My Eyes Adored You [Kagehina]

Chapter 10: A Promise

The two lovers come into work the next day, hand in hand. Tobio is pleased to see that Shoyo's shirt is low enough to clearly display his mark for anyone who manages even a casual glance. Good. Mine, his inner alpha growls again.

In the staff room, they encounter Bo and Kuroo, who immediately notice Shoyo's mark and share a wide-eyed look, but fortunately stay silent until the omega wraps an apron around his waist and leaves to take his position behind the bar.

They immediately surround the young alpha. Bo says "You dog, you've been holding out on us."

"What do you mean?" Tobio asks, unfortunately used to Bokuto not making sense.

"You didn't tell us you were that serious," Kuroo adds, pinning Tobio with a curious look.

"Didn't think I needed to," Tobio says honestly. The two bouncers can't determine if this means Tobio thought it was obvious or meant that it was none of their business. Bo shrugs at Kuroo, who turns back to Tobio.

"So what happened?"

"I'm not going to tell you the details if that's what you're asking."

"Come on, man," Bokuto urges again just as Daichi comes into the staff room.

"Leave him alone," he commands and the other men reluctantly comply. They leave Daichi and Tobio in the staff room.

Daichi looks conflicted as if he should say anything or not, but ultimately decides to broach the obvious subject.

"You okay? Big step huh?" Daichi's brown eyes are full of concern.

"Yeah, I'm good," Tobio says, meaning it.

"Good. I hope everything works out."

"Thanks, Daichi. Me too."

***

Bo and Kuroo, being themselves, immediately text their mates to fill them in on the situation. An hour later, both Kenma and Akaashi show up at the Wingless Crow and take their normal seats at the bar.

Shoyo knows why they're here.

"Spill!" demands Akaashi.

"Not much to tell," Shoyo insists as he gives them their usual, a whiskey for Akaashi and beer for Kenma.

"Come on, you've got a mark. Something must have happened," Kenma observes.

"Well," says Shoyo, looking around to make sure no customers needed him. He turns back to his friends. "We said we loved each other, then he marked me."

"That's a big step," Akaashi says. "I've never seen you with a temporary mark."

"I haven't had one in a long time," Shoyo says, as his brows knit slightly and a small frown appears on his face. It is clear he's thinking about something in his past.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Kenma asks gently.

"I ..." Shoyo begins, looking around once more to make sure he's not needed. "I got around in high school, when my dad found out I was an omega and left. I was trying to prove that I was worth something, that I could be worthy of love, that being omega wasn't the shame that my dad thought it was. So I was with, well, several guys. Two of them marked me temporarily. The first was pretty good to me, he just lost interest after a few months.

The second guy, well, after him, I finally learned my lesson. It was my last year of high school. I actually thought maybe he was the one. It was all wild sex and intense infatuation and puppy love, I guess. And I let him mark me. But before the mark had faded, he had moved onto someone else. And I felt the shame every day of seeing him with someone else while his mark was still on me. Everyone knew. It was mortifying and they would look at me with pity or with amusement. I was a dumb little omega, wanting everyone's approval. It was too much. And after that, I never let anyone mark me again, until now."