Chapter Text
”Oi, Matsuoka, when are you gonna finally put out? C'mon, gimme some of that sugar. I'll make it worth your while.”
”Piss off, Nakayama,” Rin snapped, shooting the Alpha an icy glare. ”Touch me and I'll break your goddamn arm and shove it down your throat. See how you like me then.”
”Calm down, sweetheart. No need to get so aggressive.”
”Go fuck yourself.”
”I'd rather fuck you.”
”Guess you're shit out of luck, then. I wouldn't fuck you even if you were the last Alpha on the fucking planet.”
”You're only saying that because you haven't been fucked by me yet, sharkboy.”
Ah, yes. There it was again, the annoying nickname that had been given to him, inspired by his sharp teeth and even sharper tongue. Rin bristled at that, hands balling into fists, trying to come up with something better than 'Go die in a fire' when he felt Nitori tugging at his sleeve.
”Rin-senpai, I think we should leave now.”
He hesitated for a moment but nodded anyway, anger bubbling in the pit of his stomach as they walked away.
Brash comments like that were an everyday occurrence by now. Being an Omega wasn't easy to begin with, but going to a school with both Omegas and Alphas made it that much more difficult. Young Alphas, fueled by testosterone and their massive egos, very rarely treated Omegas with much respect. Officially the school didn't endorse such behavior, of course, but unless it escalated to something more severe the teacher usually turned a blind eye to it.
They just like you, they would tell him. That's what Alphas do when they like someone, you see- they tease them. Don't take it so seriously.
”Maybe you shouldn't be so rude to them,” Nitori said softly. The words made Rin see red.
”Rude?” he growled. ”Do you actually hear the shit they say to me? I'm not gonna play nice just because they're Alphas and I'm not. Fuck that. If they don't show me respect I'm sure as hell not gonna treat them with any.”
”They're only trying to compliment you, they're just... doing it the wrong way. At least you're getting attention from them, there are many who don't-”
”Shut up, Nitori. I don't want their fucking attention, I want them to leave me alone, okay? They're not complimenting me, they're being fucking rude and disrespectful and treating me like a piece of meat.”
Rin entered their room after Nitori and slammed the door shut so hard that it made his water bottle topple over and fall off the desk. He immediately flopped down on his bed and sighed heavily, throwing his left arm over his eyes. It had been a long day, filled with too many alphas and their smug smiles and annoying comments, and he was running incredibly low on patience.
It had been like this from the moment he started at Samezuka.
All Omegas were objectified to some degree, sure, but some of them received more unwanted attention than others and Rin was one of those unlucky few. He stood out from the crowd because he wasn't a typical Omega, never had been- he was too tall and muscular and anything but quiet and submissive. People often mistook him for an Alpha and that pleased him.
On Rin's first day a third-year Alpha had kept trying to hit on him even after Rin told him he wasn't interested. Rejection had not been enough to stop the alpha from getting a little too touchy-feely with him, so Rin had grabbed the hand that was trying to cop a feel and twisted it. Hard.
The Alpha had ended up with a fractured wrist and a bruised ego.
Rin soon had a reputation for being rude, abrasive and easily annoyed, someone who wasn't afraid to kick anyone's ass if they put their hands on him. He never got in trouble for it, either, because Alphas were always too proud to admit that an Omega had beat them up. Most people had the good sense to leave him alone, much to his relief.
Unfortunately some Alphas saw his bad reputation as a challenge. They thought that Rin was just playing hard to get and that his openly hostile behavior was just an invitation for them to try harder. Each one of them was convinced they were the one the feisty Omega would eventually submit to, and they just loved to discuss it when Rin was within earshot.
”I'm gonna turn that wildcat into a kitten, just wait.”
”As if. He's mine- I saw him first. He'll come around eventually.”
”You'll all be jealous when I claim him. Sorry, guys, but that's what's gonna happen.”
”The ones who put up a fight are always the best in bed once they finally give in.”
They saw Rin as some kind of fetish instead of an actual person and he hated it. The qualities that had kept Alphas away from him for so long were somehow turning against him now.
His mother wasn't very pleased with Rin's attitude towards Alphas. She wanted him to calm down, find a nice Alpha and have a couple of kids one day- but, as she kept telling him, that was never going to happen unless he ”changed his attitude and stopped being so aggressive.” She made it sound like a bad thing but Rin was surprisingly okay with that prospect.
He didn't want an Alpha who refused to treat him with respect.
He didn't want an Alpha who saw him as a second class citizen because of his secondary gender.
He didn't want an Alpha who thought that Omegas were only good for pleasing Alphas.
If no one out there met that criteria, he was better off alone.
”Are you mad at me?” Nitori inquired quietly, breaking the uncomfortable silence between them. Rin groaned and raised his arm to glance at the younger Omega.
”I'm mad at the whole world. Not at you in particular. I just wish you'd stop telling me that I'm supposed to be flattered when I get attention from an Alpha who only sees me as a couple of holes to fuck.”
”I'm sure that's not what they-”
”Yes, it is,” Rin interrupted him. ”You know that just as well as I do. You know what they say about me- they want to fuck me just because they can't. They're only interested in me because I'm the one they can't have, but I'm never, ever gonna fuck any of them.”
Nitori quickly fell silent, his cheeks turning pink. Rin knew his blunt manner of speaking often made Nitori feel awkward because he was so different from Rin, so squeaky clean and proper. Quiet, kind, helpful, submissive, polite. Cute in a borderline childish manner.
Everything an ideal Omega should be. Everything Rin was not.
”I'm gonna go see my mom,” Rin muttered, sitting up and grabbing his bag. ”See ya.”
”So, have you met anyone you like?”
”No. Just a bunch of slimy assholes who try to feel me up without my permission. They know they're gonna get punched for it but that doesn't seem to stop them.”
”You should try to control yourself more.”
Rin threw his head back and sighed in frustration, rolling his eyes. ”If you knew what they say to me, you wouldn't be telling me that. It's gross and it happens all the time and I'm getting sick of it, Mom.”
”It happens to all Omegas, darling. That's just how it is. I know it's not fair, but you really shouldn't lash out like that. You can't do that in the real world, you know.”
That was easy for her to say. Rin had never been good at hiding his true emotions; he always wore his heart on his sleeve. When he wanted to laugh, he laughed; when he felt like crying, he cried; when he thought someone deserved to have their ass kicked... Well, he didn't always kick their ass but he made sure to give them a piece of his mind. It was in his nature- he had always been intense. Intense like his dad.
”What would your father say if he knew you're causing trouble at school?”
”Oh my God, Mom, not this again,” Rin groaned, getting up from the sofa to grab a drink from the fridge. ”Dad's not here anymore. You don't know what he would say.”
His parents had hoped and prayed that Rin would be an Alpha since he was their firstborn and only son. At first it seemed their wish would come too; Rin had an Alpha-like personality, right down to his explosive temper, and his build was more similar to that of an Alpha. Everyone in his family assumed he'd eventually present as Alpha.
But then he didn't.
By the time Rin presented as Omega, his father was already gone. His mother tried her best to hide her shock but Rin could tell how upset she was, and in some twisted way he was almost glad his father wasn't there to witness it. Rin missed him terribly, yes, but having to let him down like that would have crushed him.
Acting like an Alpha was his way of trying to be the son his parents had hoped for. He couldn't not be an Omega but that didn't mean he needed to present himself as one.
”Have you been spending any time with Sousuke lately?” his mother asked, trying to change the subject. ”I haven't heard you mention him once. Did something happen?”
”Not really,” Rin muttered. ”I do see him sometimes. I'm just... busy. With my studies and stuff.”
Sousuke was his childhood friend. They had been best friends since they were kids but something had changed after Rin presented as Omega. Being friends with someone of the opposite secondary gender was often a challenge, yeah, but Rin never thought their friendship would change so drastically. He never thought Sousuke would change so much.
The first change he had noticed was Sousuke suddenly being really protective over him. Rin didn't want people to treat him differently because he was an Omega, so he had found it annoying but figured it was probably pretty normal and harmless- they were best friends, protecting Rin was probably in Sousuke's nature or something.
Things had started going downhill when Sousuke's behavior went from protective to possessive. Calling Rin 'his,' getting huffy and jealous when Rin spent time with his other friends, going off at other Alphas if they looked at Rin the wrong way... Rin had found it kind of endearing the first couple of times it happened but grown tired of it pretty quickly.
The ensuing conversation had not gone well.
Sousuke had admitted that he had feelings for Rin, that he wanted to be more than just friends, and flown off the handle when Rin turned him down, saying ”How could you do this to me?” over and over again. He had made it sound like Rin owed him something, like Rin was somehow obligated to be romantically interested in him because they had been friends for so long and Sousuke had always been nice to him.
Things had been... weird after that. They still hung out occasionally but it felt different now. There was an elephant in the room that neither of them wanted to address and it made their conversations feel forced, like they were just going through the motions. Like they were just pretending to be friends in the hopes that it would fix their friendship.
”He's such a nice young boy. You should invite him over for dinner one of these days.”
”I'll think about it,” Rin muttered, even though he already knew he wasn't going to do it. His mother liked Sousuke but Rin didn't want to give her the wrong idea about his relationship with Sousuke. They were never going to be a couple.
”Your sister is going out with someone, you know.”
”Good for her.”
”I think they're pretty serious about it. They've been together for quite some time and she seems to really like him.”
”Uh-huh.”
Rin knew exactly where she was getting at.
”She's even talking about wanting to have kids one day. Even though she's obviously too young for that, I think it's good she's thinking about her future.”
”That's nice.”
”You really should think about-”
”Mom, no. We've talked about this,” Rin snapped, his tone a little harsher than he had intended it to be. ”If you want grandkids, you better look at Gou because you're not getting them from me. I've told you a million times, I don't want an Alpha! Not now, maybe not ever. Just stop.”
His mother fell silent, looking hurt, and it made Rin's throat tighten. He didn't like fighting with his mother, he knew she only wanted what was best for him and Gou, but... She just couldn't bring herself to accept that Rin wasn't looking for an Alpha. She thought it was just a phase he was going through and constantly tried to make him see things her way.
”It's getting late, I should get back,” Rin muttered, getting to his feet and kissing his mother's forehead. ”Sorry for yelling at you, Mom. Love you. Tell Gou I said hi.”
”It's alright, darling. I love you too. Stay safe.”
”I'll do my best.”
By beating the living daylight out of every damn Alpha that tries to pull anything on me, he added in his mind.
Maybe having such a deep-seated dislike for Alphas while wishing he was one didn't make much sense. Then again, neither did his mother's behavior- she wanted him to be a ”proper” Omega even though she has wished for an Alpha son. Rin often felt like he was stuck somewhere in between being an Omega and being an Alpha, not really fitting in either category.
And people still had the nerve to wonder why he was so angry all the time.
”Yo.” Rin gave Nitori a nod of acknowledgement as he entered their room, shaking off his jacket. ”Anything interesting happen while I was gone?”
”Sugimoto-sensei wants to see you tomorrow before practice. Sounded important.”
”Alright.”
Being in the Omega swim team was one of the few things that made him genuinely happy. Rin had always loved swimming, and knowing there was something he excelled everyone else in made life a little more bearable.
At first people had not taken him seriously because he was in the Omega team. Then they had told him he was ”pretty good for an Omega.” Rin had absolutely detested it, but it had only made him that much more determined to prove them wrong. Now he was as good as the captain of the Alpha team- and sometimes he was better, which was something no one else could pull off. Not even the other members of the Alpha team, including Sousuke.
Rin knew Sousuke was mad at him for outdoing him, but he could live with that.
His goal was to swim competitively on an international level and show everyone what he was made of. He didn't want to just be the best Omega swimmer out there- he wanted to be the best of all, full stop. It was very likely that people would never stop understimating him because he was an Omega, but that just meant he'd have to keep proving them wrong.
”Sorry I yelled at you earlier. Bad day, you know. I still think you're wrong, though.”
”It's okay. I understand.”
”Do you, though?” Rin asked, raising his brow as he laid down on his bed. ”Don't take this the wrong way but I don't think you get it at all.”
”I understand that you're frustrated, but I'm not sure why,” Nitori admitted after a moment. ”It's just that... Rin-senpai, do you really find their attention so unpleasant? I know they can be a little obnoxious sometimes- or more than just a little- but it's only because they find you so... attractive. There are many Omegas who'd love to be you.”
”Including yourself?”
No answer.
”I take that as a yes. As for your question, yes, I think it's gross. They're thinking with their dicks and using their hormones as an excuse to be rude and disgusting. I don't want them anywhere near me.”
”Not at all? You really have no... interest in them? I mean- you- we- Omegas have their... needs too.”
Rin could practically hear Nitori blush and it made him laugh. ”You can use the word 'sex,' Nitori. It's fine. The things they say to me, and about me, are very graphic. Nothing shocks me anymore. Are you asking if I ever want to have sex with an Alpha?”
”Well... Yes.”
That was actually a good question, and something Rin thought about a lot.
”I really don't know. I mean, there are Alphas I find physically attractive but I'm not sure if I'd actually sleep with any of them. I don't like most Alphas and I don't trust any of them.”
The physical act of having sex wasn't the problem here. Rin was okay with that part, but he hated the thought of having to submit to an Alpha. He was too proud to even consider it. He didn't want to be anyone's ”good little bitch,” like some Alphas so eloquently put it- God, just hearing those words made him want to vomit. Unfortunately that was exactly what most Alphas were after.
”Don't you feel like you're missing out on something?”
Rin snorted a laugh. ”Missing out on what? Having sex with idiots like Nakayama? No thanks, I think I'm good.”
His phone vibrated in his pocket. He fished it out to discover there was one new message from Sousuke and hesitated for a moment before opening it; sometimes Sousuke's messages were friendly and casual, and sometimes they weren't. His moods were impossible to predict these days, and his mood swings were often worse than Rin's.
you heard the news yet?
what news?
we're getting a new member
really? out of the blue like that?
yeah. a transfer student.
Samezuka's swim teams were the best of the best, and neither team took new people in just like that unless they were something really special. Apparently this transfer student had managed to really impress someone.
Rin caught himself hoping the new guy would be the real deal. Getting someone new to compete with, someone who could actually give him a run for his money, didn't sound bad at all.
good for you. still gonna beat your asses at the next competition
we'll see about that
guess we will
Rin got up early the next morning, slowly wandering down empty hallways as he made his way to the pool to meet up with the advisor of their swim team. Being able to walk through through the school when pretty much everyone was still asleep was actually pretty soothing- there was no catcalling, no wolf whistles, just him and his thoughts.
”Ah, Matsuoka-kun, I'm glad you're here,” Sugimoto said with a friendly smile, raising his hand and giving him a small wave. ”Good morning.”
”Good morning, Sugimoto-sensei,” Rin nodded. ”I was told you wanted to talk to me?”
”Yes, indeed. I received a very interesting piece of news about our next competition, and since your captain is out of the country right now he wanted you to be the one to go over it with the team. So, first of all...”
Rin tried his best to focus and listen as their advisor talked about the competition and how this new information would change their strategy, but something else quickly caught his attention. Mikoshiba, the captain of the Alpha team, was standing at the other end of the pool talking to someone Rin had never seen before- and he knew everyone in both teams, so it had to be the transfer student Sousuke had mentioned. He kept trying to catch a glimpse of the new guy without being too obvious, but unfortunately he wasn't very good at being subtle.
”I see you've noticed our new friend over there,” Sugimoto commented. ”Would you like me to introduce you to him?”
”Oh, no, I don't think that's necessary-”
”Nonsense. It's good to know your rivals. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer, is that not what they say? Mikoshiba-kun, may I borrow your newest member for a moment, please?”
”Sure thing, sensei!”
The first thought that crossed Rin's mind when he saw the new Alpha for the first time was Oh shit, he's hot.
Dark hair, blue eyes, flawless skin, expressionless face. About Rin's height. Giving off an aura of easy confidence. Clearly muscular and fit, as was to be expected from a swimmer. Very nice build. Very nice everything, honestly.
Sure, there were certain Alphas that he found... aesthetically pleasing, but none of them had ever made his heart skip a beat like this one. Rin didn't really have a type, and he wasn't sure what it was about this one that pleased him so, but he was definitely attracted to him.
And fuck, the guy smelled amazing.
Usually the scent of an Alpha was enough to put Rin off, mainly because of his deep dislike for Alphas, but this scent was different. It reminded him of the ocean, the salty smell of seawater mingling with the scent of the sand as the sun heated it up, and something else he couldn't put his finger on. It was... a really nice scent, and it almost made him forget what he was doing.
Get a grip, Rin told himself, rolling his shoulders in an attempt to physically shrug off the feeling. Now's not the time to drool over some stupid Alpha.
”This is the new member of our Alpha team, Nanase Haruka. Nanase-kun, meet Matsuoka Rin, one of the best swimmers we have and the star of our Omega team.”
Haruka looked almost surprised for a moment when Sugimoto mentioned that Rin was an Omega. Rin stared him down, unblinking, fully expecting Haruka to say something about it, to make some sort of a clever comment about Rin not looking like an Omega or how an Omega couldn't possibly be that good at sports.
He didn't.
”He has tied with many of your team members in almost every competition-”
”Or beat them,” Rin cut in.
”Yes, or that. Thank you for the input, Matsuoka-kun. So, as I was saying, he is a force to be reckoned with. You don't have to take my word for it, I'm sure you'll agree once you see his swimming.”
I can't wait to see you in a swimsuit.
Taking a deep breath to calm himself down, Rin held his hand out for Haruka. ”Nice to meet you. I look forward to competing with you.”
Haruka nodded and shook his hand.
The touch almost made Rin jump- it felt like an electric current going through his body. It wasn't necessarily an unpleasant feeling but it definitely took him by surprise. He could swear he saw Haruka's eyes widen for a second, too, indicating he had felt it as well- whatever it was.
What the hell was happening to him?
”Just so you know, I never lose,” he somehow managed to say, trying to maintain the illusion of him being in control of the situation despite feeling very much out of control.
”Neither do I.”
”I'll believe it when I see it.”
Rin breathed a sigh of relief as Haruka nodded and left, staring at the Alpha's back as he walked away.
He had no idea what was going on but he knew he needed a shower. A very cold shower.