He didn't like the looks Iwaizumi kept giving him. It was this weird questioning, worried, annoyed look that Oikawa really wasn't sure how to interpret. He hadn't even realized Iwaizumi could feel all of those emotions at one time. He thought he might be impressed. "What is it, Iwa-chan?" Oikawa finally demanded after the hundredth glance, slamming his book closed and turning to stare at the alpha. They were supposed to be studying but there was no way he was going to be able to do so when Iwaizumi kept looking at him like that.

There was silence, both of them staring and studying at each other for what had to be at least three full minutes, when Iwaizumi finally cleared his throat and asked, "Oikawa, are you feeling a pull?"

Well, shit.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Iwa-chan!" Oikawa sang out, turning his back toward the alpha and reopening his book. How the hell did he know that? He knew that alphas and betas were able to sense when a circle was complete or not complete, but from everything he's read, that only happens to those that aren't bonded.

An omega was able to feel when a circle had grown to completion. If, after a bond was complete the omega still felt a physical pull or were drawn to someone, then the circle was still open, for lack of better word. In this day in age, there were many mated pairs that were happy just being that – pairs. But if an omega happened to come from a large circle, they had a higher chance of needing their own circle to feel complete. Some doctors said that, until the circle was whole, the omega gave off pheromones to attract alphas, betas, and, sometimes, other omega's to them. Only those that were compatible would be drawn but just because an alpha or beta was drawn to the omega didn't mean the omega was the same. It was because the alphas and betas were attracted to the pheromones alone, while the omega was able to sense if a person was a good fit, not only for the omega but the for circle in general.

Once joined to a circle, the alphas and betas were no longer drawn to pheromones from other omegas – well, unless the circle was meant to have two omegas. But that was extremely rare.

Which means that someone Iwaizumi knew, someone they both knew, must have alerted Iwaizumi that Oikawa was still attracting mates. Interesting.

"Answer the question, Shittykawa!"

With a scowl, Oikawa turned to glare at his mate. "Don't call me that!"

"Then answer the question!"

"I don't want to!" The omega snapped back. He crossed his arms over his chest and felt his lips pull back in a snarl. "I don't have time for this! We have so many things to work on with the team and I need to watch those match videos! We need to know the weaknesses of the other teams so we can make sure we win! And then there's studying and entrance exams-"

"So the answer is yes," Iwaizumi sighed, lifting a hand to his head and pinching the bridge of his nose in annoyance. "Oikawa, you can't just ignore it."

"Who says I'm ignoring it?!" Oikawa demanded loudly, his voice shaking from annoyance. When he found out who told Iwaizumi, he was going to kill them. "Maybe I feel…something, but that doesn't mean I've felt it toward a specific person! After the first bond is complete, it could take years for-"

"Are you telling me that you truly haven't felt anything? For anyone?"

Oh. Well… "I didn't say that…exactly," Oikawa muttered darkly. How did Iwaizumi always know the exact thing to ask so that Oikawa couldn't talk his way around an issue? It worked with everyone else! He couldn't even lie because Iwaizumi would know. Even before the bond he was always able to tell when Oikawa was lying to him. "There was a first year from Karasuno…"

"What?" Iwaizumi growled, standing from where he had been relaxing on the bed. He glared down at the omega and clenched his fists at his sides, "Seriously, Crappykawa? You didn't think you should mention it?"

"We're busy!" Oikawa whined back determinedly. Iwaizumi knew this! Why was he making such a big deal about it? "There's too much to do to worry about that right now! So what if there was a pull toward some stupid beta? I don't know him and I don't care! Once we make it to Nationals, once we win, I'll look into it. It might not even still be there by then! Didn't those books say that sometimes the person doesn't fit in with the rest of the circle and the pull will fade?"

Iwaizumi groaned and buried his head in his hands, "Why do I put up with you?" He muttered, more to himself than to Oikawa. Oikawa decided it would be better not to answer the question – if he did, he'd probably push the alpha too far at the moment. Iwaizumi sighed once more. Oikawa should really warn him about doing that so often. He didn't want his alpha to get early wrinkles. Iwaizumi dropped his hands and stared down at the omega with what Oikawa liked to refer to as his 'grumpy face'. "If it happens again, I don't care if we haven't finished the season yet, you will tell me. Got it?"

Oikawa scowled. He still didn't know why this was such a big deal. As far as he was concerned, he had Iwaizumi. He had volleyball. He could concentrate on everything else later. "Fine," he muttered as his mind quickly flew through the different options of how to get out of that particular demand.

Iwaizumi's tense shoulders dropped and he slowly made his way back toward the bed. He sank down onto it, turning his attention toward the books that were scattered there. "Which one was it, anyway?"

Now it was Oikawa's turn to tense when he heard the question, "Which was what?"

"Don't mess with me right now," Iwaizumi warned, his dark eyes flashing as a low growl made its way out of Iwaizumi's throat. Oikawa felt himself flinch back at the look and he hated himself for it. "Which first year was it?"

"Does it really matter? We probably won't see Karasuno again anyway. They never get very far-"

"Oikawa!" Oikawa didn't respond. He didn't want to answer. What if Iwaizumi decided to find out more about the blond? He knew his best friend, his alpha. He knew that he probably hadn't even really noticed the first year and, if Oikawa admitted it, the other would attempt to fix that. Just in case something really did happen. "Holy – was it Kageya-"

"NO! No! Why would you…no! Iwa-chan!" Oikawa imaged himself asking Kageyama to consider courting him. Asking him to bond, to…ew! No, no, no, NO! He shuddered and shook his head frantically, hoping to clear the images away from his mind. Stupid Iwa-chan for putting that thought into his head!

"Well, you were so against telling me-"

"Not because of that! That's gross!"

"Oi, don't be a crappy guy!" Iwaizumi snapped but Oikawa could see the pure amusement in his eyes, despite the annoyed expression on his face. "Well, if it isn't him, then was it the small one? The one that hit that weird spike?"

"Chibi-chan?"

"Of course you gave him that nickname."

"No, it isn't Chibi-chan either! It's like you don't know me at all!"

"I know you better than anyone else, Crappy-" the alpha broke off, staring with wide eyes at the omega, before letting out yet another long groan and throwing his head back to rest on the pillow. "It was the glasses kid, wasn't it? That's why you chose to aim your serves at him."

Well…maybe he did know him. Oikawa shifted in his chair, averting his eyes to the floor. "Well – he really was bad at-"

"So was the short one," Iwaizumi cut him off yet again. Oikawa pouted. He really wished his alpha would stop doing that. "But you went after the other one. God, Oikawa, what are you? Five? You just literally did your own version of pulling pigtails."

Well, that was uncalled for. "I did not! He was bad at receiving and he needed to know-"

"Even when the captain moved to cover the area, you served straight at the kid," Iwaizumi continued, laughter now overtaking the annoyance in his voice. "Hell, you even lessened the power of your serve to do so. Don't think I didn't see the surprise on your face when he managed to get it in the air."

Oikawa stood and moved toward the bed. He stood there, staring down at the now laughing alpha with his hands on his hips. "Iwa-chan! Stop laughing! That isn't why I-"

"Yeah, yeah. I know. Break their receivers," Iwaizumi gasped out as he continued to laugh. He reached out a hand, grabbing Oikawa's wrist and pulling him down onto the bed. Oikawa squawked loudly as he fell, landing half on the scattered books and half on Iwaizumi's lap. "You flirt constantly, Crappykawa," the alpha said as he locked his arms around the omega, "yet you find someone that you actually feel drawn to and you pick on them like a child with his first crush."

"Iwa-chan!"

Oikawa made sure that what he had promised Karasuno came true. He worked the receivers. He worked with every member of the team to improve their serves. Iwaizumi worked with the starters on blocks while Oikawa focused on helping Yahaba with setting. He needed to make sure his team was stronger than ever, strong enough to beat Shiratorizawa. If he lost one more time…if he had to hear those words…

"You should have come to Shiratorizawa."

He might actually lose it.

"Alright, I'm calling it," Iwaizumi said, one night shortly before Inter-High. "We've all done as much as we can for the night. Be back here tomorrow and be prepared to work."

There were multiple groans but just as many faces nodded back toward him determinedly. Oikawa was barely paying attention as the others made their way out of the gym. Not one person actually expected him to leave. He still needed to work on accuracy. He was able to serve with power. He was able to serve moderately accurate. But to do both? Well, it was something he needed to work on.

"You have an hour," Iwaizumi called out, moving to sit on the side of the court. Oikawa knew he was watching him carefully, watching for any sign whatsoever that Oikawa was pushing it. But Oikawa knew he had to be careful. After the disaster that was his first year, he couldn't allow himself to be pulled out and benched again.

Especially now that it was his third year. His last year.

He moved to set up water bottles on the other side of the net, placing them in random places. He then moved into the serving position and began.

It didn't go well, not consistently at least. Oh, he was able to hit the bottles about 75% of the time, but he was only serving at 50% power. Iwaizumi had taken to setting the bottles back into place after Oikawa knocked them down, but he kept quiet most of the time.

"Times up," he finally said, his eyes glancing at the clock that was placed beside the door. "You need to ice that knee."

Oikawa didn't argue. It was true that he could feel the dull ache that was usually accompanied by a sharp pain later if he didn't rest it right away. He and Iwaizumi cleaned everything up and moved to lock the door. After they changed in the clubroom and grabbed their bags, the two of them slowly made their way toward Oikawa's house. "What do you think our chances are?" Oikawa finally asked, his voice shaking on the question. Iwaizumi was the only person that he would ever allow to hear that, to hear the uncertainty. With everyone else, he needed to be confident. He needed to lead them.

"I think we'll do well," came the instant reply. "We'll get it this year, Tooru."

Oikawa felt a small smile cross his lips at both the encouragement and the name. It wasn't the usual smile that the girls, and boys, giggled after but the smile he only allowed himself to use with his alpha. The smile that his sister used to laugh at when he was young because it made him 'look like the dork you really are'. "I really hope so," Oikawa responded. After six years, three in junior high and three in high school, he would like to say that he made it. At least once. That he had been to nationals. That he played against some of the best teams in the country.

That he was good enough.

He broke out of those thoughts when a warm arm slithered around his waist. "Let's get home," Iwaizumi growled out, ushering Oikawa quickly down the street. It was then that Oikawa noticed a group of alpha and betas leaning against a side building, all of their eyes fixated on the omega and leering grins on their faces.

Oikawa laughed in delight at his alpha, even though the looks he was getting were making him uncomfortable. Not that he would ever admit it out loud. "Iwa-chan, are you jealous?"

Iwaizumi growled in annoyance but didn't bother responding. Oikawa kept the smirk on his face until they were out of sight of the group but then he let it fall as he twisted his body slightly to twine his own arm around his alpha and the two of them promptly made their way home.

Once there, Oikawa wasn't surprised to see that his parents weren't home. His mom had mentioned something about some tickets they had, but he was surprised to see his sister, her alpha, and her son sitting on the couch. "Eh? Why are you here?"

His sister glanced up, eyes narrowed. "Is that any way to speak to your elders?"

"Well, you're certainly elder," Oikawa responded, letting his gaze travel over her in a particularly telling manner.

The omega jumped to her feet growling but her alpha stood quickly and pulled her into his arms. "Aiko called us from the hospital," Hideaki quickly informed them. Oikawa frowned in concern at the name. He had never gotten along with his sister, or her alpha, but he always liked her beta. She was the one person he could actually stand when they came to visit. And she was the only one that didn't treat him like he had an IQ of 90. "We need to go see her but Takeru-"

"We'll watch him," Iwaizumi cut in, smiling down at the eight year old who had run up to him and was leaning into his side. Oikawa scowled. His nephew had always seemed to rather be around Iwaizumi instead of him. He blamed his idiot sister.

"Thank you, Hajime," Machiko said gratefully, sending her brother a glare. Oikawa responded with one of his own. "We thought we could count on you."

Oikawa rolled his eyes at the obvious dig, "Yes, I get it, you didn't come here for me. Shouldn't you be going to check on Aiko?"

"We would have already been there if someone had actually ended practice when he was supposed too! Did you make Hajime stay late again?! You know you aren't supposed to-"

"Thank you for your help," Hideaki interrupted, bowing his head toward Iwaizumi. "We will be back as soon as we can." He pulled Machiko toward the door, not even bothering to look at Oikawa as he moved around him. Oikawa scowled in annoyance. He and Hideaki had never gotten along and nothing his parents or Iwaizumi did was ever going to make that improve. From the moment he had met the alpha, something about him had rubbed Oikawa the wrong way.

"Can we play a game?" Takeru asked excitedly, pulling on Iwaizumi's jacket. Oikawa turned his attention away from the door and looked at his nephew.

"Don't you have homework?"

"I can do it later," Takeru answered, not even looking at Oikawa as he did so. It seemed he had been picking up some bad habits from that father of his. "I want Iwaizumi-san to teach me to block! And spike! It's so cool-"

"I can teach you-"

"No thanks."

Iwaizumi was watching the two in amusement but tried to clear the expression when he saw Oikawa pouting at him. Obviously, he didn't succeed and Oikawa huffed and crossed his arms over his chest. "We can do that," Iwaizumi told Takeru with a smile. He turned to Oikawa and gave a pointed glance toward the omega's knee, "Your uncle needs to rest his knee anyway. Tooru, get some ice and come watch us."

Oikawa grunted in acknowledgement and moved toward the kitchen. Stupid nephews. Stupid sisters. Didn't Takeru know that Oikawa was one of the best in the prefecture? He should be excited to have him for an uncle – not ignore him to practice volleyball with someone else! Even if that someone else had known him as long as Oikawa had (since birth) and that person was his uncles mate…which practically made him his uncle as well…

Still! Oikawa was blood!

Oikawa was still scowling when he moved outside to watch as Iwaizumi helped Takeru with his blocks. The scowl began to fade the longer he watched. It was…cute the way the eight year old gazed up at Iwaizumi. Like everything the alpha said was sacred. Oikawa vaguely wondered if their own children would look at Iwaizumi like that.

Well then! Looks like the night air was getting to him!

"I'm going in!" Oikawa announced, grabbing the ice bag off of his knee. Most of it was melted anyway. "Takeru, I don't think your parents are going to make it back tonight, so I'll set up the spare-"

"Okay, thanks!"

Oikawa sighed as he made his way back inside. How was it that he could never get a complete sentence in whenever his sister or nephew was around? He quickly set up the spare futon for his nephew and then made his way into the bath. He needed a good soak before bed and he figured Iwaizumi and Takeru would be at it for a while anyway.

He let himself think on the conversation he and Iwaizumi had the night before as he relaxed in the water. His own parents had taken years to form their circle. His mother had presented as an omega in her third year of high school and she had bonded with his father shortly thereafter. The two of them had gone to school together throughout junior high and high school but they hadn't really been friends. His mother always said that the moment she walked into class after she presented, she had known he would be her first mate. The two had bonded and finished school. They met his mom two years later during university and they had a long courtship, not bonding for another year after that. It was around that time that his mother had found she was expecting and his oldest brother had been born. While in the hospital, she had met his dad. The circle and he had courted for about three months before they decided to make it official. His sister was born a year later. Oikawa had been a surprise. His parents had actually thought they were done with children but his mother had gotten pregnant again six years later.

It was because of this that Oikawa wasn't worried about hurrying to finish his own circle. He had heard that some circles had difficulties later with feelings of unbalance if it took too long to finish but his own parents were happy. His dad never seemed upset that his mother and father bonded years before they had ever met. He didn't really see why Iwaizumi was rushing. He sighed as the thoughts continued to float through his mind. Whatever. If Iwaizumi wanted to know, Oikawa would tell him. They could decide what to do together and Oikawa could avoid all this…unpleasantness.

It seemed like he was right that Iwaizumi and Takeru would be playing for a while. Not only had Oikawa had a nice, hot bath, he had also completed his night routine and slid into bed before he heard the front door open. It was his parents and they must have said something about Takeru's bedtime because he heard the bathroom door open and close a few minutes later. He was just drifting off when his own bedroom door opened and soft footsteps made their way to the bed. A warm, spicy, and familiar scent engulfed him as the person lifted up the blanket and slid in beside Oikawa. "Night," Iwaizumi whispered as his arm slid around Oikawa's waist.

Oikawa didn't bother to respond, he just turned over and curled toward Iwaizumi to his head on his alpha's chest.