An Omega's heat varied from person to person, but usually the majority would go into heat every eight to ten weeks for a three to four day period. Symptoms varied less; but they might feel pain when not sexually satisfied or suffer some memory loss during the peak of each wave of intense sexual desire. Some might even find their heats broken more swiftly, if able to have a partner satisfy their needs. However, they would all produce enticing pheromones which stimulated an Alpha's senses and drew them like bears to honey. Ichiro woke feeling more groggy than he ever had following his heat periods over the last five years and a lot more exhausted. His whole body felt as if he'd been thrown into an underground martial arts den and forced to fight fifty rounds consecutively, or at least that what he likened it to in his imagination. Blurry-eyed, he glanced up over the duvet tossed over his body, which felt sticky and uncomfortable in too many ways, vaguely noting that it appeared to be Saburo's patchwork duvet and not his own. The mists still covering his brain slowly began to clear as he stared at it for a moment, before he noticed the dryness of his tongue and throat. He stretched out an arm, the appendage trembling as it reached for the water bottle conveniently on his bedside cabinet. His alarm clock fell to the ground with his phone as he grasped for it, but he ignored them, making swift work of the cap and draining the bottle of its contents. Summoned by the noise, two familiar faces appeared in the doorway, one smiling as brightly as always, the other without expression. Ichiro blinked as he looked at them for a moment before asking in a very raspy voice; "What happened?" Even the nonchalant Jiro could not help but frown in regards to his question. "You went into heat on Friday afternoon, do you not remember?" Ichiro tried to focus through the fog and vaguely recalled feeling a bit dizzy and flushed after lunch on the Friday and the sudden increase of appetite, two signs that he usually experienced just before going into heat. He'd had to beg for the rest of the afternoon off, to which his boss responded by deducting from his already poor wages. The man was not happy to learn that he would not be able to make it back in until at least Tuesday, though Ichiro had thought that that was pushing it. He only usually came out of heat three days following, but he usually required an extra day to recover and feel somewhat normal again. "How long has it been?" Ichiro asked. After he'd made his way up the numerous flights of stairs, as he'd caught sight of the landlord entering the elevator on his way back (fortunately, he'd not been noticed or that bastard most definitely would have taken advantage), he couldn't recall much afterwards. But... hadn't it been almost five days too soon for his predicted heat? "You've been out of it for six days!" Saburo offered helpfully. Ichiro froze for a long moment, before tossing the duvet aside and falling out of the bed, his whole being like a newborn calf, trembling upon its spindly legs. His brothers rushed to help him, wrinkling their noses at the strong body odour their older brother produced. Honestly, it had been a long week for both of them. Ordinarily, for both Jiro and Ichiro, they experienced strong bouts of lust but also periods of lucidity, where they could recharge on food, shower and use the necessities, before tumbling back into a new wave of need. However, this time Ichiro's heat had been on another level. He'd writhed almost constantly within his sheets, rutting against the mattress, moaning and sobbing, unable to reach satiation. His pheromones had filled the entire apartment with their strong, alluring scent. The youths had sealed the gaps around the front door as best they could and had only opened the windows to freshen the air in the dead of night when they felt that most people would be sleeping. They could not afford nor defend against a determined Alpha if he came banging at their door and they had not been able to contact Zandre either, even though they were aware that he was abroad and may not be able to help. As for school... well one lone week's sick leave without doctor's note was unlikely to be questioned. "Where are you going?" Jiro asked. "To work..." Ichiro was so in trouble with his boss, he couldn't afford so much time off! He didn't get paid a penny for sick leave or holidays in that shitty job, but it wasn't as if he could find anything better either! "Your boss phoned yesterday at 11:00 am," Jiro informed him. "He said you were fired." Ichiro felt himself collapse and had to lean on his brothers as they helped him into the bathroom, where Jiro helped him wash up, while Saburo went to heat a small bowl of plain porridge. Ichiro felt pitiful as the two youths he'd sworn to care for looked after him as carefully as they might care for a sick patient. He hated the feeling of weakness that seemed to steal away his ability to move his body the way he wanted. Saburo had to spoon feed him in the end, making him feel even more humiliated and pitiful. "You've not been able to eat much," Saburo told him as he slowly fed his brother in small doses. "Only once you were too tired to move anymore could we get you to drink water or anything else, so for the past few days, you've lived on smoothies and soups." "No wonder I feel so useless," Ichiro attempted to joke, though they all knew there was no real humour in his words. He carefully chewed the flavourless porridge before swallowing. "So I'm back to job hunting for the near future," he mused. "What about the dojo?" "I took the time to direct the two classes for the children on Saturday," Jiro mentioned. He did not bother with the older teenagers late Friday evening, it would have been like a sheepdog attempting to herd Pitt bulls, not really happening. "We set up a notice afterwards, saying you were indisposed and wouldn't be back for a week at least." "This happened at the worst time," Ichiro sighed, shaking his head to refuse the next spoonful as his stomach had begun to rebel. Saburo took the bowl away to wash up and decided to boil the kettle for some sweetened warm water for Ichiro to drink in a while. "The electricity bill, I haven't had a chance to pay it and then the rent is due as well." "I managed to put the landlord off," Jiro informed him, "but we only have until this weekend. He was strangely unreasonable, declaring that the payment could not be any later than this and dropped no hints about having sex with you this time." All three youths shuddered in response to that unpleasant concept. "As for the electricity bill," Jiro eyes became a little evasive. "It's been paid."