Snow Fall, Part 3 (Alpha Izou x Omega Reader)
18+ MDNI |
The other chapters
Thank you to @gouraminnow for beta-ing <3
The little Omega had settled into life on the Moby much faster than Izou had expected. After bringing you on board, you stood at Izou’s side and bowed parallel to the ship’s deck. Izou’s face was impassive as he sought his Captain’s approval for your presence on the ship, but his heart filled with pride at your display of courage. He’d seen grown men quake and quiver before Whitebeard but you never wavered.
“Captain, this is Tasuke. She is originally from Wano but I have rescued her from the island at which we are docked,” Izou said with a stiff bow of his own. He was speaking with more formality than he usually did but he was worried Oyaji might not allow you to remain. Oyaji wasn’t generally in favor of Omegas being on board due to the numerous Alphas on the crew. Izou hoped Whitebeard would allow it but he might have to plead his case.
Whitebeard looked over at the island, the majority of which was now ablaze thanks to a pleased looking Ace who was happily munching a rack of meat and watching the destruction. “Is her rescue reason some of the island is now on fire?” Whitebeard asked, glancing again as a fireball blew up into the sky, making Ace cheer.
“Yes,” Izou stated simply. “Though not all of it has been destroyed,” he added as an afterthought. He didn’t think Ace blew up the entire island, just most of it. In Izou’s opinion they deserved it for aiding and abetting your slavery. Whitebeard grunted to show his disinterest in the fate of the island. Izou’s many years of service under Whitebeard had granted him certain privileges and not being questioned about some of his decisions was one of them. If Izou had let Ace off his leash, Whitebeard trusted that it was for good reason.
“Is she an Omega?” Whitebeard asked as he stared at the small woman in front of him. Izou shouldn’t have been surprised Whitebeard could detect your designation even with your nearly undetectable scent - Whitebeard had a preternatural knowledge of many things, including people’s designations without smelling them or being told.
“She is,” Izou stated, hoping that it didn’t mean he would have to leave you at the next island. Whitebeard was a pirate, but he was honest and fair in a way that aligned with a strong moral code. He wouldn’t have made you remain on the island Izou had rescued you from but it wasn’t a guarantee that you’d be able to remain on the ship.
“Does she speak Common?” he asked as Taskue straightened but kept her face averted from the Captain. Izou put his hand on the small of your back in a tacit show of support.
“Not much. She knows a handful of Common phrases but I believe she was purposefully kept ignorant in order to maintain her in a perpetual state of servitude,” Izou explained to his Captain. Whitebeard looked you over before inclining his head ever so slightly.
“ It is a pleasure to meet you, child, ” Whitebeard intoned in Wanese. You blinked a few times trying to hide your surprise at the Emperor’s knowledge of your language.
“ Thank you for allowing me on your ship, Emperor,” you replied, bowing even deeper.
“Are you staying with us?” Whitebeard asked, tilting his head slightly in question. The gesture was typical of Wanese conversation and Izou wondered when Whitebeard had picked it up since Izou had never explicitly taught it to him.
“Ah, I’m not - I’m - whatever you wish, Emperor,” you replied, your head still bowed.
“Enjoy your time aboard my ship, child,” Whitebeard replied, effectively dismissing both you and Izou. Izou took your smaller hand in his own and led you away from Oyaji and back towards the bow of the ship. You walked with your back straight but it was difficult to have an audience with Oyaji if you weren’t used to it and you’d have a comedown soon. Leading you under the deck, Izou brought you towards the kitchens. The ovens ran at all hours of the day and night to accommodate the enormous crew, so you could warm up while you got accustomed to the ship.
“I think that went well,” Izou said, offering you a hot mug of tea that was conveniently located close to Izou’s favorite seat. He’d have to thank Thatch later for the thoughtful gesture and anticipating your needs. You nodded and accepted the tea, sipping slowly. The Alpha in him was pleased to see you accepting his help, but the man knew it was only a cup of tea. He wanted to provide so much more, and he would in due time. “Whitebeard is allowing you to stay as long as you’d like,” Izou explained as you blew on the hot tea. You hummed a response but didn’t say anything directly. You just experienced a significant change in your life and Izou wanted the transition to be as smooth as possible.
“How does Whitebeard speak such excellent Wanese?” you asked, holding the warm mug in both hands as you huddled over yourself. Izou wanted to pick you up and deposit you on his lap to warm you, but refrained in the presence of others. Izou reached for the tea pot and a mug to pour himself a cup of jasmine tea as well. However, you grabbed the handle before he could and poured him a mug, handing it to him before he could stop you. Izou sniffed for a note of fear or insecurity in your scent, but your eyes were still focused on him. It must have been muscle memory that had you to serving him without thinking about your actions. Maybe he should tell Ace to burn the entire island.
“Kazuki Oden taught him during Oden’s time on the crew. After that, we became conversation partners here and there as time allowed,” Izou explained, your eyes going wide.
“Were you here at the same time as Oden? On the crew?” you asked excitedly, setting your cup down. Cute, Izou thought to himself. He set his own mug down and put his chin on his hand.
“Mmh. I joined with him, in fact. I was his retainer, I followed him from Wano,” Izou said, watching your eyes fill with stars and your face turn red. You looked down at your hands, unable to look at his face any longer. Izou laughed lightly and brushed his thumb over your cheek. “Do not apologize for whatever it is you feel that you have done inadequately. I am the same Alpha I was five minutes ago,” he stated, watching your blush rise up to your ears.
“I just…you - you’re - thank you Alp - Izou,” you said, bowing your head down to the table.
After Whitebeard had given his blessing, things had gone rather swimmingly by Izou’s estimation. His room was one of the larger Commander cabins, large enough for two people to live rather comfortably. You initially insisted on sleeping on the floor but Izou hadn’t allowed it for a single moment. The two of you shared the same bed, much to Izou’s delight, though you both kept your clothes on. He suspected by the way you jumped at loud sounds and the hunched manner you carried yourself that you would need time for your body and mind to internalize that you were safe, even if you thought it already. It didn’t mean he didn’t want to - every fiber of his being desperately wanted to roll you onto your stomach and take you like an animal - but he maintained his self control.
You’d become very busy on the ship, very quickly. As Izou had anticipated, Thatch gladly accepted your expertise in the kitchen. Despite not speaking much Common, the kitchen was a place where communication could easily be understood by miming techniques and showing ingredients. Your Common vocabulary exploded as the fourth division taught you the names of utensils, tools, vegetables and fruits, and other cooking related terminology. You adapted to being a line chef well and didn’t need much training in the dishes that the crew favored.
Izou started spending a little more time in the kitchens as his schedule allowed, watching you work and interact with the fourth division. You were kind, patient, and eager to learn anything anyone would teach you. Izou tried to give you space to stand on your own but it was hard when you looked so cute in your apron, listening and nodding when Thatch was teaching you something new. Thatch had begun to rib him now that he was in the kitchens frequently, which Izou took in stride. He’d style his hair like Thatch’s if it meant that he could watch you work.
To everyone’s delight, you also began cooking Wanese food for the crew. At first it was just for Izou - smaller dishes that you’d present to him personally at meal time. You’d bring him te dishes and scurry off, watching him eat from behind the galley door to see if he liked the food. He always did and insisted you sit with him for a few moments each meal so he could compliment the food - and the chef - personally.
Soon there was a lot of interest in the traditional Wanese dishes you were bringing him, to the point where Izou was lucky to get two or three mouthfuls before his brothers were each coming to “try a sample.” Ace quickly conned his way into getting his own plate of your dishes, making you smile in delight as he inhaled everything you gave him. Izou knew how he overcame the language barrier - it was those sweet puppy dog eyes and cute freckles that made you sympathetic to his eternally hungry stomach. Ace was too young and not emotionally ready for an Omega but the thought of the younger Alpha honing in on his Omega made Izou want to stab the young Commander - and not with a fork.
Eventually Thatch and Izou were able to convince you to share your recipes so they could be multiplied many times over for the crew to enjoy. You were hesitant, unsure that the crew would like the food, but Izou’s gentle coaxing had you showing Thatch how to make kiritanpo and helping set up a massive amount of imoni for the crew to enjoy.
After the crew ate, Izou and Thatch had each and every one of the ingrates come up and thank you personally. Izou stood next to you as everyone expressed how thankful they were for the food you had given them while allowing you to partially obscure yourself behind him. He could only imagine how overwhelming it was to hear hundreds of thank you’s in a language you didn’t understand but it was important for the crew to respect you for the work you provided. It didn’t hurt that every one of the crew would see you clinging to Izou’s arm as they thanked you, further detracting any competition from the crew’s many alphas.
Izou soon discovered that there was a softer side to your presence on board as well. As an Omega, you had a natural instinct to want to care for others and provide comfort. Izou never insisted that you take care of anything or anyone, but one morning you came to him, gripping your lacquer comb in your hand as he read over his daily reports before heading to work.
“Ah, Izou. I was, ah…wondering…I wa - may I, um, mayIpleasecombyourhair?” you said in one big rush with a bow, gripping the comb so hard Izou thought it would crack. Izou had been reading on the couch in his room, running his fingers through the hair that was draped on one of his shoulders. Setting down the reports gently, he considered the smaller Omega standing submissively before him.
“Of course,” he said simply, making room on the couch for you to sit. You sat down behind him slowly and he felt his long hair being pushed behind his shoulders to rest against his back. You began combing his hair and Izou feigned nonchalance as he didn’t want to startle or upset you. In reality, he felt like purring when your small fingers touched his hair and brushed it to your heart’s content. Izou had always taken great pride in his hair and he considered it time well spent as you admired it.
“Your hair is so beautiful, Comm- ah, Izou,” you said, correcting yourself as you spoke. Izou had directed you a few days prior to drop the respectful epithet when you came aboard, wanting you to get more comfortable with him personally. It had been challenging for you at first but Izou had gently corrected you until you were referring to him by his first name more often than not. You still referred to the other Commanders by their title, which he selfishly didn’t tell you to stop, enjoying that he was the only one you were comfortable enough with to say their first name.
“Thank you, Tasuke. I appreciate you tending to it for me,” Izou said lightly, opening his reports once more and pretending to read. In fact, he was expending all his effort to conceal his growing erection from you. If his brothers ever found out he got hard from you combing his hair, he’d never live it down, he thought to himself. You continued to work at his hair for several minutes, humming quietly to yourself while immersed in the undertaking. All too soon, the task had been completed to your satisfaction as you gathered his long hair in your fist.
“Would you mind if I styled your hair, Co- I-izou?” you asked hesitantly, almost unwilling to let go of the silky strands still being brushed out gently.
“As you wish,” Izou replied, now sitting up fully so you could properly style him. Having you attend to his hair reminded him of his theater days as a child, when he’d have his hair and makeup done before performances. You stood up and grabbed a few items off his vanity, bringing them back to the couch.
“I am familiar with your preferred hairstyle, may I prepare your hair that way?” you asked, now hesitating as Izou smiled at you.
“Please, it would bring me immense pleasure,” Izou replied, settling in on the couch. You returned his smile with a small one of your own as you stood in front of him and began the traditional process of waxing his hair. It was a very painstaking process and truthfully Izou was thankful someone else was doing it for him. He didn’t mind the process generally but it felt so much better to have you close to his body and fussing over him. Once his hair was waxed, you then moved into tying his hair into knots and pinning them down, your deft fingers flying through the process as if you’d done it hundreds of times. You worked in silence and Izou dutifully continued pretending to read his reports.
“You are very handsome, Izou,” you commented with a flush once you were done with the work. Handing him a mirror, Izou admired your handiwork in his reflection and was proud of the work you’d done.
“Only due to your clever hands,” he replied, opening your curled hands to kiss your palms. You flushed from your chest to your ears, which Izou found unbearably cute.
The two of you slowly settled into a daily routine in which you would do Izou’s hair and makeup for him before working hours. It soon became Izou’s favorite part of the day both because it was relaxing and because all of your attention was focused on him. You’d also started cleaning his room and doing his laundry, which Izou tried to put a stop to. However, you were starting to show some tenacity and stubbornly refused to let the Commander launder his own clothes as he had been for years. He watched you wash and dry his kimono carefully, taking better care of them than even he had. Izou really didn’t want you working harder on his behalf but he would be lying if he said he didn’t enjoy having his scent draped over you.
It was getting harder for Izou to avoid marking you or claiming you for his own. Night after night, you slept within arm’s reach, your beautiful form and scent calling out to him like a siren. Izou had heard whispers of a betting pool - some crew were betting he’d already marked you in a secret spot on you while the other half were betting that you weren’t even an Omega in the first place. What happened between the two of you wasn’t anyone’s business but his teeth yearned to sink into your neck as you lay beneath him, calling his name in ecstasy.
One morning, you had already completed his hair and were working on his makeup. The lipstick brush was in your hand as you applied the finishing touches to his lipstick. Putting down the brush, you studied his face carefully, turning it this way and that in your hands to ensure that his final look was exactly to his liking. Izou was about to compliment your perfect work when you suddenly leaned in and brushed your lips against his own.
Izou was stunned - he’d never thought you’d summon the courage to do anything so brazen. He was so shocked he didn’t say anything for a moment. Your eyes widened once you realized what you had done and you stood up to bow in front of him, nearly falling over in your desire to explain yourself.
“I - I…I’m so sorry Commander!” you cried, tears already forming in your eyes. “I knew you didn’t want me to, I don’t know what came over me. P-please don’t kick me off the ship, I’ll move out of your room, I’ll sleep outside, I’ll -”
“Shh, stop,” Izou replied, tugging you onto his lap. You sniffled but allowed him to settle you across his lap where he could calm you down. “What do you mean, ‘you knew I didn’t want you to?” he asked, wiping your tears away. You looked down at your hands that were twisting into your clothes in worry.
“We spend every night in the same bed like mates, but you never…reach for me. I know I am plain and unscented, I dare not think someone like you would want someone like -” Izou cut off your explanation by wrapping a hand around your neck and pulling you to him, pressing his lips to yours. You were hesitant and shy, unsure how to respond to Izou’s tender kiss as he kissed you thoroughly. You placed your hands on Izou’s shoulders, unsure what to do with them as he continued kissing you. Izou led and you followed as he gently coaxed kiss after kiss from you. At first you didn’t know what to do with your lips or tongue but Izou patiently kissed you time and time again, his tongue running against the closed seam of your lips. You opened them and Izou took his time exploring your mouth with his tongue as you shut your eyes in pleasure.
“Have you been kissed before?” Izou asked, now kissing from the corner of your mouth down to your neck. He was careful to avoid your scent glands even though he wanted to bite down - hard. Your shook your head, panting with need as Izou continued to kiss you.
“N-not like this,” you said, making Izou pause again. He was definitely sending Ace back to your home island. He could smell your arousal in the room, the spicy scent making his own pheromones rise in reaction. Keeping his mind on the present, Izou licked the shell of your ear, making you shiver.
“I haven’t been reaching for you not because I don’t want you. I want you very, very much, little Omega. I don’t reach for you because I don’t want to pressure you, I want you to feel free to choose the partner you’d like. It is not from a lack of desire, it is from a place of respect,” Izou whispered into your ear as his large hand splayed across your lower back to pull you closer.
“I w-want you too, it isn’t fair that you’re so beautiful,” you husked, now moving your hands to loop behind Izou’s neck. Izou was glad you’d painted his skin the familiar white otherwise you’d be seeing his blush at your words.
“That’s it, touch me. Explore my skin, my clothes, my hair. All of me is meant for you to touch,” Izou urged you. One of your hands flittered to his neck, your fingernails accidentally brushing his scent gland. He let out a small moan at the sensation; he didn’t want to stifle himself or his pleasure around you. Hearing the sound, you repeated the movement with hesitation, causing Izou to growl.
“Careful, little Omega. Otherwise we won’t just be kissing in a few moments,” he rumbled into your ear. You gasped as he playfully bit your shoulder and pulled you closer to him. A knock at the door had Izou rumbling from his chest as you scrambled off his lap.
“Yo, Izou, you’re late for once,” he heard Ace say from beyond the door while chewing on something. For Ace to have to come get Izou meant that he was truly late.
“We will continue this later,” Izou said, noting your kiss bruised lips and mussed hair. Smoothing out your hairstyle, he pressed one more kiss to your lips before standing and leaving for his Commander’s meeting. He hoped kissing would be added to your morning routine in addition to the hair and make up.
It was.
Izou reveled in teaching you how to kiss and how to be kissed. Izou figured out that you’d been treated roughly before, the primary method of kissing consisting of someone shoving their tongue down your throat without much input from you. Now, Izou was teaching you how to open your mouth to accept his own, how to return his kisses, and what to do with your tongue. You were a fast learner and kissing had quickly turned into heavy petting.
You and Izou would make out on his bed after you woke up in the morning, spending time together getting to know each other’s bodies over your clothes like horny teenagers. Izou was over forty and yet he couldn’t stop kissing you like he was seventeen again. You were hesitant to remove your clothing and Izou didn’t push, you’d let him know when you were ready. Izou doused himself in your scent every morning, licking and nibbling at your scent glands until you were grinding yourself on his thigh with soft keens tumbling from your lips. The diversions always began chastely, with sweet kisses to your mouth and cheeks, but ended with Izou's thigh slotted between your own as you ground on him over your clothes. up from your lips. It was driving you both crazy to be intimate without having intercourse, but Izou was willing to wait as long as it took for you to feel comfortable.
~
Once the ship passed your archipelago, the weather changed and the temperature steadily climbed daily. With the hotter temperatures, you grew increasingly uncomfortable, seeming to want out of your own skin. Dark circles appeared under your eyes and it was harder for Izou to rouse you out of bed in the mornings. You were sweaty and itchy but you insisted that you didn’t need to see Marco, that you were just busy and unused to the warmer weather after a lifetime on winter islands.
Izou wasn’t convinced that the weather was why you were looking more tired than usual; he was worried. He still saw you in the mornings and at night but something was amiss. Thatch said you took a break in the middle of the day, but you weren’t relaxing on deck or in his cabin like he thought you’d be. Izou asked Tate and you weren’t in the women’s quarters or bathing areas either. It had finally culminated in a day where Izou had to bring you tea in bed in the morning as you shivered from a cold sweat. Your scent had sharpened but Izou wasn’t sure if it was from the weather or from spending so much time near an unmated alpha like himself.
“Either I summon Marco, or I carry you to the infirmary. Which is your choice?” Izou asked in an unamused tone as he hovered near you while you sipped your tea.
“There is no need to worry, Izou,” you said with a small smile, reaching up to play with the end of his long hair. “Once I get moving I’ll be alright. I have much to do today, work that I cannot hand to another. I promise that if I’m not better by the end of the day I’ll visit Commander Marco,” you said softly. You drank the tea slowly and stretched under Izou’s watchful eye.
“I myself will accompany you to Marco’s office this evening,” Izou stated in a tone that brokered no arguments. You nodded seriously, then began to get ready for the day.
Suspicious about your ‘duties that could not be given to another’, Izou decided to follow you as you were dismissed from making lunch, trailing you quietly through the halls as you made your way deeper into the ship. You were heading down towards the second division quarters, covering a yawn as you passed Ace’s cabin. Izou’s guard was up - there wasn’t a reason you’d need to be down here when his division was on the other side of the ship and the kitchens were on a higher level. Of course, you were welcome anywhere on the ship but you looked like you needed a break or a nap, not going to who-knows-where. Izou continued to watch silently as you knocked on the door to the officer’s cabins for the second division.
The door opened and Teach welcomed you in, his large frame blocking out all light from behind him. He reached down to give you an enveloping hug, which you tolerated but didn’t return. He beckoned you inside, putting his hand on your back unnecessarily to guide you into the shared room but keeping the door open. You wrinkled your nose as he told you what he wanted done, nodding every so often to show you were listening. After a few minutes, Teach gave you another lingering hug and you set to work under his watchful eye.
You began taking the sheets off Teach’s bed, gathering the fabric in your arms. Izou had seen enough and entered the room, coming up behind you and took the bedsheets from your hands. You looked up at him in confusion almost as if you’d done something wrong. You started to wring your hands before Izou took them in his own to prevent your excessive worrying. Teach was watching the scene but didn’t say anything, crossing his arms while Izou spoke to you.
“What the fuck was she doing?” Izou asked Teach coldly. Even though the conversation was being conducted in Common, Tasuke had enough experience to know there was a confrontation happening. Izou glanced down at the Omega, who’s soured scent was now the acrid scent of fear.
“Go to my chambers, please. You’re not in trouble,” Izou said to you. You nodded and turned to leave but Izou still held your hands in his own. It would be awkward for you but he had some questions that needed answers.
“Has he ever hurt you?” Izou asked, squeezing your hand lightly.
“N-no. He makes me uncomfortable but he hasn’t done anything bad to me,” you said softly, looking at the floor.
“What does he do that makes you uncomfortable?” Izou prodded gently, bending down to catch your eyes.
“He touches me when he doesn’t need to, but other than that nothing really. I have no basis for my feelings,” you replied, unwilling to meet his gaze. Izou kissed the top of your head and sent you along the hallway back to his quarters. Once you were gone, Izou gave Teach his iciest glare.
“What’s the problem? She’s a maid, right? So I asked her to clean my room, change my sheets, do my laundry. She does it for you so what’s the big deal?” Teach said with a menacing grin, trying to put his large arm over Izou’s shoulders. Izou used the barrel of his gun to push the offending limb off his shoulders.
“She’s not a maid , ” Izou stated coolly, keeping his pistol in hand. He’d never liked Teach, even though Marco vouched for him, and seeing you cleaning another man’s quarters when you were obviously tired had Izou on edge.
“Coulda fooled me with the way she’s always fixing your room, brushin’ your hair, and washin’ your clothes. Guess she’s just yours to use? Or is it open season for any alpha? She’s not claimed after all, zehahahaha!” Teach ended his statement with a laugh even though nothing was amusing.
“She’s not for anyone to use ,” Izou said coolly as he seethed inside.
“So I can get her through the heat that’s coming? Even this one’s finally starting to get a smell, reminds me of home,” Teach said with a wide grin, showcasing his missing teeth. The man was technically an Alpha, but not the kind that Izou wanted to spend any time near. There was something off about Teach, something elusive and dangerous that made him want to bare his teeth and shove you behind him for protection. Izou growled in warning as Teach laughed his obnoxious laugh again.
“Do not talk to her again,” Izou ordered as Teach continued to laugh and threw his hands up like he was surrendering.
“So sensitive over one little Omega, they’re a berri a bunch,” Teach said with a shrug. “If not this one, you can rut over the next -” Teach’s eyes went wide as Izou sent a shot over his head into the ceiling above them. He couldn’t actually kill Teach since he couldn’t prove Teach was trying to get you to go into heat with his scent and Oyaji didn’t tolerate infighting. Izou had no doubt that Teach was having you handle his laundry and clothes in an attempt to innure you to his scent for when you went into heat. Izou would bide his time and perhaps Teach could be taught a lesson at a later time.
“ Do not speak to her again .”
Teach kept laughing but retreated back into his shared quarters, shutting the door behind him. Izou was still on edge but forgot the confrontation with Teach as he went to find his little Omega. Opening the door to his cabin, Izou was hit by the unmistakable scent of falling snow. You were curled up on his bed, clutching one of his kimonos in your hands, rubbing your cheek on the fine silk. Izou sat down on the bed next to you, noting the beads of sweat on your forehead.
“I’m sorry you had to see that. Are you alright?” Izou asked, cupping your cheek. You turned to face him, your eyes screwed shut.
“I feel strange, Alpha,” you whined, nuzzling into his large hand. Izou’s mind belatedly put the pieces together as he looked down at your smaller form. Teach had been onto something - your lethargy, the way you’d been so uncomfortable lately, the way your scent had been building on itself…
“You’re going into heat,” Izou stated, curling his fingers under your jaw. “It might be more intense this time since you’re around so many alphas,” Izou said, making you look at him. You whimpered, tears forming on your lash line. “It will be alright, little Omega, but you need to choose. You can go through it alone, though it might be painful. Or, if you wish, I can find a suitable alpha for you,” Izou gritted out. His alpha roared in displeasure at the thought of another taking care of you, but Izou wasn’t going to force anything on you that you didn’t want.
“I w-want you, Izou,” you said with a hiccup, reaching for him with your arms, discarding the kimono on the bed. “Please, Alpha.”
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