Chapter Text
“Hey. Hey! I know you can hear me!”
“Come on, man. Leave him alone.”
“No way. I’ve never seen one before. I just wanna talk to him.”
“You’re gonna get reported.”
“Nah, he won’t do shit. Omegas are weak and timid. My dad says so.”
“Like he’d know…”
The conversation carried on as if no one else could hear it. Silver eyes shifted over towards the other table on the open patio. Levi Ackerman sat alone, his pencil pausing over the paper. It seemed that even with headphones in, he could not be left alone. Yes, he could hear them. The volume was down but he’d hoped that just the sight of the little devices in his hears would be enough to deter anyone from pestering him. That thought had been incorrect, it seemed.
“Hey! Come on, little guy!”
Finally, he sighed and lifted his head, looking at the trio. Three young man, perhaps his age or less. Only two of them were Alpha, the other was a Beta. That one looked uncomfortable. The other two had the same arrogant disposition that he’d come to expect from their gender. All three brunette, all three larger than himself. They were dressed in the colors of the local college. Perhaps they were athletes. It would make sense. Whatever.
“Yeah, I knew you could hear me.” The blue eyed one said, his smirk a glare from across the space between them. “Are you really a male omega?” He asked, being blunt. Didn’t he have any fucking manners?
Like all omegas born before the last three years, Levi had a black tattoo just under his left ear. Before the omega protection act, three years ago, all his kind were marked so that they could be easily identified… and found if they ran away. Afterall, until recently, omega were nothing more than property. Sometimes it still felt strange to be his own person… but Alphas were always quick to make things harder or more awkward than they needed to be.
“That’s what they tell me.” He said in a dry tone. Levi watched them. The green eyed Alpha now grinned as well and they shared a look. It put an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. “Cool, well if you don’t mind…”
“I’ve never seen a male.” Green said, leaning forward on the table. “So, you the same as the females? Heat and all that?”
“I couldn’t even smell you. Bet you’re on those fancy suppressants, huh?” Blue asked.
“Guys, just leave him alone before you get in trouble.” The Beta said, looking around. He was the only one who seemed to realize that this was totally inappropriate. Levi was just so used to having no privacy or respect from these idiots that he wasn’t overly bothered by it. A change in laws hadn’t stopped them from being cocky little shits.
“Yes. I’m an omega. All omega rules apply. I have things to do so if you could finish up with the questions, that would be swell.” He said and gave them a flat look.
“Damn, he’s sassy, huh?” One laughed and they elbowed each other. “My dad said the ones with attitude were more fun. They liked to put up a fight.”
Levi tensed a little. He was hoping the conversation would not turn to this but somehow, it always did. When it came to Alphas, the conversation stirred towards sex. It was inevitable. Even though three years had passed since his kind were allowed to be free and live their lives as they wanted, there were still threats that never seemed to go away. Most omegas never left home alone. Of course, Levi was too independent. He didn’t need someone to hold his hand just to go get coffee in the morning. By being that way, he risked having to deal with idiots like these two.
He started to put his headphone back in when the green eyed one called out to him. The bulky brat stood up, much to the displeasure of the Beta. With the over confidence that they all seemed to have, he came over and grabbed the chair next to Levi. It was pulled out and then he dropped down into it. His elbow hit the table, his chin dropping into his upturned hand. What was the point of the scent suppressants if Alphas still got drawn to him the second they realized what he was?
“You seem pretty brave. A cute little omega out here all on his own. No Alpha…” he said and reached out to try and touch Levi’s nape.
Instantly, a growl escaped his lips. Levi’s hand shot up and grabbed the Alpha’s wrist. Before the man could react, he slammed his arm back down onto the surface of the table. The cup of coffee swayed, almost tipping over from the force. Another day out ruined by an empty-headed jerk. When he released the man’s hand, Levi gathered his papers and pencil, shoving it all into his backpack. This made him furious. He just wanted to be left the fuck alone.
“Who the hell do you think you are?” Blue asked, standing up now as well. Green was growling now in his throat, clearly not liking the omega standing up to him like that. “Why don’t you sit back down and be a good omega?”
“I’m leaving. You two can feel free to sit here and jerk each other off but I’m not gonna pretend to be in aw of your fucking superior gender.” He snapped back. Both seemed shocked but recovered quickly.
“Look, bitch…”
“Guys! Come on!” The Beta said, rushing over. He placed himself between his friends and Levi. “This is insane. Do you want to get arrested?” He asked, holding his hands up as if that was going to stop anyone. Levi didn’t wait around to find out.
The second they were distracted by their friend; he spun around and took off down the sidewalk. There was a ruckus behind him, but he didn’t even glance over his shoulder. His feet carried him fast down the sidewalk. Even though he was short, he’d learned to move quickly in order to avoid men worse than those brats. He was filled with tension. Not fear, never fear. His body was like a rubber band, stretched taunt and ready to snap back at any second. The only thing that mattered was that distance was put between himself and the threat as soon as possible.
The omega went several blocks before he finally came to a stop outside a little corner mart. He pressed his back against the wall outside and took several large, shaking breaths. As much as he hated to admit it, he’d been on the verge of a panic attack. His body ached with tension and his heart was beating so fast that it actually hurt. Tears welled at the corners of his eyes, but he made damn sure not to let them fall. No fucking Alpha was ever going to make him cry again.
Each time he was forced into a situation like that, it brought him right back to that place, to that hell that he’d been stuck in for the entire first part of his young life. The dingy, dirty walls. The collar… He swallowed hard, a hand coming up to touch his throat as if he could still feel the worn leather there. In that place, he’d been a possession. Out here, he was free. He was his own man. No matter what. Levi just had to keep reminding himself of that fact. No longer was he someone else’s possession. No longer did he have to give his body to whoever wanted it.
Silver eyes opened slowly.
The world was still moving around him. People walked by, living their lives with no idea of what he had just experienced. They were on their way to work, to meet friends, to head to their homes after long nights… none of them had to deal with the harassment that he had. Levi sucked in a breath and steadied himself. A hand brushed through his hair, feeling the slickness of sweat. Great, now he was gross. As he lowered his hand, he stared at his shaking fingers. He’d let those pricks unnerve him. When was that going to stop happening? When would he be able to face them without panicking?
~
Levi’s apartment was in what was referred to as the Omega Preservation zone. It sounded liked some kind of animal sanctuary. Hell, maybe that’s exactly what it was. The neighborhood was protected on all sides by high fences with one two gates on each end. One had to have a code to get in and at night, police patrolled the area. It was the governments way of trying to make up for the past hell all the omegas had gone through. Levi guessed he should probably be thankful that he had a safe place to call home but it still sort of felt like he was trapped, just in a different way.
His place was on the sixth floor, which Levi greatly enjoyed. He loved being able to sit on his balcony and stare out at the city lights. His building was the only one that went over four levels. He felt quite lucky that he’d gotten the apartment he did. His place was immaculate. The social worker that came to check on him always commented on how lovely it was to come into such a well kept home. He didn’t do it because of guests. He did it because of his compulsions. She knew that as well but always tried to make him feel normal, which the omega did appreciate.
It was small, only one bedroom. He kept some places by the windows but other than that, there really wasn’t much in the ways of décor. No pictures, no paintings. He did have some candles, but they were all clean scents that just added to the almost sterile air that was his home. Since gaining his freedom, Levi had collected personal items, but he didn’t displace them out like trophies. No, he kept them hidden away, where he knew they were safe. There was always the fear that he’d have to pack up and just run away again. His suitcase was always by his bedroom door.
When he arrived home, he took off his shoes and put them on the little stand next to the front door. His jacket was hung up, his keys put in the bowl, and his pack taken to the desk. Meticulously, Levi took everything out and put it exactly where it went. The bag was put into the hall closet. Then he went and washed his hands, his face and changed his clothes. The old ones were put into the hamper in the bathroom. It was like a ritual; one he completed each time he returned home from anywhere he went. His doctor had told him that having little rituals would help him adjust to living alone. It would ground him; the man had said. And of course, he was right.
It was still morning, and he had the whole day to get through but there was no way he was going outside again. That had been ruined by those assholes. Levi went to his sofa and sat down, drawing his knees up. In his hand, he tightly gripped his cell phone. Until last year, he’d never had one. His social worker insisted that he needed to have a way to be contacted and to reach out. She said that he could use it if he needed help, needed to reach or, or just to contact friends. Levi still laughed at that. He had exactly two friends and his desire not to be a bother meant that they were always the ones to reached out to him first.
Hanji Zoe was a professor at the local university. She had become his friend when they met at the omega protection center. She volunteered there, offering to help omegas to get their education. Most of them had never attended school a day in their lives, Levi included. She was upbeat, forward, but such a good person. Levi wasn’t anything like her. That was why she loved him, or so she said. His sour attitude had been a great source of amusement for her but not in a malicious way. They bonded quickly and now he considered her his very best friend.
The only other friend he had was Eld. Like Hanji, he was a Beta. He worked as one of the Police that patrolled the omega settlement. Eld was tall, blond, and friendly to a fault. He always greeted all the omega as they left in the mornings. Sometimes Levi would bring him coffee and they’d sit outside in his squad car and chat about this or that. Eld never made him feel weird. The guy was engaged to a really pretty omega girl named Petra. He talked about her all the time, and it made Levi really happy, though he didn’t express that. It was sort of nice to know that omegas could fall in love with and be with Betas. It totally went against their nature, but their love was real and that was inspiring.
Levi didn’t want it, though. When it came to relationship, he wanted nothing to do with any of it. The doctor and the social worker always asked if he met anyone, if he hoped to find a partner, etc. Each time, he said no and shut the conversation down. The omega had more than his fill of men and no matter what his heats made him feel; when he was conscious, he wanted to be alone. It seemed to disappoint them, but he didn’t care. Levi did not need anyone to take care of him. He was doing fine on his own.
Staring at his phone, he saw that he had two messages from Hanji. She wanted to know if he wanted to have dinner. She had some news. News about what? With her, it could literally be anything at all. The woman was a force of nature. Sometimes she was wild like a hurricane, other times she was calm like the moments before the storm. He never knew what she might be coming at him with. The texts she went were filled with little emoji things and made very little sense but that was just how she was. He had learned to decipher her odd ways of speaking.
He tapped back a quick response, telling her that he’d cook dinner if she wanted to come over. Cooking helped a lot. It was something for him to focus on that allowed him to take his mind off everything else. Her response was always instant, confirming that she’d be over around seven… and that she was bringing alcohol. If she was offering to bring booze, it would only mean that she wanted to butter him up for something that he wouldn’t otherwise enjoy. Now he was nervous about the news she wished to share. It could not be anything good.
~
Hanji showed up with all the enthusiasm that he’d come to expect from her. She threw up her arms, which were filled with paper bags. While he took them from her, she removed her shoes and jacket, putting them up just as he had. She’d learned what to do when entering his home and always respected his need for things to be clean. He noticed that she smelled really nice, and her hair was damp. Hell, she’d showered before coming over. This had to be a bad sign.
“So, what did you do today? Did you get your paperwork finished up?” The woman asked while going over to look at the tiny table that he’d already set.
“I went out for coffee while I worked on it. Then I came home.” He stated and walked past her to set their dinner plates down. Hanji returned to the kitchen to lift some wine from her bags. She brought a Sweet Red, knowing it was his favorite. The uneasy feeling just thickened in his gut. Yeah, she was definitely trying to make him happy. It could only mean that something terrible was about to come up between them. Of course, his idea of terrible and hers were not even close to the same thing.
Hanji brought him his glass of red while she had a beer for herself.
“I got some really good news today.” The woman said, smiling bright while sitting. Levi sat across from her. While he set his napkin across his lap, she continued. “So, you know how we were talking about suppressants and how the side effects were really hard for you?” He looked up, giving her a questioning gaze. “Well, I was talking to my colleague about that, and he told me that there is this website where Alphas and omegas hook up that’s totally…”
“No.”
“Levi can you just hear me out?”
“No god damn way, Hanji.”
They stared at each other from across the table. Unlike Eld, Hanji knew about his past. She knew what his so called ‘father’ had forced him to do after his mothers’ death. Levi was not going to have sex with an Alpha ever again. Fuck, he wasn’t going to have sex at all. Never again. He would deal with the side effects that came with suppressants and inhibitors. No matter how bad it all got, he’d manage with them. According to his doctor and to Hanji, having a partner for his heats would really make his quality of life better. Yeah right.
“Can you just let me finish?” She asked and he narrowed his eyes at her. “Thank you. So, it’s this website that was founded by the Omega Protection Center. They screen and interview Alphas to add to this list. Omegas can find an Alpha to spend their heats with, safely.”
“There is no such thing.” He growled and lifted the glass to his lips.
“These Alphas don’t want to mate with anyone. They just want to help. Most of them are like me. They volunteer or help in other ways. They are sworn to discretion, and they will not mark you if you’re with them. It’s strictly a medical thing.”
Levi snorted and rolled his eyes. How could she possibly believe that? Alphas wanted to fuck omegas. It was written into their DNA. Even if they didn’t want to pair up, he knew exactly what they wanted. Their own satisfaction was all that mattered. The two genders were meant to go together. It was a biological thing. Fucking Betas would never be as good either side. For an Alpha, having sex with an omega in heat was the height of pleasure. That was why so many of his kind were prostituted out. Hell, it still happened all over the place.
“Levi, I really wish you would give this a chance. I know how much you suffer. If medication can’t help you, one of these men could…” She continued. “It’s what your body craves for a reason. If you just let one of them help you, it could…”
“Stop.” He said, holding up his hand. “Is this the news that you wanted to share with me so badly?” He asked and she sighed heavily.
“I signed you up.”
“What?”
“I signed you up for a partner.”
Silence passed between them. Levi felt his heart stop in his chest. He stared at his friend with wide, totally shocked eyes. How could she do something like that? What in god’s name was she fucking thinking? She knew more about him than anyone. She knew that he’d been sold like a fucking sex doll to Alphas in the past and now she wanted him to just grab one from a catalog and play nice with them as if it was a total normal thing to have a fuck buddy? What the hell was he even supposed to say to such an insane and insensitive notion?
“There’s a man whose part of the program that I think you would get along really well with.” She started, her voice now quiet and worried. As it should be. “I went to university with him when I was younger. He did a lot for omega rights and when I found out he was going to join this program, I couldn’t believe it. He’s the quiet type but he’s really amazing and I know you’d get along with him. He doesn’t talk much, just like you…” She continued, just chatting away between bites of her meal. Levi just ate in silence. He’d let her talk, but he was not doing this. There was no way in hell. “…they have these meetings at the hotel on 5th street. Alphas and omegas are welcome to come and meet but there is no obligation to stay. It might be healthy for you just to go and be around some safe Alphas. It could help you to get used to being around them.” She suggested and he shot her a narrowed gaze.
“I don’t want to be around them, Hanji. I don’t want to have sex with them, either.”
“Can I please just give you this?” She asked and pulled a slip of paper from her back pocket. “His name is Mike. He’s tall, blond, and just your type. I know it. You can go to the hotel, have a drink and meet him. The meetings are regulated by representatives from the OPC. You’ll be totally safe.”
“Oh gee, this sounds super. I get to go to a hotel to meet an Alpha for sex, being watched by someone to make sure it goes well. Doesn’t that sound familiar?” He snapped, his stomach twisting up painfully. Hanji frowned.
“You don’t have to have sex with him. I just want you to meet him. If you guys get along, maybe you could get to know him better and when your heat comes around…” The rest was obvious, and it made him feel sick. Being around an Alpha during his heat just brought back waves of horrible memories that he’d rather let go of. This was not something he could do.
At the end of the night, Hanji left quietly. They had stopped talking about Mike entirely and switched to his college forms. This was a subject he much preferred but even so, his mind was caught up in all the things she’d said to him. How could she ever expect him to do something like this? It was too much like what he’d done in his past. Sleeping with an Alpha… it made him want to be sick.
While he cleaned up, he found the slip of paper that she’d left on the table. There was a date and time on it. Levi stared at it for a while before he sighed. He finished cleaning everything and finished off the bottle of wine. The paper was left on his desk. Why the fuck he didn’t just throw it away, Levi didn’t know. Maybe there was some kind of morbid curiosity that settled in his gut. Hanji had spoken with such confidence. His heat wasn’t due back until next month and it was far from mating season so the Alpha wouldn’t be at risk of a rut. Maybe it couldn’t hurt just to go. He could meet the guy, tell him sorry for wasting his time and leave. He’d be able to tell Hanji he gave it a shot and she’d leave him alone after that. That alone was enough to convince him. This needed to be nipped in the bud before she could get obsessed with it. Hanji was bad for that. He’d go one time. Then it would be over.