Chapter Text
Fog clings to the tree tops of the vast forest surrounding a small village nestled in a deep valley between some mountains. It’s still early in the morning but most of the pack is already awake and going about their day. Tsukishima spots his usual groups of — well, let’s call all of them friends — sitting together by the well. There’s a strange air of heaviness around them when usually laughter and jokes should be exchanged.
Even Hinata whose face constantly seems to be set in some sort of smile is looking too serious for Tsukishima’s liking.
As he comes closer, he starts to smell the tension in the air. The sunny warmth of Hinata’s scent has taken on a rainy note, Yachi’s sweet flowery scent is a twinge too sweet, almost rotting. And while Yamaguchi usually smells like freshly baked bread his scent has become kind of stale.
Tsukishima covers his nose briefly before he settles down in their small circle. “Why the long faces?”
Someone huffs annoyed.
Of course — Kageyama glares at him slightly. Ah. Usually, the omega is the one whose scent rarely changes. It’s almost scary how balanced it normally is but even the deep, rich scent of earth and wood has something almost burnt to it today.
Something is definitely going on.
“Mating run,” Yamaguchi just says, crossing his arms in front of his chest.
“Ah,” Tsukishima nods and glances around a bit. The mating run… hah. He should have known. It’s been the main topic among their pack members for the past weeks. “I've been dreading this,” He sighs.
It’s such a drag. Among their group, there are only two who are required to participate and since he’s born an alpha, Tsukishima is sadly one of them.
The complaint has barely left his lips when Kageyama is huffing and puffing next to him again.
“What?” Tsukishima snaps at him annoyed.
The omega is glaring at him again, his eyes a tinge bluer than usual. His leg is bouncing up and down almost nervously and his scent has become a lot thicker. He’s agitated. Well, not that it’s something unusual when the two of them interact. Kageyama and him… they’ve never quite gotten along as well as the others. Somehow, they bring out the worst in each other, simply rubbing each other the wrong way any time they interact.
It’s not like Tsukishima outright dislikes him. No. It’s something else. Something he can not quite explain but he doesn’t hate him. He might not call them explicitly ‘friends’ either but they are close and even though he wouldn’t say it out loud, he does care about the omega just like he cares about his other friends.
From an outsider's point of view, no one would guess any of that though.
Usually, they remain pretty civil, neither of them too offended by a few snide remarks and stuff of the sort — but today Kageyama is on edge. Tsukishima can tell easily.
“Dreading?” Kageyama almost laughs but his eyes are anything but happy. His voice shakes a bit from trying to remain calm as he snaps back. “What exactly have you been dreading? Running a bit? You don't even run, you just walk around until it’s over. It's so easy for you alphas if you don't want to participate — just don't catch anyone. Seriously, what is there to dread for you?”
From the corner of his eyes, Tsukishima can tell the other three are exchanging a few concerned glances. It’s not like Kageyama to blow up like this after the first comment. Especially given that Tsukishima hasn’t said anything directly to him yet.
Is he not allowed to complain about forced participation because he’s an alpha? What even is Kageyama’s problem? It’s not like Tsukishima said anything bad. Or wrong. It’s just the way he feels about the run. Obviously, Kageyama isn’t too thrilled about it either but he never is. And still, he seems much worse than the last few years.
It’s pissing Tsukishima off.
It’s not like he meant anything bad by what he said. He didn’t even say anything about any omegas, so why is Kageyama taking his simple complaint so seriously? Almost personally?
“Sure, but it's not like you really have to worry either,” Tsukishima replies sharply because it’s the truth. Kageyama despises the tradition just as much as Tsukishima does but he’s never been this sensitive about it. “You're faster than everyone here. And even those two or three alphas that might be able to catch up have to be interested in you first. I think you're quite safe.”
Instead of retorting anything like he usually does, Kageyama just abruptly gets up and leaves. Tsukishima bites his tongue, holding back on saying something that might really be crossing the line with the omega being in a mood like this.
But he doesn’t get it.
Kageyama is never worried about the run. Not like this at least.
Of course, Tsukishima is aware that omegas are much worse off than alphas if they do not want to participate in the traditions of their packs. The mating run is something that’s been done for centuries now. Once a year, the unmated alphas and omegas of their pack and two other packs living in their respective villages close by gather once the full moon has reached its peak. As long as one is off-age and unmated no omega and no alpha is spared from participating. The goal of that night is for an alpha to claim a mate.
By now, a lot of couples purposely wait to claim each other during this night to give it some kind of meaning. Because it’s special — Tsukishima doesn’t quite get it. He finds it unnecessary. And unfair. Though it has become something frowned upon, there are still instances where an omega is claimed against their will.
During the mating run, they are basically prey and the alphas are their predators, chasing them until the sun rises. The omegas who are caught may not be devoured but for some omegas, their fate might feel the same as being eaten alive.
For Kageyama, for example.
Only that no one has ever gotten close to catching him before.
So, Tsukishima doesn’t quite understand the fuss the omega is making this time. He wasn’t like this the last few years so this is coming a bit out of nowhere.
He watches Kageyama’s retreating back until the omega has rounded a corner and is out of sight.
“What's his problem?” Tsukishima mumbles to himself, his own scent turning a bit sour due to the small altercation.
“That was really insensitive of you, you know,” Hinata of all people scolds him and even though Tsukishima would deny it, his shoulders flinch a bit at the harsh tone the beta is using. Hinata may be small but he’s older than him and anything but weak.
Still, Tsukishima can not let it go, “Did I say anything wrong? It's our fifth run and no one has ever gotten close to catching him. After the third year, everyone lost interest in chasing him anyways — it wasn't even a challenge anymore. He shouldn’t worry so much.”
Again, the other three share a look. It’s as if that’s all they need to communicate while leaving Tsukishima out of the loop. Well, sometimes it truly feels like Yachi and Yamaguchi share some sort of telepathic bond, being mated and all, but Tsukishima doesn’t quite believe it.
It’s Yachi who tries to explain the situation to him this time. “Well, you know Shiro Kimura, right? He joined the mountain’s pack last year,” She asks a bit carefully. The name does ring a bell somewhere very far back in Tsukishima’s mind. He’s not overly socially involved with the other packs but he did see that guy before but doesn’t remember much about him apart from the fact that he did not like him. But it’s not like there are a lot of people Tsukishima likes so that’s not something special.
“It'll be his first run with us and he's been bothering Kageyama since they first met,” Yachi continues to explain a bit awkwardly, “You know, telling him he will definitely catch and claim him and stuff.”
Ah.
“And Shiro is one of those who can actually back up what they say,” Hinata adds with a slight grimace on his face.
Ah.
“But he's an asshole,” Tsukishima blurts out.
“Yeah, that’s kind of the point.”
Tsukishima shakes his head slightly. “Kageyama hates him,” he says.
“I think that makes Shiro want him even more.”
The words throw him off for a moment because — come on, it’s Kageyama they’re talking about. Who’d even want him? Like, he gets it kind of, the omega is really pretty but other than that, most alphas around here are looking for a much more traditional omega. Someone soft and dainty and submissive.
And Kageyama is anything but that.
He’s feisty, strong, he’s tall, has a terrible attitude, and a face that is permanently set in a scowl. The alphas that did want him before only saw him as a challenge. They didn’t want him, they wanted to break him down. But once they realized no matter what they did, Kageyama wouldn’t budge and wouldn’t lose against them, they lost interest. Conquering an omega like him proved to be a little too hard.
That’s why Kageyama was so calm on the last mating runs.
Because he simply knew he would outrun everyone. Because he knew they wouldn’t be able to catch him even if they tried.
“He was never worried before,” Tsukishima mumbles to himself again, this time, he does feel a bit guilty for what he said before. Hinata and Yamaguchi share another look and the expression on their faces lets Tsukishima undeniably know that he did say something stupid but he pretends he doesn’t see it.
It’s just that Kageyama never showed any kind of worry. Or weakness. Tsukishima simply didn’t take it that seriously because he never had to. Because Kageyama never did. To him, the omega is someone who’d never bow down to anyone, someone who never lets himself be knocked down.
But looking back, thinking like that might have been stupid too. Kageyama is just like anyone else. And even if he never showed it, he must have always been a little bit worried.
After all, no one wants to be claimed against their will.
“Well, he is worried right now,” Hinata says, “Just — don’t bring up the run when he’s around, okay?”
Tsukishima just nods in agreement, lost in his own thoughts as his friends pick up a different conversation.
Well, Kageyama shouldn’t be worried. That’s what he wants to say but doesn’t. Of course, he would never admit it out loud but this is actually something he envies the omega for. When there’s something Kageyama wants or doesn’t want he achieves it. Always.
Shiro is not the first alpha intending to chase and catch him. Not the first one that is this fast and strong. And still, Kageyama always made it out of that forest without a mating bite.
One more alpha trying for the impossible shouldn’t be able to change that.
-o-
Despite that, Tsukishima can’t stop thinking about this conversation. And most of all, he can not get this picture of Kageyama out of his head — the expression on his face, a hint of vulnerability he’s never seen on him before under the angry scowl.
In the deep of the night, when he’s tossed and turned for hours, he can finally admit to himself that he might have been quite insensitive. He knows Shiro well enough to know the other is an asshole who’s too full of himself but not well enough to know if he can truly back up all of his claims. Tsukishima usually tends to avoid other alphas. Shiro has never been an exception to that rule. Especially because he is so unpleasant to be around.
Kageyama must have dealt with him a lot more. And what he saw in him must have been enough to seriously worry him. Tsukishima gets it now. And still, he doesn’t believe the omega will ever let himself be caught by anyone.
It just sounds ridiculous. Something impossible. Tsukishima can not see it happen no matter how much he imagines it.
But it wouldn’t leave him alone either.
Since he’s not going to fall asleep anyway, Tsukishima decides to take a walk. When he was younger, he liked walking around the village at night quite regularly. All alone with his thoughts and the world. Without the overwhelming pressure of different scents around him and the noise of the other pack members.
It’s calming. And the moment he steps outside it’s as if he’s back in that time.
He walks down soft paths, past quiet, dark huts where the other people are peacefully sleeping. Only the pale moon and the few stars sprinkled across the night sky keep him company and Tsukishima quickly finds himself at the edge of the village.
Further away, the edge of the forest swallows even the sparse moonlight and to his feet, it gets caught in the small, whispering river sneaking past the edge of the village. Tsukishima spends a while looking at the sparkling water before his eyes wander down the stream and catch sight of a weird, dark shape.
His heart skips a beat and he ducks instinctively.
He does not smell a wild animal so it must be someone from the pack. For a moment, he considers simply leaving but then he hears something that sounds a bit like a sniffle.
“Hello?” Tsukishima calls out tentatively, “Is anyone there?”
In the shadows, a person flinches at the sound of his voice. They seem to quickly wipe their face but don’t turn around. A little less scared, Tsukishima takes another step closer and recognizes a familiar head of dark hair.
The scent of rich, wet earth lies heavy in the air.
“Tsukishima.” Yes, that’s definitely Kageyama’s voice. “Why are you out so late?”
Carefully, he comes closer to the crouching omega. “I could ask you the same thing?”
Kageyama huffs once before answering. “Running,” Is all he says.
“Running?” Tsukishima raises his eyebrows even though Kageyama couldn’t see the change in his expression. He’s sure the other hears the confusion in his voice anyway. “But you — run in the mornings, right?”
A bit surprised, Kageyama turns around swiftly and their eyes lock. Oh. Tsukishima can’t help but notice his red-rimmed eyes and the wetness of his cheeks. Something twists in the pit of his stomach he just can’t quite tell what it is. But it’s unpleasant. His hand twitches by his side with the urge to reach out and wipe the omega’s cheeks but he holds back. It would be too weird. Even weirder than having this urge in the first place.
And this situation is already awkward enough.
It feels as though he’s not supposed to be seeing this. He’s never seen Kageyama… vulnerable before. Kageyama never lets anyone see him this vulnerable. But it seems Tsukishima’s words have surprised him enough to not even notice how much his face is giving away at the moment.
“Uh, I hear you pass by my cabin early in the morning almost every day,” Tsukishima explains and curses the way his cheeks start to flush slightly. Maybe Kageyama's lack of embarrassment regarding his tears has somehow jumped over to him. His blushing doesn't make sense otherwise.
He crouches down next to Kageyama, some kind of primal instinct inside of his chest piping up when the anxious scent of the omega thickens.
Ah. This is so awkward. Kageyama and he are not — close but he can't just ignore this either, can he? Tsukishima clenches his teeth before eventually forcing the most obvious question off his tongue. “Have you… been crying?”
A sour note immediately overtakes Kageyama's scent and he scowls. Quickly, he wipes his face with his sleeve. “None of your business,” He snaps quietly, stubbornly turning his head away.
Huh. It's not like Tsukishima enjoys the situation either. For once, he's just trying not to be an insensitive asshole.
“What? I’m just worried,” He hisses from between his teeth. So much for trying not to be an asshole.
Kageyama snorts. “Why?”
He's being way too difficult and if Tsukishima didn't have this strange feeling in his chest he would have just scoffed and walked off. Because, seriously? The one time he's trying to be nice and Kageyama just — ugh. Anyway, this is not about him or his pride.
It's about trying to make up for what he said this morning and making Kageyama feel better. Kind of.
“Because we’re — friends?” Somehow, the last word wouldn't quite roll off his tongue as easily as the others.
“See, you can’t even say it right,” Kageyama huffs and crosses his arms in front of his chest. His brows are still furrowed tightly but the glare in his eyes has softened quite a bit. “We’re not like, friends.”
This small hint of softness gives Tsukishima enough confidence to keep going and push through the awkwardness of the conversation. He focuses on the way the pale moonlight gathers in Kageyama’s blue eyes.
“Why are you crying?”
Immediately, Kageyama is glaring again. “I’m not crying.”
Ridiculous.
“I can clearly see the tears on your cheeks, idiot,” Tsukishima says a tad bit softer than he usually would when teasing the omega. Because despite popular opinion, he is aware of the right time and right place. At least most of the time. And he’s not going to make the same mistake twice in a day.
This time it's Kageyama who blushes a bright red, aggressively wiping at his cheeks as he gets off the ground.
“Doesn’t matter anyway,” He shrugs, keeping his back turned on Tsukishima, “You wouldn’t understand.”
Sure. Normally, Tsukishima would agree but because of this morning, he has a pretty good idea of what Kageyama is so worried about that it brings him to tears.
He takes a deep breath, calming himself so he doesn't blurt out something stupid again. It’s not his fault. Honestly. It’s just the way things usually are between them — they bicker, they tease, they take jabs at each other.
Whenever he’s around the omega it’s his first instinct to argue. It is not only rare but honestly pretty hard for them to have a meaningful and civil conversation but Tsukishima is going to be the bigger person here. And not just literally.
Tsukishima gets off the ground as well but stays behind Kageyama. “Is it about Shiro?” He asks carefully despite knowing the answer already. Seeing Kageyama tense and noticing his scent souring only confirms it.
For a moment, his hand lingers in the air before he mentally kicks himself and puts it on the omega's shoulder in some kind of support. “You’re faster than him,” He adds and his voice does not leave any room for arguing.
Kageyama takes a moment to consider if he really wants to have this conversation with him and seems to decide that yes, he does.
“Eh… maybe,” He says slowly and Tsukishima can just imagine the slight pout on his lips and the tight furrow between his brows, “If I’m lucky.”
“You don’t need to be lucky.” Tsukishima rounds the omega and searches for his gaze but Kageyama stubbornly turns his head away. Still, his expression is a lot less guarded than it was before. “All the running you do — it's actually because of the tradition, right? You don’t just do it to stay fit.”
Kageyama’s lips settle into another pout as he hesitates to answer. Just for a fleeting moment he glances at Tsukishima, his blue eyes boring through him, and something in the alpha’s chest throbs.
“It’s both,” Kageyama shrugs, fiddling with his hands almost a bit nervously. His face hardens again when he adds, “I hate this tradition. I don’t want to be caught.”
Tsukishima gets him.
This morning, he may have interpreted his words a little differently than he does now. He might have pushed it onto Kageyama’s competitive streak. Him not wanting to be caught. He wouldn’t have taken him that seriously. But right now, Tsukishima understands what he means. He hears what Kageyama doesn’t say, what he tries to hide behind his scowl.
The tradition of the mating run has been around for as long as their packs existed. Its meaning has gotten a bit looser over the years but it is still a tribute to their animalistic sides. It may be more frowned upon now but there are still those alphas who claim others against their will. To be honest, being an alpha himself, Tsukishima has never much thought about that. To him, it was all boring and those who do claim omegas during the run will have usually already been courting them before.
And then there are assholes like Shiro.
“You’ll be fine.” A little stiffly, Tsukishima puts his hands on Kageyam’s shoulders — it’s a lot more awkward now that he can see his face — and squeezes in reassurance. “Shiro is strong but in the dense forest, you’ll have a much easier time evading him. You’re agile.”
There’s a slight twitch of Kageyama’s lips and Tsukishima allows himself to think that it’s a small smile.
-o-
The day of the mating run is always a tense one for all members of the different packs. Tsukishima feels a bit uneasy with their village being overrun with so many different people. All those scents, those strangers — it’s quite unpleasant for him.
For people like Hinata, who have friends everywhere though, it’s an exciting day. Sometimes he’s surprised by how many friends the beta has across the different packs. Being dragged around with the rest of his friends for the day at least made Tsukishima tired enough to sleep early since they would need to get back up in the middle of the night for the run.
In the early hours of the morning, when the sky is still pitch black and the moon stands high and full, Tsukishima puts on the traditional clothes all the other alphas wear. Wide, airy pants that only reach about the middle of his calves and a simple shirt held together by drawstrings. His bare feet are cold against the ground as he joins the other people making their way to the edge of the forest.
Three wooden beams embellished with intricate carvings mark the start of the run right in front of the forest. Once they pass through there, the last few hours of the night will belong to them. Until the sun rises all alphas can hunt and claim any omega they want.
Tsukishima unconsciously clenches his fists by his sides, worrying his bottom lip between his teeth as his eyes search the groups of omegas. It’s hard to tell them all apart when they’re all dressed in the same white linen. Their scents are muddled as well.
He did catch a glance of Hinata’s fiery orange hair but didn’t see Kageyama near him. Which is strange. But thankfully, he does not have to search for the omega for long.
“Tobio!”
A sudden familiar and extremely annoying voice reaches Tsukishima’s ears and even if he doesn’t mean to, his whole body tenses and he turns towards the voice. And suddenly his eyes find Kageyama easily. Just like the rest of the omegas, Kageyama is dressed in simple, white linens, blending into the crowd perfectly. Still, Tsukishima picks out his deep blue eyes effortlessly.
Even in the darkness of the night and only with the pale light of the moon, Kageyama’s expression is clear — discomfort. His body is stiff, head ducked slightly and his lips twitch as if wanting to expose his teeth in a snarl.
Tsukishima follows his line of sight and spots Shiro among the small crowd of alphas. Just like him, the other alpha is quite a bit taller than most but Tsukishima still has a bit of height on him. He does not come close to Shiro though when they’re talking about strength. Shiro is broad with a body carved of muscles.
Even though he may be taller, Tsukishima probably appears smaller than Shiro in direct comparison. And that has never irked him as much as it does tonight.
When Shiro gets closer to the group of omegas, Kageyama presses his lips into a thin line and straightens up again. Ah. There’s the one Tsukishima knows and loves. Feisty. Defiant. And definitely not weak-willed. Even when worried like this, Kageyama doesn’t back down.
Shiro stands tall in front of him though there is not much difference in height between them. His broad shoulders almost make Kageyama disappear from Tsukishima’s sight and he sees the way the other alpha strains himself to appear even taller than he is. As if that would impress anyone.
Carefully, Tsukishima comes closer as well, not quite sure what it is that draws him to the pair. Just a few days ago he would have ignored it, knowing Kageyama is able to handle stuff like that all on his own. And while he still believes the omega is perfectly capable of fending for himself, there’s something else in his chest now. Something that makes him linger close. Just in case.
It’s an uncomfortable pressure in his chest. An underlying sense of anxiety and something else — something dark and prickly. Something that leaves a bitter taste behind on his tongue.
Shiro has his hands on his hips, smirking down at Kageyama confidently. “I’m looking forward to making you my mate tonight.”
“Fuck off,” Kageyama hisses and brushes past him quite quickly. Still, Tsukishima manages to get a glance at his face and his stomach churns. Everything about Kageyama seemed confident when he walked away from Shiro but in that small moment where he thought no one was looking at him anymore, there was a hint of fear on his face.
The balled-up fists by his sides tremble and Tsukishima sighs.
Ah, this is not good.
A few stray clouds push themselves in front of the bright full moon, darkening the world just as much as Tsukishima’s mood. The omegas have already left, getting a headstart just like always while the alphas have to wait at the edge of the deep forest. Most of them are in a good mood, a few light-hearted conversations are held while some others are complaining about having to run for the next few hours.
In the last few years, Tsukishima was right among those complainers. But this time, his mind is only filled with the last time he saw Kageyama. The scared expression in his blue eyes. Almost haunting.
Oh, Tsukishima hates this. He hates being confronted with the fact that Kageyama is an omega. That he is more than just a snarky person with a short fuse. It was way easier when he didn’t know of the other’s vulnerable side.
The way the omega cried that night they talked keeps flashing in his mind and Tsukishima does find himself glancing over at Shiro a little too much. His stomach churns, filled with tight knots when he sees how eager the other alpha seems to be to finally get going.
It’s the first time he sees Shiro in this light. Sure, he didn’t like him before either but it’s not like there are a lot of people Tsukishima does like so it’s nothing special. But he put him off as just another annoying alpha who would give up on Kageyama eventually. Someone who couldn’t even scratch at the surface of the tough omega.
But now he can’t ignore it. The uneasiness as soon as his eyes fall on the other alpha. The annoyance. The… ugh — he is not sure what to call this feeling in his chest but it certainly is not a pleasant one.
Behind them, the countdown has started.
Tsukishima looks over his shoulder, finding the other three of their friends looking right at him and it’s like they’re all trying to tell him the same thing. The very thing he’s been dreading to think about. Because it’s just ridiculous. But their eyes are screaming at him.
Do something.
Anything.
Help him.
This is so — annoying.
But Tsukishima knows they’re right. Having Shiro win would be even more annoying. He gets nauseous just thinking about it.
Well, there’s no way he’s going to be faster than Shiro or Kageyama anyway, so he needs to think of something else.
With the howls of their pack leaders, the hunt begins and the alphas dart off into the dark forest.
Tsukishima ignores everyone else, he knows exactly where he will be going. It’s just a hunch or maybe a little bit of wishful thinking, but Tsukishima hopes Kageyama remembers what he told him that night when they talked alone. If he wants to maximize his chance to outrun Shiro, he will have to go where the forest is the densest. Where he will have the advantage of being quicker on his feet, and more agile when maneuvering through the tight spaces.
He hopes Kageyama does not need any help tonight. These forests belong to their pack and Kageyama knows them like the back of his hand. Shiro does not.
It will also be difficult for the alpha to discern all the mixed scents of the omegas at the beginning of the hunt where they were all quite close to each other. Given that Kageyama’s scent is earthy and woody to begin with, always reminding Tsukishima of these forests, it will be even harder to track him.
Still, Tsukishima can not only hope for a simple stroke of luck.
Shiro might truly be able to find Kageyama tonight. And if he does, Tsukishima just has to make sure he’ll be there before him. He just hopes he’s going in the right direction.
Sweat pours down Tsukishima’s back. His lungs burn almost as bright as the muscles in his legs and every single intake of breath rattles in his chest as if it’s trying to be his last one. Seriously — he doesn’t remember the last time he ran this much. The rare times he joins the other hunters in his wolf form do not compare to this. He much prefers the last few years where he did not even try to catch someone.
Though, that is not exactly what he’s trying to do now either. He’s trying to protect someone.
Ugh. If only there was an easier way than to run himself to ruins in the middle of the night.
The air against his sweaty skin is cold but his blood is pumping blazing hot through his veins. His wolf ears have come out from between soft locks of hair, picking up even the quietest sounds in the area around him. Moonlight filters through the thick branches above and the forest is dense here. Tsukishima struggles to move forward as quickly as he did before but this kind of break is truly welcome.
A little while ago he saw a small group of about three omegas in the distance but they sensed him immediately and scurried off into the darkness of the night. Not like he would have chased them anyway.
There is only one omega he is looking for tonight.
Finally, Tsukishima allows himself a break. His fingers dig into the rough bark of a tree as he tries to catch his breath. The salty taste of sweat coats his tongue. His glasses have fogged up slightly and keep slipping off his nose no matter how often he pushes them up again. His legs are trembling and tears gather in his eyes from the sting of his lungs.
How long has it even been? It feels like hours but Tsukishima’s perception is probably off. He tried to get to this part of the forest as quickly as possible but he knew he must have taken a dozen detours.
Everything simply looks a little too different in the dark for him to know the way without fault. And other than Kageyama and Hinata for example, he does not join every single opportunity to get out of their village and into the wilderness. He prefers the calm.
He wipes the sweat off his forehead and cleans his glasses with the bottom of his shirt. Who’s to say Kageyama even came here? He could be anywhere. A little annoyed, Tsukishima keeps walking, cursing when a thorny vine rips through his skin at the shins. This sucks. And might have been completely useless.
His breathing has calmed slowly and exhaustion is starting to catch up to him. Kageyama probably wouldn’t even have broken much of a sweat running the same distance. Tsukishima scoffs and kicks a small branch to the side. This kind of hurts his pride. Maybe he should join the pack on the hunts a bit more often so his stamina improves a little. He can’t have Kageyama outperform him in every physical aspect with ease.
Speaking of the omega, he is probably able to take good care of himself after all.
Tsukishima is about to sit down on what looks like a really comfortable mossy spot when his ears pick up something. His heart skips a beat and he ducks down on instinct, scanning his surroundings.
Those were footsteps.
Labored breaths.
A racing, panicked heartbeat.
Prey, his instincts supply him helpfully.
And then he sees it. A flash of white between the dense trees. An omega. Another figure is close behind them.
Tsukishima draws in a deep breath, the scent of the forest filling his senses but there’s an earthy tone that feels slightly off. Dread unfurls in the pit of his stomach. That’s Kageyama’s scent. And it’s filled with panic.
Lightning runs through Tsukishima’s veins and his body forgets all about its former exhaustion as he takes off after Kageyama and his hunter as fast as he can.
-o-
Kageyama knows the forests around their village like the back of his hand. He’s been running for a long time without taking a single break, separating from the other omega’s almost immediately. It’s been a while since he reached the densest parts of the forest in the west. His heart is beating strongly in his chest and there’s a thin sheen of sweat covering his body.
But he feels fine.
Mostly.
The mating runs have never felt comfortable for him. Somewhere deep within he’s always had this primal fear simmering, waiting to take hold of him and make him succumb. But it’s never been as bad as this year. With Shiro constantly harassing him whenever they see each other, Kageyama knows his words are more than just a simple threat.
They’re a promise that Shiro might truly be able to come close to keeping.
He’s not sure what it is that’s different about Shiro. But no other alpha has ever made him feel threatened like this before.
For a while now, he’s been moving through the thick forest slowly, expecting the alpha to pop up at any time. His ears have come out to better listen to his surroundings and he keeps his nose in the direction of the wind to pick up on the slightest change of the forest’s scent.
In the beginning, he thought about finding a tree to climb so he’d be able to hide out of sight but even if he masked his scent, if Shiro were to come close enough he would pick up a whiff of him anyway. And then Kageyama would be trapped so he opted to simply keep moving around, ready to dart off at the sign of any alpha.
Above him, the full moon is high in the sky and Kageyama knows the night has progressed far already. Just until sunrise. All he has to do is hold out until then and he’d be safe. He made it this long already.
Just as he allows himself a small spark of hope the hairs at the back of his neck suddenly rise. His body tenses and he stops moving on instinct even though he knows this is the moment he needs to just run until he can’t anymore. Because he knows this scent.
Frantically, his eyes scan the darkness around him as the wind picks up. The trees rustle but Kageyama can’t hear anything over the rush of blood in his ears. Run, run, run, his mind screams but he can’t move.
Run, Shiro is —
“Got you,” A voice speaks up right next to him.
Kageyama doesn’t look.
Finally, his legs are listening to him again.
He turns on his heels and runs. Panic pumps through his body and he doesn’t feel the pain of the branches slapping him in the face. Without any regard for his own wellbeing, he races through the bushes and dense trees, ducking through the narrow openings, and moving from left to right as much as possible.
Still, Shiro is quick behind him.
But he is not catching up.
Kageyama focuses, pouring every bit of energy he has into his steps and almost flies over the uneven ground. In his hurry, his pants get caught in the thorns of a bush and he missteps. He stumbles only for a moment, a tiny hiccup in his otherwise perfect escape but it’s enough for a hand to grab the back of his shirt.
Luckily, he manages to pull himself free but feels his shirt tear slightly. His mind is racing as his system floods with panic.
This can’t be.
No one has ever gotten close enough to touch him before.
What should he do? What should he do?
Kageyama can only run but Shiro stays right behind him. His scent is thick, enveloping Kageyama and making him dizzy. The panic under his skin makes it hard for him to focus and he’s just gasping for air instead of breathing. A stabbing pain tears at his sides and his steps become too hasty.
Shiro is breathing down his back. Kageyama can feel him right there.
And when he almost misses the hazy shadow of a tree right in front of him, Shiro manages to grab a hold of his shoulder. Suddenly, the ground beneath his feet is gone and he’s falling. As soon as he hits the ground he tries to turn around, teeth and fingernails sharpened and grown as he lashes out at Shiro.
They scuffle a bit, Kageyama struggling against the sheer overpowering strength of the alpha. But he’s not above fighting dirty, digging his teeth and claws into every bit of soft tissue he can find. There’s nothing in his head but the sheer desire to survive, to get away. Falling into Shiro’s hands feels like a death sentence and so Kageyama fights for his life.
The moment the alpha gives him an opportunity, he tries to slip away. Grasping at the ground he tries to scramble away but Shiro quickly pins him down again. One knee digs between his shoulder blades while the other pins one of Kageyama’s arms to the ground. His other hand is caught in Shiro’s grasp, the long claws of the alpha almost drawing blood.
Kageyama is blinded by his fear. The primal part of him screaming for help.
A hand grabs the back of his head, painfully tugging on his hair and forcing his head to the side. Kageyama’s breath comes out in short, sharp bursts, tears stinging in his eyes, and from far away he hears the echo of his own frantic whines and cries.
He can’t breathe.
No. No.
Shiro is saying something, his voice right by his ear but Kageyama can’t understand a single word. Doesn’t hear him over the sound of his thundering heartbeat. Tears soak the ground below him and somehow, as absurd as it sounds, he suddenly hears the echo of what Tsukishima told him before in his mind.
“You’ll be fine.” Well, that was not true at all.
Kageyama squeezes his eyes shut, waiting for the inevitable pain of Shiro’s teeth tearing into him — but it does not come.
Instead of teeth piercing his skin, something warm and wet suddenly drips down onto him. And then Shiro’s weight is gone. The alpha rips a few hairs out and twists Kageyama’s wrist painfully but he’s gone.
Despite his initial confusion, Kageyama doesn’t waste any time and scrambles forward. Blood is running over his shoulders and past his neck to the front. It gathers in the dips of his collarbones and Kageyama just stares in confusion.
It’s not his blood.
With trembling fingers, he reaches to the back of his neck. His fingers slide through warm blood but there’s no wound.
He wasn’t bitten.
Shiro didn’t bite him.
He wasn’t claimed.
His heart is still in his throat when Kageyama turns to look over his shoulder — that is impossible. Confused, his eyes widen when he finds the most unlikely person struggling to keep a furiously thrashing Shiro in check.
Tsukishima Kei.
That absolute insane idiot Tsukishima Kei.
Kageyama can’t look away from him. His mind wouldn’t comprehend what his eyes were seeing. Tsukishima’s face is bright red and he’s sweating even more than that one summer when drought threatened their pack. The expression on his face is torn apart by pain as he holds onto Shiro with all his might. His limbs wrap around the other alpha to keep him down.
This is the first time Kageyama feels he truly realizes that Tsukishima is an alpha. A strong one even if he might not always appear like one. And that realization makes something move in his chest.
But he doesn’t have time to waste any thought on that as his eyes fall on the blood.
All the blood.
It wasn’t his. And it’s not Shiro’s either.
It’s Tsukishima’s.
His right arm is lodged between Shiro’s teeth and there’s blood — everywhere. It’s running down Tsukishima’s arm from where the other alpha has torn through his flesh and Shiro is not stopping. His fangs are deeply lodged in Tsukishima’s flesh. He keeps biting into his arm in an attempt to free himself and his blazing eyes are right on Kageyama.
The omega’s head is ringing, his mind empty. And still, somewhere, he makes sense of Tsukishima’s words. Understands what the other is shouting at him.
“Run you stupid idiot!”
And Kageyama doesn’t look back as he takes off back into the shelter of the dark forest.
Tsukishima clenches his teeth in pain.
He has no idea what he thought when he shoved his arm between Shiro’s teeth to prevent the other alpha from claiming Kageyama. Well, he knows one thought that was on his mind. Overwhelmingly so.
There is absolutely no way he could have let Shiro claim Kageyama.
When he saw them on the ground his body acted before his mind had even caught up to the severity of the situation.
The same goes for what happens right now. His body has already been at the brink of exhaustion from simply running through most of the night but to make sure Shiro stays away from Kageyama, he still finds the strength somewhere to keep holding on to him. And he doesn’t let go, doesn’t falter until the omega is far away, out of view from them. Even then, he tries his best to hold on but the pain of his mangled arm and the difference in strength between the two alphas overwhelms him eventually.
Blood pours down his skin and soaks into the soft ground of the forest. It’s a numbing kind of pain.
Shiro wrestles himself out of Tsukishima’s grip and spits the other alpha’s blood out. Disgust takes hold of his expression as he starts laughing. Tsukishima has fallen to his knees, holding onto his injured arms as more blood spurts from the deep wounds.
“What makes you think you can get in my way?” Shiro growls threateningly.
Wow. Tsukishima must be insane because he finds himself not lacking his usual spite despite all the pain and exhaustion. His lips tremble but he still manages a small smirk as he shrugs.
“You’re an asshole,” Is all he says.
Again, Shiro spits onto the ground between them before he wipes his mouth. All it does is spread the blood even more over his face. At least his physical appearance matches his crazy insides now.
“This won’t stop me,” Shiro smirks, looming over Tsukishima, “You just prolonged the inevitable. That omega is mine.”
Ugh. Tsukishima could throw up whenever he hears other alpha’s talk like that. As if omegas were nothing more than a fancy accessory. It’s infuriating and one of the reasons he prefers his small group of friends over everyone else — apart from him, there are no alpha’s among them.
Somehow, hearing Shiro talk like this about Kageyama specifically pisses him off a lot more than this kind of talk from alphas usually does.
Getting up on slightly shaky knees, Tsukishima rises to his full height and makes a show of tilting his head down to look Shiro in the eyes.
“Try and get him,” Tsukishima hisses sharply.
Instead of feeding into the banter anymore, Shiro just turns around to follow the path Kageyama took but Tsukishima is right behind him. He may be much weaker than him, especially now but that doesn’t mean he will not try his best to give Kageyama the best possible chance to escape. He tries to hold the alpha back in any way possible.
His claws have come out and he digs them into Shiro’s flesh, biting his shoulder — anything to keep holding onto the other.
The blood loss has made him nauseous and the pain is almost mind-numbing but Tsukishima doesn’t give up. He fights with everything he has left even as Shiro continues to beat him down again and again. It doesn’t matter. Every second he keeps the other alpha occupied here is another second Kageyama has to run farther, another second closer to sunrise.
Eventually, though, Tsukishima simply has nothing left to give.
With a particularly heavy blow to his chest, he simply can not get up again. His head is spinning and his vision blurs at the edges as he watches Shiro disappear into the forest. With a last effort, Tsukishima rolls onto his back and looks up at the sky that peeks through the thick branches above him.
The stars have started to fade.
He hopes Kageyama makes it out in time. Sunrise isn’t too far away and he’s got a decent head start even though he seemed more than just frazzled. Whatever is wrong with him, it better not have affected his running. Not after Tsukishima went through all of this to keep him safe.
Ah. This fucking hurts.
His right arm has gone entirely numb by now. It doesn’t even hurt anymore but the rest of his body is just as beaten. His ribcage hurts the most. Every intake of breath is as if getting stabbed. Ugh — did Shiro break one of his ribs? It sure feels like it.
Tsukishima groans in pain. His eyes flutter shut.
Why did he have to get this involved?
Again, the image of Kageyama crying that night flashes through his mind, and Tsukishima’s chest lurches. It was the right thing to get involved. Seeing Kageyama become that jerk’s mate would have really pissed him off after all.
And…
And he guesses they are kind of — friends.
Though even if they weren’t, no one deserves a mate like Shiro.
Kageyama should be safe now. He needs to be.
That’s the last thing on Tsukishima’s mind before he succumbs to the pain and everything around him goes dark.
Kageyama didn’t notice his twisted ankle until he'd been running on it for a while. The throbbing pain stabs through him every time he puts his foot down and he’s significantly slowed down from his usual pace.
It really hurts.
But Kageyama doesn’t have the freedom to worry about something as simple as that right now. The sun still isn’t up and he doesn’t know how long Tsukishima is going to be able to hold back Shiro. It still feels like a fever dream. When Tsukishima showed up out of nowhere, Kageyama thought it was just a hallucination. Wishful thinking maybe — hoping for someone, anyone, to save him.
It wasn’t his imagination though.
Tsukishima’s blood is still clinging to his nape. He was there. He did save him. As ridiculous as that sounds. For the life of him, Kageyama can not figure out how the alpha suddenly showed up when he needed him the most but maybe that isn’t all that important after all.
Every intake of breath stings in his lungs but Kageyama keeps going. Above him, the dark sky is starting to lighten, and hope blooms brighter in his chest. It couldn’t take much longer for the sun to peek above the horizon. The forest around him has opened more as well.
Soon it will all be over.
Soon he’ll reach the gate again and all of this will be over.
At least for this year.
Just as he allows himself a small breather and a smile, his ears pick up on the sound of running. This time Kageyama doesn’t freeze. He’s learned from last time. He’s prepared. The air grows heavy with the scent of blood and Kageyama starts speeding up again.
His heart thunders in his ears and the pain in his foot brings tears to his eyes but he keeps running. When he glances over his shoulder he sees Shiro coming close behind him again. Blood clings to his face and soaked his clothing — in the remaining shadows of the night the alpha looks like a monster straight out of a nightmare.
Bloodlust.
It has completely taken over Shiro’s scent and circles around Kageyama’s throat like two cold hands squeezing tight.
But he can finally see the edge of the forest — it’s right there.
Kageyama closes his eyes and wills his legs to run as fast as possible for one last time. And he bursts through the trees with the first touch of the rising sun. All his strength leaves him as soon as he believes himself safe. Stumbling to the ground, Kageyama keeps crawling further away from the trees, immediately surrounded by his friends who must have been waiting anxiously for him.
There’s the bright flash of Hinata’s orange hair, the gentle scent of Yamaguchi somewhere to his left, and Yachi’s worried voice to his right. They try to help him off the ground, faces concerned at the sight of the blood that has dried against his skin and on his white clothing.
“Not mine,” Kageyama just gasps, hands grasping at his friends as if they were going to disappear into thin air again. As if he can’t quite believe he made it out of the forest, fearing he might wake up between the trees and under Shiro any moment.
He doesn’t even have time to catch his breath before a raging Shiro bursts out of the forest but it’s over.
It’s over. He can no longer harm him.
That doesn’t seem to mean anything to Shiro though.
The alpha tries to reach for him again but Hinata quickly pushes himself in the way. The beta may be small but he is strong. Much stronger than some might expect and he’s brave. Brave enough to stand alone between Kageyama and a seething, bloodied alpha who’s led by an instinctual bloodlust.
“Out of my fucking way,” Shiro snarls, trying to push Hinata to the side. The beta stumbles but doesn’t move.
Before Shiro can try again, other members of their pack step in. Daichi and his mate are of high rank within their pack and even if Shiro doesn’t belong to them, he does recognize their status. Though his body physically protests, he stands down when faced with the older alpha.
“It’s over,” Daichi says sternly, forcing Shiro to take another step back as a small crowd starts to form around them. “The sun is up and he made it out. You have no right to claim him anymore. It’s over.”
Shiro sneers before chuckling slightly. He doesn’t attempt to get to him again but his blazing eyes bore through Kageyama’s skull as he says, “Well, there is always next year, Tobio.”
The words ring in Kageyama’s head but he doesn’t pay them as much mind as he normally would have. Not when he finally takes a full look at Shiro. He gets back up on his feet, a bit of confidence returning to his body now that he’s sure the alpha can not get to him anymore. His eyes wander over his battered body — blood clings to his clothes and skin, there are bite marks and scratches all over his arms and chest, and most of his clothing is ripped apart.
Unconsciously, Kageyama’s own hand searches for the untouched skin at the back of his neck and finds the rough texture of dried blood.
Dread unfurls in his stomach.
“Where is he?” Kageyama’s voice is almost shaking.
“You worried about him?” Shiro snorts, laughing to himself before he shrugs, “I don’t know and don’t care where he is.”
Anger flares up in his chest. Hot and loud but below that, there’s a strange, painful sensation he can not quite place. A cry from the inside. “You can’t kill during the run —”
“Now, who said anything about killing?”
The people around them have started mumbling in confusion but Kageyama doesn’t even notice any of that. All he can think about is Tsukishima and how the alpha had already lost so much blood from being bitten. He held off Shiro for quite a while and from the looks of it, dealt a lot of damage to the other alpha.
Shiro must have left him behind in much worse shape.
“He attacked me first, you know,” Shiro laughs, obviously amused by how much more frantic Kageyama grows with every word he says, “When I left him behind he was still breathing. Whatever happened after that is none of my business. I would never intentionally kill someone.”
“You fucking —” Kageyama stumbles over his injured foot when lunging for Shiro and is caught by Sugawara who does not let him go again. His vision blurs and he turns to the older omega in panic.
“We need to go find him,” He begs Sugawara, “Tsukishima — He lost a lot of blood. We need to find him quickly.”
“Alright,” Sugawara tries to calm him down while Daichi is already gathering some of the betas to go with him and search the forest for Tsukishima. Hinata and Yamaguchi are quick to follow the older alpha. Only Yachi stays with him and Sugawara.
“Don’t worry, we’ll look for him while you’re getting yourself checked out for these injuries, okay?” Sugawara says as he gently guides Kageyama back in the direction of their village.
Words of protest are already at the tip of Kageyama’s tongue — he should be going in there as well. He should be looking for Tsukishima, after all, it is his fault the alpha is in trouble. But he knows he’d be nothing more than a hindrance now.
His eyes linger on the forest for as long as possible while his chest is tied up in tight, painful knots.
Please, he prays, Tsukishima needs to be alive.