It's Fate
Touya pottered around the kitchen, trying his best to ignore the pitying gazes his beta sister sent him over her shoulder.
Honestly, Touya wasn’t sure what they all expected. He’s never really fitted into the ‘omega’ stereotype, and he doubts that he ever will. Life was just cruel like that.
But, part of Touya was also glad with the outcome.
Touya knew that his father wouldn’t send him to the concubines, because it would bring the man great shame to know that one of his sons ended up there. But Touya also knew that he was now on thin ice and that his father would probably try and beat Touya into the perfect omega. But then again, it also meant that Touya didn’t have to leave his siblings just yet. So, there were pros and cons to his current situation.
The house was quiet for once.
There were no screams echoing through the halls, no yelling filling the air and no Endeavour in sight. So, all in all, this evening was a good one. Too bad their mother couldn’t be here to enjoy it.
Rei Todoroki was an omega like Touya. She, like any omega, was also forced into a relationship with the highest bidder. Touya sometimes wonders what Endeavour saw in the frail woman, because Enji only ever looked for physical strength and Rei was far from that despite her strong mind and will.
Rei was also the reason why both Touya and Natsuo had the same disease as her.
It wasn’t that Touya was blaming his mother for his position, far from it actually. Touya loved the woman with all of his heart, cherishing the memories of his mother’s braided hair and beautiful paintings that she’d make.
But Enji always blamed Rei for their children’s weak genetic make-up (even though Shouto and Fuyumi didn’t have haemophilia).
Rei was a beautiful woman with a blinding smile that slowly vanished, and a personality full of life, curiosity and wonder that soon melded into fear and apprehension. The woman couldn’t take hearing her children’s screams, nor could her omega; and when she had gone feral trying to tear Endeavour away from Shouto, she had accidentally left the stove on and ended up burning the house down. She died there…
Sighing, Touya shook himself out of his thoughts, reining in his depressing scent as he drained the rice and started to plate up dinner.
Shouto seemed happy to see Touya but was quiet as he could sense the tense atmosphere – people gave children less credit than they deserved, they were annoyingly smart. Natsuo was glancing awkwardly between Touya and Fuyumi as their sister watched Touya contemplatively. Touya was just waiting for her to open her mouth and start spew some sort of ‘happy family’, ‘good omega’ bullshit that he very much was not in the mood to hear.
“Touya…” Fuyumi started softly. “What happened in there?”
Sighing, Touya set down his chopsticks and turned to his sister.
“I was asked to strip,” Touya deadpanned. Natsuo chocked on his rice, Shouto looked confused as to what that insinuated (bless his brother) and Fuyumi just frowned.
“And?” She hedged. Touya’s jaw dropped open.
“And? What do you mean ‘and’?” He spat, trying to rein in his enraged scent.
“It’s completely normal for omegas to be asked to strip,” Fuyumi supplied clinically, frowning at her brother. “Nakedness shouldn’t be something you are ashamed of.”
“Uhm, Fuyumi!” Natsuo squeaked as Touya looked ready to burst into flames.
“Oh and is that because my entire purpose is to be brought and raped? That because I am an omega and must suck cock and blow cunts that I shouldn’t bother with fickle things like dignity and shame!?” Touya was starting to yell as he resisted the urge to slam his fist on the table.
“Touya!” Fuyumi gasped, leaning over the table to cover Shouto’s ears. “Don’t say such crude things in front of Sho!”
“Guys…” Natsuo tried to grab their attention but was ignored.
“WHY!?” Touya shouted. “He hasn’t presented yet! He could be a fucking omega and, as you said, there’s no point in shame.”
“Don’t put words in my mouth!” Fuyumi snapped.
“But that’s what you were implying wasn’t it!?” Touya hissed venomously. “Why don’t you step into my shoes, hm?” Touya mocked, sneering down at his sister whom was glowering up at him. “Strip.”
Fuyumi snapped.
“Just because you decided to be a rebellious teenager doesn’t change anything!” She shouted, rising to her feet. “You are still an omega, and no one can change that. No one can change the fact that you will be given to a lovely home to have a wonderful family! I don’t see why you’re so against this! It’s what you’re born to do!”
“Oh yeah, because that’s what mum fucking got WHEN ENDEAVOUR BROUGHT HER LIKE A SLAVE!” Touya screamed before scooping up Shouto, who was now crying, and grabbing Natsuo’s wrist and dragging them out of the house, ignoring Fuyumi’s protests all the while.
Once they were outside and away from Fuyumi, Touya set Shouto on the ground and grabbed the kid’s hand, letting go of Natsuo’s wrist in the process.
“…You okay?” Natsuo asked, worried grey eyes flickering over his brother.
“I’m fine,” Touya grunted, trying to smile but ultimately failing. Natsuo sighed.
“…Touya,”
“I just… don’t want to talk about it,” Touya said softly. Natsuo nodded his understanding before falling into step beside Touya, taking Shouto’s other hand and swinging the boy between steps, earning giggles from the dual-haired kid.
“Dad’ll be mad when he finds us,” Natsuo said as they walked around, ignoring the whispers and pointing fingers – Touya was certainly the talk of the town.
“Fuyumi will probably say it’s me because she doesn’t want you two to get hurt and to try and get Dad to get me to ‘learn me place’,” Touya sighed.
“They’re wrong about you, you know,” Natuso said. “Omegas are just forced into a mould and expected to abandon all of their humanity – their hopes and dreams. People don’t even seem to think of you as people, just ‘omegas’… I hope that you’ll be able to find happiness Touya, even if it means leaving us.”
Touya stopped walking, pulling his brothers to a halt. Tears were gathering in his eyes and he was finding it hard to breath as his throat constricted and his chest squeezed.
Those words meant so much to Touya. Much more than he could ever let Natsuo know.
“Thank you,” Touya rasped, blinking away his glassy eyes.
“Why are you crying?” Shouto asked, blinking up at his brother.
“Because I’m happy,” Touya smiled.
Shouto’s nose scrunched up in confusion. “But people only cry when they’re sad,” He argued.
“That’s not true. Am I sad?” Touya asked.
“…You’re always sad,” Shouto said softly, frowning. Touya let out a wet laugh, ruffling Shouto’s hair.
“I guess you’re right,” Touya conceded.
Agony was the only thing that registered through Touya’s brain. Utter and pure agony.
Pain blossomed over his face, neck, arms, calves and thighs.
Endeavour had been waiting for Touya when they’d gotten back and had immediately dragged Touya into the training room.
Touya remembered words of him being an utter disgrace, of Endeavour plotting to rid him of his omegan status by burning off his scent glands.
Touya had screamed until it felt like his throat was going to collapse on him when a hot iron rod was pressed against his neck as Enji held him down, growling. Touya didn’t even think he needed to worry about his haemophilia as he was pretty sure that the rod was hot enough to sear his skin closed.
There had been banging at the door, but those pounding fists were ignored as Enji dragged the hot rod over Touya’s skin again and again and again. Touya’s tears seemed to evaporate in the boiling temperature as he struggled against his father, causing the rod to slip and run under his eyes.
Soon Touya couldn’t even scream anymore and was left there to endure the pain, unable to move his body as the scent glands on his inner thighs were seared away.
There was only pain that flashed through Touya, like a bright, blinking light that lit up with even the slightest of movements. Touya had to hold in his sobs to stop the skin on his throat from moving, as he tried to control his hyperventilating as his chest burned wickedly at every inhale and exhale.
It seemed like a blessing when he fell into the embrace of unconsciousness – his pain gently washing away as darkness blanketed his vision.
He remembered coming to in a small room, tied down to a bed with his body feeling like his flesh had been peeled off from his bones. It was like Touya could feel how pale he was from what blood he must’ve lost – his body would just uselessly let him bleed dry if left unattended.
He wasn’t sure how long he laid there in that pristine white room. But either way, no one ever came to visit. At least not when he was awake.
Loneliness draped itself over Touya’s shoulders like a cape and gently strangled him as time slowly inched forwards. There was no one coming for Touya. No one care for a lowly omega.
Touya just hoped that Shouto would be okay. That his little brother would never have to face the same fate that Touya did. To die in shame no matter what you did.
Touya just wished that he could hold his brothers one last time. To tell them that everything would be okay and that they would bring wonderful things to this world.
Touya hoped that Natsuo would become the healer he always wished to be. Touya hoped that Shouto got to visit the moon and touch the stars like the little boy had once whispered to Touya he wanted to on a starry night.
If only the world wasn’t so cruel…