Chapter Text
Flexing his large, dark wings out in the open, grassy campus, Saitama gave off a tired yawn after an exhausting week of finals. Thank goodness it was all over and it was now the start of the vacation until the next term. If he passed all his finals, then he can walk down the aisle and graduate from the Aviary College of City X with a business degree just like his father wanted.
The degree wasn’t one that Saitama particularly cared for but his father fully expects him to follow in his footsteps of going into business. Since he really didn’t have a particular career in mind that he wanted, Saitama agreed to go to school for the degree with his father’s help. He was able to ease the financial strain off his parents by getting scholarships to help him along without the use of a dreaded student loans.
As a omega with the large wings of a vulture, Saitama knew that his job opportunities would be thin due to people associating him with death and ill fortune. People with his wings tend to only be able to mate with other vulture winged people with jobs either in a business setting or something in the mortuary field. Since dead bodies gave him the creeps, he decided to bow to his father’s wishes of going into business as well.
Once he graduates from the college, he will miss the friends he had made there, especially his pre-med roommate wonder kid Genos. Saitama smiled at the thought of his studious roommate who was probably sleeping off the sleepless nights of studying.
Saitama could remember when he met the golden eagle winged kid when he was assigned as his roommate after his last roommate King had a nervous breakdown and had to drop out. It was 3 years ago now when he met the 17 year old whiz scrawny blonde kid who only wanted to do his family proud and become a doctor. There was a mixup in the computer system, putting a alpha with an omega but Saitama told Genos that he didn’t care if he didn’t. Genos did not voice any complaints so they never corrected the college.
Saitama was expecting someone who would sneer at his vulture wings and his bald head (he lost his hair from the stress of studying). But Genos was polite and respectful without staring at his head too much. They got along amicably until one night when he was walking around town early at night when he found his roommate being beat up by a group of thugs. He didn’t waste anytime before using his childhood lessons from his old karate teacher Bang Sensei to quickly even the odds and sent the thugs running(well the ones who could run anyway).
After it was said and done, Saitama called the police on the thugs groaning on the ground and took his roommate to the hospital to be checked out. Then as Genos’ broken arm healed, Saitama took it upon himself to care for his roommate and helped to carry his food trays and books for him when he wasn’t in class. That was when Genos really opened up to him and begged him to teach him how to defend himself from future attacks.
Saitama did his best to teach Genos all that he knew and after 3 years of having Genos working out with him, he transformed from a thin bookworm into a tall, fit alpha that the other students on campus drooled over. But for all the clamoring attention, Genos turned them all down for in favor of studying or simply hanging out with Saitama playing video games. Looking at Genos, Saitama felt proud for helping bring out the best in his friend.
It took time but he was able to teach his young friend how to relax when he wasn’t studying for his tests, he was honestly worried about his friend’s unhealthy obsession with straight A+s. One time when Genos received a B+ on a essay, Saitama spent the whole night comforting his roommate until he fell asleep in his arms.
In return, Genos was the best roommate one could hope for, he cleaned like he was on a personal crusade to rid the world of germs. He was also quiet when he wasn’t quizzing Saitama for more self defense tips and way too personal information. Because really, why did Genos need to know how many glasses of water he drank in a day versus how much he pees in ounces? But other than that, it was good to have someone he could hang out with without the awful nicknames and stigma of being a sign of bad luck.
Giving his wings a couple flaps to stretch the muscles after hunching over his exam for 2 hours, Saitama debated on asking his roommate on going for a fly later. But first a nap was in order.
Heading toward his dorm building, Saitama looked at the bedraggled group of students that just survived their finals, some just coming off their coffee/energy drink highs and some at the point of exhaustion after the sleepless nights of studying. After everyone had recovered from their mad dash to pass their tests, they will gather in the courtyard of the campus to celebrate Plumage Day in a couple days.
That day will come right after exams so people will be celebrating anyways or the case of the unlucky few, get rip roaring drunk after finding out that they failed their tests. Plumage day mostly consists of alphas showing off their wings in stunning aerial displays to entice omegas into mating with them. Saitama went to the first display when he was there but alphas would be more enticed by lovely dove wings to the exciting blur of a hummingbird’s wings versus large drab wings of a vulture.
Instead of going to the displays, he tends to coop himself up playing video games with his roommate while internally lamenting the lack of other vulture winged students to hang out with. His roommate didn’t go to the displays either despite his fan club always trying to persuade him to go, Genos would brush them off and say he was going to study or hang out with him.
This did earn Saitama the ire of his omega classmates, there was even a rumor going around that he is blackmailing his roommate to spend time with him. Saitama tried to ignore the glares and the subtle threats from the other jealous omegas (and alphas) in Genos’ fan club on campus. But every so often he would quiz his roommate if he was going to take a mate but Genos would always answer that he was too busy with studies to find a mate. Maybe it was for the best that Genos didn’t take a mate right now, he had a great future in front of him to be a doctor, a mate could slow him down.
After finally making his way to the dorm room, Saitama opened the door quietly to find that the curtains were drawn and his friend Genos was sleeping on his bed with his wings wrapped around him. Saitama smiled softly at the display before quietly shutting the door and locking it before making it to his desk to pull out his pajamas.
After he chucked his clothes off, Saitama quickly redressed in his pajamas before retiring to his own bed to get some sleep. The last thing he sees is Genos’ youthful face sleeping peacefully before he was pulled into the world of dreams of where he was a superhero with his roommate as his cyborg sidekick.
After waking up the next day, Saitama was happily surprised that his roommate placed a breakfast burrito on his night stand for breakfast. His roommate’s bed was empty and the burrito was still warm so his roommate hadn’t been gone long. But as the morning wore on, his roommate remained nowhere to be seen. Saitama then texted his roommate after a couple of hours but only received a reply that he was busy but he will see Saitama later for dinner.
Saitama shrugged and stretched out one wing at a time in their shared small room, sometimes it was a pain to have such a large wingspan but it was nice that he was able to glide on the air currents. But it would be nice to be able some aerial acrobatics to show off with a smaller wingspan but Saitama was happy with what he had. Checking his phone, Saitama saw that there was going to be a sale on vegetables in a nearby grocery store in 20 minutes, that way he can stock up for the upcoming vacation since the chow hall will be closed until Plumage Day.
Instead of going home to his parents, Saitama decided that he will hang out around the dorms and see if any of his friends were still going to be there. He pulled the phone out of his pocket and sent out a group text to see who was going to stay in the dorms. After waiting for a few minutes, he read the responses that everyone was leaving except for Genos’ reply that he was staying.
Saitama tilted his head in confusion about Genos saying that he was going to stay, normally he was the first to spend time with his family whenever there was a holiday but lately he has chosen to stay with Saitama instead. Maybe he should check with his friend to see if everything was going all right with his family.
But it was Genos, the too honest and most forthright guy Saitama has ever met. Normally he can’t get him to shut up if there was something wrong, like when he found out that one of the professors gave Saitama a low score just because of his wings. Genos went above and beyond to ensure that his friend was treated fairly and the professor in question was terminated. Saitama didn’t know whether to be upset that Genos went that far or be pleased. So he simply ruffled Genos’ blonde hair and thanked him with a small smile on his face. That was when Saitama realized that he was in love with his young roommate.
For the most part, Saitama tried to cover up and repress his feelings for his roommate, after all Genos could have his pick of the omegas in the school then settling for someone with the drab wings of a vulture. Also he didn’t want to lose his best friend because his heart had to set on someone he knew he couldn’t have.
If Saitama spent most of his time watching his roommate when he wasn’t looking then that was his secret. It was a warm feeling that made him put in the effort to preen his wings to help them look better but it was just an omega instinct to attract the alpha’s attention.
He tried to suppress his omegan instincts when he could but he ended up doing little things for Genos. Like waiting for Genos to get back from studying before he would start eating. Saitama would also help deflect some of the most ardent admirers from bugging Genos too much by loudly reminding Genos that they had to do something.
Genos would welcome the distraction and thanked him for rescuing him time and time again. He would even go so far as to help Saitama preen his wings. The large wingspan did make it a little more difficult to take care of. Even though preening is more of a mate or close family bonding activity, Saitama would let Genos take care of his wings. If Saitama just closes his eyes and relaxes into the gentle, almost reverent touching while he pretends it meant more, well that is his business.
In return, Saitama would return the favor and help Genos with his wings, his finger trailing through the soft, luxurious brown feathers that tapered into golden brown feathers on Genos’ nape. His own feathers, drab and brown were not as soft as Genos’ regal feathers which made him a little envious at times but that was the way the dice rolled.
Saitama shook his head of the fond memory before he gave out a sigh. He will miss Genos should he graduate this semester. He will be joining his father at the company and also look for an apartment to live in. He has to work with his father, he doesn’t want to live with him as well. Saitama could only hope that Genos’ next roommate would be a good student who would watch over him and make sure he takes breaks from studying to eat and rest. Maybe he will call or text Genos himself just to make sure his friend was doing ok.
His roommate had one more year of pre-med before he moved on to med school to pursue his lofty dreams of being a doctor. With his drive and grades, there was no doubt in Saitama’s mind that Genos will be accepted at his chosen college located at City A. It was known for producing the best doctors in the country, it was hard to get into it if you were anything short of an valedictorian.
Shaking his head to keep from dwelling on his roommate, Saitama picked up his wallet and left his dorm room to make his way up the stairs to the balcony to the fly off point. Coming up to the balcony, there was a group of omegas giggling and talking to each other in hushed whispers. Curious about what they were looking at, Saitama looked out to see alphas working on their courtship flights. Then his heart stopped and his eyes widened, his roommate Genos was out there practicing as well.
Saitama felt his breath in his lungs stop and his heart began to ache but he kept his emotions from showing on his face before he turned his back on the display. With a heavy heart, Saitama ignored the smug omegas sneering at him and made his way back to his dorm room.
He knew this day was coming, Genos was too perfect to fly solo for long. Saitama tried to think of which omega was able to snatch his roommate’s attentions away from his studies. So far, no one came to mind that Genos paid attention to. Hopefully whoever it was will make Genos happy, that was all that Saitama could hope for. In light of this new development, Saitama decided it was time to draw away from Genos who was going to be busy this week.
In this time of courtship, the alpha will perform aerial displays for his chosen omega before drawing them to follow them to a nest that they have prepared for their omega. If the omega approved of the alpha’s nest and flight skills, then they will mate and bond.
Normally Saitama wasn’t a drinker but a bottle of whiskey on Plumage Day sounded really good for him, there was no way he wanted to go out and watch Genos be with another omega. Hopefully Genos won’t prepare the nest in their dorm room, then Saitama would have to go somewhere else. Maybe he should just go to his parent’s house, then he can quietly grieve over his heartbreak away from all this.
Right first thing he needs to do is start working on packing, there was no way he was going to stay and watch Genos prep for another omega.
After contacting his parents about the change in plans, his parents then told him he would have the place to himself since they were going to their secluded place in the mountains for the holiday. That will at least save Saitama from dealing his father breathing over his shoulder whether he graduated or not. His mother will arrive shortly with the car so he can move all his stuff at least.
It didn’t take Saitama too long to get everything he owned packed up. He will leave everything, he and Genos had co payed for. His roommate would need this stuff for his final year of studies, well unless his bonded omega decides to get rid of everything that bore Saitama’s scent. Omegas can be a little territorial about their mate owning anything that was touched by another omegas and vice versa.
Well he will leave a note for Genos about going to his parent’s place and how to get ahold of him if his mate wanted to get rid of what they had owned together. Although Saitama really didn’t want to get the stuff that would remind him of his roommate, but the practical part of him couldn’t simply toss perfectly good stuff away.
Taking a seat on his stripped bed, Saitama looked around the room he called home for the last 4 years. He had a lot of memories good and bad here, like when he finished a 35 paged assignment for his psychology class that he had to accomplish within a week. Or when he took his roommate to a party and they both crawled home and simply curled up around each other on the floor in a drunken slumber.
When Saitama woke up blearily with Genos spooning him from behind with his nose pressed into his gland on his neck. Saitama dug out his phone and quickly snapped a picture of them together, Genos was so cute cuddling him like that. The photo was a secret indulgence that Saitama would look at and pretend that they were more than friends. But the first part of letting go is to delete his photo, there was no need to hold onto the past if he wanted to move forward into the future.
As he took his out his phone to look at the photo, looking at his roommate’s peaceful expression on his face and the way he drooled on him a little was adorable. Hovering his thumb over the photo to select whether to delete it or not, Saitama bit his lower lip and gave out a defeated sigh before swiping out of it. He will delete it later.
Saitama felt his phone buzz in his hand which alerted him to a text that his mother was here. He replied that he would be down in a moment before grabbing his first box of stuff. Good thing he kept all the empty boxes from helping his friend Mumen move in with his new bonded alpha Zombieman. Once you are bonded, they move you into larger apartments on campus.
Quickly moving his boxes into his mom’s car, it was at least behind the building away from where Genos was practicing for his courtship flight. Saitama felt a little guilty abandoning his friend and roommate like this but his heart couldn’t take it.
After moving everything in his mother’s car, Saitama looked up to see if he could see Genos in the air behind the building but the sun was in his eyes. Saitama shut the trunk of the car and went to sit next to his mother in the passenger seat. He then sent off a text alerting Genos of his decision to go stay with his parents and to wish him luck with the next school year.