Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Kurapika eyed his surroundings with poorly disguised distaste.

Tall carved columns stretched upwards, surrounding the high ceiling. Chandeliers dangled from above, illuminating the huge area although there were alcoves behind certain pillars that seemed to be left dark on purpose. The center of the hall contained numerous velvet couches, built so low and wide they were as good as mattresses.The entire floor was covered in a plush crimson carpet. His shoes sank with each step he took.

Everything was a sickening display of alpha wealth and power.

But nothing turned his stomach more than the obvious branding inside the hall. In stark contrast to the men and women clad in expensive suits and gowns, were even younger men and women all dressed in flowing white robes, each with his or her feet bare, all lounging on the dark velvet couches. A scarlet ribbon wrapped around each of the displayed omega's right wrist, the ribbon's ends hanging long for an interested alpha to pick.

Kurapika curses the law requiring alphas below twenty-five to participate in these omega-deprecating events.

Beside him, he sees Gon's hand shake, fingers curled tightly into a fist. He looks up and already sees a hint of yellow bleeding into his companion's glare. It was Gon's first omega ball, having only turned fifteen this year, and Kurapika understands the indignant rage the younger teen must be feeling at the blatant objectification of omegas around the hall.

The blond sips at his iced tea, letting his glass cover his lips as he steps closer to the boy. "You have to relax, Gon. Your rage is permeating the air and could affect some of the newly-presented," he murmurs to his friend, brushing his knuckles against Gon's fist in small comfort.

Their eyes meet, and Kurapika tries to express that he knows it isn't fair, either. Gon closes his eyes, and the tension in the air slowly dissipates. The blond smiles at him. His friend would make a kind alpha.

"Oi, what's this?! Why are you all garbed up, pretty boy?"

In momentary confusion, Kurapika accidentally lets the unknown alpha roughly grab his wrist. He blinks up at the bigger man, "Release me."

The man chortles, leering, as he tugs down Kurapika's sleeve. "Where's your ribbon, doll?" Then the alpha finally spots Gon at his side, "Oi! Don't tell me this pipsqueak got your lace?"

Gon merely spared the alpha a confused glance, "Why would Kurapika need a ribbon?"

The older alpha took it as arrogance and turned red in anger, spluttering down at Gon. Kurapika laughed softly, already tensing his arm to forcefully remove the handsy alpha from himself when another person stepped in.

The Kurta's eyes bleed into a telling magenta from one breath to the next, the purest, sweetest scent teasing at his senses.

"Sir, I believe the young man asked you to release him," Leorio grinned, not at all hiding his irritation. He has a firm hand on the rude alpha's shoulder, already pulling him subtly back and away from the other guest.

The alpha shoves him, but otherwise stomps away with a dark murmur of "Stupid fuckin' beta."

These damned things happened too often. Alphas were so damn troublesome.

Leorio huffs, glad he salvaged the iced tea on his tray. He turns back to the young men, "I hope you're okay -"

The waiter meets crimson eyes and momentarily forgets how to breathe at the sight of the most gorgeous human being to stand in front of him.

"R-red...?"

Kurapika slams back to his senses, shakily looking away and shielding his eyes from the handsome man, "I apologize." He struggles to calm his pounding heart, but the scent is still around him, teasing, much too faint to determine its source.

Plus, the beta's cologne was so strong it was making Kurapika's temples ache. That certainly turned his mood around.

He shook himself, standing straight and remembering his manners, "Thank you, umm..."

"Leorio," the beta supplies helpfully.

"Leorio-san, truly, I appreciate your kindness," Kurapika smiles up at the man.

"No worries. S'what I'm here for. Besides, I don't know what he was talking about. It's pretty obvious you're an alpha," then the waiter's cheeks flush as if he accidentally spoke the last part out loud.

The blond's eyebrows rise in pleasant surprise. He knows his short stature and features are mistaken as omegan more often than not. To hear a validation of sorts from the other man, especially one as masculine as the other, genuinely warmed him inside. No matter that he didn't approve of the prevalent stereotyping between the genders.

Kurapika couldn't stop himself from smiling up at this kind, handsome man. It was probably embarrassing.

"I mean your scent, and your whole -" the beta gestures at Kurapika, fumbling, visibly flustered, "Why don't I get you a refill, yeah? I'll just... Umm. One moment."

Kurapika doesn't point out that he had filled up glasses on his tray and hands him his glass happily, anyway.

Was it strange to find the man adorable?

He was still smiling when he notices Gon staring at him, "Yes?"

The blond watches in slight alarm as his friend slowly grins up at him.

"Nothing. I wonder why he was hiding his ribbon though."

Kurapika's eyes widen, and his heart skips a beat.

Chapter Text

He almost asks Gon if he's sure, but Gon's nose has always been amazing. Even Kurapika's scent-blockers didn't hinder the other teen when they first met.

Suddenly, that alluring scent he picked up earlier made a lot more sense, and Kurapika has to bite his lip. He couldn't be hasty now. He has to calm himself.

What should his next move be?

He wasn't expecting to actually find a partner he was interested in in these events. He'd been going for four years! Where had that man come from?!

Kurapika had always hated how the alphas tended to have more say in omega balls. He doesn't want to be another callous one, but it's not like the concept of a mating repulsed him either. He is the last of his clan and growing a family would be wonderful again. The Kurta could exist once more.

He thinks of black-haired, red-eyed babies and feels faint.

But how should he approach the older omega? Would he even be interested in Kurapika? Heavens, this was nerve-wracking. 

Gon watches his friend turn red. The blond making a funny face beside him. His grin widens, happy his friend had met his chosen one. He hopes to meet his, too!

Suddenly, the small boy perks up, sniffing the air. His eyes light up in wonder before his feet quickly take him across the hall, leaving the blond with a hasty, "Wait. I'll just..."

He doubts Kurapika notices anyway since the tall waiter comes back just then.

Gon giggles, watching the two of them stare at each other before he weaves through the crowd.

Kurapika takes in the older man with a small smile on his lips. He wonders why the other was practically smothering his natural scent with his cologne at the same time as he realizes his heart would likely jump out of his chest if he were to be hit with that scent head on. Maybe that's it. Leorio-san must have known he was too alluring.

Leorio-san who was smiling down at him so openly.

The blond has his hands out for his refilled glass, and their fingers brush before he's blurting out, "Please be mine." 

Leorio splutters and spills iced tea all over him. Admittedly, Kurapika could have phrased that better.

"Oh my god! I'm sorry. I'm sorry, come with me," the older man bows before his fingers wrap gently around Kurapika's smaller wrist.

The blond doesn't even think of complaining about the sticky cold juice seeping into his clothes and allows himself to be led away.

In fact, the excuse to stay in the man's presence was so perfect he'd have spilled the juice himself.

"Leorio! What did you do?! We're going to get in trouble." Pokkle exclaims, seeing him drag the blond guest into the staff room.

He then spots the blond's stained tabard.

"Y-you spilled juice on an alpha," he shakily says, body tensing, eyes suddenly alert.

The alpha quickly raises both hands in assurance, "It's fine. No harm done."

"Yeah, umm... I have an extra shirt but," Leorio mumbles, cheeks pink in shame, a hand on his nape, "Maybe Pokkle's shirt would-"

He's hurriedly cut off with two resounding cries of "No!"

"Yours would be fine," the alpha shoots him that smile again. Leorio actively fights from swooning where he stands.

"Ponzu wouldn't like that," Pokkle shrugs, only looking vaguely apologetic. He probably doesn't want his clothes smelling like an unfamiliar alpha either.

Leorio does not at all think of how he's going to preserve the blond's scent in his shirt afterwards.

Because that was depraved.

And desperate.

Really.

He goes to his locker while the alpha takes a seat, Pokkle watching said alpha suspiciously.

"Leorio," the peach-haired omega calls, "I'm going out to the hall," the shorter man taps quickly below his ear, maintaining eye contact. Pokkle wants him to contact him via their concealed earpiece immediately at any sign of trouble. Leorio doesn't hide his embarrassed grin from the reliable boy. He nods, pressing a palm to his breast pocket where the mic is.

A couple of alphas always get too rowdy in these events. At this point, both of them know better than to be complacent. That's why the organization has also arranged for all staff to have a means of communication.

The security in these balls were strictly implemented although the guests were none the wiser.

Pokkle takes his leave, satisfied. Regardless, somehow, Leorio was positive there was no need to be guarded around this particular alpha.

Leorio turns around, a fresh shirt in hand, and catches the young alpha tugging off his tabard, leaving him in his thin white undershirt.

That was soaked through.

Looking far too sensual in Leorio's workplace that the waiter struggles to remember breathing was a bodily function.

He thinks he keeps any weird noises to a minimum, but the blond stares at him with poorly hidden amusement. Oh, he was a cheeky brat for goodness' sake.

The taller man doesn't move, watching the blond's fingers reach to untuck his shirt and pull, and this is how Leorio probably dies - with the most beautiful alpha smirking and slowly stripping for him.

He's not complaining at all. It was going to be a glorious death.

Propriety be damned.

Only, the blond alpha wasn't revealing skin, but another undershirt, this time purple. Leorio's brain restarts. Now he doesn't quite know what to feel, stomping down on the instinctive disappointment that he hopes isn't visible on his face. But it's sleeveless, his brain notes. His eyes drift to those muscled arms before he could restrain himself.

He hears a tinkling laugh and feels his cheeks heat. "Is something wrong, Leorio-san?" the blond asks, casual, eyes bright and innocently curious.

Leorio feels ashamed.

"Hmm, even this one got wet," the alpha pulls the slightly sticky shirt away, frowning down at himself. "I should..." He tugs the shirt up, and Leorio sees a hint of equally muscled torso, spurring him into action.

"T-Towels! That's right. We need towels!" He squeaks, scurrying off to the cupboards. All at once, the staff room feels too small, and he might just need to call Pokkle back for the alpha's own good.

His face smacks into an open cupboard door.

"Leorio-san!"

Chapter Text

"Are you okay?" Kurapika asks, hurrying to pick up the other's fallen glasses and stand as close as he could while maintaining a respectful distance from the unguarded omega.

Who let himself be alone in such closed space with a foreign alpha.

During an omega ball where posturing alphas typically plotted maniacal schemes to snag unwitting omegas.

The Kurta's eyes narrow, the man obviously lacked self-preservation. It was a good thing Kurapika was the one whom the waiter spilled tea on.

"Yeah, I..." Curiously, he hears Leorio-san trail off. His ears pick up the smallest intake of breath before he's suddenly surrounded in that sweet scent, like fresh honeydew and mulberries. Instinctively, all the tension in his body melts, his expression relaxing for two heartbeats.

Then the scent intensifies, overriding the layers of the omega's musky cologne, and Kurapika has to grit his teeth, leaning against the cupboard to restrain himself in guise of calmly closing its door.

He sees Leorio-san wince at the loud sound the wood makes in the small room.

Kurapika holds the taller man's gaze, hand gripping the cupboard as he steps back in haste even though his whole being wants to throw himself forward. Closer.

It's the stunned look on the other man's face that gives Kurapika the strength to lift his crumpled undershirt over his nose. Of course, burying his face in his own shirt led to thoughts of his scent mixing deliciously with the omega's.

For Kurta's sake.

If he presses harder maybe he can just suffocate himself on the spot.

The omega's true scent dials back down to that faint undertone until all Kurapika breathes in is the obnoxious cologne. He keeps his shirt over the lower part of his face to be safe, not moving a muscle.

Leorio-san's expression, if possible, only appeared more stricken, and the blond feels an ache settle within his chest. Four years of passive participation in these events, and this is when his dynamic damns him.

"I'm sorry," They both speak at the same time, surprising the other.

"Why on earth are you apologizing?" Again, in unison.

Kurapika muffles the soft laughter that escapes him with his shirt. The tension around them dissipates. He smiles, bashful, up at the older man, glad that Leorio-san's shoulders relax back into his easy posture.

The blond bows his head, before meeting the omega's widening eyes, "I'm sorry. I did not mean to scare you. I would never, ever cause you harm."

"No, it's my fault," Leorio-san interrupts, and the embarrassment in the brunet's voice baffled him so much, Kurapika forgets to retort.

"Ah. I know my, erm... scent isn't - it can be..."

"Well, yes, it's alluring, but that's -"

"... repulsive?"

"- hardly your fault."

The look on Leorio-san's face would have made Kurapika laugh if he wasn't so indignant at the moment.

"Alluring?!" The man squeaks, his face entirely red.

"Repulsive, you said?!" Kurapika demands, very much offended for the man, "Tell me, are you being deliberately obtuse?" The blond bites out before he could stop himself.

He thought he grew out of that troublesome habit of speaking his mind at inopportune times.

"Obtuse?!! Why you..." The waiter growls. Kurapika doesn't miss the vein that appears on the other man's temple. Before he angers the man any further, the blond releases a very put upon sigh.

"Leorio-san," he drops his purple undershirt to hold the man's glasses in both of his hands, "I do apologize. You must know my behavior was inappropriate." The blond steps closer, just shy of the brunet's personal space, "You are, of course, not to blame for your enticing scent."

"Entici -?!"

Kurapika reaches up to place the sunglasses back on the handsome man's face preventing him from finishing his ridiculous protests, "Dare I call it, positively erotic," he murmurs thoughtfully, averting his eyes.

"Erotic!"

The Kurta huffs, "Will you repeat everything I say?"

At that, the taller man clamps his mouth shut, eyebrows furrowed, obviously disgruntled.

"I meant what I said," the blond reminds gently, making sure to meet the other's eyes, "If you would let me, Leorio-san," he reaches down, hands hovering, not quite touching Leorio-san's hands that were still clenched in the fabric of his extra shirt. Kurapika smiles up at the now silent man, "I badly wish to court you."

"C-COURT -"

The Kurta snatches the older man's clean shirt, the item slipping easily from the flustered brunet's grip.

"...Why are you doing this?"

The blond frowns up at the sheer disbelief in Leorio-san's voice, as if the thought of an alpha courting him was such an alien concept. His fingers stop buttoning the shirt once he sees the devastation painted on the man's face.

"You don't want an omega like me."

Kurapika walks closer to bring himself directly in front of the man again, "Oh, but Leorio-san," he calls, voice light. He tilts his head down to see the man's face, stubbornly turned to the floor. "I do. I want to be yours. Badly," Kurapika confirms, his tone still tender.

When the brunet does not reply, he lifts his forearm, the shirt's long sleeve almost covering his fingers, "Will you help me, please?"

Leorio-san is already reaching out to roll his sleeves up before he even finishes the question, and Kurapika smiles, "You know you're very kind."

"You don't know me. I'm rather shallow."

"Hmm," Kurapika hums agreeably, "Well, I didn't say you weren't."

Leorio-san glares at him. He smothers a chuckle with his free hand.

"Stop laughing at me."

Kurapika stops hiding his laughter. His shoulders shake.

"Oi, I thought you liked me or whatever," The omega grumbles, petulant.

The Kurta offers his other arm, his fingers brushing against the back of the taller man's hand, "I'm absolutely enamored," the blond nods.

"Tch. Strange little alpha. Maybe you had too much of that iced tea."

"No, you spilled it all over me. Remember?"

"Shut up."

Leorio steps back and looks over at the blond alpha. He blinks in surprise, seeing that the shorter man actually filled in his shirt, despite it being too long. He has to stop himself from expressing his approval again lest his natural scent strengthens once more.

The blond was honestly too beautiful though, and he doesn't even know his name.

"Will you think about what I said, Leorio-san?"

He thinks back to the memory of the shirtless alpha, standing so close with eyes blazing red, spilling pheromones all over. It made his toes curl.

Dangerous.

The cupboard door sways open, the wood ruined. It couldn't latch close.

Too dangerous.

He stares at the blond alpha wearing his shirt, looking like he just stepped out of one of Baise's pervy magazines and smiling at him - so tenderly, it was strange.

Leorio nods, warmth flooding his cheeks, and he couldn't even hope to look away even as the staff room door closes behind the beautiful boy.