Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It had been a pleasantly normal day, to begin with. Classes had run as normal (with him of course managing to avoid being called upon for the duration, same as always). The weather had been mild enough to draw most of his rowdier classmates outside to work off their energy while he slipped into the library to read in peace. Really, it would have been an unremarkable day, had he not been bumped into by the large alpha with the dark blue hair.

Once the bell had rung he waited back for the rush of classmates to exit the room, not eager to subject himself to the sea of pheromones that awaited out in the packed corridors. Of course, most of the academy’s students took suppressants anyhow, but it didn’t make much of a difference with everyone in such close proximity. Even his underdeveloped nose could tell- stinging from the scents of alpha-beta-omega mixing together into fumes that permeated the whole lunch experience. His nose wrinkled at the thought.

It was times like these he was grateful for his own diminished scent. Somehow he’d been born as if invisible, with an unremarkable presence and such a slight scent it could only really be picked out if someone was looking for it. Which of course, they didn’t. Thank goodness for being overlooked. It was especially useful for him as an omega, this lack of presence. He dreaded to think about having to deal with the inevitable notice he’d garner from the alphas or betas who’d be interested in him if they could notice him. And that wasn’t even factoring in the fact that he was a male omega- a statistical rarity that would no doubt have attracted unwanted attention, ruining his carefully cultivated peace.

He’d vaguely wondered if he could have somehow erased his scent entirely had he continued to take the omega suppressants. It was unfortunate that they’d caused havoc with his cramps and moodswings, but at least his milder scent meant he could come off of them without any problems. His heart really did go out to the female omegas in his classes who had to take them everyday and deal with the consequences. Heats were bad enough without chemical help.

Packing up his notes, he idly searched his bag for his wallet. How much was it for milk again? Was there any chance of dipping into the cafeteria when it was quiet enough to get something solid? It’s warm enough- most people’ll be sitting outside, right? That means--

He was interrupted by the sound of running footsteps and a large silhouette appearing at the classroom door. He tensed, head down.

“Ah shit- where’d he go?” The man barrelled into the classroom, making a beeline for the window.

The window Kuroko was currently standing beside…

…Directly at him.

If he bumps into me, Kuroko thought irritatedly before the impact, I hope he hits the table first.

It seemed luck was not on his side. “Fuck!” The man shouted wildly, hands flailing as if caught off guard at the collision. His eyes seemed to finally notice Kuroko as he clutched at the window’s ledge to avoid being knocked on his ass from the sheer size of the other guy. “Shit, my bad- how did I not see you? Sorry man.”

Bet it wouldn’t have mattered if you had, Kuroko thought peevishly (if perhaps a little unfairly, judging by the guy’s sincere-sounding apology). Damn alphas charging around everywhere.

The man put out a hand to steady him, before he suddenly froze, eyes widening. To his shock the alpha began to sniff him in earnest, making his hackles raise in indignation. At such a close proximity there was no doubt that the alpha was able to catch his scent. And he wasn’t even trying to hide it- humming contentedly as he took in deep breaths.

“Ahh- it is you, isn’t it? Electricity- but it’s kinda faint, huh?”

He narrowed his eyes as the taller man closed his eyes again, leaning in further. If he’d thought he could have won the fight, he would seriously have considered breaking his nose. As it stood, the thought still crossed his mind. But he reigned it in at the sight of the man’s muscular arms- arms that were at least three times the size of his, and likely to pack more of a punch in retaliation once the element of surprise was gone. Fucking alpha builds. He set his jaw.

“Not faint enough, apparently. Please move away from me; you’re in my space.”

The blue-haired man blinked as if startled then hastily stepped back, holding up his hands quellingly. Well, perhaps this one was less entitled and simply someone who didn’t think things through. That was marginally better.

“You’re right, sorry, sorry! Just got carried away tryin’ to catch your scent. Didn’t mean to get all up in your face- ah, did I introduce myself? It’s Aomine- Aomine Daiki.” He grinned sheepishly, running a hand carelessly through his short blue locks. He seemed expectant- for what, Kuroko wasn’t sure, but whatever the reaction he was seeking he was definitely going to leave disappointed.

“Charmed, I’m sure” he said dryly. He made to grab his bag and push past Aomine to the door, but was stopped by a hastily flung out arm.

“Ah- wait! Damn it- I’m not doing this properly. You are…?”

Kuroko ducked swiftly under the offending limb, swinging his backpack onto his shoulder. “Leaving.”

To his immense annoyance, the other man laughed delightedly. He could hear him following behind him as he briskly moved through now-sparse corridor.

“Oh the others are gonna love you- hey, wait! Wait up!”

Aomine caught up to him all too quickly (DAMN alpha builds), trotting beside him without seemingly breaking a sweat. He hovered at his side, carefully not touching him as his grin stayed wide on his face. Kuroko wondered, desperately, if he could somehow trip him. It would land him in so much trouble, but it would be worth it to see the smug look wiped from his face.

“Listen- I just wanted to talk with you. Would you mind coming to the gym with me for a sec? Please?”

Kuroko didn’t bother to spare a glace back at him. This was cutting into his already short lunch time.

“No.”

His monosyllabic answer didn’t seem to deter him.

“No, you don’t mind?” He asked hopefully. Kuroko rolled his eyes.

“No, I won’t come to the gym. I don’t know you.”

The man huffed. “Sure you do- you know my name, right? And you know I’m in the same year as you- and you’ve gotta know I’m on the basketball team, right? I’m the team’s ace!”

Kuroko didn’t respond. He hadn’t known the latter two things, but he also didn’t particularly care. Yes, he’d once been interested in basketball, but with his small stature and secondary sex he’d been warned off of the sport pretty persuasively. There was no space for an omega on an alpha team, and no space for a male on a female team. The perks of being an anomaly, he supposed. It pissed him off even more that this asshole was able to play on a team without having to consider any of the issues that stopped him from having a fair shot.

Struggling not to dwell on the sudden surge of anger he thought he’d buried years ago, he consciously loosened his gritted teeth before he gave himself a headache.

Aomine cleared his throat.

"Look, it’s the team I want you to meet, alright? We’ve been looking for you- not in a weird way or anything! But- ah, Akashi would explain it better.”

The words discomfited him greatly. Looking for him- this guy had been purposefully seeking him out, a man he’d never met before and certainly had nothing in common with. For what reason? Well it was obvious, wasn’t it? There was only one thing that made him stand out from his peers, and it certainly wasn’t something he was keen on exploring with this random alpha and his teammates. But he’d been looking for him- it didn’t sound like a passing whim he’d soon give up on.

Kuroko, realising that the man wasn’t going to stop following him to the vending machines anytime soon, stopped abruptly- leaning against the wall and crossing his arms as he stared coolly.

“Then it’s a shame he’s not here, because I’m not coming with you.”

He waited for Aomine to snap at him, to posture and bristle the way most alphas did when challenged. What he didn’t expect was for him to groan, sinking down to sit at the wall opposite with his head in his hands.

“Ughhh. Stubborn little thing, aren’t ya? I’m not gonna explain this right…” he looked up at Kuroko hopefully, as if hoping that he would change his mind. Whatever he saw must have convinced him his pleading look was in vain, as he finally sighed and shook his head. “Right…okay, so I’m on the basketball team, right? And we all want you to join our pack. It’s- well, you smell right, y’know?”

Kuroko did not know, and he communicated as much with his stony look. Aomine rubbed the back of his neck with one large hand, seemingly a nervous tick. He continued:

“Fuck- I told ya I’d be bad at this. This would be so much easier if you’d come with me and let the others talk, you know?”

Kuroko stiffened at the casual mention of others. If he had grasped what Aomine was saying correctly (and, at this point he really wasn’t sure that he was. He was way out of his depth here), then these others had to be a group of alphas and betas- they couldn’t have another omega, not with how territorial they could get in pack groups. He wasn’t thrilled at the prospect of having to deal with a bunch of entitled athletes.

“No. Why’re you bothering me with this? I don’t know anyone on the basketball team, and I’m sure they don’t know me.” His lack of presence had ensured that, before this little encounter. Nobody really knew who he was, and if he hadn’t met the team then they sure as hell hadn't met him.

Aomine shrugged.

“Ah well- they do know you, sorta. Or, not you you, but your smell- Akashi has a really good nose, y’know? He’s the one who put our pack together. It’s- well, it’s hard to get a team like ours to work properly, but he’s got this thing where he sorta grouped us together going by our scents, and for the most part it’s got us running like damn clockwork!”

Kuroko watched impassively as the man seemingly brightened at the mention of his pack. He pondered the idea- very old fashioned, perhaps, but in theory keeping a balance of scents together would create a stronger pack mentality. A carry over from their long-ago bestial sides, some of the biology textbooks had speculated. It was a smart thing to do for a sports team; with all the adrenaline and pheromones running high during competitions many a promising team had fallen apart over their baser instincts. Managing that was a sure-fire way to ensure you had a leg-up on at least the smaller, amateur teams. However…

“For the most part?” He asked warily. Something about that niggled at him, some kind of danger sign he wasn’t picking up on.

“Yeah- well it’s…” the man paused to think for a moment, wrinkling his brow in thought. “It’s not that we don’t work, you know? But it’s like there’s still something missing. Or, or someone missing. Until Akashi caught a whiff of you- he says you’re exactly what we need, that your scent fits right in!”

Kuroko’s suspicions grew.

“Again- why me? I’m sure you could find plenty of people who’d fit in with your group. My scent’s so faint I doubt it’d make a difference for you.”

Aomine waved a hand dismissively.

“It’s not that easy. I said about balance, right? It’s a delicate system or something. Can’t have another alpha or in because their stink would be too strong. We need someone less overpowering. Plus- you’re an omega. You’re exactly what we need!”

“When you say… another alpha,” Kuroko began, tentatively. No, surely not—

“Yup. The five of us are alphas. Ah, well- our manager’s a beta, but she doesn’t really hang out a lot. She’s not like, pack pack, if you get me?”

Kuroko shook his head in disbelief. Five alphas. FIVE of them. He took back his previous assessment; whoever this Akashi was, he wasn’t intelligent, he was insane. It was common knowledge that a teenage (group, team, pack, whatever you wanted to call it) with more than one alpha was prone to bouts of posturing and snarling at each other when the tensions ran high. Two alphas who had known each other for a decent amount of tine could PERHAPS reign in their behaviour enough to cooperate on a team, so long as they agreed on things beforehand. Perhaps. Three alphas would push into dangerous territory, but with careful planning and regular cool-down sessions, Kuroko had seen it work once or twice for the bigger national teams. But FIVE? Five was a guaranteed bloodbath, no matter what. With five teen alphas it was nothing short of a miracle that they hadn’t maimed each other yet. He broke into a cold sweat just thinking about it.

“And you want me- an omega- to get in the middle of five alphas, is that what you’re saying?” he asked flatly, rubbing his temples. “As what- a mascot?”

Aomine considered. “Well, I dunno if it’s like that exactly- we want you for pack, you know? You’d fit with us.”

Kuroko clenched his arms tightly, irritated at the man’s presumption. Come with him and- what, be a pet to five alphas as he watched them play the sport he never could? Give himself over to his alpha overlords, as was expected of the faint little omega? It pissed him off. It pissed him off so much that he didn’t realise that he was faintly growling until he heard the other man whine.

“Shit! No look- look I’m explaining it wrong, okay? Fuck, I’m sorry-“

He stood up hastily, reaching out presumably to comfort him. Though it was undoubtedly an unconscious gesture purely born from his instincts, is still pissed Kuroko off further. Never mind the fact that most alphas would have growled back at such a display of aggression- clearly this man didn’t take him seriously.

“Hands. Off.” He ground out, somewhat startled (and, irritatingly, a little mollified) when the man immediately jumped back, hands held up to show he was complying. He got a small thrill out of the way this massive alpha was obeying him without question.

“Shit- I’m sorry. It just- you were upset and it- never mind, okay? Look; I get that this is a weird situation, but I really think that if you heard it from Akashi then you’d understand better, okay?”

Kuroko sighed, no longer growling, but still itchy with annoyance.

“I haven’t eaten yet.”

The other man almost tripped over himself as he sensed the opportunity to win him over.

“Akashi’ll buy you something after, if that’s what it takes! Or- or I’ll grab you something while you’re talking.”

Kuroko could feel himself wavering.

“And if I hear from this Akashi and refuse, then what? You’ll leave me alone?”

Aomine perked up, like a dog who’d finally heard the word ‘walk’. His contrite air vanished abruptly, replaced by what seemed to be his default state of Smug.

“Yeah of course! But you won’t. He tends to get his way. Will you come with me to the gym, then?”

Kuroko, instead of answering, pushed off from the wall, raising an eyebrow expectantly. The other man’s grin was blinding.

“Great! Ah shit, this is gonna be SUCH a boost, y’know? And they’re gonna love you once they see you- Midorima said he didn’t think you actually were out there, but Akashi’s usually right about these things. I mean, he was right about the team, but still—”

Kuroko mostly tuned him out as they made their way to the gym. Five alphas. And not only that- five alphas who were apparently part of the basketball team. They’d be bigger than him, no doubt. Stronger. He’d have to keep his guard up, no matter how reassuring Aomine’s behaviour had been. His weak presence wouldn’t be much help when he was right in front of them, but still. If need be, he’d find a way to use it to get out of a tense situation. He’d try not to let his anger get the best of him- he was pissed off, yes, but smart enough to know when to retreat into placidity. All he had to do was stand firm, and they’d drop it. A stubborn omega was the last thing an alpha would want- he’d prove to be more trouble than he was worth, and then put the whole bizarre encounter behind him.

Simple.

Chapter Text

Kuroko’s pulse quickened as they reached the gym doors, an unwelcome thrum of nervous energy shooting through him before he could quickly stifle it. Aomine- still in the middle of his one-sided conversation, wrinkled his nose before he abruptly cut off.

“Oi- you worried?” He inhaled deeper, clearly trying to get a hit of his diminished scent. If he’d been a normal omega, the fear stink would have been nearly overwhelming, a natural defence mechanism intended to nurture an alpha’s desire to protect rather than hurt. It would have doubtlessly caught the attention of the other alphas he could hear moving around inside of the gym, as well as triggering Aomine’s own instincts. He never would have lived it down.

He got a hold of himself, breathing evenly to calm his heartrate.

“No” he lied.

If the other man caught his lie, he didn’t press him on it.

“Well… that’s good. They’re good guys, definitely no need to be worried about meeting them or anything."

Instead of answering, Kuroko shot him another look. Aomine pushed through the gym doors with all the familiarity one would push open the door of their own home, allowing Kuroko a small glimpse at the space and its inhabitants.

Disappointingly, it was just a normal gym. He wasn’t sure what he’d expected, and in all honesty he wasn’t a particularly imaginative guy, but even still he felt a little wrong-footed by the normality of the hall. With five alphas he expected to be greeted by chaos, maybe a fight already underway, but instead he begrudgingly took in clean space. It was broken up only by a few basketballs laying on the polished floor and long benches which spanned the sides that the other members of the club were either sitting on or standing beside. He felt himself tense.

“Hey.” Aomine nonchalantly entered the space, waving to the team. Four heads turned in his direction.

“Aomine! Where’ve you been- you’re supposed to have been here practising our Memphis attack with us!” A blond complained loudly, seeming put-out at the man’s lateness. His complaint was joined by a green-haired man in glasses, who stood beside him. The man pushed his glasses up to his eyes as he stared coolly. Kuroko noticed that he seemed to be wearing a plastic pink bracelet.

“Kise is correct, Aomine. Please be more aware of practice time in the future.”

Aomine waved a hand dismissively.

“Yeah yeah okay, sorry.”

He drew up as a pink-haired girl frowned at him, the only female Kuroko had noticed was present so far.

“Where’d you even run off to, idiot? I haven’t seen you since the period before lunch.”

Aomine scowled.

“Hey! I already apologised, Momoi! No need to call me an idiot!”

A purple-haired man who was sprawled out on the bench beside the girl took a loud sip of his drink, drawing the group’s attention.

“She’s right though…” he drawled, punctuating his thoughts with another sip. “You are an idiot, ‘Mine.”

Aomine growled at him, but refrained from bearing his teeth- softening the gesture to something more akin to a grumble than the start of a physical confrontation. It didn’t seem to bother the other man, who rolled his eyes at the spectacle. Kuroko gave a quiet cough, eager to leave as soon as possible.

“Yeah whatever. I was- OH!” Kuroko startled as Aomine abruptly whipped round to face him. “Shit- I totally forgot you were here! You REALLY don’t have a strong presence, do you?”

The group blinked uncomprehendingly for a moment before they seemed to notice him. He immediately wished he could go back to being ignored.

“Oh my god!” The blond pointed at him dramatically as he sprang up from the bench. “Is that…?”

The girl gasped, though thankfully remained seated. “I-I didn’t even notice you come in! You’ve- were you here this whole time?”

The others remained in blessedly confused silence. Aomine unfortunately did not follow suit. Kuroko didn’t appreciate the return of his smug expression.

“Yup! Just like Akashi said- he smells RIGHT. Convinced him to come and get an explanation from him.”

To Kuroko’s growing alarm, the group began to stand up, making as if to come towards him. He took a step back before he could consciously stop himself, then cursed inwardly. Weakness. He was showing WEAKNESS.

Nice going, he thought angrily to himself. Now they’ll think they can push you around.

With all the dignity he could muster, he attempted to gain back control of the situation- planting himself firmly and working on getting his elevated breathing back under control. He would not allow them to gain the upper hand.

It seemed that the girl, at least, had noticed his trepidation, as she held back the group from getting too close with a gentle push to the blond and purple-haired men’s (the ones closest to Kuroko’s) chests. He was surprised- the men were all huge, as he’d expected from the group of alphas who formed the basketball team- but the purple-haired man in particular was a BEAST of an alpha, towering over the group and looking down on them all with hooded eyes. And the pink-haired girl, someone smaller than even Kuroko himself, seemed to be able to corral them without issue. It seemed that these alphas really DID work together, for the most part.

She fixed him with an appraising look. He gazed placidly back.

“Ahh he’s so cute Aomine!” The blond gushed, almost bouncing in place. He broke his impromptu staring contest with the girl as he felt the blond man’s stare intensify. “Hey! I’m Ryota Kise- you’re smaller than I thought you’d be! Hey, guys-“ he turned to his teammates, giving Kuroko a respite from his gaze. “Isn’t he smaller than you thought he’d be?”

The giant alpha gave him a once-over.

“Tiny,” he rumbled. He didn’t elaborate, but he didn’t sound displeased by this fact either. It seemed to satisfy the other man.

“Right? Don’t you think so Aomine? It’s really-“

“Enough!” The green-haired man snapped, interrupting them. He turned stiffly to Kuroko, adjusting his glasses to perch more securely on his nose. His pink bracelet slipped further down his arm. “I apologise for my packmates’ rudeness. I am Midorima- Shintaro Midorima. It is a pleasure to meet your acquaintance, esteemed omega.”

Kuroko knew what he SHOULD have answered. He should have murmured something dull and vaguely centred in the realm of being equally pleased at the exceedingly formal greeting (really… ‘esteemed omega’? This man was operating on an incredible level of formality that passed through politeness and had somehow landed right into plain awkwardness), but he couldn’t help but push. Perhaps it was the result of being in the vicinity of such strong personalities, a last-ditch effort to keep from losing himself in this sea of pheromones and the unshakeable confidence which must come from an alpha’s very nature, but somehow the words bypassed his brain right onto his tongue.

“Thank you- but I would prefer you did not call me that in future, please. ‘Omega’ is not my name.”

The room became unbearably quiet for a moment before Midorima coughed. If Kuroko didn’t know any better, he would have said that the man seemed rather embarrassed. He didn’t seem a man who was very versed in apologising.

“Yes… quite, my apologies. That is…” the man shot an expectant look at Aomine. Aomine stared blankly back, before his eyes widened almost comically. He threw his head into his hands.”

“Shit! Fuck, I can’t believe it- did I really not get your name?”

Kuroko raised an eyebrow. “No.”

The room exploded into voices ranting over one another.

“-sake you idiot! You didn’t--“

“-don’t even know his NAME you brute! What kind of--“

“-very BASIC level of politeness! Honestly, if you would just—”

“-wow, ‘Mine screwed up, huh?”

“Yeah yeah, alright,” Aomine said testily, clearly trying to quell his packmate’s violent reactions as quickly as possible. “ALRIGHT. I did ASK guys, he just didn’t answer, okay? Right? I did, didn’t I?” He looked at Kuroko pleadingly, as if the omega could somehow save him from the wrath of his (much larger, much more intimidating) teammates. Kuroko toyed with the idea of denying it, and then slipping out in the ensuing chaos. If only that would have stayed the end of the matter, but he wasn’t convinced that they wouldn’t simply find him again for a repeat performance. He sighed.

“…you did” he confirmed quietly. He didn’t offer any further information.

Aomine huffed.

“See? Christ- I DO have manners, thank you!”

“Debatable,” Midorima muttered, fixing his glasses after they’d slipped down after his outburst. Kuroko didn’t like the way they made his eyes look sharper, more unnerving. He supressed a shudder as those eyes fixed on him again, ready to steamroll past the previous awkwardness. “Regardless, it is of course an honour to finally meet you. How would you prefer to be addressed?”

Difficult, Kuroko reminded himself. Be difficult. It wasn’t terribly hard to tap into his natural well of stubbornness.

“By people who I have been properly introduced to,” he said blandly, looking pointedly at the remaining members in the room who hadn’t yet given him their names. He enjoyed the surprised flash in their eyes as he stood his ground, though it was quickly dashed by Aomine’s wide grin. It seemed this alone was not going to be enough to put them off.

“Feisty little shit, isn’t he?” He said gleefully, moving to elbow Midorima in the side in his delight. His arm was quickly smacked away.

“Language!” the green-haired man and pink-haired girl snapped in unison, while the others looked on nonplussed.

Kise gave him a wave to catch his attention.

“That’s fair, though I have to say I’m surprised you haven’t heard of us before! As I’ve said, I’m Kise- great to see you finally!” He made as if to come forward and shake hands, but stopped as Kuroko tensed. “Ah, well… it’s nice to meet you! Akashi’s told us a lot about you!”

Kuroko narrowed his eyes. “He has?” he asked frostily, turning his attention to the purple-haired giant towering behind the rest. The giant looked at him inscrutably behind his bored expression. Kuroko had no idea what Akashi THOUGHT he knew about him, but he was determined to ruin whatever expectations he’d built up.

“Yeah, he did,” the man drawled easily, clearly unaffected by the tension growing in the room from Kuroko’s responses. “I’m Atsushi Murasakibara… hey.”

Kuroko’s eyes widened involuntarily. As the tallest member of the group, he’d naturally assumed that Murasakibara was the infamous Akashi that he’d been hearing so much about. It would have made sense for the team to have grouped themselves around the biggest alpha, for the most physically impressive member to have also been the most domineering.

He turned finally to the pink-haired girl who’d held the two back, scrutinising her under a new light.

“That would make you…?” He asked, taken aback by her flustered laugh.

“Me? Oh no! No- I’m Satsuki Momoi. I’m sort of the manager of the team, I guess.” He suddenly recalled his and Aomine’s previous conversation where there had been mention of a female manager… a beta. “Akashi’s not here yet.”

He hummed, itchy again at the thought that another unknown alpha had been watching him, WAITING for him, gathering information about him to tell the basketball team without his knowledge. The feeling grew under his skin, prickly, uncomfortable. He wasn’t used to being SEEN, especially by someone he hadn’t noticed watching him. He could feel acute paranoia trying to burn its way through his synapses, the weight of all these eyes on him becoming that much less bearable. He’d have to make a hasty retreat to collect his thoughts.

“I see,” he said eventually, after letting the expectant silence linger for just slightly too long. “I was told that Akashi was to meet me here to answer my questions. Perhaps I ought to leave for now, seeing as he is not present.” He gave a polite nod, and turned as if to leave for the gym doors. This was it- his excuse to forget all about today, shake off this peculiar feeling, and get back to his lunch in peace. If he was lucky, now that he’d caught a glimpse of what the team looked like he could diligently avoid them and their future attempts to seek him out. It was only Akashi he had yet to see, the unseen presence who’d taken notice of him.

“Oi- wait, he’ll be here!” Aomine called, frantically. “Shit- don’t leave!”

To Kuroko’s growing annoyance, this was the moment that the door chose to open again, admitting a red-haired male closer in height to Kuroko than the rest of them. The man closed the door gently behind him, fixing everyone with his intense gaze. It seemed that he knew how to make an entrance, at least.

“Hello everyone,” he greeted the team. Despite him speaking quietly, there was something in his voice that carried across the hall. “And… guest,” he smiled, eyes lingering on Kuroko. Kuroko didn’t smile back. “Kuroko Tetsuya; it’s a pleasure to meet your acquaintance.”

Kuroko could feel everyone’s eyes on him, seemingly an attempt to gauge his reaction to the newcomer, but he refused to break away from the impromptu staring contest with the new stranger. He was physically unintimidating in comparison to the rest of the team, but there was something in him, some unshakable confidence which painted him as leader, as… well, it was clear who this was. This would have to be the one he convinced he was too much to handle.

“I presume you’re Akashi?” Kuroko questioned, still taking him in intently. The redhead tilted his head, seemingly unperturbed at his refusal to back down.

“Akashi Seijuurou, yes. I assume my packmates have already made their introductions?”

Kuroko gave a hum that could be interpreted either way. Akashi seemed to take this as confirmation.

“Excellent.” He broke eye contact, leaving Kuroko to feel a small swell of victory as the redhead exchanged a loaded look with the rest of his team. It seemed that he’d won the initial stare-down, then. “I hope you’ve been made to feel welcome. I assume you must have questions, yes?”

Aomine broke in, seeming eager to smooth other the introductions.

“Ah- I ended up finding him in a classroom. Didn’t really get a chance to explain, I kinda, uh…” he rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, I told him YOU’D talk him through it. I’m not so good with explaining stuff properly, y’know?”

Akashi shot Kuroko an openly curious look, before turning back to the others.

“I see.” He paused for a moment, eyes narrowing in thought. Kuroko looked on warily, concerned about the way this situation was going. Whoever Akashi was, it seemed that he was the unspoken leader here, the one who’d built up the team, corralled them together and made sure their goals aligned. And now Kuroko was certainly one of those goals- what would happen when he refused to be a part of this? They seemed to be reigned in now, but would one word from the redhead change that? Would anyone really know he was here, would they have noticed him enough to follow up on his absence if they refused to let him leave until he agreed?

I might actually have to fight, he thought to himself, feeling his brows scrunch slightly at the thought. Could I turn them against each other somehow? WOULD they turn on each other?

He bristled as Akashi turned to look at him again, almost as if he knew what he was thinking. The confident smile came back.

“Well, it seems that we have a lot to talk about. Would you mind accompanying me as we walk and talk? I seem to have left some of the club forms in the music classroom. It shouldn’t take too long.”

Abruptly, images of Kuroko bearing his teeth, of drawing upon half-forgotten childhood martial arts from a few childhood classes to get out of the gym as fast as possible while the basketball team bore down on him, vanished. He blinked, processing the change in plans.

“Wait a moment, Akashi,” Midorima protested. “Shouldn’t we all be present for this discussion? Surely we should all say our piece, our conditions—”

“Yeah!” Kise added, puffing himself up. “How’re we going to court him if he’s not here?”

Court? Kuroko thought, alarmed. What in the hell has this turned into?

Akashi didn’t seem concerned.

“Kuroko hasn’t agreed to anything yet,” he said mildly. “I’m sure if we reach an agreement, there’ll be plenty of time for discussion afterwards.” He walked back to the doors, holding one open and gestured for Kuroko to follow him back into the hallway. “Shall we?”

Kuroko weighed up his options. Stay with a large group of alphas in an enclosed space, or follow their leader out into a secondary location? He considered, shrugged, and then turned to follow Akashi.

“Oi, Akashi?” Aomine shouted at them, waiting until the redhead turned to look at him, eyebrow raised. Aomine gestured to Kuroko. “He hasn’t eaten yet. I said one of us’d get him something before lunch ends. That cool?”

Akashi smiled. “Perfect- We’ll take the longer route past the canteen, then. Come along, Kuroko.” And with that, they left the gym, Kuroko’s nose thankful for the break from the smell of concentrated alpha pheromones.

Out of the frying pan, and into the fire, he thought wryly. 

Chapter Text

Kuroko glanced at the redhead from the corner of his eye, wary as the other man kept pace with him instead of walking ahead. He felt more exposed like this, as if he was being stripped down and judged piece by individual piece. It was clear manipulation, the way Akashi was giving this illusion of equality, of them both casually making their way to the same location rather than having Kuroko follow him blindly.

Did they plan this? He wondered, beginning to give himself a stronger headache as he went round in circles with his paranoia. The others would crowd me in and then the leader would take me out and I’d feel more inclined to listen? He didn’t like it. Not at all.

“So, Kuroko,” the redhead began, eyes looking ahead at the corridors and their inhabitants rather than turning to look at him. “You must have questions, yes? Ah- it’s a right at the end of this hallway.” The two turned easily together, still irritatingly in sync though Kuroko could feel that the other man was purposefully slowing himself down to keep them in step. Kuroko decided to mirror him, to stare ahead as they spoke instead of looking him in the eye. The people parted around them in a way they never did when he was alone, clearly Akashi’s influence. It was as if they could feel his force and were swayed by it on an instinctual level.

“I do,” he said mildly. “Is it a right or a left next?”

He heard rather than saw Akashi’s amused breath.

“Another right. Do you have any questions that aren’t direction-based, for the time being?”

Kuroko waited until they’d turned the next right.

“For the time being?” he asked.

“For right now,” Akashi clarified, sounding far too amused and not as put-out as Kuroko would have liked. “Not to say that- out those doors, and then a left- that you aren’t welcome to ask me anything outside of this little meeting we’re having. I do hope this won’t be the last time we see each other.”

Kuroko pondered this as they pushed open the doors and turned left, taking them outside the building into the fresh spring air. He breathed in the smell of the trees and shrubbery, calmer now that the overwhelming smell of pheromones was fainter out here. He liked the spring- liked that it drew others outside, away from him. Liked that the weather was mild enough to enjoy the journey home but not so hot as to make him want to claw his own skin off. And, as his eyes caught sight of the school’s array of cherry blossom trees that decorated the path, he could admit that he really liked the way the pink petals fell from the branches, making the whole place seem brighter and more vibrant for a small period of time.

The company he could do without, but it was otherwise a lovely scene.

“And why is that?” He asked, stealing a glance at the redhead as they continued to walk.

“Why is what?” Akashi replied, sounding (if Kuroko could read his otherwise unchanging expression correctly) puzzled.

“Why do you hope that this won’t be the last time I see you” he clarified evenly, a little disappointed to see the other man’s eyes brightening as he suddenly understood what Kuroko was getting at. A shame. He’d hoped that Akashi wouldn’t have caught onto the fact he had given in and was fishing for information about this highly unusual proposition. He would have liked to have remained outwardly as disaffected as possible.

“You mean, what are our intentions?” Akashi worked out, placid smile sharpening as if he sensed that he had an opening here. He didn’t wait for Kuroko’s confirmation. “I’m not sure what Aomine has told you or how he explained the situation, so I’ll try and summarise as widely as possible: as you know, we are Teiko’s male basketball team, comprised of myself, Aomine, Midorima, Murasakibara and Kise, with Momoi as our team’s manager. All of us, aside from Momoi, are designated alphas- I assume you are aware of the issues surrounding teams with more than one alpha player, yes?” He paused, taking Kuroko’s arched eyebrow to be agreement. “But you’re ALSO aware of early pack theory, correct?”

“You mean grouping together packs with similar scents to strengthen bonds and minimise aggressive behaviour? Yes, I’m aware,” Kuroko gave him a steely look. “I am ALSO aware that these early packs were often fairly small, and were not comprised of more than two or three alphas due to their volatile tempers. Especially not in high-adrenaline situations.”

Akashi hummed, leading them down a smaller path. “Yes, this was previously correct. We, however, have managed to work as a pack with five.”

Kuroko clenched his jaw.

“For now. It won’t be possible for you all to continue on like this for very long.” It had been a few months into the school year, true, but there was no foreseeable outcome where the Teiko basketball team lasted for the whole duration. As soon as they made it to one of the larger games, the team would fall apart under the stress.

“Perhaps, for any other team. But we’ve been rather careful in our selection, you see. At its most basic level, it works like this: if you gather a group comprised of people with complimenting scents, then those people will work well together. A simple fact.”

Kuroko thought back to what he could remember from his research, furrowing his brow. “Yes. But the stronger a natural scent is, the more likely it is for someone to gravitate towards taking command of the group. And in a group comprised entirely of alphas, this would mean constant fighting about who would take charge.” The additional ‘which would mean one big bloodbath’, went unsaid, but was heavily implied.

“Correct,” the redhead said slyly, as though he were a magician about to rip away the sheet to reveal a particularly impressive trick. “But- let’s say that you had a group of alphas who all had a similarly strong scent, all of which all happened to compliment the others. What then?”

“Then,” Kuroko huffed. “You would have to have been extraordinarily, almost supernaturally lucky to have found such a group within the same region, let alone the same school.” The odds of such an occurrence were too slim for him to calculate, but he was nonetheless confident in saying that he would have had more of a chance of finding a winning lottery ticket than a team of alphas who could all boast a similar, heightened level of complimentary scents. The difficulty could only have been heightened in finding even one of them when the whole team undoubtedly had to be taking blockers to regulate themselves and dampen their smell. Akashi was either lying, or one of the luckiest men to have ever tried something so foolish and not had it yet blow up in his face.

Akashi gave a smug-sounding hum.

“I suppose you would,” he agreed mildly. “But if you DID manage to find such a thing… well, the possibilities it would open for a team would be extraordinary, wouldn’t they?”

“Extraordinarily dangerous,” Kuroko countered, remembering too late that he was being far too cooperative with the team’s leader.

The redhead simply herded them through the courtyard, leading them towards the canteen doors where, to Kuroko’s discomfort, various groups were still hanging around, eating and loudly conversing with one-another. He turned to Kuroko, raising a brow.

“Shall we shelve discussion for now and get you something to eat, Kuroko? You were promised food, after all.”

Kuroko took in the crowd of people still waiting to be served, felt the heat of the crowd and the stink of the mass of bodies rise up, and felt his nose automatically wrinkle, hackles raising before he forced himself to relax before the alpha could notice his reaction.

“Fine,” he said tightly. Akashi’s brows furrowed slightly as he took a breath, as if scenting the air.

“Or… perhaps you’d prefer to eat outside?” the redhead offered, sounding far too casual for it to have been a sudden thought. “You’re welcome to pick a spot while I get us lunch.”

 He squashed down his discomfort, setting his gaze on the teeming crowd. Underneath the smell of bodies and sweat, he thought he could smell fried chicken. Disgust and hunger warred within him.

“I don’t need you buy me food. I’m capable of feeding myself, thank you.”

“Undoubtedly,” Akashi said wryly. “But you were promised compensation for listening to my explanation, and I do not break my promises. Now then…” he swept an arm out as though ushering him into some grand restaurant. “Shall we?”

In lieu of answering, Kuroko forced through his nerves and lead them into the canteen, doing his best to avoid bumping into the mass of bodies all jostling to get served. He carefully stopped himself from glancing back for confirmation that Akashi had followed, reluctant to give him the satisfaction of knowing how unsettled Kuroko felt. Honestly- he wasn’t a child in need of a security blanket. His uneasiness blended into shame, for a brief moment, shame for his stiffness and fear over what should really be an everyday, conventional situation. As quickly as it had come, it passed- morphing instead into a clenched chest, a tightened jaw as he entered the thick of the crowd.

Irritation. Far more familiar and welcome than fear.

He nurtured the feeling as through tending to a garden, stoking it with the snatches of booming laughter coming from a group to his left, the overwhelming alpha smell from someone who’d clearly forgotten to take their suppressants on his right, and the cramping sensation in his stomach that reminded him that he hadn’t had breakfast.

I hate the warm weather, he thought moodily to himself.

He was startled out of what was promising to become a spectacularly insular rage by Akashi clearing his throat behind him, leaning in close to his ear.

“It’s quite crowded for this point in the afternoon,” the redhead said mildly. It seemed that he really was dropping his recruitment pitch, for the time being. Kuroko shrugged, still not looking back.

“It’s usually busy.”

Akashi hummed. Without looking, Kuroko couldn’t tell if he was irritated by how short he was being with him.

“Really? It seems like we might have issue finding a table then. Perhaps you could find somewhere suitable for us to sit outside while I get the food. I imagine it’ll be difficult to have a discussion in here, with all this noise.”

He turned to face Akashi, narrowing his eyes. Is he trying to give me an excuse to leave? He wondered. What does he have to gain, if I leave? Is that admitting I don’t want to be here? Does it matter?

“I don’t need you to buy me food,” he said again, warningly. Akashi waved him off.

“Like I said; it’s simply compensation for listening to me talk about the team. I don’t expect anything to come from it, aside from holding up my end of the bargain. We did encroach on your lunch hour, after all.”

From the way Akashi had spoken, he seriously meant what he’d said. He’d seemed almost earnest, in his own way. Kuroko sighed, rummaging in his bag to fish out the wallet he’d packed and pulling out a few notes. He would take the opportunity to leave, but he wouldn’t do it on the alpha’s terms.

“Fine. I’ll find somewhere to sit. But in the meantime, I don’t want to owe you anything.” He proffered the money firmly. “Take this. I’ll eat anything they’ve got with chicken or beef- please avoid anything with daikon in it.”

The redhead hesitated for a moment, staring at him with another unreadable expression before carefully taking the money with an amused huff. He closed his eyes.

“Understood.” He opened his eyes again, eyes that seemed uncomfortably warm for Kuroko’s liking. “I shan’t be long. Please wait a moment.”

Kuroko gave a nod before turning to walk out into the fresh air, aiming for a shaded spot beneath some trees a small distance away from the canteen.

------------------------------------------------------------------

The further he got from the mass of students, the lighter Kuroko felt. It was amazing how much good a little peace and quiet could do you, even if it was to be short-lived. He sprawled out in the shade, leaning against the tree’s trunk as he watched people milling around, talking and running and smiling together as they enjoyed the weather. His previous irritation seemed a little embarrassing, now that he’d gotten some distance from it.

When did I get so bitter about other people? He thought, as he watched a group of betas sharing a packet of sweets while sitting on a bench on the other side of the park. I never used to dislike groups so much. Not since… well. Since he’d been excluded from joining the basketball team during his first few months, really. Not since he’d been told that no amount of work on his part could overcome basic genetics. Perhaps it was that frustration, bleeding into his psyche more and more, that had made him like this. Or…

Get a grip, he thought sternly before he could wallow in self-pity. Take responsibility for your own feelings.

He was saved from diving deeper into his inner thoughts by the reappearance of Akashi, jogging over with two Styrofoam containers clutched in his hands. A pity, he couldn’t help but think. If he’d taken the money and ran, I could have made a convincing case for self-preservation instead.

He took the container that the alpha held out for him with a quiet thanks as Akashi settled beside him.

“It wasn’t a problem. Now then, where were we?”

He waited expectantly as Kuroko popped open the top, breathing in the spiced-savoury smell of the meat. A katsu bun. And a fresh one, judging by the warm weight of it in his hands. He was surprised that there had been any left, after the huge queue he’d seen forming, but then again Akashi seemed like the type who was used to getting what he wanted without much issue. Somehow he thought that if HE’D been the one to get the food, there would have been a miraculous shortage of these sandwiches. It really was a nice change from the cartons of milk he’d been subsiding on for the past few days.

“I believe you were the one speaking,” he said, waiting for Akashi to open his own lunch. Akashi seemed to be putting it off for the moment, instead watching Kuroko.

“Something wrong with the food?” The redhead asked.

Kuroko frowned.

“It’s fine, thank you. And yours?”

“Also fine. It would simply be impolite of me to eat before you had a chance to touch your meal. Please- don’t hold back on my account.”

Kuroko blinked at the unexpected formality.

“Is this an alpha thing?” He tried, suspiciously. He’d never heard of it being a custom. Akashi smiled at his expression.

“It’s more to do with my upbringing, I assure you. I do the same for the team, if that puts you at ease.”

“Not really,” Kuroko muttered. “I’m not part of your pack.”

Akashi shrugged good-naturedly.

“This is true, for the time being. But that reminds me of our previous topic of conversation- would you like to be?”

Kuroko took a bite from his sandwich to avoid answering the question for a moment, dodging the piercing red gaze as he focused outwardly on chewing.

“Why me?” he asked, cutting straight to the point. Akashi’s smile sharpened back into a grin.

“Are you fishing for compliments?” He asked lightly.

“Are you dodging the question?” Kuroko countered, taking up the offensive.

Akashi hummed approvingly as he flipped open his own container, revealing another roll filled with salad and some sort of meat. “Hardly. Let me explain; we don’t simply need another teammate, we need you, Kuroko.”

“No,” Kuroko interrupted. “You don’t- you’ve already got your team working with five alphas. You’ve got what you set out for, somehow, and you don’t need me.”

“Perhaps we want you, then” Akashi suggested. “If that would put less pressure on you. You may think of it however you’d like, but the simple fact is that the team, the pack, would be that much stronger for having you in it. You were correct earlier- sustaining a team comprised of five alphas is no easy feat, no matter how carefully they are selected. There are many pitfalls that come from creating a team like ours. Tell me- you don’t suppress your scent, do you Kuroko?”

Kuroko barely stopped himself from shrinking in on himself to hide his scent- it wouldn’t do much good, at this close range. Even with how diminished it was. Akashi already knew that he didn’t take suppressants, and there would be no point in trying to hide it now. But still… it just wasn’t something strangers would talk about with one another. Not with the unsavoury ideas that still lingered about solitary omegas who decided NOT to take them.

“No, I don’t,” he confirmed, wincing at how defensively his answer came out. Akashi barely blinked.

“Nor do we- not on the court, anyway. You’d be surprised at how much stronger, how much more in-sync a team’s playing style can become when you have the advantage of smell. It’s as if a whole new sense is awakened amongst the team.”

They don’t take suppressants when they play, Kuroko thought almost hysterically to himself. They play without the stuff created to tone down their aggression, in one of the most aggressive team activities we have at this school. No wonder the other teams can’t compete- they’re probably terrified Teiko will turn their practice match into a bloodbath.

“I’m more surprised you haven’t all been injured yet.”

Akashi huffed, amused.

“You’re forgetting about our complimenting scents. Perhaps it would be dangerous, for another team. But we aren’t a group of separate players, we’re a pack. We all smell, act and feel like a unit, and that makes us stronger than any team that’s come before us. And you… your smell would fit right in, Kuroko. You aren’t an alpha, you’re different. A unique point for our pack.”

“A mascot for your miracle team,” Kuroko snorted. “I’m not interested.” He could see it now- why they were falling over themselves to secure him. An anomaly, a male omega, a warmup before the crowd got a glimpse of the real show, the real magic.

“No,” Akashi said sharply. “A member. We could do as much for you as you would for us. You’d be pack- no sitting on the sidelines, no ridicule. We want you to join us, and we want you to play in our games with us. You were interested in the basketball team since you first joined, weren’t you?”

“How did you know that?” Kuroko asked quietly. His irritation warred with his old hurt before he hastily moved his thoughts away from the past.

“You were turned away from the third string because of your presentation. Until now, there hasn’t been a team for you”.

“Perhaps I’ve moved on from basketball.” He hated that small part of him that still urged him towards the sport, towards taking this insane chance, this only chance that might allow him the opportunity to play. He still hated seeing those alphas in the men’s team taking it for granted, this opportunity that had been denied to him. He wasn’t weak- he was strong, and nobody would ever know just HOW strong unless he seized the chance to prove himself.

“I don’t think so,” Akashi said lowly, gazing right at him as though looking into his thoughts and finding the confirmation he was looking for. “I think you’re like us.”

Kuroko’s thoughts were started by the sound of the school bell ringing, alerting him that he’d been sitting out here with the alpha for much longer than he’d previously thought.

“Think it over,” the redhead said, as Kuroko scrambled up to begin the trek back to class. “You know where to find us.”

“I’m not making any promises,” he warned, catching Akashi’s non-committal hum as he followed the crowds back into the building. It was only as he reached the doors that he recalled Akashi hadn’t picked up the papers he’d apparently been leaving to collect. He swore inwardly.

“Manipulative,” he muttered quietly. He was half annoyed, half impressed. Despite himself, he had to admit that the meeting hadn't been as unpleasant as he'd feared. In fact... well. Perhaps he ought to watch the team in action, before he made any big decisions.

Chapter Text

“Hey… it’s Kuroko, right?”

He froze, guiltily, as the voice came from behind him. He tore his gaze away from the gym hall, turning to face a familiar head of pink hair.

“Ah, Miss Momoi.” He attempted to greet her normally, despite his inner voice hissing at himself. You idiot! Why did you stick around for so long?

“That’s right.”

She looked him over calculatingly, in that inscrutable way he recalled from their first meeting. If he hadn’t already had the dubious pleasure of meeting Akashi’s sharp gaze head on, he would have flinched. In comparison, it was downright soothing. At least this one didn’t stink of alpha.

“Looking for something?” She asked blandly, eyes darting to the door in order to illustrate her meaning. Akashi got to you, didn’t he? She carefully did not say, but Kuroko could decipher her unspoken words easily.

“No,” he replied firmly. “I was just leaving.”

She raised an eyebrow, before fixing him with a small smile.

“I see. Well, it seems like a waste to come all the way here without watching the team in action- why don’t you come in and spectate? You’re interested in basketball, right?”

He bristled slightly. He was irritated to notice her nostrils subtly flare as she smelt his brief frustration, even if she wasn’t drawing attention to it.

“I’m not sure I’d say interested,” he said coolly. Not TECHNICALLY a lie. Not when it’s so much more than that.

“Hmm. I see.” She watched him carefully for a moment. When it became clear he refused to take her cue to elaborate, she spoke again. “Perhaps you’d like to speak with the team instead? I’m sure they’d appreciate the chance to talk with you again.

“I think it would be best if I left them to their practice,” he murmured, eager to leave before they could catch him hanging around and rope him into another recruitment pitch. He’d gnaw his own arm off before he gave them the impression he was so eager to talk that he’d taken to skulking outside of the gym waiting for them. “I won’t keep you- I’m sure you have a lot to do as a manager.”

Especially as the manager of such an insane group as this one. His heart really did go out to her, having to herd these alphas into some kind of a functioning team.

“Are you sure? Then maybe… you’re here to speak with me? Ask me some questions about the team? They’ve asked you to join, right?”

He stared at her suspiciously.

How much did she know? Akashi must have spoken with her after their conversation the other day- is that how she’d known about his previous rejection from the basketball teams? Was she the one who’d found out?

But… maybe it COULD be a good idea to talk to her about the team. Obviously she’d have to have agreed with Akashi’s approach, but if he was careful then perhaps he could find something that would convince him once and for all that he wanted no part in this team. Maybe he could even change her mind, make HER see that they didn’t really need him.

He sighed.

“They did,” he confirmed. ‘Asked’ was putting it lightly. “But I would hate to keep you from your club duties.”

“Not at all!” She kept the smile on her face. Though her words sounded enthusiastic, there was still a coldness to her eyes, something calculating behind them as if he were being sized up. “I’d love the opportunity to chat with you. Why don’t we find somewhere quiet and we can talk?”

He debated standing his ground, less than eager for their conversation to mirror the one between him and Akashi at the cafeteria. But even his stubbornness knew SOME bounds, and the idea of the team coming out of the gym to find him with Momoi was worth the temporary concession.

“I’d appreciate that, thank you.”

There was no need to be impolite. For all she was associated with them, it was clear that Momoi wasn’t actually part of the alpha pack. She likely wouldn’t have cared about him one way or another, had the team not decided to scout him. And besides; the beta seemed thus far to be one of the more tolerable of the group. No getting into his personal space, for one thing. No weird alpha quirks, for another. She seemed like she had a good head on her shoulders, and if she hadn’t been associated with the pack he may even have said that he found her interest in him far less aggravating than it had been in anyone else so far.

He followed her to the empty office room, a little impressed despite himself. It wasn’t often that managers were allowed the key to their own space. But perhaps these were simply the perks of being involved in the school’s miracle team.

“Have a seat if you want- ignore the papers, just move them to the floor if they get in the way.”

He snuck a glance at one of the many stacks of paper on the small table. It seemed to be covered in writing- notes and numbers and small diagrams of body parts that were neatly drawn and labelled. If this was her work, it was impressive.

“Thank you.” He gingerly took a seat across from her. The air was clearer here despite the lack of a window- a nice change from the strong scents coming from the gym. It was refreshing, Momoi’s unscented space. “You have an office?”

She gave an awkward laugh.

“Yeah- you’d be surprised what you can get when Akashi askes for it. It’s not really MINE, exactly, but it might as well be. The others never use it.”

“I see.” He could imagine Akashi was someone rarely accustomed to taking no for an answer. Well, until recently, that is. “It’s impressive.”

“It works fine for our purposes,” she said easily, straightening up on the chair. To business, then. “So, what did you want to ask me about?”

He considered this. He hadn’t really come here to question her, but he supposed it wouldn’t hurt to take the opportunity she was presenting him with. It would be interesting to hear her thoughts.

“I suppose I’d like to ask you about your own view of the team. What do you think of them?” He asked bluntly.

Momoi sucked her teeth, gaze growing distant as she thought.

“They’re hard work.” He started at her answer, causing her to laugh more genuinely. Her eyes cleared as she looked at him directly. “They are! What, did you think I’d have some recruitment pitch lined up? They’re loud and annoying and I’d SWEAR that Aomine was born with a basketball for a brain. They’re teenage guys- what’d you expect?

Well, he thought wryly through his shock. She’s not wrong.

“But… well, they’re good people. They’re a good TEAM. I wouldn’t be their manager if I didn’t think so.”

He considered this.

“They’re alphas,” he tried.

“Yes.” She was unphased. “Five of them.”

“In one team.”

She nodded. “Yes.”

If he looked carefully, he could almost see a shadow of a smile on her face as she remained deliberately obtuse.

She’s enjoying this, he realised abruptly. She likes to put people off-balance. She reminded him of a director he’d once seen in an interview for some bizarre piece of film, someone who’d smiled at the increasingly confused questioning, refusing to give anything away but so clearly passionate about his work nonetheless- happy to let his actors bring his vision to life in the spotlight as he oversaw it. The pieces slotted together in his mind, painting a better picture of the dynamics at play. Akashi may have been the team’s captain, but Momoi had the look of someone far more involved in their conception than one would initially assume.

“And how would I fit in, exactly? In your opinion.”

Momoi frowned, looking confused.

“Akashi explained it when you met the other day, didn’t he? About scents?”

Kuroko gave her a small smile and crossed his arms.

“He did. I’ve heard from him, and now I’d like to hear from you, Miss Momoi. You are the team’s manager, after all.”

She smiled at him, mirroring his pose.

“I suppose I am, yes. Though I won’t really have much to add to what Akashi’s already said.”

He cut to the heart of it.

“Because you can’t smell what he can, can you?”

It wasn’t really in question. She would undoubtedly know all about scent theory, at least as much as he himself knew. Perhaps she’d even know as much as Akashi seemed to. But it was difficult even for other alphas to get such a good grasp of someone’s scent well enough to match them together, and he was sure that Momoi, like all other betas, would be unable to even attempt it. He certainly couldn’t tell you what he smelt like- clean, he hoped, but aside from being able to tell a person’s secondary sex by smell (mostly because unblocked alphas REEKED and there was no saving it) he was equally as stumped. And that wasn’t even accounting for his weaker-than-average scent, which would likely have stopped her even if she could.

“Nope,” she confirmed cheerfully. “But Akashi’s never wrong about these things.”

“But you can’t know that I’ll be a good fit for the team, then. Not in the way that your captain seems to think I am.” He said blandly.

Momoi hummed thoughtfully.

“No. But I can see how you’ll fit in different ways. I don’t need Akashi’s nose; I’m very good at what I do.”

“And what,” he raised an eyebrow pointedly “do I do, in this hypothetical team?”

She shrugged.

“You play basketball. Akashi explained that they don’t take suppressants when they play, right? And you don’t take them either, do you?”

He crossed his arms tighter, despite the fact that she obviously meant this to be a good thing in terms of the team. He couldn’t smell her, even sitting right across from her. And this office had the kind of inoffensive air that you could only get when someone consistently took suppressants.

“I don’t.”

She looked sympathetic at his defensiveness, but moved smoothly on in her explanation without comment.

“The team uses that to their advantage. It helps with their reflexes, helps them play on a more instinctual level. It makes it REALLY hard for the other teams to know what’s coming next when they play, you know? But the important thing for you is… well. The other team can smell all those raging pheromones a mile away.” She paused.

“…so?” Kuroko indulged her, as she clearly waited for the question to be asked. She gave him a significant look.

“So… you have a much weaker scent, don’t you?”

He suddenly got it.

“…so, my scent will be drowned out by the team’s--” he said, brain racing to keep up with this new idea.

“--Meaning that you’ll be overlooked. Meaning, that you’ll be given free reign on the court while the other guys are too busy noticing our alphas to give you a second glance!” Momoi finished, exhilarated. She coughed, settling back into her chair as though embarrassed at her sudden enthusiasm. Kuroko turned it over in his head, amazed.

“It’s like a magic trick,” he said numbly. “Sleight of hand.”

“Exactly!” Momoi grinned, warmer now that he’d caught on. “That’s why you’d be a good fit, don’t you think?”

He blinked away the visions that came to him of crowds, cheering, an electric feeling thrumming underneath his skin as he shot basket after basket, unstoppable in a way only he could be. He could almost feel the weight of the ball in his hands. It felt so close, like his dreams were within his reach.

“And this is what Akashi meant, when he talked about scents?” He asked, incredulously. He didn’t understand why the redhead had spoken in riddles if this was what he’d meant, if he’d had this plan set out for him all along. Momoi shifted.

“Maybe.” She straightened up. “But you asked for my opinion on how you’d fit in, right? You’d have to ask Akashi to clarify what he meant. I just work with what he tells me.”

Kuroko snorted, surprising them both.

“Thank you. You’ve been very enlightening, Miss Momoi.”

“Just Momoi is fine. Anything else you wanted to ask?” She looked down briefly at her phone’s screen. “The team’s practice will be finishing soon, if you wanted to leave before they’re out.”

Kuroko wavered, his earlier desire to leave before the team could spot him battling his curiosity.

“Do you think I could do it?” He asked, cringing at how needy he sounded begging for validation. He would have died before he asked the team. He would rather have sewn his mouth shut with his bare hands before he made an idiot out of himself. But there was something about this room, about Momoi, that made the question fall out of his mouth before he could stop it. “Could I win, like this?”

Momoi’s nose flared, catching the smell of his distress before he could reign it in. Her face didn’t soften, like he’d thought it would. If anything she looked harder, steely in her confidence.

“I know you can. I’m very good at managing my team. You’ll have to work hard, though. We’ll be building you up from scratch.” She tore off a scrap of paper from one of the sheets on her desk, scribbled something across it, and pushed it towards him. He took it gingerly. “That’s my number- in case you have any other questions you want to ask. But you’re welcome back here whenever you want, so long as I’m here. Like I said, the team doesn’t really use it, so it would just be the two of us. It’s been nice talking to you, Kuroko.”

“And you. Thank you.” He pocketed her number, letting Momoi herd him out of her space. She tapped him on the shoulder before they could part ways.

“Oh, and Kuroko?” She gave him a sharp smile. “No matter what happens, if you happen to run into Aomine or Kise, please do make sure to tell them I was the first one to exchange numbers with you, okay?”

He frowned.

“Okay?” He promised, discomfited by her amusement. She waved at him as she shut the door.

“Text me anytime!” She reminded him cheerfully, before the door closed with a final click. He swore, as he walked away, that he could hear her laughing.

That laugh echoed in his mind as he found himself staring at his phone screen later that evening, agonising over his message and writing and re-writing words upon words before he deleted the whole thing to start again.

I would like to join the team. Please let me know what I need to do in order to sign up.

He quickly sent the message, locked his phone, and struggled to fall asleep. He pretended that he couldn’t hear the faint buzz as his message got a response. It could wait until the morning. He would deal with it all tomorrow.  

He eventually fell asleep to dreams of basketball games, of himself triumphant upon the shoulders of giant players as he handled the ball, unstoppable and unphased as the crowd’s roaring raised him up further and further until he could taste the electricity in the air, feel it within himself thrumming inside. A familiar voice whispered into his ear, audible even over wave after wave of cheering washed over him. I think you’re like us.

Chapter Text

“You’ll have to tell me what you said to him,” Kuroko heard Akashi murmur out of the corner of his mouth.

He shot him a glare as Momoi smiled beatifically at the redhead. Akashi said nothing at the dirty look, seeming amused by the whole thing. It made Kuroko want to tear up the paper in front of him in a spectacularly deranged fashion. He settled for gripping his pen so hard there was a real danger of it snapping. If it did, he hoped the ink would splatter far enough to ruin the captain’s pristine white shirt.

“Pretty much the same thing you did, Akashi. Kuroko decided to join on his own. Right, Kuroko?”

He made a noncommittal noise as he signed the paper, avoiding eye contact with them. It was true, and that was the worst part. He was the one who’d folded. It had been his decision to join the team, and it made him almost as angry as if he’d been forced into it kicking and screaming. At least you’re still as contrary as ever, he thought wryly to himself. It cheered him up slightly, to know that he would still be making things difficult for them even if he HAD given them what they wanted. For now, at least.

He looked up in time to see Akashi smile at him.

“Of course. We’re glad that you’ve decided to give us a chance, Kuroko. The pack have been hoping you’d join.”

He pushed his signed paper across to the captain, raising an eyebrow.

“I haven’t,” he corrected. Akashi frowned, looking deliberately to Kuroko’s signature, then back at him with a pointedly raised eyebrow.

“Come again?” He said mildly. Kuroko squared his shoulders.

“I’ve said I’ll join your TEAM. Pack is different. You have to court someone for pack. I checked the paperwork- I’ve signed on to be part of your basketball team. That’s all.”

It was true. No matter how this insane team worked, pack was a different matter altogether. Pack was an intimate bond, and a team was, simply put, a team. He could just about resign himself to working with the group in order to finally get a chance to play basketball, to get his fair shake at something he’d lost any hope of joining years ago and show everyone what he could do. He could share their space for the sake of a common goal, maybe even eventually become friendly with them during practice, if they managed to reign in their more obnoxious instincts. But it would never be on their terms, and he wasn’t about to be pushed by these hormone-riddled oafs into being coddled.

Akashi stared at him inscrutably for a moment. Kuroko raised his chin defiantly, daring him to push it. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Momoi look between the two of them, clearly waiting to see who would win the stand off. She didn’t seem inclined to step in, regardless of the outcome.

It seemed, after a while, that Akashi knew when to leave well enough alone. He bowed his head slightly.

“Of course. I misspoke; the TEAM have been hoping that you’d join. I hope you’ll forgive the mistake.”

Kuroko relaxed his shoulders, letting his hackles smooth over. Akashi seemed to loosen up as he caught Kuroko’s appeased scent, lounging back as he scanned over the sign-up papers. Now that he seemed assured he was getting what he wanted, he was becoming downright pliant.

“Yes, well… and what do I have to do now? What’s the next step?”

Momoi jumped in smoothly, eager to move on. She seemed as if she wanted this meeting finished as quickly as possible, as though any further delay would inevitably lead to the two men butting heads again. It only reinforced Kuroko’s notion that she had a real knack for reading people.

“Usually, with you signing the paperwork that would be the end of it and you’d join practice with the team. But, given the circumstances…” she gave him an apologetic look as he felt his mouth pull into an irritated line. “We’ll need to clear it with the principal first before we can get you training with the others. It would be best to address his concerns directly to avoid trouble further down the line.”

You’ve been waiting years for this, he reminded himself tightly. A few more days won’t matter, in the grand scheme of things.

He still couldn’t help the embarrassingly petulant huff that escaped. He tried (and failed), to avoid looking at the captain, who smiled delightedly as though he could smell Kuroko’s eagerness. He cleared his throat and tried to swiftly move on before it could be remarked upon.

“Fine. How long will it take for that to be arranged?”

Akashi and Momoi shared a glance. It was not, it seemed to Kuroko, a particularly reassuring one. Momoi gestured for the redhead to speak.

“Well Captain?” She said pleasantly. “Would you like to tell him, or should I?”

“Tell me what?” Kuroko cut in, frowning. This couldn’t be good news. He had visions of being fobbed off until his graduation, having never laid a finger on a basketball. Visions of sitting out during gym for the rest of his life, always on the sidelines as he watched the others having the time of their lives as he ached with the injustice of it all. He knew it had sounded too good to be true.

Akashi shrugged, shaking him out of his spiral.

“It’s already been arranged. We’re meeting him in his office in fifteen minutes.”

Kuroko’s brain stuttered, trying to process the rapid switch between coming to terms with never playing basketball, and the very real possibility of basketball by the end of the day, if he played his cards right.

“What?” He asked blankly.

“I took the liberty of arranging the meeting as soon as Momoi mentioned your conversation,” Akashi said easily. “I thought it best to set things in motion as swiftly as possible.”

Kuroko turned to Momoi incredulously. If he’d expected to find any shame on her face, he was sorely mistaken. The only small mercy was that she wasn’t currently radiating the same smug aura that the captain was basking in.

“You knew about this, Miss Momoi?”

She tapped her chin.

“Only right before you joined us in here, to be fair. But yes.”

He briefly considered asking for the paperwork back so that he could rip it apart with his teeth, before dismissing the thought. He made the conscious effort to let his irritation go. Once he was officially in the team, he would let them know exactly what he thought of their scheming. And it seemed like that time would be coming much sooner than he’d anticipated.

“I see,” he said heavily, and left it there.

Akashi, taking this as his cue, placed the paperwork into his satchel and continued on.

“I’m sure our principal will have many concerns that we’ll need to address. The fact that you don’t take blockers, for instance, will almost certainly come up as a point against you joining.”

Kuroko frowned. “Neither do any of the current team,” he pointed out, remembering what Akashi and Momoi had told him. “And that’s been allowed.”

“Very true,” Akashi nodded. “Which is exactly what we will be trying to argue. However, he will likely say that it is a different matter in your case, with your secondary sex.” His smile widened at Kuroko’s involuntary growl, seeming amused rather than reproving. “I’m merely stating what he’ll be thinking,” he said mildly. “Not that I agree with it. I’m sure he’ll view it as a matter of your safety- naturally, as one omega in a team of alpha athletes, he will have some concerns.”

Kuroko suppressed another angry noise.

“Which brings me on to another point- before we meet the principal, I would like you ask; do YOU have any concerns with this arrangement, Kuroko?”

He narrowed his eyes. Was this their attempt to test his commitment?

“I don’t know. Should I be concerned?”

“It would be understandable if you were. It is obviously an unorthodox arrangement, and we wouldn’t be surprised if you felt you needed extra support to feel safe—“

“Extra support?” Kuroko interrupted frostily. “I distinctly recall you going out of your way to recruit ME. Are you implying that your packmates will be dangerous to work with? What support would I need- a TAZER?”

He saw Momoi flinch as his irritation ran off of him like waves. Akashi remained steady, as if he’d expected the outburst.

“Of course not, Kuroko. But it’s important that you understand how this will work. We share one changing room, for example. You’d be in close-quarters with five un-blocked alphas. Have you thought about how comfortable you’ll be with that?”

He hadn’t, actually. Being an anomaly gave him the privilege of changing in a separate room from the rest of his classmates. Not that he would have been bothered by it, but he was glad that he was shielded from the worst of the smells of the other boys. He could do it, though. If that was part and parcel of being on the team, he would find a relatively clear corner and get on with it. He wasn’t going to let them accuse him of being delicate, and the assumption that he’d chicken out of it for such a stupid reason was insulting.

He bared his teeth, instantly regretting it but unable to stop his temper.

“I’m not a CHILD” he hissed between gritted teeth. “I don’t want pandering; I want to have the same chance that the rest of the team has. If you don’t trust me then why bother letting me join?”

Instead of talking him down from his temper, Akashi seemed to enjoy stoking it.

“We play our games unblocked- all of us. There’s a lot of hormones flying around when we play. We would expect you to do the same, Kuroko. Is that going to be too much for you?”

“I can handle it fine! I thought you WANTED me to join!” he burst out, unable to contain himself. He could see what Akashi was doing. It was just unfortunate that he still couldn’t stop himself from rising to the bait.
“It’ll be hard work. You’ll be expected to get to our level very quickly.” It seemed almost taunting. “Will it be too hard for you? Can you keep up?”

“Just let me get my hands on a ball, and I’ll show you!” Kuroko showed his teeth again.

“Will you? Do you have what it takes, Kuroko?”

Akashi leaned towards him over the table. Kuroko leaned in, putting them almost nose-to-nose as he stared back at him, unwilling to flinch back despite his instincts pulling at him to get some distance between the alpha and himself. The surge of undeserved confidence that flooded into him almost lifted him off of his feet.

“I do.”

Akashi stared at him a beat longer before suddenly slumping back, relaxing into his chair again and leaving Kuroko standing stupidly by himself.

“Good.” Akashi grinned, easy. It was if the past few moments hadn’t happened at all. “Then let’s go and see the principle.”

—————————————————————-

The principle was a wiry, harassed-looking beta who seemed, in Kuroko’s opinion, to look as though he’d missed out on a full night of sleep every day of his life and was now running on sheer force of will alone. He did, however, have a surprisingly firm quality to his words. Such as now, as he looked at the paper in his hands.

“No.”

Akashi looked politely puzzled.

“I’m sorry, sir. No?”

The principle slid the contract back towards the captain, shaking his head.

“No, I can’t accept this. I’m sorry, but it’s far too dangerous for Kuroko to join the basketball team. I’ve given you the benefit of the doubt in the past because of your results, but I couldn’t possibly allow this. I’m sure you can understand why.”

Akashi took a breath.

“I can assure you sir- I have personally risk-assessed the idea of Kuroko becoming part of our team. I have accounted for the changes we would have to make, and factored them into his inclusion. I would ensure that he was at no more risk than any one of us out there on the court.”

The principle took off his glasses to clean the lenses, agitated.

“That’s just it- you can’t possibly guarantee any of this for him. He isn’t like you, or anyone else on the team. If anything happened to him, then I would be the one at fault for allowing this to happen.”

Kuroko, waiting to see if he would be acknowledged at all in this debate, let his anger bleed into his words.

“If I can cut in, sir- what do you mean, I’m ‘not like anyone on the team’?”

Momoi shot him a frantic look at his tone. Akashi did nothing. The principle, clearly having had forgotten he was there, scrambled to reply.

“Well of course- you know what I mean, Kuroko,” he said. “You’re not an alpha. You couldn’t possibly think it would be a safe idea for you to play a high-intensity sport with even two alpha players, let alone a group of five of them. LET ALONE a group of five alphas who don’t take suppressants during their games. Not to mention your unique designation. It’s just not something that would ever end well.”

“I think that if you’ve already allowed five alphas to set up this kind of team, then it would be hypocritical to warn off potential teammates from joining it,” Kuroko said stiffly. He did not say what he wanted to say, which was that if you were stupid enough to let five hormone-driven alphas turn a basketball game into a potential bloodbath, then you couldn’t very well get up on your high horse now about it in the name of safety.

The principle peered at him.
“I see… is this an activism thing, Kuroko? Is that why you’re interested in the team?”

“Is it what?” Kuroko asked blankly.

The principle, clearly feeling that he’d hit upon the underlying mystery of his interest in joining the team, continued.

“It’s true that you’ve presented in a unique way, Kuroko. I can understand that there must be a lot of frustrations that crop up alongside being the only male omega in this school, and you must face a lot of challenges.”

“Like people thinking they can speak for me, yes.” Kuroko said sweetly. Momoi rubbed at her face, avoiding looking at him. He could have sworn that he saw Akashi’s mouth twitch.

The principle coughed.

“And is that what’s happening here?”

Kuroko furrowed his brow, confused at the principle’s meaning.

“Is that what…?” And then, suddenly, he got it. “You think I’ve been forced to join?” He asked, too incredulous to be angry.

“I’m asking if that’s the case. It wouldn’t be the first time that something like this has happened. If it would make you more comfortable, we can continue this discussion one-on-one. Akashi, if you and Momoi would like to wait outside for—”

“I decided to join myself. It was my decision, and I wouldn’t allow myself to be forced into anything, sir.” He said through gritted teeth.

“Of course not,” the principle said unconvincingly. It was the sort of tone Kuroko had heard parents use when trying to talk down a toddler who was gearing up for a tantrum. “However, I think that in the interest of safety, both for you and the school, it would be unwise to allow you to join the team. I’m sorry, Kuroko. If you’d like to discuss this any further, I think it would be wise for you and I to schedule a future meeting- just the two of us.”

He could feel his chance slipping away as the principle made to usher them out of the stuffy office. He couldn’t look away from the man, brain whirring desperately to find something to change his mind. If they left now, this would be it. It was all for nothing- life would go on the way it had, and he would stagnate, invisible and unfulfilled. He wouldn’t let that happen.

“We’re pack,” he burst out, before his mind could comprehend what his mouth was saying. “The team and I- we’ve pack bonded. You’ve got to let me join. That’s how I know it’s safe.” What are you saying? He asked himself hysterically. Stop talking. “You wouldn’t have any issues with letting a pack play together, correct?”

The principle seemed lost for words.

“You’ve BONDED? They’ve courted you, and you’ve accepted?”

“Yes.” Kuroko lied. “We’re… close. That’s why I want to join the team.”

It was a risky lie. If the principle asked him any follow-up questions, he’d soon figure out that Kuroko hadn’t the slightest idea about any members of the team. His brain was in such a panic that he wasn’t even sure that he could remember any of their NAMES, let alone make up anything convincing about courting rituals they might have performed. His only comfort was that any kind of pack courtship was so rare nowadays that the principle himself might not have a clue what it would entail.

Akashi cleared his throat. Through the haze of his own sudden insanity, Kuroko watched him as he smiled, sweeping his arms to the side as he gave a theatrical shrug.

“And there you have it,” he said warmly. “From Kuroko’s own mouth. And you know we take care of our pack above all else.”

“Right…” Kuroko agreed, dizzily.

The principle, clearly out of his depth, leaned back in his chair, surveying the group.

“And… you’re serious about this, Kuroko? You understand the risks you’ll be taking on to play with this team, yes?”

“I do,” he said quietly.

“You understand that it will be the responsibility of you and your pack to ensure you keep yourself safe during matches, yes?”

He readily ignored the fact that they weren’t a pack. “Yes.”

“And Akashi… you’re also serious about this? You also understand the risks?”

“I’m deadly serious. I understand the risks and I’m willing to take responsibility for anything that may happen.”

“And I’ll keep an eye on them too,” Momoi said breezily. “I think he’ll be a great fit for the team, in my professional opinion.”

The principle sighed, motioning for Akashi to pass the contract back over to him.

“I see. Fine. Kuroko- you will have the opportunity to watch the team playing their practice match in a few days’ time. If you watch the team in action and would still like to join, I will sign off on your membership. Just… please think it over carefully until then.”

“I will, sir.” He bowed stiffly, before letting Akashi and Momoi usher his shaking body out of the room.

Had that really happened? It felt like he’d been wading through syrup and now that he was out of it his body was struggling to recentre itself.

Momoi let out a heavy breath, stretching her arms above her head.

“Well… that could have gone worse?” She tried.

Akashi huffed a laugh.

“I think it went very well. Don’t you think so, Kuroko?”

“He still doesn’t want me to join” he pointed out, just so he didn’t have to agree. It had actually gone better than he’d expected- all he now had to do was watch the team in a game and then… well. Then he would get what he’d always wanted.

“Maybe not. But you will- your pack will make sure of it.”

He stared at Akashi’s back, realising just what he’d agreed to in that meeting. Horror dawned on him as he realised that Akashi hadn’t just gone along with his lie- he was going to make it come true.

“I don’t think we really need to worry about that.”

Akashi hummed consideringly.

“It was a good point- it will certainly go a long way into assuaging our principle’s concerns. I’m sure the pack will be delighted to have you, if you’d still like to join after you watch our game.”

Kuroko couldn’t help but notice that, while he hadn’t come right out and said it, the underlying threat was that, without accepting their courtship and joining them as a pack, there would be no joining the team. And, to make matters worse, this entire idea was his own fault. He couldn’t very well back out of something he’d suggested.

“We could just pretend, when we’re in public,” he suggested, already knowing it would be shot down.

“I don’t think that’s gonna work,” Momoi interjected kindly. She gave him a sympathetic smile. “He’d find out- the team aren’t any good at lying.”

“No. I think you’re stuck with us now,” Akashi said brightly. “I’ll make sure that the team gives it their all at our next game”.

Kuroko could only pinch the bridge of his nose, sensing a headache on the horizon.

“You’d better,” he said wearily.

Or else.

Chapter Text

They were staring.

Kuroko sat upright on the bench, fighting against the urge to curl himself inward to shield himself from the group of alphas. But no… he wouldn’t give them any more satisfaction. He’d already come to watch their game, despite that brief moment in the hallway where he’d seriously considered turning around, going home, and blocking Momoi’s number from his phone. He still couldn’t quite believe he’d made it, in all honesty. Up until now it had felt like he’d been floating, untethered in a bizarre dream as he’d slipped in around the players and staff members to sit and stare out at the court.

That was, until the court had begun to stare back.

The opposing team, still in the middle of warming up, hadn’t paid him any mind. It wasn’t until Akashi had abruptly stopped talking, scented the air, and then inclined his head towards him, that the trouble had started.

One by one each of the alphas had turned to look at him, expressions ranging from surprise, curiosity, and (more alarmingly, in Kuroko’s opinion), excitement. Momoi, who had also been involved in the semi-circle of team members, shook her head in apparent exasperation. He wondered if it was on his behalf, or her own. They stared unabashedly, unconcerned about coming across as rude. It seemed like they were waiting for something.

He’d probably be expected to wave or something, right? What exactly was the etiquette here, when you had a group of alpha guys staring at you like you’d performed some sort of a magic trick? Staring back didn’t seem to be doing anything and he suspected that, while flipping them off would certainly improve his mood, it would probably get back to the principle, and his chances of joining the team would go back down to zero. Not to mention that it felt uncomfortably rude to make a gesture like that in front of Momoi, who’d been very reasonable throughout this whole ordeal. He’d have to wait until she left, and then he could give it a try.

Instead, he gave a half-hearted nod, and then turned pointedly to watch their opposing team now in their own huddle, making his dismissal clear.

There was, to his dismay, a burst of excitement in his chest as he took it all in. The sounds of the players, the sights of them stretching, dribbling, throwing… how many years had it been? Since he’d been even this close to the action? The smell was overwhelming, the oppressive odour of Teiko’s unblocked basketball team so strong that it was almost making his eyes water. On any other day he’d have given anything to have escaped it, would have rather sprayed pepper spray in his open eyes than sat anywhere near the pheromones that reeked out of every pore. Instead, he wrinkled his nose slightly, finding himself more preoccupied with the itching feeling that throbbed through his palms each time he could hear the thwack! of a ball hitting the ground.

He drew himself back in time to find Momoi sitting beside him on the bench, clipboard perched on her knees as she threw him a smile.

“Nice to see you made it Kuroko, even if you did distract the team in the middle of my briefing,” she said playfully. He found himself pleased again that he’d resisted the urge to swear at them. He was starting to find her presence a nice reprieve from all the alpha scents amongst them, and not just because she was blocked.

“Perhaps you’ll have to keep them reigned in tighter, Miss Momoi,” he found himself lightly replying, pointedly ignoring the blond one waving at him. She snorted.

“Asking the impossible. That’s Akashi’s job, not mine. They don’t do a thing I tell them.” She cut him a look, pausing before she continued as if not sure how much to reveal. “Plus they’ve been excited about you coming to watch. I don’t think they’ve been this unbearable about a non-tournament match since they first started.”

He blinked, unsure what to say, before deciding not to comment. He didn’t understand it- this strange fascination they had with him. The redhead had sworn that it wasn’t to do with his unique designation, but what else could it be? Certainly not his winning personality, he’d made sure of that.

“Who are they playing?” He asked, eager to change the subject. He watched Momoi’s eyes again take on that sheen that meant she was in Manager Mode.

“That’s Kamizaki,” she murmured, staring at the players intently. He watched her tracking one player in particular, staring at him as if committing all of him to memory. He looked fairly normal, for a basketball player anyway. Tall (of course), clearly alpha in designation, though from here Kuroko couldn’t smell any pheromones. They’d almost certainly all taken suppressants before the match, as most sensible teams did.

He waited, but Momoi didn’t offer any further information on her own, too engrossed.

“Are they a good team?” He asked, hesitantly. Momoi didn’t turn around, but the intensity in her eyes lessoned a tad.

“Yep. See him?” She nodded towards the alpha she’d been looking at. Kuroko hummed in acknowledgement. “That’s the team’s ace-  Inoue. He’s Aomine’s rival. He’s been giving him trouble since they first played against each other.”

Kuroko bit his tongue to stop himself from pointing out how childish it was that the blue-haired alpha had apparently designated himself a rival, like something out of a sentai show for kids. He supposed, if you were inclined to see it in a favourable light, it showed how passionate he was about the sport. He personally wasn’t inclined to see it that way, but each to their own. How like an alpha, to posture over something so inane.

“I see,” was all he offered. Inoue was a fairly big presence, which was to be expected as an alpha player. Though, on closer inspection even for an athlete he seemed to be quite bulky with muscle; his arms looked like they were bulging as he slapped a teammate’s back supportively, almost causing the smaller man to topple over. If Kuroko wasn’t currently watching the purple-haired player on Teiko’s team tower over everyone, he would have said that they held the size advantage. From looking at Kamizaki’s maroon-bibbed players, he would have guessed that they had maybe two alphas on their team as most of the stronger teams did- Inoue, and another large dark-haired player who was gesturing in front of his teammates. He assumed that that would have to be the captain, though he’d been out of the loop for so long that he didn’t really have any solid idea who was who. “Are you concerned about Teiko’s chances?”

Momoi finally tore her gaze away from the court as a whistle sounded, causing the two teams to finish up and scramble into their starting positions. She gave him a serene smile.

“Nope. They’ll win. They’ve got you here, after all.”

Kuroko blinked.

“Not really,” he muttered. “I’m just on the bench.” It wasn’t as if he was on the court playing with them. At this stage he wasn’t that much better than the small number of spectators lingering around the gym, even if he could currently feel the looks Teiko was still aiming at him like flies landing on his skin. If Akashi hadn’t pointed him out he could have quite easily disappeared from their minds, and they’d never have known he’d come.

If only.

“You’ll see,” was all she said, before the starting whistle sounded and any further thoughts were drowned out by the ensuing match.

Kuroko had seen basketball games before. Way back before his designation he’d even played in a few, so he thought he’d had a pretty good grasp on the feel of a match. At this level he didn’t expect too much, even for a team he’d been told was all but guaranteed a spot at nationals. He purposefully hadn’t kept up much with the rankings for other middle schools, but from the look of them he would have said that it could be close, with Kamizaki giving them a fairly tight contest.

He’d been wrong.

This was like nothing he’d seen before.

From the first tip-off, Teiko gained control of the ball like it was pre-destined and didn’t let up once.

Each of the alphas moved like clockwork, every member slotting effortlessly into place and orbiting around each other as though being pulled by a current which left their opponents floundering in their wake. The ball was almost a blur with how quickly it was passed between each of the players, and it seemed that Kamizaki were having trouble simply seeing it, let alone countering the plays. If he’d seen some tense battles before, this was an outright slaughter.

Though the gym was buzzing with frantic energy, the sound of the ball passing through the hoop time after time was almost deafening. Kuroko could feel himself shaking with adrenaline as he watched the team, breaths becoming shallow as his chest constricted while he tracked the movements between each player, finding that he was matching the rise and fall of their chests as they synced their rhythms.

It felt like he could almost feel himself there, in the spaces between them. He could taste something electric with each sharp pass, his body attuned to their movements as if they were making room for him to fit, saving space for his smaller frame. His hands gripped the bench, tethering himself to the sidelines. It was magnetic, watching them play. He could have sworn at times that he could see threads of lightning chasing their strides, that thunder rumbled overhead as the gap between scores got wider and wider, less desperation and more a fury within them as they took point after point. They seemed so much bigger than their opponents, looming over them with their unblocked presence and fierce grins showing gritted teeth as they worked faster and faster, time seeming to mean nothing out on the court.

“This is a practice match?” He managed to choke out to Momoi, trying to get his breathing under control. He managed to look away long enough to see her widened eyes fixed on Akashi, watching as he got the ball past the team’s power forward seemingly before he’d even realised it.

“Well it was,” she said disbelievingly, “though I think it’s turned into them showing off, at this point.”

They both turned back to watch the blue-haired player dunking the ball, score two more points for the team, and look to see if they were watching. His eyes met Kuroko’s before he could turn away and feign disinterest, and he was subjected to a huge, cocky smile before he jogged back over to mark Inoue like the cat who’d gotten the proverbial cream. He reddened as he heard Momoi giggle.

“He’s going to be insufferable now that he knows you saw that. All of them, actually. This is the best I think I’ve ever seen them play, and they’re always pretty good.”

He tried not to feel pleased about that. It wasn’t too hard, with his newfound impatience to play a game for himself. He couldn’t help but be stunned at their cooperation, the fact that, even now as the clock ran down its time and the atmosphere became charged, the alpha-only group hadn’t torn each other’s throats out. He’d only managed to spot a few moments where one of them bristled slightly at another, before they’d taken a deep breath and noticeably relaxed. Meanwhile, as the pressure grew he could see Kamizaki’s two alphas growing more frustrated with each other, Inoue almost baring his teeth before being slapped on the back of the head by one of his teammates to knock him out of it. Kuroko could relate. He’d often had the urge to hit an alpha over the head when he noticed them posturing like that.

Of course, alphas would always be alphas, in the end.

He watched, feeling his stomach churn as, after a particularly tense bought, Inoue snarled loudly at the blue-haired alpha upon losing brief possession of the ball. Momoi groaned.

“And Aomine was doing so well,” she said sadly, as the blue-haired alpha drew himself up, showing teeth and posturing back. Akashi, standing closest to the two, made as if to insert himself into the stand-off, before closing his eyes and visibly forcing himself to relax. When the redhead opened them again, he shot a loaded look towards Momoi, before turning his attention back to the game. She sighed.

“He rarely listens to me when he’s unblocked and all worked up like this.”

Kuroko frowned.

“I thought Akashi was the team’s captain. Didn’t you say it was his job to keep control over them?”

“Not when there’s that much tension. He’ll end up getting involved too if he isn’t careful. I usually step in and do what I can, but it wouldn’t be the first time he’s been kicked off the court for rising to it.”

Kuroko rolled his eyes.

“Call a time out and smack him like the other team did?” he suggested half in jest, impatient for the game to continue. His blood was still singing with adrenaline even from the bench, and this alpha nonsense was mixing the leftover energy from the match alongside Kuroko’s ever-present frustration. There were only a few minutes left on the clock, and he felt irritable that he’d been jerked out of watching the match, out of feeling himself so close to the game.

Momoi laughed.

“If only.”

She brightened suddenly, clasping his hand in hers so quickly that he didn’t have time to pull away. “You could try it!”

Kuroko blinked slowly.

“What… hit him?” It held a lot of appeal, actually, even if he doubted with his limited stature it would do much good. And; besides, the game was in fact still somehow going on, so close to finishing that there wouldn’t really be much point. They would win anyway, unless a fight did actually break out and get them disqualified.

“Tell him to get back to the game! They’re playing for your benefit- he might listen to you.”

He shook his head, trying to dislodge Momoi’s (surprisingly strong) grip. “If he’s as bad as you say, then I doubt I’d be much use, Miss Momoi.”

“Please Kuroko, if you don’t try then he’ll be kicked off and they’ll lose. Look!”

He turned back to watch Aomine and Inoue almost nose-to-nose, both snarling as Aomine’s hands clenched and unclenched, shaking slightly. He looked genuinely mad, like he was seconds away from swinging. It was a massive leap from the man who’d almost fallen over himself during their first meeting when Kuroko had told him to step back.

It’s not any of my business, he told himself firmly. They’ll laugh at you, trying to order them around. An omega telling an alpha what to do? Give me a break.

He lasted all of a minute before his irritation bubbled over, shaking Momoi off and cupping his hands around his mouth in order to let his voice travel.

“HEY!” He tried, to no avail. He set his jaw against the wave of self-consciousness, convinced himself that nobody was staring bemusedly at him, and tried again. “HEY!”

Finally, the blue-haired alpha blinked, turning with a startled look, as if surprised to be acknowledged. He furrowed his brows, pointing to his chest like a dim-witted child as if Kuroko could be yelling at anyone else on the team, previously displayed anger dissipating quickly in favor of his hesitancy. Kuroko’s blood was boiling, half in embarrassment and half in genuine annoyance. If anyone mentioned this after the game he might genuinely have to kill them, principle or no principle.

“LEAVE IT.” He ordered, as though giving orders to an unruly dog. “PLAY!”

He thought he could hear Momoi snort, and struggled not to squirm against the embarrassment that was threatening to drown him. Once they’d finished, he was going to make sure he got the chance to wreck slow, painful revenge.

To his relief, the alpha looked back at the game as if just realising that he’d stopped in order to have his idiotic fight. He looked back at Kuroko, grin creeping across his face, and threw an ‘okay’ sign with his hand before he jumped back in with newfound gusto, leaving Inoue looking around confusedly as if coming out of a daze. Kuroko covered his face with a hand, looking at the game between splayed fingers. Momoi patted him on the back.

“I think by the time they reach nationals you’ll have him mastering ‘speak’ and ‘roll over’, don’t you think?”

Despite himself, he couldn’t suppress a huff of laughter.

“I think it’s ‘shut up’ that I’m having trouble with.”

Momoi’s laughter was drowned out by the final buzzer. Kamizaki: 32, Teiko: 106. It hadn’t even been close.