We win that game by fourteen. I play the best I've played all season. Devon calls it the Kit effect during the post-game huddleand I don't argue because he's right. Having Kit in the stands, having him choose to be there visibly and publicly, settles all of the chaotic emotions I’ve been dealing with.
However, I still haven’t publicly claimed him. With words. With some kind of public declaration. Kit made it very obvious he doesn’t do PDA just because. Walking hand in hand or the brief kiss on the cheek sent Kit’s scent in a spiral that almost had me asking about his next heat.
Instead, he just whispered ‘don’t do that’ so while I spend my time with him publicly, touching is reserved for behind closed doors. Not that I haven’t tried to steal a kiss or two when the time permits.
With finals closing in over the next week and Kit resuming his shifts, the only time I get with Kit is in the morning, walking him to class or at night when I open my door to find Kit snuggled up in my bed. My roommate is MIA, though, I think that’s more for my privacy than the fact that he actually moved out. I’m sure I’ll find a bill for the other half of the room at some point.
By Thursday, I’m strung out, worrying over a way to show everyone who my Omega is while also surviving the conference semifinal on a Friday night, the biggest game of the season. The gym will be packed, scouts in attendance, the kind of atmosphere that makes or breaks a team's year. Coach ran us harder than usual all week, with extra film sessions, and extended practices, the whole squad dialed in with a focus that pushes everything else to the margins.
It’s been nearly two weeks since the auction but it’s time to finally make a move. Kit deserves more than just walking him to class.
I want to tell everyone he’smine.
I find Kit in the dining hall on Thursday evening, sitting with Milo and Avery, the three of them crammed into a booth arguing about something that involves a lot of hand gestures from Kitand a lot of patient nodding from everyone else. I slide into the booth beside Kit and his body tenses for a fraction of a second before it relaxes against my side, a reflex he's still getting used to overriding.
"Hey," I say.
"You're sweaty," he observes, wrinkling his nose. "Did you come here straight from practice?"
"I showered."
"You showered inadequately. You smell like a gym bag."
"You're wearing my hoodie. You've been smelling like me for a week."
"That's different. Your hoodie smells like your laundry detergent. You smell like you personally." He picks up a fry and points it at me. "There's a difference."
Milo watches us with an expression of profound amusement that he's not bothering to hide, leaning forward to place his hands beneath his chin, his elbows propped up on the table. “You guys are disgustingly cute. Is it official yet?”
Kit scrunches up his nose, now pointing the fry at Milo. “I’m not cute. You know who’s cute? You and the way you hang all over your Alpha every chance you get. The only thing stopping you is respect for your job.” Avery opens his mouth and Kit cuts him off, chucking the fry in his direction. “No, you’re the cutest of all! You’re mated to yourstepbrother.”
The Omegas burst out laughing as I resist the urge to pull Kit into my side. Milo sighs as he tugs at Avery’s shirt. “Come on. Let’s go find our packs and leave these two love birds alone. They’re going to get all mushy.”
Kit’s ears turn red as he ducks his head a little, throwing the other Omegas a middle finger. The moment they disappear around the corner, Kit pulls away from me. I clock the movement, about to ask when he twists to look up at me. “Hey.”
“Hey, what are you doing?” I clear my throat and correct myself. “What did I do?”
He throws me a sheepish smile. “I think my heat is coming much sooner and every time you touch me in public, my body…”
It suddenly dawns on me that it has nothing to do with PDA and everything to do with timing. Slowly, I reach for him, Kit giving in as he melts into my side. Almost automatically, his scent sweetens, a small whimper falling from his lips.
My cock thickens between my thighs in response as Kit squirms away from me. How the fuck did I not notice? His scent is always really sweet at night when in my room, I never thought anything about it. “Jesus Christ. Do you know when?”
Kit huffs out a laugh. “No. It was supposed to happen in another week or two but I don’t think I have that long.” He tilts his face up a little, the flush that started on his ears spreading to his cheeks and neck. “I really like you. Likereallylike you but… uhm.”
“Of course. I only came over here to ask you to come to the game tomorrow.”
“You have my number. You could have texted me.”
My smile widens as I stand up from the booth and pull him to his feet, Kit stumbling into my chest. His scent spikes again, his eyes widening. I almost ask what’s wrong when I catch the scent of his slick flooding the space. “I also came over here to walk you back to my dorm.”
Kit groans as he pushes off of me. “Good because fuck, I think… shit. I need new pants.” I laugh all the way down the hallway until his next words render me silent. “Stop laughing at me or I’ll fuck myself when we get back to the room.”
EASTON
Gamedaythegymis packed to the walls, the student section a wall of noise that hits me in the chest when we run out for warmups. The scouts are in the reserved section but I reserve my attention for the fourth row, dead center, where Kit is sitting between Milo and Avery in my stolen hoodie.
A few people caught him walking from my dorm room into the showers this morning, whistles lighting up the hallway. Kit blushed and ducked his head but peopleknow, likereallyknow. But tonight, I’m making a public statement. Everyone is going to know who my Omega is.
