Chapter Text
Zanka Nijiku thought he had a normal life: a job at a cute little bakery, a boyfriend who loved him, and a family that supported him.
Zanka was an Omega, a Prime Omega, to be precise.
There had never been much distinction between Alphas and Omegas in his family. All of his siblings were Primes, all of them Alphas, but that never meant Zanka was worth any less than they were. Quite the opposite.
Kyouka and Goka adored him and spoiled him precisely because of his secondary gender. Ever since he was little, Zanka had always had every toy he wanted, cuddles whenever he asked for them, and even the last slice of cake whenever there was any left.
It wasn't unusual for there to be a large cake to share at lunch.
Zanka always got the last slice, but Goka would very often steal the strawberry from the top, making Zanka laugh and earning himself a scolding from Kyouka.
That was his normal.
He knew that kind of reality existed only within his family, but his siblings had never once made him feel different because of his secondary gender.
Growing up, however, things had changed.
Zanka had come face-to-face with the real world, the one outside the colorful glass case that had been his family.
Many Alphas looked down on Omegas, especially older ones.
'Objects of sin.'
He had heard someone say it once. Not even a person, but an object, to some people.
And yet, his routine made him believe that perhaps not everyone was like that.
Whenever he left the bakery, he always brought a tray of pastries home for his boyfriend.
They would have dinner together, watch a movie, and then fall asleep in each other's arms as if it were the most normal thing in the world.
Zanka thought he had found the right person, or at least, that was what a boy only a few months away from turning eighteen believed.
That Alpha seemed perfect - funny, sweet, and caring too. Well, most of the time, at least.
Not long after his birthday, however, something changed.
It happened slowly.
His boyfriend started coming home later than usual.
There were sudden bursts of anger that made Zanka tremble.
And then, every time he watched him come through the door, there was the smell of alcohol hanging in the air.
“You've gained weight. That's not like you.”
Kyouka pointed it out as she looked at him.
Zanka huffed and gave her an amused look.
“Thanks. Always so kind.”
He joked, shaking his head.
“Did you change your body wash too? It's hiding your scent.”
Kyouka had noticed the way his scent - once eucalyptus and chamomile - had changed into something milkier, with hints of honey.
Zanka looked at her in confusion and shook his head. He had always used the same body wash, so why would she...
The boy thought back to what had been happening over the past few months.
He had often felt nauseous whenever he smelled certain foods. He couldn't eat sweets anymore and had been eating almost nothing but savory food lately.
And now his scent...
Those things made him think back to everything that had happened over the past few months, until one particular night came back to him.
He thought about that night.
A broken condom.
A pill taken too late.
An accident.
It was much easier to tell himself that.
Much easier than remembering the way he had kept saying no.
“I have to go.”
Zanka announced it without another word, rushing out of the house he shared with his siblings. After grabbing his car, he drove to the nearest pharmacy.
Maybe it was just a suspicion, but it was better to put his mind at ease as quickly as possible.
He bought a pregnancy test and returned to the apartment he shared with his boyfriend.
The place was empty since the other man was still at work, so Zanka took his time.
He set the timer, and when he looked at the test and saw the positive result, a strange sensation washed over him.
They had never talked about starting a family.
They had never talked about having a pup.
For months, he had kept convincing himself that it had been an accident.
That one mistake had been enough.
That if only they faced the situation together, maybe they would find a solution.
Zanka was young.
He could barely take care of himself, let alone a pup.
And yet, he thought that having someone beside him made it a little less frightening.
He left the apartment and went to the best bakery in the city, where he bought some
pastries.
He gathered his courage when he saw his boyfriend come home and confessed everything over the sweets he had bought.
He had expected anything—fear, anger, maybe even tears—but what Zanka never could have expected was to be berated.
He was called a freeloader who only wanted to force his way into someone else's life in order to ruin it and change everything.
“Did you really think I was the kind of person you'd start a family with? You're fun to date, Zanka. You're not someone I'd ever want to have a pup with.”
Zanka was left behind with nothing but cruel words ringing in his ears and fear tightening around his chest.
He drove home with tears in his eyes and the feeling that he had gotten everything wrong in his life.
Not the unexpected pregnancy.
But trusting someone so cruel and despicable.
He told his siblings everything, and after Goka's fury - he immediately announced that he was going to pay a visit to Zanka's now ex-boyfriend - Zanka received nothing but understanding from his family.
Still, the boy felt unprepared. He wasn't ready, and so he made two appointments: one for a check-up and another for an abortion.
It was a difficult decision to make, especially alone and with so little time to think, but he decided to go through with it.
He would do everything in one day.
A simple check-up to see how things were progressing, and then the abortion.
Zanka arrived at the clinic with his sister that day.
The doctor who examined him was a very young Beta woman, and far too understanding.
“Let's make sure everything is alright, and then I'll write up a report for you to take to your doctor.”
She explained as she moved the ultrasound probe over the Omega's stomach.
Zanka didn't look at the screen. He couldn't.
He had made up his mind. He didn't want to raise a pup without a father. He didn't want to raise a child alone, the way he had grown up with only his siblings.
Then something broke the silence in the room.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
The boy's blue eyes widened.
His heart clenched painfully in his chest, and the air filled with a sharp note of his scent.
That was his pup's heartbeat.
He covered his mouth with one hand, his lips trembling as hot tears slipped down his cheeks.
“It's alright... I'll leave you two alone for a moment while I write the report.”
The doctor spoke softly before handing them a packet of tissues.
Zanka remained frozen in place, his heart in turmoil and his whole body trembling.
“I can't...”
“What?”
Kyouka looked at him in confusion.
“I can't... I can't do it... That was my pup's heartbeat. I... I don't want to do this...”
She stared at him in surprise before taking a tissue and gently wiping the tears from his cheeks.
“Maybe I'll be a terrible parent, but I don't want to let him go...”
Kyouka shook her head and pulled him into a hug.
“There are no terrible parents.”
“I'm scared.”
“I know...”
“You can learn how to be a good parent, but... you already love that pup. You'll never be a terrible parent, Zanka.”
When he arrived at the new apartment, everything felt far too difficult.
“There aren't many rules here. Quiet hours are from 10:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m., and on weekends they're from 11:00 p.m. to 9:00 a.m. Other than that, everyone here is pretty quiet. Mr. Saeto on the second floor goes jogging at seven in the morning, so you might hear his door slam. And if you ever smell pastries, that's all thanks to Mrs. Ginko on the top floor.”
The man explained as he accompanied Zanka up to the first floor to officially hand over the keys.
“Oh, and in summer - but during winter too, really - the garden is the perfect place for pups. You'll see swings, inflatable pools, and slides.”
“Thank you, Mr. Rubion...”
“Please, call me Gris. If you ever have any questions or need any help, you have my number. Don't hesitate to contact me.”
“Thank you, Gris.”
Zanka smiled at him and, after saying goodbye to the landlord, began carrying the various boxes onto the landing in front of his apartment.
He reached the last box just as he felt the pup waking up.
“Good morning, sleepyhead. Mommy's almost done bringing the boxes inside. Mommy's going to put you down now, but you have to stay here while Mommy starts taking the boxes inside, okay?”
“Okay.”
Zanka prayed that the child was still half-asleep. He set him down and placed a small wolf plushie in his hands.
He managed to open the door and push the first two boxes inside before he heard the little boy running away.
“Wait! Rudo!”
Zanka left everything in a mess as he chased after the pup.
Rudo was two years old, had the argumentative spirit of a professional troublemaker, the running speed of an Olympic athlete - and the personality of a walking natural disaster.
The Omega thanked every god in existence when he saw Rudo stop, then hurried down the last few steps, panting as he watched the little boy hold out his wolf plushie to a man.
“Hi.”
“Rudo! I told you not to run away!”
Zanka picked the little boy up and sighed. The child immediately started playing with his scent-blocking collar, and perhaps the Omega would finally be able to finish carrying the boxes inside.
“Sorry for bothering you... I just moved in and... well, this isn't exactly the best first impression...”
He spoke with flushed cheeks as he looked up at the blond man.
The older man smiled and looked at the pup, waving at him.
“Don't worry about it. Do you need a hand?”
Zanka immediately shook his head.
“No, thank you. We'll try not to bother you.”
He gave a small bow before heading back up the stairs toward the first floor and his apartment.
Unfortunately, the stranger seemed to be following him, and that made Zanka decidedly nervous.
“Looks like we're neighbors. If you ever need anything, I'm Enjin.”
He said it with a smile before waving at the pup again, who waved back.
“Thank you...”
Zanka said before pushing the remaining boxes inside.
He was struggling with Rudo in his arms when he noticed the stranger—or rather, Enjin—crouch down and pick up two of the boxes, carrying them inside before setting them down.
He didn't invade Zanka's space. He simply helped.
“They were heavy... See you. Bye, little wolf.”
He said goodbye to both of them before opening the door to his own apartment and stepping inside.
Enjin closed his door and then stopped, staring at the wood.
He didn't think too much about the new neighbor, or the hyperactive little pup.
He could only think about what he had seen.
That guy looked really tired.