Chapter Text
The world is a big place. So many things happen simultaneously. Right now, a whale breaks the surface of the ocean to take a breath. Archaeologists find new pieces of evidence of lives long forgotten. A monkey in the jungle pushes his monkey brother down a tree and laughs at him. Someone in India is picking for usable scraps in the trash while a grey-haired billionaire sips expensive whiskey on his personal yacht.
In the grand scheme of things, a human life, a human action, a human moment should feel small and insignificant. But as Kei touches his flat stomach, simultaneously lifting his well-fitting shirt, this single action is perceived as grander than the entire universe.
Nothing is visible.
—What should be?
It’s been maybe eight weeks.
—And therein lies the problem.
It’s been eight weeks.
Every omega is different, but heats do come regularly. For some, it is every three months; others have them every five weeks. It varies a lot. But at his fresh twenty years of age, Kei’s body has had enough time to acclimatize to his secondary gender, and he knows his rhythm: a heat every eight. By now, he should be in preheat, feel an urge to nest, and be more sensitive toward his mate’s scents… but he isn’t.
His suspicions crept into his head last night when he was lying in their shared bed—him and his pack, that is. Akaashi the Beta, and Bokuto and Kuroo the Alphas. The four of them had their one-year anniversary a few weeks ago and lived together in what Kei could only call a lovely Tokyo den.
It was Bokuto who had his arm wrapped around him, nuzzling into his neck.
“You smell so rich,” he had mumbled on his way to dreamland. “Is your heat coming soon?”
“Mhm,” Kei responded, clicking through various icons on his phone, not bothered to fall asleep.
His heat?—yeah, that should come around now, but there were no signs yet. Out of curiosity, he checked his calendar app, which told him, Expected to start heat any day now.
This made him stare, because that meant he was already out of the preheat window and the active heat window.
He started overthinking right then and there— not that Kei would let anyone besides him know that. After a few minutes of pretending he was still just tapping on his phone and listening to Bokuto snoozing against his neck, he removed the alpha’s hand, put on his most unsuspicous poker face and tiptoed out of their shared bedroom—heading straight for the bathroom.
It couldn’t be, could it?
He had rummaged through the cabinet looking for a pregnancy test—and he had found one. An already expired, cheap one, which he unpacked and peed on as fast as he had ever peed on a stick. (Let’s forget about that wording for a second, shall we?)
He bits his dry lip while waited for the result. He was waiting for a line—A line as in one line. Singular. Only one line. The control line that told him the test still worked. Nothing more, no second line.
. . .
What happened instead was that it never showed up, but the other line did…. The one that should only appear if there were heightened human chorionic gonadotropin in his urine. Or, in short, if the hormone were present that showed up when one of his knucklehead boyfriends had managed to fertilize an egg inside his goddamn womb.
Shit.
Again, he stared at the little plastic stick in his hand.
“This isn’t helpful at all,” he murmured, ripping it apart and flushing it down the toilet (fuck the economy today).
Shit. Shit.
He went back to bed, pretending he didn’t suspect a child growing inside him. Pretending like he didn't just find out potentially life-altering information—after all, that test could have been wrong. It literally didn't show the control line, so was it even working? Probably not.
Kei perpetually hides under his blanket and pulls it up to his ears.
Shit. Shit. Shit
Before his classes the following day, he hd stopped by a drugstore he never visited, lest someone recognize his face. And then, when he was on campus, going to class, walkinga orund teh ground…sneaking into a publik tolett where he retook the test—this time with a new and fuctional one.
the result: Two lines.
Stupid two lines.
I wanted one; what’s so hard to understand?
So he did it again. Over and over again. Until he ran out of tests.
Because one could be a mistake, two were a coincidence. Three?—a cruel prank by the Uniserve and that god everyone keeps praising but wasn't protecting Kei from his apparently failing birth control pills.
Maybe he should have converted.
. . .
That day, Kei wasted enough money to buy five whole bottles of Kahlúa Milk—five bottles he would've happily downed if he weren't goddamn pregnant.
Returning to the present: he stood in front of the mirror, taking a good look at himself—something he didn’t like to do, or didn’t care to. His hair was longer than in high school, his shoulders broader. As an adult, he stood at 195 cm, and his waist was narrow in contrast to his upper body. He didn’t look like a box anymore.
Good.
However, he also knew something was hiding underneath his skin, his muscles, and his organs. A few cells that would overthrow his entire life in a few weeks, when he planned to let his mates know they (all of them—because birth control is never a solo effort) had fucked up the birth control.
This wouldn’t be his problem alone; he’d make sure of that. It takes two to make a pup (or, in their case, maybe four), so it would be two—or four—to bear the consequences.
Kei’s fingers traced over his flat stomach, his slightly noticeable abs, and soft skin. It felt the same as when he got lost in a good manga or book—mentally in another world—only to snap back the moment he lifted his head and shut the pages. This time, he returned to reality as he let his shirt fall over his stomach and pulled it straight like a good little secret.
With three partners and the libido of someone who had been a teen two weeks ago, sex was something that happened multiple times a week. Kei was in love with his partners, and they were with him. They had their own place and privacy. Only someone naïve would think they wouldn’t abuse that fact as much as they pleased. So it was hard for the blond man to figure out when exactly this had happened.
His last heat came on schedule; for about two weeks afterward was his non-fertile window, and a pregnancy test only picks up on the hormones at two to three weeks.
The fetus—probably still a lump of cells—could be half a month along or five to six weeks. The only way to find out was a doctor. But going to a doctor left a record, and he really couldn’t afford that right now.
A big sigh slipped from his mouth before he turned around to his bed—yes, his bed. As much as he liked his partners, an omega needed a nest, a reliable one he could escape to when the world outside weighed too heavily on his chest.
He let himself fall into it.
Between the pillows and blankets, the scattered clothes he had stolen right off his partners’ bodies—the floor after a night of heated sex, or the laundry bin—here, he covered himself and stayed buried in everything.
Under the fabrics, the blankets, the clothes.
Under his secrets, bad feelings and his own stupidity.
“You want to spend your heat in Miyagi?” The surprised voice of Akaashi rings out.
Kei nods, a duffel bag already slung over his shoulder.
“That’s awfully spontaneous,” the Beta notes in a suspicious tone, his face not giving away his irritation—that’s a very important fact about Akaashi. He looks stone-faced and talks like nothing bothers him—but right now, as he is in his neutral state, five possible scenarios are already calculated in his head at record speed.
Kei is aware that Akaashi’s inner monologue was a superpower in itself. And that he needed to be cautious of his words—luckily for him, Kei also had a good brain. “I know, but it’s the weekend, and I haven’t checked in with the people back home in a while,” he explains, his face equally expressionless and hard to read.
That’s the thing between them—their double-edged sword. They are both aware that a resting poker face doesn’t mean what it portrays. They know the other person is careful in both answers and responses, as well as statements—saying everything with clear intention.
But that also means if Kei wants Akaashi to believe something specific, he can adjust his communication accordingly—to the point where Akaashi would think it was his own natural conclusion, and vice versa. It gives them even more to consider. Was the other person being sincere? Was it just a tactic?
“Have you ever been home since moving in with us?” Kuroo asks from his spot at the sink, where he’s drying freshly washed dishes. The alpha's question breaks Akaashi's and Kei's unintended stare-off.
“Not in a while,” Kei insists, looking down at his duffel bag.
Akaashi frowns, not giving Kei an ounce of credibility because he can see the warning signs in his behavior. “I don’t know why this—" He gestures at everything Kei is—his outfit, the duffel bag, the look on his face "—all of a sudden…but going home really isn’t a good choice in your current state either.”
He is right, of course, referring to his incoming heat. As far as Akaashi knows, Kei smells as sweet as vanilla and roses and fertility in person. As a beta, he can only refer back to Kei's heat schedule and not sniff out the air for its legibility.
“If I miss my classes because of heat, I don’t get written up. And I can keep it down with blockers,” he argues.
“Blockers? That’s really no good,” Kuroo interjects once more. “You know they’re bad for your hormone balance if you just take them like Tic Tacs; your body has to slowly work up to the right dosage first,” Mr. Biology Nerd mutters—half part of the conversation, half focused on his task.
“Are you going to tell me what I should do with my body now?” the omega provokes, because that usually steers them away from the truth he wants to hide.
“It’s just advice.” Kuroo shrugs, not falling for Kei's cheap tactics.
Akaashi inhales sharply. “Why—” He reloads his words. “What speaks against spending your heat at home, letting your pack take care of you like always, and just visiting your hometown during autumn break?”
Nothing, frankly. Nothing—if Kei didn’t plan to visit a doctor to check on the future pup growing inside him and if he didn’t have to hide the fact that his heat won’t come at all, there would be no problem with Akaashi's proposal.
The beta is right; it makes sense in every way. But does Kei have to take that into consideration? Does he have to be grown and mature and hold himself to a standard society has forced upon him? No! He isn’t the youngest of the pack for a reason.
“Don’t have the patience,” the omega says in a defiant tone.
“Autumn break is literally in two weeks,” Akaashi deadpans, some personality finally shining through on his face.
Kei doesn't let it dissuade him. Maybe the youngling role wasn't as tactile as he had hoped… Moving on to the next one: rebellion and defiance.
“Maybe I just don’t want to spend my heat with you.”
His words cut through the living room despite the average tone in which he had said them. They pierce into Kuroo's heart, who swears he can physically feel a stab through it. A mug falls into the sink, and both Omega and Beta look up at Kuroo, who has flinched at the statement.
The alpha slowly turns his head. Eyes big like a war survivor, he was trying to open his mouth, but Akaashi clocked Kei first.
“That’s a lie,” Akaashi states, looking very irritated at Kei now. This wasn't just about the omega acting weird now; it was about him disrespecting their bond and blatantly stating falsehoods to get a reaction out of them.
Of course it was a lie, Kei thinks. Why is Akaashi always that well prepared?
“Fine, it’s a lie. I'm still going," he admits and stands his ground. He’s about to take his first steps out of the kitchen when Kuroo comes after him, finally snapping out of his initial shock.
“Hey—what’s wrong?” He even grabs his wrist. How romantic. "Come on, talk to me."
“Nothing,” Kei grumbles, yanking his hand back. "I just want to be alone." In tandem with his words, Kei raises his territorial pheromones and tells Kuroo to back off. If his inner alpha has even an ounce of respect for Kei, he will… And he does.
Kuroo backs away and doesn't approach him any further, even though it pains him. He is confused and wants to fix whatever has Kei acting weird, but biology wins. In the back, Akaashi has folded his arms; he also decided to give Kei his space if he oh so desperately needs it. But he wasn't happy about it.
This will likely result in a whole ass sit-down talk further down the line. But for now Kei turns around and leaves through the front door. No fault in his walk.
At the train station, he passes the Shinkansen to Miyagi—he had lied twice. About why he was leaving and where he was going to.
His ticket has “Shizuoka City” written on it—a 55-minute ride on the Shinkansen. Kami bless Japan’s railroad system.
Why Shizuoka? No real reason. It’s just far enough away that nobody knows him but close enough that he can return home comfortably. Kei had researched a good private doctor on a library computer the day before and set up an emergency appointment. He also booked a hotel for three nights and bought his tickets—printed everything out and logged out like the criminal mastermind he was.
In hindsight—it was all so easy.
unsettlingly easy.
He could lie with no problem; he made all his bookings within a few short minutes. He didn't hesitate at all throughout this whole process… The facts started to weigh on him.
After the ticket lady came and scanned his ticket, he put on his headphones, blocking out the rolling of the wheels as the train left Tokyo city. Blocking out the vibrating notifications with Bokuto's name lighting up on this screen. Ignoring the twitch of his lips as he realizes what he just did…so easily.
Kei wasn't a stranger to being a bitch—to riling people up for the fun of it, to letting idiots know that they are idiots. But Akaashi and Kuroo weren’t idiots; they were his lovers. Bokuto too. They are his pack, his family… and his inner omega was chasing him with a baseball bat for so blatantly lying to them and distancing himself.
He is being loved. Even someone as insecure as Kei has to admit that he knows it—and that he actually feels loved. That he can’t tell himself it’s all just a façade and a cruel joke. Their feelings and intentions are pure.
And Kei is the problem now.
A problem.
There is always a fucking problem.
"Why would you do all that?"
If Kei were to tell Yamaguchi about his current predicament, the beta would certainly ask this question.
“You have three supportive boyfriends, and they love you enough that you don’t even question whether they actually love you. It’s crazy to doubt them,” he says for Yamaguchi, since he wasn’t here with them.
And Kei would respond, “You know, it’s not really about trust; it’s just a safety measure.”
A safety measure, yup.
It has been less than two years since the omega left Miyagi. When he walked out of school with his diploma in hand, his packed bags were already waiting for him at home. He ran away, one might say. Or he got to safety, as Kei would explain it.
Being an omega wasn’t always easy—especially when you came from a beta family that had no idea what to do with you. When you grew up thinking being an omega was an obstacle and not just a mere part of your being. Nobody can choose their secondary gender, just like nobody can choose their genetics. Of course, it was no use denying himself that for years—even if his family more than supported that unhealthy mindset.
But you can choose your surroundings, and teenage Kei knew he had to get out. Out of Karasuno, out of Miyagi. If he could have afforded it, maybe even out of Japan. And you might wonder, why?
What about Miyagi's beautiful nature and tightly knit communities could ever repulse someone to have that sort of thought process? Well, dear readers, It all traced back to one hellish night—or, well, nights.
. . .
When Kei had to deal with unimaginable pain in his abdomen and bled on his ironically white bedsheets. When he screamed for his mother like a scared five-year-old again and was driven to the hospital ten minutes later. When he stared at the aftermath two days later, freshly discharged and sore from an emergency fetal extraction, he felt a pang of regret.
Have you realized it yet?
Good old Kei—class representative, middle blocker, and baby of the family. Smart, cunning, mouthy, and… pregnant.
He is pregnant, not for the first time but again.
It's not his first rodeo. It has happened before: the fear, the heat that never came, the pregnancy test, and a bundle of cells that got ready to overthrow his life.
And the best part?
Kei had looked forward to it. To tell Yamaguchi he needed a godfather. To show off a pup to his brother. To seeing his older boyfriend do midnight feedings while shirtless, looking proud of their family.
For fuck’s sake—teenage Kei was a dreamer. A big, stupid dreamer.
Being an omega wasn’t easy, especially not when you tried to deny the fact that your biology does, in fact, influence your thoughts and opinions. When you constantly told yourself you were doing the wrong things and feeling the wrong way even though you internally never felt more at peace.
Kei had looked forward to his mistake—to his pup. To holding his baby, kissing its tiny hands, and telling it the world was cruel, but that with him by its side, they’d make it work.
And stupid Kei is still a dreamer. A dreamer who may be creating his own nightmare…
But can’t... He just can’t do it differently.
The true intention behind keeping it a secret was never to avoid shame or judgment. Even if he tried to see his situation as dire, he couldn’t. He was kind of…happy. Others his age would have already used the word "abortion"—doing it quickly and cleanly, moving on, maybe booking a few therapy sessions to deal with the loss, but definitely not ignoring the problem until it was too late to decide.
The truth is, he never needed the time. His choice was made—Kei is having this pup.
He didn’t want to lose the first one; why would he kill the second? Isn’t it his body, his choice?
Okay—yes. Maybe the potential father should have a word on the matter. And maybe—no, most certainly—he shouldn’t ignore all the other factors.
Like the fact that he actively lives in a two-bedroom apartment with his three boyfriends who—surprise—let him live there for free. Aren't they generous?
Who let him keep the money he earns from his part-time job—money that would never be enough to support two people in Tokyo by itself. Like his bachelor’s degree in history that won’t finish itself. Like the college volleyball team where he’s a starting player. Like the fact that he doesn’t have a real job or the mental stability to even pretend he has it all figured out.
The omega’s face contorts, thick tears rolling down his cheeks suddenly. He turns the music up. If any passengers notice, they have the courtesy not to stare. When was the last time he even cried? It's so rare he could count the instances on his hand throughout high school. Suddenly it feels too much. Days of worrying, lying, and plotting catch up to his conscience.
Kei pulls his legs up. He curls in on himself in the too-small train seat, which stinks like an overused towel everyone dried their hands on and makes him feel even worse.
Kei misses his nest.
He misses his pack.
And he misses the way his life felt before Bokuto asked whether his heat was coming soon.
How should Akaashi Keiji describe his boyfriends? Chaotic, maybe. A wild bunch, perhaps?
They are handsome and goal-oriented, work hard, and have their quirks.
Kuroo is a slick-tongued social butterfly who has an easy time networking. He finished business school and got himself a job in his dream department of the Japanese Volleyball Association by simply sweet-talking the chairman during one of Bokuto’s games, a year in advance. His career path is promising and fulfilling, but one of his faults is acting like a gangster when he is actually the most caring and gentle soul who just wants to pull everyone forward.
Bokuto is energetic; he always seeks to win and have fun, and because winning is fun, he works very hard. He is a shower (and a grower), taking audiences in with his energy and working crowds like he has discovered the fifth element of crowd-bending. But he would easily perish if the other members of the household weren’t in charge of making food and taking care of the bills.
Then there is Tsukishima—a young man who loves a good taunt and hates group projects. The multitasker of their household. He works part-time at a museum gift shop, is a full-time student, and plays volleyball in the college league. Yet when he comes home, he still diligently organizes his notes and does his chores without complaint. The way he shows affection is Tsundere-coded, but it's present. Sometimes he is a brat too—though Akaashi sees that in a loving way.
They didn’t fall in love with Tsukishima because he was some boring NPC, but because he had a personality that drew them in.
The throuple at the time had opened their doors to the new omega in town out of sheer hospitality (cough Kuroo’s sense to not leave anyone behind cough), and Akaashi was on the same campus as the blond, often crossing paths when switching buildings.
It was an odd idea at first, courting a new member for their pack. When Kuroo, Bokuto, and Akaashi had gotten together, it was because of Bokuto’s way-too-honest confession on graduation day. He had dragged Akaashi to Nekoma High School to congratulate Kuroo in person and handed him the second button of his own uniform with the handshake. When the team captain stared at the button and realized its significance, Bokuto ripped out a second one for Akaashi then and there too. Double confessing his feelings like the dramatic teen he was.
And in what had to be the most Kuroo action ever, the dark-haired man tried ripping off his necktie to hand it to either one of them (they never found out who specifically), but instead choked himself and fell to the ground after accidentally cutting off his own airflow.
A long conversation and multiple refills of bubble tea later, they decided to try—all three of them. Because Bokuto liked Kuroo and Akaashi. Kuroo liked Akaashi and Bokuto. And Akaashi liked Bokuto and Kuroo.
So when Tsukishima did come, it was a big first for all four of them.
Joining an already established throuple must have been nerve-wracking for the young omega. Because, as Akaashi quickly realized, the sassy boy from Miyagi was like a stray cat that flinched when he held out his hand to pet it—scratching and attacking, because that was its only way of staying in control and defending itself.
Tsukishima likes to lie, to hide, and to pretend. But he isn’t a dick. He is actually very sweet and very caring. He pretends not to care because caring too much is dangerous for his fragile heart. He acts arrogant but doesn’t even like himself; he pretends to be relaxed in the water that drowns him.
He is like a cat that likes to hunt by itself. But that's where the problem lies. Despite major beliefs, cats aren't solitary creatures. They do like to hunt alone, but they don't like to be alone. And Tsukishima—in Akaashi's eyes—was also not meant to be alone.
Sure, it isn’t always easy to be in a relationship with him. Being in a relationship always comes with work, but it was always worth it to Akaashi.
The pack was blessed with many positive additions to their lives when Kei joined, like how having an omega balanced out their alpha-heavy dynamic; how Tsukishima being younger allowed Bokuto and Kuroo to live out their mentor dreams; and how having another volleyball fanatic motivated the already motivated men even more.
Kei was also putting in his work as Akaashi, like to note—he always keeps his word and tries to be five steps ahead, lessening Akaashi's mental workload and comforting his partners too after a long day.
He loved them, and he showed it, even if it was hard for him. He knows his faults, and he hates his faults, but he tries to be better for them. So, as good boyfriends, they want to support him too.
When Tsukishima showed up with that duffel bag and announced his departure, it was something he had never done before. A red flag, one might call it.
Something is wrong.
Something is so wrong that Kei didn’t even try to hint at it in the day leading up. The omega had come very far in allowing his alphas and beta to wander around in his worried little head and take some of the weight off him—something the snarky first-year he met during summer camp would have never done.
He wants them as much as they want him. He doesn't want to be alone.
They are a pack. They are each other’s chosen family. If Kuroo, Bokuto, Akaashi, and Tsukishima can’t trust each other, who else could they lean on?
Well, sadly, Kei likes to lean on himself.
It's the only explanation Akaashi can come up with.
It must be another issue Kei is trying to solve it by himself. There is no other explanation. The omega doesn’t just abandon his pack during an impending heat. He knows it’s dangerous if it gets triggered on the train or if he doesn’t make it home in time. Not to mention, what home does he even have in Miyagi?
Tsukishima never mentions his parents or sometimes his brother, but combining his heat with visiting them would make no sense. Are they going to have small talk while Kei rubs one off or something? It almost made Akaashi angry how bad Kei's lie was. He seriously couldn't come up with something better? His smart Kei couldn't come up with something better?!
Tsukishima loves spending his heat at home—his true home, their home. Akaashi had already started meal-prepping food Kei would crave once preheat set in. They would let him rearrange the pack bed into his personal oversized nest, like always. There were two eager alphas scenting the air and complying with his every wish. He gets fawned over for four days straight because he is their pack omega, and he deserves the world in his time of need.
It made no sense that he left.
He left.
He fucking left.
He has a problem, and he is too fucking scared or prideful to ask for help.
The beta takes a sip of tea. Stress never got him far, but the sheer absurdity of the situation does. It makes no sense. That’s just it.
Akaashi knows everything about his boyfriend there is to know. He is observant—it’s how he fits into this whole alpha-and-omega dynamic. Despite not being able to distinguish scents and their meanings, he has the ability to keep up, even as a normal beta.
So when it comes to problems and challenges, there is always a way. There has to be.
Because he can’t fail his partners.
Akaashi Keiji isn’t allowed to fail—not when he is already working three times as hard just to keep his place in a pack full of amazing men with natural urges, instincts, and communication signals that differ entirely from his own being.
When Bokuto first got accepted to the MSBY Black Jackals, he was overjoyed; when he remembered they were stationed in Osaka, he started to worry. Two hours commuting between his home and his work—it wasn’t ideal in the slightest. But moving closer wasn’t an option. Kuroo worked in Tokyo; Akaashi and Tsukishima were finishing their degrees there. He couldn’t drag his partners two hours away just so he could play professional volleyball.
But forfeiting the offer also wasn’t an option.
So, as always, Bokuto worked hard and tried to make it fun. He started fun conversations with strangers on the train; he told his team they could hang out at his place, which was just a "short" train ride away; he watched movies during the commute that he could later tell his boyfriends about; and Bokuto tried hard—really really hard.
If a situation didn’t satisfy him, there was always a way. If he failed, it was valuable feedback and no big deal. He could always improve and do better. Since graduating high school, he had decided not to be coddled anymore (though he liked the care, and he might allow himself to get coddling at home a bit). He is an alpha—a dominant one on top of that—and it’s his role to take charge.
But sheer will and mindset aren’t a solution for everything.
He still ended up missing a few trains home because stayed out too late with the team. At some point the hotel across the Black Jackals’ gym had a file ready for him because he had acquired a substantial amount of spontaneous bookings. Commuting four hours a day was not ideal. Not ideal at all.
He failed, and he adapted.
Now, two nights a week were spent staying in Osaka in the aforementioned hotel. If he found a cheap apartment, it might even be a good investment choice—but he didn’t like this solution. As an alpha, he wanted to be present, have his lovers around him, and spend time with them. Since starting their relationship, Bokuto had rarely slept alone.
He craved to touch, to comfort, to feel, to lick, to kiss, and to revel in his partners. Bokuto loved caressing Tsukishima’s soft hair and the way he clenched around him when he entered. Bokuto loved receiving that good morning kiss from Kuroo when the other alpha thought he was still asleep, and how perfectly his ass fit into both of his hands. Bokuto loved hugging Akaashi while he prepared food, and how the beta shuddered when he curled his fingers against his prostate.
He loves and loves and loves.
There is nothing better in the world.
So imagine the hate he feels when he returns home after another overnight stay in Osaka to find Kuroo pacing and Akaashi sitting on the kitchen table, strategizing—hand folded and eyes sharpened in a way that told Bokuto something serious was going on in his head. Akaashi was prone to overthinking. But there was unnecessary overthinking and very much necessary overthinking. This was the later.
“What’s going on?” Bokuto skips over the greeting.
“Koutaro, thank god you’re here.” Kuroo approaches him right away. Koutaro—his first name—that only gets used when things are very intimate, which means this is extremely important. And judging by the look of things, it’s not good.
He puts on his best serious expression. “What’s going on?”
“Kei left.” Kuroo scrunches his hair. “He just left his room with a duffel bag and announced that he’ll spend his heat in Miyagi. Fucking Miyagi. What does he want to do in Miyagi?!”
The alpha panics. “He could go into heat on the train or on the street; we can’t contact him—He could get raped. He could die. He said he want to be alone!— Then he can spend a night at a hotel, for all I care. I'll even pay for it. But he just left and I didn't have the will strengh to follow him. Not to mention, his phone is off or he is ignoring my messgaes” Kuroo spirals.
Reality settles in quickly.
Their pack omega left without warning, during his active heat window. Akaashi hasn't figured out why and Kuroo blames himself for not stopping him.
First, Bokuto steps closer to Kuroo and stops him from pacing, forcing him to stand still with a strong embrace. It isn't reciprocated right away. Kuroo's heart beats way too fast and he is legit about to have a panic attack regarding Kei's whereabouts.
“Hey, I know this isn't an easy situation but you need to calm down. I’m here too. You're not alone, we'll find our omega.”
Next, Bokuto turns to Akaashi while actively pushing Kuroo into the crook of his neck so he can breathe in calming pheromones. “When did he leave?”
“Thirty minutes ago.” The beta looks concentrated; he has probably already looked up the train map and schedule to guess which one Kei intended to take (if he even intended to leave Tokyo)
Half an hour—that was all it had taken that noon for Bokuto to be late.
What followed were the three people spam-calling Tsukishima. At first, the calls and messages went through—until they didn’t. Akaashi messaged Yamaguchi to see if the other beta knew anything about Kei’s mental state… but nothing.
Even more concerning, Yamaguchi didn't know Kei intended to visit Miyagi. Their omega isn’t spontaneous. If he had planned to leave and stay in Miyagi, he would have informed the people he planned to visit beforehand and made appointments.
It's become more clear that he had blatantly lied and they didn't know where their partner was now. He was mentally and physically fragile. Either pumped full of unhealthy heat blockers or in pre-heat in some unknown location where they wouldn't be able to help him.
It’s five hours later when the omega sends a simple text into their group chat:
“I am fine, back on Thursday.”
It’s very simple and straightforward. Not at all fitting the situation!
“Kei, what the fuck?” Bokuto types as fast as possible; he can see the notification turning blue, meaning Kei had read it. It made him hopeful that they could get in contact now… But no following message was read by him. Kei was back to ignoring his phone as fast as he had acknowledged it for that brief second.
That… That—
(Bokuto tries to insult him, at least mentally, but he can’t.)
“He was very defensive when we talked to him. I think he’s either not ready to tell us what’s really going on or there is a third party involved making him unsure,” Akaashi states, pulling his shirt over his head as he gets ready for bed.
“Probably both, the way I know the bastard,” Kuroo huffs, his feet already tucked under the blanket.
“But he’ll be back on Thursday; we can corner him then. He can’t lie his way out of it in person,” Bokuto adds to the conversation, pulling up his fresh boxers.
“I think you forgot how good Tsukki is at avoiding his feelings and talking without really communicating,” Akaashi reminds them.
“But it hasn’t happened in, like, three months. I thought he was starting to feel safe around us.” Kuroo’s voice rings somber, like he thinks he made a mistake. Bokuto hates the tone of it. "We had endless talks about helping each other with problems and that there are NO taboo topics."
“He has. He has. Don’t let those bad thoughts get into your head. With every bad habit, there are relapses. I—I just need to figure out the cause, the trigger, and why he had this reaction, and then we can—” Their beta continues to list every step to take care of the problem, reliable as ever.
Akaashi is always taking care of all of them. Bokuto knows Akaashi's explanatory tone well. has heard it since high school—daily. He loves that side of him—how he can so easily put order into the chaos. Like a born leader, a role Bokuto struggles to fulfill.
“You mean we have to find out,” Bokuto adds after the beta was done talking, drawing his hand over Akaashi’s overworked head. “We are a pack; there is no doing things alone here.”
“Yes, we…sorry.” The beta looks down—he says one thing but thinks another.
The three men climb into bed and huddle together, their omega's blanket thrown over all of them as they curl up with Tsukishima’s lingering scent between them, for the moment at least pretending that he is with them too—that he won’t feel lonely and helpless without them this night, and that they have all the solutions to make it better in the near future.
For Kei, it's not much of a consolation that his boyfriends are thinking of him. They probably aren't even mad…they just want him safe. And here he goes, making them worry like some rebellious teenager. As a punishment, Kei falls asleep alone. He doesn't get to share his guilt and worries tonight; he has no comforting scent to make falling asleep easier. There is only his own voice in his head, telling him he is a big fat selfish idiot…and that he can be happy if he isn't single when he returns on Thursday.