Lupine

Disclaimer: I do not own Haikyuu!.

Warnings: Hurt/Comfort, Drama

Pairings: Hinata x Bokuto, Bokuto x Akaashi, Akaashi x Kuroo, Hinata x Kozume, Hinata x Miya Atsumu, Hinata x Miya Osamu, Hinata x Miya Atsumu x Miya Osamu, Haiba x Yaku, Kozume x Kuroo, Kuroo x Tsukishima, Kuroo x Bokuto, Kuroo x Akaashi x Bokuto, Sugawara x Sawamura, Iwaizumi x Oikawa, Sugawara x Sawamura x Iwaizumi x Oikawa

Plot: Hinata meets Sugawara and Oikawa.

Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics


Ch 08: Allure

Hinata smiled brightly, waving as he spotted Akaashi, perking his ears towards the pretty omega beside him. Sugawara offered Hinata a warm smile and waved his fingers as they continued over, Hinata running to meet them excitedly as they reached the front of the coffee shop.

"Ah! Perfect timing!" Hinata beamed, giggling softly as he perked his ears towards Akaashi. "I just found a good place to park! Did you find the café okay?"

"We did." Akaashi reassured, nodding and smiling down at the petite omega. "Koushi was just saying how pretty this area of downtown is. We haven't visited this area before."

"It's nice to meet you, Hinata." Sugawara said, offering his hand, Hinata blushing lightly and shaking it eagerly. "Shall we sit outside in the sunshine? It's simply lovely out today."

"Yes! Let's sit over here, by the balcony!" He waved to the hostess, who offered a little smile and nod, a waitress stepping over and guiding them to an empty table on the terrace parallel to the street. Hinata took a seat opposite of the older omegas, pointing out over the balcony as he said excitedly, "See? You can see all the little shops from here! Kenma and I usually sit and watch people come and go from the hattery and vintage dress shops! Sometimes you can even see models posing for photographs!"

"Ah, Toru would absolutely love this!" Sugawara sighed happily, placing his hand on Akaashi's forearm lightly as he said, "I knew I should have thought to invite him, but you did mention this was an omega-only outing, after all."

Hinata perked his ears up at that, glancing between Akaashi and Sugawara curiously, the dark-haired omega explaining softly, "Oikawa Toru is our next-door neighbor. He's a beta, though most of the time he's mistaken for an omega. He's very slim, and his scent is very sweet, like yours."

Hinata blushed and laughed at that, nodding his understanding. "Oh! Well, please feel free to invite him next time! I love making new friends!" He turned his eyes to Sugawara, continuing cheerily, "It sounds like you spend a lot of time together! Weren't you out at lunch together when I first met Akaashi?"

"Yes, that's right! It was our anniversary!" Sugawara smiled, his coffee-colored irises a soft hazel in the sunlight. "We've been bonded for two years now, the four of us. I can't believe it's already been so long. It seems like we only bonded yesterday…" His expression was soft, his voice trailing off as he sighed dreamily, Akaashi humming and nodding as he patted Sugawara's hand, Hinata blinking and tilting one of his ears to the side, uncertain if he had heard correctly.

"You said...the four of you?"

Sugawara perked up at that, blinking and laughing merrily, quickly nodding and reaching across the table to touch Hinata's hand, Akaashi watching their exchange quietly. "Actually, I was hoping to speak with you about that! I'm sorry if it's none of my business, but well…" He glanced towards Akaashi before returning his attention to Hinata, "I was wondering if you would be open to discussing your current predicament regarding your intended and your friend, Kozume?"

Hinata's eyes were wide, honey-gold in the sunlight, the small omega glancing over and catching Akaashi's eyes, the older omega offering gently, "When Bokuto called Tetsurou the other night, I told Koushi a bit about what was happening. I hope that's alright?"

Hinata nodded slowly, "No, it's alright. I just…" He met Sugawara's eyes, asking softly, "What did you want to talk about exactly?"

Sugawara hummed softly, then asked, "Has he still not spoken to you since that night?"

Hinata frowned a little, his expression falling a bit as he replied quietly, "No, he hasn't. Kuroo said…" He looked up to meet Sugawara and Akaashi's eyes. "...he said Kenma needed some time before he could speak with me. I've been trying not to pester him, so I haven't texted or called him since that night. I've just been waiting for him to reach out to me." He worried his bottom lip, adding softly, "It's already been four days…"

Sugawara sighed softly, squeezing his hand and offering, "Perhaps it would be easier if I explain my current arrangement first, so you can understand my bond with Daichi, as well as Toru and Hajime?"

Hinata perked his ears up again, nodding and watching the other omega curiously, Akaashi glancing up towards the waitress as she came to take their orders, the omegas quickly selecting drinks and sweets before returning to their conversation.

Sugawara leaned a little closer, taking Hinata's hand again, offering him a warm smile. "Alright then, let's start at the beginning." Akaashi leaned a little closer as well, resting against the table, propping his hand against his cheek as he tilted his ears towards Sugawara. "My bondmate is Sawamura Daichi. We've been together since college, and lived together for several years before becoming friends with Tetsurou and Keiji, and later deciding to move in together."

Akaashi hummed softly at that, Sugawara leaning against his shoulder lightly.

"When we moved into our townhouse together, we quickly became friends with our next-door neighbors, Iwaizumi Hajime and Oikawa Toru. They're a beautiful beta couple, who had been bonded for just about as long as we had at the time."

Hinata nodded, smiling and tilting his ears towards Sugawara's voice, listening closely as he explained their relationships. Sugawara paused for only a moment to catch Akaashi's eyes before he returned his attention to Hinata, continuing.

"Toru and I quickly became the best of friends, he and I spent hours together talking about everything, and eventually our relationship grew to the point where we both fell in love with one another, and wanted to be together. In much the same way as we were growing closer, Daichi and Hajime were growing closer as well." He laughed softly, smiling fondly at the thought of his partners. "We decided, between the four of us, that we wanted to share our bond together. So, two years ago we formally entered into an arrangement, and now we are all bonded and share ourselves with one another unabashed and unafraid. I love Daichi, and I also love Toru and Hajime, with all of my heart."

"That's beautiful." Hinata sighed, smiling dreamily, glancing up and watching the fluffy clouds passing by overhead.

Sugawara nodded, watching Hinata and offering gently, "I was wondering, upon hearing about your current predicament, if you had considered opening your bond with Bokuto to include Kozume?"

Hinata hummed softly at that, nodding and whispering gently, "I've thought about bonding with Kenma many times. He's my best friend. I couldn't imagine my life without him." His expression was soft and affectionate as he met Sugawara's eyes, adding hesitantly, "I am uncertain what made me offer a bond to Koutarou so suddenly, it just happened in the moment, and I wasn't thinking at the time about how it would make Kenma feel that I had asked Kou to bond with me, but I had never, no matter how much I wanted to, offered a bond to Kenma." He arched his brow, worrying his lip, glancing between Sugawara and Akaashi while confiding tentatively, "I am afraid if I bring it up now, Kenma will think I'm only doing so because he's upset and I'm trying to placate him. I don't want him to think I'm only offering a bond because it's what he wants. I want to bond with him too. I love Kenma, I want to grow old with him. I want to share everything with him. I never want us to be apart."

He closed his eyes, ducking his ears back a bit.

"I'm so worried that he'll be jealous of Koutarou, or hate me for choosing Koutarou over him, but it's not like that! I don't want to choose Kou over anyone, I want to love them both equally." He worried his lip as he blinked over at Sugawara, tears in his eyes. "Is that selfish of me? To want them to both love me? To want them to allow me to have them both equally? I don't want to decide. I don't want to choose…"

"It is selfish." Sugawara replied gently, "But it is also completely selfless." He squeezed Hinata's fingers, adding gently, "You are offering your love to them both unconditionally, it is up to them each individually to decide what they want and to accept. The feelings you share with Bokuto appear in all aspects to be mutual and reciprocated at this point. Now, it's up to you and Kozume to discuss what you both want, and if he also wants to spend his life with you he will agree to a bond with you, regardless of your bond with Bokuto." Sugawara smiled, adding with soft laughter, "Who knows? Perhaps one day he and Bokuto might open up to one another enough that their friendship blossoms into love, and they choose to become bondmates too. Even if nothing romantic develops between them, they might choose to share a platonic love, and share a romantic love only with you."

Hinata nodded slowly, smiling and squeezing Sugawara's fingers tightly, offering him a gentle smile. "Thank you for saying that, Sugawara. Thank you for telling me about you and your partners. It makes me think that there's at least the possibility that Kenma might agree. I just feel like...if I had asked him first, things wouldn't have gotten so messy. I'm so stupid, I've loved him for years, we could have been bonded this entire time! I can't believe I never thought about it before, I just...I never considered that he might want to bond with me too."

"Love is abstruse." Akaashi sighed, Sugawara sighing and nodding his head, pulling back a bit and tilting his face up towards the sunshine, a calm smile across his face.

"Love is a beautiful, fleeting thing." He whispered, Akaashi watching him quietly, reaching out and petting his hand gently. "Whatever you do from this point on, Hinata, do so with an open heart full of love." He met Hinata's eyes, his expression rosy and soft. "Life is too short to waste time overthinking things, or being afraid of your true feelings. The love you share with Kozume might be something you only come across once in a lifetime. You must cherish it and hold onto it desperately, for as long as you possibly can. You never know how quickly it might be snuffed out."

Akaashi sighed quietly at that, squeezing Sugawara's fingers and dipping his ears back a bit, Sugawara laughing softly and waving his hand, sniffing lightly and dabbing at his eyes, giving Hinata an embarrassed look.

"Ah! Don't mind me. I just...I've been feeling a bit overwhelmed lately." He sniffed again, offering Hinata a bright smile. "Thank you, for inviting me to your date with Akaashi. I do hope we can do this again soon, with Toru."

Hinata nodded slowly, dipping his ears back slightly and meeting Akaashi's eyes, the dark omega giving him a soft look before perking his ears towards the waitress as she returned with their drinks, setting them down one at a time before quickly returning with their sweets, the omegas thanking her quietly and taking their time as they enjoyed their coffee and shared bites of cakes and fruit tarts between them.

Sugawara hummed happily, licking at his spoon, his warm, cheery demeanor complimenting Akaashi's calm quiet, Hinata swinging his legs happily as he watched them both, marveling at their beauty and poise.

Akaashi was dark and slender, delicate wrists and long, beautiful fingers, his eyes slightly slanted and his irises a deep, dark blue. His scent was sweet and light, like a fresh spring breeze scattering windswept petals in its wake.

Sugawara was pale and enchanting, his cream colored curls framing his cheeks and nape, his coffee-brown eyes changing to bright hazelnut whenever the sun reflected in his eyes, a small beauty mark resting at the rise of his cheek just below his left eye. His scent was warm and soft, like freshly baked goods upon entering a bakery.

It made Hinata want to cuddle up between the two older omegas and take a nice, long nap with them. It was soothing beyond belief just being around them, sharing their presence. Hinata wondered fleetingly if it was always like this, having omega companions. He wanted to be closer to them. He wanted to know them more. He really, really wanted for them to be his friends too.

After their cups were empty and their bellies full, Sugawara sighed and stretched his hands above his head, leaning to the side and resting against Akaashi, the dark omega purring softly and nuzzling between his ears, Hinata biting his lip and asking hesitantly, "Akaashi, do you and Sugawara have any plans after this?"

Akaashi tilted one ear to the side, shaking his head lightly. "No, not really. Today is a lazy day."

Sugawara hummed his happy agreement, perking his ears towards Hinata as well. "Why, what is it? Did you have somewhere you needed to be?"

"Oh! Umm, actually I was…" Hinata blushed a bit, glancing between them, laughing shyly and offering, "I was thinking, if you weren't ready to go home just yet, maybe we could take a walk and look at the shops while it's still sunny?"

"I think that's a wonderful idea." Akaashi smiled, inhaling against Sugawara's creamy curls, Sugawara sitting up a bit and nodding, soft laughter escaping him as he reached over to touch Hinata's hand lightly.

"Yes, I agree! I've been eyeing that dress shop on the corner! Shall we go and take a peek?"

They paid for their checks and then took to the streets together, Akaashi and Sugawara lacing fingers and walking together side by side, Hinata running ahead a little bit and giggling as he hopped through the dappled sunshine, looking up at the trees and watching the sunlight shift as a breeze swept by, birds twittering merrily in the higher branches. He sighed and inhaled against the fresh air, a feeling of contentment washing over him as he basked in the sun, perking his ears up lightly when he heard Sugawara's voice, glancing back towards the two omegas behind him, noticing that Sugawara had answered his phone.

"Yes! We're downtown too!" He glanced towards Akaashi, then Hinata, asking happily as he stepped towards the nearest street sign, "Would you like to meet us? We're doing a bit of window-shopping! I can send you the address?"

Akaashi smiled and watched him fondly, Hinata stepping closer to ask, "Who was that on the phone?"

"Toru's downtown, not too far from us actually." Akaashi smiled as he watched his roommate, adding softly, "Toru sees a specialist at the clinic nearby. I think he's coming to meet us. It'll be good for him, walking around in the sunshine."

Hinata nodded, perking his ears towards Sugawara as he walked back over to them, sighing happily and clasping his phone between his hands. "Toru said he'll meet us at the hat shop! He's been to this area before, actually!" Sugawara keened excitedly and looped his arm with Akaashi's then offered a hand to Hinata as well. "Oh this is the best day! I'm so excited to be out together, all of us!"

Akaashi laughed softly, nodding and asking as they started walking again, "Is Hajime with him? Is he dropping Toru off?"

Sugawara hummed and shook his head, squeezing Hinata's fingers as he replied, "No, he's feeling really good today! Apparently he took the metro downtown all by himself!"

Hinata listened to their conversation, piecing things together, dipping his ears back slightly before asking, "Sugawara, is...is Oikawa sick?"

Sugawara met his eyes, smiling and squeezing his hand gently. "Not today." He whispered, his tone affectionate and soft. "Today he's perfect."

Hinata nodded, squeezing back Sugawara's fingers, smiling and looking ahead. They stepped through the sunshine together, reaching the hattery on the corner and glancing around for a few moments before Sugawara gasped and ran ahead, wrapping his arms around a pretty beta and giggling excitedly as they parted, nosing at his cheek affectionately before taking his hand and walking to meet Hinata and Akaashi, Sugawara introducing his partner.

"Hinata, this is Oikawa Toru."

"It's nice to meet you!" Hinata smiled, offering his hand, Oikawa perking his ears up and humming curiously, taking his hand as well.

"My my, aren't you just adorable." Oikawa said, a hint of laughter in his tone. "So petite! You should come by the studio, I'd love for you to model for me sometime."

"Oh, that sounds like so much fun!" Sugawara sighed, perking his ears towards Hinata. "If you like playing dress-up, you'll love modeling for Toru! He has the most beautiful outfits, his studio is absolutely gorgeous."

"You're biased because you love me." Oikawa teased, Sugawara grinning and laughing cheerily, Akaashi laughing softly as well and nodding towards the shops nearby.

"I presume you know this area because you've shopped here before?"

"Oh yes, I love this little neighborhood. It's absolutely darling!" He smiled and surveyed the shops, pointing towards one and stepping towards it, Sugawara at his side, Akaashi and Hinata trailing after.

They spent the afternoon together, trying on beautiful, colorful outfits and capturing candid snapshots with their phones, giggling and sharing themselves with one another, finding Hinata to be a perfect addition to their usual trio. Once they had finished shopping, they decided to wander through the nearby park, finding a street vendor and buying fruit popsicles, wandering around the large fountain together in the center of the park while chatting and exchanging stories. Eventually they clustered together side by side, sitting down on the lip of the fountain to rest while they enjoyed their treats, Hinata between Akaashi and Oikawa while Sugawara rested against Oikawa's other side, the beta laughing merrily as he teased his partner about a previous conversation they'd shared, letting out soft sighs as their laughter faded.

It was quiet for a few moments before Oikawa said softly, "I'm going to miss this."

Sugawara was quiet as well, squeezing his fingers and whispering gently, "Me too."

Oikawa decided he wanted to take the metro home as well, Sugawara opting to ride with him, Akaashi and Hinata walking them to the tracks and waiting until their train arrived, sharing hugs and waving goodbye until the train was out of sight. Akaashi and Hinata walked back to the café together, sharing a comfortable silence and basking in the sunshine, until finally Akaashi said gently, "Thank you for being so kind to Koushi and Toru. I know they both had a really good time today being out together, and spending time with you."

Hinata nodded, looking up at Akaashi and searching his eyes, asking tentatively, "Oikawa is...really sick, isn't he?"

Akaashi nodded, letting out a soft sigh. "Today was a good day, probably one of the last we'll be able to experience like this together. It was good to have you with us. It makes it special, a new memory to cling to when the rough days come."

Hinata ducked his ears, thinking for a moment, not sure if he should ask any more or what exactly he should say. He met Akaashi's eyes, and the dark omega watched him for a moment longer before offering quietly.

"Less than a year. The specialists think about eight months or so."

Hinata reached up and covered his mouth, arching his brow, feeling tears stinging at his cheeks. "Oh god. That's...that's so little time."

Akaashi nodded gently, his footsteps slowing at they reached the parking lot, sighing softly and saying gently, "I think it would mean a lot to Koushi and Toru, if you decided you'd like to become friends with them and spend time with them both, but I understand if that's asking too much of you. As it draws closer to the end, things are going to become ugly. Losing Toru is something we've all come to accept as reality, but we all know that the sicker he becomes..." He was quiet for a moment, a glint of tears in his eyes. "It's going to become unbearable for them both."

Hinata nodded, his breath hitching a bit, thinking about what Sugawara had said. "Love is...beautiful, and fleeting."

Akaashi hummed softly, reaching out and taking Hinata's hand. "It truly, truly is."

-x-x-x-

Kozume glanced down at his phone, inhaling softly as he watched it ring for a few moments before answering, lifting the device to his ear and saying softly, "Hello, Shouyou."

"I need to see you." Hinata whispered, and it sounded as if he had been crying. "I need to see you. Please?"

Kozume ducked back his ears, setting aside his controller and glancing around his messy bedroom hesitantly, "Shouyou, I don't think I'm ready to-"

"I just spent the day with Akaashi." Hinata sniffed, his breathing uneven as he tried to speak but found he couldn't, letting out a shaky breath and whispering, "I met his roommate Sugawara, and his partner. His beautiful, amazing partner, and I just-" He tried to catch his breath, his voice muffled as he asked again, "Please, Kenma? I really need to see you. Please?"

Kozume's chest twisted, letting out a soft sigh. "Alright, Shouyou. Give me twenty minutes, okay?"

"Okay." Hinata breathed out quietly, a soft whimper escaping him, holding on for just a moment longer before hanging up. Kozume sighed and lowered his phone, closing his eyes and dipping his ears back a bit, frowning and forcing himself out of bed to start hastily cleaning his room. He turned off his console, bringing up his list of movies before padding into the kitchen and starting the kettle on the stove, Haiba glancing up from the couch in surprise and watching his movements, Kozume leaving the kitchen briefly before returning with dirty dishes, loading the dishwasher quietly.

Haiba glanced towards his bedroom as Yaku padded closer, saying softly, "I could have sworn I saved that number for the teriyaki place we got last week. What was it called, do you remember? I can't-" He stopped speaking when he noticed Kozume had emerged from his room, glancing to Haiba and meeting his eyes, the younger beta shrugging. Yaku hesitated only for a moment before stepping gingerly closer to the kitchen, perking his ears towards Kozume and asking gently, "Kenma? Is everything alright?"

"Shouyou is coming over." He said softly, glancing towards the stove before meeting Yaku's eyes. "I'm going to take a quick shower. Could you watch the kettle? I wanted to make him some tea."

"Yeah, yeah sure. Of course." Yaku said, offering him a soft smile. "Take your time with your shower, I'll let Sho in once he gets here, don't worry."

Kozume nodded, giving him a thankful expression before stepping out of the kitchen and heading to the bathroom, Yaku looking back towards his boyfriend once Kozume had disappeared. Haiba was grinning a little, perking his ears up and asking quietly, "Do you think maybe Shouyou's going to-"

"Shh," Yaku hissed softly, pressing a finger against his lips, "I don't know what's about to happen, but what I do know is they'd both prefer if they weren't overheard." He nodded towards the bedroom pointedly, Haiba catching his meaning and quickly saving his game, shutting off his console and docking his controller before padding into their bedroom, closing the door quietly behind him. Yaku smiled at him fondly, watching him go, then returned his attention to the kettle, keeping an eye on it as the water started to boil, glancing towards the front door and letting out a soft sigh.

Hopefully whatever happened next, the two of them could still remain friends.

He'd never seen Kozume like this before. He wanted Kozume and Hinata to make amends.

Hinata knocked on the front door just as Kozume was finishing his shower, Yaku padding over and answering the door, stepping back to allow the omega in, Hinata sniffing and offering him a teary smile, giving him a little hug in greeting. Yaku watched him worriedly, dipping back his ears a bit, beckoning him into the kitchen and allowing Hinata to pick out a tea he liked, the two standing in the kitchen together for a few moments before Kozume emerged, the beta stepping closer quietly and meeting Hinata's eyes gingerly.

"Hey." Hinata whispered, sniffing subtly, Yaku glancing between them carefully, Kozume watching the omega with a calm expression.

"Hey, Shouyou." He looked to Yaku briefly before reaching out to touch Hinata's back, rubbing up and down slowly. "Do you want to go to my room?"

Hinata sniffed again, nodding, Kozume quickly making himself his own cup of tea and offering Yaku a small thank you before padding down the hallway to his room, Hinata stepping inside first, Kozume closing the door behind them.

Yaku lingered for only a moment longer before heading back to his room, slipping inside and glancing up to meet eyes with his boyfriend, Haiba grinning and opening his arms, Yaku sighing deeply and crawling into bed, settling down beside him.

In Kozume's room, Hinata was sitting at the edge of the bed, cupping his steaming tea gingerly between his hands, Kozume taking a seat beside him. They were both quiet for a while, then Kozume asked gently. "What were you saying before, about Sugawara's partner? Did something happen while you were out?"

Hinata hummed softly, tilting one of his ears to the side, setting his tea on the nightstand to cool and turning to face Kozume, reaching up and wiping at his damp eyes with the back of his hand, taking a shaky breath before continuing. "Okay, so. You know Akaashi and Kuroo have roommates, Sugawara and Sawamura."

"Right." Kozume said, lifting his mug and blowing away the steam absently, perking his ears towards Hinata.

"Well, Sugawara and Sawamura are bonded, but they also share a bond with another couple who are their next-door neighbors, Iwaizumi and Oikawa."

Kozume paused at that, nodding hesitantly. "Tetsu mentioned that before."

Hinata nodded, sniffing and clasping his fingers together nervously, his voice hesitant as he spoke. "Well, Akaashi and Sugawara met me at the café for coffee earlier, and afterwards we went window-shopping to look at all the dress shops and the hattery along the street?"

Kozume nodded, listening quietly. Hinata paused, wiping at his eyes again before he continued quietly.

"While we were out walking, Sugawara got a call from Oikawa, and we all met up and spent the afternoon together. Oikawa is amazing! He's funny and smart, and so pretty! We all got along really well, and I had a really great time! I really want to spend more time with them, but-" His breath hitched and he closed his eyes, his ears dipping back again. "I found out that Oikawa is really, really sick. He's going to die soon, he has less than a year to live!" He hiccupped softly, covering his mouth with his hand, Kozume watching him with a little frown, reaching over and touching his hand gently. Hinata sniffed and looked up again, taking Kozume's hand and squeezing his fingers tightly, the omega searching his eyes and whispering, "It made me think about, what if that was us? What if one of us got sick, and we only had a few months left to spend together? I couldn't stand the thought of it! I don't want to live without you!"

Kozume's breath hitched, and he watched Hinata with concern, shifting forward to set his mug beside Hinata's carefully before taking both of his hands, searching his eyes, Hinata's breath shaky as he tried to breathe through his crying, his ears flattened against his skull.

"Hey, Shouyou. You don't have to worry about that. We're both perfectly healthy, we're not-"

"I don't want to lose you!" Hinata sobbed, coughing wetly and clinging to his hands, tears streaking down his cheeks. "I love you so much and I'm sorry I didn't think-" He let out a shaky sob, "I'm sorry I didn't think about your feelings, w-when I asked Koutarou to bond with me! I didn't realize what it would mean to you, how it would make you feel!" He shook his head, clinging to Kozume's fingers desperately. "I've loved you my entire life! I love you more every day! I don't want to live my life without you! I want to bond with you too!"

Kozume inhaled softly, arching his brow and saying gently, "Hinata, if you're only saying this because you're upset-"

"But I'm not! I'm not! Look!" He sniffed and pulled back his hands, reaching into the front pocket of his hoodie, sniffing and pulling out a small box, offering it to Kozume. "I'm serious, I've wanted to bond with you for...for ages, I just-" His cheeks were flushed, tears still dripping steadily down his face as he said shakily, "I didn't know how to ask. I didn't...I didn't want to ruin our friendship. Our dynamic is so perfect, I never wanted anything to change." He worried his lip, meeting Kozume's eyes, the beta holding his gaze for a quiet moment before smoothing his thumb against the edge of the box, opening it slowly.

Inside were a small set of rings, one yellow gold, one rose gold. They were plain, simple bands, their sheen reflecting in the light cast from Kozume's tv as he inhaled softly and stared at them. He didn't speak for several moments, then exhaled slowly, carefully meeting Hinata's eyes. "Shouyou, I don't want you to just rush out and get rings because you suddenly feel like-"

"No, no that's not it. I didn't." Hinata sniffed, perking his ears towards the box. "There's a receipt underneath, I couldn't decide if I wanted to return them for another color, so I...I kept it. Just in case."

Kozume tilted his ears back, carefully tugging up the padding holding the rings in place and taking out the small folded slip of paper inside. He opened it slowly, his eyes flitting down the print until he found the date, his cheeks flushing as he inhaled softly, perking his ears and meeting Shouyou's eyes. "This was...this was right after our beach trip. Shouyou, this was three years ago."

"I know!" Hinata replied, his cheeks turning a brighter shade of pink, his tears gradually slowing as he perked up his ears, watching Kozume shyly. "I was thinking about it, after we spent that week together." He lowered his eyes, fiddling with the edge of his hoodie absently. "We had such a good time together, and it really felt like we were bondmates. I know it's silly, because it's not like you're an Alpha. You can't actually mark me, but I…" He glanced up again, meeting Kozume's eyes. "I thought maybe...wearing matching rings...it's sort of like wearing one another's marks? Right?"

Kozume was quiet, barely breathing, then he set aside the ring box and got out of bed. He walked to his closet, and crouched down for a few moments, digging through his discarded clothing and opening a hidden dresser drawer, reaching inside and retrieving something. He returned to the bed a moment later, offering it to Hinata, the omega perking his ears up and letting out a soft sound of surprise, meeting Kozume's eyes and looking back down at the box, opening it carefully. A soft whimper escaped him as he pressed his hand against his mouth, his shoulders hunching, fresh tears streaming down his cheeks.

"I love you." Kozume whispered, reaching over and taking Hinata's hand. "I've loved you since I was old enough to know what it meant to be in love. I've loved you with everything inside of me for years and years, trying to gather the courage to tell you I wanted to bond with you, trying to find the right time to tell you I wanted to be your primary, and I wanted you to be mine." Hinata's fingers were trembling as he reached into the box, taking out the small set of rings, so similar it was almost a matching set to the rings Hinata had picked out, only one was silver, and the other was gold. Kozume smiled brightly, laughing softly and sniffling as he felt tears gather in his eyes, his voice shaky as he whispered gently, "I saved the receipt."

Hinata met his eyes, shaking his head, Kozume laughing and nodding, perking his ears up and sniffling lightly as a tear traced down his flushed cheek. The omega allowed the beta to help him lift the ring padding and retrieve the slip of paper, Hinata unfolding it and finding the date, letting out a bubbly mess of laughter as he realized the dates on the receipts were only days apart.

"I love you, Shouyou." Kozume whispered again, reaching up and cupping Hinata's cheeks, leaning in to press soft kisses to his cheeks and nose before finding his lips and kissing him gently, both of them still crying and laughing softly, Kozume's breath hitching as he whispered, "I want to bond with you. Please. I want to spend my life with you."

"Yes. Yes." Hinata whispered. "Yes, Kenma, yes. I do too. I want to share my whole life with you." He kissed Kozume again, pressing kisses along his jaw and flushed cheeks. "Each moment, from now until the last breath I take. I want to be with you and Koutarou."

Kozume nodded, breathing shakily and nodding, "Yes, and Koutarou."

Hinata laughed brilliantly, hugging Kozume's neck tightly and relaxing into his warm embrace, tangling his fingers in his hair and humming against his lips as Kozume pushed him back against his blankets, Hinata's knees framing his hips, the omega and beta kissing over and over again.

Between the four rings, they decided to wear each other's - Kozume wearing Hinata's rose gold ring, and Hinata wearing Kozume's silver. The matching gold rings they decided to save, and exchange at their official ceremony. They lay in bed together, cuddling and holding hands, trailing fingertips against each other's rings, and once they had both calmed down enough to share their news with others, Hinata excitedly called Bokuto.


Thanks for reading! More to come!