All it had to take was a flutter of an eye and a rush began to stream within the environment. People running about, appearing as colorful little shapes, distorted, yet so lively.
"Can you hear me?"
A sharp light caught his attention, it called to him and he followed it, his eyes trailed along with that light.
"Can you tell us your name?"
He felt his lips move, yet he couldn't hear the sound of his own voice, he felt utterly confused, but the distorted shapes were now changing form and becoming figures.
"He remembers"
They mumbled and he somewhat lifted a finger of his, it felt so heavy, his body felt too numb.
The figures began to have details now, he slightly managed to turn his head even though the effort also made him so tired that he felt like falling asleep again.
The details intensified and from the window, he saw an intense gaze fixated upon him, the person's frown became more and more vivid to him.
"He's smiling"
They whispered again turning to look at the window where the boy turned to look, finding his worried brother stand with both his hands against the glass and a nervousness all painted upon his face.
It happened a few moments before he closed his eyes again and gave out a peaceful sigh.
A flutter of an eye, oh how beautiful it is....
-----------------------------------------------------------
How did it come to this?
I found myself wondering sitting at the back of a paramedic van.
Aoi sat in another one, they'd given her an oxygen mask to improve her breathing. She was still seated but the other guys were completely knocked out, they had to be taken on a strecher while being given oxygen.
Of course, we'd called the cops, but there was no way we could get Lian Strauss involved in any of it. Mari san came at the right time and took the child with her. I wonder if she's alright, though the pheromones had settled by the time she came but they were bad enough to make even Aoi nauseated.
What was that anyways?
We filed an assault charge against the guys, claiming they intended robbery. The guys themselves didn't claim anything. It appeared as Aoi suspected, they didn't want to bring up the Strauss estate in front of the cops and therefore they pretended to be simple robbers.
"This is not good?"
The words made both me and Aoi tense up. I wiped the gel off after the doctor had given the checkup and sat up right.
"Is it because I fought?" I asked, using judo and over exerting my body in this condition certainly wasn't the best of the ideas.
"Remember Ms Aoi and Mr Natsuro, I told you about the child showing symptoms of abnormalities" The doctor reminded us.
Of course, we remember, there's no way we'd forget something like that.
"Is it something really serious?" Aoi asked and the doctor sighed as if he was more worried compared to us.
"The pheromones that caused all the ruckus actually belonged to this child" The doctor said.
Me and Aoi both stared at each other for a few seconds as if we'd heard the most idiotic thing ever.
"Don't get me wrong doctor, but it's barely three months, how could something like that produce pheromones?! Especially an alpha's command?" Aoi just had to get a bit direct.
"Weird as it may sound, the child has abnormal pheromones, as you already witnessed, even at this stage, the pheromones were strong enough to knock down grown betas and almost effected you personally Ms. Aoi" The doctor asserted and Aoi became quiet as if she was processing something.
"So basically it released those pheromones to protect itself?" I asked.
"Protect? It felt more like an intent to kill" Aoi said holding her throat as if remembering it.
"This child might be dangerous to others around it and we might not know when it would happen again, we don't know what triggered it in the first place" He answered.
"Is there no way to suppress something like that? Is it that dangerous?" I asked, I didn't think the abnormality could be something like that.
"Cases like these are honestly rare and are often caused by mutations especially if the parents are involved in dangerous drug overdoses that cause mutations or things like that but such things are long illegal and most of the times fatal so not a lot of people tend to be able to have kids after them, but with you I don't understand" The doctor spoke almost as if talking to himself.
Hearing what he'd just said made me recall....Aoi also exchanged a familiar glace with me. It was that wasn't it?
The illegal transitioning drugs that Aoi and Alex were experimenting with...
They didn't help Aoi much other then in suppressing her pheromone density but I guess they did cause some sort of mutation within her....and I'm pretty sure it's not exactly the kind of mutation she was looking for.
"What do we do now?" I asked, Aoi looked away too looking somewhat guilty.
"Well, I can't say but for now avoid anything that can trigger these abnormal pheromones, it's best if you stay calm..because I'm not sure if this child is actually using these abnormal pheromones at will or not because if it is then it means it already has awareness" The doctor said.
We both took our leave after this.
We walked side by side silently, she appeared somewhat distant though.
"It's not your fault" I finally spoke up "It just happened to be like this"
She looked at me a bit dumbfounded and then smiled moving closer to me and held my hand.
Besides, this wasn't the time to be thinking about things like this.
"I heard Ian Strauss gained consciousness" I asked her and she nodded.
Finally some good news...but I also worry if his old man would actually do what he'd said...
"Natsu, remember..no stress" Aoi said, I think she noticed I was in deep thought.
"I'm not don't worry, I just thinking about Ian Strauss, how could a father do this to their own child..." I replied.
"It's the world that he lives in, it doesn't need that sort of compassion, he's raised to carry businesses involving human trafficking, he doesn't have space for empathy" She replied.
Well I guess I could understand what she meant by that...but still...
"Mari san, did you contact her? Is Lian Strauss safe?" I asked.
"About that...Natsu...wasn't it weird?" She asked.
"What was?" She appeared to be in deep thought again while we finally got inside the car and fixed our seatbelts.
Before she could answer though a phone call distracted her. She picked the call immediately and not much was said from her side before she cut it off and started the car.
"What happened?" I asked, after all we've been together long enough for me to tell when she's stressed, even with that stone face of hers.
"There's a situation"
-----------------------------------------------------------
"You should take rest"
Akio pulled the covers on Alex. Zhuang had dropped him, even though Alex continuously refused to leave as it had been days since he consecutively stayed in the hospital.
Zhuang had been moving back and forth with Adrian, even taking him to work, though Himari estate had nursery facilities so he somehow managed.
Now that Ian had shown some sign of recovery, Zhuang refused to let Alex have his way and dropped him and Adrian over to Akio's place strictly requesting Akio to not let him leave until he's washed up ,rested and eaten properly.
Ofcourse Kei was in favor of it too, he was worried about Alex over exerting himself too.
"Akio san you have to promise me,if anything happens, you have to wake me up!" Alex had eaten and washed up, but he was still reluctant to take a long nap.
"I will" Akio reassured him "Come Adi" he called Adrian over to himself so that Alex can take a nap without Adrian rolling all over the bed playfully.
"Daddy ,you sleep okay?" Little Adrian spoke compassionately whilst sitting on Alex's chest.
"I will sweety" Alex softened up and kissed the little boy on his cheek before letting Akio take him.
"Rest" Akio said and turned off the light.
"Akio san" Alex whispered.
"Hmm?" Akio turned for a bit with little Adrian holding his hand.
"Congrats" Alex whispered.
"You can tell?" Akio seemed surprised.
"Yeah" Alex smiled.
"Don't tell anyone else yet" Akio said.
"I won't" Alex said with a sleepy voice and yawned dozing off immediately.
No wonder he did...he hadn't slept properly for so long after all.
Akio closed the door and came out to check up on Kei in his study.
Ever since that day, Kei had indulged himself in reading up files over this case. It seemed like he'd been willing to do what Aoi wanted him to do...besides he probably should too...
He needed to...
"Daaaddi daddi" The little girls at Akio's legs distracted him from looking at Kei from the door.
"Play..play" Little Leah insisted.
"Adiiiii" Sia was more hyped about playing with Little Adrian.
Akio couldn't help but join them, he had nothing else to do anyways and it would be too heartless to decline such a sweet invitation.
"Then..play house, I'm Daddi's wifee" Leah said excitedly.
"Noo me, I am, I am" Sia argued.
Akio smiled watching the little argument.
Though it soon turned into a tug with Leah and Sia pulling Akio to themselves.
All that noise distracted Kei and he came out to check up.
The girls ran to Kei sobbing a little.
"Papaa ,I'm want be daddi's wife" Leah presented her case.
"No! Me!" Sia argued.
"Eh...let's see..." Kei was taken by surprise at the sudden case.
The girls both looked at him hopefully awaiting a decision,putting somewhat of a pressure of choice.
"Akio san...is....mine!"
Kei blurted out blushing and Akio almost chocked, starting to cough really hard.
"Can I be superhero?" Little Adrian had his own games.
The girls realized there was another option and rushed to Adrian, pulling him now.
"Mine.."
"No,mine"
In the end Akio had to break it off by letting them play with the remote control car instead which he normally only gave them when they were good.
"Idiot...why'd you say something like that to the kids" Akio mumbled to Kei after the situation had settled.
"Eh...well...are you...not mine?" Kei asked nervously.
"Well I am but it was just a child's game" Akio argued.
"Sorry.." Kei mumbled.
Akio took a deep sigh and pulled Kei to his side,kissing his forehead.
"Akio san..I love you..."
"I love you too.."
-----------------------------------------------------------
"What do you mean?!"
"It's exactly what I said!"
"But he's barely 9!"
"I know it doesn't make sense but...!"
"Oh Lord woman stop please!"
I had to break off this chain of panic.
"Mari san, please get some suppressants from the nearest convenience store" I said and she nodded leaving our apartment first
"Aoi, prepare the bath!" She also took a run.
I grabbed some towels myself and carefully went towards my room which was locked from outside.
I could hear the boy hitting up against the door violently.
"Aoi get out of the apartment for some while after this!" I yelled from there.
"Okay!" I heard her and waited till she had left before opening the door and finding the boy shivering in front of it.
"It's okay sweety, It's okay.." I leaned down and tried to comfort him the best I could.
Though I'm not really supposed to but I could feel his pheromones...
I suppose, it's because it's his first heat...
But Aoi's right it's still so early for him to be going into heat.....
Does it have something to do with what happened back there?
He did say the smell of the pheromones was good even though that was supposed to be an alpha command pheromones...
there's no way they'd smell good..
unless.....
"I brought the suppressants!" Mari san yelled from outside.
I'd been helping the boy wipe up the secretion and giving him body heat since he appeared to be really cold.
"I'll come up, don't come inside!" I told them,though the boy was tugging onto my shirt really hard whilst sobbing, not letting go...
ah he's so afraid...
"I don't think I can come inside...which one of you is more resistant to pheromones?!" I asked.
Though I already knew it was Aoi since she was already my pair so other omega pheromones shouldn't effect her but him I don't know..he might get effected by hers...since she has such a strong presence.
Aoi somewhat entered the place dropping the bags nearby me and rushed out immediately.
Surprisingly, the kid didn't react to Aoi's presence and continued to stick to me as if it gave him comfort.
I took my time and gave him a dose of suppressants. I should really keep a few at home, it's just I've never really needed them ever since Aoi marked me. I can control pretty well. But still, I should, you never know who might need them.
I helped the kid to bathe afterwards and put him to sleep.
"No matter how many times I think about it, it's weird" Aoi sighed.
"Then don't think about it" I replied.
"Say Mari, can't we ask Mr. Strauss to hand over Lian Strauss too?" Aoi asked her.
"Don't overdo it, Ian Strauss is an alpha,so he doesn't have as much market value as his younger brother, I doubt we'll get any deal out of him, the only way right now is to hide him till I get that" Mari san replied.
Get what? What are these two upto?
"You have already snooped through many places, so many times already, If there really was something like that, you'd have found it..." Aoi replied.
"What are you both talking about?" I finally asked.
"You see the Strauss estate and the Naoyuki family are deeply connected, do you know what brought the demise of Naoyuki family?" Aoi counter questioned.
"As far as I know, since father left it heirless, they died out...I don't know?" I couldn't get it.
"Its the upper hand Natsuro san" Mari replied.
"Eh?" I really don't understand what these two women are up to sometimes but damn their chemistry is so matched up that I almost ship them.
"Being heirless is a facade, Naoyuki family's demise has a lot to do with Raina Strauss or we could say, she probably caused it" Aoi explained.
So what she means is that there must be something that Raina Strauss had her hands upon?
Something that made her important...
"I think whatever she had was so important that the Strauss estate had to intervene.. Clara Hughes was killed in that very process too, not sure if Raina Strauss actually kept it with Clara Hughes..." Mari san expressed.
"Well, it's just Mari's theory, I'm not sure myself if there is something like that and if there was, Mr. Strauss would have gotten rid of it long ago and with her being dead now..I don't suppose it even matters" Aoi shrugged.
"Then what do you plan to do and now I wonder why did you especially choose to get yourself into this" I referred to Mari san.
"Because...he approached me first.." Mari san whispered some words that appeared incomprehensible to me at first.
"Actually Mr. Strauss is the one who helped Kirihara Liliya out of the prison, it was his trap all along, he intended to use it against Kei and take over the Kirihara estate to expand his network with Mr. Uzawa and Christina out of the way" Aoi said.
"So you mean, it was a trap and you guys knew it and still stepped into it?" I asked.
"Kirihara Liliya is mentally unstable, he didn't actually plan to make her take over, he only planned to use her to take out Kei and drag us around by the nose while we are busy dealing with her but he didn't consider Mari as a factor and so we had to improvise, we ourselves offered him the estate for collaboration with a business marriage and he accepted it" Aoi explained.
"Why would he agree to something like that, your offer is fishy to begin with, asking for an alpha business marriage and willing to merge business over it..it's like he's deliberately letting you in..so either he's too bold or he doesn't consider you a threat" I replied.
"It's actually the latter..he knows we're on a helpless end, actually this sort of battle,we'll definitely lose, he will get control of the Kirihara estate" Aoi said.
"AAAA WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU!"
I threw a tantrum, what is she doing at all?!!!
"Its a gamble" Mari san said.
Come to think of it, I've heard Aoi say that before...what do they both mean by that?
"If Strauss estate can absorb Kirihara estate, what makes you think the opposite can't happen?" Aoi gave a mischievous smile.
"Don't tell me you mean to..." My jaw almost dropped hearing that.
"There's a role we have to play and if we do it right, then what's there to stop us?" Mari san shrugged.
"Then what about the videos on Kei san and those proofs against Himari estate covering things up for Mari san" I asked.
"There is a gamble in that too..." Aoi said.
Ah my brain will blow a fuse soon.
"Don't overthink..." Aoi tried to argue though how can I not?
"Aoi, we still have that other matter,don't forget" Mari san reminded her of something. I'm guessing it's the talk about Yuki san's baby.
"Yeah I won't...for now focus on Ian Strauss, he's more useful than we might think" Aoi said.
Ah Ah can these two crazy women not talk about people like they are toys.
"Watch over the kid properly this time...I'll go pay Ian Strauss a visit" Mari san took her leave.
"You're somewhat really scary you know..." I mumbled and Aoi looked at me like.
"Am I?" She asked.
"Not in a way that you think, I just like how bold you are...it's like I have the strongest wife in the world" I sighed.
She moved to my side sitting on the floor nearby the couch I was seated upon and kissed at my stomach before resting her head in my lap. I played with her hair,gently patting it.
"And I have the most supportive husband in the whole world...who even goes along with me even when things don't make sense to him" She murmured.
"You figured?" I couldn't help but smile.
Well it's true that I can't understand her methods or trail of thoughts but I just trust her in the end...
"I wouldn't fail...I promise you" She said.
"I know..." I smiled.
"I have yet to watch you bring the loveliest kid in the world, there's no way I'm letting anything interfere with that..." She said.
"Did you think of any names?" I asked her but she shook her head.
Well It's still early...but I guess we should at least start thinking.
"Did you?" She asked and I shook my head as well.
"I guess the baby's an alpha, at this point I'll be surprised if they were an omega.." I gently brushed my fingers in her hair.
"About that...I've been wondering for a while now" She immediately sat up properly.
"About what?" I tilted my head.
"The doctor said something triggered the need of an alpha command in the baby and you know what the situation was back then and even what happened now doesn't make sense...." She mumbled incoherently.
"What are you implying?"
"What if Lian Strauss was the trigger?"