Rage Fire - The General Way he loves his Husband. 24.

Maki had never been shaken the way he was to meet the member of the Imperial Family. Falling in and forming part of the royal guard from the Imperial ship to the base doors, Maki tried hard not to stare. Change Tatsumi’s hair to a silver blonde, add 20 years and that was his husband right there. He nearly had to rub his eyes to dispel his doubts over it being his husband. Ranchel Hibiki carried himself with the same calming presence as Tatsumi. Walking between the lines of soldiers, Ranchel paused to greet soldiers on both sides. Noticing Li was gaping, Maki quickly stepped on his foot to make him close his mouth. He’d never once thought that Tatsumi could possibly have royal blood until that moment. Put Eve on Ranchel’s arm, Tatsumi beside her, and bam. It would be an instant acceptance that the three of them were family. If Maki didn’t know that Eve used to be a host who partook in extra money making ventures he’d have run Skylark to demand to know who Tatsumi’s father was. Straightening his pose, Maki prayed that Ranchel wouldn’t stop in front of him..

Only his prayers paid no dividends. Pausing in front of him and Li, Ranchel cocked his head slightly

“I happened to see you two watching. Is there something wrong with my appearance?”

Yes! He looked like Tatsumi and no one had ever held a torch to how handsome his husband was. Maki saluted

“No, sir! We’re honoured to form part of your guard”

“Really? Because you’re friend is still staring at my face”

Damn Li. Before Maki could step on Li’s toes again, his best friend blurted out

“You look just like his husband!”

Maki barely hold in groaning. There Li went again being all “peoply”. Ranchel raising an eyebrow and sounding mildly offended

“I do?”

“Indeed, your Highness, uh, indeed, sir!”

Ranchel looked back to Maki

“Might I see a photo of this husband I look so much like?”

“We wouldn’t like to bother your Highness any further”

“You’re bothering me now”

Maki swallowed hard. They were now holding things up thanks to Li’s mouth. Shaking slightly, he opened his comms up to show the royal a photo of him and Tatsumi. Ranchel frowning

“He does indeed. Perhaps another unwanted dalliance from one the members. This matter will be looked into”

How dare he insult Tatsumi! Maki instantly hating Ranchel though keeping his temper

“I’m sorry, sir. His blood line is not related at all. There is no matter to look into”

“Are you assuming you can tell me what to do?”

“No, sir. If I did I would tell you to settle this by sending more physical aid and giving students more chance to head to inner rings with scholarships. Instead, it’s not my place to suggest anything to a man of your stature. I just don’t want his Royal Highness to wastes his time”

Ranchel stepped back and adjusted his black jacket, before moving down the line. Maki wished he go back and take back his provoked snap. Ranchel was fucking royalty. Li leaned over and whispered

“We’re in trouble now, aren’t we? We pissed off a prince?”

“We’re royally in trouble thanks to you being a royal pain in the arse. Tatsumi’s not even related to the royal family”

“You never know… you don’t know your father-in-law”

“No, but I know Skylark and Skylark knows who it is. Tatsumi doesn’t care. He respects Eve’s wish to not talk about it”

“But can you imagine if he was?”

“Right now I’m imagining no need for this conversation. Why didn’t you stop me?”

“Don’t look at me. It was your mouth moving”

“I stepped on your foot but you had to go on staring”

“Then tell him not to look like Tatsumi”

“I think he felt insulted enough. Unwanted dalliance?! I’ll give him an unwanted kick in the arse. No one says bad things about my husband”

“It’s too late now. He’s going to look into it”

“Then he deserves his time being wasted. If he’s this much of an arsehole now, I don’t want to think about how things will turn out”

“Who knows? Maybe he likes being talked back too?”

It’d be just Maki’s luck too. Why did everyone in power have to be so arrogant? They didn’t need arrogance, the people of the planet needed understanding and he may have just made it all worse. Almost regretfully, Maki hissed

“Just shut up and let me stew in my embarrassment without the commentary”

“Okay, man, but we’re falling into rank for his address after this so you better get that stewing in before then”

And there Maki thought he’d be stewing on it for the next 11 days as it was. Now he had the pleasure of stewing on it and listening to Ranchel’s briefing. He truly was the luckiest man alive.

***

Tatsumi was praying for death, or a small mild coma. He was praying far harder than Maki would have allowed and yet it wasn’t happening. Naturally he’d been vaccinated for all the common, and most of the uncommon virus strains during his time in military and had his shots before coming to Paradisi… yet he’d still picked up a mystery bug.

That’s what he’d thought when he’d woken up feverish and made himself go to hospital. Diagnosed as heat sick, the omega felt pretty pissed off that his body had chosen while Maki was away to pull this shit especially after the time they’d spent together. Maki came back in just over a week, and his husband had hit max stress levels. The kids in his class had decided he looked like the Imperial ambassador on the media, which would have been way funnier if he didn’t know Maki had accidentally put his foot in it with the man. Though it was a little funny that his students had faked awe and bowed at him as they called him “His Royal Annoyance”. He definitely saw the similarities, yet when there were a few billion people out there on too many planets for him to think about, it wasn’t that uncommon for two people to look so similar.

As Tatsumi hadn’t been to the hospital there before, they insisted on a full medical history, then admitted him. Their set up was nowhere near as fancy as the clinic he used on Terra, and not being a native of the planet meant that he still had to pay 20% of the treatment bill with the rest being billed to the military as he was married to a serving member. If he’d known they were going to torture him with admission, he’d have stuck it out at home with Suzu’s set up which he wasn’t believed over. All they’d had to do was let him calm Suzu, and that was a big fat no. He hadn’t asked to be born with four glands. He’d gladly lose the two on his neck for the ability to breathe properly and enjoy his estrus with someone… well, maybe not as gladly as he would have before he had Maki.

Thinking of his husband, Tatsumi took a photo of his bare feet poking out the end of the hospital blanket to send to him. Maki didn’t want him going on suppressants again, but their lives were so busy. Yingtao might be a wish for the future, but the future was just that. All he could do was use the name to remind Maki that he needed him to come home safely. Knowing if he caved, he’d avoided the mainstream media and only took updates from his husband, and when they were forced on him by his class, because he knew once he started paying serious attention it would be all that occupied his mind until his alpha came home. He didn’t want Maki to worry further. C3’s anger rolled like waves against the shore. The military was still in negotiations and he’d sought out Maki in the envoy each time he’d seen images. The old him would have pumped himself full of suppressants and stubborn drugged himself until it would no longer work. The new him had trotted off to the hospital, though technically he’d thought he had gastro and not heat sickness.

Thinking about it, Tatsumi decided that short and sweet was the way to go. Along with the photo he said that he’d been admitted into hospital because of his preheat, that everything was alright, and that they were making him stay to have his heat in a safe room… Tatsumi didn’t actually feel the room was all that safe. White upon white never went well for him, especially in a hospital setting. They’d given him a shot to accelerate his estrus, leaving things below the sheet to do things he’d rather be doing at the hands of his husband.

With Maki being busy, and things what they were, he didn’t expect a call back from his precious husband immediately. Accepting the call, Tatsumi tried to calm himself down, yet hearing Maki’s voice only made things below worse

“What do you mean you’re in hospital? Are you okay? Are you safe?”

His husband knew him so well. He knew the fear he still held in his heart over them

“I’m okay”

“What happened? Is it your breathing? You… you didn’t collapse again?”

Gods above, his husband was so precious. If Maki was with him he’d be between his legs… Tatsumi quickly shook his head

“I thought I had a virus, I’ve had symptoms the last couple of days. They’ve given me an accelerator and have admitted me”

“And you’re in a safe room? There’s no access to alphas?”

Tatsumi looked to the door

“I don’t actually know. They said it was safe”

“Do you feel safe? Is it made for estrus or a regular room?”

“I think it’s regular? Maybe quarantine?”

“That’s not good enough. Can you breathe or have your glands started swelling?”

“They haven’t yet”

“Get your shit. I want you to go home and use Suzu’s things”

Tatsumi blinked

“I’m okay here”

“Babe, I can hear it all in your tone. You might not have noticed but you’re talking faster and softer as if you’re about to be caught. You sound panicked. You might be in a new place, but you know your body and you know what to expect. You’re not calm at all and that’s not how it should be. You’re never happy to go to the clinic, but you’re relaxed and trust them. I’m not going to be mad if you stay, but if you don’t feel comfortable there and you’re really forcing yourself then go home to our home”

Tatsumi hadn’t noticed any change in his tone… yet his husband had brought it up and now he felt his dumb omega side kicking in as he teared up, mumbling

“It’s white on white”

“That’s no good for you. An estrus in a place you don’t feel safe is too dangerous for my husband to suffer. Can you walk? Can you make it home?”

“I can call an air car”

“Do that. Forget the money and the fees. Call for an air car and get out of there. I don’t care what you have to say. I can’t trust a place that I don’t know with someone as so precious as you”

Tatsumi’s guts twisted. The need to breed bringing cramping as his body longed for Maki. Crying out, he doubled over

“Babe?!”

“I’m okay… I’m okay… cramping… I want you here… I want you”

“I know, I know. You’re doing so good holding on. My omega is so good”

Maki was only acting as an alpha would, but he was far too sweet of a poison if Tatsumi was meant to make a break from hospital and return home

“I’m not a child! I need to hang up. You’re too dangerous right now”

“Get home and message me. If you’re not home within the hour I’ll send someone from the base”

“You’d send a stranger to your husband?”

“Not a stranger… an omega. You talked to him before”

“Don’t send anyone. I don’t need anyone”

“I will if you don’t message. You don’t need to hear my voice. A message will do”

“Go back to work”

“Tatsumi, you have to message me”

“Okay, okay! Hang up before I lose my mind”

“Alright. I love you”

Maki immediately hung up. Tatsumi left in momentary limbo. He didn’t feel safe at the hospital, but if he had to come back in the future due to his estrus then he should try riding it out there at least once.. and at the same time, Maki instantly recognised all his fears and told him to get out of there. He was half way to 31 and yet hospitals rendered him so bloody on edge that he might as well have been a damn child. Maki didn’t want him there and he was his alpha. Even if it meant physically dragging himself, he was going back to the apartment like his husband wanted.