you can take my Soul, but never my Heart (omegaverse)

Chapter 29: building bonds

"Give me one good reason," he repeats lowly, pinching at Chuuya's ear to make him hiss so he'll look at him. "One good reason, and I'll stop asking." And he means it. If Chuuya can convince him that letting him claim him is a bad idea, Dazai will stop pushing.

He's pushed Chuuya a lot in the past seven years.

He doesn't want to do it anymore.

***

-five months later-

When Dazai finally gets home Friday afternoon after leaving work early for another appointment with his hormonal therapist, he's about ready to explode.

He's exhausted, for starters, because arguing with that woman that Yosano helped select for him is as useless as screaming at a mountain to move. He's been after her for four months now to get started on suppressants again, something that has only escalated to the point that he's begging as his heat gets closer. But she has a good reason; he's never had a natural heat without suppressants anywhere in his system, let alone a heat that will be spent with his daughter and an alpha he trusts in a safe place. She wants to see how it will effect him, how he'll fare, and he has a stupid little notebook that he's supposed to get Chuuya to take notes in to turn into her like some homework assignment when he sees her after it's over.

No one greets him at the door like they usually do, which doesn't do anything for his mood, and he grumbles to himself as he hangs up his wool coat near the door after stepping out of his shoes. His skin itches under his bandages, and he's already pulling the pin off of his arm to start the process of unwinding them as he wanders into the kitchen, following the scent of his alpha that his pre-heat senses are all too eager to pick up on.

Chuuya is, indeed, in the kitchen, sitting at the kitchen island with a mostly-empty glass of wine as he taps away at his computer. He's accidentally picked up a job working with Olivia, helping gather research for her for her degree in Japanese literature and mythology. He has always liked poetry, always liked the fantastical, and has spent many days of the past months reading fairy tales to Koko to get her sleepy enough for her afternoon naps. So he doesn't mind helping with Olivia's research, editing her papers and helping her with the language, and when she insisted on paying him for his help, he certainly didn't decline. The money he had saved up is a very comfortable cushion for him, but it's nice having more than Dazai's income to live off of.

He glances up when he catches sight of Dazai out of the corner of his eye, fingers pausing over the keyboard as he raises a brow at the notebook Dazai unceremoniously tosses onto the island before he steals his wine to drain the glass. "Uh, hi?"

He sets the glass back down with a heavy sigh, though the alcohol doesn't ease his irritation. He sinks into the stool next to Chuuya instead, poking the notebook towards him. "Doctor Warren wants you to take notes during my heat."

Chuuya stiffens, eyes glancing at the notebook before back to Dazai with something akin to panic in the flecks of electric blue around his pupils. "She didn't give you any suppressants?"

He makes a face, almost pouting. "No. She said she wants to see how I handle my heat so she can better understand what dosage I need."

Slowly, Chuuya closes his laptop, picking up the notebook to find that it's completely blank inside. "So I... need to stay with you?"

Dazai frowns. "Why wouldn't you stay with me?"

He shrugs lamely, fingers fiddling with the edge of the notebook. "I didn't think you'd want me to."

Dazai stares at him.

He sighs heavily, glancing towards the doorway before he speaks, keeping his voice low in the event they're overheard. "Dazai, we haven't fucked in five months. I didn't think you were... interested."