Chapter Text
Bokuto ruffled his hair with a towel, the normally airborne locks now laying around his face. He left the door open as Kuroo came out after him. Steam billowed out around them from the bathroom. Akaashi looked up from the book he was reading on the bed. Small beeps and battle cries continued to come from Kenma’s game. He didn’t pay any attention to the two males returning from their showers.
“A five day heat? Isn’t that too small?” Akaashi asked.
Kuroo shrugged, “It works for me—now I’ll have energy for training camp.”
“There’s a new school joining us this year right?” Bokuto said before throwing himself onto the bed. He threw his arms around Akaashi who hit him softly with the book. A pout pulled at Bokuto’s lips. Akaashi rolled his eyes.
“We’re here for Kuroo-san this week. Don’t be a selfish alpha.”
“I took care of Kuroo!” Bokuto whined, “For five fucking days I took care of Kuroo!”
“You fucked for five days. We cleaned, cooked, and took care of you two for five days.”
Bokuto blinked owlishly at Kenma who had spoken. While he still hadn’t turned away from his game, his eyebrow was quirked in challenge. Unable to bite back, Bokuto just huffed in defeat and snuggled against Akaashi’s shoulder. Akaashi shook his head but didn’t protest as he put his book down. Then he grabbed Bokuto’s towel and began to dry Kuroo’s hair as the male crawled between him and Kenma on the bed. It was a bit of a tight squeeze for the four teenage males, but they didn’t mind being close.
The four of them had become close through various circumstances—one of them being volleyball and other was Kuroo being an omega. In the past decade, alpha birthrates had dropped severely. This caused an extreme shift in the cultural dynamics of the world. Betas began to take up leadership positions usually occupied by alphas. Some omegas even found themselves with great success. While the world was finding new ways to overcome the shortage of alphas in some aspects, this couldn’t be ignored during heats.
After reaching puberty, an omega will experience their heat once a month. Their body knows that it needs to breed. It becomes such an uncontrollable urge that an omega can think of nothing but sex during their heat. For some it’s so intense they can’t even leave the house and others can take heat suppressants to continue their daily lives.
For an intense heat, an omega needs an alpha to get through it. In the olden days alphas would naturally seek out omegas during heats. Now, it was entirely possible there wouldn’t be an alpha within 50 miles of an omega. Or the opposite, there were too many alphas near too few omegas causing aggression and an unhealthy environment for omegas and betas alike. Governments were forced to step in. This meant that when someone turned 18 they had to register their caste. In registering, the government could pair omegas with alphas who needed them and make sure that alphas didn’t overpower a neighborhood.
Mostly, the system worked. Omegas didn’t experience heats that required an alpha until they were about 20. Unless the omega was an early bloomer—like Kuroo had been. Kuroo had matured much faster than all of his friends. He shot up in height, filled out in middle school, and experienced his first heat at 16 years old. His parents, both betas, didn’t have much experience in helping omegas through their heats. Kenma, Kuroo’s best friend, was also a beta. Kuroo’s first heat was mild enough that he only had a fever for a few days. It was small enough that Kenma was able to provide the comfort Kuroo had needed.
This changed when Kuroo hit high school. It was their second year in high school and they were both a part of the volleyball club. Kuroo’s hard work made him a shoe in for a regular on the team but it was Kenma’s strategy that got them both onto the court. That summer was the annual training camp the local schools put together. Kuroo’s heat was scheduled for that week but he figured heat suppressants would be fine. He let his coach know about his circumstances and ignored the advice to stay home. Kuroo wouldn’t miss the opportunity to play against top five schools. That year there were at least two alphas per team attending. The amount of alpha pheromones had overloaded Kuroo’s system and completely negated his heat suppressants.
Kuroo was stuck shivering in his cot late at night. Kenma pulled him down to the floor to try and cuddle it away. The physical touch wasn’t enough and Kuroo thought his insides were going to combust. Kuroo curled up as tightly as he could, shoving himself into Kenma’s embrace. Around two in the morning, there was a light knock on their door. Kenma ignored it at first, but when it came again a bit more insistently he untangled himself from Kuroo. Kenma’s footsteps were silent as he moved to the door. Cautious as a cat, he slowly slid the door open.
On the other side in the dim light of the hallway stood a boy in a dark navy t-shirt. He looked bored and pissed off all at the same time. He sighed softly, scratching his head that fluffed his spiked hair.
“Sorry to bother you,” he grumbled, “I’m Akaashi Keiji.”
“You’re a first year on Fukurodani,” Kenma said.
Akaashi didn’t seem surprised in the least that Kenma knew who he was. The two betas could tell that each was not to be underestimated.
“Your friend is an omega isn’t he?”
Kenma’s eyes sharpened. He put his body more in the doorway. Some schools had regulations on omega participation in clubs. There was some discrimination against unclaimed omegas and how they effected those around them.
“It’s not a big deal,” Akaashi continued, “Although the pheromones he’s giving off will be a problem. The other alphas are already starting to get agitated. They can tell there’s an omega nearby experiencing a heat. If something isn’t done soon it could get bad. Not to mention this headache will get worse,” he grumbled rubbing his temple.
“He doesn’t have an alpha.”
“Heat suppressants?”
Kenma shook his head, “Not working.”
“I see,” Akaashi sighed again. He crossed his arms over his chest, “I know an idiot who can help out. Actually he’s probably going just as crazy as your friend right now.”
“An alpha?”
“He doesn’t have a partner if that’s what you’re worried about.”
Kenma stared at Akaashi for a few seconds, contemplating everything he had been told. He turned back into the room. Kuroo had pulled a pillow to his chest and was squeezing it tightly. Small whimpers were coming from the boy.
“I’m not leaving him alone.” Kenma said after a moment. Akaashi nodded.
“I wouldn’t ask you to,” He turned away, “I’ll be right back.” Then he was moving down the hallway. Kenma went back into the room, leaving the door unlocked. Kuroo whined and Kenma sat down. He pulled Kuroo’s head into his lap and swept his sweat soaked hair from his forehead. Kuroo’s eyes were swimming with fever when he looked up at Kenma.
“Kenma,” he pleaded, reaching out with his hands. Kenma allowed himself to be pulled down. Kuroo sealed their lips together desperately trying to find even some small amount of relief. They kissed heavily, Kuroo’s hands wandering down Kenma’s neck and torso to creep up under Kenma’s shirt. The door opened and a bit of yellow light swathed the two for a moment before it closed again.
Kuroo whined when he felt a pair of hands pulling at his shirt. He gasped as those hands moved surely under the fabric. Their kiss broken, Kenma sat up. Licking absently at the saliva coating his lips, Kenma looked at what was happening before him. Kuroo was making noises Kenma had never heard before. There was a person that Kenma had noticed a few times during practice today now lavishing Kuroo’s mouth and his enflamed skin. The two quickly lost their clothes and Kenma found himself in the position of caretaker—not at all uncommon for betas who were close with omegas and even alphas. As the alpha, whose name Kenma had yet to catch, rocked Kuroo’s body Kenma looked up to see Akaashi sitting a little ways away. The boy was on his phone, a pair of reading glasses on his nose. Kenma wondered briefly what his relationship was with the alpha.
His thoughts were interrupted as Kuroo slid his hand into Kenma’s. Their fingers interlaced as a broken moan cracked from his lips. The silence was punctuated by the panting between the two. The alpha sat up, leaning back on his knees.
Large eyes glinted at Kenma even in the dark. His lips pulled into a cocky grin, “2nd year wing spiker, Bokuto Koutarou, at your service.” He gave a mock salute. Kuroo squirmed underneath him and a hungry heat came to Bokuto’s eyes. He licked his lips and then bent over to tend to Kuroo’s body again. Kenma blinked and then looked at Akaashi when the other male stood from his position.
“I’ll go buy some waters,” Akaashi said. He paused at the door and looked back at Kenma, “It’s going to be a long night.”