"How could we have been so stupid? " Daichi voiced, frustration laced in his words. Suga was next to him rubbing comforting circles on his back and occasionally nuzzling his cheek against Daichi's shoulder.
"You said it yourself, we just didn't want to scare him." Suga replied softly.
The rest of the team, minus Tsukishima and Hinata, both of whom had been gathered up and stuffed in the bus. Tsukishima had growled and kept everyone at a distance, refusing to let a single soul on board. The Karasuno team, still burning, didn't dare fight him, and even Kuroo suggested that they take they take a public bus back. Coach Ukai and Takeda-sensei had gone with, both insisting that the two omega's would never manage on their own. Tsukishima had been incredibly resistant.
The small city, not one member could honestly bother to remember the name, was slowly winding down, the sun dragging its denizens inside as night approached. Karasuno and Nekoma were both perched at the bus stop, contemplating their hormones. Nekoma sort of hovered around Karasuno out of obligation, waiting for their own coach to return.
Kuroo had a sour expression on his face. "It's very odd for someone as old as Hinata to not have presented yet. Gland sickness was only a reasonable conclusion."
Kenma bit his lip, but he stayed silent.
"We should have been more diligent though, we should've looked out for him." Nishinoya barked, his words high-pitched but defeated. He was still rolling in shame, his alpha instincts making his chest tighten and his thoughts cloudy.
He put his face in his hands, "I can't believe I almost jumped my kouhai." He muttered, honestly upset.
Asahi shushes him quietly and the team tries to unwind.
However, the shivering bundle of sweat and fever sitting a few feet away keeps them all on edge.
Kageyama was drifting in and out of consciousness. His cheeks were flushed with heat and his skin was drained of color. Suga had stepped in earlier and wrapped him up in all their jackets, forming a little, black Kageyama-shaped lump. However, he only seemed to be getting worse, not better. Every few moments, he would open his eyes slightly to look at them all, his pupils blown wide. He would mumble sweet nothings, the only distinguishable word being the sharp syllables of "Shouyou."
Tanaka turned to him now, addressing the concern that no one else had wanted to touch. "Do you think the bus will let him on? He looks like he's dying."
Kiyoko, who had remained decisively silent but incredibly vigilant, replied, "We will hide him behind Asahi-san."
Asahi jolted. "Wha? Me? No-no I'm not a good candidate for this!"
"You wanna walk home?" Ennoshita muttered.
"No, but someone is sure to notice and I don't do well with pressure..." Asahi replied hastily.
Nishinoya rolled his eyes, "You really do that beta title justice Asahi."
"Nishinoya.." Daichi scolded.
"What do you think is wrong with him though?" Kiyoko asked quietly.
Suga shrugged. "I'm not sure."
"Could be suppressants. Hinata-kun's heat would've fucked him up." Tanaka suggested.
Nishinoya growled. "If it is that, I'm gonna give him the worst beating his sorry alpha ass will ever receive."
Tanaka made a fist. "Yeah, we'll make sure he doesn't do it again."
"You guys.." Suga chided.
And then, the bright lights of the bus burnt their eyes and cut off their conversation as it rounded the corner. Suga began to plea with Asahi.
"Please! You don't have to hide him-you just have to carry him." He begged, eyes wide.
Asahi was quiet before he peered around Suga's shoulder just to catch the narrowed almost a glare look he was getting from Suga's broody mate. He sighed and nodded, moving to pick up the Kagebundle and head onto the bus.
Luckily, the late hour had wiped away much of the usual chatter and passengers on the bus. Karasuno waved goodbye halfheartedly to Nekoma, who did the same, both teams feeling too much concern and confusion to really put the normal effort into their farewells. Kuroo looked particularly reluctant, the frown on his face growing deeper with every departing member. Just as Tanaka was climbing the steps, he grabbed his bag and turned to his team.
"I'll be back in two days. Kenma, can you tell my parents what happened?" He demanded.
Kenma looked at him lamely. "Kuroo-san, don't be extravagant."
Bokuto clicked his tongue. "Kuroo, you better come back with a boyfriend."
Kuroo placed two forceful hands on Kenma's shoulders and shook the small boy back and forth. "I've got to go Kenma, I really do. This is the perfect time for me to prove myself to Tsuki. Please, please, please please!' He begged, each word more high pitched than the last.
"Fine. But you owe me."
"Anything Kenma! Just name it!"
"A-" Kenma was cut short by Kuroo's scrambling feet and loud voice.
"See you later!'
Kenma shook his head. "Weirdo."
xxx
Hinata felt sticky. Not just in the sweaty sense, but in the sense that he felt sticky in his head. All of his thoughts slipped out from under him and stuck to the sides of his brain, making him dizzy and sluggish.
Secondly, he felt hot. Like, seriously hot. And it wasn't a satisfying burn, like the one he gets after using his freak-quick with Kageyama or a practical singe after volleyball practice. This was deep, this was a fire that wouldn't go out, a fire that was licking at his insides, at his stomach, the flames even reaching high enough to scald his heart.
Not to mention his groin.
That was the other thing, he was seriously, seriously overwhelmingly horny. To the point where he wasn't sure a quick jerk and a lovely release would stave it off. He felt abandoned almost, disconnected from something vitally important that would bring this horrible heat to an end. Hinata was beginning to get antsy. He had to-he had to-
"Ugh!" He moaned, eyes peeling open.
He blinked a couple of times to clear his head before he realized that he had no idea where he was.
It was a neat place, that was for sure, with a desk and a little bed he was currently curled up on. He was wrapped in pillows and blankets, but not in the usual way. Instead of being swaddled around him, they acted as padding. Hinata felt like he was in a little burrow, like the kind rodents make underground.
Like a bird's nes-
Fuck.
Hinata couldn't muster up the energy to slap himself, not when he felt so weak and weird.
He went into heat. At the game. In front of everyone. He was an omega. He was an omega.
Hinata sighed again and let out a little groan, trying to bury his embarrassment.
He went into heat in front of Kageyama. He went into heat in front of his crush. In front of his alpha crush.
"Oh no..." He mumbled.
"Oi, shut up. If I'd have known you were going to be so whiny in heat, I would've dumped you at a clinic." Tsukishima's callous voice rang through the air.
Oh, so this is Tsukishima's bedroom. Oh. Ooooohhh.
"What?" He croaked.
Tsukishima sighed. He had a tray in his hands with crackers and water perched on top. Hinata spotted two little orange pills sitting by the water, threatening Hinata quietly . He gulped, hating how raw his throat felt. Tsukishima sat on the bed, waiting for Hinata to slowly cross his legs before he placed the tray in his lap. Hinata looked down at it for a while, his brain still trying to conjure up words and sift through his heat-addled mind.
"You're an omega idiot. Now eat your crackers and take the pills." He started sharply.
Hinata hesitated.
"They're anti-heat pills. If you take them, they'll keep your arousal down and make it easier for other people to be around you."
Hinata frowned. "I kno-I know what they are."
"Then take them. I'm not helping you out so you can scent my bed, I want you heat free as much as you do."
Hinata gulped them down, Tsukishima's tone of voice more intimidating than his stubbornness. As soon as the pills settled in his stomach he felt a refreshing burst erupt inside himself, peeling away his thoughts and dowsing the heat. He immediately felt less sticky, and definitely less tight, and relaxed a bit.
After he chomped on a couple of crackers, he noticed that Tsukishima hadn't left yet.
"Why did you take me to your house?" He started.
"You're an omega, I'm an omega. It's instinct, I have totake you in. Omega's protect one another." Tsukishima replied simply, adjusting his glasses.
"But you hate me."
"Doesn't matter. I'm obliged to, I can't control it and neither can you," Tsukishima sneered. "Didn't you pay attention in health class at all?"
Hinata blushed. "I never really cared about that stuff anyways, I just figured I was a beta."
"You ought to care. Do you know how dangerous that could have gotten if I hadn't been there? Those alpha's would've been all over you, no matter how many betas were there."
"I didn't know that! Besides, if I really was phasing, than why didn't you guys pull me from the game sooner?" Hinata voiced, anger rising.
"I tried to dumbass, but no one would listen to me and you're too exuberant for your own good. Besides, shouldn't you have noticed you were going into heat?" He countered, voice low but not holding any real malice.
Hinata was surprised by Tsukishima's lack of sarcasm.
"Well, I kinda thought I might be phasing, but I didn't want to bother anyone. That or maybe gland sickness..." He looked away.
"Don't ever doubt yourself again. Do you understand? This is important you idiot, you can't just disregard your status and think it'll smooth over. You're in an alpha world with alpha consequences." Tsukishima scolded.
Hinata continued to admire the floor, his shame plastered on his face.
"I'm-I'm sorry." He choked out.
Tsukishima blushed. "Just don't do it again."
Hinata's head whipped back up, his mouth open in a simple sort of shock. Then he grinned one of his sun-shining smiles and it left Tsukishima feeling flustered and irritated all at once.
"You know, you're not such a bad guy, Tsukishima." Hinata commented, spirits lifted a bit.
Tsukishima snorted. "Coming from an idiot, that probably doesn't mean much."
Hinata pouted, but not seriously. "You're supposed to say thanks."
"Thanks idiot. "
"Loser." Hinata retorted.
The room turned silent then, Tsukishima not really wanting to reply. Hinata nibbled on a bit of cracker, his teeth devouring it like a mouse. Tsukishima tried not to notice how many crumbs were being spread across his sheets.
Hinata paused, a thought striking him. "Does this mean I have to get a mate?"
Tsukishima didn't hesitate. "No. You can be unattached as long as you'd like. Omega's are perfectly capable of taking care of themselves. Getting a mate would be practical, but it's probably a bad idea right now. You still want to play volleyball, right?"
"Would I have to quit volleyball if I got a mate?" Hinata practically screamed.
Tsukishima rolled his eyes. "No, it would just complicate things."
"Oh. I guess that's why you're letting Kuroo-san court you huh."
Tsukishima lit up from his cheeks to the tips of his ears. "That's none of your business."
"Oooh, you like him, don't you? Are you going to let him date you? Are you gonna bear his chil-"
"If you say one more word I'll throw you out in the street and let the alphas get you. " He threatened.
Hinata drew the blankets up to his chest protectively. "You wouldn't!" He pointed a finger accusingly at Tsukishima.
Tsukishima deflated a little. "No, I wouldn't. Kageyama would kill me."
"Kageyama? What?" Hinata asked.
Tsukishima stood up then, gathering the tray in his hands before Hinata could make a bigger mess.
"I know you've got more questions, Shouyou, but you really should rest." Tsukishima spoke Hinata's name quickly, like he was trying out some sort of new cuisine and too hesitant to take a full bite.
Hinata sputtered. "Shouyou? Can I call you Kei?"
"Of course you can. We're omegas. We stick together, no matter how stupid you are or how much I hate you." Tsukishima tried to sound intimidating, but his words ended up teasing instead of mean.
"Wow! Kei! Kei Kei!" Hinata was in awe, rolling the simple syllable on his tongue.
Tsukishima blushed. "Shut it."
"Ahh, this is so cool! I wanna say it all the time!" Hinata admitted.
"Don't." Tsukishima replied quickly.
He turned to leave now, tray firmly in hand, before Hinata let another thought slip out.
"Hey, Kei, why aren't I all, um, you know?" He voiced, sounding anxious.
"Know what?" Tsukishima replied without turning around.
"Wet. Down there. I mean," He paused. "That's what happens right, you get all, erm-"
"I gave you a bath and an heat injection when we got to my house so you wouldn't bother my parents and soak my bed." Tsukishima replied curtly, not really seeing the need for much more.
"What!"
"Get some sleep Hinata." Tsukishima left with a grin hanging off his face.
"Wa-wa-wait! You bathed me? And what's an injection? Keeeeiii!"
fun fact: when omegas go into heat they tend to make "nests" which basically means they are collecting soft and warm things so that when they find a mate both participants can be comfortable. its an old instinct that was much more useful when society still revolved around tight beta-alpha-omega rule, but now its just sort of irritating and enduring.
and dont worry we'll see more kageyama in the next chapter hehe.
also please review! your comments motivate me :)
