Infrequent Affairs V2

by VictorianGold

Follow Sugawara and his Omega nest on a journey of self-discovery and redemption, as they stumble through their University years in a somewhat sexist society. Sugawara has lost his home- tossed into an Alpha world against his will. Luckily, Daichi is mild-mannered Alpha, sympathetic to the Omega cause. Is it possible for the two vastly different groups to co-exist and find love?

1. Chapter 1

STORY HAS BEEN MOVED TO ARCHIVEOFOUROWN: SEE CH.2 FOR DETAILS.

Greetings! Re-uploaded with better grammar/editing, Infrequent Affairs V.2.

The story is still in the works, so it will be updated.

**Please be aware that there will still be spelling mistakes and there may be spaces where there are not supposed to be ones (things not copying over correctly). Also, my italics did not copy over right either and, because there are SO MANY, I decided to just leave them out.***

MATURE AUDIENCES ONLY!

**Quick Authors Note**

1) I am very new to the fanfiction community, so I am reaaaaally hoping that my story doesn't have too much overlap with other ones that are similar (I have read very few fanfiction works, so I really don't know what's out there, but I'm working on it!)

2) This story contains dark themes, including non-consensual sex acts and drug use, so please, read at your own discretion. There may be portions of this story that could cause triggers.

3) I have over 300K words already written for this work, so chapter updates with be somewhat frequent (depending on my work schedule) and the story will not suddenly be dropped- I promise that it will have a proper ending!

4) At first, I tried to maintain the personalities of the characters, but somewhere along the line, a few of them slipped away from me. That being said, I did my best to sprinkle easter eggs here and there.

5) If you notice any spelling errors, I'm sorry! I can only edit on my own so many times and I'm still learning how to properly format things :)

6) I used both first and last names, depending on the characters. Basically, it was whichever of the two rolled off my typing fingers the best.

**Characters**

All characters have POVs at some point, but Asahi-Nishinoya ship lovers will not be given any smut, you have been warned :) (not sure if I can manage to do Tobio/Shoyo, either, but I'll try).

Story contains: Sugawara, Daichi, Oikawa, Hajime, Keiji, Bokuto, Yuji, Yachi, Shoyo, Tobio, Tsukishima, Yamaguchi, Ukai, Tanaka, Asahi, Nishinoya and various made up characters.

***Tags***(Mature tags)

rape/non-con elements, past drug use, alcohol use, sexual intercourse, m/m, m/f, violence, blood/injuries.

(There are a lot of heartwarming elements, too!)

**Disclaimer**

I do not own Haikyuu! Or the characters affiliated with the series.

(Please do not repost elsewhere without my permission!)

Thanks for reading, guys! Just seeing that it has views goes a long ways...otherwise the only reader would have been me, haha.

Enjoy reading,

Love, Victoria :)

Chapter One: Collision

Sugawara~

Suga held the shaking, soot covered Yachi, embracing her sobbing shoulders from their seated position on the grey pavement. Shoyo and Yamaguchi were kneeling on her far side, their faces plastered with a mixture of upset and unchecked rage. Heat radiated out from the burning building before them, reflecting up into the night sky to vividly light the normally dark street.

"I'll kill them. I will hunt down every last one of those bastard Alphas and make them pay!" He heard Oikawa ferociously spit from his position, standing a few feet away on the sidewalk.

"I'll fucking help you," Nishinoya agreed, his small hands balled into tight fists at his sides as he watched the flames flicker from across the road.

Suga let out a frustrated sigh when Keiji muttered something along the lines of, great deal of help that would do, against Alphas. He craned his stiff neck to monitor the three boys on his left, already aware that the unnecessary provocation was going to cause a scuffle.

In mere moments, Oikawa sharply turned to face Keiji and grabbed his narrow shoulders in a frantic sort of desperation.

"You are a fucking piece of shit for saying that!" He yelled, shaking his blue eyed friend in an attempt to physically rattle the shorter boy back to his senses. "You think they can just get away with treating us like this? Burning down our house?! This was your home, too, you asshole! Be angry for once in your life!"

Suga flinched at the honest statement and glanced back at the hot wreckage in front of him. The flames were no longer licking up into the stars, finally, the fire fighters seemed to be in control of the messy blaze. A slight sob from Yachi alerted him that his scent was becoming distressed, and indeed, he was- the destructed lot across the road was their home. It was his home, and it was so easily snatched away by the whim of an Alpha and his lapdog friends. Although his rage equaled Oikawa's, and he was as horrified as Yachi, he did his best to reign in his upset and project a calm fragrance. It was not the time for them to be divided, especially now. They were homeless and had only the sleeping clothes on their backs.

He swung his silver head back to look at the bickering flock and watched Keiji gingerly brush Oikawa's hands from his narrow shoulders.

"You think everything can be solved with violence. You might as well be an Alpha yourself. What a dream come true that would be for you," he lazily droned to the taller boy through narrowed eyes.

Oikawa took a step back, obviously stunned by the personal stab, and Nishinoya quickly stepped between the two, directing himself to Keiji.

"Our. Home. Was. Taken. From. Us. This has nothing to do with Oikawa's self-loathing. You of all people should know that."

As Nishinoya and the two larger boys continued to argue, Suga took a moment to himself, tuning out their angry words. He straightened his hunched shoulders and leaned in behind Yachi, lightly poking the ginger Omega on his tense back.

"Shoyo…"

The small boy snapped up and returned his gaze. His chocolate eyes were heavy with tears and Suga was, once again, forced to push down a pang of grief.

"I need you to take care of Yachi for a moment. Rub her back with small circles and try your best to project a calming scent okay?" He said softly and Shoyo nodded in understanding, replacing his hand as he slowly rose to his feet and walked over to the bickering Omegas.

"Just because something was taken through an act of violence does not excuse a violent act in return."

"What a shocking response! The most passive Omega of the year award goes to...Keji Akaashi!"

"It's not passivity, it's logic, Oikawa. Just because your parents insisted that you grow up taking self defense classes does not mean you can stand your own against a house of Alpha shitheads. Don't be stupid."

"He wouldn't be alone! I can pack a punch, you know. Those fuckers don't deserve the air they breath," Nishinoya asserted with a hard nod.

Suga paused and took a deep breath, scrunching his nose when a scent of frightened rage radiated off of the arguing boys, reaching his nostrils. It was true, he wanted to bash some faces in just as much as Nishinoya, but in his heart, he agreed with Keji. Taking a large step forward, he gently placed his hand on Oikawa's shoulder, stopping the boy mid-sentence.

"Oikawa, Nishinoya, violence would only incite more violence," he put forth, taking the time to make eye contact with each of them- showing them that he would not put up with any more infighting. When Oikawa lowered his head, shamefully looking down at his slippered feet, he continued. "Once Professor Suzuki arrives, she will help us report this to the University Administration and a formal investigation with take place. We will have justice. I'm certain of it."

One week after the house fire, the University's investigation had been completed. Unsurprisingly, the Alpha's were absolved of all fault- the incident was excused as a simple electrical shortage. It was far from the truth, but he knew from the start that the investigation's sole purpose was to protect the University's Alpha elite. While he had hoped that the world was slowly changing, he wasn't at all surprised by the outcome. Underhanded events like this happened all over Japan. Acts of violence against Omegas were regularly dismissed by the local police and the state government all too often, and in some cases, they were even condoned.

He let out a heavy exhale, attempting to release a bit of his pent up stress, and looked across the small, cafe table to his house adviser. Professor Miyo Suzuki, an Omega herself, had brought him the tragic news only minutes earlier and she was still shaking, unable to hide her displeasure with the outcome. He knew a lot of the woman's past and he knew, first hand, the hardships she had to endure in order to acquire such a respected profession. Omegas generally maintained one of five fields- homemaker, receptionist, nurse, legal prostitution, or, if they were lucky enough, they worked with one of the non-profit Omega aid organizations. A professor at a renowned, Alpha university was definitely not on the regular list. He greatly admired her hardworking resolve, she helped him to realize that he too,had the power to change things for Omegas.

"You know…" Miyo started, resting her quivering hands on the sides of her porcelain floral tea cup. "When the Department of Education granted Omegas access to Alpha Universities, I knew there would be some adjustments and hurdles...but that was seventeen years ago. You would think that things would have changed by now."

He nodded in agreement and took a sip of his cappuccino, licking the frothy remnants of milk from his lips. His professor was correct, the merging of Alphas and Omegas in Universities had been a difficult affair...no...it still was. Aside from family members, and those few Omegas lucky enough to make Alpha friends in their pre-pubescent childhood, the two groups had little to no contact until they were thrown head first into the adult world.

The moment a child's secondary gender produced, usually around the age of twelve, they were sent to their respective school and saw very little of their counterparts. While Alphas were able to roam freely during their formative years, Omega movements were limited to school, home, and the busses that transported them in between.

He could understand the government's point of view- young Omegas were vulnerable to Alphas, in their youth or otherwise and their irregular heat cycles were both challenging and powerful, but the segregation was only furthering the divide between the two groups. While it might sacrifice the safety of a lot of young Omegas, Suga firmly believed that it would be better to grant them equal measures of freedom. He had come to the conclusion that it was the Alphas that needed to change, not the Omegas- but how could they when they were completely separated from their counterparts during their most influenceable years? Alphas needed to learn self control at an early age, a notion which the current system made impossible. Instead, it taught young Omegas that they were overly vulnerable until they mated, and to Alphas, that they could do anything they wanted to their fragile equals.

He had known from a young age that he did not want to have a mate. He had always rejected the idea, he didn't mind going against the common grain, refusing to sell out to the stupid narrative- that only an Alpha mate could offer protection. If he did, things would never change. Omegas needed to step up, make their voices and ideas heard, or the system would remain the same.

He had daydreamed through his entire childhood, salivating over the knowledge and influence he could acquire if he attended a proper University- an Alpha one. There were Omega Universities, but they were merely a state funded facade to give some measure of equality between the two classes. In reality, they were a weak form of reconciliation. There were only eleven Omega Universities compared to the hundreds of Alpha ones throughout Japan. To make matters worse, Omega Universities only offered shallow programs that were dedicated to funneling their students into the common Omega professions, aside from prostitution, of course. That was a very different, tragic story.

Suga remembered, clear as day, when the state had announced the Omega Inclusion Initiative in 2003, formally granting Omegas access to all Japanese Universities. It was the moment when he starting dreaming for something better, something more than pumping out children for an Alpha mate. He had been eating his morning snack, honey cheerios without milk, in his grandmother's yellow kitchen when an audible crash came from in the living room. He stood up and wobbled over his spilled cheerios on his six year old legs, making his way towards the noise. As he stood under curved archway between the two rooms, he found his grandmother standing in front of the television, holding her wrinkled hands to her mouth in shock. A vase of pink roses was smashed on the floor boards in front of her, slowly trickling water across the wood. He had been confused by the scent of the room- fear, shock, and happiness were not fragrances he had ever smelled together before that day. Then, his grandmother turned to him, briskly scooped him into her strong arms, and said, Suga, my beautiful boy, change is upon us.

A harsh clang from Miyo, shakily placing her tea cup down on its plate, shook him from his pleasant, internal reflection. The professor swept her long black hair behind her delicate shoulder and looked across at him, determination in her emerald-colored eyes.

"I won't stop," she offered to him in a disciplined tone. "I will find a way to get your home back, I promise."

He smiled at the resolute scent she radiated out and grabbed her slender hand, releasing his own calm, yet obstinate fragrance.

"I won't stop trying either," he said softly and gave her hand a gentle squeeze of assurance.

However, first, he and his Omega flock needed to find a new place to call home.

Shoyo~

Shoyo scratched around the back of his neck to reach the scent suppressor patch that was pasted to his pale skin. It had been bothering him since leaving the shelter earlier that morning. It wasn't that he was unaccustomed to wearing them, his mother had laid one out each morning to protect him during his commute to primary school, it was what the patch stood that left him agitated- a physical reminder of his feelings towards his status as an Omega, and the discriminations he faced because of it. His irritation wasn't helped by the terrible news Suga had relayed in their group chat, earlier that morning. When he read the outcome of the Disciplinary Committee, he had nearly thrown his phone at the wall in frustration, but instead, he forced himself to calm down. He slapped on his patch and hoisted his makeshift school bag over his shoulder, huffing out his anger during his long walk to the University campus- physical activity always seemed to help him handle his emotions.

"Shoyo," a timid, lazy voice called out from behind, prompting him to jump up in his hard seat.

He turned around, taking one last scratch at his patch, and looked at the hesitant figure of Kenma, a boy he had grown quite close to during the semester. They were in all the same classes and he liked that the cat-like Omega was extremely mellow with his fragrance. It helped to offset his own obnoxious ones.

"Your scent distracted me for the entire class," the cat Omega droned in his usual, quiet tone as he packed up his things, placing them in his red rucksack with absent minded care.

"I-" He began, only to be interrupted by his oblivious, or uncaring, Omega friend.

"Where have you been this past week? Have you been sick? You haven't answered any of my texts…"

His eyes widened in sudden understanding- the cat boy had been worried about him.

"Ah, I'm sorry Kenma! Let's go, I'll tell you everything on the way to the Cafeteria. Fries? I want fries," he said hastily, grabbing Kenma's slender hand to drag him down the long hall. "You remember the fire on the resident side of campus last week?" He asked between quick strides, not bothering to look back at the boy he was tugging along.

Kenma nodded in understanding, unhappy with the pace, but compliant.

"Well...that was my house."

"What?" Kenma whispered as he came to a sudden stop, pulling away his small hand.

"Yeah, it's a long story," Shoyo started, rubbing the back of his head in feigned casualty. "The University Administration said that it was nobody's fault, even though it was Yachi's bastard ex-boyfriend and his Alpha dogs who did it. We saw them, but apparently, that doesn't matter. Seven witnesses, all Omegas so, I guess that means no witnesses," he finished, spitting out the last few sentences with such ferocity that the cat Omega flinched back slightly.

It took him a few moments of silence, but he soon realized that Kenma, now visibly upset, was seeping a vulnerable scent of fear and sadness. He did his best to counter it with his own calming one and searched his mind for some words of comfort.

"It's okay! What's done is done, Kenma, you know? Don't worry yourself with it!" He hurried to say, once again grabbing Kenma's hand in his own to walk forward.

He did not want to stay in place for too long with the upset scent his friend was leaking- lest any unwanted Alphas pick up on the vulnerable fragrance. Kenma may be mated, but he most certainly was not. He didn't have the extra protection that Kenma was afforded.

As the pair rounded the corner, he spotted the cafeteria and picked up the pace.

"We're living in a short term shelter right now," he called over his shoulder and a wide smile passed over his face at the thought of food. "I'm sure Suga and Oikawa will figure something out! Not to mention our amazing house adviser, Miyo!"

"How many…"

"How many what?"

"How many Omegas were in your nest?"

"Well, there's Oikawa, Suga, um, me, um, three, four," Shoyo replied, counting on his short fingers."Seven, there are seven of us!" He finished, flashing a proud smile at the thought of his flock- he loved each and every one of them. Even sassy Oikawa and snarky Keiji.

"Huh…" Kenma said softly, cogs turning under his dyed blonde hair, mulling over something important.

Shoyo sniffed the air, nearly drooling at the greasy smell of food. He wanted a burger, some fries, and to not talk about this anymore. It was too depressing. Once again, he scratched the scent suppressor on his neck, careful to not peel off the edges, and changed the subject.

"Kenma! I smell french fries! Let's go get some!" He exclaimed and hauled the cat Omega behind him into the cafeteria, effectively ending the irritating conversation.

Kenma~

Kenma dragged his feet along the cracked sidewalk, looking down at the video game in his hands. For the first time in his life, he wasn't really focussing on playing, but on Shoyo. His friend was homeless...his nest was homeless...they had no money, none of their possessions, school supplies or otherwise, and the fraudulent investigation left them with zero support from University funds. He sighed, pocketed his console, and looked up at the houses lining one of the many streets of the University's residence district. Surely one of them was vacant?

It was not long before he, lost in heavy contemplation, arrived at his own home- a large, yellow building with an expansive front veranda, and a front yard that housed a hearty oak tree.

"I'm one of the lucky ones..." He said quietly under his breath as he sat down on the porch steps and shuffled the straps of his bag off his narrow shoulders. He could tell by smell that none of his housemates were home, including his mate.

Lucky…he thought again, this time keeping the words to himself. He was lucky to be mated with a dominant Alpha. It kept the other...well...the lesser Alphas off his case. He still wore his scent suppressor, just to be safe, but as soon as an Alpha smelled Kuroo on his skin, they generally backed off. It wasn't the only perk either, being mated allowed him to live in a University provided Alpha residence.

He huffed out a small puff of air and lost himself to his thoughts once more. None of his Alpha housemates ever gave him any sort of trouble...no trouble at all...would they give...Shoyo trouble...was it because he was mated...or because his Alpha housemates were good guys…maybe...

As his thoughts passed by in a flurry of questions, he sat in silence on the porch, softly tapping his foot as he formulated a plan.

Kuroo~

Kuroo walked alongside Daichi and Asahi, conversing about their volleyball practice, bursting into a full sprint as soon as he smelled his mate's distress.

"Hey-" He heard his teammates yell in question as they broke out in their own run behind him, sensing his panic.

His mind went to various dark places during his short run to the house, all of which halted the moment he saw Kenma, safe, yet releasing an upset scent. Daichi and Asahi arrived shortly behind him, they had only followed him because of his Alpha scent of panic. They wouldn't have been able to smell his Omega's upset from the distance that he had- mated partners were better able to smell each others emotions, regardless of a patch.

"Oh. Kuroo..." His mate said quietly, looking up at him with dazed, yellow eyes.

"What happened," he growled in command as he pulled the small boy into a tight embrace.

He rubbed Kenma's head against his neck, rescenting him, then began to look over his delicate body for any sign of injury. When he was satisfied that his mate was unharmed, he let out a breath he didn't know he was holding, and adjusted the cat-like Omega in his large lap.

"There was literally no point in me responding to your question...you were going to check me over anyways..." Kenma drawled out and looked up at his rooster-haired lover, flashing a cocky smirk.

"Well, thank you very much for the stressful walk home Kuroo," Daichi droned sarcastically, slapping him on the back. "A nice sprint after the sprints at practice, wonderful."

He let out a low snarl in response- his volleyball captain was too close to his mate for his liking. Ordinarily, he wouldn't care, but right now, he was on edge.

"Hey, relax, Kuroo. We'll go inside!" Asahi chimed in, his tone lighthearted, trying to ease the tense situation as he walked past the mated pair and into the yellow house- careful not to get too close.

Daichi followed with a exasperated sigh and Kuroo soon forgot about his Alpha teammates, falling prey to Kenma's distressed scent- it made him want to beat someone's face in.

"You still smell upset. You're not injured so what fucking happened? Did someone give you a hard time?"

"Kuroo, relax," his mate groaned in irritation, adjusting his scent to force his mate to loosen up. "Seriously, I'm fine..."

Kuroo loved the smell of his Omega. It was like a sharp eucalyptus- sharp like Kenma. He inhaled the black roots of the cat boy's hair and briefly contemplated dragging him upstairs to pin against their bed. No, no, he thought hastily as he nuzzled into the familiar locks, that would have to wait. Kenma was still upset, even if his scent no longer showed it.

"Okay, so what happened?" He questioned again, slightly adjusting himself under Kenma's light weight. "What's got you so worked up?"

"Well...remember that fire a week ago? I think it was eleven streets down from us...in the Omega District..."

"Yeah, I saw the flames when I woke up for morning volleyball...why...?"

"My friend, Shoyo, he lived there...with his Omega nest. Alphas burned it down."

Kuroo sighed and looked up at the afternoon sky, shielding his eyes from the bright sun with a large hand. He was slightly irritated at the information his mate had divulged, but the discrimination of Omegas never really bothered him that much. However, this time Kenma was involved, albeit secondarily. This Omega...Shoyo...he was dear enough to his mate to have caused such an upset reaction- he didn't like it one bit. He glanced down at the small boy, noticing the familiar, tense face, lost in a speedy train of thought.

"I can see your cogs turning, what are you thinking?"

"Well…" Kenma whispered, looking up at him with unblinking, yellow cat eyes. "Shoyo said there were seven of them..."

Kuroo groaned at the words and rolled his head back dramatically. He knew where the conversation was going, and Kenma knew that he wouldn't be able to say no.

"We have enough room in our house…" His mate continued, sensing victory. "The fourth years graduated last month and no new Alphas were placed here..."

"Agh, why! KENMA! Why do you do these things to me?!" Kuroo loudly complained as he fell back on wooden planks of the porch behind him in exasperation, leaving Kenma perched in his lap like a kitten. "You're taking advantage of my kindness!"

"It's true. We have the room," Kenma offered up, glancing at him over a petite shoulder. "It's only logical. They're homeless and the University covered everything up to protect some Alphas. We have room in our home. So, logica-"

"You think that throwing a bunch of single Omegas in with a bunch of single Alphas is the solution to this problem?" Kuroo interrupted with a halfhearted sigh, flicking Kenma on the back with his forefinger. "Sounds like a recipe for disaster to me."

"It's better for them than being homeless. Plus, the Alphas here already know what it's like to live with an Omega..." His mate said with a small yawn and flipped over to lay on top of him, licking and nipping at his open scent glands.

He groaned at the playful touch and grinned, the kid could play dirty.

"I'll talk to the guys, but no promises okay?" He submitted and felt Kenma smirk against his tanned neck in victory. "But, before that," he continued, scooping up his mate in his arms to stand up on front stairs. "I'm going to fuck my scent into you. I'm sick of you smelling like other people."

Daichi~

"This is such a bad idea," Asahi sighed, placing his forehead down on the oak table in front of him with a thud. "This is such a bad idea..."

"I agree with Asahi, no good will come of this," Daichi affirmed, crossing his arms against his broad chest.

Or at least, he was pretty sure it was a bad idea. Admittedly, he didn't have much experience living with Omegas. Both of his parents were Alphas, but they were always sympathetic to the marginalized condition of their counterparts- donating funds to Omega non-profits and sponsoring a few families here and there. He glanced up from his position against the wall and raked his gaze over his housemates. Was Asahi the only one with an Omega parent? No...Hajime had one, too- but the situation was more complex with him.

"Yeah!" Tanaka exclaimed as he threw his arms dramatically over his bald head. "It's hard enough to control myself around the buggers walking around campus, let alone in my own house!"

"Okay, but hear me out-" Kuroo started, but was quickly interrupted by a sly chirp from Hajime, their snarkiest roommate.

"You're only doing this because your cute, little mate has you wrapped around his finger," he droned out in a lazy tone, prompting a guttural growl of dissatisfaction from the rooster.

Daichi was quick to step in between them, unwilling to let Hajime's quip distract the house from their serious conversation.

"Okay, boys, let's just calm down," he threatened, releasing his own dominant scent to show that he meant business.

Shit, he mused as Hajime shrugged his shoulders in concession, brawls would be even more common in their house if a bunch of Omegas were brought in. There was no way to come up with an arrangement that would work. However...if what Kenma said was true...what other options did the Omega nest have?

"See, this is exactly my point!" Tanaka hotly remarked, jerking Daicui from his pondering. The bald Alpha pointed a forefinger at Kuroo's aggressive stance towards Hajime and growled low. "You see this shit? We can hardly manage one Omega in this house! You want to add seven more?"

"No, it's because Hajime is an incorrigible flirt. I'd be pissed off, too," Tsukishima drawled out from the couch, adjusting the frames of his glasses against his pale face.

"Incorrigible, (of a person or their tendencies) not able to be corrected, improved, or reformed," Daichi heard Tobio mutter quietly from his position on the stairs near the front entry.

"Alphas burnt down their home. It's the least we can do to make amends," Kuroo stated plainly and straightened his stance, forgetting his previous anger with Hajime. "They don't have any other options."

"Yeah, but we didn't burn down their house…" Asahi mumbled into the wood of the dining table and threw his arms forward, as if to physically illustrate his exasperation with the affair. "We didn't do it..."

"I think," Daichi started and the boys perked up- even the troublesome Tsukishima was somewhat listening from his position on the living room coach. He might not have the most dominant scent in the house, but he knew that he held the most respect. "I think that we should give it a shot. I think we can do this. We already live with one Omega, so are a few more really going to make a difference?"

"Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat," Tanaka whined loudly and threw his head back once again, this time banging it against the yellow wallpaper behind him. "Are you serious? Man, come on, captain. You're so soft..."

"Well, if Daichi is willing to give it a shot, I guess I'm on board," Asahi conceded as he rose from his seat and made his way into the kitchen, effectively ending his participation in the debate.

"You're so easily persuaded, Asahi!" Tanaka called out, following him, and Daichi suppressed a snicker when he heard a loud clap on what he could only imagine was Asahi's back, followed by a audible whine.

"Okay, so that's two, no three, with Kuroo in agreement," Daichi recounted as he ran a large hand through his brunette hair. "How about you, Hajime? What's your damage?"

The short haired Alpha rolled his eyes and released a heavy breath. "Well, as long as one of them is fuckable, I guess it's fine."

"You're so gross, Hajime! Who would want to sleep with someone as ugly as you?" Tanaka popped his head out of the kitchen to get one, final chirp at his grumpy roommate.

"Watch it, baldy."

Daichi rolled his eyes at the chirpy bald Alpha and posed the question to the remaining housemates. "Tobio? Tsukishima? What's the verdict guys?"

"I don't care. As long as the don't disturb my studies," Tsukishima lazily replied without breaking his intense gaze from the book in his lap.

"Yeah whatever," Tobio added nonchalantly and waved a hand at the captain as he walked up the stairs.

"Okay, well, that's everybody!" Daichi yelled, his hand next to his mouth so the entire house could hear the unanimous decision. "I guess you've got your answer, Kuroo," he continued, clapping the rooster boy on the back. "But, no way in hell am I telling our house adviser. I'll leave that shit up to you."

When Kuroo's face contorted in disturbed stress from the revelation, he let out a hearty laugh and added, "I believe in you, and I'm pretty sure that Professor Ukai will agree to it, anyways."

The rooster shivered and gazed off into the distance. "Yeah...but...he's just so damn scary..."

Ukai~

Professor Ukai waltzed into the Residence Information building and slapped down a bundle of paperwork on the secretary's dark desk. The brunette woman took a moment to glance over the contents of the pages before glancing up at him with shocked, blue eyes.

"I'm sorry, I don't understand what you would like me to do with this, professor..."

"Ukai."

"Professor Ukai."

"I want you to take these papers," he said, lacing his tone with drawled out irritation as he glanced down at the thick folder on the black desk. "And file them over there in that locker."

"But-"

"What is so hard to understand? This is all that your job entails."

He knew that he was going to face a bit of backlash from the University over the decision, but the merging of unmated Alphas and Omegas in the same house was by no means against policy. Unheard of perhaps, but not illegal. He just wanted the secretary to do her job so he could be done with the errand- he was hungry and the entire ordeal was eating into his lunch hour.

"Mr. Ukai, there are no houses on campus that have formally merged unpaired Omegas and Alphas together…" The woman explained slowly, doing her best to keep her tone professional. "I don't think the committee would-"

"Well, the next time someone comes to you with this paperwork, they won't have to go through this annoying chit-chat," he interrupted with a bitter growl, eyeing the woman down with darkening eyes.

"Sir…"

"Is it against University policy?"

"Well, no, but-"

"Then I fail to see what the problem is."

"The problem is, sir, that merging the of the two classes in one house, under these circumstances, could cause the Alphas to become distracted from their school work and club activities. I don't think that it would be wise to attempt such a thing."

Ukai forced down his growing irritation at her utter contempt for the homeless Omegas. Distract the Alphas...what about the safety of the Omegas? Surely, there would be some worry for them...merging with a bunch of unknown, unmated Alphas? He had been shocked by the allegations that Professor Miyo made against the University during her recount of her Omega nest's destroyed home- they had met earlier to discuss, over tea, the implications of merging their student counterparts. Now, after hearing the appointed secretary speak in such a disingenuous manner, he began to believe the beautiful Omega's story. Perhaps, the University was biased...he had never thought about it before...

"I will be fully involved in their integration, which you would know if you had actually taken the time to read the paperwork instead of just complaining about its implications," Ukai snapped back at the surprised woman.

He could tell that he was beginning to leak a scent of irritation and dominance, but he didn't care to reign it in- he was agitated, and the female Alpha before him deserved to know it.

"I will file the documents, but I'm sure the University will respond with a formal check up on the house affairs after a few weeks," the secretary submitted, wincing back at the impatience in his scent. "I will inform you as to when it will take place, once I have made contact with them."

"Fine by me," Ukai growled before turning on his heels to exit the brick building- not even bothering to grace the woman with a farewell.

While he was confident that the Alphas under his supervision were all well-mannered, and exceptional at controlling their instincts, he was still worried about the merge. His grandfather, a prominent Omega activist, would be proud of the steps he was taking to shelter the marginalized flock, but it was the Alpha students who had made the final decision. He swore to himself that he would not allow their charity to be warped into another bullet for the University to use against the Omegas- he would do his utmost to ensure that the transition was as easy and successful as humanly possible.

Sugawara~

Suga had met with the professors earlier that morning, pleased to find the Alpha house adviser a reserved man with a good amount of control over his instincts. In fact, he seemed to maintain more discipline over his feral nature than any Alpha Suga had met- aside from his own grandmother, of course. However, his worries were renewed when the two professors explained that they would be unable to partake in the first meeting between his nest and their new Alpha housemates. Their work lives were too busy, and there was no time for rescheduling- the sooner the flock was out of the shelter, the better. The location gave them a long, unprotected commute to and from class and the world wasn't exactly the most secure place for young, unmated Omegas to roam about in.

Professor Ukai had promised that his Alphas were clear on the implications of the situation and had mentioned that the unofficial leader of the house, a boy named Daichi, was level headed and in control of his instincts. While the information made Suga feel a little better, he kept his hopes low- in his experience, mild-mannered Alphas were few and far between. He was accutely aware that the Alphas, Omegas, and their house advisers were entering unknown territory. Never before had unmated groups lived in such close proximity to each other, at least, not on a University campus. It was crucial that they not fail, lest they give the biased University more reason to marginalize Omegas. At that thought, he rolled his shoulders to release some pent up tension and clung to the faint hope that the Alpha, Daichi, would help make the introductions as smooth as possible in Ukai's absence.

"Okay, does everyone have their Alpha spray?" Suga lectured his flock, grazing his honey colored eyes over his Omegas in question.

"Yesssssssss."

"Patches on?"

"Yeeeeeees."

"Heat prevention injectors? Did anyone forget anything at the shelter?"

"Stop stalling, Sugar Momma!" Oikawa whined, slapping playfully at his hand. "You sound like an overprotective grandmother. At this rate, we'll be standing outside the house all evening~~"

He knew that his chestnut friend was right, but he couldn't help himself from triple checking his flock. He was projecting a full-bodied scent of calm and he had instructed the Omegas to do the same. From what he could tell, they were pretty successful- aside from Yachi...the circumstances around her were...complicated. However, he knew that the little female Omega could remain in their new room with her distressed scent, segregated and safe, but the remaining Omegas...if they were to be around Alphas full time, they needed to start practicing better control over their emotional fragrances.

"Shoyo!" A small boy shouted, louder than he expected from such a drowsy looking person, from the porch of the overbearing yellow house. "Are you guys going to come in...or what…?"

"Alright, you guys stay out here on the lawn a moment. Oikawa and I will go in and assess the situation. Do not leave the property," he lectured before starting towards the house, determination driving each step he took.

"You heard him baby birds, chill out and enjoy the evening sun a while~~" Oikawa shouted over his shoulder, following the silver haired leader into the unknown.

Chapter Two: About the Bond

Daichi~

Daichi watched as two Omegas stepped into the oak entryway. His dark eyes grazed over their figures, trying to ascertain their emotions by taking in their posture. His first impressions lingered in his mind for quite some time- he was unused to being in such close proximity to Omegas. Well, aside from when he was fucking them, but normally, his feral mind had taken control of his senses by that point.

The two boys standing before him were both very small, not necessarily in height, the brown haired one stood taller than he did, but they were...fragile looking. After a few moments, he felt confident that the gorgeous...the silver haired one was the leader. Or at least, the caretaker of the flock outside. The tall, almost Alpha-like one, he quickly pegged as the second in command.

Suddenly, his attention snapped back from his quiet contemplation, pulling his awareness to the silence in the room. He hastily introduced himself and smiled to ease the tension.

"Hello!" The silver haired boy replied with his own grin, bowing low in respect. "We are so grateful and honored that you guys are doing such a wonderful act of kindness for us."

The Omega's sweet voice nearly stopped Daichi's heart and the natural fragrance wafting off him smelled like freshly baked chocolate chip cookies- it smelled like home. It took everything he had to not reach out and touch the boy's silver hair.

"Uh, no-no problem," he finally managed to stutter out in reply, smiling sheepishly.

Come on man, pull it together, he chastised himself, it's just an Omega, you see them every day at school. Pull it together!

"I thought it would be a good idea to sit down with your household to, well, sort a few things out before I bring in the rest of the nest," Suga put forward, laughter in his warm eyes.

What a smart and protective Omega, putting himself in the line of fire before letting his baby birds enter. Daichi found himself simultaneously melting with admiration and panicking...praying to whatever god was listening that the silver boy hadn't noticed his abrupt attraction to him- and the scent that accompanied it.

"If you would call your beefy boys down here, I would like to size them up~~" The brown haired boy chirped cheekily, sticking out a pink tongue.

Oh boy, Daichi internally chuckled, this one was going to be a handful.

"Oi! Meeting in the dining room. No exceptions!" He yelled out and one by one the Alphas crowded into the main room.

Some sat around the oak dining table, others leaned up against open wall space, but all had eyes on the Omegas, like wolves ready to eat. That was not going to happen on his watch, he promised himself, glancing over to the two Omegas. Neither looked scared in the slightest and he found himself impressed with their resolve- they were practically in a lion's den, after all.

"Boys, this is...I'm sorry I didn't get your names," he attempted an introduction, but faltered apologetically, rubbing the back of his head with a large hand.

"I'm Oikawa and this beauty is Suga," the chestnut haired Omega sang out, causing the silver one, Suga, to tsk loudly.

The smell of the ocean and clean laundry rolled off the taller boy in droves, subtly coating the inside of Daichi's nostrils with its freshness. While he found the scent rather pleasant, he preferred Suga's sweet fragrance. At that thought, he absentmindedly shifted closer to the silver haired boy and inhaled slightly, against his better judgement.

"It's an honor to meet you," Suga said, respectfully bowing again, this time to all of the housemates.

Either the Omega's tone, action, or perhaps his overwhelming scent, caught the other Alphas off guard- a few of them flushed red while others shifted in their seats and averted their gaze.

"Um, have any of you lived with Omegas before?" The silver Omega continued in question, straightening back up to a standing position.

The Alphas glanced at each other before Asahi chimed in softly, "my mom's an Omega."

"Don't hurt yourself big boy~~" Oikawa quipped, laughing at the bunned giant as Suga cast him another scornful look- an action that Daichi was quickly learning was a frequent occurrence between the pair.

"Okay, well...maybe there are some things I should cover?" The silver boy asked gently, in more statement than question.

"Go ahead, we'll all listen carefully, right Tanaka? RIGHT, Hajime?" Daichi growled out to the most problematic of his boys, feeling the need to provide the lead Omega some back up.

"Yeeeeeeeeesss," the two drawled, rolling their eyes in unison.

Suga smiled, "great!" Taking a step forward he began to rattle off an explanation. "Well, first off, it's rude to smell an Omega without their consent. It's okay to smell from a far, I understand that our scents can be quite powerful, but don't get too close or you'll frighten them."

Daichi stiffened, he had broken that rule already.

"Second, and it should go without saying, but don't touch them without their expressive consent. When an Omega is scared, they release a smell that sours the air. Sometimes it makes Alphas sick, sometimes it just angers them, so it's problematic either way." As Suga continued in lecture, an image of the silver boy teaching bundles of students flickered across Daichi's mind- he would make an excellent professor. "I think, as long as everyone is wary of their scents, us in particular, we shouldn't have a problem," he finished with an almost overzealous smile, finally relinquishing the first hint showing his nervousness with the situation.

Daichi was familiar with the scent of Omega fear, it was an appalling fragrance- sour and bitter to the senses. On the occasions that he had joined his volleyball team on their nights out clubbing, the air had always reeked from the drugged up Omegas around them. He felt a sharp pang of guilt for partaking in such a cruel pastime, especially now that he had conversed, sober, with actual Omegas.

"Now, the other Omegas in our flock are a bit more timid-"

"Except Nishinoya," Oikawa pointed out with a sly nod. "Oh, and Keji."

"Right," Suga nodded in agreement before continuing. "Most of the others are really timid, but they're quick to warm up. I'm certain that if things go well, it probably won't take more than a few weeks for them to become their usual selves!"

Daichi smiled at the statement and couldn't help his heart from swelling at Suga's protectiveness over his flock. It was admirable, very much so. He paused his skittering thoughts and glanced over the other Alphas, pleasantly surprised to find that they all were giving the silver boy their full attention. Even the normally tuned out Tobio and Tsukishima seemed alert and interested in what the Omega had to say. Perhaps, it was because Alphas, himself included, were never really taught much about Omegas to begin with. His assumption was confirmed when he saw Asahi nodding matter-of-factly to the things Suga was explaining. For the first time in his life, he found himself wishing that he too had an Omega family member.

"As far as reigning in our scents so we don't cause too much of a distraction, we will wear scent suppressor patches at all times," Oikawa's sing song voice chimed in to fill the momentary silence. "We also all have heat injectors and I promise that we will be extremely proactive in regulating our cycles."

Daichi contemplated the implications of the scent suppressors. Even he understood that the patches greatly increased an Omega's ability to walk around on campus, and society in general, without being cornered by over-aggressive..no...over-eager Alphas. He was also fairly certain that Kenma wore one at all times, but he didn't really mind the Omega's eucalyptus scent, nor was he overly attracted to it. Not like the silver boy's fragrance. When the thought snaked into his mind, he flushed slightly in embarrassment- keenly aware of his sudden desire to inhale as much of the sweet fragrance as he could. He didn't want the Omega's scent to diminish, even a little. He would rather bathe in it and get his fill.

"Is that all?" Tanaka asked, once again pulling Daichi from his increasingly panicked thoughts, and Suga nodded, flashing a nervous smile. "Well bring 'em in man!"

After a few minutes, the remaining Omegas poured into the house and crowded around Oikawa and Suga. A tall freckled boy and a small blond girl stood behind the silver Omega, grasping onto his blue shirt with white knuckles. The small girl was shaking profusely and, unlike the others, Daichi could smell a sickly sweet scent of fear radiating off of her. He felt nothing but remorse at frightful state, and he did absolute his best to not imagine the hardships that she, and probably all of them, had been through. When he briefly caught Asahi's gaze, he knew the bunned Alpha was thinking the exact same thing. Were things really this bad for them?

His eyes flickered over to Kenma, who had joined his mate near the stairs, subtly rubbing himself up against the rooster's body, purring in contentment. Purring…Daichi wondered what that felt like...how it would feel to have Suga do that against him? After a few moments, he physically shook his head and pushed the thought away in frustration. What was happening? He steadied himself against the yellow wall behind him and shrugged it off. It had to be side effect of his close proximity to so many unmated Omegas...yes, that was definitely it.

Suga introduced the Omegas and Daichi introduced the Alphas. While the atmosphere was somewhat tense, especially from Yachi's anxious scent, it soon dissipated into comfort once Suga had settled her into their room. Daichi knew that it was Suga and Oikawa's doing, they were doing their best to project a tranquil scent throughout the house, and it was working well. For the first time in his life, he realized that the calming fragrances from the Omegas had the ability to affect every member of the household. While he had witnessed Kenma utilize his scent to relax Kuroo in the past, he had never been around a flock of Omegas large enough to influence the atmosphere of an entire pack of Alphas.

When Daichi had showed the Omegas to their quarters, three vacant spaces on the third floor, he was initially apologetic to Suga that they couldn't provide each of the the seven Omegas with their own private room. However, he soon found out that they preferred to nest together in one location. There was no way Alphas would be able to do that, he chuckled to himself, even sharing one house had its problems. Weekly, sometimes daily, brawls were pretty common among Alphas, even friendly ones.

Now that the Omegas lived with them, was their infighting going to get worse?

Sugawara~

One week had passed since Suga and his nest had moved into the Alpha's yellow house and he was thrilled that nothing too problematic had occurred. Ukai and Miyo had dropped in on the second day, and he was overwhelmed with gratitude when the two professors lugged in bag after bag of newly bought clothing, school supplies, and toiletries for the Omegas. He briefly wondered if Ukai had helped Miyo secure the funds to buy such an enormous haul of goods- if he had, he was an admirable man. Suga was also quick to note that the older Alpha's scent had begun shift from an ordinary one, to one that showed a small level of attraction to the beautiful, black haired professor. While he was very wary of the change in scent, he sent out a silent prayer that the Alpha would not act on his instincts without the female Omega's consent, but in his heart, he knew that Ukai would never dare do anything like that- especially after showing such kindness to his flock, allowing them to live in his team's residence.

As Suga sat on the front stairs of the porch, he quickly brushed over the current state of each Omega in his flock. He knew that he didn't need to worry about Oikawa, the tall and beautiful boy poked at the Alphas every chance he got. In fact, a stern, short haired Alpha named Hajime had even started calling him Shittykawa- the perfect nickname for his over-confident nestmate.

His tiny Shoyo had only taken a few days to become comfortable with his new accommodations, but the ginger had never had any problems making friends. In fact, the Alphas seemed to be quite overwhelmed by the ginger boy's distinct, energizing fragrance. His was, out of every Omega in the flock, the most prominent and, much to Suga's dismay, suppressor patches did very little to qualm it. While he had initially feared that Shoyo's smell would irritate the household Alphas, he was relieved when Daichi, the perceptible and good-hearted, had mentioned that the Alphas had become more alert than usual at their volleyball practices- an awareness that the captain linked to the team's continued access to the invigorating scent.

Nishinoya, the only other Omega that Suga considered to be as mouthy as Oikawa, had made fast friends with the gentle giant Alpha named Asahi. The two had begun taking morning jogs together and, by the fourth day he could tell that Asahi was dying to scent the small spitfire Omega. While he was nervous of the Alpha's motivations, he did his best to give Asahi the benefit of the doubt. The giant man was the only Alpha member in the house with an Omega family member, perhaps, he would be more sympathetic to their condition. Regardless, Suga was going to keep a watchful eye on him.

The quiet and composed Keiji did well to ignore their new housemates, a move that was unsurprising for Suga. When the two of them walked around the campus, Keiji had always been able to blatantly ignore the Alphas around them- as if he didn't even register their presence at all. Although his blasè attitude had terrified Suga at first, his own personal mantra being that Omegas should always on guard around Alphas, he soon realized that Keiji was exceptional at suppressing his scent. Oftentimes, Suga couldn't smell any Omega on him at all, which meant that Alphas were unable to as well.

Similar to Keiji, Yamaguchi had remained quite reserved, however, he was more fearful of the Alphas than his Omega nestmate was. Suga couldn't blame him, given the boy's difficult past, but he was happy to note that none of the Alphas tried to push themselves on the freckled Omega. Normally, one as timid as the Yamaguchi was the perfect target to take advantage of, so he was pleasantly shocked at how much they had lucked out with the yellow house pack. Not a single one made a pass at the boy...thus far. There was no shortage of Alpha knotheads in the world, so to land themselves a house of well-mannered ones was nothing short of a miracle.

The main thorn in Suga's side was his baby Yachi, she was still too traumatized by recent events to even leave their new nesting room. His heart broke for her each time she snaked into his thoughts- all of the Omegas in his flock, indeed all Omegas in general, had terrible past experiences, but Yachi's was...recent.

Suga mulled over a few more things before ending his long train of thought to stand up from his seated position on the porch steps. After thinking about Yachi for such a significant amount of time, he decided to go upstairs and check on his timid baby bird.

As he rounded the stairs to the third floor he reigned in his scent, opting for a mild and measured fragrance that wouldn't frighten her.

"Yachi?" He questioned softly as he entered the room, gently closing the oak door behind him. His eyes searched the sunny, tea green room until a small, blonde head poked out from a mess of pink blankets near the bay windows of the far wall.

"Hi, Suga," the tiny girl yawned to him, blinking sleep from her honey coloured eyes.

At least she felt comfortable enough to sleep here, he thought to himself, even if still woke up from nightmares.

"How are you doing? Can I get you anything?" He asked in a motherly tone as he pulled the small Omega into a messy, blanket filled embrace on the padded floor.

"No, Shoyo brought some soup and milk up earlier."

"You know Yachi..." He started, rubbing her back in small circles. Her scent was still off, still scared...it had been for a long time now. "Why don't you come outside on the porch with me? Fresh air and sunlight would do you good!"

"Eep!" Yachi squeaked, cowering into ample bedding once more. "What if-there are dangerous things-someone might have a gun-or-or an Alpha might jump us!" She exclaimed, her voice somewhat muffled by the sheets.

Suga chuckled at her response, he couldn't help it. Her fear was genuine, but oftentimes, her translation of it came across as almost comedic.

"Okay, well, I won't stop trying!" He replied in a gentle, yet resolute tone. "And you know that we Omegas are all here. Even if its an Alpha house, we are all still here. All of us are a family and we will never abandon you. We will never stop fighting for you."

"Thanks, Suga," the small Omega mumbled as she nested back into the covers.

"Okay...you have your phone? You call me if you need anything? Anything at all."

"I will…"

With that, Suga rose to his feet, stretched up his arms to reset his muscles, then exited the nesting room. There was nothing more he could do today to change her mind, he had to allow her to move at her own pace.

Daichi~

Daichi walked up the stairs, smelling Suga's delicious scent and happily following it. The first few days he had done it absentmindedly, but now...not so much. He couldn't help himself...and he had tried...really, really tried. Now, it was abundantly clear to him that his infatuation with the intoxicating fragrance wasn't his close proximity to so many Omegas, it was with Suga.

He froze in his tracks when he saw the silver haired boy gracefully exit the Omega's nest, a few feet ahead of him in the narrow hallway. Suga grinned when he saw him, and his sweet scent became so overwhelming that Daichi nearly tumbled down the stairs behind him. It was immensly frustrating that the other Omegas on campus, or even in the house, didn't make him feel so dizzy and...primal. He hated not being in control of his instincts, it was new territory for him.

"Hey, Daichi. How was class?" The Omega boy asked sweetly and took a few light steps forward, maintaining a delicate sort of poise as he did so.

"Uh, it was good. Boring, but good."

He didn't want to tell Suga that he had beat down a few Alphas that had cornered an Omega behind the Arts Building. It would just upset the silver boy. In fact, it would probably prompt the momma bird to run wildly out into the streets to find the Omega that had been hurt. Thinking about Suga being cornered by hostile Alphas stimulated his scent to flush with a red anger, and he clenched his fists at his sides to mitigate the unwanted pressure it had caused in his chest.

"What's wrong?" Suga questioned, his voice holding a note of hesitation, unsure as to why he was releasing such an engaged frageance so suddenly.

By the time Daichu had wrestled back control of his instincts, the silver boy was now much, much closer to him- he hadn't even noticed the move. Slowly, Suga's calming fragrance wafted over him like a dark, liquid honey, allowing him to melt into its thickness, quickly forgetting his previous hostility.

"Sorry, it's nothing...just school stuff," he finally replied after clearing his throat in embarrassment. "How is Yachi doing?"

"She's...having trouble."

"I'm sorry, if anyone's giving her a hard time around here-"

"No no!" Suga smiled and shook his hands out in front of him. "It's nothing to do with that. It's just...well, most Omegas have a shitty backstory. Nothing new."

Daichi noticed Suga's smile fade with the last remark and his comforting scent quickly faded away, curling into the clean air to disappear completely. Suddenly, he felt a mournful pang radiate outwards from deep within his chest. A moment later, he was flooded by Alpha feelings- overwhelmed with a desire to feel the Omega's delicate frame against his own muscled figure. He wanted to reach out and take the beautiful silver boy into his arms, gently kiss his pink lips, caress across the mole under the his eye, and trail a nose up the skin of the his delicate, pale neck. It took everything he had to not wrap up him in his dominant scent to keep him safe. He didn't even know what he wanted to keep him safe from, he just wanted to...protect him.

"You wanna go for a walk?" Suga offered up after a few moments and he was relieved to be pulled out of his pleasant, yet irritating thoughts.

"Yeah for sure," he replied, coughing slightly to clear his throat once more. "It's a nice evening."

Daichi~

Daichi and Suga walked side by side down the grey sidewalk of the residence district without touching, much to his irritation. The neighborhood was caked in a golden hue from the setting sun, and the colorful houses and expansive parks were overshadowed by large cherry blossom trees, swaying from the warm, evening breeze. He snuck looks at Suga every chance he got, wanting to know more about the wise, silver boy. He wanted to kill everyone who had ever hurt him. He knew it was an Alpha driven thought, but he was slowly making peace with it- it definitely wasn't going to go away anytime soon.

There were very few people outside, most had made the walk back from campus hours ago. To that, he gave a silent thank you to the universe. If Alphas were walking about, he knew that he wouldn't be able to keep himself from growling at them, to assert his dominance over the small, silver Omega at his side.

"Can I ask you something?" He questioned, finally breaking the pleasant silence.

"Sure, shoot," Suga replied quietly, pulling his attention to Daichi, away from the floating pink blossoms wafting down in the breezy summer air.

"Well...what happened with Yachi? And with your house? Kuroo said that some Alphas burned it down..."

"Ah," Suga murmured, nodding in understanding before stopping to look up at the crisp, cloudless sky.

Daichi admired the way the fragile boy looked when he was lost in thought, so much so that he didn't notice that the two of them had arrived at the waterfront park at the edge of the residence district.

Suga~

"Well, what happened with Yachi? And with the house? Kuroo said that some Alphas burned it down..."

Suga stopped to ponder the question for a moment. It had been a week since they had moved into the yellow house and he had found himself almost fully trusting Daichi- an Alpha. He had not completely trusted an Alpha since...well...it was unwise to trust them unless they were family...and even then...

When it came to the dark haired captain, he couldn't seem to help himself. There was something about the man, perhaps his level head and mild sensibilities, that made Suga want to be scented by him- a feeling which he was very, very wary of.

He felt Daichi's dark, prying eyes on him and smelled the Alpha's apprehension. He had to give the captain some sort of explanation, he owed him that much, at the very least.

"If I tell you, you have to keep it in confidence," he finally replied, glancing over to meet the captain's gaze without moving his head from its position, craned up at the sky.

"Of course."

"I'm not telling you the details either. It's Yachi's pain, not mine. I have my own demons."

When Daichi tensed up at his statement, he furrowed his brows in confusion. Why? He thought to himself in question, was the Alpha angry that he didn't fully trust him?

"I understand," the brunette man asserted, nodding in understanding without breaking their eye contact.

The statement contained a small growl, rumbling around inside his throat. Suga could tell that the noise wasn't aggressive in nature, it was protective, but he almost wished it had been the former- it would be easier for him to cope with. Agression was easy, protection was complicated.

"I think you have a right to know because it could prove to be a ticking time bomb. Plus, you and I seem to be the, um, the leaders around here, so I think we should keep an eye on it," he stated plainly, running a dainty hand through his silver locks.

"Okay, I'll keep in in confidence, I promise."

The two boys sat down on a bench facing the calm ocean and Suga listened intently to the cackles of a pack of seagulls, playing in the sluggish waves on the sand. He did his best to project a tranquil scent, but it was difficult for him to do so whenever he vocalized such terrible Omega experiences.

"Yachi was dating an Alpha, a shit one named Chaki," he started, already noticing that his scent was becoming strained from the recollection, but he pushed forward his explanation anyways. "No one in our nest liked him. He was domineering...controlling...and Yachi frightens easily. He took advantage of her gentle nature. A lot of Alphas like to think we are docile, that we belong on our knees and only exist for sexual service, but they forget that we are people, too! Living, breathing, people!"

"I don't think like that."

"W-what?"

"I don't think Omegas are meant to be docile. That's ridiculous..."

The abrupt and honest testimony from the captain momentarily caught him off guard. It wasn't that he had thought Daichi unsympathetic to the Omega condition. It was just...well...he didn't expect the captain to vocalize it so readily. At the realization, a warm bubble of happiness pushed out from his stomach and climbed up to his chest, enclosing itself around his beating heart. He couldn't prevent himself from enjoying it, so he did. Flashing a sweet smile at the Alpha, he continued his story-this time, feeling more at ease to share the events.

"Anyways, Yachi started to come home with bruises. I guess isn't unusual, it sort of comes with being an Omega, but Oikawa saw that they were deeper than one would expect from normal sexual relations. He didn't like it and he started telling her that she needed to stop seeing the asshole. He even said that he would kick Chaki's ass if he ever came by the house," Suga explained, finishing with a loud and genuine giggle.

Oikawa was a pain in the ass sometimes, but he was an invaluable friend. He respected the chestnut Omega more than anyone else- trusted him with his life. Plus, despite his stunning looks, his nestmate could kick some Alpha ass when the occasion called for it. He squashed his laughter, then shook his head and continued his terrible recollection.

"Yachi didn't stop seeing Chaki, though. We all knew she wanted to leave him, but she was too frightened of what he would do," he trailed off with a deep, sad sigh, inhaling Daichi's tense and angry scent, radiating out from next to him on the bench. "We found out later that Chaki had threatened to kill us, the only family she really has left. She tried to pull away from him, but the more she tried, the more he hurt her….and threatened to hurt us. She started coming home with more than bruises. Once it was a broken arm. A few days later it was some broken ribs. Each time, the bites and scratch marks got deeper and deeper. The worse his abuse got, the more she retreated inside her own mind. It got so bad that she had to switch to online schooling, she was too scared to even leave our house. We lost our little sunshine baby...and Oikawa was furious. I mean, I was furious, but he was worse. He's sort of, the Alpha of our group," he smiled at the thought and giggled again, this time covering his mouth with his slender hands- shaking his head in what could only be described as admiration. Once again, he found himself overly grateful for the chestnut Omega's companionship.

"Sounds like Oikawa is a pretty good guy, eh?" Daichi interjected between his chuckles, but the undertone of agitation remained present in his voice.

"Mmm, he is...invaluable. They all are," Suga replied, adjusting himself slightly on the hard bench. "So, one night, the night before the fire, Oikawa followed Chaki home from class. He kicked the shit out of the asshole...told him to stay away from Yachi and our nest. He even threatened to report him to the University, not like that would do anything, but still. None of it mattered, though. The next night we woke up with our house burning, and Chaki and his Alpha dogs were on our front lawn hollering and screeching in...some sick sort of triumph..."

He took a moment to compose himself, grateful that Daichi didn't try to fill the silence with empty words. "I think Oikawa blames himself, for what happened," he whispered, looking down at his folded hands in his lap. "And I know for a fact that Yachi blames herself. The whole thing is a mess, really." He rolled his neck and looked out at the expansive ocean, he wanted the story to have a happy ending. "And now we're here with you guys," he finished, as cheerfully as he could manage in his current state of upet.

Daichi remained pensive and silent, sitting next to him in a sort of stunned silence- contemplating everything that was said.

"You'd better not have fallen asleep during my story, Daichi," Suga chirped after a few minutes, attempting to lighten the Alpha's tense scent.

"I didn't, I would never," came a deep, growling response that was deadly serious. "Never..."

"Good," Suga nodded with closed eyes and rose up from the bench.

He took a few steps forward and leaned forward on the cobblestone barrier separating the pathway from the beach. Daichi remained seated, but he could feel the Alpha's chocolate eyes boring into his slender back.

"Is that, common?" The captain finally asked with a slight tone of hesitation. "Shit like this?"

"Unfortunately, yes."

"Has it...happened to you?" He pushed forward in question, his voice suddenly laced with a dark, dangerous rumble.

It was the same tone that Suga had struggled with earlier- protection. He turned around to face the captain, the look on his tanned face nearly had his heart skipping beats. It was sympathetic and very, very angry.

"The past is the past," he said quickly with a shrug, attempting to dissipate the wired situation. "No need to burden ourselves with it now."

He didn't want to think about the past any longer, it upset him, and for some strange reason, he didn't want Daichi to hear about it either. After mulling the strange thought over for a few moments, he settled on the notion that he didn't want to give the Alpha another reason to feel sympathy for him- he could take care of himself just fine.

Daichi~

As the pair walked home, Daichi did his best to suppress his inner rage, but it was a white hot poker burning into the back of his neck, blurring his vision with crimson heat. He didn't know Yachi personally, she barely left the Omega's room at all, but she was so small and fragile. He hated the very notion of anyone touching her against he will...anyone...like Chaki. However, the thing that threatened to blind him with feral madness was his sudden realization that Suga had gone through the same, terrible things. The same vicious trials. The same violence. His beautiful and caring Suga. His. The word radiated out from his thoughts, pooling somewhere deep within his chest. He didn't have the heart to try and stop it, he wanted to protect this silver haired boy and ensure that no one would ever touch him. No one, but him.

"Why didn't you report that fucker to the University or the police?" He finally managed to ask after they had walked nearly the entire way back in a sort of bittersweet silence. "They should be in jail."

Suga laughed at his question, but it was nothing more than an attempt to hide his upset feelings.

"Maybe you don't know, I mean, how could you? You are an Alpha, after all."

Daichi visibly shrunk away from the snickering tone of the word, Alpha. It was a nasty dagger to his heart.

"I'm sorry...that was rude of me," Suga corrected, looking over at him with an apologetic smile. "The justice system...isn't exactly on our side, that's all."

Daichi took some time to contemplate Japan's legal system. Brawling was so common that the government did very little to police Alpha-on-Alpha violence. Only when murder was involved were the police brought in, and even then, there were so many mitigating circumstances. If an Alpha killed another over the possession of an Omega, they were only arrested if a mated pair was involved- or if the Omega was under the age of eighteen and there was a familial bond involved. He even had a few friends from high school who were killed in a squabble over a neighborhood Omega that had gone into a premature heat. The police had ruled it as a legal incident, since no formal mating was involved nor the Omega's parental guardians.

In those few moments of silent reflection, he realized that, with all his knowledge on Alpha law, he knew almost nothing about the ones regarding Omegas. He glanced over at Suga and was met with a pair of unblinking, chocolate eyes. The two shared a brief gaze of understanding and he was grateful when Suga spoke up to explain the Omega situation. He didn't have the heart to ask- too embarrassed of his lack of knowledge.

Through another classic Suga lecture, he learned that there were laws in place to prevent Alphas from attacking Omegas, but they were rarely enforced. The police, being made up mostly of Alphas, were even known to rape Omegas while they were on duty, and apparently, the Universities fared no better. Although, Suga did admit that the security staff on school days were somewhat effective in lowering the attack rates during class hours. The only organization that the silver boy seemed to trust was the Omega Protection Agency, or O.P.A, but the group was too small to handle the mass epidemic of Alpha violence. Moreover, it was hindered by the fact that their workers were nearly all Omegas and therefore weak against the Alpha hierarchy. Even Omega hospitals had become so overrun that they had been forced to impose strict guidelines for their treatment. Only broken bones, injuries that wouldn't stop bleeding, or Omegas that had been unconscious for a certain period of time, were admitted.

The sudden barrage of information stunned Daichi, he had never known just how corrupt the system was. The unwanted realization made him very, very agitated. The two secondary genders shared this world, fifty-fifty, but in reality, things were much more complicated than he had ever imagined.

Hajime~

Ten days. It had been ten days since the Omega boys had scented up the entire house with their frilly, fluffy scents and Hajime was growing irritated with it.

"You've sure warmed up to Nishinoya, eh, big guy?" Oikawa smirked up at Asahi's tall figure near the silver refrigerator, patting the bunned giant on the back.

"Shhh, would you be quiet?" Asahi flinched away in response, allowing the contact to continue out of good will. "Not so loud!"

Hajime was, once again, shocked that Asahi was an Alpha. He had only seen the giant fight once, and it was over some stupid Alpha girl back when they were in high school. Most of the time, he was just a big, soft teddy bear. Even Shittykawa, an Omega, was able to push the bunned man around with ease.

"Oi, Hajime. Stop staring at me like you're gonna eat me~~" Oikawa teased, playfully sticking out a pink tongue.

Hajime rolled his eyes and inwardly cursed himself for getting caught. He couldn't help himself from looking, he had never met an Omega like Oikawa before, the boy made him curious. Granted, he hadn't met many Omegas in general. Most of his experience was from fucking them, or seeing them drugged out of their minds and groped up at clubs. Oikawa would never allow that to happen to him, or to anyone in his nest. It was admirable...somewhat.

"I wasn't staring at you. You're in the way of the fridge," he lied with a snort and moved forward, trying to shuffle past the two boys in the way of his dinner.

"Liar, you were thinking about me~~" Came a response that made him stiffen with regret- he had been, but not in the way the chestnut Omega was implying.

"Stop being an idiot. Get out of my way," he stated as plainly as he could manage, then grabbed Oikawa's shoulder to gently shove him to the left, into the marble counter beside the fridge.

"Hajime!" Asahi pleaded in a worried tone and held up his hands in fear. "You're not supposed to touch them! Didn't you listen to Suga!?"

"Oh, would you go away you big lug," he huffed back and waved Asahi's giant hands out of his way. "You're so huge, there's no space to breath in here."

The bunned giant apologized profusely to Oikawa on his behalf before exiting the the blue kitchen to the front entryway. He wasn't lying when he said that there was no space to breath in the kitchen, but it was because Asahi's Alpha scent was masking Oikawa's fresh one. A smell that he had to begrudgingly admit was, very, very pleasant.

"Oi, Shittykawa. Get out of here, too. Your scent is so stuffy," he mumbled to the chestnut boy at his side, covering his traitorous thoughts with a shallow, verbal lie.

"Fuck you! I smell wonderful!"

He did.

"No, you don't. It's like an old boot mixed with a rotting fish."

"How cruel!"

Maybe it was, but he didn't care.

"You're exhausting."

He hated that his insults bounced right off the chestnut boy. It was like tossing a bucket of oil against a tiled wall, nothing he said ever stuck. He sighed and pinched the brim of his nose, he didn't want to be around Oikawa's scent any longer than he had to be. It was obvious that Asahi had succumbed to Nishinoya's fragrance, and even Daichi had begun to show symptoms of thirst towards that silver one, Suga. However, he knew that he was a stronger man than both of them. He wouldn't cave as easily as his father had- cheating on his Alpha spouse with his whore Omega mother.

"You're still in the way of the fridge, Shitty-"

A loud snarl erupted from the entryway, cutting their verbal spat short. From the tone, and the scent, Hajime knew that it was Daichi.

"WHAT HAPPENED?"

He was the first to move, egged on by his flared up instincts- fellow...Alpha...angry...why. He burst into the yellow entryway, only to find Asahi snarling next their very enraged captain. According to his nose, no other Alphas, household members or otherwise, were present in their yellow home. Their teammates, they must be still on campus, he thought out from his instinctual fog, just what on earth had the Alphas so riled up?

Raking his gaze over the scene before him, he took note of Suga and Nishinoya standing in the doorway, both trembling, but doing their best not to show it. He scanned the room once more, looking for unfamiliar movement or scents. Anything that could stand as the cause for the Omega upset, but found nothing. Finally, he allowed himself to relax, but Daichi and Asahi maintained their bristling anger- too overwhelmed by their feral nature to think clearly. He could tell that their tense fragrances were affecting the frightened Omegas standing under the oaken doorway. Idiots...didn't they listen to Suga's tedious lectures?

"Daichi, Asahi, please calm down. You're upsetting Nishinoya," Suga pleaded with the captain, but Hajime could tell, by smell and sight, that the silver boy was just as affected.

Thankfully, he was more in control of his emotions than the smaller Omega on his left. If he hadn't been, Hajime was certain that his captain would have flown into a full on fit of Alpha rage.

"Who did that to you," Dachi spat and took a large step forward, ignoring Suga's pleas. "What. Happened."

Hajime huffed quietly to himself and rolled his eyes. His Captain was large, and tougher than he looked. He would be a pain in the ass to physically handle, if it came to that.

"We just had an unlucky encounter. We're fine! It's just a few scrapes, nothing out of the ordinary," Suga rattled off, doing his best to project a sweet scent of calm that made Hajime's head spin. "Relax, everything is fine!"

"You. Are. Bleeding. From. Your. Forehead." Daichi barked out, balling up his fists in frustration.

It was clear to everyone present that it was taking ever ounce of Dachi's willpower to not scoop Suga up and barricade inside the safety of his room. Hajime chuckled under his breath at the ridiculous notion, he needed to ease the tension, he was too tired to handle a physical altercation with his captain.

"Oi Daichi-" He attempted to verbally intervene, but was hastily interrupted by Oikawa.

He swiveled his head on its axis, unable to hide the shock in his dark eyes. He hadn't even noticed the chestnut Omega's fragrance, or his presence at all- and the kid was standing right next to him. In an instant, his Alpha instincts flared up, throwing him off guard with their sudden, unexpected presence. They screeched out inside his skull, commanding him to protect Oikawa from whatever invisible threat his Alpha housemates were agitated with. With great effort, he shoved the unwanted feeling away, but remained vigilant and on guard next to the chestnut Omega. Try as he did, he couldn't seem bring his feet to move away, not even an inch.

"Daichi, sit down on the stairs and focus on dissipating your rage. It stinks and it's not helpful to the situation. There are clearly no attackers here," Oikawa hotly barked, pointing a long, delicate finger at the growling Alpha in question. "And Asahi, for christs sakes, relax your posture. You're going to get a kink in your neck with all that tension. Stand over there," he continued in command, motioning to the turquoise couch in the living room on his left.

Hajime watched on in awe as both Alphas did exactly that. Impressive, he mused, flashing his usual, cocky smirk at the tough presence Oikawa exuded. After a moment, the chestnut Omega swiftly returned to his side, forcing him to, once again, ignore a coy feeling of pleasure that slithered across his chest. Then, Oikawa leaned in close to his ear and whispered, the close proximity sending a shiver down his spine.

"In case you're wondering...I separated the big boys so their rage wouldn't keep bouncing off each other. Oikawa helpful tip number one~~"

Hajime's chest flooded with liquid affection at the intimate dialogue. He sighed, unsure of if he wanted to punch the tall, slender boy, or thank him- it was a good tip.

"Now, Suga. Tell us what happened," Oikawa said in half-demand, leaning his back against the wall to cross his arms over his chest. "Put this whole thing to rest."

As the chestnut boy's sing song voice reached his ears, Hajime felt his mind devolve into an unfamiliar state of contentment. The ocean scent washed over him, drowning it in its pleasant waves- it was the strongest he had ever felt it. His vision blurred and soon, he felt an overwhelming urge to pull the Omega into a affectionate embrace...and scent him...mark the Omega with his own fragrance. How irritating, he thought to himself with a stressed yawm, fuck off with the Alpha crap, body. He didn't even like the guy as a person...his cheeky personality was the bottom of the barrel. At that thought, Hajime made another attempt to step away from Oikawa's slender figure, anything to lessen the power of his irritating instincts, but he found his legs still frozen in place.

"We just had a bad run in with a couple of Alphas. Nishinoya hit them pretty good with the spray though!" Suga asserted as he rubbed the back of his silver head and smiled sweetly.

"PERFECT AIM, NISHINOOOOYYYAAA," the spitfire Omega shouted in turn, beaming with a wild grin that even had Hajime perking up with the eager energy.

"Daichi, satisfied with the information?" Oikawa turned to ask the irritated captain, cocking a knowing eyebrow. "You good?"

"No. But I'll deal with it," Daichi growled in reply from his position, pacing in front of the stairwell.

"Good. Asahi, satisfied? We all sorted here?"

"Fine," the giant barked back angrily, manipulating a couch pillow in his large hands to release his pent up frustration. "I'll deal."

"Good. Now, why don't you two go for a walk...separately," Oikawa said in light command, shuffling the two Alphas out of the front door. "Separately~~"

Hajime chuckled in amusement at the affair, apparently, it was not a suggestion.

"And don't come back until you're feeling refreshed and your instincts are reset!" The chestnut boy called out across the porch to the grumbling men, then slammed the oak door shut. "Suga, upstairs. You and Nishinoya need a scent reset. Don't argue."

"Yes sir!" Nishinoya saluted before bounding up the stairs, taking them two at a time.

"NISHINOYA, NOT IN THE NEST ROOM! YACHI, IT WOULD UPSET HER!" Suga cried out, hurrying to follow the spitfire up the stairs, albeit more elegantly than his eager nestmate.

Once Oikawa was certain the pair had made it to the third floor, he turned his attention to Hajime once more, leaning against the open archway to the blue walled kitchen.

"It seems like you and I are the only ones in the house who can manage their scents...and emotions...well enough in situations like this. At least, out of the people present here," he divulged, eyeing the Hajime down from a few feet away through narrow lids.

Hajime was shocked by the tone of admission, it was deadly serious, with not even a hint of his usual coy, playfulness. He had never heard Oikawa be anything other than a joker. In fact, he didn't even think it was possible.

"Yeah I guess..." He replied, shrugging his broad shoulders against the plaster. "Sure..."

"Omega emotions are heavily affected by Alpha rage. Even if it's protective. If Alpha rage and Omega fear go unchecked, they will just fuel into each other and make the situation worse. So, one side needs to be reset before that happens," Oikawa quickly rattled off before turning towards the stairs to join his flock. "So, do your best, Hajime!" He finished in his usual, lighthearted tone, flashing a lopsided grin over the railing of the stairs. "Don't let me down."

Hajime watched the Omega disappear, too stunned to move. Don't let me down...

He wanted to tear out his traitorous, fluttering heart that the serious words brought forth. The strange, tense even hadn't left his body frozen, nor the disgusting scent of Alpha rage and Omega fear that lingered from it, poisoning the air. It was Oikawa's assertive actions- his ability to handle Alpha emotions with ease. After everything he had just witnessed, he had to admit that the chestnut boy was reliable in a pinch, there was no denying it. For a moment, he let his mind wander around the idea, then he sat down on the plush couch and clicked on the television. He was now painfully aware that he had met his match- Oikawa had just as much measured control over his own scent and emotions as he did. It certainly wasn't an easy feat, it had taken Hajime years of patient practice and now, he was more in control of his instincts than most Alphas in general, including his teammates. He yawned loudly and cracked his neck to the side, once again, finding himself impressed with the annoying Omega.

As he lazily flipped through the channels, a sudden feeling struck him like a nasty and unwanted bolt of lightning. He felt...empty. He lightly sniffed the air and found no trace of a fresh ocean scent...he missed it.

Sugawara~

Suga was painting in the sun room on the third floor of the house, feeling at ease from the soothing, yellow walls. They reminded him of his grandmother's kitchen, and he needed that feeling after the events that had transpired earlier that day. Even though he pretended the opposite, the Alphas that had cornered him and Nishinoya had frightened him- things could have been much worse. They caught a lucky break. Regardless of how panicked he had been, he was not about to give up even a speck of his personal freedom. He had a right to walk freely outside, undisturbed. He was a citizen. No Alpha was going to take that away from him. He pondered his thoughts for a few more moments before shaking the growing apprehension from his mind. He wouldn't be able to keep his paintbrush straight if he kept reliving the stupid event.

When a familiar scent washed over the room, he perked up at its mild, husky tones- Daichi. The captain's fragrance was calmer than it had been earlier that afternoon, but he could tell that it was still laced with bits of chiseled anger. He plopped his brush in a glass of muddy looking water and swiveled around on his painting stool to face the dark Alpha.

"Hey, Daichi," he said, offering up a toothy smile to ease the Alpha's upset disposition. "What's up?"

"Suga..." The captain murmured, flicking his gaze between his floral painting and the hardwood floor.

"Daichi, don't be so serious and pensive," he ordered gently, waving a pale hand in front of his chest. "It doesn't suit you."

"You're all bandaged up?"

"Yeah, Omegas have lots of practice at it. Plus, we heal pretty darn fast! By tonight, I won't have a scratch on me."

"I hate that," Daichi grumbled and took a small step forward before stalling in place, leaving a few feet of distance between them. He took in a large breath and exhaled out his stress, unwittingly hitting Suga with an overpowering scent of...protection. Again? Really? While his body welcomed it, his mind certainly did not.

"Yeah, I hate it, too," he proclaimed, desiring to change the subject- he could take care of himself, he didn't need an overeager Alpha to babysit him.

"No, I don't think you do understand. I don't even understand. This whole thing is just..." Daichi trailed off, eyes flickered up from the floor to meet his gaze.

Suga paused, waiting for the captain to finish his train of thought, but was granted with silence. He mulled over the words, what didn't he understand? That Omegas were hurt on a daily basis? That Omegas could defend themselves without the help of Alphas? Well, somewhat anyways. He wanted to scrunch up his nose and flee the room to escape the captain's domineering scent. It held a similar tinge of emotion to his ex's scent, but Daichi's wasn't as...selfish. However, selfish or not, the blanket of protection it was offering rattled Suga to the core. He was not something to be owned.

Daichi~

"No, you don't understand. I don't even understand. This whole thing is just…" He trailed off, unsure of how to vocalize his feelings.

Daichi shook his head and met Suga's gaze. It had only been ten days since the silver Omega had entered his life, yet, he was beginning to feel as if he wouldn't be able to live without him. As the days increased in number, he was finding himself better able to smell Suga from greater distances. Even when he settled down in his own room, lying under his dark covers ready for sleep to take him, he could pick up on hints of the sugary fragrance- and things had only grown worse after the afternoon's events. He had smelled Suga's distress from nearly half a block away and the moment it hit his waiting nostrils, he felt as if his entire world was crashing down around him. A dark and terrible dread flooded every fiber of his body, a dread unlike anything he had ever experienced, and he had no desire to go through it again.

"What is it that you don't understand?" Suga questioned sharply and he slightly winced at the hostile tone.

He was trying to put his thoughts to words, but he was just...so angry. When he finally saw Suga, and even Nishinoya, cross the yard towards the yellow house, his mind had snapped in two. He had figured that his instincts would calm when he saw the silver Omega safe, that was the logical conclusion. Instead, a slicing rage took over his body and mind- a ferocious instinct that had commanded him to find, harm, and kill whoever or whatever had made the two Omegas so upset.

He had long since acknowledged his feelings for Suga, he couldn't deny it any longer, but Nishinoya? Why did he feel the same instincts, albeit to a lesser degree, about the other Omega? He and Asahi had talked through the events on the front porch after they had cooled down and, much to his surprise, they had both agreed that they had felt a shared instinct. An overbearing idea that had crippled their minds, commanding them to protect the pack. It was a term that was pretty well unheard of, Alphas did not work well together, unless they had a familial bond. His instinct to protect the Omega of another Alpha, which Nishinoya practically was, had stumped them both.

"Have you ever heard of a sort of...pack mentality?" He finally asked, rolling his neck to loosen his screaming muscles. "I know it sounds strange..."

Suga furrowed his brows and gazed at him through narrow lids.

"Yeah...with wolves, and other animals. I get the feeling that you're not talking about it in that sense...right?"

"No…" He murmured, splitting his attention between his torturous thoughts and their verbal conversation. "No, I don't mean it like that..."

"You mean...wait...are you saying that you felt that? This afternoon when Nishinoya and I..." The silver boy offered up before trailing off, perhaps aware that if he vocalized the event, it might set Daichi off again- and he was right.

"Uh...yeah," Daichi revealed as he casually leaned back against the wall, planting his large hands in the front pockets of his dark jeans. "Both Asahi and I did. It's fucking weird. Alpha's don't...we don't share scents and emotions like Omegas do. It was...I don't know, weird. Just weird."

Suga stood up from his wooden bench and took a large, sweeping step forward- hazel eyes shining with curiosity.

"You mean- what do you mean? What did you feel?" He hastily asked and Daichi felt his face flush with pink embarrassment- desiring the Omega's attention, yet wanting to shrink back into the hallway away from it.

"When we saw that you were both hurt, our instincts were to protect. Which is normal...I guess...but the thing is...it didn't matter which of you was injured. The instinct was the same for both of us."

The last part of the statement was a lie, but he didn't want to scare Suga off- he knew that the silver boy was wary of his protective scent, even if he didn't really understand why.

"Really?!" The silver Omega exclaimed, vibrating with joyous anticipation. "Daichi! Do you know what this means?!"

"Uh, no. That's kind of why I'm asking you about it," Daichi replied with a meek laugh, shyly rubbing the back of his head. "So I could get a bit of insight..."

"It means-" Suga began, but abruptly stopped mid sentence and lost himself to what Daichi had recently learned was mindful contemplation. "It means that I need to do some research," he loudly proclaimed before waltzing right past into the hallway, leaving a trail of sugary sweetness hanging in the air.

Daichi had no idea how or what the curious Omega was going to research, but he was excited to hear about it. He watched the silver boy trounce down the corridor and round the corner to the stairwell before checking his black wrist watch. Whatever the beauty was off to find, had to wait. He had volleyball practice.

Sugawara~

As Suga walked into the entryway of the yellow house, he noticed Asahi sitting on the turquoise coach with a very irritated Nishinoya in his lap. The gentle giant had his arms wrapped tightly around the tiny Omega and was grazing his colored hair along the scent glands in his neck. Well, it's about time, Suga mused with a coy smirk, putting his worries over the pairing to rest- although Nishinoya looked agitated, the happy fragrance he was releasing told him that it was a mutual affair.

"Asahi, you think you've done that enough? It's been an hour. You're missing your damn volleyball practise!" Nishinoya whined and halfheartedly tried to struggle out of the giant's grasp. Asahi let out a quiet tsk and shook his head, indicating that he wasn't planning on releasing the Omega any time soon. "Oh, come on!"

"I don't care. Hajime is skipping, too, and you aren't giving him the business," the giant mumbled into his squirming partner's brunette crown.

"Hajime is skipping because he's a delinquent. You're skipping because you're a big softy. It's an entirely different situation!" Nishinoya retorted back, huffing out a puff of air in frustration. "You need to be constantly honing your volleyball skills if you're going to make it big!"

"Oi, Suga. Where are you going?" Yamaguchi called out from the dining room, noticing his movements near the front door.

He tugged on a black converse, stumbling slightly on one foot before yelling back his reply. "I'm going to the library. Found out some cool stuff that I need to research."

"Ya got your spray?" Nishinoya yelled into the warm air to make his voice heard over Asahi's large figure, blocking his line of sight.

Suga laughed at the audacious question, a full on gut busting laugh.

"This, coming from you?! You forget yours all the time! It was dumb luck you had it this afternoon when we were cornered!"

At his words, Asahi let out a guttural growl, alerting everyone to his displeasure of the event, and Suga smelled Nishinoya's tranquil scent increase in response. He inwardly smiled, overjoyed that his little spitfire had nailed down such a kind, considerate Alpha. It wasn't his cup of tea, but hey, good on his nestmate.

"What time will you be back, Sugaaaa~~" Oikawa added his voice to the fray from the blue kitchen. "Don't stay out too late pleaseeeee!"

"Let's say, 8:00 pm?"

"Always know what time your Omega friends will be returning! Keep track of their movements to better protect them! Helpful Oikawa tip number six~~" He heard his chestnut nestmate sing to, what he could only imagine was a very annoyed, yet amused, Hajime.

He forced on his second shoe and adjusted the leather strap of his bag across his chest. He was losing daylight hours, he had to get going before he got reeled into another conversation.

"See ya in a few hours!" He shouted, to no one in particular, before exiting the lively house.

As he walked down the familiar block towards the main campus, he ran into a tired looking Keiji with a bouncing Shoyo at his side.

"Suga, where are you going?" Keiji paused in place to ask, cocking a dark brow in question. "It's late..."

"I know...I'm just going to the library. I need to look up a few things."

"I hate that place, it's so stuffy! There needs to be a treadmill or, at least more sunlight!" Shoyo chimed in, and Suga chuckled at the state of his ginger hair- always a bedhead.

"Be careful. I don't like that you and Oikawa walk around by yourselves. I know you both have a stupid freedom complex, but you should at least take your own advice and travel in groups of two," Keiji stated plainly, careful to not let any of his anxiety spill over into the words.

Suga blushed at the chastising remark and shuffled his feet over the pavement.

"I know, but the Alphas are all at volleyball practice and I don't want to drag any of the flock out. It's only a fifteen minute walk, and it's still light out. I'll be fine!"

"You got your spray and phone on you?" Keiji questioned, slightly shaking his head in defeat. "Text me when you're there and when you leave."

"Yes," Suga laughed in response- at least his motherly nagging wasn't going unheeded.

"Okay, see you soon, then."

Suga huffed out a massive amount of air and leaned back in his desk chair, groaning in frustration. He barely found anything on the strange pack mentality Daichi had mentioned. Well, almost nothing. He did come across an old journal study from the seventies, he checked it out of the library archives for further thing was over sixty pages long and packed full of unnecessary information, but he was certain that there was something of value inside- he was grasping at straws at this point. He sighed again, and glanced down at the clock on his phone. 7:30pm, he needed to get going.

Packing up his things, he gingerly placed the checked out study inside his leather bag and buttoned it shut- eternally grateful that Miyo had found the funds to purchase new school items for his Omega flock after they had been lost in the fire.

As He exited the library doors and entered the brisk, night air, he was shocked to find that the sky was already darkening. The days are getting shorter, he mused, summer was coming to an end.

He was nearly at the edge of the formal campus when he ran into trouble- trouble in the form of three, beefy and terrifying Alphas. Just walk by them and don't make eye contact, he thought calmly to himself, shoving away a sudden wave of anxiety that rushed down to his scrunched toes. He reached into his leather bag and grasped at his Alpha spray to reassure himself, then focused all of his energy on reigning in his scent as much as possible.

"Oi, pretty boy!" One the the Alphas, a ginger, called in his direction. "What are you up to this fine evening?"

Suga averted his gaze, picked up his pace, and ignored the question. Just keep walking, just keep walking.

"Hey, don't ignore me, you Omega slut," the ginger yelled again, this time with more force. "I'm talking to you."

Suga briefly glanced towards the domineering pack, feeling an urge to run when he saw them walking swiftly towards him. He attempted to pick up his pace, opting for a panicked jog, but was quickly overrun. An Alpha, this one shorter with black hair, grabbed him by the back of his shirt and pulled hard, bringing him unwillingly into the tangles of their group. He scrunched up his nose when their overbearing scents hit his senses at full force- an unpleasant mix of alcohol and shameless desire.

The ginger Alpha grabbed his arms and pushed his small body up against the brick of the Humanities Building with ease. He did his best to stay his shaking body, but the situation had him very frightened- something that greatly irritated his morals.

"You are very pretty, my little puppy. And you smell sooooo nice," his captor hissed, holding under his chin with enough force to bruise.

When the man brushed his ugly nose against his neck, along his scent glands, a soft whimper slip from his quivering lips.

"I'm fucking him first! You guys can have the leftovers," the ginger growled, his grinning face inches from Suga's disgusted one. "There's plenty of him to go around..."

The remaining two Alphas stiffened, angry with the arrangement, but compliant.

"Do not touch me. I do not consent," Suga spat back into his attacker's face, jerking his body in an attempt to free himself from the harsh grasp. "Let the fuck go."

"Good, I wasn't sure if you had any fight in you...you're so angelic looking I thought you'd just lie back and take it. I like it when they struggle."

Suga shivered at the disgusting statement and the Alpha smirked at his fearful scent. He grabbed Suga's bag, harshly ripped it across his body, and threw it to the ground. It contents scattered across the pavement, the spray with it- his lifeline. He cursed himself for not attacking them sooner. Oikawa would have, he wouldn't have given them a chance to gain the upper hand. Instead, Suga had just allowed them to take him with relative ease. At that fleeting thought, he kicked out, fighting with all his might for his release, but he proved no match for the strength of his fit attacker. It was too late.

The ginger sucker punched his lower abdomen to stay his legs, then forcibly pinned his delicate arms above his silver head, against the sharp brick. He narrowed his eyes, staring down his attacker with a cutting gaze but the Alpha chuckled at his anger, then planted a harsh slap on his pale face and licked along the scent glands in his neck. He whined at the unwanted touch, releasing a heavy musk of fear from his quivering body and his captor pulled away to lightly sniff the air.

"I love that smell," he whispered hotly in Suga's ear before reaching under his shirt to pull it over his silver head with aggressive force.

He struggled more, calling out for help, only to be met with another harsh slap and a clamped hand on his lips.

"Shut up. I'll make you feel good, baby. Omega sluts like you always love my knot," the Alpha cooed in a gentle tone that made his stomach pulse with twisted nausea.

He pushed down his urge to vomit and continued his struggles, using all of the remaining energy he had left. When his attacker took his pink nipple in his mouth and bit down, drawing crimson blood, he cried out through his muffled mouth. The aggressive foreplay did not last long, and soon, he was shoved down with his knees on the hard pavement. His body seized in panic when he felt his jeans being roughly torn down his slender, hairless legs. After a few moments of frozen terror, he snapped back, kicking and writhing around on the ground, scratching his exposed skin on loose pieces of gravel.

"Struggle more. It makes my knot hard," the ginger Alpha whispered in his face, his large hand still clamped down hard on Suga's screaming mouth. "You're going to take all of me."

Suga did exactly that. Even when he felt a thick finger prod into his most private area, even when his attackers hand was removed and a large cock took its place, even when he was certain he would be violated in the worst possible way, he fought.

Daichi~

Daichi and his team piled into the entryway, greeted with the mouth watering smell of a home cooked meal and pleasant Omega fragrances. When the other Alphas let out hollers of excitement, he remained quiet- Suga's scent was missing.

"Where is Suga?" He asked to no one in particular, feeling the all too familiar panic set in once more. "Did he go out?"

"He should be back any minute," came a reply from the normally shy Yamaguchi. "He went to the library..."

A small smile played across his lips, happy to see the freckled Omega slowly coming out of his shell, before returning to his frantic anxiety. He'll be back soon, he internally repeated in mantra, doing his best to believe the words.

"Is that dinner for us!?" Tanaka yelled into the blue kitchen, beaming with energy. "There's so muuuuuch!"

"It's for everyone, but yes. We decided to make it as a thank you for your kindness," Keiji replied with a lazy yawn, wiggling his eyebrows at the bald Alpha from his position near the sink.

"Don't expect this to be a regular thing! We aren't housewives~~" Oikawa preached, peaking a head out from the kitchen to ensure that everyone heard his declaration.

"Kenma, how come to don't cook me dinner? I'm always the one cooking for you!" Kuroo whined down at his mate, who flashed a cheeky smirk in return. "You never treat me to anything like this!"

"I would poison you with my food. Don't be dumb," the cat-like Omega replied nonchalantly with a shrug of his narrow shoulders.

Every single Alpha was beaming at the smell of a hot meal. Even Tsukishima and Tobio had smirks plastered on their normally pensive faces. Everyone softened up around food, even Alphas, Daichi mused, trying to shift his attention from Suga's absence. Still, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. It wasn't until a few minutes later, when Asahi put a large hand on his shoulder to interrupt his subconscious pacing, that he realized what his instincts were telling him. He shot his teammate a frantic look and the bunned giant understood his tumultuous thoughts in an instant. The pair burst out the front door, leaving it wide open behind their sprinting figures. Seconds later, Hajime and Oikawa followed in kind.

"What's gotten into them?" Tanaka asked through a mouth full of rice, brows furrowed in confusion. "There's...food...here..."

Kuroo frowned as an unfamiliar instinct rose up inside his chest. Protect the...pack? The feeling was minute, but its message was as clear as day. He shivered as the instinct walled itself in around his heart, settling in for a long stay. Glancing over the other Alphas in the room, he quickly reached a common understanding with most of them. They all had felt a similar twinge of the feeling.

Hajime~

When the group finally reached the Humanities Building, Daichi was the first of them to jump in attack. He released a guttural roar and yanked a stocky, ginger Alpha off a dazed Suga, huddled on the sharp asphalt. Asahi was quick to move and engage the lesser two Alphas, bowling into one with great speed, viciously bashing into his whimpering face- bloodying his knuckles on the broken skin. Hajime made his own move to lurch forward at the remaining Alpha, but was quickly shoved out of the way by Oikawa. He watched on, stunned in place, as the Omega grabbed the last Alpha by the collar and threw him to the ground in one swift, almost professional, motion. For a brief moment, he felt an instinctual need to defend the chestnut boy, but decided against it when he smelled Daichi's frustration- his Alpha friend was torn between butchering his opponent to death and retrieving Suga.

He made the decision for his captain, running forward and kicking into the ginger Alpha's chest with a force that would wind him. Then, he piled on top of his new opponent, striking blows to the unprotected face.

"Take. Suga. Safety." He managed to sputter out in between his attacks, his instincts making his words choppy and commanding. "Go. Now."

Daichi took a mere moment to comply and quickly wrapped the near-unconscious Suga in his black sweater, jogging off towards the residence district. The three remaining house members nearly beat the bloodied Alphas to death, but Oikawa stepped in to pull Hajime and Asahi off of their now limp opponents.

"They're not worth it. Let's go, we've accomplished what we needed," he declared, liquid anger laced into the tone of his voice.

Hajime knew that the chestnut boy wanted to kill the Alphas just as much as he did, but unlike he and Asahi, he had enough sense to stop the fight.

Leaving their damaged opponents behind on the pavement, the three hurried to follow the direction of Daichi and Suga towards the yellow house, and it was not long before they found the pair a few blocks away.

"Wait here. I will clear everyone out of the main area. Suga deserves to keep some dignity," Oikawa spat out before jogging off towards the yellow house.

Hajime subconsciously followed behind, driven by the now familiar, instinctive feeling he was seeing more and more of. This time, he was too tired to shove it away, so he allowed it to move his body after the chestnut Omega. After everything that had happened, he felt a concious need to keep an eye on the slender boy, and that was exactly what he was going to do- if only for the night.

After a few minutes, Oikawa had cleared the main floor and the remaining housemates entered the yellow safe house. Daichi's throat was in a constant rumble and he beelined straight up the stairs towards his room, with the frail Suga in his bloodied arms.

"All clear!" Oikawa yelled once he heard the door of Daichi's room slam shut, echoing down the stairs.

Nishinoya bounded down into the entryway, bowling into Asahi. "You're hurt! Where's Suga?" He cried, hurrying to get a warm washcloth to wipe the blood off of Asahi's mostly undamaged face.

The other housemates followed suit, quickly filling the main floor with their anxious chatter. Soon, Hajime could smell the Omega's anxious tension brewing in the air, blanketed by a strong Alpha scent of protection. Maybe, he pondered with furrowed brows, the other Alphas were feeling this strange protect the pact instinct he had felt before bolting after Daichi into the night.

As the main floor filled with questions of Suga and the events, Oikawa did his best to answer truthfully while also keeping Suga's dignity in tact. After nearly an hour, things at long last died down and Hajime found himself sitting next to the chestnut Omega on the living room couch, subconsciously enjoying the fresh, ocean scent. He snuck a glance at the boy and noticed that his chocolate eyes were darker than usual, heavy with emotional exhaustion. Hajime didn't like it- it didn't suit the perky Omega. While he would never admit it out loud, he admired Oikawa's resolve during the fight, and he was even more impressed when he managed to beat the absolute lights out of one of them.

Admiration...the word he kept coming back to, when he thought of the snarky boy.

He rolled his head back over the edges of the coach to glance at Asahi and Nishinoya in the dining area. They were giving off a rather pleasant scent- Nishinoya was perched in the bunned man's lap, purring into his neck with affection. He lolled his head back to Oikawa and allowed himself to wonder, if only for a moment, what it would be like.

Chapter Three: Unwanted Ties

Daichi~

Daichi did his best to lay Suga down gently in his bathtub, but he was shaking so profusely with a vicious rage that he struggled to complete the task right away. The silver boy was barely conscious and he wanted nothing more than to take the frail boy to an Omega hospital. However, after their previous conversation, he knew that Suga would be turned away at the door- although he was very injured, the mental scars outweighed the physical ones...and those were untreatable. Plus, something told Daichi that he would be furious if he was taken to the hospital without his expressed consent. The Omega liked his freedom, he was almost too self-reliant.

Daichi internally scuffled with his emotions as he gently bathed Suga in warm water, checking over his naked body for injuries and willing the scent of the disgusting Alphas away. The Omega had a lot of bruises, a few scrapes and scratches, and a whole mess of mental scars. He hated that the beautiful, slender body was covered in such violent injuries, but he hated himself more for allowing it to happen.

Once he felt that Suga was sufficiently clean, Daichi slipped him into a pair of his own black sweatpants and pulled a white undershirt over the silver head. Then, he gingerly tucked the Omega into the black sheets of his bed and walked over to his window, cracking it open to freshen the air of the room. He wanted nothing more than to smell Suga's delicious scent- to smell that he was okay.

He shuffled out of his own bloody clothes, opting for sweatpants and a black shirt. Crawling into the expansive bed, he cradled the Omega into the contours of his body and scented his light hair. Suga felt so fragile against him- the monsters had touched him against his will, violated him roughly, and made him feel anxious and afraid...made him feel worthless. At that thought, his protective nature flared up once more, fully taking control of his actions. He didn't care if Suga hated him for the scenting him...not after what had happened. At the very least, in doing it, the he would be a little more safe, even if it was just for the night. It certainly didn't afford as much protection as sleeping with him would, and it was nowhere near what mating could do, but it would be safe enough. For now. Until Suga allowed him to claim lay his claim, he wasn't planning on letting the Omega out of his sight.

"Daichi," Suga's soft call yanked him from him terrible thoughts and he had to stop himself from abruptly bolting up to check over the boy again- luckily, he had enough logical control to remember Oikawa's lectures on the effectiveness of calming scents. So, he did his best to relax himself and willed his smell to exhibit a mild-mannered protection, over-played with a soothing fragrance.

"Suga, I'm so sorr-" He began, whispering in a guilt-ridden tone before being sharply cut off.

"Don't"

"But, I wasn't there."

"You were there. If you weren't, I wouldn't be here right now."

He felt Suga lightly sniff the air against his chest and he internally panicked.

"You scented me."

He felt guilty. He had to do it. It wasn't an option. There was no choice.

"It's...nice."

At the quiet affirmation, his heart swelled to an absurd size and Suga began to purr lightly against his throat. His actions had been redeemed. It was a small victory, he still would never forgive himself for what had happened earlier, but at the very least, Suga didn't hate him. For now, that was enough.

"Good," he whispered, rubbing Suga's petite back in small circles. "Because it's going to be happening from now on."

When he felt the silver boy lightly tremble with laughter against his chest, he held on tighter- worried that if he let go, even for a moment, the Omega would slip away from him forever. Indeed, he almost had. As Suga's breathing slowed against his neck, He vowed to never let the Omega out of his sight again. It was a vow of complete protection.

Daichi was thrown awake in a panic when the small Omega wrapped in his arms began began thrashing about violently.

"No-NO-please-!" Suga cried out, bolting upright in the large bed with wide eyes, startling him from sleep.

"Suga, Suga, it was just a dream, you're safe," he pleaded, holding the sobbing Omega to his chest, feeling pang after pang of panic wash over him.

From what he could tell, Suga was awake. Maybe it's a panic attack? He willed himself to project a tranquil scent, anything to help the situation, but the Omega was releasing such a powerful fear- it was thickly souring the air of the small room and he couldn't keep up with its intensity. The smell was nearly unbearable for him, but it was not as unbearable as seeing his Omega in such a violent state of duress. The only thing worse, was the creeping feeling that was settling itself into his bones, telling him that there was nothing he could do to calm the boy down. As the unnerving feeling struck home, he lost himself to panic. He needed help, and there were many people in the house that could provide it. Now wasn't the time for him to be selfish, it was clear that his presence was only making Suga's upset worse.

He quickly flipped through the archives of his mind, searching for the right person. Oikawa. Oikawa would know what to do. He scrambled out to reach for his cell phone, charging on his bedside table, and prayed that the other Omega would pick up at such a late hour.

"Daichiii, why are you waking me up from my beauty sleep?" Came Oikawa's yawning answer on the other end of the line.

"Oikawa. Suga. Hurt. Help."

It was all Daichi could manage, his protective instincts had fully taken over, making his words choppy and irrational. His Omega was hurt, and there was nothing he could do about it.

Oikawa~

Oikawa pushed into Daichi's room, instantly analyzing in the scene before him with all of his senses. He didn't care that his normally quaffed hair was a mess, or about the dark bags under his eyes, every single fiber of his being was focused on Suga. Was he okay? What had happened? The moment he saw the state of his noble, Omega friend, he realized that the silver haired boy was having a night terror. They were fairly common among Omegas, trauma was their bread and butter. He internally cursed himself for not warning Daichi about it- now, the Alpha was in his own fit of rage, battling his flaring instincts from the sour scent of fear.

"Move, Daichi," Oikawa said in a stern, yet concerned voice, but the Alpha didn't make a move from his position, his muscular arms fixed around the blubbering Suga in his lap. "Daichi, I need you to listen to me so Suga can get better. Please try to listen through your instincts. You need to move. I need you to do this so I can help."

After a few nasty snarls, Daichi fought through his emotional state and gingerly detached himself from the silver Omega, scenting the boy before rising to his feet. Oikawa immediately crawled over dark sheets of the king sized bed and positioned himself against the back headboard behind the sweaty, silver haired Omega. Then, he gingerly laid Suga against his own chest and wrapped his long legs around the boy's tiny waist. Daichi's gaze burned into him from his bristling position near the door, but he tuned it out, his nestmate was all that mattered. As he began to rock back and forth, swaying Suga's tense body with his own, he sang softy.

"You are safe. You are loved. Suga baby, please wake up. It's your friend, Oikawa. No one is going to hurt you." After a few minutes, he felt Suga begin to melt into the words, slowly but surely calming down. "Suga, I love you. No one will hurt you, my beautiful baby," he continued on, singing and rocking, all while projecting a massively tranquil scent.

While things went smoothly for nearly ten minutes, he was startled from his task when a low and possessive growl erupted from Daichi's throat. He stopped singing but continued swaying his body, looking over to the Alpha near the door. He slightly stiffened under Suga's dead weight when he realized that the captain was losing the struggle to control himself- quickly devolving into a possessive, feral state. He had overestimated the Daichi's control.

"Daichi, I need you to calm down. Your scent is not helping Suga right now," he stated calmly, keeping the fear that was seeping into his heart from reaching his voice.

The Alpha growled again, this time much louder, and took a confident step forward. His domineering scent was crippling, alerting Oikawa that he was falling prey to a violent mood. An instinctual mood that would not hesitate to slice clean through him to get to Suga.

"Daichi, listen to me. I know that I sometimes give off an Alpha vibe, but I'm an Omega. Remember Daichi, I am an Omega. I am not trying to take away Suga. You know this, Daichi. You called me, remember? To help."

When Daichi took another step forward, Oikawa readied his frightened nerves. He knew that the captain wanted nothing more than to defend Suga, but if he wasn't in control of himself, he would attack anything and everything near the silver Omega- including him. Oikawa adjusted his unconscious nestmate against his chest and readied himself for combat, but the door behind Daichi suddenly opened and Hajime's figure entered the dim room. He watched the yawning Alpha in stunned silence, as he briefly took in the situation, then grabbing his snarling captain by the collar of his shirt and roughly pulled him from the room.

Oikawa took in a deep breath, lucky, lucky, he thought to himself before resuming his task, rocking and singing his Omega friend out of his night terror.

Hajime~

Hajime wasn't sure what had woken him up. He glanced over at his clock, 2:33 am...why was he awake? He let out a frustrated groan and turned over on his mattress, willing his body to fall back to sleep, but after a few minutes of battling the irritating instinct that was festering in his chest, he rolled the covers off, pulled on some black sweatpants, and exited into the dark hallway.

As he approached Daichi's room, near the stairs to the main floor, he was struck with a series of powerful scents. Suga's sweet scent, wildly distressed. Daichi's, protective and angry. And another...he paused for a moment near the top of the stairwell, trying to ascertain what it was. The unknown fragrance was overwhelmed by the other scents, but he could slightly pick up on it...Oikawa? It was calm and ocean-like, but had a hint of...fear. Before he knew what he was doing, he had entered Daichi's room.

The room's owner stood bristling in front of him, ready to pounce onto a frightened, yet resolute, Oikawa, sitting on the dark bed with his long, beautiful legs wrapped around a agitated Suga. It only took him a few moment to ascertain who needed to be removed from the situation. He roughly grabbed Daichi by the collar and dragged him into the hallway, shutting the door behind him.

The captain attempted to struggle against him, but Hajime could tell that he was doing his best to fight against his instincts. He pulled the upset Alpha down the stairs, out the front door, and planted him down on the stairs on the porch then plopped down beside him. The two Alphas sat in silence for a few minutes, letting the cool night air wash over them as Daichi's overactive, aggressive scent began to dissipate.

Hajime chuckled under his breath, hearing Oikawa's advice penetrate his tired mind- separate them before one of their scents goes unchecked! While he was annoying, the Omega definitely knew his shit.

"Fuck," Daichi said at last in exasperation and placed his head against his bent knees. "How did I let myself get like that, I couldn't control anything. Fuck."

"Eh, you are an Alpha. Shit happens. Don't worry about it, nobody got hurt," Hajime replied lazily, stifling a yawn. He glanced over at Daichi, his Alpha friend was visibly upset with himself...ashamed. "Look Suga wasn't even conscious so I wouldn't worry about him seeing you in that state."

"Yeah…"

"But Oikawa, he's going to hold this shit over your head forever!" Hajime chirped and let out a tired laugh, successfully lightening the damper mood.

Daichi gave his own tentative chuckle at the idea. "I'm the one who called him, you know. I asked him for help, and he gave me it, no questions asked. And I couldn't even control myself enough to let him do what needed to be done. Even when I saw that Oikawa was actually calming Suga down the thoughts just twisted. He was calming Suga when I couldn't. I hated it. I still hate it."

Hajime yawned again and rose to his feet to stretch his back. "Sometimes the feeling of safety that an Omega needs can't be provided by an Alpha. Not even one that they're mated with. That's why it's important to make sure they aren't isolated from their own kind," he recited over his shoulder to the hunched captain. "Shittykawa tip number eight."

"Man, the guy knows everything. It's impressive," Daichi confessed, throwing his head back in awe.

"I know. Fucking Omegas are smarter than we are, and we're the ones who have all the good schooling and professions."

"Pretty fucking backwards. I didn't know it was like this. It's...wrong."

"Yeah…" Hajime agreed, tapering off the word with a deep sigh. "I'm gonna grab some coffee, you want anything?"

"No...thanks."

Hajime shrugged at the captain's answer and moved inside to grab some sustenance, anything to keep his tired eyes awake.

Oikawa~

After about an hour, Oikawa was finally confident that Suga had fallen into a restful sleep. He gingerly tucked the Omega into the navy covers and made his way down the stairs, pleased to see that Hajime had successfully brought Daichi back to his senses. The two Alphas were melted into the couch, watching quiet infomercials on the television. As he approached, the captain hastily rose to his feet, likely noticing his presence by scent.

"Is Suga okay?" He questioned quietly, panic lacing the rings of his dark eyes.

"He's fine. He's sleeping. It was a night terror. Tomorrow, you're gonna get an entire lesson about them, from me. For now, you should go back up stairs and sleep."

Daichi physically relaxed at the response and quickly made his way towards the stairs. Before continuing to the second floor, he promptly stopped and put a large hand on the Oikawa's narrow shoulder, "I'm so sorry, Oikawa. Really. I fucked up."

"Don't sweat it, big guy. I know how you Alphas can get," he replied nonchalantly, flashing a tired smile. He already knew that Daichi was truly horrified by his actions, there was no need to chastize him any further. "Don't let it happen again, though," he tersely added, all signs of humor lost from his tone.

Daichi nodded in understanding, then pushed forward, making his way up the stairs and disappearing in the dark hallway. Oikawa sighed and rubbed the back of his head, turning his attention to Hajime.

"Not how I pictured my night."

"You're telling me," the remaining Alpha replied with a salty tone, lazily clicking through the channels.

Oikawa wandered over to the couch and plopped himself next to the grumpy man. He wanted to thank him, but he didn't want to give the snarky Alpha the satisfaction- it would just go to his head. Although, him showing up was quite the stroke of luck, he thought to himself, how and why did he even intervene in the first place? He didn't have the energy to piece together an answer. Instead, he glanced over to the tired Alpha at his side. He hated to admit it, but Hajime was an attractive man. More than once, he had caught his thoughts wandering around him...wondering what it would be like to be scented… or even fucked by him. Sometimes, it took everything he had to shove them away to the deep recesses of his mind, and it was growing more difficult with each passing day.

Hajime~

Hajime was too tired to ignore the fragrance of sea salt and fresh laundry that was radiating out from Oikawa's position next to him on the turquoise couch. He silently praised himself for staying, mostly, calm earlier, despite the overwhelming scents of Suga, Daichi, and Oikawa. He had always taken pride in being in control of his Alpha instincts, however, he knew that this time, he had no right to be all that pleased with himself. He had succumbed to an immense feeling of dread the moment he smelled Oikawa's distress in the hallway- it was the only reason he had intervened in the ordeal at all. It wasn't the same fearful instinct he had felt when Suga and Nishinoya had come home scraped and bruised, nor was it the same as when he had run after Daichi to find Suga. It was something else..something more personal.

He glanced over to the Omega and was startled to see beautiful, brown eyes staring back at him.

"You look tired," Oikawa chirped, playfully bumping him in the shoulder.

"I am tired," he quipped back, ignoring the pleasant feeling that the brief physical contact had spurred within him. "I had to save your helpless ass and babysit a crybaby Alpha for the last hour."

"I was not helpless. I had everything under control."

He wished he could believe the words. Oikawa had more than proven that he could handle himself, but it didn't make him feel any better. At the end of the day, the slender boy was still an Omega- still vulnerable from of his heat cycle and his scent.

"Yeah sure," he drawled sarcastically, his eyes fixed on the television. "I'm sure you could've thrown Suga over your shoulder and taken Daichi out. No problem. Easy."

"Sarcasm doesn't suit you, Hajime~~" Oikawa snarkily retorted, once again making it abundantly clear that his self autonomy was very important to him, that it was not something to be joked about.

"Whatever," Hajime conceded with a gentle shrug, it was all he could manage as a response. He was so exhausted and Oikawa's scent was all-consuming. He wished that he had the energy to fight against it, but he was too drained. The fragrance made him want to drown in it while fucking the boy into the couch cushions.

"Why were you awake?" Oikawa unexpectedly interjected, catching him off guard with the question.

"What?"

"It's not like you."

"I was thirsty. Smelled the conflict, thought I'd check it out," Hajime lied, it was becoming a common occurrence for him recently. Especially when Oikawa was involved.

"Huh," the chestnut Omega huffed in confusion before rising up from the couch. "Well, I'm going to get my beauty sleep. Rest well Mr. Alpha~~" He yawned lazily, gave Hajime an audacious wink, and started towards the stairs.

Hajime listened intently as the Omega made his way up to his nest on the third floor. After he was certain that he was alone, he sniffed the air and sighed- the scent of ocean waves was dissipating into nothing. He continued enjoying the fragrance until it was all but gone, then shook his head to come back to his senses. What was he doing? He needed to regain control over himself, Oikawa was not his type, not by a long shot. He was too wily, too self-assured, and definitely not submissive enough.

He hiked himself up from the couch, not even bothering to turn off the television, and made his way up the stairs to his bedroom. Tomorrow he would form a plan to end his irritating instincts once and for all.

Chapter Four: Changing Instincts

Hajime~

When Hajime woke the next morning, he knew exactly what he was going to do. He had experienced the most terrible sleep he had ever had- subtle hints of Oikawa's fragrance had drifted into his room throughout the night, leaving him in a state of perpetual exhaustion. He knew that he needed to do something about the unwanted feelings that were growing in his mind before it was too late. They were leaving him anxious, festering inside him like an open wound. The only thing solution he had managed to come up was to return to his roots- he was going to go out, get plastered, and fuck a few Omegas to shake Oikawa from his mind. For good.

After rinsing off his morning grime, he made his way down to the stairs, stopping briefly to take note of the mixed scents of Daichi and Suga, emanating from the former's room. They were calm this morning, good. At that thought, he made his way to the main floor and into the blue walled kitchen. Inside, he was greeted by an overly energetic Tanaka- something he did not need so early in the morning.

"Oi, Hajime. You look like shit!"

"Shut it, Tanaka. Not in the mood."

"Ooooooo, sensitive this morning, I see."

"You wanna go out tonight? I need a good fuck," Hajime drawled as he stuffed a green apple in his mouth, leaning his back against the white kitchen sink.

"Very, veeeery sensitive this morning!" The bald Alpha prodded, giving him a cheeky wink. "Yeah, I'm game man. We could hit up a seedy club, for sure."

Hajime nodded and swallowed down another large chunk of crisp apple. "I'll call some of the other guys from the volleyball team, seeing as we have a house full of Omega lovers now."

"Yeaaaaaaaaaaah. Plus, Tsukishima and Tobio do nothing but study and sleep. Call Bokuto, he's always a wicked time."

"He's alright."

"Oh God, Hajime, maaaan. Polish up that attitude before we go out, I'm beggin' ya!"

"No promises."

In reality, Bokuto was just the person he needed- someone who was exceedingly indifferent to Omegas and their 'marginalized' condition- an indifference that he hoped would rub off on him. Tossing the core of his Apple into the kitchen garbage, he shuffled into the entryway, pulled on his runners, and set out for a head-clearing jog.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Bokuto called out as he crossed the dark street towards the two Alphas, underneath the flickering streetlight. "Tanaka, my man! You're looking fresh as always, and my snarky boy, Hajime, let's let loose. Let's get fucked!"

The three boys made their way down the block towards the club they had been known to frequent, and waltzed to the front of the packed entry line. It was one of the few perks that came with knowing Bokuto- sure, Hajime found him annoying, but the owl boy did know a lot of useful people. As the three stood waiting to gain entry, pink and blue strobe lights reflected out of the open entrance to the club, bouncing off of Hajime's tense form. His early jog had done little to mitigate his poor attitude, an attitude he blamed solely on Oikawa. He steadied his resolve, internally promising that he would forget all previous thoughts off the chestnut Omega the moment he stepped foot inside the club.

After a few minutes, Bokuto finally pried himself away from his bouncer friend and led the boys through the dramatic archway guarding the entrance of the building. Inside, the main area was set up in a square, with a large, circular bar in the middle made entirely of marble, or at least, a cheap knock off of it. To the left, a vibrant dance floor raged on with flashing strobe lights combing over its sweaty inhabitants. Standing opposite the dance floor, a jumble of glass tables and dart boards stood resolute, boxing in a variety of drunk Alphas- those looking for a more casual night than the dance floor offered. Hajime glanced up at the familiar second floor, a continuous laneway around the outermost walls of the club. Rooms covered by vibrant sheer curtains outlined the sturdy balcony, hiding the shadowy figures fucking within them. Oftentimes, he had been one of those figures and he planned to be one of them again tonight.

As per usual, the overzealous scents of both Alphas and Omegas hit Hajime like a sack of heavy bricks. A few feet ahead of him, a large brunette Alpha with pierced ears caught his attention. The man threw a balled fist into a smaller blonde Alpha, snarling possessively over a dazed Omega at his side. The latter boy, no older than twenty, had glassy, unfocused eyes, seemingly unphased by what was going on or what his fate would be.

Hajime huffed to himself and rolled his tense shoulders. It wasn't like the Omegas in the club were forced to be there- they offered themselves up to Alphas at their own discretion. However, for the first time in his life, he found himself questioning the motives behind their actions. What tragedies could have caused a person to succumb to immense drug use and sexual promiscuity? Surely, if they were in their best minds, they would never choose such a life for themselves.

Before he had time to feel a pang of grief for the Omega boy, Bokuto roughly grabbed him by the shoulders and yelled, "shots!" Subsequently, the owl dragged his companions over to the expansive marble bar, yellow eyes eager for beer. "Three-no, NINE Tequilas!" He called out to a female Alpha barkeep. She flashed him a disinterested glance, then quickly placed a series of empty blue shot glasses down across a rubber catch mat, pouring golden alcohol across them.

"Hey, baby you look like a good time!" Bokuto chirped with a wicked smile as the bartender proceeded to place limes across the salty rims of their order. She rolled her aqua eyes at the owl's quip and her blond ponytail swung across her back as she shook her head in resignation.

"I'm not interested in Alpha sluts. Especially ones that look as weak as you do. Move along, owl boy," she lazily replied without looking up from her task.

Bokuto was visibly taken aback, but quickly recovered from the rejection. "WHAT?! I'm Godzilla in the streets and King Kong in the sheets, baby! You don't know what you're missing out on," he declared loudly and the beautiful bartender cracked a slight smile at him remark.

Huh, maybe the idiot had a shot with her after all, Hajime thought with a surprised chuckle.

"Ohhhhhhh, Bokuto! What a killer pick up line!" Tanaka yelled, granting his Alpha friend a massive ego boost and clapping him on the back in support. "How do you do it?!"

The boys took their shots with relative ease, though Tanaka did make a few pursed faces at the sour liquid, and purchased a couple of pitchers of light beer- much to Hajime's discontent, he preferred hearty, amber ale. Bokuto yelled something along the lines of, 'I'll be back for you,' to the pretty barkeep before following his friends away from the bar. They set themselves up at one of the glass tables and quickly initiated a game of darts, seemingly unphased by the brawl that was occurring a few feet to the right of them.

"So, I hear you guys have some juicy Omegas staying at your house," Bokuto questioned, he eyes shining with unchecked curiosity.

"Yeah," Hajime grumbled out a reply as he threw his dart, hitting the center of the board with ease.

"NO FAIR, Hajime! Why the fuck are you good at everything," Tanaka whined and took a big gulp of his ale, setting it down with an angry clank.

"Have either of you fucked any of them?" Bokuto pushed on, throwing his own dart, seemingly unphased by Hajime's previously perfect shot.

Tanaka sighed as he casually pulled the darts from the board, then marked score tallies on a white napkin in front of him. "Yeah fucking right. I mean, one doesn't even leave her room. She's scared of us, has some sort of trauma, or something. This other one has this crazy, wild orange hair that's suuuuch a turn off. Plus, he never shuts up and his scent is obnoxious."

Kind of like you, Hajime thought to himself before tuning his ears back to the bald Alpha's monologue.

"There is this silver haired one that's pretty, but Daichi claimed ownership over him pretty fast..."

"I KNEW-" Bokuto started loudly in interruption, pausing to throw his second dart. "I KNEW IT. I knew that fucker was getting some ass! He's been acting weird at practice all fucking week. Less moody and...well less like you, Hajime," he quipped, pointing a lazy finger in Hajime's bored faced as he swiftly chugged half of his beer.

Before Hajime had the chance to chirp back, the owl resumed his chatter. "You know what I mean, right, Tanaka? Normally, Daichi's like, 'guys calm down, guys pay attention to practice.' So bossy and focused all the time. Buuuut, lately, he hasn't been lecturing anyone. He's even been laughing at Yuji's shitty behavior! I knew something had to be up."

"Right?!" Tanaka yelled and motioned upwards in a dramatic fashion, slightly sloshing his golden beer on the tiled floor beneath their table. "Dude, Asahi is even close to mating with one. I swear to you, on my life. It's mental."

Bokuto rolled his eyes and took another casual swig of his ale, "that's fucking unsurprising. He always was a big lug."

"Oh fuck, I forgot," the bald Alpha slurred and leaned forward across the table, pointing a knowing finger in Bokuto's excited face. "There is this gorgeeeeeeeeous freckled one, but he's so damn shy! And he does everything he can to avoid us. It drives me mental!"

Bokuto chuckled at the Alpha's irritation, "how many are there? In your house now, cause Kenma still lives there, right?"

"Uh," Tanaka started, mentally counting their new roommates with furrowed brows. "I think there are six of them...no, seven. I always forget about Keiji, he doesn't smell like an Omega, it's fucked. Actually, he doesn't act like one either and he's not the only one."

"What the fuck do you mean by that?" The owl replied, pouring the remaining liquid from a pitcher into his awaiting glass.

"Well, there's this tall, snarky one. He's got this great ass and smells sooo delicious, I wouldn't mind knotting him, if he wasn't such a pain in the ass. He's got this kind of, cocky, overconfident attitude that I've never seen in an Omega before. It's fucking weird."

Hajime stiffened mid-sip at Tanaka's crude remark and casually looked off into the distance, doing his best to prevent a possessive growl from escaping his throat. One night, he thought angrily to himself, one fucking night without Oikawa skirting across his mind. Was it too much to ask?

"Hajime," Bokuto chirped, drawing his attention back to the irritating conversation. "You haven't made a single snarky comment, what's going on in that dopey head of yours?"

Hajime glanced over to the owl and slowly blinked, feigning disinterest. He wanted nothing more than to convince himself that his new Omega housemates were a thorn in his side. In fact, he had planned the outing because he knew that both Bokuto and Tanaka were always extremely vulgar and uncaring in their language when it came to Omegas. He had hoped that their harsh words would snap him back to his regular mentality- that they would unwittingly help him reset his growing interest in Oikawa. Instead, his entire plan blew up in his face from a single sly comment. He hated his traitorous mind, he never used to be so...sensitive.

"Yeah...they can be a pain. None of them are fuckable," he stated at last, realizing that he had to, at the very least, say something about the situation- lest his teammates catch on to his sympathetic thoughts.

Bokuto wrapped a gorilla-like arm around him and whistled loudly, "well, I guess we had better scout out some slutty Omega for you tonight. You look like shit...you obviously could use a good lay. It's probably such a tease being around a bunch of Omegas allll day long, especially ones that you can't even fuck."

"Yeah, man," Tanaka chimed in agreement. "You've sucked at volleyball lately, too. You really need to get a laaaaaaaaaaay."

Hajime smirked at the honest comment. That was exactly his plan- well, his back up plan. The crude comments by his friends had fallen short of their desired effect, so he was going to physically fuck Oikawa out of his mind instead.

The three teammates hastily finished their pitchers and dart game, the latter of which Hajime had easily won, and drunkenly rose to their feet. It wasn't long before he could feel his the liquid courage take over his mind. If Alcohol made Omegas into thirsty whores, it made Alphas fuck machines, and he was going to take full advantage of it.

"I'm gonna gooo twy and hit up that sexcy barteener agan," Bokuto slurred, taking a few stumbling steps towards his prize at the central bar. "Tanaka! BACK ME UP SON."

"Youuuu-youuuu got eet, owl boyyy. Hajimeee, find yerself an Omega and get outta your funk!"

Hajime rolled his eyes and watched, through slightly blurred vision, as his two teammates hobbled over to the glowing, marble bar. He absentmindedly stepped out of the way of a small brawl that erupted next to him and turned to scout the club for a claimable Omega. On the dance floor, he located three of them moving sluggishly to the beat. When he noticed that each one was more messed up than the last, a heavy, frustrated sigh escaped his pursed lips- the old him would be all over their intoxicated forms...but the new him was feeling nothing but empathy.

His dark eyes grazed over the dance floor for a few more minutes, internally fighting a losing battle against his sympathetic thoughts, until his vision was torn away by a small figure roughly bumping into his ribs. Glancing down, he took in the form of a tiny, mouse haired Omega, looking up at him with glazed, green eyes. He scrunched up his nose at her troubled scent- a combination of alcohol, drugs, and the pages of a new book.

"Oi, get over here, you tease," a large and beefy Alpha slurred from a few feet away. When he moved to roughly grab the girl, Hajime released a possessive growl- protect the Omega, his instincts suddenly roared out, startling him with their intensity. The rise of his feral nature perplexed him. His possessive instincts didn't erupt because he desired to sleep with the small girl...but because he didn't want the other Alpha to hurt her.

"What? You want to fuck her? You can have her after me, scouts honour," the black haired Alpha drawled, misinterpreting his intentions- but Hajime rolled with it.

"How about I fuck her first, and then you can have her," he said with a threatening snarl, his statement half a lie. He was planning on sleeping with the girl, even if it took every mental fiber of his being to do so, but it hadn't been the source of his aggression.

The Alpha matched his growl, unwilling to give up his prize, but Hajime knew that he wouldn't have to fight for his claim. He had a stronger, more dominant Alpha scent than his opponent. Growling from deep from within his throat, he gingerly grabbed the shaking Omega and pulled her over to his side, making his intentions clear.

His opponent momentarily hesitated, then conceded with a shrug. "Whatever man, just throw her back in the mix when you're done," he spat before hobbling towards the dance floor to find another Omega.

Hajime shook his head in disgust, then looked down at the small girl at his side. He shoved down an instinctual pang of sadness when he realized that she didn't seem to care about her own well-being, let alone what was going to happen to her. Fuck this, he thought to himself, just fuck her and get it over with.

He directed the girl up the iron stairs to the tiled balcony of the second floor, gingerly holding the back of her neck to guide her, all the while, consciously willing her natural fragrance to overtake the smell of alcohol. It took a few laps for the pair to find a vacant room and he grew increasingly agitated as the girl's scent grew more fearful with each passing minute. He willed himself to ignore it and pushed forward to find a private area to make his claim.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he pushed the Omega, with more force than he intended, into a curtain canvassed room and stepped in behind her. He reached out behind him and shifted the pink curtains closed, blocking out the wild world around them. After swiveling around to face the Omega, he watched her undress, his bulge growing at the sight of her small perky breasts and soft, pink nipples. His gaze skittered up to her collar bones, unhappy to find them lined with nasty bite marks. Ignore it, he commanded himself, this was going to work, this was going to banish that Shittykawa from his mind.

The tiny girl shimmied out of her white skirt, revealing a small mound and delicate thighs, dripping with an unusual amount of sex. Hajime lightly sniffed the air- she wasn't in heat, so whatever drugs she had taken was causing her body to overreact. Another pang of sympathy shot through his heart and he subconsciously released a frustrated snarl. No, he shoved his biting instincts away, he was going to do this. There was a naked, willing Omega standing right in front of him. He was going to do this.

"What do you want from me? I...can call you master...if you want? I can take it in any hole you desire...too. I'll be a good Omega for you," the girl whispered mechanically, but Hajime could smell her natural fear seeping into the hot air around them. He would have liked the girl to call him master, or sir- it was a personal preference of his, but he couldn't seem to bring himself to request it.

Take it slow, Hajime, just get a fuck in for tonight. Regain your old self.

"Get on your knees and present yourself. Do not move," he growled in a low, throaty rumble, influenced by the scent of her sex. He quickly pulled his white shirt over his head, not even bothering to see if the Omega had done as he asked, and unbuttoned his black jeans. His cock was already standing at attention, it had been too long since he had fucked and his body was eager, even if his mind was not. He hadn't slept with anyone, Omega or otherwise, in two weeks- a abnormally lengthy period of time for him.

Was that how long it had been? He thought to himself, pondering his sex life as the female Omega got into position in front of him. The last time had been...before the Omegas had moved in….the Omegas...Oikawa. He shook his head to banish the flickering image of the chestnut boy from his mind, that was enough of that. There was a piece of Omega ass naked and waiting in front of him, and he was going to take her.

He took a few steps towards the girl, hoping that his mind would shut off once he started fucking, but felt her stiffen at his aggressive approach. Doing his best to ignore it, he climbed over her small figure grazed his tongue over the open scent glands along her neck, scenting her in the process. She smelled nice, like a library, but it was nothing close to what he really wanted...not as delicious as Oikawa. As he continued his endeavor, he found himself losing interest in the girl- his thoughts focused on his musings, wondering what the chestnut Omega smelled like when he was being fucked.

Subconsciously moving his aching cock to the entrance of her sex, his basic instincts began to screech around in his head-fuck, own ,dominate. He didn't even attempt to prepare her with his fingers, he was too eager to get the ordeal over with. As he lined up for penetration, a small sob escaped from the petite mouse and her fearful scent poisoned the air of the small room. At the unpleasant smell, Hajime froze, suddenly feeling an overwhelming shame wash through his chest, housing itself within his beating heart.

The small girl wasn't going to enjoy it, she was terrified. It was something that he had never cared about in his life, but now…

Mental images flooded his brain- Nishinoya's bruised face, Suga, unconscious and damaged on the pavement, Oikawa, stiff and ready to defend himself against Daichi. He shuddered against the delicate back of the mouse-like Omega beneath him, then fell back on his knees. He couldn't do it. He couldn't follow through no matter how hard he tried. The whole ordeal felt so wrong now, now that he personally knew Omegas. Now that he knew, first hand, about the difficulties they faced.

Conceding to his conscious, he sluggishly rose to his feet and sighed, rubbing the back of his head with his hand. "Get up and put your clothes on," he said with quiet exasperation, picking up his jeans from the cold floor.

The tiny mouse turned to face him, flashing him a look of confusion, wriggling her ass, questioning his actions. He adverted his gaze and reached forward to gingerly pull her to her feet, ignoring the inviting smell of her sex. Her grabbed her white, chiffon blouse and pulled it over her head as she looked up at him with doe-like eyes.

"Stop looking at me like that," he grumbled and she flinched, tearing away her gaze in a hurry.

He grabbed her matching white skirt, feeling guilty for scaring her, and pulled it up her slender waist. What was he going to do with her...now that he wasn't going to fuck her...he could just leave...you was there of her own volition...

He remained silent for a few moments in contemplation, then grabbed the Omega's quivering hand and stated, "do not let go. Do not make eye contact with anyone. Just...just look down at your feet okay?"

The small girl nodded in compliance and he led her out of the pink room and down the marble stairs, growling at every Alpha that made a pass. He did his best to project a calm fragrance, as per Oikawa's instructions, trying to calm the upset girl, but the air around them was too concentrated for it to have any effect.

As the pair set foot on the main level, he raked his gaze over the club to locate his teammates- happy to see that they were fully distracted by the blonde barkeep. Good, he thought to himself with a sigh of relief, he didn't need them questioning his actions. He wouldn't be able to come up with a decent excuse.

"Oi, buddaaaaaaay, You done with her?!" A familiar black haired Alpha yelled, stepping between the unusual pair and the club's exit.

"Yeah," Hajime replied, leaking dominance from every square inch of his skin. "I'm done."

"Woah man," the Alpha said, reacting to his domineering stance. "You gonna share the Omega ass or are you going to mate the skank?"

"We are leaving, move out of my way."

"And here I gave her to you out of the kindness of my heart."

"Move."

"Why should I? Sharing is caring, that's the rule around here. Everyone knows that."

"I said move, or I'll bash your fucking face in. Believe me, you won't stand a chance."

The Alpha scoffed, then moved out of the way, shoulders bristling at Hajime's challenging scent. "I'd watch your back around these parts, man. We don't like Alpha's that don't know how to share," he threatened with his own growl, but Hajime didn't care.

He already knew that he wouldn't be coming back.

Chapter Five: New Experiences

Hajime~

Hajime gently pulled the Omega outside the arched exit of the club, keeping her small form close to his own for her protection. Zigzagging down the block, the pair weaved through the crowds of intoxicated young adults until at last he was confident that they were alone.

He sat the girl on a wooden bench on the outskirts of a community park and adjusted the white blouse against her narrow shoulders. "Are you okay?" He asked, surprising himself with the genuine care behind his gruff words. When the timid girl remained silent, he knelt down on the damp grass and leaned in close to her slumped form. "Are you okay?" He questioned again, more sternly this time, willing a response of of the silent mouse.

"Why?"

"Why, what?"

"Why didn't you fuck me?"

Hajime was taken aback by the vulgar question, he didn't think she was even capable of swearing.

"What do you mean?"

"Am I not good enough? Did I displease you?" She asked mechanically, looking at him with dark, tired eyes. "Did I do something wrong?"

Hajime felt a red anger pool into the depths of his stomach at the dissociated words- how had her self worth dropped this low? Were Omegas always this...defeated? He wracked his mind, searching through his memories for interactions with Omegas, but found nothing. A genuine self-hatred grew out from his absent thoughts, twisting into a knot deep inside his gut- intrinsically connected with his previous ignorance and indiscretions towards them.

"Don't talk about yourself like that, it's not right," he stated plainly, eyeing her down with an unyielding stare. It wasn't right...it wasn't right.

"Was I not good enough?"

"I said, stop talking about yourself like that."

"But-"

"Why were you there? What the fuck were you even doing? If you wanted to go out, go to an Omega club. Don't be stupid," he interrupted, changing tactics. He needed her to talk about something, anything other than the two of them sleeping together. The thought of having relations with her was making him suddenly uncomfortable in his own skin.

"I was- well we needed some money...I don't enjoy going to Alpha clubs. It's not exactly my favorite pastime..."

"What."

The small girl flinched at his harsh tone and he inwardly cursed himself. He wasn't reprimanding her for speaking so plainly about Alpha clubs, he was upset that she was there to sell herself. In fact, there hadn't been a single word out of her mouth since they had arrived in that park that didn'tirk him- and then there was the added pressure of figuring out what to do with the girl in general. If Oikawa or Suga were around, they would have already solved the problem, and they would certainly know what to say to make her feel better about herself...to raise her self-esteem. Daichi or Asahi would be better had handling the situation than him as well, or even Tobio- as far as he knew, the stern Alpha had a distaste for the club life.

"My nest, we needed some money for food," the slender girl whispered, answering the question that he wished he had never asked.

"Where is your nest?"

"In the residence district. Not too far from here, I guess."

"Doesn't the University provide a monthly stipend? Why are you outsideselling yourself? I don't understand."

"Yes, they do..." The small Omega began, her gazeshifting down to her lap. "But, sometimes, it's not enough to feed all of us. Our nest has gotten pretty large the past few months and the University is slow to update our household funds...businesses aren't exactly lining up to hire us, y'know..."

At that realization, Hajime decided that he was done with the entire conversation. He couldn't take another hit of anger or he would need to find a wall, or a face, to throw his fist into.

"I'm taking you home. Let's go," he barked, rising back up to his full height. "Let's go."

"You can't!" The mouse piped up, louder than he had expected she was able. "I've barely made anything...I can't go back. I'll be fine, don't worry."

Oh, he seriously doubted that. A cold and bitter feeling began to swell in his chest at the thought of abandoning her there- no way he was going to let the intoxicated girl go back into the club, not one that was chalk full of aggressive Alphas.

"How much did you make?" He asked, really not wanting to know the answer. "Tonight, how much did you make?"

"Fifty-two dollars, or something like that...I'm not sure, I'm kind of...having trouble thinking straight right now..."

"How much do you need?"

The small girl looked up at him and flashed a look of hesitation, unsure of his motives. "We budgeted this month...we think we can get by on around a hundred...but I don't know..." She conceded after a few moments of contemplation, finally allowing him some small measure of trust that he didn't deserve.

He sighed and rolled his tense shoulders, reaching for his wallet embedded in the front pocket of his black jeans. He had withdrawn plenty more than that for his evening of drinking, but luckily, the selfless, attention seeking Bokuto had insisted on paying. He roughly emptied the wallet's contents and shoved it into the Omega's trembling hands.

"I can't take this..." She whispered, looking down at the crumpled bills with doe-like eyes. "This is yours..."

"No, it's yours and if you don't take it, I swear to god that I'll bite you," Hajime joked, attempting to lighten the dark mood of their conversation. He had no desire to continue the depressing line of conversation- he wanted to get her home, then crawl into his bed and somehow make sense of his own complicated life. When the mouse slightly smiled at his statement, he internally cheered his victory. "Come on, I'm walking you home. I don't want you to get robbed."

In reality, being robbed was the least of his concerns, and he knew it. The Omega was seeping an overbearing sexual fragrance, which he was veryactively ignoring, and she was intoxicated- a factor that made her even more vulnerable...if that was even possible. There was not much in the way of Omega protection at such a late hour, especially on an Alpha filled campus. With all of his new knowledge of Omega affairs, he knew that he had a responsibility to step in and ensure her safety, even if he was not quite sure of his personal desire for doing so.

As pair walked side by side past the dark parks and shadowed houses of the residence district, Hajime noticed the Omega houses were smaller, and definitely poorly made in comparison to their Alpha counterparts- a mental note he would not soon forget.

"This is it," the young girl quietly announced as she stopped in front of a blue bungalow with an expansive, well kept lawn. It beautifully planted with rose bushes and yellow snapdragons, starkly contrasting the degraded white shutters and broken porch railing, harshly illuminated by the moonlight. As the Omega began to walk towards the house, he found himself following- his abnormally protective instincts commanding him to ensure her safety to the very end of their journey.

"Maya!" A shrill voice called out through the dark air, stalling him in his tracks, half way up the front walkway. He looked up to the source of the sound and noticed a slender figure,standing resolute on the rickety porch. A sickly scent of fear radiated out from them, souring the humid night air- notifying him that the figure was, indeed, an Omega.

The mouse-like girl at his side made a wobbly run for the porch and embraced the unknown Omega...a woman, if his eyes were not mistaken. The single light from inside the house illuminated the two girls enough for him to confirm that his unwitting companion, Maya's, nestmate was a tall, slender, woman with a long cascade of dark hair.

"Who are you?" The shadowy figure call out to him with a high pitched, stern voice, doing well to hide her fear from her words.

Hajime did his best to exude a calm and neutral scent, anything to show the woman that he meant no harm. "I just wanted to get, uh, Maya home safely. I don't want to come in. I promise, I'll, uh, stay out here, on the lawn."

"Maya, go inside," he heard the slender Omega whisper, shuffling the small girl into the broken house.

After shutting the front door with great trouble, the wood was heavily splintered, preventing the door to shut cleanly in its frame, the dark haired woman took a few steps forward, allowing the Hajime to fully take in her features. He pushed down his urge to inhale her scent, remembering Suga's lecture on taboo actions. Instead, he took in her figure with his eyes- she was indeed beautiful, tall and busty, but not overly so. If she had been born into a wealthy family, she would have been an Omega model. If she had been born into a poor family, she would have probably landed in porn. Ah, society, Hajime thought to himself with indignation, maybe it was as warped as his new Omega housemates claimed it to be.

"Seriously, I mean no harm," he stated calmly, lifting his hands out in front of him as she approached him with cautious steps.

"You walked her home," the Omega clapped back, eyeing him with an intense suspicion. "Why?"

"I, uh, I just wanted to make sure she was safe. Seriously, that's all."

"What?"

Yeah, he was stumped about it too.

"I don't know, stop hassling me. I've done my good deed of the day, alright?" After a momentary pause, he couldn't suppress his angry curiosity. "Why did you send her out there? She's so fucking small, and young. What were you thinking? It's fucking dangerous."

The slender Omega flinched at his forward remark, soon finding her own anger at his presumptions. "Aren't you a curious Alpha boy. We take turns. It's not like I want this for my nest! You think I like watching my baby birds go out to these Alpha clubs?! I stay up at night thinking about the awful things that are happening to them, praying that they come back alive, or at the very least, without broken bones."

"But-"

"I normally do it myself, okay? But the flock insisted that we start taking turns. They said I would burn out. It's just until the University funds increase," she continued her vicious monologue, granting Hajime with information that he didn't want to have.

He fucked Omegas. That was all. He didn't need this, he didn't need to start caring about their status. He already had enough on his plate. He raked his dark gaze over her figure once more, finding old, yellow bruises along her throat and arms- plus a few bite marks, some newer than others. At the sight, his instincts kicked into overdrive, against his willing consent, reacting to his subconscious feelings of doubt and sympathy. Who did this to her? WHO did this to her?! What monster...had people touched...Oikawa…Suga...his pack...had...Oikawa...been...hurt like this?!

"You're different..." The Omega stated with hesitation in her narrowed eyes, but she visibly relaxed into his protective scent. "You're a dominant Alpha, too. Normally your type is the most troublesome for us..."

She was right. Hajime felt another oceanic wave of guilt rush over him at her honest words. He had been exactly the Alpha she was describing- fucking drugged up Omegas on his nights out, sometimes throwing them a couple of bucks for their compliance. The more his past actions permeated his mind, the more disgusted with himself he became. Bokuto and Tanaka had frequently joined in his endeavours, tonight being no exception, even Daichi was known to dabble every once in a while. Was it all wrong...? He already knew the answer. It was there, waiting, down in the deepest recesses of his gut. His new Omega housemates had been both a blessing and a curse. The information and experiences they had granted him...there was no way he could fuck his way back to his old ways. Not with everything he had seen, not after his rose tinted glasses had been torn from his face.

"I'm...trying to be different," he said quietly, startling himself with the intense determination behind his words. "Hey...can I ask you something?"

"I suppose," the slender woman replied, maintaining her distance, but softening the hard lines of her face at his honest curiosity.

"How much are you normally short, in food money, or textbook money...whatever you wanna call it."

"Maya told you."

"I kind of pried it out of her," he said apologetically, anxiously shuffling on his feet under her intense gaze. "I gave her money."

In an instant, the slender Omega's scent snapped out, whirling around with blown out hostility.

"I didn't fu- I didn't sleep with her!" Hajime quickly interjected, knowing that the source of her upset was her suspicion over his motives. "Well, if I'm being honest, I almost did, but I stopped. I swear to god. I stopped. Nothing happened."

"But, you wanted to fuck her. You wanted to get your share."

"Yes, I did. I'm…" Hajime paused, contemplating how to vocalize the thoughts that had been terrorizing him since meeting Oikawa. "I'm dealing with some...things. A flock moved into our residence a few weeks ago and I've...started to notice how poorly...Omegas are treated."

"Typical Alpha," the woman said, rolling her eyes in the dim light. "I guess I shouldn't give you too much of a hard time, though. You are putting up some Omegas, against University guidelines. Perhaps, that's noble, if you're telling me the truth, that is."

Hajime let out an exasperated sigh, he certainly didn't feel noble. In fact, he had gone out to the club with terrible intentions- something about the slender woman made him want to confess his thoughts...and his sins.

"Oh, Alpha. You must be telling the truth, you look so pained. Let me guess," the dark haired Omega drawled, crossing her arms over her ample bust. "You like one of these Omegas that moved in with you, don't you."

"How did you-"

"I can smell it on you. Hesitation...and confusion. The type you only see on someone who is undergoing a period of change. Someone whose morals have been tested."

Were Omega' mind readers? Jesus christ, he thought with wide eyes, she was spot on. He had never heard of anything about Omega mind reading. It was absurd, and he certainly didn't like the prospect of it.

"No, we don't read minds," the slender woman put forth, contradicting her words by once again reading his thoughts. "We just...can guess what a certain scent means, if we have enough background information. You told me that you have new Omega roommates, that you went out clubbing, that you tried, but failed, to fuck Maya. Then you brought her home unharmed and gave her money. With all that information, it's pretty easy to deduce what your scent means."

"Oh…" Hajime sheepishly replied, glancing up at the star speckled sky to avoid eye contact. "Yeah, I guess that makes sense."

The Omega let out a musical laugh at his expense, then shuffled her stance on the hard pavement. "Look, something about this Omega's scent obviously has you in a tizzy, that's very obvious."

"I...I know that. I just don't know what to do about it," Hajime replied with a huff of frustration, returning the woman's knowing gaze. "I'm not...a good person. If anything is clear after today, that's it."

"You're not?"

"No."

"Well, a bad person wouldn't have protected Maya in the club, walked her home, and expected nothing in return. Am I wrong?"

She wasn't wrong, but one simple act of kindness would not make up for a lifetime of indiscretions.

"It's a start, though, isn't it?" The Omega chirped, reading his scent once more. "And by the way, I know you took in Suga and his flock. They Omega residence distinct isn't exactly large. News travels."

"Oh, yeah, we did," Hajime started, slightly wriggling his nose at her ability to toy with his mind. "They're good people..."

"Yes, they are."

"Hey, you have a phone?"

"I do…we live in the twenty first century, Alpha boy."

"What's your number?"

"Why?"

"Because, I'm going to make sure your flock doesn't have to do this shit," Hajime growled, clenching his fists in irritation. "You know, go to clubs. At least, until the University gets their shit together and starts transferring you guys the right amount of money."

He came from a wealthy background and he was more than willing, no, he wanted to donate to this nest. The Omega stepped forward, gently pulling out her phone, her movements subconscious- shell shocked by his abrupt statement. A fragrance of sweet apples radiated off of her moonlit skin and, for the first time since meeting Oikawa, he allowed himself to wish that she smelled of the ocean, instead.

After they had exchanged numbers, he stepped back and asked, "I gave her, Maya, around a hundred bucks. Is that going to be enough this month?"

The slender Omega giggled, heavily scenting the air with a tart smelling joy. "You are a true miracle, Alpha boy. That is more than enough. We owe you a debt."

Hajime blushed-blushed? Stop that!

"Uh-okay good," he stuttered, taking note of the run-down house once more. "I'm going to come over tomorrow, if you'll have me. Your porch needs to be fixed...among other things," he finished, scrunching up his nose at the poor state of the house. "Is that okay?"

The Omega let out another musical laugh and nodded her head. "My, my, you are full of surprises...I don't even know your name."

"Uh, it's Hajime."

"I'm Eiko."

"Right…" He replied, suddenly feeling very worn out- the evening had not gone as he had planned, not at all. "Well, have a good night then. I suppose that I will see you tomorrow."

"Thank you, until then, Hajime," Eiko softly announced, bowing low to show her respect.

"Don't mention it," he responded, doing his best not to stutter in surprise at her action.

As he walked towards the sidewalk, he realized that everything he had promised to Eiko, was done out of respect. However, he didn't want his teammates, or Oikawa, to find out about the interaction. Not yet. It would just add fuel to his already complex fire- he was already struggling to keep it in check as it was.

When he began his walk towards the Alpha section of the district, something caught his eye- the ruins of a burnt house. He mosied towards it, not caring that it was the opposite direction of his home. Standing in front of the wreckage, he was pelted with pang after pang of vengeful fury. Protect. Protect. Protect. Protect. His instincts clamored forward, rattling against his skull as his aggressive scent spread throughout the area, penetrating the clear, night air. He wasn't sure how long he stood there for, the only thing that he knew for certain was that he was never going to allow his Omegas to be hurt again. Not while he was still breathing.

Daichi~

Fifteen days. It had been fifteen days since his Alpha house became overrun with Omegas, and he had come to welcome the change. He yawned deeply, then smiled when Suga curled up next to him underneath the sheets. He glanced at the white walls of his room, feeling more content than he ever had in his life. Perhaps, Suga could paint some things to jazz up the place? He wanted the silver haired boy to be more comfortable sleeping in his room or, more accurately, hoped the silver haired boy would feel comfortable enough to continue sleeping there.

His second night with the Omega had been better than the first- Oikawa had given him a lengthy tutorial on how to handle Suga's night terrors, so he felt better equipped. Although, he did succumb to a brief fit of Alpha rage when the chestnut boy explained that night terrors were a daily common occurrence among Omegas. The pieces had been fairly easy for him to connect. The world did nothing but punch down at Omegas, forcing trauma upon them, so the nervous ticks and mental illnesses the class experienced were no surprise to him anymore. He hated the grand realization with every fiber of his being.

A few hours earlier, Suga had woken with an abrupt start, crying and rocking. To untrained eyes, he seemed to be awake in his panic, but Daichi knew better. He emulated Oikawa's technique, albeit with his own Alpha twist. He gathered the Omega in his arms and rocked, asserting that the Omega was safe in his arms while heavily scenting him with a blanket of protection. After an hour or so, Suga relaxed back into a deep slumber and Daichi was at long last able to relax back into his sweet fragrance.

"Mmmm," Suga murmured, stirringg against his broad chest.

Butterflies skittered across his stomach as the Omega's scent began to pool around him- slowly waking from its unconscious hibernation.

"Morning," he whispered, smiling up at the ceiling. As the silver boy shifted against his torso, ass rubbing up against his crotch, he willed his knot to stay away.

Suga hummed himself awake, then rose up in a hurry, startling him with the abrupt movement. "Oh god, please tell me that I didn't keep you awake all night again..."

"Only for an hour. I don't mind, Suga, really," he replied and the silver boy groaned into his delicate hands, upset with his unconscious actions. "Don't," Daichi continued, pulling the Omega into his lap to happily scent him along his neck. "I honestly don't care."

"But I-"

"Don't," he interjected, squeezing Suga tighter. "You were sexually assaulted...almost raped..." His final word pouring out in a vicious snarl. He couldn't help it from escaping his throat, the thought of the event made his blood boil and provoked his instincts from their passive state.

"I know..." Suga affirmed, purring as he rubbed his silver locks against Daichi's scent glands. "But, I'm still mad, I wasn't strong enough to-"

"I. Will. Not. Allow. Anyone. To. Touch. You. Again."

The words spilled out of Daichi's rumbling throat alongside a blanketing protective scent, his eyes flickering between their natural state and feral darkness. Suga shifted in his lap and purred louder, the content sound doing well to shove back his instincts. Slowly, his anger subsided, only to be replaced by another which required even greater attention- his sudden desire to fuck the silver boy. He fought back with all his might, not wanting to push Suga any more than he already had. It would be irresponsible, cruel, even.

"I need to go check on Yachi," Suga whispered into his ear, sending icy chills down his spine. "She probably needs something to eat."

"Five minutes," he mumbled back into the Omega's silver hair, inhaling the delicious fragrance embedded in the locks. Apple pie...chocolate chip cookies...home.

Suga playfully struggled against him, flicking his in the temple with a slender finger. "You're turning us into Asahi and Nishinoya!"

"I get it now," Daichi mumbled with a small nod, squeezing the struggling boy tighter. "Asahi is a wise man. Wise beyond his years."

"You're so dramatic~~" the Omega chirped back as, huffing out in frustration.

"One condition."

"Oh? What is it?"

"I need to check over your injuries."

"You licked them all day yesterday! I barely left the room," Suga responded with an exasperated sigh, rolling his eyes.

"Yeah, I did. And I'm going to lick them today too. And tomorrow. And the next day."

It wasn't something he wanted, it was something he needed. He needed to ensure that the wounds were healing and he needed to lick them to ensure that it happened faster.

"Fineeee, but I'm not going to stay as your captive again today. It's Sunday. I have things to do, you know."

"Okay," Daichi conceded, beginning his search over the Omega's pale body- searching for damage. "I won't hassle you...that much."

"I will believe that when I see it~~"

Daichi walked down the oak stairs and into the small entryway, dark eyes grazing over the confines of the main floor. Pretty quiet for a Sunday, he thought to himself with a smirk, happy to see his housemates mingling so naturally. Yamaguchi and Oikawa were studying in the dining room, the latter hitting the former with a book for every wrong answer. Kenma and Kuroo were still barricaded in their room, doing their usual Sunday routine of nesting and fucking. Suga had gone to nest with Yachi, and Hinata was bounding around a very tired looking Keiji in the backyard.

"All the Alphas, aside from me and Hajime, are watching the basketball game on campus!" He heard Asahi call to him, reading his internal thoughts, from his position on the turquoise coach. A very impatient Nishinoya was being scented in the giant's lap, loudly complaining at the affair.

Daichi could tell by scent that the pair had yet to sleep together. However, he pondered with a light sniff of the air, Asahi definitely was craving it.

When a large hand settled on his shoulder, his humourous thoughts were stalled, and he whipped around to find Hajime- his disposition unusually tired...and emotional...?

"Hey, Daichi. Can I talk to you for a sec?" Hajime asked quietly, refusing to make eye contact. "It's important."

"Yeah...sure," Daichi replied with furrowed brows, he had never seen his snarky teammate so...off before- Hajime was known for his emotional control, including over his instincts.

"Out front."

He followed the dark Alpha out onto the front porch and sat down on the wooden stairs beside him. He was happy for the morning sun, it warmed his body- unusually frigid without Suga.

"What's up?" He asked, growing increasingly perplexed by Hajime's unusual scent. Confusion...upset...rage, all readily available for him to smell, it was freakishly unusual.

"Something happened last night. I need, well, I could use a hand with some stuff."

Daichi was gobsmacked, but he didn't let it show on his face- he wanted to know everything going on inside Hajime's complex mind. It was a rare occurrence for him to ask for help and Daichi had no desire to scare him off before finding out the source of his upset.

"Sure, anything," Daichi asserted with a strong nod. "Hit me with it."

He listened intently to Hajime's story, his shock growing with each passing remark, from beginning to end. He couldn't help but give off a scent of pride at the recount- the paternal fragrance making Hajime outwardly uncomfortable.

"We could fix up the house faster, and better, if we bring Asahi into this," he said plainly after the absurd tale had been concluded.

"I don't want too many people knowing," Hajime drawled out with a frustrated sigh, rubbing the back of his neck to alleviate stress. "I have no idea what I'm doing."

"Hey man, it's Asahi, the biggest Omega fan in this house," Daichi replied with a chuckle, pleasantly surprised at Hajime's willingness to trust his judgement.

"You also fit into that category," his friend quipped back, but he didn't mind the subtle stab. He loved...he loved Suga, and by extension, he loved the entire flock.

He waited patiently in the silence as Hajime contemplated the situation, knowing that it would be unwise of him to push the snarky Alpha into a decision. If he was going to change his ways, he would have to do so on his own terms.

"Fine," Hajime said with a heavy sigh after a few minutes. "We can bring in Asahi, but the Omegas can't know. I'm not...ready for that, yet. Okay?"

"Asahi is going to tell Nishinoya," Daichi put forth, smiling at their growing relationship. "But I'm pretty sure the kid can keep his lips sealed."

"Yeah, I guess that's fine..."

He wouldn't be able to keep it a secret from Suga, but he left that part out. He was more than certain that there was only one person Hajime desired to keep out of the loop- Oikawa. He had noticed Hajime's frustrated scent from a few days now, a scent that immensely increased after his intervention in the night terror affair. He was certain that the stern Alpha was innately drawn to Oikawa, much like he was with Suga, even if the latter didn't know it quite yet.

Hajime threw his head back, exasperated with the unknown, complex situation that was rattling off inside his mind. "Fine!" He growled, rolling his eyes up at the awning above them. "Whatever. Let's just get this over with."

Daichi smiled at his friend's irritation. Things were changing...for the better. He had the Omegas to thank for it.

Oikawa~

Oikawa stood in the kitchen, brows furrowed at the pathetic contents of the fridge. After a few moments, he threw his head back in frustration and yelled, to no one in particular, "ahhhhhhgg, food doesn't even last a day in this house~~"

Glancing down at his watch he was happy to find that it was still relatively early- 3:05 pm, plenty of time to raid the University's General Store. Waltzing out the kitchen, he took note of the people currently at the house. Not a single Alpha, except that horny rooster haired one, but he had been barricaded in his room with his mate since the morning. Most of the Alphas were on campus at the victory party for the basketball team, and Daichi, Asahi, and Hajime had gone on some secret errand. Whatever that meant, he thought with a huff of frustration, he wanted to know what the sneaky boys were up to...

"Hey, Shoyo. Wanna come to the store with me?" He called out the back door at the energetic ball of fire, fumbling around in the grass. "Invitation is for you too, Keiji."

"I have to study for a Latin literature test tomorrow, so I'm a hard no," Keiji lazily responded from his seat on the back porch, not even bothering to break his gaze from the textbook in his small lap.

"Can we jog?!" Shoyo questioned, eyeing Oikawa with his exhausting, prying eyes.

"No."

"Lameeeeeee," the ginger replied, obviously disheartened by Oikawa's rejection. "I guess walking is still exercise..."

"Fabulous, grab your spray."

"Yes sir," Shoyo saluted, running past Oikawa into the yellow house. "It's already by the door!"

Oikawa wandered up the stairs, passing the energetic Omega, chatting anxiously with Yamaguchi, to grab his own spray. As he opened the door to their nest, he happily inhaled its calming scent. He loved it. The room was large, the wall opposite the door entirely made of windows, allowing the room to bask in natural light. The soft, tea green walls exhibited a relaxing energy for its inhabitants and most of the floor was a mess of blankets, comforters, and pillows. He and his nestmates preferred to sleep in a messy pile of snuggles- solo slumbers didn't work so well for them.

"Hey Oikawa!" Suga called from his position beside what Oikawa assumed was Yachi, piled in beneath a slew of comforters.

"Have you guys seen my spray? Even though I love our nest, it's always so hard to find things in here~~"

"You're going out?" Suga interrupted in a worried tone, likely heightened by what had happened to him this past week. Nonetheless, his strong friend refused to allow his scent to show his upset- unwilling to let Yachi catch wind of his stress.

"Shoyo and I are going to the General Store, there's nothing to eat around here."

"Spray?"

"Look who you're talking to Suga, come on. I'm your second in command~~"

"I know, just making sure. Let's talk outside," Suga replied, whispering something to Yachi before following Oikawa out of the room.

"Don't be so worried," Oikawa remarked as the silver Omega closed the door softly behind them. "We'll be fine."

"Yeah...here's your spray," the Suga purred, handing him a silver bottle. "But, seriously. Please be careful. Weekends are dangerous to leave the house. There are no University security guards like there are on weekdays and-"

"Because they always jump to help Omegas," Oikawa interrupted with a musical laugh. "Come on, Suga, you and I have both seen them turn a blind eye every now and then."

"I know, but the percentage of attacks is significantly lower on school days."

"Well, it's not even late and Alphas are less likely to attack when there's more than one Omega. Probably scared of the spray, I hear it's rather unpleasant~~"

"What time will you be back?" Suga asked, looking at his brown wrist watch.

"Two hours. Let's say, 5:30 pm," he replied, looking at his own in accordance. "And both Shoyo and I have our phones, our patches are on, and I made sure that he has his spray. So don't worry," he quickly rattled off before the silver boy had the chance to initiate another lecture.

"Okay. Oh! Could you get Yachi some chocolate? I'm hoping it will cheer her up."

"You got it, sugar momma~~" Oikawa called over his shoulder as he waltzed cheerfully down the stairs.

"Hey, Oikawa. Do you think we could get our hands on a trampoline!?" Shoyo asked with great vigor, jumping up and down on the pavement beside him.

"Do you ever run out of energy? Its exhausting," Oikawa drawled out with irritation, the ginger's energy didn't seem to have an off button. It was so tiresome...but he did welcome it...most of the time.

"That's not an answer!"

"I don't know! Where do you even get a trampoline?"

"The trampoline store," Shoyo whistled as they rounded the corner of the Cultural Building. "Obviously!"

Finally, they were getting close to the store. What a long walk, he thought to himself as they started forward on the last block.

"Oh my goooooooooood," he whined, throwing his head back dramatically. "We're going to have so many bags to carry baaaaack~~"

"Y'know, sometimes, you're really pathetic, Oikawa," Shoyo quipped, sticking out a pink tongue.

Oikawa stiffened at the cheeky remark before ruffling, none too playfully, the Omega's ginger hair.

"You little shit!"

Hajime~

Hajime walked alongside Asahi and Daichi as they made their way back from Eiko's rundown home. While their presence had stressed the most of the nest, the Omegas eventually relaxed, albeit, after a few hours- Much to the Alphas relief, the sour scent of fear was truly an aggravating fragrance. The three teammates had repainted the shutters and fixed the broken railing of the porch, but there was so much more to be done. Around back there were broken windows, the roof was falling apart, causing rainy day leaks, and the front door was so splintered that it had to be kicked open. The whole ordeal frustrated Hajime and he could tell that his teammates were just as irritated at seeing the harsh reality of the University residence district.

"I can't believe you actually have a heart," Daichi chirped, poking him playfully in the ribs. "Seriously, my my is blown."

"Even I have to admit my surprise," Asahi chimed in with a snicker. "I didn't think you had emotions."

"Shut it," Hajime stated flatly- it was just as much of a shock to him, too. "Fuck, there's still so much to be done..."

"Yeah…" Daichi murmured and Asahi nodded in agreement. "I never knew it was this bad. I mean, we're on campus! You'd think that there would be equal grounds for both classes...it's ridiculous," he finished with an aggravated huff, his throat rumbling with discontent.

They continued their venting until they rounded the corner to their isolated house, peacefully situated at the end of a cul de sac park. Upon entering comforting yellow building, they were greeted by a lazy Nishinoya, intently watching game show television, and the studious Yamaguchi and Keji in the dining room. A sleepy instinct stirred within Hajime when he sifted through the familiar scents, searching for one that smelled of the ocean. It was not long before it shifted to near panic, confirming that the chestnut Omega was absent from the property. He did not let his upset escape his thoughts, not wanting anyone to pry into feeling that he himself had yet to understand.

Asahi lunched for the couch, not bothering to take off his muddy boots, and tackled into Nishinoya to happily scent him.

"OI, why do you smell like-" the small Omega began, but Asahi pulled the boy into his shirt to muffle his words.

"Shh, I'll tell you later."

Hajime shifted his attention to Daichi, stupidly beaming beside him as he gazed up at Suga, walking down the stairs with Omega-like grace. As the silver boy approached, the lines of his pale face contorted, perplexed and questioning the unknown Omega fragrances on the captain.

"I'll tell you tonight," Daichi affirmed and Suga smiled- the simple response was enough to sate his curiosity, and the two waltzed into the blue kitchen, chatting quietly amongst themselves.

Hajime made his way over to the television, irritated that Asahi and Nishinoya were taking up the entire couch. He hesitantly plopped down on the perpetually uncomfortable red armchair, searching for a distraction that could drown out his frantic thoughts. Where was Oikawa? He hated not knowing where the chestnut Omega was- he hated that he hated not knowing where the chestnut Omega was. However, neither frustration was enough to have him vocalizing his disconnect. Instead, he willed himself to calm down, but the seeping feeling of panic remained, growing larger and more fearful with each passing second.

Chapter Six: Forced Together

Oikawa~

"Shoyo, don't drop the bags~~" Oikawa chastised the energetic ball of fire a few feet ahead of him, already feeling drained from the intense scent he was releasing.

"I obviously won't!" Shoyo retorted back over his shoulder with a knowing smirk that made him want to smack the kid.

As thr two continued their route, past the Cultural Building, shooting happy chirps at each other under the setting sun, he shook his wrist to align the watch strap before checking it's glass face- 7:15, they were right on time.

Shoyo tore Oikawa from his daydreams, admiring the lush scenery, when he began jogging, bags in hand, towards the park on their left.

"Oikawaaaaaaa, let's go this way! It smells so nice and it's a shortcut!" He called over his shoulder, flashing a wicked smirk of curiosity.

Oikawa glanced ahead at his nestmate, sighing slightly as he sprinted towards an expansive green park on their left. Jogging begrudgingly forward, Oikawa shifted his plastic grocery bags to one hand and shouted in Shoyo's direction.

"No shortcuts. Haven't you learned anything from Suga? It's one of the first rules of being an Omega!"

"That's more like, the twenty-first rule! There are too many to keep track of!" The ginger called back across the grass, its emerald blades shifting alongside the cool, evening breeze.

"Get back over here~~ we're taking the normal route!"

Shoyo visibly huffed at the command, then began a sluggish walk back toward the pavement, grumbling under his breath.

"You're so lame Oikawa. Your nickname should be Lamekawa!"

Oikawa rolled his nutmeg eyes- why was he cursed with such easy name to manipulate?

He shook his head in amusement and glanced back at the park, admiring its features in the golden hue of the setting sun. As he raked his gaze over the far side of the expanse, a disturbing sight drew his attention- three, no, four Alphas were jumbled together, making their way towards Shoyo's grumpy figure. Although the group was still a ways off, Oikawa moved without thinking, jogging across the grass towards his unwitting friend in the middle of the field.

"Alphas behind you," he hissed, answering the ginger's perplexed face at his sudden movement. "Suppress your scent. Come back this way. Move calmly and slowly," he continued in command, gesturing his head towards the sidewalk that lay more than a few meters away.

The two Omegas began an agonizing march back towards the pavement- thirty feet, twenty five, twenty, Oikawa thought to himself with frantic eyes, so close. His hopeful heart was shattered as a nasty cat call shot out from behind them, stiffening the muscles in his pale face. They must have picked up on our scent, he cursed under his breath, the direction of the summer breeze had not been in their favor.

"Hey, Omegas! What are you doing so far from home? Are you lost?"

There were two things to be learned from the Alpha's call- first, the speech was somewhat slurred, the group was intoxicated. Second, the voice had carried slightly, so the source was around thirty feet away. Perhaps they would still be able to slip away...

"Keep walking, Shoyo," he whispered and the younger Omega acknowledged, increasing his pace in kind. "Don't respond, just keep calm. We've got this."

"Where are you going?" Another call rang out, this time in a tone laced with volatility.

Keep ignoring.

"Hey, don't walk away from us, you sluts."

Start jogging.

Oikawa heard the crunch of heavy footsteps close in behind them and the pack's thirsty scent whirling into his open nostrils, against the direction of the wind. Not a good sign. He and Shoyo were not going to be able to avoid a confrontation, he had to do something before things came to a head.

He mentality ran through his options, then gently grasped Shoyo's tense forearm and whispered out a quiet command.

"Go now. Run to the house. Do. Not. Stop."

Shoyo glanced up with upset eyes and Oikawa clenched a fist around the white plastic of his grocery bags. He wanted nothing more than to drop them and run alongside his nestmate, but he knew better than anyone that the odds were stacked against them. Having Shoyo run for help held the best odds- if they both fled, they would be overtaken with no chance of help. The universe had granted Alphas with stronger agility, for the most part, but Shoyo was fast. Plus, Oikawa could maintain his poise and hold the Alphas off until the ginger Omega returned with help. It was the best plan they had, he was certain of it.

"No way! I'm not leaving you!" His nestmate pleaded, furiously shaking his head. "We can take them!"

"No. Go, now."

"No!"

At Shoyo's stubbornness, Oikawa changed tactics- increasingly aware that their limited options were close to expiring.

"You need to get help. Get Suga or one of the Alphas. You're faster than I am. Please, trust me, this is our best option."

Shoyo hesitated for a few moments, then promptly dropped his grocery bags and burst into a fast sprint towards the edge of the park. Oikawa watched the boy round the corner of the block, out of his line of sight, then steadied himself and turned to face his assailants. He would stall for as long as possible, and when he could no longer stall, he would fight.

"Alphas~~ how may I help you on this fine evening?" He called out to the four men, now ten feet away, eager to get in a snarky comment to catch then off guard- to show them that he was not afraid.

"Where's your friend going?" A blonde man yelled back in question, quickening his pace to close the gap. "He seemed like he was in a hurry!"

"He had somewhere he has to be, but thank you for your unwarranted concern," Oikawa chimed back through clenched teeth. He hated the instinctual feelings the Alphas were forcing out of him- he was not a piece of meat to be claimed, he should not have a need to feel scared.

"Too bad. Two is always better than one," another man called, one with blue hair whose sour scent Oikawa found to be particularly stressful- it was raunchy, domineering with its sexual nature.

As the four Alphas closed the distance and stood before him, he was unpleased to find them all trumping him in both height and weight. Well, height and weight weren't everything, he thought to himself as he quickly took in their builds. Two were shorter than him, but stocky and slow...easy to take down. The blue haired one had a large, athletic build...okay, not so easy to take out. The blonde man was also big, though not nearly as powerful looking as the blue one...it wasn't a sure victory, but he could put up a good fight.

The blue haired giant was the first to step forward, much too close for his comfort. The aggressive scent was quick to invade his personal space and he did his best to suppress his gag reflex at the rancid taste it left on his tongue.

"You're pretty," the blue mouth breather drawled, a sexual Alpha fragrance beaming off of his pale skin, poisoning the evening air around them with its dominance.

Oikawa snuck a quick glance at his crotch and hid his disgust at the massive bulge pushing into the tough, blue denim. However, he was unable reign in his scent in its entirety and a single fragment of fear seeped out before he clamped down on his fragrance with renewed vigor- he would not give the Alphas the satisfaction of his terror.

"Thank you~~ Now, if you and your friends would be so kind and take a step back, then we can both be on our way," he stated clearly, adding overtones of hostility to his otherwise casual words. "I think that would be best, no?"

The Alphas laughed at his statement, dismissing his threat with humor, before the blue one spoke again.

"But, I can't fuck you from a distance, you Omega whore."

"You aren't going to fuck me at all," Oikawa seethed back, bristling from the vulgar statement.

"Oh, really? Isn't that all your species is good for? Pretty sure that's it, right?"

This time, Oikawa took his own moment to laugh, unable to help himself at the irony.

"No, that's all your species is good for," he spat back as he casually dropped his grocery bags onto the grass, preparing for a physical altercation. "Pretty sure that's it, right?"

"You're mouthy," the blonde man chirped with a cold smirk, but did not step forward- an action that did well to alert Oikawa that the lead Alpha of the vile group was the blue giant. Of course, it had to be the most athletically agile one, he thought, rolling his eyes in frustration. Of course.

As if hearing his personal thoughts, the blue Alpha growled low and moved forward.

"I don't like mouthy Omegas," he hotly remarked with a knowing smirk, his eyes darkening with instinct.

Oikawa's skin crawled at the challenging tone of the threatening words- he was nearly out of time. Rather than attempt to push for more verbal banter, he decided that he could gain a slight upper hand if he was the first to take action. Seizing his Alpha repellent from the back pocket of his grey denim, he roundhouse kicked one of the smaller Alphas in the stomach and swiftly sprayed his face. Dodging the desperate grasp of the blonde boy, he then made hard impact with the other small Alpha, knee to balls, dispatching him to the ground with ease. Lurching back a few steps, he steadied himself against his two remaining opponents, the blonde and blue men. He did a quick check to make sure the other two were out of commission, and was pleased to see they most certainly were-particularly the one he had unleashed half a bottle of Alpha spray upon. He hoped it hurt just as much as it appeared to, the man deserved it.

"My my, you have FIGHT!" The blue haired man exclaimed with a wry smile. "That kind of shit makes my knot hard, you know."

"So vulgar," Oikawa replied with disgust, eyeing the two men intently as they paced in front of him, as if they were stalking weaker prey.

When the blonde man made a move to the right, he turned on his heels to spray, but was interrupted, bowled over by the larger one into the grass. He managed to get a few good kicks in and one puff of spray, before he was bashed in the face with a hard fist. The world around him rapidly drained of color as he fought a losing battle against his consciousness and succumbed to black.

Sugawara and Others~

Shoyo burst through the door of the yellow house, panting heavily and leaking an overbearing scent of terror. Suga was at the boy's side in mere moments, furiously checking for injuries on his shaking body.

"Not. Hurt." The ginger panted, looking up at the silver Omega with wild eyes. "Oikawa...in the park...Cultural Building. Alphas."

Oikawa, park, Alphas, was all Hajime had heard. Panic gripped his insides, twisting about and festering in the deep recesses of his gut. He clumsily lurched to his feet, bowling over the red armchair he had been seated on, and threw himself past the stunned Omegas in the entryway, out into the front street.

Protect. Omega. Trouble. The words screeched inside Kuroo's skull, blasting through his conscious thoughts to overtake his sanity. Hajime's panic blanketed over his own instincts, prompting him to hurriedly follow his Alpha housemate out the front. His mate stood in the dining room, a mixture of pride and worry on his cat-like face.

Suga called over Keiji to handle the frantic Shoyo and attempted his own exit when Daichu grabbed his shoulder to stop him.

"Stay with Shoyo. I will find Oikawa. I will protect him," the captain growled, his words choppy as instincts flared up in kind.

Suga hesitated, then nodded, putting his faith in the dark Alpha who had aided him only days earlier, and pulled Shoyo into a motherly embrace.

"It's okay, you did well Shoyo," he sang sweetly, fiddling with the ends of the boy's ginger hair as he watched Daichi sprint down the darkening block throughthe front window.

"I left him. I left him there, Suga. There were four of them…four," Shoyo sobbed, shaking profusely in the hearty embrace. "I-I have my phone. I forgot I-I h-had my phone! I could've called, I should've…"

"No, Shoyo. You did what you could. This is Oikawa we're talking about!" Suga said with as much vigor as he could muster, his own mind clouded with worry. "I'm sure he's already kicked their asses. He's the best fighter we know. And thanks to you, our Alphas are going to go and give him some back up," he finished, successfully hiding his fear from the giner Omega and Yamaguchi. However, he did not get past the knowing eyes of Keiji, listening intently from his position opposite him, leaning against the railing of the stairs.

"What's going on?" Nishinoya called, entering the house with Asahi from the back porch.

It was clear to Suga that the giant alpha had picked up on the panicked fragrance that Hajime had left behind, as well as another instinct- perhaps, the protect the pack scent that Daichi had mentioned earlier?

"Asahi, Oikawa is in danger. The Alphaswent-" He began an explanation, but was quickly cut short by a hostile growl.

"I will remain. No other Alphas are here. Protect the home," the bunned giant snarled as he strode onto the front porch, parked himself on the steps, and began a solo, watchful patrol of their home.

Oikawa~

Oikawa awoke with an unpleasant, painful slap to the face. Through his blurry vision, he slowly took in his surroundings- a small room, navy blue walls, and a large bed with black sheets. A bedroom. He made an attempt to rise up from the hardwood floor, only to find his arms had been tied behind his back. The links of white rope were digging into his wrists, cutting off circulation to his now purple hands. He shivered, feeling his bare torso stick to the clean floor, thankful that he still had black jeans to cover his lower half. His last line of defense.

"Welcome back princess!" Came a deep growl that made the his skin crawl with a frustrated terror- if the cowards hadn't tied him up, he could show them just how much of a princess he really was.

He looked up from his powerless position at the blue haired Alpha standing above him, then to blonde one was leaning against the wall on the right.

"Left your friends passed out in the park did you? How noble~~" He chirped through narrowed eyes. If he was going to be raped, he was going to get some punches in, even verbal ones.

"I am going to wreck you," the blue Alpha snarled, shutting down the verbal stab. His scent leaked out, filling the room with a violent fragrance that made Oikawa sick to his stomach.

"I guesssss I'll wait my turn," the blonde one sighed out before excusing himself from the room, his voice laced with an irritated resignation. "Don't wreck him, Hisato."

"You do know that this is illegal. I'm not consenting," Oikawa seethed, twisting about on the floor, trying to release himself from his bonds. "Completely illegal."

"Consent doesn't matter when it comes to whore Omegas," the blue man, Hisato, leaned down to whisper into his ear. He shuddered, what an absolute monster.

Moments later, Hisato picked him up by the hair and pushed him against the black door with a force that was sure to break ribs. He struggled with everything ounce of strength he retained, but his legs were pinned against the Alpha's weight, making his efforts futile.

"How cliche, an Alpha who likes it rough," he spat into the Alpha's face, recieving a hard bite on the neck that drew blood in return.

After a few minutes of unwanted pressure against his neck, Hisato dropped him harshly to the floor. He watched as the man walked over to his black dresser and pulled out a pair of underwear with some duct tape. Obviously, the monster had done this before, he thought to himself with enmity, nobody has duct tape just lying around in their dresser. The realization that the blue Alpha had assalted other Omegas made his blood boil- he was strong, he could survive the mental and physical scars that would be left behind from the ordeal, but, other Omegas? Other people?Most of them were probably not as seasoned as he was when it came to rape. Most of them would have years of mental troubles from such an awful ordeal...people like Yachi.

"I like screams, but I don't like talking," Hisato declared as he shoved the garment into his mouth, taping it uncomfortably in place. "You're too fucking mouthy for my tastes."

With both his wit and physique handicapped, Oikawa began to internally panic. He did his best to tune out, as he had all the times before- his mental fortitude was his last defense. He had been down this route before and his goal had always been to live through it. To live and see another day.

Hisato hoisted him up with ease and threw him face down onto the matress. Blood seeped out of the bite mark on his shoulder, dying his pale skin crimson, but he didn't feel any pain. He continued his struggle, feeling a surge of pride when he landed a kick on his attacker's exposed face, but he was met with a hard slap and a punch to the ribs that knocked the wind out of him. As he fought to maintain his vertigo from the strike, he felt his pants tear off and his legs were forced uncomfortably apart. He couldn't regain his composure fast enough to fight against the Alpha as he clamored on top of him, biting and licking the fresh blood along neck. Through his dazed state, he felt his strength wane from the violent foreplay, from the heavy weight on top of him, and the tight ropes against his skin.

"That's it, you whore Omega, relax. I'll make you feel good," Hisato snarled into his ear, prodding fat fingers into his dry sex.

He cringed at the invasion, frustrated with his instinctual response- his unwilling release of a full blown scent of fear that soured the musty air around him.

"You don't even need to be wet to feel good. Omega's love sex," the Alpha continued, raking his nails against Oikawa's private insides. "I think your slutty hole can take my royal knot without an preparation, don't you think? You're pretty stretched out already. You're obviously an Omega that's been around."

Oikawa stiffened at the crude remark- he had been around, it was not a fond memory for him. He had made mistakes, but he had done his absolute best to leave his past behind him.

At that thought, he renewed his struggles struggles as a giant cock pushed against the entrance of his open sex. He had been prepared for the assault to hurt, but not like this- he felt as if he was going to be torn apart by the violent thrusts of the invader.

The Alpha released a carnal snarl, scratching and biting his back, coating his milky skin with crimson marks of ownership. Soon, his mind tuned out and he was more than happy to allow it. He stopped his struggles, knowing that, by this point, they only be in vain. However, he maintained his mental resolve- he would live through this, he would survive. He always did.

Hajime and Others~

Hajime was at the Cultural Building in minutes, yet for him, his short travel had been an agonizing eternity. His movements felt sluggish, as if he was in a dream- chasing after something that was just out of reach. The only thoughts rattling through his skull were instinctual. Find Oikawa, find my Omega, kill those who hurt him. The internal commands were set of repeat, growing louder and more desperate with each passing second.

He had been pacing in front of the expansive park for less than a minute when Kuroo and Daichi joined his hunt. An unusual scent, a combination of their Alpha musks, was radiating out into the night air. None the men were out of breath, adrenaline and protective instincts making them strong and intensely decisive. Hajime welcomed their domineering fragrances among his own, they were helping to calm his trigger happy thoughts, allowing him to think with more clarity.

"Was he here," Daichi growled low, scanning the dark park in front of them for signs of movement.

"Where is Omega," Kuroo added with his own throaty rumble.

"Smell. He was HERE," Hajime roared, more viciously than his teammates, flaring up their protective instincts once more.

He erupted into a hurried jog, following Oikawa's fearful scent into the park. The ocean fragrance was completely fused with a sickening odor of fear that made him want to vomit, but he refused to submit to it. Instead, he used it as fuel for his vengeful rage.

As the group tracked the scent to the middle of the field, they stopped their quest at the sight of a passed out Alpha, blanketed with the sickening fragrance. Hajime let out of furious grow and stepped forward, cringing his nose slightly at the wafting remnants of Alpha spray. Before he could make a move, he was stopped by a large hand on his bicep. Daichi.

The calm captain gave him a knowing gaze, then pulled the unconcious Alpha from Hajime's grip and up by the hair. He gave the man a brisk, hard punch across the face, successfully stirring him from his slumber.

"Where is the Omega," he gnarled, his teeth viciously close to the man's dazed face.

The lesser Alpha whimpered in response. "I-I don't know. I-he sprayed me. I don't know!"

Kuroo stepped forward, held a supportive hand on Hajime's tense shoulder, and snarled. "Where is your house. Tell me where you live."

"Number seven, across the park."

Hajime was gone in an instant with Kuroo close behind, sprinting across the well kept grass of the park. Daichi harshly dropped the injured Alpha to the hard earth, receiving a pained grunt in response, and followed.

When Hajime saw the house, he smelled the air around it as he ran across the yard towards the front door. Two Alphas inside. Oikawa inside. Omega frightened. Hurt. No. Very hurt. He burst through the entry, startling a blonde Alpha seated on a brown couch, but ignored him. Oikawa's scent was wafting from upstairs, he had no time to deal with the surprised man. Kuroo piled in behind and followed his lead to the second floor, knowing that their trailing captain was more than capable of handling a single Alpha on his own.

When Daichi bowled into the residence moments later, he instinctively understood that the blonde man before him was his to deal with. Turning to the surprised Alpha on his left, he growled low, and barreled into him- snarling with unkempt ferocity while wildly bashing into his face.

"Took something that was not yours to take," he barked in between strikes. "Ours."

"Did not know he was yours!" The blonde man responded, his own primal instinct of self defense taking over. "Sorry. Sorry. Sorry."

"He is nobody's. He. Is. His. Own." Daichi roared, momentarily startled by the words as they poured out of his mouth.

Oikawa belonged to no one, none of their Omega roommates did. For the first time in his life, he found himself believing that no person had the right to claim ownership over another, regardless of their secondary gender- and he was going to see to it that his opponent understood just that.

Hajime could hear Oikawa's muffled cries through the door in front of him and his instincts devolved into fury as the Omega's distressed scent became more prominent in the second landing. He wasted no time and plowed into the room, nearly busting the black door from its hinges. The sight he saw before him blurred his vision into a crimson madness, masking all coherent thoughts- Oikawa was tied, his pale skin bruised and bloody, pushed down into the messy covers of a bed. A large, blue haired Alpha was biting down on his Omega's neck while roughly thrusting in from behind. He unleashed a vicious roar, causing the assailant to momentarily pause mid-thrust and look in his direction with carnal eyes. In an instant, Hajime threw his full weight into the man, desiring nothing more than to tear out his throat, and the pair tumbled into the dresser on their left before crashing to the floor. When his opponent threw a fist towards his nose, he dodged swiftly to the right and connected his own punch with the a jaw.

The sheer force of Hajime's roar momentarily halted Kuroo in his tracks at the open door of the room. He glanced over to Oikawa, instincts gaining a renewed rage at the sight of his barely conscious, bloody form. A subtle vision of Kenma flickered across his mind- protect the pack. At that unwanted mental image, he swiftly moved into the expansive room, yanked the blue Alpha from Hajime's intense grip, and slammed him against the wall, breaking plaster.

"Take Oikawa. Make safe," he growled to his teammate as he pushed his opponent's back further into the hard wall, landing a hard strike on his bony cheek.

He didn't have to tell Hajime twice.

Kuroo and Daichi~

Kuroo threw the near-unconscious blue Alpha to the floor of the living room next to Daichi's beaten blonde one.

"Come near our pack again, and we will kill you," the rooster growled, baring a set of white teeth to assert his threat.

Daichi's throat rumbled in support, adding his own dominant scent to Kuroo's when something struck him as odd. Their mixed scents were coalescing into a new, more powerful one- a dominant smell that made the two men before them whimper and expend the last remnants of their energy to scramble away. It was unlike anything he had ever smelled in his life, a domineering fragrance that commanded- OUR PACK, NOT YOURS.

Sugawara~

Suga had cleared the main floor of the house- a precautionary measure to ensure that, if Oikawa had been violated, he could at least retain some dignity amongst his peers. Nonetheless, he prayed to any otherworldly being that would listen for his nestmate's safety. He wanted nothing more than for Oikawa to return unharmed, but he knew from experience, both personal and otherwise, that it wouldn't be the case. When a familiar scent suddenly struck him, his worst fears were realized, and Hajime bowled the entryway, holding the very damaged Omega in his shaking arms.

"Suga. Help. Please," the Alpha snarled, eyeing him down with feral, pleading eyes.

Suga was taken aback by the unusual of the request- under normal circumstances, he would have had to fight tooth and nail to get access to a wounded Omega in the arms of an Alpha, regardless of if the pair in question was mated. Yet, here Hajime stood in front of him, pleading through his instinctual nature for his assistance.

"Upstairs. Run a warm bath in your washroom," he commanded in a motherly tone, cringing at the sight of Oikawa's unconcious body. "I'll grab some supplies and be up in a minute."

The Alpha nodded, his throat releasing a constant rumble of anger, but Suga didn't feel threatened. He knew that Hajime had the best control over his instincts out of any Alpha he had ever met- a matter that was not up for debate.

Suga's heart was breaking, cracking from bereaved pressure at the sight before him- Oikawa, laying back in the warm water, badly injured and reeking of sour anxiety. Fear was a scent that his Omega friend rarely shed, his disposition was abnormally strong. Suga clenched his fists in his lap, upset that another human had the power to cause such an abhorrent reaction from his nestmate.

He could hear Hajime's heavy footsteps, pacing in the bedroom through the open door of the bathroom behind him. The Alpha still retained a scent of unkempt rage, but he knew that it wasn't directed at him, nor would the man attempt to harm him. He was solely fixated on his Omega's health, and ge damage that had been caused on his watch.

The bathwater had tinged red with Oikawa's blood, a scent that certainly didn't help the furious man's state of mind. Regardless of Hajime's self control, Suga needed him to calm down- Oikawa would react poorly to such an overbearing scent after everything that had happened, especially that of an Alpha. Omegas, even one as strong as his chestnut friend, were hyper sensitive to Alpha fragrances after such tragic encounters, rightfully so.

"How bad is our Omega," came a deep, familiar voice from behind him.

Suga craned his neck to the side and slightly shifted in his kneeled position on the tile to look at Daichi, standing in the door of the bathroom.

"We need to take him to the hospital if he doesn't wake up in the next," he paused, sighing as he wiped off the blood from the face of his watch. "The next fifteen minutes."

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," Daichi responded in a low growl, tinged with agitation. "This shouldn't have happened."

Suga shook his head at the Alpha's upset.

"You protected him. You did well."

He rose from his position near the bathtub and walked over to the captain, reaching out to rub his head against the man's scent glands.

"I will meet you later, tell the house what happened, but spare the details. That's the least Oikawa deserves right now," he whispered with an affectionste purr, calming the Alpha with a tranquil scent.

Daichi nodded, understanding that his aggressive smell would only make things worse, and excused himself from the room.

Suga watched him leave, then returned to the figure in the bathtub and gently rubbed his hand on the back of the Omega's neck.

"Oikawa baby, please wake up. We miss you, you are safe, you are loved," he sang, feeling tears well up in his honey coloured eyes. "You are safe, now."

It took nearly ten minutes for Oikawa's eyes to flutter open, his irises unusually dark and unfocused.

"Sugaaa," he whispered and gave a faint smile, slightly sliding down into the crimson liquid of the bath. "Oh, Suga."

"My baby, you're safe, I'm here. The pack is here. We've got you."

"I couldn't take them all down~" Oikawa grumbled weakly, gazing down at his hands through the blurry water.

Suga couldn't help but laugh at his friend's classic Oikawa statement. Wiping his teary eyes against his pale wrist he sighed in relief.

"From what I heard, you got two of them pretty good. That's more than I could have done."

Oikawa gave him a feeble smile and remained in a silent contemplation for a few minutes before speaking.

"Hey Suga, can I have a minute alone to myself?"

He met his friend's gaze and slightly furrowed his brows at the request. Normally, Omegas never wanted to be alone, especially after they experienced trauma, but Oikawa had never fit in with those stereotypes. He recalled the last time something like this had happened to the chestnut Omega- he had asked for something similar, wanted to be alone with his thoughts. To Suga, it seemed to be Oikawa's own, personal way of resetting himself.

He acquiesced deciding that he could use the time to sort out Hajime and his overbearing instincts.

"Okay, ten minutes. Don't do anything stupid."

Hajime~

Hajime was overtly alert the instant he heard Oikawa's voice carry out from his bathroom. The room flooded back into vivid colour and he immediately crossed the room to assess the damage, only to be interrupted by Suga's gentle grasp. He allowed the silver boy to shuffle him out into the hallway, down the stairs, and out onto the front porch- knowing that the motherly Omega knew what was best. He couldn't recall much from the events that had occurred, but, much to his irritation, what he didn't remember were things that he wished he could forget. Oikawa's damaged form, the assault in the dark room, his bruised skin, and the bloody bathwater. He steadied himself against the yellow siding of the house and shook his head, physically trying to gather some measure of control over his instincts. Suga leaned himself against the painted porch railing across from him, eyeing him intently with hazelnut eyes.

"Are you okay?" He heard the omega ask, the words sounded as if they were being like said through a long tunnel.

He internally struggled, grappling with his conscious mind for control, but found himself unable to form a verbal response.

"You know…" Suga continued, blanketing him with an intense, serene fragrance that eased his furious mind. He took a deep breath, grateful for the Omega's calming scent- without it, he would be punching walls. "If you hadn't been there, things would be much worse."

Much worse. The thought of things being worse filled him with an extraordinary dread. He felt Suga place a small hand on his shoulder and he allowed himself to melt further into the tranquil fragrance, stronger now that he was in close proximity.

"Hajime, thank you," the silver boy whispered with such sincerity that he was startled awake- he didn't deserve to be thanked, not after everything that had happened. If he had been honest with his feelings to begin with, none of this would have happened. It was his fault. His fault.

"I couldn't save him," he snarled, feeling his shoulders tense up against his neck in frustration. "I fucked up."

"You did save him."

"It doesn't matter. It shouldn't have happened. I-"

"Hajime," Suga interrupted in a serious tone, strengthening the grip on his shoulder. "There is no point in debating the past. The only thing that matters is what happened, which was that you and the Alphas saved him. You guys saved him. You came to his defense, even though you had no obligation to do so. That deserves a thank you. I don't want to hear another peep of self-indignation out of you, okay?"

Hajime released a deep and exhaustive sigh. He knew that Suga's words were correct in their own right, but they did little to even scratch the surface of his own self-hatred- a feeling that grew even more prominent with his realization that he desired nothing more than to hold the chestnut boy in his arms, cloak him in an Alpha fragrance to keep him safe. He couldn't keep it a secret anymore.

"I want to scent him. I have for a while now...but I don't deserve to," he whispered, glancing out into the front yard. The large oak tree was a bright feature, illuminated by the moonlight, drawing his eye.

"I know."

Of course Suga knew. How could he not? He had been kidding himself, feigning ignorance to maintain a half-hearted facade of disinterest. Perhaps, he had been able to keep his secret from his Alpha teammates, but Omegas were smarter.

"But," he started, returning Suga's motherly gaze. "I...I need to scent him. I don't...I don't know what to do, Suga. He's all I can think about...I've never...felt like this before. Is this how it is?"

The silver haired Omega granted him a sweet smile and returned to the position across from him, crossing his delicate arms over his chest. "Is whathow it is?"

Hajime closed his eyes in resignation, not wanting to explain himself, but understanding that he had to if he wanted answers.

"I've...slept with Omegas before, but this...this is different. I don't...feel this way," he disclosed, pausing to scratch his dark hair and gather his frantic thoughts. "I've never felt this...feeling. It's like-"

"Like, you're in a panic when you're not near them?"

Hajime flinched slightly, then snapped his eyes to the unknown speaker's direction. He had been so distracted by his own thoughts that he hadn't even heard, or smelled, his captain's approach. Daichi met his gaze, flashing him a cheeky, knowing smile, and he groaned slightly at his own transparency.

"Oh , don't be so dramatic, Hajime. You've come this far already. You might as well embrace the fact that your friends know your feelings," the captain drawled, clapping him on the back with a chuckle. "And that they can help."

Suga rolled his eyes, but Hajime could smell the Omega's scent shift from a mild tranquility to a sweeter, more joyous fragrance in the presence of his Alpha mate. Well...eventual mate.

Daichi waltzed over to the silver boy and settled in next to him against the white porch railing.

"It feels like panic, right?" He echoed his previous statement, tapping Suga playfully on the head, receiving a quiet huff in return.

Hajime debated the words for a moment before responding.

"Yeah, but it's not just that. It's like, the air doesn't smell as good...like, I'm always hyper aware that something is missing. I feel...empty without it."

"You want to scent him," Daichi determined, giving him a knowing nod. "I've…" he continued, eyeing Suga's amused form at his side. "I...know what you're feeling. I get it."

Hajime knew that the plain words were all Daichi desired to divulge in front of the silver boy. It was clear that the pair still hadn't worked out an amicable agreement on mating, and the captain was hesitant to show all of his cards too soon. He knew that his Alpha friend loved the Omega, both his scent and his disposition gave him away, but he was quickly learning that Omegas came with their own, unique baggage that no person, Alpha or otherwise, could immediately reconcile.

"Hajime," Suga broke in after a few minutes of silence. "You should go and check on him. Your scent is calmer now."

He slowly nodded and began to sluggishly shuffle towards the doorway to the house before the silver boy spoke up once more

"But, Hajime, don't...force it, okay? He's vulnerable and very fragile, right now...but, don't tell him I said that."

"Okay."

It was all he could manage as a response, he hoped Suga knew that it was sincere. His body felt heavy, almost unresponsive to his will. He neededto check on Oikawa, the thought had maintained itself in his mind throughout the entire porch conversation, but he was...frightened. He had never divulged his feelings to anyone, let alone an Omega. Nonetheless, both his instincts and heart commanded that he, at the very least, try.

Oikawa~

Oikawa had drained the murky bathwater and turned on the shower, releasing a joyous sigh as the clean water cascaded over him. He was so very sore- every inch of his body was screaming at him to be still, but he ignored it. All that mattered to him, was that he was alive. He scrubbed his hands against his body, lathering himself up with soap in an attempt to remove the scent of the blue haired Alpha from the pores of his pale skin. He didn't care that his aggressive swaths were causing his wounds to reopen, his mind was too foggy and detached to notice the renewed pain that his actions casued. Once he felt that he had removed as much of the unwanted scent as he could, he gingerly sat down on the warm porcelain of the tub and allowed the hot water spritz onto his bruised face.

Although he barely registered his other wounds, his sex was exceedingly sore- and, worse yet, it was a physical reminder of the ordeal he had just been through. That fucking Alpha shouldn't have been blessed with such a big knot, he thought to himself, resenting whatever god had endowed the man with it. However, more than anything he was relieved that the monster hadn't come inside of him. At that thought, he sent out a silent thank you to the universe, chuckling slightly at his contradicting feelings of anger and thankfulness towards the fates.

As he sat in the tub, he attempted to recall the events. It was his personal way of coping with trauma- the more he recounted things, the more he was able to compartmentalize the experience. Tuck them away in a small box at the back of his mind with a sign that said do not touch. While the ordeal was hazy, he did remember smelling Hajime at some point, and he had felt such relief at the Alpha's protective fragrance. Even now he was basking in it, the bathroom was coated in the familiar smell.

He was also fairly certain that Kuroo had been there as well, and perhaps Daichi- yes...he was almost positive that he had smelled them, too. He had never heard of an Alpha coming to the defense of an Omega that they weren't mated with, or at least interested in, let alone a pack of them. His father had frequently protected both he and his mother during his childhood, but that was different. They were a familial pack and his mother was an Alpha.

"Oikawa?"

He stiffened at the soft call of his name, he had been unable to smell Hajime's approach with the bathroom so caked with his Alpha fragrance. Had Suga sent him up to check on him? What was he going to say...at the very least, he should thank the man for his assistance...

He yanked the shower handle off, shivering from the loss of heat. "Hajime? One second I'll come out. Can you shut the bathroom door?"

"Sure."

He waited to hear an audible closing of the door before pushing aside the navy shower curtain to step out onto the cold, white tile. When he noticed his favorite turquoise shirt and some grey sweatpants laying across the porcelain sink, he smiled to himself, grateful for Suga's care- maternal, as always.

After gingerly pulling on his clothing, ignoring his aching muscles as he did so, he paused to look at his reflection in the mirror. His eyes were dark and sunken in their sockets, and there were deep bite marks running down his neck- he knew that they didn't stop at his shirt line. He sighed, half successful in shrugging off his exasperation. He hated being upset about things that were out of his control...or upset about things in general. Gripping the silver doorknob, he steadied himself and released a quiet sigh, then pushed open the black door.

He was greeted with a pacing Alpha with bloody knuckles. The gruff looking man stopped in place and raked his dark gaze over him before meeting his eyes- pain and anger plastered on his tense face. Oikawa maintained eye contact and subtly sniffed the air, only to have his senses assaulted by an overwhelming protective fragrance. While there were subtle hints of rage laced in the confines of the pleasant scent, the overall feeling that the Alpha was providing was one of warmth and safety. He...kind of liked it.

"Thanks for saving me, I promise you won't have to next time~~" He chided with as much energy as he could muster, attempting to ease the tense situation. However, Hajime remained silent, standing across the room, clenching and unclenching his bruised fists. "This stern facade doesn't suit you Haj-"

"Stop," the Alpha interrupted him with an intense, throaty growl.

Oikawa cinched his lips together and stiffened, unsure of where the conversation was going. Hajime he acting like his usual, chirpy self, and Oikawa had no idea how to handle it- it was unfamiliar territory.

"I..." the dark Alpha attempted again, but faltered, unable to find the right words.

"You look like shit, Hajime. Almost as bad as me~~" Oikawa playfully challenged, once again trying bring back their familiar banter- he was desperate for it.

"You always look good," came a immediate, yet quiet, response that stunned him. Unfamiliar territory indeed.

"Wha-" He uttered out as Hajime crossed the room and grabbed him into a hearty embrace.

He debated pulling away, but found himself unable to...no...unwiling to. Instead, he allowed himself to drown in the Alpha's familiar scent. It was resolute, strong, and maintained a hint of something that was almost...serrated- just like Hajime's gruff personality. It was not long before he felt himself begin to externally break down. Tears pooled in his tired eyes, threatening to spill over his long lashes, and he began to shake, physically releasing his frustration.

Upon feeling his upset, Hajime gingerly picked up his fragile form and carried him over to the bed. Oikawa mentally noted that he liked that the covers were a warm grey- the colour suited the snarky man. The Alpha laid down next to him on the soft mattress and pulled the comforter over their forms. Without another word, he pulled the Oikawa into the curve of his body and held him in a tight embrace.

Soon, Oikawa relaxed, feeling safe against the strong muscles of Hajime's chest. Safe in the strong arms wrapped around him. Safe, basking in the powerful scent. He relaxed his tense mind and let his emotions boil over, not caring to maintain his composure any long. His body renewed its shaking, but this time, it was accompanied by distressed sobs- he had not cried in a very long time.

Hajime~

Hajime held on to Oikawa as if his life depended on it, and it felt like it did. He had never realized just how fragile the Omega was- the boy had been extremely light in his arms, something he did not expect after seeing him fight against such dominant Alphas. When Oikawa began to sob in his arms, radiating various scents of anxiety and shame, he felt his own heart crack into pieces. He had wanted to scent the Omega before, but now, the desire was so intensely strong that it took every fiber of his being to prevent himself from doing just that. Feeling Oikawa's distress from such a close proximity was riling up unknown instincts within him- instincts that he was beginning to understand as affection.

Oikawa's harsh sobs his his chest with sharp daggers of grief. He wanted nothing more than to make his pain stop. In scenting the chestnut Omega, he could show his affection for him, and perhaps, it would help him to alleviate some of the stressful upset. No, he shook his head, interally promising that he wouldn't scent the Omega without his expressed permission. Instead, he continued to hold the shaking boy, allowing him to experience his emotions in full of his own accord. After what seemed like an eternity, Oikawa relaxed in his arms and his scent shifted back to a pleasant and calm combination of ocean clean-laundry.

"Hajime?" He mumbled into the covers, gingerly pulling them back to reveal his puffy, drained face.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for coming for me."

Hajime couldn't formulate a response to the simple remark, still too angry with himself for not being there sooner. He hated all the gratitude he had been given by the Omegas of late. If he had just admitted his feelings for Oikawa sooner, he would have been able to keep a better eye on him- keep him safe and unharmed.

"And thanks for holding me, I didn't think I'd like it," the chestnut boy disclaimed, smiling slightly as he looked up at the smooth ceiling.

"You've never been held by an Alpha?" Hajime questioned, admiring the sharp features of the Omega's face- happy that the dark room was masking the bruises plastered across his pale skin.

"Other than my father, no. Have you ever held an Omega?"

"...No."

Oikawa laughed at their inexperience and Hajime melted into the renewed waves of his fragrance.

"Well aren't we a pair~~" He chided, turning his head on the grey pillow to meet Hajime's gaze.

A pair, he thought to himself as he searched Oikawa's tired eyes for an answer to his agonizing dilemma. After a few silent moments of internal debate, he puffed up his courage and swallowed his pride.

"CanIscentyou?" He asked, the words coming out in a rapid fire jumble of syllables from his nervousness. "I mean...if you want..."

Oikawa's eyes slightly widened and he granted him a knowing smirk before returning his gaze to the ceiling once again.

"I think-"

"Listen," Hajime interjected, starting into an unexpected monologue of explanation. "I know I give you shit all of the time, and maybe that's made you think that I'm a shitty person. As much as I'd like to convince you that I'm not, everything I've done in my past shows that I am. I've done terrible things to Omegas. I was in stupid and uneducated, but that's not an excuse. Being ignorant of the horrors that Omegas face doesn't warrant treating them terribly," he explained, fiddling with the fresh scrapes on his damaged knuckles. "But, I want you to know that I'm trying to change. I helped an Omega out of a tough situation at a club yesterday and this morning, I was at their house fixing their front porch. I know it's not much-"

"You fixed up an Omega's house today?" Oikawa interrupted, rising to a seated to position to laugh at the absurd statement.

"Uh...yeah," he responded sheepishly, grimacing slightly when the chestnut boy winced in pain from his movements.

"Huh. Well, before you made that big speech, I was about to tell you that I would like you to scent me."

Hajime was taken aback by the statement, but allowed his heart to swell at the words.

"Wait, really?" He asked, desiring clarification, wanting to hear the sweet words again. "Seriously...?"

Oikawa rolled his eyes in his classic fashion and smirked. "Yes, Hajime. I want you to scent me~~"

Hajime shot up and eyed down the chestnut Omega, slightly turning his head in question.

"You know that there are...certain instincts that come with me scenting you...right? I won't be able to stop them..."

"What, like licking my wounds and being overprotective? I think I can live with that. Plus, that shit will help me heal faster~~"

Hajime held the Oikawa's gaze for another moment, giving the boy a chance to change his mind- internally praying that he wouldn't. When at long last the chestnut boy raised a cheeky, questioning eyebrow, he shuffled off the covers and moved to the edge of the bed.

"What are you-" Oikawa began, but was quickly interrupted with his growl.

"Shut up. Just don't talk for a second, okay? Lie on your back."

Hajime gingerly lifted the turquoise shirt over the Omega's head- the newly exposed, pale skin illuminated by the moonlight pouring in through the room's only window. Oikawa laid back into the soft fabric covering the mattress, allowing him to run his hands over his damaged body. Hajime carefully examined the bite marks that ran down the his neck, across his collar bones, and down to his stomach, fighting the urge to growl possessively at the harsh marks. Lowering his mouth to Oikawa's scent glands, he took in a deep breath- he could still smell the blue haired Alpha...that wasnt going to last long.

After another inhale, he began to cautiously lick the Omega's wounds, using his tongue to replace the scent embedded in them with his own. When Oikawa began to purr under his weight, a liquid honey pooled in his stomach, and willed his erection to stay at a manageable level. The more he explored the boy's body, the more he noticed scars left from previous encounters- a realization that both he, and his feral nature, did not like.

Once he felt that he had sufficiently covered the injuries on Oikawa's front, Hajime gently turned him over onto his stomach and gave the same attention to those on his slender back. While he still felt malevolent, especially after seeing that his back was in much worse shape than his front, he used it to fuel his desire to protect the Omega. The wounds, both old and new, made him sick with a calculated rage, fueling a dark, venomous instinct within him that commanded, never again. He would never again allow anyone to hurt his Omega. His.

"Oikawa," he growled huskily after finishing his wound care on his exposed back.

"Yes," the Omega responded, seemingly out of breath from the personal contact between them.

"I can still smell him on you. I want it gone. I do not want to smell him anymore. I can't."

At his possessive words, Oikawa's purring renewed, much louder than before.

"I trust you. Do what you need to do. I...I don't want to smell him either. I...only want to smell like you," he whispered, gazing up at him with trusting, yet hesitant eyes.

With that permission, Hajime rearranged the Omega's delicate figure, pulling him to the edge of the bed to lift his narrow hips into the air. Oikawa adjusted himself slightly, then arched his back towards the mattress and comfortably laid his cheek on its side in the mass of grey covers. Instinctually knowing what Hajime desired, he reached back and slowly pushed his sweatpants down his upturned ass, exposing it to the cold air of the room.

Immediately, Hajime sensed his hesitation. "I'm not going to knot you, I promise," he affirmed with a throaty rumble ofaffection. "I have somerestraint. You're too injured. And I would never do that without your permission. Never."

"Okay..." Came a purring response that warmed his soul with its open trust.

He shuffled the grey sweatpants down further, pooling them at the crevasses of Oikawa's knees, and ran his hands over his ass- laced with deep bite marks that boiled his blood all over again. He took a few minutes to graze his tongue over them, feeling internally pleased as the blue assailant's scent faded with each passing flick. Once he felt that he had licked them clean, he gingerly grazed his hands upwards and gently spread Oikawa's cheeks apart. As he slowly moved his head towards the damaged sex, he felt Oikawa take in a sharp breath of anxiety.

"I'll be gentle, Oikawa. I promise. I need this to heal. I need his scent off of you. You're mine. Not his."

"I...okay," the chestnut Omega whispered and unleashed a sudden wave of joy that scent frosty chills down his spine- he was never going to tire of that feeling.

Gingerly, he began to lick the damaged hole, and Oikawa to let out soft moans of pain as he moistened the area with his tongue.

"I know it hurts, I'm sorry. I'm almost done," he reassured, caressing down the Omega's hip to the hard muscles of his thigh. "Just hold on..."

After a few minutes of unusual pleasure, the likes of which Hajime had never experienced before, he was triumphantly pleased when he could no longer smell the disgusting blue Alpha. He took a step back, trying to regain his composure- while their actions had not be overtly sexual in nature, being so close to the Omega's sex had brought out his instinct to fuck. Yet, he knew that it wasn't the same type of desire he had grown accustomed to with other Omegas. This time, it was personal, blissful even. His close proximity to Oikawa, the satisfaction of mending his wounds, and the affection he felt from the content purrs were melting his insides with a tender feeling of...love. It was not the self-indulgent behavior he had used with Omegas in the past- those interactions seemed like a lifetime ago. Now, he wanted nothing more than to fall into the infinity that was Oikawa.

"Keep going, pleaseee~" The Omega panted as he rocked his exposed sex, attempting to entice him back.

"I can't," he growled, tearing his gaze away with great effot.

He needed to look at something, anything but the beguiling sight before him. Hearing the Omega's whines, seeing his upturned and exposed position...he wanted to take Oikawa then and there. His knot was throbbing, hard as stone and ready to fuck, but the small, sane portion of his mind that remained, knew better. He took another step back in an attempt to shove down his feral desire and clumsily bumped into the wall with an audible thud.

Oikawa expertly rolled off the edge of the bed with an attractive grace that left him dizzy with arousal. No, get it together, he thought to himself in panic, don't ruin the new relationship with the Omega you have been dreaming for weeks, before it even has a chance to get off the groud. In fact, Hajime wasn't certain that he would be able survive without Oikawa's scent if his affections were rejected- especially now, after experiencing it in such a raw, unchecked form.

"Let me take care of that," Oikawa drawled out in a sultry voice, shocking him back to reality with a delicate hand on his unexposed cock.

His eyes shot down, then instantly snapped back up to the ceiling when they saw Oikawa's naked form, kneeling before him.

"No, you're too injured," he barked up at the roof, unable to help a growl from escaping his lips when Oikawa's hand rubbed harder against his swollen cock.

"With my mouth then."

"No."

"Hajime…" Oikawa said softly, gazing up at him from the floor with stern eyes. "I want to."

He watched as the chestnut Omega expertly pulled down his black sweat pants, exposing his very large, thick cock.

"You don't have-" he started, only the be harshly interrupted by Oikawa's tongue, flicking over the tip of his length.

"It's time for you to be quiet," the chestnut beauty whispered, running the length of his tongue up the base of his swollen cock. "You did something for me, now I'm going to do something for you."

Hajime groaned at the blissful contact and Oikawa returned his gaze to the organ in front of him, lapping at the pre cum spilling out of the tip. After a few minutes of teasing, he took the large member in his mouth and Hajime glanced down with dark, feral eyes- resisting his urge to hold the Omega's head and thrust. He didn't want to be aggressive with the boy. Not tonight, not after everything that had happened.

He was suspended in sexual euphoria as Oikawa teased his member, but when the chestnut boy took in his full length, he succumbed into absolute ecstasy. An erotic fragrance drifting off Oikawa's milky skin and blended with his own, carnal scent- he wanted to bathe in the mixture. How had he lived his life without this...feeling? It was intoxicating- an unchecked warmth that spread, fluttering like butterflies, out from his lower abdomen to his entire body.

When he finally came, it was the best orgasm he had ever had. He hadn't even knotted, in fact, he couldn't fathom what knotting into Oikawa would even feel like- was it possible to feel a higher level of ecstasy than he had just experienced? He watched as the Omega swallowed every drop of his seed, then lick his lips swollen lips, all the while promising himself that he would do everything in his power to not fuck things up between them. He couldn't bear to lose Oikawa, not after tonight, not after such a tender, personal experience. Gingerly pulling the Omega into an embrace, Hajime snuggled in next to him under the soft covers and the pair, basking in each others scents, fell into a long and restful sleep.

Chapter Seven: Understanding

Daichi~

"I don't think you guys should leave the house without an Alpha anymore," Daichi put forth in more question than statement, not wanting Suga to think that he was trying to cage him in.

At his words, the silver Omega crawled out of his grasp, much to his irritation, and sat up in a mess of navy covers next to him.

"You guys meaning the Omegas?" He chided, poking Daichi playfully in the ribs. "Meaning me?"

"Sorry, but you know what I mean," he faltered, guilt lacing its way into his otherwise calm scent. "You know, just for now..."

"And how to you propose this to work? Everyone's class schedules barely line up as it is. Plus, there's no way that some of the Alphas...or even certain Omegas, would go for it."

He knew that Suga hated his marginalized position- he wanted to be free, free to come and go at all times of the day, to places that he pleased without any stress. Daichi hated the circumstances, too, but for now, he needed to ensure a higher degree of safety for the silver Omega and the flock. At least, until he could come up with a better game plan. It had been just over two weeks since they had moved in- two weeks, two cases of assault, one case of sexual assault, and one case of rape. The figures were overwhelming and they shed light on a portion of society that he wished he didn't know about.

"Okay, well, maybe not during class hours, but all other hours," He proposed, furrowing his brows at the implications of his idea. "Three assaults, Suga. Three. In two weeks. That's unreal! We can't let this keep happening. It's ridiculous..."

"Mmm," Suga replied, cogs turning behind his honey coloured eyes- all the while, releasing a massive wave of joy at his protective words that pleasantly attacked his willing senses.

He reached forward to flick a silver hair out of Suga's thoughtful face and yawned in the morning light. "I know it sucks. I'm not saying any of this to try and keep you all under supervision or house arrest. It's just until we can figure out a way to better protect you guys. I don't know, I think this is our best option."

"Alright," Suga relinquished after a few moments of silent contemplation. "I'm in agreement. Do you have a plan?"

Daichi pulled the Omega into his lap, scenting him against his neck. "We could partner everyone up?" He offered before falling back into the plush pillows behind him in contentment. "Just when people leave the house, you know?"

Suga glanced back from his perched position in his lap and flashed him with the look. "Well, I guess three of us are basically partnered up already and-"

"Yeah," Daichi interjected, his eyes darkening with instinctual fury at the thought of another Alpha touching his Omega. "No way are you wandering about without me. My sanity can't take another hit like that."

Suga rolled his eyes, but smiled sweetly at the compassionate words. "Yeah, yeah. You Alphas…" he playfully chastised, poking him in the forehead with a delicate forefinger. "Oikawa, Nishinoya, and I are all out of the equation. Yachi doesn't leave the house, so that basically leaves Shoyo, Yamaguchi, and Keiji."

"And Tobio, Tsukishima, and Tanaka."

"Tanaka would be a team player, but do you think that Tobio and Tsukishima would go for it?"

"I know Tsukishima has been eyeing Yamaguchi, albeit from a far. Tobio...he might prove difficult, but I think I can convince him to keep an eye on either Keiji or Shoyo."

"I'd prefer an eye on Shoyo," Suga ventured, scrunching up his narrow nose in frustration. "He probably needs the most help. His scent is so distinct and he doesn't know how to properly reign it in. Plus, Keji is older and more experienced. Annnnd he's the best out of all of us at suppressing his Omega fragrance. By far."

"Perfect," Daichi replied with another morning yawn and reached behind to adjust a pillow against his back. "I'll talk to them today. I'll get Tanaka to watch Keiji, then."

"Excellent...but, I want you to know," Suga added, gracefully shuffling off of him lap to look at him with intense eyes. "When you're not at home and I need to leave the house, I'm still going to go. I'm not sacrificing my freedom just because we've had a few bumps and scrapes. I got along just fine before I met you."

Daichi's throat rumbled in frustration at the declatation and he rolled his head back to look up at the ceiling. Why did he have to be so difficult? Sure, it was a fair perspective- he knew that it wasn't right to treat Suga like his property...but still...it was for his own protection. He wasn't planning on it being permanent, he just needed a bit of time to formulate a better plan. A more long term plan.

"That being said," Suga continued and he lolled his head back to meet the silver boy's intense gaze. "Maybe, well, I don't know…"

Daichi perked up and raised an eyebrow at the crimson flush, spreading over Suga's normally pale face. Was he insinuating...

"Maybe...it would be safer if I had more of your scent."

He coughed out, choking on his own spit at the sudden admission in his favor. "What exactly do you mean, Suga," he questioned in a deep voice, his eyes darkening with feral desire. He needed clarification. Now.

"Well, not mating with me, so don't get the wrong idea!" Suga hurried to reply, shaking his slender hands out in front of him. "But, maybe, it wouldn't be a bad idea to sleep together? I mean, only if you want to! I think you do...at least...I don't know...it would help, right?" He finished shyly, averting his gaze to the bay window on his left as he fidgeted with the ends of the white bed sheet.

Daichi smiled at Suga's embarassment and pondered the idea for a moment, admiring the Omega's soft features in the natural light pouring into the room. The act itself needed no contemplation, he was more than eager to sleep with the silver beauty. However, the effects of the act...those required a bit of thought. Sleeping together would certainly keep Suga smelling like him for longer periods of time- much longer than scenting would. Nonetheless, it wouldn't afford as much protection as mating would, but he knew that Suga was no where near ready enough to take that leap, even if he was.

"Why are you so quiet?" Suga questioned hotly, furrowing his brows in subtle anger. "I propose sleeping together and you get all quiet! What's that about?!"

"Sorry," Daichi faltered, feeling his knot harden against his sweatpants at the sensitive subject matter. "I was just thinking about the...logistics of it."

"I didn't know you Alphas were able to think about the logistics of sex," the silver boy chirped, playfully sticking out his tongue. "I thought it was just always on your mind~"

"Well, of course I want to sleep with you," he affirmed with a deep growl that rattled his vocal cords, sitting up as he releasing a subconscious and domineering scent of arousal. "I've wanted to fuck you since the moment I first smelled you."

Suga gracefully rolled forward and gave a him sly smirk. The morning sun radiated off of his delicate features, brightly shimmering through his silver hair. Daichi trailed his gaze down from his eyes, to the beauty mark on his cheek, then lower to his soft, pink lips. When he noticed a shift in Suga's fragrance, from tranquility to desire, his feral instincts were yanked out from their slumber. He gingerly grabbed the Omega, shuffled off his grey shirt, and flipped him onto his stomach. As he pushed the boy into the mattress, Daichi caressed up his smooth skin, nipping and licking up his spine. His skin tasted supremely delicious and his scent became so intoxicating that Daichi's eyes deepened with carnal lust. He had spoken the truth, he wanted to fuck the silver boy from the first moment he had laid eyes on him. However, it wasn't the same instinctual Alpha feeling that other aroused Omegas provoked within him. With Suga...it was different...more personal and satisfying- he had yet to understand why.

As he grazed his hands down the Omega's lower back, he gripped the waistband of his pajama sweats and shimmied them down over his slender thighs. Every hair on Daichi's body rose up in a cool shiver at the sight of the wet briefs underneath. His breathing grew heavy with an intense want and he knelt frozen in place on the mattress, eyeing the area with the instinctual thought of claiming.

"Daichi…" Suga called softly over his shoulder in a dreamy voice that melted his insides.

He wanted to touch every inch of the silver boy, feel his slender body against his own tanned skin. His raw instincts bashed against his skull, demanding for physical contact- commanding him that he would die without it. Indeed, Daichi felt with every fiber of his being that he might. Suga's aroused scent was ever increasing in its intoxication, diffusing inside his nostrils with its liquid, chocolate fragrance. He released a throaty rumble and slid over the fragile figure beneath him, pushing down on Suga's shoulder blades as he deeply inhaled into his exposed scent glands.

"Mine," he rumbled against the Omega's exposed neck, nipping hard against the soft skin. When Suga whimpered into the covers at his possessive remark, he slid his tongue up the Omega's jugular vein, grazing his teeth up against the delicate spot. "Mine," he said again with an intense snarl, taking pleasure in the reaction his touch spurned from the silver boy.

He gently pulled the Suga's head back by his silver locks, suddenly craving eye contact. The Omega's eyes met his own, irises cloudy with arousal and Daichi maintained the upturned position, one fist embedded in his thick hair. Then, he slid a free hand downwards and Suga's eyes darted forward at the personal touch. Daichi's throat rumbled out in warning, commanding back eye contact, and he watched on with increased arousal as Suga softly whined in concession and flickered his honey coloured eyes back. He pushed down the moistened briefs, exposing the Omega's most private area to the morning light of the room and smirked as the Omega whimpered again.

Please," he panted with a aroused shiver as Daichi teased a finger across his soaked hole.

The sensual tone of his voice sparked Daichi's instincts, sending him into overdrive. His sexual fragrance burst out, blanketing the room with unhinged force and Suga whined out loudly, clamping his eyes shut- his own fragrance responding to the fresh, dominant one spreading through the air. Daichi released his grip on the silver locks and sat back, trying to slow himself down. He was mere moments from completely losing his conscious mind to the unchecked pleasure of his instincts.

"Suga, I'll try my best to be gentle, but I can't promise anything. I'm sorry," he grumbled in a low, threatening tone, and the Omega beneath him shivered in at his growl.

"I don't care, I need you inside me. Please," he whined into the plush covers, panting in need. "Please, just, please."

Daichi took a deep breath, ready to let go. His feral nature overtook him, influenced by their coalescing fragrance. He roughly pulled off what little remained of Suga's clothing and the Omega responded by arching his stomach into the mattress in presentation. With Suga's hips upwards, sensually shaking out in front of him, he went completely feral. He tore off his restrictive clothing with fervor, then leaned forward to sniff the dripping sex before him, his cock pulsing with hot anticipation.

"Pleaseeeeee," Suga quietly moaned and grasped into the comforter ahead of him, twisting it in his grasp. "I neeeeeeed it..."

Daichi dug his hands into the Omega's delicate hips, with enough force to bruise, and slowly pushed one finger inside the swollen sex with ease.

"Pleaseee, Alpha," came a second, much louder moan from the silver boy. He rolled his hips back against Daichi's hand to fill himself more- his inner thighs wet from his sex, dripping down onto the under sheet of the bed. "Inside, please..."

Daichi ran his hands over Suga's pale skin and gripping onto his hips once more, eagerly lining up his cock against the soaked hole. When the silver Omega rocked his hips back again, attempting to push against his knot, he abruptly pulled away and leaned forward to bite down on his pale neck.

"No," he commanded though gnarled teeth, making his dominant status known to his partner. He did the fucking. His Omega. He was the one who did the fucking.

"I...yes...please..." Suga panted as he furiously nodded his head into the plush comforter, arching his hips up further- trying to seduce Daichi into action.

Satisfied with his compliance, Daichi once again lined his aching cock against the wet sex and readied to push in. When he thrust forward, deep inside Suga's warm insides, Daichi gripped around his neck and pulled him against his own, hard body. Suga gasped loudly at the sudden the insertion and arched forward, away from him, grasping onto his flexed thighs. As he continued to thrust in from behind, grazed his tongue over the Omega's ear, receiving affection nips back in return.

Daichi had never before experienced such serene pleasure. He felt as if he was bathing in Suga's fragrance, more consumed by its intoxicating nature than ever before. As their skin made contact, electric sparks shot through his naval, growing hotter and more intense with each graze. He wanted more. More contact. More of his Omega's aroused scent. He wanted to be deeper inside of his moist sex. It was a bottomless pit of pleasure- a pool of smooth chocolate for him to dive into, as deep as he pleased.

Finally, after minutes of unbounded luxury, he at last succumbed to their combined fragrance and began to knot. He pulled Suga against his body and ground around slowly at his insides, heightening their pleasure. When the Omega's sex began to struggle against his knotted girth, he did his best to utter out from his controlling instincts.

"Relax. Please. I will hurt you. Please."

Suga whimpered and granted him a slight nod, shaking in a combination of euphoria and pain. He panted with glassy eyes as his small sex locked into Daichi's crotch. Mere moments passed before Daichi climaxed in the most wonderful orgasm of his life and his seed bursting into the waiting hole, dripping out as it reached capacity. He maintained his gentle grip on Suga, holding him against his chest as his knot shrank back to its usual size. Then, he gingerly slipped it out, feeling supremely content and satiated as the silver Omega relaxed down against the messy bed. It took him a few moments to recuperate his senses- too enraptured in watching his seed spill out of Suga's exposed sex.

"Suga," he panted out, his instincts finally shrinking back inside his waking mind. He laid himself down next to his Omega, and wrapped the boy in a sweaty embrace. "Are you okay? Did I hurt you?"

Suga shook his head and Daichi felt him smile against his chest. "It was wonderful," he whispered, his throat beginning to rumble in an affectionate purr. "Really..."

At the quiet affirmation, Daichi's heart nearly stopped- overwhelmed with happy joy.

Sugawara~

"Daichi, I need to go and check on my flock!" Suga whined, pushing away the Alpha's strong arms from his body. "Let gooooooo."

They had spent the entire morning fucking. In the shower. On the floor. In the bed. He had loved every minute of it- something about Daichi's aroused scent always left him blubbering for more. More of everything. The man made him feel...safe. It was a different sort of security than he was used to. Most Alphas were possessive, but Daichi's fragrance was almost familial in nature. Not in attraction, they certainly weren't platonic, but in the unconditional protection it offered up. The captain seemed to understand him and, more than that, it seemed like he wanted to understand him- wanted to learn about the harsh realities of being an Omega. In fact, Suga had been certain that Alphas like Daichi didn't exist at all.

Daichi gnashed his teeth, but allowed Suga to escape his grasp. He hurried to dress himself with the clothes he had worn the previous night- they seriously needed a wash...they reeked of sex. He was going to have to change them before checking in on Yachi.

"I like you better with your clothes off," a low growl rumbled out from behind him- from the very naked Alpha, lounging on the messy bed.

"Daichi, pull yourself together!" He chastised sweetly. "I want to stay, but I have obligations!"

"I can smell that your heat is coming up pretty soon," Daichi stated with a sly smirk, catching him off guard with the sudden forward remark.

He stiffened, then turned to face the Alpha, adjusting his shirt on his narrow shoulders. "Ah, I forgot about that," he chirped back in a successful attempt to hide his discomfort- he was never going to mate. No matter how good Daichi proved himself to be, he would not fold. Not in this.

"Forgot about what?"

"That Alphas could smell when a heat is going to happen after sleeping with an Omega."

"Oh, yeah. I guess I couldn't smell it before now," Daichi replied with a chuckle that was almost a snort. "Useful."

"I'll be keeping my injection on me the next few days, so you don't need to worry about it," he added, trying to make his intentions know in a round about sort of way. "I'm a responsible Omega!"

"Mmm, okay."

"Well..." Suga continued, noticing the sullen change in the Alpha's scent. "I'm, uh, going to check on Yachi. Give her a bit of company. See you downstairs in a bit?"

"Yeah, sounds good."

Suga nodded with a hesitant smile and exited the room. He hated the feeling of guilt in his stomach at Daichi's disappointment. He shook his head, no, Daichi was an Alpha and he was never going to mate. The captain was just going to have to deal with that fact.

"Yachi, good afternoon!" Suga chirped to the small figure nestled under the soft blankets on the floor of the nesting room. "How are you feeling?"

"Hi, Suga," Yachi mumbled back, pulling the pink covers off of her sleepy head. "Um...you smell different…"

"Suuuuugaaaaa~" Oikawa burst into the room and Yachi jumped in fright. He bowled into Suga and deeply inhaled into his silver hair. "You slept with him! You naughty minx!"

Suga flushed a deep crimson and huffed into the dramatic grasp. He knew that the other household members were going to be able to smell the difference in his scent, but he wasn't prepared to explain himself. Not yet...he wasn't exactly sure of what he was doing with Daichi, not to mention where the relationship was headed.

"Did-did someone hu-hurt you?!" Yachi stuttered in question, releasing a fresh scent of fear that began to sour the tea green room.

"No, no, Yachi don't worry! I let him!" Suga quickly replied with a smile and shook his hands out in front of him. "It was mutual, I promise."

"Of course you did! You two are in loveeee~~" Oikawa teased, poking him in the shoulder with his forefinger. "Loveeeeee birdssssss!"

"Hush, Oikawa, Stop being a pest."

"I'm not being a pest!"

"You...let him?" Yachi asked, gazing up at her nestmates with large, questioning eyes.

The two boys knelt down in unison and crawled over the covers towards her, embracing her with their calming scents.

"It was consensual, Yachi. He's a good guy. Daichi...he's, um, he's a good Alpha," Suga reiterated, surprised to find himself truly believing the words. Perhaps, they would convince the blonde Omega that there were good, protective Alphas out there- ones that wouldn't hurt her like Chaki had.

"Yachi! Why don't we bring him up here so you can see for yourself!" Oikawa proposed loudly with a sly wink. "They are good guys! The best of the best."

"Whaa-what?! Are you crazy!" Yachi squeaked and cowered beneath the covers once more.

Suga was unsure if they should push the girl, but he was certain that if they didn't intervene soon, she would never regain her old self. Maybe...if she met a soft spoken Alpha like Daichi...or even Asahi...she would have a change of heart.

"Do you trust us, Yachi?" He asked as he gingerly pulled back the blankets to smile down at her. =

"Yes...always..."

While the response was not fully on board with the idea, Suga pushed forward anyways, pleased with her tiny show of bravery. "Then, I think that you should let us introduce you to a couple of the Alphas. Well, introduce you on more personal terms than when you met them the first day we got here. You know, to prove to you that they're they're well mannered guys. Plus, Oikawa and I will both stay right by your side the whole time!"

"What if they...what if they jump us?!"

Oikawa laughed at the classic Yachi remark and ruffled her golden hair. "Oh, that won't happen! They're big softies. I can personally guarantee that they would never jump such a cute little Omega," he replied with a sly wink. "Not on my watch!"

"Yachi, this might be hard for you to hear, but I'd like you to listen if you could," Suga added, pushing out a tranquil scent to calm her nervous energy.

"O-okay."

He took in a subtle breath and gave Oikawa a knowing look- they had hidden their sexual assaults from her, not wanting to upset her any more than they had to. However, if they told her about the protective Alphas and how they had come to their rescue, then maybe she would feel safe enough to, at the very least, leave the nesting room. It would be a small victory, but a victory nonetheless.

"Oikawa and I were both assaulted by random Alphas this past week, but we were saved by the Alphas living in this house. They fought with our attackers, pulled us to safety, licked our wounds, and scented us to try and prevent it from happening again. My Alpha," he paused, catching the possessive words in his throat. "Um, the Alpha I've been seeing has even suggested that we pair up the Omegas with an Alpha when we go outside the house. You know, for some extra protection."

"Even though I hate to admit it...we've landed ourselves a good group of Alpha boys here~~" Oikawa added in with a vigorous and knowing nod. "Who could've guessed it?"

"Exactly. I think that if you give some of them a chance and allow us to introduce them, you'll be surprised. Maybe, you'll even feel safer knowing that they're guarding our nest," Suga finished with a beaming smile, feeling hopeful that his small nestmate might agree to the terms.

Yachi was quiet for a moment and Oikawa pulled a pink felt blanket over her small shoulders to comfort her nervous figure.

"You really think this is a good idea?" She finally whispered, at long last placing her trust in her nestmate's plan.

"I do, my baby. I do," Suga replied, rubbing her back in small circles. "Truly, I think it's a good idea."

"Oikawa, you promise you'll stay beside me?" Yachi added in and he suppressed a chuckle at the remark- Oikawa was definitely the person he would want by his side if he was in a situation like this...he was basically the nest's personal Alpha.

"Of course, my little princess. At your side, not a problem~~"

"O-okay, then let's do it."

Daichi~~

Daichi mentally listed off the things Suga had lectured once more- project a calm scent at all times. Maintain self control. Do not give into instincts. Do not try to approach or touch her. All very basic things...well, basic now that he had personal experience with Omegas. He glanced over at Asahi, noting that his Alpha friend was also going over his own internal checklist.

"Ready?" He asked and he was granted a nod before the pair entered the Omega nest.

Daichi felt pangs of guilt radiate over him when he saw the shaking girl nestled between Suga and Oikawa. He hated that his kind was responsible for damaging such a small and sweet person. He used to be proud of being an Alpha but now, he didn't even want to be associated with them. If he ever came across this 'Chaki' boy he would…

"Hello there!" Asahi interrupted his spiraling thoughts with a cheerful call. "I've heard so many wonderful things about you from Nishinoya!"

Daichi admired his Alpha friend- his calming scent was strong, much stronger than any scent he could hope to produce. "Hi, my name is Daichi," he added his own introduction with a somewhat awkward, yet gleeful wave.

"H-hello," came a squeaky reply and when Daichi heard the female Omega whisper 'is that the one' to Suga and he couldn't help but smirk to himself. .

"We haven't seen you around the house! Nishinoya told me that you feel safer in here. It's a pretty nice room, I get it," Asahi chimed in once more, eyes darting around the room, taking in its contents.

Yachi slowly nodded and Daichi noted that she was reacting quite positively to Asahi's experienced tranquil scent.

"I get that," Asahi continued with a knowing nod of agreement, stroking his goatee. "I feel safer in my room, too."

Daichi said nothing, in fact, he didn't feel like he had to. Asahi was the one with the Omega mother and he was clearly showcasing his experience- as the unofficial captain of their Alpha house, Daichi knew when to step aside and remain silent.

"Y-you do? I didn't know Alphas got scared…" Yachi piped up before cowering back at the loudness of her own voice.

"Oh all the time! Like if I see a scary movie, especially if it has spiders, I hate spiders. OH, or small spaces, heights, sunburns….." Asahi spewed out his train of thought and Daichi smirked to himself. The bunned giant looked frightening as all hell, but he was a the biggest softy he knew. "Basically anything that hurts me, breaking a bone, scraping my knees, bumping my head..."

Sensing that your Omega is in danger, Daichi thought to himself with frustration. He began radiating a subtle protective scent at the fleeting thought but thankfully, Yachi giggled at Asahi's monologue and he instantly relaxed into her soft, rosy fragrance.

"Yachi, these guys are on our side. And not just them either. All of the Alphas in this house are well-mannered. I promise," Suga said sweetly, purring in response to Daichi's protective scent.

"Yachi," the bunned Alpha started again, "may I call you that?"

"Y-yes."

"I want...no, we want you to feel comfortable in this house. It's your home as well as ours and we will do our best to make you feel accommodated. Accommodated in every room of this house, not just your nest, but the kitchen, the yard, the living room….where ever you want to go, we've got your back."

The scent of roses immensely increased until it was stifling all other fragrances in the tea green room. Asahi flashed a pleased smile and continued his verbal push, "what's your favorite thing for dinner?"

"Um...well, pancakes or waffles, especially ones with chocolate chips," the blonde Omega piped up with more confidence than Daichi thought possible of her.

"Suga, why don't you and Daichi go to the general store and pick up ingredients for a big breakfast dinner! We can even get a chocolate cake and ice cream for dessert!"

"The cake would be more for you than Yachi…" Daichi berated the Alpha playfully, hoping that a bit of verbal banter would give the timid Omega the final push she needed to break through her own defenses.

"So sue me! I like cake."

"You're going to get fat," Oikawa chimed in with a snarky remark that caused Daichi to burst into a gut-busting laugh.

"So mean!" Asahi whined, shaking his head in resignation.

When Yachi unleashed a quiet but genuine laugh, Daichi's heart soared in victory.

"I guess that would be okay…" She said with a timid smile that melted his insides. He wanted to protect her, perhaps not in the same way he wanted to protect Suga, but he certainly wasn't going to allow any Alpha to touch her without her expressed permission. His gaze flickered over to the silver Omega, happy to see a joyous smile plastered on the delicate features of his face, but Daichi knew that it was all thanks to Asahi.

Oikawa~~

Oikawa was more full than he had ever been in his entire life. Breakfast for dinner was something he had greatly missed- Yachi would always make it for their nest when it was her week to cook. He and the other Omegas had been overjoyed when she joined them at the dining table. Their happy scents radiated throughout the house, positively influencing the moods of their Alpha housemates. It was one of the most peaceful evenings he had experienced in a very long time, even if his mind was still slightly distracted by the unspoken confusion in his blossoming relationship with Hajime.

The other Omegas, aside from Suga, nesting in with Daichi, had settled into their tea green room on the third floor. Most of the Alphas had retired to their rooms as well, succumbing to food comas in their own right, however, Oikawa did notice a strand of light creep out from under Tsukishima's door as he passed by. As studious as always...emotionless and studious.

He made his way up the second set of stairs towards the nest room, eager to rest his tired body- still ample sore from the previous night's assault. Although Hajime had scented him earlier, and they had engaged in a rather steamy encounter, he was growing anxious with their lack of interaction since. Unsure of what to do, and thinking it best to utilize his usual tactic of avoidance, he decided to sleep in the Omega room. He wasn't sure of Hajime's intentions...or his own...maybe it would be best to write the entire ordeal off as a one time occurrence- even if he truly wished that it wasn't.

As he rounded the corner of the dark hallway, a deep voice drew in his fleeting attention.

"Are you going to bed?"

He sluggishly turned on his heels, hesitant to partake in a conversation with the one person he had actively decided to elude. He rolled his head back and sighed, then retraced his steps to the stairwell and glanced down to the second landing, eyes taking in the stocky, athletic build of Hajime.

"You know better than to sneak up on an Omega, Hajime~~" He chirped down to the pensive Alpha, cringing his nose slightly at the man's upset scent.

"Shittykawa tip. I know, I know," Hajime drawled out lazily, unable to hide the hurt from his voice.

The response truly shocked Oikawa- he didn't think the Alpha had really absorbed his lectures.

"You gonna nest tonight?" The Alpha pushed forward, inviting him into a conversation he really didn't want to have.

"I was thinking that I would…"

"How are your injuries? I can still smell them."

"Much better, thanks to you~~"

Hajime held his gaze, raking over his figure from a distance with dark, probing eyes and he grew increasingly uncomfortable with the unprovoked silence, fidgeting on his feet in the dark.

"I could lick them again...if you want," Hajime offered up after a few moments of silence, his face contorting with an uncomfortable tension at his own words.

Oikawa had hypothesized that the Alpha was unused to discussing his personal feelings, but the awkward remark definitely solidified the theory as fact. Well, he thought to himself with indignation, that made two of them.

"Are you offering to take care of me? How unexpected Mr. Alpha~~"

"Why do you have to turn everything into a chirp," the Alpha grumbled out in frustration, running a large hand through his short locks.

"Because, I like to see you squirm," Oikawa cheekily replied, casually leaning a shoulder against the wall of the hallway.

It was a lie, and he knew it, but he wasn't ready to show his cards to anyone, especially to a pensive Alpha like Hajime. Or...perhaps more accurately...he wasn't exactly certain that he was emotionally stable enough to handle any sort of rejection. He had baggage, lots of it, and he didn't know if Hajime could handle it- or if he would still respect him after finding out about his past.

Hajime stepped forward and hiked himself up the stairs, much too slowly for his anxiously beating heart. When at last the Alpha stood before him, he flicked his shoulder, his throat rumbling in quiet irritation.

"We need to talk. Let's go."

Oikawa sighed and nodded his head in resignation, sluggishly following Hajime down the dim hallway, towards his room.

Hajime~

Hajime had actively avoided Oikawa all day. When he had woken up earlier that the morning, the Omega had already left his bed, leaving him with an intense, cold feeling of rejection that quickly snaked its way into his soul. The simple action made him more upset than he cared to admit, even to himself, and it left him with a bundle of terrible, unanswered questions. Did Oikawa regret letting him scent him? Was he the only one who felt the intense connection? Had he done something wrong?

Initially, he had intended to suppress his feelings for the entire matter, but they ate away at his thoughts throughout the day, demanding him to find some sort of reconciliation. After he had retired early from dinner, he stayed keenly alert in his room, listening and smelling for Oikawa's movements within the house through the open crack of his door. The moment he noticed the ocean fragrance waft by from the stairwell, he swiftly got up from his bed to follow it. After a brief and irritating exchange with the Omega, he decided to assert his dominance, demanding for the two of them to talk. Him...demanding to talk about his feelings...he never thought that he would see the day.

Hajime gently closed the door of his room then moved in front of the unusually quiet Omega. There were so many things they needed to discuss and he didn't have the slightest idea of where to start. He was still very, very new to the emotional discussion club, but the one thing he knew for certain was that he wanted everything sorted out- immediately. The flurry of unanswered questions had left him feeling distressed, preventing him from maintaining his scent with his usual level of control. Even Asahi had mentioned that he smelled off, a gross mixture of panic and confusion.

"Why did you leave?" He asked with an irritated growl, deciding to tackle the most pertinent of his problems first.

"What do you mean?" Oikawa replied, reflecting the conversation back with ease- he was quickly learning that the chestnut boy was a king at emotional avoidance, almost as good as he was.

"This morning. Why did you leave?"

"I-"

"Did you regret letting me scent you?"

"Hajime-"

"Did I hurt you," he pushed further, releasing a snarl at the implications of his own question.

"Stop interrupting me, Hajime~~" Oikawa sighed, running a hand through his soft hair in exasperation. "I don't regret it. I promise. But I...well...the assault…"

Hajime unleashed a deep, throaty rumble that that the Omega into a subtle flinch. He wanted to punch a hole in the wall. He didn't want to think about the previous day's events. How could he protect Oikawa if he didn't return his affections? He couldn't be around him at all hours of the day...that was what scenting was for.

"Hajime," Oikawa said with an exasperated sigh, interrupting his unpleasant train of thought. "Stop growling and listen to what I have to say. Sometimes, after things like yesterday happen, I just need some time to myself. That's all it is."

"After. Things. Like. That. Happen." Hajime repeated, his instincts pushing their way to the forefront of his mind, deepening his voice with choppy responses.

"Yes...after sexual assaults. Sometimes, I just need time to reset myself alone."

"You've been raped before," Hajime snarled out in near roar and clenched his fists, ready to throw a punch into the plaster of nearest wall. Who the fuck touched his Omega. He was going to slaughter them. Bash through their skulls with his bare hands.

"Hajime, the life of an Omega is hard, you know~~" Oikawa chided, attempting to lighten the mood of the room with a playful quip.

"Who."

"Who what?"

"Who raped you before."

"I don't know! Young and stupid Alphas. I don't exactly keep track of them."

Hajime couldn't handle the conversation any longer, he needed the Omega in his arms. He had been hit with a sudden, overbearing need reassert to himself that Oikawa was still alive. That his heart was beating inside his chest. He swiftly closed the gap between them and pulled the chestnut boy into his arms, squeezing tightly around him as he blanketed their forms in a powerful, protective scent.

"Huh. You really don't like the fact that I've been touched by other Alphas," Oikawa whispered softly in his ear, purring against his neck.

"No," Hajime growled in response, scenting him with vigor. "I don't like that you've been touched by other Alphas and against your will. You are mine. Mine."

"Well," Oikawa mumbled out against his chest, subconsciously flooding the room with a joyous, sea salty fragrance. "I'm not technically yours yet."

"You. Will. Be." Hajime managed to utter out, the instinct to fuck the Omega in his arms abruptly hitting him like a sack of bricks. "If. You. Allow."

It wasn't just a desire to fuck, but a desire to mate, as well. Anything within his power to better ensure Oikawa's safety. With the affectionate purrs against his neck and the clean, fresh scent of the air, he wanted to take the chestnut Omega then and there. However, he fought back against his darkening mind- fearing that Oikawa's injuries, both mental and physical, were too great.

"You're losing yourself~~" He heard Oikawa chirp in sly tone, the usual banter doing well to snap him back to reality.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, nuzzling into the boy's chestnut hair. "I can't help it. Your smell. I want to fuck you...I don't want anyone else to touch you. But, even if you agreed...I don't want to hurt you. You're still too injured."

"Oh, hush. I can handle a little pain~" The chestnut Omega replied softly in his ear, then granted him a cheeky wink.

At the sly admission, Hajime's instincts flooded back at full force, against his best wishes. "Are. Sure. Are. You. Sure," he growled, the words pouring out in a choppy, feral flurry.

"If it's from you, I don't mind," Oikawa quietly affirmed, shimmying out of his loose grip. "Your scent has been driving me insane for days now...so..."

Hajime didn't need to hear anything more. Oikawa had admitted to being just as enraptured with his scent. Mutual attraction. Good enough, he mused through his cloudy instincts, sort out the emotional stuff later. For now, he was going to dive head first into the same unchecked ecstasy he had felt the night before.

Oikawa~

"Take off your clothes and come here," Hajime commanded in a hushed whisper as he leaned back against the headboard, atop the grey covers.

Oikawa shivered at the tone of desire dripping off the words. He shimmied out of his light jeans and pulled his turquoise shirt over his head, as sensually as he could, then slowly crawled over the mattress towards the the waiting Alpha. Hajime spread his own legs apart, directing Oikawa with darkening eyes to lean back against his broad chest.

After leaning his naked back against the Alpha, Oikawa started to feel exposed- more exposed than he had been in his entire life. Not necessarily in physical openness, he had been highly open to many partners in the past, but mentally exposed. Unlike his previous sexual encounters, he couldn't seem to roll back his lustful fragrance in Hajime's pretense. The Alpha's feral scent was...all consuming and he had no way to escape it...did he even want to?

"My, my, Omega…" Hajime gruffly whispered in his ear, pausing briefly to nibble of the sensitive scent glands beneath it. "Your cock is pierced. How about that."

Oikawa blushed a deep crimson and sheepishly turned away his head. He had never felt ashamed of the piercing before, but he was growing increasingly aware an innate desire within himself- one that wanted to please the snarky Alpha. Perhaps, from the intense anxiety that was brewing inside of him, fearful of being abandoned.

Hajime grazed a large hand across his delicate neck and down to his exposed chest. "I like it," he whispered again, harshly twisting a pink nipple between his fingers. "Touch yourself, Omega. Show me how much control you have..."

Oikawa shivered against the Alpha's muscular chest, warmth pooling deep within his abdomen. Hajime's potent scent had grown in dominance, becoming so consuming that he could hardly stop his body from shaking in need. He slowly grazed a delicate hand down his abdomen and towards his glistening cock, already pulsing painfully against stomach. As he gingerly gripped around its slender girth, the world around him hummed to life, flooding his senses with arousal. Hajime released a low, thunderous growl as Oikawa's aroused fragrance burst out into the room, lacing itself into the sexual Alpha scent.

As Oikawa methodically stroked his own length, his movements growing less cautious with each passing second, he suddenly realized that he had never had a partner like Hajime before. There was something about his scent...something that made him go mad with...heat. He had never felt an intense desire to be knotted by an Alpha. Until Hajime. With Hajime, he needed to be filled. Every fiber of his being was crying out for the dark Alpha, whining for physical contact with his tanned skin, his mouth, his tongue, and his member.

As Oikawa neared his climax, aided by the feeling of the Alpha's hard, lengthy member pushing against his back, Hajime snarled into his ear to stop his hand in place.

"Don't you dare come."

At the feral challenge, he loosened his grip, nodding his head through blurry vision. He wanted a release so badly, but he wanted to be knotted more.

"Please, Alpha. Please. I can't...I can't take it…I can't..."

Hajime relinquished his attention from Oikawa's now swollen nipples and lowered his hand down to his overworked cock. Lazily, he drew a forefinger up its swollen length, pausing to gently flick the mental bar embedded in the head.

Oikawa moaned out, shuddering his sweaty back against Hajime's covered chest as electric sparks shot through his naval. He needed to feel the Alphas skin against his own, but he was quickly learning that Hajime liked to be the one in control. Oikawa didn't mind the Alpha's dominance. In fact, he found himself in a state of aroused anticipation, waiting to see what would happen next.

"You look so gorgeous like this. Slumped against me. Soaking my sheets with your sex. Panting for me," Hajime growled into his ear and grazed over his piercing once more, then gingerly gripped his small balls."Doing your best not to come without my knot..."

Oikawa gasped, barely pulling back his orgasm, and quickly released his tight grip on his cock, shaky hands hovering just inches from it He couldn't touch himself any further, one more stroke, and he would come. When Hajime grazed his tongue over his open scent glands and gave his balls a playful squeeze, his eyes clamped shut in concentration. It was taking everything he had to keep himself under control, and now, he was so close to release that he couldn't even bear to look at the scene before him.

"Please, Alpha...I c-can't. I-I can't hold out..." He whimpered as he slumped back further into Hajime's sensual embrace, quivering with need.

"Neither can I," Hajime replied with a feral snarl that kicked his unchecked arousal into overdrive. Instinctively, he lurched forward, arching his back into the covers to present himself.

He needed to be filled...not by just anyone...he needed Hajime...he was going to go mad.

Hajime clamored on top of him, pinning their sweaty forms against the soft mattress. As Oikawa's stomach was pushed down into the soft mattress, a large hand grabbed under his chin and forced his head roughly to the side. His mouth was abrupty claimed by the Alpha, nipping and snarling at his swollen lips. He loved Hajime's raw, instinctual power- it blanketed his form, tossing his mind into a chaotic ecstasy of hot fire. While he had never truly had consensual sex, he was certain the roughness suited his tastes- for Hajime had also proved to be cautious and caring in his lovemaking.

When he felt large fingers burrow into his delicate hips, raising his ass into the air, he gladly arched his back into the bed and shook his hips.

"Knot me, Alpha. PLEASE!" He cried out in frustration when Hajime didn't immediately push into him. He glanced over his shoulder and raised his ass higher, imploring the Alpha with chocolate eyes. "H-Hajime, I can't take another second of this. Please. PLEASE!"

Hajime~

"H-Hajime, I can't take another second of this," Oikawa whined at him, glancing over his shoulder with foggy eyes and parted pink lips, drawing in subtle gasps for air.

It was taking everything Hajime had to not thrust aggressively into the small, perfect ass before him. After rushing to pull off his remaining clothing, he paused to admire the the Omega siren before him- his slender thighs slick from pleasure and his small cock looked painfully ready to burst.

"I. Will. Hurt. You." He managed to snarl out as he fought against his feral nature- it hadn't been his intention to fuck the chestnut boy, he was still too injured. However, somewhere along the playful foreplay, and he wasn't exactly sure when, he had lost himself in Oikawa's all consuming fragrance.

"Pleaaase," came another lustful whine, his delicate hand reaching back back to grab at Hajime's thick cock.

When his slender fingers made contact, he attempted to direct it into his wet hole, but Hajime roughly grabbed his wrist and pinned it forward into the covers. Leaning his weight over the Omega's delicate form he snarled in threat, his scent encapsulating their forms with his dominant energy.

"I fuck you. You don't fuck me."

Oikawa's head furiosly nodded in understanding and he rocked his hips back, purring with pleasure at the aggressive words. Hajime refused to comply with Oikawa's entrancing action and instead reached beneath his hips to tug at his delicate cock, one final time. As he played with the small metal balls, the chestnut boy bucked his hips, trying to escape his methodical grip.

"PLEASE."

"Do you want me to fuck you," he growled, ignoring the frantic plea that already answered his question. "Do you want my knot?"

"P-please, H-hajime!" Oikawa stuttered out as Hajime expertly kept his orgasm just out of reach.

"Answer the question."

"YES. PLEASE FUCK ME. FILL ME!" The Omega cried out with a loud, instinctual whine of need, gnashing his fingers into the grey covers in frustration. "I CAN'T TAKE IT!"

Hajime smirked at the desperate response, then received a painful reminder of the boy's injuries as he sat back on his haunches. While Oikawa's sex was beyond slick, it still retained tears and now scarring bite marks on his cheeks. Hajime's throat rumbled in aggitation and he internally reminding himself to never treat Oikawa in such a harsh manner. Had it not been for his overwhelming arousal, he would have lost himself to another fit of unchecked rage at the sight. He shook his head, and lined up his swollen cock, pausing to softly graze a hand over the damaged skin.

"I. will. never. hurt. you. like. this." He snarled as he thumbed over a white, raised scar, receiving a loud purr in response.

He still felt ample tinges of remorse looking at the injured state of Oikawa's awaiting sex, but it wasn't enough to stop his instincts. They were clouding his mind with their screeching desire. In one swift movement, he pushed his cock into the soaked hole, causing the Omega to gasp out in ecstasy, his flushed face buried in the comforter. Thrusting out of sheer, untapped pleasure, Hajime lowered his body down to graze hips lips along Oikawa's pale shoulder blades- he needed the Omega to know that he desired every single part of him. His lips. His sex. His sensual, intoxicating fragrance. Everything.

After an eternity of feral euphoria, gladly drowning in a sea of Oikawa's hyper-aroused fragrance, Hajime felt his cock swell into an early knot.

"Stay. Still." He growled into the Omega's ear, internally praying that his large knot would leave the fresh wounds in tact. "Knotting. Stay. Still."

As his member swelled, Oikawa's hole stretched to accommodate his growing girth. He pulled the Omega towards him by the neck and bit down hard on the pale flesh of his shoulder- an instinctual act, claiming what was his. Drawing a small amount of blood, he hurried to lick up the tender flesh to ensure a quick heal. Then, he nipped up the soft skin of Oikawa's neck to the line of his jaw, inhaling the ocean fragrance in full. For a brief moment, they made eye contact and Hajime lost himself in Oikawa's hazel eyes- cloudy with pain and pleasure. Soon...soon it will only be pleasure, he thought as he claimed the chestnut boy's swollen lips with his own. When the potent mixture of their aroused scents finally overtook his mind, his knot erupted into the warm confines of Oikawa's sex. When the Omega released a happy sigh against his chest and relaxed back against him, he allowed his own feelings of satisfaction to pour out. He didn't hurt Oikawa...and maybe...this time...he wouldn't wake up to an empty bed.

The moment he slipped his shrinking cock out Oikawa's full sex, Haijme scooped the slender boy into his arms and sat back against the headboard of the bed, laying the exhausted Omega against his exposed chest.

"Did I hurt you," he asked after his own panting had subsided, rubbing his scent glands over the chestnut locks.

"It hurt, but not because of you," Oikawa purred in response, happily accepting his Alpha scent.

Although he was incredibly angry that his Omega was subject to pain on his behalf, he was pleased that he had done enough to counter it with pleasure.

"Lie forward. I need to lick your wounds. I probably reopened some of them."

"Okay, but only because I want them healed so we can do this again. Without restraint."

"Oh, it's going to happen again. You're going into heat in," Hajime paused to sniff into Oikawa's soft, sweaty hair. "Eleven days. Less than two weeks."

"How forward of you, Hajime. Already thinking that we're going to mate~~" Oikawa chirped back as he moved down his back to lick the scratches along his hips.

"You don't want to?" He genuinely asked back, shoving down a sudden spike of fear at the thought of losing the chestnut boy.

"No, I just don't think you could keep up! My heat has been known to last for four days, it's quite a record~~"

"Four days of fucking you? Not a problem."

"I guessssss we'll find out~~"

Chapter Eight: Ice Cold Omega

Keiji~

Mondays were the worst. Back to back literature classes from 11:00am until 7:30pm, with no time for so much as a lunch break. Keiji lightly scratched at the scent supressor patch on his shoulder, at least the weather was somewhat mild. He never did enjoy the blistering heat of late summer.

As usual, he went about his classes without any trouble. The Alphas on campus were known to whistle or holler at their Omega counterparts, but they rarely dared anything more aggressive during school hours- there was too much security lurking about during the daytime. However, the University security was known to occasionally turn a blind eye on violent acts, but Alpha students seemed to maintain a generally mentality that it was not worth the risk. Moreover, Keiji was confident enough in his ability to suppress his scent that he didn't mind walking alongside them on campus, rather than skirting about in the shadows as most other Omegas did. It was a talent that he had developed after the...incident...the only good thing that had come out of it. Well, he thought to himself as he half-listened to his philosophy lecture, that wasn't entirely true. Now that he could reign in his scent completely, he was comfortable signing up for evening classes- stupid knotheads, as he liked to call his fellow Alpha students, didn't utilize their eyes and instead relied on their sense of smell to identify people.

As he packed up his school work from the oak desk in front of him, he glanced down at his blue wrist watch and noted the time. Nearly 8:30pm, his last class had run late and he had lost a lot of time going over his notes. After adjusting his headphones over his ears, he briskly walked down the now empty halls of the Humanities Building, his home away from home. Rounding the last flight of stairs to the main floor, he was hit with a sudden, strong scent of Omega fear that nearly made him keel over in sickness. He shook his head and yanked his phone out of the front pocket of his dark jeans, adjusting the volume of his music, a futile attempt to distract himself from the sickly sweet fragrance. It wasn't his problem...it really was not his problem, he repeated in mantra as he pushed on forward towards the front entrance of the building. However, as he neared the doors, he quickly found his legs frozen in place, one hand fixed on the brass handles of the exit. Images of Oikawa and Suga flickered across his mind's eye, taunting him to take action. His nestmates wouldn't care that the scared Omega was unknown to them, they were always unnecessarily reckless. Fuck, he thought to himself with indignation, getting involved was going to be such a pain.

He stood stalled in place for a few more moments, then let out a heavy sigh of frustration at the unwanted situation. Pulling off his headphones, he hung them around his neck and briskly turned on his heels to retrace his steps, following the unhappy fragrance towards the back exit of the building. Upon nearing the source of the upset, he took note of two growling Alphas outside the copper doors and the heavy smell of a very anxious Omega, a female, if he was not mistaken. He sighed again, wishing that all Omegas could reign in their scents as well as he could. Unfortunately, it was not an ability that could be taught- he had tried, and failed, many times with Shoyo.

He gingerly dropped his brown rucksack to the marble floor beside the door and reached inside its main pocket, pulling out a silver bottle of Alpha spray. He had always been rather lousy at fighting, he didn't have the experience that Oikawa retained, and he was certainly not as good at projecting a calm scent, like Suga. However, he did have one weapon in his arsenal- scent suppression. At the very least, he could find a way to use it against a couple of nasty Alphas, to protect a fellow Omega. It's what they would do, he mused before quietly slipping through the copper doors.

Upon entering the back laneway between the tell, brick buildings, he quickly scanned the scene before him. A pair of Alphas stood a few meters away, cornering a very small, black haired girl against a stone wall. One of them, the larger of the pair with the more domineering scent, roughly held the Omega's arm above her head while the other egged him on with a series of lustful growls. He was pleased when that the two knotheads failed to smell his presence...good. If he could get close enough, perhaps he could incapacitate them long enough with his spray for both he and the girl to make a clean getaway.

He did his best to creep up on the scene from behind, paying extra care to ensure that his steps were as silent as possible on the dark pavement. As he closed in on the smaller Alpha, his plan was interrupted- the small girl noticed him in her line of sight and let out a squeal of renewed fear at his presence. He clenched his jaw and inwardly cursed himself- he hadn't accounted for the her thinking that he was an Alpha...he was lacking an Omega scent.

"Just a second, buddy. You can have her after we are-" The smaller alpha started, changing his tune when he glanced over his broad shoulder and noticed Keiji's small form. "You...wait...you're...are you an Omega? Man, the Alpha spray really gave you away. Bad luck," he growled out with a nasty chuckled that made Keiji's skin perk up with eerie goosebumps.

"Bad luck, indeed," he replied through clenched teeth, gripping tighter on his silver bottle. "I still got the spray, though."

"Aw, and here I was hoping that you came out here because you wanted a quick lay," the Alpha cooed, flashing a cheeky wink his way. "Oi, Sora. This one is mine. You can have the girl."

"Yeah, sure. He's all yours," the other Alpha, Sora, drawled lazily over his shoulder, pushing his stocky body against the quivering girl pinned against his chest.

"Mmm, no thank you," Keiji seethed, unsure of where his sudden surge of confidence came from. "I prefer that my Alphas have a more dominant scent than the pathetic ones that you guys are seeping out."

"What did you say, you little brat," the smaller Alpha hissed, taking a step towards him as his domineering scent coiled into the evening air.

What did he say? Why on earth was he taunting them? Did he have a death wish? He could very well have fled the scene and left the Omega to defend herself- he didn't even know her! However, for some reason that was beyond him, he felt a growing need to protect her- to create an opening for her to escape unnoticed.

"Jesus, are you guys deaf too? I said that you both have the most pathetic scents I've ever smelled in my life. I thought you guys were Omegas!" He continued his patronizing, internally praying that his snarky words would be enough to pull the other Alpha's attention away from the girl.

"You. Little. Slut. I will show you who the Omega is here," Sora snarled, dropping the Omega from his grasp to line himself alongside his Alpha friend, in opposition to him.

Perfect, he thought to himself, shooting a knowing look at the girl, take the damn opening, stupid! The small girl briefly hesitated, then bolted from the scene without another look. Happy to see her gone, he stood his ground and held his spray higher up in front of him. He had been too focused on creating an opening for her...he didn't think about his own escape plan.

Sora sniffed the air and gave him a wry smirk. "You don't even smell like an Omega..." He snarled, stretching his long arms up towards the orange sky. "But, now I can see it. Your build gives it away. You're so small. So fraaaaagile. I'm going to fuck you twice for helping that cute little Omega escape."

Keiji took a moment to assess the situation, but kept his navy eyes locked on the Alphas before him. The door to the Humanities Building was four meters behind, and ahead were the back laneways of the campus buildings- not a good escape plan. Running back into the building was a better idea, even if it was empty, he knew its layout like the back of his hand. He spent more of his waking hours there than he did in the yellow house.

When the two men began to creep forward, crouching over in an Alpha stalking formation, he made his move. He heavily sprayed the air between him and his opponents, then threw the can with as much force as he could muster at the larger Alpha. Next, he sharply turned on his heels and shoved his way back through the coppers doors, hastily grabbed his knapsack, and bolted down the dark hallway. As he ran, he wrestled the brown bag over his narrow shoulders and bee-lined into the stairwell, jogging up the stairs two at a time. He could hear the heavy footsteps and panting of the Alphas on his tail, but he tuned them out. He needed to think. The roof had no exit...the fourth floor had ample rooms to hide...but did he really want to wait them out? It would be safer to flee to a more public place...the seventh floor...it had easy access to a fire escape...yes.

Bursting through the stairwell doors of the seventh floor, he slowed his pace as he passed the building's sole elevator and furiously pushed the button as a backup plan. When he rounded the northwest corner of the dark halls, the echoing calls of the two Alphas on his tail reached his ears. He increased his pace, pushing his body to its limits, and led his followers in a rapid pursuit, doing his best to lose them in the connected hallways of the building that he knew so well. When at last he passed by the fire escape, a feeling of dread knotted inside his gut- its access window was shut and opening it would shave too much time off of his precious lead. His heart didn't have time to sink any further at the realization. Instead, his logical mind rang true, commanding him to resort back to his backup plan.

He continued his sprint down the tiled corridor until he arrived back at the elevator. His timing had been perfect, it was the stroke of luck he needed. He rushed inside its red-carpeted confines, pushed the glowing M, and then mashed his fingers against the close button. Only when he saw the doors shut out the panting, snarling faces of his Alpha pursuers, did he let out a sigh of relief at his narrow escape.

As the pleasant elevator music rang out, he took a minute to compose himself. While he was pleased with himself for outsmarting the two knotheads with his convoluted plan, his emotions quickly shifted to irritation when he noticed his own heavy musk of fear. Staying his shaking hands, he wiped the sweat from his brow and adjusted his backpack over his tired shoulders. When at long last the elevator let out an audible dingand the doors opened to the main floor, he tentatively stepped out, first peaking around the metal corner at the long hallway towards the building's entrance. No Alphas in sight...they would not be far behind...the buggers were fast.

He poured his remaining energy into one last sprint towards the exit, but was bowled over by a heavy body that knocked the wind out of him. Lady luck decided to only bless him once.

"Man, what a CHASE!" Sora snarled into his face after securing his position atop of Keiji's smaller form, bony knees digging into his shoulders. The large Alpha quickly pinned his wrists above him, against the cold, tiled floor, and his face contorted with discomfort as a hard cock ground against his soft stomach. "You almost had us for a second there, but we're both on the track team. Too bad Omegas can't join. You're fast."

"That is unfortunate," he drawled, forcing himself to maintain eye contact- he was not going to give them the satisfaction of his fear. Judging by their interactions with the female Omega, these two Alphas seemed to get off on it. Deviants.

"I wonder if we can fit two knots inside him! He certainly deserves it," he heard the other Alpha chime in from a few feet away and his heart sank at the disgusting chirp.

Deserves it. For what? For running away? For standing up against their shitty actions? He rolled his eyes and gently leaned his head back against the marble tile, losing his internal fire to stare down his attacker. The world was such an unfair and ridiculous place.

"I couldn't agree more, he looks like he's got a tight ass. It'll probably hurt," Sora growled low with a smirk and leaned in close to his face, this time baring white teeth that blasted him with putrid breath. "Look at me!" His attacker rumbled in command, roughly grabbing his face to slapped it- disorienting stars flickered across Keiji's tired mind at the harsh impact.

Why was he being hit? He wasn't fighting back. He didn't have the will to even bother, his body was limp with resignation to his fate- fucking a lifeless corpse was his own, personal form of self defense. At the very least, it would give them less satisfaction in their assault.

As Sora clawed at his shirt, he heard an unfamiliar growl ring out into the silent air. He did not recognize the source of the sound, but he did recognize the scent...or at least...something lingering within the scent.

"I would get off of him if I were you."

His attacker paused, shifting his weight atop his shoulders to glance over at the source of the new voice.

"If you want to join in-"

"Get off him. Now," the unknown Alpha snarled again, much more viciously than before, and released a dominant scent that made Keiji shiver.

Why was it familiar? He couldn't quite put his finger one it...

"Hey man we just ran our asses o-"

"Last. Warning."

At the hostile command, Sora sluggishly rose to his feet, as if he had forgotten that Keiji was exhausted, lying beneath him in defeat. He briefly contemplated making a move to run, but his muscles were screaming at him to stay in place and his mind wanted more time to ascertain the situation. Who was this unknown Alpha? Was he hostile? Was he trying to dominate the others so that he could fuck him? As he analyzed from his vulnerable position on the tile, the Alphas continued their spat.

Bokuto~

Bokuto was comfortably seated outside of the Humanities Building, attention fully absorbed with the video on his phone, when he smelled something...off. He tore his gaze from the flickering images and sniffed the air- an Omega? No, it was too mild, unlike any Omega he had ever smelled before. The fear...it was definitely there...and that type of fear didn't come from Alphas. He shook his head and willed himself to ignore the confusing scent, fingering the screen of his phone to rewind what he had missed. It wasn't until he heard a audible crash and a fresh wave of Alpha aggression that he decided to enter the building and check it out. He was always down for a good brawl.

Shoving his phone in his back pocket, he sent out a silent prayer that it wouldn't break during a fight. Then, he hiked up the stone steps and entered the brick building, vibrating in anticipation for a brawl. After his eyes adjusted, he noticed three figures half way down the long hall- one standing and two on the ground. However, the pair entangled on the tile didn't seem to be fighting...in fact, one of the Alphas, and he was absolutely certain that it was Alpha, had another, smaller boy, pinned against the tile. He sniffed the air once again, but found himself unable to ascertain just what exactly the smaller figure was. His scent was...too confusing. Fearful like an Omega would be, but lacking the underlying fragrance of one. However, he did smell something that flared up his instincts, pulling them forward to claw at the forefront of his mind. The smaller figure had Daichi's scent, and not just Daichi's, either, but Tobio's and Tanaka's as well. It was mild, but it was most definitely there.

He jogged towards the scene, growing angrier as the scent of his teammates became more prominent with every step. "I would get off of him if I were you," he barked, his snarls echoing down the bare hallway.

"If you want to join in-" the Alpha, resting atop the smaller boy growled back, rearing his head to the side to face him.

"Get off him," he quickly interjected with another growl, this time baring white teeth. The Alphas...they were weak...pitiful scents.

"Hey man we just ran our asses o-"

"Last. Warning," he snarled, unconsciously unleashing a powerful scent of white hostility- he had lost his patience. He wanted the Alpha off the other boy. Now.

He took a step forward and abruptly knocked the standing Alpha in the face, causing him to whimper in out in resignation. The larger Alpha slowly rose up from the small boy paused, unsure of whether or not to should engage in combat with a larger, more dominant Alpha. For a brief moment, Bokuto hoped that he would. Two on one...they had the advantage...it would be a fun fight. However, his thoughts quickly shifted when his gaze flickered over to the frozen boy on the floor. His instincts reeled up again, bashing around inside his head. Protect. The. Boy.

"Leave. Now," he growled, startled by the furious, threatening tone of his own words. Ensure, his feral nature coiled out in command, ensure the boy in unharmed.

"Fine, man," the larger Alpha conceded, eyeing him down with angry, narrow eyes. "At least, fuck him hard for us. He gave us a run for our money."

Bokuto let out one final possessive snarl as the two Alphas exited the building before turning his sights back to the confusing boy that remained behind. He hadn't moved from his position on the tile...was he injured? Wait, he internally wondered with wide eyes, what exactly was this kid? His scent was...well...there was no scent. Only a fleeting fragrance of fear and those of his Alpha teammates lingered on his milky skin.

After a few silent moments, he took a hesitant step forward, curiosity getting the best of him.

"Are you okay?"

"..."

At the silence, he cautiously closed the distance between them, noticing that the closer he got, the smaller the boy looked. He wasn't very tall and his build was far too fragile for an Alpha. He craned his neck forward and lightly sniffed the air. It was very subtle, but he could pick up on a fragrance of...metal and ice.

"Listen, I'm not going to fuck you, so would you get up already?" He said sternly, growing tired of looking at the small boy's lifeless form on the tile. For reasons he had yet to understand, it made him feel incredibly guilty.

"Are you sure," came a monotone response that sent pangs of sympathy stabbing through his beating heart. He had never felt anything towards Omegas, other than the instinct to fuck. However, the sad scene before him...seeing the eager Alphas trying to take advantage of such a fragile person...it made his instincts flare up with a vengeful rage.

"Yes! I'm sure, Jeeesus!" He whined, shoving down his unwanted anger- and an odd urge to release a protective growl. He ran a large hard through his black and silver hair in an attempt to alleviate stress. "Christ, will you just get up already? I'm not going to do anything! Look, I'll stay over here, okay?"

"Okay," the Omega lazily replied and slowly rose to his feet, adjusting his navy shirt over his small frame.

"Yo. Do you live with Daichi and Tobio?" Bokuto questioned, watching intently as the boy reached for his backpack and shoved its scattered contents back inside.

He really was gorgeous- ivory skin, jet black hair, and dark, narrow eyes. Bokuto had to admit, the sight of him was pleasing to look at, but it was his smell, a mild icy fragrance, that really stirred up something deep inside of his gut.

"Yes," the Omega gave another monotone response and he nearly flinched back at its undertone of hostility.

"Ah, so that's why I could smell them on you."

"Probably."

"Sooooooo, who were those guys?" He couldn't help himself from asking, he wanted the Omega to tell him that he had known the eager Alphas. That they were all just messing around. That the entire ordeal was nothing to worry about- in his gut, he knew that it was far from the case.

"Some knotheads who corned another girl out back. I don't know them."

Okay, he thought to himself with a frustrated sigh, so it wasn't a friendly affair. Of course it wasn't. Don't be stupid, Bokuto.

"Annnnnnnnnnd, why were they were chasing you?" He growled back, unhappy with the boy's response- it had shattered his unrealistic hopes.

"Because, I stupidly decided to stand up to them," the boy droned in response, swinging his backpack over his delicate shoulder and at long last, meeting Bokuto's gaze.

His eyes were dark, but in better lighting, Bokuto was certain that they were a gunmetal blue- holding a deep seated sense of resolve that stalled his breath in his throat.

"Good for you I guess…" He hurried to reply, doing his best to prevent his angry scent from seeping out at the sight of a nasty bruise on the boy's pale cheek.

He didn't know that Omegas were jumped on campus...actually...had he ever really thought about it? Most of the time he, like most Alphas, did their best to ignore them. Wasn't security supposed to prevent that shit from happening? He had to admit, he didn't exactly have a lot of experience with his fellow Omega students, but he did know how security was supposed to work.

"Thanks for your help," the Omega said quietly with feigned gratitude, averting his gaze in disinterest.

"Hey man I just saved-" Bokuto started to complain, but was immediately cut short with another hostile remark.

"It was under control."

"I don't think-"

"It was under control," the boy reiterated over his shoulder as he walked out of the Humanities Building, shutting the copper door behind him with an audible thud.

Bokuto subconsciously followed, sniffing the air as he walked towards the entrance. Ice and metal- he wanted to smell more of it. Much more of it.

"HEY!" He called down the steps, happy to see that the loudness of his voice had stalled the Omega in his tracks in the evening sun.

"What?" The Omega replied without turning around- Bokuto couldn't help but admire how his small shoulders raised up in a sigh of frustration.

"I should probably walk you home, eh?"

"That's not necessary," came another salty reply with a subtle scent of irritation.

Although he didn't like the bitter part of the fragrance, he loved that it was accompanied by the Omega's natural scent. So, the kid did have emotion after all, he thought cheerfully as he jogged down the long stone steps of the Humanities Building.

"Well, just to be sure, you never know!"

"Fine," the Omega resigned and renewed his walk towards the edge of campus.

Bokuto hurried forward, jogging to catch up- the scentless Omega had caught his interest.

Keiji~

Keiji could feel the Alpha's curiosity radiating out from behind him. It was nearly all-consuming, not necessarily in scent, but in aura. The owl-looking boy had an intense energy that was immensely draining, especially after the long and exhausted chase he had just experienced.

"Would you reign that in?" He called over his shoulder at his unwanted follower. "It's exhausting."

"Reign what in?!"

"Your scent. I can smell you analyzing me. Stop it."

"You can smell THAT?"

"Yes. So stop it."

"Heeeeeeeey, how come I can't smell you very well?"" The Alpha chimed in again, abruptly changing the subject.

Keiji ignored the shiver that ran up his spine at the words, very well. Normally, Alphas couldn't smell him at all...

"What do you mean?" He questioned, genuinely wanting to know the answer. He obviously needed to do some correcting on his scent control.

"Well, like, normally...you can smell an Omega from ten, no, five feet away. With their scent supressor patches on. But, I have to be likeeeeee, twoishhhhhh feet away to smell your scent," the Alpha replied and, much to his irritation, sniffed the air near his head as he did so.

He was disturbed by the response, and rattled by the sudden invasion of his personal space. Perhaps, today's events had disrupted his ability to handle his own scent? Yeah, that was definitely it, he thought to himself and let out a subtle puff of air to relax his anxious mind.

"Do you have a new type of patch on or something?" The owl asked, attempting to answer his own question.

"I'm good at reigning in my scent," Keiji replied after a few moments of contemplation. He had decided that he owed the owl boy at least a snippetof information, in return for his help against the nasty Alphas. Plus, he could tell that the Alpha was only asking out of genuine interest- a rare occurrence among Alphas, they were normally too self-centered to care about Omega things.

"WOW! I didn't know you guys could do that!?" His follower exclaimed, running in front of him to eye him down with yellow, owl-like eyes. He placed his large hands on Keiji's slender shoulders to stop him in place on the sidewalk. "Can you teach me how to do that!? That's so sick!"

Keiji brushed the Alpha's hands from his body in irritation, doing his absolute best to ignore the spark of energy he had felt from the touch.

"Why would an Alpha need to reign in their scent. That's stupid."

The owl let out a maniacal laugh at his snarky response, then started walking once again, this time in front of him. He couldn't help but admire the Alpha's broad shoulders, working under his navy shirt with every stride. He cursed himself for starting and shook his head- he was not about to fall for his savior. That was so cliche.

"I guess you're right. It was a stupid question~" The owl stated plainly, still laughing at his own previous remark. "I just haven't really thought about the inner workings of Omegas before now, I guess."

"Yeah, it shows. Clearly you don't know a lot of things about us. Like the fact that it's rude to touch or smell us without consent," Keiji quipped back in a tone that held more anger than he intended. When the talkative Alpha remained silent, he furrowed his brows in confusion. "Are you pouting?" He asked, his voice a combination of irritation and genuine concern.

"No…" The owl barked in reply, his sour tone making it abundantly clear that he was indeed pouting.

Keiji suppressed a laugh. He was...amused. The Alpha had proven himself as a dramatic and humourous character.

"You are pouting!" He drawled back saucily, feeling an overwhelming need to poke fun at the grumbling boy.

Then, he had a sudden realization that shocked him- he could playfully chirp this Alpha without fear of physical retaliation. The owl might pout at his snarky remarks, but he wouldn't attack him for them.

"Keiji!" A familiar voice penetrated his startling thoughts, Suga.

He hadn't even noticed their arrival at the yellow house- the long walk had just slipped by. He glanced towards the source of the sound and noticed his silver haired nestmate seated on the front steps of the porch, next to Daichi. Oh, they were definitely a pair now. If he couldn't smell it, which he could, he most certainly could see it.

"Hey, Suga," he called to his Omega friend, granting him with a lazy wave. He had to stifle a chuckle when he felt the owl jump beside him, started by the loudness of his call.

"What happened?" Daichi barked across the lawn, in more statement than question. "What happened to your face."

The level-headed captain's geniune concern for Suga's entire flock greatly amused him. The silver Omega had mentioned that a few of the Alphas were feeling a new instinct- one that was translated into something along the lines of, protect the pack. The idea seemed absolutely preposterous to him until that very moment. A moment in which he watched the captain swiftly cross the lawn to roughly grab the owl boy by the front of his shirt. He was taken aback when he was suddenly hit with Daichi's scent coiled into his nostrils and he was taken aback by its protective nature...for him. As he stood there, stunned on the sidewalk in front of the yellow house, he barely registered the two Alphas next to him, snarling in each other's faces.

Daichi had succumbed to his protective instincts...for him...an Omega...that he had no familial or friendly bond with. An Omega that he wasn't mated with! It was the most bizarre thing he had ever witnessed- perhaps, Suga wasn't blowing the protective story out of proportion.

"Bokuto. Was. It. You." Daichi snarled into the owl's surprised face, jerking him from his internal stupor of contemplation. Bokuto...the Alpha who saved him...Bokuto.

Before Bokuto had the chance to respond, Asahi burst through the front door and crossed the lawn, lining himself up next to his bristling captain. When he unleashed his own defensive snarl and domineering fragrance, Keiji's blue eyes widened in astonishment. He subtly sniffed the air, only to find the Alpha scents swirling together, mixing into something new. Something more powerful...protect...pack? Okay, now he was a believer.

When a third growl joined the fray, he glanced back to the front yard to find Hajime's bristling figure, positioned a few feet away on the grass. He stood, dominant and resolute, adding his own Alpha scent to the melting pot around them. Really? Another one? Keiji couldn't help but smile at the ridiculous situation. The minute the conflict was settled, he was going to talk to Suga about the strange happenings.

"Keijiiiiiiiiiiii~~ What happened to your face!" Oikawa called out to him from the porch, hopping over the railing with a stupid amount of grace.

Keiji couldn't even form a response, too busy with his internal analysis of the situation around him. He watched on with growing curiosity as Hajime immediately moved to stand in front his chestnut nestmate, but Oikawa continued forward without a second thought. At the Omega's ignorance, Hajime's snarls and defensive fragrance, grew more ferocious- making his possession of Oikawa known to Bokuto.

Another pair that wasn't far from mating...

"Not. Me." Bokuto finally managed to utter out though gnashed teeth. "I. Defender. Him."

Keiji had completely forgotten about the owl. He should probably come to the Alpha's defense- he had helped him out of a tough situation. If he threw the owl a bone here, they would be even, and he could put the entire ordeal to bed forever.

"LIAR. You reek of his scent," Asahi roared back, but didn't take a step forward and Keiji was grateful for the bunned Alpha's hesitation- wise enough to know that the situation needed more explanation.

The exact opposite of Nishinoya. That little spitfire would jump right into a brawl without thinking about the implications, he mused with a small chuckle, the kid would be the absolute worst type of Alpha.

"It wasn't him. He helped me," he said with an exasperated sigh, placing one hand on Bokuto's shoulder. Then, he released a tranquil scent to ease the tension- it was the first time he had allowed his Alpha housemates to smell him, and hopefully, it would be the last. Allowing his fragrance to run free made him very anxious.

At his statement, Daichi promptly released Bokuto from his grip and the owl brushed off the front of his white shirt, huffing and puffing in agitation.

"Sorry..." The captain said sheepishly and his feral instincts rapidly dissipated, slowly clearing the thickness in the air.

"What was the proble-" Bokuto tried to respond, but was cut short by a very eager Oikawa.

He bowled Hajime out of the way, much to the Alpha's annoyance, and pulled Keiji into a full embrace.

"What happened!? Your face! It's all bruised!" He cried into Keiji's dark locks, gently rubbing at his purple cheek with a thumb.

Oikawa irritated him to no end, but he was still grateful for their friendship- even if it was founded on quips and chirps.

"It's fine," he grumbled back at the slender Omega, trying to pull out of the motherly grasp. "Oikawa, let go. It's fine! I just helped out this random Omega. She was cornered behind the Humanities Building by these disgusting guys..."

The yellow house Alphas growled in unison at his recollection and Bokuto took a hesitant step back, worried by the sudden hostility. Keiji knew that their anger wasn't directed at the owl, but at the situation- obviously unhappy that he had been in danger. The sheer concept of it filled his heart with a strange pleasure. A feeling that he was...unused to...was it...did he feel...safe?

"So noble~~" Oikawa sang out into the evening air, increasing his hold on Keiji as he ignored the Alpha snarls around them. "So brave~~".

"Oh my god. Stop," Keiji muttered into Oikawa's soft shirt, gnashing his teeth as the unwanted attention. "You would have done the same thing."

At his last statement, Hajime unleashed a vicious snarl- displeased with Oikawa's tendency to throw himself into reckless situations. He was going to have to get used to it, Keiji pondered with an impish grin, that was all Oikawa eve did.

"Suga, I can smell you wanting to take Keiji for a scent reset. Why don't you and Oikawa take him upstairs to nest. We're all okay here," Daichi called out to the silver haired Omega, observing the exchange from the lawn.

Suga granted the Alpha a beaming smile in return and Keiji couldn't help but to be impressed with the captain's ability to pinpoint Suga's desires so readily. The two had yet to mate, in fact, they had only know each other a few weeks.

"You heard him Keiji! Upstairs to the nest we go!" Oikawa called out into the air, dragging his irritated figure into the yellow safe house. "Leave these grumps to their Alpha business~~"

Chapter Nine: Owl Boy

Daichi~

"Hey, man. I really am sorry. We just get...somewhat protective, when it comes to our Omegas," Daichi said apologetically, taking another step back from Bokuto's bristling figure.

Asahi nodded in agreement from his position next to him, brown eyes filled with regret.

It was the truth, he really did feel terrible about preemptively attacking his own teammate- he, and most of his Alpha housemates, had become almost overtly aware of Omega threats of late. Rightfully so.

"Your...Omegas?" Bokuto asked and furrowed his brows in question, shuffling his feet from side to side on the hot pavement.

"Uh, yeah..." Daichi faltered, unsure of how to explain, or even where to begin for that matter.

"The silver haired one that was on the porch earlier is Daichi's. There's a short one with spiky blonde bangs that belongs to Asahi. And the tall, snarky one that bowled into Keiji is mine," Hajime stated matter-of-factly, the last word rolling off his tongue with a possessive growl.

Daichi was momentarily stunned by the straightforwardness of his friend's statement. It was uncharacteristic of the normally stern Alpha. However, something about the wording left him bothered.

"I wouldn't say that they belong to us, per say…" He quickly added in before trailing off, unable to come up with a better term to describe their complex relationship with their Omega housemates.

"Yeah, right. My bad," Hajime nodded in agreement and a slight flush of embarrassment spread across his cheeks, once again, stunning Daichi.

What had happened to him in the past few days? First, the kid ropes them into fixing an Omega residence and now he suddenly starts showing off emotion?

Bokuto let out a gut-busting laugh, slightly keeling over to grab his stomach in humour. "Well, if Hajime is involved in this Omega-loving business, then I know it must be serious!"

Daichi felt immediately disrespected by owl's sarcastic statement, as did the other yellow house Alphas. Together, they snarled out in response, prompting Bokuto to take another step back in hesitation.

"Woah, okay. Sorry guys," he conceded, his large hands out in front of him. "I didn't mean that the way it came out, okay?"

"Good," Asahi barked back and Bokuto's yellow eyes widened in astonishment- surprised by the uncharacteristic show of aggression from the giant teddy bear.

"Okay, well…" Bokuto started, shrugging off the tense situation once more. "What's up with that quiet one...Keiji?"

He was….genuinely interested in the Omega, Daichi pondered to himself, that was...unusual. Bokuto's sole focus in life had always been volleyball, nothing more, nothing less. In fact, he was surprised that the owl had been able to keep his marks high enough to remain on their team at all.

"He isn't anybody's partner," Hajime replied with a small shrug and Daichi silently bookmarked the word. It was the perfect way to describe their blooming relationships with the Omegas.

"Yeah, he definitely has been the most aloof of the bunch," Asahi added, nodding in agreement.

"Hey," Daichi chimed in, turning to face his housemates, suddenly remembering his previous conversation with Suga. "Did you guys know that he can fully suppress his Omega scent? That's crazy, right?"

"Really? Wow, I wonder if they can all do that…" Asahi half mumbled in question, stroking his goatee as he pondered.

"Apparently, they can't. It's Keiji's thing. Suga told me that's the reason he doesn't partner up with the other Omegas when he goes to class," Daichi replied to the bunned giant, pointing a knowing finger up to the blue sky above them.

"Yeah, there's no way Shittykawa would be able to do that. He's too outspoken," Hajime lazily added to the expanding conversation.

"Nishinoya is too energetic and careless with his scent," Asahi agreed, his hand still methodically stroking his goatee.

"Hey, have you ever smelled Keiji, like at all before today?" Daichi questioned, now fully unaware of Bokuto's presence.

When Keiji had unleashed his calming scent, he had nearly fallen over in shock. It was a mild smell of ice and steel that certainly suited the quiet Omega, at least, from his perspective- the boy was rather aloof.

The three Alphas paused for a moment in quiet reflection before Asai exploded into a train of thought.

"No, I mean, I can smell Suga sometimes. It's like fresh baked pastries, right?" Daichi nodded in confirmation and the bunned giant continued on. "Oikawa sometimes smells like clean laundry, or the ocean."

"Pretty much, yeah," Hajime replied, stifling a yawn against the back of his hand.

"Oh, hey! I could even smell a hint of roses off of Yachi...even though it was mostly shrouded with fear. But, yeah, I don't think I've ever smelled Keiji's scent before today," Asahi finished, a quizzical look on his soft face.

"Yeah, and the calming scent he released was so mild anyways. I could hardly smell it~~" Hajime added and Daichi couldn't help but chuckle at the boy's Oikawa-like tone.

"What are you laughing at," he chirped, narrowing his dark eyes at Daichi.

"Oh, nothing. Just wondering when you're going to take the plunge with Oikawa."

"Eh, like eleven days."

"I-I'm sorry, what?" Daichi blubbered, startled by the abrupt and open statement. "You're, what?"

"Yeah. His heat is in eleven days."

"You've already talked about mating?!" Asahi blurted out, his eyes wide with interest. By smell alone, Daichi could tell that he and Nishinoya had yet to even sleep together.

"Mmm, we're good to go," Hajime drawled, reaching his hands above his head in a satisfying stretch. "I'm surprised that you and Suga haven't. Has his cycle already passed or something?"

"Man, I don't know. I want to, but I think Suga's had some pretty shitty past experiences with the whole thing. I don't want to push him," Daichi remarked, not wanting to share anything too personal about his Omega.

He did his best to stifle a protective growl at the thought of Suga's tragic, unknown past. It was his pain...he would divulge it when he felt comfortable enough to do so. Plus, Daichj was still confused about his own immense desire to mate with an Omega so soon after meeting him. However, maybe that was just an excuse he told himself to deal with the silver boy's rejection- Hajime and Oikawa certainly didn't seem to have the same worries...

"Yeah, shit. That's tough," Hajime grumbled with a tone of genuine concern that surprised him. "I don't know, man. Good for you. Just keep taking your time, it'll work itself out," he added and Daichi found himself immensely grateful for the unexpected support.

"There's no way I'm letting you beat me to the punch!" Asahi chirped, successfully lightening the pensive mood.

"Ya right, Asahi. You're never going to mate with Nishinoya if you don't man up and confront him about it," Hajime poked back with confidence, always ready to chirp his housemates with ease. "You haven't even slept together."

"Hey, I was wondering-" Bokuto attempted to jump into the conversation, but his words were quickly drowned out.

"I'm going to ask him, okay! Get off my back!" Asahi whined out, throwing his hands up in defeat. "I just need a little more time!"

"I will bet you one hundred dollars that you won't nail the kid down as your official partner in the next...two weeks," Hajime challenged, eyes glistening with unchecked humor.

"I second that bet!" Daichi added in with a sly smirk. He rarely pestered Asahi, but right now, he couldn't help himself- the bunned man was such an easy to target.

"Sh-shut up, that's not true!"

"Then take the bet."

"Yeah! Take the bet!"

"HEY!" Bokuto yelled, startling them from their playful bickering.

"Oi, I forgot that you were even here," Hajime quipped at their grumbling teammate. "Normally, you're so fucking obnoxious. What's your damage?"

"Yeah, why are you so quiet, man?" Daichi pushed, his own curiosity getting the best of him once again.

Normally the owl was obnoxious. Why wasn't he acting like his normal, upbeat self? Had his encounter with Keiji...and the Alphas...had it rattled him?

"Huh? I don't know, stop hassling me! I'm just thinking about stuff..."

"Out with it," Hajime barked, growing irritated with the growing length of their conversation. Daichi understood the frustration- he wanted to return to his Omega too…

"Well, I guess I'm just curious s'all. I'm not exactly one to jump in to defend an Omega...before today...I just kind of...smelled you guys on Keiji and shit went black. Before I knew it, I was in the fray."

Daichi and his housemates sat in a stunned in silence, listening intently to Bokuto's recollection of the events. The bizarre, and irritating, story added another piece to his already complex puzzle- his Alpha housemates had developed abnormally strong feelings towards the Omegas in a short period of time, his own personal desire to mate with Suga was perplexing, and the unusual pack instinct frustrated him to no end. Now, an Alpha from outside their circle of housemates had jumped in to protect an Omega...one that he had never even met. Daichi needed answers, not more questions! He wanted nothing more than to see the puzzle completed.

Suga and Daichi were basking in their post-Monday sex scents, feeling content and satiated. While Daichi felt overly relaxed in the presence of hisOmega, his previous conversation with Bokuto was still fresh in his mind, clouding his pleasant thoughts.

"So, Bokuto said something interesting today," he said, unsure of where to start the explanation.

"Mmm, he's your teammate right? The one that looks like an owl? It's weird that he just showed up at the house with Keiji," Suga purred in response from his seated position, perched in Daichi's lap.

"It is weird, but not as weird as when he told us that he could smell Keiji. I mean, I haven't even smelled Keiji before today, and I live with him! And what's more, he told us that he jumped in to protect him because he smelled us on him."

"Really!?" Suga blurted out loudly, looking up at his with astonished, hazel eyes. "That's rare. I mean, extremely rare. Keiji doesn't let anyone smell him, unless he wants them to."

"Do you think it's because he was shaken up from his...run in," Daichi asked, unable to help himself from growling out the last words- he hated th thought of the small Omega being cornered against his will.

"I highly doubt it. Stuff like that has never affected his ability in the past," Suga lectured, receiving a protective snarl from Daichi in response.

Stuff like that. Past. Keiji hurt by Alphas...before.

"Relaxxx, my Alpha," Suga purred, gingerly rubbing his silver hair against Daichi's scent glands. "Maybe, something about Bokuto caught his interest. That, or the owl Alpha has a really perceptive nose."

"Huh," Daichi remarked, grateful for the calm scent that Suga was lacing into the air- he wanted to live inside the sweet, chocolatey smell. "Bokuto does not have a good nose, I can tell you that for sure. He has the attention span of a squirrel."

"Well, that solves the great mystery, then. Seems like he caught Keiji's attention," Suga reckoned, slightly adjusting against his broad chest.

"Actually, Bokuto inserting himself into our affairs did give me an idea, though. And I'd kind of like to have your thoughts on it."

"Ready and waiting for input! In more ways than one," the Omega cheekily replied, looking up at him with glassy, taunting eyes.

"Don't make me fuck you into these sheets again," he snarled out, inhaling the boy's silver locks to get another fix. Suga granted him another soft purr at his touch, playfully shimmying against his ass against his lap.

"Stoooooooop. Stop. Just for a second. Let me get this out first, then I'll fuck you until you can't take it anymore," Daichi pleaded, tightening his grip around the cheeky Omega's waist. "Bokuto reminded me of our volleyball game this weekend, and I was thinking that you should bring the flock. Tanaka and Kuroo are out of rotation, so they can sit in the bleachers with you guys. Keep you safe and stuff. Plus, I kind of want to gather a bit more information on this whole...thing. I mean, I can understand our Alpha housemates wanting to protect the nest, but Bokuto? We keep getting more questions instead of answers. Maybe going out as a group will help flesh some of this stuff out."

Upon finishing his proposal, he prayed that Suga understood that he had the nest's best interests in mind. Moreover, the prospect of his Omega watching him play in one of his season games excited him. He wanted to show off...just a little.

"I agree, it would be interesting to see how the group interacts in public. And, if you think they'll be safe, then I'm all for it. You've more than proven yourself as a worthy Alpha," Suga said sweetly, the heartwarming words sending butterflies through Daichi's chest.

A worthy Alpha. He would show him just how great an Alpha he really was. Grabbing the silver Omega, Daichi flipped him over and pinned him beneath his own weight, feeling his knot rearing up for round two.

Keiji~

Bokuto had begun following Keiji on his walk to campus in the mornings. On Tuesday and Wednesday, the owl boy had made it seem like a coincidence. Oh, Keiji, what a surprise, I didn't know you walked this way too, he had said- as if he would fall for such a bullshit story. By Thursday, the Alpha was standing on the sidewalk in front of the yellow house, shuffling from side to side on the balls of his feet, waiting for him. When Friday rolled around, he was startled to find the owl waiting for him outside of the Humanities Building, unapologetic and eager to walk him home. He didn't like to admit it, but he had grown accustomed to the energetic company. He had even caught himself subconsciously releasing his natural fragrance more readily around the Alpha- something that made him very nervous.

"You coming to our game tomorrow?" Bokuto chirped out from beside him, his spiked hair glistening in the evening Friday sun.

"I already told you, yes," Keiji drawled back, stifling a yawn.

The school week had exhausted him, but Bokuto's scent was...reinvigorating.

"Right, right. Then, you'll get to see my wicked cross-court smash!" The owl loudly proclaimed, turning his head to flash him with a beaming grim.

Keiji hated to admit it, but he liked the Alpha's wide smile, and the cocky, joyous scent that often accompanied it.

"I'll judge it when I see it," he snarkily replied, happy to knock the owl down a peg. However, when he slumped his shoulders, once again entering one of his classic pout sessions, Keiji chimed in once more to fix his sullen mood. "I'm sure it's as good as you say it is."

As much as he enjoyed teasing Bokuto, he always felt bad when he saw the sullen look on his face. The guy was sure as hell easy to get to...it was a wonder that he exuded so much confidence...that shit could disappear on a dime.

"Hey, you smell really nice today," Bokuto stated matter-of-factly, stretching his arms up into the orange sky. "I like it~"

At the abrupt comment, Keiji nearly fell over in frightful panic. Apparently, the owl could shake off his sulky moods, faster than the speed of light.

"W-what?" He stuttered as he furiously attempted to reign in his scent, only to find it extraordinarily difficult to do so.

Why did he have no conscious control over his fragrance around this guy? He huffed out a puff of frustrated air at the notion, was it because his body...wanted the Alpha...to smell him?

"Very icy today. Much more than yesterday. I guess on Fridays, you're less stressed and ready for the weekend!"

"Wait, what do you mean? You can only smell me today?" Keiji questioned, desiring information.

He did not like this increasing loss of control with his scent- it had been years since he felt this...inexperienced.

"Nah, I could smell you all week, but it was more metallicy. Today, ya got some ice mixed in. Chilly. I like it," Bokuto explained, shoving his large hands in the pockets of his grey sweat pants, eyeing Keiji down will probing, owl eyes.

Keiji met his gaze, subtly shivering from their yellow depths- they were eyes that could see through anything...including his bullshit. For a brief moment, a pleasant thought flickered across his mind before he shoved it away with great force, willing it to never come back again. He was never going to mate. Not with an Alpha. Not with Bokuto. Not ever.

"So..." he started, unable to hide the upset from his tone. "You're saying that I normally smell like metal..."

Of all the wonderful things that Omegas had for fragrances, he landed with...metal. What an awful thing to smell like. It was cold, dense, industrial- there was not a single appealing aspect to it. He shook his head and forced a wry smirk, why should he care? Omega scents were solely used to attract Alphas, something which he had no desire to do in the first place. He should be grateful for the full fragrance. However, even with that idea in mind, he couldn't help his ego from feeling somewhat bruised.

"Yeah!" The owl boy proclaimed loudly, glancing up at a flock of birds passing above them. "Like an ice colllllllld metal."

When he remained silent, Bokuto rolled his neck over to eye him down, questioning his upset disposition. "Wait, did you not know what you smelled like?"

He gave the owl a side eyed look, then let out a puff of air at the ignorance and rattled off a quick explanation.

"Well, Omegas can't smell their own natural scent, or each other's, for that matter. It's mostly used to attract Alphas."

To attract a mate.

"It's more like, we smell each other's feelings, but there's no perceivable fragrance...just...emotion. I guess the only time an Omega really knows what sort of fragrance they give off, is when an Alpha tells them."

"Reaaaaally," Bokuto drawled, finally tearing his gaze away, much to Keiji's relief.

He felt like the Alpha was undressing him with his golden eyes- it was making him rather uneasy.

"Well, I'll tell ya then! You can thank me later. Your silver haired friend smells like fresh pastries and that guy, Oikawa, smells like the ocean...and sometimes clean laundry. It kind of flickers back and forth."

"And I smell like...metal," Keiji quietly indicated, exuding a disappointed scent that he didn't have the energy to stop.

"Eh, Suga's scent is way too sweet for my tastes, and Oikawa's reminds me of the time I almost drowned during summer vacation while I was in middle school," Bokuto declared casually, kicking a loose pebble down the sidewalk. "Yours is...nice, I guess. It's not overbearing, like most of the Omegas I've smelled. I don't know, it's crisp. I like it.

Keiji couldn't help but smile at the truthful undertone in the statement. While it wasn't a beaming Bokuto type of smile, it was nonetheless genuine. There was no denying that the owl made him feel comfortable enough to allow his scent to roam about more freely- albeit, against his conscious wishes. With that thought in mind, he suddenly realized just how exhausting it was to keep his fragrance on lock, in a near constant state of suppression. Crisp steel and ice, he mused with a sly smirk, maybe it wasn't so bad after all.

Daichi~

Daichi hurried through his school work, wanting to have it finished before the end of the night. He wanted zero distractions for the weekend- he had enough on his plate, thinking about both the logistics of the volleyball game, and the safety of the Omegas that were going to attend. Gathering up his papers, he sniffed the air in his room, trying to ascertain Suga's position within the house. After a few moments of sifting through the various familiar fragrances, he noted that the Omega was in the nesting room on the floor above him. He rounded the flight of stairs and knocked on the oaken door before him, sensing Suga's growing irritation, radiating from within it.

"Oh, Daichi. Come in," he heard Suga call from beyond the door, granting him access its tea green confines.

"What's wrong?" He questioned, closing off the dark hallway behind him.

Suga stood a few meters away, shuffling things around in a flurry- obviously looking for something important.

"I was hoping that I would be able to find that study from the seventies," the silver Omega called over his shoulder without looking, flipping over a few blankets with irritation. "You know, the one that I had checked out? Our conversation the other day reminded me of it, but I've looked everywhere! It must have been lost during my run-in with those Alphas."

A deep, throaty growl escaped Daichi's throat- the reminder of Suga, the Alphas, and the Cultural Building stirred his instincts from their pleasant slumber, telling him to barricade the Omega inside his room for all eternity. Stop, his conscious mind commanded, Suga was his own person. He was not his. He had no right to force his instinctual protection over him.

"Keiji said something to me the other day that made me think about the pack mentality you had mentioned," he went on, actively ignoring Daichi's instinctual snarls. "Remember, you said that Bokuto had told you that he could smell you guys on Keiji? Keiji told me the same thing, so he's not lying…" He pondered out loud, trailing off before quickly turning around to face Daichi with wide, chocolate eyes. "Not that I'm calling Bokuto a liar! I didn't mean that the way it came out!"

Daichi chuckled, feeling warmer now that he had the Omega's full attention.

"No, I know, I know. Don't stress about it."

"Okay, but it's weird, right?"

It certainly was interesting. Bokuto normally didn't give a shit about Omegas, yet he could smell the owl's scent on Keiji every single day this week. It wasn't because his teammate had scented the Omega, but the smell was prominent enough for him to tell that the two boys had been spending a lot time together- right under their unsuspecting noses. Was the kid trying to court the Omega? Had he felt the pack instinct, as well?

"I know we already talked about this, but I didn't really give it my full attention until now," Suga pronounced with an eccentric interest that was not lost on Daichi.

The Omega was a scholar, through and through. He had come to understand that the silver boy loved the challenge of solving a mystery, a trait which he greatly admired. The way Suga's hazel eyes glazed over with acute curiosity, the the animation behind his words when he discussed a subject that had peaked his interest- these were the things he had grown to love.

"I just," Suga began once more, this time releasing a heavy sigh of exasperation. "I don't know what to do with all of this information. I mean, I don't know about you, but my primary education doesn't explain any of this stuff! All my teachers ever did was drone on and on about how to stay safe, the mating process, puberty, childbirth, etcetera. Nothing useful to what we're experiencing. Like, the only thing I know about fragrances is between Alphas and Omegas. Did they teach you anything about Alpha on Alpha scent mixing, or the variations of it? Anything that might be helpful?"

"No, not a single thing. I mean, not anything useful to this pack shit, anyways. Everything we learned mostly pertained to Alpha on Alpha violence."

"What do you mean?"

"Like," he started, trying to put his thoughts into words. "When two Alphas get into a spat about something, which happens a lot, the Alpha with the more dominant scent can sometimes force the lesser Alpha to submit without any need for physical altercation. But, I mean, it's all dependent on the personality of the people too. Like, I've known some pretty scrappy Alphas in my time…"

Scrappy Alphas like Yuji, he mused with a knowing smirk, the kid wasn't the most dominant Alpha around, but he had never seen him back down from a fight. No matter how dominant his opponent was.

"While that is good to know, you're right, it doesn't help us," Suga replied with a sweet smile that melted Daichi's insides. "So, aside from the article, we have zero resources on Alpha scent mixing, fantastic. Just who am I supposed to ask about this stuff? I suppose I could ask Miyo, but it's not like the education system has changed in the last fifty years. I just wish those stupid Alphas didn't toss my bag around so much. I should've gone back to the scene to find it," he finished his ramblings with a deep, mournful sigh.

Stupid Alphas, indeed. If Daichi ever ran into them again, he was certain that his instincts would flare up to such a degree that he wouldn't be able to stop himself from slaughtering them. He would be glad to.

"Daichi, if you're going to growl every time I bring up a gross encounter between Alphas and Omegas, you're going to break your vocal cords," the silver haired boy chastised him, successfully snapping him out of his bitter anger with a fresh, sweet scent.

"I know, I'm sorry. I can't help it. It's instinctual," he said apologetically, shaking his head at his upset.

He wished that he had better control over his internal beast, but he knew in his heart that it was never going to happen- especially now, after everything he had witnessed and learned. He was growing more and more sympathetic to the Omega cause with each passing day.

"I know~~" Suga purred back, closing the distance between them. "I guess I shouldn't give you such a hard time about it. I am grateful for it, I promise."

Although the words were genuine, Daichi couldn't help but pick up on a very subtle tone of hesitation. Suga was still unsure of his intentions, perhaps rightfully so. Daichi couldn't fault him for it. From the subtle hints of information he had gathered during Suga's various ramblings, it was clear that his sole experience with Alphas was in their desire to claim ownership over him. It was an instinct that Daichi had been actively fighting against. He didn't want to own Suga, he wanted a partnership- where both parties brought skills to the table that the other was lacking. It might take time, but he would prove to the silver boy that he supported his desire for anonymity- even if it took the rest of his life to do sk.

"Hey, do you remember anything from the article?" He finally asked boy after a few moments of silent reflection. "Anything at all?"

Suga hunched down to shuffle a few papers on the floor, then sat back on his haunches and rubbed the back of his head with his hand. "Not really, that's kind of why I checked it out. I was too tired to even take notes on it. So stupid of me."

"Maybe we can find it in another library?"

"Yeah, maybe. I mean, I already scoured the internet this morning, but there are no electronic versions of it. So, that's not a bad idea."

"Do you remember a name? Or even a place from it?"

"Well, there was this one name that stuck out...Kaito Hirano. He was this Alpha member in one of the control groups. At least, I think he was."

"Maybe we can track him down?" Daichi suggested, knowing that it was a long shot. He just needed something, any lead he could get that could help him answer his burning questions.

"I guess it's worth a shot. It's not like we have any other leads! I'm going to do some research on the professors at our University, as well. Maybe one of them could help us out."

"Yeah, good idea. You'll let me know if there's anything I can help with? I'll gladly chase down a few leads for you."

"Of course," Suga replied, rising up to full height to gingerly kiss him on the cheek. "But, let's put it to bed for this weekend? I'm excited to see you play in your match."

Daichi smiled, his muscles turning to jello from the smell of Suga's joyful fragrance. He couldn't wait to show off his volleyball team the following afternoon, even if he was a bit nervous. However, he was sure that having his Omega there, watching him play, would make him work harder than he had ever before- and his team certainly needed the drive. They were up against Date Tech, and it was the last game of the summer season.

Chapter Ten: Enter the Arena

Oikawa~

Oikawa and Suga held Yachi's hands the entire walk to the Campus Sport Arena. Although they were accompanied by Kuroo and Tanaka, who released territorial growls at every Alpha that made a pass at the flock, the two motherly Omegas felt it best to give the small girl a bit of extra comfort. While the near-constant stream of unfamiliar Alphas had initially made Yachi yelp and release a toxic scent of fear, by the time the group had arrived at the campus arena, she had become quite comfortable in knowing that their yellow house counterparts were not going to relax their guard. In fact, by the time they had arrived, the entire nest seemed to be at ease.

"Its so big~~ What a spectacle," Oikawa stated, to no one in particular, as they entered the glass doors of the athletic center.

"It smells like air Salonpas!" Shoyo yelled out from ahead of him, throwing his hand up in delight.

"RIGHT?!" Nishinoya chimed in response and jogged to catch up with his small, ginger friend.

"You're both so weird!" Tanaka called over his shoulder, chucking loudly at the two bouncing Omegas behind him.

"Are you kidding?! I would give anything to play in an arena this large," Nishinoya proclaimed to the snickering bald Alpha. "My Omega team would never get this level of funding...or spectators."

"Oh...yeah. That really sucks…" The bald Alpha faltered apologetically, exuded a subtle musk of shame. "I'm sorry it's like that..."

Oikawa knew exactly how Nishinoya felt- he had played through his high school years, too. A brilliant setter, even if he did say so himself, and he greatly missed the thrill of the court. The Omega Inclusion Initiative did not extend to the sports department, much to his dismay. Unfortunately, he had been forced to let the dream die after graduation.

"Oi!" Kuroo declared out from the back of their pack, his voice careening over the various noises in the expansive hall. "So, we're going to go upstairs to the second level. There's a section cordoned off from the rest of the bleachers that is normally used for special guests. Coach Ukai said that we can use it. Should be mostly private."

As the group made their way through the crowds and towards the large stairwell, Oikawa noticed that, much like on campus, quite a few of the Alphas around them had their Omega mates by their sides. It was always much safer to leave the house once mated, but at what cost? Many of the Omegas looked not a day over eighteen, how did they know that the Alpha they chose to partner with was a good egg? Society made it nearly impossible to partner up romantically for extended periods of time, it was too risky. The dating scene, consisted of no more than a few months, at best. Oikawa snorted at the thought, he hated it.

"Professor Ukai coaches your volleyball team too?" Suga asked the rooster, his voice penetrating Oikawa's dark, internal reflection.

"Yeah, he's kind of a pain in the ass, but he's lightened up recently. I think it's because he's been hanging out with a lady friend," Kuro called over his shoulder to a very eager Suga. As much as their sugar momma tried to hide it, Oikawa knew that he was an incorrigible gossip.

"Hey!" Tanaka barked at a black haired Alpha ahead of them, much to close to Nishinoya. "Back off pretty boy. Don't even think about it," he snarled out again and shoved, none too playfully, the interested party. "So annoying," he huffed out in frustration as the Alpha shuffled off in anger. "They're like mosquitoes, how the fuck do you guys handle it?"

"You're telling me, it ain't easy!" Nishinoya chirped, patting the bald Alpha on the back, "thanks, man!"

"Hey, no problem my little buddy. Ain't nobody gonna touch you on my watch!" Tanaka declared loudly, beaming down at the small spitfire at his side.

Oikawa chuckled at the ordeal and the group proceeded forward, rounding the stairs up to the upper floor. When the stepped onto the second landing, Oikawa took a moment to take in the environment. The left side of the center housed a large volleyball court, with red padded flooring and white lines. Two teams, their own University team and the other, Date Tech, were warming up below, taking turns serving over the net. The walls surrounding of the closed in court alternated colours, a deep orange, expansive black, and a true, eggshell white. The University's colours. The bleachers themselves, spanning the entirety of the second level, were navy and recently cleaned. Above them, a large poster of the University's mascot, a crow, hung from the ceiling and a variety of championship banners ran along the lengths of the wall beside it.

"Have you guys ever been here before?" Kuroo called out from the back of the group and Oikawa glanced over his shoulder, unable to hide a subtle smile at the sight of a sleepy Kenma, perched lazily across the rooster's back.

"No! But, I wish I could live in here! The vibe in here is amazing!" Shoyo yelled back in response, vibrating with unchecked energy,

"Oh man, me too," Nishinoya added in, eyes wide with envy. "I bet the feeling of being on the court is exhilarating. I played as a libero throughout high school. Got the libero of the year award too, in my last year. Too bad I couldn't continue on after graduation."

"Oi, are your Omega leagues as good as the Alpha ones?" Tanaka asked with genuine interest.

"I dunno, man. I've never seen an Alpha game, except on television. I guess I'll know after today!"

"Alright, ya chitchatters," Kuroo started as he lifted a metal bar that was cordoning off a section of bleachers. "Pile in kiddies, let's watch our boys take Date Tech to town!"

One by one the group sat down, spreading across their private area of seating. Oikawa was more than a little pleased to find that the section had the perfect view of the court- not too far away, centered with the net, and no bleachers in front of them. As expected, he thought to himself, the area was normally used for scouts, after all. What a VIP experience.

He watched on with growing interest as the Alphas continued their warm up on the padded court, paying extra attention to Hajime's muscled form in his black jersey. He was pleasantly surprised to find that he could pick up his Alpha's scent quite easily from where he sat- it seemed that the more he nested with the snarky boy, the more he could smell the boy from further distances. Oikawa had figured that it would be the same for Hajime, a theory that was confirmed when the Alpha glanced up at him from the court, granting him with a cocky smirk.

"Hey," he said loudly to grab the attention of the chatting group around him. "I'd like to get some snacks. Someone, Kuroo, want to buddy up with me~~"

"Alright, alright," Kuroo lazily responded, rising sluggishly to his feet. "What does everyone want? Popcorn, juice?"

"Chocolate, too. Please," Yachi added in quietly from her position next to Shoyo in the front row of seats.

"You got it baby~" Oikawa said with a smile, pleased to see that the small girl was comfortable enough to openly express her what she wanted.

He was so very happy that she had come. He knew that it had taken every ounce of her courage- her first time in public in months, only to attend and Alpha-packed venue.

Oikawa rose to his feet and followed Kuroo out of their sectioned off area. "Why thank you, Mr. Alpha~~" He said sweety when the rooster raised the bar to let him pass through.

"You're welcome, Oikawa~~" Kuroo replied, matching the chestnut Omega's sassy tone with his own. "Kenma, ya want anything to eat?"

"Licorice," came the cat-like Omega's lazy reply.

"Does he always bring a video game with him?" Oikawa whispered, brows furrowed in question.

"Yeah, annoying isn't it?" The rooster responded with a sigh, "He even does that when I'm playing in a game. Some mate."

The unusual pair made their way down the stairs to the expansive first floor, stopping at the back of the line to the vendor stalls. Oikawa had to admit that the air was almost too concentrated with Alpha scents for even him- and he was, by far, the most experienced of their nest with Alpha relations. Thankfully, the smell wasn't nearly as stifled at their private bleachers. He was glad to not have any sort of distraction that would pull away his attention from the game.

"Hey, pretty boy, you wanna let me take you for a spin?" A brown haired Alpha chirped as he passed by on the left. His shady group of friends laughed at the stupid, and uneducated, remark, egging him on.

"Fuck off," Kuroo barked, beating Oikawa to the reply. He lazily turned towards the undesired attention and released a throaty rumble of a growl- a warning.

"Hey, man. I can smell that he ain't even yours! Relax," the chirpy Alpha called again, taking a confident step forward.

"You would be lucky if he was mine. His Alpha is much more vicious, and far less level headed, than I am," Kuroo snarled back, setting his shoulders back to stand at full height.

Oikawa found himself unusually flustered and his cheeks flushed a light pink. Kuroo thought that Hajime was more dominant? Less level-headed he could definitely see, but more dominant?

After a few moments of a growling match, Kuroo turned back to Oikawa, satisfied that the other Alphas had lost interest. "Hey," he said, rubbing the back of his head with a large hand. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course~~" Oikawa sang in reply, "fire away."

"Well, it's about Kenma…" Kuroo began before trailing off, his scent clouding the air around them with discomfort.

"Oh, don't feel awkward, Kuroo. It doesn't suit you," Oikawa replied, waving a hand out in front of him. "If you have an Omega question, who better to ask than an Omega?"

For a brief moment, he nearly unleashed a comforting scent to comfort the rooster- a habitual response on his part. However, his logical mind rang true, reminding him that it would be unwise to do so around so many unknown Alphas.

"Y-Yeah. That's true. I can't argue there," Kuroo surmised with a deep chuckle. "So, I've noticed that Kenma has started to well, nest with you guys a few times a week…"

Ah, Oikawa knew instantly what the problem was. "And you think that he's losing interest in you because of it," he knowingly remarked, shaking his index finger out in front of him. "You Alphas, you all like to pretend that you're not sensitive, but you really are~~"

"Pretty much...yeah, we kind of are. So, do you think-" Kuroo paused, shifting his attention to the elderly Alpha vendor ahead of them. "Three large popcorn. Yeah, with butter. Nine-no, ten cranberry juice packs. Let's do, six bottles grape juice, and those M&M's. No, not the peanut ones. The regular ones. No, not the yellow bag the-yeah, the brown bag."

The rooster slid his credit card to the vendor to pay, which was quite generous, in Oikawa's opinion, and the two of them gathered up their treasure from the white counter.

"Anyways, do wyou shink he is? Lwoosing interwest, I mean," Kuroo mumbled out from the bag of chocolate held between his teeth.

Oikawa adjusted the popcorn in his hands, "oh, you big lug. Of course not! Omegas...just provide a different kind of comfort for each other. It's a kind of comfort that can't really be given by Alphas either. It's not like we need it all the time, though." He paused to gather his thoughts, trying to find the best way to explain. "Think of it this way. You leave Kenma to go to volleyball practice right? Being around your Alpha friends is important to you, helps you get out aggression?"

"Mmm…"

"Then, Kenma occasionally nesting with the Omegas is essentially the same thing. Just swap aggression with...stress or anxiety."

"Do wyou shink that wyou will nwest with the Omegas swometimes after ywou mate ith-" Kuroo began but abruptly stopped his train of thought to unleash a vicious snarl at a pair of imposing Alphas on his right. "Fuck oph, we are twing to have-"

"Can't even understand you buddy," one of them interjected with a cheeky smirk. "Why don't you let that sexy Omega do the talking? I think that would suit us all."

"Oh, I bet you'd like that wouldn't you~~" Oikawa ventured as he adjusted the popcorn in his arms and grabbed the bag of chocolates from the rooster's teeth.

"Much appreciated," Kuroo thanked him with a nod before turning his attention back to the pair of Alphas. "Fuck off. Can't you see that we're in the middle of a conversation? Don't be fucking rude."

"Hey, baby," the loud mouthed Alpha called to Oikawa, ignoring Kuroo's well-worded threat. "Why don't you come and converse with me instead?"

"I. Said." The rooster snarled again, this time releasing a dominant scent that nearly bowled Oikawa over. "Fuck. Off."

When the rooster took a menacing step towards them, the two lesser Alphas let out a few throaty whimpers and scurried away. While Oikawa was grateful for Kuroo's protection, he was also unused to it. Ordinarily, protection at that kind of level only came from familial Alphas, or from a mate. However, Kuroo was neither, and yet he was still more than willing to throw himself into harm's way on Oikawa's behalf. It was...unusual, and...nice. Perhaps, it was to be expected from an Alpha who had been mated since he was eighteen. Kenma had definitely found a good egg.

"Where were we?" Kuroo questioned, turning his attention back to Oikawa. "Oh, right. Do you think that you will still nest with the Omegas sometimes too? I mean, after you mate with Hajime?

Oikawa burst out laughing from the remark, a genuine gut-busting laugh. "I didn't know that our mating plan had become common knowledge!"

"Oh, sorry. I didn't mean-"

"Don't worry, Mr. Rooster. I'm just giving you a hard time~~ I know you can smell the difference," Oikawa sang in reply, prompting the Alpha to flush red. "Of course I'll still nest with the Omegas, when the occasion calls for it! They're my family, I love them. Plus...some of them will still need me."

'I see. So, I guess I'm worrying for nothing then, eh?" Kuroo said with a tentative smirk, "Kenma had been in a better mood recently, and I probably have that to thank."

"You definitely do," Oikawa responded with a singsong laugh. "Now my turn for an embarrassing question. And trust me, mine's way worse than yours."

"Shoot."

"Were you able to...handle Kenma's heat? Like, didn't you get tired?"

It was a genuine question, Oikawa was more than a little worried that Hajime would become so exhausted with him by the end of their mating that he would regret doing it in the first place. Four days was a long time to be in need of constant fucking, twice as long as a usual Omega heat. The thought of Hajime becoming sick of him had wracked him with a fear that was so intense, it had kept him up at night all week.

This time, it was Kuroo's turn to laugh, "what? Are you afraid that Hajime will get sick of you or something?"

"Are you psychic?!" Oikawa half-chirped back, astonished with the Alpha's bang on response. Was he that easy to see through?

"Listen, I can smell Hajime's feelings for you, and trust me, that boy is not going to tire from a few days of fucking. Firstly, I don't think he can get tired of fucking. Second, I've never seen him so disinterested in other Omegas before. It's like...he doesn't even notice them now that he's met you. So, I really wouldn't worry about it," Kuroo stated matter-of-factly and Oikawa couldn't deny that the words had a great, positive effect on his sanity.

"I guess-"

"If it makes you feel any better, I get reeeeally excited whenever Kenma's heat comes around, but don't tell him I said that."

"How long does his heat normally last?"

"The usual two days or so."

"Okay, see mine lasts around four…sometimes more. It's been a long time since I've skipped my prevention injector."

"FOUR?!" Kuroo shouted out, nearly dropping the large tray of drinks in his hands. "Jesus christ, Oikawa. Is that normal?"

"No, and now you see where my fear comes from~~"

"Oikawa, shut the fuck up. If Kenma's heat lasted for four days, I would be over the moon. Hajime is in for a real treat. I'm almost jeal-" Kuroo scoffed, but caught himself mid-sentence. "Not jealous like that, I love Kenma. Shit, don't get the wrong idea."

Oikawa looked up at the Alpha and, seeing the fear in his eyes, granted him a cheeky smile. "Oh don't worry, Kuroo. Your secret is safe with me~~"

"Oikawaaaa~~"

"Shhh, your secret is safe with me!"

Chapter Eleven: A Match Made in Heaven

Suga~

"Kurrrrooooo, you forgot my licorice," Suga heard Kenma softly whine from behind him.

"Aw, shit...I guess I can go back and get some, but you're coming with me! And no video game!" The rooster Alpha replied with a feigned apology, before gingerly grabbing the small boy by the front of his red shirt and shuffling him towards the edge of their section.

"Stop! I'm on the last level, you're going to make me mess up!" Kenma complained under his breath as Kuroo stole his handheld machine away, holding up out of his mate's reach.

"You're on that thing all the time. I'm sure it's not gonna kill ya to join your loving Alpha on a stroll…." the rooster quipped back, his voice fading off as the pair rounded the corner of the stairwell.

Suga smiled to himself, admiring the sweet relationship. The pair had been together for over five years...would he and Daichi be like that, too? He was still unsure if he wanted to mate with the brunette man, he was too internally conflicted. Daichi was immensely caring, self-sacrificing, and logically in control of his instincts- everything Suga had dreamed for as a child. However, as he grew older, reality had set in and his romantic experiences with Alphas had made him...wary. Perhaps, unfairly so to Daichi.

"Whatcha thinking about, sugar momma?" Oikawa sang into his ear, startling him from his perplexing thoughts.

"Oh...nothing of importance!" He smiled back in a halfhearted attempt to hide his emotions, but he knew that his perceptive Omega friend had already seen through his facade.

"You're the worst at lying," Keiji chimed in, much to his surprise, from the seat in front of him.

"See! Even Keiji knows that you're hiding something!" Oikawa challenged, giving the boy a playful smack on the back.

"Gross!" Keiji drawled, reaching over his shoulder to brush off the back of his light navy shirt. "Oikawa, you got your buttery hands on my clothes. You're such an asshole."

"Don't change the subject, Keiji! Or Suga will get away!" Oikawa half-yelled into the air. "So, what's the problem? You're abnormally pensive, where is the Mr. refreshing we all know and love~~"

Yup, Suga thought to himself with indignation, he wasn't getting away with it.

"I was thinking about mating and...stuff," he said quietly, wanting the conversation to stay between the three of them.

"Oh," the chestnut Omega replied, lightly bumping him against the shoulder. "Have you had the talk with Daichi or something?"

"Sort of...I know he wants to. Mate, I mean. He's made it pretty clear, but I'm not sure if...I do. It's only been a few weeks! The whole thing is just ridiculous."

It was the absolute truth, Suga wasn't sure, and he was feeling increasingly pressured to make a decision that he didn't have any desire to make at all. However, he knew that owed Daichi something- at the very least, he owed the Alpha an explanation.

"I dunno, I'd take your time with it. He'll wait, he's a good guy," Keiji said quietly without turning around.

Suga nearly choked on his popcorn at the honest statement. A good guy? Keiji...saying something positive...about an Alpha? What on earth had gotten into him?

"Hey," the blue-eyed Omega continued, "not to change the subject, but what do you guys think about...uh...number four?"

No, please change the subject, Suga thought to himself with a smirk. He didn't want to discuss Daichi any longer. Leaning forward to eye down the court, he matched Oikawa's movements to locate the jersey number in question while Keiji remained in place, sipping loudly on his cranberry juice, awaiting a response.

"You mean, the one that looks like an owl?" Oikawa asked, leaning back in his seat with a knowing smirk.

"Yeah…" Keiji droned back, clearly feigning his disinterest.

"You mean, the one that helped you out on Monday? With those Alphas?"

"Yes."

"You mean, the one who you've smelled like, all week?

"Oikawa, shut up."

"I'm just saying~~"

"You and Bokuto have been spending a lot of time together lately. What's that about?" Suga chimed in, pushing the conversation further. He already knew the answer, but he wanted to make his nestmate divulge the information of his own accord.

"Yeah, what have you been up to, you cheeky bastard," Oikawa sang out, leaning forward to sniff the air around Keiji's head. "Even now, you smell like him."

Keiji slowly craned his neck back, eyeing Oikawa with angry, ice coloured eyes. "Nothing," he stated before leaning forward to rest his arms against the railing in front of him. "He's just been annoying me all week."

Suga casually smacked Oikawa on the the bicep, and the two of them shared a knowing smirk- they were both ready and eager to interrogate their friend.

Oikawa~

Oikawa wanted to grab Keiji and shake the secrets out of him and he was keenly aware that the Omega was eyeing Bokuto's form on the court below, even if he was pretending not to.

"You don't sound annoyed about Bokuto~~" He finally chirped, glancing over to Suga, who raised an eyebrow in understanding- there was definitely more going on than Keiji was willing to share.

"Do you ever shut up?" The short haired Omega droned back without breaking his gaze from the figures, warming up below.

"I-" Oikawa started to respond, but was cut short by an elbow jab in his lower rib. He glanced over to the silver Omega at his side, lips pursed in pain, and with a mere moment of eye contact, he knew Suga's intentions. The matriarch wanted to keep the conversation on track, and Oikawa had nearly fallen for Keiji's provocation. It always was the snarky boy's first line of defense- avoidance.

Suga gave him a knowing look, then directed himself to Keiji, "so, what do you like about Bokuto?"

"I never said I-"

"Okay, but if you were to like something. What would it be?"

Keiji rose from his seat, turned his back on the court, and leaned against the railing behind him. Classic Keiji moves, Oikawa thought to himself with a smirk, doing everything in his power to showcase his disinterest.

"That's essentially the same question," the blue eyed Omega retorted back with a shrug and shoved his hands into the pockets of his black jeans.

"Oh, can't we all just pretend that everything is hypothetical, even though it's not~~" Oikawa challenged back, he always enjoyed the instances when he and Suga got to gang up on the emotionless Keiji. They would peel back his layers like an onion, even if it took all night.

As if sensing their resolve, Keiji granted them with a bit of information. "Fine. Fine! I dunno, he's just been pestering me...and then I sort of, forgot that he was a pest, for a while."

Not even close to enough! Oikawa pushed on for more, "you forgot he was a pest, or he isn't a pest?"

Keiji rolled his eyes and met his gaze, ready to enter a silent argument- albeit, with the sound of volleyball impacts ringing throughout the air around them. Non-verbal debates had always been a common occurrence between the two of them, and they normally saw Oikawa as the victor.

Keiji raised an eyebrow, his steel blue eyes saying something along the lines of, 'you're really going to make me do this? I'm not going to cave.' Oikawa stifled a laugh, which came out as an unattractive snort, and tilted his head knowingly to the side as if to say, 'oh, really? You know that I won't stop until I get the truth out of you.'

After a few more moments, in which Suga watched the exchange with great interest, Keiji averted his gaze, sighed heavily, and shook his dark head.

"I've stopped thinking about him as a pest. At first, his little charade of 'accidentally running into me' was annoying but, I don't know. Yesterday, we were walking home and I...sort of found that I was...accustomed to his presence."

"Ah, annoyance changed to love~~ How very Keiji of you," Oikawa proclaimed loudly into the air and Keiji flinched back at declaration- just the reaction he was looking for, he loved annoying the blue eyed Omega. Loooooved it.

"Oikawa, shut the fuck up. It's not love. You're insane," Keiji grumbled before turning his small, muscular form around to view the volleyball court once more- no doubt looking for Bokuto.

"Well, maybe it isn't love," Suga suggested, giving Oikawa a very painful, that's enough, jab in the kidney. "But, you're clearly feeling something?"

"I guess."

Oikawa watched as his silver friend hopped over the row of bleachers ahead of him and leaned forward against the railing beside Keiji. He knew that his role in the conversation was over, his specialty was pulling out the confession, not reconciling it with feelings.

That was all Suga.

Keiji~

Although Keiji was irritated that Oikawa had pushed him to confess things that he didn't even want to confess to himself, he was still grateful that his two friends had enough care for him to ask. He could feel Suga's calming presence radiating over him- his silver friend's scent was the most influential Omega fragrance that he had ever come across. While it was significantly lighter this time, Suga was keeping it reigned because of the Alpha packed venue, it was still incredibly effective. Keiji took a deep breath and allowed himself to relax into it.

"I mean, I guess I'm feeling something," he stated in almost a whisper without breaking his gaze from the orange court below...from Bokuto.

What was he feeling? Admittedly, there were a few times when the desire to mate with the owl Alpha had crossed his mind. If anyone could relate to what he was feeling, he knew it was Suga. Both of them wanted independence, strived for it more than anything else, and, one more than one occasion, the pair had discussed their revulsion of mating. Yet, here they both stood, instinctively interested in Alphas that they hardly knew.

Keiji rolled his head back to glance up at the high ceiling of the athletic center, then raked his gaze over to Suga. When he was greeted with warm, chocolate eyes of understanding, he conceded. It was too late to try and retract everything he had already said- the only way to go now, was forward.

"What do you feel like when you're around Daichi?" He asked softly, knowing that Suga would answer honestly, unlike some other cheeky bastard...Oikawa.

Suga turned his body to face Keiji, gingerly leaning his side on the metal railing.

"Well, I feel refreshed," the silver boy answered with a sweet smile. "Like the incredible weight of being an Omega is just...lifted off of my shoulders."

"Like the weight of being an Omega is lifted…" Keiji repeated, trailing off into self-reflection.

"Yeah, I guess I feel...safe. I feel like the flock is safer with his help, too. He's...truly an incredible man. Someone who cares deeply for those he loves. It doesn't matter to him if they're an Alpha or Omega. He just...seems to see them all as...people."

A small smile flashed across Keiji's lips at the honest words. It felt like Suga was explaining it to himself as much as he was to Keiji. Perhaps, coming to his own, personal realization.

He glanced down at Bokuto's form once more- the Alpha was incredibly fit, there was no denying that, but it was his personality that had embedded into the recesses of Keiji's mind. Yes, Bokuto was incredibly weak against criticism, but it was a vulnerability that he has never really seen in an Alpha before. Moreover, he possessed a bizarre breed of charisma that made everyone, even those who didn't like him, want to cheer him on. It made people want to be his friend- a temperament that provoked a desire within Keiji that called out for the owl's friendship and, maybe, even something more.

Yachi~

"Yachi, look! They're finally starting!" Shoyo shouted much too close to her ear, causing her to flinch back from the loudness of his voice.

Although his energy overwhelming, being around him made her feel like she had been left out in the hot sun for hours on end, she loved his personal drive- it was unending. He was magnetic, exceptional at making friends, and excited about almost everything. Indeed, he was the first of the yellow house Omegas that Yachi had become friends with and it was because of him that she was able meet, and eventually join, such a wonderful and caring flock. For that, she would always be eternally grateful.

"Yachiiiiiiiii, we get the first serve! Look at Tobio! He looks so scary, like a saber-tooth tiger! I wouldn't want to play against him…" The ginger cried, his teeth chattering with genuine fear.

"Doesn't he always look like that?" Yachi questioned back, she didn't have much experience with the black haired Alpha, but she had learned very early on this his resting face was perpetually stern.

"Yeah man, I've never seen him smile. Not even smirk!" Nishinoya chimed in from behind her, placing his arms around the shoulders of Tanaka and Shoyo, seated in the row ahead of him.

"Yeah, he always looks like that. So angry and pensive~" Tanaka called to her over Shoyo's form, seated between them.

Yachi liked Tanaka. His natural scent was initially overwhelming for her, unlike the other Alphas, he always exuded it at full-force. However, over the past week, she had grown used to it- something that was incredibly easy once she had come to the realization that he was almost as big of a softy as Asahi.

"He's always so grumpy. Sometimes, I hate that Daichi made him my 'going out' partner..." Shoyo announced, crossing his small arms over his pale orange shirt in a pout.

"You've only been living with him for three weeks!" Tanaka chirped, poking the ginger playfully in the side. "I've know the guy since high school and I'm pretty sure that I've only seen him smile like….once."

"It would probably crack his face or something…" Yachi added quietly, accidentally verbalizing her thoughts.

The three boys next to her burst into a blubbering pile of laughter at her harsh, yet truthful statement.

"YACHI!" Tanaka cried out, leaning over Shoyo's shaking form and wiping a tear from his eye. "What a chirp! What a gal!"

"WHAT A BURN!" Nishinoya declared into the air, vigorously patting Tanaka on the back in agreement.

Yachi blushed a dark crimson, "oh-oh god. Please don't tell him I said that. I didn't mean to say it out loud!" She pleaded, the thought had taken a mind of its own and escaped out of her lips!

"Don't worry, kid. We'll tell everybody, but him," Tanaka replied with a hearty snicker and a wink.

"So...what's...who's playing what out there. On the court?" Yachi stuttered out, still flustered from her previous remark, desiring nothing more than to change the subject. "Um, w-what position is...uh...Daichi playing?"

"Why is Daichi the libero? I didn't peg him as a defensive specialist," Nishinoya answered her question while posing his own to Tanaka.

The bald Alpha leaned back against his seat and crossed his muscular arms over his chest. "Yeah, our libero graduated this year and Daichi's always been good at receives, so Coach Ukai moved him to fill the position."

"If the University allowed Omegas on the team, I can guarantee that I would be a better libero than he could ever be!" Nishinoya proclaimed, half pouting in his seat.

Yachi watched Daichi make a great receive, at least by her standards, from a serve that looked like it would break her arms off. She visibly shuddered, were there ambulances on call? A doctor? The volleyball was flying across the court at such an immense speed that she was certain someone was going to get knocked out.

"Well, that last dig wasn't too bad. I guess…" Nishinoya begrudgingly added, perking up in his seat to watch the game more intently.

When Tanaka shot to his feet to yell down at the court, "NICE KILL, BOKUTO," Yachi nearly jumped out of her seat and crumbled to the floor from the startling volume.

"Hey,Tanaka. What position does Bokuto play?" Shoyo asked without taking his shining eyes off the court.

Tanaka sat back down, reached under his chair, and pulled out his bucket of popcorn. Popping a few kernels into his mouth he replied, "left wing spiker. He's our main point scorer...when he's not being a drama queen."

"Yeah, he's definitely got the build of an ace," Nishinoya chimed in agreement, nodding his head.

"Hajime and I play right wing spiker. Asahi and Tsukishima are our middle blockers, and Kuroo too, when he's not out of rotation. They're the tallest on our team, so they do most of the blocking for us."

As if to convey Tanaka's description, Yachi watched as Asahi jumped up to block against an opposing spiker, killing the attack for a point. She visibly shuddered again and ignored her urge to shout 'call a medic!'

"Nice kill. Nice kill." Tanaka said to himself and nodded, shoving another handful of popcorn into his face. "Tobio is our setter," he continued, mumbling through his full mouth, "I haaaate to say it but, he's a talented kid. A fucking prodigy of a setter. He's one of the reasons we've been doing so well this year."

Yachi could feel Shoyo literally vibrating in the seat next to her, admiration seeping off of him in droves. "Shoyo, your smell…" She whispered, hyper aware of the fact that his fragrance could attract unwanted Alphas.

"Oh, right!" The ginger Omega responded softy, reigning in his scent. "Sorry, Yachi. Good catch."

"Wow...look at that serve. It looks like it is floating…" Yamaguchi whispered, startling her from behind. She had forgotten that the freckled boy was even there! He had been so quiet the entire time, although, she knew that it was his way. Observe and reflect was his bread and butter.

"Yeah, that's a float serve," Tanaka called over his shoulder. "I could show you how to do it tonight in the yard, if you want."

"Really?" Yamaguchi exclaimed, eyes glistening with interest.

"For sure, man! It's really hard, though. Takes a lot of practise."

Yachi knew that Yamaguchi didn't care about any of that, he would practice until his hands bled if it meant perfection. She intently listened on as Tanaka perked up from Yamaguchi's interest, exploding into monologue about the about the different the types of serves and the rules of volleyball. Once she was satisfied with his description of the team, she tuned his chatter out and watched on with renewed interest. As the second set began, a new player stepped onto the court, one that she didn't recognize by either scent nor looks.

"Who's that blonde guy?" She softly asked Tanaka, who was obscenely yelling over the railing at the court below.

"The one in the back row? That's Yuji. He's fucking hilarious, never takes practice seriously which drives Daichi nuts!"

It was abundantly clear to Yachi that the bald Alpha liked it when their team captain was annoyed. He probably likes Yuji because he gets in trouble with Daichi as much as he does, she thought to herself and a small smile skittered across her pale face.

"He's got a pretty heavy spike too, for someone so lean. But, his specialty is keeping the ball up. It doesn't matter what body part he uses to do it either. It's pretty impressive. That's why he's out there this set…" Tanaka paused, leaning over the railing to yell down at the court once more. "BECAUSE WE LOST THE FIRST SET!"

Yachi giggled at the Tanaka's frustration, shocking herself in the process. She was...actually comfortable enough to laugh at an irritated Alpha. She let out a silent giggle, then raked her eyes back over the court, landing on Yuji's athletic form once more. She was intrigued with him, and she wasn't sure why- something about the blonde Alpha's scent was...nice. Unlike the other boy's on the court, she could pick out his fragrance in an instant, it didn't blend in like the others. She continued to watch him with growing interest, through the second set and into the third. Tanaka had explained to her that they needed to take this set to win the game and as the points drew closer to twenty five, Yachi found herself biting her nails in anticipation. Two points away, one point away, deuce. DEUCE?

"It means that neither team can win until they score two points ahead," Tanaka said through gnashed teeth, as if he had heard her private thoughts. The tone of his voice had lost all signs of humor, it was almost threatening. Yachi didn't mind, she could tell that it wasn't directed at her, but instead at the closeness of the game.

However, the atmosphere around the court did frighten her. She hated the new, heavy smell of the air. It was somber, and laced with an aggressive intensity that was truly stifling. As she moved her hand to cover her nose, a single scent fluttered into her nostrils, catching her by surprise- the blonde Alpha, Yuji. Much like the other boy's on the court, he smelled determined, but his fragrance still retained a light sort of humor that she found immensely appealing. It was as if he didn't feel the pressure of the game at all. In an instant, it kicked her emotions into overdrive. Suddenly, she needed their team to triumph over Date Tech. Moving her small hands to her lap, she sent out a silent prayer, hoping for a win.

Yuji~

Yuji knew he needed to get to the ball. Set point. If he got this up, they would have a chance to attack and win. Too far to get with his arms...how could he keep it off the floor? The volleyball was falling so rapidly, Yuji began to think that he would never make it in time when a scent struck him. Roses. As he inhaled it in, he drowned into its calm, yet resolved nature, and the world around him slowed. He noticed that the ball was mere moments from dropping onto the court. Careening his body forward, he drove out his foot to make impact and the ball collided, flying high into the air. It was beautifully received by Tobio and smashed into the opposing court by Bokuto who let out a loud 'HEY, HEY, HEY,' in victory.

Yuji stood stunned for a moment, paralyzed by the unfamiliar, comforting fragrance. As his Alpha teammates gathered around him, cheering over their win, he followed the disappearing scent with his nose- high up in the bleachers, a small, blonde girl sat, timidly smiling down at him.

Yachi~

"WE WON! WE BEAT DATE TECH YEAAAAH!" Tanaka shouted into the air, punching it with a closed fist.

This time, Yachi didn't flinch away, she was as exhilarated as the cheering crowd around her.

"I can't believe he hit it with his foot!" Nishinoya cried, jumping onto Tanaka's back while whooping out shouts of victory.

"One step closer to the University Playoffs!" Kuroo called out, vaulting over two rows of bleachers to embrace a cheering Oikawa and irritated Keiji. Even Kenma, perched on the rooster's back, was smiling. "We're having a party tonight, I've decided. I need some celebratory shenanigans!" The rooster continued in a joyous tone, pointing a finger in Suga's direction.

"YES~~" Oikawa yelled, throwing his hands up in the air, nearly smacking Keiji across the face.

"We certainly could use something to celebrate!" Suga chimed in with a toothy grin.

"Party, party, party~~ Party, party, party~~" Shoyo, Tanaka, and Nishinoya chanted, dancing in unison.

Even the normally quietly anxious Yamaguchi, looked excited for the night's events and Yachi found that she too, was looking forward to it.

Chapter Twelve: The Party

Suga~

It took some convincing, but Suga and Kuroo had finally managed to get Daichi to agree to a party...under certain terms. Only the volleyball team and the yellow house Omegas were allowed to attend and, as per usual, none of the flock could leave the house without an Alpha. This time, Suga felt that Daichi's protectiveness was...reasonable. He knew full well that the more his nestmates had to drink, the worse their scent suppression abilities would become. Daichi had also forced Kuroo into the role of the 'party mom,' much to the rooster's dismay, but Suga couldn't complain. In fact, he felt better knowing that there would be an Alpha around to police things.

Half of the Alpha's had gone to the liquor store and the remaining had made their way to gather up Yuji and Bokuto, and a beer pong table from their Alpha residence. While the Omegas remained in the house waiting for their return, Suga had sprung them all into action- he had come across a box of decorations earlier in the week while he was cleaning and the Omega's had decided to do a bit of surprise decorating.

"Raise those higher, Suga~~" Oikawa called out from his position in the dining room.

"It's not exactly easy, Oikawa…" Suga yelled back after steadying himself on his step ladder. "Wait, you have barely done any of your section!"

"I'm just a perfectionist, okay! I like to take my time~~" The chestnut haired Omega retorted back, stretching up from his standing position on the dining room table to string a set of lights around the archway to the kitchen. "At least I'm done with my set of paper flower decorations!"

"Suga, why don't you let me do that. I'm taller," Yamaguchi offered from his position, holding the step ladder in place.

"No, no. I'm almost finished! Just a few more rows…" Suga replied, sticking out his pink tongue in concentration as he balanced on the top step and positioned his white string of lights across the ceiling.

"Shoyoooooooo, Noyaaaaaaaa, how's the backyard coming?" Oikawa called out the open back door as he leaned forward to hook a row of decorations in place.

"Good! We're almost done!"

"No we aren't, Shoyo. Stop flinging that around and give me it. Nishinoya, for christs sakes, that's upside down."

Suga chuckled at the voices echoing from the backyard and pinned a few strings of lights to the ceiling. He knew that the back would be fine because Keiji was overseeing the other two, less productive, Omegas. He was also certain that the the front porch decorations would be done on time, seeing as Yachi had taken the liberty of volunteering for the job. She was both creative and prompt in her work- her Omega mother had a great interest in artwork. Suga was beyond thrilled that Yachi was excited to partake in the festivities...he just hoped that things wouldn't become too overwhelming for her. She had made so much progress.

"DONE!" Oikawa cried, hopping down from the dining room table to strike a pose."See, I told you that I would beat you sugar momma~~"

"Shotty job, Oikawa," Keiji drawled out as he waltzed through the back door with the bouncing figures of Shoyo and Nishinoya hot on his tail.

"How cruel!"

"Yeah, cause you did a shotty job."

"Keijiiii," Suga called out, interrupting his nestmates from their bickering. "Could you help out Yachi on the front porch? I think the guys will be back soon."

"Too late! I'm already done!" Yachi exclaimed with a squeak as she walked through the oaken front door. Suga watched as she kicked off her pink converse on the front mat and let out a sigh of relief from her job well done. His heart swelled to immeasurable lengths when her calm, joyous scent washed over him- she was healing and he loved every second of it.

Daichi~

Daichi and the Alphas walked towards their yellow home, bantering about their beer pong teams and who could drink the most. Dusk was rapidly descending upon the neighborhood, basking the environment deep, orange hues. When he noticed the pink lights wrapped carefully around the banisters of the porch, he knew that the Suga had led the Omegas on a surprise decoration of the home.

Tanaka stopped short of the front door to read the banner hanging above, "fly to win!"

"Where did they even get that paint from?" Kuroo questioned as he adjusted a brown bag of liquor in his arms and glanced up at the painted blue words.

"Full of surprises, as usual!" Asahi chimed in with a beaming smile as he poked at the pink lights on the railings. "Ten bucks says that Yachi chose this colour."

"You're only saying that 'cause she's the only girl in the house!" Tanaka chirped back, jabbing the bunned giant playfully in the ribs.

"No! Her aura is pink!"

"Her aura? You read auras now?" Hajime drawled, skeptically rolling his dark eyes.

"Can we pleeeeeeease go into the house and start drinking now? Jesus, we just beat Date Tech!" Bokuto whined, jumping from foot to foot in anticipation.

The Alphas piled into the yellow house one by one and upon entering, Daichi was momentarily stunned in place. The entire living room roof housed strings of white lights that made the room look like a shimmering planetarium. He glanced over to the dining room and admired the crown molding, now fitted with cherry blossom papers. The archway to the kitchen was outlined with light blue twinkling lights, and strings of paper flowers were hanging throughout the room's confines. Even the stair banister had light yellow lights entwined around it, illuminating the normally dark stairwell.

"This is, by far, the best decorations we have ever had for a party," Tanaka said in awe, nodding vigorously in approval. The other Alphas murmured their agreements and Daichi noted that even Tsukishima and Tobio seemed pleased.

"Wooooow," Bokuto called out, grabbing Tanaka playfull by the neck. "Your house is so much cleaner, and smells muuuuch better than the last time we were here!"

"It's just because your house is such a pig sty," Tsukishima lazily chirped back, raising an eyebrow in provocation.

"Why you little-" Yuji quipped with a playful growl and moved forward to tackle the tall, snarky Alpha will ease.

"OI!" Daichi bellowed out, interrupting the lighthearted brawl. "Stop fighting so we can get this party started!"

When Daichi smelled Suga's presence, he polished off his beer and followed the scent to the entryway. As the Omega descended the stairs, he nearly fell over from a heart attack- the silver boy's scent and appearance were absolutely stunning. He delicately waltzed down the stairs in a white shirt, light blue jean jacket, and black jeans, but it was the confidence he exuded that caught Daichi's breath in his throat.

"You know...normally when people wear that get-up, they look badass, but somehow, you make it look sweet," he said quietly, receiving a playful slap on the shoulder in return.

"Hey, I may not be as fashionable as Oikawa, but I can get it done when the occasion calls for it," Suga replied with a smirk, his tone playfully salty.

All Daichi could do was nod in response. He wanted to simultaneously admire the silver Omega from a far and take his clothes off to fuck him.

"C-can I get you a drink?" Daichi stuttered, shaking away his lewd thoughts. They would have to wait for later...

"Definitely. The last time I had alcohol was at my high school graduation."

"What, really?"

Daichi was shocked. Alcohol was a normal part of his University life and he couldn't imagine managing his anxiety without it. It helped him to occasionally let loose and forget the stresses of school. How did the Omegas manage without it?

"Well, there aren't exactly a lot of situations where Omegas can drink safely," Suga stated plainly as he adjusted his jacket on his narrow shoulders.

"Oh...right," Daichi faltered, finding himself unhappy, yet again, with the living conditions of the Omegas. "Well, let me get you something delicious then!" He finished with a tone of forced happiness, willing himself to ignore his frustrations. Just one night without those unpleasant thoughts, he prayed to the universe, just one.

Daichi turned on his heels and walked towards the living room, passing by a chatty Oikawa and a very amused Hajime who were ganging up on flustered Bokuto. He chuckled under his breath and squeezed past the living room couch to walk into the dining room. The house members had stockpiled the booze on their dark, wooden ottoman against the back wall near the exit to the backyard. As he entered the area, a very eager Shoyo and, much to his surprise, Tobio were playing beer pong against team Asahi and Nishinoya. Daichi sniffed the air, trying to ascertain the emotional status of the housemates- he really did need to learn how to set his captain hat down once in a while.

As he sifted through the fragrances, he realized that Tobio's smelled...animated. His face was plastered with a look that was normally reserved for the volleyball court. Perhaps, Daichi pondered, little Shoyo had something to do with the sullen Alpha's unusually elated mood.

"You moved the cup!" Shoyo yelled out across the plastic table, "I saw you! That's a rethrow for us! Tell them, Tobio!"

"You did! I saw it move," Tobio agreed loudly, pointing aggressively at his opponents. "Give us the damn ball back!"

"We did not!" Asahi whined back as Nishinoya held the ball protectively against his chest, shaking his head.

"REF!" Shoyo cried out to a very serious looking Tanaka, positioned against the wall with his arms crossed against his chest and a beer in hand.

"Cup was moved! Give the ball back, Nishinoya."

Nishinoya ground his teeth and rolled the ball back across the table. "Aw, C'MON REF!" He complained, throwing his head back in a dramatic fashion.

"As I have written, so shall it be done," Tanaka angelically replied, placing his hands out before him in prayer.

Daichi smiled at the affair and continued watching the amusing game for a few minutes before continuing on his original quest towards the makeshift bar. His eyes grazed over the present liquor, taking in the stock. It was dwindling...fast. However, there was enough for him to whip up a classic margarita. A recipe he had learned from his Alpha mother, a very avid drinker herself. Once he was satisfied with his concoction, he poured it into a water glass- they were broke University students after all, they didn't have money to blow on expensive glassware. It's the taste the counts, not the presentation, he told himself as he waltzed back over to his beautiful Omega.

Bokuto~

Bokuto was drinking a large glass of light beer by the blue living room couch, watching an exchange between Hajime and an absolutely stunning, slender Omega. His curiosity peaked the moment he realized that chestnut haired boy was the source of the unusual scent that had been on Hajime for the entire week. He couldn't help but have a vested interest in the affair, he wanted to know more about the yellow house Omegas- especially Keiji.

"What are you drinking?" Hajime asked, slight hints of worry lacing their way into his words. "Because you've had three already."

"Tequila sunrise~~" the Omega replied with a cheeky smirk before taking a small sip of his orange drink.

"Slow down turbo, you're going to get ahead of yourself," Hajime lectured, receiving a...somehow beautiful...frown in return.

If looks could kill, Bokuto thought to himself. Out of all the Omegas he had seen in the yellow house, this one was definitely one of the most aesthetically pleasing. The silver haired one, Suga, came in a close second- but for some reason, neither their scents nor their looks were enough to match his attraction to Keiji.

"What? Are you afraid that's it's going to lower my 'inhibitions' and we'll have to leave the party early? I figured you would like that."

After seeing the chestnut Omegas looks and his snarky attitude in action, Bokuto was certain that the boy had everything he needed in his arsenal to domesticate Hajime. His Alpha friend was oozing a desire to mate, something that the owl had never thought possible of his snarky teammate. Hajime had always been the most wild of their group- especially when it came to fucking Omegas on their weekends out. Come to think of it...had Hajime slept with anyone during their night out the week before? Bokuto wasn't so sure anymore.

"What do you mean lower your inhibitions," Hajime questioned, his brows furrowed in confusion. "You'll get sloppy?"

He was so blind to the conversation, Bokuto had to intervene to poke a bit of fun at his friend's idiocy. How could he not?

"Hajime," he barked, taking a swig of his beer as he strode over to the pair. "It's fucking common knowledge that alcohol makes Omegas horny."

"Right," the chestnut Omega asserted, jerking a thumb in his direction. "What the owl haired one said."

Hajime paused for a moment, eyes darting between Bokuto and his own date, before a knowing smirk flickered across his face. "Okay, yeah, drink more then. You want another one? I'll go get one if you want?"

If Hajime's shift in personality wasn't abundantly clear to Bokuto before, it certainly was now. Sure, his teammate definitely still retained his sex-drive, but the guy seemed...happier. Suddenly, he only had eyes for the slender Omega at his side and the owl could tell that the feeling was definitely mutual.

Did he want this kind of relationship with Keiji? Could he have this kind of relationship with Keiji?

"Oh relax," the chestnut Omega drawled, bumping Hajime on the shoulder. "I was going to sleep with you tonight anyways. AND, if I wasn't, no amount of liquor would have changed that."

Bokuto burst out laughing at the perfectly snappy remark. What kind of Omega was this guy? He mentally pulled out his previous conversation with Tanaka and Hajime at the bar- the pair had said something about a mouthy Omega...what was his name? ...Oikawa! Man, Bokuto thought with a chuckle, mouthy didn't even cover it. He had never heard an Omega chastise an Alpha so readily before, and he knew that it has nothing to do with their relationship status. There was no doubt in his mind that the chestnut boy was mouthy with everyone, regardless of status. It was almost as if he was an Alpha- an Alpha with excellent taste in clothing.

"Wow," he exclaimed, directing himself to Oikawa. "How the fuck did you make a turquoise shirt and grey sweatpants look so fashionable?" He finished with wide, yellow eyes-he was never one to sit on a compliment.

When Hajime let out a low, territorial growl in response to his remark, Bokuto began to take a step back, but found himself stalled in place by a delicate hand on his shoulder.

"Hajime," Oikawa said saltily, patting the owl reassuringly. "Learn the difference between a flirtatious remark and a compliment."

He loved this kid! The snarky Omega liked to see Hajime squirm just as much as he did.

"Yeah, Hajime," he saucily added. "Learn the difference."

"Hey, wait a minute..." Oikawa started, turning to face him with questioning, brown eyes. "You're that Alpha that's been sneaking around with Keiji!" He declared loudly with a toothy grin, pointing a finger into Bokuto's surprised face.

Oh, shit. He was hoping he could keep his little...experiment with Keiji a secret. At least, until he could figure out what the fuck was going on with his flared up instincts and irritating feelings.

"Oh, reaaaaaaally," Hajime drawled, overly happy to jump onto the interrogate Bokuto train. "Please, tell me more, Oikawa."

"Yeah! haven't you smelled him on our Omega love child?"

"Come to think of it….I have. What have you been doing, Bokuto?"

"Eyeing our precious Keiji~~"

"Sneaking around with an Omega~~"

"Definitely sneaking!"

"Like some Omega burglar~"

"Holy shit," Bokuto exclaimed, throwing his hands up dramatically into the air. "Are you guys mated already? Jesus christ. You sound like a married couple...or a creepy pair of twins. I want to punch you both in the face."

"How rude~~" Oikawa exclaimed, placing a delicate hand over his heart, feigning hurt feelings.

"Oikawa, don't mind, don't mind. He's just projecting to protect his self image," Hajime said, flashing a knowing smirk at the owl Alpha. "I'm the one who taught him that particular technique."

"You know who else does that?" Oikawa elaborated, taking a small sip of his orange drink. "Keiji!"

"Wow," Hajime cackled, nearly spilling his amber beer on the hardwood. "A perfect match!"

Bokuto rolled his eyes and internally shook away his irritation- he did not like the route the conversation had taken and he could feel a pout setting in. As if sensing his souring mood, Hajime gave him a playful 'get out of your funk' shove.

"Why don't you just talk to him?"

It wasn't like Bokuto didn't want to talk to Keiji. He had dreamt about the icy Omega all week and, more than once, he had felt a creeping feeling of emptiness twist inside his gut. It was a feeling that he had begun to associate with the absence of Keiji's scent. He hated that he lost all measures of his confidence when it came to the boy, he had never had trouble talking to people before, especially Omegas, but something about Keiji made him very nervous- so nervous that he felt as if he was going to throw up. And...it was only getting worse.

"Does he make you nervous or something?" Hajime pushed on and Bokuto looked down as his glass of beer, giving away his feelings.

"Oh, don't worry!" Oikawa sang, giving him another friendly pat on the back. "You're not alone in that!"

Bokuto was glad for the chestnut Omega's tranquil scent, it was almost as mild as Keiji's. However, he still wished that it smelled of cold metal instead of the ocean.

"He even makes me nervous with his serious face and nonchalant attitude!" Oikawa continued with a sing song laugh that visibly melting Hajime.

"Iffffff….if you…." Hajime faltered, clearing his throat in an attempt to regain the loss of sanity his Omega had caused. "If you would just talk to him, this would all be sorted out by now."

Oikawa gave his Alpha a skeptical look that could cut through platinum, "oh really? And how long did it take for you to confess your feelings for me~~"

At least he wasn't the only Alpha around here who found himself stumped when it came to the yellow house Omegas, Bokuto thought with a not-so-subtle snicker.

"Shut up, Oikawa. You didn't say anything either," Hajime huffed back, tearing his gaze away as he took another sip of his dwindling beer.

"It's the Alpha's job to ask the Omega out~~" Oikawa rattled off flirtatiously, jumping onto Hajime's unsuspecting form.

"You're buying into a stereotype! You're so two-faced, you always give me shit for treating you like an Omega!" Hajime retorted, palming Oikawa playfully in the face.

"This is true~~" The chestnut boy replied, kissing him sweetly on the cheek. "Bokuto, why don't you talk to Daichi or Kuroo about this? They're more sensitive about this kinda stuff than this lug."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Bokuto said quietly, losing himself to his thoughts.

Daichi would never give him shit for his complicated feelings, that's just not how the captain was. Plus, Kuroo had the longest standing relationship out of their group. Maybe it would be a good idea to talk to them.

"Hey, even Hajime went to Daichi for advice about me!" Oikawa chimed in once more, making up Bokuto's mind for him. He would try to gather up the courage to talk to Keiji of his own accord, and if that failed, he would get some recon from his two Alpha teammates.

"OIKAWA! DO YOU EVER CLOSE YOUR MOUTH!" Hajime yelled, grabbing his Omega by the shirt and shaking him none too playfully.

"You know that I don't~~" Oikawa chirped back, his limp form flopping around in Hajime's grip.

Bokuto burst out laughing at their affair...the chestnut boy definitely brought the best out of his Alpha friend. He wanted something like that too.

Chapter Thirteen: Yellow Energy

Yachi~

Yachi stood on the front porch, sipping her wine and enjoying the evening breeze. On her left, Yamaguchi sat beside a disinterested looking Tsukishima. However, she knew that Tsuki was actually paying ample attention to the freckled hair boy, even if it it didn't seem like it at first glance. Out of all the Alphas in the yellow house, the tall, blonde boy had been the one she had warmed up to the most. As she was acclimating to the environment outside of the nest room, his mild fragrance was the easiest for her to be around. While he was almost always impassive, she had learned very quickly that it was just a cover- he had a very pure heart...a heart that was growing more and more interested in Yamaguchi with each passing day.

"What are you watching on your phone?" The freckled Omega piped up in question, taking a sip of his punch.

Yachi shuddered, he was brave for drinking that mess, she had steered clear of Tanaka's concoction.

"A volleyball video," Tsukishima drawled without looking up.

Yamaguchi pushed forward, unphased by the Alphas perceived disinterest in him- able to see through the facade just as she could.

"Hey...do you think you could show me how to do that?"

"Show you what?" The blonde boy lazily replied, finally breaking his gaze from his phone to push his glasses up on his slender face.

Yachi sniffed the air, Tsukishima's scent was unusually animated. It didn't matter how subtle his natural fragrance was, she had the best nose in the house- his sly interest in Yamaguchi was not going to slip past her!

"The float serve...it was in that video you were watching," Yamaguchi explained quietly, pointing a slender finger at the small screen in the Alpha's hands. "Tanaka tried to show me how to do it a few hours ago in the backyard...but he's not very good at it..."

"Why do you want to learn it?"

Yachi nearly recoiled at the intensity of Tsukishima's tone. He definitely had used more force than he likely intended, it was something he struggled with- probably because he rarely interacted with people. Yachi giggled to herself, he and Yamaguchi had such a cute, silent attraction for one another.

Yamaguchi paused, momentarily disheartened by Tsuki's intense tone, but soon perked up in resolve.

"Because, I want to learn how to do it."

Tsukishima let out a small puff of air, then turned turned to face the Omega. As the pair met each other's gaze, Yachi's own heart fluttered at their invisible chemistry.

"Fine," he conceded after a few moments, returning his gaze to the device in his hand.

Yamaguchi's scent whirled into the air, sweetening it with his joy as he watched the phone. A small smile flickering across Yachi's lips when he shifted closer to the Alpha to observe the small images on the device. She couldn't help but notice how well their two scents coalesced but, more than that, Tsukishima always seemed to perk up with energy whenever Yamaguchi was around. She softly giggled again, whenever she saw them together, they were never talking, instead they just enjoyed each other's company in comfortable silence. They needed to be together...and there was no way that it was going to happen without an external push. She decided, right then and there, that she was going to hatch a plan to make it happen.

"HEY!" A loud shout burst out into the night air from the entrance to the yellow house, tearing Yachi from her internal plotting.

She was instantly blown back by the powerful scent that accompanied it. Subconsciously backing away from the source of the sound, she felt herself lose her footing, falling backwards towards the porch stairs.

Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no, her thoughts rushed forward as she prepared for impact, but a strong, somewhat lanky, arm landed across her shoulder blades, pushing her back to safety at the edge of the stairs. Letting out a small puff of relief, she glanced over to see that Tsukishima had swiftly moved to catch her from her tumble, dropping his phone in the process. In two brisk movements, he was sitting once again, looking down at his device, as if nothing had happened.

"YOU!" The obnoxious voice called out again, screeching into her waiting ears."You're the one! The one that I smelled!"

It irritated her to no end that loud noises still provoked her body to release a scent of fear without her conscious consent. Professor Miyo had told her that it would take a lot of time for her to regain control of her emotions, but it was all getting a bit ridiculous. Yes, she had acknowledged that she had experienced a large amount of trauma and yes, her body was reacting on it's own in an attempt to protect her...but still. Now that she was finally ready to actually start the healing process, she had figured it would be...a lot faster. Cut yourself some slack, Miyo's words echoed across her mind, you are interacting with the world again. Interacting with Alphas. These things take time.

"OI! Are you listening?!" The voice called out again, once again startling her with its intensity.

She glanced up to locate its source- the blonde boy...the one from the volleyball game. As her eyes took in his lean build, she realized that she hadn't noticed his pierced ears, or his spiked hair, from so high up in the bleachers. He looked like a criminal!

"Yuji," Tsukishima drawled, noticing the distressed fragrance she had begun to seep out. "Relax your scent. You're like Tanaka, you both have noself control."

Yuji glanced over to Tsuki, then to Yachi, then back to Tsuki once more.

"Are you guys together?!" He asked at last, ignoring the chastising comment with ease.

Yachi slowly blinked, stunned by the forwardness of the question. Her...with Tsukishima? Did the pierced Alpha forget how to use his nose? His Alpha scent was clearly lingering around Yamaguchi!

She quickly glanced at her freckled nestmate, furrowing her brows in question, only to receive an astonished look in return. She couldn't help but giggle at his shocked face, he always looked funny when he was rattled.

"No," Tsukishima replied with irritation, not even bothering to glance up from his phone. "Clearly, we are not together."

Apparently, nothing phases this guy, Yachi thought to herself, not even a forward remark like that. She knew he was a robot!

"Good," the criminal Alpha stated plainly, a response that she didn't exactly understand.

Good? Why was it good?

"So," he continued, oblivious to the awkwardness that his previous remark had caused. "Your scent is what won us the game! I think I owe you a thanks!"

Yachi slowly nodded, but really, she had no idea what he was talking about. She sniffed the air again, trying to ascertain just what exactly he was thinking, but his scent hit her with such intensity that she once again subconsciously stepped back into the empty air behind her. Tsuki casually caught her once more, this time without looking up from him phone- likely expecting her clumsiness.

"Can you not tell that your scent is overwhelming them?" He sighed, placing her in a safer location on the porch- away from the dangerous stairs. "You're frightening her. Don't tell me that you can't smell the fear..."

Yuji's head swiveled between her and Yamaguchi a few times before his light eyes widened with understanding.

"Aw, shit. Did I just make the worst first impression?!" He whined, genuinely upset with himself.

Suddenly, he took a giant step towards her and she immediately backed against the railing, this time consciously trying to scramble away from his intense energy. He stopped nearly a foot away and slightly crouched down, holding himself at her eye level. Under most other circumstances, she would not have hesitated to look away, especially from an Alpha as close to her as he was. However, she found herself lost in his hazel stare- he had lovely chocolate eyes that exuded an unfounded determination. She found him...attractive. Even his scent, though forceful, was appealing.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the pierced boy straightened back up to his full height. Pointing one long finger at her he declared, "let me try again! One more chance! I'm going to go inside, and then I'm gonna come back out here and try again!"

Try...again? Try what again? She watched on with growing interest from her stiffened position against the railing as the fanatic boy quickly turn on his heels and re-entered the front door of the yellow house. When he didn't return, she glanced over at Yamaguchi in question and received an audible shrug in reply. For a few moments, she remained in place, picking at the skin of her fingers until her curiosity got the best of her. Slowly moving away from the porch banister, she took a few tentative steps towards the oak door. Was he...was he coming back? A millisecond later, she had her answer. The door in front of her opened and a blonde head peeked out, flashing her a toothy grin.

As Yuji stepped back out onto the porch, his scent flooded into Yachi's breathing space once more, but this time, she found herself better able to stomach it. Not because it was weaker than it had been before- it was as if her body was slowly acclimating to its intensity.

"Oh, hello there!" Yuji sang out as he closed the front door softly behind him. "We haven't met yet, have we? My name is Yuji. What's yours?"

Yachi's mouth parted in a small gap and she remained quietly flabbergasted for a moment before the blonde Alpha's lopsided smile pulled her into the humorous act.

"Y-yachi! I'm...Yachi," she replied, much louder than she intended to. She internally cringed, she sounded like she was introducing herself in front of an entire class of peers.

The blonde Alpha took a few steps closer and once again leaned down in front of her small form. "Is my smell any better?" He whispered, scowling in Tsukishima's direction through narrowed eyes. "I'm trying, but it's so hard. I've never had to do this before."

"Uh, yes! Much better!" Yachi replied in a high pitched voice...it was not better, but she didn't have the heart to tell him otherwise. Plus, she was getting used to its...wild nature.

"It's not," Tsukishima droned from his position on the far side of the porch. He and Yamaguchi had relaxed themselves swinging bench and had resumed watching videos on the Alpha's phone.

Yachi froze, her eyes widening with guilt, Tsukishima had outed her lie!

"Oh, YACHI!" Yuji dramatically called into the air, rolling his head back in feigned exasperation. "How am I going to learn if you don't tell me the truth?!"

"Ah- I'm sorry!" She stammered back, internally chastising Tsuki for giving her away.

Yuji took a step back and leaned his figure against the siding of the house a few feet in front of her, flashing her a cheeky smirk that was almost flirtatious. The pink lights she had strung up earlier illuminated his sharp features in a softer light. Butterflies skittered through her stomach when she noticed just how toned his lean figure was, hidden beneath his vivid orange shirt.

"You are seriously adorable when you're nervous," the blonde Alpha declared with a wink.

His lazy eyes looked almost...hungry, and his scent made it very, very clear to Yachi that he was interested in her. Although she wasn't sure where his interest in her came from, or what his intentions were, she was surprised to find that she wasn't frightened. In fact, she was equally curious about him. She wanted to see more of his outgoing personality and she found herself inhaling his scent in larger portions.

"Um- thank you!" She squeaked in reply, feeling her cheeks begin to flush from her internal thoughts. She cursed herself for not listening to Suga's most recent lessons about scent suppression- perhaps, he wouldn't notice her curious fragrance.

Yuji crossed his arms over his chest and eyed her down for a moment, stalling her in place with his all-consuming aura.

"So, Miss. rose, " he said, finally breaking the intense silence, much to her relief. "This is my formal thanks for being at our game today. If you hadn't been there, I wouldn't have made that last save that won us the game!"

Yachi was perplexed by the statement, what on earth was he on about? When she didn't respond, Yuji continued in explanation, "that last play, remember? When I stuck my foot out? I was only able to do that thanks to you."

Yachi felt her jaw drop slightly and her eyes widened in disbelief, "um...how did I help, exactly?"

The blonde Alpha granted her with a sweet smile and she felt herself internally begin to melt at how cheesy it looked on his angular face. "I was pretty sure that there was no way I could get to the ball in time...and then I smelled you," he explained, furrowing his brows in reflection. "Time just slowed down and I was able to make it there in time. It was the only reason I was able to keep the ball up."

Yachi found herself growing in excitement at his words- Yuji had smelled her. Her scent had helped him...it had helped win the game! Chaki had always told her that she needed to reign in her fragrance, that it was disgusting for him to smell, but here stood an Alpha openly admiring it. She looked down at her pink socks and shifted her feet in embarrassment, unused to the positive attention from a member of the class she feared the most.

"Oh, sorry. I hope I didn't say anything too forward…" Yuji said hesitantly, cocking his head to the side to better see her face. "Daichi gave me a whole lecture on the rules around Omegas. I guess we're not supposed to smell you guys without permission...and I kind of just admitted to you that I did," he finished, rubbing the back of his neck apologetically.

"Oh, no! It's fine, really!" Yachi replied, frantically waving her small hands out in front of her. "You were so far away, it's not like it was intentional or anything. Plus, it would be ridiculous to expect you guys to not smell up at all...that would be...impossible...I think."

Actually...how had he smelled her from so far away? Wait, she pondered, biting her bottom lip, she had smelled him from the same distance...

"Okay, good!" Yuji said softly with a sigh of relief. "Hey! You don't have a drink, do you want one?"

Yachi had only had one drink, a glass of wine that Oikawa had practically forced on her. She had been very nervous about drinking around Alphas, she thought it wise to stay sober and one her toes. She knew that it wouldn't be wise to push herself- it had only been a week since she had more readily begun leaving the nest room. Plus, her past experiences with Chaki didn't do her any favors- he used to pressure her into drinking, and it never turned out well. The more he drank, the angrier he became...and she had been the lightning rod for that rage more times than she could count.

"I'll go get you one...hang on!" Yuji said, tearing her away from her spiraling thoughts.

"Don't go anywhere, okay? Stay right there," he finished, pointing at her as he entered the house once again.

Yachi stood there quietly for a moment, knowing that the Alpha's intentions weren't malicious. He had just assumed that she was drinking like everyone else, nothing more. She glanced over to Yamaguchi and Tsukishima- they were both too far away and too absorbed in each other's company to have heard her and Yuji's somewhat awkward exchange. She rolled her head back to eye the door, staring down it's oaken build, waiting for it to open once again. After a few moments, he thoughts shifted back to Yuji and she began a mental checklist of how he had made her feel.

Normally, strong Alpha scents invoked her body to release a defensive scent of fear, but she was growing comfortable with Yuji's faster than anyone could have predicted possible. Even now, his lingering fragrance teased the air around her...and she actually enjoyed breathing it in- now that it was less powerful. His disregard for her personal space was something that most Omegas would be fearful of. Especially ones who, like her, had suffered from years of neglect and abuse. However, for some reason, she found herself wanting to be near him. His presence made her feel a natural calm that she had not experienced since in a long time. But the most important thing Yachi had realized was something that made her heart swell with hope- Yuji's exhilarating presence was somehow able to banish all thoughts of Chaki from her waking mind. Normally, her past experiences with him were always lurking in its recesses, ready to strike her when she least expected it. It didn't matter what she was doing- sleeping, reading, eating, even nesting with the other Omegas, it was always there...until now.

"Oh good, you didn't run away!" Yuji exclaimed, rattling her focus back to the real world. "I got you this...it's fruity...I think. I didn't really know what you wanted, and there isn't exactly a large selection left," he trailed off, handing her a glass bottle of fizzy liquid.

"T-this is perfect! Thank you!" She stuttered out, once again, louder than she had intended.

Yuji took up his former position against the yellow siding in front of her and took a swig of his full beer, "so, Yachi. Tell me about yourself!"

"Um…" she started, unsure of what to say. She really wanted to seem interesting, but she felt like she didn't really have a lot to offer. She was...boring...that's what Chaki always-

"Favorite color?" Yuji interjected her thoughts, banishing Chaki to the abyss once more.

"Pink, or...I guess like a rose gold?" She answered truthfully, they were colors that made her happy inside.

"Makes sense, since you smell like roses!" Yuji responded with a hearty laugh, his scent wafted over to her in droves of fresh intensity. This time, she didn't take a step back.

Roses. She smelled like roses, Chaki was a liar.

"What's, uh, what's yours?" She asked softly, her cheeks flushing with renewed delight.

"Yellow."

Yellow definitely suited him, it was a loud, energizing, unforgiving colour.

"So, do you go to school here?"

"Um, no," Yachi said in near whisper, taking a small sip of her beverage. "Well, yes. But I take all of my courses online."

"Oh cool! I bet you're a straight A student." Yuji exclaimed, cheersing the air with his bottle. "You definitely have that look."

"Well...I wouldn't go that far-"

"Oh my god!" The blonde Alpha shouted out, but thankfully, she was finally used to his abrupt changes in volume. "You could help me study! Say you will, please? If my marks drop anymore I won't be able to play on the team until I get them back up!"

"Isn't...isn't the season over...now?"

"Well, yeah, but only for a few weeks! Which meaaaaaaans, a few weeks of intense tutoring from you!"

"S-sure, I don't know how much help I will be, but-"

"Great!" Yuji declared, interrupting her once more. "That settles that!"

It did settle that. Yachi...wanted to tutor him. She wanted an excuse to be around his invigorating energy...and scent. As they continued their chat in the pink tinted lighting of the porch, she found herself more and more grateful for the pierced Alpha's presence and her desire to know more about him grew exponentially. Each time he laughed, she felt her heart bash loudly against her chest, threatening to burst out. When she giggled at his cheeky remarks, she felt like her former self- not just a shell of it. Even Suga couldn't pull a laugh from her like Yuji had been able to. His easy conversational skills were pulling her personality back from the abyss that Chaki had created, and she loved it.

Although, Yachi was still hesitant. Yuji was an Alpha, but she was certain that being around him was affecting her in a positive way- even if her PTSD from her time with Chaki made things complicated.

Oikawa~

Oikawa had polished off five tequila sunrises before he and Hajime played in a game of beer pong, which they lost brutally to Tanaka and Bokuto. Now, he felt that it was safe to say that he was sufficiently feeling the effects of liquid courage.

"Oi," Hajime called out to him from the makeshift bar. "Do you need a refill?"

He most certainly did not. The night was too young and drinking was a marathon, not a sprint.

"I'm good~~ I still have quite a bit of beer left from the game," he called back, raising his voice just enough to be heard over the music and array of voices in the living room.

He leaned forward, peeking behind the dining room wall to catch a glimpse of his Alpha. He was facing away, searching a blue cooler for a bottle of beer. Amber, no doubt, Oikawa thought to himself. Hajime had, on more than one occasion, complained that his friends mainly preferred light beer, forcing him to drink it whenever they got jugs. The chestnut Omega took a moment to admire the muscles of Hajime's back, which quickly shifted the bulge in his grey jeans when he turned around and began his confident stride back, beer in hand. He certainly had a large knot, a gift from nature that Oikawa was grateful for.

"Why are you acting so quiet, it's weird," Hajime asked through suspicious, narrowed eyes as he stopped his domineering figure next to Oikawa.

"Oh, just admiring your physique…"

Hajime let out a husky snicker and took a swig of his beer, "you wanna go somewhere quiet for a bit?"

"I think it's a bit early to-"

"Get your head out of the gutter, you dipshit. I meant to...talk."

Talk? How drunk was his Alpha? Hajime wasn't exactly an avid conversationalist, especially when it came to feelings...not that it really mattered to him, he could see beneath the surface of the boy pretty easily.

"Sure~~ lead the way Mr. Alpha." Oikawa answered, batting his eyes.

Hajime grabbed Oikawa by the hand and led him out onto the front porch, past the distracted Yamaguchi and Tsukishima, and into the yard. After walking over to the large oak tree and Hajime promptly sat down and leaned up against its bark. Oikawa followed suit, lowering himself to the ground across from him. It had been a long time since he had felt grass on his palms, it was pleasant.

"How drunk are you?" Hajime asked, his eyes trailing down to Oikawa's moving hands, running along the tops of the natural blades.

Oikawa looked up, the moonlight shining down on his Alpha accentuated his strong jaw and stern eyes. "Tipsy, which is sufficient for the time being," he responded, taking another sip of his beer. "Why? How drunk are you?"

"Feeling the effects for sure."

The two sat in silence for a moment until Oikawa piped up with a question that had been nagging him for quite some time. The liquid courage gave him the guts to finally ask it.

"Um...so, what kind of stuff do you like? In bed, I mean."

Hajime choked, mid sip. "What?" He asked between coughs.

"Oh, don't make me repeat it Hajime, you know what I mean," Oikawa scoffed back before looking away in embarrassment. He hoped that the Alpha wouldn't be able to see his blushing face in the dim light. He didn't blush. Ever. It really wasn't his thing.

"Wait," Hajime started, setting his bottle of beer down against the tree. "Like, what do I like during sex?"

"Yeah. I mean, my heat is in four days and...I just thought I'd ask to make sure we have...some of the same sexual interests…" Oikawa replied, keeping his eyes fixed on his hands in his lap.

"I guess that makes sense. If we don't have similar tastes then-"

"So what are they? Your tastes."

"You really want to know?" Hajime asked, his fingers fiddling with a plucked strand of grass.

At least he wasn't the only one who was nervous.

"Yeah, I'll tell you mine too, okay?" Oikawa offered, trying to alleviate some of the awkward tension around them.

Hajime looked up, eyeing him down with dark eyes for a few moments of silent contemplation. He knew that it was his Alpha's way of deciding if he was trustworthy with such personal information.

"I like to be the dominant one in bed. I like to be called...sir or master," Hajime said at last without breaking his intense gaze. Oikawa smirked, he had guessed this.

"So, you like to do the fucking."

"Yeah…"

"And what about my pleasure?"

He was curious if Hajime was willing to expand his interests. No doubt calling the Alpha master and letting him fuck the shit out of him was a turn on, but he wanted to occasionally take the lead...to switch things up every now and again.

"You wouldn't get any pleasure from that style of sex?" Hajime questioned back, tossing a handful of plucked grass over his broad shoulder.

"I would, it turns me on just thinking about it..." Oikawa started and Hajime began to emit a primal, sexual scent at his honest words. "But, sometimes, I want to be able to...be the one who's doing the work, you know?"

Hajime gave him a perplexed look and remained silent, brows slightly furrowed. Had the guy never had an Omega pleasure him? Was he always the one doing the work?

"Okay," he offered, doing his best to come up with an explanation on such short notice. "Imagine it like me riding your cock. I'd be the one doing the work, right? That's what I mean."

"That, I would enjoy." Hajime responded with a guttural growl, his sexual scent seeping out in strong waves, influencing Oikawa's inhibitions.

"Okay, okay!" Oikawa cried out, waving his hands out in front of him. "Relax, it's not like we can fuck right now. Stop doing that."

"Why. Not." Hajime replied, his words choppy and his tone primal- ready to pounce.

"Hajime!" Oikawa half-yelled, clamouring to his feet. "You are not fucking me on the front lawn in full view of the house!"

The Alpha took a few deep breaths, grabbed his beer, then stood up. As he took a confident step forward, Oikawa could feel the heat from his toned body wash over him. His own heart began to pound and he hurried to shove away his unwanted feelings of arousal.

"Just know," his Alpha whispered hotly into his ear, sending shivers through his body. "That later tonight, I'm going to fuck you until you can't take it anymore."

"I can take whatever you dish out," Oikawa softly replied, his own scent lacing itself with desire. He couldn't help himself.

Hajime roughly grabbed his nipple through his turquoise shirt and twisted with the perfect amount of force. "I'll remember that statement," he snarled out possessively before taking a step back. Running a large hand through his short hair, he took another swig of his beer, "now let's get back to the party before my knot becomes too large for me to handle."

Bokuto~

Bokuto had been keeping tabs on Keiji most of the night, but no amount of liquid courage was enough to make him approach. He bounced around the various chatting groups, playing beer pong with Suga and Daichi, conversing with Shoyo, Tobio, and Tanaka, but he always kept his nose perked up for the blue eyed Omega.

He glanced down at his watch, 11:55 pm, time for another drink. He waltzed over to the bar in a hurry only to find that nearly everything was gone. Groaning under his breath, he pulled out a cooler- not looking forward to its sugary taste...but maybe this one would give him the courage he needed...

"Wow, we are OUTTTT!" Tanaka yelled over his shoulder, slightly slurring his words. "OI! Suga! The night is still young! We need to hit up the liquor store!"

Bokuto smelled the silver haired Omega approach from behind before pushing in between him and the bald Alpha. He stiffened, not wanting Suga's close proximity to set off his captain...he was already on thin ice.

"Daaaaaaaaichiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii" Suga called over his shoulder, almost directly into Bokuto's ear. "We need to do a liquor run!"

"WHAT? We're out?" Daichi exclaimed from a few feet behind the owl, seemingly uncaring of his Omega's position- wedged between two Alphas.

"Probably because Asahi and Nishinoya played so much beer pong~~" Oikawa poked a chestnut head out of the blue kitchen to chime in.

"Heeeeeey, we played a few games, so what?" Nishinoya slurred from his position in Asahi's lap on the living room couch.

"Yeah, don't blame ussss," the bunned giant added, scenting the willing Omega in his lap.

"KurrOOOO!" Daichi shouted into the air, his drunken state making him uncharacteristically loud.

"WHAT!" Came a loud response through the door to the backyard. "What is it THIS TIME!"

"We gotta do a run," the captain replied as the rooster walked through the open door. "A liquor run."

"Goddammit," Kuroo grumbled, a very intoxicated Kenma perched on his back. "I hate that you made me the party mom. Look at all of you!" He continued, throwing his hands into the air with exasperation. "You're all loaded."

"Hey man, not true! I was reffin' the beer pong games," Tanaka retorted with a snort.

"Oh? And how many beers did you have while you were standing there reffing?"

"Okay, I may have had a few…" the bald Alpha apologetically admitted, polishing off a shot with a smirk. "I'll volunteer to go to the liquor store, okay? Relax," he added, lightly punching the party mom in the shoulder.

"Actually, we have some booze stockpiled at our house…" Bokuto chimed in- it was the perfect an excuse to pull Daichi and Kuroo out with him...to gather some intel on Keiji.

"No, we don't! We brought most of it with us man," Yuji called over to him and he was quick to note that there was a small female Omega quite close to his blonde teammate's side. What was going on there?

"I still have a bunch stocked in my room," Bokuto reiterated sternly, internally willing Yuji to shut up and not ruin his plan.

"Okay! Okay!" Kuroo shouted above the various conversations in the room. "Everyone SHUT UP. Tanaka, you and Tobio go to the liquor store and Daichi, you go with Bokuto to get whatever he has left."

"Uh, actually…" Bokuto said, shuffling over to the rooster. "I was kinda hoping that I could talk with both you and Daichi about some stuff…"

Kuroo gave him an exasperated look, then sighed. "Okay, let me just put Kenma in our room. He needs to sleep off some of the booze," he chastised, flicking his Omega on the nose, receiving a soft whimper in response. "Then I can join you."

"I'm not going to the liquor store," Tobio drawled from his position by the stairs. "I am sufficiently drunk already. So it doesn't make sense for me to go. I'm not drinking anymore."

"How kingly, Tobio. Always thinking of others~~" Tsukishima chirped from the porch through an open window.

"SHUT UP, TSUKISHIMA!" Tobio snarled back, beginning to pout until a bouncing Shoyo poked and prodded at his side, playfully pulling him from his glowering state.

"Okay, fine." Kuroo barked out through gnashed teeth. "Hajime, you go instead."

Bokuto could tell that the rooster's frustration was rapidly increasing. The sad life of a sober watchman...he was thankful that the role wasn't his.

"Yeah, whatever," Hajime said from the entryway, stifling drunken yawn.

"No way are you two going by yourselves, I'm coming along!" Suga chimed, his declaration receiving a low growl from the captain. "Daichi, shut up. They need someone who is at least seeeeemi-sober to come along...if we want that liquor to come back in one piece."

"Fine," Daichi ceded, grumbling under his breath- unhappy that his Omega was leaving the house without his protection.

Bokuto admired that the captain felt comfortable enough with the other yellow house Alphas to allow them to accompany his Omega without him there. They really were becoming some weird, hybrid pack...

"Don't worry, Daichi, I'll tag along," Bokuto subconsciously perked up to hear Keiji's lazy voice add into the array of chatter.

The icy Omega...going without him with the other Alphas. Drunk Alphas. He stifled a growl, willing himself to trust in his friends as Daichi had.

"By theeeeeeee way…" Asahi called from the couch, to no one in particular. "Noya and I are going to walk to the oceanfront park."

"What. Why." Kuroo asked, furrowing his brows in renewed irritation. "You think that's a safe choice? 'Cause I don't."

"Of course, man! With Asahi's huge body and my smoooooth combat skills, we'll be fine," Nishinoya replied, waving a hand over his spiky hair in disregard.

Asahi rolled his head towards the rooster and slurred, "yeah, Kuroo. Don't worrrrry. We'll be fine. We just wanna catch some crabs."

"Why the fuck do you want to drunkenly catch crabs at eleven o'clock at night," Hajime droned out with a, what the fuck, look plastered across his normally stern face.

"We both used to catch them as kids okayyyy, you sassy Alpha," Nishinoya chirped back from the couch, sticking his tongue out at Hajime's amused form.

"Fuck, okay fine. Make sure you both have your phones," Kuroo barked, throwing his head back in resignation.

"Annnnnnnnnd SPRAY!" Suga yelled out, once again into Bokuto's hurting ear.

"You got it, Sugar Momma!" Asashi said cheekily, winking at the silver haired boy.

Seeing the bunned giant talk to Suga in such a relaxed fashion made Bokuto's heart swell. He wanted to be apart of this pack. He needed to be.

"Wow~~ stealing my nickname?!" Oikawa chirped, pouncing the pair on the blue couch to tickle them mercilessly.

Nishinoya rolled off of the bunned Alpha and playfully tackled Oikawa into the couch cushions. "Trying to touch my Alpha ehhhhh, Oikawa? I don't think so! Feel my wrath!" The little spitfire poked back, jabbing the chestnut haired boy in the kidneys.

Asahi quickly crouched down at the side of the couch, grabbed Oikawa's hands, and used them to lightly smack his face. "Stop hitting yourself, Oikawa! Stop hitting yourself~~" He chirped, receiving an audacious laugh from Nishinoya.

"Hajimeeeeeee~~" Oikawa whined out dramatically. "Help meeeee!"

"Nope," Hajime affirmed, polishing off his bottle of beer and setting it down on the stairs. "You got yourself into that mess, I ain't doing anything."

Suga burst out laughing next to Bokuto, and he couldn't help but join in. The good-natured brawl was something that he had never witnessed before in his entire life. He had seen both lighthearted and savage scuffles between Alphas, but never a playful one that including Omegas and Alphas together. The fact that Hajime was completely at ease watching Asahi touch Oikawa blew his mind. At no time had he heard of an Alpha being okay with another one, friend or not, touching their Omega. Not even playfully. In fact, even getting too close to a mated Omega was known to cause physical altercations.

"Okaaaaaay, that's enough," Daichi declared, pulling Nishinoya's small form off of Oikawa by the back of his black shirt. "Go catch your stupid crabs."

"We will, thank you. Maybe we'll bring one back and put it in your bed…" Asahi said mischievously under his breath as Daichi plopped Noya onto the hardwood in front of him.

"What did you say? I swear to god, it you do anything…" Daichi growled jauntily, taking a step towards the bunned giant.

"I guess you'll just have to wait and see!" The spitfire Omega coyly remarked, flashing a toothy grin.

Daichi ruffled the boy's hair, "if I find even one crab in my room, I'll repay you tenfold with a prank of my own. Mark my words."

"DAICHI, NO! You're speaking his language! You'll start a prank war!" Suga yelled, flailing his arms above him as he ran over to the captain.

"What, you think we can't take 'em?"

Suga gave Daichi an impish grin, "nah, you're right. We can take these punks!"

"Punks?! Sugar momma, calling me a punk?!" Nishinoya cried into the air and placed a small hand over his heart, feigning hurt feelings.

"You heard me, it's about time I got you back for all your antics!"

"YOU'RE ON!" Nishinoya declared, poking Suga in the chest. "Asahi, you had better pull your weight!"

"Awwwwww, Noyaaaa, that's so mean. Thinking I can't handle the pressure…" Asahi whined into the air.

"It's too late now to change your team!" The captain chastised his opponents, playfully pinching Nishinoya's cheek.

"Hey! We're gonna kick your ass!" The spitfire remarked, brushing away Daichi's hand in annoyance. "Don't you dare underestimate us!"

A prank war...Bokuto thought to himself, he wanted to be a part of it too! As the night had progressed, he had found himself wishing more and more that he lived in the lively yellow house. Being around the various Omega scents and the genuinely cheerful Alphas made him extremely envious...he needed to talk to Daichi and Kuroo.

Chapter Fourteen: Downward Trajectory

Oikawa~

Oikawa rubbed his sore kidneys, that little brat, Nishinoya. Although he was mildly irritated that the pair had beaten him in their playful scuffle, he couldn't help but worry about their well-being. Their trip to the ocean park in the middle of the night left him extremely nervous. Yes, Nishinoya was accompanied by the giant Alpha, but the pair were still very inebriated. The whole thing was just...unwise. He was definitely going to call Nishinoya in a few hours time, just to check in.

He glanced around, the place was strewn with empty bottles, cans, and more than a few sloppy spills- but otherwise empty of life. Tanaka, Keiji, Suga, and Hajime had gone to the liquor store and he wished that he could be a fly on the wall for their conversations. The four of them were an odd and seemingly entertaining match up, especially if alcohol was involved.

Tsukishima was on the front porch with Yamaguchi, and Oikawa was momentarily perplexed when he noticed that his nestmate was sitting unusually close to the Alpha. He filed the information away, he would be interrogating the freckled boy about that later. His glassy eyes grazed over the remainder of the front porch and out into the front yard, where Tobio and Shoyo were out front tossing the volleyball beneath the giant oak tree. At least someone around here had the ability to keep up with the little twerp's energy, he thought to himself. Yachi had made an odd comment earlier...that she could smell Tobio's desire for the ginger Omega. While he was initially skeptical of her remark, he couldn't completely disregard it. The small girl did have the best nose in the house, after all. He narrowed his eyes, watching the pair through a front window- he would definitely be keeping tabs on Tobio from now on.

After a few minutes of motherly contemplation, Oikawa waltzed over to the back door, plucking a few empty cans on his way over to throw in the kitchen trash. Taking a swig of his dwindling beer, he watched the interesting developments unfolding before him- Yuji and Yachi. The two blondes were conversing on the back porch and he was pleasantly surprised to find that his little Omega angel looked...beyond comfortable to be there. He sniffed the air, nearly coughing at the intensity of the the pierced Alpha's scent. How on earth was she comfortable around that? She could barely manage Tanaka's...and Yuji's was in an entirely different league. He steadied himself against the wall, feeling dizzy from the exuberant scent, before sniffing again. It took a bit of effort to sift through the heavy fragrances in air, but when he finally located Yachi's, his heart swelled as its comfortable disposition his nostrils. Then, he saw her laugh loudly at one of Yuji's cheesy remarks. A flood of happy tears pushed forward, threatening to spill over his long lashes- it had been over a year since he had heard her laugh. The blonde Alpha was pulling her out of her shell and he didn't have the faintest idea how...but he was glad for it.

He watched on for a few more minutes, polishing off his drink before placing it on the plastic dining table. The house was a mess. An absolute mess...he might as well clean up a bit while he waited for the party to come back. Pulling a out black garbage back from under the kitchen sink, he began sluggishly collecting up the mess, irritated that he was slowly but surely becoming the housewife of the household.

Yuji~

Yuji sat down on the wooden panels of the back porch. The Omegas had set up tiki torches throughout the yard and the flames softly illuminated the Yachi's delicate face, much to his liking. While he was upset that she was still hesitant around him, he was also grateful that he had been granted with the chance to meet her- it had been a grand stroke of luck.

Her smell was absolutely intoxicating to him, but he had realized very early on that she was extremely cautious in sharing it...and he wasn't entirely sure as to why. However, her reservations made him want to prove to her that she could trust him or, at the very least, be comfortable around him. He sighed and attempted to reign in his scent once more, but to no avail. He had never needed to do it, in fact, even the thought of doing it had never even crossed his mind before that day. Luckily, the rosy Omega seemed to be acclimating to its intensity, even if her scent was still clouded with anxiety.

Yuji had come to realize that her fear wasn't directed at him. It was almost as if there was something else, creeping around in the the back of her mind, that had her subconsciously releasing the fragrance. It was a feat that seemed to frustrate her- he could smell her scent warping about, constantly shifting from fear, to comfort, to curiosity, then back to fear...as if she was consciously battling for control over it. He wanted to ask her about it, really wanted to, but he was smart enough to know that it would be better to let her talk about it of her own volition.

On the few occasions that he had managed to make her laugh, her natural scent blew through the gross anxiety, blasting the air with an intense rosy fragrance that easily worked its way into his soul. Oftentimes, it was so powerful that he found himself happily drowning in it, but it was always gone as quickly as it had formed. Roses...it was like a drug. Each time the scent came and went, he found himself trying even harder to make it return- hitting her with joke after joke until he had nothing left. Just one more taste...one more hit of roses.

"So...you like living here?" He asked, at long last breaking their uncomfortable silence. "At, um, the...with the Alphas?" He internally cringed at his awkward tone, maybe the silence was better.

"I didn't at first, but now I...kind of like it," came her soft reply.

At least she had stopped stuttering around him...a small victory.

"I guess it's kinda scary being around a bunch of big, burly Alphas all the time, eh?" He replied, rubbing the back of his head with his hand and flashing a cheeky grin of understanding.

When Yachi giggled at the honest remark, he quickly inhaled to catch the smell of roses before it dissipated. It had become apparent to him that being around Alphas made her very, very nervous. What could have happened to cause such an adverse reaction from her? Maybe Daichi could enlighten him, the captain and his silver Omega seemed to be the parental figures of the house...he probably knew something useful.

"They aren't really that scary. A lot of them are big softies…" Yachi responded after her girlish giggles subsided.

As she reached up to take a sip of her drink, Yuji noticed a deep scar flash out from under her pink blouse. What a violent gash...how far did it run up her arm? Perhaps, he thought in an attempt to lie to himself, it was a childhood accident. Deep down, he knew that it was an Alpha. It had to have been. He wasn't blind to the goings on in the world, but he had never really cared about the Omega condition...until now. Something about Yachi made him feel an level of unchecked guilt that made him immensely uncomfortable in his own skin. At that thought, a quiet, throaty grumble began to work its way into his throat and his instincts began to flicker across his mind- commanding him to pull the tiny girl into an embrace, check over the old wound, ensure that it had healed properly, and kill whoever had caused it.

"I-" Yuji started to ask about the scar, unable to fight back his instincts, but found himself cut short when an unfamiliar set of scents whisked into his nostrils. Alphas.

"Heeeeeeey, how's the party up in here. It smells delicious~" A deep voice called from across the backyard.

He clamoured to his feet and snapped his head in the direction of the sound. Three large men hopped the white fence with ease and walked across the yard towards the back deck...threats? Suddenly, an all-consuming scent of fear exploded into the air with such force that he was physically blown back a few steps. He hurried to cover his nose with his hand and grazed his eyes over to its source...Yachi. Her small figure was frozen in place, all colour drained from the delicate features of her face. He watched in slowed motion as her grip relaxed around her wine and the glass dropped down to the patio boards, sending shards in every direction that tinting the baseboards red with their contents.

"Yachi, are you-" he started to ask, but was cut short when the petite girl keeled over and let out a series of retches that culminated in a staggering amount of vomit.

"Oh my dearest Yachi, it's been a while, hasn't it?"

Yuji whipped his head around to face the source of the snide comment, instincts flaring up in his chest.

"Oh, baby, don't cry. I know you missed me," a black haired man said, the tone of his voice a twisted mix of hostility and care- sickly sweet and manipulative.

Yuji took two swift side steps to stand in front of Yachi, ignoring the broken glass that cracked beneath his white Nikes. "What is your business here, gentlemen. This is a private party," he asked with a slight growl of hostility before placing a hand on the blonde Omega's shaking back.

He quickly sniffed the air, trying to sift through Yachi's overwhelming anxiety, he needed to assess the intruders. After asserting that the three Alphas standing before him were all very dominant in their own right, he realized that wouldn't be able to take them on by himself. He might be spontaneous and quick to action, but he wasn't stupid. Plus, his quick analysis had alerted him to an even more pertinent issue- they weren't the only unknown Alphas on the property. There were four more scents mixed in with...Tsukishima, Tobio, Yamaguchi, and...Shoyo in the front yard. He was not going to get any back up. He was on his own. What was the most effective course of action? His instincts were roaring to protect the blonde Omega at his side, and he was going to do just that. Outlast them. Keep the tone of the conversation as light as possible, continue the verbal exchange until his teammates returned. Do not engage in combat.

"You don't smell very strong…" Another Alpha, one with ugly black tattoos, stepped forward and asserted in challenge. "I'd be careful if I were you."

Yuji didn't fall for the chirp, he needed to keep the conversation light. "You're trespassing on our property. I think it would be best for you to leave," he stated with a smile that didn't reach his eyes.

"C'mon man, it's pretty common knowledge around here that there are a bunch of single Omegas living with you guys. We heard the music and thought we'd stop by for the party!" The final Alpha, one with long blonde hair, sang out in sickly innocent tone. "We mean no harm."

Yuji ignored him, refusing to take his eyes off of the one who had spoken first. The one who was manipulating Yachi. His scent put Yuji on edge, something about him...no, about all of them, was off. The black haired Alpha had spoken to Yachi like an old friend and, judging by her horrific reaction, their past interactions had not been pleasant. The more he pieced together the information, the more his blood began to boil with unchecked fury and deep pang shot through his gut, prompting his instincts to screech in his head. Had he hurt her? Did he give her that scar? Was he the reason she was so afraid? Suddenly, he wanted nothing more than to snap the manipulative Alphas neck and claw into his brain.

When the devious man took a confident step forward, Yuji growled out another threat. He knew that he was outranked in dominance, but that had never stopped him from scrapping things out in the past- and he was not about to start now.

"Yachi, why don't you come with me? I'll take care of you," the black haired Alpha remarked in a lighthearted tone, ignoring his hostile scent. "You know I will. It will be just like old times."

When Yuji heard an audible sob roll into the silent air from next to him, he glanced down at Yachi who, much to his horror, shook her head in response. A nod...why would she want to go with him? His instincts coiled around in the deep recesses of his stomach, alerting him that the situation was not what it seemed. She is unable to stand up against the manipulative Alpha on her own, they screeched inside his head, abusive. The scar. Do. Not. Let. Him. Touch. Her.

"Yachi, that's good baby. I'm glad you want to come back to me," the manipulative man continued, fully ignoring Yuji's now continuous snarling. "Come over here so I can protect you. It was wrong of you to leave me, it broke my heart."

At the manipulative words, his instincts grew even louder, crashing into him like a ocean waves. However, inside his logical mind, panic set in. The black haired Alpha knew that he wouldn't be able to take on all three of them in a brawl. He was no better than a yappy guard dog- all bark, no bite. Worse yet, Yachi's acceptance of the manipulative man threw his entire plan of buying time into the gutter. He couldn't fight them, he couldn't verbally keep their attention, and he couldn't stop her from walking off with them of her own accord. He was effectively in check mate.

"I-I'm so s-sorry I l-left, please forgive me," he heard Yachi stutter out quietly from beside him, breaking off pieces of his heart with every tragic word.

When she took a small, hesitant step forward, he followed her movements- he was not about to give up yet. He didn't care if his face got smashed in by the three intruders, he would fight them, head on, with everything he had before letting her go with them.

"What the fuck are you doing here," a vicious snarl called out from the back door of the yellow house.

Yuji didn't turn around to look at the voice's owner. He knew it wasn't an Alpha snarl, it was a very human one. Oikawa. In mere moments, the chestnut boy had moved swiftly across the porch to stand protectively at Yachi's other side. He was relieved to have backup. From what he had heard from his teammates, the beautiful Omega was pretty well-versed in combat.

"Oh, Oikawa!" The tattooed Alpha called back in response. "It's been ages. You're looking as beautiful as ever."

So, Yuji thought to himself, gnashing his teeth in frustration, the intruders knew Oikawa, too...did they know all of the flock?

"Leave. Now," Oikawa barked at the Alphas, vicious rage pouring off of him in droves and pooling into the air around them.

"That's no way to treat your long lost friends, Oikawa!" The tattooed intruder chirped back lightly with an undertone of hostility...and something else...damaged ego? "I know you miss my knot filling your tiny ass."

Yuji filled the silence that the nasty comment had caused with a growl that was dangerously close to a roar. What the fuck did he say? Oikawa had slept with one of these monsters?

"Fuck off, Kabuto," the chestnut Omega seethed back, jabbing a finger at the tattooed man, Kabuto.

Going on Oikawa's reactionary scent...and language...Yuji could tell that it was not a consensual endeavor. The thought of the yellow house Omegas being abused pushed him to the edge of his sanity, even though his logical mind was unsure as to why...he barely knew them. He clenched his fists, drawing blood from his palms, and willed himself to calm down. Even with Oikawa, they were still one person short of an even fight- and Yachi was in no shape to defend herself, mentally or otherwise. Attacking unnecessarily would result in injury or death for him, and likely more than just physical damage for the two Omegas...he could smell the disgusting hints of arousal the intruders were leaking into the yard. Not. Going. To. Happen.

When the black haired Alpha took another step forward, he felt Yachi stiffen next to him and he instinctively snarled out once again.

"Yachi, just come over here baby. If you say that you're sorry, I'll forgive you. I promise."

Oikawa swiftly moved to the edge of the porch, visibly shaking in anger. "Yachi, do not listen to this fucking knothead," he spat at the dominant Alpha through clenched teeth. "He's a monster. He doesn't deserve to walk this earth."

Yuji didn't know what to do- torn between verbally backing up the chestnut Omega or doing so with his scent. When his instincts rattled off inside of him once more, his decision was made for him. Better to stand guard. He didn't know the intruders. The Omegas did. Have Oikawa's back. Show them. Moving forward to stand at the porch's edge, he let out another throaty rumble to vocalize his decision.

"I'm sorry, Chaki. I'm so sorry," Yachi mechanically droned, an emotionless response that stirred inside Yuji's soul. "I'll be good, I promise. I'll do anything you want just please forgive me. I'm so useless, I'm sorry."

"Yachi stop-" Oikawa started to command over his shoulder, but was quickly interrupted by the manipulative man. Chaki.

"Baby, you know I could never stay mad at you. Come over here, let me give you a hug. You can make it up to me later. You know that it was wrong of you to leave me."

Yuji wanted to annihilate him, pound him into the ground with his fists, slash out his throat to stop him from talking, rid the earth of his filth. He would silence him. He would kill him, but not yet, he shook his head, doing his best to retain a shred of sanity. He couldn't let his instincts take over, not until the odds shifted in their favor.

Chapter Fifteen: Both Quiet and Vicious

Tsukishima~

Tsukishima was lounging on the front porch, beer in hand, when he smelled a set of unfamiliar Alphas. He tore his gaze from his phone and craned his neck back to glance out into to front yard. Four…hostile...and they weren't just passing by.

"Yamaguchi…" He said quietly to the boy seated beside him as he rose to his feet. He could smell the Omega's confusion at his protective scent...the freckled boy really didn't have a very keen nose. "Stay behind me" he commanded, moving towards the porch steps. This was going to be such a pain.

He was somewhat thankful, though he would never admit it, to see that Tobio was already aware of the intruders. The king stood on the grass, bristling with hostility, guarding the steps to the veranda. Tsukishima joined him in the front yard, briefly glancing behind him to ensure that the Omegas were staying back on the defensible structure of the porch. Yamaguchi was frozen in place on the left side near the patio swing where he had left him. He could tell that the freckled Omega was doing his utmost to keep his scent under control, even if he was physically shaking in fright. Shoyo was stalled near the front door directly behind them, either uncaring or unable to reign in his own sickening scent of anxiety- his wide eyes darting between the intruders and the phone in his small hands. After a few quick seconds, he began frantically texting, smartly alerting their absent roommates to the situation. Good idea, Tsukishima thought with a small nod, but again, he would never admit it.

Raking his gaze back to the approaching Alphas, he did some quick mental math. If the group that had gone to the liquor store received Shoyo's text in the next few seconds...and ran full speed back without any distractions...it would probably take around eighteen minutes. Perhaps...fifteen for Keiji, Tsukishima pegged him as fast runner. The three that had gone to Bokuto's house would take just over twenty...no...twenty three minutes for owl and the captain...they were fairly inebriated...and nineteen for the sober Kuroo.

He rolled his tense shoulders to loosen them, the best option in his mind was to stall. There was no way they could handle the four Alphas on their own, especially if they wanted to protect the Omegas behind them. He prayed that his idiot teammate was smart enough to figure that out on his own- if he suddenly decided to jump in to unnecessarily attack, they would be in big trouble.

"Hey," Tobio growled out to the approaching Alphas, releasing his dominant scent into the night air. "What the fuck do you think you're doing."

"Smelled some Omegas and booze. Thought it would be nice to check it out," an intruding Alpha, one with short brown hair and the most dominant scent, responded curtly.

"It's invitation only," Tsukishima drawled as the figures stopped themselves on the lawn a few meters in front of them. "I don't remember you being on the list."

"I don't think we are really asking for permission," the brunette man chirped back, lifting a thick eyebrow in challenge.

Tsukishima casually sniffed the air, trying to ascertain the motives of the intruders. It was definitely a raid, he could sift out three more unknown Alphas in the backyard alongside the scents of Oikawa, Yachi, and Yuji.

These men had definitely timed their attack, he thought to himself in frustration, they must have known that most of the Alphas were gone. How long had they been scouting the house? Were they targeting a specific Omega? Suga and Keiji had left with the Alphas…

He softly shook his head, the unanswered questions were just piling up and he did not like it. Hopefully Yuji was strong enough to hold down the fort in the back, because he wasn't going to get backup any time soon.

"Who the fuck are you," his teammate snapped at the invaders, his scent quickly devolving into a state of rage, influenced by the overbearing smell of the Alphas before them. "What are you doing here."

Tsukishima could feel his own instincts reacting to the intruders as well, pushing out his Alpha scent against his will. He needed to gain back the small measure of control- he was the brain of their defense, it would be unwise of him to lose to his feral nature.

"Hey! Shoyo!" Another man called out to the porch, vigorously waving across the yard. "Holy shit, is that you, carrot top?!"

He was taller, and significantly larger, than the Alpha that had initially spoke, but he had a softer dominance. Regardless, Tsukishima didn't like that he had blatantly ignored Tobio's line of questioning...or his domineering scent. It was unusual- lesser Alphas were rarely able to blatantly ignore the more dominant scents of their counterparts...unless they were Yuji. That kid was scrappy to the core.

"I can smell Oikawa around here. Where is that beautiful slut?" The tall man continued, spitting out the last word with a bitter contempt that made Tsukishima's skin crawl.

"F-fuck you, Morio," Shoyo stuttered to reply, rage wafting off of his quivering body in droves. "Oikawa would never want to see a knothead like you."

So these fuckers did know the Omegas, Tsukishima thought to himself, adding another piece to his growing puzzle puzzle. Perhaps, this was the Alpha group that burned down their home? The speculation prompted a series of unwanted pangs to detonate within his chest. His instincts coiled inside of stomach and attempted to snake up their way up into his mind, but he quickly shoved them back down. He didn't care about the Omegas...well...he didn't care about most of the Omegas.

"I'm sure the whore would be down for a good time, Shoyo. There's no need to lie, we all know the truth. We're all friends here," the dominant Alpha chirped to the anxious ginger on the porch. "Oikawa has always been down for a fun time!"

"Shut up, Emon!" Shoyo yelled back, struggling to retain his composure. "Don't fucking call Oikawa a w-whore!"

Dominant Alpha...Emon. Tall Alpha...Morio. Two silent Alphas. Tsukishima wasn't ordinarily violent, nor did he allow his instincts to guide his actions, but these men were backing him into a corner- and Alpha instincts didn't like corners, especially on their own territory.

"Don't you say another fucking word to him," Tobio snarled ferociously, baring a set of white teeth at Emon's casual form.

"That's pretty bold of you to say, man," Emon quipped back, flashing a ruthless smile. "I can smell that carrot top isn't your property. Or maybe, that's just the kind of Alpha you are. You know, the type that enjoys bossing around poor little Omegas?"

Tsukishima did not appreciate the disgusting words. They did well to twist the situation, with a kind of pathological manipulation that had clearly been practiced. However, more than that, the words were challenging. He suppressed a possessive growl, fighting to keep his head clear and level against his growing instincts. When he felt Tobio move forward, falling for the manipulative chirp, he quickly stopped him in place by the back of the shirt.

"Don't fall for their shit. He's obviously trying to bait you," he quietly disclosed to his black haired teammate in a quiet, throaty rumble.

Tobio slightly nodded in understanding and relaxed his posture, "right."

"Hey! You're fucking gorgeous!" Emon shouted as he beelined across the lawn to the edge of the porch. "I don't remember you being around last year...are you new to the flock or something?" He continued, addressing Yamaguchi's shivering form. "You're adorable!"

When the freckled boy didn't answer, Emon waltzed up to the front porch and leaned his chin of the white railing. Tsukishima stiffened, he was much too close Yamaguchi for his comfort. The man had no respect for property.

His primal instincts renewed their swirl, this time higher up in his chest and he shuffled closer to the foreboding Alpha, growing sick to his stomach as Yamaguchi's fearful scent came into range. If Emon moved even an inch closer, he knew that he wouldn't be able to prevent himself from attacking. His feral nature was already eating away at his logical mind, howling away to its heart's content in a cacophony of commands that were hard to tune out.

"Man, you're almost as pretty as Oikawa!" Emon proclaimed with a throaty growl, leaking a disgusting scent of arousal that nearly drove Tsukishima mad. "I think you'll suit me fine!"

Yamaguchi backed himself against the yellow siding of the house in response and fully unleashed an anxious scent into the night air- but this time, it didn't make Tsukishima sick to his stomach. Instead, it burst through his nausea and rooted inside his beating heart. Mine. Do not touch. MINE.

"Take another step-" He hotly began in challenge, only to be interrupted by a call from the taller Alpha.

"If you're claiming that one," Morio barked to Emon, pointing an agressive finger to Yamaguchi from across the yard. "Then, the ginger kid is mine."

Tsukishima raked his gaze across the lawn and internally cursed himself for not noticing Morio's quick move to the right side of the porch. With Emon standing opposite on the left, he could no longer keep the two intruders in his line of sight at the same time. They had taken advantage of his calm upset and had wisely spaced themselves out.

"Over my dead body," Tobio snarled out in response, vibrating in place from his position in front of the porch stairs. "Try me."

For the first time in his life, Tsukishima felt inferior to the king. He had fallen prey to his instincts and had forgotten about his defensive position, guarding the porch by Tobio's side. All the while, his teammate had remained in place, steadfast and resolute- and Tsukishima could tell by scent that Tobio's instincts were roaring at him to move. Morio was much too close to Shoyo for his comfort, just as Emon was to Yamaguchi.

"That can be arranged," Morio spat back with great nerve as the two silent Alphas spread their ranks from a distance.

Things are getting bad, Tsukishima thought to himself, grinding his teeth in a frustrated panic. His teammate was now struggling just as much as he was, trying to keep a watchful eye on the individual movements of the four men. Emon was ready to hop the porch railing to access Yamaguchi. Morio was closing in on the veranda, likely planning to bypass Tobio from the right to get to Shoyo. The two Alphas that has remained quiet were sluggishly penetrating into their territory from the front, ready to provide back up. He clenched his fists and quickly ran through series of scenarios in his head- there was not a single outcome that resulted in their victory. The intruders had successfully backed them into a corner...and they had outsmarted him.

"What the fuck are you doing here!?" A familiar voice called from the edge of the lawn, tearing him away from his panicked, self-deprecating thoughts. Nishinoya.

He didn't even spare a glance in the Omega's direction, not wanting to take his eyes off of Emon- the man was too close to Yamaguchi, it made his skin crawl with revulsion. If the spitfire was here, then Asahi would be close behind...that would level the playing field and he could tear the disrespectful Alpha's throat out to his heart's content.

"Heeeey," one of the silent Alphas finally piped up. "Holy shit, is that you, Nishinoya?! Long time no see!"

"What are you doing here, Jacky," the spitfire Omega seethed back, holding up a silver bottle in front of his small form. "Did you want another spray in the face? I didn't know you liked it so much last time! You shoulda told me."

When Tsukishima heard the Alpha's response, a hostile guttural grow, he forced himself to split his attention between Yamaguchi and Nishinoya. He was never one for praying, but right now, he needed a higher power to intervene. If the two Alphas decided to smartly attack at the same time, there was no way he could protect both Omegas- they were too far apart. Where the fuck was Asahi?

"What a cute little growl that was. Don't worry, there is a whole lot of spray left in this bottle for ya," Nishinoya continued in provokation, much to Tsukishima's dismay.

"You little fuck," Jacki threatened, taking a large, imposing step forward. "I wasn't very pleased when you did that. I guess this our little run in here is giving me another chance, I never did get to have my retribution."

"Bring it on," Nishinoya hotly challenged back and readied his stance for attack.

Where THE FUCK was Asahi? Neither Tsukishima nor his teammate were close enough to protect the mouthy Omega at the far edge of the yard, more than ten feet away. He willed his body to relax, but found himself unable to combat a creeping feeling that was snaking its way into his heart- a foreign emotion he had never really felt before that moment. Fear. Suddenly, the aggressive scents of the hostile intruders overloaded his brain and the world around him began to slow. He stopped fighting against his nature and opened the floodgate his logical mind had been rigorously keeping at bay. His instincts burst forth in a sudden flurry, rattling off a series of commands inside his skull. Protect Nishinoya. Protect Yamaguchi. Protect Shoyo. Protect Tobio. Pack. Pack. Pack.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Jacky's form make a subtle shift, rearing up to attack Nishinoya. He moved without thinking. In an instant, he was behind Omega's attacker, yanking the man by the shirt with as much force as he could muster. The Alpha flew back into the middle of the yard and landed on the hard earth with a audible thud.

"Stay on guard," he commanded to the shocked Omega in front of him, there were still too many threats. He needed the boy to to stand his own against the Alphas until Asahi, or someone, arrived.

After receiving a flabbergasted nod from the Nishinoya, he hastily turned on his heels to re-engage Jacky when a solid form smashed into his long legs. His glasses flew off, blurring his vision in the process, but he recognized his attacker by scent. The silent Alpha.

The man attempted to pin his body against the grass, but luckily, lacked the physical prowess to outmatch him. He abruptly shifted his weight and flipped the smaller man over his head, then pushed himself up from the solid earth. Scrambling to his feet before his small attacker could regain his vertigo, Tsukishima took a millisecond to steady himself, before kicking his grounded attacker in the ribs to incapacitate him. Even if it was only for a moment, it would be enough. He needed to move on to another intruder before it was too late.

When the silent Alpha keeled over from the impact from his kick, Tsukidhima frantically jerked around to find a new opponent. Although his vision was cloudy, high levels of adrenaline heightened his sense of smell. Behind him, Jacky had recovered from his previous attack and was prowling in front of Nishinoya- a predator locked on his prey. The spitfire Omega help up his spray and his body was stiff, ready for defense. Tobio had tackled Emon near the left side of the veranda and was wildly bashing into his opponents guarded arms. A few feet to the right of them, Morio was struggling to get up from the grass. Tsukishima felt an unusual swell of pride spread over his chest- Tobio incapacitated Morio before attacking Emon...impressive.

Suddenly reminded of the Omegas by the house, he raked his gaze over the porch, eyes landing on Yamaguchi- still frozen in place by the front swing. Safe...good. Shoyo stood protectively in front of him, eyes glued to Tobio's brawl. Before Tsukishima could make a move, Morio was on his feet, grabbing the king by the back of the neck. The tall Alpha yanked him off of Emon's defensive form and threw him back into the porch railing, breaking the wood upon impact. As Tsukishima closed the gap between them, Shoyo threw himself into the tall man to defend Tobio's winded form, but his weightless body had little impact. Morio grabbed the ginger by the hair with ease and threw him down, smoking his head white banister of the porch stairs.

When Tsukishima smelled Shoyo's blood, he was thrown into a fit of blinding rage. He increased the pace of his sprint and threw his body into an attack, slashing his elbow into the Morio's temple. As the tall Alpha stumbled over, clamoring at the railing to regain his balance, Tsukishima hurled himself into his torso and the pair tripped over Emon's dazed form, tumbling onto the grass beneath the oak tree.

As he rolled around on the hard earth with his opponent, throwing and receiving punches, he released his domineering scent in its entirety. For the first time in his entire life, he allowed his instincts to fully take over. He was no longer the calm, reserved, intellectual Tsukishima- he was a feral, vicious animal. He didn't feel the bones of his fingers snap against his opponent's skull. He didn't feel the damaging blows against his own jaw, ringing through his ears. All he felt was an innate desire, an intense need to slaughter every single one of the intruders using only his fists.

Hajime~

They were nearly halfway to the liquor store when Hajime felt Suga's scent sour the air with anxiety. He whipped around, eyes searching for unwelcome Alphas, only to see the silver haired boy was stalled in place on the sidewalk, staring down at his phone.

"What?!" He growled and stepped towards the shaking boy, ignoring the sickening smell around him. "What is it..."

Suga looked up from the screen in his hands. "They...the house," he tried to whisper, but fell short with fearful tears pooling in his eyes.

Hajime had never seen the matriarchal Omega so frightened before. Not even when the boy was sexually assaulted a few weeks earlier. His own panic set in, whatever it was, it was really bad.

"What is going on," Tanaka snarled out from beside him, his protective scent radiating into the air as a fail-safe for his confusion.

"There are intruders at the house. We need to go," Keiji stated in a hurry, shoving his phone in his pocket as he started into a fast sprint back the way they had come.

Intruders. House. The two words were all Hajime had heard, and they were more than enough to darken his eyes with feral instinct. He burst into a fast sprint down the pavement with Tanaka following close behind.

Oikawa.

Chapter Sixteen: Reliving the Past

Bokuto~

"So...I've been meaning to ask you guys…" Bokuto began as he handed off a series of half empty liquor bottles to Kuroo- his own personal stash. "What...should I do about Keiji."

"What do you mean what should you do?" Daichi drawled out from his position, leaning against the open door frame.

"Well, I guess I mean-"

"You like him," Kuroo stated plainly as he adjusted several bottles in his arms.

Bokuto sighed, he did, and he had no idea what to do. He was treading unfamiliar water and he was barely keep his head above the icy waves.

"Wooooooow," Daichi slurred as he jumped onto Bokuto's unsuspecting form, giving him a hard noogie that messed up his styled hair. "You LIKE an Omegaaaaaaaaa!"

"Shut up," Bokuto snapped back, shoving the caption off his slumped form. The entire point of talking with Daichi and Kuroo was so that he wouldn't be made fun of...

"Oh god," the rooster droned, rolling his eyes at Bokuto's pouting figure. "Don't be so sensitive. We're all friends here."

"Yeah," Daichi chimed in agreement, lightly brushing down the front of his rumpled shirt to straighten it. "But, let's get one thing straight first. Do you like him, or do you just want to fuck him?"

Bokuto paused for a moment to contemplate the heavy handed question. He knew that it was fair of his captain to ask, but he hadn't exactly had time to figure out the answer. He did want to sleep with Keiji, but it was different than his instinctual feelings towards other Omegas- and he wished that he knew why.

"Both," he replied after a few silent moments, his dark brows furrowed at his own response, still unsure of his emotions. On a good day, they were confusing, but most of the time they just infuriated him. He had never experienced such intense feelings before and he had absolutely no references that could help him sort them out.

"Mmm," Daichi nodded, granting him with a dark, frightening look and a throaty rumble of dominance that sent shivers down his spine- once again reminding him that his captain was not someone that he ever wanted to cross. "If you're only trying to use him, I'll never let you near our fucking house again. Ever."

Bokuto steadied his conviction, it wasn't like that. If he knew anything at all, it was that he cared about Keiji's well-being. However, it was something that he struggled to admit, even to himself. He shook his head in exasperation, if he wanted Daichi's blessing...no, it wasn't about wanting the blessing, he needed it. Mingling with his yellow house teammates at the party had taught him one thing- that they and their Omega counterparts were morphing into some odd, hybrid pack, and if he wanted to be a part of it, he needed to swallow his pride and be honest with himself. He needed to be okay with asking for, and listening to, advice.

"I don't...want that, Daichi, really. I mean, I don't really understand what I want, but I just...feel so empty when I'm not around him," he said quietly, sheepishly shifting his weight from foot to foot. "It's different...with Keiji. Different than with other Omegas."

"Okay then," the captain affirmed, his scent relaxing back to contentment.

"Guess you're a part of the club now, eh?" Kuroo snorted to himself as he handed off a few half-full liquor bottles to Daichi.

"What the fuck am I supposed to do?" Bokuto cried out, dramatically throwing his hands into the air. "I need you guys' fucking advice, okay? His scent is driving me insane...it's all I can think about. I'm losing sleep. I can barely eat. I don't know what to do."

"It's like a drug," Daichi stated plainly and shrugged his shoulders. "Even now, in the back of my mind, I'm thinking about Suga...and believe me, it's incredibly frustrating. You're going to have to get used to it."

"Yeah…" Kuroo nodded in agreement, "but it pays off, especially when you're around them. Like, when I'm around Kenna, I'm so fucking content. I just want to freeze time and live in that moment, forever."

"Mmm," Daichi pondered, taking a hearty swig of a bottle of liquor in his arms. "Poetic crap, but true."

"Fuck you, asshole. My words were beautiful," the rooster growled back, shoving him playfully to the side.

"Okay yeah, great. Like a drug. Noted," Bokuto growled, growing increasingly frustrated with the lack of usable advice from his teammates. "So, what the fuck am I supposed to do?"

"Ask him out?" Kuroo said pointedly, leaning his back against open wall space. "Dude, you're over complicating things. It's like the exact same thing as an Alpha Alpha relationships…ask him out, see if you like each other, and go from there."

Maybe he was over complicating things…

"Oi, Daichi," the rooster continued, turning to face the captain, "I think your phone just buzzed, man."

Daichi shuffled the bottles to one arm and pulled out his device, glancing down at its lit up screen.

"So yeah…" Kuroo said again, addressing himself to Bokuto once more. "Spend time with him. Ask him out. It will all sort-"

"We. Have. To. Go. Now," Daichi snarled out in interruption, dropping the glass bottles from his arms. They shattered across the floor of Bokuto's room, creating a large mess of sticky liquid that seeped into the floorboards, but he didn't care one bit. His captain's scent had suddenly devolved into a state of extraordinary panic, whirling into the air around them with an intensity that riled up his Alpha emotions. When he rushed out of the room and clamoured down the stairs, Bokuto instantly followed without question.

"What. Happened," Kuroo barked out from behind him, his throat rumbling out in quiet consistency.

"Intruders. House. Omegas."

If Daichi's unchecked emotions weren't enough to provoke Bokuto's instincts, his words certainly were. A primal feeling blasted through his gut and up into his brain, slicing up against his retinas. Keiji. Was he in trouble? Had he made it back to the house already? Who was left behind that was able to protect the other Omegas? How many intruders? How long would it take for them to get there?

He sprinted down the sidewalk, falling slightly behind the speed of his teammates, knowing that he wasn't the only one asking himself the horrible questions.

Tobio~

Tobio sluggishly opened his eyes, only to find his body sore and his mind dazed. Around him, the air housed an overwhelming amount of scents and their heaviness threatened to pull up the bile from his already upset stomach. He groaned, then awkwardly moved to stand, first grabbing a broken piece of wood that was digging into his back and tossing it into the dark yard in front of him. As his slowly clamoured to his feet, his instincts sputtered out in a disoriented flurry, where was...who was he looking for? ...Shoyo.

He sniffed the air, rolling his eyes around in their sockets in an attempt to settle his upset vertigo. Omega...hurt. In an instant,his eyes snapped fully open and the world flooded back in technicolor as he frantically searched the area around him for the ginger boy. When Tobio at last located him, lying a few feet to the side in the grass with a nasty gash bleeding down his pale face, he was at his side in an instant.

"Where are you hurt-" he started to ask, but Shoyo rolled onto his back and smacked away the his outreaching arms.

"I'm fine," the ginger boy hotly spat out, holding a pale hand to his forehead in pain. "Deal with the intruders. Now. You're the only one who can do this right now."

Shoyo's demands rarely prompted action, Tobio knew that first hand, but the fragrant strength behind the unusual command forced him to comply, even if he wanted nothing more than to ignore it as he usually did. He sat back on his haunches, released a frustrated growl, and quickly analyzing his surroundings. Tsukishima was fully engaged in combat with Morio under the oak tree to his right- their faces were bloody and neither seemed to have a clear upper hand. Further out in the yard near the road, Nishinoya was sputtering out insults as he struggled to escape the strong grasp of a black haired Alpha. A silver bottle was on the sidewalk beside them, wildly spraying around without a nozzle. Near it, a very dazed Alpha was shaking on his hands and knees, dry heaving into the grass beneath him- sick from the Alpha spray wafting about next to him.

Three accounted for, Tobio thought, shaking his head in an attempt to clear away his still-present nausea, Emon...where was Emon?

Suddenly, a strong scent hit him like a truck, blanketing his form with its all-consuming nature. His body began to quiver and he leaned forward on his haunches, violently retching at the ground beneath him. It was not a normal Omega scent of fear...it was much, much worse. The world around him began to blur away once again as the sickening fragrance clouded his mind, leaving him unfocused and confused. He sluggishly shook his head and craned his neck towards the source, glassy eyes taking in two struggling figures off in the distance- Emon confidently stood, a fist harshly balled in the struggling Yamaguchi's hair.

Tobio's instincts bashed against the grey mist in his mind, trying to break through. They wailed about from the banished recesses of his mind, commanding him to protect the Omega, but his body refused to comply. Yamaguchi's anxious scent had left him paralyzed, tired, and disoriented. He willed his heavy eyelids to stay open and watched on as the freckled Omega flailed against his attacker, clawing at the hands latched to the crown of his head.

"Stop struggling, you whore," Emon snarled down at the panicked boy. "I'm going to take you some place where I can make you feel good."

When Yamaguchi continued his frantic attempts, Emon paused to punch down into the his exposed face. Tobio's shoulders slightly winced, the first movement he had managed in what seemed like an eternity. MOVE, his instincts roared out, raking up and down against the foggy barrier in his mind, MOVE.

Yamaguchi's struggles weakened, dazed by the violent force of the previous hit, and his loud whimpering snaked into Tobio's waiting ears. When Emon swiftly picked up the freckled boy's light body and threw it over his broad shoulder, Tobio ground his teeth in frustration. He needed to do something. Why wouldn't his body move?! Nishinoya, Yamaguchi...Shoyo. He needed to defend them. Every single fibre of his being was screaming at him to do so.

"TOBIO!" A savage roar erupted into the night air, crying out for his attention.

Was it...Tsukishima? He couldn't tell for certain. His senses were uselessly dulled- his mind consumed by a misty, grey fog and his body heavy with a terrible fatigue that made him want to lie down on the grass.

"TOBIO. YAMAGUCHI!" Another loud snarl screeched out, shaking the heavily scented air around it with its loud vibrations. "GET-HIM. GO. GET."

Tobio sluggishly rolling his neck to find the source of the upset sound, eyes landing on Tsukishima- snarling at him between Morio's eager punches. His teammate's golden eyes were laced with an disturbed, frenzied panic that he had never before witnessed in the blonde Alpha.

"TOBIO. TOBIO. PLEASE." Tsukishima howled out again as his face was blasted with another heavy punch. He snarled loudly and tried to force his way out of Morio's imposing grasp, but his attacks were too sloppy with emotion to succeed.

Tsukishima's dismayed scent slithered into Tobio's open nostrils, alerting him to his teammate's chaotic emotions- they were pleading for him to save Yamaguchi...to save his Omega.

"TOBIO. STOP BEING A KING." His teammate cried out once more in a guttural cry of anguish as he roughly clawed at Morio's snarling face.

King…

Tobio's conscious outrage for the word allied with his instincts against the grey shadows of him mind, ripping through the paralyzing effects of Yamaguchi's anxious scent. At once, he pushed himself to his feet, swaying slightly from his crippled vertigo, then lunged forward into a full sprint. His now unhindered instincts tumbled into his mind all at once, egging him on. Protect Tsukishima's Omega. Protect Nishinoya. Protect the pack. Unleashing a protective and territorial growl, he threw himself into Emon's exposed back, scattering three figures across the unforgiving pavement of the road.

When Yamaguchi was the first to scramble to his feet, Tobio hurriedly barked, "go back to the house, now."

His desperate command left the freckled boy stalled in hesitation, cradling a damaged arm against his chest. When Tobio snarled to angrily provoking the boy to move, Yamaguchi nodded, then sprinting back towards the house to safety.

Tobio lethargically moved to stand, noticing the pavement beneath him was slick with the deep color of blood. Was it...his? As he steadied himself on his quivering feet, a sharp pain radiated off of his arm, prompting an audible tsk to escape his mouth. He glanced down at his throbbing limb- the skin had been scraped off nearly its entire length, leaving it a crimson mess. He shook his head, pulling out a few sharp pebbles embedded in the scrape, there was no time to deal with it.

He rolled his damaged shoulder to loosen its screaming muscles, then turned his attention back to Emon- feeling a renewed burst of adrenaline kick through his tired body. The brunette Alpha crouched down on the road a few feet in front of him, like a panther to ready to strike. For a brief moment, Tobio readied to engage the Alpha before a high pitched shout from a few meters next to him shifted his attention. Nishinoya. He needed to prioritize the spitfire's safety. Killing Emon could wait.

He let out a threatening growl, attempting to use his dominant fragrance to make his opponent back down...if only for a moment. When Emon hesitated at his vicious scent, he swiftly turned on his heels and sprinted towards Nishinoya- struggling on the hard pavement of the road beneath Jacky's large form. He had nearly closed the gap between them when a figure pounced onto his unsuspecting form, stalling him a few feet away with his stocky weight. His attacker growled into his exposed ear and wildly bashed into the side of his head with a large, closed fist.

"Nishi-" Tobio attempted to growl, clawing behind him at his opponents snarling face.

When he saw the black haired Alpha begin to rip at the small Omega's sweatpants, Tobio's mind snapped into a renewed fit of rage. Shake off attacker. Slaughter Jacky. He savagely punched over his shoulder, landing several heavy blows as his opponents legs squeezed against his torso- holding on like a vice grip. Slowly, he dropped down to his knees, increasingly deprived of much needed air. He roared out and frantically clawed out behind him, unwilling to give up while there was still life in him.

Oikawa~

Oikawa was more furious than he had ever been in his life. How dare the Alpha scumbags show their faces here...intrude on the safety his nest had built in the yellow house. How dare Chaki use his mind games on Yachi as soon as she had started to heal. And Kabuto accuse Oikawa of missing his knot? He shuddered in disgust, what filth. What could stop the monsters if a house full of Alphas wasn't enough?

"Please forgive me,' he heard Yachi mechanically whisper from behind him. "I'm so sorry, Chaki."

She had lost herself in the tunnel, but it was clear to him that she was fighting the dissociated state with everything she had. Although her responses indicated that she was going to, she hadn't physically moved towards Chaki, yet. Keep fighting my little angel, he thought, willing her to feel his supportive scent through her mental haze.

"It's okay baby," Chaki sang out in a manipulative tone that made his stomach curdle. "I will forgive you if you just come over here. We can leave and forget that any of this ever happened."

When Yachi sluggishly moved forward, Oikawa turned on his heels quickly grabbed her shoulders to stall her in place. He looked down at her cloudy eyes, upset to find that she was no longer present- she had completely dissociated at the sickening remark. He ground his teeth in frustration and quickly went over his options- he and Yuji were no match for the three aggressive Alphas, especially if they had to care for Yachi. With Tobio and Tsukishima were dealing with their own intruders on the porch, there was very little change of backup. He knew that they needed to stall until their housemates returned, but Yachi wasn't going to last that long. All of the information left with two choices- he could try to verbally break through to nestmate's clouded mind with some brutally honest words, or remove her from the situation altogether.

He knelt down in front of the small girl, blatantly aware of the risk he was taking by exposing his back to the intruders. When he heard Yuji instinctively shift in front of his form and release a guttural growl of protection, he let out a small sigh of relief.

"Yachi, shut the fuck up!" He yelled at the small girl, slightly wincing at the vicious tone of his voice. "You're not going with him, you got that?! Get a hold of yourself!" He hated the ferocious tone that he had to use against her, but she was too far gone to hear caring words.

"That's no way to treat your darling friend, Oikawa! You're being abusive," he heard Kabuto call over to him with drawled out sarcasm.

"Fuck off, Kabuto. You manipulative fuck!" He seethed back over his shoulder before rolling his head back to look at Yachi's blank face. She hadn't heard a word he had said.

"You're holding her rather hard, Oikawa!" Kabuto chimed in again, his snarky remark prompting a nasty snarl from Yuji's rumbling throat.

Oikawa willed himself to ignore the tattooed Alpha's chirps, if only for a moment. It was now abundantly clear that he was not going to be able to verbally pull Yachi out of her own head. That left him with only one option, he needed to remove her from the situation before her mind snapped. If her body remained exposed to the stressful situation, she might become trapped in her dissociative state forever- or leave with Chaki. He needed to follow his Professor's advice...bring her to a location where she felt safe, wrap her in blankets that are coated with familiar scents, and rock her.

"Yuji," he barked as he rose to stride over to the edge of the porch. "Take Yachi inside. Now. Go to the nest on the third floor, you'll be able to smell it." When the pierced Alpha remained silent, Oikawa placed a hand on his shoulder to ensure that he was listening. "Wrap her up in as many blankets as you can and rock her. Tell her that she's safe. Do not leave her side. Okay?"

Yuji slowly tore his gaze from the yard to look at him with worried, honey-coloured eyes. "What about you? I don't want to leave you out here with them."

"I'll be fine. I've handled these fuckers before," Oikawa asserted, giving the Alpha a small nod of reassurance.

It was a necessary lie. He knew that neither he nor Yuji could physically handle the intruders of their own, but he could verbally hold them off where his blonde ally couldn't. Please don't argue, just take her upstairs and keep her safe.

Yuji hesitated for a moment, his mouth set in a hard line of nervous anger, then turned on his heels with a growl. He scooped up the seemingly lifeless Yachi, unhappy yet compliant with the plan. As he briskly walked towards the back door, he paused to let out a deep and throaty snarl which Oikawa translated as, I'll be back.

Oikawa felt his shoulders relax as their scents dissipated into the confines of the yellow house, but Kabuto quickly snatched away his small victory.

"Aw, Oikawa. If you wanted to be alone with me, you should've just said so! I didn't know you missed me so much."

He absolutely did not miss the disgusting tattooed man. Their past relationship had been nothing more than a twisted mess. He hated that he had allowed the disgusting man to touch him in exchange for drugs...or money that could buy them. A series of thoughts flickered across his waking mind, penetrating into the memories he had locked away in its deep recesses- he wished that he had the power to keep them at bay.

Normally, the signs of being an Alpha or Omega began to show around the age of thirteen, but Oikawa had been a late bloomer. He had attended an Omega school, as was customary for children who had yet to show signs- the government's way of keeping them safe. If a minor's secondary sex presented itself while they were attending an Alpha academy, the result would be catastrophic. Especially if their first heat hit them during school hours.

Throughout his high school years, Oikawa had prayed every night for the universe to make him an Alpha. He had seen, first hand, the extent in which his Omega friends had been marginalized. Both their fertility cycles and Omega scents made all other outings too risky for them at such a young age. They remained secluded to school, their home, and the bus that transferred them in between. While the thought of being trapped in the confines of his own home until graduation frightened him, the brutal cases of Omega rape and assault was what had truly kept him up at night. He couldn't imagine being constantly on guard his entire life- he hadn't even wanted to imagine it.

One morning, during his ninth year of school, he had overheard an Omega complain about their first heat and how fragile their body had become after the event. The idea of had followed him around the entire day, prompting him to stay after class to ask his humanities teacher, an Omega herself, about the implications of it. At first, she had told him that he would learn about the event in health class the following semester but, upon seeing his worried face, she explained it to him in earnest. Through her, he learned many terrible truths about puberty. She had relayed to him that heat supressor injections were never used during an Omega's initial heat, the hormones that erupted out of it were too powerful, and worse yet, that the event forcibly adjusted a person's chemical makeup to prepare their body for fertility- both mentally and...physically.

He had been completely dejected leaving school that evening. When he arrived back at home, he had gone straight to him room to examine his naked body in front of his mirror- looking for physical traits that could elude to him the outcome of his puberty. He examined every inch of his body for hours, trying to convince himself that his taller statue, stronger jawline, and muscle tone were indicative of becoming an Alpha. However, when he began analyzing the size of his reproductive organs, he had been stumped. He hadn't been sure of what they suggested- at the time, he had never seen the sexual organs of either secondary sex. He hopped on his computer to search for an answer, but the more research he had done, the more a creeping feeling a dread worked its way into his soul. He had willed himself to ignore it, instead opting to focus on his other features instead. There were more things on his body that characterized an Alpha and he had convinced himself that they definitely outweighed the sole component that argued for the opposite.

Oikawa's parents, lovely and sympathetic Alphas, had been better at dealing with his unknown status than he had been. They had placed him in self defense classes from the age of ten, a move that was done as a precaution against his potential for being an Omega. Every year, he complained to them without fail, explaining that his features all indicated that he would be an Alpha and, once he hit the change, he would have natural combat instincts that would make the classes obsolete. However, his mother had always sweetly disregarded his objections, saying, if you turn out ot be an Alpha, sweetie, then you'll have the most polished fighting form!

Oikawa's first heat had hit him two weeks before his eighteenth birthday, officially declaring him an Omega. He had suffered through four days of agonizing arousal in his dark room and, with each passing hour, his hatred with himself increased. When the event had finally finished, he examined his naked form in his mirror once more- only to find that his most of his body hair had disappeared and, in the places in remained, it was light and wispy. His jawline had become grown more gentle and, while his muscles were still toned, they had a suddenly had a softer look to them. His world had fallen apart around him in a matter of days and his frustration with himself prompted him to bash a fist into his mirror, leaving a white scar across his knuckle that he still retained to present day.

Oikawa knew that his parents never cared that he had presented as an Omega. However, he had fabricated their actions to suit a lie that fed into his own self-hatred. Upon graduating four months later, he had packed up his things, ignoring the growls of his parents, and left. He changed his phone number and moved to the closest urban centre he could find, effectively shutting everyone who cared for him out of his life. It wasn't long before he had his first sexual assault experience- an event which only added to his low self worth. Soon after, he dove head first into the underground club scene of Omega prostitution, and the toxic lifestyle that came along with it. He had loved the drugs- they numbed his angry, vengeful feelings and fazed out the world around him. Nearly a year into his addiction, he had the terrible pleasure of meeting Kabuto, a prominent dealer in his circle who quickly became his main source for money and pariphanilia.

Oikawa shook his head, trying to banish the renewed feeling of self-hatred that had begun to creep into his heart upon reliving his past. He was sickened by his former self...the one who willingly sold his body for another hit. It was a time when his self worth was exceedingly low. A time before Suga and the flock. His saviors. His salvation. He wasn't that person anymore.

"Well," Chaki began, hopping onto the porch in front of him with ease. He willed himself to stand his ground, he had kicked the man's ass before, he could do it again. "Not that I don't like you, Oikawa, but I'd rather go check up on Yachi."

Oikawa snapped around as the domineering Alpha shoved passed him, confidently walking towards the open back door of the yellow house.

"What the fuck are you doing."

"Oh, Oikawa. You just aren't as good of a fuck as Yachi is. She's tighter."

Oikawa made a move towards the manipulative man, but stalled in place when he heard two deep growls erupt into the air from behind him. The scent of Alpha arousal began to renew itself in the air around him, drawing his attention away, back into the yard.

"I can smell that your house is empty right now," Chaki remarked, leaning into the doorway of Oikawa's safe house to sniff. "And I'm pretty sure I can take that pierced fucker down."

"Don't take another fucking step," Oikawa seethed back, doing his best to keep his eyes on both the intruders in the yard and Chaki.

"What are you going to do. Stop me? You've got two other contenders in the yard," the black haired man challenged before waltzing into the house with an elitism that nearly made Oikawa snap.

He hated himself for not doing anything to stop the manipulative man. Hated himself for letting the pair of lapdogs stall him on the porch. Rely on Yuji...you're not alone...rely on Yuji, he repeated in mantra to himself, trying to stall his own panic. He will protect Yachi. He will protect Yachi. With that final thought wedged in his mind, he turned his slender form to face the two men in the yard- both had wicked smiles plastered on their faces.

Chapter Seventeen: Banishing the Past

Yachi~

Yachi knew that she had lost herself to what Professor Miyo termed as a dissociated mental state. She could tell by the token dark tunnel her mind was held captive inside, replaying the past traumas of her life around her in a wicked flurry of images. The time that Chaki had tied her up, leaving her in his dark closet for hours as her stomach clawed at her insides in hunger- only releasing her out once he had felt that she deserved his forgiveness. The various physical discipline lessons he had done to her body, his belt, the back of his unclosed hand, his fist. No matter how many many times she had cried out her apologies, hoping that he would forgive her discretions without punishment, he always stood by his ideology- that he wouldn't forgive her unless she showed him just how sorry she really was.

However, worst of his actions were always accompanied by intoxication. She had a large scar to prove it, a physical reminder of the time he had thrown her against the wall, accidentally breaking her slender forearm against the kitchen counter as he did so. He had been so drunk, and more than a little buzzed on cocaine, when he had done it. While she could find fault in his addictions, she struggled to do the same for his actions. It was her fault for making him so angry all the time, she always acted like a pathetic Omega- it was only right that he treat her like one. She had deserved the punishments. She was better from them. He was had always been right. He was always right. He was right.

While stuck in her tunnel of spiraling memories, Yachi felt a large figure pick her up and cradle her with strong, lean arms. Was it Chaki? Had he decided that he would take her back? Even though she had messed up so many things, was he forgiving her?

"Hang on, okay?" Her carrier growled under his breath, squeezing her tiny body against his own. "I'm taking you somewhere safe. Just hang on. I've got you."

Her body told her that she had climbed up a set of stairs and into an unknown room, one that seemed familiar- although she couldn't figure out why. Then, something heavy and comforting was placed around her slumped shoulders and she was nestled into the lap of her unknown companion. When she felt her body begin to rock back and forth, she slowly blinked, trying to clear her tunnel vision. The gentle motion, bobbing her limp body from side to side, began to slowly roll back the dark confines that had caged in her logical mind. It alone was not enough for her to break free, but when a low, throaty growl and its accompanying scent protection began to penetrate her senses, the flashing memories on her tunnel walls froze.

What...was the smell? It was so familiar...strong and exhilarating, calm yet antsy. She was so close to placing its source, so very close.

"He. Will. Never. Touch. You." A deep voice snarled out, a voice she recognized. It was not Chaki. Chaki would never rock her. Chaki could never make her feel this...safe.

"Those mother fuckers. I can't believe he did this to you. I can't believe he. Did. This. To. You." The words poured out from somewhere close to her, growing choppy with primal instinct.

Yachi glanced up, staring down the dark tunnel towards the small circle of light at its end. Squinting her eyes, she noticed something coming through it...something yellow. Then, a sudden rush of a familiar fragrance blasted her, lightening her dark mind with its potent nature. Yuji.

She reached up a weak hand to cling to the front of his orange shirt, "Where is...Oikawa?"

She couldn't recall much after smelling Chaki from the porch, but from what little she did remember, Oikawa had been there.

"He's...fine," Yuji replied softly as he gingerly flicked a stray hair from her pale hair. "He's handling things."

He was a terrible liar.

"Go…" She croaked out, increasing her grip on his shirt.

Oikawa was in the back yard, facing the Alphas in her place. Doing what she couldn't...she hated herself. Chaki was right, she was nothing but a burden to those around her.

Yuji looked down at her, meeting her foggy gaze with sad, topaz eyes. He seemed so very far away…

"I can't," he whispered, continuing to rock her against his body. "I promised him that I would protect you."

At his statement, Yachi reached forward in her mental tunnel, gripped onto the yellow light with all of her remaining strength, and yanked her concious conscious mind towards it. She was not going to be a burden. Her friend needed her, needed Yuji, and if the only way the Alpha would help was if she was of a sound state of mind, then she was going to make that happen. The flashbacks flickering on the walls of her mind played out louder, taunting her to come back, but she ignored them. Follow the yellow light, follow the invigorating smell, follow Yuji.

"I'm not going to be a burden," she whispered as she clawed forward through the tunnel, pushing herself through its stifling confines. "Oikawa needs you. I'm not going to be a burden."

She felt Yuji tightened his steady grip on her hips, his touch reaching forward to help her troubling journey forward through the dark. His large hands felt pleasant on her body- a warm touch, like an afternoon sun, that she could feel even through her clothes.

"I won't be the reason Oikawa gets hurt. I won't be the reason."

"You're not the reason, Yachi. He loves you, his actions are...unconditional.

Unconditional? The flock. The yellow house Alphas. Her parents, looking down on her from the beyond, Yuji, professor Miyo. Unconditional love. Yachi increased her mental grip, throwing every ounce of energy she had left into one final effort. She pulled forward with all her might, internally shouting as she did so, and the world around her, the real world, seeped back into view.

"You have to go and help Oikawa," she said, her voice crisp and focused. "He needs your help. I'll be fine, I can hide out-" She paused, taking in her surroundings. Yuji had brought her to the nest, he had brought her to her home- the tea green room.

"No," Yuji growled through clenched teeth before she had a chance to continue her thought. "I trust him, so should you."

The words cut through her like a knife.

"I-"

"No. Listen. I don't know the full story of happened with those fuckers, but I'm not stupid. I know they hurt you. I know they hurt Oikawa. But that doesn't mean that you get to selfishly make decisions on your own," Yuji huffed out it in frustration, his embrace tightening around her with every word. "Can you not see that by thinking yourself a burden, you're actually being a burden? I mean, for fucks sakes, Yachi. I know we barely know each other, but you're not a burden to me. And I'm pretty sure you never will be, no matter what happens."

They did barely know each other, and that was precisely why his words had such a great effect on her damaged soul. He was an outsider, inserting his way into her affairs because he wanted to, not because he had to. For Yachi, it was a grand realization that brought hot tears to her honey coloured eyes.

"I trust that Oikawa knows what he is doing. And, no offense, Yachi, but your body doesn't exactly respond well to Alpha scents. And believe me, the air outside is fucking stuffed with them. I can't protect you out there, I'm sorry, but I can't."

"You're...right," Yachi said through a few happy tears. "You're right. I trust that Oikawa knows what he's doing. I do."

"I'm alwaaaaays right," Yuji replied with a cheeky smirk, successfully lightening the drab mood. "Don't worry, you'll learn-" he continued before cutting his thought short, his lean body growing suddenly stiff against her own. In a mere instant, Yachi was ginergly pulled to her feet and shoved in behind his bristling form. "Stay behind he," he commanded with a snarl, clenching his fists at his side.

It was not long before Yachi found the source of his upset. A familiar scent slithered under the closed door and into her nostrils- Chaki, he was coming up the stairs. Yuji's instincts had heightened his sense of smell while her own previously dissociated state had dulled hers. She hated that her episodes always left her senses dull, her nose had always been one of the most important assets for her.

As Chaki's domineering fragrance intensified, Yachi moved closer to Yuji's protective form and inhaled his strong scent to steady her nerves. She consciously banished the tunnel to the deepest, darkest corner of her mind, and willed it to stay there. She was not going back to it, not now, not in front of was never going to give him the satisfaction again. She had Yuji, and they were going to face the monster head on.

"Knock knockkkkkkk," a sickening voice, one that was all too familiar to her, called from beyond the door.

As the black haired man entered the tea green room, at an agonizingly slow pace, Yachi felt the dark tunnel tug at her conscious mind. She balled a small fist at her side and inhaled in Yuji's protective scent once more, using its sunshine energy to shove it back down with force. No.

"Yachi! I knew I smelled you in here!"

"Leave," Yuji snarled, grabbing out behind him to feel that she was still there. She was, and she wasn't going anywhere- physically or mentally.

"No," Chaki quipped back, flashing her a manipulative smile. "You're in my way, mut. That girl is the love of my life."

That's a lie. That's a lie. Yachi repeated to herself, she wasn't going to allow her mind to retreat back to its complicit form. Perhaps, Chaki did love her in his own, twisted way, but maybe...she deserved more than bad love. Someone she could love as an equal- she clung on to the thought for dear life.

Yuji glanced over his shoulder, catching her gaze with a pained, questioning expression.

"I'm fine...I promise," she whispered, hesitantly gliding a small hand over his forearm. The contact sent warm waves of happiness through her aching chest, washing over her like rays of sunshine on a summer afternoon. She nodded her head, passing him the reigns- trusting him with her protection.

Upon seeing her nod, Yuji gave her a sly smirk, one that she had seen quite frequently in the past few hours, and took a confident step forward. "I will give you one, final warning," he barked in threat, cracking his neck while oozing an defensive scent.

"Awfully forward of you," Chaki said hotly, angry with Yachi's previous physical contact with her pierced ally. "Especially for an Alpha that barely knows her. I can hardly smell your scent on her."

"It doesn't matter. Any decent person would defend her against a sick monster like you," Yuji snarled back with an honest hostility that made Yachi's heart beat loudly again her chest.

Someone outside of her flock had said that Chaki was a monster. Someone outside of her flock had said that she deserved better. Maybe she did.

She heard Chaki snicker from beyond the Yuji's guard in front of her, "you want to fight then? I'm always down for a brawl."

Yuji readied his stance, his lean muscles flexing through the back of his orange shirt.

"You know…" He started, rolling a shoulder to warm up the muscles. "Back in the yard, I thought you were the most dominant Alpha of your little pack, but now I'm pretty sure that Kabuto kid outranks you."

"Fuck you," Chaki seethed back, hunching forward, ready to pounce.

"Yachi. Move. Back." The pierced Alpha growled over his shoulder and she complied, stepping back to stand in front of the large windows behind her.

Less than a second later, he lept forward and bowled his full weight into Chaki's form, driving him into the door to the hallway. As the wooden frame splintered around them, Yachi yelped in fright, her heart growing cold with worry over Yuji's well-being. She watched on through wide, teary eyes as the pierced Alpha swiftly pinned Chaki under his weight, crushing his opponent into the splintered wood beneath them. After receiving a few hard strikes to the face, her ex-Alpha reached around Yuji's head and flipped their weight, throwing her blonde ally into the plaster behind them. Chaki then scrambled to his feet and threw his foot into the side of Yuji's head, sending him sprawling down the dark hallway.

Yachi swallowed the bile in her throat at the crunching sound of impact from the blow to her Alpha's exposed head. Her heart dropping down to her toes, not from her now vulnerable state to the hostile Alpha before her, but out of concern for Yuji.

Chaki turned on his heels and strode towards her, stepping over the broken door in his way.

"Now, where were we…" he snarled out as she moved to the furthest corner of the room to defend herself. In moments, his domineering form stood in front of her and he reached out, grabbing her by the front of her shirt to slam her against the wall with ease. "You're going to get it for all this trouble you've put me through," He said through gnashed teeth, raising her higher against the green plaster.

"F-fuck you," She said quietly, cringing away from his face.

"What did you say?" The Alpha snarled in a dark tone, slapping her hard across the face.

Fuck him, she thought to herself. Say it again. Say it again, Yachi.

"I said, fuck you, Chaki," she spat again, this time looking into his dark, probing eyes.

"You little Bitch," the Alpha growled, throwing her to the ground with great force. "Whoring yourself out to every Alpha in town now, are we?"

Yachi coughed out at the impact, seeing stars. Chaki gave her recovering form a heavy kick to the ribs, prompting her to whimper loudly and roll over on her side but, she didn't care about his domineering figure standing above her- her thoughts were still fixed on Yuji. Was he okay? How hurt was he? Was he

...alive? She began to claw her way towards to broken door, straining her neck to find the blonde Alpha. Then, through her blurred vision she saw a sudden flash of orange movement and an energizing fragrance burst into the tea green room- unyielding.

"You're one cocky motherfucker, thinking this is over," she heard Yuji roar as he charged into the black haired Alpha once more, sprawling their figures to the ground a few feet to her left.

She groaned, pushing herself up onto her knees to move away from the violent brawl. Before she had the chance to recover, Yuji returned the previous blow with a little bit of his own added style, roundhouse kicking Chaki in the side of the head. Her ex-Alpha flew across the room and into the far wall, knocking down Suga's hanging paintings in the process.

Yuji then briskly closed the gap, pinning the dazed man under him. "Don't. Ever. Come. Near. Omega. Again," he snarled into Chaki's face, showing his teeth.

When he received a growl in response, the pierced boy bashed him hard across the jaw to silence him.

"She. Is. Not. Yours," he roared, punching Chaki in a series of raw and messy shots.

After a few moments of violence, Yachi realized that her blonde Ally wasn't going to stop. Even when the skin on his knuckles tore and the man beneath him lost his consciousness, he continued on, hitting and snarling- fully feral.

"Yuji!" She cried out, starting to worry about the legal implications of the situation. While Chaki's death would make her feel safer, she didn't want Yuji to go to jail for it. They weren't...mated. It was too risky.

When the Yuji didn't halt at the sound of her voice, she summoned all of her remaining strength and courage and rose to her wobbling feet. As she stood, the room spun around her, nearly vomiting from her uneven vertigo.

She sluggishly crawled over to the edge of the room and rose up once more, this time steadying herself against the solid wall. Using it to slowly guide her weak form over to the feral, blonde Alpha, she called out again.

"Yuji! Stop! You're going to kill him!"

When he continued, she began to fear the worst. She needed to break him out of his primal instincts, fast. She lined herself up with the Alpha's vicious form and jumped the last few feet between them, landing on his muscular back. The moment she made impact, Yuji reached behind him and flipped her over, pinning her beneath breath his chest. Adrenaline coursed through her as he snarled, baring his teeth in her face. She felt herself release a subtle scent of fear- his topaz eyes were darker than usual and they didn't seem to recognize her at all. She was frightened, but it still didn't matter to her. Other than a little blood on his forehead, and a few nasty bruises under his left eye, he was okay. He was alive. She was relieved.

When Alpha pressed down into her delicate body, she realized just how large he was compared to her. She willed her scent to calm, needing him to recognize her- the smell of fear would only agitate him further. Slowly but surely, her rosy fragrance seeped out, influencing him to relax. His continuous snarls dissipated and his eyes cleared, lightening back to their usual colour.

"Oh my god," Yuji cried out, hurrying to pick himself up off of her tiny body. "Oh fuck. FUCK. Yachi, did I hurt you?" He asked in a rushed tone, reaching out to touch her but stalling a few inches away. "I'm so sorry. Fuck. I didn't even know it was you," he continued, backing away from her.

"It's okay, I'm fine," Yachi replied with a weak smile, wincing at the pain in her ribs as she moved to sit on her knees. She glanced over at Chaki's unconscious and bloody form. He was still alive. Good.

"Are you sure?" Yuji asked his eyes darting over her body, searching for external injuries. He scent whisked into her nostrils and she suddenly realized that he wanted to...scent her. The thought of the blonde Alpha touching her in such a personal warmed her entire body, muffling her pain.

"Please answer me. Are you sure you're okay?" Yuji questioned again, with more force than before. He had taken a hesitant step forward, but refused to allow himself anything more.

"Come here…" Yachi said quietly, looking up into his topaz eyes, laced with immeasurable concern. "I can't get up, or I'll pass out. My vertigo...it's a mess."

Yuji took another step back and she immediately understood his mindset- he thought that he was the one who had hurt her.

"It wasn't you!" She stated, startling herself with the strong tone of conviction behind the words. "You didn't hurt me okay? Just come over here...please."

Yuji finally ceded and carefully kneeling before her. It was clear from the look in his eyes, and his smell, that he was furiously chastising his actions with incredible self-hatred.

"Your face…" she whispered, reaching out to his swollen cheek with her delicate fingers.

Yuji finched back at her touch, she softly tsked, feeling an overwhelming desire to check over his wounds.

"I'm. Sorry." He instinctually growled, keeping himself just out of her reach. Yachi inhaled his scent, a combination of protection and shame.

"Please don't apologize," she responded gently as she tried to shuffle closer to him.

"I-I don't want you to do anything that makes you uncomfortable. You don't owe me anything."

Yachi stopped for a moment. Was he worried about her mentality? The fact that the Alpha cared enough to consider it filled her heart with joy, but it also slightly irritated her. She didn't want her actions to be judged by the frailty of her mental state.

"I'm not." She said plainly. For the first time in years, she wanted to make her intentions clear by verbally expressing her emotions. "I just want to make sure you are okay. I'm not doing it because I feel like I owe you a debt of gratitude. I just…" she continued, trying to gather her thoughts. "I just, I like you. I feel safe when you're around. I don't know what the feeling is or if you feel it too. And if you don't that's fine. But, still...please allow to look over your wounds!" She finished in an explosive train of thought that ended in a squeaky tone of nervousness.

When Yuji didn't respond, Yachi shuffled forward and looked over his damaged face. She ignored his intense eyes and instead focussed on the bruises. They were swelling very quickly, pushing his left eye closed. Noticing a wooden splinter embedded in his forehead, she reached out to examine how deep it had penetrated, all the while feeling like they were the only two people in the world.

"This might hurt, okay? Just relax for a moment…" she whispered, gripping the splinter between her long nails before pulling.

Yuji winced slightly, then quickly relaxed once she had successfully dislodged it.

"Thanks…"

Yachi met his concerned eyes, suddenly feeling an overwhelming desire to kiss him, but an audible groan pulled her back to reality. She glanced over at Chaki's damaged form. Chaki...Oikawa!

She jumped to her feet and Yuji followed her movements, releasing fresh scent of protection in his confusion. Oikawa, they needed to find needed to help him. As she tried to step towards the door, another wave of nausea washed over her. The room spun around her as she toppled to the floor, feeling a her ribs crunch as they made impact with the matted floor.

"Oikawa…" She tried to say as her mind began to fade.

"Yachi? Yachi!" She heard Yuji's panicked voice call from somewhere far off in the distance.

"Oik..a..w," she whispered once more, praying that Yuji understood her last request.

Chapter Eighteen: Limitations

Hajime~

As Hajime neared the yellow house, he was nearly blown back by the heavy smell surrounding it. He frantically sifted through the various scents as he ran, searching for Oikawa's ocean fragrance, but the air was too concentrated- he couldn't even manage to determine how many intruders were on the property. When he neared the end of the block, quickly sprinting towards their private cul de sac, his eyes locked on two figures, rolling around on the tough pavement of the road. Nishinoya...Intruder. To the left of them, Tobio was stiffly on his knees, a snarling Alpha strangling him from behind.

Before Hajime had the chance to engage, a flash of movement burst past him, bowling into the stocky Alpha atop Nishinoya. Asahi. The bunned giant seized the other man by the throat and threw a heavy knee into his stomach.

Hajime took a hesitant step back at the fresh, enraged scent Asahi had skittered into the air around him- it was fully feral. He shook his head to reassert himself, momentarily stalled in place by his teammate's furious fragrance, then moved forward to pull the overbearing Alpha from Tobio's back.

As he closed the gap, Tanaka whisked by him at high speed, unleashing a savage roar of fury. He threw his arm around the unknown Alpha's neck and yanked him from Tobio's coughing form.

"Who the FUCK ARE YOU?" He barked out, leaning down on his haunches to pull the dark Alpha up by the bloody collar of his shirt. When he received a challenging snarl in return, he pulled the man forward and smashed him back down on the pavement to wind him. "You want to answer, now?!"

Hajime let out a deep, threatening growl- his instincts were riling up of their own accord, influenced by his enraged teammates. They have things under control. They have things under control. Move on. Find Oikawa.

As he quickly stepped past the figures battling on the road, his eyes zeroed in on Tsukishima, struggling against a large opponent beneath the oak tree. Without another thought, Hajime swiftly crossed the lawn and threw himself into his blonde teammate's attacker, smashing the man's exposed back into the tough bark of the tree. Beside him, Tsukishima scrambled to his feet, releasing a series of challenging snarls from his bloody lips. When Hajime swung his arm forward, intending to land a heavy blow on his new opponent, Tsukishima frantically grasped into the fabric of his shirt and yanked him back with such force that he was sent sprawling back into the grass.

First wincing at the impact his ribs received from the hard ground, Hajime then sluggishly rose to his feet, swaying slightly as he did so. It was now abundantly clear to him that Tsukishima had devolved into a state of feral frenzy, something that his nose would have easily picked up on if he could use it- the dense air had left him mostly scent-blind. He had never seen the blonde boy relinquish control to his instincts before, in fact, he hadn't even thought it possible. He huffed out a small puff of air and brushed off his disheveled shirt, sure of what to do- Tsukishima was clearly unable to tell the difference between friend and foe.

"Hajime!" A familiar voice struck him from a few meters off. Shoyo...Omegas. Where were the Omegas. Were they safe?

He snapped his head towards the source of the sound, eyes landing on Shoyo, holding himself up on quivering legs by the partially destroyed porch railing. An angry looking gash was sliced across his pale forehead, glistening with fresh blood. Hajime's instincts riled up at the sight, coiling upwards from his chest and into his brain. Who. Did. That. To. The. Omega.

"Oikawa! Hajime, Oikawa!" The Omega cried out, his tone exasperated. "He's in the backyard. Go!"

Oikawa.

Hajime sprinted forward, suddenly unaware of the conflicts occurring behind him on the front lawn. Was Oikawa safe? Was his Omega safe? The feral thoughts crashed into him, egging him forward in a frantic flurry of movements. However, as he jumped over the white bannister to land on the wooden boards of the fronch porch, a prominent scent stuck his nostrils, pulling away his attention. Yamaguchi. While his instincts were roaring inside his skull, commanding for him to find Oikawa, something deep inside his gut left him stalled in place. The unusual feeling coasted forward, drowning out his natural instincts with its lumbering presence. Pack. Pack comes first.

"Are you both okay," he barked out at once, raking his dark eyes between the two damaged Omegas in the pink lighting.

"Fine," Shoyo asserted, his normally sharp eyes unfocused from pain.

"We're fine," Yamaguchi nodded slowly, cradling a damaged arm across his slender chest. "Go."

They didn't have to tell Hajime twice.

Daichi~

When Daichi arrived at the yellow house, the natural adrenaline from his primal state shoved all traces of his inebriation to the background and he began a crisp, internal analysis of the environment. Tanaka and Asahi were engaged with two unknown Alphas on the edge of the lawn. A few feet next to them, Nishinoya was struggling to pull the very dazed looking Tobio to his wavering feet. Further back in the middle of the yard, another intruder was on his hands and knees, dry heaving into the grass. Finally, Tsukishima was wildly bashing his bloody fists into a whimpering Alpha beneath the oak tree.

"We need to figure a game plan," Kuroo growled out from beside him, startling Daichi with his domineering presence. "I don't want to jump into this situation without one. Our Alphas are already growing too feral for their own good. We can't let that happen to us, too."

Daichi glanced over to the rooster and slowly nodded. How long had he been there?

"Use your eyes, not your nose, captain," Kuroo continued, his dark eyes flickering across the various figures before them. "The air's too concentrated to ascertain anything by smell."

The air was too concentrated. Daichi's ineffectual nose was severely handicapping his thoughts- with each inhale, his understanding of the situation would shift. At first, he had been sure that there were four intruders, but the number had shot up to ten, then back down to three. He shifted his reliance to his eyesight, growling out in frustration at his inability to utilize the most reliable of his senses.

"Where are the Omegas," he barked, his eyes darting about to find them in the dim light.

"There. Two," the rooster snarled back, jerking his head towards the pink lighting near the house.

Daichi snapped his eyes to the porch, landing on the cowering figures of Shoyo and Yamaguchi. Injured...and anxious. Who else had remained back? He quickly searched through his memories, finding them useless and hazy from his previously drunken state.

"Oikawa. Yachi. They're not out front," Kuroo barked at once, unwittingly answering the question before his broad shoulders began to shake with unchecked hostility. "Kenma. Is. Not. Out. Front."

Daichi's unleashed a throaty rumble at his teammate's instinctual flare up, ready to intervene without his help. However, much to his surprise, the rooster boy remained by his side, albeit bristling with upset.

Daichi had expected the Alpha to beeline towards the house in search of his mate...why hadn't he? He sniffed the air once more, doing his utmost to solely inhale Kuroo's nearby scent. What were the Alpha's motives? Slowly, the rooster's fragrance snaked its way into his nostrils, striking him with an instantaneous calm that sharpened his senses. Pack. Protect the pack. Kuroo was prioritizing the pack...

"Daichi…" A voice panted out from a few feet away, stalling his investigation with its familiar tone.

He glanced towards its owner, eyes taking in Suga- his delicate hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath. He instantly lunged towards the silver Omega, leaving the foreign, tranquil instinct behind.

"Are you okay," he snarled, grabbing the boy in a protective embrace before visually checking for injuries.

"I'm fine," the silver haired boy huffed out, pushing out of his tough embrace. "We need-"

"Where is Keiji," Bokuto roared loudly in interruption, nearly bowling into Kuroo's tense form as he came to a stop next to them. "I can't smell him. Where is he."

"He ran into the house," Suga replied, still panting from his long run from the liquor store. "A few minutes ago. Hajime too...I think."

In a flash, the owl lunged forward, busting into a quick sprint across the yard. Why did the owl prioritize a specific Omega...but he and Kuroo hadn't? When Daichi was running towards the house, his thoughts had been solely planted on finding Suga, but when he had finally arrived, he had dropped the idea altogether. His thoughts had shifted to a desire to ensure that everyone was safe- not just his Omega. Daichi furrowed his brows, filing away the information. There were more pertinent issues...like his Alpha pack. While they did not need assistance defeating the intruders, they definitely needed to be pulled from their opponents soon...before someone was accidentally killed. He raked his eyes over the scene once more, even without his nose, it was pretty well clear that Asahi and Tsukishima had gone feral.

"We need to pull our Alphas off," Kuroo reiterated, his shoulders bristling with anticipation. "They're feral, Daichi. We need to get things under control."

Four intruders. Two incapacitated. Two feral Alphas from their pack. What about the house? The backyard?

"How many intruders are there," Daichi barked, wanting to ascertain more of the situation before he and Kuroo spread their ranks.

"I don't know," the rooster replied, balling his hands into tight fists at his side- thoughts of Kenma lurking in the back of his mind. "But, Hajime and Bokuto are in there...and Yuji. Safe. Trust"

Daichi had no idea how Kuroo was holding himself in place- if Suga had been inside the house, there was no way he would have had the self control to remain impartial- no...to remain selfless. When all of this was over, he was going to thank the rooster for the tough sacrifice.

"Suga," Kuroo continued without breaking his intense gaze from the brawls ahead of him. "Check over the Omegas on the porch. Get us information. Go in from the far left to steer clear of the Alphas."

When Daichi subconsciously unleashed a furious growl at the prospect, Suga harshly slapped him across the bicep, interrupting his sudden instinctual haze.

"We are a team, Daichi. Trust in me," he said softly, squeezing Daichi's hand before jogging off into the yard.

Daichi had to bite down on his cheek to prevent himself from mechanically following. Kuroo definitely deserved praise...lots of it.

"Get Asahi," the rooster snarled to him, pushing up the sleeves of his long, red sweater. "Punch him to shit if you have to. Just get him the fuck off that Alpha. I'll get Tsukishima."

Dachi slowly nodded before rolling his neck on its axis to warm up the muscles. Asahi wasn't exactly an easy opponent. While the Alpha was normally a oversized teddy bear, he had recently come to realize that the bunned giant was an absolute menace when he was feral. Daichi steadied his growing instincts, inwardly commanding them to remain under his conscious control. Then, he unleashed his dominant scent in full and jogged forward towards his feral teammate, thankful to have the first strike.

Oikawa~

"Do your new Alpha masters know how much of a whore you are?" Kabuto chirped with a wicked smirk. "I can smell one on you. Oh, poor Oikawaaa. Does he feed your addiction as well as I used to?"

"Be quiet," Oikawa retorted, all conviction lost on his tone- his self esteem was sinking in on itself from each word out of Kabuto's mouth.

He hated the the tattooed Alpha knew all of his verbal pressure points. He wasn't that person anymore, not anymore, he internally repeated in mantra, doing his best to keep his past at bay.

"How you used to crawl on the floor at my feet, begging for me to fuck you?" Kabuto continued in monologue, flashing a cocky smirk as Oikawa slumped down at the crude remark.

"I said, shut up."

It was a half-hearted response. Everyone knew it, even Oikawa. He internally prayed for every fiber of his being to stand strong, but the years of drug and sexual abuse penetrated his now unguarded mind- flooding him with memories he had worked so hard to banish.

"Remember that one time? Man, we stretched the fuck out of you! From all your crying I thought I had broken your slutty asshole, but I guess that's impossible for such a well-used skank."

"Please be quiet."

It was all Oikawa could manage in response, a pathetic whisper of retaliation. He glanced up, eyes taking in Kabuto's angular face. His sharp features were accompanied by a large, sickly smile- obviously aware that his manipulative words were finding their mark inside Oikawa's tortured mind.

"See," Kabuto continued his verbal assault, biceps rippling under his black shirt as he casually shrugged. "There's the complicite Oikawa I remember! Right, Jime?"

Complicite...

"Oh, I remember," the long, blonde haired Alpha chimed in response, accepting the verbal baton from Kabuto. "Remember how he used to beg us to tie him up and fuck him?"

Oikawa had never begged them, at least, not how they were implying. He had always been in it for the drugs. That was it, nothing more. He had needed another score...just one more to get him through the day. He hadn't cared how he got it. If allowing the filthy Alphas to tie him up, spit on him, demand his mouth...if it got him what he needed, he hadn't cared about being humiliated. Whenever they had fucked him, he had been high out of his mind, or going through terrible withdrawals.

He shook his head, willing his reminiscent thoughts to go back from where they had come from- the deepest, darkest corner of his mind. That was the old him. The one that didn't understand the value of Omega friendship. The strung out boy that couldn't imagine genuine love between Alphas and Omegas...Hajime. The flickering image of his Alpha suddenly made him sick to his stomach and he swallowed a lump of bile that wedged itself inside his throat. A small part of him wished for Hajime to come and defend him against the three monsters, but another part, one much larger and stronger, was grateful for his absence. He didn't want his Alpha to find out about his past- not like this.

In perfect, terrible timing, a ferocious snarl erupted out into the cool night air from behind him, startling away his self-deprecating thoughts and forcing him into a nightmare reality. In an instant, he knew the person behind the vicious growl. No. No. No. Pang after pang of panic hit him like heavy bricks, forming a twisting lump of terror inside his gut. Dark thoughts skirted across his mind in a continuous loop, leaving him struggling to control his external dismay. Hajime was here. He was going to hear what the other Alphas were saying about him...how used he was...damaged goods. Hajime was going to find him disgusting. He would never want him after hearing this.

"Hajime I-" he began, attempting to tell the boy to leave, to let him handle things on his own, but he was cut short by the Alpha's abrupt movement- bolting in front of him to half-shield him from the intruders in the yard.

Kabuto smirked at the new developments, dark eyes flashing Oikawa a knowing look that made him nauseous. "Oh, so this is your new dealer, eh?" The Alpha chirped with unrelenting hostility. "Not as good looking as me, but I'm sure he does the trick."

Please stop. Please don't say anything else.

"Who are you," Hajime barked, taking a menacing step forward. "What the fuck are you doing here."

"Oh, just a former friend of Oikawa's," Kabuto replied, shaking a hand in front of his face with feigned disinterest. "Are you his new Alpha?"

"Hajime, he's-" Oikawa attempted, only to find his words cut short once again.

"Leave," Hajime commanded, growling out from deep within his chest. "You are not welcome here."

"Does the slut beg you for drugs, too?" Kabuto asked, his tone confrontational and challenging- no doubt trying to provoke Hajime into an uneven fight. "He used to put his tiny ass up in the air and shake his slutty hole whenever I came home..."

"Last. Warning."

Oikawa already knew that Kabuto would never listen to Hajime's verbal threats. Chaki and his lapdogs had always been in it for the mind games...and they were working. He was already completely dejected, he wasn't even sure that it was possible for him to sink any lower.

"Tell him," Kabuto chirped again, directing his unwanted attention to Oikawa. "Tell him how you used to suck my cock like your life depended on it."

His heart began loudly pounding in his flushed ears and he swallowed another lump of nauseous bile. It was true. He had begged for it. He was disgusting...worthless...used.

"This Omega of yours," the tattooed Alpha continued, pointing at his slumped figure on the porch. "Just thought you should know that he's been used. A lot. Even I would've discarded him by now!"

Used. Kabuto was right. He had no idea how many Alphas he had slept with during his rebellious years, let alone who they were. His time between high school and the flock were extremely hazy for him to recount, in fact, it was nothing short of luck that he had managed to control his heat during the drug-fueled times- lucky that he hadn't accidentally mated with a disgusting Alpha...like Kabuto. His heat cycles were the one thing he had retained as valuable. Alphas had offered him, time and time again, more drugs than he could ever imagine for the chance to sleep with him during his heat. However, he had rejected all of their outlandish proposals and injected himself with his prevention medicine month after month, without fail.

"Oikawa," a lazy voice pushed into his spiraling thoughts, pulling him back to the present. Keiji. "Don't listen to a fucking word out of Kabuto's scumbag mouth. He's just a monster who took advantage of a drug addict. Nothing more," his nestmate stated plainly with an intense conviction that he hadn't heard in years.

"Wow!" Jime exclaimed, loudly whistling into the night air. "What a throwback! Keiji, it's been a while, man."

Keiji ignored the remark and walked over to Oikawa, taking his delicate hand in his own. Oikawa was grateful for the physical contact, and the subtle, calm scent that accompanied it. They did well to help him drown out the overbearing Alphas in the yard before him. More importantly, it lessened Hajime's protective scent- something which he had been too preoccupied with worry to fully enjoy. His Alpha's presence had only caused more upset for him.

"Still good at ignoring Alphas, hey?" Jime drawled out, fishing for a rise from the calm Omega. "Just remember my advice, Keiji. That type of attitude makes you a shitty lay."

"I'm sorry," a familiar voice chimed in from the back entrance of the yellow house. "But, who the fuck are you?"

Oikawa recognized the over-eager tone in a heartbeat...the owl. He glanced over his shoulder, eyes following Bokuto's stalking movement forward to join Hajime's protective stance in front of them.

"They're the shitheads who burnt down our house," Keiji replied to the owl, icy eyes fixed on the intruders ahead of him.

Oikawa didn't like to admit it, self-reliance was his bread and butter, but he was glad for Keiji's physical and emotional support. Even now, with his Alpha friends at his side, he was still struggling to keep himself together. The drawn out confrontation with his uncomfortable past had left him feeling drained. It was nice to have someone at his side who understood just how much Kabuto had damaged him.

"What," Hajime snarled at once, bristling with aggression as he moved a few menacing steps forward. Much to Oikawa's surprise, Bokuto followed suite, unleashing his own, territorial growl.

"Man, setting these Alphas on us…" Jime started, running a hand through his long, blonde hair. "I guess you're still mad about me fucking you, eh, Keiji?"

Upon hearing the remark, Keiji's scent soured the air with a flurry of unchecked rage. He huffed out in frustration, then pushed his way in front of the yellow house Alphas, dragging Oikawa with him by the hand.

"You didn't fuck me, you disgusting piece of garbage," he spat forth in a savage tone that caught Oikawa off guard. "You raped me."

He had never seen the icy boy so angry before, his nestmate never allowed his emotions influence his actions. Ever.

Jime shrugged his broad shoulders in response, "you wanted it. That's all Omegas are good for. Everybody knows that."

The crude words were just enough to make Oikawa snap. He released Keiji's stiff hand and ground his teeth together, releasing waves of hot rage into the condensed air around him.

"No. He didn't fucking want it, you animal. He was barely conscious," he started, aggressively pointing a finger at Jime's astonished form. "Fucking me? Brutalizing me for over a year? Fine, it's fair. I was in it for the drugs. I was out of my fucking mind most of the time," he continued, throwing his hands over his chestnut head in exasperation. "But, Keiji? You had no right. No fucking RIGHT to touch him. And the fact that you think it was okay? That it's all we're good for? You should be put down. You're fucking animals. You have no fucking humanity left. Actually, I doubt you had any to begin with!" He finished, panting from the sudden rush of adrenaline his truthful words had invoked.

Yes, he wanted to bash Kabuto's skull into the ground for all the pain the Alpha had caused him, but his rage was tripled when it came to Jime. The man deserved worse than death for touching Keiji. For harming his friend.

Before his hostile mind had a chance to devolve any further, a large hand clasped into the back of his shirt, pulling him into the safety of the group behind him. He shook his head, suddenly realizing that he had subconsciously made his way to the edge of the porch during his vicious monologue. He glanced to his side, eyes taking in the bristling figure of Hajime. The Alpha held one hand reassuringly on his back and his dark features were plastered with anguish, however his body language and scent exuded nothing short of unrelenting fury.

"I want to kill them," Hajime growled quietly, loud enough for the intruders to hear the ferocity behind his words.

Oikawa was nearly blown back by his Alpha's sudden, aggressive scent. It pooled around him, blanketing the concentrated air with its intense fervor. Kuroo was right, Hajime was...a very dominant Alpha. After a few brief moments of silent exchange, he realized that his Alpha was waiting for permission. Permission to kill. As much as he wanted to see Chaki and his lapdogs dead and in the ground...it wasn't worth the cost. He and Hajime weren't mated, so the law wasn't on their side but, more than that, it wouldn't be right to stoop to their level. Keiji was right. Suga was right. Violence would only create more violence. He needed to be free of the cycle, and not just him, but his nestmates, too...and the yellow house Alphas.

"No…" Oikawa said at last with a heavy sigh. "They're not worth your time...but, I realize we aren't getting out of this without a fight. So, l would be glad for your help in beating the shit out them. That, they deserve more than anything else."

"By the look and smell of things," Keiji added in with a sly smirk, "these fuckers already know that they're no match for our two Alphas."

Oikawa tore his gaze from Hajime to look back at the Alphas in the yard. They were bristling in anger, upset from Keiji's verbal stab. It there was one thing his nestmate was good at, it was insulting Alpha pride. However, this time, his words were correct- the intruders seemed fearful of the dominant scents that Hajime and Bokuto were unleashing, even if they were doing their best to hide it.

"Gladly," Bokuto seethed out, slowly rolling up the blue sleeves of his shirt. "I'm always down for a good brawl."

Next to him, Hajime unleashed a throaty growl of agreement, cracking his neck from side to side in anticipation. Oikawa rolled a shoulder around and readied his own stance- a fight was looming on the horizon.

Chapter Nineteen: Limitations

Bokuto~

Bokuto was seething. The blonde Alpha, Jime, had raped his Omega. It took every ounce of willpower he had to not jump the man and snap his neck in half. When the entire ordeal was over, he was going to sit down and have a chat with Keiji. He no longer cared about the irritating butterflies in his stomach, they were trumped by his innate desire to keep the icy boy safe. Especially if situations like this kept happening. First, the encounter in the Humanities Building and now this? It was ridiculous.

"By the look and smell of things, these fuckers know that they're no match for our two Alphas," Keiji drawled out in verbal challenge from Bokuto's left.

The Omega's confidence in his fighting prowess fueled into his growing instincts. "Gladly, I'm always down for a good brawl," he snarled, slowly rolling up the sleeves of his blue shirt.

When Hajime added a growl of approval from the position on the his right, unleashing a overbearing scent of dominance, he challenged himself to match it. He wasn't going to allow either of the intruders to touch Keiji...or Oikawa. As he exuded his own domineering fragrance, the air around him began to swirl about, mixing in Hajime's scent in with his own. It was not long before the two had coalesced into a unique fragrance that was foreign to him- a powerful, domineering scent that commanded, protect the pack.

"Hilarious, that you think that," Kabuto snarled out from the grass, hunching forward in anticipation.

Bokuto narrowed his eyes, happily noting that the mouthy Alpha was forcing out the dominant facade- using it to hide his uncertainty of the prevalent, pack-scent that was looming in the air.

"Oh, Kabuto," Oikawa called out to the tattooed man in a dark, challenging tone. "Did you forget that I beat the shit out of your Alpha overlord, Chaki?"

Bokuto was glad to hear the chestnut Omega's chirp. When he had first stepped onto the porch, Oikawa had been visibly slumped down on his dejected scent. Bokuto could only imagine how terrible it must have been for slender boy, verbally holding out against such manipulative Alphas...Alphas that he knew.

It was fairly obvious to him that Oikawa had yet to discuss his past indiscretions with Hajime- he could smell the nervous fragrance radiating off of the Omega from a mile away, dense air or not. Perhaps, he was worried about what his Alpha would think after hearing what the crude remarks from the intruders? Bokuto wanted to tell the beautiful boy that Hajime wouldn't care- it was the absolute truth. He knew that his teammate wouldn't even bat an eye at Oikawa's past, he wasn't exactly the cleanest Alpha himself. Plus, Bokuto, and indeed everyone in the yellow house, could tell that the pair were developing an intense bond that would never be broken so easily.

When the two intruders let out a series of irritated growls at Oikawa's insult, he snickered. Alphas hated when outsiders pointed out the hierarchies within their groups, unless they were the top dog, of course. He sniffed the air again- he wasn't sure who this Chaki was, but the tattooed man standing in front of him had a very potent scent. If there was another Alpha skulking around with a more dominant scent than his, he wouldn't be easy to take out...

"Oikawa…" Hajime directed with a throaty rumble. "Please. Leave them to me."

Bokuto may not have been able to smell it, but he could tell from the pleading tone his teammate was incredibly concerned for his Omega's safety. Indeed, if Keiji was and eager fighter like Oikawa, Bokuto would be worried too.

The chestnut Omega let out a deep sigh, clearly unhappy with Hajime's request. "Fine," he stated with a grumble, crossing his arms over his slender chest in resignation.

"Keiji. You too," Bokuto growled under his breath to the metal Omega beside him. He couldn't help himself from demanding it, his instincts were internally screeching inside his brain- they didn't care that the icy Omega wasn't technically his.

"I guess," Keiji droned out in an irritated, yet accepting tone. Good.

Bokuto watched as the two Alphas in the yard shared a brief look, non-verbally planning their moves. The next instant, Kabuto side stepped to the right, beelining towards the far side of the deck. As the tattooed man moved to jump onto the patio, Hajime tackled him back into the grass. Bokuto watched them out of the corner of his eye, doing well to keep most of his attention fixed on Jime, pacing back and forth in front of him like a predator.

"Try. Me," he snarled out, holding his hands out to the side in challenge.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that Hajime had pinned Kabuto under his weight, smashing into the tattooed man with his closed fists. By the smell in the air, he was fairly certain that it was an even match- a feat of its own...it was rare for an Alpha to match Hajime's raw dominance, only Kuroo came close.

Bokuto lurched his attention back to the man in front of him, Hajime could hold his own. When Jime took a confident step towards the porch, he wasted no time, hurling his full weight into the blonde Alpha's torso. Then, he grabbed the man's long hair and pulled down with all his might, throwing him into the ground. Abruptly shifting his weight back to his core, Bokuto ripped a tiki torch from the dense earth and steadied himself, waiting for his opponent to climb back to his feet. As Jime clamored up, he swung his wooden weapon upwards, smoking his opponent across the head with an audible crunch. The instant Jime hit the ground, he lunged forward and heavily kicked the crawling man in the ribs, sending him flying back into the now broken fence. In another beat, Bokuto had closed the gap, pulling the winded boy up by his blonde hair, snarling out as he did so.

"Never. Come. Back," he roared, dragging the blonde Alpha across the uneven grass towards the back gate. "If you touch my Omega again. I. Will. Kill. You," he spat into the intruder's dazed face, throwing him into the alley. Sharp rocks scattered out in every direction, stirred up by the man's impact on the back road.

As he swivelled around, heading back into the dark backyard, furious snarls from Hajime's brawl reaching his waiting ears. He raked his eyes over the porch, landing on the two struggling figures near its right side. His teammate was pinned under Kabuto, clawing at the large man's face with frenzied aggression. Before he could make a move to help, Oikawa threw himself from the deck, landing on top of the tattooed attacker. As Kabuto rose up to his feet, the chestnut Omega wrapped his slender legs around the man's hips, placing him in a tough choke hold.

Hajime tried to push himself up from the grass, but Bokuto could see from his sluggish movements that he was disoriented- likely the result of the head wound rapidly bleeding down his snarling face. Bokuto wasted no time, sprinting towards the scene as Kabuto backed himself against the yellow siding of the house, slamming Oikawa's slender figure back against its hard surface.

"Keiji, get Hajime-" Bokuto tried to snarl in command before when something tackled into his legs, bowling him to ground.

Jime clawed up his body, hitting him in his exposed face with an unknown, dense object, drawing blood in the process. Bokuto roared out with vicious fury, trying to force off his attacker with pure strength. When he was unsuccessful, he threw his arms up to defend his face from another blow and rotated his hips, trying to flip his weight. After a few long moments of struggle, Keiji's dark figure flashed across his blurry vision, pushing into the large Alpha atop him. The pair rolled off of his stunned form, colliding into the dewy grass next to him in a flurry of snarls and groans. As Jime flipped over the icy Omega, punching him hard in his open face, the world slowed around Bokuto. His vision turned crimson and he clamored forward, grabbing the blonde man by the back of his neck. With fresh adrenaline pumping through his veins, he picked the larger man up into the air and threw him into the fence once more, breaking portions of constructed wood. The next instant, he was on top of the Alpha, smashing into his purple, swelling face, spraying flicks of blood across the white painted fence. KILL HIM, his instincts roared out, tumbling around in his chest, he touched KEIJI. KILL HIM. Bokuto unleashed a whirlwind of turbulent growls, losing himself to his feral nature. That was the plan.

Hajime~

Hajime was beyond dazed. As he pushed himself up onto his hands and knees, blood poured down into the grass below him. Was it his? The world around him was a cloudy, spinning flurry of dark objects, but he willed himself to gather his bearings through his disoriented state. He needed to. There was no time. Where was his attacker? When he forced his head up, ignoring is screaming muscles in his neck, and his dark eyes locked onto Oikawa- his slender body was wrapped around Kabuto's larger figure, holding the Alpha around the neck with every ounce of his strength. The tattooed man unleashed a series of exhausted snarls as he backed up against the edge of the house, his face red from his constricted airway. Hajime's eyes widened, watching with horror as he swiftly slammed Oikawa's body against the solid wall, once, twice, then a third time. IT IS MY FIGHT. THAT IS MY OMEGA. DO SOMETHING. At the feral command, he pushed himself up to his unsteady feet, stumbling into the porch with a frustrated growl. His vision was blurry and his ears were ringing out with a high pitched sting, but his senses were unusually narrowed in on Oikawa's painful grunts as he intensely struggled to hold himself against his tattooed opponent's back.

GET UP. OMEGA IN TROUBLE. His instincts roared at him once more, bashing around inside his aching skull with a series of frantic commands. He sluggishly pushed himself to his feet once more, watching on with his useless body as Oikawa finally relinquished his grip on Kabuto's neck, crumbling onto the dewy grass against the house. The tattooed man sputtered out, coughing to regain his breath before reaching for the smaller boy beneath him in vicious anger. He forcefully grabbed Oikawa's hair and held up his limp form in victory. Then, in one abrupt movement, he threw the chestnut Omega down, bashing his head against the metal valve of the yard hose that jutted out from the yellow siding.

NO. NO. NO. Hajime's instincts bellowed out, darkening his mind with an intense, unchecked fury that lit his body on fire. His last conscious image was that of his Omega's lifeless form, limply splayed out in the grass beneath the foreboding Alpha above him. The next instant, Hajime's world went red in the purest form of rage. Kill. Kill. Kill.

Bokuto~

Bokuto didn't know how long he had punched, but he was more than happy to continue.

"Bokuto!"

Who was that? Whoever it was, they were very far away...

"Bokuto, stop!"

A small figure wrapped around his back, delicate arms snaking underneath his own from behind, trying to pull him away. Suddenly, a familiar scent snaked into his nostrils, metal and ice. He stopped swinging and slowly blinked- the Alpha beneath him was bloody and unconscious, and much to his dismay, he was still alive.

While Bokuto wanted nothing more than to continue beating into the intruder, he took a moment to sniff the air, trying to ascertain his surroundings. There were too many scents for him to filter out completely but, he was fairly certain that Hajime had defeated his attacker. Kabuto's intense, domineering fragrance was no longer permeating the air.

He sat back atop the bloody man for another moment, allowing himself to bask in Keiji's tranquil fragrance. The Omega's small body was cradling his back, melding into his own figure in a immensely satisfying way. As he zoned in on their forms, feeling the boy's heavy breathing against his tense muscles in his shoulders, the world around him slowed- the only thing he wanted to think about was Keiji.

"I'm. Sorry," he managed to growl through his overbearing instincts. He was sorry for a lot of things. For nearly killing this fucking monster. For not killing him. For allowing the Omega to get hurt-

Hurt. At the fleeting thought, he swiveled around, picking up the small boy in his bloodied arms. He glanced down at Keiji's face, unhappy to see the crimson blood, pouring out of a fresh cut on his cheek. The skin around it was quickly deepening into a nasty purple bruise. The damage on the icy Omega made Bokuto want to throttle someone...particularly Jime.

"We need to stop the bleeding," he growled out in frustration, once again banishing his desire to kill the blonde Alpha. His Omega took priority...he was furious with himself for allowing the icy boy to get hurt.

Keiji brushed off his large hands, sending icy sparks through his body at the willful touch. "Stop. I'm fine, you're the one who needs help," he whispered with intense concern before shimmying out of Bokuto's grasp. "Let me look you over first, okay? Your nose is bleeding...I think it's broken."

Bokuto didn't feel any pain, lingering spurts of adrenaline had left him numb and Keiji's calming scent blurred out the world around him. He glanced over the icy Omega's small body, looking out into the large yard beyond him. Squinting to search the dark area, his yellow eyes took in the figures of the two unconscious intruders, splayed out in the grass. Shoving down a renewed instinct to kill them, he raked his eyes over to Hajime, slumped down on the hard earth near the deck.

Suddenly, the detonating roars of his teammate hit his ears, flooding the world aback with intense focus. In front of him, Keiji flinched at the harrowing sound before clamoring to his feet to sprint across the yard towards it. Bokuto snapped up to his feet, eyes fixed on Hajime- rocking Oikawa in his limp arms, howling grievously into the night air. As Bokuto rushed to close the gap between them, an intense instinct hit him like a truck. Protect the pack. He pushed forward, stopping in front of his upset friend, feeling the dark Alpha's emotional energy through their connected primal instincts.

Hajime was in a state of absolute panic. His dark eyes were wet with tears as he released loud, guttural cries of anguish that sliced through Bokuto's heart. The limp figure of his Omega was embraced in his bloody arms, a deep gash running painfully down his delicate face. Bokuto did his best to combat the pack-like instincts creeping up in his chest- how had he not smelled his friend's panic? He should have been there to help him. He should not have been so absorbed in his own battle. He should have been there.

"Hajime. Listen to me," Keiji asserted in a shaky voice, kneeling down in front of the devastated Alpha. "I need to check him over. I need to see if we need to take him to the hospital."

Bokuto watched on from behind, ready to guard the icy Omega from his wild, unpredictable friend. He had never seen an Alpha in such a frenzied state before, and there was no doubt in his mind that Hajime had no control over his primal instincts. It was as if he didn't even notice the presence of he and Keiji at all. However, he couldn't fault his teammate for his feral upset. If it had been Keiji, he internally chastised himself for not hearing Hajime's duress sooner, he should have been there.

"He's alive, Hajime," Bokuto interjected when his teammate increased his hearty grip on Oikawa's unconscious form. "You need to get yourself under control. We need to get him to the hospital."

He moved forward, leaning down to place a supportive had on his teammates rocking shoulder. At his touch, Hajime stalled his motions and glanced up, his upset face a mess of blood and dirt, smeared into his tanned skin by his tears. Bokuto felt pangs of anguish radiate out from deep within his chest, influenced by both the scene before him and the now unwanted connection between them. He hated seeing his friend upset. Hated seeing Oikawa injured. Wanted to see the unconscious monsters in the yard dead.

"Put him down on the deck," he continued, shoving down his creeping instincts once more, finding them harder to banish away. "In the light. So Keiji can check over him."

Hajime sluggishly rose to his feet, mechanically placing Oikawa's slender body on the wooden boards of the porch. He remained close by and watchful, releasing low, territorial growls from his throat as Keiji quickly jumped up beside his nestmate to check him over.

"Bokuto," the icy Omega called out quietly, glancing over his shoulder to catch his owl-like eyes with his own panicked ones. "Throw the fucking monsters into the alley and shut the fucking gate. Then you need to sit Hajime down...on the bench, across the yard. You need to calm him down."

Hajime let out a low growl, not wanting to leave his Omega's side. Bokuto didn't want to either, but he knew that Keiji was correct. His teammate needed to be calmed...he needed to be brought back to reality. Judging by Keiji's frightened look, Oikawa was in rough shape and Hajime needed to be calmed so he wouldn't become a hindrance.

He glanced over to his teammate, then pushed Hajime's unwilling body into the yard by the shoulders. Sitting him down on the bench by the broken back fence, Bokuto let out a loud, commanding growl- wait here. Do not move. Then, he dragged the unconscious men, none too gently, into the alley and closed the gate behind him, glad to be done with the monsters. As he strode back over to his tense teammate, he tried formulated a plan...anything to get through to the miserable boy. However, he had a sinking feeling that Hajime's frenzied state would just provoke his own feral instincts and pull them to the forefront of his mind.

Keiji~

Keiji quickly analyzed Oikawa's body. More than a few broken ribs, deep bruises on his arms, but the gash on his left cheek and the very obvious head wound that accompanied it was what really made him nervous.

"What. Happened," a sudden growl erupted from the back door and he recognized the scent in an instant. Yuji.

"What the fuck," Tanaka added with his own distinctive snarl as he pushed his way past the bristling blonde Alpha in front of him.

"It's fine, it's fine. Please calm down. You'll only make things worse," Keiji pleaded with the two Alphas. He could tell by their guarded scents that they had heard Hajime's howls and had come to his aid, but their intense fragrances would only make the situation worst, Oikawa needed calm, tranquil scents, not domineering Alpha ones.

"Where are the attackers," Yuji asked through clench teeth, his eyes glossing over with primal instinct. "Where is Hajime."

"Attackers are dealt with. Hajime is over there," Keiji barked back, growing irritated with the two men. He didn't have time for this. He needed to find Suga.

"Yuji, move your ass. We need to help Bokuto calm down Hajime," Tanaka commanded and, much to Keiji's relief, crushed down his own flickering instincts.

He's aware that Hajime isn't the only Alpha in need of calm...Yuji is quickly devolving into a state of unrest. Good.

As Tanaka pushed the angry Alpha down into the yard, Keiji jumped up and ran into the house. Its inhabitants were spread out between the living room and front yard, each with their own injuries, some worse than others. The air of the house was soured with a variety of upset scents- terror...rage...dominance...protection. Tobio's bristling form was pacing out on the front lawn, yelling at an equally enraged Tsukishima, stalled on the porch steps. Shoyo was seated outside on the swing, holding a cloth to a head wound on a very upset Yamaguchi. Keiji wanted nothing more than to ensure that the small Omegas were okay, but he didn't have time. From what he could tell, Oikawa was the priority case, by far.

As he scanned the inner confines of the house, he flinched as Asahi punched a large fist into the far wall of the living room near the couch. Daichi's domineering figure was on the bunned Alpha in seconds, pushing the giant into a corner with a series of domineering snarls. Keiji shuddered at their feral scents and tore his gaze away, he didn't want to be anywhere near them.

When he at last saw Suga, bounding down the stairs with a maternal, panicked look, Keiji let out a sigh of relief. The silver Omega stopped in the entryway and frantically sniffed the air, trying to locate the members of his flock. When their eyes met, Suga's face soured with fear and he strode over to him, ignoring the brawling figures of Asahi and Daichi as he passed by.

"What happened," he asked at once, his worrying fragrance lacing into the air. "Where is Oikawa?"

"He's in the back. Get a cloth. I think we might need to take him to the hospital," Keiji quickly rattled off, trying to hide the perpetual shaking of his voice. He couldn't bear to see Oikawa injured, his chestnut nestmate was very dear to him, even if he rarely showed it.

The two Omegas hurried to gather up medical supplies from the kitchen, ignoring the devolving states of the Alphas around them. Keiji pulled back his scent, unwilling to add to the already dense air around them- they all needed to calm down, but everyone was too riled up to do so.

"Oh my god…" Suga whispered, placing a delicate hand over his mouth in dismay as they exited onto the back porch. He gingerly knelt down beside Oikawa's unconscious body, softly wiping the blood of his face to see the wound in its entirety. "Oh my god…"

Suga's overwhelmingly concerned scent made Keiji very nervous. If the de facto mother of the flock thought it was bad, then it was probably far worse than anything he could ever imagine.

"Go get Daichi," Suga commanded, keeping his woeful gaze fixed on the chestnut Omega in front of him. "We need to take him to the hospital. As soon as possible."

Suga didn't have to tell him twice. He rushed back into the house, careful to reign in his scent once more as he entered the back door- not wanting to draw attention to the situation. Oikawa needed calm energy.

He raked his gaze over the house, landing on Daichi's bristling form, still holding Asahi against the damaged wall of the living room.

"What's wrong," a familiar voice asked from his left, dripping with concern. Kuroo.

"Can you help me?" Keiji snapped around to ramble out. It would be faster to ask the rooster for help- Daichi was both half-feral, and occupied. "We need to take Oikawa to the hospital. As soon as we can."

"What. Happened." Kuroo barked in response, his dark eyes clouding with primal instinct.

So...all of his Alpha houses held some level of feral instinct...overly sensitive to any change in emotion. They were worse than the Omegas. The thought frustrated Keiji to no end, Alphas were supposed to be the more composed of the two sexes.

"Not enough time," he snapped back, at once pushing out a commanding scent to influence the rooster Alpha in his favor. "We need to call our house advisor. Is there a car?"

"I'll call Ukai," Kuroo growled back, abruptly pulling out a shattered cell phone from his back pocket.

"Tell him it's an emergency. A big emergency."

Kuroo nodded in understanding, holding the device to his ear.

"I'll be out on the porch. Keep this quiet. We don't want to cause any more panic. Tell me when he is here. Have him come around back," Keiji hastily added before walking out the back door, pushing back unwanted tears from his icy eyes.

Chapter Nineteen: Limitless Omega

Ukai~

Kuroo had startled Ukai from sleep the with a distressed phone call about an injured Omega, pleading for him to drive to the hospital. As soon as he heard the words injured and Omega, he instantly called Miyo. He relayed the rooster's message on his way to the yellow house, telling her to pull around the back where he would meet her- after he figured out just what the fuck was going on.

When he at last arrived a few minutes later, a heavy, domineering smell permeated into the air conditioned confines of his car. He keeled forward towards his steering wheel, erupting into a fit of heavy coughs at its confusing intensity. He pulled up next to the curb and hesitantly ventured another sniff after he had composed himself- there was an immense amount of fear, an even larger amount of rage, and a strange fragrance he couldn't quite place. Protect...something. Pack? He shook his head, filing away the strange scent for later contemplation, and raked his gaze over the residence. Tsukishima and Tobio were aggressively arguing near the porch. Their spat was much too close to devolving into a physical altercation for his tastes.

"HEY!" He shouted, cranking down the manual window on his driver's side. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?!"

The two boys ignored his calls and continued their verbal spat with vigor. Ukai hurried out of his car and slammed the door behind him, not even bothering to roll up his open window.

"HEY. TSUKI LET GO OF TOBIO. NOW!" He yelled once more as he strode briskly towards them, his broad shoulders pulled back as a show of dominance.

Tsukishima grabbed the setter by the front of his white shirt and eyed him down with furious intensity, plainly unaware of their coach's presence.

Ukai's throat began to rumble in irritation, he had made it abundantly clear to his Alpha team that he did not condone physical violence- something most coaches either ignored, or in some cases, pushed for. Alphas will be Alphas…what a ridiculous excuse.

As he neared the two bickering boys, a rusty smell coiled into his nostrils, alerting him to their fresh injuries. The right side of Tsukishima's face was badly swollen, most of the pale skin on his face was crusted blood, and his broken glasses were resting atop his unusually disheveled hair. Tobio fared no better, in fact, he seemed to be in worse shape. The kid had a wicked gash that ran, from what Ukai could tell, down the entire length of his left arm, and his right eye was swollen shut- its bruised crevices caked with dirt. If that wasn't enough, a deep laceration slithered across his forehead, still bleeding down his face onto his white shirt.

"I said," Ukai shouted again, yanking the arguing pair apart by the back of their shirts. "THAT'S ENOUGH! WHAT the FUCK is going on here?!"

"We were attacked," Tobio snarled back in response, shoving off his loose hold. "Alphas."

By his frenzied scent and dark, glassy eyes, Ukai could tell that his setter did not have a full control over his instincts. He sniffed the air, hurrying to sift through the various scents it held- none of his Alphas were. Great.

"By who?" He questioned, growing more confused with each passing second. "Students? Did you know them?"

How had the air become so concentrated? In his younger days, his nose would have been all but useless from the stifling mess…

"Fucking shithead Alphas," Tsukishima growled, methodically adjusting his dirty, black jacket against his bristling shoulders. "They knew the Omegas."

If his emotionless middle blocker was upset, then the altercation must have been bad. Really bad.

"Where are they," he barked at once, wanting to ensure that the threats had been properly dealt with.

"Three ran off. We piled two over there," Tobio responded plainly, jerking his head off to the side in indication.

Ukai glanced to his left at two limp figures, splayed out on the grass under the oak tree. He did a brisk, mental count- he had smelled seven unfamiliar Alphas in total, not two.

"Where are the other ones," he snapped, snarling as a sudden bitter anger washed over him.

He couldn't snap off the instinctual sound before it escaped his throat. Nobody messed with his Alphas. Nobody.

Tobio gave him a brief, perplexed look, then burst into a full sprint towards the yellow house, with Tsukishima following close behind. Ukai ground his teeth together and followed suit, but stalled on the broken front porch at the sight of two frightened Omegas. Upon noticing his Alpha scent, the ginger boy clamored to his feet, guarding the seated freckled boy behind him.

"Who are you?!" He shouted out, his small frame quivering in fright. "Don't you dare come one step closer!"

Ukai felt a pang of sympathy shoot through his chest when the Omega's anxious scent hit his awaiting nostrils. The kid sported a large, crimson bruise on the edge of his hairline that clearly needed stitches, but neither of them retained the injuries that Kuroo had described. He reigned in his scent and calmed what little remained- he needed the upset Omegas to understand that he was friendly.

"I mean no harm," he replied with a smile, waving his hands out in front of him. "I'm the house advisor, well, the Alpha house advisor...and the volleyball coach."

He watched on with curiosity as the ginger Omega hesitantly sniffed the air, then visibly relaxed.

"What happened to your head?" He softly continued in question, taking a tentative step towards the boy.

"Stupid Morio bashed it into the porch railing. See?" The ginger hotly remarked, pointing at a patch of dried blood on the white, wooden railing next to him.

Ukai clenched his fists, snapping off another instinctual flare up at the crimson sight. Who the fuck hurt this Omega? Who the fuck had the audacity to walk onto the team's property, and injure its inhabitants? He shook his head and stifled a deep, throaty growl- the unanswered questions just kept piling up.

"The kid behind you…" He asked once more, furrowing his brows in sympathy. Most of the fear emanating out from the porch was rolling off of the seated Omega, not the ginger. "Is he okay?"

The orange Omega's sharp eyes softened at the concern in his words. He turned around, moved in close to the freckled boy behind him, and whispered something, then nodded his head in understanding. As Ukai watched the interaction, he was suddenly struck by a tranquil fragrance, much like a crisp, clean summer breeze. It was...the ginger kid's...using it to calm the seated Omega. Smart.

Although the pleasant scent beckoned him closer, masking the horrid, condensed scent around the yellow house, he didn't dare move from his position. Miyo had given him more than enough lessons on Omega behavior that he knew better. One of her most repeated lectures emphasized that unfamiliar Alphas, like him, should never approach upset Omegas. While their intentions may be good, which his were, their domineering scent would only further agitate the heightened emotions.

"He's...uh...he's fine," the ginger boy replied at last, turning to face the Ukai once more. "I'm pretty sure his arm is broken but...we'll talk to Suga and figure something out. Don't worry about it, please."

Suga...the silver haired boy that he had met a few weeks earlier. The anointed mother of the flock, where was he?

"Okay..." Ukai replied, unconvinced that things were truly okay.

Both of the small boys clearly needed medical attention, however, he needed to evaluate the remaining house members first. Where was the injured Omega? The one that Kuroo had been so frantic about?

"I think I'm not the only one who would prefer it if you two came into the house…" He gently pointed out, trying to coax that pair into a safer position.

His riled up instincts were rather unhappy at the prospect of leaving the two Omegas out in the open, especially without an Alpha to keep guard.

"No," the ginger boy retorted back with unchecked conviction. "The smell in there is too strong for Yamaguchi to handle right now. We'll be fine out here."

Ukai sighed in defeat, there were more pertinent issues and, while injured, the two boys were well enough to not prioritize. "Alright, but please don't leave the porch...okay?"

"Yup, no problem."

The instant he tracked down Tobio or Tsukishima, he was going to send their shitty asses outside to defend the kids. By scent alone, he could tell that his two most forlorn volleyball players had vested interests in the injured Omegas before him- over the last few weeks, he had smelled their familiar scents all over the two teammates during practices. He sighed and ran a large hand through his blonde hair...they were idiots for leaving their Omegas exposed on the porch. Millennials.

He graced the pair with one last glance before turning to walk into the open door of the yellow house. Before he had a chance to even sniff the air, his eyes locked in on Daichi's tense form, pinning Asahi aggressively against the living room wall. In an instant, he yanked his captain back from the snarling giant and held the two apart with mature strength.

"What the fuck is going on," he snapped as Daichi roughly struggled out of his grasp.

"Asahi is fucking freaking out. He punched a fucking hole in the wall," the captain snarled in response, his unchecked scent alerting Ukai that he was in control of his primal instincts- albeit barely clinging to sanity.

Asahi was the problem here? Asahi? Gentle giant Asahi?

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the bunned Alpha move to step forward in attack, but Daichi swiftly lunged forward, pinning his large form against the damaged plaster once more.

"CALM DOWN," the dark captain roared out, receiving a throaty growl of unrelenting hostility in return. "Nishinoya is fine. Your scent will only upset him right now. Fucking relax."

Ukai remained stalled in place, suddenly unsure of what to do. He had never seen the gentle giant aggravated. Come to think of it, he had never seen Tsukishima or Tobio in such frenzied states of anger either...even at each other. He had definitely misjudged the situation, things weren't just bad, they were fucking terrible. His team was unwittingly at each other's throats.

"Coach," Daichi growled over his shoulder, pushing Asahi harder against the wall to stay him in place. "There are a bunch of people in the backyard that need you."

Ukai wasn't one to comply to the commands of younger Alphas, but he respected his team captain well enough to know that the boy meant no offense by the commanding remark. He nodded, trusting Daichi with the feral ace, and strode through the dining room to the open back door.

Upon entering the yard, his body was nearly blown back from sensory overload- the smell itself was overwhelming, but visually, there were so many things that required his attention. On the porch to his left, Suga, and another Omega he didn't recognize, were crouched over a very injured, unconscious boy. He could smell their mixed scents, pooling around them in a worried tranquility, that they were panicked by the rough state of their friend. Across the yard, Bokuto was holding Hajime against the damaged back fence, snarling into his face, while Kuroo yelled out aggressively from behind. At the edge of the veranda, Yuji was hunched over in the grass, his bristling figure on the verge of attacking Tanaka- placed firmly between him and the house. Finally, on his right, Tobio and Tsukishima had renewed their vicious argument- their spat having something to do with the injured Omegas out front and their earlier altercation with the intruders.

Ukai decided he would start with the most apparent issue, the very injured Omega that he was certain Kuroo was referring to. He quickly strode towards the kneeling boys, calming his upset scent as he neared them. Upon smelling his approach, the short haired Omega jumped up on shaky legs, ready to attack. Ukai stopped, doing his best to put forth a friendly, non-evasive scent, but the aggressive fragrances pooling off the young members of his team made it difficult, even for him. Much to his relief, Suga rose to his feet and placed a knowing hand on the defending Omega's shoulder, nodding his silver head in affirmation.

"He's a friend."

Ukai smiled in response, then took a step forward, rattling off a jolty explanation.

"Miyo is coming. We're taking that Omega to the hospital the moment she arrives. No. Fuck it, anyone who has a scratch on them is coming to the hospital. Everyone."

Thank you..." The silver haired boy replied quietly to his explanation, unable to hide the quivering from his voice.

There were so many injuries on both the Alphas and Omegas, Ukai's throat began to rumble out in frustration at the circumstances, he hated it. Was this how things were going to be? Now that they had opened their doors to Omegas? Was this how the Alphas were raised to think? That they could take whatever they wanted, with no regard for their own humanity? For the humanity of Omegas? It was sickening.

Suddenly, Suga's tranquil scent wafted to him, washing over his growing anger with its sweet, chocolate fragrance. He allowed himself to momentarily bask in it, drowning out the upset of the yard and his unrelenting thoughts with its calm nature.

Miyo will be here soon, just hold on, boys, he thought to himself as sharp pang of sympathy shot through his gut. The chestnut haired Omega was...very injured...and there was nothing he could do. He knew how to handle Alphas...Miyo knew Omegas.

"I'm going to sort out all the fuckheads in the yard," he asserted, jerking a thumb over his shoulder. "I know that you guys have way more medical experience than I do. Keep the kid safe for a few minutes, okay? Miyo will be here soon."

It was the truth, Omegas were much better at both identifying and tending to wounds- something they had gained through personal experience. He had never given it much thought, until he had met Miyo and her makeshift nest. After that, his entire worldview had shifted. Suddenly, he was personally involved with Omegas and he could no longer remain blind to the unfair state of society.

"Of course. We'll handle things here, Professor," Suga responded with a brief nod, then shuffled back down on his haunches, wiping a cool cloth on the lifeless Omega before him.

Ukai was not a spiritual man, but in that moment, he prayed to whatever god would listen- hoping that the damaged Omega would come out of the ordeal alive and well.

Turning on his heels, he moved to face his two arguing teammates on the other side of the porch. If Miyo was the expert on Omega affairs, he could, at the very least, use his expertise on Alphas to gain control over the his unruly team.

In a few long strides, he reached out with large hands and harshly grabbed both boys by the back of their shirts.

"Your Omegas are alone on the front porch. Alone. With no fucking backup!" He barked, shoving the pair towards the house as he did so. "Use your fucking brains!"

At his harsh words, Tobio and Tsukishima dropped their heated argument and pushed through the back door in a flurry of stressed growls. Good, now he didn't have to worry about the Omegas out front...so long as the knuckle heads could bury the hatchet for a while.

Satisfied that the two boys were not coming back, he quickly sniffed the air, reassessing the remaining Alphas in the backyard. Two down, four to go. He was already growing exhausted from the internal squabbles between the members of his team- they should have been united after the attack, not in disarray. Young Alphas, he thought to himself with indignation, too bent out of shape by their emotions to handle themselves like responsible adults.

Glancing out into the yard, he visually confirmed what his nose had hypothesized. It was something he had initially disregarded in disbelief- Tanaka was the only Alpha fully in control of his instincts. Tanaka. The mouthy spiker that was always quick to anger.

"Oi!" He shouted out as he jogged towards to the bald Alpha ahead of him. "What the fuck is going-"

Before he could spit out the question, an intensely hostile snarl snapped into the air, cutting his words short. He raked his gaze over to its source, eyes taking in the hunched figure of Yuji, baring white teeth in his direction.

Oh HELL no. The kid had balls, challenging a more experienced Alpha...no wonder his teammates called him scrappy.

When the blonde Alpha made a subtle movement, aiming to lunge forward, Ukai beat him to the punch. He leapt at the pierced boy and rolled him down into the dewy grass with experienced agility.

"Calm. Down," he growled into Yuji's snarling face beneath him, unleashing his domineering scent in its entirety. "Calm. The. Fuck. Down."

"Let. Me. Into. The. House!" The blonde roared back, pushing out an intense dominance that nearly made him keel over in concession.

"He wants to get into the fucking house to see Yachi," Tanaka barked out in explanation from his guarded position behind Ukai. "But, he's too fucked right now. He's being a feral asshole because of the shitty air out here."

Tanaka was absolutely correct, Yuji was too fucked- he would only upset the Omegas with his putrid, feral scent. He needed to stay far away from them.

"What's wrong with Yachi?" Ukai growled over his broad shoulder, shifting his weight to better pin the struggling boy beneath him.

The scrappy Alpha may overtake his dominance in the future, but he still had the upper hand...for now.

"Broken ribs. Head trauma. The FUCKING usual," Tanaka snarled in response, bristling with renewed anger.

Ukai sighed, adjusting his legs to prevent Yuji from kicking him in the balls. Just how common were injuries in this house? Obviously, his boys were not reporting everything to him. He was going to have a little chat with them about it...after he managed to control the spiraling situation around him.

Suddenly, a series of hostile roars erupted out from his left, pulling his attention from the pinned boy beneath him. He snapped his neck towards the source- Hajime had tackled Bokuto into the damaged back fence and Kuroo swiftly moved forward to intervene, physically trying to pull his feral teammates apart.

In an instant, a hard elbow made contact with his cheek, blowing him back with intense force. In the brief moment it had taken him to compose himself from the attack, Tanaka had lunged forward and tackled Yuji's upset form back into the grass. The pair scuffled about, wrestling for control, until the bald Alpha persevered, sitting his full weight on his teammate's lean chest to hold him in place.

Ukai rose to his feet and rolled his jaw- the little fucker had sucker punched him. Hajime...Bokuto...Yuji...Asahi and Daichi in the house...how was he supposed to calm down so many feral Alphas? He had expected a few bumps and bruises, not the bloodbath he walked into.

"ENOUGH!" A vicious, all too human, shout penetrated the night air, blowing Ukai back a few steps with its accompanying scent of rage.

He glanced towards its source, stalling his gaze on Miyo's figure near the back gate- her seething form illuminated by the headlights of her car.

"THAT IS ENOUGH," she commanded with a shrill scream and, much to his surprise, every single figure in the yard abruptly stayed their movements.

"WHERE IS OIKAWA," she called out, striding through the open gate with a furious confidence that made Ukai shiver down to his bones.

Her scent was overbearing...angry...demanding, it blanketed the concentrated air around him, stunning him in place. With great effort, he raked his gaze over the other Alphas in the yard. They too were frozen, their silent faces plastered with confusion.

"Over here!" He heard Suga call out from the back porch. "He needs help. We need to go to the hospital."

Miyo nodded her head in understanding, then snapped her intense gaze to Tanaka.

"YOU!" She loudly commanded, pointing a delicate finger at the frozen boy seated atop the very still Yuji. "Go and get Oikawa. Bring him to my car. Now!"

The bald Alpha frantically scrambled up to comply, his previously dominant scent dissipating into complicity.

"AND YOU!" The aggressive Omega continued, directing herself to Yuji's astonished form, partially laying in the grass. "Take a walk. And don't you dare come back until you have regained control, or I swear to god, I will personally make your life a living hell."

Ukai watched as the blonde Alpha clamored to his feet and bolting towards the back gate with an eagerness that he himself was beginning to feel- he wanted to get the fuck out of there, too. Miyo's scent was stifling, cloaking the air around him to a paralyzing degree. He had never experienced anything like it before in his entire life.

Miyo strode towards the brawling Alphas near the back fence, each step taken with unbent confidence. As she neared them, he small shoulders rose up as she inhaled their scents- ascertaining their various levels of feral instinct.

"You," she stated after a few moments of eerie silence, pointing towards Kuroo's stunned form, his hands still latched in the shirts of the other two boys between him. "You're coming to the hospital with us. Get in the car."

The rooster nodded with wide eyes and promptly released his teammates. As he hurried towards the back gate, Ukai swore he heard a dejected whimper escape the rooster's lips.

"Owl boy. Get in the house. Sort yourself out before you become even more feral than you already are," Miyo continued in assault and Bokuto frantically nodded in response, before scrambling towards the back porch with vigor.

Finally, the beautiful woman stepped forward, stalling in place less than a foot away from Hajime's bristling figure. Much to Ukai's surprise, the Alpha boy straightened his shoulders with ease- as if he wasn't feeling the paralyzing effects of her fragrance at all.

The unspoken intensity between them had Ukai in a state of instinctual panic. He wanted to rush over to the Omega's side and protect her from the darkly vicious Alpha before her...he needed to. He was keenly aware that Hajime retained a high amount of dominance- something that made him extremely dangerous in his current state of upset.

"You're the one who protected him," Miko affirmed, in a softer tone than she had used with the other Alphas before him.

Ukai internally melted into her gentle words, and the natural fragrance that accompanied them. He much preferred it to the overbearing scent she was holding him hostage with.

Hajime slowly nodded, maintaining his intense icy gaze, but said nothing.

"Thank you. I am truly grateful, but you won't be coming with us until you've gotten yourself under control," Miyo continued, her words said in half command. "Do you understand?"

Hajime hesitated, still bristling with hostility, then nodded again. Well, Ukai thought to himself with an admiring smirk, the kid definitely had self control. There was no denying that.

"Go for a walk. By yourself. Steer clear of that blonde Alpha that I sent out. Is that clear?"

Hajime released a deep, throaty rumble in response- unhappy that he was disallowed from accompanying his Omega any further. However, he was nonetheless compliant. A mentality that, once again, flooded Ukai with warm admiration for the boy. Even he couldn't boast of having such meticulous control over himself...and Hajime was still young and inexperienced.

"Good," Miyo said with a hard nod, before shuffling the boy off of the property. "Ukai?"

"Over...over here," he responded with great effort, suddenly feeling very exhausted.

"Can you stay here? I'll take this bunch to the hospital and come back to grab another load. Figure out who needs to come next. I'll leave it to your discretion," she rattled off in a rush, eager to leave to take Oikawa to the hospital.

All Ukai could manage was a nod. He had no idea what had just happened, or why he had been paralyzed, but he was thankful that he could at long last move again.

"Suga, Keiji, get in the car, my babies. We need to get going," Miyo called sweetly past him towards the porch.

It was her usual tone that he had grown accustomed to the last few weeks, and he was happy that she had reverted back to it. She was frightening was she was mad...he never wanted to experience it again.

As he watched Miyo and the younger Omegas pile into the small car, the overbearing smell she had released into the air began to dissipate. He shook his head, trying to snap himself out of the fog it had caused- he had work to do.

He glanced over the yard, more than one portion of the fence had been smashed in, there was glass all over the porch, and sections of splattered blood were on both the house and along the white fence surrounding the lot. He sighed, from what he recalled, the front yard hadn't fared much better. However, he needed to deal with Asahi, the passed out bodies of the intruders, and ascertain who needed medical treatment the most.

He was in for a long night.

Chapter Twenty One: Pack

Ukai~

When Ukai entered the yellow house from the now quiet back yard, he was irritated, yet unsurprised, to find Daichi and Asahi still engaged in their hearty brawl. He momentarily tuned out their animal-like grumbling and raked his gaze to the front windows. Outside, Tobio and Tsukishima had resumed their argument once more, and from their animated bodies, Ukai could tell that the spat had not lost its intensity. His eyes lingered on the two boys for a moment, suddenly realizing that there was not a single Omega in sight. A fleeting feeling of panic set in until their anxious fragrances swirled down from the staircase and into his searching nostrils. Good, he thought to himself, releasing a subtle sigh of relief, at least they were congregated in a single location- that would make it easy for him to assess the damage.

For a moment, he contemplated checking on the Omegas first, he had promised Miyo that he would do so, after all. However, his motivations quickly shifted when Asahi struggled out of Daichi's stiff grasp and reared himself back for a renewed attack. Before Ukai had the chance to even think about stepping in, the bunned giant bowled into his captain's torso, sending them sprawling into the glass coffee table- their heavy impact shattering it across the hardwood of the living room. The pair made no notice of the sharp edges beneath them, continuing to roll on the floor in a flurry of hostile snarls, fighting for the upper hand.

Ukai hotly growled under his breath and shook his head in exasperation. He was done with the out of control Alphas. Done with it. Unleashing his dominant scent at full force, he hoisted Daichi to his feet, then pulled Asahi forward by the front of his bloody shirt. As the bunned Alpha snarled out in displeasure, he used his mature strength against the giant boy, yanking him upwards to slam him into the wall near the front door.

"SIT DOWN AT THE TABLE. NOW!" He roared into Asahi's contorted face, receiving a small whimper in response. Happy with the verbal relinquishment of power, he dropped the boy to his feet and jerked his head towards the dining room table. "Sit. There," he barked out in command, his yellow eyes beginning to darken as he used his instincts to curb Asahi's feral nature.

The bunned giant hesitated, deciding whether or not to continue his physical engagement with a stronger, more mature Alpha. Then, he sluggishly moved towards the table, his shoulders bristling with unrelenting hostility. Satisfied with the ace's compliance, Ukai pushed through the front door, eager to put Tobio and Tsukishima's unceasing bickering to an end.

"GET INSIDE. NOW!" He abruptly howled into the front yard, his demanding words laced with deafening fury.

When the two Alphas paused their altercation, but remained in place, he emphatically snarled out, altering them that he meant business. Tobio visibly shivered at his vocal dominance and quickly strode towards the house, with Tsukishima lazily following behind- seemingly unaffected by his impervious scent.

"Sit down at the FUCKING table," he growled through gnashed teeth at the slumped figures ahead of him. As they entered the unpleasant confines of the yellow house, he slammed the door behind them, and quickly turned to his captain.

"Daichi, I smell injured Omegas upstairs. Go and figure out who needs medical treatment and report back."

The captain nodded slowly, reaching behind his back to harshly yank a large chunk of glass, embedded in his shoulder blade. Jesus Christ, Ukai thought to himself with a visible shudder, the balls on the kid...pulling that out like it was nothing.

"Where is Suga. I don't smell him," Daichi asserted, tossing the bloody shard to the hardwood in front of him.

"Safe. With Miyo. Now go," Ukai growled back in half-command. While he was pleased that his captain held concern for the silver haired Omega, he needed the boy's help- he was the only remaining Alpha with some measure of control over his feral nature, the others had gone with Miyo.

Daichi hesitated, digesting his response, then swiftly turned on his heels and jogged up the narrow staircase, taking them two at a time. Ukai watched the captain disappear into the darkness before raking his attention back to the three remaining teammates- all exuding dominant scents of unchecked rage, unwilling to reign in their primal instincts.

"Asahi," Ukai warned as he approached the table, "don't move a fucking muscle. What the fuck is your problem, anyways?" He hissed through gnashed teeth, doing his best to remain impartial to the overbearing, feral scent of the room.

When his question was greeted with hostile silence, he unleashed another fresh dose of dominance. Asahi shied away from his potent scent, quietly growling in a continuous loop of irritation.

"You have the fucking floor. Say what you need to goddamn say!" Ukai hotly commanded, growing very irritated with the ace's combative scent.

The bunned giant straightened up in his seat and released a low, guttural growl. "Nishinoya was being attacked by those fucking Alphas, and neither of these two fuckers," he paused, pointing aggressively at his teammates across from him, "neither of them did a single fucking thing."

"You weren't fucking there," Tsukishima replied, his tone contentious and challenging. "You have no idea what happened. You left your Omega out to dry. That's your problem, not mine."

Asahi burst up from his seat and leaned over the table, snarling viciously. "YOU LET THEM TOUCH HIM! YOU LET THEM!"

"WE TRIED TO KEEP HIM SAFE!" Tobio exploded back, standing up with such force that his chair was thrown back against the wall behind him. "YOU. WERE. NOT. THERE."

"There were fucking four guys, Asahi," Tsukishima chastised, crossing his long arms over his chest. "Where the fuck were you? Why weren't youthere to protect your Omega?"

Ukai couldn't help but be impressed by the the snarky middle blocker, he hadn't flinched so much as an inch at the barbaric roar from his giant teammate.

Asahi paused for a moment, his broad chest rising and falling as he took in sharp breaths of anger. "I couldn't keep up," he stated at last, his tone laced with personal frustration. "I couldn't keep up. I fell behind."

"You what?" Tsukishima questioned in a challenging tone, smirking slightly at his teammate's unwilling confession. "You couldn't keep up with the shrimpy kid?"

"I fell," the bunned giant reiterated, his mouth set in a hard line. "I had too much to fucking drink, so I fucking fell. I couldn't keep up with him, okay? He ran ahead of me. I couldn't keep up."

"Asahi," Tobio growled deeply, his black eyes fixated on the ace's dejected shoulders. "I tried to keep him safe. I couldn't get to him. I'm sorry. I tried, but there were too many. Too many of them," he rambled out, his tone boiling over with renewed anger at his recollection. "Four. Against him and me. We did what we could. What were we supposed to do."

Although Ukai knew that his setter's words were growing choppy from another instinctual flare up, he was nonetheless pleased that he and Asahi, were finally using their words, rather than their violent Alpha urges, to communicate their frustrations with one another. Based on their new fragrances, snaking their way into air, it was abundantly clear that both boys were furious at themselves, not each other, for being so helpless in the situation.

Furious for allowing their...no...that wasn't correct...

Ukai furrowed his brows in confusion, noticing that the unnatural fragrance in the air was similar to what he had smelled when he first arrived at the house. It was almost...familial in nature...as if...their self-deprecating anger was aimed at their own failures to protect each other's Omegas. He shook his head, that was impossible. Unless there was a familial bond involved, Alphas never held mutual care for Omegas. He sniffed the air once more, this time pulling more of the curious scent into his nostrils, only to land himself with the same, unusual conclusion. Pack. Here his team stood, defying all odds, all expectations...blending themselves together into a familial pack of their own volition. He was truly shell shocked by the realization.

"Yeah…" Tsukishima yawned, stretching his arms into the air, slightly wincing in pain as he did so. "I tried, too. Nishinoya was so far away from the other Alphas. We couldn't take on four of them, and believe me, we tried."

As Asahi sluggishly sat back in his dining chair, placing his head in his large hands, Ukai was hit with massive amount of shame. Before he had a chance to interject, to say something that would comfort his ace, Daichi startled him from behind with a jotly report.

"They all need to go. All of them. Some more than others, but they all need to go. If I had to prioritize, it would definitely be Yachi or...Yamaguchi, his arm is in rough shape."

Ukai put a hand on his captain's shoulder, he hadn't even noticed the boy's approach- he had been too fixated on the unusual pack-like scent.

"Take Asahi outside. Talk him through some stuff," he asserted, thankful the the captain had been wise enough to keep the conversation between the two of them. If Tsukishima had heard about the freckled boy, Yamaguchi, all of his efforts to calm the tense situation would have gone down the drain. "I'll call you guys when Miyo gets back and we'll all go to the hospital. Some of you guys need to get checked out too."

"With all due respect, coach, I'd rather prioritize the Omegas," Daichi replied, unable to hide the hostility from his tone at Ukai's decision.

"With all due respect, captain, I am the house advisor here. Everyone is going for treatment. Now, take Asahi outside, and do what you do best, calm him down."

It was not up for debate. Daichi had pulled a large shard of glass from his back leaving a deep laceration that, by the amount of blood stained into his grey shirt, needed stitches. Tsukishima's face was more than a little swollen, and he was tapping his disfigured fingers on the table in front of him, unphased by their broken state. Then, there was Tobio. The bright lighting inside the house illuminated his damaged arm to such a degree that Ukai had to force himself to look at its ghastly mess of raw skin.

Daichi nodded in understanding, his own eyes flickering to Tobio's damaged limb. "Come on, big guy," he growled gently, shuffling his bunned teammate towards the front door. "Let's go get some fresh air. You're always so hard on yourself, come on, cut yourself some slack for once, man."

As the captain's words faded out, Ukai returned his attention to the remaining Alphas. Although they had resolved things with Asahi, the two boys retained their air of hostility. While they normally held nothing but discontent towards each other, this time, it was different. It was amplified. Hostility was one thing, but the emotional state they currently held was an infuriated chaos- close to boiling over to a damaging, physical altercation. Huh, Ukai thought to himself, stifling a chuckle, it was a miracle that they had been able to work together against the intruders. They would hardly work together on the same volleyball team.

"So," he began as he sat down in Asahi's empty chair, eager to diffuse the tense situation. "Who's next? Who's got something they want to say? Tsukishima? You've been your usual, impassive self. Care to start us off?"

The blonde boy clicked his tongue in irritation and looked away with a sly shrug. "Tobio tuned out during the fight. Made me do all the work. Almost let one of them get away with Yamaguchi," he rattled off in an overtly nasty tone that nearly made Ukai flinch back.

"I already fucking told you," Tobio seethed back in frustration, leaning towards the snarky Alpha. "Yamaguchi's scent had me fucking paralyzed. I wanted to move, but I couldn't. It's not my fault."

"What a fucking story!" Tsukishima drawled back with narrow eyes, releasing waves of unbent hatred into the air around them. "You were probably just being your usual, selfish self. If it had been Shoyo, you would have been on the guy in an instant, but no, it was Yamaguchi."

"I WASN'T BEING SELFISH!" Tobio roared out, forcing Ukai to release a warning growl when he made a sudden move to tackle his teammate across the table. "I COULDN'T FUCKING MOVE. I WAS FROZEN."

Paralyzed by the scent of an Omega...Ukai pondered, remembering the previous events with Miyo in the backyard, perhaps, it was something similar?

"What did you feel?" He asked, startling the boys back to silence with his abrupt change of tone- genuinely curious to hear more from the setter.

"I-" Tobio began, his narrow brows furrowed, unsure of what to say. "I don't know. I just felt exhausted and everything just seemed...really far away. It was so...stifling. I could barely see, or hear, or even feel anything at all. I just wanted to...sleep."

"What a fucking convenient story," Tsukishima snapped back, but Ukai silenced him with an admonishing snarl.

"He's telling the truth," he asserted to his blonde middle blocker.

He was knowingly certain of it- Tobio had described, word for word, how he had felt under Miyo's blanketing fragrance. He was definitely going to have a chat with the beautiful woman, after everything was settled back to normal. He had never experienced such a powerful Omega scent. What she aware of what she was doing? Was it by accident?

"The Omega house adviser…" he continued in explanation, directing most it to the skeptical blonde Alpha on his right. "She paralyzed five feralAlphas in the backyard, including me, not fifteen minutes ago. I've never experienced anything like it, but there's no way it's a coincidence...Tsukishima, for christs sake. Would you stop with that critical look? Just because something is previously unheard of, doesn't mean it isn't true. Has Tobio ever lied to you, honestly, has he?"

Tsukishima rolled his eyes, huffing out a puff of frustrated air. "No...but he's still a selfish asshole."

"That is not what I'm trying to reconcile here," Ukai barked, rolling his tense shoulders to ease the muscles. "My point it, Tobio isn't fucking lying. So drop it."

"Fine, but he still broke Yamaguchi's fucking arm. I won't forget that," the blonde Alpha droned back with hostility, cleaning his broken glasses on his dirty shirt.

"I already told you. I'm fucking sorry. I didn't know what to do. Tackling Emon seemed like the best option at the time," Tobio seethed back, releasing a frustrated fragrance that was laced with subtle tones of...shame?

Again with that scent, Ukai thought to himself, subconsciously admiring its power, a pack-like scent that calls out for mutual defense of the Omegas. Strange.

"Okay. That's enough," he growled, wanting to put the entire ordeal to rest- there were injuries to see to. "Drop it. All of it. You both did the best you could against four attackers. No one was killed. Cut yourselves, and each other, some fucking slack," he finished with a heavy sigh, wishing, yet again, that the two boys would come to understand that they were on the same team. Where Tobio and Asahi's mutual pack-like scent had conjoined, his and Tsukishima's were in opposition- combative, like oil and water.

"Fine. It's dropped," Tsukishima stated plainly, pulling himself up, with great effort, from his seated position at the table. "I'm going to check on Yamaguchi."

"No," Ukai interjected, releasing his dominant scent one, final time, to get his way. "Not a single Alpha in this house is going near them. You're all too feral. That is my decision. It is final."

Tsukishima's face flexed beneath its faint purple swelling, but he compliantly lowered himself back to his seat. Ukai ignored the boy's toxic, combative scent. He had learned a lot from Miyo, and there was no way he was going to allow his boy's near the Omegas- not until he was certain that they had fully regained their sanity.

Suga~

As Suga sped down the dimly lit highway in Miyo's black Audi, he clung to the holder on the roof as if his life depended on it. He wasn't the only passenger panicked by her high speed driving- Keiji's scent, radiating out from the seat behind him, was unapologetically anxious and the two Alphas seated beside him, holding an unconscious Oikawa across their laps, maintained stiff, disconcerted facial expressions.

"Suga?" Miyo asked in more statement than question, her emerald eyes fixed on the road ahead. "Can you hold the wheel a second? I need to make a call."

"Um, I don't have a license…" He began in objection, only to be disregarded by his professor with a quick wave of her delicate hand.

"You'll be fine, it's just for a second."

He took in massive breath to calm his nerves and leaned in towards the woman. As he moved closer, her calm, yet resolved, scent swirled into his open nostrils, putting him at ease with its tranquility. He gripped onto the leather steering wheel with white knuckles and fixed his gaze on the highway in front of them- inwardly thankful that traffic was light at such a late hour. She was just making a phone call...couldn't she multitask? Drive and talk, that's what normal people did.

"Hello? Momo? It's Miyo. Hi, good to talk to you…" His professor began, chatting into the device at her ear. "I need a favor...yes...how busy are you guys tonight?" She paused, then let out a hum of understanding and a puff of relieved air. "I see...no more than usual. Listen, my Omegas are all really injured…"

Suga heard the voice on the other line grow louder in panic, babbling back furiously at a high pitch of static.

"They're okay. It's okay," Miyo interjected the panicked chatter, keeping her own voice level and calm. "I'll give you the details when I get there. So, about the favor…remember what I told you the other day? Yeah, when we had coffee. Mhm. Well the Alphas are all pretty injured too…"

The Alphas...Suga thought to himself, gripping the steering wheel harder as a blue car flashed by on his right, what was she planning?

"They're all good boys...I promise. I know it's not exactly protocol, but I don't think it would be a good idea to separate them…" She briefly paused, listening to a response, then continued. "Yeah...exactly. Is there anyway you could swing that? I would be in your debt..." She put a small hand to the mouthpiece of the phone, covering the receiver, and turned to face Suga's tense form. "How many Alphas are there? In your house? No, wait, how many were at the party?"

"Um...nine..." He responded after a quick mental count. Including Bokuto and Yuji...yes, there were nine.

"There are nine of them, all male Alphas," Miyo repeated his words into the phone, glancing out her driver's side window with a forlorn expression. "No...I don't think any of them are mated yet…?" She said with an upwards inflection, glancing back to Suga in question. Careful to keep one hand on the steering wheel, he jerked a thumb over his shoulder at Kuroo and mouthed the word, one.

"Wait," Miyo nodded, chatting into the receiver once more. "One pair is mated...yes, exactly. I promise, Momo. I swear on my honour, they will behave exceptionally. I'll personally see to it…"

Suga could hear the determination behind every word she spoke and a small smile passed over his dry lips at her admirable resolve- she was definitely someone he could look up to...someone he wanted to look up to.

"Perfect. Thank you so much. Yes, we'll be there in a bit. Okay...yes...see you soon, Momo," the professor finished, dropping her phone into her lap with a sigh.

She shooed his hands from the wheel and the group continued the rest of their journey in silence- even the normally talkative Bokuto wasn't in the mood. Suga couldn't blame the Kuroo for his quiet intensity, unlike the owl, the rooster had left his Omega back at the house. A decision which Suga found incredibly admirable, if not unusual- a mated pair willingly separating for the good of their friends? It was unheard of...and he was absolutely certain that it was something to do with the growing pack mentality among the yellow house inhabitants.

As he filed away the puzzle piece, eager to share it with Daichi, his thoughts flickered over the night's events. It had started out so well, so perfect, but the past had caught up to his nest- destroying all of the progress they had worked so hard for...destroyed their safety. However, he pondered, gazing out into the dark night through his closed window, there was one positive that had come out of the mess- his Alpha house mates had more than proven themselves as devoted to his flock. Suddenly, the 1979 article flickered across his mind, alerting him that he needed to get his hands on it again. He knew in his heart that it had answers.

Bokuto~

"Suga, Keiji, take Oikawa into the hospital. Ask for Momo. We'll be right behind you," the female Omega, the terrible driver, commanded, craning her head over her driver's seat. She had pulled the car to an abrupt, very abrupt, stop in front of the emergency entrance of the large, white building. The lighting from the neon hospital sign above illuminated the confines of the vehicle in an ominous red hue- Bokuto didn't like the colour on Oikawa's pale skin, it made the Omega's injuries seem even worse than they already were.

When Kuroo shuffled out of the car, he followed suit, gently pushing Oikawa's limp form out in front of him and into the rooster's awaiting arms. Once the injured boy had been successfully passed off to Suga and Keiji, the female Omega briskly walked around the car to stand in from of he and Kuroo. Based on her previous telephone conversation, he was fairly certain that he had caught her name, Miyo.

Miyo, the terrifying Omega who had paralyzed him with her stifling scent and commanded him to get into the car with such intensity that he wanted nothing more than to comply. After what he experienced, he looked upon her with simultaneous trepidation and veneration.

"I need you both to listen very carefully," the Omega house advisor said sternly, her intimidating gaze flickering between him and Kuroo. "I am putting my reputation on the line here. Ukai and Suga have both tried to convince me that you guys are noble Alphas who have a huge amount of control over your instincts. But, after what I saw in the yard…"

"That's not who we are," Kuroo barked in interruption, releasing an irritated growl at her provoking words.

"Then prove it. I'm giving you guys a chance here. This is an Omega hospital. They normally only allow mated Alphas inside. Calm mated Alphas," she challenged, pointing a delicate finger into their wooden faces.

The blue polish on her long nails definitely suited her personality, Bokuto thought to himself with a subtle nod of approval, she was ambiguous and surprising- just like the color. He suppressed his innate desire to voice the opinion, it was a compliment he would have to sit on, and tuned his attention back to the lecture.

"...so keep your shit together. There are going to be a lot of overwhelming scents inside. Do not let them affect your actions or I'll have you out of there in an instant. There is no second chance here. You're in once, and if you fuck up, you're out," the professor finished, snapping her fingers in front of their faces to emphasize her point.

Her words held nothing but severe honesty, and Bokuto found himself not wanting to disappoint her. However, more than that, he didn't want to be pulled away from Keiji. One slip up inside, and he would be separated from the icy boy- separated from his injured Omega. He internally promised that he was going to keep his shit together, he had no other option if he was going to satisfy his instinct to remain near the boy.

"No problem," Kuroo asserted, nodding his head in understanding. "No fuck ups, or we're out."

"We won't let you down!" Bokuto added in, flashing a toothy grin to ease the heavy situation. He didn't like the deadly serious vibe in the air. In fact, there was never a situation in which he did like it- he thrived in comedic, lighthearted circumstances, not dark, depressing instances like the one he had landed himself in.

"Good," Miyo replied before turning to walk towards the automatic doors of the white building. "I'll go get your escort. Wait here a moment, and for the love of god, please keep it together."

Escort?

"You didn't think that they would just let us waltz right in, did you?" Kuroo chastised him with a sly smirk, smelling his confused fragrance.

"Yeah, I guess I wasn't thinking…" Bokuto replied with a sheepish laugh, running a large hand through his hair in embarrassment.

"Oh fuck!" Kuroo abruptly shouted in a frantic tone, startling him into a flinch. "I forgot to tell Kenma where I was going…that fucked up shit in the yard just...I just got in the car without thinking..."

He watched as the rooster struggled to yank the phone from his sweatpants, his large hands shaking as he furiously typed onto the small screen. Bokuto knew the source of his teammate's upset and he understood the unpleasant feeling, albeit, to a lesser extent- an Alpha unwillingly separated from their Omega. From their mate.

"Yeah…" he said quietly, forcing his thoughts to shift back to the disturbing event. "It was fucking weird. I've never felt like that before. Just...frozen in place, and then suddenly needing to do exactly what she yelled at me...like, needing to, y'know?"

Kuroo finished typing on the device and glanced up, catching his gaze with terrified, knowing eyes. "Mhm...we'll have to ask Suga about it when we get the chance," he agreed before turning his attention to the white building beyond. "Seems like our escort is here. You better fucking stay cool. If I get kicked out 'cause you can't hack it, I'm going to be so pissed."

Bokuto huffed out in irritation and rolled his eyes, he was not going to get kicked out. He raked his eyes over three large men, clad in white scrubs, walking towards them. After sniffing the air, he was shocked to find that they were all Omegas. They certainly didn't have the build, they were much taller, and their muscles more toned. From sight alone, they could easily be mistaken for dominant Alphas. He had never seen Omegas like them before, and he was more than certain that he wouldn't be able to take any of them in a fight- even one-on-one. At that thought, he chuckled to himself, receiving an audible tsk from Kuroo in return. He couldn't deny that his recent friendship with the yellow house Omegas had exposed him to new knowledge and experiences, and for that, he was grateful.

Suga~

Suga sat in the waiting area, lost in thought. Momo, who he quickly found out was the head nurse, had set aside one of the private sections of the hospital to segregate the group. While it was meant as a precaution, the secluded area was better decorated and stocked with amenities that the public areas of the hospital, areas which he was all too familiar with, lacked. Furthermore, the private section was cordoned off from the anxious Omega fragrances that were permeating through the building- helping their Alphas to remain, at least, somewhat calm. He was more than a little grateful, and somewhat shocked, that Momo had been able to convince her senior staff to allow their Alphas into the hospital at all...but this? They were inadvertently being treated like royalty. He and his housemates owed Miyo a debt of gratitude for securing them such wonderful medical care.

His professor had driven back to the house nearly an hour earlier, and had recently returned with Ukai and the remaining house members. Yachi and Yamaguchi were both immediately ushered into separate rooms for treatment, the former still unconscious from her earlier altercation with Chaki, while the latter was taken to have x-rays done on his damaged arm. Shoyo and Nishinoya were called in soon after, both retained deep head wounds that likely needed stitches. Keiji was the only nestmate who remained behind, seated beside him in the waiting room- unwilling to get treatment until the rest of the flock had been examined. Finally, Kenma was with the now at ease Kuroo, perched in his lap across the room in an intoxicated sleep.

Unlike the Omegas, the Alphas were all congregated in the waiting room, some sitting, others leaning against the white walls. While Momo couldn't promise them treatment, explaining that only the staff who willingly volunteered would provide assistance, he was pleased when two female nurses strolled into the area. Suga watched on with growing interest as the blonde nurse quickly analyzed the room- likely trying to ascertain which of the Alphas needed to be prioritized. She was clearly the more experienced of the two nurses, the black haired girl at her side looked more nervous, and much younger.

"You all look like shit!" The blonde woman suddenly chirped into the silent air, successfully lightening the mood of the room.

"Hey!" Tanaka whistled back cheekily, happy to engage in the verbal banter. "You wouldn't look so hot either if you were outnumbered in a crazy, vicious fight!"

"Okay, I concede to your point," the nurse replied, putting her hands out in front of her in playful resignation- they were calloused and dry, overworked from continuous washing. "My name is Saori, and this lovely lady is Kiyoko. If you guys don't mind giving us a second? We need to figure out which of you poor boys needs to be treated first, okay?"

"Thanks so much for your help," Daichi responded with a grateful nod of admiration. "We are absolutely in your debt."

When the captain abruptly rose to his feet and bowed low in respect, Suga looked up at the man standing next to him and nearly died from a sudden rush of fondness for the Alpha. He raked his gaze over the other boys, watching through wide eyes as, one by one, they followed their captain's motion. The sincere gesture prompted the head nurse to unleash a wicked smile and the black haired woman next to her blushed a soft pink.

"Okay, okay! That's enough! You're going to make my heart stop!" The blonde woman pronounced, holding a hand over her chest in feigned stress. "Okay, looking at all you boys together like this...let's take...you," she continued, gesturing to Tobio's exhausted figure. "And...you. The poor kid with the glasses. I mean, what good are your glasses when your face is that swollen!"

The nurse was absolutely right in taking those two first- Tobio was, by far, in the worst shape out of the bunch. He had, what Suga could only describe as road rash, up the entire length of left arm and it had recently started oozing a clear, viscous liquid. Plus, the right side of his pale face was heavily bruised and the opposing eye was swollen shut with crusted blood. Tsukishima was hardly in better shape- his entire face marked up with bruises, inflated from repeated hits to the head. Then there were his gnarled fingers...most of them looked unusable.

Suga watched on with relief as the two nurses shuffled the Alphas down the hallway and into separate rooms. Although he was happy that everyone was at long last receiving much needed medical attention, he was irritated that he hadn't heard any news about the state of his flock- particularly Oikawa. At that sullen thought, he glanced up to find Hajime, his tense figure slumped against a white wall across the room. Suga lightly sniffed the air, picking up on subtle hints of frustration rolling off the boy in small, yet prominent waves. By scent, he was definitely the most panicked of the Alphas, with Yuji coming in at a close second. Both of them needed to be calmed before their upset fragrances devolved further and the hospital kicked them out...

"Daichi…" He leaned in close to the Alpha by his side, whispering quietly into his ear.

Daichi sluggishly squeezed his large hand, already placed on Suga's thigh, and his Alpha scent wafted forward with an intense, protective fragrance.

He wanted to bathe in it, then go to sleep...

"I think I should talk to Hajime…" He continued, shaking off the lingering effects of the lovely scent. After witnessing Hajime's frantic state from earlier that evening, he wanted Daichi to weight in on the decision- he was the captain, after all.

"Yeah…" Daichi responded softly as he swept his lips over Suga's temple, kissing it gently. "Yuji needs a chat, too…"

"It's kind of out of the blue...don't you think?" Suga purred in reply, overly content with the close proximity of his Alpha. His Alpha...

"What is…?" Daichi hummed into the side of the his head, inhaling deeply into his silver hair.

"Yuji...I mean, did you see how frantic he was about Yachi?"

He felt the dark Alpha slightly sigh against his neck, the warm breath sent shivers down his spine. Had he...referred to Daichi as his? Had he done that?

"I was talking with Tanaka about it in the car," Daichi mumbled, nuzzling further into his scent glands. "Apparently, he went absolutely feral over the whole thing. I guess...Yachi got hurt and he just lost all control."

"But...they just met today…? Right…?" Suga furrowed his brows and whispered, more to himself than to Daichi.

"I mean…I was in love with you from the instant I smelled your scent..." The Alpha murmured as he nestled into his delicate shoulder, releasing subtle growls of of unchecked affection. "Maybe, it's something similar? Bokuto's investment in Keiji isn't much different, either."

"Yeah...maybe..." Suga responded in a hushed tone, warmth pooling deep in his abdomen at Daichi's honest words. A small smile flickered across his face as he grew distracted by the Alpha's lustful scent, but he shoved down his lingering feelings of arousal and stood up, filing away Daichi's admission of love- they could talk about it later. "I'll take Hajime, you take Yuji?"

Daichi nodded with a yawn and sluggishly rose to his feet, rolling his neck to relax his tight muscles. It was nearly 3:00am and Suga was equally as exhausted, but there was no chance that either of them would be sleeping anytime soon. As the unofficial matriarch and patriarch of their hybrid pack, they had work to do.

Chapter Twenty-Two: The Spirit of Alphas

Daichi~

Daichi slumped down onto the plastic bench of the balcony beside Yuji. Being confined to the private area of the hospital certainly had its perks, but, private or not, the air was still stifling inside. He was grateful for the clean smell of the night air, it helped to wake his drowsy senses. A siren whistled out from below, the high pitched sound had nearly drowned out by the time it had reached the two Alphas, four stories above. He internally cringed at the fleeting thought it provoked, of the damaged Omega it was transporting. He hated being at the hospital, it forced him to witness just how large the extent of Alpha brutality was for the marginalized class. He shook his head, willing the dark thoughts away for a moment- he had come outside to console Yuji.

"You alright?" He asked at last, unable to help the exhausted tone of his voice. It had been an incredibly long night of unrelenting frustration and bitter anger.

Yuji adjusted himself on the bench and sighed, rolling his shoulders. "Yeah…"

He could smell his teammate's tense scent, upset with his own feral actions and at Yachi's damaged state.

"You don't smell okay," he pushed, trying to get the blonde Alpha to verbalize his twisting emotions.

"I dunno…" Yuji murmured, gingerly rubbing his swollen jaw. "Fuck. My face hurts. That nurse chick said that it's probably fractured which just...pisses me off."

"Jesus christ," Daichi pronounced, leaning forward to glance at the blonde Alpha's bloated face. "Are you okay? Does it hurt to talk?"

"Yeah it's fine. I'm just pissed that fucker, Chaki, landed the hit on me," Yuji huffed out, sitting back against the bench to give his neck an irritated crack. "Just waiting to get my fucking scans back, but it's nothing compared to…"

Daichi knew exactly what his teammate had intended to say before trailing off- he was no stranger to this shit. He had been down this route himself, with Suga.

"Let me guess. You're furious with yourself for allowing Yachi to get hurt. Angry with the people who did it. And ashamed at your actions when you lost control," he stated plainly, cracking his knuckles to stir his sleepy senses.

"How did you-"

"Because, you're not the first Alpha around here to go through this shit," he continued, rising to his feet to stand across from the blonde boy. "I've gone through it with Suga. I'm sure that Kuroo's gone through it at some point with Kenma. And Hajime...fuck, the poor guy is going through it again right now..." he finished, trailing off as his mind lingered on his snarky teammate. Hajime...Oikawa...mental images of the two boys skittered across his consciousness, sending sharp pangs of grief through his entire being. He couldn't imagine what the Alpha was feeling. If had been Suga...

"Does it get any better?" Yuji questioned, releasing a heavy sigh of indignation.

"Honestly…" Daichi faltered, unsure of what information to relay. Things hadn't exactly gotten better for him when it came to Suga. Every time the silver haired boy was out of the range of his senses, even within their yellow house, he had to physically squash his internal panic. "I don't know. I hope so? But, honestly, I don't think that it will. At least, not right away."

He couldn't lie to Yuji, it wouldn't be right. If the blonde Alpha really wanted to be with Yachi, then he needed to fully commit to the frustrations that came with being mated. Or at least, the ones that came with wanting to mate with an Omega. He hadn't exactly been given any sort of recognition from Suga when it came to the whole, mating thing. However, from watching Kuroo and Kenma's interactions, the desire to ensure an Omega's safety seemed to greatly increase after the event- well, if the pack instinct is taken out of the equation…

"Great," Yuji huffed, patting his swollen jaw with care. "I don't know if I can deal with this shit. It's been one day, man, and I already feel like I'm going mad."

"The positives outweigh the negatives, though," Daichi remarked, crossing his arms over his broad chest.

"Oh yeah?"

"I'm serious. When I'm around Suga...I don't know, the world just sort of, falls away. Like, even now, I feel empty without his scent," he explained, furrowing his brows as he grappled to find the right words. "I know that I've only known him three weeks, so the whole thing is insane, but honestly...I can't even remember what things were like before him."

"When did you know?"

"Know what?"

"That you loved him. That you loved Suga. I mean, my parents are both Alphas, arranged marriage, you know the deal. Anything to try and ensure an Alpha offspring..." Yuji denounced, his conflicted scent altering Daichi that he was confused about his feelings for Yachi- grappling with the idea, trying to understand where they suddenly had come from. He didn't have any experience with Alpha-Omega relationships, and unfortunately, Daichi didn't either.

"Yeah, mine are too. Not arranged though, they dated for a few years before they married, I think. Pretty sure they didn't love each other right away...or after they married, for that matter," Daichi agreed, pulling a piece of grass from the collar of his shirt to blow over the metal railing- remnants of his brawl with Asahi.

"So, when did you know?"

"The first time I smelled him. The day they moved in with us," he said with a hearty laugh. He had never been one to believe in love at first sight, but Alpha-Omega relations definitely gave the idea credibility.

"When you first smelled him, eh?" Yuji drawled, standing up to stretch his tired body into the air. As his torn, orange shirt flexed over his lean muscles, he winced slightly in pain.

Yet another Alpha with broken ribs, thank god it was the off season of volleyball.

"When you first smelled him," the blonde Alpha repeating again, gingerly leaning onto the metal railing beside him.

"Pretty much, yeah," Daichi affirmed, mirroring Yuji's relaxed position- the city below them was quiet, fast asleep at such a late hour.

"Roses. I smelled them during our game with Date Tech. It was so bizarre, too. I followed the scent after we had won, y'know. Tracked it up into the bleachers."

Daichi couldn't hide his surprise at the admission. If Yuji had smelled her from that distance...the court was nowhere near the bleachers! He could barely smell Suga from that length. On top of that, Yachi's scent wasn't exactly powerful. Something about her fragrance must have riled up his Alpha instincts...

"She was so frightened when I first met her. I couldn't figure out why...but then that fucker...Chaki…" Yuji trailed off in a snarl, unleashing a powerful scent of rage that would have gotten him booted from the hospital, had they been indoors. "I fucking attacked her! I didn't even recognize her, after everything with Chaki, I didn't even remember that she was there. That's how far gone I was."

"Did you hurt her?" Daichi asked, hoping that the answer was no. He had been in a similar position, nearly attacking Oikawa a few weeks earlier, and it had not been fun.

"She said that I didn't, but does it fucking matter?" His teammate snapped back, baring his teeth in a hostile snarl at his own, previous actions.

"Of course it fucking matters. If you were feral and you didn't hurt her, then what does that tell you?" Daichi stated plainly, happy to see Yuji's tense form visibly relax at his honest words. He clapped the blonde Alpha on the back and continued, "dwelling on their pasts doesn't help anyone. Believe me, I learned that the hard way. The best we can do is protect them. Or figure out how to fucking protect them from shit like what happened today."

"I guess…but fuck, man. That Chaki motherfucker, I don't know what he did to her, but I know it wasn't good. It makes my blood boil."

"Yeah...it wasn't good. But, do you know how mad it makes me when I think about all the bullshit Suga has had to go through? Or Oikawa? Or any of them? It makes me fucking sick to my stomach," Daichi replied, unable to prevent himself from snarling out into the night air. "There's literally nothing I can do to change what happened to them in the past. All I can do it work my ass off to make it safer for them in the future. I will say this though...they are definitely a hardy folk. Much stronger than Alphas," he finished, steadying his shaking body against the railing, willing his body to relax back to its previously tired state. He did not want to get kicked out of the hospital.

"Yeah. Fuck. The shit that those knotheads were saying to Oikawa made me want to slice out their vocal cords...and their retinas...and their brains. I mean, the stuff they fucking did to him! I don't know how he lived through it...and he still faced them head on like it was nothing. Told me to leave and let him handle things," Yuji barked out, his scent aggravated, but under control.

"Scum. Absolute scum," Daichi nodded in agreement, slowly forgetting his own upset in his admiration for the chestnut Omega. "Oikawa is the best of the best. Strongest guy I know, for sure."

Yuji let out a relaxed breath of air and craned his neck up at the dark sky. "You know...you're pretty good at this therapy shit. No wonder you're our captain!"

"Yeah, well, believe me, I've got experience with this shit. I've lost my head over this stuff more times than I can count...and it's only been three weeks," he replied, rubbing sleep from his dark eyes with his knuckles.

"I guess we've gotta learn to live with it, hey?" Yuji reckoned, lolling his head over to meet the his gaze, eyeing him down with chocolate coloured eyes.

"For now."

"Oh?"

"With the shit I've seen, I can't, in good conscious, just allow this fucked up system to continue. Especially after today."

"Ohhhhhhhh!" Yuji sang into the air, poking his captain playfully in the shoulder. "I get ya. I get ya. Fuck the system! Let's go rogue!"

"Or change it, you know, whatever works," Daichi agreed with a snicker.

He hadn't mentioned his idea to any of the other Alphas- or even Suga. For some reason, Yuji's easy personality made him feel comfortable enough to openly talk about it, and he was beyond grateful that his teammate sponsored the idea. As the pair continued to discuss the Omegas, he found himself increasingly content with the pierced Alpha's rambunctious company. They formed a plan for him to approach Yachi with his feelings, then threw around ideas on how to prevent any future raid attempts on their home. If things went as planned, it wouldn't be long until Yuji moved into the yellow house for good.

Suga~

Suga rested his back against the pale blue wall of the hallway, sliding down into a seated position beside Hajime's stiff form. He released his calming scent at the fullest force he could muster, hoping it would do well to ease the tension in the air around them.

"How ya doing?" He asked in a genuine tone, knowing that it was going to be a challenge to get the pensive Alpha to discuss his feelings.

"I just...I'm exhausted," Hajime responded quietly, rolling his head back against the plaster to look up at the tiled ceiling.

"Exhausted how?" He pushed forward, unwilling to let the Alpha get away with such a half-assed answer.

"I'm tired," Hajime droned back, radiating out of flurry of emotional fragrances from his muscular figure.

"And?"

Hajime rolled his head over to meet his intense gaze "Really? What do you want me to say?" He barked back saltily, but Suga didn't take offense, it was just the Alpha's way of projecting his emotions.

"Oikawa's going to be okay, you know," he said kindly with a small smile, hoping that the Alpha wouldn't pick up that he was trying to convince himself of the words, too.

Hajime~

"Oikawa's going to be okay, you know," Suga said gently, flashing him with a hesitant smile.

For the first time since Hajime had met Oikawa, neither the conscious or instinctual parts of his mind wanted to think about the chesnut boy. There were too many things about the situation that would make him lose control if he allowed himself to relive them. Hearing about the Omega's past from the disgusting Alphas. Seeing him slump down with each degrading insult they threw his way. Watching on helplessly as Kabuto slammed his head into the faucet. He wanted to build a time machine and prevent everything from happening.

When Suga's sweet scent washed over him, he suddenly realized just how riled up he had become with the passing thoughts. "I can't talk about it," he stated plainly, resting his head on his knees in an attempt to physically escape his own mind.

"How come?"

"Because I'll fucking snap," he mumbled out from his arms. He knew that Suga was only trying to offer guidance, but he couldn't bear to think about such terrible things. Not right now. Not while his Omega was unconscious, bleeding, and out of his sight.

"You know…" The silver Omega started, his words coming out slowly as he chose them with care. "Oikawa is the strongest out of all of us. Stronger than you, too. But...I'm not going to sugar coat it for you. He's been through the worst of the worst. He's been a drug addict, a prostitute, degraded, raped, and assaulted."

As Suga plainly spoke about Oikawa, Hajime struggled to keep his emotions under his conscious control. He didn't care about the chestnut boy's past, at least, not in the way the Omega seemed to think. It supremely bothered him that Alphas had touched his Omega...that they had harmed him. He didn't care about any of the other stuff.

"But you know what?" Suga continued, his tone shifting to an uplifting pitch. "He still tries to be happy. He starts every day of his life forcing out a smile, just hoping that it will be genuine one day. And guess what? Since he's met you, it has been genuine. Yeah, it's true, the things that have happened to him are disgusting and terrible, but he doesn't allow them to rule his life. Not anymore. Not since I've known him."

Hajime pulled his knees further into his chest, suddenly feeling an overbearing desire to cry from the brutal honesty of the words. Cry. Hehadn't cried since he was a child, but when he had seen the lifeless form of his Omega in the grass, he broke that streak in an instant.

"I know it's not easy for you guys. It's one thing to go through terrible things, but its a whole other story to watch the people you love go through them," Suga added, pushing out more of his tranquil, sweet fragrance.

"I hate this feeling. I hate it," Hajime seethed into his knees, clenching his fists until his knuckles were white. "Being so fucking helpless. When he...when Oikawa jumped in to defend me…" He trailed off in frustration, unleashing a bitter snarl as the mental image of Kabuto, standing over his Omega, flickered across his mine.

"Are you mad that he jumped in to protect you?" Suga asked softly, moving his hand to Hajime's tense back, rubbing it in small, continuous circles.

"Yes...No," Hajime barked in response, scrunching up his toes inside his shoes. Every part of his body felt rigid and his mind had been clouded by his own primal nature for was seemed like an eternity now.

Suga laughed at his confusing response, and his chocolate scent flooded the air once more, doing well to counter his Alpha inhibitions- pushing to take control of his fragile mind.

"Which is it, because either way, you're going to have to deal with it. This is Oikawa we're talking about. He never backs out of a fight."

Hajime relaxed his fists, sighing deeply into his bent knees. He wasn't mad that Oikawa jumped in to defend him, he was mad that the boy had to jump in. Mad that his own strength wasn't enough to protect his Omega.

"I'm not angry about it. I'm just...furious with myself for not being able to protect him. After he...when Kabuto hit him...I just…" Hajime faltered, outwardly voicing his frustrations was plummeting his mind into a dark place he had no desire to visit.

"I don't think-"

"He smashed his head in, Suga. He smashed his fucking head in," Hajime exclaimed, allowing his upset emotions to pour into his words. "I watched it happen. Everything inside of me was roaring at me. Screaming at me to move, but I couldn't fucking do anything. My body wouldn't listen. I wanted to slaughter Kabuto. I still want to slaughter him," he snarled out, stabbing the fleeting mental image of Kabuto with his internal fists. "You know, when I went on my walk to cool down? I didn't go anywhere. I just stood over his fucking unconscious body in the alley for an hour until I heard Ukai call for everyone to get into the car. I wish...I wish I had fucking done it, too. Just ended his pathetic life then and there."

The instant he stopped his train of thought to take an angry breath of air, he was surprised to find himself standing, bristling in front of Suga's seated from- snarling viciously into the Omega's calm face. How was he calm? Why wasn't the boy scared that he might attack him?

"I know you're not going to attack me, Hajime, stop making that face. You're going to get wrinkles," Suga chirped to him, as if he had heard the internal thoughts.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get to worked up," Hajime apologized, pacing from side to side in frustration. "I just. I'm so fucking angry. I hate that I can't see him. I hate that I don't know if he's okay."

"Don't apologize. Why do you think it's wrong to be worked up about this stuff? It's natural. I'd be worried if you weren't worked up about it," the silver Omega replied matter-of-factly, cocking an eyebrow.

It was a simple statement. An obvious one, even. However, it was something that Hajime hadn't thought of. He had been so focused on the idea that his emotions were wrong. That he was wrong to be angry, wrong to be upset about Oikawa- he had somehow convinced himself that the emotions represented his ownership over the Omega. However, he didn't want that, he wanted Oikawa to be his partner.

"I want to kill Kabuto, too, you know…" Suga said in almost a whisper, looking down at his pale hands in his lap. "You're not alone in that."

Hajime inhaled deeply and reached out a hand to the seated Omega before him. Suga smiled sweetly, accepted his offer, and he pulled the weightless boy to his feet with ease.

"Thanks…" He said softly, releasing the silver haired Omega from his grasp. "I guess...I should...that it's okay to feel this way."

"It's no problem at all. You're my friend," Suga said with a affectionate grin that made Hajime want to embrace him in thanks. "Feelings don't mean...ownership, if that's what you're thinking. You can't...not have emotional responses in a relationship, right? I don't know if that makes sense, but I hope it does..."

"Yeah...I get ya," Hajime replied, sheepishly running a hand through his hair, tangled with patches of dried blood. "Well, I appreciate it. You're always looking out for me. It's...nice."

Suga casually shrugged, subtly smirking in the dim light of the hall. "You look out for my flock. I look out for you. Now…" He trailed off, giving Hajime a playful punch in the shoulder. "Let's go see if we can get some info on Oikawa and get you in with one of the nurses. You're in rough shape. Like, really rough shape."

Hajime nodded and followed the silver Omega back into the waiting room, eager to hear something, anything about Oikawa.

Yachi~

When Yachi flickered her eyes open, she flew into a panic at her unfamiliar surroundings. Everything smelled wrong...and the white environment of the room hurt her eyes, burning them with its bright intensity. As she sluggishly tried to sit forward, an unfamiliar female voice called out to her. She sniffed, wincing at her pounding head as she did so- it was an Omega.

"Please don't get up too fast, Miss. Yachi. Take your time. You're in the hospital. I'll go and get Suga."

Suga…

Yachi blinked to adjust her eyes and pushed herself to a seated position, unhappy that her head was not completely clear of foggy pain.

"Yachi!" Suga's warm voice hit her ears as she adjusted herself against the back of the bed.

"Hi…" Yachi croaked out to her friend, glancing at him as he hurried to close the gap between them.

"I'm so happy you're awake!" He exclaimed, embracing her in a light, motherly hug.

Yachi smiled at his warming presence, then quickly snapped her neck towards the unfamiliar scent near the open door of the room. A male Omega...in a white coat...a doctor.

"Good morning, Yachi! I'm glad to see you up!" He sang, opening the a file in his hands to flip through its contents. "I thought it would be good to briefly go over some things. I'll be discharging you in a few hours, so don't worry too much! You're in pretty good shape!"

Yachi nodded, searching the confines of her mind to remember what had happened to her. Chaki...Yuji protected her from him...Oikawa!

"Where is Oikawa?!" She abruptly shouted, cringing to the side as a sharp pain shot through her back.

"He's okay, Yachi. He's okay," Suga soothingly reassured her, scratching her back with his nails.

"And Yuji?" She continued in question, visibly relaxing into Suga's embrace at the news of Oikawa.

"He's okay too. We sent the Alphas home a few hours ago, with most of the Omegas. Let's listen to what the doctor has to say first, okay? Then I can catch you up on everything."

Yachi nodded again, unhappy with the words, most of the Omegas. However, she didn't want to waste the doctor's time with her flurry of questions, so she momentarily filed them away and turned her attention to the man with the file, eager to get her diagnoses over with.

"Now, Yachi. You're going to have to take it easy for a while. You have two broken ribs on your left side and, unfortunately, there isn't much we can do about that. You're cleared of concussion, which is excellent, but you did bump your head rather hard, so you may experience a few headaches over the next week. Be patient with yourself, okay? I know that Omegas heal significantly faster than their Alpha counterparts, but it's not going to happen right away. It will still take time," the man rattled off in explanation, his tone rushed but gentle. Then, he flashed her a wicked grin and briskly turned towards the door. "I hope you'll excuse me, there are a lot of people I need to see today, so I'm in a bit of a rush. Please come back if you have any problems, any at all. However...I really hope we don't meet again!" He finished with a chuckle, softly closing the door behind him.

"That fucker broke two of my ribs?!" Yachi exclaimed with wide, angry eyes, startling Suga with both her angry tone and vulgar language.

"Y-Yachi?!" Suga questioned, his mouth agape with astonishment.

"Chaki. He broke my ribs. That pisses me off," she explained, unsure of why Suga was so visibly shocked by her statement. He had broken her ribs...so, she was angry...?

"Oh, Yachi!" The silver haired boy cried into the air as he embraced her, nestling himself into her neck. "I haven't h-heard y-you talk like this for s-so l-long," he blubbered into her hair, wetting the golden strands with his tears.

Oh! Yachi thought to herself at once, now she understood. Ordinarily, discussing Chaki made her sick with fear, physically so, but here she was verbally bashing the monster.

"I spat right into his face, Suga! I looked him dead in the eyes and said fuck you, Chaki!" She relayed with a genuine tone of pride, excited to share the news with her substitute mother.

She was proud of herself, but she knew that this new sense of safety she felt wasn't from standing up to Chaki. It was from Yuji. The Alpha who had protected her because he wanted to- because he had felt that it was the right thing to do. He had said that she deserved better and she believed it in every fiber of her being. She wanted to throw her arms around him in thanks.

Suga pulled away from her shoulder and looked into her eyes, his face plastered with unrelenting pride. She beamed back in return, suddenly feeling...lighter.

Chapter Twenty Three: Damage

Ukai~

Ukai sat in the waiting room beside Miyo, unhappily looking over the list of injuries the hospital was kind enough to provide for them. He had already decided that he was going to take every speck of proof he had to the University administration- he wanted the intruding Alphas expelled for their actions. It was the only recourse he had control over, Alpha on Alpha violence rarely saw police intervention, even with Omegas involved. It was something he was growing weary of very quickly, especially now, after the night's terrible events.

Hospital Recourse released to Keishin Ukai and Miyo Suzuki as deemed under article 341-2: University Insurance Information, subsection D-59.

Tobio: Broken blood vessels under the right eye, large abrasion to the skin on the left arm (prescribed antibiotic cream, must be monitored for potential skin graft), fractured left elbow, four stitches for laceration on forehead, concussion test came back negative.

Tsukishima: Broken blood vessels under both eyes, four broken fingers on right hand (excluding thumb) set in splints (to remove in eight days), six stitches for laceration under chin.

Hajime: Broken blood vessels under both eyes, one broken rib on right side, one misaligned rib on right side, eight stitches used on forehead laceration, concussion test came back negative.

Yuji: Broken blood vessels under left eye, closed jaw fracture on left side (monitor and return in nine days for check up), concussion test came back negative.

Bokuto: Broken blood vessels under both eyes, broken nose (realigned, monitor for fourteen days, potential for sinus damage), broken index/ring fingers on right side (set in splints, to remove in eight days).

Daichi: Broken blood vessels under left eye, eleven stitches to laceration on left shoulder blade, extracted three shards of glass from lower back (must be monitored, potential for more).

Asahi: Broken blood vessels under left eye, eight stitches to laceration on right collarbone (glass removed prior to stitches), removed seven shards of glass from lower back (must be monitored, potential for more).

Kuroo: Broken blood vessels under right eye.

Tanaka: Broken blood vessels under right eye.

Ukai sighed, flipping through the results once more in exasperation. Daichi and Asahi's stitches had come from their own brawl, after they had smashed into the glass coffee table. Tanaka's face injuries were from Yuji's sucker punches, and Kuroo's from his attempts to calm the feral Tsukishima. At least they were in the off season of volleyball, he thought to himself, shaking his head with indignation, the boys would stupidly practice through the injuries if they had matches- regardless of anything he said otherwise.

All this damage because a few Alphas had warped perceptions of reality, thinking that they had the right to do whatever they pleased when it came to Omegas...disgusting. He flipped over the bunches of paper, shuffling them to the back of the folder, then quickly leafed through the pictures on file, cringing away from a few of the worst ones. Tobio's abrasion, in particular, had left him furious…he reaaaally didn't want to look through the Omega injuries.

"Ukai?" A soft voice asked, drawing his attention back to the bright waiting room. He glanced over to Miyo beside him, filling out their University insurance information for the hospital. "It's bad, isn't it?"

"They're not in as bad of shape as I thought. Blood as a funny way of making things look worse…" He trailed off with a sad laugh, unsure of what else he could say to lighten the mood. They shouldn't have been injured in the first place- he was beginning to understand just how warped their society really was. "Tobio might need a skin graft, but they won't know until it starts healing. And I guess Bokuto could have some permanent sinus damage, but again, they just don't know right now."

"Oh my...I'm so sorry, Ukai," Miyo whispered, visibly upset yet unwilling her scent to show it.

"Oh god, Miyo. Don't apologize. None of this is your fault. The Omegas don't deserve a single bit of blame," he responded sternly, rubbing her gingerly on the back.

It was forward of him, but he couldn't help himself. She had such a fragile figure- while he knew first hand just how strong she was, he still maintained a innate desire to wrap her in his arms to cheer her up.

"Well I...no, we owe you. What you all have done for us-"

"It shouldn't be considered a big deal," he growled out, cutting her gratitude short. "It's fucking ridiculous that Alphas defending unmated Omegas is so rare that the action assumes a thanks."

When Miyo laughed at his frustrated remark, he subtly moved closer to inhale her rainy scent. She didn't seem to mind his hand on her back...found it pleasant, even. However, his friendship with her was becoming exhausting- a change that he was all too keenly aware of. Recently, he had found himself needing to inhale her natural fragrance more and more, yet, he was fighting against nausea each time he tried. Touching her, even innocently brushing up against her, was becoming increasingly difficult, and he wasn't entirely certain of the cause. He hadn't had these troubles before the last week, why now? Why was the change so sudden and gut wrenching?

From the moment he had met the raven haired professor, three weeks earlier, he had known that she was mated. He could smell that her fragrance was permanently ingrained with that of an unknown Alpha, but as their relationship grew, through their lunch dates on campus and the occasional coffee in the evening, he came to realize that she was no longer actively involved with the owner of the scent. While she was still technically mated, she and her Alpha had separated- the unknown fragrance never renewed itself through scenting...or sexual activity. It merely lingered in the background like an irritating mosquito he really wanted to squash.

He hadn't been interested in the woman, at least, not from the start- too turned off by her mated scent to even think of her in such a way. Yet, the past week saw a slow, predatory feeling crept forward from his instinctual mind. One that desired nothing more than to smell her natural fragrance on its own, unmated. However, each time her humid, earthy tones whirled into his nostrils, his unfounded desire to scent the woman was blown back by the unknown Alpha- something he had come to despise with every ounce of his being.

Replace him. Ukai visibly shuddered at the sudden, instinctual command and looked up at the ceiling to distract himself from his spiraling thoughts, briskly removing his hand from her back as a wave of nausea curdled inside his gut. Then, an unpleasant thought crossed his mind, provoked by the Omega files sitting plainly in his lap. Had she been hurt by her exmate? From what he had witnessed with the kids residing in the yellow house, he already knew the answer.

"Well...I at least owe you lunch," the beautiful, raven haired women suggested, flicking his shoulder with her pen to snap him back to reality.

"I wouldn't say no to that," he replied, doing his best to suppress an instinctual, possessive growl. He subtly shuffled a few inches away from her, turned off by her vigorous mated scent, then scratched at the top of his head in irritation. He just wanted to smell her, was it too much to ask?

"It's a date then…" She declared softly before trailing off in thought, looking back down to the forms in her lap.

Ukai lost himself for a few moments, admiring her pink lips as she chewed at the end of her pen in concentration. Perhaps he couldn't smell...or touch, but he could still look, right? A date...he small smirk snaked across his lips, maybe, he could pull some wicked moves and get rid of the disgusting Alpha's scent for good.

Pulling his gaze, with great effort, from the raven Omega's pale features, he glanced down at the domineering file in his lap once more. Taking in a deep breath to ready himself, he shuffled through its contents and pulled out a thick bundle of papers.

Omega injuries estimated to heal eight days faster than Alpha counterparts. Bear in mind that this estimation is based on results from seventeen test-groups in the Omega Institute of Health (OIH) research project #113. See aforementioned project for more information: archive number 0009113.

Eight days faster? He had no idea that Omegas healed faster than Alphas. Internally cursing, he added it to his rapidly growing list of Omega information. Why didn't Alpha schools teach this kind of stuff? He was a fully grown, adult Alpha, for christs sakes, he should've been aware of it.

Oikawa: Broken blood vessels under right eye, twenty-one stitches for laceration running up left side of face (must be monitored for infection), three broken ribs on left side, tests for concussion came back inconclusive (must be monitored). Heat pushed back an estimated three days to occur in seven.

Heat pushed back an estimated three days- what on earth did that mean?

"Hey...Miyo…" He questioned, brows furrowed in confusion at the papers in his large hands.

"Mmm?"

"It says here that Oikawa's heat was pushed back three days," he inquired, looking up from the paperwork to pinch the bridge of his nose. His head was pounding from a lingering migraine, and Yuji's previous sucker punch to his jaw wasn't doing him any favors.

"Oh, yeah," she started in response, shuffling through her paperwork. "Our bodies will push back our heat cycles when we're injured. It's...some sort of chemical defense mechanism. Either to prevent us from being forcefully mated by Alphas or maybe….well...our heat is often damaging to our body because we're so out of our minds during it. I don't know, I guess it's possible that our body wants us to be physically prepared before going through it. Honestly, nobody has figured out the answer yet," she rattled off in explanation without looking up from her forms.

The woman could multitask...

Ukai added the information, once again, to his mental pile and continued his reading, against his best wishes.

Oikawa: Broken blood vessels under right eye, twenty-one stitches for laceration running up right side of face (must be monitored), two broken ribs on left side, tests for concussion came back inconclusive (must be monitored). Heat pushed back an estimated four days to occur in eight.

Keiji: Broken blood vessels under left eye, five stitches for laceration under left eye. No discernible change in heat: fifteen days.

Yamaguchi: Skin abrasion on right forearm (prescribed antibiotic cream), hairline fracture on right wrist (casted, return in one week). Heat pushed back and estimated two days to occur in eleven.

Nishinoya: Broken blood vessels under left eye, broken thumb on right hand (set in place, to remove in eight days). No discernable change in heat: seventeen days.

Shoyo: Nine stitches for laceration on left side of forehead, tests for concussion came back negative. No discernable change in heat: twenty-three days.

Yachi: Two broken ribs on left side, tests for concussion came back negative. Heat pushed back and estimated two days to occur in fourteen.

Ukai let out another heavy sigh as he reached into the folder to pull out the Omega photos. Shoyo's was the first in the pile, and he visibly winced at both size of the gash on the boy's forehead, and the deep color of the bruise. He quickly glazed over the remaining images, not wanting to analyze them more than he had to, until he reached Oikawa's- nearly vomiting from the brutal sight. The laceration on the boy's face was purple and swollen, running from just under his eye all the way up to his hairline in an angry, twisted mess.

"Are you okay?" Miyo asked gently, placing a hand on his leg in support after smelling his upset.

While he was grateful for her touch, her mated scent burst forward once more, rotting the contents of his stomach in a twisted mess of bile.

"Yeah. Fuck. I'm fine," he growled back and shuffled in his seat, trying to keep his discomfort under control. The Alpha injuries were, on a general scale, worse than the Omegas, but he was used to seeing bloodied up Alphas- it was natural.

Miyo reached over to the folder in his lap and pulled out Oikawa's set of photos. She briskly sifted through them, then tossed them back in the pile without a second thought.

"That laceration is going to scar. He's going to hate that," she said at last with a timid laugh, once again returning her attention back to her large pile of paperwork.

Ukai was shocked by her laissez-faire attitude. Was she...completely desensitized to Omega injuries? Were they really this common?

"It's the same thing with your Alphas…" the raven Omega said plainly without looking up. "You barely flinched at seeing their injuries. I barely flinch at seeing the Omega ones."

Had she smelled his thoughts?

"Yeah, but it's different…"

"You're right. We both should be flinching at all of the injuries. The violence was completely unnecessary."

Ukai laughed at her abrupt, honest comment- she was absolutely right.

"Okay, so...according to this, she continued, reading off the marked up page in front of her. "They're discharging Yachi in the next hour...and Yamaguchi's cast should be done soon."

Ukai piled up the papers in his lap and happily shoved them into the folder. "And Oikawa?"

"He hasn't woken up yet. I'll have to talk to the doctor."

"Okay, I'll drive Yachi and Yamaguchi home. Oh, I guess Keiji is still kicking around too. I'll bring him as well. You and Suga stay? I get the feeling you want to," he said, flashing the beautiful woman a cheeky grin to lighten the mood. She looked so very tired, it was nearly 10:00am and neither of them had slept a wink.

"That would be great, I have to finish the insurance paperwork, anyways. And I know Suga isn't going anywhere without Oikawa," Miyo replied with her own, kind smile. "Make sure you tell that kid, Daichi, that Suga is safe. I could smell his panic the moment we sent him home without his Omega."

"Yeah, they're awfully close to mating…" Ukai agreed with a chuckle, the two kids made a decent pairing.

"Maybe...don't tell Hajime the details on Oikawa either, okay?" Miyo added with a pained expression, the stress lines of her face pulling against her pale skin.

She was right...Hajime was barely keeping it together as it was. They had to send the poor kid home with the other Alphas because his scent was devolving too readily with each passing hour.

When Bokuto had told him about the Alpha's frantic state after Oikawa had been injured, he almost didn't believe it- Hajime was known for his intense regard over his Alpha composure. Breaking down, crying, and howling out in anguish? It was almost unbelievable. Almost. Ukai could tell that the boy had developed an intense bond with the chestnut haired Omega, beyond anything he had ever seen. After today, he could certainly attest to the Hajime's control- the boy had lasted far longer than any normal Alpha would under the same circumstances. There was no need to push his limits any further with unnecessary information.

"Yeah, that's a good idea," he replied at last, nodding his head in agreement. "You'll call me the second you get an update?"

"Of course. We're a team, Ukai."

Chapter Twenty Four: Control and Reservations

Keiji~

Keiji could smell Bokuto's anticipation from the very moment he stepped foot inside the yellow house. He rolled his eyes, accustomed to its overbearing intensity. His constant exposure to it, especially after the volleyball game, had seen to that.

Ignoring the owl's scent, wafting over from the living room, he shuffled Yachi and Yamaguchi up the staircase ahead on him- with both Suga and Oikawa gone, he was the de facto matriarch of the residence.

Although Ukai had offered to accompany him inside, to help him charm the other house members into sleep, he had declined. It was evident that the coach wanted nothing more than to return to the hospital- well, to professor Miyo. Perhaps unbeknownst to him, Ukai had exuded a crisp scent during the entire car ride. One that was very eager to scent. ..and possibly even mate, the raven haired Omega. Keiji sighed, and sent out a silent prayer that the coach knew what he was getting into. Miyo was mated, after all, and remating was tough, sometimes impossible.

As Keiji entered the tea green room with his nestmates, Yamaguchi wasted no time, piling down next to Shoyo's sleeping form. Without a word, he briefly adjusted his blue cast, placing it gingerly over his stomach, then curled up next to the ginger and closed his eyes.

"Keiji…" Yachi asked quietly from beside him, squeezing his limp hand in her own.

"Mmm?"

"Is Oikawa going to be okay? Tell me the truth."

Keiji sighed, he had been actively trying to avoid all thoughts of Oikawa. Nobody had given him any information, not even Suga.

"I'm sure he'll be fine in no time, Yachi, don't worry," he replied softly, doing his best to smile at least a bit, for her sake. "You need to get some sleep, though."

"Okay…" The blonde Omega whispered as she tucked a strand of gold hair behind her ear, too exhausted to push the matter further. She released his hand and crawled over to the group, snuggling into Nishinoya's relaxed shoulder. "You'll tell me the second you hear anything, right?" She mumbled out from the blankets, her doe-like eyes housed dark, heavy circles of exhaustion.

"Of course. I'll wake you all up, I promise," Keiji affirmed with a slight nod. At his assertion, the tiny girl's eyes fluttered closed and her breathing slowed, drifting off to sleep.

Keiji wanted nothing more than to join his nest in their comfortable mess of blankets on the matted floor. He was so very tired, however, he had much to do before he could rest his eyes. There was a pile of Alpha boys on the main floor, stewing in their frustrations- they needed to be sternly put to bed.

After one last glance at his cozy nestmates, he shuffled out into the hallway and softly closed the door behind him. Inhaling deeply to steady his anticipation, he briskly pulled out his cell phone from its home, inside the back pocket of his dark jeans, and clicked on the back light.

Nothing, not a single text about Oikawa. Not from Miyo, or Suga, or anyone. Nothing...

He let out a puff of frustrated air, then shoved his device back in its confines and made his way towards the dark stairwell, ignoring the painful pulsing of the laceration across his cheek.

As he rounded the final set of steps and stepped onto the main floor, a multitude of Alpha scents snaked forward, clamoring for his ...fear...exhaustion...anxiety , he quickly sifted through them, ordering them by level of intensity. Unsurprisingly, Hajime's fragrance was the most aggravated, coiling around the other scents with burning intensity- like flames licking up into a clear sky. Angry and unopposed.

Filing Hajime's fragrance away for a moment, he glanced out the front windows at Asahi, pacing on the veranda. Across from him, Daichi's exhausted figure sat slumped on the porch swing. As their uninhibited scents whirled into Keiji's nostrils, he clenched his teeth in irritation- he was absolutely sick of smelling Alphas. Stepping into the morning light, Keiji relaxed his own fragrance and smirked, eager to put the giant in his place.

"Asahi," he called out in a savage tone, stalling the bunned Alpha from his pacing. "Nishinoya is fine, the hospital gave him the all clear, so reign your fucking emotions in. Stop getting bent out of shape, he needs to nest right now. It had nothing to do with you being an Alpha. It had nothing to do with you as a provider. Or a boyfriend. Or any other reason your mind has whipped up in desperation. He needs a reset, only Omegas can do that, so get over it and go to fucking bed."

Asahi winced at the harsh words and cast his brown eyes down to his feet in shame. Through the tears in his bloody shirt, Keiji could see a line of stitches across his collarbone. While the raw, angry wound left him feeling sympathetic, its cause was shameful. Asahi had lost control, burdened the other housemates with his unchecked upset, injured Daichi- all without actually protecting Nishinoya. He should feel ashamed , Keiji thought to himself as he gingerly rubbed his tender cheek, not in that he was unable to protect the spitfire Omega, but in his overcompensating behavior after failing.

"Yeah...sorry. I'm sorry," Asahi whispered under his breath, stirring up his own frenzied, shameful scent once more. "I'm being selfish. You're right...I need to pull it together…"

"Look," Keiji interjected as the bunned Alpha sluggishly moved past him to enter the yellow house. "Don't…be mad at yourself for ducking shit up with Noya, okay? It's unreasonable…and cocky to think that you'll always be able to protect an Omega. You need to accept that, and not be so fucking hard on yourself," he continued, running a hand through his dark locks in exasperation. "You went feral because you felt ashamed, so work on that shit. Cut yourself some slack for once."

"Fuck," Asahi grumbled, shuffling on his large feet. "I'm sorry, Keiji, I really fucking am. You're right, I know you are. I'm just...frustrated."

"It's fine. Just go to bed," Keiji replied hotly, jerking a thumb towards the front door. "Daichi, you too. Go to bed for fucks sakes. You've done your fair share tonight, don't you think?" He called down the porch, directing himself at the grumbling Alpha on the swing.

"What if-"

"I'll handle it," he retorted, snapping out his irritated fragrance into the crisp morning air around them. "I'm so sick of smelling all this Alpha distress, and I'm not the only one, either. If the Omegas upstairs are going to get some much needed sleep, all of you need to stop with these anxious, desperate scents. It's unhelpful...you guys should know this by now."

Daichi's shoulders subtly flinched back at the harsh remark, then, he let out a heavy sigh of resignation. Rising to his unsteady feet, he sluggishly walked towards Keiji, doing his utmost to keep his tired eyes open.

"You'll call me the second you hear something about Oikawa? The second . I mean it, Keiji…"

"Yeeeeessss," Keiji drawled in reply, rolling his eyes once more.

At the rate things were going, he was going to have to wake the whole bloody house. However, he couldn't stop a small smile from skittering across his dry lips- everyone was worried about Oikawa, just as much as he was.

Daichi nodded, then dragged his feet towards the front door with Keiji following close behind. As the captain pulled his slumped body up the stairs, hints of his distressed scent coiled into Keiji's nostrils.

Missing Suga , he stifled a chuckle against his sleeve, the pair were disgusting...they had yet to realize they were absolutely made for each other.

"Tsukishima and Tobio have already gone to bed," a familiar voice called out from the kitchen, drawing in his attention. "Haj is out back, probably could use some Omega wisdom, if ya know what I mean."

He followed the sound, peeking his head through the archway to the blue room. Tanaka flashed him a cheeky grin, then yanked at the back of Yuji's bloody, orange shirt- a fainthearted attempt to pull the blonde Alpha from his looting the fridge.

"Oi, Yuji! Stop raiding our house for food," Tanaka whined, tugging his teammate back. "Go to bed! I'm tired of babysitting you, man! I neeeeed sleeeeeep, your sucker punches tuckered me right out."

"There are two vacant rooms on the third floor," Keiji asserted, eager to ally himself with Tanaka's motives. "They're across from the nest. You can sleep in one of them for now, until we figure some shit out."

"Across from the Omegas you say…" Yuji replied, poking his head out of the silver fridge to look at him with tired, chocolate eyes.

"Don't be so creepy, man!" Tanaka quipped, slapping the blonde Alpha on the back with vigor. "We'd be better off putting someone like you in the basement."

Keiji disregarded the chirp, judging by Yuji's obnoxious scent, his motivations were defensive in nature- he wanted to remain close so he could better protect the nest.

He liked that...he was still rattled from the events and a little extra precaution never hurt anyone.

"Ew, Tanaka! C'mon man," Yuji complained, jabbing his bald teammate playfully in the gut. "Cut me some slack. You're making me seem like a pervert!"

"Go. To. Bed," Keiji commanded at once, gnashing his teeth together as he shuffled the bickering pair towards the stairs. "Go to fucking bed so I can go to bed."

"Yes, sir!" Tanaka snapped back, gracing him with a cheeky salute as he ascended the steps.

Jesus christ. How do they still have energy? Especially Yuji...with a fractured jaw. He had seen the physical damage on the third floor. There was no doubt in his mind that the blonde Alpha pushed himself to his limits against Chaki.

"Keiji…" An all-too-familiar voice called out quietly, luring Keiji's attention towards it.

Bokuto, slumped down in the red chair in the living room. Why wasn't he sitting on the couch? The chair was horrendous, the most uncomfortable thing in existence. Dumb owl, he thought with a sly grin, no longer able to inwardly deny his attraction to the Alpha. He was too entertaining.

"Bokuto, give me a second," he drawled out as he passed by, following Hajime's distressed scent towards the back deck. "Hajime takes priority. I'll be back in a bit."

He rolled his eyes at Bokuto's subtle growl of frustration and pushed forward towards the back door. He could wait his turn.

As he stepped out onto the wood panels of porch, damp from early morning condensation, his eyes raked over Hajime's slouched form- sitting on the edge of the back veranda with his feet hanging just above the grass.

It wasn't the wisest choice, waiting around for your injured Omega in the very location he was hurt. As if he hasn't already punished himself enough for what happened...

At that thought, Keiji's gaze flickered over to the yard spout on his left. He internally winced at the splattered blood, smeared across the yellow siding. A mental image of Oikawa, his chestnut head colliding with the hard metal, flashed across his mind. He shoved it away with great force, finding his normally mild scent suddenly flush with anxiety. Fuck , he thought as his eyes landed on the dark Alpha ahead of him once again, the poor guy actually saw it happen…

"Hajime," he called out, attempting to verbally pull the man from his upset- stewing in his own distressed scent was going to make him go mad.

"Yeah…?"

"Why the fuck would you sit out here," Keiji asked, in more statement than question, sitting down beside the Alpha.

"I don't know...I came out here to see if Kabuto was still passed out in the alley. But...he's not. He's gone."

"You should sleep."

"No. I can't sleep. I'm waiting until I hear something."

"Then put your phone volume on max so it'll wake you up."

Hajime grew stiff, clenching and unclenching his fists in frustration. Unlike the other boys, Keiji was going to have to put in some work to get Oikawa's Alpha into bed. Of course, he shouldn't have expected anything less from his nestmate. Stubborn Omega, stubborn Alpha.

"Look," he started, tentatively rubbing Hajime's back in small, relaxing circles. "If you don't sleep, you're just going to get worse. Every minute you force yourself to stay awake, your scent is going to devolve even further. You'll eventually lose all measure of control," he explained, doing his best to actively ignore the Hajime's combative fragrance. "Listen, I know you're good at controlling your instincts, but you've got a threshold, too. I mean, Hajime, man, by this point, a lot of Alphas would have been sedated, or at least knocked the fuck out, but you've managed your shit. You're better at it than most, so let's keep it that way. You need to rest or you're going to snap, and then you'll really be a burden for everyone."

"I don't want to sleep in my room without him…" Hajime growled after a few moments of silence, glancing over to him with a pained, emotional expression. "It still smells like him. What if it never does again…"

"He's going to be fine," Keiji retorted, karate chopping the dark Alpha across the back. "Don't think like that. Ukai told us both that the doctors were just waiting for him to wake up on his own. His body will heal faster if they don't push it, ya know?" He continued, pushing his calming scent forward as much as possible in his exhausted state.

"What if they're wrong," Hajime snarled, his back muscles tensing under Keiji's gentle hand. "There...there was so much blood, Keiji. Fuck...I heard...I heard the crunch…"

Although Keiji had not been formally given a clear answer on Oikawa's well-being, his thoughts on the matter were not nearly as twisted as Hajime's were. The Alpha was not thinking clearly. His logical mind was hindered by his exhaustion, by what he had witnessed, and by his separation from his Omega. Keiji needed to do something to pull him back to a more lucid reality, before Hajime did something that was actuallyworthy of regret.

"I'm going to tell you something," he said softly after a moment of silent contemplation. It really wasn't his story to tell, but it would remind Hajime of just how strong his Omega was. "Oikawa and I met under pretty shit circumstances. He was kind of the one who intervened on my behalf, against Jime."

"What?" Hajime barked out at once, releasing a large outburst of protection that swirled into the air like an intense tornado.

Keiji's heart swelled as the sudden fragrance, blanketing him in a comfortable embrace. Hajime really cared for the flock...no...cared about the pack.

"I was the first of the flock to meet Oikawa," he began, releasing a small sigh of renewed anxiety- he hated discussing the event. "If I were to hazard a guess, it would be that he didn't really tell you much about his past. It's kind of a black mark on his record that he rather erase. But now, with all the shit Kabuto and Chaki were-"

"So he was a drug addict, or a prostitute. I don't fucking care . I don't care about any of that shit. If that's...if that's what he fucking thinks…"

Okay , Keiji thought, increasing his tranquil scent once more at the Alpha's upset words. He could only deal with one problem at a time. The two lovebirds were going to have to sort out their past indiscretions on their own time.

"Yes, when I met him, he was a drug addict. It was ...Jesus , almost three years ago now!" Keiji said, rubbing his forehead in disbelief. "It was my first year here, on campus. I had just moved out of my Aunt's and into an Omega shelter-"

"Why were you living in a shelter?" Hajime snarled, his protective scent creeping forward.

Man, Keiji pondered with a sly smirk, Alphas really were oblivious to Omegas. In almost every aspect...from living conditions to physical characteristics. However...at least the yellow house Alphas wished to reconcile their lack of knowledge. They wanted to learn, they wanted to be better.

Hajime~

"It's not uncommon, Hajime," the icy Omega replied with a small chuckle. "If we aren't a member in a flock, we can't apply to live on campus. And it ain't easy forming a flock, or joining one. The majority of Omegas...well, the moment they turn eighteen, they spend all of their energy searching for a mate. I mean, it's sort of the surest way to ensure your own safety. We can't exactly rely on the government, ya know?" He finished his train of thought with a reserved, yet hearty laugh.

Can't rely on the government...yeah, sure as shit Omegas couldn't. Actually, Hajime thought, furrowing his brows, he couldn't either. None of the housemates...none of the pack could. They were on their own.

"Why can't you live on campus...without a flock?" He asked with a heavy sigh, glancing down at the dewy grass under his swinging feet.

"Well," Keiji started, searching for the best way to explain.

Hajime had come to appreciate his logical, reserved personality. Contrary to his initial impression, the icy Omega had proven himself to be understanding and courteous of his Alpha housemates- especially when it came to their lacking knowledge of Omega affairs.

"University protocol states that Omegas can only live in campus buildings if they are applying in a flock of at least seven members. Which...is afucking hard rule to manage. I mean, there are only a few Omegas ballsy and resourceful enough to apply at Alpha Universities in the first place! How the fuck am I supposed to suddenly present them with such a massive flock? It's a ridiculous rule. It's like the administration believes Omegas just frolic around in nests of our choosing. They are totally oblivious... no , they're fucking uncaring, that's what it is," Keiji asserted, his narrow shoulders rising and falling as he panted out his anger.

Hajime had listened intently to every word, absorbing the information like a sponge to water. He was heartbroken, agitated, and even confused with the hard truths he had been presented, but he was more motivated than ever to do something, anything , about them.

"So I guess, to circle back to your question, living in the city on our own isn't cheap and forming such a massive flock is nearly impossible," Keiji chimed in once more, chuckling in disbelief at the ridiculous situation he had described. "So, we live out of shelters. I mean, at least those are in ample supply."

A empathetic growl rumbled inside Hajime's throat- the University went above and beyond to place Alphas in residences, yet they ignored, and even hindered, their weaker counterparts? The entire ordeal was twisted around...it was backwards. They should be aiding the disenfranchised, not holding them back with defunct rules. At least seven members to apply for campus housing? No wonder the Omega Residency District was so run down, most of the houses were probably vacant.

"All this shit just goes to show just how fucked the Omega Inclusion Initiative really is…" He whispered, more to himself than to the Omega seared beside him. "It's just a front...a public relations move…"

"Yeah, well. The government may have forced the Universities to include us, but after that, they washed their hands of it all. Universities are deemed as responsible organizations, so they were able to retain the right to set specific policies on their campus'...both Alpha and Omega ones."

"The government should be the one-"

"I actually disagree, as surprising as you may find that. I think the freedom that the Universities have been granted will come around to bite the government in the ass. Someday it will, mark my words."

"Oh?" Hajime questioned, his curiosity fully piqued on Keiji's intelligent argument. The kid had a foul mouth when he was tired, but he still knew his shit.

"Change always starts in places of education. I mean, look at professor Miyo, or Ukai, or even you Alphas in general! It's going to be the start of something...some sort of change. I know it."

Hajime had felt a desire to change the system, it had grown stronger with each piece of new information he had been given by his Omegas housemates. However, he was never certain where to begin. Finally, Keiji's mention of coach Ukai gave him a place to start. After everything that had happened since the joining of their pack- Eiko and her struggling flock, their battered, University provided home, the constant Alpha attacks, growing progressively worse- it all helped to shed a raw, brutal light on a shadowy portion of society he had never acknowledged. Never even thought to acknowledge. He inwardly cursed, angry with himself for being so blind, so ignorant. In the past, he had taken advantage of Omegas with such uncaring brutality that he was left terrified that Oikawa would find out. The chestnut boy would never accept his promiscuous, elitist past- he wanted nothing to do with the stereotypical Alpha perception of ownership.

"Let me get back to my story, I can smell you getting tense about Oikawa again," Keiji said gently, scratching Hajime's back through the cotton of his shirt. "So, he and I didnt know each other my first semester, never even crossed paths. Then, this one day, I think it was early fall…" He trailed off, blue eyes darting about as he mentally searched for the date. "Whatever, I think it was the fall. Anyways, one of my lectures ran late and a couple of the Alphas in my class stuck around, too. You know, to follow me to the bus stop and jump me. I mean, I knew that they had been eyeing me for most of the semester, but I did pretty well to ignore them. I should have been more careful. I wasn't wasn't thinking th-"

"Fuckers," Hajime abruptly snarled,already frustrated with the story. He could see where the recount was going and he didnt like it. "The fuckers attacked you . Your behavior is not the problem. Should have been more careful? Fuck that. Them , they are the problem ."

"Yeah…thanks, I appreciate that," Keiji softly replied with a quiet chuckle. "Long story short, they corned me behind one of the brick buildings...I think it was Biological Sciences. They knocked me out pretty good, too, cause there's a huge gap in my memory, but when I came to, I was in their fucking dirty house," he continued, biting his lip in upset exasperation. "You know...no matter how hard I fought against them, ad believe me, I did, they were fucking stronger. My willpower didn't mean shit, they overpowered me in a heartbeat, and that was that. It makes my stomach curdle just thinking about it…" He teetered off, sitting back on his tail bone with his hands folded in his lap, to gaze out at the overcast yard.

Hajime wanted to say something, anything , to comfort the icy Omega, but had never been good with words. Just be appreciative that he's sharing such a personal story, show him that you're thankful for his trust.

"One of them was Jime …" Keiji interrupted the tense silence, spitting out the last word with utter contempt. "I was so... scared . I hate admitting it, but I was. I knew what they were going to do and I wasn't at all prepared to deal with it," he said knowingly, using his forefinger to further emphasize his point. "I had never been sexually assaulted before, which is pretty well par for the course until you get kicked out into the real, unprotected world at eighteen. I mean...I grew up in an Omega orphana-"

"What happened to your parents?" Hajime interjected, unable to keep his curiosity at bay- was that common, too? "I don't mean to pry-"

"It's okay," Keiji replied, waving a delicate hand in front of his face. "No need to apologize. I don't exactly know why they abandoned me, but if I were to hazard a guess, it was probably because they wanted an Alpha. So the second I hit the early stages of puberty, I was out the door and on my ass! It's pretty common, Yamaguchi grew up in one too," he finished with a small shrug, brushing a stray ant from his jeans.

Oh . Nausea snaked its way up Hajime's gut, provoked by the icy Omega's emotionless tone. He ground his knuckles into the wooden panels of the porch, wanting to bash through them with his fists. Abandoning your child? A child you had raised for ten years? It was atrocious, vile, even. Inhumane . If he had presented as an Omega, would his parents have abandoned him, too?

"Anyways," the icy boy continued, clearing his throat to resume his story. "I was pretty dazed for the rest of it, so don't recall everything clearly, but I do remember the smell of the house. It was awful, like this sort of violent, sexually twisted scent," he explained, prompting Hajime's toes to curl up in disgust. "The place was an absolute mess, too. I mean really , really filthy, but suddenly, I smelled an Omega through the chaos of it all. It was Oikawa. He was across the room, on his knees in front of Kabu…" He faltered, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck. "Sorry, I got lost in thought, the details aren't necessary…"

Hajime balled up his fists and stiffened his back, throat rumbling in a continuous loop of possession. KABUTO. Touching HIS Omega. Never, NEVER again.

"I know, I know, just let me finish okay? It has a good ending," Keiji reassured him, tugging on the back of his shirt to prevent his subconscious movement to stand. "Just bear with me, okay?"

Hajime gave the Omega a stiff nod, forcing himself to unwind by inhaling Keiji's calm, metallic scent.

"Jime didn't even take me upstairs, he just dropped me down on the floor in the entryway and started tearing at my clothes," Keiji rattled off in explanation, telling Hajime information that was doing well to drive him mad. "I tuned out for most of the... assault , but eventually, Jime just flew off of me. I mean, how could I forget something like that, right?" It was so fucking abrupt! Anyways, Oikawa was standing over me…in this like, intoxicated daze. I was so out of it by that point that I didn't even try to run away. He had given me the perfect opening and I just stayed there, on the fucking floor, useless."

Hajime shuffled closer to the icy boy and pulled him into a half-embrace. He disliked smelling Keiji's distress, it was mild, like his normal scent, but it had a sharp bite to it that left him agitated- as if a piece of shrapnel was caught in his intestines. Nonetheless, he was honored that he had been granted access to such a personal story. Unleashing his protective fragrance in its entirety, he hoped Keiji wouldn't mind. He didnt ma it as a display of ownership, he merely wanted to safeguard the Omega. Perhaps, it would wash over him and help to put him at ease.

"Thanks…" Keiji whispered, relaxing into his cradling arm. "Anyways, when I didn't move, Oikawa hauled me to my feet and wrapped… this blanketaround me!" He paused, laughing at the ridiculousness of his recollection. "I don't even know where he got it from! But, yeah, we started running. I remember hearing the Alphas hollering at us from behind, but they never caught up. The fuckers must have chased us for, god, I don't even know how long. It felt like forever, but Oikawa just kept pulling me along behind him. When I got too tired to fucking run, he flung me over his shoulder like someeee sooorrrrrt of big shoooooot. The idiot."

Hajime smiled under his breath at Keiji's chirp. He knew the two nestmates were close, and their bickering was their own way of showing it. Hearing the story, imagining Oikawa protecting Keiji, acting out against the Alphas who had harmed them, it made Hajime's heart flutter with heavy emotion. He loved his Omega's courage, his resolve to fight- it made him unique.

"I mean...we were pretty much naked running through the University!" Keiji cried out, throwing his delicate arms into the air. "When we finally lost them, which I pretty much chalk up to luck, by the way. They were too fucked out of their minds on drugs to keep up. Anyhow, Oikawa parked us in this deserted alley somewhere off campus. Neither of us had our phones, so we couldn't call the Omega Distress Hotline or anyone to help. Instead, we just nestled together on the pavement underneath that stupid blanket. I don't think either of us slept a wink, either. I know Oikawa didn't because I remember feeling him fidgeting around, scratching himself. A few hours later, just before it was light out, we walked all the way to the shelter...sharing the blanket as cover. I remember thinking, I need to take this boy to Sugawara, he'll know what to do . Suga will take care of him. "

"You knew Suga at the time?" Hajime asked, suddenly aware that he knew very little or the flock's past. He internally chastised himself for not asking about it sooner.

"Yeah, he and I met at the shelter. We both bussed to school together, but we didn't know the rest of the kiddies, yet. Hence us still living off campus," Keiji explained, flashing him a sweet smile. "Okay, wait, so there's a weird coincidence I have to tell you about," he hurried to add, adjusted himself under Hajime's chiseled arm. "So, I guess that day, when I brought Oikawa to see Suga? Professor Miyo was visiting. She was dropping in on shelters, trying to gather together Omega students to, you know, push them into flocks so they could live on campus, ya know?"

"That's fucking smart," Hajime whispered, more to himself than to Keiji.

"Oh you don't don't know the half of it. To be a professor at an Alpha University, as an Omega, she would've had to work her fucking ass off. And also be one cunning mother fucker," Keiji stated matter-of-factly, tapping his nose with his forefinger. "So, that's how we met the rest of the group, through her. The moment I walked in the doors of the shelter with Oikawa, she took one look at our bloodied up bodies and went berserk . I meanreally... yelling about, barking orders to the shelter attendants, wrapping us up in blankets..."

Hajime imagined the beautiful Omega doing just that. She was strong willed, so much so that he couldn't imagine going toe-to-toe with her, physically or verbally. She was frightening, in a ominous,paralyze you with her scent, sort of way. He shivered, whomever she was mated with definitely had a set of steel balls. Platinum ones, even.

"She signed all this paperwork to bring Oikawa into the shelter. Then sat with Suga and I for a week while he went through this terrible withdrawal. And I mean terrible , have you ever seen someone go through drug withdrawal? It's a nightmare, but Miyo didn't leave. Not once. She stayed by our sides and even signed off for me and Suga to skip class," Keiji paused, smiling faintly at the vivid memory for a moment. "So, the three of us nested with Oikawa every night, trying to ease his pain and get him through it. By the end of it all, we had just...sort of...formed a bond," he finished, trailing off with a deep sigh that relaxed his small shoulders back to their proper posture.

Hajime could tell that he was relieved to be finished with his recount of the event- reliving past trauma was not something people enjoyed, no matter their gender or secondary sex. Yet, from Hajime's perspective, Omegas seemed to be far better equipped at handling emotional pressures than their Alpha counterparts. They had, at least, from what he had witnessed, an uncanny ability to pull themselves together after tragic experiences- experiences that Alphas had instigated against them.

As he sat recounting Keiji's story, particularly the parts about Oikawa, he suddenly realized that his gnawing primal instincts had quieted to a dull murmur. He glanced over to the icy Omega next to him, still absentmindedly scratching his back, and the pair maintained their comfortable silence for a few minutes.

"My point is…" Keiji said at last, rolling his head back to gaze up at the grey sky. "If Oikawa wasn't there, if he wasn't as strong or as noble...I don't think I would still be alive, and I certainly wouldn't be sitting here with you, today. Believe me, Hajime, he's going to be fine. He's a fighter, a fucking stubborn boy. He would never fold so easily," he finished in a resolute tone, believing every bit of his own declaration.

He's a fighter. Stubborn. He would not fold so easily. The honest words comforted the deepest recesses of Hajime's soul. He inhaled a fresh breath of air then exhaled slowly, suddenly feeling exhausted. Gingerly pulling back his half-embrace from Keiji's slim shoulders, he lowered his back against the damp porch and closed his eyes.

"You're going to nap out here?" He heard Keiji ask in a condescending, yet humorous tone.

He nodded, still unable bring himself to sleep in his own room, not with Oikawa's natural fragrance lingering on his sheets. Plus...he wanted to remain vigilant, ensure that no new Alphas attacked while the pack was weak. He definitely needed to have a chat with Daichi, after everything that had happened, they needed to beef up security.

"Well, I guess I can't complain. At least you'll be resting," Keiji drawled, his soft footsteps moving away from Hajime, towards the back door.

"Hey...Keiji…?"

"Mmm?"

"I'm...honored that you told me all that stuff. I know it's not easy, but thanks, it really helped…" He replied in almost a whisper, his body was wracked with an overtired, rocking motion, lulling him to sleep.

"No problem. Talking about it helped me out, too."

Hajime barely heard the response, he was already drifting off into a light, yet restful slumber.

Chapter Twenty Five: Silver and Blue

Bokuto~

Bokuto sat back in the red chair, observing the fragrances that Keiji was exuding from the backyard. Some, like his calm metallic scent, were glorious to inhale, while others, such as his anxious frustration, left Bokuto in fleeting states of sheer panic. When at last the icy Omega's scent moved towards the house, mild and exhausted, he snapped forward on the chair cushions to glance at the back door. He needed to talk him, he had no choice, not after everything that had happened.

He watched as Keiji shuffled across the oak floorboards and plopped himself down on the blue couch, resting his head back against the a green blanket draped over the back. The cut underneath his eye came into Bokuto's line of sight, illuminated by the grey light of the front windows. The abrasion was irritated and the pale skin surrounding it had turned into a deep purple, much worse than when he had last seen it at the hospital. He physically cringed away, immensely unhappy that the boy had been injured on his watch. What kind of Alpha was he if he couldn't even manage to protect a single Omega...

"So…" Keiji said quietly, resting his head back to look up at the white ceiling.

"How's your eye?" Bokuto interjected in question, furiously grinding his teeth together to qualm his self-hatred.

"It's fine. It'll heal. It's not your fault, so get over it already," the icy boy stated plainly. His cobalt eyes had fluttered closed, but Bokuto could tell by scent that he was alert.

"It's my fau-"

"Shut up. It's not your fault," Keiji snapped, rolling his head towards him, eyeing him down with cold, tired eyes. "If you keep bringing it up, I'm going to lose my fucking mind. Drop it."

Bokuto visibly winced away from the sudden rush of Keiji's aggravated scent. While his broken nose certainly lessened the intensity, it was not nearly enough to block it out entirely. He forced himself to relax and release his internal frustration, as per the Omega's sharp orders. However, he was not about to forget it...he was going to use it as fuel to protect the icy boy at all times from then onward.

"I'm sorry…" Keiji resigned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I'm just really tired. I'm not purposely laying into you."

Bokuto shifted in the red chair, catching the pale Omega's gaze and smirked- doing his best to indicate that there was no harm done.

"No, you're right. I need to let it go…" He stated with a shrug before rising to his feet to move over to the blue couch. "But, I kinda wanted to talk to you about something…I think it's...important?" He continued, pleased with his decision to switch spots.

Much better, he red chair was so uncomfortable. So that's why nobody every sits in it…

"I bet I can guess what you want to say," Keiji drawled, smirking up at ceiling in such a candid manner that Bokuto's heart fluttered to life.

He leaned in and flicked the icy Omega on the temple, happy that the laceration was no longer visible from his new position. "Shut up. Let me say it. You Omegas and your stupid mind reading," he growled playfully, pleased with the cheerful tone of their chat. The last twenty four hours had been a nightmare of pensive, melancholy conversations.

"Fine, fineeeeee," Keiji droned, lifting his head to scratch into his black hair from behind.

"Well...uh…" He began, sheepishly looking down at his hands in his lap. "After everything that happened yesterday...no...even before that. Well...what I mean to say is...what I want to say...I was wondering if you would let me court you!" He stuttered out, ending his train of thought with an explosion of anxiety- feeling as if he had run an emotional marathon

Keiji burst out laughing, keeling over into his own lap in a quivering mess of hiccups. He couldn't stop himself from pouting at the Omega's response...so cruel.

"Sorry, sorry!" The icy boy cried, wiping a tear of laughter from under his damaged eye. But court me? Who says that? How old are ye?"

"Fuck you, okay. I just poured my heart out to you and-"

"Oh hardly! All you said was that you wanted to court-" Keiji faltered, devolving into another fit of snickers.

" Date you, then. Jesus christ. Would you stop laughing?!" Bokuto growled, pushing the slender boy over into the couch pillows.

When the laughter continued in full, he abruptly shifted his weight, pinning the coy Omega beneath him. The humorous attitude slowly diffused and Keiji gazed up at him with gunmetal blue eyes. Bokuto lightly inhaled the concentrated air around them, sending butterflies through his stomach at the subtle hints of metallic arousal twirling around him. His knot stiffened against his light jeans and a deep, throat growl escaped his lips.

Keiji was acting overly liberal with his scent...not even caring to reign it in. Was it because he was too exhausted to manage it? Or was it because he wanted it to be smelled…

He reached down to gingerly sweep a black hair from the boy's boy's slender face, doing his best to ignore the damaged cheek.

"I don't mind," Keiji whispered up at him, blasting him with another overture of arousal.

Their faces were closing the distance between them, it was taking everything he had to keep his Alpha instincts at bay- locked away in the back of his mind.

"Don't mind what?" He growled, unwittingly allowing his scent to sexually charge the air.

Keiji's metallic fragrance replied, unhinging itself and bursting forth in an unapologetic slew of desire. Bokuto was nearly knocked back off of the couch by its intensity. Suddenly, smelling the icy Omega was no longer enough for him- no matter how deeply he inhaled, he still wanted more. Much more.

"Dating you. I wouldn't mind it…" Keiji whispered in reply as he raked his eyes down the lines of Bokuto's angular face.

When his icy gaze landed on his lips, Bokuto could no longer hold himself back- he was too exhausted to even try. He leaned down against the Omega's narrow chest and trailed their lips together, then kissed him fiercely. Keiji momentarily hesitated against him, then returned the gesture in full, grasping into the silver hair behind his head with fervor.

Bokuto pushed his tongue deeper, playfully licking inside the Keiji's wet mouth. He actively ignored the sharp pain in his nose as it pushed against the Keiji's face. He wanted to be closer. He needed to be closer. Needed to consume the cold, metallic scent...or he was going to die.

"Oh shit," he abruptly growled after a few minutes , jerking away from the slender boy- panting underneath his muscular chest with foggy, aroused eyes.

"What…" the dark Omega whispered, wiping the glistening spit from his pink lips with the back of his hand.

"I…" Bokuto started and sat back on the Keiji's small hips, careful not to put his full weight down. He needed to get some distance between them or he was going to lose himself completely. "I...uh…we can't continue. Yeah...we can't continue."

"Why not?" Keiji asked with a subtle smirk, sensually biting his swollen lip.

Bokuto ignored another hot pulse from his cock at the sexual gesture. He wanted to show the Omega what real biting looked like...he wanted to lay his claim, mark Keiji with his own scent and embed it into his soft skin with his teeth.

"I'm too tired to keep myself under control," he snarled, closing his eyes and massaging his temples to shut out his racing thoughts.

His instinctual mind was devolving, leaving behind nothing but basic, primal thoughts. Claim him. Mine. My Omega. He shuddered, then frantically shook his head to blow away the provoking messages. Visualize...dinosaurs...yeah...that'll do the trick! Dinosaurs roaming around in a field. Eating grass...trees...branches...sticks...other...uh...dinosaurs...

"Fair enough," he heard Keiji reply in his usual, matter-of-fact tone. "We're both too injured to fuck right now, anyways."

In an instant, Bokuto's yellow eyes were open and his arousal flooded back at full force, pooling in his aching nether region. What the fuck did he just say?

"Yes, Bokuto. I want to sleep with you," the icy boy droned out with a classic eye roll, as if reading his internal thoughts.

"Okay, what is up with you guys doing that?!" The owl exclaimed, he was growing tired of the Omegas around here just plucking the thoughts from his brain like they were taking candy from a baby.

"What? What's up with what…?"

"Knowing what I'm thinking...you guys do it all the time. It's driving me insane . You guys can't read minds, right? I feel like they would've taught usthat in school, at the very least."

Keiji laughed and lazily propped up his head with his arms. "No, but I guess we do something similar. I don't know, we just get really good at putting an emotional scent to a specific thought based on...the context of the situation? It's not like we can actually read your mind or anything."

Bokuto huffed out a sigh of relief. He didn't want anyone hearing the shit he was thinking.. .especially right now. Having Keiji's small hips pinned beneath him, freely inhaling his subtle hints of innate desire had left him imaging some pretty nasty things.

"I want to go back to what you said before," he growled huskily, leaning down onto the small figure beneath him once more. Placing his bruised forearms over Keiji's head, he stalled their lips mere inches away from each other.

"About us fucking?" The icy Omega whispered, his hot breath enticingly sweet- metallic and lustful.

"Yeah…" Bokuto replied with a throaty rumble, brushing the boy's soft lips against is own.

This time, he knew to slow things down- needing to retain his self-control. When Keiji moved forward to return a full kiss, he pulled back, just out of reach, and gently held the boy back with a hand around his neck.

"I don't want to fuck yet...not today..." He whispered, sliding his tongue over the edge of the Omega's ear, receiving a quiet whimper in response.

"Then stop doing..." Keiji panted out, trailing off as Bokuto sucked in the soft, fragile skin along his scent glands.

It took everything Bokuto had, every ounce of internal strength he maintained, to not bite down on the fragrant spot. Keiji's aroused scent had become so pronounced that it was consuming him, blurring his thoughts together in a frosted mess of desire.

"I want to scent you…" He growled, nipping along Keiji's collarbones. "I don't want you to smell like anyone else. No one else. Only me ."

Keiji groaned and pushed his hips upwards, rocking them against Bokuto's aching cock. "There is...an...empty room upstairs...on the third floor…" He slurred out, his blue eyes still vividly bright, yet unfocused from lust.

It was all Bokuto needed to hear. He pushed himself up with flexed biceps and gently pulled the icy boy up against his chest. The next instant, he was walking briskly towards the stairwell, unleashing wave after wave of sexual hunger into the air around them.

Keiji's light body felt fragile in his arms- the his self-assured personality had always made him seem strong and capable, and he certainly was, but Bokuto couldn't believe that someone so small had been able to throw off an Alpha. That someone so small was willing to throw themselves at an Alpha...because he wanted to help him.

"It's that one…" Keiji said in a hushed tone as they rounded the third flight of steps, gesturing to an open door with his head.

Bokuto turned sideways, sliding their figures into the dark room, and gingerly shut the door behind him with his foot. He didn't want to wake up the other Omegas, nesting across the hallway, they needed to regain their strength.

As he glanced around the small space, he softly plopped Keiji down on the floor in front of him. It was small, but comfortable. Plain white walls, slightly marked up from the previous inhabitants, and a queen sized bed with white sheets and comforters. He gave a slight nod of approval, then yanked his dirty shirt over his head, careful not to brush his sore nose. Placing the crumpled fabric on the black dress near the door, he turned on his heels and flinched back- startled by Keiji's stunned figure, staring into his soul with cobalt eyes.

"Oh...sorry...I just sort of assumed…" He said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. Had he made the situation uncomfortable? Had he fucked up already?

"You're so bruised..." Keiji whispered, putting his spiraling thoughts to rest. He took a small step forward and reached out with delicate fingers to touch his damaged shoulder.

"I fell on it when that fucker bowled into me," Bokuto snarled out with contempt, then physically melted into Keiji's intoxicating touch.

He didn't want to think about the intruding Alphas. Not right now. Not while the Omega he had been dreaming about for days was caressing his skin with gentle, slender fingers...drowning him in a cold sea of ice.

Keiji ran a hand up his bruised shoulder, then down his bicep, sending shivers of anticipation down to his toes. More. More . He subconsciously reached forward to the Omega's grass stained shirt and gingerly pulled it up. The room was lacking in natural light, but there was just enough for him to admire the boy's slender figure in the shadows. He felt his breath increase, flooding his body with instinctual adrenaline- he wanted to touch the Keiji's pale skin, feel it rub up against his own, wind him up so every inch of his body was sticky with pheromones and sweat.

When the icy boy reached down for the buttons of his jeans, he stiffened, stressed that they were taking things too fast.

"Your fingers are in splints…" Keiji answered his internal thoughts, unbuttoning them with ease to pull down the zipper.

Bokuto shimmied out of his constricting pants, leaving his black briefs, then watched with renewed arousal as the icy Omega did the same. His slim body shivered, reacting to the cool air of the room, and he quickly turned to crawl into the white bed.

"Are you coming?" He heard the sly Omega mumble out from the puffed up comforter.

He most certainly was . He casually slid between the sheets, joining Keiji in the dark confines they provided. Underneath the bedding, the sensual, metallic fragrance became trapped, plummeting his mind into a jumbled mess of sexualized thoughts. He moved to shuffle closer, stopping as an uncomfortable object jutted into his back.

"Oh!" Keiji whispered loudly, snatching his phone out from underneath. The darkness under the covers lit up as he tapped the the device.

He's looking for an update , Bokuto surmised with a sudden pang of grief, Oikawa .

After a few moments, Keiji sighed and clicked off the device, shoving it under his pillow with a huff. "I'm waiting to hear from Suga about Oikawa. It's on full sound, so if I get a call, or a text...or anything, it'll wake me up."

When the his upset scent began to sour the air, Bokuto pulled his small body against his own, cradling him against his broad chest.

"He's going to be okay. He's stronger than anyone I know…" Keiji whispered to reassure himself, relaxing into his solid form.

"Yeah. He's tougher than any Alpha I've ever met," Bokuto added truthfully, leaning forwards to smell the Omega's black hair.

"Mmm…"

Without another thought, he began to happily scent the icy boy. He didn't have the energy to lessen the weight of his throbbing cock and instead, sent out a silent prayer that Keiji didn't mind the feeling of it against the small of his back.

"This is nice…" Keiji whispered, gently rubbing his head against Bokuto's scent glands.

It was nice. It was very nice. It was unlike anything Bokuto had ever experienced. Daichi was right, Omegas were a drug. Well, Keiji was…his scent was absolutely intoxicating. In fact, he was somewhat thankful for his clogged sinuses, they were helping to keep his instincts under wraps.

Adjusting his arms underneath Keiji's ribs, he slid his hands down towards the boy's narrow hips, happy to explore his body by touch. He caressed an undamaged hand down a hairless leg and back across Keiji's bare chest, accidentally brushing up against the his briefs as he did so. The icy Omega let out a soft whimper, then nestled his back into Bokuto's chest, rolling his hips in a sensual motion as he did so.

Bokuto wanted to fuck him. Needed to. Had to.

"I'm sorry…" He growled into Keiji's hair, clamping his eyes shut. He needed to calm himself down. He was going to fuck the boy, he was going to, but not right now. Not until the stress of Oikawa's absence was mitigated and his nose was healed.

He steadied his mind, then wrapped his arms protectively around the Omega and inhaled his hair once more- pleased to find that his own scent was beginning to set into the dark locks. After a few minutes of sheer bliss, he felt Keiji relax in his arms and his breathing slowed, indicating that he had fallen into a well-deserved sleep. It was not long before he succumbed to his own exhaustion, dreaming of ice.

Chapter Twenty Five: Virgin

Oikawa~

When Oikawa's conscious fluttered awake, his entire being was consumed by an intense pain, radiating down from his brain. He felt like someone had clubbed with a baseball bat... or a mallet. After a few minutes of psyching himself up, he pushed through the jarring ache and opened his eyes. The brightness of the room shot into his skull, renewing the shrieking pain he had worked so hard to combat.

"Mr. Oikawa! I'm glad to see you awake!" A cheerful voice called out from a few feet away, the new scent alerting him that its owner was an Omega.

"The lights…" He croaked out, his voice raspy from disuse. He pricked up his ears at the ringing sound of a continuous beep- he was in a hospital...things must have gone pretty south if he had landed himself here.

"Oh! Let me get the blinds. Just a moment."

He heard the woman shuffling about on his left, fighting against what he could only assume were curtains. He hated that he couldn't see his surrounding. The blindness made him anxious and uncomfortable, more so than his throbbing head.

"Okay, all done. It should be better now."

He nodded slightly at her words, then cautiously open his eyes, pleased to find that the pain in his head retained its manageable level of discomfort. He blinked through his blurry vision and slowly glanced around the unknown room. It was devoid of light, aside from a a small, green lamp sitting atop a counter with a sink. However, it's mellow lighting was plenty enough to brighten his foreign surroundings.

Definitely in a hospital, he reaffirmed his previous assumption, but the room was much nicer than most he had seen- and he had ample experience with hospitals. Most Omegas did.

The walls of the room were painted in chocolate brown hues and a large television was mounted against the plaster ahead of him. He gaze flickered over hung paintings of flowers, decorating the warm room with their calming images.

They reminded him of Suga...

Suddenly, a series of thoughts burst forward, vibrating his tense muscles with unchecked panic. What had happened? Why was he in the hospital? Where was his flock? Was everyone okay? Was he the only one who had gotten hurt?

"Oikawa, please try to relax," the Omega nurse began, gingerly holding his shoulder to reassure him with her tranquil scent. "Do you know where you are?"

"Hospital," Oikawa croaked again through cracked lips. His throat was so dry...when was the last time he had water?

"Do you remember what happened?"

What had happened? He was in the backyard and then...Kabuto. His memory rushed back in a whirlwind of terror and his body flooded with . Hajime had heard everything.

"I need...a bucket," he groaned, bile coating his throat, mere seconds from spewing out. He leaned forward, hoisting himself over the side of the bed, and the nurse swiftly placed a silver trash can beneath him. Milliseconds later, he was violently retching into it, dry heaving the empty contents of his stomach.

"What's...happening…" He managed to ask in between retches, panting with clammy sweat.

"Your body is just acclimating. Be patient. It will stop soon," the nurse cooed, rubbing his sweaty back in small circles to comfort him.

After what seemed like an eternity, the heaving stopped and he sat back, leaning into the pillows of the upright bed. He was exhausted.

"I paged the doctor. She'll be here in a few minutes," the nurse asserted, handing him a paper cup of water. "Small sips, otherwise you'll just throw it up again."

Oikawa complied, sipping slowly, doing his absolute best to ignore his throbbing head. His dry vomiting had renewed the stabbing pain in his brain.

After a few minutes, the door across from him opened and a woman waltzed into the room. She was beautiful- freckled face with curly maroon hair.

"Mr. Oikawa!" She sang sweetly, swiftly crossing the room to stand by his bed. "I'm so glad to see you back in the world of the living! I'm sure you have lots of questions, but I need to do a few quick tests first, okay? Just bear with me for a moment."

Oikawa nodded and moved to sit on the edge of the bed. He struggled to follow the pen in her hand as she methodically dragged it from side to side in front of his eyes. He struggled even more when she checked his pupils with her pen light. The flashing light nearly had him vomited all over again.

"Well, my dear, you definitely have a concussion," the doctor said with unbent sympathy, dropping the flashlight in a pocket of her white coat. "There is good news, though. I'm almost certain that it will clear up in the next twenty four hours, perhaps thirty. You certainly heal fast, even for an Omega!" She declared, giving him a toothy smile. Oikawa liked how cheerful she was, it was doing well to brighten up his sour mood. "I'm going to talk with your professor quickly, then we'll have a chat, alright?"

He nodded in understanding, happy to hear that he wasn't alone. At least his professor was nearby.

"Lydia, why don't you go and get Oikawa's friend?" He heard the doctor call to the nurse as she left the room.

Friend...he hoped it was Suga, or Keiji, or any of his nest really. As long as it wasn't Hajime, he couldn't bear to see the Alpha right now. Not after everything that happened. He sat back into the soft bedding and pulled a small pillow into his lap, hugging it against his chest. He didn't want to think about his Alpha...Kabuto and Jime had spoken so many hard truths- they had said things that Oikawa never wanted Hajime to know. Not ever.

"O-Oikawa?" A soft voice tore him from his dark thoughts with its motherly tone. Suga .

He glanced over to the doorway and saw his silver friend, smiling sweetly back. His body began to shake and hot tears blurred his vision- he wasso thankful for a familiar smell, for a familiar face that he trusted.

"Suga…" He managed back between soft sobs. "I'm so glad...you're...here."

The silver Omega quickly closed the gap between them and gingerly climbed onto the bed. He nestled himself into the white covers, cradling Oikawa in his slender arms.

"Oh, Oikawa...I'm so happy you're awake, my love," he sang sweetly, blanketing them with a scent of happy tranquility.

"Is everyone okay?" Oikawa whispered into the boy's chest, banishing a fleeting image of Hajime from his fragile mind.

"Everyone is fine. Miyo sent them all home this morning. Hajime, too."

Oikawa let out a sigh of relief, glad to hear that his Alpha was nowhere near. He didn't have the mental fortitude to face the boy, not yet. He needed time to form a game plan.

"What happened...to me?" He asked with a sniff, nestling deeper into the covers.

"I don't think…"

"Please tell me," he sobbed into the silver Omega's grey shirt, darkening it with his tears. "I need to know. Please tell me. You know I need to know."

He knew that he was overwhelmed by his lacking information. Uncertainties had always frightened him, suffocating him with unwitting dread.

"Kabuto…" Suga whispered, stroking his chestnut hair with his nails. "He hit your face into the faucet for the garden hose…"

Smashed his face...that fucker.

"Is it bad…?" Oikawa asked, somewhat hesitant to find out the answer. He wouldn't consider himself vain, but he did value his appearance.

Suga paused, sheepishly playing with the ends of hair. "Yeah...it's pretty bad. I'm...I'm sorry…"

Oikawa was grateful that his nestmate had the decency to be honest with him.. .as expected from Suga. The silver Omega understood him better than most- knew that he was strong enough to handle the truth, no matter of vile it was.

He shuffled out of his friend's warm embrace and rested his aching back against the headboard behind him.

"Let me see. Let me see how bad it is," he stated plainly, his tone unwavering with resolve.

He needed to know how bad it was. He needed to see what Kabuto had done.

"Are you sure?" Suga whispered quietly in question, fumbling with his phone in his hands.

"Yes. I need to see."

Suga sighed, his mouth set in a hard line as he unlocked his phone and handed it over. Oikawa took a deep breath to steady himself and wiped away his stray tears. He was not prepared for the unflattering photos of his damaged face, but he did well to shrug it off. He hated being upset, it wasn't worth his time.

He furrowed his brows, analyzing the images as he furiously swiped through them. A long and nasty laceration ran down the left side of his face- starting at his hairline then curving down under his bloodshot eye. Its entire length was plastered with stitches and the skin around it maintained a deep purple hue of bruising. He looked at the photos for a few more minutes, testing out different angles, doing well to desensitize himself to the injury. When he realized that the angry wound was not going to cleanly heal, he clicked off the phone and dropped it into his lap- it was going to scar.

"Well, at least the fucker missed my eye," he said at last, his raspy voice returning.

"Lucky, lucky…" His silver friend whispered in empathetic agreement, granting him a small smile of support.

Oikawa bumped the silver boy with his shoulder, trying to change the pensive mood of the room. "Hey, aren't you the one who's supposed to be cheering me up? Isn't that how this works~~"

Suga quietly chucked and playfully poked him back in the arm. "I don't know how you do it, Oikawa. You always keep calm and joke around. It blows my mind."

Oikawa blushed at the honest compliment. He was upset about his damaged face and the scar it was going to leave behind, but he was happy to be alive. Happy that he would live to see another day.

"Hey!" He tried to chirp, but the word came out as a harsh croak. "Let's send everyone a picture of us! You know, show them that I'm alllll good~~"

Suga blinked slowly, gazing at him with large chocolate eyes, then burst forward, embracing him while crying with laughter.

"Suga, stop!" Oikawa whined, pawing at the boy's overbearing love. "You're going to have a puffy face for the photo if you keep crying~"

"I don't c-care!" Suga blubbered into his shoulder, dampening his hospital gown with tears. "Y-you're m-my h-hero…"

Oikawa tsked him and opened the camera on the device in his hands.

"Suga get up, come one! I'm taking the photo~~"

The silver Omega wiped his eyes and leaned into the frame, against his shoulder. Oikawa held the phone in front of their figures and flashed his best toothy grin- as much as he could do without hurting his swollen cheek. He took a few quick photos, then decided to add a cheesy peace sign for extra effect. He needed to cheer his worried housemates up, after all.

"Oh my God!" He cried after a few moments of swiping through the photos. "Suga you're barely smiling in any of them~~"

The silver Omega snatched the phone from his hand and quickly swiped through the images, chuckling at the cheesiest ones.

"Yeah, but you look so great! I'm sending this one. Everyone is going to love it!"

Oikawa leaned over and watched Suga link the peace sign photo to Keiji, typing out a quick message to update the flock.

"Hey, when do you think I'll be able to get out of this stuffy place?" Oikawa asked with a yawn, as Suga sent the text out to their snarky friend.

"I don't know…" His silver friend replied and Oikawa furrowed his brows, suddenly realizing just how exhausted the boy looked.

"Suga, have you slept? Like at all?"

"Not really…" The silver boy replied, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head with his hand.

"Jesus christ...wait," Oikawa paused, suddenly unsure of the date. "How long have I been out for?"

Suga glanced down at his watch and hummed. "Almost...a day. So not bad, right?"

"A day?!"

That was a new record for him.

"Don't mind, don't mind," his silver friend remarked, waving a hand in resignation. "I'm sure you'll be discharged soon. We'll know once the doctor gets back, right?"

Oikawa certainly hoped so, he had a lot of shit to sort out.

Keiji~

Keiji was up in an instant, fumbling the buzzing phone with shaky hands. He sighed to steady himself, then tapped on Suga's message- praying silently to the universe for good news. Suddenly, a picture of Suga and Oikawa popped onto the bright screen. His chestnut friend was flashing the camera a cheeky peace sign. The laceration running up from his bloodshot eye looked horrendous, but Keiji didn't care. Oikawa was smiling. His shoulders began to quiver in sobs and he held to phone to his heart. Oikawa was smiling. He was okay. After a few moments of emotional relief, he glanced down at the photo once more and the device buzzed in his hands. Another text message.

Keiji! He's awake! Send this photo around :D I'll pass on some doctor updates soon. Love you xoxxx

A sobbing laugh escaped his lips and he smiled down at the message, overwhelmingly relieved. There was no doubt in his mind that Oikawa was the king of handling tough shit. The entire house had been sick with worry and the stupid Omega beat them to the punch. He had cheered them up. It was supposed to be the opposite. What a selfless idiot...

Keiji clicked onto the text box and began furiously typing, still beaming with relief.

Tell the idiot that he scared me half to death. And that he looks stupid in that picture.

Also tell him that I love him...xoxo Sugar Momma, glad you're by his side. I'll pass the news around.

He couldn't help himself from chirping his chestnut nestmate, it was just their way. He thumbed over the picture once more, renewing his happy tears- he loved it. Saving the image to his phone, he subsequently linked it to a mass message.

Cheesy photo from our dumb friend. He's doing well...so everyone better go back to sleep after reading this. I'll send more news when I get it. They're just waiting to talk to the doctor.

P.S GO BACK TO SLEEP.

He did a quick proof read, hit send, and pulled up the photo once more, attaching it to a private text for Hajime.

Hajime, he's up. Can you believe the guy? Look at this photo. I told you so, He's already cheering us up...Shittykawa,

Suga says everything is good. They're just waiting to hear back from the doctor. I'll update ya as soon as I hear something...so go back to sleep or I'll march in there and wail on ya. Ya hear me?

Satisfied with his relaying of the important information, he shoved his device under his pillow after ensuring that the sound was still on full.

"Keiji…" Bokuto stirred under the covers next to him, rubbing his yellow eyes. "What's wrong," he suddenly barked out, unnerved by Keiji's tears.

"Check your phone," Keiji replied with a sweet smile, rubbing his wet eyes with the back of his hand.

"Oh my GOD!" Bokuto exclaimed, bursting into a fit of laughter as he looked down at the photo. "I can't believe him! Who does that? Gets his face smashed in and acts like its nothing. So cool~~"

"He is cool…" Keiji sniffed and wiped his eyes again, this time opting for the white bed sheet.

"Awww, K-bear…" Bokuto chirped, pulling him into his lap. "You smell so happy!"

"I am. And don't call me K-bear. What is that even supposed to mean?" He snapped back, but found himself unable to banish his cheerful smile.

"It's a cute nickname! Normally you're so huffy like, stop following me to school, Bokuto. Stop walking me home, Bokuto. Stop harassing me, Bokuto!" The owl quipped back with a cheeky grin that fluttered his beating heart.

"You just made yourself sound like a stalker," he drawled back in a saucy tone, shaking his head in disappointment.

"It ain't stalking if you like the company! Which, I know for a fact that you do," the Alpha remarked, bopping him playfully on the nose with an index finger.

"Maybe I did. Maybe I didn't. Who's to say?"

In one swift movement, Bokuto gripped his narrow hips and tossed him down against the bed, ripping out the bed sheets as he did so. Then, the owl pushed down against his back, pinning him into the mattress with gentle weight. What a horny devil , he thought with a sly smirk as Bokuto's knot hardened against the small of his back.

"Liar," the Alpha snarled in his ear, the commanding, primal tone prompting him to leak an instinctual fragrance of arousal. "Such a liar."

Bokuto trailed his tongue down Keiji's exposed neck and nibbled across his shoulder blades, caressing the pale skin. The Alpha's sexual scent oozed over him, stirring an innate desire deep inside him- to arch his back and whimper in need. He had never felt anything like it before. It was an encapsulating sort of dominance that had him wanting to be knotted. Wanting to be claimed. The strong fragrance enticed his own to sexually charge the air around them, and he gasped out as he was pushed further into the mattress, the Alpha's hands digging into his slender hips with renewed fervor.

"Someone's eager," Bokuto rumbled into his ear, biting down playfully on the lobe as he hoisted his ass upwards. "This is how you present yourself. To me. Do it," he snarled, abruptly releasing Keiji from his grasp.

Keiji gasped at the sudden absence of touch and dug his nails into the mattress ahead of him. He could feel the owl's domineering energy, commanding him from behind, setting his body on fire with its charged intensity. He clamped his cobalt eyes shut, and hesitantly arched his back forward to present himself- embarrassed by the act, yet needing to be filled.

He heard a low, territorial growl of approval and a calloused hand grazed down his spine, swiftly pushing his grey briefs down to his ankles. As the cool air of the room washed over his newly exposed area, he stiffened, locking himself in place. He had never allowed anyone to touch him, at least, not with his expressed consent. A few sluggish waves of panic set in, taking their time, but growing louder inside his skull with each passing moment.

"Keiji," Bokuto growled, snapping him back to reality. He glanced over his shoulder at the foreboding Alpha, on his knees behind him. "Are you oka-"

"I'm fine, I promise," he hurried to reply, banishing the dark thoughts to oblivion. He liked Bokuto. He wanted this. Needed this.

The owl nodded in understanding, then flashed a sly smirk and slowly slid a large finger between his raised cheeks.

"Such a slut..." He growled in playful threat as Keiji whimpered out in lustful desire at his touch. Trailing his tongue along his icy scent glands, Bokuto nipped at the soft skin drawing forth spotted bruises from the suction. "Such a slutty Omega…"

Keiji shuddered at the degrading comment. He certainly felt like a slut, wanting nothing more than Bokuto's hard cock inside the walls of his aching sex. Although it was a common insult that Alphas hurled forth at Omegas, hearing the words rumble out from Bokuto's throat made him feel...different . He knew the owl respected him, so here, in this setting, he didn't mind the degrading language. In fact... he didn't mind the idea of being owned at all- a conclusion that greatly startled him. He, like Suga and Oikawa, detested the idea of subservient to an Alpha mate. He thought that he always would detest it.

"Only for you…" He whispered into Bokuto's exposed ear, shivering slightly as the truthful words rolled off his tongue. They were honest. He liked Bokuto, trusted him, even. The owl had his best interests at heart, he was certain of it.

Bokuto abruptly stiffened and snapped his head up, boring into his soul with yellow eyes. Keiji had hoped that his words would make the owl stop his sensual torment- his body was aching with an intense passion, so much so that his inner thighs were wet with his own anticipation. He neededto be knotted soon, or he was going to lose his mind.

Bokuto flashed him a playful smirk, indicating that he had no intention of stopping. A frustrated whine escaped Keiji's lips and he arched further into the air, attempting to entice his Alpha into action, but the owl ignored his amorous display, trailing an undamaged finger down the divots of his spine. Then, Bokuto gingerly swept across his sex, golden eyes glowing in the dim light, commanding his gaze in return. Keiji whimpered again and pleaded to him with foggy, cobalt eyes.

"Please…please…"

Bokuto raised a cheeky eyebrow at his desperation and prodded into his sex at an agonizingly slow pace, leaving his muscles screaming in sexual frustration. Every inch of his body was humming to life with hot energy, pooling liquid honey inside his gut.

"Tell me how much you want it," Bokuto challenged with a guttural growl, eyes darkening with feral lust. "Tell. Me."

"I-I need it…" Keiji panted, stuttering as the Alpha gently stroked along the outside of his quivering sex once more. "Please!" He whined again, pushing into the soft bed to raise his ass higher. "Alpha…please...I...need...it…please..."

Responding to his frantic cries, Bokuto pushed a finger into his aching hole, sending explosions of pleasure throughout his vibrating limbs. He slid back against the large hand, rocking his hips in furious desperation. Anything to fill himself more.

After a few brief moments of relief, the owl pulled away, leaving him panting into the white sheets, empty and frustrated. He snapped his head over his shoulder and once again beseeched the Alpha with his eyes, whining out of instinct- whining for his Alpha's knot. He was in the palm of Bokuto's hand, and it was driving him to lustful insanity.

"What do you want…Omega?" The owl teased in a husky tone, grazing his lips along the soft skin of his neck. "You need to be more clear, Keiji. You need to tell me what you want."

He internally cursed himself for choosing such a cheeky, playful Alpha. The stupid question left him flushed with embarrassment- he was still verynew to the whole ..intimacy thing. While his natural instincts had done well to answer some of his questions, his logical mind still had no idea what he was supposed to do.

"I…" He began, pushing his face into the covers to hide his crimson flush. "Please fill it...my hole. Please...I need it," he mumbled, rocking his raised ass in a sensual motion.

"You're so cute when you're shy," Bokuto whispered with a possessive growl, kissing his half-hidden cheek, buried among the cotton sheets.

The Alpha slid his muscular body down his back and he glanced over his shoulder, watching as he sniffed the air with his damaged nose. Then, Bokuto raked his darkening gaze over him, slowly pushing a finger inside his wet sex. A lustful groan escaped Keiji's lips and beads of sweat crept over his pale skin as he arched forward. The owl smirked at his struggles and added a second digit, leaving him to naturally rock back against the large fingers.

Add more. Please. Knot me. Please . Please. Alpha. Please . His Omega instincts bled forward into his waking mind, coating his thoughts in a primal sludge that desired nothing other than to be knotted. He could feel his juices gliding down his slick thighs, pooling into the covers below and his lips quivered into the white bedding as he ground back against Bokuto's playful fingers, as if his life depended on it.

Bokuto~

Bokuto had enjoyed watching Keiji squirm in unchecked pleasure, but when the icy Omega arched back, rocking against his fingers in moaning desperation, it was almost too much for him to take. His knot was rearing to mount the whining boy, but he willed himself to keep it together. Just a little longer. Just a little bit longer. He pulled his fingers back, pushed himself off the bed, and shoved down his black briefs, exposing his hard cock to the cool air of the room. As he moved back to the mattress, his dark eyes locked onto Keiji's presented sex- soaked with slick juices, dripping down his milky thighs into a wet puddle at his quivering knees. If he had been able to fully inhale the aroused, metallic scent, he would have gone feral the mere instant Keiji's clothes had come off. He shook his head, pushing for a few more minutes of sanity and knelt down on the behind the icy Omega.

"Do you want me to fuck you," he growled, swatting a pale cheek with his palm, then leaned over Keiji's slender back from behind. He wasn't done riling the boy up. Not yet. He was going to take advantage of his battered sinuses.

Keiji groaned and arched his shaking body into the sheets, but the action wasn't enough- Bokuto wanted verbal consent. After meeting the yellow house Omegas, he promised to never fuck one without it.

"I said..." He snarled and spanked the cheek again, this time time leaving a red mark on the pale skin. "Do you want me to fuck you."

Keiji shook his hips and clawed out in front, squeezing the white sheets between his tense fingers. "Yes!" He panted, looking over his shoulder with glassy, cobalt eyes. "P-please!"

Bokuto took a moment to contemplate, finding it immensely difficult with the constant static of primal instincts screeching through his brain. If he knotted Keiji...would they regret it? He didn't want to lose the boy. He couldn't...but things had moved along so fast. Twenty hours ago, he was begging for advice on how to approach the cobalt Omega. Now...he was about to fuck him. He cradled the small figure beneath him, fighting the growing panic setting into his bones. He couldn't lose Keiji. He wouldn't survive without his cold, metallic scent.

"Are you sure," he growled in question, knowing his uncertainties were clear to the Omega- Keiji would pick up on the abrupt change in his scent.

"Yes! I'm sure! I'm not going to regret it! PLEASE. I'm going insane! Please, ALPHA!" Keiji cried out, punching into the mattress in frustration. "P-please…"

Good. Consent. Mine. MINE.

Bokuto allowed the confines of his mind to glaze over and his eyes darkened to a rich gold as his feral instincts happily poured out with fervor. He flipped Keiji onto his back and pinned him in place, fiercely claiming the boy's wet mouth with his own. As their tongues intertwined, he caressed down Keiji's sticky skin, gripping onto his small cock. When he began to methodically stroke its length, the icy Omega melted into him, blending their fragrances together in a chaotic mess that left his head spinning.

After a few lustful minutes, Keiji moaned into his mouth, his small body twitching in near orgasm, but Bokuto released his grip, wanting them to come together. Before the Omega had chance to protest, he grazed his teeth along the boy's exposed scent glands and bit down, tasting warm blood on his tongue. Suddenly, the world around in slowed and his body was rushed with a powerful euphoria unlike anything he had ever experienced. A metallic fragrance flooded his mind, coursing through his veins with a pleasant cold that stirred his senses to life. For a few moments of eternity, he lost himself in vivid arousal, until a slender hand moved across his sweaty chest. He adjusted himself to his knees, glancing at the Omega beneath him with questioning eyes. Keiji flashed him a coy smirk, then shimmied himself back against the oak headboard and pulled his slender legs up, resting then against the wood behind him.

Bokuto's instincts roared out at the flexible figure before him - his Omega's sex was in plain view, open, ready to be claimed . He roughly grabbed Keiji's ankles and pushed them further back against the wall. He wanted more. More exposure. More view. More everything. He lined up his swollen cock and leaned forward against Keiji's extended legs, forcing his organ inside the awaiting hole.

"Oh God…" Keiji gasped out as he slid his member into the slick hole with ease. "Oh god. Push it deeper. I need it. Pleaseeee Alphaaa."

Bokuto was more than willing to comply. In a single thrust, he plunged in his full length, happy to watch Keiji's cobalt eyes widen from disoriented lust. Suddenly, his mind became enraptured by sheer tightness of his Omega's sex, its wet grasp throwing him headfirst into an even greater league pleasure.

He didn't want to thrust in and out. He didn't want to pull out. He wanted to push deeper. He didn't want his ecstasy to fade. Ever. Rotating his hips in small circles, Bokuto ground his cock against Keiji's walls to heighten his own pleasure. So tight. So tight. Deeper. Deeper. More. His sexual instincts barked out repeated commands, greedy for higher levels of euphoria as he jammed his cock into the icy Omega with frenzied madness.

When a blubbering whimper echoed into his ears from somewhere far away, he continued his reckless venture, but as the whimpering grew louder, he slowly snapped back to reality. Pulling back slightly, his foggy eyes glanced down at Keiji- his abdomen scrunched under the weight of the thrusts, his ankles bruising from the tight grip around them, his cobalt eyes dull with pain.

"Fuck. Are you. Are. You. Okay," Bokuto snarled out at once, upset to find that his conscious worry was completely lost in his feral tone. "Fuck. Fuck! I forgot. Virgin. Shit," he continued, panic setting up a knotted pit deep inside his stomach. He tried to focus, tried to stop himself from grinding his enlarged cock any further, but found himself too lost in dazed ecstasy- his instincts were too in control of his actions. He internally roared at his feral mind, consciously trying to pry back his control. He was hurting his Omega. He was hurting him...and there was nothing he could do to stop himself.

Keiji~

"Fuck. Are. You. Okay. Virgin," Keiji heard a string of words snarl out from above him.

He was delirious. Pain and pleasure had permeated every corner of his mind. Bokuto was far too big for him, but he found himself uncaring- his instinctual desire to be knotted outweighed the agony of the Alphas size.

Virgin…he called me...virgin?

He wasn't a virgin, Jime had stolen that from him. Did...Bokuto consider him one? How could he disregard everything that had happened with Jime?Suddenly, his mind pieced together the puzzle, flooding his chest with crashing waves of warm gratitude. His Alpha hated Jime for hurting him. His Alpha refused to acknowledge his assault as his first time. His Alpha considered himself as Keiji's first.

"I don't...I don't care!" Keiji cried out in exasperation, doing his best to hide the pain in his quivering voice. "Keep. Going. Keep fucking going, Alpha."

At his words, Bokuto thrust in deeper, his scent unravelling in a flurry of upset arousal. As the end of the Alpha's member jarred into his swollen sex, a slicing ache pierced through his abdomen and loud whine escaped his panting lips. The dimly lit room blurred away, but he forced his cloudy mind through the pain. His cobalt eyes flickered over the muscular figure above him, holding his ankles against the headboard as he slammed forward.

All of Keiji's focus shifted to the swollen cock pounding into him, painfully stretching his sex to accommodate its size. He didn't care. He didn't care that it hurt, he didn't care that his ankles were bruised and sore, he didn't care that his abdomen was quivering with muscle spasms. His Alpha's raw and powerful scent was consuming him with its enticing energy. In that moment, Bokuto's pleasure was all that mattered. The desire was not an instinctual need to pleasure his Alpha- it was from a place of care. He wanted Bokuto to feel good.

After long minutes of cramping discomfort, Keiji gasped once more as the huge invader began to swell. He cried out loudly he tore against the large knot, embedded inside his drenched sex.

"Please. Keiji. Relax. Please. I'm knotting. Please. Stay. Still." Bokuto snarled down at him, dripping saliva onto his pale, sweaty chest.

He could smell the Alpha's anger. He could smell his self-deprecation...hurting his Omega. The overbearing fragrance simultaneously filled his heart with warm admiration, and his gut with a twisted knot of grief.

Bokuto swiftly pulled him upwards, spun him around on the growing knot, and sat down on the edge of the mattress. He whimpered against the owl's chest as his hole strained ever wider for the unimaginable size of the cock. He gnashed his teeth, inwardly cursing himself for being so tight. The Alpha's desperate scent was increasing with each passing second, devolving into a state of sheer panic. It was all his fault.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry…" The owl growled softly against his ear, reaching down to pump his small cock with an undamaged hand.

As his touch, Keiji was plunged into throes of pleasure, dulling the pain radiating from his damaged sex. He whined out with instinctual desire and arched into Bokuto's sticky chest, nearing climax. The owl strengthened his grip and possessively bit into the tender flesh of his shoulder, sending him into sensory overload. As he enjoyed his full release, splattering ropes of orgasm between their figures, Bokuto's knot erupted, filling him with warm seed.

Keiji sighed in relief and his body relaxed forward as the invader shrank down to normal size. When Bokuto gingerly pulled his member out, his body went into autopilot. He sluggishly lowered himself back against the mattress, his abdomen seizing up in shark ticks of pain as he did so. So annoying, he thought to himself, immensely unhappy with his small body...his inability to fit his Alpha's length. It was pathetic.

"FUCK," Bokuto snarled out, his footsteps clamoring away from the bed. "Fuck. Fuck. Fuck," he continued to bark from a few feet away, his tone a twisted mix of panicked shame.

Keiji gingerly flipped himself onto his side to face the owl and a sharp pain zapped into naval, prompting him to keel over to mediate the ache.

"Keiji. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry," Bokuto growled on repeat, his normally cheerful face contorted with pained desperation. He took another step back, plastering himself against the wall, yellow eyes downcast- completely dejected.

Keiji hated his scent...shame and dread...neither suited the owl.

"Stop. Please stop. It's fine," he said softly, slowly pushing himself up to a seated position on the mattress. As shuffled closer to the edge of the bed, his hand landing on something wet and he glanced down at the mixture of seed and blood, staining into the white sheets. He furrowed his brows and reached behind him to gently touched his sex- it was slick with blood, but it wasn't enough to cause a panic. Bokuto was overreacting.

"I did that. I fucking hurt you," the owl snarled, his frenzied eyes darting between the stain and Keiji. "Fuck. FUCK. How could I be so stupid. FUCK."

"Bokuto. Stop. Stop it, I'm fine. I just couldn't fit you. It's not your fault," Keiji interjected in between the cursing. He did his best to release a tranquil fragrance, finding it easier as the dull pain subsided in his abdomen.

"I hurt you. Fuck. I hurt you!"

"STOP!" Keiji yelled at the overwhelmed boy in front of him, angry with the Alpha's inability to think logically. "STOP IT. I CONSENTED. IT'S NOT YOUR FAULT. I'M HARDLY EVEN HURT."

The owl's broad shoulders flinched at the volume of his voice and he averted gaze, looking down at the floor in shame.

"Would you come over here?" Keiji drawled, changing the tone of his voice back to its usual lazy demeanor- now that he had the Alpha's full attention. He reached beside him and pulled the white comforter over the bloody patch- it was obviously triggering Bokuto's instincts. "Just come over here."

Bokuto stiffened against the wall and clenched his fists. "I don't want to hurt you. If I come over there..."

He was done with this. Fuck, he thought with a small sigh, he was going to have to get used to these dramatic outbursts if he was going to have Bokuto as a partner.

"Would you relax? How the fuck is you coming over here going to hurt me? You're being dramatic. Whether you like it or not, I'm going to continuehaving sex with you until I get to a point where I can fit you. UNTIL THEN, you're going to have to deal with this shit. So get it together and get your ass over here," he snapped at the pouting Alpha, patting the bed once more to beckon him over.

Bokuto hesitantly shuffled towards him, grabbing his black briefs from the floor to cover himself. Then, he gingerly sat on the edge of the mattress, facing away with slouched shoulders. Keiji huffed out in frustration and and crawled across the covers to kneel behind his Alpha. Reaching his arms around Bokuto's stomach, he rested his head on the muscular back and inhaled the remorseful scent.

"You know…" He began, trying to find the right words, he didn't want to upset the owl any further. "You're my Alpha. When you hurt me accidentally...and believe me, that's going to happen...all I want is for you to hold me in your arms and…protect me? That's how you make this shit better. Not running away and chastising yourself into oblivion."

Bokuto hesitantly glanced over his shoulder and Keiji pulled back to meet his yellow gaze. After a few moments, he rose up on his knees and cupped the owl's face with his small hands.

"Apology accepted, okay? So get over it..." He whispered, kissing Bokuto softly on the lips.

"I'll be better next time. I promise..." The Alpha whispered and sighed into another kiss, relaxing into Keiji's metallic tranquility.

"How about next time…" Keiji started, nipping playfully at his jaw to cheer him up. "I take the top. Then I can set the pace if it gets too painful."

"Mmm…" Bokuto murmured as he swung Keiji's delicate legs over his lap. Keiji relaxed into the crevice of his elbow and trailed light kisses up his bicep. Bokuto reached down, flicked a black hair out of his face, and caressed his undamaged cheek.

"I'm fucking relieved that you want to try again," he said, rocking the Omega cradled in his arms. "My head space...plummeted. I mean, I just got you. I don't know, I don't want to lose you before we even start…"

"Of course I want to try again," Keiji murmured as he inhaled, drowning in the protective scent whisking off of Bokuto's clammy skin. "And you won't. Stop worrying."

Bokuto flashed a sweet smile, then reached behind and flipped over the comforter. He unleashed a frustrated growl at the bloody stain and shook his head and stood up, cradling Keiji against the side of his body. He yanked a pillow from the floor and flung it wildly around until it flew out of its satin case, landing on the ground with a soft thud. With a subtle nod of approval, he gingerly placed the white linen over the red splatter and laid Keiji down on the covers.

My, my, Keiji pondered with a coy smirk, his Alpha really didn't like seeing his blood. That was a good sign.

Bokuto picked up the naked pillow once more, puffed it up, then threw it next to Keiji. He rolled his neck once around before crawling onto the bed to pull the comforter over their forms. Keiji turned to face him and curled into his strong chest, liquid honey pooling in his stomach as the owl reached his arms over his figure and nestled a damaged nose into his black hair.

"You're like a drug…" He heard the owl whisper under his breath, sniffing into the crown of his head with vigor. "Like a fucking drug…"

"What?" He whispered back, purring as the owl scratched methodically down his back.

"Daichi...he said Suga's scent was like a drug…" Bokuto replied, inhaling deep into his dark locks. "I get it…I can't get enough of your scent. It's like...I'm never satisfied. I want more. It's...it's incredibly frustrating..."

Keiji smiled against Bokuto's hot skin and immersed himself in the protective fragrance. In an instant, a tingling feeling of satisfaction crept up his chest, flowing through his entire body.

"Well…" He murmured, knowing sleep was going to overtake him soon. "You have free access to it now…for the very low price of sex..."

"Mmmm…" Bokuto mumbled, squeezing Keiji tighter as he chuckled at the coy remark.

The pair remained in comfortable silence, with Keiji purring against Bokuto's broad chest. He had never been so content, and it was not long before he drifted off into a lovely sleep, feeling safe in the arms of his Alpha.

Chapter Twenty Seven: Domestic Affairs

Suga~

When Suga at last arrived home, the sun was quickly setting on the final day of the weekend. There was no chance of him attending school the following morning, if everything went as planned, Oikawa would be released in the afternoon and he was definitely going to be there to pick him up from the hospital.

Suga granted Miyo a tired wave as he watched her drive off down the sunset tinted neighborhood, then turned on his heels towards the front walkway of the yellow house. Very few lights were on- Keiji must have put in some good work, getting everyone to rest their tired minds.

As he entered the oaken entryway, he was hit with a familiar smell. Not of anyone or anything in particular just.. .home , it comforted his exhausted mind. He briskly scanned the main floor, finding it vacant, then kicked off his shoes and rounded the stairs to check on his flock.

Hiking up to the third floor, he quietly tiptoed down the dark hallway and opened the door to the tea green room. After his eyes had adjusted to the dim lighting, he noticed four figures in a pile of messy cuddles on the padded floor near the curtained bay windows. A small smile flickered across his lips- relieved that they were all safe, and sleeping soundly. However .. .where was Keiji?

Suga furrowed his brows at the thought and lightly sniffed the air, following Keiji's lazy scent back out into the hallway. Yuji's overzealous fragrance was definitely hunkered down in the vacant room across from the nest and Bokuto was behind the door to the left...ah...with Keiji. He sniffed once more, filling his nostrils with his nestmate's unusually pronounced scent- whirling around with a sort of melancholy joy. It was content and satiated, something he had never smelled on Keiji before that moment. Nothing like a tragedy to bring people together…

After he had confirmed the safety of his flock, Suga took a few moments to debate his own predicament. Should he nest with his fellow Omega housemates…no. After seeing them sleeping so well, he decided that it would be best not to disturb them. Or, at least, that was the lie he tried to tell himself. In reality, nesting wasn't what he needed... or wanted .

Resigning himself to his desires, Suga descended the stairs, stepping onto the second floor, careful not to make a sound on the creaky floorboards. As he neared Daichi's room, his stomach skittered to life with butterflies. He could smell the captain's frustrated scent, ripe with worry over his absence- prominent even in his unconscious state of sleep.

Reaching forward to turn the brass door knob, Suga entered the familiar room, finding himself excited at the prospect of being reunited with the dark Alpha. Something inside of him, deep down in a place he rarely explored, he noticed that a large piece of his soul was...missing. He felt empty, exposed without Daichi's caring scent flickering around him, warming him with its it's open honesty. The captain had never held his feelings back from his scent, Suga knew that better than anyone- it was a vulnerability that both enticed him, and toyed with his nerves. He knew that Daichi was growing frustrated with his lack of verbal commitment, and, after everything that had happened over the last seventy eight hours, he owed it to the captain to confess his fears...and desires, of their relationship.

He just wasn't sure what he wanted to say, not quite yet.

Daichi~

Daichi was having a rather unpleasant dream, of blood and Alpha swine, when a familiar scent stirred his conscious mind from its hibernation. Suga. He sat up in an instant, glancing towards the door at the Omega- his pale skin illuminated by the early moon, peeking through his open window. The silver boy flashed him a faint smile ...he looked so exhausted...forlorn...and...dejected.

Daichi gathered his half naked form up from the bed and swiftly crossed the room. Without a word, he gingerly scooped up Suga and cradled him against his broad chest- heart bursting with liquid warmth from the physical contact with his Omega.

"I missed you…" He whispered, inhaling into hair, upset to find that a multitude of unpleasant fragrances had worked their way into the silver locks.

"Mmm…" Suga purred in response and curled up in his arms like a cat, relaxing into his embrace.

The Omega's sweet scent washed over him, weak from exhaustion, yet effective in comforting the deep recesses of his soul. He gently lowered Suga to the edge of the bed, unzipped his grey hoodie, and pulled up the shirt beneath. As he shuffled the silver boy out of his clothing, Daichi grazed his lips over the smooth skin of his shoulder and across his fragile collar bones. Suga purred at the affection, melting down into the covers beneath his seated figure in contentment.

"Daichi…" He murmured as Daichi nuzzled into his neck, inhaling his scent glands with vivid satisfaction.

"Yeah…"

"Bokuto is with Keiji…"

"Mmm...nothing like a tragedy to bring people together…" When he felt Suga stiffen at his words, he moved back to gaze at him in question. "What's wrong, did I-"

"Oh," the silver haired boy interjected, lightly shaking his head as a shy smile crept across his face. "I swear that I was thinking the same thing a few minutes ago…"

"Well, it's true," Daichi softly affirmed, rolling onto the mattress to bury himself in the sheets. "You coming to bed?"

"Yeah…" Suga replied with furrowed brows as he tucked himself in next to Daichi's large figure. "But, it's strange, isn't it?"

Daichi knew that tone. It meant that the nosy Omega had come up with a new hypothesis, something that might help them solve the puzzle of their weird, hybrid pack.

"What is?" He pushed forward, running a large hand up the smooth skin of Suga's thigh. "Strange that Bokuto managed to actually charm someone into liking him?"

"No!" Suga softly exclaimed with a sly giggle. "Well, yes , but no, that's not what I was thinking of. Listen, you and I took, what, two weeks to partner-"

"What are the timeline specifics here, because-"

"Okay, between admitting attraction to ourselves and to each other. Does that make sense?"

"Mmm," Daichi pondered out loud, rolling his neck on its axis. "Sure, two weeks sounds right."

"So, two weeks for us. I'd say, a week and a half for Hajime and Oikawa? For sure one week for Keiji and Bokuto. And now...we've got Yuji and Yachi on a two day timeline," Suga rattled off, his hazel eyes shining with the unchecked curiosity Daichi so loved to admire. "The relationships are...accelerating. Aren't they? Like a domino effect..."

"While I do agree that the theory is a good start...Yamaguchi doesn't fit into it. Right?"

"What do you mean?"

"Tsukishima has had feelings for the kid for at least a week now, and vise versa. I can smell it, especially at practise when he is less careful with his scent. But neither of them have done shit about it."

"Mmm," Suga murmured, huffing out a bit of frustrated air, upset that his theory was debunked so readily. "Well that throws that out the window…"

Daichi smiled, grazing his hand higher to grab onto the Omega's narrow hips. "Keep thinking. You've got more ideas on this whole, messed up pack thing than I do…" He whispered, gracefully pulling the boy against his body under the navy covers. "You're smarter than me, that's for sure."

"Mmm," Suga conceded, curling into Daichi's chest. "We...should have a dinner when Oikawa comes home," he piped up again after a few moments of pleasant silence, purring as Daichi scented into his hair.

Daichi loved the idea. When he had received Keiji's text earlier that afternoon, he had been absolutely overjoyed that the chestnut boy had pulled through. Oikawa was, without a doubt, the toughest boy he had ever met in his life- Alpha or otherwise. In fact, if he himself had retained the same facial wounds, he would have been openly dejected for days… weeks, even.

"I agree...a celebration...one that won't be interrupted like the last time..."

"Mmm…" Suga sighed, his breathing growing shallow as he succumbed to his exhaustion.

A party. A proper one this time. One for Oikawa...for the pack , Daichi thought to himself, stirring his thoughts into a dreamless sleep.

Kuroo~~

"I can't believe I slept through the whole thing…" Kuroo heard his Omega whine against his chest. "I had too much to drink...I guess…"

He was thankful his mate had slept through it. If his Omega had been involved...he didn't even want to think about what could have happened. It frightened him, and the thought of it left a massive, rotting knot inside his gut.

"I'm glad you were asleep," he growled at once, squeezing the small boy against his body. "I'm glad ."

"I guess…" His Omega breathed against his bare chest before rolling into the sheets beside him.

Kuroo inhaled his mate's scent as it wafted through the air at his movement, then glanced over to the red alarm clock on his bedside table-11:00pm . He had slept through the entire day, yet his body, and his mind, still felt entirely drained of life. However, his fidgeting mate certainly was not tired. He shimmied up, sitting cross legged with his back against the wall. He let out an enormous, Kenma-like, sigh and by his scent, Kuroo could tell that the he was upset with himself... upset that everyone had been hurt while he was passed out.

"Kenma, don't be so grumpy," Kuroo chastised in an exasperated tone, pushing off his warm covers to sit up against the headboard of the bed. "It's not like you could've done anything against those fuckheads. You probably would be just gotten hurt."

He would have just gotten hurt, at the statement, Kuroo balled the sheets in his fists at his sides. If the intruders had so much as looked at his mate, he would have annihilated them from existence.

"I know…" Kenma replied and softly hit the back of his head against the hard plaster behind him. "I dunno, I'm just upset. I guess…seeing everyone's injuries at the hospital...even your hands..." He continued in whisper, running his delicate fingers over Kuroo's bruised knuckles- white from his tense thoughts. "I hate it...it's so stupid."

"Why don't you come back over here and go to sleep," Kuroo growled in half command, his instincts growing restless from his spiralling thoughts. They were becoming more and more distressed with each passing second- Kenma's safety...he wanted the Omega to get his ass back into his arms. He needed to scent him again, and again.

"I'm not tired," Kenma replied lazily, gingerly pulling away from Kuroo's light grip. "I've been asleep for almost twenty hours…why would I crawl back into bed now…? That doesn't make any sense."

"Because I want you to."

"No."

Kenma looked up with intense, cat-like eyes and Kuroo matched his gaze, accepting the nonverbal challenge. After an intense stare down, his Omega slowly moved towards him, much to his relief. However, the elation of his victory was shattered as his mate reached over him with cat-like grace, yellow eyes fixed on his video game, resting on the bedside table.

What a sneaky little bastard…

Kuroo unleashed a throaty rumble of irritation and grabbed the tiny boy by his waist, pulling him into his broad chest with ease.

"Kuroo!" The Omega whined, struggling in his lap. "You can sleep by yourself...it's not going to kill you!"

"Who said anything about sleeping," Kuroo snarled into the boy's ear, his instincts roaring about in his mind with unchecked ferocity.

Exhaustion had depleted his ability to suppress his Alpha inhibitions. His vivid thoughts, images of Kenma being touched by the intruders, unleashed his dominance in full force. He wanted to fuck his mate, he needed to- needed to smell his own scent on the boy's pale skin, in his hair, inside of him. Everywhere. Kenma was his.

"If we fuck...then I'll fall asleep and you can play your shitty game," he growled, eyes dark with primal lust.

"My game isn't shitty , and you can't use coercion against me..." Kenma chirped back, granting him a lazy, sly wink. "That's cheating…"

"It's only coercion if you don't want to fuck," Kuroo rumbled back, happily scenting the boy's dyed blonde hair along his neck.

"Who says I do…" Kenma huffed in challenge, unhappily crossing his arms against his chest, eyes still fixed on his console resting on the table.

In an instant, Kuroo flipped smaller boy onto the mattress and pinned him on his back, snarling into his face with white teeth. The more his Omega resisted his advances, the more aggressive his instincts became. They needed Kenma to have his scent. Needed it above all else.

"I can smell your arousal," he whispered in threat, licking up his Omega's scent glands, tasting the honest desire embedded within them. "You're a terrible liar, Kenma…"

His mate sunk down into the navy covers, releasing a fragrance of embarrassment that made his cock harden against the boy's thigh.

"At least I'm not a horndog...your scent is way worse than mine…" Kenma whispered and averted his gaze to the side, coyly exposing his glands.

No matter how sheepish his mate pretended to be, Kuroo knew that it was all an act. Kenma was always watching, always listening. Human interactions were a game of chess to him- a way for him to maneuver the pieces, to get the outcome he desired. Kuroo had to keep his wits about him, or he would lose.

"Yeah, it's because I'm thinking about fucking you. I don't want anyone else to touch you. Not. Ever." Kuroo growled softly into Kenma's ear, receiving a soft whimper in return. "You are mine ."

He needed to knot into his mate to protect him. Protect him against disgusting, uncivilized Alphas with his own dominant scent. Protect him against those who would hurt him. In that moment, he didn't care if Kenma didn't understand the nature of his desire. He would do everything in his power to defend the boy...and the yellow house Omegas- defend them all against the world. Even if he had to be...a little aggressive.

Kenma~

"Yeah...because I'm thinking about fucking you." Kuroo growled softly into his ear and Kenma let out an instinctual whimper, influenced by his mate's domineering scent.

He was unleashing such a raw, sexual fragrance that Kenma couldn't help himself from shivering back into the navy covers. His Alpha was definitely in an aggressive mood.. .likely brought on by the earlier events- replaying them in his mind, like an idiot.

After drawing the simple conclusion, he realized that he had two options. Submit and have sex or give the rooster a bit of a fight...rile him up more...make things a little more interesting. His yellow gaze flickered up at Kuroo's dark eyes, option two, he thought to himself with a sly him up.

He swiftly rolled to his side, squeezed between the Alpha and the mattress, and clamored to his feet on the hardwood. Then, he turned on his heels to face his mate and readied himself for retaliation, but the man remained in his position- holding himself up with his hands and knees on the navy covers. He suppressed another instinctual whine as his Alpha slowly rolled his head towards him, meeting his gaze with a feral intensity that had his shivering with anticipation. Kenma's heart began to pound in his chest, his Alpha was going to absolutely dominate him, his eyes were predatory- ready to take what he desired.

He watched on with growing arousal as Kuroo rose from the bed and stood, aggression pouring off his muscular body in droves of temptation. Kenma subconsciously took a few steps back, anxiously awaiting his Alpha's next move, curious as to what it would be.

The rooster made his way towards him at an agonizingly slow pace, stalking him like a panther. He began to back away further before ramming his lower back against his computer desk, slightly flinching as a cup of pencils scattered to the ground at the impact.

"Kuroo..." He whispered in hesitation, unsure of what his mate was planning, but nonetheless excited with the prospect.

No response. Feral silence...

Kuroo continued to move towards him, finally stopping just inches away from his quivering figure. Kenma looked up at him with his yellow eyes, pleading for mercy, yet wanting to be taken- though, he would never admit it. His Alpha was massive compared to his petite frame, over a foot taller and nearly a hundred pounds heavier. On the few occasions his mate had been in a similar mood of instinctual aggression, he had been bruised, sore for days afterwards from their fucking, yet, he had never cared. The sex had always been incredible- definitely worth the side effects.

"Kuroo…?" He whispered again, straining his neck to look up at his mate.

"Trying to get away…" His Alpha growled down at him in a threatening tone that sent tingles down to his toes. "Did you think that would work. Did you think you could slip away...play your shitty game…"

Kenma looked down at his feet and smirked, victory was near. He was more than willing to play Kuroo's little game of verbal cat and mouse.

"It did work. I got away," he coyly remarked, happy to fuel the Alpha's primal fire.

Kuroo snapped at the cheeky words. He roughly grabbed Kenma by the hips, spun him around, and bent him over the computer desk, pushing his face into the surface of his laptop. His Alpha held him in place with a large hand between his shoulder blades while the other clamored at the band of his black sweatpants.

"No. It didn't work work," the rooster snarled from behind him, shoving the fabric down to expose his sex to the cold air of the room.

Kenma whimpered into the metal laptop as the dominant Alpha scent overwhelmed his senses, prompting him to naturally rock his hips back in desire. When his mate eagerly jammed two fingers inside his open hole, feeling around at his walls, he tried to move his body against them. He needed more . Needed to be filled, but the rooster pulled away, leaving him upset and empty. He whined out in complaint, receiving a hard spank in return. The impact had him yelping out in pain and he grabbed at the back edges of his desk to steady himself, halfheartedly struggling against the wood surface.

He had been with his Alpha since he was sixteen. They had been childhood friends, their fathers were close since their high school years. In fact, Kenma counted himself lucky that he had met Kuroo at such a young age- with the Alpha's unwitting protection he had been able to bypass the heartbreaking abuse that most Omegas went through during their formative years. While the two had developed feelings for each other at a young age, Kuroo had been adamant that they not mate until eighteen. Until then, the rooster boy had kept a close eye on him to prevent other Alphas from touching him. Admittedly, it had been an adjustment for them when they entered University, but Kuroo eventually accepted that his mated scent was enough to defend his Omega against unwanted sexual advances. A realization for which Kenma was grateful, he valued his alone time.

While he loved sleeping with Kuroo, eight years of sexual relations had prompted them to recently... try a few new things to spice things up in the bedroom . He had realized early on that Kuroo enjoyed dominating him in bed, a trait that was fairly common amongst Alphas. He enjoyed the spanking the first time they had tried it, nearly a year ago, but it was his Alpha's pleasure in the action that made him absolutely willing to participate. They didn't utilize it often, most of the time, vanilla sex was more than enough, and they had never done it when Kuroo was in such an aggressive mood. Kenma was both nervous and aroused with the prospect., he was ready to be submissive and more than ready for the pain.

Kuroo slid a large hand up his spine and grabbed his hair, jerking his head back with force. "Taunting me. Climbing over me with your ass up in the air. All to get your shitty game..." His Alpha leaned into his back to whisper in his ear, biting at the lobe. "I think that deserves a punishment. Don't you?"

Kenma knew it wasn't a question. He increased his grip on the back edges of the desk, waiting. When Kuroo released the painful grip on his hair, he looked ahead at the wall and readied himself for punishment.

"You are such a naughty Omega," his mate snarled, his throat rumbling in a near constant loop of ferocity. "Ten. You'll take ten."

Kenma furiously nodded in understanding, then whimpered as his mate trailed a finger down his spine and across his exposed sex. He could feel his juices dripping down his shaking legs- waiting to receive the spanks had always been most arousing part for him. Kuroo would spread them out, rile him up with his touch, then suddenly pull away and slap his cheeks.

"Look how wet you are...waiting to be spanked. You like it, don't you?" His Alpha snarled, commanding an answer as he gently caressed his sopping inner thigh.

"Yes…" Kenma shamefully replied, his cheeks flushing a deep crimson as he pushed his stomach into the desk to arch further into the air.

In an instant, Kuroo hit his left cheek and he cried out, lowering his hips away from the source of the pain. His Alpha roughly grabbed them and raised his ass once more, slapping the same cheek once again, with more force than the previous one. Tears pooled in his eyes, but he felt his small cock twitch in anticipation, trapped against the wood desk beneath him.

"Keep you slutty ass raised. Lower it again, and I'll add more. Is that clear?" Kuroo barked down at him, holding his hips with a grip that would bruise.

Kenma furiously nodded with a quiet sniff and arched into the desk once more, raising up in understanding. He felt his Alpha lightly caress his sore cheek, then stiffened as he knelt down down behind him. Suddenly, Kuroo's tongue trailed over his sex and he gasped out, his body flooding with a hot blaze of arousal. His mind glazed over, responding to his Alpha's teasing, and he lost control of his inhibitions, subconsciously lowering his hips to grant his mate better access.

"What did I just say," Kuroo snarled in command, granting him another hard slap that flushed red against his cheek.

Kuroo reached forward, grabbing around the front of his neck and pulled him up against his large body. Pushing down on the centre on his back, the rooster arched him away, leaving him to hold a contorted position- standing on the tips of his toes as he craned his neck forward.

"Stick out your ass," Kuroo commanded in his ear and he complied, arching forward until his spine began to ache in discomfort.

He took in a deep breath of anticipation, feeling his Alpha increase the grip on his neck and move a large hand over his swollen ass. Suddenly, a series of hard and brutal slaps lashed out, far more than ten, but he didn't move an inch. He kept his ass presented. Even when he was whimpering, quivering in pain, his cock remained hard and his sex oozed out clear liquid, dripping down his thighs and onto the hardwood floor below. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the spanking stopped.

"Good. Boy." Kuroo snarled into his ear, drooling spit onto his pale shoulder, his eyes fully darkened with feral lust.

Kenma shivered at the rumbling words and fought against an overwhelming instinct to present himself.. .he hadn't been told that he could move yet.

"Good. Omega," the rooster cooed again, jerking his head to the side to expose his scent glands. When his mate bit down onto them, drawing blood, Kenma whimpered, growing limp in Kuroo's arms.

"Alpha, please..." He gasped as his mate licked at his bloody skin. He needed to be filled. Now. "Alpha…"

Kuroo ungracefully shoved three fingers inside his wet sex to sate his desire and continued to nip at his swollen scent glands. He tried to roll his aching hips back onto the digits, but they were too narrow, they weren't enough to stop his body from burning up in arousal.

"Pleaaase," he pleaded again, more loudly than before, trying to pull out of his mate's strong grasp to present himself.

After a few minutes of unbent agony, Kuroo finally released him. He rushed to kick out of the sweatpants, pooled around his ankles, and scrambled down on the cold floor. Then, he bowed forward on his knees, forcing his sex into the air as high as he could manage. His cheeks screamed in pain as they spread apart, but he didn't care- it only heightened his lust.

When he heard Kuroo shuffle out of his briefs behind him, he shook his hips and mewled loudly, wanting his Alpha to hurry- receiving another hard slap for his impatience as his mate lined up his swollen cock to penetrate. Kenma let out a series of quivering whimpers as Kuroo buried large fingers in the pale flesh of his hips and thrust deeply inside of him. As the full length pushed inside, he gasped out in satisfied ecstacy. He loved feeling full from his Alpha's member, it was as if he was floating through space and time- the large invader rubbing against his sensitive walls, the hands bruising his hips, every motion from his mate was entrancing. His eyes glossed over and he moaned softly, jerking forward with each heavy thrust from behind.

"I. Love. You," Kuroo snarled at once, pinning his stomach against the hardwood to push his cock further inside.

Then, the rooster rocked his hips downward, more gracefully than his previous thrusts, and began to gingerly kiss along the back of Kenma's neck. The sudden change in pace, from furious aggression to gentleness left Kenma's small cock twitching in orgasm. He cried out as he spilled his cum underneath his stomach, smearing it across his pale flesh and the hardwood as Kuroo began to knot, laying his weight down against his small body.

"MINE." Kuroo growled into his ear- the protective scent that accompanied the possessive words pooled warmth inside Kenma's abdomen, prompting him to organism once more.

As he spasmed beneath his Alpha's strong form, his mate lovingly kissed down the trail of his spine, pushing out an overbearing, possessive fragrance that blanketed their forms with its power. When Kuroo at last burst his seed inside him, he realized, once again, that he loved his caring Alpha with every fibre of his being- he could never imagine life without him.

Chapter Twenty Eight: The Flower Shop

Miyo~

Miyo walked down the busy street, searching for the flower shop the nurse had recommended. She wanted to get Oikawa a bundle of roses, a welcome home present for when he was discharged from the hospital later that evening. Pink ones, or perhaps yellow, something to lighten the mood. In fact, should she get roses at all? Sunflowers were his favorite, but they had no scent to them...

She shook her head, deciding that she would figure it all out once she actually found the shop. Adjusting her jean shorts against her waist, she squeezed by a group of teenage Alphas, crowded around the convenience store with their bikes. While there were many Omegas out, daytime the hours were mostly safe to go about their affairs, so long as they stayed in open places, none of them were below the age of eighteen. Those poor souls were still isolated to their schools and homes. Not that any of the unspoken Omega rules applied to her, she was mated, even if she wasn't technically with her Alpha, his scent still did well to ward off any interested parties.

As she scanned the rows of shops and peddlers, happy for the humid, sunny day, she felt her phone vibrate in the pocket of her light jeans.

Where are you? I just got to the hospital.

She smiled down at the welcome text, Ukai had been pretty well glued to her side since the incident on Saturday. While they two of them had frequented each others company since their students had joined together, especially during their lunch hours, she couldn't deny that she had enjoyed his increased presence over the last two days... and his support . He was an invaluable Alpha, even if he looked like a delinquent with his dyed blonde hair and pierced ears.

Just out looking for Binky's Flower Shop, do you know where it is? I can't find it ANYWHERE.

Before she had the chance to tuck her phone away, it buzzed again with Ukai's quick reply.

I think it's near that burger place, uh, JR burgers? Or something. It's across the street from it. I'll meet you there :) :)

Butterflies twirled about inside Miyo's stomach at the thought of meeting the ever-exasperated coach. Stop it, she internally chastised herself,you're mated, stop it. The more time she had spent with Ukai, the more she came to realize that her exmate's scent didn't seem to bother him, as it would most other Alphas. Even yesterday, he had put a strong hand on her back, rubbing it to comfort her upset over her flock's injuries- as if he was completely ignorant of her mated status. Her heart had fluttered when his scent devolved into a sickening rage upon seeing Oikawa's photos...

She shook her head once more, she needed to be realistic. There was no chance for the two of them, only absolutely insane Alphas were willing to remate an Omega. On the off chance that Ukai did want something like that...no...there was no way he was even contemplating it, not with so many other Omega fish in the sea.

Spotting the burger joint ahead, she swiftly crossed the street, zig zagging through traffic as she did so. Binky's Flower Shop read a massive neon sign with a sculpture of a rose entwined into its pink letters. The display windows were plastered with stickers of daisies and a small sign beckoned, come on in, in green cursive. How cute!

She pushed open glass the glass door, beautifully outlined with copper wire, and a set of brass bells chimed her entrance, alerting the room to her presence. The air inside smelled wonderful, she wanted to live there, among the flowers. In her next life, she would open a flower shop.

"Welcome to Binky's!" A cheerful Alpha called to her from behind the counter, adjusting her cream apron over her fit body.

She was beautiful, tanned with long blonde hair- Miyo would do anything to have her fit, curvaceous figure. No matter how much or how hard she worked out, her Omega body remained small and delicate.

"Hi! I'm looking for…" She started, glancing around the shop. She had come for roses, but there were so many wonderful choices. The chartreuse green walls housed every kind of flower imaginable, even ones she had never seen before.

"Unsure of what you want?" The Alpha woman asked with a toothy smile and Miyo noticed from her scent that she was mated.

"Well…" She started, becoming increasingly overwhelmed with her options. "My darling friend is getting released from the hospital this evening. Thought I might surprise him!"

Could she buy every single flower...could she buy the store?

"Oh my!" The blonde woman exclaimed with wide eyes, shaking her head with indignation. "What happened? I mean, we get so many customers from the O.C Hospital, its atrocious..."

"Oh…" Miyo said, surprised by the genuine tone of concern. "He was attacked by Alphas..." She whispered, hoping that her honesty wouldn't offend the woman.

The blonde Alpha put her painted nails to her mouth and shook her head once more in disgust.

"So uncivilized . Is he going to be okay? I'm so sorry that happened. Truly."

Miyo was moved by the woman's kindness, she was one of the good Alphas, and there weren't exactly a lot of them to go around. Female Alphas could sometimes be even more violent than their male counterparts, particularly towards female Omegas- but this one, Binky perhaps? She had been raised right.

"He'll be fine!" Miyo replied sweetly, waving her hands in front of her. "He's being released this evening, thank goodness."

"Ah," Binky nodded in understanding, her scent still unhappy with the Miyo's mention of Alpha violence. "Hence the flowers."

"Mmm…" She furrowed her brows and looked around at the wares once more. "Roses are so cliche, he likes sunflowers? But they don't smell…"

"Well!" The blonde woman exclaimed loudly, starling her from her browsing. "On behalf of all Alphas, let me make you a bundle of my best, most exotic flowers. On the house!" She sang before turning swiftly on her heels to walk into the back room of flowers behind the counter.

"Oh! You don't have to do that!" Miyo leaned over the marble slab, frantically calling into the doorway. "Really!"

"Of course I do!" The shopkeeper replied, waving a hand over her shoulder as she clipped a few flowers at her workbench. "Just give me a few minutes, I want to make sure the arrangement is perfect!"

Miyo sighed in defeat, accepting the kindness of the Alpha stranger, and walked closer to the door to admire the expansive orchid collection- her favorite flower. As she read out the information on a particularly beautiful violet one, the door bells chimed once more.

"Welcome to Binky's!" She heard the shopkeep call out from the back room. "I'll be with you a few minutes!"

Suddenly, a familiar scent snaked in between the shelves of flowers. She recoiled when it hit her nose- it was not someone who she wanted to see. Not in a million years. Not if they were the last two people on earth.

"Oh my God! Miyo, wow, what a coincidence," the scent's owner exclaimed, towering over the shelves of orchids.

Sonny . Her personal monster. Her exmate. His overbearing fragrance formed a lump of bile in her throat and she stayed her shaking hands at her sides.

"What are you doing here?" She seethed, backing further into the maze of flowers, not wanting him anywhere near her. It was already bad enough that she still smelled like him, why on earth had fate brought the motherfucker here. Why.

"Woah...hostile," Sonny replied defensively, putting his hands up to signify that he meant no harm. "I live just around the corner...had to find a new place after you kicked me out."

Miyo winced at his piercing statement. It hadn't exactly been easy to get him out of her house... her house, not his. In fact, he had become so violent when she presented him with divorce papers that she was lucky to escape with just a few broken ribs. It was a good thing she knew a few sympathetic Alpha lawyers...

"Not happy to see me?" Her exmate complained playfully, but there was a threatening undertone in his voice that had her shivering with unwanted dread. Sonny ignored her upset scent and stuck his head between the orchids to look at her, his green eyes primal. Hostile. "My, my, you are stillan absolute knockout," he whistled, giving her a salacious wink. "Too bad you're mine for all eternity, eh?"

"Nope. Not really happy to see you," she declared plainly, ignoring his backhanded compliment, and his stabbing remark at her choice to mate with him.

She held her ground as he moved in closer, unwilling to let him bully her into submission. If she didn't have a heart of steel, she wouldn't have made it this far in her professional life- not as an Omega. She could handle a dumb, overeager Alpha.

"Miyo?" A second, familiar voice called out as the door chimed once more, briefly tearing her gaze from Sonny.

She glanced towards the entrance, ignoring the domineering figure in front of her, and noticed a blonde head, sticking out above the shelves.

Ukai . Shit.

She was both relieved and horrified that the Alpha professor had arrived- happy for the potential support against her exmate, but unwilling to get him involved with her problems. She had always been able to handle herself, and her ex, just fine.

The blonde Alpha rounded the shelves and stepped in behind Sonny, broad shoulders suddenly bristling with anger.

"Can I help you?" He growled as he put a large hand on her exmate's shoulder, threatening him with his dominant scent.

Sonny snapped around and snarled out as Miyo briskly shuffled out her flower barricade to stand next to Ukai.

"Who the fuck are you?" He barked in question and shrugged off Ukai's grip. "You need something, buddy?"

"A friend of Miyo's," Ukai replied in a hostile, challenging tone. "Who you're making very uncomfortable."

"Well, friend of Miyo's , she and I are trying to have a conversation, so you can fuck right off."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah, really."

Miyo felt her mated scent increase as Sonny seeped out his own, prolific scent. She did her best to combat it, but it was instinctively entwined with her own. She absolutely hated that it still reacted to his presence. Hated herself for mating with the bastard in the first place. He was a lowlife, a deadbeat.

"No, we aren't aren't having a conversation," she interjected the verbal quarrel and took a step forward in anger, pointing a blue nail into her exmate's tense face. "We were done having conversations three months ago. We are done. What do you not understand about that?"

When felt Ukai's large hand on her shoulder, protectively supporting her from behind, she glanced back,astonished by his actions. She and Sonny were mated. She loathed it, but it was the truth. When she had left the relationship, she had pretty well accepted that she would spend the rest of her life in solitude. A lonely, bitter old maid for all eternity. Only really ballsy Alphas approached Omegas that were permanently scented, and it was even more rare to find one crazy enough to rescent property that wasn't theirs, regardless of whether the Omega was still with their partner. Yet here was Ukai, obviously aware that she and the Alpha before them were mated, willingly placing a hand on property that wasn't his... in front of her mate. It was almost as if he was challenging Sonny, contesting his ownership of her with his touch... taunting her ex? Why?

"You heard the lady. Get the fuck out of here," Ukai snarled over her shoulder, moving close to her body. His protective scent engulfed her with its invigorating nature- calm, yet resolute.

Sonny snarled viciously at his audacity. He was much too close to her...it was going to cause a fight...it was going to pull Ukai into her business against his will. At that tragic thought, Miyo took a small step back, away from the two Alphas when a high pitched roar burst into the air.

"OI! ARE THESE BOYS GIVING YOU TROUBLE?"

She snapped her neck towards the sound, watching with astonished eyes as the female shopkeep hopped over the front counter with ease, pulling Miyo behind her. She released a possessive scent that blanketed the room, alerting the two men that Miyo was not up for grabs.

Could...could Binky tell that she was no longer with Sonny? Was she that sensitive to emotions that she willingly ignored her mated scent and intervened? It made no sense! What the fuck was going on?

"Do I need to kick these fuckers out?" Binky asked quietly, snarling at the men before her, showing her white teeth in challenge.

"J-just the brunette," Miyo stuttered out, completely stunned by the entire affair.

"Get out," the blonde woman growled without missing a beat, jerking her head towards the door.

"Really? Seriously." Sonny barked, his throat rumbling in angry hesitation- worried that two strong Alphas were in a sudden coalition, ready and waiting to attack him if he made a move they didn't consent to.

"Yes. Leave." Ukai spat out, snarling in unison with the female Alpha at his side.

Sonny flashed Miyo a nasty look and leaned in close to her face. Ukai stiffened at the move and the blonde women let out a threatening growl, upset with his breach of territory.

"This isn't over Miyo. Not by a long shot," he seethed into her face, but she refused to flinch at his words. She wasn't afraid of him anymore. She hadn't been afraid of him in a long time, not since she had left him.

With that final, threatening statement, Sonny straightened up and pushed past Ukai, bumping shoulders as he did so. Without another word or glance, he exited the shop, slamming the door behind him.

Miyo let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding in as the door rattled out into the silent air. She was grateful that her exmate's scent quickly dissipated, it was an atrocious fragrance to carry with her at all times- she want it to be any stronger than it had to be.

"Good riddance," Binky chirped, wiping her hands in front of her as if to rid herself of Sonny's filth. "What a piece of work he is. It's a good thing you've got such a strong Alpha watching over you!" She continued, granting Miyo with a sly wink.

"Um…" Miyo tried to reply, but faltered, blushing at the forward remark. "Yeah, he is a piece of work. I definitely made some shitty mistakes in my youth!"

"What a piece of shit," Ukai growled, ignorant to her and Binky's exchange, eyeing the door with dark, nearly feral eyes. "I'm going to make sure the fucker isn't loitering around outside," he barked to no one in particular and swiftly exited the shop.

Miyo could smell his agitation as it wafted by as he passed. She couldn't, for the life of her, come to a solid conclusion that explained his reaction to Sonny. She and Ukai were friends, but friendship rarely held up against mated scents...

"Well! Would you look at that!" The female Alpha exclaimed, swatting her playfully on the shoulder. "He most certainly wants to scent you!"

She stiffened- wants to...what? She had never smelled any level of attraction to her in his scent, not ever. She found him devilishly charming, in his own, unpolished way, but Ukai and her could never be anything more than friends. If only she had met him sooner...the delinquent professor, sympathetic to the Omega cause.

"Hey now!" Binky continued, sensing the her mental unrest. "Just because you were mated with that knothead, doesn't mean you're off the market for good."

Miyo glanced up at the beautiful woman in confusion. "I...I...well…do you know how slim my chances are?" She asserted, unsure of why she felt comfortable enough to express her darkest feelings to the Alpha stranger. "I would need to come across an absolutely mad Alpha, and I have standards…"

"Okay girly, listen here," Binky said sweetly, turning to face her. "I rescented my mate. Yeah, I guess it's uncommon, but it happens! I mean, Juno, my Omega, he was mated with this piece of shit Alpha named Asuno. I mean, as far as Alphas come, he was the worst of the worst. Used to beat him and…" She trailed off, vibrating with renewed anger at her recollection.

Miyo could smell the her unchecked rage accumulating, darkening her eyes as her feral instincts kicked into gear.

"Whatever. Whatever!" Binky conceded, holding her hands up in resignation. "My point is, when I met Juno, I didn't give two shits that he was mated already. Well, at least not mentally. Sure, Asuno's scent made me sick to my stomach...like, sometimes even being next to Juno made me want to vomit, but that didn't stop me. I mean, it took some time and some sweet talking on my part, but eventually, I gained his trust, and the rest is history!"

"Was...was Asuno's scent gone after you...scented your Omega?"

Unwarranted hope had prompted her to ask the question, but she already knew the answer. If only it was that easy...

The shopkeeper smiled sweetly and shook her head, "no. I wish..."

When Miyo noticeably slumped, Binky embraced her warmly and guided her over to the counter.

"Once we slept together...I mean, when Juno was in heat, I replaced it. It took a few cycles to fully get rid of it, Asuno had a fucking dominant scent, but I didn't care. It was...exhilarating...forcing it out with my own!" She suddenly cried out, holding Miyo by the shoulders at arms length, reassuring her with her touch. "That blonde guy, that motherfucker who nearly went feral at the sight of your mate? He's definitely more dominant that shitty brunette Alpha, I can smell it," she continued, tapping her nose with a knowing finger. "So just…just...don't give up hope, okay?"

Don't give up hope ...a small smile flickered across her face, but she wasn't about to allow herself the satisfaction of the feeling. Asking something so terrible of Ukai was not something she was ever planning on doing- even if she did want to mate with him. It was out of the question.

"Now, let's get you those flowers!"

Ukai~

Ukai was half way to feral, in a vengeful mood of agitation. Suddenly, he had a face to put on the disgusting scent Miyo carried with her, day and night. The instant he had walked into the flower shop he smelled her distress.. .no...that wasn't right- he had smelled it from nearly a block had taken every ounce of will in his being to swallow his vomit when he had placed a hand on her shoulder in front of her mate, but it had also granted him a massive adrenaline rush. Taunting her exmate, it felt... right .

This isn't over Miyo, not by a long shot, Sonny's threatening words skittered across his mind, nearly sending him into a wild blaze of fury. Oh, it was. Ukai was going to make sure that it was. He was never going to allow the man near his Omega again. Not ever.

"Hey!" A familiar voice echoed into his dark mind, piercing into his flurry of anger. "Ukai…?"

He shook his head, unable to clear his instincts away- they were too loud, screeching, fuming with wild rage.

"Um...are you okay?" Miyo asked softly from what he could only imagine was a few feet away.

"I'm fine," he snarled, crossing his broad arms over his chest in a pout. Her scent was renewing his sickness, driving him mad. He just wanted to smell her .

"Okay, well, I wanted to thank you, for what you did in there. I'm sorry you had to get involved..."

Her words faded into nothing, drowned out by his primal instincts. He wanted to punch something, preferably the face of the Alpha fuckboy that had touched her.

Wait, his conscious mind suddenly interjected, was she apologizing? Why? He had gotten involved because he wanted to...no...because he needed to. Then, his instincts poured back, roaring at him in a flurry of jealous envy. Mine. Not. His. Keep her safe. Kill Sonny. Scent her. Mate her. They screeched, like nails on chalkboard, clouding his thoughts- it was taking everything he had not to snap in two.

After a few brief moments of struggle, he decided that he had to resign to them, if only for a few hours. They clearly were not going anywhere. He summoned the last vestiges of his conscious mind and gently shuffled Miyo back into the shop, ignoring her verbal interjections.

"Wait here," he commanded without looking at her, it would be too painful. He could still smell Sonny's scent radiating off her slender figure, if he saw her emerald eyes, he wouldn't be able to keep it together. When Miyo began to protest he hastily added, "please, just give me a second. I can't...handle myself right now. I know you'll be safe here."

Hoping that the Omega would stay put, he strode over to the blonde Alpha behind the counter.

"Hey," he barked, frustrated with his inability keep his anger from his tone.

The blonde Alpha gave him a wicked smirk and leaned onto the counter.

"Hey…"

"I need a favor. Another... favor," he growled, running a large hand through his hair. He was incredible grateful that she had sided with him against Sonny, and even more pleased that she was smart enough to know that his rage was directed at her. Alphas could be stupid, brawling over any aggressive scent regardless of its nature. She was a wise Alpha, and they were rare.

"Shoot," the shopkeep commanded, reeling in her scent so it wouldn't incite his own vengeful one any further.

"Can you...walk Miyo back to the hospital for me. I can't...be around her right now. I-"

"You're fucking close to going feral, that's for sure!" The blonde woman interrupted him with a throaty laugh. "Even I want to snap that fucker's neck and I don't even know the history."

Ukai let out a breath of relief at her willingness to help him. He hardly even knew her, but her actions spoke for themselves. She was a trustworthy Alpha, he knew it in his bones.

"I will absolute pay you for the lost business hours…" He growled quietly, not wanting Miyo to hear their plotting.

The blonde shopkeeper waved a hand out in front of her and shook her head.

"Fuck no. No need to do that, we close in an hour anyways," she sang sweetly and hopped over the counter, taking off her cream apron. "And my Omega's out of town, so I'm down for a little romp of adventure!"

"I will repay you. I promise," Ukai added, seeping gratitude into his agitated scent.

"EXCUSE ME!" Miyo yelled out from the door in a tone that made Ukai stiffen. She was very, very mad. "ARE YOU MAKING PLANS ABOUT ME, WITHOUT ME?!"

Ukai sighed and closed his eyes, he knew it was rude to insert himself in Miyo's life, but he didn't care. His innate desire to keep her safe was overwhelming, clouding his better judgement.

"Go for a run. Cool off. I'll handle shit, don't worry," Binky said quietly, patting his shoulder before walking over to the irritated Omega by the door.

Ukai nodded and quickly snuck past Miyo's bristling form to rush out of the shop.

"HEY WHERE ARE Y-" He heard the her shout at him as he closed the door, but he ignored her. He needed to get out of there. Now

He was going to meet Miyo at the hospital, it wasn't even a question, but he needed an hour to get his Alpha emotions under control. Otherwise, he would say something, or do something, that he would regret... like hunting down Sonny and slitting his throat. The thought of losing Miyo, which he certainly would if he kept submitting to his instincts, made him want to die. Pang after pang of terror permeated his being and in that moment, as he stood bristling outside the flower shop in the Fukui district, he suddenly realized that he loved the raven Omega. He didn't know why, when, or how it had happened, but it had, and now, he needed to figure out what he was going to do about it.

As he walked down the sidewalk towards the ocean, he mentally promised that he would do everything in his power to keep her safe. Even if she didn't return his feelings...he would follow her every day for the rest of his life to defend her.

Chapter Twenty Nine: Yellow Roses

Yachi~

As Yachi descended the stairs on Monday morning, happy voices rang out from the main floor and familiar tinges of fragrances whirled into her nostrils. She adored it, feeling safe and secure, regardless of the intrusion a few days earlier- she knew in her heart that her housemates, both Alpha and Omega, had her back.

"Yaaaaaaaachi! I need your help with the pancakes," Tanaka called out from the kitchen, smelling her scent.

She strolled into the blue kitchen, rubbing her eyes. Still in her pink pajamas, her bunny slippers slid across the black and white tile as she shuffled towards the bald Alpha, frowning down at the stove.

"You're doing it wrong. You're not flipping them on time," Kuroo barked over his shoulder, his large hands emerged in soapy dish water.

An instant later, Shoyo bounded into the room, plopped a dirty plate on the rooster's growing dish pile, then leaned over Tanaka's shoulder to eye down the pan.

"Kuroo's right. You're not flipping them on time!"

"Well it's not exactly easy, okay?! They get stuck!" Tanaka whined, passing the spatula over to the ginger with vigor. "You try it, then, shrimpy!"

Shoyo was a pretty good cook, Yachi knew that for certain from the old cooking schedules during their time in their Omega residence. Her help wouldn't be needed. ..so long as he didnt start a fire. With that thought in mind, she shuffled over to Kuroo and planted herself next to him. Wow , she pondered, gazing up at his tall stature, he really was a giant! She shuddered, briefly wondering how Kenma managed to sleep with such a large Alpha.

"You, uh, you need some help? Here, I can dry!" She squeaked, grabbing a dish towel from the silver rack by the window. "I don't mind!"

"That's so thoughtful!" Kuroo replied, glancing down at her with a coy, lopsided grin. "KENMA! YOU'RE LUCKY YACHI IS SO NICE! Not that you were going to help with dish duty anyways..." He suddenly yelled over his shoulder, his voice falling into a quiet mutter.

Yachi flinched back from the abrupt loudness, stumbling into the marble counter on her left. Lucky, lucky it wasn't the side with her broken ribs,she sighed in relief, although...they had felt better healed when she tested them out earlier that morning- - only hard impacts seemed to bother them now.

"Not a problem! It would be my pleasure!" She exclaimed, granting the rooster with her best smile.

As she dried the items Kuroo handed her, making casual small talk, various people shuffled in and out of the kitchen. When they at last finished, Tanaka presented her with a somewhat burnt, heart shaped pancake.

"Oh, Tanaka!" She cried, beaming up at him. "It looks great!"

"It looks awful," Kuroo drawled out from behind her, wiping his wrinkly hands on a fresh dish towel. "You're seriously gonna eat that?"

"Hey! Shut up. Just because you know how to cook…" The bald Alpha muttered, punching the rooster in the shoulder over Yachi's head. They really were giants…

She quickly scampered out of the kitchen as their playful banter shifted to a semi-brawl and placed her plate down on the oak table next to Bokuto, eagerly shoving a piece of jelly toast into his mouth.

"Good morning!" He sang with a full mouth, his voice somewhat nasally from his swollen nose.

"Your toast looks good!" Yachi replied with a smile, forcing down a desire to feel her own nose to ensure it was okay.

When she attempted to cut into her hard pancake, she realized that something about the owl boy seemed... different . She sniffed the air as her knife cracked through the burnt batter, clanging onto the white plate beneath. He smelled off, almost like...Keiji?! Had the two of them…?

A moment later, she had her answer in the form of Keiji, waltzing in from the backyard, textbook in hand. Oh , she thought to herself with a quiet giggle, they had definitely slept together. Bokuto was so different from her snarky nestmate, yet, maybe...they fit together? Balanced out each other's strengths and weaknesses…

Bokuto hurried to shove the remaining bits of toast into his mouth and pushed up from the table. "Ready to go?" He mumbled to Keiji, standing on his right with an amused look on his normally pensive face.

"Chew your food, you're going to choke," Keiji droned back, hitting him on the head with his textbook.

"Keijiiiii," he whined back, holding up his splintered fingers. "You shouldn't hit me! I'm injured!"

Keiji rolled his icy eyes and sighed. "Let's go, let's go. Stop complaining. I want to get to the library before lunch."

"Can't we just hang out here for-"

"No."

"But we are-"

"Let's go. You need more study prep than I do."

"Fiiiiiiine…"

Yachi watched as the pair made their way out the door, enjoying each other's company with some harmless bickering. She smiled down at the table and began the difficult endeavor of eating the hardened pancake before her. When she had nearly cleared the plate, Suga pulled up a chair beside her and gave her a wry, knowing smirk.

"Hey," he said, lightly bumping her shoulder with his own. "How are you feeling?"

"Hi!" Yachi replied with a squeak, happy to have her sugar momma back from the hospital. "Do you really think that Oikawa will be discharged tonight? I know your text said-"

"Pretty sure!" Suga interrupted her word vomit with a thoughtful laugh. "Listen, Yachi. There's actually something I wanted to talk to you about…"

"Oh?" She questioned, taking another bite of the hard pancake.

"About...Yuji. . "

Yachi froze mid-chew, holding her utensils stiffly in her small hands. She had been planning on talking to the Alpha today, but she just wasn't sure how to bring up her feelings- or what to even say about them, for that matter.

"I...I could use the advice," she confessed, her pale cheeks flushing pink in embarrassment. "I'm not sure...I don't know...what to even say…"

"Well, he's still asleep right now. Upstairs, the room across from the nest," Suga started, dragging a slender finger across the syrup on her plate and plopping it in his mouth.

Yeah... she had smelled him the moment she left the nest room earlier, but she had convinced herself that it was merely remnants from the fight with Chaki.

"But, more importantly, what exactly do you want with him?" Suga questioned plainly, eyeing her down with motherly, chocolate eyes. "Because, if you haven't already noticed, our nest seems to pairing up with these Alpha boys, left and right, with no regard for normal relationship timelines."

T hat she had noticed.

"I…." She faltered, trying to find the right words to describe her complex feelings. "I guess...I guess I like him. I mean...I really do. I know you guys don't want me to take things too fast, but the thing is, when I'm around him, I don't think Ill be able to help myself. I don't know...does that make any sense? I mean, I don't even know if he likes me back! And if he doesn't-"

"Okay, shh," Suga interjected her ramblings once more, ruffling her golden hair. "Daichi and I talked. Yuji, he's a good guy. You brighten up when you're around him, too. I noticed it at the game, but I thought it was a fluke or something. And then I saw you two at the party and, well, you have my blessing...and Oikawa's…and Keiji's," he finished sweetly, rising up from the table to rejoin Daichi on the turquoise couch.

Yachi was momentarily stunned. Was that it? No advice?! Just a blessing and Yuji's location?!

"You'll be fine!" Suga called over his shoulder, smelling her panicked fragrance. "The room across from the nest, don't forget!" He added with a sly wink before plopping down on the couch across the room.

Oh, cause she was going to forget where Yuji was, very funny . She sighed, forcing the last bit of pancake down her throat before shuffling back into the kitchen. Washing her plate at an agonizingly slow pace, trying to stall against her inevitable confrontation with Yuji, she pondered what exactly she was going to say. What if he didn't like her back? What if he couldn't handle her panic attacks or her stupid traumatic history? She shook her head, no, she needed to stop drawing conclusions.

As she dried her dish and placed it in the cupboard, she steadied her conviction, readying herself to find out the answers.

"Hey...Daichi?" She called over to the couch as she exited the kitchen- suddenly aware of how she could break the ice with Yuji.

"What's up?" The captain called, looking over his shoulder at her with questioning eyes.

"Could...um...could I, or I guess, could Yuji...could Yuji borrow a shirt and some sweatpants? I know that-"

"Oh, for sure!" Daichi interjected, hiking himself up from the couch. "Bokuto borrowed some of my stuff this morning, too."

"Oh...great!" Yachi remarked as the Alpha strode towards her, ruffling her golden hair with his large hand.

Man, him and Suga were definitely the parental figures in the house...ruffling her hair...acting like she was their kid...

"Here, let's go up to my room and you can pick something out. You have better taste in clothing than he does!"

Yachi nodding and trailed behind the captain up the stairs, growing more nervous with every step.

Yuji had been half asleep the entire morning. The bed was a lush haven of comfort and the sunlight catching through the bay window had him acting like a cat- basking in the warm rays. He lazily glanced over at the alarm clock situated on the white nightstand, 11:33am, he really should get up…

"Hello…?" A timid voice called from behind the door, startling him to his full senses. Yachi .

Oh god. Shit.

He shot up in a panic then froze in place on the cold hardwood, unsure of what to do. He glanced down at himself, he was naked down to his briefs. Oh goddammit.

"Um...Yuji? Hello?" Yachi called again, quietly tapping on the door. "Sorry to wake you…"

"Uh..um...just a second!" He yelled back, louder than he intended- she just made him so frickin' nervous.

Frantically searching the room for his clothing, he was quick to find his orange shirt, caked with dry blood. He pulled it over his lean torso in a hurry, careful not to upset his damaged jaw. Jeans, jeans, where were his jeans? Where were they?! He paced, half naked, around the room, eyes darting about. No time. No time! His panicked mind cancelled his quest and he grabbed onto the grey bed sheet, playing tug-o-war against the mattress. After he finally managed to yank it free, he wrapped it around his waist and rushed over to open the door.

"Oh, hey!" He attempted to say smoothly, nearly falling over in his casual attempt to lean against the frame. "What's, uh, what's up? How are you feeling?"

"Um...Hi, are you okay? You're out of breath…" Yachi replied with furrowed brows, looking up at him with honey colored eyes.

"Oh yeah! I'm totally fine. Just couldn't, uh, find my pants..." Yuji mumbled out in embarrassment, gesturing at the bed sheet wrapped around his waist.

"Well, good news then!" The small Omega squeaked, flashing him a bright smile that warmed the deepest parts of his soul. "Daichi let me borrow some of his clothes for you!"

Yuji's heart swelled, she was so fucking considerate.

"Thank you so much! Oh my god, this so perfect," he exclaimed, taking the pile of cloth from her small hands. "My shirt is torn to hell and I have no idea where my pants are."

"Oh! N-no problem!" Yachi replied, stuttering as their hands brushed during the exchange. "Glad to help!"

He couldn't help but admire her pink pajamas, her small figure was swimming in the over-sized fabric. When he accidentally noticed her small breasts pushing against the silk, his cock twitched with anticipation and a mass wave of internal panic set in. Oh no, oh no, oh no. Think of something else, he commanded himself, averting his gaze down to the floorboards.

"Um..I...I like your bunny slippers!" He shouted down at her feet, much, much louder than he intended.

Why was he always so nervous around her? He never was nervous around women, especially Omegas.

When Yachi jumped back, startled from his abrupt shout, he ground his teeth together, cursing himself. He wanted to slap his forehead, he was losing cool points left and right. Get. It. Together.

"T-thank you!" She stuttered, adjusting her pajama top along her slender shoulders and he instantly averted his gaze once again, this time opting for the ceiling.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to yell. I guess I'm still tired," he lied, running a hand through his hair in an attempt to ease his stress.

"Oh, that's okay!" Yachi replied, hesitantly stepping back towards the door frame. "Um...actually, I was wondering if we could talk about some stuff...if that's okay?"

Talk about things. He had spent nearly two hours, tossing and turning, trying to think about what he was going to say to her after everything that happened with Chaki . He never actually formed a plan, he just, sort of, bounced around a series of scenarios until he had fallen asleep. Now, smelling her rosy fragrance so close by made his mind fuzzy- he wanted nothing more than to scent her. He just had no idea how to tell her that...or how she would respond to such a forward remark. They barely knew each other.

"Oh, yeah! Of course," he said with a nod, trying to hide the panic in his voice. "Do you...uh...wanna come in?"

Yachi gave him a nervous smile and stepped forward. "Sure, yeah. That would be, um, great."

Yuji moved aside to let her by, subtly inhaling her intoxicating fragrance as she passed. He admired the way she lightly sniffed at the air, he had realized early on that it was her way of ascertaining potential threats. Smart , but he wished with all his heart that she didn't feel the need to do it. Society was so warped.

"Wow. This room is so bright! I love the natural light," she sang as she walked over to the bay window on the far wall. "Oh! And you have your own bathroom!"

She was acting like he already lived there- he wished he did. He was eternally grateful that chance had brought him to this University, to this volleyball team, otherwise he would have never met this flock, or Yachi. At least not under the same conditions. It was a lucky coincidence...a twist of fate.

"Yeah, it's pretty wicked," he agreed, placing the bundle of fresh clothing on the white dresser near the door.

Yachi peeked her head through the bathroom doorway, sniffed, then turned back to face the main room. The sun illuminated her soft face, reflecting off her honey coloured eyes. The yellow walls around them suited her sweet personality, enduring and vibrant. For a brief moment, his mind flickered back to her pajamas, wondering what they would look like off, before he shoved the thought away as another pulse shot through his cock.

"Is it okay if I sit here?" Yachi asked, motioning to the grey sofa across from the bed.

"For sure," he asserted, moving to sit on the edge of the mattress to face her. When he had the horrible realization that his bed sheet wrap was too tight for him to sit, he leaned awkwardly against the edge, praying that she wouldn't notice his uncomfortable stance.

The pair sat in silence for a few minutes and Yuji diddled his thumbs, wracking his mind for something to say.

"So...um...well yesterday…" Yachi spoke at last and he let out large breath he hadn't realized he was holding. "I wanted to thank you for everything you did. You saved me."

No, he had hurt her. He had jumped her, he had been unable to control his instincts...

"And I know you're going to get mad at yourself about tackling me, but please forget about it. It wasn't a big deal, really. You didn't attack me, not on purpose, anyways. And there was no harm done," she asserted in half command, as if reading his internal thoughts.

She was right. That was the first thing on his mind and he wasn't about to forgive himself for it, no matter how kind her words were. However, he did force it from his mind, for now- she had made it quite clear that the issue was to be dropped and he didn't really want to think about it, not right now.

"No need to thank me, Yachi. Seriously, any decent person would have done it," he said gently in almost a whisper, inhaling her happy fragrance as it pushed into the air around them. He melted into the roses, relaxing back against the mattress behind him.

"Well, I still do thank you…" She whispered, glancing at him with shy, doe-like eyes.

"You're welcome, then," Yuji replied, most of his focus on in taking as much of her scent as humanly possible, before it disappeared.

But...it wasn't disappearing. Not this time...

"There's something else…" The small girl added, fear flickering across her soft eyes.

The sudden change made Yuji nervous, his chest constricting into a tight knot of worry. He didn't like to see her upset, and he liked it even less that he was the one causing it.

"I…" She began, taking a deep breath to steady her nerves. "I like you. Not just your scent or your vibrant personality and...you're attractive...and considerate…" She stated plainly, her voice was quivering as she verbally confessed her confused feelings. "I want to...I was wondering if…"

Yuji rose to his feet and shuffled awkwardly on wrapped legs to the couch across from him. I like you , that was all he had heard, it was all her had needed to hear. He scooped up her small frame and cradled it into his body, drowning into her joyous scent- grateful that she didn't shove him away.

"I don't want to push you. I'm not Chaki..." He said softly as he rocked her, spitting out the last word with contempt. "But, I really, really like you, Yachi. I swear, since the first time I smelled you, at the volleyball game against Date Tech, you've been in my mind, constantly. Fuck, I hated how frightened I made you when we first met. And when...when that fucking Alpha intruded...I figured out why. Why you were so hesitant all the time, with everything . He's a fucking monster . I want you to know I'm not like that. I would never be like that ," he finished, holding her tighter against his chest as his instincts pushed out a protective scent with fervor.

He didn't want anyone to touch her. Hurt her. Never. Never again.

"I know you aren't…" Yachi whispered, and he nearly lost himself when she began to purr against his chest. It was the most wonderful feeling in the world. "I know I might be a bit over-anxious...and sometimes I might have panic attacks...and maybe you'll get frustrated and not want to be with-"

Stop," Yuji growled, cutting off her negative train of thought. "I would never leave you over something so stupid."

Never leave her? They hardly knew each other! Did it matter…? 'I knew from the first time I smelled him.' That's what Daichi had said about Suga. In that moment, Yuji had come to realize that he felt the exact same thing, with Yachi. Her scent was too perfect. He couldn't get her out of his mind- he wasn't sure he would ever be able to. He didn't want to.

"I...uh...I mean, if you want to be together that is…" He added in as a fail safe, silently praying for the universe to make her answer a yes.

He didn't want to release her. She scent was his lifeline, if she cut him off now, he was certain that he would die.

"I do...want to be together...I mean. Here, put me down," Yachi said gently and he reluctantly set her down on the hardwood. "Sit," she continued, patting the grey sofa with a small hand.

As he awkwardly leaned in to take a seat, he watched as she hiked up her large pajama pants, then straddled his lap. She cupped his face, looking into his chocolate eyes and he held her gaze, both unable and unwilling to look away. Then, she gave him a timid smile before kissing him with soft lips, her hands gingerly sweeping across his damaged jaw to grasp at the back of his neck. His entire body melted into her touch and he returned the gesture with vigor, wrapping his arms around her tiny waist, but the more he explored her mouth, the less control he retained.

"Yachi…" He snarled, pulling away with hasty frustration. "Even though I'd love to keep going, we need to stop. Like now."

Yachi sat back on his thighs and bit her swollen lip, nodding in understanding.

"How about you get dressed and meet me downstairs? There's some leftover pancake batter...I'll make you some? They should be soft enough for you to eat," she asserted, flashing him with a caring smile as she gracefully pushed off of his lap and adjusted her silk pajamas on her hips.

Yuji rose to his feet up and leaned down to give her another kiss. He wanted more, wanted all of her, but he needed to take things slow- he needed to prove to her that he was different.

"That sounds awesome , but first, I'm scenting you," he growled, scooping her up in his arms once more to rub her golden hair against his neck.

He had been dying to do it since the first moment he smelled her rosy fragrance, and while he was going to take his time sleeping with her, scenting her was not up for debate. Not with her unprotected life on the line in such a twisted world.

Chapter Thirty: Instinctual Desire

Daichi~

Sitting next to Suga, nestled into the plush couch beside his Omega, had Daichi in his own, personal heaven. While the unpleasant event a few nights past had left many physical scars, it failed to destroy the semblance of peace they had worked to hard to build in their yellow house. In fact, it seemed to have amplified it, not hindered it.

Bokuto's nose was still packed with cotton padding, but the swelling had gone down immensely and he had successfully earned a spot in their odd, hybrid pack- now that he and Keiji had done the deed. Tobio's arm was, admittedly , in near ruins, but this morning he was in unusually pleasant mood, especially towards Shoyo. The two boys were loudly playing volleyball in the backyard under the early afternoon sun. Well, Daichi thought to himself with a sly chuckle, Shoyo was playing, Tobio was more...coaching...aggressively coaching - the only way he knew how to show affection.

"Hey…" Suga chimed in softly with a bump to Daichi's shoulder, indicating behind them with a jerk of his head. "Look…"

Daichi craned his neck back over the edge of the couch, gazing at the upside down scene. Yuji was beaming, not his usual, quirky up-to-no-good smile, but a genuine, playful schoolgirl grin. At his side, Yachi was vigorously chatting at his side, something about pancakes and chocolate chips.

"Smell…" Suga commanded softly, a small smirk plastered on his slender face. "Can you smell the difference?"

Daichi hesitantly sniffed the air, then rolled his neck back to glance at the silver Omega beside him. "Wow, quick work," he replied, raising a knowing eyebrow. "You okay with that?"

"Mmm," Suga pondered, eyes fixed on the images playing on the television in front of them. "Yeah, I'm fine with it."

"Oh?"

"What do you mean, oh? They have my blessing."

"Were you not worrying about this just a few hours ago? Something about...the domino effect?"

"That was then. This is now."

"Annnnd the difference is?"

"Daichi!" Suga exclaimed, playfully smacking him on the shoulder with wide, honey coloured eyes. "Stop hassling me!"

"I'm just saying…" He asserted with a smug grin, clicking the remote to forward through the commercials. "I like to know what's going on in that giant brain of yours."

"Well," Suga said softly, leaning his silver head down on Daichi's broad shoulder. "That was before I saw how... happy they are. Yachi and Keiji, I mean. Plus, I'm not their mom. They can do what they want."

" You . You're not their mom? I'm sorry, but what world are you living in?" Daichi exclaimed, jabbing Suga in the kidney.

"Fine. As I said, they have my blessing. You've been a good reference for those Alphas, you're right, they're good guys," the silver Omega giggled, hastily pushing away his prying hands. "Would you stop it?! We have to plan for tonight!"

"Oh," he said at once, the thought of Oikawa banishing all happy thoughts from his skull. "Yeah...is he for sure getting released tonight?"

"Mmm, so they say. I want to throw another party. We need a do-over, don't you think?"

Daichi's brows furrowed at the prospect, unhappy with the idea of another get together so soon- before he had even had a chance to beef up their security. However, he thought to himself with a small sigh, it was important to Suga. It was important to all of them, a show of their strength and solidarity as a group.

"I can tell you're not happy about it," Suga interjected his train of thought, his voice melancholy. "But, Oikawa deserves this. We all do. We just have to be extra careful this time...we'll get double the booze, so no one leave the house!"

"Yeah, yeah," Daichi replied, running a large hand over the back of his neck. "I know, and you're right, Oikawa does deserve it…but, do you think he and Hajime will fucking talk? I mean, I don't know what exactly happened, but even I can tell that Hajime's upset about a whole lot more than just the injury…"

"God," Suga said with an exasperated sigh and sunk down into the turquoise cushions, blowing a silver hair out of his face. "I hope so. Oikawa is...not good at dealing with his feelings, or his past..."

"Well, that makes two of them, then."

"Yeah, maybe we can give them a little push?"

"How about a giant shove?"

"You know what," Suga asserted with a beautiful laugh that coating Daichi's insides with liquid honey. "Whatever works. Maybe, we can just lock them in a room together with some food and water until it all gets sorted? That would do the trick!"

"Mmm," Daichi murmured, leaning in to kiss the silver Omega's soft lips. "Now go get your organization on, you're practically vibrating with excitement."

"I like planning things."

"Oh," Daichi replied, playfully rolling his eyes. "I am well aware."

Ukai~

It had taken Ukai two hours, two hours of pacing, teeth grinding, and growling, to finally regain a grasp on his instincts. By the time he had returned to the hospital, looking for Miyo, he was irritated to find out, from the good-hearted Binky, that she had gone home to gather a few things before picking up Oikawa- one of them being a shower. How could she just leave, he thought to himself, clenching his fists on his steering wheel as he sped down the block towards her brown bungalow, was she completely oblivious to her dire situation? Sonny was...lurking around, and he had threatened her, threatened her!

Hastily pulling up to the curb, he pushed out of his car and slammed the door behind him, sniffing the air for even the slightest hint of her exmate. Not in the area, he thought as he strode up the familiar cobblestone walkway past the rows of white daisies, good.

Stopping himself in front of the solid oak door, he knocked heavily on the wood, shifting on his feet in agitation. When it swung open, revealing a freshly bathed Miyo, unharmed, in a green bathrobe, he let himself relax... slightly.

"Oh," the raven Omega exclaimed, furrowing her brows in confusion. "Ukai, I thought we were meeting at the hospital?"

"We were. You weren't there," he replied, liquid hostility snaking its way into his tone. "So, now I'm here."

"I can see that," Miyo nodded with a subtle laugh that swirled her mixed scent into the air around them. "Do you want to come in?"

"Sure."

"Ooooooookay. Come on in, Mr. Pensive."

Ukai strode past her, ignoring the quip, and entered the warm home- focusing all of his attention on sifting through the air for any sign of her ex. Again, he was pleased to find nothing, aside from lingering remains of her mated scent. The warped fragrance in the house riled up his instincts, coiling them around inside his gut like a pit of venomous snakes.

"Are you okay?" He barked at once, turning to face the startled Omega closing the door.

"Um, yes? Are you okay?" Miyo replied, her emerald eyes a foggy mix of empathetic worry. "You seem...upset…"

"I'm fine," he snapped, wincing slightly at the mindless rage behind his words.

He wasn't mad at her. He was...mad at the situation, at his feelings, at his instincts. At everything.

"Are you still agitated from...the stuff that happened?"

Unwilling to even say her exmate's name...purposefully dancing around the subject. He didn't like it. Not at all. He was a straightforward man.

"I hate the smell of him," he growled, eyes darkening with feral instinct. "I fucking hate it. He threatened you, Miyo. For christ's sakes, and you just leave the hospital, unprotected?!"

"Un-unprotected?!" Miyo exclaimed, her shoulders bristling with new anger. "Excuse me? I've been dealing with him just fine on my own, yearsbefore you came around. Don't try and pull that shit-"

" Fuck , Miyo, just stop. You don't-"

"I don't what?! I don't know how to handle an Alpha? Because I'm a weak little Ome-"

"That's not what I mean and you know it. Don't you understand that-"

"What I understand , professor, is that my relationship with Sonny , is none of your busin-"

"Yes, it is!" Ukai snarled, taking a large step forward as Miyo backed herself against the heavy oak door. "You have no idea how fucking crazy he makes me. I smell him on you. His fucking scent...it tarnishes yours! I can't...I just...it makes me want to…" He continued as he slammed a large fist into the wall next to him, rattling the pictures hanging near the impact.

His muscles tensed up against his shoulders, burning with a crisp intensity that sliced up through his neck and into his skull. He didn't ask to feel this way, he didn't choose it. His instincts, in all their humor, were responsible- he was merely a passenger, a bystander.

Only, that wasn't the truth. He knew it. His conscious mind loved her, too.

Miyo~

"Yes, it is!" Ukai growled and slammed a large fist into the wall, nearly breaking plaster. "You have no idea how fucking crazy he makes me. I smell him on you. His fucking scent tarnishes yours! I can't...I just...it makes me want to…"

Miyo was nearly blown back by his sudden hostile scent, coiling into the air with vengeful fury.

"I'm sorry…" She whispered, suddenly ashamed by his words. "Really…"

She was... disgusted with herself, extremely unhappy that she smelled... so terrible to him- so terrible that he couldn't even manage to be around her.

"Fuck!" The blonde Alpha snarled over his shoulder, hitting a large fist into the wall once more. "Don't fucking apologize. It's not your fault. I know I shouldn't be involved, but if that piece of garbage comes near you again, I'll...I'll slice his fucking throat."

She had never seen Ukai so violent before. He was easy going, almost too relaxed, not an angry Alpha, a slave to his instincts. The furious man before her, his bristling shoulders and white knuckles, was both terrifying and comforting. His scent was weaving into the warm around around her, leaving heavy traces of protection, dominance, and vengeance, all equally prominent in their own right. Why, she thought to herself as she shrank back against the front door behind her, why did she have to meet him now. Why not before Sonny- or, better yet, why had she been stupid enough to mate with her ex in the first place?

"I'll...handle it, Ukai. I'll deal with him so you don't have to keep getting involved," she said as gently as she could and moved forward, hesitantly touching the Alpha's stiff shoulder.

She was ashamed, ashamed that she had forced him into her mess. Forced him into such an upsetting situation.

Ukai whipped around at her soft touch, harshly grabbing her delicate write in his calloused hands. "Keep getting involved?! I've been fucking involved since the moment I first smelled you!" He snarled into her face as he backed her into the door once more, exuding a powerful fury that blanketed their forms. "I'm losing my fucking mind, Miyo. I've been losing it for a long time now. Every time, every fucking time I smell him on you...thinking about the two of you together...imagining the shit he's done to you…" He growled out, inches from her pale face, drooling spit onto the tiled floor. "I want to tear his stomach out. Spill his guts...All. Over. The. Pavement."

With her back forced against the hard oak surface and her wrist held above her head with a grip that would bruise, she felt herself seep out a quiet scent of fear. His eyes...Ukai's eyes...and his scent...he was mere moments away from devolving into an unchecked, feral rage.

"I'm sorry…" She whispered, averting her gaze down to her small feet- unsure of the true source of his anger. "I didn't...I didn't mean to get you involved in this. It was unprofessional of me. I can handle it, on my own, you know I can. I don't want my scent to keep bothering-"

"STOP FUCKING SAYING THAT!" Ukai snapped, pushing her chin up to gaze into her eyes- his own a flurry of confusing emotions, darkened by his instincts. "What about this do you not underst-"

"What am I supposed to understand?" Miyo interjected, her voice quivering from confusion, yet rising with renewed anger. "MY very scent upsets you? So fuck off, then. I can handle my-"

"It's NOT you! It's him . It's his FUCKING smell that-"

"And there's NOTHING I can do about it! I'm sorry, but if you think-"

"I WANT to be INVOLVED, MIYO. I want his FUCKING scent off of you!" Ukai snarled, leaning his chest into her own, his face stiff with resentment. "I know there's nothing you can do, but there's something we can do. Something I can do."

Miyo shivered against his hard body, doing her best not to wince away from his intense gaze. He wanted Sonny's scent gone...wanted to replace it with...his own? The sudden prospect gripped her heart with a warm embrace, but she quickly squashed the joyous feeling. He was insane, he had gone mad, the ordeal would be too painful for him. How could she ever accept, or ask, of something so horrible.

"You don't know what you're saying," she pleaded with wide eyes, not wanting him to make a rash decision, not while he was in such a feral state. Sleeping with her, it would make him sick, and mating with her would be levels worse. She had heard the horror stories, she had done the research, he hadn't. "Do you even understand how hard it would be to-"

"Stop," Ukai interjected, his tone softening to a low growl that pooled down in her nether regions as he leaned closer, soft lips inches from her own.

"You're not in your right mind," she whispered, feeling her knees slowly turn to jelly as his domineering scent curled around her.

"Miyo, stop," the Alpha reiterated gently, grazing his lips over her cheek. "Just stop, please."

His tone was gentle, apologetic, even. Miyo's skin bubbled over in goosebumps of affectionate arousal. She wanted him, granted, she had wanted him for a long while, but it had never been possible. Even now...it wasn't.

Ukai's throat rumbled as he pushed against her mouth in a hasty kiss that momentarily stunned her. After a few minutes of euphoric exploring, she snapped back and gently pushed against his chest, ready to talk him out of it.

Ukai~

"You don't know what you're saying," Miyo pleaded to him, meeting his gaze with sad, emerald eyes.

Yes he did.

"Do you know how hard it will be to-"

Ukai was sick of her selfless complaints. Her fragrance had devolved into a frightened, anxious mess and he hated it, almost as much as the mated scent. The closer her got to her, the more physical contact he had with her delicate frame, the more she smelled of Sonny. He banished the sickening fragrance from his nostrils and leaned in to kiss her soft lips, promising himself that he would pull back if she didn't return the gesture. He just needed her to stop talking, needed to show her just how serious he was about mating with her. She was so caring, almost to a fault, and he absolutely loved that about her. However, in this instance, he needed her to shut it off- to stop caring about his own well-being more than her own happiness, if only for a moment.

As he explored her mouth, a small voice called out from the deepest recesses of his mind- maybe, she doesn't want you at all. That may be true, he pondered with irritation, shoving the fleeting thought away, but he wasn't going to sit on his feelings any longer. Not after Sonny's threat, not after his team and her flock had been so violently attacked.

Miyo's natural fragrance was intoxicating, a powerful and addictive drug that warmed his tense muscles, melting them into a relaxed state. Sonny,the venomous scent snaked into his nostrils once more, pooling bile in his throat. Why? Each time he went in to get his fix, he was blown back by a hostile, vomit inducing scent of possession. The more it had happened, the more he desired to replace it- and this moment was no exception. He needed to smell her, and only her.

The raven Omega hesitated, gently shoving against his chest with slender hands, then conceded, covering his mouth with passion. He smiled against her lips, overjoyed that his affections weren't misplaced, then returned the gesture with renewed desire. As they tangled against each other, he grabbed her free wrist and pinned it with the other above above her head.

"Ukai…" She panted into his blonde hair as he nibbled up her ear, throat rumbling with arousal- and nausea. "I don't want you to feel like you have to do this…you...don't have to do this…"

Ukai shushed her and gingerly pushed her harder against the door, grinding his hardening cock against her hip. He pulled her hands up higher against the oak and grazed his lips down her cheek, rolling his tongue along her collar bones- doing everything in his power to ignore his churning stomach as he neared her scent glands.

"Please...think about how...hard it will be…" Miyo whispered as she sunk into his grasp, growing more and more aroused from his gentle foreplay. "It'll...make you...sick. You'll be...so...ill..."

Ukai groaned as a fresh wave of Sonny's scent hit his senses. Sighing against the pale skin of her chest, he pulled away to his fully height, keeping her wrists pinned above her head with one hand. He needed her to drop it, he had enough on his plate in the form of her exmate, he didn't have the spare energy to give to her interjections. He wished that it wasn't the case, but he had to deal with reality and the most pertinent problem it had placed before him.

"Do you…" He began, his words trailing off as his dark gaze raked over her delicate figure- taking more than a brief moment to admire her full breasts, rising and falling underneath her disheveled robe. A lustful growl escaped his lips as he forced his gaze back to her forest eyes. "Do you want this. I will stop if you say no," he growled down at her, commanding an answer. "Your call."

It was all or nothing at this point. He knew that jumping into another eternal partnership probably wasn't on the top of her to do list, but she needed to make a decision. He needed her to make a decision, for his own sanity.

"I just don't want you to-"

"Stop thinking about me for once! My mind is made up. I've given it ample thought and I've made my intentions very clear," he snapped, feeling a pang of guilt when she flinched back from his irritated tone. "Do. You. Want. This." He petitioned, softening his tone yet retaining its demanding nature. "What do you want?"

Miyo held his gaze and he inhaled her rainy fragrance, against his better judgement. He would give anything, anything to have it free from the sickening scent of her exmate- and he was offering her just that.

"I'm going to say yes...for now," she whispered after a few moments of contemplation, averting her gaze to the side as she flushed with embarrassment. "I'm not going to discuss something so life changing with you while you're in this state. It wouldn't be fair..."

Fine. Good enough. For now.

Ukai dropped her wrists and scooped up her weightless figure in his arms. When she instinctively straddled her legs against his hips, he felt his cock pulse against the confines of his jeans. He pushed her back against the wall for support and hurried to push down her bathrobe. When her full breasts pooled into his dark vision, his mind went fully feral and his sexual scent burst out into the air, covering every inch of the dim hallway. He claimed her lips once more, roughly pulling at her small nipples as she whined into his mouth, clawing at his hair. As she rocked her sex against his abdomen, her mated scent seeped out, snaking into the air to join his own Alpha scent- making him simultaneously rock hard and sick to his stomach.

Ignore the scent. Ignore the scent. He repeated his mantra as he swiftly walked into the living room and planted the raven Omega onto the leather couch, licking at her lips as he did so. He was dying to graze his teeth over her scent glands, taste the soft skin of her neck, but he knew better. Stay away from them, Ukai, stay away, he told his instincts- in more plead than command. Soon, soon she will be all yours. Patience.

Pulling the the raven haired woman flat against the couch cushions, he tore off his shirt and hastily unbuckled his jeans. Miyo untied the remaining portion of her robe, but he jumped her before she had the chance to push down her lace panties.

"I'm. Sorry," he snarled into her ear, reaching down to graze his fingers over her firm nipples. "I have to be quick. I can't. Handle. His. Scent. Much. Longer."

He would give an arm and a leg to have more time. More time to explore the beautiful Omega, to make her feel unchecked ecstasy, to have her crying out for his touch, for his knot, but his reality prevented it. He couldn't manage his nausea any long, he needed to knot into her, now .

Miyo nodded in understanding, her pale face flushed pink from arousal. He was pleased to see her emerald eyes at least somewhat glassy with desire, but he wished that they were fully clouded- overtaken by sexual instinct. Soon. Soon, she'll be begging. Soon, the pitiful mated scent will be out of his way.

He reached down to her sex, roughly pulled her panties to the side, and lined himself up to penetrate. Miyo spread her legs in acceptance and he thrust into her, exploding in hot pleasure at her tightness, swallowing his rising vomit. He had crossed a line, being inside her angered her mated scent to such a degree that he felt as if he was being strangled by its intensity. No. No, he was doing this, the scent would fuck right off. She was his.

A series of soft whimpers escaped Miyo's lips as he pushed his full length inside her warm sex. Through his blurry vision, he took a pink nipple between his teeth, trying to distract himself from her mated fragrance. As she clawed at his back, he forced himself to knot, quickly pulling her up into his arms to bit down on her shoulder- anything to hurry his orgasm. After a few long minutes of intense struggle against the lump of bile in his throat, he exploded his seed inside the raven Omega. He had never been so grateful to come in his entire life.

He slipped his shrinking member out of her sex, pulled the first bit of fabric he could find from the floor to cover it, and stumbled across the room to the open patio door. He needed fresh air. Air without Sonny's scent. Unable to keep his footing, he tripped over the plastic door frame, catching himself on the deck before he fell. He gripped the porch railing to steady himself, then keeled over and dry heaved into the grass below. He needed to vomit, needed his head to stop spinning, needed his instincts to stop coiling around in his mind, screeching their profanities at the mated fragrance.

After a few minutes of gasping for air, he slowly straightened up with an audible groan and shuffled back towards the entrance to the living room, stopping just outside the archway. He didn't want to smell the room, he couldn't- at this point, even the smallest hint of Sonny's scent would sent his stomach into another fit of churning. Well, he thought to himself with a tired chuckle, he had to admit that mating with an Omega was a sure fire way to keep other Alphas from touching them.

"Are you okay?!" Miyo called over to him, her voice quaking with worry.

"I'm sorry, Miyo. Fuck. Really," he babbled, irritated with his adverse reaction- hopefully she was smart enough to not take offence. "It's not you. I swear to christ himself, I would give anything to touch you right now. Anything ," he continued with a growl, running a large hand through his blonde hair in frustration. "It's...not as bad as it looks, I swear."

He glanced over to the Omega, hoping that she believed his lie, but she raised a knowing eyebrow at his words. The late afternoon sky shone through the deck windows, brightly illuminating her pale figure, still splayed out on the leather couch. She had pulled a plaid blanket over her naked form, much to his disappointment- he might not be able to touch her... but he still wanted to look. His kingdom for the ability to hold her, to drown in her rainy, post-sex scent and fall asleep. He couldn't wait until he could take him time with her, look and feel over every inch of her delicate body. Memorize every freckle.

"You're a terrible liar, had anybody ever told you that?" The raven Omega called over, granting him a sweet smile that melting his swollen heart. "But, seriously. Don't apologize, really. Can I get you anything to help? I mean, I could toss you some gravol or...a water bottle?"

"No, no. It's fine. I'll be fine," Ukai asserted, relieved to find his nausea dissipating with each passing breeze. He adjusted the fabric in his hands, his balled up black shirt, against his groin and smirked. "Seriously, don't sweat it. I chose this, remember?"

"Are you sure?" Miyo questioned and sat up against the back couch cushions, adjusting her cover against her pale skin.

He nodded in answer, leaning casually against the patio door frame as he admired her slender legs from afar.

"I have to go and pick up Oikawa in a couple hours, so I'm going to go and get ready. I assume that you're too fucked up to be in the closed confines of my car with me, hey?" Miyo counseled with a small smile, fiddling with the edges of her blanket.

"Fuck, yeah, I don't think I can…" Ukai agreed, trailing off to inhale a gust of summer breeze. "But, I've got some work to do, anyways…"

"Oh?"

"Yeah, I'm building a case against those fuckhead students that attacked our boys, and girl."

"Good. Maybe they'll listen to you…" Miyo said with a nod, staring off to the side as she chewed her swollen lip.

"Me?"

"An Alpha…"

"Oh," Ukai intoned, his gut twisting up with sympathy. "Right…"

"Oh, don't," Miyo scoffed, rising to her feet with poise. "You're a person. I'm a person. One day they'll listen to both of us, as equals."

Yes, yes they will. He was going to personally make sure of that.

"Hey," he called out as the raven Omega turned to leave, flashing her an exaggerated wink. "When's youuuuuuuur heat? I don't want to risk smelling for it..."

"Two days," Mito replied, laughing at his overdone performance of the question. "And we are still going to chat about that," she reiterated, wagging a long painted nail his way. "I haven't forgotten, even after the great lay."

"Yeah, yeah,' Ukai said, grinning at her admission of his ability in bed- just wait until after we're mated . "I stand by what I said, so, there's not much to talk about."

"Of course," Miyo sighed, but he noticed a small smile flicker over her pink lips. "Well, you have good timing, professor, you almost missed this cycle and then you would've had to wait another month. You would have gone mad."

Ukai was floored. Two days, damn right it was good timing. Finally, some luck at last.

Chapter Thirty One: Loose Lips

Yachi~

"Hey, Yachi! Did you let that bugger scent you?!" Yachi heard Bokuto call out from somewhere far off. She glanced up from her to see him running across the front yard towards her, his spiky hair wobbling with each stride.

The multiple bags in his hands alerted her that he and Keiji had received Suga's text for them to hit the General Store. He silver nestmate, ever the planner, had sent texts out earlier that afternoon, handing out various jobs for Oikawa's welcome home shindig. Yachi had been stuck with the task of repainting the railings on the front porch, after Daichi and Asahi had made quick work of fixing the damaged portions a few hours earlier. Hajime, Yuji, and Tobio were out back, repairing the back fence- after taking extensive pictures of the damage, at professor Ukai's request. She was glad to have an Alpha professor on their side this time around, perhaps then something would actually be done about Chaki and his army of knotheads.

"Helllooooo, Yaaaachiiiii!" Bokuto called again and she jumped back, nearly spilling her paint can when she noticed his sudden closeness- standing right in front of her, on the grass behind the white railing.

"You're damn right she let Yuji scent her!" Shoyo called over from the opposite end of porch, sticking out his tongue in concentration as he painted. "Earlier this morning!"

"Oh my darling Yachi! Is it true?!" The owl cried, throwing his head back dramatically. "What a farce! What an unexpected turn of events! Such a sweet and innocent gal with that-"

"Bokuto, stop teasing her," Keiji drawled as he walked up to join the boy who Yachi considered to be an aspiring actor. "Yuji's not a bad guy. You're being dramatic."

Wasn't he always dramatic?

"Yuji's not a bad..." Bokuto exclaimed with astonished eyes, turning to face the stern Omega at his side. "Yuji's not a bad guy?! He's such a little shit! Always borrowing my clothes without asking...chirping my spikes…goofing off at practice…"

"Your spikes aren't all that great," Keiji droned, covering his mouth as he yawned. "And the rest of that just sounds like you're talking about yourself."

Yachi giggled at the pair's unconventional dynamic. Bokuto certainly raised Keiji's spirits, even if it didn't seem so to the untrained eye, but she could smell it. Plus, her snarky nestmate definitely helped ground the outlandish owl during his various outbursts.

"K-bear!" Bokuto whined, dropping his bags to grab the amused boy in an embrace. "How could you say such a nasty thing! To me! Your Alpha, your loving partner!"

Keiji attempted to shuffled away, clutching the bags at his side with white knuckles at the seemingly unwanted affection, but Yachi was quick to pick up on his subtle purr as the owl began to scent his dark locks.

"I told you not to call me that," Keiji said sternly, sighing in defeat against Bokuto's shoulder. "It's so dumb. It's the worst name you-"

"I like it!" Yachi interjected with a sweet smile as she finished the last portion of her side of the railing. "It's cute!"

"Me too!" Shoyo called out in agreement, bounding towards her with his paint supplies in hand.

She giggled at the white paint streaks across his freckled face, he really was clumsy.

"Traitors," Keiji sneered at his nestmates, his throat still rumbling in an affectionate purr. "Both of you. Unforgivable."

Shoyo shrugged then kissed Yachi on the forehead. "I'm going to clean up and help Suga and Kuroo with the dinner. I want to make sure Tanaka doesn't get anywhere near the food…"

"Yeah, he's a shit cook," Bokuto mumbled out from Keiji's hair, nodding his head with a sly smirk.

"Would you let go," Keiji huffed out in exasperation, gently pushing out of the owl's tender grasp. "I smell like you, why do you need to scent me more."

"I like it!"

"I don't."

"Liar."

"I don't!"

How long is Keiji going to keep up the tough guy act , Yachi thought to herself, inhaling the boy's content scent. Actually, who was she kidding? He would keep it up for eternit, poor Bokuto had better get used to it.

"Fineeee," Bokuto relinquished, releasing his hold on the Omega. "Buuuuut, you owe me tonight, then. And you're still a liar."

Keiji adjusted his navy shirt over his shoulders, then made his way up the porch steps. "Yeah, yeah, fine. Whatever."

He really was a terrible liar…

Hey, Yachi," he quietly divulged as he ruffled her golden hair. "Good for you...with the whole, Yuji thing."

Yachi smiled at the unexpected remark as she cleaned up her supplies, shaking out her hair. Was it super soft or something? Why did everyone feel the need to touch it?

Good for you...yes, good for her! Butterflies skittered across her stomach as a mental image of Yuji flashed in her mind. She felt incredibly lucky to have met him, and even more so that he returned her feelings. Yuji was eccentric and...overwhelming at times, but those were the qualities that she was drawn to. He was her own, personal cheerleader. A very patient one, at that.

"Yachi, you know I'm just giving you a hard time, right?" Bokuto said gently, sheepishly running a large hand through his black and silver hair.

"Oh! I know!" Yachi squeaked and stood up, doing her best to balance all the painting tools in her arms. "I know how guy friends are. Don't worry!"

The owl nodded and gathered up his plastic bags from the grass, then rounded the railing to hop onto the veranda. "Good, cause he's actually a good guy. Bit of a lady killer...but a good guy. He'll protect his friends to the end, or die trying," he affirmed as he opened the front door, holding it open for her with his foot.

Yachi gave him her best smile and entered the house, ready to continue decorating for Oikawa's anticipated return.

Suga~

"Kenma. Don't you know how to set a table? You're not an animal," Kuroo barked into the dining room at his Omega, lazily setting the table with small hands.

"Kuroo, stop pestering me," the cat-like boy droned back and shook his head as he yawned. "I'll get it done…"

"Kuroo! Pay attention to the stove!" Suga cried, throwing his dish towel at the rooster's back. "You're going to burn our vegetables!"

"Right, right, sugar momma. I got ya covered, don't fret," Kuroo replied with a brisk nod, flipping the contents of the sizzling pan.

Suga rolled his eyes and resumed cutting the potatoes in front of him. Steamed carrots, roasted tomatoes, mashed potatoes, stuffed chicken, and for desert, milk bread- Oikawa's favourite. He had put the entire household to work with various repairs and decorations, this time the theme being under the sea. Tanaka was in the main room, lining the windows with turquoise lights, Keiji was overseeing Shoyo and Yachi paint a welcome home banner for the front door, and most of the remaining housemates were in the backyard- fixing up damage, setting up a makeshift bar, and stringing blue lanterns over the back porch. The only exceptions were Tsukishima and Yamaguchi, who he had sent out to the liquor store with the expressed order to buy triple the alcohol- nobody was leaving the house tonight, not this time. Oh, and Hajime- the poor Alpha was sulking upstairs in his room and Suga didn't have the heart to force him to help anymore then he already had. Oikawa really needed to have a chat with him...sooner rather than later. His heart couldn't take much more of the upset...

"Suga, come look at these lights," Daichi said, popping his dark head into the kitchen. "We need your okay."

Suga wiped his wet hands on a dish towel and started towards the back door, gasping when he saw what the Alphas had done- Daichi plugged in the string and the entire porch lit up, illuminating the table bar against the edge of the house in an aqua hue that slithered across the porch like quiet ocean waves. A ping pong table was situated in the center of the veranda and they had transferred the swing from the front of the house, placing it alongside its counterpart in the back.

"It's perfect !" He exclaimed, grabbing the nearest Alpha, Yuji, into a motherly embrace. "Oh my god! He's going to love this. Love this!" He cried out again, making his rounds to hug every housemate in the vicinity.

"Preeeeeeetty good," Tanaka chirped as he stepped out onto the porch. "But, my lights inside are better!"

"Oh, whatever. Round of applause to you for doing such a basic job," Bokuto replied with a coy smirk as Tanaka threw himself at the owl, inciting a playful brawl.

Daichi shuffled over to Suga and wrapped his arms around the his shoulders from behind. "What time are we expecting him again? Seven?" He asked sweetly, gingerly kissing the top of Suga's silver head.

"Mmm," Suga nodded in affirmation, melting into the Alpha's strong grasp. "This time, things are going to go great…"

"SUGA! The veggies have to go into the oven soon if we want to be on time, and I see here, that they're not all chopped?" Kuroo yelled out the kitchen window, wagging a disappointed finger behind the clear glass. "Why are they not all chopped?"

"Ahh!" Suga exclaimed, pushing out of Daichi's affectionate embrace to run for the door. "Could one of you talk guys help the Omegas hang the banner out front? They're almost done with it!" He called over his shoulder, rushing into the house. "Please and thank you!"

"Yup, yup. We got it, Suga!" Someone called in reply as he rounded the corner into the blue kitchen.

He could barely contain his excitement, visibly vibrating as he furiously chopped the colorful vegetables in front of him. This time, the party would go as planned. This time, nothing was going to get in the way.

Daichi~

Waiting for Suga to come back from the hospital was painful, but not as much as his anticipation over Oikawa's return- would he be elated, downtrodden, upset, tense, relieved? Would the party go on as planned without any external threats? Could he let his guard down and drink? The vicious thoughts swirled around his mind as he stood staring out the front window at the setting sun.

"Hey," he barked out as a familiar car pulled up to the curb, Ukai? "I think coach is here…?"

"Whaaaaat?" Tanaka replied, pushing in next to him to peak out the glass at the scene. "Oh, shit . Do you think he'll be pissed about the alcohol?! Should we hide it?!"

"Likely no," Tsukishima drawled out from the couch, eyes fixed on the novel in his lap. "He knows the shit we've been through. He knows Oikawa is coming home tonight. He's not an idiot."

"Okay, four-eyes. Then why do you think he's here?" Kuroo chimed in, raising an eyebrow at the blonde Alpha from his position, leaning against the archway to the kitchen.

"Probably because of that Omega professor," Tsukishima droned, lazily flipping a page of his book.

" Miyo? You think he's here because of her…?" Yamaguchi questioned softly as he slowly mixed the glass punch bowl.

"Yeah," Kuroo put forth, leaning forward to rest his neck on Kenma's head. "Why the fuck would he be here because of her? She's not even here."

"Haven't you dim wits smelled him at practice lately…" Tsukishima coyly remarked, turning his head to eye down Daichi with yellow eyes. "And she will be here."

"Wait, that's the lady friend?! Her . The one with the scary scent that shrivelled up my balls…" Tanaka exclaimed as he moved to open the front door for their unexpected guest. "Coach! What a pleasant surprise! We aren't having-"

"Tanaka, go get a beer for christ's sakes," Ukai barked in command as he stepped into the entryway. "I know you have booze, I do not care, I do not have the energy to care right now."

Daichi sniffed the air, perplexed by Ukai's obscure scent- it was an amalgamation of Miyo and another Alpha, one he couldn't place. Another Alpha? Either, he was having some rowdy threesomes, which was pretty unlikely, or he was trying to remate the Omega professor. He shuddered, feeling sick at the prospect. Ballsy... did he have a death wish?

"Someone get me a beer," Ukai growled, shoving his shoes off with hostile irritation. "Preferably amber. Where's Hajime's stash? He'll have the good shit"

"Um," Daichi started as he sifted through a plastic bag on the uncomfortable red chair, suddenly feeling a pang of sympathy at the mention of Hajime. "Here…"

"Thanks," his coach growled, cracking the can to take a hearty swig. "Fucking christ the day I've had," he huffed out under his breath, unleashing a fresh wave of hot hostility that had Daichi scrunching up his nose.

He quickly glanced around the main floor, frustrated to find it completely vacant aside from he and his coach. Bastards, he muttered to himself, grabbing his own beer to stay his shaking nerves at Ukai's upset scent. Cowards, leaving him with an Alpha in this state. They were pansies. All of them.

"So, uh, coach," he began, icing his neck with the frosted can. "What's got you all worked up…"

"Nothing," Ukai replied curtly, polishing of his drink in one hearty swig. "Actually no, you're an adult, fuck it. Miyo , Miyo is my problem."

"Um, why…"

"She's fucking mated, which I'm sure you know," his coach growled, crushing the empty can with one large hand. "And her mate is a piece of shit. A piece of shit who threatened her, right in front of me."

"This is professor Miyo we're talking about, right? The one who scared the shit out of all of-"

"Yes, that one. Here," Ukai barked, grabbing for another can of amber ale. "He fucking threatened her, in public! Who does that? What kind of human…"

"I mean, from what I've heard, and seen..." Daichi attempted, ignoring the fresh wave of chills that shot through his body at the thought of Miyo's terrifying scent. "She seems pretty capable…"

"Yeah, she is capable, but that doesn't change the fact that he threatened her right in front of me," Ukai snorted, setting down his now second empty can on the window sill.

Jesus, Daichi thought as he sipped at his beer, not liking the taste of amber ale, he had never seen his coach in such a distressed state.

"Fuck, sorry, I'm fine," Ukai continued, shaking his head in frustration. "I'm here on guard duty, nothing more than that, so don't get so freaked out about the alcohol. I just want shit to go smoothly, and what student in their right mind attacks a residence with a professor present."

"Well," Daichi affirmed, happy to have the extra security- it checked off at least one of his many boxes of worries he had for the evening. "Thanks, it will definitely-"

"Hey," his coach interjected, gesturing out the front window with his new beer can. "They're here."

He followed Ukai's tense gaze, eyes landing on Miyo's black Audi, slowly pulling up to the curb. So they were…

"Oi!" He shouted out to his absent housemates, chugging his beer in an attempt to stay his nerves, again. "Oikawa's here, everybody, positions!"

Oikawa~

Oikawa sluggishly walked up to the yellow house, quivering with nervous energy. He often enjoyed being the centre of attention, but not like this, not out of sympathy.

"It's going to be fine," Suga said gently, placing a hand reassuringly on his slender shoulder. "And by the way, we've thrown you a party. Thought you should know, since you hate surprises."

He did hate them, with every willing fiber of his being. Something about the unknown twisted him up inside- he liked to plan his every action, and surprises had been known to throw wrenches in that simple desire.

"Seriously," Miyo laughed as they hiked up the porch steps. "Relax, they're doing this because they love you, not because they feel bad."

"Stop smelling my scent, professor~" Oikawa said in half-chirp, his pink lips flashing a sly smirk at her ability to vocalize what he was feeling. "Oh, and speaking of scents, you and I are going to have a chat about the change in yours…"

"W-what?!" His professor exclaimed, hastily reaching for the door with painted nails. "Why, Oikawa, I have no idea what you're even referring to. You poor thing, you must still be feeling the effects of the morphine!"

"That cute facade might work on Suga, but not on me, Miyo. C'mon, you have Ukai written all over you, it's only a matter of time before Keiji starts asking questions~"

"It doesn't not work on me," the silver Omega muttered at his side, furrowing his brows in frustration. "I'm not that gullible."

"I was referring to you as a pushover~~" Oikawa chirped, prodding his silver nestmate playfully in the kidneys.

"I'm no!"

"Fine," Miyo conceded as she stepped towards the open doorway before them. "The three of us can have a chat about it, later. You're right...Keiji would just nail me to the cross about it..."

"Yes, yes he would~~"

"WELCOME HOME!" Voices rang out the moment Oikawa set foot inside the yellow house.

He had been expecting it, but he was still taken aback by the loudness, and by the pleasant scent that accompanied it. It smelled like... home . He raked his gaze over the smiling faces of his roommates, and Ukai, warmth pooling deep inside his gut at their familiarly. Most of them had retained battle wounds, some of which, like Tsukishima's bruised face and Tobio's arm, were almost as bad as his own- that, at the very least, made him feel a bit better. He hadn't been the only one acting reckless...

"Oiiiiiiii," he called out, slipping his red converse in the oaken entryway. "Is there alcohol at this welcome back party?"

"Oikawa, you've been home ten seconds and you're already asking for liquor," Keiji drawled, jerking his dark head towards the various bottles in the living room to his right.

Keiji...standing beside...Bokuto ...suspicious. Oikawa sniffed the warm air, sifting through the various scents to locate the one belonging to his snarky nestmate. Oh wow, he thought with a grin as the fragrance coated his nostrils, quick work, Bokuto, well done.

"Keijiiiii," he droned back, raising a knowing eyebrow at his quick discovery. "I've been gone forty eight hours, and you've already slept with owl boy here~"

"I wish you were still in the hospital," Keiji seethed back, gnashing his teeth in frustration as he took a slight step away from Bokuto's triumphant figure.

"Oooooook," Suga calmly interjected, stepping forward from Oikawa's side. "We're all happy to have you back, and this party won't get rudely interrupted!"

"Yeah," Tanaka exclaimed, stepping forward to pat him on the shoulder. "Welcome back, shittykawa! I missed your snarky attitude!"

Shittykawa...wait, where was Hajime? Oikawa feigned his attention to the conversing figures before him, chocolate eyes quietly searching the main floor for the dark Alpha- the one person he both wanted, and did not want to run into.

"Hey," Daichi said, pulling him into a hearty embrace. "Hajime is upstairs in his room. He's been a shell of himself for a while now...so maybe, you should go and get that sorted before we get this party started?"

Oh, come on, he thought to himself with a sigh, now papa Daichi was on his ass about this? Miyo had already given him a lecture, the only person left was…

"I agree with Daichi, you guys need to deal with this weirdness. It's not good for anyone."

Suga.

"Can't I have a chance to spend some time with my darling roommates first?" He attempted, reaching for a large can of cider from a brown bag on the blue coach.

"No," Miyo replied, karate chopping his wrist before he could reach his prize. "Go, now. He's a good kid, you're a good kid, sort it out so we all can rest easy."

"Did you all plan this behind my back?" He coyly remarked, casually shrugging his shoulders. "That's not very kind of you guys to do~~"

"Yes, we did," Suga affirmed with a smirk that was nowhere near its usual lighthearted sweetness- he was in full maternal mode. "So, go. Unless you want Daichi and I to lock you in a room with him."

"Fiiiiiiiiiiiine," Oikawa huffed, turning towards the stairs. They seemed larger than usual, overbearing, leading to a place he had no desire to go.

"We'll carry on the party without you!" Miyo chimed in as his began his ascent, sucking on her margarita straw. "See you soon, my beautiful chestnut baby! And good luck!"

Beautiful chestnut baby, yeah right. They were all in kahoots, all of them. He hadn't even decided what he was going to say to Hajime, he hadn't be given enough time to sort out his spiraling thoughts. Well , he thought as he swallowed a load of sticky bile, there was no time like the present...

Chapter Thirty Two: A Conflict of Being

Hajime~

Hajime couldn't handle his furious instincts any longer, being around his teammates and their Omega counterparts had driven him into a state of near madness. It wasn't their fault, truly, it was no ones fault but his own- his inability to control his Alpha inhibitions that had garnished so much trouble for him. While the source of his unchecked instincts was his absolute desire to be near his wounded Omega, the hospital had dismissed him for his inability to control them. He could have coped with that, but Oikawa's silence? Every text he sent had been left in the dark, every phone call unanswered- he had no idea why. That fact alone had sent his feral nature into overdrive and it only grew worse after he was alerted, via Keiji's message, that the chestnut Omega was actually awake. Suddenly, he no longer had an excuse for the unanswered texts and phone calls- he was being purposefully left in the dark.

"Hey, Hajime," Oikawa lightly chirped, from behind the oak door of his room- he had smelled the Omega's approach, but he was too wrapped up in his own mind to move a muscle. "I'm, uh, entering. So make sure you're decent~"

Always with the chirps...even now. Why. Why. Why.

"Fancy seeing you here," the chestnut Omega continued with a nervous smile, lightly closing the door behind him. "How've you been? It's been a while…"

"How the fuck do you think," he growled in reply, balling his fists at his side as his instincts roared out a series of loud commands.

He wanted nothing more then to wrap Oikawa in his arms, check over his slender body for wounds, and scent his soft hair against his neck- but, something was...off about the Omega's scent. It was uncertain and almost...combative. More so than the usual tough guy facade he so readily played up around others. It's ambiguous nature had Hajime squirming with renewed anxiety, wrenching forth his instincts to the foreground of his mind. What was going through his Omega's mind? Why was he on guard? Has he lost faith in him? In his ability to protect him? Had he found...another…Alpha...

"That bad, eh?" The chestnut Omega said with a shaky laugh, rubbing the back of his neck in an attempt to alleviate the stress that Hajime's domineering scent had caused.

"Why wouldn't it be," Hajime snarled, his eyes darting to the floor at the sight of the pale scar snaking up from under the Omega's eye.

Your fault, your FAULT, his instincts roared out, rattling his brain against his skull. YOU let this happen...unworthy. He will leave you. UNWORTHY.

"Stop looking at it," Oikawa hotly remarked when he noticed his dark eyes flicker away from his face. "If it bothers you so much, then stop look-"

"No," he growled, crossing his arms over his chest as he raked his dark gaze over the boy's pale face once more, challenging the words with action. "Why the fuck would I avoid looking at it, it's my-"

"Don't be all pissy about it, then! Just because I jumped in and attacked Kabuto! Get used to it! I'm not some helpless-"

"THAT'S WHAT YOU THINK!? THAT I'M ANGRY WITH YOU FOR ATTACKING KABUTO?!" Hajime roared, punching a fist into the nearest wall. "THAT'S WHAT YOU THINK?"

"WELL, WHAT ELSE AM I SUPPOSED TO THINK?!" Oikawa challenged back, his quivering voice raising in intensity as he saturated the air with his own anger. "You stand there, seeping out this atrocious scent of rage! Please, Hajime, enlighten me as to what it could possibly mean!"

"Can you turn off the sass for five minutes-"

"No. You should be used to it by now, just like you should be used to me taking care of myself when it comes to-"

"No, stop it! I'm trying to have a fucking civil conversation with you! Can you stop being so passive aggressive?!" Hajime shouted, taking a large step forward, his furious scent bursting forward with him. "For once in your fucking life, can you just-"

"I knew this fucking conversation shouldn't have happened, I fucking knew it!" Oikawa interjected, walking over to the black dresser, near the door. "I told them I needed more time, I fucking told them! But did they listen, no, of course not!" He muttered under his breath as he shuffled through the contents of the drawers.

"What are you doing…" Hajime growled, his scent whirling around, jumping between confusion and rage.

"Getting my stuff."

Getting his stuff? To leave? Of course...Hajime's instincts rattled around inside his head, vocalizing his deepest fear. You failed him...you are weak...

"Why," he snarled, swiftly crossing the dimly lit room to stand behind the chestnut Omega. "Why the fuck are you getting your stuff."

"You're mad and I don't want to have this conver-"

"So, that's it then. You're going to leave, just like that," he snarled in near roar, closing his hand into a crimson fist- knuckles bleeding from their previous impact with the plaster. "I don't even understand what's going on with you and you're just going to leave."

"Yes."

"Oh," he drawled, rolling his darkening eyes- he had been angry before, but now, with his feral nature screeching in his brain, he had fully devolved into a state of rage that completed clouded his conscious judgement. "Grow a fucking backbone!" He roared, the words not his own. "Conflict is everywhere. Learn how to-"

"I don't care about the conflict, Hajime! You heard what they said about me, but you're too fucking feral to even acknowledge it!" Oikawa exploded, snapping around to face him. "We're too busy arguing about stupid shit that shouldn't even matter!"

"What? What the fuck are you talking about?!"

"Kabuto, what he said, it's all true. I'm a well-used Omega. I...had my vices...and Kabuto was the one who made sure I had access to them, for a price."

Kabuto. Kabuto. Kabuto. Hearing the name curdled Hajime's insides, plummeting him into a pool of his worst fears.

"SO WHAT?" He snarled, his instincts guiding every vicious word. "IS THAT SERIOUSLY IT? IS HE WHY YOU HAVEN'T ANSWERED ANY OF MY TEXTS? ANY OF MY PHONE CALLS?"

"YES, OKAY, YES!" Oikawa yelled back, adjusting the bundle of balled up clothing against his chest. "IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT TO HEAR?! YES, I WAS SCARED TO TELL YOU. I WAS SCARED TO TALK ABOUT IT."

Talk about what…? Hajime's conscious mind put forth, but the thought was slammed down by his instincts. To tell you that he's leaving you for a stronger Alpha...

"WHAT, ARE YOU CRAWLING BACK TO THAT FILTH OR SOMETHING?!" He roared, his shoulders bristling as his eyes fully darkened to their feral state. "FINE. GO. GO, THEN!"

"How dare you," Oikawa remarked, his tone laced with an intensely quiet hostility that freed Hajime from his instinctual mind.

Fuck, fuck, fuck. He should never have said that, he didn't mean for his insecurities to come barreling forth so readily. Oikawa was not his father. He was not his father. There was no reason to believe the Omega would cheat. They respected each other, had faith in each other. However...if that was true...they why had Oikawa shut him out? Left him stewing in his emotions in the dark?

"I guess the things you heard from them really hit home for you, hey," the chestnut Omega continued, his words pouring out with a hot liquid rage that shrivelled up Hajime's heart into a ball of ice.

"No. I don't care what they-"

"You think I would crawl back to that fucker? After everything he and his fuckhead friends have done?! I didn't know you thought so little of me."

It was a terrible misstep. He had ruined everything with a single, unchecked sentence. He had to fix things.

"Fuck, I didn't mean to say that," he growled as Oikawa moved towards the door. "I'm sorry, just, wait...just WAIT A SECOND. GIVE ME A CHANCE TO EXPLAIN."

Oikawa~

Oikawa was done waiting. He was not emotionally equipped to handle another rejection, especially from someone he had come to cherish so close to his heart. He had fully planned to keep both his drug addiction and sexual endeavors a complete and utter secret from Hajime- and this was exactly why. People changed their behavior towards him once they found out about his past, they became ashamed of him, ashamed of being around him. His parents had done it, his old friends had as well. The only people who seemed to have the heart to look past it had been his nest- a nest that he had hoped would extend out to include their new Alpha counterparts, but he was sorely mistaken.

He was ashamed of his behavior, there was no excuse for it, not even his young age. However, wasn't his own self-hatred enough? Why did other people have to grow ashamed of him, too. He had hoped that Hajime would understand and respect him, regardless of his past, but his harsh words did nothing but feed into Oikawa's own self-narrative- maybe he truly was a filthy, well-used Omega after all. An Omega that no Alpha could ever want, not as a partner nor as a mate.

"Please," Hajime growled again, in almost a pleading whine. "I-I didn't mean that, just please, give me a chance to explain."

Standing like still water in front of the Alpha, Oikawa remained silent, unable to find words for his frantic thoughts. Even when dark eyes implored him to express his tumultuous emotions, he remained stoic, clasping onto the bundle of clothing in his hands as a barrier against the world.

"What I said has nothing to do with you," Hajime said in near whisper, breaking the uncomfortable silence. "Why are you so fucking sensitive about what they said?"

"Answering a question with a question, how very Hajime of you. I thought you were going to explain."

"I'll explain once you explain."

This was not working, Oikawa thought to himself with a small sigh, one of them was going to have to take a leap of faith...be the bigger person and express their feelings, but it was not going to be him- not after what he had been accused of.

"That's ridiculous!" He said in an exasperated tone, attempting to push the fuming Alpha into a concession. "You can't bargain with me. Not after what you said!"

"I already told you that it was a mistake. What more do you want from me?" Hajime retorted, throwing his head back in frustration.

"An explanation, maybe?! You know, like the one you said you were going to give me?!"

"I deserve one from you, too!" The Alpha snarled, closing the small gap between them. "You kept me in the dark, no calls, no fucking texts, not even a fucking letter. Jesus christ! Do you even care about how I felt?!"

How...how had things become so warped between them? They had spun a web of deception against each other- drawn their own conclusions in the absence of answers.

"Why are you so mad that I didn't respond? You know that I need time to myself after shit like this," Oikawa put forth, nearly shouting the words. He fiddled with the edges of his turquoise shirt, fearing the answer, but he had to change tactics or they would keep running around in circles with no resolution. "Why did you say that? Just, put it fucking plainly so we can be done with this shit."

The Alpha's scent was overbearing, frustrated, confused even- its unusual disposition had him quivering with anxiety. He had promised Hajime that he wouldn't get involved in the fight with Kabuto, but how could he have changed the outcome? His Alpha, his, had been in a dangerous situation, he had to take action. There was no other option, he would have never forgiven himself had he stayed out of it. If Hajime was angry with his involvement, it added a new level of complexity to his already precarious situation- Kabuto spilling out his past mistakes was just the surface of their problems.

"Are you done with your frantic self-reflection?" Hajime barked down at him after a few moments of eerie silence. "Can we continue?"

"Yes," Oikawa replied sarcastically with a half-smile, reminded of his Alpha's ability to read his mind so readily. "I am done, thank you."

Look…" The Alpha began, looking into his hazel eyes with vulnerable intensity. "I'm mad because-"

"If it's because I jumped in to fight-"

"I already told you, that's not it! Stop fucking interrupting me!" Hajime growled, throwing his hands up in exasperation. "Christ, would you put that shit down?! You're making me nervous," he continued in rumble, jerking his head at the bundle of articles in Oikawa's shaking hands.

Oikawa smirked, then dropped the clothing to the floor, scattering it in a heavy lump of fabric. "Why didn't you visit me at the hospital?"

"I got kicked out, you already know this. I couldn't control my temper," Hajime barked, his eyes darting to the mess Oikawa had made in his normally spotless room. "Why didn't you return my phone calls?" He growled, kicking the clothing underneath the bed.

Out of sight, out of mind, Oikawa thought with a small smirk, classic Hajime.

"I was nervous," he stated plainly, his hazel eyes darting off to the side in embarrassment- why couldn't he vocalize his emotions? Had he really isolated them to such a degree that the idea of expressing them made him physically nauseous?

"Why. Why were you nervous."

Oikawa unleashed a heavy sigh, then looked up at the smooth ceiling. "Because, Hajime, I didn't want you to know about that shit. I thought it would change your perception of me, and it did! Just look what you accused me of…"

"You think you're the only one with a slutty past?!" Hajime roared, his scent suddenly pushing out with an vexed intensity that had Oikawa shriveling back against the oak door. "Why. The. Fuck. Does. It. Matter."

"Because I did things that I hate, okay!" Oikawa yelled back, pointing a finger up at the Alpha's tense face. "I wish it never fucking happened! I wish I could take it all back, but I can't!"

"So get over it! You're dragging in your own problems into our relationship! It has to fucking stop! You're making assumptions on how I'm going to react instead of just trusting me, and letting me react on my own! You're warping everything to suit this fucking narrative where everyone is ashamed of you!"

Making assumptions...trusting him...letting him react...warping things to suit his narrative. Fuck, fuck, fuck. The words echoed across his mind, taunting him with their honesty. Everything was his fault. Everything.

"I love you, Oikawa," Hajime continued with a domineering snarl, taking a large step forward into his personal space. "I can't fucking deal with the thought of you leaving. And for you to think that I would just walk away after hearing that stuff from such pathetic shitheads? It's fucking cruel of you. It's cruel."

I love you. Such tender words had never been spoken to him before- aside from the obligatory ones from his parents and nestmates. He was momentarily taken aback, looking down at his feet in awe and embarrassment. Shame washed over him, not the shame he felt from his past, but a shame at letting his current actions be dictated by it.

"It's the truth," Hajime snarled, his feral energy pouring over Oikawa in intense droves of affirmation. "The absolute fucking truth and you need to hear it. I love you, and you're being cruel to me."

Oikawa's shoulders slumped at the words and he remained silent. His heart was pounding against his ribs and his chest constricted, starving him of air. He felt like he was drowning. The world around him blurring away until only a dull feeling of panic remained.

"WOULD YOU LOOK AT ME?" Hajime roared after a few minutes of tense silence. "SAY SOMETHING."

He flinched back at the volume and complied, hesitantly glancing up to look at the vicious boy standing before him. He lightly sniffed the air, unhappy to find that his own scent had become frantic in his dissociated state. Doing his best to reign it back in, he took a deep breath and rolled his shoulders to loosen his tense muscles.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, the sharp lines of his face hard with his seriousness. "I didn't...I didn't know, no, I didn't think about how my actions would affect you. I'm sorry. I'm so fucking sorry."

"Oh, wow, good. So you were listening," Hajime sarcastically remarked and Oikawa huffed out a puff of frustrated air at the sly chirp.

"If you're going to keep being passive aggressive-"

"You're right, I didn't mean that, I'm sorry," the Alpha grumbled, sheepishly glancing off to the side. "It's just, I'm mad, okay? I'm mad that you let me sit and fester with my instincts for two days. You shouldn't have done that..."

"Okay, while I agree, I should've have done that," Oikawa chirped, wagging a narrow finger in front of him. "It was one day. I was unconscious for the first one, remember? Cut me, at least, a little slack."

"Fine, one day, then."

"And for that, I am sorry. It won't…um...happen again."

"Why the hesitation," Hajime put forth, eyeing him down with dark eyes, swirling with confusion.

"Because...I think it would be unfair of me to make that promise. I don't think I can suddenly conquer this insecurity I have with myself after one conversation," Oikawa said softly, his words quivering with emotion- he didn't like admitting his feelings, but he owed it to Hajime. He owed it to his partner.

"Alright, that's fair, but next time, if god help us there is a next time, at least send me a fucking text, or I'll go mad."

"Deal," Oikawa nodded with a half-smile. "So, what's your explanation?"

"What?"

"You know, the explanation for accusing me of crawling back to Kabuto..."

"Oh," Hajime recalled, brushing the back of his neck with his hand. "I...my dad, he was an Alpha and my mom...my step mom, she was too."

"Step mom?"

"Yeah, my real mom, she was an Omega…"

"Oh," Oikawa said with a nod, suddenly understanding all of Hajime's past behavior- the realization tied everything up with a neat little bow. "Your dad cheated on his partner with your mom…"

"Yeah…"

"Okay, well, so we both have commitment issues!" He chirped, giving the Alpha his best smile. "At least we're aware of it, now, right?"

"I guess…" Hajime murmured, his scent coiling into the air with renewed upset.

"Hey," Oikawa softly put forth, shoving out his own tranquil fragrance. "I'm...sorry…"

"Nah," the Alpha replied, shaking his head to regain his senses. "I'm trying this new thing where I stop using the past as an excuse."

"Oh wow! What a coincidence, so am I!" He exclaimed dramatically, widening his hazel eyes in feigned astonishment. "So...you really don't care?" He continued, shifting back to a serious tone. "About the things they said about me?"

"Fuck no," Hajime snarled, his scent devolving once again at the thought of the intruding Alphas- what they had done to his Omega. "I don't care about what they said, we've all done shit that we regret, including me. And just so we're crystal clear, I don't care that you jumped in to defend me, either. I realized a while ago that it sort of comes with you being my partner. I can't ask you to suddenly stop being courageous. That would be cruel."

"Hajime…" Oikawa whispered as he leaned forward to rest his forehead against the Alpha's broad chest, ignoring the playful chirp. "Thank you...I'm so...sorry...I'm so...sorry…" He sniffed, feeling salty tears pool in his eyes.

For once, he didn't hate himself for crying. He didn't feel weak, he felt strong- he had forced himself to vocalize his feelings and insecurities, and his Alpha had received them with open arms.

"Jesus christ," Hajime growled, pushing him back by his slender shoulders. "Are you fucking crying? I didn't think you even knew how to-"

"I never cry! Okay! You just, I don't know, stop talking!" Oikawa whined, lolling his head back dramatically as tears streamed down his pale face. "Stop it!"

"I'll take it as your way of saying, I love you, too," Hajime snorted, chuckled under his breath.

"I dooooooo~"

"I know."

"No, but seriously, I do."

"I know!"

"I know that you can protect me," Oikawa whispered, gently hitting his head against Hajime's chest. "I know your scent can, too. I mean, it's fucking monstrous, did you know that?"

"I did not."

"Okay, well it is, but that's besides the point. Thank you for understanding that I'm not helpless. We could never be together if you couldn't come to terms with that…but you have, and I should've trusted you. I should've, I know that now."

"It's the truth, I really do not mind your overzealous attitude," Hajime growled in reply, shrugging his broad shoulders. "Okay, it's half the truth. I do mind, a bit, but not in the way you're thinking! I just...I don't want to see you hurt again. Even the thought of it...right...now...just..."

"It's not that bad," Oikawa affirmed, fingers grazing up the white line of his scar. "I mean, it's ugly, but it's really not that bad."

"No...it's not ugly. Somehow, it makes you look even better," the Alpha replied softly, wiping a stray tear from his puffy face. "Cooler...kind of...badass…"

"Oh, stop," he huffed, playfully swatting at the outstretched hand. "Stop that~~"

"I mean it! Plus," Hajime grumbled, glancing up at the roof to hide his flushed face. "It's, uh, kind of a friendly reminder to do better, you know? Like, protect you…better."

"You know what I think of when I see it?" Oikawa whispered, cupping the sides of the Alpha's chiseled jaw. "I think about how we kicked the living shit out of Kabuto~"

"Yeah, fuck that guy," Hajime replied, then pulled him into a warm embrace, flooding the room with a domineering scent of protection. "Fuck him."

"Hey…" He murmured into the Alpha's shoulder, his throat rumbling in a shy purr as he drowned in the familiar fragrance. "So, we're still on? For the...um...mating?"

When Hajime remained silent at his question, he lightly sniffed the air, sifting through the Alpha's emotional scent to ascertain his head space. It was definitely a yes…but...he was not going anywhere near him while he still retained injuries. His Alpha wanted to wait another month...no way was that happening.

"My body has already taken care of that," he asserted, pulling slightly away to look up at Hajime's dark eyes.

"How did you...did I say that shit out loud?"

Oikawa laughed at the dumbfounded face looking down at him, a beautifully musical laugh that left Hajime shivering against his body. "Your scent gives you away, sometimes. I'm not a mind reader."

"What do you mean, your body took care of it?"

"Well…" He said as he pulled out of Hajime's grip and stepped back, spreading his arms out to the side. "Can't you smell it? Use your nose, Mr. Alpha~"

Hajime sniffed, then hesitated and furrowed his brows. "Smell...what?" He asked as he gently pulled Oikawa back into his arms, scenting the top of his chestnut hair with fervor.

Oikawa laughed again and nuzzled into the Alpha's neck. "My heat. My body naturally pushed it back, to cope with my injuries. Oikawa helpful tip number eighteen!"

"That can hardly be considered a tip," Hajime grumbled, his scent intertwining with Oikawa's own calm one- almost as if they had missed each other's presence.

He had certainly missed Hajime's domineering fragrance, unequivocally. The last two days had felt absolutely hollow- the world had dulled to a lifeless grey.

"You're right…" Hajime muttered and continued to inhale his fresh fragrance, making up for lost time. "It's...Sunday? I don't understand…why did it change."

"The Omega body is a wonderous thing. Pushes back the heat cycle if the body isn't physically prepared for it to occur...helpful tip...can I say it? Please?"

"Fine, yes, you can say it."

"Helpful Oikawa tip number nineteeeeeen~~"

"Eighteen."

"No, nineteen, I already gave you eighteen."

Hajime sighed, his body softly quaking in a stifled chuckle. "We should still judge it by ear, though. See how you're feeling on Saturday before making any permanent plans," he whispered, tenderly kissing the crown of his head.

"Yeah...about that," he put forth, smirking into the Alpha's shirt. "I kind of, told Miyo about our plans...so she made my follow up appointment for Saturday morning. You know, to get the all clear. I hope that's okay…I know we both like to keep things to ourselves…"

"Are you kidding?" Hajime replied, nuzzled against his neck to inhale his scent glands. "That's perfect."

"Okay, good," he said quietly and leaned his neck to the side, willfully granting his Alpha better access. "I was worried you wanted to keep it private."

"Everyone already knows. Who cares."

"You're right, they alllllll know~~"

"Will you...sleep in here tonight?" Hajime said abruptly, pulling away to look into his hazel eyes. "I know it's your first night back, so you probably want to sleep with the Omegas. It's fine if you want that but, I've just felt, so empty without you the last two days..."

"Eh, I'll see them at the party, catch up with them, and I'll nest with them tomorrow. I've felt empty, too. This seems more important right now," Oikawa replied, melting against Hajime's strong figure. "Speaking of which, now that we're finally sorted, we really should go downstairs and join my party," he continued, playfully sticking out a pink tongue. "I am the guest of honour, after all."

"Noooooooooo," Hajime whined out, his scent pouring over Oikawa in droves, blurring his senses to everything else but his Alpha.

"Stop that!" He chirped, attempting to pull away from the embrace to regain his sanity.

"Stop what?"

"Stop doing that!"

"What?!"

"Using your scent to mess with my mind!"

"I'm not!"

"You are!"

"Okay, maybe I am," Hajime said with a smirk, flicking a stray hair from his face.

"I want to climb into your bed, too, you know," he chastised, furrowing his brows as he spoke. "But, we can't be selfish~~"

"Fine, but I want two more minutes," Hajime grumbled into his chestnut hair, holding him tighter against his chest.

"Okay~~" He happily conceded, finding himself not ready to leave his Alpha's side- unsure of if he would ever be ready. "Fine, two more minutes."

Chapter Thirty Three: Complex Love

Daichi~

The moment Keiji descended the stairs with a wry smirk on his angular face, Daichi knew that the conversation between Oikawa and Hajime had gone well.

"What happened?! Did they solve everything?!" Suga asked in a hushed whisper as the blue eyed Omega approached. " Please tell me it did…"

"As well as to be expected," Keiji replied with a deep yawn, taking his unfinished drink back from Bokuto's extended hand. "As sorted as you can get between two emotionally unavailable people."

"Did they smell you?" Suga pushed, quivering slightly with nervous energy. "They didn't, right?"

"Suga, look who you're talking to...have a little faith in me."

"Okay, good. As long as you suppressed your scent then-"

"I did."

"And you made sure to keep quie-"

"I was."

"Suga, it's fine," Daichi interjected, giving the silver Omega a warm embrace from the side to calm his motherly state. "Stop worrying! Everything is fine."

"I knoooooow," Suga replied with a small sigh. "I just don't want to make things worse. Oikawa would kill us if he found out we sent someone to snoop."

"Yeah! It would definitely exacerbate things for sure!" Bokuto chimed in with a wicked grin. "Hajime would slaughter us in our sleep."

Exacerbate? Was the crass owl boy suddenly carrying a dictionary around? Who the hell taught him that word?

"Did I use the word exacerbate correctly?" The owl Alpha asked, directing himself to the blue eyed boy at his side.

"Yes, you did."

Oh , Daichi thought with a sly chuckle, of course it was Keiji's . Their constant studying was clearly paying off...he figured the day would never come where Bokuto actually enjoyed studying.

"WHO IS THE NEXT CHALLENGER!?" Kuroo's deep voice resonated into the air, startling Daichi back from his humorous thoughts. "WHO DARES TO ATTEST FOR OUR THRONE?"

"WE ARE!" Bokuto shouted in reply, dragging a forlorn looking Keiji by the back of the shirt, towards the dining room. "WE'LL TAKE YOU DOWN IN A HEARTBEAT, ROOSTER BOY."

"I don't want to play beer pong," Keiji drawled as he was ushered away against his will. "I'll get too drunk…"

"We can't just let Kuroo and his little cat Omega have the throne, K-bear! Something must be done! Now is the time for action!"

"Stop calling me that…"

"K-bear!"

"Stop."

"K-bear!"

"Stoooooop."

"They're cute," Suga said with a soft giggle before setting his empty glass down near the front door. "I wonder if they'll mate this month…"

He was wondering when Keiji and Bokuto were going to mate? Daichi was wondering when they were going to mate. Wasn't that a more pertinent topic to discuss? Suga had consistently succeeded in keeping the idea out of their conversations, and Daichi was nearing his wits end. He had triedto be patient, but he was quickly reaching a plateau. His instincts needed the silver boy to have more protection than his surface level scent allowed for- and it was only going to get worse. Their household was resuming their usual class schedules over the next few days and he was certain that he wouldn't be able to control his feral nature while Suga was absent on campus. There were too many threats, too many things that could go wrong.

"Wellllllll," Suga yawmed, granting him with a sweet smile. "I'm going to get a drink, now that I can finally relax. Ya want anything?"

"No, I'm fine, I still have half a beer left."

Say something. Bring it up. Push him to talk about it.

"Okay," the silver boy replied with a cheeky thumbs up. "You sure?"

Say somethingggggg.

"Yeah, I'll be good for a while…"

Goddammit, Daichi.

"Okay, I'll catch you in a bit then, yeah?"

"Sounds good."

Why, why couldn't he bring himself to vocalize his frustrations? What was he so afraid of? He will leave you ...the venomous words trickled into his mind, warping his emotions to their reckless will. No , he thought to himself, shoving the instinctual thoughts away with fury, Suga wasn't going to leave him- he had more than shown himself as a patient and reliable Alpha...right? The hesitation began to eat away at him, closing around his heart with an icy chillness that riled up his dark thoughts once more. Not good enough...he will leave you...why would he mate with someone like you…you he has shown no indication whatsoever.

"Daichi…" A timid voice penetrated his mind, pulling his focus back to the pleasant reality around him. "Are you okay…?"

Yamaguchi . The freckled boy's face was cast in a deep hue of blue, reflecting down from the hanging lights above them in the entryway.

"Hey, sorry…" Daichi faltered, hurrying to reign in his scent- frenzied from his internal battle against his instincts. "Yeah, I'm good! I was just thinking about some stuff."

"About Suga?" Yamaguchi questioned quietly, his disposition was less nervous than usual- alcohol had eased his apprehension.

Daichi was still unused to the Omega ability of guessing thoughts based on a specific scent and context. It made him feel vulnerable, as if his private mind was on display at all times. Should he lie? The household was small, news would travel fast, especially amongst the flock. That was precisely why he had only discussed his frustrations with Suga with his Alpha teammates. He could think of nothing worse than the silver Omega hearing about his agitation through the grapevine of gossip.

"Sorry…" Yamaguchi said softly, his eyes darting nervously to the side. "I shouldn't pry…"

"No," he affirmed, taking a deep breath to steady his frantic mind. "I was, thinking about Suga, I mean."

"Your scent is pouring out again…"

"Fuck," he growled out as he consciously pulled it back once more- why was it so wily today? "It's been happening more and more, I can't seem to keep my concentration with it," he muttered, more to himself than the freckled boy.

"Makes sense," Yamaguchi asserted with a sudden, unbelievable confidence before taking a long sip from the striped straw in his drink.

Makes sense? What made sense, he thought to himself with furrowed brows, the statement was so matter of fact- it did nothing but add another layer of confusion to his perception of the freckled boy. Was he truly shy...or just careful in what he said?

"W-what? What makes sense…" He asked in a hushed tone, glancing over the room to ensure that Suga, and all the other nest members, were out of earshot.

"Well…" Yamaguchi began, shuffling from side to side on his feet. "I mean, you and Suga have been together nearly a month, but like, things seem to be accelerated in this house, so…"

So, Daichi pondered as he listened intently to the freckled boy beside him, he and Suga weren't the only ones trying to piece together the strange happenings in the yellow house.

"It's probably fair to say that your month is the equivalent of, say, six months of dating? Most Alphas would have snapped by now."

"Snapped?"

"Like, snapped, you know, lost it."

"Yamaguchi, I need specifics here," Daichi said with a sigh, taking a large swig of his beer. "I'm not following."

"Lost control of their scent when it came to, um, mating," Yamaguchi put forth with a hesitant smile. "Six months is a long time to hold out on it, Alpha instincts grow impatient…I'm sure you know that better than most at this point..."

Yeah, they certainly do, and there was nothing he could do to mitigate them- aside from actually mating, but he had no guarantee that it was even going to happen.

"Do you love him?" Yamaguchi abruptly asked in a shy tone, the straightforward remark catching Daichi off guard.

"Do I-I?" He stuttered in response, outwardly rattled by the bold question. "Um, yes, I do…"

"Does Suga know that?"

"Yes. I've told him. More than once..."

The freckled boy sighed in response and looked off to his left with a forlorn expression, or perhaps an anxious one, Daichi couldn't tell.

"He had an ex who loved him too, you know," He whispered, his tone challenging Daichi's personal integrity.

"I love him, I'd appreciate it if you didn't associate my feelings with anyone who has harmed him in the past," Daichi growled in half-threat, prompting a small whimper to escape the freckled Omega's throat. "Sorry," he faltered as pangs of discontent radiated out from his gut. "I didn't mean to sound so hostile. I just...I know about the ex, I just don't know any of the details, only that he hurt Suga. And I'm not one to push for information…" He finished sheepishly, praying that Yamaguchi might give him something, anything to help him piece together his Omega's complex mind.

"Mmm," the freckled boy murmured, holding the straw out of his way with a delicate finger to take a sip of his punch. "Yeah, Suga has always been a private person…"

"Private doesn't even begin to cover it~~" A familiar voice interjected, one that Daichi was more than thrilled to here- for once the shit disturbing Omega was music to his ears, he wouldn't be afraid to entertain a little helpful gossip. "What are you boys gossiping about?"

"N-nothing!" Yamaguchi exclaimed, green eyes wide, unable to hide his shameful scent.

"Liiiiiar~" Oikawa sang, prodding the freckled boy playfully in the ribs. "Don't you think our poor captain deserves a bone?"

"If you heard what we were talking about, then why did you ask..." Yamaguchi whispered, shifting uncomfortably in place.

"Because I missed making you squirm! Didn't you miss it!"

"No...and it's Suga's past...not ours…we don't have the right to-"

"Oh, cause our sugar momma is going to suddenly express his feelings! He needs a little push, you know that, Yams~~"

"You're just trying to get him back for shuffling you upstairs with Haj-"

"Exactly!" Oikawa interrupted, hushing his freckled nestmate with a flick of his slender hand. "Revenge always tastes so sweet~"

"But-"

"Daichi, why do you think Suga has been hesitant around the dreaded word, mate ?"

Daichi pondered the question, rolling his dark eyes around in thought- eternally grateful that Oikawa was providing him with some sort of layout for his twisted situation. Suga...liked to be his own person...liked to have his freedom...

"Because…" He began, searching for the best words to vocalize his answer. "Well, he likes his independence. I don't think he likes the idea of being linked with someone forever...I mean, what if they turn out to be the worst scum in existence?! There is clearly no shortage of fuckhead Alphas and-"

"Okay, woah there big guy. Your scent is becoming agitated...for all the right reasons, so you get some kudos for that," Oikawa stated, wagging a knowing finger in his direction. "So, what, besides society, could possible lead a young man like our beautiful Suga to feel that way?"

His education on mating? No...his experience with Alphas? No...that wasn't personal enough...his experience with a particular Alpha …?

"Um, his ex? Something happened between him and his ex?" Daichi put forth with furrowed brows, polishing off his beer with fervor.

"Ding, ding, ding!"

"But," he added with an exasperated sigh. "I already know that his ex did some sort of harm to him…that's not exactly helpful to-"

"Be patient, Daichi!" The chestnut Omega chirped in a singsong voice, sloshing his clear drink as he hummed from side to side. "All will be revealed through my integral line of questioning~~"

"Oikawa…" Yamaguchi challenged softly, only to be shushed by his nestmate with another wag of the finger.

"But, why ?" Oikawa continued in question, raising a knowing eyebrow in Daichi's direction. " Why does he feel that way towards his ex?"

Why...

"Because...the fucker never really loved him?" Daichi replied, it was the only conclusion that he could come up with- having absolutely noinformation on the Alpha who had done so well to distort Suga's worldview.

"Correct! But then, why go through the trouble or courting him?"

Why? Why would someone, who had no emotional interest in another, go through the painstaking trouble of courting them? He wracked every inch of his mind for an answer, finally grateful for a small piece of insight into Suga's past.

"To...no...for the thrill of sleeping with an Omega in heat?" He said at last, unsure of what the answer truly was- Alpha sex-drive seemed like a decent place to start. "Because the guy was desperate to find out what is was like?"

"Eeeenk , incorrect. And you were doing so well. You and I both know that if an Alpha wanted that, they could just take it," Oikawa chastised, taking a sip of his white wine as Daichi inwardly squirmed at the honest statement. "Think...reproduction."

Reproduction…reproduction?! Just what age were they living in...

"What, to have kids with him?!" He exclaimed with wide eyes of disbelief. "Seriously, is that it?"

"Correct answer! Once again, you are back on track, captain~"

Yeah...but he wished that he wasn't.

"Oikawa, he's never going to guess the whole story if you keep giving him this random line of questioning," a familiar voice joined the fray, one that left him shivering with reminiscent fear. "No offence, Daichi, but Alphas don't exactly have a world of knowledge when it comes to Omegas, not at your age, at least," Miyo asserted with a sly wink, swirling the contents of her glass.

When the raven haired professor took a step in his direction, he immediately backed towards the door and his instincts shrank away back to the recesses of his mind- remembering the unusual ability she had shown off a few days early.

"I knoooow, but Yams was so insistent that I not tell him," Oikawa whined, staring down his freckled nest mate with hazel eyes.

"Why?" Miyo said with a small hiccup after taking a sip of her margarita. "Who cares? Daichi is a good kid."

"Cause it's Suga's story to tell~" Oikawa repeated in his best impression of his freckled friend. " We shouldn't get involved."

"Oh, cause he's going suddenly explain everything to Daichi! Yeah right! He's the king of secret keeping...aside from you."

"That's what I said! And I am not the king of secrets~"

"I'm leaving...I am officially uninvolved…" Yamaguchi whispered with a sigh, shuffling off to join the housemate gathered around the beer pong table in the dining room.

"Yams~" Miyo called out after the freckled boy with a wry smirk. "You and I need to have a chat later, about a certain four-eyed Alpha?"

At her words, Yamaguchi visibly stiffened, then increased his pace- looking to escape his professors vocal observation.

Holy, Daichi thought with wide eyes, she was just as bad as Oikawa. No, she was Oikawa- inserting herself in other people's business...even if it was for the greater good...

"Don't you dare let me forget!" She called out again before turning to face Oikawa, a devilish smile plastered on her angular face. "Guess it's just up to us devious Omegas, then. Suga can thank us later."

"Miyo, my love, we are on the exact same page~~" Oikawa sang out as he danced around on the hardwood. "The exact same pageeeeeeee."

"What was the guy's name again?"

"Who?"

"Suga's ex?"

"Oh, uh, um, Weston! No...Wesley? Wes, something or other."

Weston? What kind of name-

"Daichi!" Miyo exclaimed, scaring him stiff with the sudden loudness of her voice. "Our darling Suga comes from fine stock. Actually, so do you, Oikawa...and Keiji...and Yamaguchi. That's odd, I never pieced that together before…"

"Shit, me either…" Oikawa pondered, humming under his breath. "Did Suga tell you about the weird pack scent?"

"Yeah, you think it has something to do with it?"

"Maybe…"

"Guys!" Daichi interjected, growing anxious to know just what the fuck the two Omegas were going on about . "Can you not leave me in the dark, here? Please?"

"You're right, we started this divulging of secrets, we must see it through to the end!" Miyo chirped with a wink, polishing off her drink in one strong sip.

"That we should~~" Oikawa quipped with a cheeky smile, the lines of his face twisting around the pink lines of his fresh scar.

Jesus christ, Daichi thought with an exasperated sigh, and he used to think that the chestnut boy was bad, but Miyo was practically a second version of him. The two of them together took a lot of energy to handle…Suga and Keiji did well to balance them out.

"Fine stock ," he repeated, reaching for a fresh can a beer to help him get through the dramatic conversation. "What does that mean?"

"Your parents are both Alphas, correct?" Miyo questioned, covering another hiccup with the back of her delicate hand. "I mean, I assume that they are."

"Yeah…they are..."

"Okay, and out of all your friends here, your Alpha ones, which ones have siblings that are Omegas?"

"Uh," Daichi started, sifting through family histories in his head. "None of them...I don't think..."

"And do all of them have double Alpha parents?" She continued and made a scissor motion with her painted fingers to physically illustrate her question.

"Yeah, all of them, except Asahi…and...Hajime..."

"Fits the narrative pretty well!" Oikawa hummed with a knowing hand on his chin. "Like a glove~~"

Fits WHAT narrative!

"Omega children are more likely found when there's an Omega parent involved, or so they say," the raven omega explained, eyes glistening as if she was revealing a well-kept secret. "Most Alphas would prefer to have an Omega mate. Easier to control, docile, you know, the usual stereotypes. However, that desire is normally outmatched by their want for Alpha offspring, wouldn't you agree?"

With everything he had witnessed from Alphas in the last few weeks, he could attest to the terrible truth.

"Yeah…" He said quietly with a nod, unhappy with the honesty in his statement, he wished more than anything that it wasn't the case.

"So, there's a somewhat rare occurrence, when an Omega child is born from two Alpha parents, like Suga, and the lovely Oikawa, here. And it has been scientifically proven, if you believe in that sort of thing, that those special Omegas have a higher percentage of birthing Alphas, so they-"

"Essentially marry both desires together~~" Oikawa interjected, finishing off the raven's sentence with a loud declaration. "They are a docile mate, and they are likely to bear Alpha children."

"Precisely," Miyo asserted with a curt nod. "Facts that are hard to come to terms with."

They certainly were. If it was the truth, that this Alpha, Wes , wanted to use his Suga for breeding purposes... he wanted to snap some necks to alleviate the sudden tension in his neck.

"I'm sorry, but, you're saying that…" He faltered, his throat rumbling at his sudden understanding.

"Daichi," Oikawa started, his tone unusually serious. "I know you're not like that. I'm sure that Suga knows it, too. But, he's not going to crack unless…" He faltered, his mouth set in a hard line. "You've got to push him to...face his past…"

Daichi held his dark gaze on the chestnut Omega, barely registering the scar- Oikawa's outgoing, and sometimes overbearing, personality did well to distract from it.

"Look, Hajime said something to me earlier that really...stuck," the chestnut boy continued, smiling weakly to hide his discomfort. "Well, the point was that I had to stop using my past as a crutch, because it was affecting our relationship."

"Mmm," Miyo hummed, nodding her dark head in agreement. "A valid point."

"I never would have drawn that conclusion if he hadn't pushed me to talk about it, you know? I think you need to do the same, with Suga."

"But what if-"

"Daichi, Suga loves you, even if he hasn't exactly said it. Believe me, he does. You've got to trust him," Oikawa asserted, patting him on the shoulder to comfort his now bristling figure.

"It's not going to be easy," Miyo added in as she pulled her long hair into a ponytail. "But, it'll be worth it, I promise."

"Plus," Oikawa remarked, his tone shifted back to its usual lighthearted disposition. "If he gets in a classic Suga state of irrational thinking, we'l step in for ya, I promise."

Daichi nodded, knowing that he didn't have another option. He could barely contain his upset and it was, and with this new information, it would be even more difficult. His subconscious instincts were already snaking their way into his conscious scent- he needed to put a stop to it, even if it meant putting the one thing he held most dear to his heart, on the line.

Chapter Thirty Four: Unwanted Circumstances

Ukai~

With a large can of amber ale in hand, and a sneaky backup beneath his wicker chair, Ukai sat outside on the front porch, contemplating his changing feelings. Why, after witnessing the terrible attack on the yellow house, had his feelings for Miyo suddenly decided to unleash at full force? Sure , he had always admired the raven woman, both her delicate beauty and unyielding spirit were beyond appealing, but his feelings had always been spurned by her mated scent- until their time together at the hospital. When he sat there, among his agitated Alpha students and the whirling smells of Omega sickness, something deep inside of him had snapped. Suddenly, he found himself needing to mate with her, regardless of her mated status. He was no longer just an entertaining idea, filling his daydreams with pleasant, yet inconsequential, idea. Now, the thought of her belonging to somebody else, someone like Sonny, had him bristling with icy chills of rage. She was his . She had always been his . He didn't care what it took, he would cut off his own arm to have his way with her- his instincts commanded it and he was more than willing to comply.

Although their unusual, and sudden pairing, had satisfied his feral spirit, his conscious mind was plagued with a deep seated fear- he and the raven Omega barely knew each other. Had enough time elapsed? Were they rushing into something that would ultimately fail? Would the passionate fire between them fall prey to differences they had yet to find?

"Knock, knock," a familiar voice called quietly, rapping on the door frame with the edge of a glass. "Ukai? I'm coming out, plug your nose."

He craned his neck back, eyes taking in Miyo's breathtaking form, even more beautiful in his drunken buzz. He took in a short breath then plugged his nostrils, taking a slow sip of beer as he watched her saunter forward, down the front steps of the porch.

"I'm going to stand out in the yard," she said with a sly wink, her converse lightly grazing over the dewy grass. "This should be far enough away, right?"

"Yeah…" he unhappily replied, his words nasally from his plugged nose. "Should be fine."

As he released his nose, his throat rumbled out- agitated with the ridiculous circumstances that had been forced upon them. After sleeping with the raven Omega a few nights prior, her mated scent had grown even stronger in its resolve to keep him away. Now, it burst out with impunity any time he drew within a few feet of her small figure- and it was quickly lengthening that distance with each passing hour. One more day, he thought to himself with a small growl, just one more day, and she was going to be all his.

"So, Oikawa and Hajime worked out their little scuffle," Miyo coyly remarked, stretching her arms up to the dark sky. " Thank heavens for it. Seriously, Oikawa is a pain in the ass to deal with when he's upset!"

"Yeah," Ukai nodded in agreement, gesturing her with a distant cheers of his beer can. "Hajime is, too. He gets so fucking hostile, you can't even talk to him."

"It's match made in heaven, then~~"

"Mmm."

"Are you okay?" Miyo asked after a few moments of creeping silence, filled with the sound of evening cicadas. "I know that you've got a lot of on your plate. Want to talk about it?"

"Mmm, I do have a lot going on," Ukai grumbled, squeezing the can in his large hand. "I'm just frustrated...with a lot of things."

"I can smell that. You got a list ready for me or what?"

"It's a long list."

"So? Do we really have to do this little song and dance, professor? Just tell me what's on your mind."

She was pushy , he had known that from the first moment they met- she had been absolutely adamant of her nest's innocence in the fire incident, ignoring his skepticism of her story with ease. It was a trait that he was grateful for. Without her unwavering spirit in the face of his ignorance, his Alphas would have never met the Omega nest, and he would not have come to know her so personally. At that thought, he let out a small breath of relief- at least he would never had a problem with her outspoken personality, it was an aspect of her that he greatly admired.

"I'm worried about the welfare of my students with all of this violence," he at last relinquished, slumping down in the wicker chair at his terrible thoughts. "I'm pretty panicked about mating with you, but that's not against you or anything, I'm just overthinking things. Then there's the case against the intruders, I mean, how the fuck am I going to convince the disciplinary committee to take action when they completely ignored a fucking burnt down residence? Oh, and that transitions well into my realization of just how fucked up society is. And the people in it, people like Sonny... " He finished with a guttural snarl, shifting uncomfortably at his sudden agitation.

"Ah," Miyo remarked, setting her now empty wine glass down on the paved walkway next to her. "Well, at least the problems with me will be sorted after tomorrow...hopefully…"

Oh, hope wasn't going to he necessary. He was going to mate with her, even if it took every ounce of his life force to do so. Admittedly, he was concerned about how well their personalities would fit together after the deed was done, but now wasn't the time to bring it up. He had just barely convinced her to mate with him in the first place, if he threw any sign of hesitation or fear her way, he knew that she would back out of their agreement in a heartbeat- she was too selfless for her own good.

"I can help you with the other stuff, you know," the raven haired Omega continued, looking up at the dark sky with a pleasant smile. "I've got your back, and I'm sure that having another professor's testimony would do some good, even if it is from an Omega…"

"Yeah...I'd appreciate that. I just hate that your opinion is going to be marginalized because of..." He grumbled out, trailing off as an unfamiliar fragrance seeping into his open nostrils. "Miyo, come here," he abruptly barked, hastily rising to his feet at his sudden realization. "Now."

Alphas. Intruders. Four . He took a large step towards the edge of the veranda, his instincts coiling around inside his gut like knives, slicing at his organs. Their scents were more than a little curious and they held an unusual interest in the inhabitants of the yellow house. An interest that he was not pleased with in the slightest. They were not going to let them take another confident step towards his property, not on his watch.

"HEY, MOVE ALONG!" He roared out to the shadowy figures, throwing his half-full can of beer nearly the full length of the lawn as if to illustrate his point. "MOVE. ALONG."

"YEAH," Miyo shouted in agreement as she snapped around to face the curious men- much to his dismay, she had remained out in the yard, unprotected . "THERE'S NOTHING TO SEE HERE, SO LEAVE."

"YOU LOOKING FOR A CHALLENGE?" He continued in a loud snarl when the hesitant Alphas remained in place, his instincts screeching at him to move forward to guard his Omega. "BY ALL MEANS. COME. AT. ME. SEE WHAT HAPPENS," he challenged, stepping towards the edge of the porch to do just that. "COME. AT. ME."

As his furious scent whirled out into the yard, subtle whimpers of resignation reached his waiting ears. The group of Alphas shuffled in place, internally debating their next move, before sluggishly turning away to disappear in the dim light. He was halfway down the front steps, skin crawling with an unbent need to ensure his Omega's safety, when she interrupted his movements in a frantic voice- accompanied by a fresh wave of nausea in his stomach as her fragrance reached his senses.

"Ukai! Stop. Back up," she hissed as she scrambled back to lengthen the gap between them. "I can't reign in my scent any more than it already it, so pull yourself together and slam down those instincts, or you're going to be sick all over the porch. I'm fine. They're gone. Relaaaaaax."

Relax. Relax. Relax. He consciously commanded himself, attempting to mentally shove down his feral nature. Miyo was safe, the Alphas were gone...but, what if they came back? Threats. There were still more potential threats...

"If anyone else intrudes on our little shindig, I'll come up onto the porch, okay?" Miyo hastily added, sensing his failing struggle against his instincts. "I'll be okay. You're five feet away from me, not across the world. Also, I'm mated, remember? They probably wouldn't have any interest in me."

Her declaration of her mated status did nothing to sate his instincts, but five feet away...he could work with that. If something happened, he would be at her side quicker than any other Alpha in the world, of that he was certain.

Fucking fuck," he snarled as he hesitantly backed up the steps, furiously pacing along the wooden floor boards of the porch. "Sonny's. Fucking. Scent. I want it GONE!"

"It will be, we've just got to last a few more hours, okay?" Miyo asserted in a soothing voice that did well to ease his pained insides. " Okay ?"

"Okay," he grumbled as he ran a large hand through his dyed hair. "Why the fuck are these fuckers showing up?! Did we send out a party flier that I don't know about?! Are the Omegas not wearing their patches?! Is there a full moon tonight?!"

"It's because of the alcohol," Miyo imparted, craning her neck back to ensure that their unwelcome visitors were indeed gone. "It inhibits our ability to control our scents, you know that," she chastised, crossing her arms over her small bust. "I mean, the patch can only do so much. Our house probably smells like a hundred Omegas right now. Of course it's going to lure in some unwanted Alphas."

For a brief moment, her tranquil scent reached forward to comfort him, an natural response on her part, but she shut it down with impunity. "Is here okay?" She asked, gesturing at the small distance between them. "I don't want to rile up your instincts any further..."

"Yeah, it's fine. You're downwind, but I'd be happier if you were behind me, not in front," he growled out through gnashed teeth, his feral nature still screeching for him to close the distance between them- to protect her from some unforeseen force.

"Okay, good," she said with a small nod, narrowing her eyes at his obvious irritation. "I'm sorry that my scent affects you so much…I wish that it didn't. I wish that I met you before Sonny..."

Ukai barely heard the soft, apologetic words. They were distant, as if she was calling at him from the end of a long, dark tunnel. Would she just come up onto the porch? Get off of the unguarded lawn? He would much rather deal with the nausea from her mated scent than the nausea he felt from her defenseless position...being so exposed to threats...just...come...near...the…house.

"Get inside," he abruptly snarled out, his tone challenging and his scent dominant, every word guided by his instincts. "Now. Inside."

He was unable to prevent his feral nature from uttering out the unwanted command, it had boiled over from his internal stress- his hatred for Sonny's scent, the intruding Alphas, and his inability to guard her properly as her Alpha.

"Excuse me?" Miyo remarked, raising a manicured eyebrow at his sudden, feral command. "I don't fucking think so, you don't get to command me."

He knew that. He knew that, but he couldn't help his Alpha nature from assuming ownership of her. While his soul understood and respected that she was not his, his instincts were another story altogether- they weren't called feral for nothing . It was a known fact that Alphas maintained very little authority over their instinctual nature, and unfortunately, he didn't have a Hajime caliber of control over his. There were going to be times when it slipped through- something that Miyo had to make peace with it they were going to make things work.

"I know," he growled, harshly grinding his teeth together. "I know that. You need to...understand that I can't...control them all...the...time," he continued, his mental fight against his nature affecting his words. "Please, just come inside. Or at least on the porch, I can't deal with this right now. I'm fighting a losing battle."

"I understand that there are going to be instances where your instincts are going to take over, and there will be times where I will follow their commands, but not right now, Ukai. Practice makes perfect, even if you hate it, you've got to keep trying. Clearly, I am in no danger right now...and I have no desire to see you sick because of my scent...it's...it makes me feel terrible about myself..."

Of course it did. If his scent left her nauseous and vomiting, he wouldn't want to be anywhere near her- wouldn't want to see the pain he was unwittingly bestowing upon her.

"I-" He began, pacing over to the far side of the porch to physically shake out his frustration. "Okay, just come up onto the porch, please . I want to make sure the back is clear of unwanted visitors and I don't want...anything to happen while I'm-"

"Good call!" Okay, you stay out back and I'll watch the front, divide and conquer. It'll kill two birds with one stone, we can watch over the lot andkeep out scents separate for the time being."

"That's not what I had in mind," he grumbled, sighing deeply at the Omega's unabashed courage. "I'd rather you not defend the front on your own, what if-"

"Ukai," Miyo interjected with a skeptical look, her emerald eyes piercing his own. "Did you forget about the other night? My scent can do some damage, you've seen that first hand."

Her scent.. .he had seen it first hand. In all the commotion in the last few days, he had forgotten to ask her about it the strange scent. Even now, thinking it now left him terrified, his instincts coiling back inside his mind at the memory of being frozen in place by the overbearing fragrance.

"Okay, what the fuck is that about, by the way?" He questioned hotly as he adjusted his headband against a few stray hairs. "I've never witnessed, or even fucking heard of something like that in my entire life…"

"Yeah, it is unusual, I'll give you that," Miyo chirped with a musical laugh that melted his insides- a few more hours, she was his in a few more hours.

"So, are you going to tell me anything more or just leave me terrified of your freakish nature?"

" Freakish ! I'm not a freak!"

"You kind of are. I mean, that shit is scary, Miyo. It's one thing to be spooked by a dominant Alpha scent, but an Omega one? Fuck, just thinking about it gives me chills~"

"It's not as scary as you think," the raven said with a small shrug, toeing a flower in the grass. "I don't have much control over it. It kind of, comes and goes whenever it pleases."

"I thought, uh, that Omegas had crazy good scent control," Ukai put forth as he sat down on the steps in front of her. "You know, practice from having to keep in reigned in all the time..."

"Yeah, we do, but the paralyzing scent I have is...different. It's sort of, an unconscious reaction. Similar to your Alpha instincts, I guess."

"When did you first notice it?"

"Oh, that's a long story."

"Yes, and?"

"Okay, fine, get comfy, grab your spare beer," she said with a sly giggle, raising an eyebrow as he reached back to snag the tall boy hidden behind him. "I have two brothers, not sure if I've told you that or-"

"You did not."

"Yeah, two of them. Twin Alphas, if you can believe that, and a whole host of cousin Alphas, alllll boys. I am the proud, sole Omega of my family. I guess I'm pretty lucky that they were so supportive of me, they're the reason I've been so successful in snagging an Alpha profession…" She trailed off with a small, reminiscent smile that sent butterflies through Ukai's stomach at her beauty. "But, that's neither here nor there. Anyways, when I was, god , I think I was twelve or thirteen...yeah, thirteen. I was at the park with my brothers, and one of my cousins, and they got into this stupid argument. I don't even remember what it was about, but they all started brawling. Pretttttty normal among Alphas, but as it went on, it started to turn violent. Looking back now, I guess their instincts fueled each other until they eventually lost their conscious control…"

"That has been known to happen, especially in younger Alphas…" Ukai agreed, humming under his breath as he sipped at the fresh beer. "That's why boarding schools are so popular, the kids are always under some watchful eye. Working parents can't always keep track on their teenagers..."

"Mmm, too bad your kiddies aren't forced to stay at home like ours are..." Miyo murmured under her breath before continuing. "Anyhow, I don't know how long the brawling went on for, I just remember seeing a lot blood. Oh, and hearing the terrible growls and snarls. Even now, I can hear them in my head. All three of them were bashing into each other so violently, I didn't know what to do. I remember thinking, oh, shit, my scent is so panicked, it's going to make things worse! Then, something just, snapped inside of me. Suddenly, I wasn't scared anymore, I was just...so angry. So angry that I thought about killing them for being so...stupid. I screamed out at the top of my lungs, yelling at them to stop, and then they just, froze. It was like someone had pushed pause on a remote or something," she explained with a hearty laugh, one that Ukai could only assume, filled the night air with her delicious scent. "My brother Ren, he was stalled in place with his fist, like, inches from my cousin's face!"

"Okay, see, that is so fucked," he countered her humor, shivering at the thought of the paralyzing scent. It was not something he wished to experience again- an all-consuming aura that locked you in place against your best interests. No, thank you.

"It is fucked!" Miyo agreed, still giggling at her recollection. "It is so fucked, and honestly, I have yet to come across any research on it. Which, I guess makes sense…"

"Why on earth does that make sense?"

"I mean, how would our Alpha overlords feel if they found out about this shit? I've kept it pretty well a secret, and I'm sure that I'm not the only one."

"Oh, yeah..." Ukai growled with a small puff of air. "So, it comes out randomly, or what?"

"Not randomly . It's mostly in instances when I'm really, really mad about something," the raven Omega explained with a cheeky grin. "So don't piss me off!"

He definitely wasn't planning on it, hell was more likely to freeze over.

"Hey, go check out the back, okay? I'll be fine out here. I proooooomise that I will shout out for you if something happens," Miyo affirmed, playfully punching the air in front of her to illustrate her fragile toughness.

"You're ridiculous, you know that?" Ukai said, rumbling with laughter at her dramatic display. "Okay, I'll go, but I want you to know that your story didn't make me feel any better about leaving you out here on your own…"

"What? Why?! My scent can paralyze an Alpha in their tracks!"

"Yeah, when it works... randomly… "

"Well, it'll be good practice for me, then."

Why was she so difficult? He was not going to win this argument.

"I would rather-" He started, only to find his frustrations cut off by the eager raven Omega.

" I would rather you trust me. So, trust me and go."

Fine, he would go, but he was going to make damn sure that one of his Alphas stayed watchful of her in his absence. What she didn't know, wouldn't hurt her.

"Oh!" Miyo exclaimed, clapping her hands at her sudden realization. "Could you send Yamaguchi out here on your way? He and I need to have a little chat about that Alpha boy, the one with the glasses."

Yamaguchi...the freckled one…the quiet one...

"Hey," he said as he slowly stood up, stretching his tired muscles towards the sky. "Tobio said something interesting about him the other day…"

"About Yamaguchi?"

"Yeah...he said that the freckled kid's scent paralyzed him in place during the altercation. I remember it cause I was thinking that it all sounded eerily similar to what you did to me…"

"Shit," Miyo said, cocking a knowing eyebrow. "I'll ask him about it. Wouldn't it be weird if we both had the ability? I mean, what are the chances?!"

Ukai hoped that they were low- one terrifying Omega was enough for him.

"And if you're gonna talk to him about Tsukishima, tell him that the stupid blondie likes him," he put forth, turning towards the front door- his instincts agitated, yet momentarily sated, with his abandonment of the raven woman.

"I knew it! You're sure? Like, really sure? I don't want to give any false hope..."

"Pretty fucking sure," Ukai said with a curt nod, stepping into the open doorway. "Please, please, just stay on the porch, okay? Don't do anything reckless for christ's sakes, my heart can't take it..."

He was sure . Tsukishima's scent had shifted in the last few weeks, and tonight was no exception. In fact, since the altercation, the blonde Alpha's fragrance had devolved even further- into a perpetual state of frustrated annoyance with his unconsented instincts. Instincts that wanted to mate with the freckled boy.

"Yes, yes," Miyo affirmed, waving a delicate hand at him as she started towards the veranda. "I promise!"

Good. One more night of stress, he thought to himself with a huff of frustration, then his scent would be embedded in her milky skin for good.

Chapter Thirty Five: Table Games

Yamaguchi~

"Hey, copper top! You've gotta pick up the slack for your team!" Yuji shouted across the table at the bristling figure of Shoyo. "You're slacking!"

"You're one to talk, you criminal! You've missed more flips than I have!"

"I have not! You're drunk!"

" You're drunk!"

They were both drunk, Yamaguchi mused as the final drops of liquid from his cooler hit his tongue, everyone was drunk.

"Shoyo's right, Yuji, you have missed a lot of shots…" Yachi said quietly with a sweet smile, sloshing around the pink contents of her red cup. "Like, a lot…"

"Yachi!" Yuji exclaimed, wrapping his lean arms around the small Omega at his side. "You wound me! Maim me!"

"She's just telling it like it is, man!" Tanaka chirped, prodding Yuji in the forehead with a forefinger. "You're dragging down your teaaaaaam!"

"I am not!" Yuji whined as he nuzzled into Yachi's golden hair. "Yachi, you're breaking my heart! Shattering it!"

"You should've heard what she said about Tobio when you guys were playing Date-" Nishinoya called over from the end of the table, only to be cut short by a very frantic Yachi.

"No, no, no! That's out of context! I never said anything about you, Tobio, I swear!" She blubbered out from under Yuji's arm, her honey coloured eyes panicked. "I promise!"

"She said that your face," Shoyo quipped at the dark Alpha at his side, wagging a knowing finger in the air. "Yeah, that face! That one! She said that she was surprised it hadn't cracked yet, with how stern you always look!"

"It's my face!" Tobio exclaimed, leaning forward to yell at the bouncing ginger at his side. "It's what my face looks like!"

"Noya…" Asahi mumbled down at the energized Omega at his side. "Look what you've started, you've got them going in on each other again!"

"Oh shush," Nishinoya replied with a cocky smirk, filling his red cup with a bit of frothy beer. "They like each other, we all know it, so who cares!"

"Noya…"

"Okay! That's enough! Rooooooooond four! Let's go, let's goooooo!" Bokuto cried out, throwing his hands into the air to silence the crowd. "Start at that end, Shoyo. Put your money where your mouth is, let's goooooo!"

"You got it," the ginger Omega replied loudly, eyeing down his opponent with intense eyes. "Leave it to me!"

"Alright, copper head, you're on!" Yuji remarked with a large smirk and a drunken, gentle smack on Yachi's small back. "You're mine!"

"Okay, ready? Three, two, one, GO!" Bokuto announced, banging a large hand on the table at the final word.

Yamaguchi watched as the starters hastily gulped their drinks, finishing mere moments apart. In his eyes, they were sloppy in their cup flipping, but much to his amusement, they both retained an intense, energetic determination to see the job to completion- they were more similar than they let on...

"Done!" Yuji declared as his cup rolled onto the wooden table. "Go, Yachi, GO!"

"Mmmm," Yachi mumbled as she rose her cup to her mouth. "Ayy wamm!"

"Hurry up!" Tobio muttered at Shoyo, leaning forward on the table to inspect the ginger's flips. "I told you! Use your wrist! Your wrist!"

"I am doing that!" Shoyo quipped back, brows furrowed in concentration as he emulated the setter's technique. "See, that's what I'm doing!"

"No, you're using more of your forearm! See like this, do it like this! Like this!" Tobio criticized, flicking his undamaged arm in an upward motion. "Not like that, like this!"

"I am doing th- DONE!"

Yamaguchi giggled at their loud exchange- always at each other's throats...in the best way possible. Both of them had an internal fire and a zest for winning that refused to be stifled. Although they seemed be in constant odds, he knew that it was their unique was of showing affection. Tobio had been practically glued to Shoyo's side since the hospital, keeping watch over him during his waking hours. Plus, the dark Alpha's scent had begun to seep an undertone of curiosity for the ginger- one that Yamaguchi knew would eventually shift to desire, if their cheeky interactions and close proximity continued.

"Done! N-next!" Yachi exclaimed with a hiccup, wiping her mouth on the back of her shirt.

"As expected from my partner in crime!" Yuji called into the hair, once again embracing the blonde Omega at his side in an energetic hug. "Amazing! Incredible!"

"Yuji, move over!" Nishinoya yelled after finishing his drink, shoving the happy Alpha and his entrapped Omega to the side. "You're in my space! Do you want to win or not?!"

"Sorrrrrrrrrry," the blonde Alpha replied with a smirk, nestling into Yachi's blonde locks again to inhale her scent. "My badddddddddd."

"Hurry up, Tobio!" Tanaka growled, watching with intense eyes as his teammate concentrated on flipping his cup onto the table. "Aren't you supposed to be some kind of prodigy?! Flip the dang cup!"

"Hey, give the kid a break!" Nishinoya chimed in, his pink tongue sticking out as he attempted his fourth flip. "Just look at his messed up arm!"

"He's not even using it to flip!" Tanaka yelled back, a hand hovering over his cup in anticipation. "Are you sure that you're a prodigy?! Are you-"

"Done!" Tobio called out, raising back up to full height with a small sigh of relief. "Shoyo was way worse than me and you didn't give him any shit...and I don't call myself a prodigy, you call me that."

"Shoyo is," Tanaka started in response, angling his red cup against the edge of the wood. "Not as experienced...at...drinking...as...you...are...DONE! Next!"

"Nishinoya…" Asahi whispered over his Omega's shoulder, a worried look plastered on his tanned face. "You're falling behind…"

"Don't you think I know that, Asahi!" Nishinoya snapped back, holding his arms in a prayer position as he watched his cup roll around on its lip. "THERE, DONE! GO, KEIJI!"

Man, Yamaguchi mused with a sly smirk, Asahi really needed to make his move. Nishinoya had spent every single night in the nest room, cuddled up next to him. How long was it going to take for the giant Alpha to sack up? Their relationship was twisting into a strange, platonic, mess and Nishinoya too oblivious to make the first move...

"Oh, Keiji! Trying to sweep the floor out from under me?!" Bokuto cried out as he flipped his cup far too high into the air for a successful landing. "I don't think so! Not on my watch!"

"Don't mess up…" Keiji droned after polishing off his drink. "You had a pretty good lead…"

"I WON'T MESS UP!"

"Done."

"WHAT?!"

"VICTORY FOR TEAM OMEGA, AND YUJI!" Nishinoya cried out, sticking his tongue out as he danced in place. "Man, Bokuto, you really dropped the ball, man!"

"REMATCH! I WANT A REMATCH! I WAS DISTRACTED BY KEIJI'S SCENT!" Bokuto yelled out in anguish, throwing his head back dramatically. "REMATCH!"

"Lies," Keiji drawled, his navy eyes shining with amusement. "Your nose is still messed up. You can't smell shit. Don't try to use me as an excuse."

"IT'S NOT A LIE, KEIJI!" The owl whined loudly, falling against the table in an upset fashion. "As your Alpha, I'm suuuuuuuper sensitive to your scent!"

"Lies."

"It's not a lie!"

"I'm tagging out for the next round," Tobio muttered, absentmindedly ruffling Shoyo's ginger hair with his good arm. "I need some water."

"Alright, alright, we need a sub, then," Tanaka mumbled, eyes raking over the room, landing on Yamaguchi.

No, no, no, look somewhere else…please...

"Yamaguchi!" He called over, furiously waving for him to take Tobio's space. "We need a sub in for this round! Join our super star winning team!"

"You just lost…" Keiji quipped, smirking at Bokuto's tragic figure. "We're the superstar team..."

"No...I think that-" Yamaguchi started, his decline cut short by the overeager, and very drunk, Tanaka.

"Come on!" He whined, rushing over to him in two long strides. "Pleaaaaaaaase, I bet you're really good! The quiet ones are always good!"

"Really, I'm not very-"

"Do I need to get you a leash?" Daichi interjected with a growl, grabbing Tanaka by the back of his collar. "You can just go twice. I'm sure you'd like that, right?"

"Captainnnnnnnnn!"

"You can go twice."

"Why don't you joiiiiiiiin innnn?"

"Because I'm playing beer pong against Oikawa and Hajime in the backyard."

"That's so lame, cap. Flip cup is the game of the evening! We all agreed!"

"We did not agree on that."

"Who's reffing?! I'll ref!"

"Tsukishima, and you're playing flip cup, remember?"

"Tsukishima is getting involved?! Seriously?!"

"Yes."

"Seriously?!"

"Yeeeeeees."

Yamaguchi watched, a stiff expression on his freckled face, as Daichi hauled his whining teammate back to the long table of cups. It wasn't that he didn't want to play, he was just nervous about his abilities- he couldn't bear to be the weak link on the team. He had never played flip cup before and he wasn't one to jump into something without ample practice first. If he could help it, of course.

"Yamaguchi," an unfamiliar voice startled him from behind. He whipped around, cradling his casted arm against his chest to see the Alpha professor, Ukai . "Miyo wants to chat with you, out on the front porch."

No...

"Oh," he replied with a sheepish grin and a shake of his head. "No thanks, I'm good!"

"Nope, you're not getting out of this one," the blonde Alpha affirmed with a knowing nod, gently ushering him towards the front door. "You knowwhat she's like. She'll have my head if I don't escort you out there!"

"No, really , I'm just going to go and get a drink and then I'll go out!" He stated with a nervous laugh, growing more frantic as he neared the entryway. "I promise!"

"I don't think so! I'm not putting my life on the line for you, freckles!" Ukai responded, stopping him a few feet short of the open door. "And give her this, maybe it'll help you escape!" He continued as he handed him a chilled bottle of white wine, granting him a cheeky wink.

Why, he thought as he unwillingly took the glass bottle from the Alpha's hands, why did Miyo feel the need to shake the secrets out of him? He wasn't even sure that he knew what secrets she could shake out of him! Tsukishima was...his friend...nothing more…

"Um, Miyo?" He asked in near whisper, sticking his head out the front door into the cool air- the echoing calls of his housemates fading into the night.

"Yams!" His professor exclaimed with a massive grin. "Oh, and you brought wine! My savior!"

"Yeah…"

"Oh, don't be so nervous!"

"I-I'm not!"

"Yams, I know you, you totally are," Miyo affirmed with a small chuckle, handing him the now open bottle of wine. "Here, take the edge off!"

So much for his escape plan, he mused as he took a hearty swig from the cold glass, now he was stuck with his nosy professor- the good hearted woman with an unwanted interest in his love life. He had done well to ignore his developing feelings and she was going to pull them forward, in all their complexities, against his expressed will. He sighed deeply, taking another swig of the clear liquid to steady his nerves, ready as he was ever going be for her interrogation.

Hajime~

A perfect toss, he thought with a sly smirk as his ball floated down into Suga's cup with a small plop. Perfect, absolutely per-

"Your elbow was over the line. No point," Tsukishima drawled, smashing his internal victory to the ground with his lazy words.

"What? No it wa-"

"Ref says that it was, so it was!" Suga quipped as he shook the white ball to dry it. "Our shot!"

"Tsukishimaaaa~" Oikawa whined, batting his eyelashes at the amused Alpha. "Do you have something against us?!"

"Why, I would never show bias," the blonde replied, pushing up his glasses on his face- still laced with scrapes and yellowing bruises. "I take this job very seriously."

Yeah right, Hajime mused as he rolled his dark eyes, he had never seen the kid take anything seriously…

"Nice shot, Suga!" Daichi cheersed, pumping a closed fist into the air as the ball landed in Hajime's cup. "Wow, so we only need to make two more shots until we win...again…"

"Shut up, Daichi!" Oikawa hotly remarked as he pointed a narrow finger across the table. "We'll get it back! Right , Hajime? We've got this!"

"You bet your ass we've got this," he affirmed, moving his hand downwards to give his Omega a subtle pinch on the cheek.

Oikawa let out a silent squeak, then shot him an intense look that said something along the lines of- we're trying to win, stop being a thorn in my side and take this seriously!

"I am taking this seriously!" He replied to the silence, his dark eyes wide with feigned disbelief. "We're going to win this time, I'm sure of it!"

"Your tone! Your tone isn't serious!"

"It is!"

"No, it's all Hajime-like !"

"What does that even mean?!"

"Uh, guys?" Daichi interjected, pointing across the table as Suga giggled at his side. "It's, uh, your shot now…"

Oikawa gingerly pulled the white balls from their scored cups and handed over. "Don't you dare miss this shot!" He declared as he snubbed his nose upwards, showing off the angular jawline that Hajime loved to admire.

"You do know that I'm the one who's made all the shots this round, right?" He chirped, his snarky words stiffening Oikawa mid-throw- messing up his shot.

"I missed that one because of you! How could you?! We're in the clutches of defeat and you pull a stunt like that!"

"Oh, shut up," he retorted, lightly kissing the chestnut Omega on his tense cheek. "You can't fake experience, but don't worry, I've got plenty of it."

"So cute…" He heard Suga mumbled out as he lined up for his shot. Whatever...maybe he was acting cute, he couldn't help himself. He was drunk, his Omega was back at his side, and he was surrounded by friends. Who, in the right mind, wouldn't act the way he was? The cheeky words were not going to bother him, not in his happy, content state. Although , he mused to himself with a small grin, admittedly...his show of affection was uncharacteristic.

"We're not cute, SUGA!" Oikawa called across the table as he tossed the white ball, landing it directly in the front red cup. "Also, TAKE THAT! Hajime scored! One step closer to vi-"

"Arm was over the table," Tsukishima declared with a coy smirk, taking a sip of his wheat ale. "Doesn't count."

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME, TSUKI?!" Hajime growled, turning to face his blonde teammate. "ARE YOU JUST OUT TO GET ME OR SOMETHING?"

"I don't make the rules, Hajime, I just enforce them."

"I don't see you calling out Oikawa, or Daichi, for overreaching!"

"That's because they haven't. You have ."

"Hajime!" Oikawa chirped, rubbing him on the back with a tenderness that melted his insides. "Don't let four eyes harm our unbreakable bond of trust! We've still got this-"

"That's game," the blonde ref said with a small chuckle, pushing forward off the yellow siding of the house.

"WHAT?!" Oikawa yelled, snapping his neck back to the blue table in front of them. "DAICHI, WHEN DID YOU TAKE THE SHOT?"

"Just now...when you guys were arguing…"

"I didn't see it, so it doesn't count," Hajime asserted, gnashing his teeth together at the loss... another loss.

"The ref saw it!" Suga replied with a cheeky grin and a wag of the finger. "So that's, four wins for us? And, how many for you? One? No...wait, Daichi, how many did they win?"

"I believe it was, zero."

"Oh, that's right, it was ZERO!"

"Cockiness doesn't suit you, Suga~~" Oikawa seethed through clenched teeth. "Sore winner…"

"Oi, who won?" Hajime heard a familiar voice enter the playful banter, Tobio...the sullen setter .

"They did," he drawled, rolling his neck on its axis to loosen his muscles as he pointed across the table. "They wiped the floor with us.

"HELLO, TOBIO, if it isn't the mopey little mophead that I wiped the floor with last time!" Oikawa yelled, shoving at Tobio from the side. "Care to face me again?! One on one, just you and me!"

"You're on. You're not going to beat me this time!"

Hajime watched as the two boys set up the table in a hasty flurry, slinging insults at each other as they did so. When did they-

"Um," Daichi interjected his thoughts, stopping at his side with furrowed brows. "When did they become...rivals?"

"I don't...know…" Hajime whispered back with wide eyes. "I guess...they just have conflicting personalities?"

"Nah," Suga chimed it, bumping Daichi playfully in the side. "It's cause Oikawa used to be a setter in high school. A pretty good one, too."

"Oh, really?" Daichi said, his brown eyes wide with astonishment. "I guess he's got the grace for it, and the level head…"

"Yeah, he was pretty torn up after seeing Tobio set in the Date Tech game," Suga explained with a small giggle. "Normally he has it in his mind that he's better than allllllll the Alpha setters, but I think he was a bit rattled by Tobio's abilities. The kid's good, and this is how Oikawa responds to that kind of realization."

He was always learning something new about the chestnut Omega, he loved it, it kept things interesting. Oikawa was full of surprises...perhaps, later in the week they could rent out the gym and he could show off just how good at volleyball he actually was. Plus, he did always fantasize about sleeping with someone in the storage closet...

"Hey, Daichi, Hajime," a deep voice, one that could only belong to his coach, chimed in from behind, pulling him from his lewd thoughts. "Have anyunwanted guests shown up back here?"

Unwanted guests...what did Ukai mean...unwanted guests. In an instant, his instincts roared inside his skull, his scent coiling into the air around him with a vicious fury. Protect Oikawa...Suga...fellow Alphas...pack.

"What do you mean," Daichi growled as he pulled Suga towards the house, his domineering scent seeping out into the night air. "Where."

"Relax, you would've smelled them," Ukai asserted, his own throat rumbling in response to his fellow Alphas. "There were a few out front, but I took care of them."

"Good," Tobio barked from the table, dark eyes fixated on the dim yard before him. "If anyone-"

"Okay, boys. Let's just relax and enjoy our night, hm?" Oikawa chirped, his calm, ocean scent wafting over the back porch- blending well with the blue hue from the overhanging lights. "We're more prepared this time to handle any unwanted guests~~"

"Exactly," Suga nodded in agreement, his own sweet scent blending in with his nestmate's, forming a strong, relaxing tranquility to ease the Alpha tension. "Take some deep breaths and relaxxxxx."

"We can still guard while we play and have fun," Ukai growled in agreement, reaching for the green cooler near the door. "Hajime, ya got any amber beer back here or what?"

"Uh, yeah, the tall boy cans," Hajime replied, shaking his head to physically bring his foggy mind back from his instincts. "Grab me one, would ya?"

"Yeah, me too…" Tsukishima grumbled and Hajime sniffed the air, surprised to find his teammate's scent gruff and agitated. "One of the Sapporos, not that dark shit that he drinks."

Huh, maybe the kid's feelings towards Yamaguchi were further along than he had expected. Why else would he be so easily provoked by Ukai's words? Perhaps, all of the Alphas in the home had something to protect now…

"Hey, Daichi," Ukai called out to the captain next to him. "You going inside?"

"Yeah, I was going to grab a few more beers for the cooler, what's up?"

"Can you check in on Miyo, she's on the front porch..."

"Uh, yeah, of course…" The captain replied with furrowed brows, momentarily debating whether or not to push the topic further. "I'll, uh, be back in a second."

"Yo, coach," Hajime put forth, catching the can of beer that Ukai tossed his way. "What's the deal with you and Miyo, anyways?"

It was bold to ask, but he couldn't contain his curiosity. Miyo was mated, Ukai's scent seeped a desire to mate with her, and the two hadn't been closer than a few meters all night. It was an... odd situation.

"I'm remating her," Ukai stated plainly as he cracked his tall can, catching Hajime by surprise with the honest answer. "Her mated scent is fucking killing me, though, I can't get within an arm's length of her without wanting to throw up."

"That's daring of you," Tsukishima drawled, taking a hearty sip of his wheat beer. "When did you decide that?"

Wow, Hajime thought with a smirk, Tsukishima, showing interest in someone else? He really must be drunk…

"I know, but what's done is done. It's already decided," Ukai growled, fiddling with the sticker on his can. "We'll figure it out, and don't you have more important things to worry about, Tsukishima ? Like...that freckled Omega you've been lurking around?"

Hajime burst out laughing at the daring accusation and Tsukishima shifted uncomfortably against the yellow siding. Man, having their professors around was certainly providing the house with some humorous banter- no way in hell would he say something like that to his blonde teammate, he didn't want his eyes clawed out.

"Yamaguchi is doing well, thank you for your concern, coach," Tsukishima seethed back through clenched teeth, averting his gaze to the side.

"Oh, hit a nerve did I?!" Ukai pushed forward, his face plastered with an impish grin. "You sure you don't want some advice?"

Tsukishima's face stiffened and Hajime snickered again at his vivid mental image of the blonde Alpha's thoughts- keep calm, keep calm, don't punch him in the face. He took another sip of his amber ale and sat down on the porch swing behind him, eager to watch the comedic exchange before him. Maybe, just maybe, Tsukishima was drunk enough to let slip some of his normally steel emotions. No way in hell was he going to miss this, not with the preachy Oikawa and the blonde's arch enemy, Tobio, listening in on the fun.

Chapter Thirty Six: The Drunk Professor

Yamaguchi~

Yamaguchi set the half full bottle of wine down on the weathered boards of the front porch and wiped his mouth with the back of his sleeve- anxiously waiting for his professor to speak up. He wasn't ready to divulge his feelings for Tsukishima, he wasn't even certain what they were himself.

"So, how's your arm feeling?" Miyo put forth, her narrow eyes threatening him to tell the truth. "Feeling better?"

"It's...fine…" He replied with a slow nod, growing suspicious of her intentions. "A bit sore, but I get the cast off in a week, so it's not as bad as some of the breaks I've had."

"Yeah, that collar bone one last year was pretty nasty. This is probably nothing compared to that shit."

It was nothing. Even his broken collar bone had been minor, compared to some of his childhood injuries- orphanariums were not exactly the best place to live out your early years as an Omega.

"You okay?" Miyo continued, filling the silent night with her pleasant voice. "Are you adjusting here? I know I haven't exactly been around to help out...I'm sorry about that."

Yamaguchi inwardly recoiled as her distressed scent suddenly reached his nostrils- his professor rarely shed negative fragrances, very rarely. The unusual occurrence left him fumbling around ideas, what words he could say to make her feel better. Yes, she was nosy and overbearing at times, but he loved her- she was closest thing he would ever get to a traditional mother.

"No, no!" He replied, frantically waving his cast about. "It's totally fine! I'm doing fine, I promise. We've sorted things out pretty well on our own. You've stepped in at a good time!"

"Well, I suppose," his professor conceded with a small sigh, her slender body swaying in her drunken state. "Still, I'm sorry. I know it might not seem like it...but...I'm just so...angry...with what happened. The fire, the attacks, the invasions on the house…it's just..."

As she trailed off, her scent devolved another step, coiling around him with a deeper sadness that permeated his soul. His shoulders slumped, thinking about the trials he and his nestmates had been forced to face. It had been a long journey- life was a long journey for every Omega. Miyo knew that better than anyone.

"Sorry!" The raven abruptly exclaimed, vigorously shaking her dark head to clear away her tragic thoughts. "I'm dragging you down with my scent. It's the wineeeeeeeeee, it makes me emotional~~"

What could he say to make her feel better? To get her mind off of...oh, he thought as an idea flickered across his mind, he could change the subject. Give her something more interesting to talk about…

"So…" He began, scratching at the white surface of his cast. "What, uh, do you think about Tsukishima?"

"Tsukishima? You mean that kid with the glasses? The one who's always reading?"

"Yeah…"

"I thiiiiiiink," Miyo sang out, reaching for the bottle of wine at his feet- she really shouldn't. "That you liiiiike him~"

God, she sounded even more like Oikawa than he remembered. He was in for a treat, a painful treat.

"I don't know…maybe I do..."

It was the truth, he really didn't know. He and Tsuki had spent ample time together, but it was nothing more than them enjoying each other's company. He liked that the Alpha was quiet, he wasn't much of a talker himself. However, there was a strange, developing desire within his heart, one that had only grown stronger since the attack on their yellow house. He felt... safe ...when the blonde man was near him. Sure, he felt secure around his other Alpha housemates, but with Tsukishima, it was different. More... personal.

"Well, I've been told that he likes you," Miyo put forth as she raked her gaze out into the dark yard. "From a pretty reliable source, too."

"W-what?!" He sputtered out, coughing as he choked on his spit. "You...w-what?"

"Yams, really?" His professor chastised sweetly as she raised a manicured eyebrow at his genuine shock. "You really don't smell it on him? Omegas are supposed to be masters of scent investigation~"

True, but he had always been pretty shit at it. Growing up amongst an amalgamation of so many different fragrances, the revolving door of upset Omegss in his orphanarium, had left him without the ability- he had learned to tune out the overwhelming smells, not pick up on them.

"Are you going to do something about it?" The raven haired woman continued, filling his silence with another thought provoking question. "You don't have to, you know. You can do what you want. Don't worry about everyone else."

Wow, maybe he shouldn't be so fearful of discussion with her, that was good advice. At the sullen thought, a feeling of deep seated guilt shot through his gut. He should have trusted her, gone to her earlier with his troubles. Was he scared...because she was practically his mother? He didn't want to disappoint her- he could think of nothing worse than letting her down.

"I...I know…" He whispered after a few moments of comfortable silence. "It's just...everyone is pairing up so fast…"

"Yeah, they really are…" Miyo mused, humming a song under her breath. "It's...odd. But, you know that you don't have to do the same, right? Take your time, don't let the strange happenings influence you to do something that you're not comfortable with!"

"Yeah…"

"Seriously, Yams," she continued as she bumped up next to him against the yellow house, putting a comforting arm around him shoulders. "You like this glasses kid, and he likes you, too. But, so what? That doesn't mean that you have to rush in and change things. Just, enjoy his company. See where it goes, you know?"

Good advice again. Advice that he sorely needed, with his housemates linking up around him left and right. He felt...pressured.

"I…" He began, but faded off, unsure of what to say other than a genuine thank you.

"He walks you to class, right?"

"Yeah, Daichi made him my going out partner…"

"Going... going out partner?" Miyo repeated, snickering against his shoulder. "Wow, so I really have nothing to worry about!"

What? Worry about...what?

"Oh, Yams. My love, you are so oblivious. It looks like your housemates are subtly stepping in to push the two of you together. No need for me to get involved!"

They...they were?

"I-I...are they?" He asked as he turned his head to look at the raven with wide eyes, vocalizing his frantic thoughts. "But, I thought...it was because Tsukishima and me were the last two house members to pair up! That's all!"

"Whatever you want to tell yourself," Miyo whispered, kissing him sweetly on the tip of the nose. "Daichi, I can smell you lingering. Come out, we aren't gossiping, don't worry about interrupting~~"

Alright, so maybe he did need to work on his nose- Daichi was parked three feet away from him and he couldn't smell a thing. Admittedly, he was thrilled when the captain popped his dark head out the open doorway. He and Miyo had barely scraped the surface of his Tsukishima problem, but he was already drained. The distraction was well timed- maybe he could slip away from his professor's motherly grasp…

"Hey, uh, h-how you doing?" Daichi asked, his tone awkward and uncomfortable. "It's nice out here…"

"Hello, my dear," Miyo replied with a sweet smile, cocking her head to the side. "You want to join us? We're some thrilling conversationalists!"

"Um," the captain mumbled as he stepped out into the turquoise lighting of the porch, even Yamaguchi could tell that his scent was anxious. "I'm kinda just checking in...that's...all."

"What's up with the discomfort, captain?" Miyo prodding, leaning against Yamaguchi's narrow shoulder. "You're all rattled, that's not like you...I don't think…"

She really had no self restraint when it came to probing into people's feelings, Yamaguchi mused, his freckled nose scrunching up in a small snicker at the humorous thought. At least her attention was off of him now...he needed a break.

"I'm, um, not uncomfortable!" Daichi exclaimed, shuffling from foot to foot in embarrassment- physically giving away his anxiety. "I'm just, in a bit of a hurry, that's all."

"You freaked out about my scent, too, heeeeeeeeeey?" Miyo drawled out with a drunken slur, taking a swig of the large glass bottle.

Yamaguchi softly grunted as he held her small figure up against the yellow siding. She really was letting loose tonight…

Daichi~

"Still freaked out with my scent, heeeeeeeeey?" The raven Omega drawled out, her words slurring together as she took another swig of the nearly empty wine bottle.

Jesus , Daichi thought to himself with astonished eyes, she was really letting loose...her and Ukai really loved their liquor…

He was freaked about her scent, and he hadn't even experienced it first hand. Still, while he was inside the yellow house, her domineering fragrance had snaked into the living room, holding both he and Asahi half-hostage with its overbearing energy. From what he had heard from Kuroo, it was much, much worse in the backyard.

"I mean," he started, frightened to provoke even the slightest bit of wrath from the raven woman- Ukai had balls of steel to mate with her. "Yeah, it was pretty, um, freaky…"

"Eh," she replied with a quiet snort as Yamaguchi diligently help her up against the yellow siding. "Everyone says that at first. S'nots so bad once ya get used to it~"

"If I'm being honest, I don't really want to get used to it," he remarked, his dark eyes darting about to avoid eye contact. "No offence! I mean, I know-"

"Oh, stoooooooooooooop," Miyo slurred, playfully pinching Yamaguchi's freckled cheeks. "This little guy can do it, too!"

What?!

"What?!" Yamaguchi vocalized his inner thoughts, his chocolate eyes frantic at her sudden declaration. "You're...drunk, Miyo. I can't freeze-"

"You c-can!" The raven announced with a loud hiccup, planting a sweet kiss on the Omega's forehead. "That kid, what's his name, the one with the stern face, like this," she continued, stiffening the muscles in her slender face, until they resembled.. .ah...Tobio.

"Tobio?" Daichi put forth, smirking at the woman's drunken state. She was funny , and definitely fearless when it came to tough or taboo topics of conversation. He had her to thank for the valuable information on Suga, after all.

"Tobio !" She echoed, snapping her painted nails in the air. "That'z tha one! The kid with the stiff face, why's he always so dang serious? D'ya know why, Yams? S'cause I don't!"

"I'm sorry, but what on earth are you talking about?" Yamaguchi exclaimed, pinching her loose cheeks together to purse her cherry lips. "I've never paralyzed Tobio with my scent!"

"He swaid that you diiiiid" Miyo replied, her lips moving against the freckled Omega's fingers. "Go and awsk!"

"You know what? I will," Yamaguchi declared, with more force than Daichi ever thought possible. "Daichi, here, take her, will you? Yeah, here, just let me get my arm...over her...yeah...there we go."

How did he get roped into this? No, he pondered as he watched the freckled Omega storm into the lively house, he should've expected this. 'Go check on Miyo, would you?' 'Yeah, sure.' What on earth had he been thinking? Of course he was going to get stuck out here with the talkative professor...

"So, Daichiiii. Are you going to ask Suga about the mating thing? Or are you gonna wait. Or are you just going to ignore the whole thing? What's going on in that big, beautiful brain of yours?!"

Okay, guess it was time for round two.

Chapter Thirty Seven: Anxiety

Yuji~

Yuji's body had reached its threshold of liquor. He wasn't painfully intoxicated, however, he had partied enough in his young life to know that it would be unwise to consume anything more- especially now that he had received Daichi's blessing to move into the yellow house for good. He had to been on his best behavior.

"Are you sure it's okay for us to leave the party?" Yachi quietly remarked as they stepped onto the landing of the third floor. "I don't want to seem-"

"Oh, you sweet , caring Omegaaaaa!" He interrupted in a sing song voice, pulling the small blonde into his lean arms for a vigorous embrace. "It's dying down anyways, they won't even know we're gone!"

When a small smile flickered across Yachi's fair face, he couldn't help a wicked grin from appearing on his own. His first and foremost goal had always been to protect the small girl, but right now, there were other, more lustful, things on his mind- the liquid courage coursing through his body wasn't doing him any favors in that department. Plus, the alcohol had really, really dulled the pain in his jaw. He was going to take full advantage of it.

The pair shuffled down the dim hallway and ducked into the familiar room across from the tea green nest. As he closed the door behind them, he was suddenly blasted with Yachi's fragrance- so much so that his knees began to quake from the unusual force behind the scent. Slowly, he turned on his heels to face her, yellow eyes darkening as roses consumed his very being.

"Yachi," he growled low, his throat rumbling with anticipation. He had not expected her to be so forthcoming with her arousal, ordinarily, she was beyond shy. "What are you doing..."

"I-I'm," the small Omega squeaked, visibly stiffening at the smell of his Alpha fragrance- coyly wafting into the air to match her own. "I'm…just…"

As her words trailed off, she began fiddling with the edges of her cream blouse and Yuji closed the distance between them.

"I'm j-just…"

"Are you sure you're ready for this," he challenged, eyes narrowing with desire as he took in her petite, yet feminine figure. "Are you sure."

Her scent was stifling out the cool air of the room, alerting his senses to her lustful thoughts. He wanted to give in to his feral nature, allow it to rush forward and take all she had to offer, but after everything he had witnessed, his conscious mind knew better.

"Yes…" Yachi replied in a near whisper, glancing up at him with large, innocent eyes. "I'm...I'm sure…"

While the shy affirmation wasn't enough for him, it was more than enough for his excited instincts. In an instant, they sprang to the forefront of his mind and coated his waking thoughts in a deep fog of animalistic desire. He reached forward and caressed her cheek- his scent rapidly devolving into a domineering sort of excited arousal.

Were her broken ribs still bothering her? Was she consenting only because of her intoxicated state? Was she rushing into things to please him?

The sober, cohesive thoughts were banished from his head- locked away by his feral nature, screeching about inside his skull. He slowly pulled the soft blouse over her head, admiring her fragile figure through darkening vision. Underneath, her small breasts were covered by a white, lace bra and her collar bones were dotted with sporadic freckles. He liked them, really liked them. They suited her, almost as much as her rosy fragrance. As his hands lightly grazed over her shoulders, lingering on her narrow bra straps, a quiet moan escaped her parted lips. He smirked in the dark, then pulled her petite body in close and rushed to meet her mouth with his own. As they pushed together in a flurry of messy kisses, their tongues entwined in hot arousal, he pulled her navy skirt upwards onto her narrow hips. Somewhere along the line, his own clothing had come off, along with her lacy bra, and they had tangled together into the soft comforter on the bed.

Startled to find just how far they had progressed in their foreplay, Yuji, with great effort, pulled away from the Omega's warm mouth and met her soft eyes. She was panting through parted lips- red and swollen from his gentle nips. He smirked again, admiring the way her breasts rose and fell with each shy breath, then moved down her body to take a small, pink nipple between his teeth. As he rolled it around in his mouth, flicking it against his metal tongue piercing, Yachi whimpered into the quiet air around them and shuddered against his naked body. Her heavenly fragrance washed over him once more, egging him on with its lustful satisfaction.

Roses. Sweet, fresh, roses.

He continued to tease her breasts and slowly caressed down her tense abdomen to feel for her sex, pleased to find it wet with instinctual anticipation. His cock pulsed against his briefs as he lightly grazed a finger between her folds and over her sensitive nub.

"Yuji…" Yachi moaned as she grasped into his dyed hair with delicate fingers and long nails. "Alpha…!"

He liked hearing her whine out his name in sheer ecstasy, but he loved hearing her instinctual cry- Alpha . His instincts flared up once more and he moved forward to claim her mouth again as he lined up his swollen, aching member with her moist sex. Her natural scent, even more prominent from the slick juices dripping onto the comforter beneath her, was going well to drive him into a state of feral madness.

He had to have her. All of her. Every single inch. It was all his. His.

In one swift movement, he thrust forward, pushing his cock inside the Omega's warm hole. Immediately, she whimpered out, her hazel eyes glassy with desire, and she arched her back away from the mattress to match his movements.

She was unbelievably tight. Her body was so small compared to his lean figure. It was almost painful for him to be inside of her, but the sheer ecstasy he felt, bathing in her floral fragrance, transmuted all of his sensations into a personal heaven. He pulled back slightly, then thrust forward against, his lean body rubbing against her soft skin, searching for an even higher level of ecstacy.

"Fuck. Yachi," he snarled as he nipped at the scent glands in her neck, inhaling rosy fragrance- diluted with Omega desire. "You. Are. So. Tight."

At his growling words, he felt the Yachi's body stiffen against his own- losing all of its aroused liquidity in a mere instant. He pulled back to look at her, feeling his heart suddenly pound loudly against his chest.

Fuck. Something was wrong. What was wrong. What did he do...

Yachi~

Yachi had loved every second, every blissful moment of Yuji. The way he was gentle with her, but sometimes harsh in his teasing. The way she lost track of time- lost track of herself in his arms. His domineering scent wrapped her in a warm blanket of safety, something she had never felt from an Alpha before. However, her euphoric happiness was shattered before she even had the chance to understand what had happened.

"Fuck, Yachi. You are so tight."

Fuck, Yachi. Didn't I tell you last time to loosen up?

Chaki's voice suddenly permeated every inch of her mind, slicing at her insides like hot daggers.

You never fucking listen. I told you to relax your fuck hole, you stupid fucking Omega.

She could feel her body shaking against the soft comforter beneath her, but her mind began to cloud over, pushing away the real world with her familiar, dark tunnel of panic.

What good are you to me if I can barely fuck you?! You stupid slut. Loosen up!

"I'm sorry...I'm sorry...I'll be better…" She whispered, unsure of if the words had actually reached her lips.

Where was she, again? How mad was Chaki, this time? Maybe she could-

"Yachi?!"

Who was that? Someone familiar, calling her name from very far away...

"Yachi. Fuck. FUCK ."

She couldn't place the voice. It wasn't...Chaki...was it? No...it was too desperate...too guttural...

"Did I hurt you?! Yachi, say something. Please. Please. I'm losing my mind. Please ."

Please. The single word had a sensational, raw emotion to it- the likes of which she had never experienced.

Please.

Please.

Did I hurt you.

Please…

Yuji.

Suddenly, her world flooded back to life. As she slowly blinked color back into her black vision, she was surprised to find her eyes moist with fresh tears. Yuji was holding her to his chest, rocking against the headboard of the bed- his scent a combination of frantic upset and stress. His left hand was clutching her small bicep with enough force to bruise, but she didn't mind the pressure. The action was possessive, fearful even, and driven by an overbearing worry of losing her.

"S-Sorry," she sniffed, at long last finding her voice. "I didn't-"

"Did. I. Hurt. You." Yuji snarled into her hair, inhaling her fragrance in an attempt to ascertain her disoriented headspace. "Did. I. God. Did. I. Again."

No. He didn't. She hurt herself. She let Chaki snake his way back into her waking thoughts. She allowed her stupid, weak mind to draw a comparison between her compassionate, new lover, and her old, twisted Alpha.

"No…" She attempted in explanation, but faltered into an unwanted heavy sob- overwhelmed with self hatred of her actions.

She had ruined everything. Their first special moment together. Why wasn't she strong enough to-

"Chaki," her blonde Alpha spat out with such ferocity that she nearly shuddered against his chest. "That piece of garbage . That human trash… " He trailed off, adjusting her small figure in his lap, his houlders tense with hot aggression. "I will never let him touch you again. Never."

As the possessive words poured out of his rumbling throat, his grip increased in strength and the air around them happily accepted his possessive fragrance. Slowly, it began to coat her own frantic one, once again blanketing their forms with the familiar protection she so loved to bask in.

"Yuji…" She whispered after a few minutes, frustrated tears still pooling in her eyes, against her best efforts. "I'm sorry...I've ruined everything tonight…I'm so sorry..."

"Fuck that," the Alpha spat back in a tone that would have left her recoiling, but she knew the true source of the unchecked anger. "You didn't ruin nothing. It's him. He's the fucking problem."

"I shouldn't have let him get in my head-"

"Stop. Just stop. It's not your fault."

"But-"

"Please, Yachi," Yuji pleaded in a quiet growl as he nestled his nose deeper in her golden hair. "Just please believe me when I say that it's not your fault…"

There it was again. That word, riddled with heavy emotion . She felt a hesitant smile spread across her face, still wet with fresh, uncontrollable tears.

"Okay…" She whispered against the Alpha's chest and inhaled the waves of dominant protection, rolling off his sweaty skin.

"Okay?" Yuji echoed, mumbling into the soft skin of her neck, grinning as her scent slowly relaxed back to calm.

"Okay," she affirmed once more, shifting her attention to controlling the unwanted reactions her body was forcing upon her.

She needed to stop crying. She needed to stop shaking. She needed to ground herself back in reality. For Yuji's sake, and for her own sanity.

"Yachi…" Yuji muttered after a few minutes, nuzzling into her shoulder blades with a scent that she could only describe as... defeated. "I...uh...I need to go and take care of myself...you know...in the shower or something…"

What...? Oh! Oh, no, no, no. A sudden rush of guilt washed over her when she felt it- her Alpha's swollen member, pushing against her lower back.

"I-I c-can t-take c-care of t-that!" She loudly stuttered, flushing a deep crimson as she hurried to wipe the stray tears from her face. "L-let me just-"

"No," Yuji affirmed with a slight growl, irritated with her selfless offer. "You've barely recovered from a panic attack! Are you crazy?! You're insane. No."

"No! I can do it!" She replied, scrambling out of his grasp. "With my mouth! I can use my mouth?!"

"Noooooooo," the Alpha drawled out dramatically as he crawled forward to flick her in the forehead. "I'm not Chaki . You don't owe meanything. Not a blowjob, not sex, nothing. Ya got that?" He questioned, jumping up to his feet with a sudden rush of youthful vigor. "I'm going to hop in the shower. Snuggle up into the blankets and I'll grab you some water? Alright…?"

How. How did she land in the lap of such a kind Alpha. How was he so patient with her? How did he know the exact words to say?

"Okay…" She whispered, flashing him a sweet smile as she cozied into the comforter- melting into his protective scent, embedded in the soft fabric.

"Just…" Yuji started, scratching the back of his neck as he flashed her a worried, yet cheeky grin. "Don't disappear on me, okay? I'll be back in a flash!"

"I won't…I promise."

It was the absolute truth . She wasn't going anywhere, mentally or otherwise- not as long as she had him by her side. At that pleasant thought, she curled into the covers, sat back against the plush headboard, and began to mentally list off the items in the room- grounding her mind in reality, as far away from Chaki as she could possibly get.

Chapter Thirty Eight: Trust

Suga~

"Tanka, what the fuck are you doing?!" Bokuto slurred as he stumbled over to his bald friend, standing near the front windows in the entryway. "Hunched over your phone like some devious animalllll! You have a secrettttttttt!"

"Shut up, owl boy!" Tanaka muttered back under his breath and held his phone away from the owl's nosy grasp. "I'm texting someone, go awayyyy!"

"Ohhhhh. A lady friend?!" Bokuto chirped back, giving the bald Alpha a none too playful punch in the gut. "Lemme see, lemme see!"

Suga rolled his eyes and took a quiet sip of his wine- there was no way Tanaka had a lady caller. The kid was outgoing, but he couldn't talk to women to save his life. Suga had witnessed him strike out more than once at the volleyball match a few weeks earlier, and he was pretty sure that it wasn't anything new.

"YES, A LADY FRIEND!" Tanaka roared as he pushed away an overeager Nishinoya, who had happily jumped into the fray. "OFF ME, NERDS! GIVE ME SPACE!"

"Proof! give us proof!" Bokuto growled in challenge as he pulled his teammate into a heavy headlock. "Noya! Grab his phone! Here, take it!"

"On it, on it!" The spitfire Omega called, jumping into the air to snatch the device from Tanaka's desperate grasp. "Here comes the thunder!"

"GIVE THAT BACK!" Tanaka cried out as he punched at Bokuto's exposed abdomen. "Why are you so frigging nosy! Can't a guy have any peace around here?!"

"No peace for liars," Hajime slurred, slinging a heavy arm around Suga's shoulders. "You. With a girl? The world would end before that happens~~"

There he goes again, sounding just like Oikawa, Suga thought with a smirk, then he chuckled under his breath. He watched on as the playful scuffle grew more vicious, growing even more amused as Daichi suddenly appeared, hitting a large fist against the window in paternal anger. The poor captain, stuck with babysitting duty- Miyo was not an easy person to handle, especially drunk.

Was she really planning on mating with Ukai? The very idea of it perplexed Suga to no end. He had always looked up to his professor, to her individuality as an Omega in an Alpha world. She had recounted to him, in great detail, all aspects of her troublesome life- including her troubles with her previous mate, Sonny. Suga knew, first hand, just how much she regretted mating the scummy Alpha. In fact, his eyes had shone with great admiration when she told him of her struggles to banish him from her life. Getting rid of a mate was no easy feat, particularly for the Omega in the equation. He shook his head and focused his attention back on the playful scuffle before him- he was not going to make the same mistakes.

"Who the hell is Kiyokooooo?!" Bokuto mused with a wicked grin as he thumbed over Tanaka's personal device. "That's gotta be a dude, right?!"

"No. Kiyoko is a chick's name," Hajime drawled in reply, then let out a heavy yawn into Suga's shoulder. "How the fuck did you snag her number? Admit it, you found it written on a bus bench or something..."

"I DID NOT!" Tanaka whined, bogging down Nishinoya's tiny figure as he slumped down in defeat. "She's that nurse, the one from the hospital!"

"That hot one?" Bokuto muttered, raising a knowing eyebrow as he continued his quick scroll through the phone. "OH! She's not as attractive as you, Keiji! Not by a looooong shot," he rushed to assert as his Omega's amused figure waltzed out of the blue kitchen. "I swear!"

"I'm the one sleeping with you, so I don't really care who you look at," Keiji droned, his steel eyes failing to hide his playful attitude. "Look, just don't touch."

Suga smiled under his breath- fuck they were cute. He had never seen his pensive nestmate so content before. Never, not even in a thousand years, would he have guessed the owl Alpha as his type. They were so...different.

"What...is she just checking up on your wounds or some shit?" Hajime asked with a lazy tone, swaying slightly on his feet in his drunken state. "Making sure your poor bruises are healing properly?"

Suga straightened up to hold the intoxicated Alpha in place, groaning slightly under his stocky weight. Now, Hajime he could get on board with. The Alpha was definitely Oikawa's type. Mysterious and nonchalant in his actions...and didn't his chestnut friend say something about the size of his dick?

"NO! We're meeting for coffeeeeeee," Tanaka whined in reply, prodding Nishinoya in the forehead. "On Thursday…!"

"But, we're gonna rent out the gym Thursday," Hajime barked in reply, then grabbed at Suga's half full glass to take a hearty swig of the clear liquid.

"Yeah, so? I'm gonna meet her before!"

"Oi, why are you guys renting out the gym?" Tobio chimed in, sticking his dark head through the archway of the blue kitchen. "Volleyball?"

"Yeah!" Shoyo asked with shining eyes, his own head popping out beneath the sullen-looking Alpha. "Are you guys gonna play or something?!"

"Yeah, yeah," Hajime replied, waving a hand in front of his torso. "If you guys wanna join, you need to pitch in for the fee."

"WE WILL!" Shoyo exclaimed as he launched into the air, accidentally hitting a very irritated Tobio in his injured jaw. "RIGHT, TOBIO?! Tobio…?"

The setter keeled over, but nodded, rubbing his bruised face with a hand. Suga waited for his usual verbal retaliation at the ginger Omega, however, much to his surprise, it never came. Instead, the Alpha slowly straightened back to full height and rolled his jaw to loosen the tense muscles, then flicked Shoyo in the back of the head.

"Hey," he grumbled quietly, his eyes dark with suppressed anger. "I can teach you some stuff, then."

"OH, YEAH!" Shoyo yelled, his entire body vibrating with joyous energy. "We can do some spikes! Some jumps! Some serves!"

"HA!" Bokuto called into the air with a victorious growl that pulled Suga's attention back to the windows. "YOU LIAR, BALDY!"

"WE'RE STILL ON THIS?!" Tanaka snarled, snatching the phone from the owl's grasp as he held Nishinoya back with a large hand on his forehead. "LEAVE ME ALONE!"

"It says! It says right there! She's just returning your sweater! It's not even a date!" The owl snickered, then devolved into a large fit of laughter with the Nishinoya. "It's…It's not even a date!"

"Okay, okayyyy ," Tanaka said with a nod, regaining his undeserved composure. "But, what is a date, really? It is a meet up between two interested parties where-"

"Is she really interested in you, though?" Keiji chimed in with a wicked smirk that, once again, plastered a happy smile on Suga's face.

"Of course she is! Who wouldn't be interested in my daring looks!"

"Daring looks? Have you seen yourself in a mirror lately?" Hajime chirped with a sly whistle as Suga grabbed at his stolen drink- the Alpha had consumed enough liquor for the evening.

"Yo, where the fuck is Kuroo?!" Bokuto called into the bustling house, yellow eyes darting about the room. "If he knew about this…" He attempted, his words fading off into another devilish laugh. "Fuck. If he knew about this! Oh, you would be in a world of pain!"

"Oh, ha, ha. Laugh all you want," Tanaka seethed back as he shoved his phone into the back pocket of his dark jeans. "You guys fucking stole all the Omegas around here, alright? Fuck, you don't even live here and you took one! Yuji, too! Where is that bastard?! I'm gonna give him a piece of my mind..."

Actually, Suga pondered as he glanced around open main floor, where was Yuji? He lightly sniffed the air, sifting through the various cheerful scents lacing through the air. Oikawa was out back with Tsukishima...Ukai...and Yamaguchi. Daichi was out front...with Asahi...tending to his intoxicated professor. Kuroo was...as suspected...upstairs with his mate...fucking. He sniffed again, leaning towards the stairwell near the front door. Ah, there was the scent he was looking for…

As it whirled into his nostrils, he stiffened as the tale it spun. Yuji was...aroused...Yachi was...frantic. He quickly moved to shove off his housemate's arm, ready to rush up the stairs and kick the living shit out of the blonde Alpha, but Hajime held him in place.

"Just, wait it out for a sec," the Alpha growled into his waiting ear, dark eyes fixed on the stairwell. "I noticed it, too. A few minutes ago. But, there was mutual attraction before. So, give them a chance to sort it out before you go momma bear on their asses."

Go...momma bear? He didn't do that, did he?

"It's not a bad thing," Hajime continued, as if he had heard his personal thoughts. "It's a good thing, really, but I think you should give Yuji a chance here. He's a bastard, but I can smell his care for that little blondie. Don't you think?"

Suga nodded, but did not relax his stiff body. Hajime had, once again, surprised him with his unsuspecting care. It was uncanny, that such a gruff Alpha had taken the time to listen to Oikawa's Omega lectures…and his own. Not only listen, but actually absorb the things that were said. In fact, Hajime was doing a much better job of monitoring the scents of their Omega housemates than he was. Just who exactly was the momma bear around here?

"If he hurts her…" He began, grinding his teeth in motherly frustration. "I swear…"

"Oh, Yuji's harmless," Hajime muttered, then let out another sleepy yawn. "Seriously, he's just this scrappy kid. You could swat him like a fly is you wanted to...hey...smell...smell that?" He continued, tapping Suga on the shoulder with a gentle hand.

Suga leaned towards the stairwell once more and sniffed, cringing his nose at the mated scents of Kuroo and Kenma, forcing their way into his nostrils. Did they ever take a break from sleeping together? He shook his head, then shuffled out their aroused fragrances and breathed again, taking in Yachi's emotional fragrance. It had shifted to a sort of...frustrated...calm...contentment.

"See," Hajime drawled, ruffling his silver hair with a lazy hand. "Sorted. No problem there."

Sorted...had he jumped to brash conclusions? The yellow house Alphas deserved more than that, he thought with slumped shoulders, he had let his anger get the best of him. He needed to stop dragging in his past experiences.

"Oh, stop," Hajime asserted with a sly smirk. "Most Alphas are shit, so keep your defenses sharp. It's how you've kept all these kiddies safe, right? No need to change that tune."

"Okay,stop doing that," Suga quietly exclaimed as he shuffled on his feet in embarrassment.

"Stop what?"

"Reading my thoughts. It's freaking me out."

"Are you kidding me?! You guys do it to me all the time!"

"Yeah, cause we're Omegas! We sift through emotional scents! It's normal! It's what we do!"

"Alpha's can do that, too~"

"Yeah, but you guys have always been shit at it!"

"Guess I'm not, then?"

No, Sugar mused with a small smile, he certainly was not. No wonder Oikawa fell for him. He was calm, reserved, and surprisingly intelligent. Hajime had sat back and learned, more than any Alpha Suga had ever met- aside from...maybe...Daichi.

"I guess not…" He replied, flashing the Alpha a cheeky grin. "You're not as dumb as you look!"

"You know," Hajime started in reply, rubbing the back of his head with a large hand. "You may be the mom around here, but don't think I don't notice all of your sneaky chirps."

"It's Oikawa's fault! You can only spend so much time with that punk before you start picking up his stupid mannerisms…"

"Oh, amen to that. I know exactly what you mean."

"And you've decided to devote an entire lifetime to that!" Suga playfully disclosed, then erupted into a fit of loud laughter. "Man, you're going to turn into him!"

"Yeah…" Hajime sighed, but his dark eyes held a devious light of joy that tugged at Suga's heartstrings. "Pray for me, sugar momma. Pray for me."

Keiji~

"K-beaaaaaaar, you're going to sleep in my room, right?!" Bokuto whined as they ascended the stairwell to the third floor. "Riiiiiiiiiiiight?"

"Yes," he huffed out in reply. "Stop whining…I already told you that I would."

The effects of alcohol were making him feel dizzy, but a strange lust for the owl had begun to creep through his tired body- filling him to the brim with a liquid warmth he was unused to. He still was unsure of what exactly the owl boy retained that had him so drawn in, however, he had decided that it was best for him to just go along with it. It had been torturous to fight against his Omega instincts, and his personal feelings. If his first few weeks with Bokuto had taught him anything, it was that.

As the pair shuffled down the dark hallway, Keiji paused to sniff the room next to their own. Yachi's scent coiled into his nostrils- happy and content . He smiled in the dim light, then followed the owl into their own domain and quietly shut the door behind him. Immediately, his blue eyes skittered over the dark bed in the far corner, swirling his thoughts around in his head at the idea of their sudden privacy.

"That was FUN. No interruptions this time. Thank GOD!" The owl remarked as he casually pulled his white shirt over his head- exposing lean, rippling muscles that stirred Keiji's Omega spirit. "Your professor got pretty lit up, hey? Is she always like that?"

"No…" He softly replied, eyes locked on the Alpha's absentminded exposure. "She only gets like that when she's upset or stressed out about something. She probably feels bad about everything that has happened to us…I don't know..."

"Mmm," Bokuto murmured with a small nod before shoving the blinds aside to light the dim room with the moonlight. "Well, she shouldn't feel bad. It's not her fault. Alphas are shitty, it's not like there's anything she can do about that."

"Yeah…"

"Keiji…"

"What?"

"What are you staring at…"

Shit. Oh. Shit. Shit. Shit. Under the intense gaze of the owl, Keiji whipped his head to the side to look at something, anything other than the attractive, lean Alpha across the room.

"Nothing...I was just checking out the room…" He lied as he absentmindedly fiddled with the ends of his shirt. "What are you looking at?"

"You."

At the unexpected admission, his stomach fluttered to life, pooling with another bout of aroused warmth. Never, in his wildest dreams, did he image that he would be standing there, with an Alpha- especially one with such an outrageous and overbearing personality. What a sick world. If there was a God, he was most certainly fucking with him.

"I can smell you…" Bokuto stipulated in near whisper, his throat humming to life with a feral rumble. "You're not keeping your scent contained…"

It was a truthful statement, he wasn't keeping it stifled like normal. He didn't have the energy to keep it under...no...that was a lie. Why was he still lying to himself? The truth was that he didn't want to keep it reigned in. He wanted the owl to smell him- wanted him to know exactly how he felt and what he wanted.

"I know…" He whispered, then glanced at Bokuto's amused, yellow eyes. "I know...I'm not…"

"And why is that?" The owl growled as he stepped forward, moving around the edge of the bed with a carnal, stalking motion. "Why are you letting it roam around, hm?"

"It's because-" Keiji started, only to be cut off by a sudden, domineering scent. It blasted him with a feeling of animalistic lust, leaving him flushed and quivering in the dim light. "Because...I…because…." He continued in whisper as the Alpha jaunted forward, closing in on his personal space- so close that he could feel the heat on his smooth skin.

"Because…" The owl murmured in question, his tone demanding an answer as he reached forward to flick a black strand of hair from his flushed face.

"You really want me to say it…" He muttered, shaking his head in shameful irritation. "Really…?

"I don't need you to say it. I can smell what you want," Bokuto replied with a quiet growl, pushing him back against the black door. "I know what you want ...Omega…you've seen to that."

There it was . His Alpha knew exactly what his body wanted- every embarrassing desire inside his frantic mind. He wanted Bokuto's knot. He wanted his overbearing, dominant scent to embed into his pale skin. He wanted to unconditional protection it offered- the feeling of absolute contentment it allotted him.

"I don't need you to say it...but...I like to hear you say it," Bokuto said in soft challenge, lifting his chin up with a forefinger to eye him down with probing, yellow eyes.

Keiji's breath caught in his throat at the outright commanding tone, overlayed with a dominant throaty rumble of desire. He hated that Bokuto liked to prod him for verbal confirmation. No...for a plea. Or, at least, he was pretty sure that he hated it. Did...he...really?

"I can always make you say it," the Alpha rumbled out, grazing a large hand down the soft cloth covering his abdomen. "You want to see how long you can hold out, again?" He continued in playful threat, moving lower to the waistband of Keiji's black sweats.

He did. He really did, but after everything that had happened last time, Bokuto's pouting breakdown over hurting him- he knew that it would be better to switch things up. He should take the lead, like they had discussed. He wanted to prevent another dramatic tantrum, but more than that, he wanted to show the Alpha that he could play the game just as well.

"Lie down on the bed," he gently volunteered, pushing against Bokuto's muscular chest. "Let me…do it...this time."

The owl cocked a curious eyebrow at him, but complied, and he was hit with sudden rush of anxiety. Wait. He had no idea what he was doing! The only information he had to go on were Oikawa's occasional, angry recollections of his promiscuous past! As he shimmied out of his clothing, his petite frame silently shivering in anticipation, then glanced over at the casual Alpha. He had made himself at home in the dark covers, his lean arms behind his head, watching him intently with golden eyes. Well, Keiji mused with a small exhale of stress, he was just going to have to wing it.

He shuffled towards the bed and crawled up onto the mattress, with as much grace as he could muster, then straddled over the Alpha's thighs.

"You sure you want to-" Bokuto tried to question, but he cut the thought short with a quick and audible hush.

"Remember last time? We said that we would try something else...so… let me do it. Then, I won't get hurt..."

"Oh…"

"Don't pout..." He chastised softly as Bokuto's scent retracted in shame. He shifted his weight across the large mattress then leaned forward- face inches from the Alpha's covered bulge. "We sorted everything out...it's fine…"

"I'm not pouting...I know...it's fine..."

"Good," he whispered, licking his lips as he gently pulled down the black briefs to expose Bokuto's swollen member in the moonlight. "Glad we have that sorted…"

Okay...so...now what? He swallowed a lump of spit and parted his lips to stick out his pink tongue. As he moved closer, the Alpha's sexual scent flooded over him, egging him on with its sheer intensity. Hesitantly, he licked over the tip of the pulsing cock and a salty mixture of clear seed coated his tongue. Bokuto groaned at the gentle touch, the lustful sound doing well to spurn him on with a surge of confidence. He leaned in again and dragged his tongue up the length of the shaft, then took the tip inside his hot mouth. When it hummed against his lips, he increased his suction, bobbing his head in a clumsy, jerking motion- doing his best to squash his gag reflex.

As he continued, his own slick dripped down his thighs, moistening his briefs with from behind. In that moment, he came to a frustrating conclusion. He liked pleasing Bokuto. He liked it more than he cared to admit. However, he mused as he licked his tongue over the swollen head of Bokuto's member, he was going to have to get used to it.

Bokuto~

As Keiji's head bobbed up and down, his warm mouth wrapped around his aching cock, Bokuto lost himself in a comfortable ecstasy. The icy Omega was by no means a master at blow jobs, but he didn't care in the slightest- the personal connection, their intermingling scents, and Keiji's own, metallic fragrance was worlds better than any expert tongue. As the cold boy gently grazed his teeth along his member, he groaned out in pleasant sensitivity and stroked a blind thumb over the purple bruise on the Omega's cheek- a mark that he hated more than anything in the world.

"That. Is. Good." He growled as his head dropped back into the cushions. "So. Good. Keep. Going."

When he was hit with yet another, sudden desire to shove his member into Keiji's warm mouth, egged on by his growing Alpha instincts, he quickly banished it away. He had to save that dominant craving for another time, when the Omega boy was more experienced.

"Like…" Keiji whispered, then ran firm lips down the length of his cock and back up, until they reached the tip- sliding off with an audible pop. "This…?"

Bokuto's eyes darkened at the cheeky question, raking over the Omega's sensual figure- his small ass arched into the air in his line of sight. Keiji's lips were moist with spit and his clear seed, swollen from his dedicated servicing of his pulsing cock. His instincts coiled around, happily watching as the small boy softly panted for new air in the moonlight. He reached forward and rolled a small, pink nipple between his fingers as he sat forward on the mattress. Keiji moaned at his sensitive touch, his sex dripping past the fabric and onto Bokuto's thighs as he rocked back and forth against them.

"Take them off," Bokuto snarled out in command, golden eyes darting to the black fabric in indication. "Take them off and sit on my knot. That's what you want, right, Omega?"

When Keiji averted his icy gaze, face flushing a deeper pink, a sly smirk played across Bokuto's face. He loved to provoke the boy. He had accepted that Keiji held the power between them in the real world, but the bedroom was his domain- he was going to say what he damn pleased.

"Do. It." He snarled again, pulling harder at the pink nipple between his fingers. "Now."

He was painfully aware that his instincts were growing impatient, they wanted to see the Omega's moist sex, wanted to better smell the aroused scent on his milky skin- even if his damaged nose left the fragrance painfully muted. When the Omega's small, hard cock sprang up against his stomach, he tore his navy gaze away, looking off to the side in shame. Bokuto leaned back into the pillows, smirking at the embarrassment- he liked it.

"You planning on riding it?" His throat rumbled out in question, his feral nature rattling around in anticipation at the pleasant sight before him. "Or do I need to come over there and fuck you against the wall."

Keiji stiffened at his threat, his mouth set in a hard line of understanding. He knew that it was not an empty challenge, the Alpha would absolutely slam into him from behind if the occasion called for it. He shuffled forward on Bokuto's thighs, then rocked his hips forward to line up his moist sex with the throbbing member.

"If you want it..." Bokuto snarled as he pulled the Omega roughly forward by the back of the neck. "Then. Take. It."

Keiji shivered against his legs, his lips parting in an unintentional moan, then slowly angled back against his cock. His took in the length at an agonizingly slow pace- so much so that Bokuto was nearly squirming in passionate delirium. Half way down, a familiar, creeping feeling pooled inside his gut. One that craved for more . He absentmindedly placed his hands on Keiji's narrow hips, nails digging into the soft skin as he fought against his feral urge to shove the small Omega down on his large cock.

"Mmm," Keiji whined against his shoulder, lips stiff as he shimmied down further on the thick length. "Please...just...wait…one...second..."

Oh, he was trying to. It was a test of patience that Bokuto had never experienced...just how much worse were things going to get once his nose was healed? Normally, he was the one who set the pace. He was the one who did the fucking. Keiji's slow ride of his cock had left him puffing out in passionate frustration.

The Omega slipped further down, at long last reaching the end of his member. He groaned at the snug fit as Keiji took a moment for himself, panting between swollen lips as the muscles of his abdomen flexed in dull pain.

"You're...so...big," he huffed out with a quiet whimper, glancing up at Bokuto with unfocussed eyes. "I want to...fit you...but you're so….big..."

"Go. Half. Way." Bokuto replied in near roar- his conscious mind was being eaten alive by his screeching instincts. He needed some sort of friction with the Omega's warm sex, or he was going to snap into a feral beast of desire. He could not let that happen.

At his desperate command, Keiji slowly rose up on his knees until only the tip remained inside his quivering hold, then rocked back against the full length. Bokuto's mind exploded in euphoria, watching through dark vision as the small Omega continued the methodical motion- his navy eyes growing more frantic and lustful with each movement. As he set his small hands down on Bokuto's chest and jerked downwards, his scent devolved into an icy, metallic mess of need. A need for...more.

"You. Slut ." Bokuto snarled, lightly grabbing at the Omega's fragile neck as he continued his desperate rocking. "You. Omega. Slut."

"I...am…" Keiji moaned back in a tone of hungry desperation that sent his feral nature into an unexpected overdrive. "I...am...a...slut…"

He increased the strength of his grip on the boy's neck and unwittingly began to thrust upwards. Keiji arched forward at his movement and whined out against his sweaty shoulder. With his scent glands so close to Bokuto's damaged nose, his animalistic appetite for more rushed forward with a vengeance.

"Make. Me. Come." He growled into Keiji's open ear, roughly pushing him back up to a seated position on his aching cock. "Do. It." He rumbled again, his words almost pleading- he needed to knot, needed to finish things before he lost all measure of control and hurt his Omega.

Keiji's throat whined out and he nodded obediently as he straightened his narrow back, his small fingers lightly grazing Bokuto's lower abdomen for balance. Then, he arched forward and began an accelerated grind, up and down over the lengthy member- his own small cock bobbing up against his tense abdomen. After a few minutes of metallic euphoria, Bokuto was flooded with relief when he felt his knot begin to form. The Omega slammed his sex downwards once more, his hold dripping arousal onto the dark sheets between their legs.

"Keiji. Slow. Down." Bokuto snarled, abruptly sitting forward to embrace the sweaty boy in his arms. "I'm. Knotting. Stop. Moving."

Ice. Ice. Metal. Ice. The cool fragrance bombarded his senses, provoking his instincts in fury. They roared inside his brain, commanding him to heighten his own pleasure- to grind into the Omega with everything he had. He bit down hard on his lip, internally battling with his feral nature from control of his actions. He would fight back against them until the day he did- he was never going to hurt his Omega. Never again.

"A-Alpha…" Keiji moaned, resting his forehead against Bokuto's shoulder. "Alpha…"

"Please. Stay. Still." Bokuto growled in reply, clutching onto the boy's small figure for dear life. "I'm. Sorry. I'm. Sorry."

When Keiji's body quivered against his own, he sniffed the air, trying to ascertain just how much pain his Omega was experiencing. He shoved down his panicked thoughts again and again, but couldn't keep them under wraps.

"I'm fine...I'm fine…" Keiji whispered, nibbling at the skin of his neck. "Bite...me…"

No. No. If he did that he would-

"BITE ME. FOR CHRISTS SAKES!" The icy Omega yelled out, smacking a small hand across his face in an unexpected slap. "JUST BITE ME!"

Bokuto was stunned in place for a moment, dark eyes raking over Keiji's panting lips and down to his quaking body. Then, he leaned forward and grazed his teeth along the soft, pale skin of his neck and bit down, drawing crimson blood. In an instant, his knot exploded, pumping warm seed inside Keiji's stretched sex. As he came, he lapped up the stray droplets of blood, satisfaction warming the deep recesses of his body. When his cock had loosened, he gingerly slipped it out, but kept a hard, possessive grip on the small boy in his arms.

"Are...are...you...okay..." He panted against the Omega's pale shoulder, nuzzling it with his undamaged chin. "Did...I hurt you?"

"You hurt me by being so fucking scared," Keiji drawled in reply, then rolled his head back to look at Bokuto with amused eyes.

"W-what?"

"You were so worried about hurting me that I could barely smell any arousal in your scent...did you even enjoy it?"

"Um," Bokuto began, suddenly feeling sullen and defeated- was he ever going to get this right? "Of course I did….I just...had to focus a lot of my attention on keeping control…"

"Well, stop it," Keiji hotly remarked, poking him in the forehead with a hard forefinger.

"I don't want to hurt you. There's not good reason to-"

"I can think of a lot of reasons."

"But-"

"How am I supposed to enjoy myself when you don't seem to enjoy it?" Keiji asserted as he slid in further against Bokuto's lean chest. "I'm not a damn doll. We agreed that I would start on top to stretch myself out, then you could take over afterwards, right?"

"I guess…" Bokuto whispered, licking over the fresh bite wound on the Omega's neck. "Yeah…"

"You guess ...or you agree?"

Bokuto sighed into Keiji's scent glands, then say back against the plush cushions to meet his gaze.

"I agree. Next time, I'll get it right."

"Stop over-thinking it! For crying out loud, I started dating you so I could do all the thinking for us!"

"Okay! Okay! Okay!" Bokuto whined into the covers, hiding his sudden need to smile. "I think...I like our cute bickering...and...did you come?"

"I like it, too," Keiji affirmed with a sly smirk as Bokuto peaked his head out from the blankets. "And yes, see?" He continued, fingering over the fresh seed on the Alpha's abdomen.

Bokuto let out a sigh of relief and sat forward to pull the small Omega into a spooning embrace. He nestled his damaged nose into the dark locks and inhaled as much as he could, drowning in the dulled, familiar fragrance.

"I'm tired…" He whispered, feeling into the plush mattress beneath him. "Let's sleep…put this whole issue to bed..."

"Mmm…just stop thinking...and it'll be fine..."

When Keiji's petite frame relaxed into the crevices of his body, another small grin skittered across his face. He was so very content with his was life like before his Omega? He couldn't remember...and he didn't care to even try.

Chapter Thirty Nine: The Beginning and the End

Suga~

The party had quickly died down, leaving the main floor of the house a mess of sticky bottles and cans, reflected in hues of blue from the hanging lights. Suga had shuffled Miyo's sloppy figure into a cab and had just spent the last thirty minutes convincing Ukai that she was safe and on her way home. He scratched his silver head, then dumped a dew stray bottles in the kitchen sink- the Alpha professor really had a thing for her, and the feeling was mutual. The very idea of it freaked him out. He had planned out his entire life around her experiences, and here she was, complicating everything with her sudden desire to mate. However, he had to admit, his Omega professor was in a different stage of life than he was. She had already stabbed into the vein of Alpha society, nailed down an Alpha dominated profession, and the respect and power that came with it. He had not. Not yet.

He sighed, then rounded the corner of the dark stairwell, flicking off the front lights of the house on his way up. He knew that he had to say something to Daichi- he had left the patient Alpha in the dark for far too long. Throughout the evening, he could smell the captain's tension and feel his dark, questioning eyes. Worse yet, he had been stuck out front with Miyo for most of the evening- and she was mouthy. Suga would not be surprised if she let slip a few of his secrets...or provoked the captain into confronting him about the whole...mating issue.

As he stepped onto the second floor landing, he stalled in place, taking a quiet moment to himself to stay his quivering hands. He was very nervous. He had never felt nervous when it came to Daichi, but he knew that an was argument looming on the horizon. How could he explain his feelings to someone who had never shared the same experiences? For that very reason, he had avoided the topic altogether. He was certain that Daichi was not equipped to understand his perspective- let alone agree with it.

Until meeting the yellow house Alphas, he had never desired to mate at all. Then Daichi, the patient, level-headed man with an enormous heart, fell right into his lap. He never planned for things to happen this way. He never wanted it to happen at all! But, it did, and now, he had to break the Alpha's tender heart.

He just wanted life to be better for Omegas. He wanted to penetrate into Alpha society, as deep as humanly possible, and force that change with his own two hands. How could he stay honest and open in his cause with an Alpha mate at his side? He would never be taken seriously- that was the terrible truth of this world that Daichi had to accept.

Daichi~

Daichi had immediately retired to his room after shoving Miyo, none too playfully, into an O-taxi- the overburdened cabbing company for Omegas. When Ukai rushed towards them and started in on a long, drunken rant about the raven professor, he was too tired to give the conversation any energy. He tapped Suga's small shoulder and raised an eyebrow to silently say, we need to have a chat, then excused himself.

For nearly an hour, he waited in his room. First, lying casually on the bed flipping through Volleyball Times, then, after fifteen minutes, he found himself pacing- anxious thoughts swirling around inside his skull. Everything had become so complicated between him and Suga- Miyo and Oikawa's information on his past, his avoidance of the subject of mating, all of it left Daichi frustrated. He was stumbling around in the dark and he couldn't bear to keep it up any longer.

The one thing he did know was that Suga was hesitant to mate with him- all of his verbal prodding at the subject had easily granted him that terrible truth. However, he still had no idea of the root cause. The silver Omega had a complex mind, and he was very cautious of his secrets and ambitions. So much so that Daichi felt incredibly guilty in hearing about his past relations from Miyo and Oikawa. He wished that Suga had enough trust and faith to tell him of his own accord.

When a familiar, sugary scent pooled under the closed door to his room, he stopped his frantic train of thought and clenched his fists at his sides to stay his nerves. He didn't want to have this conversation, but he knew that there wasn't any choice. His instincts had grown strong in the past week, bashing against his skull their desire to mate. They had become so loud that he was having trouble being near Suga at all- something which greatly displeased him.

"Daichi?" Suga softly called as he opened the black door. "You awake still?"

"Yeah, I'm here," he replied from his position near the edge of the bed. "Ukai kept you for a long time, hey? Sorry about that."

"Yeah, your coach really knows how to lay into people~"

"Oh, yeah, he definitely has a knack for it," Daichi chuckled, imagining Ukai's drunken, red face spouting nonsense at the poised Omega. "Miyo really has him riled up, hey? Thank god they're mating tomorrow. I don't want him this tense when he start up practises again…"

"Yeah…" Suga murmured, glancing off to the side in discomfort.

Mating, the one topic that, no matter how he brought it up, seemed to leave the silver boy riled up and anxious. Was it because of what Miyo and Oikawa had mentioned? Did Suga think that Daichi only wanted him to produce...Alpha offspring?

"You don't think they should?" He pushed, unhappy with the tense scent rolling off the silver Omega's pale skin. "From what I've seen...they seem like an okay match…"

"No…" Suga mumbled and fiddled with the framed pictures on top of his oak dresser. "It's not that…"

"Okay...so what is it, then?"

"I just...I guess I'm pretty disenchanted with the whole idea of it…"

"Of Ukai and Miyo mating?" Daichi questioned, already knowing the answer. "Or, of us mating?"

"Of us…" Suga hummed under his breath, looking off to the side with a forlorn expression that stabbed at Daichi's fragile heart. "I'm sorry. I've been avoiding the subject so much with you…"

"Oikawa and Miyo told me about your ex, uh, Weston or something," Daichi put forth, wanting to rid himself from the guilt of knowing the personal information. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to prod into your life. I just-"

"No, it's fine," the silver Omega interjected with a hesitant laugh. "It doesn't really have anything to do with him, anyways."

Nothing to do with his ex? Then...what exactly was the problem? Daichi's hopes, the notion that Suga was hesitant about mating because of his past experiences, were shattered- and he was left in the dark, once again. Confused, and slightly chaffed, with their perplexing relationship. None of the other housemates seemed to have any trouble with mating. Hajime and Oikawa had already planned everything out. Even Bokuto and Keiji seemed close to doing the deed. Yet he and Suga, the first of the bunch to show feelings for eachother, were moving in the opposite direction. Why...why?

"I don't…" Daichi said after a few minutes of tense silence, feeling his anger boil up inside his chest. "If that's not the problem...then...I don't understand…"

"Look," Suga started, shuffling from side to side on his feet. "When I was a kid, I looked at our society and decided that things weren't fair. Being born an Omega...it wasn't fair," he trailed off with a quiet chuckle at his young, innocent mind. "But, that's not the problem, is it? As I got older, I realized that the problem wasn't being an Omega. It was society. I started to form this plan of action...and it's consumed every waking thought I have. I want to change things. I want to level the playing field between the two genders. I want-"

"So do I," Daichi interjected with a low growl, his scent whirling around with confused hostility. "I want things to be different. I want to make things different."

Had he not made that point clear? He had, on more than one occasion, expressed his desire to alter the system- to make things equal between Alphas and Omegas. Did they not share the same ideals?

"I know that, but you're missing the point," Suga barked back, balling his small fists at his sides. "It doesn't matter how good your intentions are! Mating goes against everything I stand for. It would backtrack everything I hope to accomplish!"

"The principal of what?" Daichi snarled, anger coiling around inside his gut- he didn't understand anything anymore. "Of being mated? Of being with someone for-"

"For giving in to the same fucking conventions that have kept us Omegas subservient for centuries! For-"

"I'm not asking you to be fucking subservient! I'M ASKING YOU TO BE AN EQUAL PARTNER. IN AN EQUAL RELATIONSHIP!"

"IT DOESN'T MATTER! I CAN'T CHANGE THINGS IF-"

"HOW CAN IT NOT MATTER?" Daichi spat out, enraged venom lacing every syllable. "ARE WE NOT ON THE SAME PAGE?!"

His could feel his broad shoulder quaking with fury, his mind darkening with a frustrated anger. He somewhat understood where Suga was coming from, but the boy had everything warped- twisted everything up, to such a degree that he no longer felt the need to accept any help. He wanted to do everything on his own.

Daichi's throat rumbled out at the notion, but it wasn't anything new. He should have suspected it- should have seen in coming from a mile away. Suga had declined his help, his protection, at every turn. He just wanted him to be more reasonable...not give up his goals completely. Why couldn't Suga give him the same understanding in return?

"Have you...do you even know what it's like to be attacked for things you have no control over? To be discriminated against, every waking moment of your life? Unless you have the protection of an Alpha?" Suga asked in near whisper, his eyes locked on the hardwood planks beneath Daichi's feet. "We shouldn't need that protection. We should be respected...as people"

No. Daichi did not know what that felt like, but he wanted to understand- wanted to sympathize with Suga's experiences and share that pain to ease his burden. Why couldn't he understand that simple fact? Why did he feel the need to do everything on his own?

"Well, I know. I know what it feels like, and I'm going to do something about it. Maybe I don't stand a chance of winning, but I'm not going to give everything up just for a chance to be with you. I'm...sorry..."

"I want to help you change things. I've been telling you this for weeks, Suga! For christ's sake-"

"I can't be with you! Are you even listening to me?! No one would take me seriously! What about this do you not understand?! If I speak out on Omega independence, then go home to an Alpha mate? How do you think people would react?!" Suga announced through gritted teeth, pacing in front of Daichi with an aggressive aura. "This isn't about my past, this is about my goddamn future! I can't have that sort of narrative if I want to change anything!"

Was that all Suga saw him as? A mean to an end? A fleeting moment of comfort? The painful realization tightened his chest around his heart and threatened to shatter it into a million, crimson pieces of remorse.

"So…" He whispered after a few moments of dejected silence- letting the realization sink into his heavy bones. "What do you want to do..."

"About...us?" Suga replied in a hushed tone, stopping his pacing to glance over with remorseful eyes.

"Yeah...because...I can't…" Daichi faltered, feeling stomach twist up into a heavy pit of despair.

He already knew the answer to the question he never even wanted to ask- unsure that he could handle hearing it out loud. Suga was his everything, the second part of his soul. How could he revert back to his life before the silver Omega? Was it even possible?

"I can't…I can't be around you...like this," he whispered, feeling frustrated tears pool in his eyes.

He wished, more than anything, that he could stifle his growing urge to mate with Suga, but it was beginning to drive him mad. "I can't...be with you and know that you have no intentions of...being with me…"

"That's not..." Suga murmured with upset eyes, his mouth set in a hard line. "No...I u-understand. It's unfair of me to put you in this position. I know it is. As much as I hate it...I know that the desire to mate is natural. Animalistic…but natural…"

"So…"

"I just...I can't do it. I'm sorry. I can't give you what you want…"

"So we...end things?" Daichi replied, his voice monotone, his mind suddenly hollow and far away. "Pretend like this never happened?"

"Yeah...I guess…" Suga whispered, hot tears pooling in his eyes. "No...um...no hard feelings, right? Maybe...we can be friends...eventually?"

"Yeah. None."

A lie. An obvious lie, but what was he supposed to say? They could never be just friends, they both knew it.

"So...I'll go and sleep in the nest tonight...then."

"Yeah."

"Okay…"

As Suga quietly closed the door, Daichi stood frozen in place, his dark eyes staring off into the distance, hollow and unfocused. He felt like his heart had been snatched away, or encased in a frozen pit of ice.

End things…

Pretend like this never happened…

Reality seemed worlds away, and he wasn't about to reach out for it. Instead, he remained inside his comfortable, dissociated mind, unwilling to accept the bitter truth that had been forced upon him.

Yuji~

Yuji found himself wide awake at exactly 5:59am. Perhaps, it was a side effect of his liquor consumption, or maybe, there was a sweet smelling Omega lying next to him in his bed. He sat back against the headboard and squinted into the early morning sun as it poured through the large bay window. Beside him, Yachi stirred under the massive covers, her golden crown a mess of bed hair. He smiled at her small figure, lightly caressing his sore jaw at the movement- it was healing fast, but not fast enough for his tastes. The aching pain was irritating, it flared up each time he moved his mouth, and he was a talkative guy.

"Gooooood morningggg, sunshine!" He exclaimed softly as he snaked in close to her sleepy figure and planted a cheeky kiss of her flushed cheek. "You look so cute when you're sleepy!"

"Mmm," Yachi mumbled as she slowly blinked the sleep from her eyes, shying away from the harsh sunlight. "What time is it…"

"Early!"

"Then...why are we awake…you don't have class for...hours..."

A fine question, the answer to which was his hard cock, rearing for another go at the rosy Omega. He watched with devious eyes as she slowly pulled herself up to her knees, the grey covers pooling around her petite frame. Then, she lightly sniffed the air and her tired eyes snapped open, her mouth opening in shy shock.

"Oh!" She coughed out, honey colored eyes darting off to the side. "You...I...you-"

"Sorry," Yuji faltered with a bashful grin, rubbing the back of his messy hair. "You know I'm not very good at controlling my scent."

"We can-"

"No, no! I don't want to do it after everything last night! I just wanted some morning company!"

Yachi gave him a sweet smile, then reached down to pull at her yellow pajama blouse and Yuji froze in place- breath caught in his throat.

"Seriously, Yachi, I didn't wake you up because-"

"I want to…" The rosy Omega replied, pulling the cloth over her head to reveal a small pair of breasts, her pink nipples erect from the cool air. "I'm feeling much better this morning!"

Even the sight of her bare torso had his instincts coiling around in a furious mess of desire! God help him. He needed to keep it together. During his midnight shower, after he had relieved his aching erection, he had spent more than a few minutes pondering the things he could do to make Yachi more comfortable during sex. Most of his ideas were serious flops, but there was one viable option...

"Yachi. Are you sure," he growled, unable to stop his scent from devolving into a sexual mess of desire. "We don't have to push this. I shouldn't have woken you up. I was just...excited. I've never really woken up with an Omega in my…" He trailed off, furrowing his brows.

A hard rock of despair formed in the pit of his stomach as his mind combed over his previous relations with Omegas. He had been a deviant- treating them like objects to be used and discarded. Fuck, he thought to himself with a deep sigh of shame, was he different now? After meeting Yachi, and her friendly nest, he didn't even want to think about his past indiscretions. They seemed like a lifetime ago, but were they, really? Did he even have the right to say that he had changed? He had only known the rosy Omega for a week- before that, he was the type of Alpha he now despised.

"I'm sure," Yachi softly affirmed, mistaking his stressed scent. "Don't be so worried...I know what I'm doing!"

Yuji shook his head, deciding to leave his past out of the equation, at least, for now. He raked his gaze over her nearly naked form, suddenly feeling an innate desire to pounce her. Slow, internally commanded to his screeching instincts, he was going to try something...different. He was not going to knot her and his feral nature was just going to have to deal with it.

He leaned in towards her to better smell the pleasant, rosy air, then pulled her small body towards his own and leaned back into the mattress. He planted a gentle kiss of her temple, then pulled his shirt over his lean shoulders and smirked down at the Omega beneath his body. She looked up at him with foggy eyes and her scent skittered around, leaking arousal. He reached down to put his large hands on her waist, craving contact, but left her lacy underwear in place. He didn't want her to feel any pressure whatsoever- if any clothing was going to come off, she was going to have to be the one to do it.

"Are you okay," he growled again, his eyes darkening as his lust increased at the beautiful sight before him. As he ran his hands gently over her healing ribs she inhaled at his touch.

"I'm fine. Keep going," Yachi affirmed with a small, yet firm, nod, then reached down and placed her hand on top of his own, guiding it up to her small breasts. "It's okay…really..."

Yuji sucked in a quick breath, feeling his vision cloud over with an instinctual haze. He was losing his mind but, he was determined to set a new record for the world's most patient Alpha. If Yachi didn't feel completely comfortable, he knew that she would fall back into her state of dissociation- and he hated it with every fiber of his being. Not again. Twice was more than enough for his tastes.

He leaned forward against her delicate figure and gently cupped her face with affectionate hands. Then, he grazed his nose against her neck and lightly nipped at her scent glands, receiving an aroused whimper in response. Soon, Yachi began to grind her hips against his thigh, pleading for him to take things further, but he stayed his hands. There was no way in hell he was going to knot her. He figured that, maybe, he could possibly bypass her anxiety by pleasuring her in a way that he was certain Chaki hadn't.

He smirked at his devious plan and kissed her neck, then down to her breasts and took a pink nipple in his mouth. Sucking and rolling it with his pierced tongue, he gently ran a finger over the wet fabric covering her sex. Yachi let out a shy gasp at his touch, and he was pleased to find that it was from shocked pleasure. After playing around with her nipples for a few minutes, he promptly released her breasts and coyly licked down her soft stomach, pulling himself to his feet at the edge of the bed. Yachi looked up at him with a flushed face and parted lips, confused by his movement. He grinned at her silent question, then carefully pulled her hips to the edge of the bed and looked down at her underwear.

"I'm not going to knot you," he snarled, unable to keep his instincts from spilling over into his tone. "I'm want to try something. I need these removed," he continued in rumbled, gesturing to the blue fabric.

Yachi put a delicate finger to her lips, nodded, and shimmied out of the moist garment, dicarding it to the hardwood floor. Yuji stiffened at the open sight, and appealing smell, of her bald sex. Do not knot her, do not knot her, he repeated in frantic mantra, trying to banish his intense desire to fuck her into the messy sheets. He rolled his shoulders to reset his tense muscles and knelt down to run two fingers over the sensual lips- she was so soaked with anticipation that he felt sexually charged down to his quivering bones.

"Just. Give it a chance," he growled as he moved his head to shake his pierced tongue over her most private area. "I. Promise. It will feel good."

At his touch, Yachi's body arched away from the mattress and she grasped at the covers next to her.

"Alpha…!" She moaned, as he gingerly rolled her swollen clit between his teeth. "Oh god! Please…Alpha..."

When she attempted to roll to the side and present herself, he held her narrow thighs and snarled- commanding her to stay in place. He loved to see her squirm with pleasure, right in the palm of his hand. It was almost as good as fucking. Almost.

He increased the pressure with his mouth and reached up to tug at one of her pink nipples. Smelling her rosy ecstacy, jutting out into the air around him, he knew that she was close to a sweet orgasm. He gently bit down on her clit and increased his suction, trying to heighten her pleasure to higher levels, and her body exploded in a series of gasping moans. Her flowery scent flooded the room with an electric energy that send shivers down his spine. For a moment, as his Omega quivered into the sheets of the bed, he basked in her sexual energy. However, when his vision darkened and his instincts clamored forward, he immediately stumbled back and rushed towards the bay window. He rolled open the glass and stuck his head as far out the window as he could manage. Gasping for clean, morning air, his body trembled with hot desire. Slowly, the new air in his lungs dulled his feral nature and he felt his tense body relax back to normal.

"Are you...okay?" Yachi asked, the pink flush slowly leaving her pale skin. "I'm sorry, I-"

"Hey!" He challenged back in a playful tone, jerking a finger at her sprawled out figure. "What did we say about apologizing!"

"I know, I know!" The golden Omega squeaked as she hid her face under the grey covers. "I'm working on it…"

"Good!"

"Thank you…"

"See," Yuji said with a coy smirk, flipping the comforter back to eye down his Omega's started face. "Now, you can fall back into the most restful, wonderful sleep you've ever experienced!"

Yachi's honey coloured eyes flickered between his cheeky face and the window, then she smiled sweetly. "What about you? Do you need me to…"

"No, no," he affirmed with an intense nod. "I'm just going to jump in the shower and head downstairs. I'm wide awake, and you areeeeeee," he continued, poking Yachi playfully in the forehead. "Not! You've sleep got sleep in your eyes!"

"I guess I could-"

"Good! It's decided," he quickly interjected as he started towards the bathroom. "See you in a few hours, rose girl!"

He quickly closed the white painted door behind him, shutting out her delicious scent. He needed to regain some measure of control again, her rosy fragrance had completely covered every inch of their room. Hopping into the steamy shower, he jerked off to vivid images of his Omega's quivering body- her flushed cheeks, parted lips, and aroused whimpers. When he came, his body shuddered against the cool tile and he pushed his head into the streams of warm water. He wished, more than anything, that he could knot her. Make her his. Protect her with his scent.

Chaki.

The monster. The man who had defiled her, body and soul. He had shattered her beautiful mind into a billion pieces that-

Wait. What was preventing him from doing it again? Ukai had promised that he would do everything in his power to get retribution, but was that enough? Chaki could crawl back, at any moment, and steal his Omega away. Cripple her mind all over again…

At that frantic thought, his instincts snaked up into his mind and he punched into the white tile, shattering the porcelain. As his knuckles bled over his hand, down into the swirling water of the tub, his throat began to rumbled out with quiet fury. He needed to get some fresh air before he snapped completely.

Chapter Forty: Plans of Action

Hajime~

Hajime woke up with a wicked hangover- a great start to his first day back at school. His brain felt like it was rattling around, bruising the edges of his skull. Next to him, Oikawa was still deep in slumber, his angular features even more stunning in the morning light. Hajime reached across his slender figure, desperate for the half empty bottle on water on the nightstand- his salvation. As he chugged the warm liquid, his eyes glanced over his Omega's pale face, locking in on the pink scar that snaked up from under his eye. Sucking back the final drops of water, he crushed the empty plastic in his hand and threw it across the room- trying to physically release the sudden burst of his pent up rage.

Kabuto...the scum of the earth...the Alpha that had harmed his Omega...his love. He had not forgotten what had happened, merely stored it away for a brief period of time while his Omega was out of his grasp. Now, with Oikawa back at his side, the raw, biting feeling of spite had begun to pour back with a bitter vengeance. His throat rumbled out in a hostile growl as he reminisced over the terrible event, playing the happenings over inside his mind. Both he, and his coiling instincts, were furious at his failure to kill the Alpha fuckhead- he should never have let him leave the property alive. He should have slit his throat when he had the chance. He had the chance and he had failed.

Although Ukai had promised to pursue action against them, via the University Disciplinary Committee, he knew that there was no guarantee of actual punishment. The bastard pack of Alphas had already escaped unscathed after burning down a University building, after all. There wasnothing keeping the group away from their Omega housemates in the future...

He ran a large hand through his messy, morning hair and glanced back at his beautiful Omega, lying in a pool of covers next to him. The aspects of Oikawa's personality that he so admired, even loved , were making the situation ever more complex. Hajime knew that he would not hesitate throw himself at Kabuto in attack, if the Alpha ever had the balls to show up again.

What if the next encounter was the last one? What if Kabuto took away the one thing he held most dear to his heart? He could hardly manage to even ponder the idea- if Oikawa was ripped away from him, he wasn't certain that he could carry on living.

Staying his riled up instincts, he leaned in and grazed his lips over his Omega's angry scar, then rolled off the edge of the bed. He pulled a white shirt over his head and struggled against a pair of sweatpants before exiting his fresh smelling room into the hallway.

Calm down , he repeated in over and over, slapping his furious instincts with the heavy, internal words, we're going to do something about it . He had a plan.

When he stepped onto the main floor, his gaze flickered over to the clock above the television. 6:33am, much earlier than he had expected. He lightly sniffed the air and was started to find another awake scent... Yuji. The blonde Alpha's fragrance was more than a little agitated- and it was familiar agitation . Perhaps, he was not alone in his thinking...

He brewed a quick cup of coffee, then pushed through the back door of the house and stepped out onto the porch. His scrappy teammate was pacing in the dewy grass beyond, clenching and unclenching his fists at his sides. His frustrated fragrance coiling off of his lean figure in waves of heightened fury.

"Yo, Yuji. I need to talk to you," he growled under his breath, scrunching his nose up at the hot, agitated scent blanketing the backyard. "Pretty sure we're on the same page about some things…you smell just as pissed as I am. I'd put down money that it's for the same reason."

"Yo, my instincts have been freaking out all morning!" Yuji mumbled in reply, lightly sniffing the cool morning air to come to the same conclusion. "Funny, I didn't expect us to both be awake at the crack of dawn over this shit. What are the chances…" He trailed off with a nervous laugh, running a hand through his dyed hair. "I mean, I don't have your level of control, but fuck, man. I normally have some reign over them...this is just ridiculous."

"Yeah, mine are getting bad, too," Hajime remarked as he rolled his tense neck to loosen the muscles, then took a sip of his warm coffee. "Even for me."

"Those motherfuckers ...the whole thing still has me on edge. And it's worse when I'm around Yachi...almost unbearable...thinking about what they did...what they could still do..."

"Yeah...me too. Oikawa's scar just..."

"You got something in mind, then?" His teammate growled, shaking his head to better ground himself in reality. "Cause if it's bashing in some skulls, I'm all ears."

"Yeah...something like that…" Hajime replied with an unintentional snarl. "But, Oikawa would kill me if…" He trailed off, smirking under his breath. "No... Yachi …she's the one that would kill us if we did anything too rash."

"Yeah. How about…" Yuji rumbled in reply with a knowing nod, his light eyes darkening with devious rage. "A friendly warning, then? That would make me feel a bit better I think. I could blow off some steam."

"Yeah, that would make me feel better, too."

At least, a little better. He wasn't planning of slicing any throats, but accidents happened, right?

"Yo," Yuji mumbled, shuffling his feet in the dewy grass. "Do you ever...feel guilty?"

"About my Omega getting hurt?" Hajime growled in reply, flexing his fingers at his sides. "All the fucking time."

"No. I mean...about how...you were before. Like, how you treated Omegas..."

Oh. Yeah. He really wished that he could burn that bridge to his past- but he was better for it, now. He was certain of it.

"I think...I was a piece of shit...before all this stuff happened," Yuji said through clenched teeth, his scent suddenly devolving into a dejected mess of upset. "I've never really thought about it before, but I was… awful . Just awful. I never thought of them as people. Just..."

" Objects . Yeah. I know what you mean," Hajime softly growled back, glancing down at his blue Nikes in shame. "Self-hatred is going to become your best friend. Get used to it."

"Yeah…okay…"

"Seriously," he continued, meeting Yuji's hazel gaze. "Use it as fuel to your fire. That's what I do."

"Yeah," his teammate mumbled, toeing a blade of grass. "I'll try…"

"I'm gonna go for a jog to blow off some steam. I'll fire you a text later? Unless you want to join?"

"No fucking thank you. It's like six in the morning? And I'm hungover?" Yuji sarcastically remarked, cringing away from the very idea of physical activity. "Are you some kind of robot? I mean, I always figured that you were, but I never knew for-"

"Okay. I'm leaving now."

"Jog a little extra for me!"

Oh, he was going to jog plenty. He was going to run for as long as it took, to get his feral nature to relax back into submission. He would need it at full strength tonight, when they put their devious plan into action.

Ukai~

"Okay, so it says here that we should mate outside?!" Miyo exclaimed, sitting back in her computer chair with an exasperated puff of air. "That isnot happening. We are not having sex outside, in full view of my neighbours."

Ukai leaned back against the black couch cushions and enjoyed his open view of the beautiful woman across the room. Much to his irritation, he had grown even more sensitive to her scent, ten feet away was the closest he could manage at this point. Just a few more hours...

"Here, look at this shit," Miyo continued as she rose up from the black desk, unperturbed by his silence. "Here, read this. I'm going to grab a snack."

Ukai uncrossed his broad arms, grumpily waiting for ten feet of distance, before wandering over to the computer. Miyo had multiple tabs open- forums, how to guides, videos, any and all information she could get her curious hands on. After clicking through a few of the pages, chuckling as the wiki-how ones, he scrolled through the original forum that she had pulled up for him to see.

Looking to rescent an Omega? We've got five helpful tips to get you through it in one piece!

#1 Wear a nose plug!

The pesky scent of the previous Alpha will be somewhat stifled by the plastic, but beware! It may still seep in through your glands!

#2 Make sure to have air flow!

If possible, mate outdoors! Their mated scent will disperse more easily than in a confined space.

#3 Keep a bucket on hand!

Let's face it, you're probably going to vomit. So, be sure to have something to vomit into.

#4 Keep your scent reigned in!

The less scent you give off, the less potent the mated scent will be. Keep those Alpha instincts under control as best you can and things will go more smoothly!

#5 Water will not help!

Contrary to popular belief, water does not help cleanse a scent! Showering or bathing during a recent will hotbox the mated fragrance, so steer clear of the bathroom, boys and girls!

Have a helpful tip? Notice something we missed? Leave it in the comments down below. Happy mating!

"Miyo?" He called as he scrolled down to the comments section.

"Yeah?"

"We are not mating in your backyard."

"Right?" The raven asserted loudly as she strode over to the wall behind him and leaned against the yellow painted plaster. "I assume they mean, like, go camping, or something," she continued, biting into a red apple, before gesturing to the screen in front of him.

"Yeah, our options are kind of limited with your heat coming up in a few hours and exhibitionism isn't exactly my thing," Ukai stated without turning around, quickly brushing over the ample comments of the forum. "Oh, hey. Listen to this one. My Alpha and I didn't have anywhere available to mate outside, so we bought a bunch of fans and set them up on every open window in our living room to circulate air. The whole thing still sucked, but it was definitely easier with the extra air flow! That sounds doable...right? "

"Oh!" Miyo exclaimed as she yanked her phone from the back pocket of her light jeans, holding the half eaten apple in her teeth. "Thwat's actuawwy rweally gwood. I'll awdd it to mwy afternwoon shwopping wist."

"How about," Ukai put forth as he craned his neck back to glance at the raven Omega, her amused face upside down in his vision. "I put it on my shopping list. You know how problematic it would be if you suddenly went into heat in the middle of the supermarket?"

"Okay, okay. Fair point. Any of the other comments got anything useful to add before I send you off?"

"Mmm…" He mumbled as he scrolled deeper into the comment section. "Not really. Just a whole bunch of, don't do this and don't do that. But, it's all common sense. Like, don't do it in a small space like a car. No shit."

"Okay, so my living room has the most windows in the house, including the patio door..."

"Yeah, but it also had this really expensive looking rug…"

"What, you don't think you'll be able to hit a bucket if you throw up? I would think that an athletic coach would would have good aim~"

"It's not like I'm a fucking basketball coach!"

"Well, maybe you should have been one! Then we wouldn't have this problem!"

Man, Ukai thought with a wry smirk, she was one tough cookie. Sharp personality, through and through- he really, really liked it.

"Okay, okay," Miyo conceded with a large grin, holding her delicate hands out in front of her. "I'll roll up the rug while you're out, deal?"

"Deal, cause I like the rug," he replied, wriggling an eyebrow her direction. "And I want it here when I move in."

"Ohhhhhh," Miyo called out and tossed her eaten apple core in direction. "So you're moving in, now! That's news to me~~"

"Yeah," Ukai replied, surprising himself with the growl in his voice- his instincts had been set off by her outspoken personality, on its own. "I am. You got a problem with that?"

"No," the raven chirped back, brushing off invisible crumbs from her shirt. "No problem, here, professor ."

Damn right there wasn't a problem...as soon as they sorted out the mating business...the first thing he was going to do was take a deep, starved inhale of her rainy scent...then never let her out of his sight.

"Text me the shopping list," he grumbled and rose to his feet, ignoring the dull ache in his brain from his night of drinking.

"Way ahead of you, as per usual," Miyo quipped back, sticking out a pink tongue as she shook her phone in his direction.

When his own buzzed inside the pocket of his joggers, he rolled his eyes and tugged it out.

"Six?!" He exclaimed, broad shoulders slumping down with a deep sigh as he glanced down at her text. "Six fans. You want six?"

"Six fans for six windows, obviously~~"

"Fine. The cashier is going to think I've gone insane...but fine," he mumbled, once again rolling his eyes. "Okay, but what the fuck are the chips for? And the chocolate chip cookies? And the cheezies? And the...you know what...no. Just no."

"For snacking in between sex. Keep the energy up!" Miyo exclaimed, holding a hand to her heart to feign hurt. "You have to get them! My life depends on it, Ukai!"

"Oh, cause you're going to have time for any of that," Ukai snarled in challenge, raising a thick eyebrow at the smirking raven. "I don't think so."

"You want to bet?" Miyo coyly replied, flashing him a sly wink in return. "I'll put down a whole bag of cheezies~~"

He most certainly did.

Chapter Forty One: The Snake

Hajime~

Hajime watched as Oikawa descended the large stone steps in front of the biology building. His chestnut hair was perfectly quaffed, as per usual, and his dark joggers swayed across his narrow hips as he moved. Behind him, various students meandered in front of the large, brick building, as they finished their afternoon classes.

"Hajime~~" Oikawa called with narrow eyes, gritting his teeth in irritation. "Stop looking at me like you're going to eat me!"

"I'm not," Hajime grumbled, turning his head to the side in embarrassment.

No matter how much time passed, his lust for the Omega's slender figure never seemed to go away. It was always present, stirring his instincts from their slumber any time he was near the boy. The first time he slept with Oikawa, or perhaps even before that, he felt a possessiveness that was now ever-present. After the incident with Kabuto, the feeling had only exacerbated- growing even more personal with the physical reminder on his Omega's pale face.

"You are," Oikawa chirped as he swiped at a few stray autumn leaves, fluttering around in the afternoon breeze. "It's weird."

"Yeah, well," he started in response, shuffling from side to side on his white converse. "I can't help it."

"You're meeting Yuji, right?"

"Yeah, after I walk you home."

"That's stupid."

"What is?"

"You're going to walk me all the way home," Oikawa remarked, raising a manicured eyebrow. "Then walk all the way back here to meet blondie? I'll just walk home on my-"

"No," Hajime interjected with a subconscious growl- possessive instincts of protection coiling around inside his gut. "It's fine. I'll walk with you."

Oikawa rolled his head back and let out an obvious sigh of frustration, his eyes fluttering closed in annoyance. Hajime scrunched up his nose at the agitated scent, but refused to back down. He hated being away from his Omega and he had no qualms with putting in a bit of extra work to keep them together- at least, until they formally mated and his permanent scent could ward off all manner of Alpha predators.

"Seriously," Oikawa said softly, taking an inviting step into his personal space. "I'll be fine. It's the early afternoon! I've made this walk multiple times before, I don't need a personal bodyguard now."

"I understand that, but I don't-"

"Hajime…" The chestnut Omega continued, grazing his nose along Hajime's cheek. "Meet up with Yuji. I'll text you when I get home, okay?"

Hajime felt his body melt into Oikawa's oceanic scent and an unwitting groan escaped his lips. He nuzzled into his Omega's scent glands and inhaled deeply, feeling suddenly at ease. The various students, going about their late afternoon classes faded away, leaving only the soft autumn breeze to rustle his brown hair.

"You worry too much…" Oikawa whispered as he playfully nibbled at his ear. "Such a tense Alpha…"

"I worry because…" Hajime tried to reply, but his words trailed off as Oikawa softly kissed up his neck.

Was this heaven? He felt like he was submerged in a deep and pleasant ocean- blind to everything but his Omega. What were they discussing again? Something about...Yuji? Walking...somewhere?

"Go and meet Yuji…" The chestnut boy murmured before gently kissing him on the lips. "I'll see you later…"

With those final words, Oikawa turned on his heels and walked away, leaving Hajime stunned in place. His mind was foggy, glazed over by the Omega's perfect scent that lingered in his nostrils. For a few moments, he stood there on the cobblestone with a lovey dovey look plastered on his face before he was able to gather the disoriented corners of his mind and regain his senses.

That little shit, he mused with a sly smirk, using scent warfare to get what he wanted. While he greatly liked Oikawa's ability to seduce him into submission, he couldn't squash the feeling of panic that was setting in his stomach- a feeling he was becoming well acquainted with lately.

He had scented Oikawa...his Omega wasn't walking around unprotected like before...but it wasn't enough. Perhaps, he should go and-

"Oi, Hajime!" A familiar voice called out, jerking him out of his internal stewing.

Hajime glanced towards the sound as Bokuto bowled through a few unsuspecting Alphas. The owl received a few grumbling growls, but nothing more than that. It was no surprise to Hajime that other Alphas shied away from Bokuto's hearty fragrance. His resting scent was both powerful, overtly obnoxious, and in a near constant state of happy challenge- begging for a brawl.

Like some trigger happy lunatic…

"Hey, hey, hey!" Bokuto yelled as he came to a screeching hault in front of him and shoved large hands into the pockets of his jeans. "I just ran into Oikawa with Keiji and-"

"Is Keiji walking home with him?" Hajime interrupted with a low growl, adjusting his black backpack on his tense shoulders. "They're together?"

There was safety in numbers. The Omegas had really drilled that into his head.

"Yeah," Bokuto replied with a wicked grin, wiggling his eyebrows in understanding. "I was going to skip class to walk Keiji home, but he put up a pretty good fight against me so..."

Oh, on that, he could relate.

"Buuuuuuuuuuuuuut," the Owl continued, rolling his head back to look up at the cloudless sky. "I resigned when we ran into Oikawa. At least they're together...makes me feel a bit better...I guess…" He trailed off, then snapped his neck down to look at Hajime with quizzical, yellow eyes. "Wait, aren't you done class? Why aren't you walking Oikawa back?"

"I'm meeting Yuji for some stuff," Hajime droned as he pulled out his phone to check the time.

"Uh…" The owl huffed, raising an eyebrow in disbelief. "You...meeting with... Yuji… "

"Yeah."

" You ...and...Yuji?"

"What exactly are you questioning here."

"What you are doing, meeting with Yuji."

"I'm meeting with a teammate. What's so-"

"Uh, yeah," Bokuto chirped, prodding Hajime in the shoulder with a fore finger. "The only time you hang with us is to get-"

"Drunk," Hajime said with an irritated nod. "Yes, Bokuto, I know."

He wanted the plan to stay between him and Yuji. The more people they involved, the higher the chance that certain others found out. It was crucial for them to keep both Ukai and the Omegas out of the loop.

Well...more the Omegas. Suga would slit his throat in his sleep- for better or worse, the silver boy was distinctly attached to his freedom. Hajime was certain that their plan would leave him furious. Yachi would be upset as well, and Oikawa, god, Oikawa would chop his balls off.

"Oi," Bokuto chirped as he heavily sniffed the air. "What the fuck are you guys planning…you smell...sneaky."

Man, Hajime grumbled to himself, ever since meeting Keiji, he's really been using his senses better.

"If you don't tell me, I'll just follow you," Bokuto challenged, smirking as he leaned in close to Hajime's face. "I have alllllll the free time in the world."

Fine. Perhaps, an extra Alpha, especially a dominant one like Bokuto, would be useful. Plus, the owl did have a personal connection to the ordeal- even if he didn't know the whole story behind Keiji, Oikawa, and the disgusting Alphas.

Ukai~

Ukai was watching the colourful images on the television when he was suddenly struck with an intense, heavy fragrance that stirred up his insides in a twisted sort of glorious arousal. He snapped his gaze across the room to the office alcove, darkening eyes landing on Miyo's quivering figure. She slowly whirled her chair on its axis to face him, her emerald eyes heavily clouded with an instinctual fog while her pink lips parted in a quiet pant of sudden need.

"Miyo…" He mumbled, his throat growling in a subconscious thunder. "Are...you…"

The raven Omega rushed to stand, but her legs quaked and she cumbled to her knees, panting into the wooden floor boards. Her fragrance blew out, blasting towards him with unchecked fury- a sickening combination of Sonny and her own, rainy scent. Ukai scrambled to his feet, his cock suddenly constricted beneath his jeans at the sight of her flushed face and her confusing smell.

"Just. Hang. On." He snarled out as he hurried to flick on the various fans throughout the large room. "One. Second."

"Ukai…" Miyo whimpered over the noise of the spinning blades, arching into the floor boards. "Please…come...please…I need you..."

Ukai's feral nature roared inside his mind at her lustful pleas, bashing against the inside of his skull in furious desire- egged on by her overbearing fragrance. He moved towards her, fingers fumbling with the nose plug on the glass coffee table. As he notched it in place, he shoved down his instincts with every ounce of his conscious strength. Their presence would only make things more difficult. He needed to keep them in check as long as possible.

Be quick, be quick, he repeated in mantra to himself, closing the gap between them. He could do this. He would do this.

Miyo clawed at her clothing, furiously shoving off her cotton shirt, then moved her shaky hands down to her grey shorts. Sonny's scent radiated off of her milky skin, blanketing him with its toxic, angry energy. Mine. She is mine, it cried out in furious possession as it seeped into Ukai's closed sinus' through his panting mouth. He swallowed a heavy lump of bile at the challenging scent and he stalled in place, a few feet away from the heat-filled Omega.

"You took your birth control," he growled out in question, the words coming out in a flurry of deep rumbles.

Why hadn't he asked before? Did he need to ask? Why was he asking?

" Yes," Miyo gasped. Her skin was flushed, but her irritation with him for asking was plainly housed in her eyes. "Do...you...think...I'm-"

"Not. Stupid," Ukai barked as he took a few hesitant steps forward. "Just. Nervous. I'm. Avoiding."

He was avoiding. He was...frightened by Sonny's claim.

Miyo chuckled at his choppy admission. "I'm on...fire. Get...over...it...and...come."

Do it. Just do it, Ukai internally commanded with clenched fists- feeling stronger with Miyo's verbal faith in him. Logical thoughts were becoming difficult with the thunderous roars of Sonny's scent, rolling off of the Omega's trembling form. His shoulders began to bristle against his sweater as his own feral nature leapt to the forefront of his mind.

He had been worried that, when his instincts took control, they would shy away from Miyo's marked scent and force him to flee…but the opposite happened. They were absolutely delighted with the challenge. Eager to make the raven woman theirs. Maybe he was an adrenaline junky? He smiled to himself at that ridiculous thought and stepped forward.

His opportunity had finally come.

Hajime~

"Yo, how did you find their residence anyways?" Bokuto drawled to Yuji. His large hands were shoved carelessly in his pockets as they strolled down the evening street.

"I used my amazing senses!" Yuji declared with a wry smirk, tapping the tip of his nose.

Yeah right, Hajime mused as he rolled his eyes. Yuji was as close to an airhead as a person could get...was what he used to think...but now? The blonde Alpha had proven himself as more than just a scrappy punk in his eyes- especially after witnessing Chaki's pummelled form in the upstairs hallway of their house.

"Takeru got it for us," Hajime answered as the group rounded the corner of a dark park. "He nabbed their file from the residence office this morning during his volunteer hours."

"Little Takeru?!" Bokuto chirped. "Stealing files for a slimy thug like Yuji?! Yeah right."

"Hey," Yuji snapped back, giving the owl a playful shove to the side. "We're childhood friends, alright? And I ain't slimy. I'm scrappy."

Hajime tuned out the bickering of his teammates, his stomach churning with anticipated anger. While it was still early in the evening, there were very few students wandering around- Wednesdays were always quiet. Nobody liked hump day.

When the residence in question came into view, the air around the boys quickly shifted from playful to a quiet seriousness. The large house was covered in dark green siding and the unkempt lawn was strewn with empty cans and bottles from past parties. Hajime briefly wondered how they were able to get away with such an unkempt residence, then shoved the question away. Alphas seemed to get away with a lot of things these days, there was no point in pondering it further.

He and his two teammates had only briefly discussed their plan of action. They were there to give the assailants a friendly reminder. No violence. No deaths. Nothing that could screw up Professor Ukai's hearing with the Disciplinary committee the following Saturday. Just a...reminder to stay away.

On his right, Bokuto's throat rumbled with his eagerness. "You think they're home? No lights on."

"We only need one of them to be inside," Yuji asserted with a nod- likely hoping that Chaki was the one who would answer the door.

Each of the teammates held savage anger for a different Alpha- a fact that Hajime had only just realized, and was thankful for. It decreased the chances of a bloody brawl. They could keep each other in check.

Hajime hopped onto the porch and an automatic light promptly lit as he rapped a hard knuckle on the door. For a few minutes, the three boys were left in tense silence on the veranda- other than the deep rumblings from their throats. Hajime lightly sniffed the air as he knocked again, cringing away from the old scent of intoxicated, unknown Omegas.

Finally, the black painted door swung open. Beyond, Kabuto stood with a familiar, dark haired Alpha, a few paces behind.

"Can I help you?" He sneered as his large hand white knuckled the edge of a door. His face was still marked with yellowing bruises, but there was no swelling- aside from the angry, raised skin around a deep cut near his left eye.

Hajime's instincts coiled inside him- urging him to launch into the tattooed man who had harmed his Omega. When he made an unwitting step forward, Yuji placed a hand on his broad shoulder to hold him back. At the touch, he took a deep breath to relax his instincts back into submission. When did the scrappy kid become so level headed?

"How are your injuries?" Yuji remarked to Kabuto, over Hajime's shoulder. His words were soft, but the tone beneath them sharp as blades of glass- a sneaky reminder of the damage he and his teammates had unleashed on the green house Alphas.

"Healing," Kabuto snapped back, his body stiff with agitation. "How are your Omegas?"

Scarred , Hajime thought with a low snarl, in more ways than one. He clenched a fist at his side, willing himself to not fall for such an obvious chirp. He was plainly aware that Kabuto was a master at verbal manipulation and there was no doubt in Hajime's mind that he was aware of the benefits of a baited fight- the Disciplinary Committee would dismiss the entire case as a common turf war between Alphas and all hope of expulsion would be lost.

"Healing," Bokuto said, using Kabuto's own response as a chirp. The owl's entire disposition was loose and casual, but Hajime could smell the dark rage, seeping off his skin.

For a moment, there was only tense silence between the surly men. The dark haired one, who Hajime recognized as Nishinoya's attacker, moved to stand next to Kabuto, blocking their sight of anything inside the green house.

"What do you want," Kabuto barked at last through narrowed eyes as he ran a hand across his own jawline. Up close, his knuckles held slow healing scabs from their vicious altercation.

"A friendly warning," Bokuto remarked with a shrug before leaning back casually on the porch railing. "For you to stay away."

Kabuto laughed at that. A stomach churning, rage inducing, laugh. "Stay away from your sweet, sweet Omegas? That's a heavy request, owl."

Again, Hajime moved forward to unconsciously attack, but Yuji's hand increased its grip on his shoulder. "Yes," the blonde Alpha seethed through clenched teeth- his lean body vibrating as he fought his own instincts. "It is a heavy request, snake."

"Here's the deal," Bokuto remarked as he pushed off the railing and moved to stand beside his teammates. "If we hear or smell that you've been near any of our Omegas, then we'll have a problem."

"You trying to threaten us?" The dark haired Alpha finally spoke in a deep, husky voice. "A bunch of fluffy volleyball players? Really?"

Hajime bit his tongue to stop himself from speaking. His instincts had already moved him to attack. Twice . It was now very obvious to him that it was in his best interest to stay quiet, for now, or the entire conversation would devolve into a physical altercation. The one thing they needed to avoid above all else.

For the first time in his life, he found himself willing to let Bokuto to take lead- more than a little impressed with the owl's casual body language under such tense circumstances.

Bokuto chuckled darkly and narrowed his eyes. "Our little altercation proves that we're the more fit group. Or did you already forget who won? Did we beat your brains so hard that you've lost your memories?"

Kabuto's lips curled back in a snarl. "I think you're overstepping a bit with your perceived victory."

Yuji growled to speak, but Bokuto was quick to cut him off. "Oh really? I seem to remember that you guys attacked with the notion that we were out of the house," he put forth, yellow eyes twinkling with dark humour. "Or am I overstepping with that, too?"

Kabuto lunged forward and grabbed Bokuto by the collar of his grey hoodie, shoving him back against a heavy wooden post on the veranda. In a mere moment, Hajime's instincts flared up at the sudden attack on his fellow pack member, but as he moved to intervene, he caught Bokuto's golden eyes and stopped short.

Don't, they said, in more warning than command. Hajime stiffened and glanced over his shoulder at Yuji. His blonde friend's eyes were glued to the dark haired Alpha, stiff as a board at the edge of the front doorway- innately trusting that Bokuto knew what he was doing.

"I'll take that as a no, then," Bokuto said in near whisper and made no struggle to push back against Kabuto's hold.

Hajime met the owl's flickering eyes once more and the owl's scent pooled inside his nostrils. No violence. Warning. Calm down . The words rang out from his packmate's scent, doing well to cool his roaring instincts like ice on a wound. "We're not here to fight," he growled, dark eyes glued to Bokuto- the strange lifeline for his sanity. "Don't initiate something you can't finish, Kabuto ."

Kabuto's gaze darted to his face and he remained silent for a moment before dropping Bokuto's sweater from his hands. His jaw worked furiously, grinding his teeth as he stepped back towards the siding of the house. "Terms," he snapped out at last, crossing his tattooed arms over his chest. "What are they."

"Your pack doesn't come near our residence. You don't come within smelling range of our Omegas. You don't send other Alphas to do your bidding, either," Hajime rattled off with a hot snarl as he moved closer to Bokuto's now tense form. "We smell you and you're done."

"We'll have to talk to Chaki," the dark haired Alpha growled in reply, but his hazel eyes flickering over to Kabuto- looking for direction.

Hajime and Bokuto both rolled their eyes at the words- annoyed by the rigid pack hierarchy that the green house Alphas, and most other Alpha friends, employed. Hajime and his teammates never fell prey to such an outdated, animalistic notion. Both Daichi and Ukai had always been adamant that hierarchy should be as fluid as situations were. No single Alpha was equipped to make decisions for everyone else- and the current affair was clear evidence of that ideology.

Hajime had one of the most, if not the most, dominant scent in the yellow house, but he was rarely the one to take charge. The current circumstances, with Bokuto and Yuji, would normally have him as lead, but he was too emotionally involved with Kabuto present. Bokuto was in a much better state than Hajime was. He was more detached and able to use his playful nature to hold his instincts in check. Hajime knew that it would be idiotic to use his domineering scent to make the owl back down. Right now, he was the weak link, and he was all too aware of that fact.

"Oh, don't play that card," Yuji snapped at Kabuto. "Don't try to jerk us around. You and I both know that you're the boss around here."

Bokuto's yellow eyes slightly widened at the sudden accusation and Hajime's brows furrowed slightly. Oikawa and Keiji had made it very clear that Chaki was the Alpha of the shitty group. Had something shifted since their altercation? No. Yuji was implying that Kabuto had always been the leader...

Kabuto laughed again at Yuji's audacity and his body language relaxed slightly. "You think I'm the head Alpha around here? What, Chaki is just a figurehead or something?"

"No," Yuji retorted with his own smirk. "I think you're just using him and he's too stupid to see it. For whatever reason, you aren't a fan of the spotlight."

Kabuto...using Chaki? Hajime took a moment to piece things together, but came up short. From the wide eyes on Bokuto's sharp face, he wasn't the only one lost in what Yuji was insinuating.

"You're right. I don't like being the center of attention," Kabuto replied with a slight nod at the blonde Alpha- a strange nod of respect. "You're the only one out of your little pack who got a good sniff at both of us, eh? I pegged you as an idiot, but you're sharper than I thought."

Sniff at both of who? Hajime thought as his eyes darted between the tattooed man and his smaller lacky in the doorway. Then, everything snapped together in his mind. Chaki, the loud mouth with obviously violent tendencies. Kabuto, coy and manipulative. The drug deals that Keiji had mentioned. Oikawa's underground lifestyle where he had met the green house group.

"He's your fall man," Hajime declared, nearly laughing at his sudden realization. He hated that he was impressed with the tattooed man's sneaky ploy- hated it more than anything that he admired the snake. "He's the perfect fall man. He's proud and stupid."

"Jacky," Kabuto remarked without tearing his gaze from Hajime. "Go and watch the block for Chaki. Call when they're within a block."

Without another word, Jacky pushed forward, brushing past Yuji, and hopped down onto the front lawn. Bokuto snorted at the dark Alpha's willingness to obey and leaned back against the wooden post.

"We'll stay away from your Omegas, you have my word. I never intended to attack them in the first place," he stated with a heavy sigh- one that seemed to be full of... regret. "Sometimes, Chaki can be a pain in the ass to handle. Especially when the other dumb pack members agree with him. Gives him more power than I'd like to admit."

Hajime's hot instincts flared up again. Lies. Manipulative lies. Kabuto not only gravely injured Oikawa, but used rampant emotional abuse against his Omega, as well. That was Hajime's truth- not this convenient little story.

"Liar," he snarled, feeling his lips curl back over his teeth. "You manipulative liar."

Kabuto didn't flinch. "Hajime, I like you. You're hard edged. Actually, all of your Alphas are, but you, you're tough to the bone. You'd be a good second in command."

Hajime's feral nature momentarily froze in confusion at the unwitting compliment. "Excuse me?" He retorted, flabbergasted.

Bokuto put a large hand on his shoulder, sensing Hajime's renewed desire to attack. "Why did you hit up our place, then," he asked through narrow eyes. "I find your claims hard to believe, with the damage you caused to our Omegas, and my teammates."

Hajime nearly went wild at the owl's remark on the Omegas- his fractured mind was already crawling with instinctual fury. Oikawa's damaged face flashed inside his mind and he felt a roar curl inside his throat, but it quickly dissipated when he saw Kabuto shift his stance. The tattooed man slouched down his shoulders and angled his neck slightly to the side, exposing soft skin covered in black tattoos. A posture that submitted Hajime's Alpha instincts. It was purposeful. Done out of respect... or manipulation. His head swirled around with more confusion and his feral nature calmed.

"If we wanted to take your Omegas, why the fuck would I hang around in your backyard and converse with Oikawa until you guys got there?" Kabuto questioned with bright eyes.

"Who knows about it?" Yuji interjected. His questioning tone was suspicious, but open to debate.

"About my little operation with Chaki?" Kabuto asked and, when Yuji nodded, he continued. "Jime and Jacky. That's it."

"How many in your pack?" Yuji pushed, asking things that Hajime never even thought about.

"More than in yours. More than you saw last weekend," Kabuto replied with a casual shrug.

"So, you're saying that your emotional manipulation of my Omega was, what, to help us? You were buying time for us to return?" Hajime said with a quiet, seething snarl.

He was confused beyond belief and did not want to accidentally fall into Kabuto's snake trap- but was it trap? When did their simple plan of threatening the disgusting Alphas turn into a Nancy Drew novel?

"Alright, look," Kabuto said with a sigh as he rolled his neck to loosen the muscles. "You want me to explain everything?"

"Yes," Bokuto commanded, but his yellow eyes shone with the same interest that Hajime hated himself for feeling.

"Is it going to be a waste of my time?" The tattooed man scoffed. "Are you even going to believe a word out of my mouth?"

"That depends on the nature of what you say," Hajime rebuffed.

He didn't want to be here- giving the benefit of the doubt to the monster who had manipulated, and physically damaged, his Omega. He had heard Keiji's recount of Oikawa's past. He had heard the emotional abuse on the chestnut boy with his own ears. What was there to question?

"Keiji says that there are always two sides to every story," Bokuto leaned in to growl in his ear- likely smelling his conflicted scent. "Understand your enemy's motivations...right?"

Good advice, but it struck a guilty chord inside of Hajime's heart that left him slouched.

"You gonna explain now, or what?" He grumbled, upset with himself for even standing there, in front of Kabuto. Standing in front of the snake, and not attacking.

Kabuto jerked up a manicured eyebrow, but ignored Hajime's hostile jab. "Chaki's a monster. I think we can all agree on that. I use him because he's unapologetically violent. And he has that type of unearned pride that, if things with my... operation... were to go south, would make it easy to turn the blame on him."

"Operation, meaning drugs," Hajime said, in more statement than question.

"Yes," Kabuto replied through gritted teeth- obviously unhappy to be divulging the precious information to outsiders. "He's mostly easy to manage, but sometimes, I have to bend my plans to suit his stupid whims."

Yuji's throat rumbled and he clenched his fists at his sides. "Yachi."

"Yeah, I don't know what the fuck his deal with her is. He's obsessed, and not in a good way. I also...don't approve of his treatment of her," Kabuto said with a hard growl that seemed oddly genuine, but Hajime ignored it with ease- remembering the terrible things the tattooed demon had done to Oikawa. "The shithead burned down their house with a couple of the other boys. Not my orders, believe me. It was a fucking mess for me to clean up."

Not his orders, Hajime mused as he ground his teeth, seriously?

"Ask your Omegas if I was there that night," Kabuto stated after inhaling Hajime's challenging scent. "You know how much of a pain it was to fucking bribe the Committee? I don't like spending money for such inconsequential things. And the nest was mostly innocent...aside from Oikawa. He kicked into Chaki pretty good."

Bokuto snorted, but remained silent and Hajime couldn't think of anything to say. Had that been...admiration...in Kabuto's tone? Admiration for Oikawa...beating the shit out of Chaki?

Kabuto shook his head, as if remembering a humorous event, and looked past them into the front yard. "I've learned, very recently , that, when it comes to Yachi, Chaki is impossible to reason with," he recalled before flashing Yuji with an apologetic look that rattled Hajime's conviction. "So, when I found out that he was actually using his brain to raid your house...to attack you when the house was most exposed...Jacky and I decided that we could, maybe, stall things a bit. Throw a wrench in his idiotic plan."

"Yeah fucking right," Bokuto barked with a roll of his golden eyes. "If you're the real leader here, you could have stopped it if you really didn't want it to happen."

"No…" Hajime said in nearly a whisper- internally frightened that he could understand Kabuto's twisted perspective. "Is...your pack is what, thirty members?"

Kabuto rattled a hand in the air to indicate, around there, and Hajime continued.

"All thirty are involved in your drug ring, then?"

"Yes. At various levels."

"And only two know about you being the mastermind behind everything?"

"I don't trust easily."

"So, if you openly assert dominance over Chaki, your little drug ring goes to hell," Bokuto asserted, casting Hajime an understanding look. "Or, you lose face and its game over anyways."

"I wouldn't say little, and yeah, the pack would probably split into messy factions," Kabuto reckoned with a sly shrug. "Or, I say nothing and just assume that Chaki's actions will drag us through the Disciplinary Committee again. Both situations are not ideal, but one option was slightly better than the other."

"Oh, poor you. What a tough situation," Yuji said, his tone liquid sarcasm.

Hajime inwardly groaned. It was a difficult position, with very few options. Why, why was he sympathizing with this monster? Kabuto was a drug kingpin. A manipulative snake. Violent towards Omegas. Just like Hajime's own family...

Kabuto...reminded him of his own father.

He shivered at the realization and shoved away the flurry of banished memories it brought forth. He hated his father. He could hate Kabuto, too.

"I'm not trying to convince you that I'm not a monster, Hajime," Kabuto cautioned. "I am. I've hurt Oikawa, in more ways than one, but he's not the first and he won't be the last. I am well aware that my actions are cruel. Sometimes, it's necessary."

Stop, Hajime thought as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, stop talking, please.

"I grouped up with Chaki and made sure that Jime was with us out back. And I was fucking pleased that you," Kabuto stated, nodding at Yuji's tense figure. "Were kicking around in the backyard. And that you were attached to Yachi. It helped us stall. A lot."

Stop talking. Hajime didn't want to listen any longer. Rage against Kabuto was easier than trying to understand his sociopathic perspective- and it frightened Hajime that he could.

"Jime and I stalled as long as possible by, admittedly, being assholes to Oikawa. Jacky didn't really have a leg to stand on out front, but, we knew that Morio and Emon would be mouthy enough to drag things on for a while. So any actions Jacky made against your Omegas were to save face with our pack. Nothing more."

"I always found it odd," Bokuto mused, then clenched his shoulders at his sudden thought. "That you guys never picked up a few of the Omegas and slipped away before we got there…"

Hajime growled at that and Kabuto showed his neck once again, calming him with another submissive stance.

"I can't speak for what happened out front," Kabuto said pointedly, bright eyes fixed on Hajime. "But, I apologize for what happened out back."

Apologize? APOLOGIZE? He sliced up Oikawa's face...nearly killed him.

"You're a liar," Hajime seethed and took a booming step forward to grab Kabuto by the front of his black shirt. Then, he shoved the snake hard against the siding, receiving no fight in return. "Do you know what you did to him? You nearly killed him. You slashed his face. YOU THREW HIM AGAINST A METAL PIPE!"

Hajime could feel his insides squirming with possessive anger. His shoulders rose and fell with large breaths of vengeful air. He snapped his teeth at Kabuto's impassive face and gripped the edges of the shirt tighter. They were the same build, the same height, and their scents were so close in level of dominance- it shook Hajime to the core.

Oikawa certainly had a type...

No, he commanded to himself, his relationship with Oikawa was not fueled by drugs. There was nothing to compare.

"I know," Kabuto stated quietly without looking away. "But nothing I say will change what you think about that."

There was a subtle tone of... regret. ..in the soft admission that Hajime did not like, but he pushed the subject further- desiring the truth.

"Why," he snapped at the man in his grasp, body shaking with white fury. "Why did you…fuck...why did you-"

"It was...unintentional."

Unintentional...was he fucking kidding? Hajime's entire body tensed, ready to attack, to kill, but Bokuto grabbed him by his jacket and yanked. He stumbled back into his teammate's chest and snarled as he regained his footed. Then, he shoved the owl in the chest, his nostrils flaring with resentment. As he turned on his heels to renew his attack at Kabuto, Yuji stepped in between him and the tattooed man. Kabuto's eyes remained fixed on him, but they danced with a subtle surprise at Yuji's sudden movement.

"Move," Hajime snarled at his blonde teammate. "Move, or I'll tear you down, too."

"No violence," Yuji reiterated with his own growl. "Warning. Only. We agreed."

"YOU DEFEND HIM? AFTER WHAT HE'S DONE?" Hajime boomed. His mind was a storm of crimson thoughts that all ended with Kabuto's head on the end of a spike.

"Stop your little hissy fit," Bokuto chirped, slapping Hajime across the back of the head- like a father scolding his child. "Aren't you supposed to have super human control over your instincts? Get it the fuck together."

Hajime turned and swiped at empty air where Bokuto's hand had just been. "You fucking think that-"

"Listen to me, Hajime," the owl implored, his mouth set in a hard line. "You have a lot of control over your instincts, so maybe you can't relate. But...look...we all lose...control...sometimes. Especially when our own life is on the line."

Hajime regarded his friend, searching his golden eyes for the honesty beneath them. "You really believe that shit? You think the he accidentally smashed Oikawa's head into a garden spout?!" He snapped out- enraged the Bokuto would give the idea merit.

"I honestly don't know. I'm just telling you that it's possible. Take it from someone who... knows . Who's been there..."

Hajime's throat rumbled, angry that the idea wasn't as for fetched as he would have liked. Had Kabuto really gone into survival mode? But, did it even matter?

Kabuto moved forward and bumped Yuji out of the way and receiving a threatening snarl from the blonde Alpha in return. "My pack won't threaten you any longer," he affirmed through a locked jaw, eyes locking on Hajime once more. "On campus, or off. You have my word."

"And what good is your word?" Hajime barked, body visibly shaking from head to toe.

"Good, if you find yourself believing even a tiny part of what I've divulged to you."

There it was. Kabuto's stupid, frustrating, guilt-inducing, impeccable logic. He knew that the tattooed man had no reason to spill any of this information- other than to reach an understanding with the yellow house Alphas.

Only, Hajime didn't want an understanding , he wanted blood .

"The...unwanted events at your residence have...proved to me that it's time to switch things up," Kabuto added, pausing to find the correct words. "I will give you a...friendly warning...though."

"Oh?" Bokuto spouted with a raised eyebrow. "Not a threat, I hope?"

"No. Not a threat," Kabuto assured with a small, genuine smile that churned Hajime's gut. "I cannot speak for Chaki. My takeover will have to be slow and methodical, so I can't guarantee that he won't attack again before I've ousted him."

Hajime snorted. Convenient. 'You have my word that my pack won't attack...but also...they might attack!'

"But, I will give you a warning of anything he might plan," Kabuto continued.

The snake's bright eyes were still fixed on Hajime. He met the steady gaze, searching for deceit in their icy depths, but found none.

"How," he asked through clenched teeth- frustrated that the manipulative man had, once again, thwarted his anger by offering to warn them.

"Text," Kabuto offered up, but the tone wasn't a suggestion. Another speck of proof that Hajime and his teammates were not the masters in the conversation.

Yuji pulled his phone from the pocket of his joggers and clicked it on. "My phone. I have the most to be concerned about."

"Agreed," Bokuto chimed in with a nod.

Hajime could feel the owl's gaze boring into his back, watching for another attack. As much as he hated it, he had to admit that Bokuto was the champion of the evening. Hajime would have slit Kabuto's throat the moment he opened the door, and while he regretted the missed opportunity, he knew that it was for the best.

He was still very wary of Kabuto's divulged secrets, but if he couldn't attack right now, he could at least keep the snake close and wait until he could.