Chapter Text
One thing Rodrigo didn't expect – or had ever imagined possible – was that Leo showered with everyone else. He had always thought that the Omegas had their own locker room, and yeah, Leo was the only one here, but surely the added privacy was a better argument than the loneliness.
But now he could only hope that nobody caught him staring at the Omega's delicate waist, his gorgeous ass or his powerful thighs glistening under the fluorescent lights of the showers, or the water cascading all over his back.
Leo, apparently always, chose the last shower stall in the back, everyone else keeping a respectful distance, but Rodrigo simply couldn't stop stealing glances.
He just rinsed himself off, vanishing back into the main locker room, trying to control his body before he embarrassed himself by getting an actual boner, or starting to growl at the others.
Slowly he watched as everyone else trickled out, laughing about plans for the free evening, or speculating who would make it to the starting eleven for their next friendly. Eventually it was just him and Leo left, the Omega finally emerging from the showers, towel wrapped low around his waist.
Fuck. Rodrigo was absolutely fucked.
He strained to smile at Leo, but his eyes were glued to a drop of water that currently made its way over Leo's abs, and down into his towel. His brain immediately went to what could be hidden beneath it.
No Rodri, calm the fuck down.
He forced his mind out of the gutter, Leo's well-being more important than Rodri's dick.
"…Leo are you feeling better?"
Leo just stared at him, like he had spoken some sort of foreign language, so Rodri clarified.
"From whatever you had this morning?"
"Yeah, yeah.. It's all good, it was just a headache…" The Omega frowned, and Rodri had the feeling he wasn't exactly telling the truth, but he wouldn't and couldn't force him to tell.
"Ah, good good. I don't know if I already told you, but it's an absolute honour to be able to play and train with you."
Oh god this was embarrassing. But Leo smiled at him, ducking his head, and if Rodri wasn't mistaken there was a fine dusting of red across Leo's face. The captain scratched the back of his neck:
"Uhhhhh, I'm also looking forward to playing with you…"
He promptly turned around searching for his clothes. It made Rodri realise that he was standing there like an idiot, his shirt clutched in his hands.
He needed to get out of there. Before Leo could drop his towel – and create some uncomfortable problems for Rodrigo – the Alpha quickly finished dressing and left.
Back in their shared room Rodrigo vanished back into the bathroom. He desparetly needed another – cold – shower. Maybe he could convince Leandro for some action.
Currently they just talked about the courting gifts for Leo. While Rodri really wanted to court their captain, he still didn't quite believe that Leo would actually go for them.
It has been a while since he had his boyfriend for himself, even if they were alone. Seeing Leo shirtless – or even naked – after every training, did not help to make him less horny.
But it wasn't just the Omega's body, that made him loose sleep. He was so gentle, always making sure nobody was excluded, that nobody of the pack was lacking anything.
Sure, without scent and pack nest Leo wasn't officially Pack Omega – he knew Lauti had asked him, but Leo had insisted that he'd be a terrible Pack Omega. Leandro couldn't believe that, but not even Kun had ever bragged about being in Leo's nest. And Kun bragged a lot, about everything.
But it didn't stop them from fantasising how cozy it must be.
{Leo}
The next few days there were thankfully no more courting gifts waiting for him and the hope inside him grew that they had just given up when they realised that he had rejected the chocolate.
Traditionally the next step would be some jewellery – not that Leo wore any – and Alphas usually assumed the more expensive the better.
Which had made his 21 year old self even happier, when Piqué had presented him with something different.
– – 2008 – –
Being able to play with Geri again was both exhilarating and terrifying at the same time. On the pitch they still linked up like a well oiled machine, just like they always had and off the pitch Geri hadn't… changed much…
Sure he had grown up, matured while he was in Manchester, his sour scent gaining more depth, but he also still liked to take his little digs against Leo.
Where the rest of the team seemed to see Leo as little brother or worse still as pup, Geri now looked at Leo with something that he couldn't quite grasp.
He always growled under his breath whenever someone else hugged Leo for too long – one day he almost punched Pep for hugging Leo after the coach explained the new tactics to him –, he always buried his nose in Leo's neck, making his insides all mushy with the urge to bare his neck to the Alpha. More than once Geri had almost bitten him, if not for someone else interrupting them.
In short Geri didn't treat him like a stupid kid, he treated him like an Omega. Like someone worth courting.
The third gift Leo found in his locker was not the typical necklace or bracelet. It was a small plush version of the Barcelona mascot – he later learned every player could get for free. It wore a tiny jersey with a number on its back that made Leo's heart beat faster. Number 3 – Geri.
The courting gifts were from Geri.
Leo absolutely didn't squeal. But never had anyone shown interest in him and Geri was quite an attractive Alpha too.
Sure, his sour vinegar scent made his eyes water, but maybe that was a normal thing. Leo wouldn't know.
During training, he repeatedly sought out Geri, the Alpha laughing at him, whenever he tripped over his feet.
"Oh man, you're so clumsy when you don't have a ball at your feet."
He scruffed Leo's neck and the Omega giggled. Especially when Geri spotted his new plush tucked into his waistband.
"Ohhh, you like it?" Leo nodded eagerly, trying to nuzzle against Geri's chest, but he was pushed away quickly.
"Muto, stop." The Alpha voice made him freeze. "I don't need your smell all over me."
"Sorry Alpha."
Geri's hand, still on his neck squeezed harder, forcing him to go limp. The hint of Alpha command still in his voice, made Leo tremble.
"Good Omegas don't leave their scent all over the place. Do you want people to think you're a slut?"
Leo's eyes widened, and he could feel his cheeks burn with embarrassment. Of course not, but he had never thought about scenting others being sexual.
Oh god, last night he had kept nuzzling Thierry and Charles at pack time. And Pep after that goal in training. Did they think now that he's…. Leo almost started to cry.
"Hey don't cry now. You didn't know better, now I told you and you can stop."
Leo smiled. It would be hard, he loved cuddling with the pack, his inner Omega always content and happy during pack bonding time.
"Thank you, Geri, you're the best!"
– – 2019 – –
Looking back, Leo would have preferred any generic jewellery, if it meant that he never put any hope into Geri's courting. After that third courting gift he had stopped scenting the others, no matter how miserable it had made him feel. It had been one of the few things that he still had left of his Omega side despite the suppressants.
So he really hoped there would be no more gifts waiting for him when he got back to his room.
But he should have known that this hope was futile. Retuning from dinner, he could spot it waiting for him as soon as he reached their floor.
It was a box, wrapped in colourful paper, printed with tiny lambs and goats. It was very cute actually and for a moment Leo wondered who would go through this much effort just for him. He carefully opened the paper and the box and gasped. Inside was a delicate bracelet, with a little charm like a small goat and his number.
It was the cutest thing he had ever seen, but there was no way Leo could ever wear that. This was a gift made for a real Omega, for someone soft and cute, with a nice scent and who could give them children. Not some old, washed one, with issues longer than Barcelona's trophy list, who couldn't even build a nest.
He felt a tear rolling down his cheek, hoping that Kun was still busy with the others. There was no way he could ever wear this, the potential that the Alphas would spot it was too high. They would surely take it away from him again, laughing how he ever thought he was worthy enough to wear it.
He retrieved his bag from underneath the bed, pulling out a little chest. Hidden inside was the little mascot he got from Piqué, it was dirty and missing his jersey now – Leo had cut it off when Geri had revealed his real intentions – and he should have probably thrown it away completely, but he could never bring himself to do that.
As painful as the memories attached to it were, it were still memories he didn't want to loose. Carefully he put the bracelet next to it into the box. Once he took it out of the bracelet, he noticed another thing inside. A small fluffy keychain, also in goat form. For a second he cooed at it, surprising himself with the sound. It had been years since he purred or cooed at anything.
The realisation made him sad and he wrapped himself up in Dinho's old blanket. If he inhaled deeply, he could pretend that he could still smell the hint of soothing firewood. Realistically he knew that Dinho's scent has long since been washed out, but Leo could remember it being there.
Ronaldinho had offered to re-scent it the last time they had seen each other, but Leo had politely declined.
He could feel the familiar itch underneath his skin, that never-ending urge peal off the scent patches, to let his neck breathe, to scent the people around him. Like Kun, like Angel and now also… Rodrigo and Leandro. But he could imagine their faces when they all smelled him for the first time.
He vividly remembered Piqué, making a face the first time he visited Leo's flat. Sure he had stopped actively scenting people, but he still had a scent. Leo had thoroughly apologised once he had noticed Piqué's reaction.
Soon after he had started wearing scent patches, completely airing out his entire house – not being able to smell himself had helped with the urges to scent others, but his sterile house made him feel incredibly lonely. He also hadn't expected the other side effects, but eventually he had gotten used to it.
The only thing it seriously hindered was finding out, who was sending these gifts.