Archive of Our Own ^beta

Monday

Kageyama Tobio was an alpha. A not so pleasant one at that. He scowled more often than he smiled and when he did smile, it was in a complacent way. He had extremely high expectations for everyone including himself and while it made him rough and hard to please, it also made him extremely reliable and decisive, qualities appreciated for alphas. To say he was good looking was a euphemism. Piercing steel blue eyes, jet black bangs forming a point between them, and knife cut jawline. You’d think that, with a face like so, the rest of his body had to be…average. But of course, Kageyama stood at 6’3’’, with the chiseled muscles of the athletic lifestyle. All things considered; it was not surprising that he often felt lingering omega eyes on his body. He never entertained the displays of attention, not that he hated omegas, he just disliked people in general and omegas were the highest maintenance of them all. Mating bonds sounded incredibly silly to him and the idea of actually missing someone to the point of hurting sounded like a fool’s wish. He had no interest in mating and was certain if he’d ever pair with someone, it’d be with a beta. Their calm and rational nature made a lot more sense to Tobio and actually reminded him of his own persona. Despite being irritable like most alpha, Kageyama had total control over his composure and occasional anger never appeared further than in his eyes. He lacked the desire to protect and the rough camaraderie his alpha coworkers had.

Talking about coworkers, Kageyama looked up at his work building. He was not the greatest fans of Mondays, but he genuinely enjoyed his job; it made him feel efficient and even a loner like him enjoyed some social interactions. Work interactions were then perfect for him, useful and precise. He recalled how different from him his work pals were. He liked his boss best. Daichi was a calm and collected alpha, master at conflict management. His partner, Sugawara, was a fierce and protective omega, he handled HR and was a reference for literally anything. Kageyama worked in the accounting department with Tsukishima, a snarky but fortunately mostly silent beta. His partner was an omega; they had successfully done what was so rare and it comforted Kageyama in his pairing choices. However, Tsukishima and Yamaguchi had been friend since childhood and had decided to form a pair way before their presenting. Even without that mating bond and without that characteristic paired couples new combined smell, they still both smelled like each other and formed a very equilibrated couple. Kageyama wondered if only deep friendship could make such a feat possible. Yamaguchi, was the head of the marketing and social managing branch of the company. He worked with two other omegas: Yachi, a soft spoken 5’2’’ blond girl and Lev, a 6’5’’ Russian guy whose goal in life was to be of service. Yachi’s partner, Kiyoko, a dark-haired pragmatic and efficient alpha, was the head of the IT department. Kageyama thought very highly of her. The IT she ran was completed by Asahi, the softest and most shy alpha to have ever walked this earth, by his obnoxious and loud omega partner, Nishinoya and by Tanaka. The beta was another living proof of exceptions to the usual natures of alphas, betas and omega as he was short tempered and loud. He was, however, extremely hard working and took great pride in his family, his mate, a comforting beta woman, was working at the café on the building’s first floor. The web development team was led by Kenma, an analytical omega who never spoke for nothing. This team was completed by Akaashi, a problem solver alpha who was calm and stoic but was ready to square up for his mate’s sake, Yaku, a demanding but playful alpha, Terushima, an absolute flirty dirt bag alpha (according to Kageyama), and Oikawa, a loud, dramatic and annoying omega. The last division of the team was the sales team. Being loud and endearing were their whole job description and Kageyama could not stand either of them. Kuroo was Kenma’s mate, a cocky and smooth alpha. The other, Bokuto, was a gigantic and muscular omega, he was a great entertainer despite being prone to mood swings and requesting his mate’s , Akaashi, attention 24/7.

And that’s how Torino, the small web development company, functioned everyday.

The elevator dinged once, and the doors opened to the 5th floor. Kageyama made his way to his desk to drop his coat then walked to the employees’ room, where everyone had gathered around the new marketing intern.

He smelled him before he saw him. Orange peels and freshly cut grass. An omega.

And then he saw him standing next to Suga. All smiles, looking like a literal sun with poofy orange hair and gold chestnut eyes. He bounced slightly on place, apparently very excited to be there. Great, another bubbly and loud omega. But then his smile dropped a little and his nostrils flared, he flexed his neck to look between Yachi and Yamaguchi and his eyes directly met Kageyama’s. He gave the accountant an endearing smile to which he didn’t answer and fortunately, the orange omega’s attention was drawn away by sudden welcoming words. Suga asked them to be nice to the intern, Hinata his name was.

Kageyama returned to his desk, finally he could get some work done. He realised along the way that the extent of his annoyance after a meeting that lasted at most seven minutes was very alpha-ish of him and definitely uncalled for. That annoyed him even more, but as usual, he kept a neutral face, letting nothing show. Good thing his neutral face was actually a pissed one. Maybe he wasn’t as stealthy as expected because, barely two hours later, his colleague spoke up:

- Tsk. Would you calm down? I can feel your anger from here.

Kageyama gritted his teeth. That’s it. It was impacting his work.

- It’s the stupid smell. I can’t concentrate.

- What smell?

- Stupid orange one!

Tsukishima raised his head and sniffed the air. Scents were not as strong for betas but they still could use them to recognise people and emotions.

- I can’t say it’s more present than any other smell, King. It’s just new. To me, it mostly smells like lilac, cotton and sandalwood; that’d be me and Yams, and stupid sourly pine, that be you and your bad faith attitude.

King. Tobio hated that nickname. It implied he was a self-serving leader where he wanted to project efficiency. He pinched the bridge of his nose to stop the growl forming in his throat.

Then lunch finally came. Kageyama had decided to make a quick escape and to go eat his bento outside. There was a small park with a fountain in front of the building. He sat down and inhaled the fresh air, slightly chlorinated from the fountain’s water, it smelled like…orange and grass. Kageyama turned around to spot the small figure of Hinata at the entrance of the park, the omega was looking around, sniffing the air. Kageyama ducked behind the basin of the fountain, luckily the wind was in his face, erasing his smell. The little omega looked defeated when he turned around and went back inside the building. Kageyama finished his lunch quietly before also walking back inside. When he entered, he spotted Tanaka’s mate at the café’s counter. She looked at him with pursed smiling lips and mouthed ‘’run’’. He had barely processed the warning when a weight hit his back, knocking the air out of his lungs with a thud. He got rid of the weight and turned around with bared fangs. To eye level was the tip of orange hair, Hinata. The omega let out a worried yelp and Tobio put his teeth away real quick. Even if he didn’t like the omega, displays of dominance were no way to behave. He opted for his usual cold expression; the omega relaxed and offered a warm smile.

- I talked to everybody in the office except for you! I’m Hinata Shouyou, nice to meet you! I tried to track you, but you disappeared butIknewyouwereoutsidesoI-

- Stop. Please. You talk too fast and I also do not desire to chat with you-

- I like your smell. Pine and vanilla. It registered in my brain instantly! That’s how I knew you were outside.

Kageyama studied the omega before him. He stood at maybe 5’3’’. His features were soft, but a glint of malice shone in his eyes. This man liked a challenge and took every single one thrown at him with unwavering optimism but definitely no plan or actual skill. How annoying. Hinata was still talking and Tobio came back to reality to hear him excuse himself for the sneak attack, wave at him and make his way to the elevator. Kageyama waited for the doors to close on the omega to release a low growl.

He arrived at his desk five minutes later and rubbed his back, still sore from Shouyou’s weight. Tsukishima lifted his head and gave him a complacent smile.

- I see chibi orange found you, I can smell him on you.

Kageyama bared his teeth again, definitely Hinata was testing his self-control. Tsukishima’s shit-eating grin grew wider.

- Careful, King. You almost scared me there.

The afternoon went by without incident. Everybody seemed to adore Hinata and to not mind about his smell that overpowered the whole office, or about the fact he was so loud and insufferably attention-seeking. Tobio could perpetually hear him giggle and tell exuberant stories from the marketing department. And he could smell him; it was alienating and Tobio could feel his icy composure crack as minutes went by. He wanted to walk up to the omega and tell him to tone it down, his personality, his pheromones; he wanted to make him shut up.

When the King went home that night and removed his t-shirt, he caught himself inhaling at the fresh summer scents lingering on the fabric.

Tuesday

Kageyama woke up strained and pissy. He showered and decided to dress up a little fancier than usual. Maybe looking professional would be a counterpart to his despicable mood. He looked at his reflection in the mirror and nodded, the navy-blue dress shirt and black jeans complemented his composure perfectly.

I like your smell. Pine and vanilla.

Tobio grunted. He knew the vanilla in his scent was very light. Hinata was very observant, and also very bold.

The alpha got out of auto pilot as he entered his familiar work tower. He made his way to the elevator and was annoyed to find Hinata was also waiting for the lift. He was chatting in an energic way with Nishinoya, who was holding Asahi’s hand. Noya made a nasty sexual joke and the orange haired omega giggled while Asahi looked like he wanted to disappear. Hinata spotted him and gave him another of his sunshine smile, as well as a tiny wave to which Tobio didn’t reply. The elevator finally got here, and they all boarded. Right before the door managed to close, a big and bronzed hand prevented it from doing so. Kuroo swiftly entered the cabin with Kenma in tow, eyes glued to a portable video game console; Kageyama gritted his teeth, now it was very crowded in here. To his absolute dismay, the door didn’t manage to close yet again as Oikawa popped his head in the way, asking if there’d be room for him, all sugary. They all attempted to move to let the tall omega enter and, in their puzzle solving situation, Kuroo stepped on Hinata’s foot, making him mouth a small ‘Ow’ in a sharp breath intake. Kageyama growled at Kuroo.

Tobio didn’t know what possessed him. His eyes grew wide, and he brought his hand to his mouth. All eyes were on him, to stunned to speak. Stupid Oikawa was still keeping the door open with his body, but it was almost fortunate as the air felt thick, filled with mixed calming omega pheromones. Kuroo chose to avoid conflict and turned to Hinata.

- I am sorry, I should have been more careful.

Shouyou whispered that it was ok, and Kenma offered him a light touch. The conflict was over. Kageyama was still mortified at his behaviour and deeply grateful for Kuroo’s chill nature. The ride to the office was completely silent.

Once on the fifth floor, Tobio went straight for the bathroom to spray some cold water on his face. What the hell was that? He could already feel the calm but deadly disciplinary meeting he’d get with Daichi; he groaned, he definitely had to go apologize to Kuroo.

When he finally got to his desk, he spotted Yamaguchi talking at a low volume with his mate. The freckled omega smelled very lightly of oranges; he definitely had scented with Hinata to calm him. Kageyama knew this was a social behaviour for omegas, but it still pissed him off. Jealousy? Absolutely not. It definitely was guilt. After all, he was responsible for the unease of the orange haired intern. Yamaguchi passed him by with a nod and disappeared behind the corner of the accounting department. Tsukishima looked unimpressed.

- Yams told me not to be a jerk to you. You are lucky.

- I deserved to be mocked. I was pathetic.

Tsukishima looked like he was about to confirm but adverted his gaze instead. He faked being absorbed by his work and Kageyama soon understood why. Daichi came to a stop near his desk. His face said ‘’calm and amicable’’ but his energy said ‘’in charge’’; Kageyama bowed down in submission and Daichi signalled him to follow. They sat down in his office and Daichi took his most dad voice when he spoke:

- I know you are used to… repress your alpha nature, but as you are unmated, you are bound to…

Oh no. This was worse.

Kageyama finally closed the office’s door behind him. He just had a birds and bees talk…from his boss…at 26 years old.

Now he was angry AND ashamed, great. Only one thing left to do before putting the whole incident behind him, or maybe two things. First, apologize to Kuroo, and second, avoid Hinata.

He made his way to the salesmen office and was greeted by a very energetic welcome from Bokuto. The tall and muscular omega gave him a firm shoulder squeeze before leaving the room right on cue under the pretext he ‘’missed Akaashi’’. Kageyama coughed lightly before talking to Kuroo, he spoke in a neutral, empty of emotion, voice.

- So, hum, I’m very sorry about this morning. This display of dominance was so uncalled for.

Kuroo gave him one of his amused smiles before answering.

- No worries at all, King. I was like that too when I met Kenma. I actually was much worse the first days. I am surprised you even let Hinata work in another department, the scent must be unbearable.

- It is unbearable, yes. I’m so glad someone finally noticed.

- You know it is only unbearable to you, right? But don’t worry, it will settle with time and even more after mating-

Kageyama had to refrain from growling again, but this time from annoyance. What was Kuroo even insinuating?

- I have no intention on doing anything of that kind with Hinata. I do not wish to partner with an omega.

Kuroo looked at him like he was absolutely stupid and then nodded. He politely accepted Tobio’s apologies and so the King went on his way. He had to get some work done in this god forsaken day.

When lunchtime finally arrived, Kageyama decided to eat by the fountain again; he craved some alone time and some fresh air.

The scent must be unbearable.

You know it is only unbearable to you, right?

That was not true. It was not always unbearable. It was not when he had actually spoken with Hinata yesterday, surprisingly. It was not right now. It felt like an itch in his brain. Kageyama rubbed his wrists’ scent glands on his shirt, in an attempt to cover the orange smell but it apparently didn’t come from his clothes. That’s it, it had driven him crazy; he sighed and opened his bento box.

His lunch eaten, he just leaned on the fountain’s wall, weight on his arms behind him, eyes closing. He felt the discomfort leave his body and relaxed, finally the outdoors were doing their magic.

Wait. It’s not the outdoors. It’s-

He snapped his eyes open, Hinata was sitting on the edge of the fountain, releasing calming pheromones. So, he was apparently able to be quiet sometimes. It was time to rip the bandage. Fast and efficient, as The King always did.

- Hinata.

I’m sorry for this morning, I am not like that.

- I would prefer that we do not spend time together from now on.

I feel calmer with you close, but I don’t like who I am when you are not close enough.

- Please leave me alone.

I changed my mind, please stay.

The short omega looked hurt and shocked a little bit. He stood up, inclined his head in submission and left.

Kageyama sighed; this was for the best. He didn’t deal with omegas.

When he got back to the office, it was to a nasty look from Yamaguchi. The alternative looking omega seemed to now be convinced alpha males were stupid. Jokes on him, Kageyama agreed that alpha male were indeed stupid, especially when omegas were in question. The omega huffed at him, and Kageyama turned his head to bare his fangs at the wall; ain’t no way he was getting another misconduct meeting today. Tsukishima didn’t even bat an eye at the exchange; like a true beta, he didn’t insert himself in his mate’s business.

Kageyama got a surprisingly calm and productive afternoon, all things considered. It made him content and almost apt to ignore the cursed orange field that inflamed his nose. He knew the discomfort would cease if he just got closer to the source but that was out of the question. He was still fighting this internal battle when he caught the familiar scent of cedar and sugarcane, Yaku.

The alpha motioned for Tobio to join him for a quick break outside. Kageyama looked at the clock, 14:30, a reasonable time for his afternoon break. He joined Yaku; he had appreciated the man’s sharpness and high standards since he had joined Torino’s team two months prior. Yaku spoke first.

- It’s difficult to ignore, right?

- What is?

- The smell of your chosen mate.

Not again with this.

- How would you know, Yaku?

- I can smell Lev everyday since I joined; everyday is fresh snow and shea. I know what it means but I just can’t seem to tell him about it…he looks afraid of me since I tried to explain to him how to create banners for the company. I’m short tempered and exigent. I don’t want him to feel trapped by any confession of mine.

So it is possible to ignore. Hinata’s internship is only one month long. That’s great news.

- Thanks for telling me this, Yaku.

There was a small silence. Kageyama wondered if he should add some encouraging words but, faithful to himself, decided against it; it was better to remain silent than to speak words you do not mean. They made their way back to the office in silence.

And the rest of the day went by. Everything was going back to normal, Kageyama was still his good old self, it was all under control.

Until it wasn’t.

Wednesday

A strong scent of sweat and…orange orchards. His hands on scorching skin. His tongue lapping at oil droplets eager to mark tender flesh. Breathy moans.

Kageyama woke up strained and horny. How GREAT. He looked at himself in the mirror, he looked terrible. His hair was wild and so were his eyes, his whole face screamed desire. He threw his head back and let out the most discouraged grunt. He put on a gray turtleneck and some navy jeans. Maybe he should just call off for the next month. He left his house early; no way he was sharing an elevator again and getting to work early meant he could also leave early.

As expected, he met no one on his way to his desk. He knew Daichi and Suga were there from their car outside, but the office was still in complete silence, 7:30, if he was lucky, he’d still have another half an hour of silence.

So, it was in fact 21 minutes of silence before people started to arrive. The office slowly grew buzzing. Tsukishima sat at his chair with barely a nod; what a great day. Kageyama smelled Hinata the second the red head omega left the elevator. He also heard him laugh with Bokuto; he wasn’t surprised both omegas got along well, they both had enough energy to power a small town.

Kageyama remembered Yaku’s word and learned to accept the perpetual smell of Hinata on his brain, tongue, skin, everything. He knew it by heart and was sure that he could recreate a special Shouyou fragrance from memory only if asked to. So, when the smell turned slightly sour after a few hours, Kageyama raised his head to sniff the air. This wasn’t normal, he looked at Tsukishima who had no reaction and took another big breath and smelled distinctive distress. He rose to his feet and sprinted to the source of the smell. He turned the corner of the conference room and kicked the door open. Hinata was leaning against the wall, protecting himself with some files while Terushima hovered over him with a ravenous smile. Kageyama went feral.

He pushed the other alpha away to stand between him and the omega, the growl that escaped his throat had nothing to do with the small warning he had given Kuroo the day before; he stood tall, lips curled. Terushima dropped his head a little bit and laughed, he made his way to the door and spoke before exiting.

- Sorry, King. But I don’t see any marks on him. We can share if you want.

Kageyama went blind with rage and wanted to jump at the other but a hand held on to his sweater. He turned around to see a very distraught Hinata, tears at the corner of his eyes. All consciousness of Terushima left Tobio’s body, he knelt down, sitting the small omega on his lap. Shouyou grabbed the collar of the alpha’s turtleneck and pulled on it but the tight fabric barely budged.

He’s trying to access my scent gland to nest.

Kageyama grabbed the collar of his sweater and ripped it in a clean move. Instantly, Hinata rested his nose on the crook of his neck, where it met his shoulder, his body relaxed. Tobio, on the other hand, still had clenched jaws and murderous intents. After a few minutes, he whispered:

- I want to kill him.

- Don’t. I’m ok.

- You are only ok because I’m here.

Kageyama cursed at the implication of what he had just said. He tried to back pedal.

- Not that you need me or anything.

Hinata didn’t reply to this terrible attempt of reverse seduction. Instead, he giggled. Kageyama looked at him; the small omega looked up with a malicious smile.

- Your shirt is done for. You alphas are so dramatic.

Kageyama scowled at him.

Hinata dropped his head to the side to free his neck. Kageyama hesitated before nuzzling in the other’s neck. He rubbed his wrist on the omega’s arms.

The scent will keep other alphas away for the day.

It’s safer that way, Hinata had a rough day, I’m doing this for his sake.

He looked down at the omega, he was adverting his gaze but Tobio could see the pink tint on the tips or his ears. Maybe he had gone overboard with his scenting; he swiftly raised both wrists and coughed. Hinata spoke a flustered thank you, stood up from the other’s lap and left.

Kageyama stayed on the floor a little longer.

This means nothing.

Then why am I feeling that way?

Let him go.

Tell him to stay.

Please stay.

I changed my mind.

He spent the rest of the day taking the long route to the bathroom, the one that led near marketing, just to make sure. When the end of the day came, and Kageyama made his last ‘’trip to the bathroom’’ of the day he was annoyed to see Hinata was not at his desk. He frowned and sniffed the air… wait. Kageyama dodged to the side just in time to avoid a pouncing Shouyou. The omega turned around, pouting.

- How did you know?

- I won’t fall for the same trick twice.

The omega blew a raspberry and laughed. Despite his unimpressed expression, the alpha felt his breath hitch in his throat. He faked annoyance when he spoke.

- Do you want me to escort you to your train?

The omega caught on the masquerade and smiled even brighter; he was bouncing a little on his heels.

- I biked to work this morning, but we can walk together for a bit?

Kageyama gave a short nod to the proposition. He knew the increasing notes of vanilla in his smell were betraying him; he didn’t care that much.

They walked side by side in silence, Shouyou’s bike in tow. Kageyama could see Hinata throwing furtive glances at him. The omega had a light and carefree walk.

Maybe I should hold his hand.

Or maybe you could start by actually saying something, stupid.

Hinata stopped walking, offered the cutest closed eyes smile and spoke:

- We made it to your station, Kags! It was fun walking together; we should do that everyday!

- Wait! Are you going to be ok?

- Yup! See ya!

The omega climbed on his bike and waved; he was out of sight in seconds.

Bye Shouyou.

Thursday

Kageyama woke up eager. He hadn’t slept well. He was worried. It was absolutely ridiculous, he had nothing to worry about but his whole body was screaming for him to check on a certain orange haired omega. He caught an early train again and paced the office in waiting of Hinata, what was taking the fool so long? He looked at the clock in anger, 7:52. He snorted at himself; maybe it’d be wiser to get some work done instead of sulking like a maniac. He almost turned around when he caught it, the citrusy smell, the elevator opened to a bed eyed Hinata. The omega lit up at his sight and Kageyama’s brain worked overtime to keep his indifferent façade. He sauntered to greet Shouyou but stopped in his tracks and growled…again. Hinata looked worried.

- What’s wrong?

- It’s gone.

- What?

- My smell on you.

The smaller man laughed while Tobio pouted.

- Of course it’s gone! I had to wash myself, Kags.

How will I repel other alphas when we are not together, then?

The omega must have been a psychic or maybe the alpha was as transparent as glass because he spoke in a low voice.

- If you want the smell to stay, you’ll have to claim me.

Kageyama offered a frowny blush. The omega was toying with him, unacceptable.

I bet we’d smell great together. Like a strong cup of sweet orange tea maybe.

Kageyama grabbed the omega by the arm and yanked him in the conference room. He wondered if anything could prevent him from scenting the omega, but he still asked first. Hinata nodded and tilted his head to the side. Kageyama lapped at the oil droplets on the omega’s neck, earning small encouraging coos. He noticed the other was rubbing his wrists on any patch of exposed skin he could find, so he did the same. Once he was happy with his work, he backed off and huffed.

- There you go. Terushima won’t approach you again.

- Thank you, Kags.

- It’s nothing, I…can’t tolerate workplace harassment…

That’s what it was. His nature compelling him to respectfully protect an omega.

Hinata giggled again. He looked at the clock, time to actually get some work done! The omega made Kageyama promise he would eat in the employee’s room instead of fleeing outside. The alpha grunted but accepted so the other nodded, contempt, and left. Kageyama followed but was intercepted by Suga who glided into the conference room behind Hinata.

- I heard of what happened yesterday.

Kageyama bared his teeth at the thought but adverted his gaze. No way he would dare direct his anger at his boss’s mate. Both Daichi and Suga himself would beat him up for that. Suga released calming pheromones and the alpha relaxed. He spoke coldly.

- I will make sure it doesn’t happen again.

- I can see that. Are you courting Hinata? I need to be informed of those things.

- I am not. I am just making sure he feels safe at work. I don’t see omegas in a mating way.

Suga gave him a knowing smile before respectfully acquainting.

He doesn’t believe me.

Lunch came quicker than expected and Kageyama made his way to the kitchen; he was a man of his words. Hinata was already seated with the rest of the marketing team, Tsukishima, all of the IT team and half the developers. There was a free chair next to him, so Tobio sat down. Hinata gave him a light squeeze on the arm, his hand felt warm. He still smelled like pine, it made the alpha unnecessarily proud. Tanaka spoke directly to Hinata, his mouth full of ramen noodles.

- Oi Hinata! Did someone tell you about Volleyball Thursday?? We all play together; you have to come!

- Yes! Suga did tell me about it! I am very hyped, I used to play in high school, and I still play leisurely at uni.

The whole table started to inquire about his skills and the position he played. Kageyama really liked Volleyball Thursdays, so it made him contempt to know the little omega would come. He was surprised to learn Hinata was a middle blocker. His shock must have shown in his face because the omega turned to him with the biggest smile.

- I jump really high. I’ll surprise you.

You already surprise me. Well, actually you make me surprise myself.

- Really? I’m very hard to surprise.

- Oh, I’m up for the challenge, Alpha.

Alpha.

Kageyama swallowed. Something burned in his stomach, something new.

He spent the rest of the day awarding himself a 5 minute break for each 25 minutes of work, 5 minutes he used to lurk near the marketing department. It made Yachi nervous, Yamaguchi always putting a nice hand on her shoulder while rolling his eyes at the alpha. Lev always made sure to poke Hinata whenever he spotted Kageyama and it seemed like both of them were giggling like schoolgirls at his sigh. Annoying omegas. Yet he didn’t skip a single one of these ‘’breaks’’.

They all walked together to the gym they rented every Thursday from 4 pm to 8 pm. Kiyoko and Yachi always made sure to bring meat buns for all of them, which they ate while practically running to their destination. Volleyball Thursday was by far the most appreciated activity and was impatiently waited for. Tobio looked at the orange ball of hair by his side; how cool was it that Shouyou actually had some volleyball experience. Hopefully, he wouldn’t be all talk, Kageyama was quite competitive, the only typical alpha behaviour he allowed himself to feel.

Once they got there, they changed and started stretching while Suga sticked the team lineups on the whiteboard of the gym. The teams changed each week, and of course, everyone had their favourite teammates, so they all rushed to check the three sheets.

They read:

It was decided that one member of the nonplaying team would take the spot in team 3 and alternate that way. Tsukishima snorted and looked at Hinata.

- Are you ready to experience the full ‘’King’’ effect.

- King?

Kageyama gritted his teeth.

- Stop calling me that, Tsukishima.

Hinata looked confused, he asked his question again.

- Why King?

- Kageyama sets are so fast they are hard to hit. He sets for himself and not for his team. He got the nickname back in high school.

- Oh. That won’t be a problem. I am very fast too.

The omega turned his back to Tsukishima and started walking. Both the blond beta and Kageyama stared at each other. Noya was laughing in the distance. Hinata turned.

- Come on, Kags, let’s sit on the bench while we wait for our team’s turn. Don’t listen to Stinkyshima.

Now it was Yamaguchi who was laughing. His mate looked unamused.

Hinata watched intensely while Team 1 and 2 played each other. He would comment on everybody’s tactics in awe, his legs bouncing restlessly. Kageyama entertained him with small hums and nods and that seemed to suffice. Against all odds, team 1 won, team 2 having organization struggles. Yamaguchi shrugged and sauntered back to his mate. He offered to take their free spot for this game, and everybody agreed. Yamaguchi wasn’t the strongest physically, but his serves were precise and confusing. Kageyama had grown to prefer being on his side of the net for this reason… and also because he wasn’t hysterical like the office’s other strong server, Oikawa. The absolute worst…except maybe Terushima, just thinking about him made the alpha tense. The King felt a tug on his shirt, Hinata looked at him, determined.

- I wasn’t joking when I said I’m fast. Please use me to make as many points as possible. I want us to stay on the court the longest.

Kageyama was competitive. This situation had two outcomes: He would mop the floor with the omega, or he would actually find a worthy equal. The King had a long history of not letting the latter happen.

They made their way to the court where team 1 waited with the ball. Suga’s team had no strong server and team 3 had Noya, the most skilled libero, there was no way they were missing this. As expected, Noya picked the serve easily and lifted it up to allow a perfect set. Kageyama smiled inside and looked behind him to check if Hinata was ready. The omega wasn’t there anymore; already by his side, Shouyou was flexing his legs to jump. Time seemed to stop, Tobio blinked and produced one of his fastest sets ever. The orange haired omega was already in the air, it looked like he was flying, body flexed, his shirt riding up revealing tensed muscles. He hit the ball, who crashed on the other side of the net completely unnoticed by the other team; it was all over in a second. Hinata landed back and gave Kageyama the brightest victory smile, ‘’Did you see that? Told you! With me, you’re the greatest!’’, he screamed. The whole team jumped on Shouyou, all awe and congratulations. Kageyama stood there, mouth agape.

I like this omega.

Tsukishima watched the scene unfold with one of his annoying smirks, he put a hand on Tobio’s shoulder.

- Calm down, King, you’re gonna scare him.

- What?

- Your face…It’s all alpha-ish. Like the eyes and everything.

Fuck. Tone it down Tobio.

He spent the rest of the match setting faster, higher, stronger only to be met every time by a flash of orange hair. Even when Kageyama decided to set to someone else or even went for a setter dump, Hinata still jumped like he was going to hit anything that came his way. The perfect decoy, convincing and with never ending stamina. They won the match easily. Tanaka complained that Kageyama and Hinata should not be on the same team ever again and Suga called him a sore loser. He was kind of right though since the duo won the next three matches. They decided to call it a night and everybody grabbed their stuff to leave. Hinata walked up to Kageyama, his usually fluffy hair sticked to his head and his skin glistened with sweat. The scent of his effort mixed with the lemons and grass making him smell like heavy air before a storm; Kageyama found it endearing.

- Oh hey, Kags! I don’t know if you’re in a hurry or something but like…there are showers here so I though maybe I could shower right now, and you could scent me then. That way I’ll walk home safely, and it’ll still smell tomorrow!

Kageyama repeatedly opened and closed his mouth like a fish. He could see Suga trying to muffle his laughter in the background. He knew Hinata had walked home safely for 22 years and therefore didn’t need the scenting; he knew the omega was doing this to please him. It worked. He still tried to act all cool when he agreed; he knew the heat on his cheeks probably betrayed him. The omega grabbed his forearm and dragged him to the changing room.

Kageyama stood as straight as a piece of wood in the corner of the room trying to advert his gaze while Hinata was undressing, babbling about how great of a team they made. His story was punctuated of moves and ‘’swooshes’’, ‘’zooms’’ and ‘’smacks’’…annoying omegas.

- Oi Kageyama! Are you even listening to me?

Kageyama turned around to look at the omega, only his briefs were still on, he looked annoyed. His skin was dotted of tiny freckles, and he did have a slightly muscular stomach, as noticed earlier. The strongest part of his body was definitely his thighs though; his high jumps made a lot of sense.

Stop staring you creep.

The alpha coughed.

- Of course I’m listening, Shouyou.

- Ok…so?

- So what?

The other sighed.

- So are you showering too? Duh! I don’t want you to touch me like that, you look all sticky.

- Am…I…showering?

With you?

- Yeah, there’s like a dozen showers! Don’t wait for me! Though you actually smell sweeter after physical activity, so I guess if you scented me now, we’d smell like some citrus cake or like marmalade. That wouldn’t be unpleasant. We need to try it some other day.

The omega disappeared behind one of the curtains. Tobio wanted the floor to swallow him; he rushed in the next stall. He set the water to be colder than his actual body temperature and sighed as it drizzled down his spine. The fluster escaping his body got replaced with something else, something bolder, something dangerous. He leaned against the wall that separated him from the omega, his. He closed his eyes but all he could see was Hinata’s body in his mind. His lip curled on his teeth and a groan escaped his mouth; thankfully restrained enough for the sound of the water to cover it. He could feel his arousal burn in his stomach but chose to fight it and to grit his teeth. Shouyou trusted him and he wasn’t some kind of wild animal hunting for sport; he would carry the task that was asked of him. Being an alpha granted him this honor of being dependable, that’s the only part he liked of the role. He turned the faucet off and heard Hinata had already done so too. He tied a towel to his waist.

Hinata was waiting on the bench next to the shower, his hair was damp and dripping on his bare shoulders, he had some sweatpants on. The alpha walked to his bag to grab his boxer and his own pants, he hesitated and motioned for the omega to turn around. He was quite proud of how he looked but wanted to be respectful of Hinata by not giving off naked predator vibes. The omega blushed a bit and obliged. Once he had his bottoms on, Kageyama walked silently to the other and traced the nape of his neck with his fingers; Shouyou shivered but kept his back turned. Tobio leaned and whispered to his ear.

- Ready?

Hinata nodded and leaned to the side, exposing his neck.

Kageyama proceeded slowly, with languish. Careful and respectful didn’t mean boring and they had all the time in the world right now in this empty locker room. He dragged his hands over the other’s chest from behind, making sure the freckled skin contacted his wrists, The omega wiggled but Kageyama held him in place by the shoulders, earning an annoyed whine; the alpha smiled as he buried his face in Hinata’s neck, lapping at the oil on the surface of his gland. He wondered if Hinata objectively tasted better than everybody else; he doubted the omega did. Tobio let his teeth grit at Shouyou’s ears, the omega’s breath hitched a bit; what a wonderful sight it must be to earn and witness his complete submission. Kageyama inhaled at the thought, he knew he was losing control, so he straightened and stood back just a little bit. The daring omega seized his chance; he turned around to face the alpha, used the gym bench he was sitting on as a steppingstone and bit at the other’s chest, just below the collarbone, carefully avoiding his scent gland but clenching hard enough to leave a mark. Kageyama growled at the blatant display of unauthorized possessiveness and looked down at Hinata, licking his canine in a smug way. Kageyama caught a glimpse of his own reflection in a nearby mirror; the ice of his eyes had turned almost pitch black, the mark on his chest bled at a point; he used his alpha voice for the first time in a long time when he spoke.

- What was that, Omega?

He saw the omega flatten under his gaze, but he still spoke up.

- I wanted to. What are you going to do about it?...Alpha

Stupid little brat, I’ll show you.

Wait, no. Do better. He had stepped closer to Hinata and had sensed the slightest flinch.

He is not ready. You are scaring him.

He lifted Shouyou’s chin with his thumb and inched forward. He dropped the softest nibble on the omega’s jawline then retreated.

- Come here, Hinata. I’m walking you home.

Friday

Kageyama made it to work with the face of a killer. Hinata’s bite mark still burned his skin every time he moved, painful reminder of his frustration. The damn thing had started his rut and it’s with barely any sleep and no hope for release that Tobio had entered the office. Fortunately, alphas didn’t experience rut the same way omega did with their heats. Ruts weren’t a biological cycle, and they didn’t render their barer inapt to work, nor was it unbearable physically. It only left him severely horny and aggressive. He could still go on with his day as long as he stayed at his desk and didn’t talk with anybody.

Of course, it did not go that way.

Yamaguchi and Tsukishima got to the office, and he saw the omega wrinkle his nose and excuse himself. Great, his complete lack of control over his smell was already inconveniencing his colleagues. Tsukishima snorted.

- How was your evening with Hinata?

- Nothing happened, I’m not some kind of predator.

- …You should have worked from home today.

Why didn’t he think of that? He just gave a shrug while looking at the beta like HE was the stupid one. Fortunately, the conversation ended there. And he was able to get some work done…for 15 minutes.

Hinata was there. It took the utmost concentration not to raise from his chair and lunge at the omega. Definitely, Shouyou existed solely to test his self control. He balled his hands into tight fists, knuckles whitening, he could do this. The smell grew more intense, closer. Kageyama turned to Tsukishima, his voice didn’t sound like him, coarse but pleading.

- Tsukishima, keep him from entering our office-

The tall beta stood up and his lengthy steps were barely enough to reach the omega right at the entrance of their office. Kageyama met his gaze from his desk, Hinata’s pupils had blown, and his mouth hung open. Tsukishima grabbed him by the shoulder and pushed him out of the office; it was enough to snap Tobio’s last resolve, he stood from his chair and lunged for the door but a strong tanned armed blocked the doorway. Kuroo pushed him back in the room. Kageyama knew the other alpha was physically stronger, but he still adopted a fight stance. Kuroo remained calm and displayed no intention of fighting. He spoke slowly as he always did.

- Calm down, Kageyama.

The blue eyes alpha felt wild and distressed, his mind burned.

- I CAN’T.

- You can. I will stop you if you try to leave this room.

- It’s a threat?

- No. A promise, try me.

And Kageyama did. A grave mistake. He was blinded by fury and Kuroo was calmer than the surface of a lake on a windless day. He knocked his opponent to the ground in one punch. Tobio stood stunned on the floor, the colour had returned to his eyes when he looked up to Kuroo. The chill alpha laughed and offered his hand.

- Sorry, King, that might leave a mark.

Kageyama grunted.

- Don’t mind that. Thanks, Kuroo.

- Don’t thank me, I can cross that from my bucket list. Now let’s bring you to Daichi’s office.

Kageyama winced. The boss wouldn’t be pleased with that incident.

Fuck. I hope I didn’t scare Hinata.

He turned to Kuroo who smiled at him.

- Don’t worry, he’ll be ok.

They got to Daichi’s office, and he saw Tsukishima leave. The beta refrained from giving him one of his signature shit-eating grin and that hurt even more. Kuroo mouthed some good luck wish before leaving with Tsukishima. Kageyama winced when he spotted Suga in the office. He knew he still pretty much smelled like desire and anger and the last thing he wanted was to disrespect his boss’ mate. But the silver haired omega just walked up to him and put a hand on his shoulder before exiting the room. Was it only a nice gesture to help him brace himself for the harsh lecture coming his way? The alpha didn’t know but he was grateful either way. Daichi spoke in a calm but commanding voice.

- Kageyama, I believe you know you’ll have to go home for the rest of the day. You need to learn to respect your limits, son. We could have easily avoided the whole ‘’going berserk on my colleagues’’ situation if you had stayed home.

- Yeah, I am sorry, I barely recognise myself lately, this will not happen agai-

Both Daichi and him stood on alert, looking at the door. Kageyama inhaled. Oranges, something sweet, too sweet. Heat. Hinata.

Kageyama motioned for the door, Daichi growled at him.

- Tobio. Do. Not. Move.

He wanted to listen; he really did. He knew he had no business following the slightly distressed candied orange smell, but his legs moved anyway, and he sprinted out of the office. Daichi tailed him, a curse escaping his mouth.

They made it to the bathroom in which Hinata had hidden in less than 10 seconds. The whole marketing team was there already. Yachi and Lev looked distressed and were releasing anxious pheromones. Yamaguchi was standing guard in front of the door, he curled his lips at Kageyama, warning him not to come closer. Kiyoko and Yaku arrived a second later and Kageyama eyed the unmated alpha, but he went straight for Lev and led him away by the hand, following the head of IT’s lead as she grabbed her own mate. Tobio refocused his attention on Yamaguchi, who hadn’t bulged a bit.

Tsukishima was now standing next to Daichi. The beta seemed to have no intention of defending his mate and he even put a hand on Daichi’s shoulder to help him relax.

- Don’t worry, boss. Yamaguchi is very stubborn. The King will not get a step closer.

Kageyama growled at the accountant and then at his mate.

- Let me in, Yamaguchi.

- How about I will not do that? We already asked Suga to go pick up the necessities, and I will guard this door until he is back so he can bring Hinata safely home.

Bringing Hinata home. I can do that too. I can do it better than Suga.

He asked Yamaguchi to move out of the way another time. The omega declined and lowered his center of gravity to be more stable in case Kageyama decided to charge him of something. A small, strained voice escaped the bathroom door.

- I would like Tobio to come in.

Yamaguchi’s jaw dropped and he huffed. He tried to reason with the omega in heat, but Hinata refused to listen. Kageyama offered a proud grin but still felt a nervous pit form in his stomach when he pushed the door of the bathroom open. He easily spotted the omega curled up on the cold ceramic floor of the bathroom; he was flushed and panting softly. The scent was driving Kageyama crazy, but something instinctive made him kneel beside the omega and rub the back of his hand on the soft cheek.

- Hinata. What happened?

- My suppressants make my heats rare but deadly surprising. I didn’t think it would happen, but I think you started it.

Fuck. Of course he was responsible for this mess.

- I- I think I can bring you home safely if you want me to. If you trust me to.

The omega nodded. He looked in pain. Kageyama cradled him slowly in his arms and stood up.

They passed most of their colleagues on their way to the elevator, omegas looking worried with their uncomfortable mates. Asahi and Tanaka offered Kageyama a warm smile; Asahi’s was contempt of the display of care while Tanaka’s was proud of this family forming moment. Kageyama passed them without acknowledgment, but still took a mental note of who was the most stable and unaffected people in the office. Hinata and him disappeared as the elevator doors closed on them.

In the hall, they were greeted by Suga, who tiptoed to press a hand on Hinata’s forehead. The alpha held his omega tighter but still didn’t move away from his superior. Suga informed him that he had called a taxi and that Shouyou’s address had already been given to the beta driver. Kageyama thanked him; his nerves must have shown because Suga released some calming pheromones before letting them go.

- Take care of him, Kageyama.

The alpha nodded and stomped outside, still holding the burning omega. The taxi ride was fortunately short and before long, Kageyama was standing on the doorway of Hinata’s apartment. The little omega was clutching his shirt. He entered the apartment and smelled the air to locate Hinata’s bedroom.

What does he need? Water. And his nest, omegas spend their heat in their nest, ok I can do this.

He easily made his way to the bedroom. Hinata’s bed was neatly done. No plushies and soft blankets. The alpha’s mind went blank; he didn’t know what to do. Hinata broke his panic.

- Let me down, Kageyama. The first wave broke a bit, it’s still hasn’t settled fully. I can walk.

Kageyama obliged rapidly, still being delicate while placing Shouyou on his feet. The omega walked to his wardrobe and opened the door. Inside were a bunch of different soft fabrics piled together on the floor. Of course. Hinata grabbed a corner of the bottom blanket and slid the whole nest out the wardrobe to settle it in the middle of the room, on the floor. He started to remove his shirt and pants. Kageyama turned around; he was already barely breathing, and he knew he couldn’t take the additional visual stimulation. He had to leave now.

- So, hum, I’ll be on my way, Hinata.

- Could you maybe stay?

Kageyama turned around; he did his best to hide how he was on his last string. He could see in Hinata’s eyes that he probably looked ravenous. The omega had started panting softly again; another wave was starting. Kageyama could see droplets of sweat forming on the orange haired boy’s now bare chest, little magnifying glasses over his freckles. He could smell the omega’s need, dripping between his legs. It was unbearable.

- Hinata, I can’t.

- Please, Alpha. I want you to.

Fuck.

Be gentle with him, Kageyama.

The alpha kneeled in front of the omega. He grabbed Hinata’s jaw with his thumb and index and lifted his gaze. The omega squirmed at the touch and the tiniest moan escaped his parted lips. Tobio spoke, the rasp of his own voice surprised him; it sounded wanting almost desperate.

- Tell me you want me again, Omega.

The omega offered a mostly hidden grin. The face of someone who knows they have worn down their opponent. Even if his now well settled heat left him needy and dizzy, he still managed to spread his legs slightly, tilting his head and dramatically batting his eyelashes before speaking again.

- Do I need to beg again? Will you be able to leave if I don’t?

That could have been a bold and bratty move if Hinata didn’t already look pathetically undone. Where his words had implied ‘’challenging and indifferent’’, his whole body screamed ‘’obedient and desperate’’. Kageyama huffed with a smirk.

- You are right, Omega, how could I ever leave behind this most delectable sight?

Tobio slowly got rid of his shirt, making sure his partner would be desperate for his body, ignoring how painfully hard he was himself. Hinata was looking at him under his lashes, still seated on the floor, almost melting. The omega was not of the most patient kind so when his alpha’s final pieces of clothing finally hit the floor after what felt like an eternity, he couldn’t help but try to lunge at the other. Unfortunately, Kageyama caught him by the shoulders and forced him to sit down; Hinata let out an annoyed snarl.

Kageyama would have let Hinata jump him right there, he honestly only wanted to please the omega. However, something compelled him to be in control, to show his worth. Maybe some other day he’d let his partner do as he pleased.

- What do you think you are doing, Shouyou?

The omega squirmed to free his shoulders.

- You’re too slow and I’m done begging.

Oh we’ll see about that.

Kageyama pushed his partner down, back on the floor. He positioned the omega’s first leg on his shoulder and let the other rest on his hip so he could comfortably settle himself in between. Shouyou’s sex lie slightly twitching on his stomach. The alpha smiled at how his significantly longer cock made up for the distance between himself and Hinata, resulting in their tips barely rubbing on each other. Hinata whined at the far from sufficient touch and a few drops of precum fell just below his belly button.

The alpha started brushing the omega’s skin with his finger, inching from his length without ever fully touching it. Hinata was whimpering at the touch, but it wasn’t enough; Tobio needed hopeless beseech. He let his hand wander back on the nest’s fabric, feeling the fabric against his fingers. He whispered.

- That’s a nice nest you got here, Omega. Can you feel how soft it feels against your skin? I think we can both find comfort in the fact there will at least be this one soft thing to hold on to while I fuck you senseless.

And there it was, Hinata’s cry for release, cock pulsating and pupils wide blown. This was Kageyama’s cue and he backed off to roughly bury his length inside the omega who moaned in a mix of pain and bliss. The alpha didn’t give him more than 10 seconds to adjust before starting to pound him relentlessly. The air around them filled the scent of slick as well as of grunts and groans. Tobio was so far gone he almost missed his partner breath his name.

- Closer, Alpha.

Kageyama knew he was close to his release, so he grabbed Shouyou’s back and sat him of his thighs. It was so easy to bounce the small body on his cock, so perfect, made for him. The thought sent a new wave of desire down his spine.

Mate. Knot.

Kageyama was still a leveled head alpha, he thought, so he asked, his voice hoarse.

- Do you want me to knot you?

- Yes, please Alpha, I’m so close.

Kageyama felt his knot start to inflate, catch a few times on his partner’s rim and stay stick inside, linking them. He felt Hinata’s body quiver as release took over his body, defiling their stomachs with cum. Tobio’s orgasm hit him so hard he saw stars, but he still used the last of his arm strength to hold the little omega now limp in his embrace. He looked down at the omega to surprisingly meet a pout.

- Hinata, what’s wrong?

- You didn’t mate me.

Tobio looked at the bite mark he had left on Shouyou’s shoulder, purposely next to his mating gland.

- I wanted to make sure this is what you want.

- This is what I want.

Kageyama leaned down to lick at the previous bite mark lovingly.

- How long until your next heat wave?

- Maybe thirty minutes.

- Perfect, let’s get you cleaned my mate.

Hinata giggled and spoke to himself.

- So my Alpha smells sweet AND act sweet when he’s with me, how lucky.

Kageyama huffed with a dork smile on his face. He did smell really sweet right now, they did. It wasn’t sweet orange tea, it was like pine and orange marmalade. He couldn’t wait to smell his mated scent, to share it with Hinata, his omega. Kings really did change their minds sometimes.