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dammitadolfnomorecake · 11 months

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Rage Fire Institution

Accelerating. 36.

Maki was now officially in training mode. 4:30 am starts in bitter cold weather seemed cruel. Tatsumi was cruel. Maki had been nervous to see Tatsumi again once his fever finally cleared and he was up for piloting again, but it seemed all for naught once Tatsumi started excitedly explaining his training plan for the next month. Wake up, run 5kms, shower, breakfast, mod training, lunch, TC training, dinner, homework, collapse into bed. Not only did he have mech training, he had hand to hand training with Anthony and Stella, sometimes Tatsumi when he felt like it. Tatsumi was a firm and fair teacher, but he’d never imagine him standing there channeling Skylark and pushing Maki to the point he didn’t know up from down.

“Oi, turn your fucking alarm off and get the fuck up! You’ve got a competition to win, fuckwit”

With such motivation words from Tarva, Maki dragged himself out of bed. He’d been questioned endlessly by his roommates once his name was known across campus as a competitor. Strangers seemed to think it also gave them permission to come up to him and start questioning him about the competition. Maki loathed the extra attention and wished he could stick them in his shoes for a day and so they could see if it was as fun as they seemed to think it was. And it wasn’t his fellow students making a fuss, it was his sister. Mina called him every day once her classes were finished. Maki had been embarrassed at first, teased when he’d duck off to talk to her, before Tatsumi stepped in, and now his whole team had talked to his sister.

Dressing for his daily dose of torture, it was bucketing down with rain by the time Maki made it to the dorm doors. Waiting outside, Tatsumi wielded an umbrella. Any hopes of returning to his warm bed were dashed, the alpha letting himself out to join his friend in the misery

“We’re running in this?”

“Fuck no. Come on, my shoes are already soaked. We’re headed to the gym”

Making a break for the gym turned into a silent competition between them. Maki winning, but that was because he had boots compared to Tatsumi’s trainers. Letting them in, the lights were on and so was the heating. His friend prepared ahead of time

“Shit, this is more like it. I thought my balls were going to freeze off out there”

Tatsumi gave a laugh, toeing off his wet shoes to leave them by the door. Maki noticing he’d skipped his socks, so running couldn’t be on the plans for them

“We can’t have that. And don’t go thanking me just yet. We’ve got a job to do before we can train today”

“Why don’t I like the sound of that?”

“Because you know me too well. In the military they’d throw you out in that weather, but today, we’re getting in touch with your creative side”

Maki gave a snort. He didn’t have a creative side, outside of mech paint. His mech had taken his breath away when he’d seen it in its freshly painted glory. At first came the disappointment with its orange and white exterior, until he remembered what would happen when he activated it. It looked completely beastly and terrifying in its black coat, everything he’d hoped it could be

“I don’t have one”

“Don’t tell me that. Come on, we need to get started or it won’t be done by breakfast”

Maki’s stomach gave a loud rumble. Being an alpha meant he usually consumed a high calorie diet thanks to his dynamic. Tatsumi could eat like an alpha, but Maki found he still ate far more. His friend shaking his head at him, starting to lead the way into the control room

“That’s forcing my hand. Fine, food first, then work”

“You got us food?”

“Of course. I knew we couldn’t go jogging when I saw the weather forecast for this morning. I did consider making you run laps, but I’ve got something planned for today so this needs to come first”

Opening the door to the control room, Tatsumi had been busy. Bagels, coffee, buckets of paint, brushes, and long thick canvas laid in wait. Maki had a sinking feeling

“Don’t tell me…”

Beaming at him, the omega nodded as he patted the roll of canvas

“Our banners came. We’ll be painting them today. I already confirmed with Li that he and his cheer team will come at 7, so will the research team, as well as Stella and Anthony. Plus a few more guests after lunch. We had the lettering outline professionally printed, but I felt for something like this, it’d be more fun to let everyone decorate their hopes and dreams”

Maki was not a painting person. Try as he might, the line always seemed to move after he’d painted. He and painting were mortal enemies

“No offence, I would rather run laps”

“Where’s your school spirit?”

“In bed, where we should be. I’m no artist”

Tatsumi blew a raspberry at him

“Bah. It’ll be fun. Andes gave us the floor for today seeing we couldn’t do this outside. My aim is to get this done before lunch. And I’ve got another surprise for you”

“I don’t think I want it”

“Fine, but I think you’ll love it when you see it. If you want to get started eating, I’ll carry this out”

The roll of canvas looked heavy, and not to step on Tatsumi’s strength, Maki didn’t want his friend struggling alone. Breakfast wouldn’t taste as good with Tatsumi’s huffing and puffing

“I’ll help you carry it out. Breakfast better be worth all this”

Beaming at his complaining, Tatsumi patted the pile of canvas again

“Excellent, my manipulation worked. Honestly, this shit is heavy. I’m glad we won’t have to carry all of it around everyday”

He’d been had. There he was thinking of Tatsumi and Tatsumi was already three moves ahead

“You’re an arsehole. I hope you know how disappointed your grandson is”

“As long as he doesn’t hate me. Grab the other end, we’ll figure them out once they’re rolled out. There’s something good waiting inside”

“Unless it’s my bed, you’re lying”

Tatsumi teased him, tone as if taking to a small child instead of a full grown alpha

“Does my poor little man need a nap?”

Maki deadpanned his friend back. There were seven hours left until lunch and no nap time in sight. Yes. He needed a nap. He needed a nap in his warm bed

“Yes”

Tatsumi snorted. Maki was more than relieved that they’d been able to keep being friends as if nothing had happened. Plus, maybe if there were enough of them then they wouldn’t notice if he slipped off for a small nap. His friend lifting his end of the canvas

“Aw, I promise you an early night tonight. Today is all about fun”

“Maybe for you. I can’t paint for shit”

“Ah, but you will and you will like it. Come on, get those alpha muscles moving”

“You get yours moving. How are you so happy? It’s cold, raining, and we’re painting”

“You’ll find out this afternoon… and I may not have slept. Lets goooooo. Double time!”

Carrying the canvases out to the gym, when Tatsumi let his end drop, Maki did the same. His friend should have slept. Under the light of the control room, versus how Tatsumi looked under the gym lighting, the man really didn’t look terribly well. Maki making a mental note to keep checking on him during the day as the last thing they needed was Tatsumi collapsing because his training program was too much. As Tatsumi went to move to unroll the canvases, Maki stepped I

“Move, I’ll do it. You said there was something good in here, right?”

“Yep. If possible I want to get it out and organised before everyone else shows up”

“You’re not going to give me any kind of clue are you?”

Tatsumi shook his head, covering his smile with his hand. Maki wished he’d stop doing that as if he had something to be embarrassed about, nothing embarrassing counted when it was only the two of them alone

“Nope. If you can’t figure it out from all the clues you have, then I’m not helping you with the one”

Maki rolled his eyes. Taking the ends of the pile of canvas, he pulled them out towards him, unrolling them with zero care

“It’s not exactly fair when you know what’s happening and I don’t”

“If you complained less and worked faster you’d have found it by now. Okay, first one is to be painted. Let’s drag them into kind of a circle so we’re organised”

“I’ll drag, you direct. Alpha muscle and all that”

Working through the pile, Maki didn’t know why they needed so many banners. It was a six person cheer team

“Don’t you think this is a bit much?”

“No? Li and I discussed this”

If Li was involved then there was definitely going to be overkill, Maki pulling off another banner to be painted and dragging it away from the pile with a huff

“It’s not like the whole school is coming to see us”

“No, but we needed banners and it’s good for us to show we care. Though I did think we would have hit that by now”

There Tatsumi went again. Reaching the spot for the banner, Maki let himself fall on his arse. He was waging a sit in protest

“I’m not moving until you tell me what the hell has you so happy. There’s not going to be a huge cheque in the middle of all of this, is there?”

“No, but it’s just as good. Okay, maybe not just as good, but you can’t quit now”

Maki flipped him off, then flopped onto his back

“I’m protesting you and your happy mood. There’s six people in our cheer squad, Tatsumi. Six”

“So you’re not going to cheer for Stella and Anthony in their individual matches? And no one from the research time can cheer for their mods?”

Sitting back up, he’d not thought of that

“They’re allowed to watch?”

“What did you think we were taking them for? To repair mods and stayed cooped up until we need them? It’s not all about you”

“It could be. And I guess I’ve been too busy training to think, thanks to someone”

“You’re welcome. Fine, sit there you slacker, it’s painful watching you as it is. Let the real man get this done”

Maki took the bait hard

“You? You look ready to faint at any moment. What have you got that I don’t?”

Tatsumi grabbed the top banner and began dragging it off the pile towards his side of the gym

“Patience? No shoes? Five cups of coffee and knowing that you’ll love what’s waiting when you find it… but maybe I am asking too much of my poor little grandson”

“You’re insufferable when you’re like this”

“I’ll take the compliment. These muscles were made by combat, so a few small banners won’t defeat me”

“No, but I will. 5 banners each. Loser has to do what the winner says until lunch”

“Deal. You’d better pick up the pace then. I’m one up”

“I think you’re forgetting all the ones I’ve already dragged”

“You offered and the deal wasn’t in affect that the time you moved them. Get moving then”

Maki couldn’t win.

***

Tatsumi was excited. The banners for the individual pilots had been printed. The ones that would be hung by the school were already in the hands of the institutions maintenance team. Tatsumi had had three printed to hang in the mech training gym, and three smaller ones printed for their student pilots. Dragging off the last of the banners with the school emblem on them, he smiled at the sight of Stella standing in front of her bright yellow mech. It meant losing the competition with Maki, but it was well worth it because he knew the second Maki saw himself, he’d be excited.

Dragging the emblem over to the other ones, Tatsumi intentionally over fussed on the edges, giving Maki time to get back to the pile. Watching him, he saw the confusion on Maki’s face, before Stella’s banner was pulled back so he could check what was underneath

“Uh, Tatsumi…”

Pulling the thick silver marker out of his back pocket, Tatsumi walked back to the banners, holding the marker out to Maki

“Surprise. Here, I’ll take Stella, you go ahead and take a good hard look, then sign it. That signature might be worth something by the end of this”

“You want me to sign this? Isn’t that defacing it?”

“I’m pretty sure it’s fine. Stella and Anthony will sign there’s too. Call it favouritism, if it makes you feel better, but I wanted to see you find yourself before the others got here and you clammed up”

“I don’t remember posing for this”

Tatsumi chuckled. He knew Maki’s routine was hectic, but to forget he’d had his photo taken for the school forum was something else

“You posed the same day Stella and Anthony did. Then that image was combined with the best one of your mech. I chose it activated because I know you hate the white and orange”

Dressed in black with his midnight black mech, Maki looked like an avenging angel, descended from the heavens to win the competition. No one who looked at the photo would think a little thing like publicity would turn Maki into a walking idiot. He’d bumbled through the questions quite adorably then fallen into a sulk. For a “scary alpha”, he’d been terribly cute. Even the research team had been swayed. With wide eyes, Maki looked up at him almost fearfully

“Prof… can I really do this?”

It’d been a long time since he’d heard Maki calling him “Prof” or “Professor”. Tatsumi smiling gently

“Of course you can. I chose you. Do you really think I’d let you lose if I had no faith?”

“I…”

Getting to his feet in a flash. Tatsumi found himself in Maki’s arms. Stella’s banner beneath Maki’s boots as the alpha hugged him tightly

“I… I… thank you”

Wrapping his arms around Maki, Tatsumi smiled. Maki wasn’t one for hugging, nor was he one for public displays of friendliness. Had the others been there then he’d never of hugged him

“You’re welcome. I started this, but it’s you that’s making it happen”

“No… it’s because of you… Tatsumi”

Tatsumi’s heart gave a funny beat at his name. He knew Maki was precious to him, not only as a student but as a close friend. He was in too deep with the alpha, no matter what he might say, and no matter what his friends also said. He cared for Maki and he wanted to see him succeed with every fibre of his being

“Maki… I won’t let you down. I’ll be there for all of it and I’ll be cheering for you when you step into the arena. I don’t know if you’ll sink or swim but I know without a shadow of a doubt you will give it your all”

“You’ll be watching?”

The hug had passed a simply hug. Maki’s warmth was making Tatsumi’s exhausted muscles relax. He couldn’t scent Maki, so he knew it was because of their closeness. Every bit of him trusted in his friend

“Of course. I can’t be in the arena with you, but I can be there as close as I can be. We’re all supporting you. We all want to see you win. We all believe in you, kiddo”

“Tatsumi… I…”

“Come on, there’s no need for more words. You’re standing on Stella’s face”

Maki gave a sniffled snort, breaking the hug but keeping his hands on Tatsumi’s arms as he took a step back to look down

“Shit”

Snorting lightly, Tatsumi’s smile was full of fondness

“Yep. She’ll hit you if she finds your boot prints on her face. Go sign yourself. Like I said, it might be worth big bucks by the end of it. Hell, you might even get scholarship offers flooding through once everyone sees how good you are”

“I’ll believe it when I see it”

“Stop looking down on yourself. It doesn’t suit you. Where’s my foul attitude and fuck the rules alpha gotten to?”

“He was given a lifeline by a man he used to dislike”

With how Maki was looking at him, Tatsumi put space between them. Fiddling with his hair, he faked a pout and looked away

“You didn’t like me? I’m wounded, Maki”

“Yeah, well, past me was a bit of dick. I like you. I won’t let you down and I’m going to work hard to win. All those hours, you’re going to see just what I can do because you’ve been by my side”

That strange beat came back as Maki told him he liked him. He knew Maki meant as a friend, yet… He liked being by Maki’s side. He liked Maki’s enthusiasm and hard work. He liked it the alpha would get snappy from tiredness, or tell him off for being too demanding.

Tatsumi forced down ignored the intimacy of Maki’s words, drawing a shaky line between them

“I’ll be there until the end. Now, get off of Stella. I’m going to hang the three banners once you’ve signed yours. The other two knew it was coming, yet it’ll be a nice surprise to see them when they get here”

Maki softly said his name, emotions were too close to something else with the way Maki looked to him

“Tatsumi…”

He needed to put space between them. Tatsumi moving around Maki to the top of Stella’s banner

“It’s alright, you’ve got this”

#omegaverse #mpreg #a/b/o #yaoi #rfi #rage fire #rage fire institution #mecha #mech

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