HELLO!

Sorry if the update took so long!

I was so focused on school and on the story 'Behind a strong man' that I forgot about this one.

But I have holidays now :)

Guest: I'm glad that she is getting some support :) Ah yes, Ushijima :)

Heck Yah: Oya oya oya! This IS gonna be interesting, I hope. You already ship them? Nothing happened yet xD

Chapter 4

The next two hours Tamiko spend in her room, alone. Izumi had gone to get something to eat and Tamiko didn't want anything to do with the outside world at the moment. Iwaizumi had dragged Oikawa back to the gym for some volleyball practice and silence had returned to the dorm. It would be a few more hours before the first dorm activities started. Games to break the ice and to get to know the people you would share the building with. That was something that she didn't want to do. At least not now. They would probably have to say their gender and she knew that Tendou would be one of the people to laugh at her. Stupid lanky redhead. In the silence of her room she growled and punched her pillow. She had been looking forward to this camp for years like everyone else, but now it had been ruined by a simple blood test. Mentally she had already decided to not submit to anyone, but she was still having trouble accepting her Omega role. Omegas usually made nests out of soft material as a safehaven for when they feel upset. But she didn't feel the urge to build one, despite her being upset.

"I need air," she groaned.

She opened her curtains and the sunlight flooded her room. It was blinding, the vivid memory of the doctor's office returning. Tamiko shook her head and opened the window, letting a soft breeze dance through her brown curls. She took a deep breath and let it clear her mind. The sun warmed her skin and it was a pleasant warmth, as she smiled towards the sky. After a while she opened her eyes and looked around. In a tree opposite her window, a few birds were singing. It was peculiar how the branches of the tree seemed to reach for her, growing close enough to the window that she could just jump onto them. With no hesitation she climbed into the window frame and gave the distance one more study. Then she jumped. The branches took her weight with ease as she climbed into the treetop.

She landed on the grass like a cat on her feet. It was something that she had practised many times. Sneaking out of the house was a regular thing for her. She gave her open window one last glance before she turned her back to it and walked in the shadows of the trees, the sun occasionally blinding her through the gaps between the leaves. It really was a beautiful day of summer, despite the circumstances happening to her. But she was also glad that those stressing school days were over, at least for now. They would have lessons here too but they weren't graded. As far as she knew. Her classmates were here as well although she had only seen two of them so far; Yamagata and Ushijima. All the other students she had seen from her school were in different classes. Otherwise she had only seen strangers, apart from Iwaizumi and Oikawa. Being by herself at the moment was something she really needed to calm her mind, body and soul.

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, letting the fresh air fill her lungs to the brink. Then she slowly pushed the air out, opening her eyes. Her blue eyes looked around and spotted a small black ball of fur under a tree.

"Hey, little kitty." she said softly.

Curiously and carefully the feline inched closer to her. Soon it was in her reach and it began to purr when she stroked the soft fur. The cat was young and rather small, but its big eyes were such a beautiful deep blue. It was as if this cat had the ocean in its eyes. Tamiko was so spellbound by this cat that she didn't realise the soft steps approach her from behind.

"Oh, hello," a voice behind her spoke.

She glanced over her shoulder to an unfamiliar face. It was a guy in a red jersey. He was tall, his face slim, his eyes small and catlike. His black hair was spiked up in a very curious way, half of it up, but what really caught her attention wasn't his unusual hairstyle but the catnip in his hand.

"Hello," she answered back.

Her hand was still occupying the cat when the guy looked down at the can in his hand. Then he held it towards her, as if offering it.

"I got some catnip," he started. "Wanna feed her?"

"Sure."

A smirk played on his lips after she had answered him. The guy joined her and opened the small can in his hand. The cat knew what this meant and began to voice her desire for the treats. The guy chuckled and complied while Tamiko watched him. One other thing she noticed were his long and slender fingers. Perfect hands for a piano but he certainly didn't look like the musical type. He looked up and at her before he offered his hand.

"I'm Kuroo Tetsuro, from Tokyo." he introduced himself.

Tamiko blinked and then took his hand to shake it. It was a strong and warm hand.

"I'm Kageyama Tamiko, from Sendai."

"Kageyama?" he repeated and thought for a moment. "Are you related to a Kageyama Tobio by any chance."

Her eyes widened a little. This guy knew her brother? What connection did they have?

"He's my younger brother." she confirmed.

His tired eyes widened as realisation hit him. Then he nodded.

"I see. You don't look anything alike." he noted.

That was true. While she was rather short with brown wavy hair and freckles, Tobio was tall and black haired. The only trait they shared were the deep blue eyes. But they had the same mother and father, that was for certain and while Tobio looked more like their mum she took after her dad. At least from what she remembered.

"I hear that a lot." she muttered while stroking the cat again.

He was watching her, she could feel that. It was a little creepy but she ignored it as best as she could. If she remembered her brother's words correctly then she was in the presence of the captain of the Nekoma team. A power-house from Tokyo.

"So, do you play volleyball as well?" he asked after a while.

Now it made sense as to where he knew her brother from. Her brother's team had gone to Tokyo a few months ago to join other teams for practise matches. So it was only natural to assume that she would play volleyball. Sadly, she always disappointed in that fact.

"No, I do karate."

"Uh, scary." he grinned.

"Don't push your luck." she teased.

"Sorry, the girls I know are very self-conscious about their looks." he shrugged. "It's intriguing."

"Country girls aren't any different." she noted.

Many girls in her school spend many hours in front of the mirrors in the toilets, doing their hair and makeup. It was annoying. Very annoying. Izumi was a little self-conscious as well but didn't hide behind fake eyelashes.

"That means you're even more unique. Be careful, boys will swarm at you." he noted with a low voice.

"I know self-defence." she insisted.

"When the scent is in the air, not even self-defence can help you, little Omega." he warned.

That little word she dreaded. Her eyes shot up to his and there seemed to be red fire in his eyes. A small speck of fear sparked in her heart but her mind buried it.

"How did you…," she started but he cut her off.

"Like I said," he grinned and placed his hand on her shoulder. "You cannot defend yourself against a scent. At least not yet."

Tamiko watched him as he stood and gazed down at her, his teeth shining as he grinned. Like a sly and scheming cat. That's when she noticed it. He's an Alpha, she realised. Of course he was. He was a captain of a team and that was a usual alpha position. Just like Ushijima and Oikawa, who were captains themselves.

"Do me a favour and keep it to yourself." she proposed with an innocent smile.

He may be an alpha but that didn't mean he could use that strength yet. But she was fully aware of hers and at this moment she was capable of threatening him. Depending on his answer.

"Sure, no problem." he smiled. "But only if you do me one."

Now she was growing more worried for her fate. She had only been acquainted with him a bit and could already tell that he was the mischievous type.

"And what is that?" she dared to ask.

"Come here every day at noon to feed the kitty." he offered.

A strange deal but it didn't seem that bad. Feeding a kitten was always fun and if she thought about it, this guy didn't seem that bad. On the contrary, he seemed like the kind of guy who would be a great friend. Not that she wanted to be his friend. But he seemed interesting and not stupid.

"Okay, deal." she grinned and both shook hands to seal the deal.

Kuroo smirked and his face grew soft and friendly again. He did seem alright.

"Awesome. I'll see you tomorrow." he acknowledged.

And with that it wasn't him who left but her who chose to escape. She walked back to the dorm, her mind still with the deal she had just made. It couldn't be that bad to feed a cat every day, she loved cats after all. Only shame was that she couldn't have one herself. Tobio wasn't very popular amongst any kind of animal which meant having a pet was the entrance of the door she cringed. Oikawa was there, along with Izumi and Iwaizumi who were conversing. The alpha looked up and his neutral expression grew worried. It was unavoidable as he came to hug her. He was still her friend. He understood why she was feeling that way she did and he accepted it. Although he didn't always show it. He still wanted to be her alpha, keeping her safe.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"I'm fine," she mumbled into his shoulder.

He lovingly patted her back while the other two came closer. When they joined them Oikawa flinched.

"What's that scent?" Oikawa wondered and sniffed again. "That's another Alpha."

Tamiko froze for a moment but then a grin grew on her face. That sly cat, she thought. Kuroo had deliberately touched her to leave his scent on her. Scent-marking it was called and he was using it. So now there were two Alphas that had their eyes on her.