This Isn't My Genre!!

Yuji stared at the list of prenatal supplements on his phone, then stared at the sleek pharmacy counter in front of him.

He blinked.

"Why are there so many types of folic acid?" he muttered.

The pharmacist gave him a strained smile. "Do you need help, sir?"

Yuji cleared his throat. "Nope. Just browsing."

Except he wasn't just browsing. He was trying to make sense of an entire aisle dedicated to omega care, from heat patches to hormonal balancers to something called "soothing scent diffusers for nest-friendly environments."

"What does that even mean?" Yuji whispered to himself.

He picked up a bottle and flipped it around, squinting at the label. Something about estrogen modulation and uterine lining support. He blinked again.

Right. Because he had a uterine lining now.

He set it back down and sighed.

___

Outside the pharmacy, the mall was crowded with Saturday shoppers. Yuji tugged his cap lower. Walking around with a collar in public felt ridiculous. In a normal world, people would probably label him a weirdo. But here? It was just another day in this bizarre omegaverse nonsense.

Now, He was off-duty from comic draft, and he had cleared it with Nikolai's people the night before. Well, technically, he did inform Nikolai just through his people, not directly. Right?

Still, he felt eyes on him. Not Nikolai's people- this was something else.

Something colder. Sharper.

Like danger was watching, just waiting for him to drop his guard.

Yuji tried to shake it off. Maybe he was just being paranoid. Maybe not. He'd already seen two familiar suited shadows in the perfume section earlier. If they were bodyguards, they were playing it casual. If they weren't..well, that was worse.

Something's seriously feel off.

He clutched his paper bag closer and walked faster.

His phone buzzed.

From: Jun

[Hey, let's go out. Drinks maybe. But don't forget about the draft 😭]

Yuji snorted.

He typed back:

[You're paying 😌]

Completely ignored about the draft Jun asked... Heartless.

Jun sent back a gif of someone falling down the stairs.

Yuji smiled, then bumped into someone.

Hard.

His bag fell.

"Watch it," the guy said, sharp.

Yuji muttered an apology, crouching to grab his stuff

and froze.

That guy was wearing a comms piece. And a very familiar suit style. He sure that not Nikolai's people. Not the usual ones.

Yuji stood up slowly, heart skipping.

The man didn't follow, just walked away like nothing happened.

Still. Something felt off.

Yuji turned on his sport shoes and walked the other direction. Fast.

___

Yuji ducked into a side corridor, pressing himself between a potted plant and a fake marble column.

He wasn't sure why. Just instinct. His whole body screamed run.

Then he heard it.

Footsteps.

Not hurried. Not casual either.

Someone was looking for him.

His pulse spiked.

His phone buzzed again.

This time: Unknown Number

[Dear, you shouldn't be out alone.]

Yuji stared.

Then a voice behind him:

"Looking for someone, sweetheart?"

Yuji turned.

Big. Broad. Smiling like a wolf.

He backed away.

"What do you want-"

Then, just before the man could move forward-

A sharp voice cut through the air.

"Step away from him. Now."

Nikolai.

Yuji had never been so relieved to see his husband-not-to-be in his life.

The man hesitated, then glanced at Nikolai's people appearing behind him. Multiple.

He backed off.

Yuji sagged against the column.

Nikolai walked up to him, furious.

"Are you trying to give me a heart attack?"

Yuji winced. "I was just buying vitamins."

"Yuji Nakamura," Nikolai growled, "we have a private doctor, a medical team, and an entire department dedicated to you. You don't need to be wandering into pharmacies like a lost civilian."

Yuji opened his mouth, then closed it.

Ok. Fair.

"And another thing," Nikolai continued, voice low but sharp. "You're not stepping outside this house again without your bodyguards. Not even for breath mints. Understood?"

Yuji huffed. "It's just a bottle of folic acid. Not a black-market deal."

Nikolai ran a hand down his face and muttered something in Russian that sounded suspiciously like a curse.

"It's a miracle our security is top tier," he sighed. "Otherwise, you'd be kidnapped five times by now."

"Kidnap!! Hmm makes sense..."

Yuji pouted. "Yeah, yeah. I'm wrong. Happy now?"

He looked up, sheepish but sincere. "Thanks... for coming, I mean."

Nikolai exhaled slowly. Then, without warning, he pulled Yuji into a hug...firm, grounding, warm.

Yuji stiffened for half a second.

Then melted into it.

Just a little.

"You scared me," Nikolai muttered against his shoulder, voice low and rough. "You stone-headed idiot. I told you again and again not to pull crap like this. You do remember who I am, right?"

Yuji blinked, heart thudding. This version of Nikolai -worried, real- was... new.

And weirdly comforting.

His voice came out soft. "Yeah. I know. I'm sorry."

There was a pause.

Then Yuji added, muffled against Nikolai's chest, "You're squeezing me like I'm some emotional stress ball."

"You are."

"Rude."

But he didn't move.

And Nikolai didn't let go.

___

Back in the car, Yuji stared out the window, still clutching his bag of vitamins like it was a bomb.

"...You're not gonna put a tracker in my shoes next, are you?" he muttered.

Nikolai didn't answer.

Which, of course, was an answer.

Now, this was really a reality check for Yuji.

Being associated with Nikolai came with weight. Some people would see him as a luxury accessory, breedable and just another omega kept in silk and silence. Others? A nuisance, maybe.

Either way, he didn't ask for any of it.

And yet here he was. Tagged, tracked, and trying to breathe in a world that already made up its mind about him.

___

He watched from the shadows, just beyond the chaos.

Well, that was unexpected.

He clicked his tongue, amused, as the omega was pulled into the safety of Dragunov's armored car like a precious artifact.

"So this is the mega rare everyone's been whispering about…" he murmured to himself, tilting his head with mock curiosity. "Messy hair. Dumb hoodie. Mouth that runs faster than his brain."

A slow grin spread across his face.

"But the scent… ah, that explains everything."

He tucked his gloved hands into his coat pockets, the glint in his eyes sharp with interest.

"You're not just special, little thing. You're the kind of special people go to war over."

He turned, steps unhurried as he disappeared into the crowd.

"Next time, sweetheart, let's not make it so easy to spook you. Or maybe… make it easier. I do enjoy a good chase."