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I'm not sure how long I'd closed my eyes. It felt like I'd slept, but I could have sworn that my eyes were closed for a mere second. My body had finally gotten a moment of calm, further dulling my sense of how much time had passed.
A gentle touch glides down my arm, stopping to caress a fading scar. He probably thinks it's ugly... most people do. The alpha in my bed doesn't ask about it, nor do I offer the story. It's what we agreed to, after all. No strings attached...
Slowly, my mind drifted to the events from hours prior.
Neither of us had planned it. My heat had hit me quite suddenly... a week early and in the middle of the school day. It was horrible timing... and stronger than any of my past heats. It was far too risky to walk home and neither of my parents was answering their phones. All I could do was seek shelter in one of the rarely used bathrooms.
It was there that I met him... or rather, it was the first time we'd actually interacted. Everyone in school knew who he was. You'd have to be brainless not to.
He came up behind me, hand immediately covering my mouth and his other arm wrapping around my waist to keep me in place. Startled didn't even begin to cover it.
"It's okay..." My heart thumped loudly in my chest. "I'm not gonna hurt ya..." His whispers did little to ease my nerves. "I just want to help ya..."
The voice is familiar, but I can't quite place where I'd heard it before. The stranger's scent was clear though; he was an alpha.
Slowly I turn my gaze upward, landing on the mirror. My eyes go wide. That blonde hair... those warm brown eyes... "If ya go out there smelling like this, you'll get jumped before ya can take two steps." Atsumu's voice kept that calm, gentle whisper. "I'm going to move my hand... Be a good girl and don't scream... I could get in a lotta trouble if I get caught in here..."
Slowly he uncovered my mouth but didn't release his grip on my waist. There was nothing in his expression to suggest that he had any bad intentions. No malice in his sweet brown eyes. Not even a hint of deviousness. "Let me help you..."
Once he'd gotten my heat to calm down, even if only for the moment, he led me away to one of the unused classrooms. The first thought I had was that he planned on doing more intimate things and honestly who am I to say no to the Atsumu Miya? However, his intentions turned out to be much sweeter.
Atsumu rubbed himself against my neck. It was something that I'd seen alphas do for their omega siblings... or sometimes among close friends. The alpha rubs their scent on the omega, masking the omega's scent a bit and helping to ward off unwanted alphas. Afterward, he also handed me his red volleyball jacket. To further help ward off other alphas, Atsumu had claimed.
Once I was settled in, he smiled at me. "When I leave, lock the door and don't open it for anyone. As soon as practice is over after classes, I'll come get ya and I'll make sure ya get home safe. Promise."
Just as he promised, he came back for me. When we reached my house, he started to walk away but stopped. The alpha looked back at me with a concerned expression. "Are... are ya really gonna be alright alone?"
A quick, heated, hazy, naked wrestle and a possible nap later, here we were. Atsumu Miya, the most desired alpha in the entire prefecture, was in my bed.
I know better than to expect anything out of this. He's known to sleep around with any omega he wants and never commits. The setter had made it very clear on numerous occasions that he wasn't going to be mated to anyone. Even if he were going to mate someone, it would never be a stupid little outcast like me. No, omegas like me would only ever be wanted to warm an Alpha's bed... if even that.
Still, for a moment, I can feel like someone cares. That delusion is enough for me.
Slowly I roll over, facing my partner. There's a lazy smirk on his face. "Feeling better, baby?" As I gave him a smile, I saw the color drain from his face. Atsumu's eyes were wide with horror as his gaze had fallen on my neck. "I... I didn't... I wasn't... I didn't mean to do that... I swear... I wasn't gonna!"
My hand went to my neck. The tenderness of the skin paired with Atsumu's panic... it was pretty clear what happened. At some point during my hazy, heat-driven state, he'd done the one thing he'd said that he wouldn't do... he marked me. Not just some stupid little bite or even a hickey... an actual mate mark.
He'd said he wouldn't. He promised. He told me that he wasn't going to mate anyone. Its clear he did it without thinking.... Neither of us had agreed to it...
Sure, I liked him. What Omega didn't want Atsumu? Problem was, he didn't want me. Hell, why would he? No alpha wanted me.
Slowly, Atsumu calmed down enough to speak. "I didn't mean to do that... I don't know what came over me... I... I wish I could take it back... I'm sorry..." My heart sinks at his words. "I'll do the right thing... I promise. I'll be a good mate...."
He promises to do right? He promised not to mark me in the first place! A faint growl stirred in my throat, but before I had the chance to tell him to get out, I felt my heat starting to kick in again. Despite how upset I am, I know that heat would be harder to bear alone... For a little longer, I let him stay.
I don't speak to him after that. He made a few attempts to talk to me, to apologize, but I refused to even listen to him. He's a liar anyway. After a few failed tries, he seemed to give up.
A month passed since the day of the marking. I was finally starting to question if I should forgive Atsumu... Maybe I would even tell him not to worry about acting like a mate with me; an alpha like him had no reason to put on such an act for an omega he never wanted. I can't be claimed by anyone else and he still can't claim anyone, but he would be free to keep living his mateless lifestyle.
Though... lately... I can't help but want to question if that was what he wanted.
My mind drifted to a moment from only a week after the marking.
"Atsumu!" A playful, beautiful second-year omega leaped onto the blonde Alpha's back, arms embracing his neck. "How's my favorite alpha?" She purred, giggling at him.
The two were known to screw around pretty regularly, but neither bothered to make it more than that. Normally this would be when Atsumu makes a flirty response, but...
"Knock it off, Seiko." Atsumu gently pried the omega off him, casting a scowl at her. "I'm mated. I'm not screwing around anymore."
Everyone had been so shocked. Despite the barrage of questions about who his mate was, he never told them that it was me. Maybe I should give him a chance... if he wanted it.
Seeking him out, I found him in the gym. No surprise there, but... he was currently pinning one of his teammates to the wall.
"Say that again... I dare ya..." Atsumu's growl made me freeze. Alphas are naturally dominating, but this... this is behind that. The blonde always let his feelings be known and right now that look on his face looked like he wanted to rip that other alpha apart.
The pinned male chuckled nervously. "Why so defensive over the little first-year freak?" Atsumu's grip tightened. "Come on... the bitch ain't worth getting your fur in a tangle for-" The male choked as Atsumu pressed him harder against the wall.
"That bitch is my mate." If looks could kill, that guy would have been six feet under in hell by now. "And she is a million times better than any omega that you could ever deserve."
Everyone else could only watch. Atsumu fighting Osamu was one thing, but this was an entirely different level of fight. No one dared to approach the blonde alpha.... and one sniff of the air could tell you why. Atsumu's rut was close... Alphas got extra aggressive around that time... Pair that with Atsumu's normally outspoken attitude and you have quite the dangerous beast.
"You can't be fucking serious..." Atsumu's fist raised. My body moved before I could think about it. Small hands closed around the Alpha's wrist. His head snapped around with a snarl, but the moment his eyes met mine, all anger melted from his face.
"Let him go." It's not a command... what power do I have that could ever give me the right to order around an alpha? At my gentle request, Atsumu released the other alpha. He stepped back to let him walk away... but not before throwing a quick punch. The other alpha scurried off as Atsumu growled at him. It's a threat, but of what, I couldn't be sure.
My alpha then turns to me, all aggression gone. Without any hesitation, he captures me in a tight embrace, face immediately going to nuzzle at my neck. I feel so much smaller than him like this...
Seeing him act this way in front of everyone, I'm left with no choice but to believe what he'd said about being a good mate. But... he couldn't possibly want me... right?
"He kept runnin' his mouth and callin' ya terrible things..." His breath tickled my skin. "None of that stuff is true... I know ya ain't like that... 'S all lies... Don't want no other omega... ain't any of 'em better than ya."
He's lying... he has to be... right? I can't possibly be that special... or even that lucky.
Atsumu raised his head back up, looking down at me. "I don't go rescuing just any little omega, ya know... only the ones important to me..." He nodded in the direction of his twin. "'M not as nice as 'Samu... only two I ever look after are his mate... and you."
He's only saying this to make me feel better... right? But... he did just admit that he's not nice like his brother... If that was true, then maybe what he was saying was true.
I don't want to get my hopes up. If it all turned out to be a lie, I don't think my heart could handle that. But... that soft expression on his face made it feel real.
Sensing my uncertainty, he lowered himself so that his eyes were level with mine. He looked like he was serious, but was he really? "Mark me."
"What?" He can't be serious... he can't... An omega marking their alpha in return wasn't unheard of, but most alphas wouldn't allow it... let alone suggest it themselves.
Atsumu looked dead serious. "Ya heard me. I didn't mean to mark ya... not when I did. I wanted to wait until I knew ya wanted me too, but... I guess I got a little impatient. So I want ya to mark me... to remind ya that I'm yers and that I wanna be yers."
I glanced around. "Right now? But everyone is staring..."
"So what?" Ever the shameless one... "Do it. Right here, right now-"
He's stopped by a rough smack to the back of his head. "Do that in private, ya pervert." Osamu scowled at his twin. "Ya know she's a shy one... don't make her do something like that in front of everyone... ya fucking animal...."
As I looked to the nicer twin, I noticed a faint marking on his neck... a mate mark. So he let his mate do it to him? Even more so, he understood that it was an intimate thing.
My gaze moved from him to my mate. Atsumu really is serious... "You... you're sure?"
"Wouldn't have said it if I wasn't."
No, I suppose he wouldn't. If he's going to take me that seriously, then I'll do the same for him. "I'll be the best little omega... I promise."