you come out of my brother’s room…”
His fingers tightened just slightly. Yoshiki felt his eyes sting—shame and stress mixing together.
“…smelling like him.”
‘Hikaru’ looked straight at him this time, not looking away. He seemed older like that. More serious and mature.
“Tell me what happened.”
Yoshiki felt his throat close up. He couldn’t tell him everything. But he couldn’t lie either.
“It’s not what you think…” he started, avoiding his gaze.
‘Hikaru’ didn’t interrupt. He just waited, watching him.
Yoshiki clenched his fingers, trying to say something—anything—that wouldn’t shatter everything.
“I wasn’t feeling well,” he admitted at last, his voice low. “it was worse than I thought.”
That part was true.
“And your brother was there,” he continued. “I didn’t know he was an Alpha until…”
His words trailed off, hanging in the air. ‘Hikaru’s eyes tightened, just slightly.
“Until what?” It wasn’t a gentle question. Yoshiki swallowed.
“…until it started affecting me.”
Another half-truth. The silence that followed was thick and uncomfortable.
‘Hikaru’ glanced down for a moment, as if trying to piece something together—something that didn’t quite fit.
“And then what?” he asked.
His voice wasn’t confrontational anymore, but it wasn’t calm either. There was something dangerous in it, something that kept Yoshiki on edge. Yoshiki shook his head.
“Nothing bad happened,” he said quickly. “He just… helped me calm down. That’s all.”
Another half-lie. Silence again.
‘Hikaru’ stared at him for too long, like he was searching his face for something. Like he wanted to believe him—but couldn’t quite manage it.
“…you smell like him,” he murmured at last.
It wasn’t a direct accusation, but it hurt all the same. Yoshiki felt a bead of sweat slide down his skin.
“I know…” His voice came out smaller than he intended. ‘Hikaru’ clenched his jaw again.
“I see,” he murmured. His tone slipped back into something light… but hollow. Far too similar to before.
Yoshiki felt his stomach drop. “Hikaru, I—”
“It’s fine.” He cut him off without looking at him. “If you say nothing happened, then nothing happened.”
Every word sounded measured, reasonable—even calm—but there was something else underneath. Something shadowed.
‘Hikaru’ turned his back to him, as if anything else in the room had suddenly become more interesting than Yoshiki.
“Anyway… you’re feeling better now, right?” he added with a shrug. Too casual and forced.
Yoshiki clenched his fists.
“That’s not—”
“Then that’s that.”
The silence that followed was unbearable.
‘Hikaru’ took a couple more steps into the room and dropped onto his futon, picking up his phone like nothing had happened. Like Yoshiki wasn’t even there.
But his fingers didn’t move across the screen. He wasn’t even looking at anything.
Yoshiki watched him. This wasn’t the ‘Hikaru’ he knew. Not the one who complained, who laughed, who clung to him without a second thought.
Yoshiki took a step closer.
“…‘Hikaru.’”
No response. Not even a “what?” Nothing.
Just the faint sound of breathing… and that invisible wall that had just risen between them. Yoshiki felt awful.
This felt worse than his heat. He’d rather keep writhing in pain than have his best friend ignore him like this. But here they were. And now Yoshiki had to accept it.
At that moment, he was sure of two things.
First: there was no point in trying to talk to his best friend right now.
Second: his heat would be back soon, so he needed to use this brief moment of clarity to get home.
Yoshiki made a decision. He sighed and, with a hint of reluctance, rubbed the back of his neck.
“I gotta go. I need to get home.”
Then he noticed the pharmacy bag on the small table in ‘Hikaru’s room, next to the black box he had asked for. ‘Hikaru’ hadn’t even bothered to tell him to take them. Yoshiki picked everything up and paused at the door.
“Keep studying and… I’ll see you tomorrow.”
No response. Yoshiki closed the door behind him. When he went downstairs, he ran into the older Hikaru.
“Yoshiki, where are you going?” he asked, stepping out of the kitchen and following him into the entryway.
“Thank you for everything… but I should get going.”
Yoshiki knew he was being unfair. It wasn’t like him to be so cold—especially not with someone he had just shared something so intimate with. But what had just happened with ‘Hikaru’ weighed too heavily on him.
“It’s normal for my brother to be upset. He’s always been very possessive, even as a Beta. But you didn’t do anything wrong.”
Yoshiki didn’t reply and kept putting on his sneakers.
“What matters most right now is that your second heat wave is coming. You can’t leave,” Hikaru continued.
“I can’t stay,” Yoshiki insisted. “Besides, I can handle it on my own. The next waves aren’t as strong as the first.”
Hikaru didn’t move. His eyes hardened, tracking every one of Yoshiki’s movements as he tied his shoes.
“No,” the white-haired man said.
Yoshiki looked up.
“…No?”
“You’re not leaving.”
Yoshiki frowned, straightening up completely. He looked at Hikaru like he’d lost his mind.
“Hikaru, I already told you—”
Hikaru stepped in too close, cornering him against the wall. Instinctively, Yoshiki held his breath.
“You’re underestimating what’s coming,” Hikaru murmured, his voice low but carrying a weight that left no room for argument.
His hand braced against the wall right beside Yoshiki, partially blocking his way without actually touching him.
“You’re not in any condition to leave on your own.”
Yoshiki’s heart started to race. He wasn’t sure if it was because of the words… or the closeness.
“I can handle it,” Yoshiki insisted, more forcefully this time. Who did Hikaru think he was?
Hikaru tilted his head slightly, studying him with an intensity that made Yoshiki feel exposed.
“Less than an hour ago, you couldn’t even stay on your feet.”
Yoshiki pressed his lips together. “That was different.”
“Oh, was it?”
Hikaru’s gaze dropped briefly to the bag in Yoshiki’s hands, then lifted back to his face.
“And you’re planning to ride out the next wave alone at home? You really think that’s a better idea?”
“That’s none of your business,” Yoshiki shot back.
Hikaru exhaled through his nose, like his patience was starting to wear thin.
“It was my business an hour ago.”
Yoshiki cleared his throat and shrugged. He slipped past Hikaru, ducking under his arm—but Hikaru grabbed him again.
“Yoshiki.”
His name came out low, a pure warning. Yoshiki turned, frustrated, trying to pull free.
“Let me go!”
But Hikaru didn’t budge. If anything, he tugged him back a step, just enough to stop his escape.
“I told you—you’re not leaving.”
This time, there was no softness or patience in his tone. Just raw authority that sank under Yoshiki’s skin. His heart pounded.
Shame, frustration, and hurt churned inside him. And now, something else joined the mix.
“You don’t have the right—”
“Yes, I do. Right now, you’re not thinking clearly,” Hikaru said, his voice low but firm. “And I’m not going to let you hurt yourself out of pride.”
Yoshiki’s breathing quickened. Not just from the argument. Something else was stirring under his skin again. That heat. That twisting ache in his core.
“I can—”
The words died in his throat as his voice broke. Hikaru noticed, and his expression shifted.
“…It’s coming back already, isn’t it?”
Yoshiki looked away, not entirely sure what was happening to him. It was hard to think with Hikaru this close.
Hikaru exhaled slowly, as if confirming something he already knew. When he spoke again, his tone had turned protective.
“Then stop fighting me. Because you’re not leaving in that state.”
Yoshiki tried to pull away again—just as the world tilted.
A strong arm wrapped around his back, the other sliding beneath his knees, and in one smooth motion, Hikaru lifted him off the ground.
“W-what are you doing!?” The protest came out weaker than Yoshiki would’ve liked.
But his traitorous body didn’t respond the way he expected. His legs gave out. The heat and weakness were coming back too fast.
“I’m done arguing with you,” Hikaru replied calmly, as if none of this was unusual. As if carrying him like this was the most natural thing in the world.
Yoshiki tensed in his arms, trying to move.
“Put me down!”
But all he managed to do was cling to him tighter without meaning to. Hikaru adjusted him slightly against his chest, securing his hold.
“Stop moving,” Hikaru growled—and Yoshiki’s instincts reacted instantly, going still. His legs trembled once more.
The hallway felt longer than usual as Hikaru walked with steady, unhesitating steps toward his room. Each footstep echoed softly against the floor. Each of Yoshiki’s heartbeats seemed to fall into sync with that rhythm. The heat in his body kept rising.
“I told you you weren’t in any condition to leave,” Hikaru murmured, glancing down at him.
Yoshiki avoided his gaze. He couldn’t hold it—especially knowing ‘Hikaru’ thought he had already left.
Hikaru slid his bedroom door open with his foot and stepped inside, shutting it behind them with a sharp thud.
Then he laid him down carefully on the bed, which still carried the scent of what they had just done. One hand remained braced beside Yoshiki’s head, the other still firm on his hip, keeping him in place.
Yoshiki’s breathing was no longer steady. His body was betraying him again.
“Now then…” Hikaru murmured, leaning slightly over him, his voice lower, more controlled. “Stop trying to run.”
His eyes never left Yoshiki’s.
“And let me help you.”
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.