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Fated mates. For some it’s a gift from the universe, that one person that’s seemingly made just for you. For others it’s a big cosmic joke, how can one person be completely perfect for you? Not to mention the absolute bullshit that it was only among Alphas and Omegas, leaving Betas without any kinda soulmate-like phenomenon.
Miya Atsumu was an Omega, not that you could tell at first glance due to his loud nature, muscular physique and disregard to the submissive nature that’s expected from an Omega. So from a pretty stereotypical view, he wasn’t a very destined Omega to mate with.
He swore it didn’t matter, that fated mates were just some myth, but Osamu could tell. Osamu had watched his twin’s heart break when he and Suna had presented as a fated pair. Especially since the two once swore they’d always be there for the other and never needed anyone else.
Atsumu had tried dating Betas, not having to worry about an Alpha or another Omega meeting their destined mate and leaving him. But it never worked because they’d either say he was no different than a Beta himself which hurt because he was an Omega dammit or that it wasn’t easy to deal with his heats.
Then he saw Hinata Shoyou play and way too eagerly declared he’d be his setter one day.
* * *
The day the blonde stated, “I’m gonna set for you one day” was the day Hinata fell in love.
Hinata, stereotypically, was far from the average Alpha. He wasn’t super tall and had softer features than most others with his sub gender. Even a lot of Omegas claimed his spunky attitude was more Omega-like which made him more friend material than mate. So it was a match made when he found Atsumu, an Omega that didn’t meet society’s standards.
Hinata fell in love with everything about the blonde. He loved his loudness, nowhere ever felt empty. He enjoyed the way the Omega cared for others despite pretending he doesn’t, like when he discreetly scents each player before games or always makes sure there’s snacks after the games everyone likes. He adored watching the way the setter put his all into learning a new combo to try with Osamu, even when it would be used against their team in a game.
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Much like their appearances, their relationship didn’t meet societal standards either. Hinata was a whole year younger than Atsumu which raised eyebrows, mostly towards the technically older Omega. But they didn’t care. The only thing that mattered was somehow they had been able to find each other, to care for each other, to love each other.
Like a proper gentleman, Hinata went at the Omega’s pace. Atsumu told him he’d rather wait until they had graduated to court, so they strengthened their friendship first and once Hinata graduated from Karasuno a courtship started. He presented the blonde with the best nested materials (scented, of course) and a beautiful courting collar that caused Atsumu to chirp loudly despite being in public.
Their friend groups got along very well which was perfect for the Omega because he loved having large group hangouts. Despite the playful banter between the two past rival teams, everything was great…except for the raven-haired Beta that left Atsumu a bit off-balanced.
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Atsumu wasn’t one to tell his partners who they could and couldn’t hang out/be friends with. You couldn’t have a solid relationship if you didn’t have trust, right? But there was something about the way the Alpha acted around Kageyama that made him feel uneasy.
Kageyama was a Beta, but for some reason Hinata constantly came across as territorial and protective over him. He would scent the Beta before he left the group hangouts or just before their large group went out to a bar or club. Whenever Kageyama was approached, Hinata would seemingly appear out of nowhere, letting out an intimidating low growl to ward off any potential suitors.
When questioned, he simply said he was looking out for his friend, but it didn’t really seem that way. He treated the Beta more like one would treat their mate or one they wished to court. Which was odd because those instincts only come out around Alphas and Omegas.
Suna assured him that it was nothing, probably just pack behavior since he himself tended to be like that towards Motoya even with Osamu. The blonde tried to see that Kageyama was just part of a pack close to Hinata. Maybe he was so jaded by being left for Betas that he was seeing too much into things. Hinata was different from his past relationships — not only was he an Alpha but he deeply cared for Atsumu.
* *
“Sho?”
“Hmm?”
“What about your fated mate?”
The ginger paused the volleyball game he had been watching on his phone, turning to fully face the Omega. “What about them?”
Atsumu started to fiddle with his fingertips, a nervous tick, “what will happen to us when you meet them?”
Hinata looked almost wounded, how had he not noticed his Omega’s uneasiness? Of course the blonde had been open about his past relationships and about how the one Alpha he had wanted to confess to met their fated mate just moments before.
“I’ll tell them I’m not interested.” The Alpha pulled Atsumu tighter into his side, “fated or not, I only want to be with you Atsu.”
The Omega purred, snuggling closer to the shorter man. That was he needed to hear, all he ever wanted to hear was that someone wanted to be with him…for him. That he was more than just his subgender and that someone saw a long future with him.
* * *
“You planning on doing that tonight?” Osamu asked, raising an eyebrow at his brother who had been a nervous wreck since he walked into Onigiri Miya.
“Yes. It’d be great if we win the game, but either way — I’m going to do it.”
“I’m so happy for you!” Motoya squealed from behind the counter.
It turned out Suna’s behavior toward the Beta wasn’t just because they were on the same volleyball team, but something more romantic. He had been a mess, working up the courage to tell Osamu, hoping the Omega wouldn’t reject him or want to break their bond. So imagine his surprise when Osamu beat him to the punch and asked if they could try a polygamous relationship with the libero. Two years later and the trio was obnoxiously happy.
**
Hinata was vibrating with excitement. It had been years since he last saw Kageyama and it would be the first time he played against the man. He couldn’t wait to show him how great he’d gotten, how much he’d grown and that he would be the one to come out as victor.
Hinata and the other MSBY players were already on the court when the Adlers walked in. The ginger whipped around, halting his conversation with Sakusa and Atsumu, looking for Kageyama when it happened.
It felt like it was happening in slow motion, but also all at once. The way the stadium got silent before ohh and aww echoed through the crowd. Atsumu had seen this before — a fated pair presentation.
He’d seen it before, an Omega releasing a scent that only their fated could pick up on, removing their protective collar and bearing a scent gland for the Alpha to mark. He’d seen it before, an Alpha essentially becoming intoxicated on the scent, body moving on its own to pull the Omega into their chest.
So Atsumu knew that’s what was happening when Kageyama fell to his knees and Hinata ducked under the volleyball net to cover the raven-haired man in his scent. He watched his boyfriend of three years collapse in front of his old high school setter and it all made sense. The way the Alpha had acted even though it appeared Kageyama was just a Beta.
The blonde had also seen how practically impossible it was to pull a fated pair apart even to get them to a private area, some Omegas going as far as biting anyone who tried to touch them. He still had the tiny scar from where Osamu bit him back when he put his arm on Suna’s shoulder to get them to move from the middle of the school’s hallway.
And he also knew if he looked into the crowd, caught his twin’s eyes that he’d know the look. After all it would be the same look he’d seen when Osamu told him he didn’t want to reject his bond with Suna, not that Atsumu would’ve let his brother do such a thing.
The blood rushing to his ears muffled the congratulatory cheers from the fans, muffled the concerned words from Sakusa and Bokuto as he just stood there, eyes locked on the newly presented pair. But unfortunately it didn’t block out the whine Kageyama made when Hinata called him my Omega .
* *
It took three weeks before Atsumu saw the Alpha again — law required fated pairs two weeks to regulate their pheromones back to normal since presenting spiked them and it also gave the couple time to get to know one another more deeply.
“Atsu…” Hinata appeared to be trying to choose his words carefully, “I’m sorry about this but —“
“But you want Kageyama, right? That’s what you came to tell me, isn’t it?”
“I understand you’re upset.”
“No! No you don’t! I didn’t find my destined mate during a televised match! The whole world didn’t watch me do that, so you don’t know!” It hurt, it hurt so fucking much that Atsumu found it hard to breathe, “you’ll leave here and still have a mate to go back to, still have the one you love — I won’t. I’ll just be left with another broken promise and a shattered heart.”
“If I could —“
“You can and you know you can! You can reject him, but you won’t. You won’t because it’s always been him! You acted like he was yours when he was a Beta and you can’t say you didn’t!”
Hinata knew the blonde was right, there had always been a pull towards Kageyama. He never wanted to risk hurting him during a rut or have people criticize him for being a Beta with an Alpha. But that also meant that the Alpha had simply used Atsumu for his subgender, something he once swore to the Omega he’d never do. The ginger no longer knew what to do or say, so after one last pathetic ‘I’m sorry’ he quietly left the blonde’s apartment.
**
Atsumu spent the night curled into his nest, one of the Alpha’s forgotten shirts pulled close to his chest. He tried to inhale the scent that once brought him comfort but now it just smelt bitter and vile.
He’d had his fair share of break-ups. This one was different. This one felt like part of his soul had been torn out, like his heart had been ripped out and left beating on the floor at his feet. In all the other relationships, somewhere in the back of his mind, Atsumu knew they would end. Not this one though.
He had believed every word the Alpha had told him. Believed him when he said he was the perfect Omega for him. Believed him when he made promises of their future woven together. Believed him when he swore he’d pick Atsumu over his fated mate. He believed in the Alpha so much that he had bought a ring to symbolize their commitment to one another. But now the black velvet box was in the bottom drawer of his bedside table with a letter of rejection to an overseas team, a negative pregnancy test and a few other of the Omega’s shattered dreams.