Velvet Shadows
The fall and the rise
The morning was too quiet.
Sunlight dripped like honey through the gauzy curtains of the small bedroom. Shōyō Hinata stirred, face buried in the pillow, sweat already prickling under his shirt from the early heat. His eyes fluttered open as a dull ache pulsed down his right leg.
The same pain.
Every morning.
He sat up slowly, muscles creaking like an old door, and let the blanket fall away. His shirt rode up as he swung his legs over the bed — and there it was.
It stretched like a cruel reminder from the top of his upper thigh all the way down past his knee to his ankle, jagged and uneven. The skin was pale, tight, and rough around the edges. He stared at it, unmoving, chest clenching with the memory.
He hadn’t cried the day it happened.
Not when he heard the crack of bone.
Not when the medics screamed for someone to stop the bleeding.
Not when he woke up and the doctor told him he’d never play volleyball competitively again.
But now, years later, tears pricked the corners of his eyes.
He reached out and traced the scar gently. He still walked with a slight rock in his step — not from pain anymore, but from the imbalance the fall had left him with. He could hide it most days. But it was still there. The reminder. The shame.
Then stood. Slowly. Carefully. His feet touched the cool floor as he padded out of the bedroom and into the hallway, each step silent except for the quiet rhythm of his slightly uneven gait.
The apartment smelled like grilled cheese and green tea.
Suga was already at the dining table in a soft robe, belly round and glowing under the morning sun. His silver-blond hair was tied into a loose bun, and little Hotaru — their one-year-old son — sat in a highchair, swinging his feet happily as his Papa spoon-fed him mashed tofu and rice.
Daichi was in the kitchen, flipping pancakes and humming under his breath. The scent of sandalwood and calm Alpha pheromones drifted through the room, grounding everything.
A cup of tea waited at Hinata’s usual seat.
He slid into it quietly, wrapped his hands around the mug, and took a long sip. The warmth settled into his chest like a hug.
But his scent was off. Sugawara noticed instantly.
Hinata Shoyo
No... Just thinking
Daichi glanced over from the stove.
Hinata set the mug down slowly. He was quiet for a beat too long. Then he inhaled deeply through his nose.
Hinata Shoyo
I want to look for a job...
Hotaru smacked his spoon on the tray, giggling.
Daichi
You don’t have to do that right now
Daichi said carefully, coming to the table and sitting beside his husband.
Daichi
We told you — You have time... You're healing
Hinata Shoyo
I've been healing for years
Sugawara tilted his head.
Sugawara
It’s not about money, you know. We’ve got you. And Hotaru loves having you around.
Hinata Shoyo
I love being here...
Hinata muttered while smiling down at Hotaru,
Hinata Shoyo
But I need to do something... anything... I don't wanna feel like... like I'm just existing. I wanna be useful again...
Sugawara sighed, resting a hand on his belly.
Sugawara
Alright. If this is what you want. You know we got your back.
Daichi
We'll help you however we can
Hinata's shoulders visibly relaxed
No callbacks. No interviews. No one wanted a Rare Omega, especially not one with a limp and a history of athletic trauma. Even scent-suppressed and legally marked as safe, employers turned him away.
He filled out online forms in the evenings. Got used to rejection. Drank tea alone while Daichi and Suga put Hotaru to bed.
Until one afternoon, his phone buzzed.
Yachi Hitoka
📲 Yachi: Found something, Meet me tonight, might be a little weird, but you'll get money 💰🤑
Hinata hesitated but gave in
He went. He had nothing left to lose.
Yachi waited at a dim bar lounge just outside Shinjuku, tapping her acrylic nails against a sticky table, dressed in black with a bold red lip. The bar lights glowed like cherries, sultry and inviting. The scent of pheromones and cologne clung to the air like velvet.
She slid a flyer across the table.
A cherry-red silhouette. A man on a pole.
VELVET SHADOWS. Tokyo’s Elite Male Revue.
Hinata Shoyo
You want me to strip?
Yachi Hitoka
I want you to eat, have your own house, and... maybe find something you're good at again
Velvet lights swirled. Music thumped like a second heartbeat. The scent of champagne and sweat drifted through the air like smoke.
He spun on the pole like he’d been born for it — one hand gripping the cold metal, legs locking mid-air into a perfect split hold. His muscles gleamed under the lights, golden and defined, every movement calculated but effortless. His eyes were lined in soft gold, his lips glossed, his scent sweet and teasing.
Hands reached toward the stage. Money soared into the air like glitter. Bills rained onto the polished floor. Hinata dropped low with a slow grind, arching his back like he was built for sin.
Backstage, Akaashi folded his arms, watching.
Akaashi
Told you he'd be a star
Oikawa sipped his pink martini.
Oikawa
Mm, a little rough around the edges, but he sells innocence. People eat that up.
Nishinoya smirked from the couch
Nishinoya
He's got heart. That's my buddy
Kenma didn’t even look up from his phone but bluntly says
and Yamaguchi... Yamaguchi hid behind the curtains, blushing furiously
Then the club’s main doors opened.
A gust of Alpha pheromones swept through the space like a storm. Thick. Sharp. Rare.
People turned. Subtle bows followed.
In stepped Kageyama Tobio. Black suit. Silver ring. Cold eyes. A predator in the wrong place — or maybe the perfect place. Behind him, Bokuto and Kuroo scanned the room, tense and alert. Asahi lingered near the entrance, unmoving, but watchful. And Iwaizumi walked aside Kageyama.
Tsukishima, leaning lazily at the VIP bar, waved a glass of bourbon.
Tsukishima
Took you long enough
His eyes were already on stage.
Hinata spun, breathless and glowing, his body arching into another perfect hold. And then — their eyes met.
Kageyama’s pupils dilated.
His breath caught in his throat.
Hinata Shoyo
Tobio? *Whispered*
The pole slipped slightly under his grip.
And from across the club, Kageyama’s jaw clenched.
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Rare dance for a rare man
Hinata didn’t stop moving.
The moment his eyes locked with Kageyama’s, something primal and ancient curled up inside him — heat licking at his chest, adrenaline pumping like static under his skin. His hand gripped the pole tighter. He spun again, this time faster, tighter, flipping upside down with a smooth arch that made the crowd holler.
He wasn’t performing for them anymore.
He was performing for him.
Across the room, Kageyama took his seat in the VIP lounge — a dark leather booth with a full view of the stage. He sat beside Tsukishima, who was already sipping something expensive and bored-looking, but Kageyama’s posture was sharp. Focused.
His elbows rested on his knees, jacket draped over the back of the couch, hands clasped in front of him. His eyes never left the Rare Omega on stage.
Tsukishima
"That him?" Tsukishima asked casually, though his gaze was just as steady.
Hinata spun again, sweat glistening under the lights, chest heaving as he dropped into a low split and rolled his hips forward in a movement that had the entire front row screaming. The cherry-red stage lights gleamed off his bronzed skin, his hair stuck slightly to his forehead, and his lips curved into a soft smirk — one that barely hid how fast his heart was pounding.
You’re mine, Kageyama thought, chest rising with the slow burn of possessiveness.
You always were.
Backstage, behind the heavy curtains, Akaashi waited in the wings, watching the routine wind down. His arms were folded neatly, breath calm. But when he glanced past the curtain and spotted Bokuto standing by the bar — tall, broad, loud — he didn’t think much of it.
Hinata gave one final twirl, flipping into a graceful drop to his knees with a bow, and the crowd lost it. Cheers, bills flying, screams. The lights dimmed slightly as the song ended.
The curtain briefly closed.The curtain briefly closed.
Hinata came offstage, chest heaving, sweat sliding down his back. Akaashi passed him on the way out — and in that split second—
The Beta’s mouth fell open. His whole body jerked forward like something magnetic had locked onto his chest. The drink in his hand almost slipped. His pupils dilated so fast it was almost comedic, and Tsukishima noticed.
Tsukishima
"Oh" The blond muttered into his glass. "There he goes"
Because Bokuto — who never shut up — was silent.
He stared, completely stunned, as Akaashi took the stage in midnight silk and mesh, hips already moving to a slow, sultry beat. He hadn’t even made it to the pole before Bokuto leaned against the railing like a man hit with a train.
Bokuto
"He's" Bokuto muttered. "he's"
Tsukishima offered dryly.
"Perfect" Bokuto whispered.
Kageyama didn’t react. He was still thinking about Hinata — the way he twirled and spun, the way he looked at him... the way his breath was ragged when he stopped. He stood, motioned over a manager with a snap of his fingers.
Kageyama Tobio
"A private room" Kageyama said, voice low and final. "With him..."
The manager blinked. "Of course sir"
Backstage, Hinata wiped sweat from his brow, legs still shaking from the high of the performance. He hadn’t danced like that before — not for real. Not from instinct. It felt like flying and drowning all at once.
Then the floor manager approached him with a nervous smile.
“VIP room,” they said softly. “A request. He wants you.”
He didn’t have to ask who.
Hinata Shoyo
“You… want me to give a private?” His voice cracked, hands still on his towel. “I’ve never done a lap dance before.”
“You don’t have to say yes,” they said carefully. “But it’s… him.”
Hinata’s breath caught. He looked down at his trembling hands, then at the stage, where Akaashi was spinning so gracefully it looked like the pole was dancing around him.
The VIP private room was smaller than he expected.
Velvet walls. A crimson curtain. Gilded accents and low lighting. There was only one chair in the center — oversized, shadowed — and he was in it.
Kageyama sat like a king with his tie undone, sleeves rolled up, his scent already pushing against the walls like a physical thing. Dark and stormy, citrus and cedar and power.
Hinata entered slowly, barefoot, wearing nothing but gold briefs and the thinnest layer of sweat.
The door shut behind him.
They stared at each other.
Hinata swallowed hard, heart threatening to jump out of his chest.
Hinata Shoyo
“I… I’ve never done a lap dance before,” he admitted quietly.
Kageyama Tobio
Kageyama leaned back. “Then learn. On me.”
Hinata felt his knees wobble. His fingers twitched. He walked forward slowly, placed one hand on the arm of the chair for balance — and then lowered himself onto Kageyama’s lap.
The air grew thick instantly.
Kageyama was warm. His thighs strong beneath Hinata’s own, and the scent… it was too much. Too familiar. Like the gym back home. Like old promises and fireflies and the warmth of his first ever kiss — clumsy and barely a peck.
Now he was sitting on a grown man.
Kageyama’s hand came up — not to grope, not to grab — but to rest gently on Hinata’s waist, grounding him.
Kageyama Tobio
“Move,” he said, low and firm.
Hinata swallowed again, then slowly began to roll his hips.
Once. Twice. A little shaky.
Kageyama Tobio
Kageyama exhaled, his grip tightening just a fraction. “Slower.”
The rhythm settled between them, hot and heady. Hinata’s thighs burned, but he didn’t stop. Every shift of his hips made Kageyama’s breath hitch just a little more. His scent flared, feral and controlled — like a volcano buried under centuries of restraint.
Kageyama Tobio
“You still smell like roses,” Kageyama said hoarsely. “Even under the suppressant.”
Hinata couldn’t answer. Could barely think.
And then, so quiet he almost missed it, Kageyama whispered:
Kageyama Tobio
“Do you still remember what I promised you?”
Their faces were inches apart.
A beat of silence. Then two.
Hinata Shoyo
“I remember everything,” Hinata whispered.
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Night out and confessions
The sun filtered softly through the blinds, casting golden lines across Hinata's face. His eyes fluttered open slowly, lips parting as he inhaled a lazy breath. He blinked once. Twice. Then it hit him—last night.
Hinata Shoyo
"Ahh... wait... hngh~ Ah!" Hinata moaned softly, digging his fingers into Kageyama's flesh
Kageyama Tobio
"Shh... its ok, I'll keep going slow" Kageyama whispered into the omega's ear while slowly, gently thrusting into Hinata
His entire face ignited in a flush of molten heat
The name rang through his skull like a drumbeat, and suddenly Hinata was no longer sleepy—he was alive. Practically vibrating with every memory of that private room. The heat of Kageyama’s rare Alpha scent. The firm grip on his waist. That husky voice murmuring, “You’ve grown so much, Shoyo.”
Hinata squealed—actually squealed—and buried his face into the pillow, kicking his feet like a high schooler gushing over a crush. His hands clutched the pillow tighter, heart racing like it had a personal vendetta against his ribcage. He groaned and giggled all at once, squirming beneath the covers.
Hinata Shoyo
“Kami-sama, I gave him a lap dance,” he hissed to himself. “He saw everything! Touched me! He saw my—ugh!”
His cheeks were on fire. Every second of that encounter had been both terrifying and exhilarating, the rush of it unlike anything he’d ever experienced—even on the volleyball court back then.
Hinata Shoyo
He rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling. “He still smells the same…”
The memories swirled again: the soft kisses at his neck, Kageyama’s firm body pressing into him, how he’d pinned him against the wall like nothing had changed between them. Like they were still those two boys from Karasuno, bound by something unspoken and permanent.
Hinata curled into himself. He hadn’t felt this flustered in years.
After several minutes of self-indulgent writhing and muffled giggling, he forced himself up. “Okay, okay—breathe, you idiot. You’ve got plans tonight.”
He rubbed his face and padded into the bathroom, wincing slightly as his thigh twinged from the long hours on stage. He caught a glimpse of his reflection in the mirror and paused.
There were faint hints of hickeys on his neck and he decided to lift the shirt
His body was riddled with hickeys, he gasped so loud Sugawara had to check on him.
Sugawara
Sugawara pushed open the door slightly right before Hinata pulled his shirt back down. "Uh... Are you ok in here?"
Hinata Shoyo
"Y-Yep" He said quickly, smiling awkwardly
Sugawara
"... O... Ok?" He responded in a confused tone before closing back the door
Hinata lifted his shirt once more, looking at his body that was riddled with hickeys
Hinata Shoyo
"What the hell!" he whisper-shouted
Hinata Shoyo
Hinata sighed "Asshole..."
With a deep breath, he turned on the water and began his morning routine: brush teeth, shower, skincare, a little oil for his scarred leg, some light exercises for mobility. By the time he was dressed in a black t-shirt and fitted jeans, the flushed excitement had mostly faded—mostly.
He checked his phone. A group message from Oikawa.
Hinata Shoyo
Oikawa 💫: Velvet Shadows Crew Night Out ~✨ who’s down for drinks and debriefs?
Noya 🤘: COUNT ME TF IN.
Akaashi 🥀: I’ll come. But no weird games tonight.
Kenma 🕹️: Only if it’s somewhere I can sit.
Yama 🌱: I’ll… try! If it’s okay.
Hinata 🌞: I’m in. I need to talk about SOMETHING!!!
Oikawa 💫: Oho~ the sunshine’s got TEA? 👀 see y’all at 8, outfit up bitches 💋
Hinata Shoyo
When Hinata arrived at the bar, everyone else was already there, he sat at the seat with his name on it
Oikawa
"Are you always late?" he questioned, sipping his red wine
Hinata Shoyo
"No..." Hinata responded, flustered
Nishinoya
"Ooo... you look like you had a night last night" he said, smiling mockingly at Hinata
Hinata Shoyo
"Shut it Noya" he whispered with a blush
Oikawa
"Oh come on, tell us what happened" He said, leaning forward
Hinata Shoyo
"... Uhh" He groaned... hesitant, everytime he thought about it, made him blush.
Oikawa
"Don't be scared, we won't judge... We'll try not to" He whispered while reaching out to touch Hinata's shoulder reassuringly
Hinata Shoyo
Hinata rolled his eyes "... Um... so I slept with someone?
Kenma
Did you use a condom?
Yamaguchi
Want a pregnancy test?
Everyone turned and looked at Yamaguchi with a "bitch are you serious?" face
Yamaguchi
What? better safe than sorry
Hinata Shoyo
... Uh... yes I'd like the test Yams
Yamaguchi
nice! I'll give it to you later
Everyone was looking at Hinata now with a "Wait are you for real right now?" face
Oikawa
"Anyways who was it?" Oikawa asked, sipping some more of his wine
Hinata Shoyo
... Kageyama...
Everyone looked up at him
Oikawa
Oikawa choked on his drink. “THE Tobio Kageyama?! The billionaire-slash-CEO-slash-possibly-actual-yakuza kingpin?!”
Hinata Shoyo
Hinata nodded
Nishinoya
Noya’s jaw dropped. “THE Tobio Kageyama who’s been on magazine covers since high school?! Bro’s hot and loaded!”
Hinata Shoyo
“Childhood friends,” Hinata said, voice small. “We made a promise once… to get married.”
Yamaguchi
Yamaguchi, wide-eyed, whispered, “That sounds like a movie.”
Kenma
Kenma tilted his head, eyes sharper than usual. “So why now? After all this time?”
Hinata Shoyo
"I don't know... he didn’t know I worked here... he booked a room and I uh... I gave him a lap dance too!" He hid in his hands
Oikawa
“THE FIRST ONE?” Oikawa gasped.
Akaashi
Akaashi snorted. “You lost your lap-dance virginity to a billionaire alpha. How poetic.”
Nishinoya
“Romantic,” Noya said dreamily. “Did he whisper sweet nothings into your ear while throwing thousands of yen?”
Hinata Shoyo
“Sort of?” Hinata mumbled, laughing nervously. “He remembered stuff… about me. And it wasn’t creepy. It felt nice. Like… safe.”
Yamaguchi
“I think it’s cute,” Yamaguchi said softly.
Kenma
“Dangerous,” Kenma murmured. “But cute.”
Hinata Shoyo
Hinata smiled at them. “Enough about me. You guys saw the crowd last night. Everyone killed it.”
Oikawa
“Iwaizumi was there,” Oikawa said with a casual sip of wine. “Recognized him from the gym. He looked like he wanted to either kiss me or body slam me.”
Nishinoya
“Sounds like love,” Noya said.
Oikawa
“I don’t know how I feel about it,” Oikawa admitted, twirling the straw in his glass.
Akaashi
“Bokuto was staring at me,” Akaashi added dryly. “Almost tripped on his own feet.”
Kenma
“He literally drooled,” Kenma said.
Akaashi
“Ew.” Akaashi shuddered.
Yamaguchi
“Tsukishima watched my entire set,” Yamaguchi said quietly. “Then he booked a private room.”
The table leaned in collectively.
Oikawa
“Well?” Oikawa urged.
Yamaguchi
Yamaguchi blushed fiercely. “He asked me to dance again. Just… him. No crowd. It was… intense. But… he was kind.”
Kenma
Kenma sipped his drink slowly. “I had someone too.”
Nishinoya
“No way,” Noya whispered.
Oikawa
“That’s one of Kageyama’s bodyguards,” Oikawa said. “He was in the VIP area with him and the others.”
Kenma
Kenma shrugged. “He requested a room before I even finished. Didn’t say much. Just stared. And he’s… tall.”
Nishinoya
“Hot?” Noya asked.
Kenma
"Too hot" He blushed
The group burst into laughter.
For a moment, everything felt light. Like none of them were struggling with bills or bodies that ached from long nights. Like they weren’t working in a glittering underground world just to make ends meet. They were friends. Connected by sequins, sweat, and the haunting melody of pole metal and silk curtains.
When the laughter died down, Hinata looked around at them all—each one of them a different version of lost and surviving. And for the first time in a long while, he felt less alone.
As the night stretched on, and drinks flowed, the air grew heavy with something more intimate. Not just the buzz of attraction and lust, but the slow build of possibility. Of futures rewritten under stage lights.
Maybe this club wasn’t just a job.
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