Behind The Scenes: The Secret Omega CHAPTER 7 - End Of The Vaca

Behind the Scenes: The Secret Omega CHAPTER 7 - End of the Vaca

AO3 Link SUMMARY: The end of the hot springs vacation and the beginning of the rest of the week.

CHAPTER 7 - End of the Vaca

Kimi’s eyes open the following morning to Hizashi’s smushed face. Smiling, she takes note of where she is, on the edge of the bed facing towards Hizashi. Lifting her head up, she can see Shouta cuddled up to his back. Happiness fills her chest as she looks at her two mates cuddling with one another. Slowly, she manages to detangle herself from Hizashi so she can get up to use the restroom.

Coming out of the bathroom, she admires the telltale signs of the sun starting to rise from the windows. Not wanting to wake her mates, she quietly goes into the closet and grabs some clothes. She changes into a long-sleeved shirt and baggy sweatpants, grabbing her phone as she leaves the room. 

Strolling around the onsen, she enjoys the stillness of the morning and the colors that emerge from the sky. Stopping in an open hallway that shows off a rock garden, she takes a moment to close her eyes and enjoy the serenity of the morning. 

“Good morning, dear.”

Kimi squeaks as she opens her eyes to find the onsen owner at the end of the hallway.

“Good morning, so sorry,” Kimi says with a respectful bow.

“Oh no, dear. I’m sorry for spooking you.”

The onsen owner makes her way next to Kimi, looking out to the garden. 

“I was just enjoying the view. It’s so lovely this morning.”

“Isn’t it? You know, you should really take the opportunity to see the waterfall once the sun rises, the colors are just magnificent.”

Kimi looks at her with intrigue, making the owner smile.

“You should make it if you leave now. You remember where the trail was, right?”

“Yes, thank you. That sounds very lovely.”

“I’d go with you but I have some things to take care of before breakfast.”

“I understand, thank you so much. I’ll take a photo for you.” “Thank you, dear,” the onsen owner waves her off, and Kimi heads to the trail. 

The trail itself is not a difficult hike. The ground is pretty flat and there’s enough light that Kimi doesn’t need a flashlight. Not wanting to miss the display the owner was talking about, she hurries along the trail while quickly admiring the various plants she passes by.

The roar of the waterfall soon greets her as she rounds a curve of the trail. A long wall of waterfalls greets her with two heavier-flowing waterfalls in the middle. They fall into a large pool of water below that flows into the river that goes to the onsen. A plethora of rocks and plants surround the waterfalls, making the scene seem surreal. 

Kimi holds her breath as she gets closer to the rocks at the edge of the pool. The sun flirts right behind the waterfalls, still not high enough to be above them. Realizing she’s early, she makes her way to a larger rock further in the pond so she can get a good photo. The slippers she has on don’t give her a solid grip so she takes them on, slightly shivering at how cold the boulder is. She takes a few photos of the scene around her, getting lucky with snapping a couple of photos of the wildlife that flits by. 

After a few minutes of admiring the scene, a glare off the water flashes in her eyes. The sun peaks its way from the top of the waterfall and Kimi fills with excitement. She watches as the water glimmers and shines from the colors of the rising run. She stands in awe at the display before remembering she wanted to take photos. She nabs a couple of photos before putting her phone in her pocket.

Taking a deep breath, she once again takes a moment to absorb the morning peace. The past week went by in a blur and it feels to ground herself and focus on being in the moment. Taking a closer look at the boulder she sees that it’s flat enough and large enough for her to do some of her routine stretches comfortably. 

Focusing on her breathing, she gets through her basic warmups before moving on to some of the yoga poses she likes. She enjoys feeling the rumble from the power of the waterfall coming through the rock as she moves through it. 

Shouta and Hizashi come running up the trail and find her moving into one of her favorite positions. Her hips move above her head while moves her knees above her before extending out, essentially putting her in a headstand on her arms. So focused on what she’s doing, she doesn’t notice her mates watching her. 

Shouta shouts out her name a couple of times until it startled her out of her concentration. Her balance wavers for a moment until she catches herself and lowers herself. As she stands up, she catches the worried looks on her alpha’s faces and immediately a wave of guilt crashes over her. Silently, she grabs her shoes and makes her way over to the pair, head hung low. A pang of disappointment shoots through her chest and she knows immediately that she messed up. 

“Good morning, sorry, I-”

“What made you think this was a good idea?” Aizawa asks. His voice is harsher than Kimi has heard before and she’s physically taken aback. Immediately, she hangs her head, trying to appease the alpha.

“I’m sorry,-” Shouta interrupts her before she can continue. 

“You came out here by yourself, while it’s still partially dark out with no protection. What if there was something out here that wanted to hurt you? What would you have done?” 

Kimi silently takes the berating, keeping her head down. Hizashi slaps a hand on Shouta’s shoulder reassuringly, making him let out a frustrated breath.

“We were just really worried about you, hon,” Hizashi says, his voice far less harsh than Shouta’s.

“We woke up and you were gone, it startled us. Thankfully the owner told us where you went.” 

Kimi can tell that Hizashi’s still displeased and she can’t blame him. Waves of grief and guilt roll off of Kimi.

“You’re right, I’m so sorry. I wasn’t thinking ahead. The owner was just telling me about how pretty the sunrise looks and I just got carried away. I’ll try to be more aware of my actions. I’m sorry to have worried you” 

Her voice is timid as she responds and she bows in submission, utterly disappointed in herself. When she stands up, she can’t bring herself to look her alphas in the face. Hizashi takes pity on her and tries to break the tension.

“You’re ok, hon. We’re just a bit on edge from the new marks.”

Realization hits Kimi like a bus as she connects the dots. Since they’re freshly mated, their instincts are yelling at them to keep her safe the way hers are yelling at her to keep them pleased. Of course, they would be so frantic. A pit forms in her stomach and tears prick her eyes. 

Impulsively, she wraps her hands around Shouta and tightly hugs him. It’s a bit awkward because his arms are crossed, but that doesn’t deter her from staying latched on.

“I am SO sorry. That was so cruel of me, I’m so sorry.”

She focuses on releasing calming waves to help soothe them and it seems to help because after a few moments, he relaxes and wiggles his arms out of her embrace to return the hug.

“It’s ok. I’m sorry for being so stern,” he responds slowly, his tone back to its usual level. Kimi releases him and tightly wraps her arms around Hizashi who gladly squeezes back.

“What do you say we head back and see if breakfast is ready?” 

Kimi smiles up at him and wordlessly nods. Hizashi smiles back in response before grabbing her hand and leading the group back to the onsen.

“So was it a really pretty sunrise?” 

“Yes,” Kimi responds shyly before pulling out her phone to show pictures.

“Oh wow! That is gorgeous,” he says before handing the phone to Shouta.

“Yeah, sorry. I thought I was going to be back before you woke up, just didn’t want to disturb you. Especially after you said you guys don’t sleep much.”

Hizashi playfully bumps Kimi and she tries not to run into Shouta.

“Don’t worry about it, hon. There are no hard feelings here, ok? Let’s try to bring back some positive vibes into this morning, yeah?” He shoots her finger guns and she can’t help but giggle.

“Yeah,” Kimi agrees, feeling a bit better. 

Shouta hands Kimi back her phone.

“It did look nice. Sorry to have disturbed you.”

“It’s ok. You’re right, I should have been more focused. I just got carried away, my bad.” 

“You enjoy doing yoga?” Shouta asks.

“Yeah, I haven’t gotten much of a chance since the interviews so I just kinda jumped at the opportunity.”

Shouta nods his head, taking in her words.

“You’ll have to show me some time then.”

“Yeah?” Kimi asks, voice laced with excitement.

“Yeah. I’ve heard yoga can be really good for you.”

“It is! It’s so good for you! I mean, it seems like you probably have a really good workout plan but it’s really good for joints and balance and things like that. I mean I could go on forever about how much it’s helped me. Oh hey, it might even help with your sleep.”

Kimi can tell she’s starting to ramble and cuts herself off.

“Oh, count me in,” Hizashi jokes. Kimi giggles.

They arrive back at the onsen shortly and are greeted by a staff member who informs them that breakfast will be prepared in their room shortly. They make their way into the room and wait in the living room for the meal.

It ends up being just as extravagant as the other meal. Though a different staff member is hosting this meal, it seems that the previous one informed the kitchen of Kimi’s food preferences. She’s thankful when she realizes that there are more options for her to eat and happily accepts more food than the previous meal. 

After their bellies are full, Hizashi lets Kimi know that the plan is to go into a nearby town to walk around.

“Oh good. I’m going to have to work off this meal. I ate too much,” she giggles.

“Saaaaame,” Hizashi whines. “But it was just so good!”  

“I agree,” Shouta adds, also dealing with a super full stomach.

Kimi’s instincts creep into her mind, making her hope that they’ll have the same reaction to her cooking.

“Well, I guess I should get ready,” she says, getting up to make her way to the bedroom.

“Sounds good. Just don’t worry about getting too dolled up, I’ve got a bit of a surprise in store.”

Kimi flashes Hizashi an intrigued look before making her way to the bedroom to get ready. 

Kimi’s back in the SUV about half an hour later. The boys piled into the vehicle as well after placing the boxes with the kimonos in the back. 

“The surprise doesn’t have anything to do with our kimonos, does it?” Kimi playfully asks Hizashi.

“Maaaaybe,” he teases, purposefully not answering her question.

They make the quick drive over to a small traditional town. Kimi fawns over the traditional-styled buildings and the people walking around dressed in traditional attire.

As she exits the vehicle, she starts to feel underdressed, but Hizashi assures her that she won’t be there for long before leading her into a nearby business. A group of three women immediately rush Kimiko away to a room in the back with a vanity. Flustered, Kimi asks for clarification while they sit her down and start working on various tasks.

The woman currently brushing out Kimi’s hair explains that Hizashi set up a photo shoot for the three of them in the kimonos he purchased. The woman pulling out various makeup brushes comments that the men will be joining her shortly, so they have to work quickly. Lastly, the woman pulling Kimi’s kimono out of the box Hizashi provided says that after the photo shoot they’ll be able to visit the town’s local temple and recommends some places for lunch.

For the next half an hour, they work on getting Kimi prepared for the shoot. Her kimono is wrinkle-free, her makeup is done and all the women work together to get Kimi’s hair done up in a half-up half-down style with various hair pieces and flowers that match her kimono.

When handed a mirror, Kimi stared for a couple of seconds too long, trying to recognize the woman in the mirror. While she can still see herself, parts of her she didn’t know existed have been highlighted and accentuated in a way that makes her feel like a princess. 

“Is everything ok?” one of the women asks, concerned by Kimi’s lack of response.

“Yes,” Kimi breathes out, breaking her trance. “I just. I look so beautiful. Thank you! I’ve never seen myself like this before.”

The women giggle and coo over Kimi’s reaction making her laugh as well. They help guide her to stand up and bring her to a floor-length mirror so they can get her in the kimono. Kimi watches with fascination, moving her body as they request. She can’t help but feel like the traditional dolls her grandmother would buy her when she was little. While she’s not in the most regal of attire, it’s hard for her not to feel like royalty.

“Ok, my dear. You’re all finished. Let’s get you into the next room to get some photos, ya?” 

The women guide Kimi into the studio the next room over and she pauses in the doorway. Her alphas turn to watch her enter the room and their eyes trail all over her face and kimono. She can’t help but blush under all the makeup under the heat of their glares. In return, she lets her eyes roam over their matching kimonos and slightly touched-up appearances. 

“Princess, you look amazing,” Hizashi blurts out.

Kimi smiles wide, making her way over to the pair. They all take a moment to look one another over before the photographer steps in and starts to get them in specific poses. They spend a good time in the studio taking various photos of each other and single portraits as well. Once satisfied with all of the shots, the photographer leads them outside to take photos amongst the town. They get a lot of candid shops of the throuple admiring various shops and also have them pose in front of some other places. 

About two hours after they start taking pictures, the photographer takes their leave and the throuple continues to explore the town. They get some lunch, tour the local temple, and leave their offerings before making their way back into the town. They pick up a couple of trinkets at a small gift shop before deciding to head back to the SUV.

Shouta texts the driver as they pass another business and Kimi stops, staring into the shop window.

“Something catch your eye?” Hizashi asks, moving to stand next to Kimi.

“Oh, kind of. Sorry, we can keep going. I thought I saw something but it’s not actually what I thought it was?”

Hizashi takes a closer look at the products, noticing it’s a variety of jewelry.

“What were you looking at?”

Kimi points to a series of hairpins.

“The green hairpin there kind of looked like my mom’s at a quick glance, but it’s the wrong flower.”

Kimi starts to walk away from the window, but Hizashi gently grabs her arm and starts to walk into the business.

“Well, it may not be what you thought it was, but let’s see if we can find anything you like, hm?”

Kimi pales.

“Oh, no. You’ve already spent so much. Really, I’m all good. Thank you.”

Hizashi ignores her protest and greets the owner before exploring the various glass cases. Kimi hugs the wall, eyes following Hizashi as he goes from case to case, asking questions to the owner. She can’t help but feel out of place in the shop. Shouta quietly stands next to her, also watching his partner.

“Was there a hairpin that you liked?” Hizashi asks Kimi from the other side of the shop. 

She shakes her head before realizing the action may come off as rude so she quickly tries to correct herself.

“Oh, they’re all nice. I just thought it was the one my mom had, but it wasn’t. But, again they’re all really nice!”

She looks up to Shouta, hoping he’ll say something to help her out. He merely looks down at her with a bored expression, making her more nervous.

“I was genuine when I said you have to get used to ‘Zash spending lots of money on you. I know it may be weird to get used to, but it’s kind of his thing. You can’t really fight it, trust me. You try to fight it and he just spends more money.”

He gives a knowing look to his partner, who gives a self-deprecating laugh back. 

“Okay,” Kimi timidly agrees before walking over to the case Hizashi is at and looking at the different pieces of jewelry. She ends up settling on a hairpin that matches the flowers on her kimono and the store owner even helps put it in her hair. They leave with the hairpiece and a few other pieces of jewelry that Hizashi liked. They walk back to the SUV with their goods from the day and head back to the onsen.

“Would you guys mind if we take a dip in the spring before dinner? My feet are really sore from the shoes.”

“I have no problems with that,” Shouta says from the passenger seat.

“Me neither,” Hizashi chimes in.

“Thank you,” Kimi says back with a smile. “Sorry, I’m used to heels, not sandals.”

“Ha, you sound like Nem,” Hizashi comments. “She wears heels for everything.”

“Sounds about right,” Kimi laughs. “I don’t know, I just got used to them so now flat shoes just hurt. I either need heels or something with a high arch.”

“Noted,” Hizashi teases. 

Later that evening, they all hug their bellies, full from another amazing dinner. They hopped in the spring when they got back and allowed themselves to relax for the evening. Currently, they all lay in bed, this time with Shouta in the middle and the other two on either arm.

“This has been so nice,” Hizashi comments, snuggled up into Shouta’s chest. 

“Mmhmm,” his partner vocalizes. “Thank you for getting this set up.”

“Of course. This was a one-in-a-million chance that we’d even be able to do this with how busy our schedules are. No way was I going to give up this opportunity.” 

“Mm, speaking of which. There are some things I need to take care of when we get back tomorrow.”

“Aw,” Hizashi says, dejected. “I thought you got this whole week off.” 

“I did, but I still need to go into the school to take care of some things for next week. I’m surprised you were able to get all caught up.”

“Well,” Hizashi trails off. “I figured I would just get caught up when I got back in.”

Shouta tsks. “‘Zash!” 

“I was just really excited to spend time with our lovely omega, ok?”

Shouta rubs his temple, annoyed.

“I swear, Nezu just hired me to keep you and Nem in check.”

“Aw, don’t be mad Sho’. I’ll get it done, promise.”

“You better,” Shouta warns. 

Kimi smiles into his side, enjoying watching the two playfully bicker. She enjoys getting to peek into what they were like before she entered the picture and she’s glad they can still be themselves. 

“What are you smilin’ about over there?” Shouta asks playfully.

“It’s just cute to see you two interact,” Kimi admits. “You’re like an old married couple.”

“Old?” Hizashi exclaims. 

“No, wait. I didn’t mean-”

“I heard that, ‘Zash. She called us old!”

“No, I’m sorry, I didn’t-”

“Well, I never!” Hizashi playfully scoffs. 

“Oh my gosh, I am so sorry! You’re not old!” Kimi rushes to apologize and lets out a soothing wave to try and appease the alphas.

Shouta starts to laugh, making his partner laugh. Kimi’s face is red with embarrassment and she looks between the two, ensuring they’re not upset.

“I’m sorry,” Shouta says between laughs. “You’re just so cute when you’re flustered.”

Kimi breathes a sigh of relief and settles into the alpha more.

“It’s more of an ongoing joke with Hizashi because one of his students called him old. Now he does everything he can to prevent sounding like an old man to the kids.” “Kids these days can be so rude,” Hizashi groans.

“I’m just glad you’re not actually upset,” Kimi comments.

“Princess, I think it would take a lot for us to get mad at you.”

Kimi smiles at Hiashi’s words. 

“That’s good to know.” 

The three of them share a moment, enjoying basking in each other’s scents. 

“Have you been enjoying yourself, princess?”

Kimi giggles.

“Do you even need to ask? Yes! This has been all so great. Thank you for everything. I’m so grateful to be here and be in this pack. You guys are more than I could ever ask for.”

“I think it’s my turn to blush,” Hizashi teases. Shouta breathily laughs.

“I’m glad you’re having a good time. It’s going to be a lot different when we get into the swing of things, but I’m glad we can share this time together.” 

Kimi smiles up at him.

“Just let me know what I can do to make it easier on you guys.”

Shouta gives a non-committing nod and pulls his two partners closer. Kimi reaches her neck out and kisses him on the cheek before settling back into his arm. 

“Oh yeah? Two can play at that!” Hizashi says before mirroring Kimi’s actions.

“Hey, chill. There’s enough of me to go around.” 

“I’ll say,” Hizashi says, wiggling his brows. Kimi laughs and Shouta rolls his eyes. 

Returning back to the apartment the next day was both exciting and sad for Kimi. She was looking forward to getting into a routine, but she was sad that her vacation with the guys had ended. Even though she was still going to see them for a good majority of the week, she knew that her focus was going to be on getting things in order so she didn’t need them when they got back to work. 

Sushi greeted everyone at the door with loud meows and leg rubs before bounding back into the apartment. The trio dropped off their luggage in the bedroom before making their way to the living room to lounge. They discuss dinner plans and Hizashi mentions wanting to take out Kimi for some shopping tomorrow while Shouta takes care of some things at his work. 

Kimi finds herself staring at the two while her two alphas chat about the upcoming week. A long-lost feeling starts to creep from her stomach into her chest. She recognizes it as the comfort she felt when she was living with her parents. The warm, protective glow that would hug her like a comfy sweater embraced her like a long-lost friend. Tears come to her eyes and tumble over before she even recognizes she’s crying. Hizashi startles when he catches the change in her scent and locks eyes with her tear-stained face.

“Everything ok?” he asks, voice doused with concern. Shouta whips his head in her direction, also catching on to her sudden change in emotion. 

“Yes, yes,” she rushes to assure them. “I’m all good, I promise. It just really hit me all at once that this was my home.”

“Do you not like it?”

Kimi laughs.

“No, it’s not that at all. I love this. It’s just been a while since I’ve felt-. Well, like I’m a part of a family? I guess. I’m not really sure what this feeling is. It just feels good.”

Hizashi gets up from his spot on the couch and wraps his arms around Kimi tightly. 

“Ok, good. You scared me!”  

Kimi giggles.

“I’m sorry, I’m ok, I promise,” Kimi says, allowing herself to relax into Hizashi’s body. Shouta reaches over and lovingly strokes her hair, making her eyes close. She savors the moment, enjoying being encompassed by her alphas. She’s so happy to be able to be so open and she takes a second to be proud of herself for voicing what she feels. She knows most of the credit goes to her alphas for creating such a comfortable environment for her to speak up, but she’s still proud nonetheless. 

They spend the night cuddling up on the couch, watching some movies together, and enjoying being in one another’s presence. Shouta doesn’t get as snuggly at his two other packmates, but he does hold Kimi’s hand the whole night. She remembers him saying that he’s not the type to cuddle so she doesn’t take it personally overly. Occasionally she’d look over and he’d catch her eye, smiling at her and that was good enough for her. She’s sure that now that they’re back at home, his mind is probably focused on other things and he’s got more of his guard up. While she wishes he was as cuddly as he was back in the hot springs, she accepts that this is now the reality.

At one point in the night, Hizashi blurts out,

“Oh! Kimi.”

“Yes,” she says, slightly startled by his outburst.

“Do you still have that disguise you wore?”

Not expecting that question, she responds back with,

“Huh?”

“The one you wore when you met Sho’,” he explains.

Taking a second to think, she stares at him with a confused look before remembering the first actual time she met Shouta, not the interview.

“Oh. Um, I think so, I believe I packed it. But I can get rid of it if you need.”

“Actually, I’d love it if you held onto it. When we go out tomorrow, I’ll be in disguise just in case and I think you should do the same.”

“Oh, ok,” Kimi responds sheepishly. “I’m ok with that. Did you want me to use the alpha spray too?”

“Nah, that’s ok. I’m enough alpha to go around,” he boasts, causing Shouta to laugh.

“Ok, ‘Zash, sure,” Shouta teases.

“I am!” Hizashi pouts back, placing a hand on his hip. This causes Shouta to laugh more.

“Of course, of course.”

“ Anyways, ” Hizashi continues, “you should be good with just the disguise. That way if a reporter or paparazzi recognizes me, your identity will still be safe.”

“Makes sense,” Kimi agrees.

“Oh, we can also go get some more fun disguises! I know just the place. You can get different wigs and-” 

Hizashi continues spouting out different ideas, making Kimi smile.

Who knew the very thing I was worried would hurt my chances of being in this pack would actually be helpful, she thinks.

The next morning, Shouta leaves for his hero work and Hizashi and Kimi make their way to the local shopping district in disguise. They go through various shops looking at mostly clothes. Lots of things catch Kimi’s eyes but she fights herself by asking Hizashi to purchase them. Hizashi catches on when they reach a department store that has a whole section that Kimi likes.

“If you see something you like, just let me know. I was really surprised by how little clothes you have and I just want to make sure that my omega has the things she needs,” he chides.

“Yeah, I tried not to have a lot of things so I didn’t have to worry about packing a lot or needing a lot of room,” Kimi admits. “Plus, I’ve heard that some packs choose what their omega wears so I just didn’t want to be a burden.”

“Well don’t worry,” Hizashi says while pulling her closer. “You’re not a burden to us. Unless you make us guess what things you like. That would certainly be a huge issue to try and guess what you like.”

“Ok, ok. I’ll let you know what I like,” Kimi giggles. As they continue through the store, Kimi hands Hizashi a lot more clothes, making him smile. She gets a lot of simple but well-made dresses as well as a couple of pairs of shoes for both indoor and outdoor use. As they go to a couple more stores, Hizashi also adds a couple of bags of things to their collections full of clothes for both him and Shouta.

“I swear Shouta would be in rags if I didn’t buy anything for him,” Hizashi comments as they continue their walk through the shops.

“I’m glad I’m not the only one getting spoiled,” Kimi giggles. Her eyes catch a window display as she finishes her second. Hizashi follows her gaze and guides them into the store before Kimi can even think of denying him. 

She walks into a store she only ever dreamed of going into. The designer heel brand was always something she wanted to own but could never afford. Her current shoe selection mimicked their looks but didn’t have the same quality behind them. Her eyes wander over all of the different shoes on display, denial weighing heavy on her tongue. A worker comes over before she can voice her thoughts and starts talking with Hizashi.

“Yes, I’d love to get my darling new omega some heels here and maybe a matching bag to go with it. She wears heels all the time so we need to get some we don’t have to worry that will break on her.” 

“Of course, sir. Let’s get her foot measured so we can make sure that we’re getting her the best size as well. My dear, if you could please come take a seat over here.” 

The salesperson gestures to a dramatically large chair on the other side of the room. Kimi politely nods and makes her way over to the chair. Her mind holds onto Hizashi’s wording of “some” heels, meaning more than one, but tries not to freak out.

She settles into the chair and the salesperson sits in a smaller chair next to her feet. They take her measurements and come back with some various shoes in her size. They talk about the benefits of each shoe and she’s just glad that Hizashi seems to be listening because her head starts to swim when she sees how many numbers are on the price tag. She tries to focus back on what the salesperson is saying but gets distracted by a pair that’s next to her chair.

“Could I please try these on?” she asks, a bit shy.

“Of course!” the salesperson says enthusiastically. They help her into the shoes and she stands, admiring how comfy they feel without her having to break them in. 

“Oh wow, these are quite lovely,” she comments.

“Right? Don’t they just feel divine? Especially if you’re wearing heels all day, these are a must-have.”

“Oh perfect,” Hizashi notes. “We’ll get those then.”

“Any other’s stand out? I don’t think those have a matching bag, right?”

“No, but these ones over here do.”

The salesperson helps Kimi try on a couple more pairs and hands her a couple of purses. She can’t help but feel a bit out of place, not knowing what to look for or what she’s even looking at with some of the things she’s handed.

Hizashi seems to fill in for her lack of knowledge and soon there are a couple of pieces put to the side with the heels she liked. Guilt creeps into her stomach but she tries to fight it off, remembering what Shouta told her previously.

When Hizashi gives his card to the salesperson, Kimi gnaws at her bottom lip.

“Are you really sure?” she asks shyly.

“Yes,” he says, slight irritation in her voice. The salesperson comes back with Hizashi’s card and they all exchange a pleasant goodbye before the pair leaves the store. Kimi feels a bit bad about irritating her alpha and tries her best to explain.

“I’m really sorry. I’m genuinely not trying to offend you. I’m just not really used to having someone openly spend this much money on me. It’s been really tight since my parents passed and I’ve had people take advantage of me for that.”

Hizashi pauses before giving her a puzzled look.

“How so?”

“Well for starters, my friends would pay me to pretend to be an alpha when I really didn’t want to,” Kimi starts, knowing Hizashi was aware of that.

“That’s right,” he says, trailing off.

“But mainly it was my ex. He would just hold all of the purchases he made against me. If he bought something he knew I couldn’t repay, he acted like I was indebted to him forever, even if it was a gift. That’s what led to-,” Kimi stops, not sure if she’s ready to share that story with Hizashi yet. He looks at her expectantly and she continues, deciding to cut the story short.

“It just got really bad one night and he pushed it too far and that’s when I broke up with him.”

Hizashi puts a soothing hand on her shoulder before slowly pulling her into him. Embarrassed by her confession, she accepts the hug and relaxes into his chest. When she pulls away, her eyes are a bit teary.

“Thank you for listening,” she smiles up at him.

“Don’t thank me for that,” he jokes, though his voice is still gentle. “I could listen to you all day. I appreciate you sharing that with me though. I can say that Sho and I would never hold purchases above your head and if we think you’re spending too much, whichIhardlydoubtwillhappen, we’ll have a discussion about it, ok?”

“Ok,” Kimi beams. 

“You know, Sho’ had a similar issue when we first started dating,” Hizashi says, leading them through the shopping center again.

“He felt that he couldn’t reciprocate my gifts and would challenge me a lot if he thought I was buying him too much. So, we ended up agreeing to leave the really big gifts for birthdays and our anniversary.”

“That makes sense,” Kimi comments.

“I really hope you’ll let me spoil you a little more often than that though,” Hizashi says with a playful shove, making Kimi giggle.

“We’ll see,” she says with a playful smile.

“Well, that being said, there is one more purchase I would like to make today. Feel free to turn it down if it’s too much, but it would mean the world to me if you accepted it.”

Sheepishly, Kimi agrees and lets Hizashi take her to a very high-end jewelry store. They walk out with an adjustable necklace that allows Kimi to have it tight against her neck or below her clothes. Kimi accepts it without a fight, considering it to be an unofficial collar. Even though collars died out and became old-fashioned generations prior, she always thought the idea was charming and dreamed of having one someday. The segmented, graduated diamond necklace was more modern than the collars she had seen in classical paintings, but it still fulfilled the desire she had.

“Thank you again for all the amazing gifts, Hizashi,” Kimi says as they start to head back to the SUV. 

“Of course, honey,” Hizashi quips. “Anything for my sweet little omega.”

Later that evening, they share dinner with Shouta and fill him in on their day’s adventure. Shouta shares some small details about his day, saying that it was mostly uneventful. Kimi’s thankful that he’s safe but doesn’t voice her opinions. Rather, she directs her feelings into bringing out dessert for everyone. They chat a bit before Shouta once again reveals he will be absent the next day. He was called in for a quick bust in the afternoon but has to go in early for debriefing. Hizashi relays his displeasure but ultimately decides that it would be a good time to take Kimi to their agency for a tour.

He explains that not a lot of people know that he and Shouta are in a pack together so they definitely will be keeping Kimi a secret from his agency as well. Still, there are some things for Kimi at the agency, so he wanted to give a tour since she’ll be there pretty often. Kimi responds with exuberant interest and mentions how excited she is. She goes to sleep that night, excited for the following day where she can catch a glimpse into the other aspects of her alpha's lives.

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