Chapter Twenty Seven

"Please note that Alpha men are just like any other men and as such their weak spots are just the same as any other men.  Weak spots include the back of the knees, the eyes, the throat and as everyone knows, here, the groin!"

As each word seemed spoken with its own underline, a black marker circled those areas on an A2 sized outline of an non-specific Male.  The last area mentioned was circled three times in ink.

The girls of the self-defense class and its token man as they'd dubbed the petite beta who was amongst them, sent glances to each other.  Shane looked even more uncomfortable, sheltering said 'weak area' noticeably.  The Omega holding the pen did not notice their looks, busily scowling at the print while his mind superimposed the image of a certain Alpha on it's face.

"Oh and I wouldn't bother with the belly," he added, tapping it after placing the lid back on the pen.  "While it may cause winding if it is unexpected, there are people who have trained this area for various reasons, this core becoming a strength not a weakness."  That bastard had a particularly strong core and the area was flat and smooth as well.  "Plus, some people just have really thick skin.  Outrageously thick skin, totally shameless."

"Ichi," one of the girls called to him to inquire; "Are you alright?"

"Peachy," he replied in a flat tone, slamming the marker onto the easel supporting the picture.  "Anyway, let me show you a few moves and you girls can try them out!"

"Spare me!" Shane pleaded, causing his female classmates to giggle.  The door to the hall opened attracting all of their attention.

"Ichiro could always demonstrate using him," one of the girls whispered as she pointed towards the tall, broad man filling the entrance before all of them attempted to imagine their slender teacher subduing the hulk of muscle before them.  After some attempt, they all shook their head in unison.  That was one mountain they did not believe could be moved.

Ichiro had also naturally witnessed Zandre stepping into the hall and automatically resisted his bodily reactions even as he turned away determined to at least give a show of ignoring him.  Of course he was very aware of his presence regardless that his back was turned to him.  His scent had hit him immediately, drawn into his nasal cavity as he instinctively drew in a heavy breath.  And it was as if he could already feel the hard plains of his body pressing against his back, the heat of his body enveloping him, his stiff member pressing against...

"Ichiro," Zee called to him, his voice sending shivers down Ichiro's spine and despite how much he wanted to ignore it, to ignore him, he could hear the pleading note in Zandre's tone.

Again he saw the girls (and Shane) exchanging glances, before their eyes fell on the heavily circled board and enlightenment seemed to fall.  Curious expressions became knowing ones and with a sigh of reluctance, Ichiro knew that the situation could no longer be left alone.  He shooed all of his class away, suggesting that they start stretching and warm ups.  A few giggled, but then soon fell into a loose argument of who was going to pair with Shane.  It wasn't that any of them liked him per say, but Shane was not a large man, even a little weak in appearance with his skinny body and quiet personality.  He inspired their mothering instincts... even if half of them were actually the man's juniors.

While they bickered amicably, Ichiro indicated that Zandre should follow him to the little kitchenette to talk.  A memory of being pressed against the cupboards and countertop flickered through Ichiro's memory and he couldn't help the flush that rose in his cheeks.  Forcing the thought back down, he turned around, his spine straight and shoulders back, meeting firmly Zandre's eyes.  He almost regretted doing so, for there was so much sorrow and regret in those eyes, pure and genuine remorse.

"What are you doing here?" Ichiro demanded, trying to keep his voice steady, even if his knees felt otherwise.  Hardening his heart, he let loose a little of his unhappiness.  "Shouldn't you be with your fiancée?"

It had hurt seeing that woman flash a ring in front of a camera and the newspaper report of her being Zandre's long term girlfriend.  Naturally they had assumed that Zandre had proposed to her, though no official statement had been made.  And it wasn't just in one newspaper either, though it did not make front page news for the more serious national papers.  He had to face many images, as he placed out newspapers and magazines within the convenience shop, of the elegant, bright eyed woman leaning or hand in hand with the very man who'd been pursuing him.  The man who he'd broken a solemn personal vow with, the man who'd... his heart had ached in his chest and he'd felt nauseous, just wanting to head home and bury himself beneath a blanket.  But who told him to find out these things at the very beginning of his shift at the store?!

And then the bastard had the cheek to try text him, tell him he wanted to see him!

"Ichiro," Zandre drew him from his thoughts, having witnessed the myriad of expressions pouring over his face and he felt pain.  "Ichiro, please, let me explain..."

"You... you don't need to explain anything!  Aren't you an Alpha Male?  Top of the food chain, while I'm just a lowly Omega, someone weak and easy to trample upon?"

Two thick arms wrapped around him and his nose came to touch the warm skin of Zandre's collar bone.  His scent was particularly rich this close to his neck and Ichiro had to bite down a whimper as his lower self immediately stood to attention.  "Forgetting the fact that you are definitely not weak and I doubt you'd let anyone trample upon you or your brothers..."

"Damn right!" Came a muffled interruption, the hot breath causing Zee to shudder.

"Forgetting that, I do need to explain," Zandre insisted.  "And I need you to listen, please.  Don't push me away, at least until you have heard everything.  It isn't exactly what you think."

"Isn't that what all cheating bastards say?" Ichiro joked without mirth.  He knew his own intimate affairs were nothing to be proud of, but all his women had been single and aware of the score.  He wouldn't escort them if they weren't, not even for additional money.

"Um... Ichiro," a female voice called out hesitantly.  "We're going to call it a night, okay?"

Ichiro immediately stepped back from Zandre's arms, though the latter was clearly reluctant to let him go.  "En," the Omega quickly agreed, throwing Zandre a glare.  This was another mark against him!  "This is my fault, so don't worry about class fees tonight."  The girls and Shane all bid him goodnight as they gathered up their towels and water bottles and left the hall.  And then it was just the two of them.

Zandre made an attempt to draw Ichiro back into his arms, but the latter decided that for this conversation, it was better to have a distance between them.  "Talk," he instructed, after stepping back a pace or two.

"Elani and I used to date, this is true," Zandre said with a sigh, rubbing the back of his neck as he tried to figure out the best way of putting things.  "We were still going out when you and I first met at that Rugby game a few months ago."  Eleven weeks, four days... yet Zandre felt that it had been so much longer since the stubborn, exuberant Omega had appeared in his life.  This had been most frustrating, yet brilliant, the most agonising, yet wonderful time of his life.  Heart racing, blood boiling and for the most part, he wasn't even on the field!  "Our relationship was... I don't know.  At the time, I thought she might be it for me, so I bought the ring.  I guess I knew that something was missing, because I never proposed to her, problem is, I couldn't figure out what was wrong, so I let thing continue on as they were.

"Then I met you.

"It was like, seeing colour for the first time or the first time hearing the roar of the crowd as you brought your team to victory, you never imagined life could be so vivid, so beyond your expectations. I never imagined I could want someone, could need to be with someone as much as I had to with you. I ended things with her straightaway so that once I found you again, I could wholeheartedly dedicate myself to you. Only, I was so focused on finding and pursuing you, I didn't realise that she hadn't exactly taken my words in properly. Soon as I realised, I tried to fix it, sending her messages to properly talk to her about it, but she left the country and then so did I.

"While I was gone, she came back and I don't know what kind of crackpot idea went through her head, but she let herself in my place with a spare key I had yet to get off of her to leave me a... gift..." He did not elaborate just what that gift was, but it drove Ichiro's imagination somewhat wild. "She also found the ring. That was my mistake, not changing the locks before I left the country and not selling off the ring, though I planned to do so when I got back. Never expected she'd get to it first!"

Ichiro remained silent. There was a lot to process. He couldn't say he was unmoved, even if Zandre's initial attraction to him was just because of some pheromonal thing. He never actually had end his relationship with Elani before tracking him down, they'd been strangers at the time after all, although he would have completely shut the man down if he hadn't been single... probably. "What now?" Ichiro asked him, quietly.

"I've spoken to her," Zandre admitted. "Made sure she is absolutely clear how things stand between us. She also knows I have someone else in my heart so there's never going to be any reconciliation between us."

Ichiro's heart skipped a beat and a giddy feeling came over him, but he attempted to press down the sensation. "You have someone else in your heart?" He said with a bit of hope and a heavy amount of cynicism. His wrists were grabbed and he once more felt himself enveloped in a brutal embrace. Dammit, this man's chest was not soft at all!

"Yes, Ichiro, I do," Zee grinned and leaned down to nibble at Ichiro's tempting neck. "This man is stubborn and obstinate, wilful and playful, tests my patience to the point I regret that I snapped." His smile fell and he tightened his hold about Ichiro. "I'm so sorry for forcing you that time. Did I hurt you?"

Ichiro shook his head and wrapped his arms around Zandre's neck in reassurance.  He couldn't lie and say that he hadn't been a little mentally wounded or pissed off at the time, but that had as much to do with the nature of his body than Zandre's actions.  He hadn't wanted to admit that he was weak to Zandre, that it felt good to be pressed beneath this man's body and embraced.  So good that it was frightening.  Still, he wouldn't let Zandre off completely for everything.

"I'm due on my heat next week," he whispered into Zandre's ear and a sly smile appeared upon his lips as Zandre's lower beast throbbed against his abdomen.  "But it seems your team has a game, right?"

"You've been following the team?" Zandre growled, huskily.  Ichiro laughed, but refused to admit to anything.  Actually, it had Saburo who had been pushing Jiro into keeping tabs online, then he had kept Ichiro in the loop.  Ichiro had just pretended not to care about it, but Zandre didn't need to know that.  "I can skip next game..."

"Tut tut, that won't do," Ichiro teased, "I heard that they might have you play a bit in the first half, something about someone else's retirement after the season?  Can't have you missing out due to the fact that I happen to be going into heat, now can we?"

"Ichiro!" Zee warned in a tone of mixed threat and need.  Ichiro laughed again, enjoying the moment, but Zandre ruined the mood with a irrepressible yawn.

Frowning, Ichiro asked him if he was alright; "I'm fine, just not slept properly in thirty six hours," Zandre grumbled.  Now the adrenaline was all gone, he felt the weight of sleeplessness press upon his eyes and body, even Ichiro felt he was supporting more and more of the Alpha's mass.

"Are you an idiot?!" Ichiro exclaimed with some exasperation.  "And I bet you brought one of your fancy cars to this neighbourhood again!" He didn't need Zandre to answer to know that this was true.  Pouring a coffee into the man, he quickly rushed around to close up the hall, before pushing him into the driver's seat and instructing him to take it slow.  Ichiro couldn't drive.  They were heading for the apartment, it was nearer at least, less chance of an accident, but he couldn't say for sure that the car wouldn't still be stolen overnight!

One tired man and one frantic one didn't notice the paparazzi in the shadows of a broken streetlight taking shot after shot as they headed on their way.