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“We are very sorry for the way the situation turned out but we simply have no room to spare,” The headmaster did sound apologetic, which Isak appreciated greatly, but it did not erase the fact that he was being forced to room with an Alpha, an Alpha that, for all he knew, could've been dangerous, all due to the fact that the single rooms had been taken by the students whose parents had more than enough wealth to spare and so they made sure their pups had the best of the best. It did not matter that Omega’s usually required separate rooms for their own safety. The school, no matter how rich and prestigious, was simply far too full to allow Isak such a luxury, no matter how much he needed it. He presumed it was his own fault for applying far too late, for not signing up sooner and at least trying to beg for a room that could accommodate him and his needs. Not that it mattered anyways, the school was known for its preference of Alpha’s, proven even further by the lack of sweet and soft scents within the old building. There was no warmth there. “I assure you, this student has outstanding behaviour, we have had no issues with him and he had been nothing but respectful towards all Omega’s on the premises.”
Heaving a sigh, Isak glanced up at the headmaster, the man's spine stiff and hands worn out from old age, the lines on his face that of a stern and strict man but his expression exuding faux understanding. Isak knew it wasn’t real. He couldn’t possibly understand what it was like to be an Omega, an Omega forced to sleep in such proximity with an Alpha that probably already had an inflated ego, groomed by the compliments and praises of those around him since he was a little pup. “Will I at least be given a separate room during my heats? I don’t want my heat scent to be in that room, I don’t wish to provoke the Alpha.”
“Yes, of course. We have designated heat and rut rooms which won’t let any of your scent out and the doors will remain firmly locked, not allowing anyone in unless you specifically request an Alpha to join you. When you start to feel your pre-heat symptoms simply go to the nurse and they will explain the whole process to you.”
Isak merely nodded at the information, ignoring the sense of dread at the words and raising his hand to scratch right above the collar strapped to his throat, his scent hidden because of it, the leather covering his scent glands and making sure people only got the slightest hint of his lilac laced fragrance, and this time he was grateful for the barrier as the man before him had no way of smelling the distress coming from within him, he at least had the chance to keep one thing to himself.
“Well, there’s a student outside the office waiting to take you to your room so you can get settled in. All of your things have already been taken there, do not worry. Your uniform will be there as well. Ah, and, you are allowed to spend time in casual clothing throughout the day but we encourage you to wear the uniform as often as possible.”
Isak nodded shakily, standing from the brown leather chair, hearing it creek as he shyly said goodbye to the headmaster before he walked over to the large door, hand gripping the door handle and turning it. And the moment he stepped out of the old fashioned office into the spacious hall--still empty due to the lesson the students were attending at that very moment--Isak flushed at the sight of the boy waiting outside of it.
His hair was blonde and pushed back, yet a strand of it hung over his forehead, right above his sparkling blue eyes, his gaze was kind and inviting, his smile even more so, even though he stood with all the dignity and pretentiousness of a proper boarding school student.
“Hello, I’m Even.”
Isak smiled, praying his palm wasn’t sweaty as he shook hands with the boy, ignoring the jolt of electricity he felt at the small and quick contact.
But Even appeared to be completely unaffected, even though his gaze seemed to linger on Isak’s body far longer than normal, but Isak simply presumed his attraction towards the older boy was making him see things that weren’t there. He was mistaking kindness for attraction, something he had done before, something he promised himself he wouldn’t do again, not after Jonas.
His body trembled once Even placed a hand on his lower back, tilting his head down the hall and ushering him forward. “Come on, I think your roommate is in already, he didn’t have any lessons this morning.”
The words were spoken with discontent, dislike clear within them, forcing a frown to appear on Isak’s face. “Do you not like him?”
Even’s jaw clenched, arms tensing as he pushed his hands into the pockets of his pants, shrugging his shoulders in a way that he probably wanted to appear casual but Isak could still see the tension in his form.
“He’s alright, I suppose, you’ll be fine, don’t worry about it.”
It had done nothing to settle Isak’s nerves, especially when he could pick up on the scent of a worried and annoyed alpha.
Oh.
He perked up, his omega running laps in excitement as he dared to glance at Even, his posture straightening immediately at the realization that Even was an Alpha; a strong and impressive one at that, his omega desperate to impress him, to invite him into his nest and present himself, let him sink his teeth into his ne--
A flush spread across his cheeks as Even spared a glance at him, a telltale of a smirk growing on his plump lips as Isak looked down at the floor, face red in shame and embarrassment as he desperately prayed Even couldn’t smell the slick steadily leaking out of him at the mere thought of being knotted. He needed to get himself in check. The strange school was already getting to him; the scents of all of the Alpha's seemed to be affecting him far too much. He'd have to ask the nurse to check his suppressants and make sure they were working perfectly.
“D-do you think he’ll mind that I’m an Omega?” Isak stuttered out, wringing his hands together as Even glanced at him with a strange sort of gleam in his eyes.
“No, I don’t think he’ll mind at all.”
The words did nothing to calm Isak’s anxiety, not when the tone of Even’s voice was off, something worrying hiding beneath the sentiment, something sinister. But he had no time to overthink it as they started to walk up the grandiose stairs, his eyes trailing over the steps, widening at the mere amount of them. And just as he had presumed, his legs started to ache about halfway through, lungs burning once he took the very last step. Even merely snorted at his struggles and waited for him, tilting his head back and biting his lip as Isak groaned in discomfort.
“You’ll get used to it, don’t worry.”
His collar started to itch, scent glands sensitive as the leather rubbed against them, drops of sweat sliding underneath it and making him grimace in discomfort.
Fuck. Why the fuck were they swollen?
No matter how much the object protected him from unwanted advances he couldn’t help but yearn for the moment he got to take the collar off, letting his scent out and wrapping himself up in blankets as he rubbed his cheeks and his neck over the pillows and covers in his nest. But he wouldn’t get the chance to do that, not at first at least. No matter how good the Alpha in his room seemed he couldn’t let himself relax, it was far too dangerous, the threat of being bitten was always present, constant.
“Are there many Omega’s here?” Isak spoke once he caught his breath, both of them moving once again, steps taken in sync as Even’s arm brushed against Isak’s.
Even hummed in thought, brows furrowing for a moment as he glanced at Isak out of the corner of his eye, tongue darting out to wet his slightly dry lips. “No, not really, especially not male Omega’s, you know how rare those are,” Isak nodded, humming in affirmation and trying not to roll his eyes at the reminder of how unique he was, just how special and desired he was by all the Alpha’s, just because of his gender. As if Even could sense the frustration within him he shot him a soft smile. “But there is one or two if I’m not mistaken. Mikael is one, he’s a friend of mine, you can talk to him if you wish.” Isak nodded at the words. It was nice to have an option to talk to a person that understood. “But the majority of the space is taken up by Alpha’s, there are some Beta’s too, but Alpha’s are the ones that take up most of the population in the school. It’s not even because of the smaller number of Omega’s, it’s also because this used to be an Alpha only school.” Isak knew, he was well aware of its stance on gender politics and the way they clearly had a preference for the 'stronger' subgender, but they were also the best school in the country and Isak had to attend, he knew he could do it.
“A-are any of the other Omega’s mixing rooms with the Alpha’s?”
Even spared a glance at him. “Only the mated ones, the school doesn’t usually allow this, it was strictly forbidden in the beginning, when the mixing of the subgenders actually became legal and the school started to accept Omega's. They allowed it at first but you know what the Alpha’s were like back then. Knotheads.”
“Oh.” A whisper left Isak at the implication, his chest tightening as he focused on his steps, the sound of his black polished shoes hitting the tiles echoing throughout the hallway.
“B-but don’t worry, he won’t do anything you don’t want him to do.” Even gulped, suddenly appearing nervous, if only for a split second, before his demeanour changed back to his stoic self. “If you ever need some space away from him you’re welcome to come to my room.” The glimmer in Even’s eyes made Isak frown for a moment, worry enveloping him completely, but suddenly his concerns were overshadowed by a sense of calm. Burnt caramel, the crisp cool breeze of the mountains, and his nostrils flared, inhaling the scent as his mind went hazy for a moment, his head clearing of any thoughts he previously had. Delicious. He needed more of that scent, he needed it to cover every item in his nest.
“Thank you, I’ll take you up on that offer if I ever have to.” Why wouldn’t he? Such a kind and generous Alpha was offering him help, a hideaway from the problems that may arise. He ignored the smirk that appeared on Even’s face.
They trailed further into the old building, the hallways becoming darker, the paintings adorning the walls that of stoic and powerful alphas that had ruled the land, running the school and training the pups to become just like them. Isak looked around, frowning at the strange feeling rising within him. Panic. He felt as if there were eyes upon him, trailing over his body, making goosebumps rise on his skin as he subconsciously shuffled closer to Even, the Alpha barely containing a grin at the way the Omega seemed to seek safety in his proximity already. But Isak didn’t feel safe. It was strange, he presumed the novelty of the place would take some getting used to and eventually the strange feelings within him would come to pass but it didn’t make him feel any less panicked. He needed to get into his nest, he needed to build one and wrap himself up in some blankets and take a nap.
Stuck in his thoughts, he didn’t even realize they finally got into the common room for the wing of the school he would be staying in. While paintings still decorated the white coloured walls, there was at least a specific sort of warmth in the room. Three couches were placed right before the fireplace, the fire lit within it, the embers crackling and lighting up the entire room in a shade of orange. There were bean bags thrown on the other side of the room, right in front of a large TV, gaming consoles right beneath it, the modern devices strangely out of place within the old fashioned building. But Isak didn’t care, he at least felt some semblance of peace and safety within it.
“I’m staying in the same wing, so don’t worry, I’ll show you where my room is along the way so that you can come in if you wish to.”
Even started to walk toward the stairs on the other side of the room, light flickering on automatically the moment he approached them, and so they climbed up.
Their steps echoed in the stairway, Isak’s fingertips trailing over the handrail as he glanced up, following the Alpha until they reached the floor with the dormitories, a simple hallway stretching to their left and their right. Straight away Even turned right.
“Your room is down the hall, the very last one, but mine is right,” He slowed down his steps, pointing at a door with the number 531 on it, “here. I room with Adam who’s also an Alpha but he’s chill, so don’t worry.”
Isak nodded, his heartbeat speeding up as they approached the end of the hall.
But just as they were about to reach the door Isak sensed a presence behind him, making him turn swiftly, eyes trailing over every inch of the hallway and yet there was no one there. The presence, however, lingered.
“Here you go,” Even stopped, smiling at Isak brightly, long fangs on display as he leaned back against the windowsill, hands pushed into the pockets of his pants. “I’ll be in my room if you need anything.” He started to walk by him, goosebumps rising on Isak’s skin as the Alpha stopped right next to him, leaning forward to whisper into his ear. “I’ll see you around, Omega.”
He didn’t have time to say anything, he couldn’t, his lips simply wouldn’t move as a blush spread all over his face; he knew were his collar not on he would’ve been emitting the pheromones of a flustered and needy Omega.
But he couldn’t focus on that.
With a deep breath, he turned towards the door, gripping the handle and finally entering the room.
It wasn’t what he expected. It was far too normal compared to the building he was in.
Two beds were pushed up against either side of the wall, a large desk placed in between them, right in front of a great window which allowed the room to be brightened up by the sun. His suitcase was at the end of the bed already, completely untouched while his uniform was splayed out on the sheets, looking a tiny bit wrinkled, causing a frown to appear on Isak’s face. Strange, the school seemed to be meticulous about nothing being out of order, especially their uniforms. The closet was placed in the left hand corner while on the other side lay a white door, leading to the adjacent bathroom which they both had to share. Where Isak would have to take his clothes off while the Alpha was separated from him by a measly door. He shivered at the reminder.
Suddenly he heard the water running and he hastily closed the door shut behind him. Only then did he catch a whiff of the scent. A strange mixture of coconut and firewood, creating an aroma that Isak could almost taste, if only he could press up against the Alpha’s scent glands and inhale deeply, but he couldn’t, all he could do was focus on the abandoned hoodie on one of the beds, his fingers twitching in desire, legs moving before he could stop himself. He just wanted to touch it, leave his own mark on it, show the Alpha that he could be trusted, Isak had such a nice scent, he needed to let the Alpha know, but suddenly, as he was reaching out, the door to the bathroom opened and the source of the scent entered the room. Isak pulled his hand back abruptly but he knew the Alpha could see what he was doing, regardless it seemed as if he chose to ignore it and instead he grinned widely at Isak.
Isak’s cheeks flushed at the sight of the Alpha’s pearly teeth, his canines sharp and pointy, lips wet and inviting, and in his daze Isak didn’t even notice the way the Alpha’s gaze trailed over his body, his head tilting to the side as brown eyes observed him closely.
“I’m Chris,” The brown-haired Alpha spoke and Isak jolted at the deep sound of his voice, pure confidence laced within the words.
“I-Isak.”
Before he could stop himself Isak glanced back at the hoodie laying out on the bed.
The Alpha stepped forward, body nearly brushing against Isak’s and forcing him to gasp slightly as Chris gripped the garment, holding it in his hand before he lifted the collar of it, rubbing it against his neck and scenting it thoroughly, his gaze not once wavering away from Isak’s as he did so.
He could smell it even before Chris handed him the hoodie, smirking as Isak took it with shaky hands.
“Take it, put it in your nest if you want, it’ll help you feel more comfortable around me.”
Isak smiled at the kind gesture, pulling the hoodie closer to his chest and looking down at the floor.
“You can take the collar off when you’re in here, if you want,” Isak’s gaze snapped up, his lips parting at the words. “I mean,” Chris grinned, lifting a finger and trailing it over the edge of the fine leather before he dipped a fingertip beneath it, Isak jumping away at the touch as Chris pulled his hand back, “We will be roommates for the entire year, probably until you finish the degree, I wouldn’t want you to feel constricted during your time here.” He leaned forward, pupils dilating as Isak’s breathing hitched. “I want you to be as comfortable as possible.”
Chris moved away from him suddenly, walking over to the bed and throwing himself down on it as Isak stared ahead with hazy eyes, not noticing the way Chris’ tongue slid out, sliding over the tip of his finger and licking off the scent left behind from Isak’s neck.
“Y-You don’t mind if I nest in here?” Isak looked at him through his lashes, his body heating up when he noticed Chris’ gaze on him already.
“Not at all, Omega,” He grinned, “Just relax, you’ll have a good time with me, don’t worry.”
With a nod, Isak walked over to his bed, bending down lower to place the hoodie onto the sheets before he grabbed his uniform, holding it up for inspection. He ignored the lingering scent of coconut on the fabric.