Chapter Text
Asahi stood at the gate, doing everything he could to hold back his tears. Why? Every time something went wrong, Noya took off. So why did Asahi naively believe that things would be different this time? Why did he think Noya would stay? Why did he think that his fiance was done running away from their problems? He should have known better.
Trudging back to his car, the alpha turned on the engine and sat there, staring off into the distance as he tried to piece everything together. Noya had seemed fine the night before. Sure, they argued, but the omega seemed like he had forgiven Asahi for being so overbearing. They even slept in the same room together. Last time, Asahi had been stuck sleeping on the couch, but this time it was different. They had talked it out. Asahi apologized. Things were okay. They were supposed to be okay.
So why was Nishinoya gone again?
Asahi wiped away his tears and forced himself to stop spacing out. He pulled out of the airport parking lot, tears still silently falling as he drove home. The drive home felt significantly longer than it had on the way to the airport, and all that extra time forced Asahi to suffer with his thoughts. “I’m sorry,” he murmured to himself, as if Noya would somehow magically hear him. “I didn’t mean to suffocate you. I don’t want to push you away. I need you. . . I need you!” He cried, hands hitting the steering wheel in frustration.
Pressing the button on his dashboard, the car dialed Noya’s phone number, but it still went straight to voicemail. Not that Asahi was surprised, considering that his fiance was still on a plane to America. Sniffling at the sound of the beep, the alpha began to speak as he pulled into his parking spot. “Nishinoya Yuu,” he said, voice wavering with every word. “You are my everything. You mean absolutely everything to me. And I know. . .” He paused as he unlocked the front door, shutting it behind him before continuing. “I know I can be a lot. Between my anxiety, my constant planning for the worst, my awful time management – I know that I’m not the ideal partner for you. I know thatI can be overbearing but it’s just because I care. After what happened at Books ‘n’ Beans, I was so scared to lose you. You have no idea what it was like, getting that phone call. Fuck, Noya, I didn’t even know if you were alive. I just had to go to the hospital. I was so terrified. I thought I was going to have to identify your body,” the alpha said, setting his keys down on the kitchen counter.
“I thought I had lost you. So, I’m sorry. I’m sorry if I’m being overbearing. I’m sorry if I’m suffocating you. I’m sorry if I’m caring too much, but I. Can’t. Help. It. I need you to understand that, Yuu. What I feel for you, my love for you, it overrides every damn thing in my body. I know you can do a lot of things on your own. I know that you ca–”
“Voicemail time exceeded. Please try again later.”
Asahi sobbed as the call ended, cutting off the rest of his message, but that didn’t stop him from saying it. “I know you can do things on your own. I know you don’t need my help. But just. . . I just want to be there. Let me be there. I love you so much. So, I’ll. . . I’ll back off. I’ll help less. But please, Noya. Please, don’t leave me. Please come back. I need you. I need you here. I need you by my side. Please. Please ,” he begged, taking a shuddering breath before breaking off into a loud sob. “Come back. Please come back.”
“I didn’t leave,” a choked voice spoke from the living room, causing Asahi to look up in shock. He stared at Nishinoya, his fiance, his mate, his omega, his love, utterly shocked at the sight of him. “I didn’t. . . I didn’t get on the plane. I got to the airport, but when it came time to board. . . I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t leave you. The second I left the house I regretted it, but I was scared you’d be mad once I got home so I just. . . And then Suga said you were coming to the airport so I came home because I was trying to figure out what to say, and I. . . Asahi, I want to marry. I want to marry you so bad. I love you so damn much, but I’m so scared. I’m scared we’ll end up like my parents or yours and I don’t. . . I don’t want to lose what I have with you. So, I thought if I put distance between us now so when the time comes, it wouldn’t hurt as much.”
Asahi was openly crying, tears pouring down his face in the same way they streamed down Noya’s cheeks. “What makes you think I would ever leave you? My parents. . . Noya, my parents weren’t bonded. That’s why they could leave each other. But us? Yuu, I’ve already marked you. You’re mine. You are mine for the rest of our lives unless you choose otherwise. The thought of leaving you has never crossed my mind. You’re the one always leaving. And I don’t mind chasing you. I don’t mind always being the one to run after you. I’m just worried that there might come a time where I won’t be able to catch up to you again. I’m scared you’ll really leave me behind.”
“And I’m scared you’ll stop chasing me. I think that’s why I keep testing you,” Nishinoya finally admitted, sniffling and wiping his nose with the sleeve of his hoodie. “So, please don’t stop chasing me.”
Asahi nodded and gave his fiance a sad smile. “I won’t. I won’t stop chasing you, and I’ll also back off. I’ll only help when you ask, as long as you promise to actually ask and not try to tough things out. And I think the best way for you to start practicing is to go to therapy.”
Nishinoya nodded and stepped forward into his alpha’s open arms, burying his face into his chest. “Hinata says he really likes his therapist. I can ask him tomorrow.”
“I think that’s a good idea, baby. But for tonight, will you let me take care of you?” Asahi asked, pressing a soft kiss to the top of the omega’s hair.
“Always. As long as you promise to still marry me.”
“There’s nothing I want to do more.”
January 3
It had been a while since Oikawa had eaten. He was going off of three hours of sleep, and the bags under his eyes were far bigger than he ever expected them to be. Any bigger and one would think they were Gucci.
He sat in the recliner beside Iwazumi’s bed, eyes slowly slipping shut as he grew accustomed to the silence in the room. He was calmed by the sound of Iwazumi’s breathing, and with the exhaustion that filled him, Oikawa couldn’t stop his eyes from slipping shut. Just as he had been lulled to sleep, a soft groan forced him to open his eyes again. As his vision adjusted, he frowned and got up from the chair. Putting his hands on his ips, he glared at Iwaizumi. “And what, exactly, are you doing?”
The alpha froze, halfway sitting up, and looked over at Oikawa. “Sitting up,” he said gruffly before shaking his head as the cinnamon-haired omega moved to help him. “Stop. Oikawa, stop. You can’t keep helping me. When’s the last time you went home? When’s the last time you ate? You can’t keep this up. You need to take a break.”
Oikawa forced a smile and shook his head. “Iwa-chan, you’re being dramatic. There’s nothing wrong with a little bit of help, right? Besides, it’s the least I can do considering you got shot because of me,” he said nonchalantly, moving to help Iwaizumi sit up, but the alpha stuck out a hand and pushed him away.
“Is that what this is about? You blame yourself? Oikawa, me getting shot had nothing to do with you,” the dark-haired man said, frowning at the omega.
“That’s not true. You moved in front of me. If I hadn’t frozen then. . . Then you wouldn’t be where you are right now.”
“Which is where?” The alpha shot back. “Laying in bed? You think I care? All I care about is the fact that you’re alive. Why would I care about how I’m doing?”
Oikawa’s smile finally faded. His hands curled into fists at his sides. “I don’t care how you feel about it. I care because I never want to watch you die, ever again! Do you have any idea what I went through? I couldn’t move. I couldn’t think. I couldn’t even breathe because all I was worried about was whether or not you would stay alive until the EMTs got to you. Was so terrified because what if. . . What if you died and I never told you that I loved you? How could I just let you lie there and die when I need you?”
Iwaizumi froze, eyes going wide. The banter had always been there between them, sure, but. . .
At a loss for words, the alpha could only stare at Oikawa in silence. Oikawa, in return, hurriedly wiped at his eyes, afraid to show weakness in front of his boss. “I should, uh, I should go. You’re right. . . I haven’t been home for a while, maybe it’s time I go.” The omega turned to leave the bedroom, when something grabbed his hand. He turned back to face Iwaizumi, who looked shocked by his own actions.
“I-I. . .”The alpha trailed off, shaking his head as he struggled to find the words. “I thought I wasn’t allowed to love you,” he finally admitted, letting go of Oikawa’s hand and dropping his gaze to his lap. “You always talked about not needing an alpha, I thought. . . I thought I didn’t stand even half a chance. So, I. . . I kept my distance. But that day, when I saw the gun, and you, and. . . It wasn’t even a thought. I just knew I had to protect you, or die trying.”
Oikawa stiffened before slowly turning his head, and looking at Iwaizumi over his shoulder. “What?” He said softly, voice breaking as he stared at the alpha. “Y-You. . . You what?” He asked, eyes widening in realization as Iwaizumi’s words finally hit him. The weight on his shoulders fell away and the poor omega nearly collapsed.
But Iwaizumi was there, just like he always had been.
He reached out, easily grabbing Oikawa as the man stumbled, and pulling him on to the bed. “I got you. I’m here. And I have you.” He took in a shaky breath. “Is this. . . okay?”
Oikawa didn’t give a verbal answer. He sniffled and slowly nodded, pressing his face into Iwaizumi’s shoulder. The alpha let out a heavy sigh and relaxed, leaning his head against the headboard with a dull thunk . “Are we going to talk about this?”
“Thought you wanted me to sleep,” Oikawa mumbled, earning a low rumble of a laugh from Iwaizumi.
“Alright, Shitty-kawa. Take your damn nap. I’ll be here when you wake up,” he promised, trying his best to not show pain as the omega rested on his injured ribs and legs.
Thankfully, Oikawa was smart enough to realize where he was sitting. “Say something if it hurts, Iwa-chan,” he said with a playful hum before moving off the other man’s lap. He laid down on the bed and rested his head in the alpha’s lap. “Wake me if y’need me,” he mumbled, his eyes already shut. His breathing became even almost immediately, and Iwaizumi couldn’t help but smile down at the omega. He gently, cautiously, carded a hand through Oikawa’s hair.
After several minutes of silence, the alpha finally dared to speak, keeping his voice low so he wouldn’t wake the slumbering omega beside him. “I’ll always need you. I adore you, Tooru,” he whispered, speaking to the omega even though he knew the man would never hear him. “Just rest now.”
January 6
“One large americano, two sugars!” Suga called out, pushing forward a large, steaming cup. He looked up and smiled at Tadashi, waving at the man, who waved back at his fellow omega. Tadashi didn’t talk, though, not wanting to disturb his friend at work. Instead, he stayed in line and turned to face Tanaka and Ennoshita beside him.
“So, how’s life being dads?” He asked, smiling gently at the couple who gave each other tired, but sweet smiles.
“It’s okay. Exhausting, but worth every second, right, babe?” Tanaka said, looking over at his mate, who was smiling down at their precious, little girl.
“Yeah, worth it,” Ennoshita murmured.
Yamaguchi opened his mouth to ask another question when a familiar scent hit his nose. He perked up, turning and looking towards the door, smile growing as he saw Tsukishima enter the building. “Tsuki!” He called out, waving at his mate. “I thought I was bringing you something?” Yamaguchi said, looking down at the post-it note in his hand where he had written his, Kageyama’s, and Tsukishima’s orders.
The blonde alpha nodded, pushing up his glasses. “Yeah, but I can’t get enough of the look on your face when I die.”
Yamaguchi froze. “Wh-What?”
Before he could process what was happening, a spray of bullets tore through the air, ripping holes into Tsukishima’s body. And all Yamaguchi could do was watch.
A loud scream tore through the air, and Tsukishima dropped the pan he had been washing into the sink. Soap and suds splashed everywhere as the alpha sprinted out of the kitchen. As he turned the corner to step down the hallway to their bedroom, he slid across the floor, his shoulder crashing into the wall. Tsukishima used his weight and inertia to push himself off the wall and continue sprinting down the hall to the bedroom. He threw open the door, eyes wide as he stared at Tadashi.
The omega was sitting upright, eyes wide, tears streaming down his face. His breaths were shallow and his chest was heaving. “”Dashi! ‘Dashi!” The alpha rushed over to the bed, putting his hands on the omega’s shoulders. But his mate didn’t even flinch. “‘Dashi?” Tsukishima said softly, brows furrowing and mouth turning downwards. His omega wasn’t even looking at him. His hands moved to cup Yamaguchi’s cheeks, but the omega still stared off into space, eyes wide open, tears still spilling over his cheeks. “Tadashi, look at me !”
The alpha’s command broke through whatever mindspace Yamaguchi had been trapped in, and the omega took in a large breath almost as if he had just resurfaced from drowning beneath ocean waves. “Tsu-Tsuki?” He hiccuped, still gasping for air.
He fell forward, his alpha easily catching him. Tsukishima held Yamaguchi close, one hand on the omega’s back while his other gently pushed his head back so he could get a good look at his boyfriend’s face. The omega was trembling, whining as he was pushed away from the solace of his alpha’s scent glands. The whine made Tsukishima immediately let go of his gentle hold on Yamaguchi’s head, allowing his boyfriend to find comfort in his scent once again. He released extra pheromones, hoping to calm his omega as much as he could.
An hour passed before Yamaguchi’s breathing finally evened out, and his body was no longer tense. He didn’t cling to his alpha anymore, only relaxing against his mate. “Better?” Tsukishima dared to ask, tensing up slightly as he worried his mate would panic again.
“I’m. . . Okay,” Yamaguchi breathed out, sitting up and pulling back so he could look at his alpha. “It was. . .” He trailed off and rubbed his red-rimmed eyes.
“Another nightmare?” Tsukishima assumed, his heart cracking as Yamaguchi nodded and sniffled. “I haven’t heard you scream since the first night you came home. I was scared,” the alpha admitted, letting out a soft sigh of relief as the omega looked up at him, finally calm.
“Sorry I scared y–”
“Don’t apologize. I mean it. Don’t apologize for your trauma. Don’t apologize for what you suffered through. You don’t owe anyone an apology. In fact, I should be the one apologizing,” Tsukishima said, pulling off his glasses and setting them down on the bedside table.
Yamaguchi frowned. “Why should you be apologizing?” He asked, eyes widening and cheeks turning red.
“Because, I haven’t offered you any help. Sure, I’ve been here for you, but I haven’t. . . Well, I feel like I haven’t done anything. I should be doing more,” he said, silently cursing himself.
But the omega in front of him shook his head and reached out, gently cupping Tsukishima’s cheeks, forcing the alpha to look at him. “You’re doing all you can. I couldn’t ask for more. I don’t want more. I just want you,” Yamaguchi admitted, tired eyes crinkling in the corners as he smiled at his mate.
Tsukishima let out a wet laugh and shook his head. He leaned forward, pressing his nose against Yamaguchi’s cheek. “I love you,” he murmured against the omega’s face. He moved back slightly, now pressing their foreheads together. “What time is your appointment with Dr. Shima today?”
Yamaguchi hummed with closed eyes as he relished in the calming scent of his alpha. “Mm, one o’clock, I think,” he said, tilting his chin up and pressing his lips to Tsukishima’s nose. “Were you cleaning? You smell like soap.”
The alpha chuckled and wrinkled his nose slightly at the kiss. “Yeah. I was washing dishes. Made you breakfast,” he explained, pressing two brief kisses to Yamaguchi’s lips before pulling away from his mate. “Let’s get some food in you and then we can go for a walk before you get ready for your appointment. How’s that sound? Think you can go outside today?”
A look of hesitation crossed the omega’s face. He didn’t want to admit it, but the outside world terrified him now. He didn’t want to go outside unless he absolutely had to. He knew he would be okay within the safety of their apartment. But his psychologist had asked him to start going outside at least once on two different days during the week. And as much as he hated it, Yamaguchi went through with the exposure therapy. So long as Tsukishima was by his side, the omega knew he could recover.
January 11
Hinata blew warm air onto his hands as he walked down the street. The cool, winter air sent a chill through his hair, causing the omega to shiver. But it didn’t deter him from walking. He made his way down the street, and found himself standing in front of Inky Sensations. Before he stepped inside, the ginger paused and looked over his shoulder at Books ‘N’ Beans. He swore he could still hear the gunshots echo in his head, but he shook his head, forcing those memories away.
Pushing through the door of the tattoo parlor, Hinata stepped inside, the bell ringing above him. He beamed brightly as Kageyama looked up from where he was sitting with a client, eyes wide with surprise at the sight of the omega. “Just a minute,” the alpha murmured to his client, who looked less than enthused as the alpha walked away. “You’re here,” Kageyama breathed out, smiling down at Hinata as he pulled his mask away from his face.
Hinata blushed and shrugged. “Well, you said you were going to be home late, and I figured you’d be hungry, so. . .” He trailed off, and pulled his backpack off of his back. Opening it up, Hinata reached inside and pulled out two bento boxes. “I figured we could have dinner here. Is that. . . Is that okay?”
Kageyama gave the omega a lopsided smile, something more akin to a smirk. “Of course, it is. I’m almost done with this client, but feel free to eat without me, okay? I shouldn’t be more than twenty minutes,” he promised loosely, before heading back to his station. He stared for a moment, watching as Hinata moved to the front desk and made himself comfortable.
“Friend of yours?” The omega client on his table asked, and Kageyama quickly nodded.
“Yeah, more than,” he said, fondly smiling at his boyfriend, missing the irritated look on his client’s face.
“Right, well, can you focus? I’m not paying if this thing ends up looking bad because you’re distracted by. . . that,” the client said, causing Kageyama to frown as they wrinkled their nose in distaste towards Hinata.
The alpha narrowed his eyes. “Well, you’re the one who was pushing to have this appointment with me,” he grumbled. “Anyway, I’ll be done in a few minutes,” he said before biting his tongue and getting back to work. This was why he didn’t like talking to clients.
Silence filled the ink shop aside from the occasional munching from Hinata as he started to eat. After fifteen minutes, Kageyama was finally done with the client and stepped away. “Okay, you’re bandaged up. Same aftercare as last time. Do you need any cream?” He asked, offering a few packets to the omega.
“Thank you. Your work is always so beautiful. Even when distracted, you truly are a king when it comes to tattooing, aren’t you?” The client said, beaming up at Kageyama. His smile was bright enough to compare to Hinata’s, but Kageyama didn’t spare him a second glance.
“Okay, you can pay at the front,” he mumbled, cleaning up his work station and getting rid of his dirty gloves and other trash.
At the front, Hinata was swinging his feet back and forth as he sat in the front desk chair, patiently waiting for Kageyama while snacking on his dinner, trying to not eat it all so his boyfriend wouldn’t have to eat by himself. He smiled as the client walked up, impatiently tapping their card on the counter. “How did it come out? What did you get done?” Hinata asked, eyes wide with curiosity.
The male omega looked at Hinata with a sneer. “It’s beautiful, of course. He only ever does his best work. That’s what makes him an amazing artist and an amazing alpha,” the client scoffed, rolling his eyes.
Hinata’s smile slipped and his brows furrowed. “You say it like you know from experience.”
The other omega shrugged. “Maybe I do,” he laughed, eyes glancing over at Kageyama. “Or maybe I just want to. I mean, he’s not bonded, right? So, he’s practically single,” the client said, voice low enough that the alpha in question wouldn’t hear him.
The ginger was frowning now and chose to ignore the final comments, instead turning away. “Excuse me,” he murmured, walking into the back towards the bathroom.
Kageyama finally finished cleaning up his work station and made his way to the front desk. “Okay, here’s your total,” he said, showing the client the amount on the card reader. “It takes tap if you want.” With no further words exchanged, the client finished paying, bid the alpha a flirty goodnight accompanied by a wink before heading out. Sighing to himself, Kageyama closed and locked the door after the client before turning just as Hinata returned from the restroom. The alpha smiled and picked up Hinata’s bag and bento box from the front counter before moving it with him to his desk. “I’m excited to see what you made.”
“Nothing special. Spam, onigiri, shredded chicken and cabbage salad, and a fresh salmon roll,” Hinata said with a shrug.
Kageyama’s eyes widened. “Are you kidding, Sho? That’s amazing. And it all looks so delicious,” he said with a smile before he reached out and patted the bench. “Sit. Let’s eat together.” He waited for Hinata to take a seat before moving his chair forward. The alpha positioned himself between Hinata’s swinging legs and smiled up at the omega, who was taller only because the bench was higher than Kageyama’s chair. “Thank you for dinner,” he said softly, sitting up and craning his neck to press a sweet kiss to Hinata’s lips. “No one’s ever done this for me before. I appreciate you,” he whispered, following his words up with one more kiss before turning his attention to the food.
They spent the next hour sitting like that, occasionally feeding each other, talking about everything and nothing. Kageyama’s free hand was gently rubbing circles into Hinata’s thigh while the ginger’s foot gently caressed the back of the alpha’s calf. The time was soft, domestic, and everything they wanted to be with each other.