II.

Ohno had always believed in soulmates.

Ever since he was a child, the concept had fascinated him. The idea that he had someone who was destined for him… was something that captivated him greatly. What was it like to have someone who was yours? A relationship that would always work out simply because you were meant to be with them? His parents were soulmates, and growing up, he truly believed that one day he would find his own special someone.

He knew that the chances of finding one’s soulmate was rare, but Ohno was stubborn in his beliefs, even if he had stopped actively trying to search for the other person when he hit his mid-twenties. After a person passed that age, the possibility of ever meeting one’s soulmate was slim.

So when he actually found his soulmate all those days ago (another alpha!), he had been excited and scared. When he had stood up to shake hands with Jun, Ohno did not expect to feel a rush through his body to be replaced by hot, hot heat.

When he had turned his gaze to Jun, he knew it was real. Jun was experiencing the same feelings he was.

I have a soulmate, he had thought in disbelief when he met Jun’s own surprised gaze.

People had told him that he was never going to find his soulmate after turning 25, but Ohno never stopped believing. He had faith that one day he would meet them.

And he did. But he had ended up with a soulmate that didn't want him. When it had happened, Jun had refused to acknowledge it and had called it a mistake. Ohno still remembered how shocked he had been at Jun’s intense reaction to the bond, and his absolute refusal to accept it.

It had hurt.

Ohno then decided to visit the other alpha again, hoping they could talk it out more calmly this time. It was a futile attempt. Ohno replayed their meeting just an hour ago in his head. Jun had straight up implied that he didn't intend for them to continue meeting after the card was done. He also didn't want to talk to him either because he had given him his employee’s contact information so he could sort out the details of his payment with them. Ohno wasn't stupid. He knew Jun was trying to cut ties with him.

If he doesn't want me… what happens then?

When Ohno first felt the heat from the soulmate bond, he had been confused. How was it possible for his soulmate to be another alpha? Alphas didn't belong to other alphas (well, that was how society saw it). Alphas and omegas belonged to each other.

But Ohno supposed that his bond with Matsumoto Jun wasn't a fluke. He had never been the type to care about the labels or designations people gave himself. His first kiss had been with his best friend who was the same sex, and he had had sex with an alpha when he was in his early twenties. Having an alpha as a soulmate was definitely something he wouldn't think to be unusual, despite society’s views about it.

Ohno winced when he felt another burst of hot heat ripple throughout his body. He had to get home quick and find some… relief. Panting, Ohno crossed the street as quickly as he could, ignoring the stares of the other people around him. He knew he was practically leaking pheromones everywhere right now, and it was affecting those around him in close proximity.

If the bond wasn't consummated in the first few days… Ohno was going to have a very difficult time concentrating after that. It was hard to ignore the heat that one got when they met their soulmate. It would keep building and building until eventually, one couldn't move until their soulmate finally slept with them. Ohno hoped that Jun would have a clear mind when he would see him next. Jun couldn’t put this off forever… right?

Gasping at another sharp burst of heat throughout his body, Ohno quickly ran home.


It was agonizing. After the disastrous attempt of trying to talk to Jun about the bond a couple of days ago, Ohno had decided to give up and suffer in silence. It would have to let up eventually… right? Except, no matter how many times he jerked off or fucked himself with his toys, the burning heat just wouldn’t stop.

Bond heats are persistent, Ohno thought in frustration as he jerked himself off again. He came with a sigh and sat back against his couch after cleaning up a little. He was happy that jerking off did help somewhat, but Ohno knew that the heat wasn’t going to end until he consummated the bond with Jun.

“But he doesn’t want anything to do with me!” Ohno growled angrily, balling his hands into tight fists. What was he going to do? There was the option of heat suppressants, sure, but it wasn’t a long-term solution. And he definitely wasn’t going to sleep with an omega. Even if he did sleep with a willing omega, Ohno knew that the heat would still remain. It was a bond heat after all. It wouldn’t go away until the bond was consummated. Ohno groaned and pulled at his hair.

“I have to talk to him again,” Ohno muttered. He had to speak to Jun again, and maybe try to convince the man to at least consummate the bond. Then they could go their separate ways (his stomach lurched at the thought) after that. Even if Jun didn’t want him, Ohno definitely didn’t want to suffer like this for the rest of his life. Nodding to himself, Ohno got up and headed for his bedroom to change.

A couple of hours later, Ohno was at Sakumoto Events again for the third time this week. Ohno knew he was getting a lot of attention from others because of his heat, his pheromones literally emanating everywhere, but he was far too desperate with the situation right now to even care. He had rushed out of the house too fast and realized he had forgotten his suppressants halfway to the office.

Ohno walked straight past the reception desk and into the hallway where Jun’s office was located. Ohno had managed to catch a glimpse of it that last time he came. He mentally cheered when he saw that the door was open. He walked straight in… only to be greeted by the sight of someone else.

“Uh…” Ohno looked around the office. On one side of the office, there was a desk with a name plate printed in neat kanji, Matsumoto Jun. On the other side of the office, there was another desk with a fancy nameplate printed, Sakurai Sho. “Is… is Matsumoto-san in?” Ohno asked the man, who he assumed was Sakurai Sho. Who was also an omega. Ohno tried to breathe through his mouth. The omega smelled delicious.

Sho looked at him in confusion and closed his laptop. “Ah, no, I’m afraid he’s out of town for an event for most of today. Is there something I can help you with instead?” He looked at Ohno in confusion, and maybe a little wariness. Ohno wondered how strong his heat was. He also wondered if this Sho was Jun’s boyfriend. Two people of opposite designations… working together… was that even possible? Sho eyed him carefully before getting up and holding his palm out to the couch. “Was there something you’d like to talk about… ah, sorry, I didn’t get your name.”

Ohno immediately went over and sat down on the couch, swaying a little at the dizziness the movement caused. His head was spinning. “Ohno,” he grunted, “Ohno Satoshi.” He looked up and saw that Sho was looking at him in surprise.

“Ah! Ohno-sensei! I’m sorry, I didn’t realize! I’m Sakurai Sho, I’m the other owner of Sakumoto Events.” He gave him a low bow which Ohno weakly returned. “Was there something I could help you with instead? I may not be in charge of the event our Matsumoto is doing, but I have access to it.” Ohno couldn’t help but wonder about the pair’s relationship. Were they just friends? Were they… Ohno didn’t want to think about it… lovers?

Ohno bit his lip. If he was already here, he might as well try to get some of his business done (and maybe pry for more information about Jun and his relationship with Sho). Ohno stood up and took a seat at the chair in front of Sho’s desk. Sho quickly went over to to his desk to sit across from him. “I was told by Matsumoto-san to contact one of his employees for the payment, but I… lost the card.” Sho nodded and opened up his laptop again.

“That’s fine, I can do it for you. Has Matsumoto talked to you at all about payment?” Sho asked, typing rapidly into his laptop, before looking back up at him. Ohno blinked and shook his head slowly.

“Ah, no…” He left rather quickly, he thought in annoyance. Sho looked at him in confusion.

“Really? That’s strange… usually he would… I apologize, Ohno-sensei. I will explain to you how we will give you your payment.”

Ohno was half-listening to Sho’s explanation of the payment. He felt so unbearably hot, and there was an omega in the room with Jun’s scent, and he honestly didn’t know which one was worse. Ohno just wanted it all to end. The room was spinning around him, and Ohno thought he was going to pass out.

He must have looked like he was going to hyperventilate or actually pass out because Sho was suddenly shoving a glass of water in his hand. “Ohno-sensei! Are you okay?” Sho was standing next to him now, and Ohno could smell Jun’s scent on him. It was faint, nothing to indicate that they were more than friends, but still, the scent was enough to make the searing heat in him burn more. Ohno gasped as he was hit with a sudden bout of heat throughout his body. “Should I—”

“Are you Matsumoto-san’s partner?” Ohno choked out, trying to calm his breathing. He panted as he turned to Sho, who looked at him in bewilderment. He had to know. The mystery was killing him.

“Sorry?” Sho asked, a little taken back.

“Are you Matsumoto-san’s omega?” he asked again, wincing as the heat continued to spread. Sho shook his head slowly.

“No… why—”

But Ohno saw it. He saw a claiming mark on Sho’s neck and he felt his blood run cold. Had Jun already claimed Sho? Ohno narrowed his eyes at him.

“I can see a mark on your neck though.”

Sho blushed and slapped his hand against the mark, hiding it. “That’s not—not from Jun . . .” His voice trailed off at the end. “Why are you asking me this?”

“Did he tell you that he has a soulmate?” Ohno said shakily. He took the glass of water and downed it. Sho was gaping at him now.

“He—what?”

“Did he also tell you that I’m his soulmate, Sakurai-san? But no, of course he didn’t,” Ohno spat bitterly, glaring down at the glass in his hand. Because he wants nothing to do with me. Who would’ve thought, Ohno thought bitterly, being rejected by your soulmate. “And he goes and marks someone else…” he mutters angrily.

Sho shook his head, the blush still prominent in his cheeks. “It's not from him… but wait. You're Jun’s soulmate? But… but you’re an alpha!” Sho exclaimed in bafflement. “How is that even possible?!”

Ohno chuckled and then groaned when another wave of heat hit him again. Sho made a noise of concern. He was probably emitting his pheromones even more now, especially since Sho was starting to fidget a bit, picking at the fabric of his dress pants. “Who knows? But we bonded and now he wants nothing to do with me. If this is what having a soulmate is like, I don’t want it.”

Sho looked at him in mortification. “What do you mean? What did Jun do?” Ohno let out a groan and rested his forehead on his hand. “Are you okay, Ohno-sensei? You’re really…”

“I’ve been dealing with this heat for the past week, Sakurai-san.” Ohno rubbed his temples, trying to calm the headache that was starting to build. “I was hoping to see Matsumoto-san today but I guess maybe he anticipated I was coming.” And left so he didn’t have to see me.

“You said Jun rejected you?”

Ohno nodded and grimaced. “Yes, he made it quite clear that he didn’t want anything to do with me.” He sighed and turned to look at Sho, who still looked overwhelmed with the whole revelation. “Imagine that your soulmate told you that he didn’t want you, Sakurai-san. Imagine that he called you a, mistake. That this whole bond was a mistake!” Ohno growled, ignoring Sho’s flinch at that. He was far too angry right now. “What would you do then?”

Sho was silent after his mini rant. Ohno suddenly felt tired. He was tired of feeling angry, disappointed, and hot. He just wanted things to end. Finally, Sho spoke again, “And you’re sure you guys bonded?” he asked softly. Ohno looked at him tiredly.

“I fell into heat immediately after we touched.”

“But… but he didn’t—Jun didn’t have his heat when I saw him these past few days though.” Sho frowned.

Ohno sighed. “He went on heat suppressants. And what do you mean? You didn’t smell the heat from him?” Now it was his turn to frown. How long was Jun going to be on those pills?

Sho shook his head. “No, I didn’t smell anything. I know when he gets his heats, so I don’t really think much of it. But…” Sho looks at him hesitantly. “I have noticed that he’s been quite distracted these days.”

“Of course he is,” Ohno scowled, unable to control another burst of anger. “He’s mad that we bonded. Why else would he try to avoid me?” He had had enough. “I’m sorry for disrupting your work, Sakurai-san. I’m going now.”

Sho shook his head. “No! It’s okay! I—just… wow. I didn’t know Jun had bonded with someone…”

Ohno sighed. “Is it really a bond though?”

Sho looked at him in confusion. “What?”

Ohno sighed and looked down at his hands. They were cracked from his latest project involving the use of clay. “Is it really a bond if the other person rejects it?” Ohno chuckled bitterly. “Are we really soulmates if he doesn't even want it?” Sho remained silent, and Ohno knew he was pitying him. But it didn't matter. “I guess not all soul bonds do work out after all.”


When Jun returned to the office that afternoon, he saw Sho sitting on the couch clutching his head and wheezing harshly. Jun immediately dropped his bag and ran over to him.

“Sho!” he shouted, sitting down next to him on the couch. Sho was wheezing really loudly, and his whole body was shaking. Jun put a hand on Sho’s back and he felt Sho starting to calm down instantly under his touch. “Breathe.”

Sho was still gasping and wheezing, but he was much quieter now. After a couple more minutes, Sho’s breathing eventually evened out. Finally, Sho lifted his head and whined. Jun instantly wrapped an arm around his shoulders and let Sho rest his head on it. Jun frowned when an unfamiliar scent hit his nostrils. It smelled like one of those Gatsby products his staff used. Jun didn’t notice how close he was to Sho’s head, and when Sho moved, he accidently smacked him in the face. He also caught a whiff of coffee, but it wasn’t like anything Sho would drink. Jun wondered if Sho was trying new products these days.

“Sorry,” Sho mumbled, cuddling close to him. Jun shook his head. “God, I haven't had an attack like that in years.”

“What happened?” Jun asked in concern, brushing aside his thoughts of the unfamiliar scents. He hoped Sho’s distress wasn’t because of another alpha. The last time this happened, it was because of that asshole fiancé of his. Jun’s blood still boiled every time he thought about that man.

Sho sighed, and buried his face against Jun’s chest. “There's… there's been a lot going on.”

“Tell me.” Jun tightened his grip on Sho’s shoulder. Was it his family again? Sho had said that they had stopped pestering him about marriage, didn't he?

Sho stiffened and reached up to clutch at Jun’s shirt. “It's… I don't know how to explain this without making it seem like I'm crazy,” he mumbled.

“Tell me.”

“I…” Jun felt Sho shake against him, and he immediately hugged him closer, trying to calm him down. “Sorry,” he sighed. “I… I bonded.”

Jun blinked. Did Sho say…? “You… bonded?” Jun repeated, carefully. He felt Sho nod against his shoulder slowly. “As in…”

“I have a soulmate. Well—two soulmates, actually.”

Jun’s jaw dropped. Two soulmates? How the hell was that even possible? Jun must've looked incredibly baffled because Sho was chuckling.

“Your face…” he mumbled.

“I—but—when—how?!” he sputtered. How was that even possible? And did Sho have two alphas? The thought of that made his stomach lurch. What if Sho had bonded with two terrible alphas? He didn't realize he was growling until Sho whacked him on the arm.

“Why are you growling like an over possessive alpha?” Sho asked tiredly.

“Who are they?” Jun snapped, narrowing his eyes. “What kind of alphas are they? Did they hurt you? Is that why you're like this? If they did any—”

“Woah! Woah!” Sho cried, pulling away from him to clamp a hand over Jun’s mouth. “Slow down! And no! It's nothing like that!” That didn't make Jun feel any better. Sho sighed and removed his hand, deflating against him. “It's just… they've bonded too. They're already bonded. I'm the intruder.”

Okay, Jun was lost. “What?” he asked dumbfoundedly.

Sho sighed. “The alpha and omega I've bonded with are already soulmates. I'm the third wheel in their relationship.”

Jun took a minute to let that sink in. Sho had a soulmate bond with two people, and one of them was an alpha and the other was an omega? He looked at Sho in disbelief.

“Yeah…” Sho said with a wry smile. “You see my problem here?”

“A soulmate bond with three people,” Jun breathed out in awe. Sho nodded and placed his head back on Jun’s shoulder again. “I didn't even know that was possible!”

“Yeah, well, there's always a first for everything, right?” Sho mumbled. Then he straightened up and looked at Jun in the eye. Jun sent him a look of confusion.

“What?”

Sho shook his head and sent him a look of disappointment. “You bonded.” Jun stiffened. “I know this because Ohno-sensei came to the office today.”

“What? Then how come I didn't—”

“Vents, Jun, vents. Offices have them.” Sho pointed up at the ceiling before giving him a stern look and crossed his arms. “The poor guy was in heat, Jun.”

“I don't want to talk about it,” Jun snapped. Ohno came to look for him? Jun felt himself get annoyed. Didn't he tell him to leave him alone? Leave it alone?

“Jun—”

“I said, I don't want to talk about it!” He shouted, ignoring how his friend flinched at the outburst. Sho frowned at him, and Jun hated how he was secretly being judged. Jun growled. Why couldn't everyone just leave him in peace for once?

“I heard from him that you're also on heat suppressants. How long have you been on them?” Sho crossed his arms, giving him a you better tell me look. Jun grumbled.

“It's been almost a week.”

Sho narrowed his eyes. “You do know you can't be on them for too long, right?”

“Yes, mother,” Jun replied sarcastically and rolled his eyes. “Can we not talk about this anymore? I'm busy and there are things I need to do.”

Sho looked like he was about to open his mouth to say something, but closed it, knowing that it would be futile now. Jun was stubborn. Sighing in defeat, he raised both of his hands up in a truce gesture. “Fine,” Sho said, pursing his lips, “but this conversation isn't over.”


Ohno sighed when he opened the fridge. It was mostly empty except for the random piece of daikon in his vegetable drawer. Guess I have to go to the supermarket, he thought tiredly, even though he didn't particularly feel hungry.

A few days had passed since he had gone back to Jun’s office for the third time. The heat wasn't getting any better. In fact, Ohno found that he was zoning out a lot more often now, and it was greatly affecting his work. He used toys and his hands to give himself relief, but the heat wouldn't go away. It would calm down for a little bit before coming back and hitting him hard.

Ohno just felt hot all the time. All Ohno wanted to do these days was lie around in one spot all day and not move. He had been tempted to go find a willing omega to help him with his predicament but he felt guilty. Even if they weren't officially together, Ohno just couldn't bring himself to sleep with another person just for some relief. And he felt like he was betraying Jun if he did sleep with a random omega.

Sighing, Ohno went to the bathroom and took a heat suppressant. He had tried to put off taking heat suppressants for as long as he could, but even he knew that if he walked outside in his current state, it would cause quite a lot of problems. He closed his eyes and let out a small sigh of relief when he felt some of the heat ebb away. He was still hot, but Ohno felt much more clear headed compared to a few minutes ago. His heat was now at the levels of a regular heat, and his pheromones weren't emitting everywhere.

Ohno attracted a few stares when he was walking down the street, but honestly, he could care less about that right now. He was too out of it to care about what others thought of his prominent heat scent. Grumbling to himself, Ohno made his way inside his local supermarket and grabbed a basket. Since he was hardly in a state to go outside, he intended to stock up as much as he could for the week.

Just as he turned the corner, Ohno crashed into something, hard. All of a sudden, Ohno’s senses were suddenly overwhelmed by the familiar scent of his mate and an omega. Without thinking, Ohno latched onto the person, his mind clouded by Jun’s scent. He wanted more and more of it. In the back of his mind, he knew that what he was doing was probably assault, but there was Jun. Ohno nuzzled into the person’s neck, trying to get more of Jun’s scent.

“Hmm… smells like Jun…” he mumbled.

“Oh-chan, what the hell?!”

Suddenly he felt himself being pulled away and Ohno whined but he felt his legs give away under him. Hands caught him, but they both fell to the floor with a thud.

Ohno blinked and saw that the person who had fallen with him was his friend, Nino. What was Nino doing here? He immediately latched onto him, basking in the familiar scent of his friend and the sweet scent that all omegas seemed to have. “Nino-chan,” he mumbled, nuzzling into his friend’s neck. Nino was safe. “Smells nice.”

He heard Nino sigh, hands reaching up to grasp his shoulders. “Seriously, a little heat and you’re rubbing up on any omega you see? What—” Ohno let out a whine when he felt sharp heat on the left side of his body. He heard another voice—Jun’s scent—mention something about bond heats. Ohno turned his head to the source of the second voice and saw that it was Sakurai Sho! Ohno made a move to get up but he was tired, and Nino smelled so good. Ohno clutched onto Nino tighter.

A few moments later, he found himself upright, two pairs of hands keeping him steady, the scent of two omegas and Jun! assaulting his senses. He felt Nino rub his back and Ohno couldn’t stop himself from leaning into the touch. He was just happy that he had someone familiar with him.

“What do we do with you?” Nino murmured at him. Ohno stuck his face closer to the fabric of Nino’s shirt.

“I’m okay,” he muttered.

“You’re friends?” he heard Sho ask. Come to think of it, how did Sho and Nino know each other? Ohno looked blearily between them with curiosity.

“Yeah,” he heard Nino said, “friends. For a long time now. I guess we can take him home with us? If you’re okay with that?” Ohno shifted a little and Nino had to rearrange his limbs to make sure they wouldn’t accidently elbow each other.

“—kun be upset?” Ohno blinked, trying to get the black spots out of his vision to clear. He heard Nino deny the claim, and Ohno found himself nodding.

“Nino’s with Aiba-chan,” he supplied helpfully.

Ohno felt himself be pulled into a walk, and he wasn’t expecting for Nino to say, “So’s Sho-san.” Ohno paused immediately, and pulled back from his friend a little to look at the omega behind them with wide eyes. He turned back to his friend. If Sho was with Aiba, what about…

“Nino…?” He tightened his hold on Nino’s shoulder. Nino blushed and gave a small nod.

“Um. Yeah, me too. He’s—he’s with us. And—leave him alone, okay?” His friend bit his lip, his face getting redder.

Ohno understood. “Sorry,” he said, turning to look at Sho. “Sorry, I—” He winced when another flash of hot searing heat poked at his sides. He panted and slumped against Nino, feeling his body heat up again. “Feel… hot…”

“It’s okay,” he heard Sho say sympathetically. Ohno twitched when Jun and Sho’s scent hit his nostrils. “I’m sorry too.”

Ohno didn’t really remember much of what happened next. He recalled Sho and Nino getting him into a car where he spent most of the ride whining and lying down on the seats with his head on Nino’s lap while Nino tried to give him as much comfort as he could. Ohno felt bad; he knew he was affecting the two omegas in some way. He could smell their arousals, an effect from his bond heat. After the car ride, he somehow managed to get himself on the couch once they arrived at Nino’s apartment. Once Sho and Nino managed to help him get settled, he found himself drifting off into a dreamless sleep once again.

Ohno woke up a couple hours later to the sound of Nino’s video games and hushed conversations between the two mates. Ohno yawned and when he looked up, Nino was looking down at him with fond exasperation before poking him. “You haven’t eaten anything all day, have you?”

Ohno blinked, suddenly remembering what his original errand of the day was. Oh, right. He had to stock his fridge. “I was going to… but…”

Nino rolled his eyes. “Uh-huh. Well, I’m making food, so you better eat it. Go take a shower. Jerk off while you’re in there.”

Ohno made a small affirmative noise before Nino nudged him up and pointed to the bathroom with a stern look. Ohno slowly made his way towards the bathroom, exhaustion still in his bones.

When he got the water running, Ohno managed to jerk himself off two times, but he was still incredibly hot and hard by the end of it. Even the cold water didn't seem to help much now. The heat was starting to get worse, and Ohno didn't know what he was going to do.

When he got out of the shower, he stumbled to the kitchen. Ohno watched the two omegas for a moment, his head now finally a little clearer than before so that he could finally observe the two omegas’ interactions. After a while, the two of them noticed him standing by the wall watching them.

“What are you doing hovering over there? Get over here if you must,” Nino said in exasperation. Sho was looking at him nervously, and Nino rolled his eyes when Ohno slowly made his way over to them. “What were you staring at?” Nino asked when he finally came near them and Ohno immediately wrapped his arms around Nino, resting his head on the omega’s shoulders. Sho was watching them carefully.

“Nothing,” Ohno replied, turning his head to look back at Sho and gave him a smile. “Just seeing how Nino is with Sakurai-san.” Nino sputtered and at the corner of his eye, Ohno could see his friend’s ears turning red. Ohno giggled and hid his face in the nape of Nino’s neck when he saw Sho blushing too. “You guys are too cute.”

“Hmph. Well I’m glad you think so,” Nino retorted, turning back to the vegetables in front of him. “Of course we are cute.” Ohno gave Sho a wink before turning his gaze forward to watch Nino cut up the rest of the vegetables.

When dinner was finally being served, Aiba came home. He heard Aiba’s loud and cheerful voice from the apartment’s entrance and he felt Nino tense. Ohno frowned. Despite how strong his heat was, he didn't think Aiba would mind if he was hanging over Nino like this; Aiba wasn't the type to be possessive. He discreetly sent a glance at Sho, who was looking at them worriedly. He felt bad that the two omegas were being affected by the heat—he could definitely smell it—but he was also just frustrated and tired of it at this point.

Ohno heard the soulmates exchange greetings. He watched as Aiba gave Sho a big hug, declaring in delight how happy he was that Sho was still there. When he moved closer to him and Nino, Ohno was prepared to move away from the omega if the other alpha didn't like it. Fortunately, all Aiba did was give him a smile, brushing his hair back and giving Nino a kiss hello.

“How are you doing, leader?” Aiba asked, smiling down at him sympathetically. Ohno gave a tiny smile at the mention of his old nickname.

“Hot,” he mumbled. Aiba gave him another smile before pulling back to give his attention to Nino.

“You’ve got Nino pretty hot too,” Aiba remarked, running a hand through Nino’s hair. Ohno heard him sigh as he leaned forward into his alpha’s touch. “We should eat,” Aiba suggested, motioning for them to go to the dinner table now.

When everyone finally sat down, Ohno had squeezed himself beside Nino again. He felt bad for smothering him, but he just needed to hold someone right now. Alpha or omega, Ohno didn’t care as long as he had someone beside him to help him keep his mind off the heat. Ohno picked at his food, not feeling particularly hungry. He could feel the disappointed stare from Nino beside him.

“Ohno-san.” Ohno’s head shot up in surprise when Sho called him all of a sudden. The other omega looked at them hesitantly before continuing, “Why don’t you come sit with me for a while? I think Nino is—”

“Nino said…” Ohno looked at Nino, then Sho, and then Aiba, a frown on his face. “Nino said to leave Sakurai-san alone.”

Sho sent him a wry smile. “I don’t—I don’t mind.” Ohno looked at him in confusion. Before he even had the chance to contemplate Sho’s offer, Aiba spoke up.

“Oh-chan! Oh-chan, come sit with me. I know I don't smell as nice as Nino, but I'm bigger.” Aiba sent him a lecherous grin, and Ohno couldn’t help but return it with a small one of his own. He immediately got up and sat down next to his friend, placing his head on Aiba’s shoulder.

Aiba had a different smell than Nino and Sho. While Nino and Sho had their own individual scents that were mixed with the sweet smells that only omegas had, alphas had a completely different scent. Ohno breathed in Aiba’s scent—he smelled like lemons and animals (probably because of his workplace at the zoo), and the strong and sharp scent of an alpha. The scent was probably similar to his own, but unlike his cheerful friend, Ohno didn't think his scent was particularly strong or domineering like other alphas. Mixed in with Aiba’s scent, Ohno could make out some remnants of Nino on him, and a hint of Sho.

“Aiba-chan smells like Nino,” he muttered.

“We do live together,” Nino replied grumpily.

“And sleep together,” Aiba added, “and—” He let out a tiny yelp when Nino kicked him under the table. Ohno smiled at the pair’s antics before snuggling closer to Aiba.

By the end of the dinner, Ohno felt exhausted. Aiba offered to drive him home to give the two omegas a breather.

“Sorry about this, Aiba-chan,” Ohno said when the car started moving. Aiba pulled down the windows, airing out the scent of his heat. He shook his head and sent him a smile.

“Don't be, Oh-chan!” Aiba exclaimed. “It's not your fault! I can't imagine how you're feeling right now. How long has it…?”

Ohno groaned and rubbed his temples. Now a headache was forming. “It's been a week and a half since we bonded.”

Aiba’s jaw dropped in mortification. “A week?!” Ohno nodded miserably. “How are you even standing up?! I was already going out of my mind the day after I bonded with Sho-san.”

Ohno looked at him in curiosity. “How did that come to be…?”

Aiba blushed and turned his eyes back to the road. “We—I-I was going to one of the local gyms to do my workout and Sho-san was the only other younger person. My gym has a lot of elderly. About two weeks ago, I dropped some weights and when I gave him my hand to shake for helping me out, we bonded.”

“Wow…” Ohno was shocked. Two soulmates?

“Yeah, and then I ran away. It was Nino who told me to call Sho-san the next day… and then when he tried to leave, Nino grabbed him and they bonded!”

“That's amazing…” Ohno mumbled in astonishment. Two omegas and one alpha in a three way bond. Ohno had never heard of it ever happening before.

Aiba nodded. “I was so relieved when I found out that Nino bonded with him too!”

Ohno nodded and blinked blearily, trying to keep himself awake. “I'm happy for you, Aiba-chan. Nino and Sakurai-san seem to get along very well.”

Aiba grinned and made a turn into Ohno’s apartment parking lot. “They do! I'm really happy they're getting along. It scared me at first, the thought of two omegas, but…”

“I would love to meet him again properly the next time.”

“For sure!”

The next few events were a little hazy, but Ohno found himself being tucked into bed by Aiba. Ohno sighed and brushed his bangs back from his face. The air conditioner in his room was set to full blast to help him deal with the overbearing heat.

“And a glass of water!” Aiba said when he walked back into the room holding a glass in his hand. He placed it on the bedside table and moved to sit down on the bed next to Ohno. “How are you feeling?”

“Really hot and tired,” Ohno replied in frustration, letting out a small whine. Aiba patted him on the shoulder gently. After a few moments of silence, Aiba giggled. Ohno opened his eyes and gave his friend a confused look.

“Do you,” Aiba started, still giggling, “remember our first time together?”

Ohno chuckled and snuggled closer into the pillow. “Yes. University right?”

Aiba nodded. “I was remembering this just now. Oh-chan took my alpha virginity!”

Ohno smiled, remembering back to the event Aiba was referring to. “You took mine too,” Ohno pointed out sleepily, his body slowly relaxing.

“And I remember Nino freaking out about it after I told him I slept with you.”

“That was kind of funny…” Ohno murmured, his eyes drooping closed slowly.

“Yeah! And then I…”

Ohno fell asleep to the sound of Aiba’s soft laughter.

Part 3