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Lanky.
That was definitely the word.
Lev was lanky.
And loud.
Loud was another good word.
Lev was definitely loud.
Yaku hated both of those things. How awkward the alpha was with limbs so long he didn’t know what to do with them, and an overwhelming amount of energy that seemed to bubble and burst in random spurts of idiocy.
And yet, despite all that…
“You’re blushing again~”
Yaku swatted at Kuroo, scowling at the alpha, “I am not.”
“Maybe you should take this week off too,” Kuroo suggested, “Wouldn’t want you to bust a nut just from looking at the guy—”
The captain was left unable to say anything else, Yaku having kicked him right in the stomach. It was a good thing it was the end of practice, because though Kuroo didn’t ever admit it Yaku’s hits hurt a lot more than anyone ever really let on. With everything put away, the team made their way to the club room to change and get ready to go home.
On the walk there, Yaku wondered if maybe Kuroo was right. It’d been a long time since he’d last had his heat. Courtesy of suppressants, of course.
Suppressants were a requirement for all omegas but they were especially helpful to athletes, who had to compete certain months out of the year. Though they weren’t exactly a cure all, they gave a solid 9 months or so before an omega would have to go through heat again. It wasn’t healthy to wait much longer than that, and Yaku’s time was just about up. Besides waiting longer than the 9 months usually meant unpleasant side effects.
Yaku didn’t particularly mind his heats. They were just something that came with being an omega. It didn’t exactly interfere in any meaningful way so he just dealt with it the way most omegas did.
But it had been almost a full year since his last heat, and he’d forgotten about the symptoms that came along with it.
Particularly those that happened just before his heat. Everyone called it pre-heat. And for the most part it was sort of awful. Pre-heat came with cramps, mood swings, bloating, sudden strokes of hunger and sometimes a stray headache snuck in there as well. Omegas also became especially needy of touch during this time, platonic or otherwise. That was the part Yaku struggled with the most.
Mood swings he could deal with. That was more of a personal problem anyway. He just had to make sure he thought things through before snapping at someone. But the need to scent, to touch, the fact that just being near an alpha made him calmer was sort of difficult to deal with on his own. It wasn’t something he liked admitting to people.
Especially when Lev was babbling at him in the middle of the club room, shirt off, saying something or other that Yaku wasn’t really registering, because Yaku had been in the middle of changing as well, but more importantly, he was mesmerized by how white the alpha’s skin was.
Had Lev always been that pale?
Without thinking about it, he reached out to touch the alpha, fingers sliding down Lev’s torso. The simple touch alone was enough to start a happy hum in his throat.
Lev stood frozen, for once in his life quiet, staring at Yaku with those big green eyes of his. Yaku swallowed, realizing what he’d done, pulling his hand away in quick embarrassment.
“Sorry,” he said, as if that would explain everything, grabbing his clean shirt and putting it over his head.
Suddenly, he was pulled from behind, the scent surrounding him one he immediately recognized as Kenma, the fellow omega rubbing his nose against Yaku’s scent glands.
“Don’t get touch starved,” was all he said, before returning beside Kuroo to finish changing.
Yaku managed a nod, before he finished getting dressed, leaving the locker room before anyone else, stepping out into the open air and slapping his hands against his warm cheeks. He’d definitely made a face he never planned on showing to anyone.
Back inside the locker room, Lev was touching his chest where Yaku had touched, looking as if he were in a sort of daze, shaking his head before he finished changing himself.
“Kuroo-senpai!” he called, much louder than was really necessary, “Is Yaku-senpai touch starved?” He asked, recalling what Kenma had said earlier.
Kuroo looked from Kenma to Lev, Kenma giving him a don’t do it kind of look, Kuroo returning it with a cheshire sort of grin before focusing his attention back to the first year.
“Yaku will start his heat soon,” Kuroo explained, “Since our training camp is over. But his pre-heat symptoms get pretty bad, so he needs constant touches to avoid getting starved.”
“Really,” Lev’s eyes widened, “Are they that bad?”
There was a collective sort of groan that came from the rest of the team, because a lie this obvious was pretty cringe-worthy, but for some reason Lev still seemed to believe the captain.
“Oh yeah,” Kuroo continued, “I mean all omegas get pretty cuddly but you know Yaku. Stubborn as an ox, so he doesn’t like admitting it. It’s why he usually sticks to Kenma. But I bet if it were you, he’d definitely like that.”
Lev shifted awkwardly, blinking at the captain, “Wouldn’t—wouldn’t he just kick me again?”
“Who knows?” Kuroo shrugged, “But we wouldn’t want him to get touch starved would we?”
The shining glow returned to the Russian’s eyes, Lev balling his hand into a fist of determination, “I can do it!”
Today was a bad day. Yaku knew from the moment he woke up. He kept on making these short little whines kept popping up out of knowhere, he had a headache, and it felt like the entirety of his body was cramping. It was just not going to be his day. All he wanted was to curl up into his nest and murmur himself to sleep. If he didn’t have a test in English he probably would have stayed home.
He also would have skipped out on practice, since there wasn’t much going on anyway, but his legs led him there out of habit, so he figured he’d might as well get changed and warm up with everyone else. Maybe some exercise would help brighten up his mood.
All of him just felt so…achey.
He’d just finished running a few laps around the gym, getting his fill of water, when Lev ran up to him, screaming out for Yaku-senpai!!
The alpha grabbed Yaku by the hands, causing him to drop his water bottle, and before Yaku had the time to ask him just what he was doing, Lev began throwing up a circus of words.
“I’ll make sure you don’t get touch starved!” He squeezed Yaku’s hands as he said so, emphasizing the bold declaration, “You’re very important to our team and you’re my important senpai! So please excuse me!”
“Lev—”
Yaku didn’t have the chance to stop him, the alpha bending at the waist so that he could nuzzle Yaku’s scent glands.
The omega’s heart slowed.
This was…platonic. It was platonic, wasn’t it? Yaku’s heart sped up again, the sudden rush of blood making his cheeks go pink. Lev was too close. Much too close. And he was rubbing his scent all over him. Yaku could smell him. He smelled…oddly of sugar. And grass? It was a terrible combination, really. Should have made him want to throw up but it made Yaku strangely calm instead, and before he even realized he was sighing into the alpha’s embrace, craning his neck a little to receive more affection.
Omega instinct was stronger than he ever could have hoped to be. Because for whatever reason, his headache was gone.
Lev pulled away with a large smile on his face, looking like he was waiting for a reward of some sort. Yaku sighed, because uncalled for or not, the alpha did manage to make his headache disappear. Though Yaku was partially convinced it would have been the same if Kuroo or any of the other alphas on the team had scented him. Alpha pheromones just had that kind of effect.
Still though, he sighed, reaching up and patting the tall alpha on the head. “Thank you, Lev.” He figured he must have looked a lot worse than he felt, for Lev to come to his rescue like that. It was sort of cute, dammit.
And it kinda made Yaku smile.
Lev had never seen anything like it before. That soft expression on the omega’s face that just made him want to cuddle him all over again. That almost-there smile and that gentle touch of the omega’s hand on his head.
It made his heart beat fast.
So even Yaku could be kind like this. In all honesty Lev didn’t know what to do, because kicks and getting yelled at he could handle, but the soft praise and patting from his senpai was more than he could have ever asked for.
Excitement bubbled in his chest, determination once again lining his features, “If you need a hug then I’ll hug you! I googled so I’m confident in my abilities to help you through your pre-heat symptoms!”
Stiffly, Yaku pulled his hand back, clearing his throat. “My symptoms aren’t that bad,” he said simply, already beginning to shift his body in the opposite direction, “But—thank you.”
Lev felt his chest swell with pride, the alpha standing up even taller than usual, “YOU’RE WELCOME!” He called, mouth wide open in a flashy grin, happiness filling every bone in his body.
This was his chance. With this, he could get closer to Yaku-senpai. Thanks to Kuroo-san, Lev now finally had the opportunity he’d been waiting for.
As they got further into the week, however, Lev wasn’t so convinced that Yaku’s symptoms weren’t that bad. Because the omega was increasingly more affectionate, not just with him but with the rest of the team, stealing a touch here and a nuzzle there whenever he seemed to get a chance. And although Lev was certainly the one receiving most of Yaku’s impulses, it still slightly bothered him whenever he saw the omega being scent marked by Kuroo. Even if it was platonic, it was unsettling.
They were really close, weren’t they?
Not only that but, the rest of the team didn’t seem shocked or put off in the least. As if they were already used to Yaku’s soft side. As if it were all just natural.
Lev couldn’t get used to it. No matter how many times Yaku nuzzled up against him, or gave a passing touch, or let a soft hum vibrate in his throat, Lev couldn’t adjust. Couldn’t stop his heart from practically beating out of his chest.
Especially with the way Yaku was starting to smell, giving off such a sweet scent, so sweet it was inviting, almost, and Lev had never experienced anything like that before, nothing that was this close, and he couldn’t figure out if it was because it was Yaku or if he was only feeling like this because the omega was approaching his heat.
Probably a mix of both.
Not to mention once Friday rolled around, he and Yaku had been put in charge of cleaning up, so there was no one else around besides the two of them. Kuroo had wanted to let someone else do the cleaning, since Yaku was obviously getting really close to his heat, but Yaku said it was part of his club duties and he didn’t want anyone taking his place.
That scent was only all the more obvious when they were alone together. It made Lev anxiously lick his lips. He tightened his grip on the mop, trying to focus on just cleaning up the gym and then getting out of there.
Because sometimes his alpha instinct got the better of him. And though he was confident he wouldn’t do anything to that extreme (and that Yaku was more than capable of taking care of himself should that happen), Lev wasn’t positive he wouldn’t end up saying something stupid.
Because Lev had this horrible habit of sometimes saying something stupid.
Especially when Yaku was moving around the way he was, sweat making the little short hairs stick to the back of his neck, the omega carefully folding up the net like it was his millionth time doing something like that.
That was what Lev liked the most about Yaku. He was dedicated. More than anything else, the omega pushed towards his goals, and didn’t give up.
It was something he thought that made them sort of similar.
He shook the thought away, continuing with the floors. That is, until he felt a weight on his back, short arms wrapping around his torso.
Yaku was nuzzling his back.
Lev swallowed, trying to fight back the urge to pick the omega up and nuzzle him ten-fold.
“Sorry,” Yaku yawned, “I’m just a little tired.”
“Oh it’s fine!” Lev answered immediately, figuring the floor would do the way it was, “Do you want me to carry you to the club room?”
The omega snorted, playfully punching Lev on the arm as he pulled away, “I’m not that weak.”
“Still though,” Lev said eagerly, “If you’re tired—”
“I’ll be fine,” Yaku insisted, “But thank you—”
Lev wasn’t sure what overtook him at the moment, it probably wasn’t his best of ideas (but none of his ideas were ever really good) and without thinking he swept up the omega in his arms, carrying him princess style.
He should’ve guessed Yaku would’ve been pissed by that.
But Lev kinda figured Yaku was mostly pissed because the way he was being held made it really obvious that there was a boner in his pants.
That was an omega in pre-heat, for you.
“I like you!” Lev blurted, unable to look away from the outline in Yaku’s shorts, “I really like you Yaku-senpai!”
Yaku struggled, wasting no time in jumping out of the alpha’s hold, smacking him on the head and calling him an idiot.
“Think properly before you confess to someone like that! What’re you gonna do if instinct dictates your whole life?”
“It’s not instinct!” Lev whined, rubbing the top of his head, “I’ve always liked Yaku-senpai!”
Yaku frowned, grabbing the alpha by the front of his shirt and dragging him to the end of the gym before ordering him to sit down, muttering angrily something about how tall Lev was.
Lev did as he was told obediently, sitting down on the floor and looking up at Yaku, half wondering if the omega would end up kicking him in the face.
To his surprise, however, Yaku settled himself in Lev’s lap instead, nuzzling up against the alpha’s scent glands.
“Did you mean it?”
It was so quiet that Lev almost didn’t even really hear it.
“Yes,” the alpha nodded, squeezing Yaku to him, “Absolutely.”
“Did you only just realize it?” Yaku asked, somewhat somberly, keeping his face hidden in the alpha’s neck.
Lev shook his head, “I—“
“Are you only attracted to me because I’m in pre-heat? You know better than anyone I’m not usually like this.”
“I know!” Lev spoke quickly, squeezing Yaku again, “I like the Yaku during regular practices and I like the Yaku now! I especially like the Yaku right now because I’ve never been so close to you before,” the alpha licked his lips, unable to keep his words from falling over each other, “I actually confessed to Kuroo-senpai about it—because I didn’t want to be hated—but Kuroo-senpai said you didn’t hate me and that made me really happy! And then, when you started nuzzling, I—”
He stopped abruptly, Yaku having bitten his neck.
“I get it, idiot,” he sighed, relaxing in the alpha’s hold, “You could have summed that up in two sentences.”
Lev trembled slightly, though he nodded regardless, shifting awkwardly from where he sat on the floor. “How…um…” he swallowed, licking his lips in anxiousness, “How does Yaku-senpai feel about me?”
Yaku shot his head up, glaring at the alpha, and again Lev thought Yaku might just hit him. But he didn’t. Just said, “Do you think I sit on just any alpha’s lap?”
“Um, well, I don’t know—”
Lev was pulled forward by the front of his shirt again, his lips crashing against Yaku’s for a brief moment, before the omega pulled away just as quickly, cheeks red and eyes fluttering downwards in a fluster.
“That—“ Yaku kept them an arm’s length away, “That should be obvious enough, shouldn’t it?”
“Yaku-senpai! Can we do that again—!”
This time he was hit on the head, and Lev couldn’t help but let out the kind of whine a pup might after their mother scolds them. But Yaku just snuggled into him again, telling him to wait until after his heat was over.
The alpha perked up, snuggling into the omega’s cheek, “And then we can kiss again?”
Yaku scoffed, but didn’t pull away, “Yeah,” he said, “Then we can kiss again.”
“Yaku-senpai? Does that mean we’re going out now?”
The omega laughed, pressing his nose into Lev’s cheek, shaking his head, “Learn to read the mood, idiot?”
Lev shifted, holding Yaku just a little tighter, “So, that’s a yes?”
Yaku rolled his eyes, before placing another quick kiss onto Lev’s cheek, “It’s a yes. And I won’t let you get out of confessing to me either. Even if you regret it later.”
“I won’t! I’d never regret it!”
Then it happened. Lev saw that soft smile Yaku had given him the other day in the club room.
And that was something he hoped to see again and again.