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“Hey. What are you two…?”
Nagi has heard many variations of that question more times than he’s bothered enough to count.
Each time, Reo would answer for the two of them, and Reo’s answer is always the same. Reo would sling an arm around Nagi’s neck, grin widely, and say, “We’re both betas!”
That’s a lie, though.
The first time Reo did it, Nagi almost protested. He didn’t get why Reo would lie about it, about him, and he definitely didn’t appreciate Reo talking about him as if Nagi himself wasn’t there.
So, when Reo told a random classmate that “Nagi is a beta, like me!” Nagi’s first instinct is to counter that obviously false statement. But then, the second he opened his mouth to say the truth, Reo tugged at his sleeve. Nagi wasn’t sure what had actually compelled him to keep his mouth shut that time, but he did anyway. For Reo. It’s always for Reo.
Later that day, when the two of them were left alone after their football practice ended, Nagi tried bringing it up again.
“Why did you lie to that girl?”
“Huh?”
“Why did you tell her that I’m a beta? I’m not. I’m an omega.”
Reo stared at him for a brief moment before averting his gaze. When he spoke again, his words sounded more like a reluctant mutter. “…Won’t it be a pain for you if everyone knows that you’re an omega?”
‘That should be my line,’ Nagi thought irritatingly.
Though, before he could argue more, Reo suddenly dropped a bomb on him, completely unprompted.
“Anyways, I’m not a beta,” Reo says in a matter-of-factly tone, “I was born as an alpha.”
Nagi stared at him, dumbfounded, almost pretty sure that he’d heard wrong. When he did find it in himself to speak again, all uttered was an eloquent “…What.”
For some reason, Reo found it amusing. He chuckled as he plopped down beside Nagi on the dirty grass. “I’m an alpha, but…truthfully, I don’t really like it. So, I’ve been going around telling people that I’m a beta.”
Rep turned to him and grinned brightly, like he’d just let Nagi in to one of the world’s greatest secrets. It might as well be, given that he’s talking directly to the sole heir of the wealthiest family in the country.
No matter how hard he tried to reason it in his head, Nagi decided that it’s definitely a weird behavior of an alpha. Although for him to say that might sound a bit hypocritical. After all, Nagi is aware that he’s not exactly an omega who fits into textbook stereotypes himself.
“Anyways,” Reo said, effectively cutting off their previous conversation. He jumped on his feet and kicked the ball towards Nagi, who intercepted it lazily. “Let’s cool down and go back to my place. I asked my chef to make us that banana pudding you liked last time!”
The prospect of a delicious banana pudding was enough for Nagi to drop the talk. Though, it doesn’t mean he stopped thinking about it.
Today, when everyone else is still in the bathroom and it’s just him and Reo in their shared room, the question that their teammate asked the day before flashes again in his mind.
“Hey, Reo.”
“Hm?”
“You never told me your reason.”
Reo turns to face him with a puzzled expression. “What reason? What are you talking about?”
“The reason why you’re lying.”
It seems that Reo doesn’t immediately get what Nagi means, because he opens his mouth, presumably to ask his best-friend to elaborate more, but then he closes it again and averts his gaze with a frown.
“Are you…still bothered by it?” Reo asks quietly.
Reo doesn’t look at him, and that actually bothers Nagi, but he chooses not to voice it.
“No,” Nagi says truthfully, “Not anymore. I just want to know why.”
Reo tucks a strand of his hair behind his ear—a nervous gesture, Nagi recognizes, but he holds back from pointing it out.
“I…I mean, you’ve seen it before. Most people in this place are alphas. If they find out that you’re an omega, they will bother you. Won’t that be a pain for you?”
Nagi stares silently, trying to discern Reo’s words. “You mean…all this time you’ve been trying to look out for me? You know you don’t have to do that, right? I can handle myself just fine. Having to fight would be troublesome, but I can hold my ground if it comes to that.”
Hearing his reply, Reo scoffs. “Seriously, Nagi. Both of us know you’re stronger than me. Heck, you’re stronger than most alphas! It’s not like I’m trying to baby you—”
“But you do baby me.” And I like it, Nagi would add, if not for how weird it sounds in his own head.
Reo rolls his eyes and gives him a wry smile. “Yeah, yeah, I do. You’re my treasure, after all. Am I not allowed to spoil my own treasure?”
Something inside Nagi’s chest feels warm. It might be the way Reo casually refers to him as his treasure, like he always does, or the way Reo seems to get more and more flustered the longer their conversation goes. Or maybe it’s just Reo’s scent; Reo’s freshly washed scent mixed with his natural scent that for some reason always manages to get Nagi to feel comfortably numb and sleepy. Maybe it’s just the combination of everything. Still—
“Stop dodging my question, Reo.”
Just like that, the previous teasing Reo withers away, replaced by his earlier coyness.
“Reo…?” Nagi pushes, curious.
“I-I just don’t like it…” Reo mumbles, his gaze straying to land on anything but Nagi.
“Don’t like what—”
“Thinking about you getting hit by other alphas. I found you first…so you’re mine.”
The last part is spoken quietly, Reo looks embarrassed at himself for saying that out loud, yet Nagi hears it loud and clear.
Just when he’s trying to come up with something else to say to Reo, his nose suddenly picks up a whiff of a familiar scent with a mix of emotions blended in: jealousy, possessiveness, insecurity.
People say it’s not easy to pick apart emotions that come with a wave of a scent, yet Nagi always has a knack for that. Perhaps it’s one of the reasons Reo keeps calling him a genius.
Right now, those three emotions are some of the ones Nagi associates with Reo the most. He thinks he kind of gets Reo’s reasoning now.
“Alright,” Nagi says, hopping on his feet and stretching his limbs before plopping on the hard mattress again.
Reo watches him with a bewildered gaze. “Alright…?”
“It’s alright. It’s not like I didn’t know that you're a selfish, spoiled rich kid.”
At being called out, Reo huffs petulantly. “Nagi!”
“Anyways, it’s alright,” Nagi continues, “Let’s keep up with this lie. I don’t want some random omegas to start flocking to you either. Being a rich kid and an alpha at that is too OP. Besides, you already have your own fanbase at school even though they don’t know that you’re actually an alpha. If their number suddenly doubles, it’ll be a pain for me too.”
Nagi is too busy fluffing up his pillow to notice Reo jumping on him. He regrets his late reflexes when Reo already has him in a chokehold hug.
He wheezes. “Get off of me! You’re such a pain!”
“Don’t wanna!”
“Reo!”
Reo snickers, and his warm breath brushes on Nagi’s nape. It almost makes Nagi shiver. But before he could complain, the door suddenly bursts open, revealing the rest of their teammates.
“What are you guys doing?”
“God, can you two stop being gay for two seconds?”
“Just ignore them.”
Only Nagi himself seems to hear Reo’s soft whisper of “you’re the best, thanks.”
He doesn’t comment on it.
Later that night, they sleep on the same bed, because that’s what they always do. No one else notices how they subtly scent each other, even in sleep, and Nagi thinks he can get used to this.