A/N – This is my first attempt at alpha/omega dynamics. And since I've been seeing some Sentinel/Guide fics in other fandoms, I decided to try it out in the KnB fandom. I hope it makes sense and it works.

A/N2 – I want to warn you in advance – even though this story is set in an omegaverse, there will be no mpreg in it. I know a lot of omegaverse stories have mpreg elements, but I do not like nor do I write mpreg. In my universe, men cannot get pregnant, full stop.

A/N3 – Because this is omegaverse, there will be some graphic descriptions of sexual acts. They won't appear now, but in the later chapters. But there is no actual smut between two people, because I am still not confident on writing smut for this fandom. Also, this is my first time writing such graphic descriptions in this fandom (yes, I am venturing into this territory in hopes that I will be able to become confident in writing smut), so let me know if I butchered it or if you don't think anything works. I'm always open to feedback! :)

The air in the clinic smelt sickly clean, sending a slight nausea to Akashi's already heightened senses. As a Sentinel, Akashi's senses were very sensitive, and because of that, he was often deployed by the government for missions. Sentinels generally worked alongside the police force, but their job scope were often more diverse. The police force had different departments to deal with different affairs. On the contrary, the Sentinel subdivision was a subset of the police force, and was given tasks that were too dangerous for non-Sentinels or cases that the police couldn't crack.

Akashi stopped dead in his tracks at the entrance of the clinic, his instincts telling him to turn around and head home – he was terrified. He snorted at the irony of it all: a powerful Sentinel terrified of being matched up to a mate. But common sense was more powerful than instinct. Akashi needed to find and omega-Guide to suppress his super-hypersensitive senses. After an explosion in a warehouse that Akashi had been investigating for the government, Akashi found that he was having immensely intensified reactions to every single thing. His doctor told him that unless he had a mate who was a Guide to calm him down, he would eventually die in no time. He was even on an indefinite leave from work until he could sort this out.

Akashi inhaled a deep breath. He could do this. It shouldn't be too hard choosing a mate, right? All he had to do was pick the sample that appealed to him the most and that was it.

Akashi headed to the receptionist and gave her his name, informing her that he had an appointment scheduled with a Momoi Satsuki-sensei. Momoi was a long-time friend of Akashi's, having gone to the same school as him. She was a strong beta, and Akashi didn't trust anyone but her to match him up to the perfect omega-Guide for him. Because she was a beta, Momoi was well suited to matching up alphas and omegas. In fact, she had matched up most of Akashi's former schoolmates, and they couldn't be happier with their mates.

After the receptionist keyed in a few details into her computer, she told him that Momoi-sensei was ready for Akashi. She gave Akashi very brief directions to Momoi's office.

When Akashi reached Momoi's office, he found that she hadn't closed her door. So as soon as he reached, he was greeted with a massive hug from Momoi. It was apparent that she had been waiting for him.

"I'm sorry for keeping you waiting," apologised Akashi.

"Don't worry about it!" replied Momoi. "You are one of my dearest friends – a few minutes of my time is nothing!"

Momoi then ushered Akashi into a chair before making her way towards the door to close it firmly. "You know, Akashi-kun, I have been telling you time and time again that you need to find a mate – you would be happier and your life would be more complete. But now, I find out you are looking for a mate only because of that accident!" chastised Momoi.

"Before this, I had no interest in that sort of thing…" mumbled Akashi.

"Even so…" huffed Momoi, placing her hands on her hips and glaring at Akashi. "I do not wish for you to die, so I will of course match you to an appropriate omega."

Momoi gestured to the tray laid out before them on her table. "These are samples belonging to omega-Guides whom we've tested and deemed compatible to you biologically and mentally," she told Akashi. "As you can see, there are not many…"

Akashi glanced at the array of bottles on the tray. He could see from the transparent bottles that they were filled with a thin, white liquid. He mentally counted and discovered that there were only ten samples from un-bonded omega-Guides that were compatible with him. Akashi was secretly delighted at this low number – that meant that he had a biological composition that was so particular that not any mere omega could be bonded to him. In other words, the omega that he chose had to be remarkably special.

But then… A thought entered Akashi's mind. Even if the omega was special, would the omega actually be able to become a suitable Guide for me?

Momoi interrupted Akashi's thoughts. "You may begin testing, Akashi-kun."

Akashi reached out and took the first bottle. As soon as he uncapped the lid, the pure scent of an omega wafted through his nostrils, and Akashi could feel his body reacting pleasantly to it. His mouth watered with the desire to taste; he had to resist the urge to gulp down the entire bottle. However, when Akashi took a sip, he almost gagged – the contents of the bottle tasted bitter, and because it was coming from something that smelt like an orchard of fruits, it came as a shock to him. His lips curled downwards and he hastily set the bottle down, pushing it towards Momoi.

"What did that one taste like, Akashi-kun?" inquired Momoi.

Akashi made a face. "Unpleasant."

"That means it doesn't belong to your mate," Momoi replied simply. She then offered Akashi a cup. "Drink some of this – it is supposed to cleanse your palate after every taste."

The next bottle was too sweet. The one after was even more bitter than the first one. Bottle after bottle, Akashi tasted each sample. And he rejected each and every one. None of them tasted right to him.

Judging from her expression, Momoi was looking like she was losing hope that Akashi would ever find his mate, as Akashi was reaching the ninth bottle, and he had yet to find a sample that he was happy with. Worse come to worst, if nothing suited Akashi, he would have to settle for the sample that repulsed him the least in order to save his life. In all honesty, Akashi didn't want that. He didn't want some half-assed bond with an omega. If he had to be bonded to an omega, he wanted a strong, proper bond with them.

Akashi picked up the ninth bottle. He gazed at it grimly and uncapped it. This was the second-last bottle. If this sample wasn't to his liking, all Akashi had left was the last bottle. He pushed the negative feelings he had away – it wouldn't do for him to lose hope. After all, there were still two bottles and one of them could belong to his mate.

Akashi lifted the bottle to his nose. An exceptionally pleasant aroma invaded his senses. Akashi's eyes widened – this sample was by far the best-smelling one he had encountered so far. But he wasn't expecting much – the previous bottles also had nice-smelling samples, but they didn't taste as good as they smelt.

Akashi opened his mouth and tilted the bottle into his mouth. As soon as the contents of the bottle touched his lips, Akashi froze. Something within his brain screeched in victory; his breath hitched. This sample tasted… perfect. Its taste was even stronger than the smell, and it sent a satisfied sensation to Akashi's stomach. He felt content. Akashi swallowed eagerly and took another sip from the bottle. He just couldn't get enough of the taste. And perhaps, he wanted to double-check his response to the fluid.

All the while, Momoi was gauging Akashi's reaction towards the sample. She was pleased to see that he had found his mate.

"This is the one," whispered Akashi. He was still staring at the bottle, as if there was something fascinating in it.

Momoi smiled. "I can see that," she said. "Let me check who that sample belongs to."

It was quiet as Momoi flipped through her file. Her eyes scanned the page. Her serious expression turned into a cheerful one. "Akashi-kun, you're so lucky!" she squealed. "Tetsu-kun is a peach!"

Akashi raised an eyebrow. "You are acquainted with the omegas who provide their samples to the clinic?"

"Well, no… Not usually. But I only know Tetsu-kun through Dai-chan," she explained. "They used to play basketball together in elementary school, but Tetsu-kun stopped playing when his parents died and he had to move into the orphanage."

Akashi remained quiet. The man Momoi referred to as "Dai-chan" was also a friend of Akashi's from middle school, Aomine. He was a very territorial alpha, but unlike Akashi, he was not a Sentinel. Aomine and Akashi used to play on the basketball team together when they were in school. But never in all the time Akashi had known Aomine did he mention knowing a "Tetsu-kun".

"Tetsu-kun's full name is Kuroko Tetsuya," Momoi went on to elaborate. "He is just a few months younger than Dai-chan, so he is more or less the same age as you. He presented as an omega rather late in life, and as a Guide even later, so he doesn't have much experience being a Guide. But he has grasped the basic gist of it, so I am sure he will be able to calm you down should your senses overwhelm you."

"Okay," said Akashi. "That's good to know."

"Now, I know you're going into this in order to save your life, but I hope that over time, you will develop a strong bond with him," said Momoi. "Tetsu-kun deserves that, at least."

"I know," muttered Akashi grimly. "I told myself that even though I'm doing this to save my life, I don't want a half-baked or superficial relationship with my omega. I want… a proper bond with my mate."

At that, Momoi squealed and jumped out of her seat to hug Akashi. "You and Tetsu-kun are going to make such an adorable pair!"

"Uh, thanks?" Akashi watched in amusement as Momoi dislodged herself from him and did a little leap in the air. She could be so enthusiastic when she wanted to.

"I'll contact Tetsu-kun and arrange for a suitable time the two of you can meet," Momoi told Akashi. "Considering your circumstance, I'll do my best to make that as soon as possible."

"Thank you very much, Momoi. Thanks for taking the time to do this for me." Akashi shook Momoi's hand.

"Akashi-kun, it's my job," said Momoi with a smile. "Besides, we're friends, aren't we?"

"Yeah, we are…" Akashi glanced at Momoi, who was jotting something down on her notepad. He decided to change the subject. "How is Imayoshi-san, by the way?"

Imayoshi was Momoi's husband and bondmate. They met in highschool; Imayoshi was two years Momoi's senior, but they hit it off immediately. Soon after, they established a bond and as they say, the rest was history.

"He's very busy with his work these days," Momoi lamented. "Then again, so am I… But we're going on a holiday next month to a few of the Scandinavian countries, just the two of us, to catch up and rekindle our bond, so that should be good. Hopefully we'll return with a little one on the way," Momoi said, winking at Akashi.

Akashi laughed.