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"Come on, don't you wanna catch up with everyone?" Shu, his best friend, asked over the phone.
Shoto let out an exasperated sigh as he cooked his breakfast. He was just about to enjoy his day off and spend time by himself, but Shu was trying to persuade him to join their high school reunion later that night. "I don't really feel like meeting them again. It'll just be awkward, I'm not close with them anyways."
"Mysta's going to be there though." Shoto froze. He had not heard that name in such a long time. Shoto did miss him a lot and would be happy to reconnect with him, but would Mysta feel the same? They just drifted apart so suddenly, and then they never got the chance to talk again. "Just come to see how everyone's doing, alright?"
He didn't really care about the others. He did want to see Mysta for a little bit, though... "No one would really care if I'm not there." He's afraid of confronting him. Especially since... "Besides, what if they find out?"
Shu clicked his tongue, scolding Shoto for letting his anxieties get the better of him again. "No one will find out, trust me. We're just going to hang out, have a few drinks, and then leave!"
Should he really...? Well, Shoto could just hang out in a corner and mind his own business, maybe have small talk with anyone who strikes up a conversation with him. Maybe it'll be alright? "Fine. But you have to be with me all the time, okay? If you leave my side for more than one second, I'm gonna go home."
The joy was evident in Shu's voice. "Of course! I got you. I'll meet you at 8 PM, yeah?"
"Okay. Call me when you're near." With that, Shoto ended the call and came back to a weird burning smell. "Oh, shit!" he exclaimed as he turned the stove off, fanning the thick fog of smoke beside him which he didn't even notice. That can't be a good sign.
Ah, whatever. No one believes in superstitions. "Looks like I'll have to order in," he sighed.
~
Shubert: I'm here.
Shoto felt all his nerves growing erratic. Seeing all the people he cut off from his life and talking to them...a lot of things could happen. Though he hoped it was nothing bad.
As soon as he got in Shu's car and he drove them to the venue, Shoto felt the air growing heavy. Deep breaths, Shoto. Deep breaths, he reminded himself.
Shu opened the door for him, seeing as Shoto wasn't exactly functioning very well. "Hey, come on. If you put on a face like that they'd think you've gone through some very rough stuff or something. Smile. Or at least brighten up."
Shoto glared at his best friend, accepting the hand that was given out for him to take as he got out of the car. "I'm trying my best."
Shu patted his back encouragingly (he would ruffle his hair but it had gel in it, so he refrained from that habit) and then led the way to the entrance.
Just as Shoto expected, it was not that much of a fancy reunion. They didn't rent out a place to have a big party, they were simply at someone's (very big) house. There were a few midnight blue streamers on the wall, gold and white balloons all over the place, and a few areas set up for specific activities.
Some people were taking pictures in the budget photobooth area, others were watching an action movie in the living room, there was also beer pong near the bar (which he didn't know was a thing you can see in a house), and a large buffet area. Whoever owned this house was definitely an alpha.
Shoto looked around, searching for what he really came here for and trying to distinguish his scent from all the others. But it wasn't there. Maybe he's not coming? That would probably be better for Shoto...
"Hello! Is everyone here already?" A loud and domineering voice echoed in the room, making all the others halt as the apparent owner of the house — and an alpha — spoke. "I think everyone's here, yeah. Let's just wait for Mysta to get back with the projector that we forgot to bring, and then we can gather in the living room, alright? You all do your thing for now and get some food from the buffet if you want to."
Mysta. He's coming?
"That's Vox, by the way. He was very different in first grade, right? Look at him now, big house, huge build. Perks of being an alpha, for real." Shu was rambling beside him, and Shoto just nodded mindlessly, pretending he could understand what he was saying.
"We should get something to eat, I'm kind of hungry," Shoto said, and Shu was quick to agree.
"Right, lezgo. Food is over there."
The two friends made their way to the buffet, coming across some familiar (and unfamiliar) faces. Shu was the one that exchanged greetings with them, while Shoto simply gave them a little nod and a timid smile, making as little to no eye contact as possible.
But even when he did that, it felt like someone was glaring at him, and it didn't feel nice at all. It was highly overwhelming, and it made him want to whimper in fear. It was probably not as noticeable to others since all of the people there were betas, but Shoto could feel his breath hitching from it.
He knew where it was coming from. That dreadful glare. The threatening pheromones. "Shoto, you okay?"
Shoto looked at Shu, his heart beating out of his chest as he faked a smile. "Yeah. Just a little dizzy. Too much smoke in here."
"Oh, sorry." Shoto felt shivers run down his spine as a low voice erupted behind him. He looked around apprehensively and saw Vox, a pretentious grin on his face as he waved his hand around to fan the smoke from cigarettes and vapes away. "I didn't know there were non-smokers in our batch, I shouldn't have allowed people to smoke inside."
"N-no, it's fine. I don't mind."
Shu furrowed his brows in confusion as he noticed Shoto's body language while he faced Vox. "Uh, yeah, it's fine. We'll just get going now, thanks for hosting, by the way," he interjected, meaning to get his friend out of there. This was bad. If he lets Shoto stay here any longer he might release pheromones. That's not going to be good, especially since they were in front of an alpha.
He was just about to pull Shoto away, but another voice resounded in their ears. "What? Leaving so soon?"
The voice was awfully familiar. It made Shoto's knees buckle as he immediately knew who it was, peeking to see the man standing behind Vox. With a shaky breath, he whispered, "Mysta..."
Mysta was just like as he was before. He didn't seem to have changed, at least not with his appearance. He was still as bright as ever, and Shoto felt himself calming down as he caught a good whiff of his agarwood scent mixed with that aroma of strong and bitter coffee which he missed. "Shoto, long time no see!" He greeted, smile as wide as it could ever be. "How've you been?"
"I...I've been doing well. You?" he replied as Shu slowly let go of his arm.
"Good! Never been better. Wanna catch up over a meal? We could sit outside, there are seats over there."
Shoto just nodded, feeling inclined to let Mysta lead since he was the alpha anyways. "Sure, Shu, wanna come—eh? Shu?" He looked around him only to find that Shu wasn't with him. And neither was Vox. "Where'd he go?"
Mysta chuckled lightly, seemingly amused at Shoto's obliviousness. "Vox pulled him away somewhere just a few seconds ago. You didn't notice?"
"Oh...no, I didn't." This bitch, I told him not to leave me!
"It's fine, innit? We can have some privacy now. I really missed you, man."
Shoto felt his face flush. So...he was thinking about me too? Ah, no. He probably only remembered Shoto when he saw him face to face, he couldn't have been thinking about Shoto before the reunion. Why would he? "I missed you too," he replied with a pursed smile.
Mysta deftly put his arm around Shoto's shoulder, taking him outside for some catching up that they needed to do.
~
"How long has it been since we last met?" Mysta asked, munching down on his food as he observed the starry night sky.
Shoto picked on his food, passing glances from the sky to Mysta. "Maybe around 5 years since we last met, but it's been 17 years since we talked."
Mysta choked on his food, not believing what he just heard. "HUH?! No way. We were literally in the same school all throughout high school! That's impossible."
"Well," Shoto laughed. "You had your group of friends filled with alphas. I had Shu who was a beta. School wasn't really good at letting different people mingle with each other. We were forced to be in different classes all the time. And then back in our neighborhood you'd always be busy since you had your...your mother."
Mysta gritted his teeth. "Ah, yeah. Man, even with my friends my mom gets in the way. I wish it didn't have to be like that."
Shoto gave Mysta a reassuring smile, looking at the stars twinkling brightly as well. "Doesn't matter. She needed you. I'm sure you would do everything the same if you were given a chance."
"No, not really," Mysta said bitterly. "I'd try my best to keep talking to you despite how busy I was, if I was given a chance to go back."
And I'd choose to not have lied. If Shoto never lied, he wouldn't have felt afraid to talk to Mysta before. They wouldn't have drifted apart.
Silence enveloped the two, the quiet sound of utensils filling up the emptiness.
"Hey, you two! Get back in here, we'll be drinking and playing games," Vox shouted at them from the door, breaking the silence as the two stared at each other again.
Mysta was kind enough to make sure Shoto wasn't forcing himself. "Wanna go? We could just stay here if you want."
But Shoto doesn't think he can last longer being alone with Mysta. "Nah, let's go inside. This is a reunion after all," he said as he stood up from the table. "Come to think of it, you weren't really fond of big gatherings like this. What happened? You're okay with them now?"
Mysta abruptly stood up, turning his back from Shoto. "Yeah, being an alpha has its perks."
Shoto nodded to himself. Right. Being an alpha sort of meant they would be pushed to socialize and create a lot of connections. They were usually pack leaders after all, so that's a given.
The two went back inside, and Shoto immediately ran up to Shu who was being cornered by Vox. "Hey, uh...what's going on here?"
Shu met Shoto's eyes, and then he pushed Vox away to approach him instead. "Nothing," he said. Though Shoto knew it was a lie. "How was catching up with Mysta?"
Shoto just nodded at him, choosing to ignore whatever it was that was happening. He'll just ask Shu about it later. "Good. They said they were gonna play games, are you gonna join in on that?"
"I could, but only if you will too." Huh? What's with that condition?
"I mean, sure, I guess, if I know what the game is..."
Vox interrupted their conversation, coming in between them. "Perfect! It's a simple truth or dare. Not everyone's going to join since they're busy playing other things, but the wilder and much more drunk bunch of the group wants to play it."
Truth or dare? "On second thought—"
"You don't want to?" Shoto's heart jumped a little as he heard that voice behind him. "Oh, sorry. I mean if you don't want to then there's nothing we can really do."
What the fuck? Why did Mysta sound so dejected? What is up with him? How could he say no after that? "Do you want me to join?"
Mysta gave him a hesitant nod, the palm of his hand scratching at his nape. "It would be nice. Truth or dare is fun."
Shoto sighed. "...Fine."
Mysta's expression instantly turned brighter. "Okay! Let's go join the group then," he said as he walked away, pushing Vox by his shoulders who was squirming from his friend's touch.
"Wow," Shu exclaimed in a deadpan. "How come you say yes to him that easily? Are you still not over him or what—"
"Shut the fuck up, Shu!" Shoto yelled, glaring at his friend who had a slight pout on his face, seemingly disappointed with how easily he would've declined the invite if it was Shu who asked him. "You better not bring that shit up in the truth or dare or I will block you, got it?"
Shu gave him an offended look. "You think I would out you like that? After all that we've been through and the secrets I kept for you?"
Shoto rolled his eyes at him and then walked away, leaving a gaping Shu behind who soon followed suit.
~
Shoto thought it would be awkward, but thankfully, the group was composed of people he was friends with before. They exchanged a few hugs here and there, shrieking with how much they missed each other before they settled down and sat in a circle on the floor, an empty bottle of beer in the middle.
There were only like eight of them, with the other half being Shoto, Shu, Vox, and Mysta. It was all fun and games. Shoto was having a good time as he drank from time to time, entertained with all the dares they came up with. He didn't pay that much attention though, growing tipsy from just a little bit of alcohol. What he did notice, however, were the stolen glances he felt coming from two different pairs of eyes.
Shoto was leaning on Shu, feeling lightheaded and slowly being consumed by sleepiness until he heard a yelp. "Finally! It's your turn, Shoto!" a friend whose name he forgot said. "So, truth or dare?"
"I don't think he's really capable of doing dare right now, how about we go with truth?" Mysta suggested, a concerned look plastered on his face.
"Yeah, I'll go with truth." Shoto raised his head from Shu's shoulder, and Shu was quick to help him up by his shoulders. "Hit me with a question."
"I have one!" Another person in the group exclaimed.
"That better be a good question, if not I'll punch you in the face."
"It's a good one! Kind of spicy too, hehe." Shoto felt a little nervous with that declaration. "So, Shoto. Do you have feelings for Shu?"
Shoto frowned as he laughed in a delirious manner. "No! What makes you think that? He's just my friend."
"Yeah, bad question y'all. We couldn't be any more platonic than we already are."
"Whaaat? Really? You seem like such a good match though, aren't you both beta? You're like, perfect for each other!"
Shoto grumbled, leaning his head back on Shu. "Yeah, if we weren't just friends. You wasted my turn with a boring question, give me a different one."
The group whispered among themselves, trying to brainstorm for a good question to ask Shoto, until a chilling voice cut in. "I have a question."
Shoto opened his eyes to see Vox who was staring at him with a meaningful grin.
Fuck, why was he nervous? It shouldn't be anything bad, right?
"Are you really a beta?"
...
What?
What did he just ask?
"What are you on about, dude? We've always known he was a beta since we were seven, right, Shou?" Mysta looked in Shoto's direction, kind and gentle eyes not having the effect he would so want it to have on him right then.
Shoto felt Shu's hand grip his shoulder, wanting to get him out of there as soon as possible, and Shoto thought he can't just leave like that. If they left without answering they would know it's true. "I-I'm a beta..." he answered in a small voice.
If he looked around, he would probably only be met with doubtful eyes, so he chose to avoid their gaze, rising to his feet and making an excuse. "I'm going out to smoke for a bit, you guys continue without me."
Shu stood up as well, whispering to him. "Are you alright? Do you wanna go home?"
Shoto only shook his head. "No. Not right now, at least. If I go home right now they'd think I was lying and they'll gossip about it."
Shu could only give him a hesitant nod. "Okay, but I'll go with you."
"No, Shu." Shoto was stern. "They'll get suspicious. Stay here, I'll come back and go for a few more rounds, and then we leave."
Shu had no choice but to let him do what he wanted. Even though he really wanted to be there for his friend.
As Shoto left the group, he sat back down, his gaze turning to Mysta who had a worried expression on his face, looking at Shu with questioning eyes.
All that Shu had to do was give him a little nod, and that made his resolve.
~
Outside, Shoto was trying to calm down. He couldn't find the table in time as his knees went weak, collapsing to the ground on his knees as he covered his mouth to muffle his sobs. "Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck—" He tried to keep quiet, tears slowly staining his flushed cheeks as he sobered up. "Shit, what the fuck was that? How did he—"
Shoto tried to even out his breathing, but he miserably failed as he remembered the look that Mysta had on his face. It was so trusting. He trusted Shoto so much.
He went out and tried to play it off casually, but who the fuck was he kidding? They all probably knew already. That Shoto lied.
That he wasn't a beta.
Though it didn't really matter if they found out, he just didn't want one person to find out.
Where did it all start to go wrong?
Maybe he shouldn't have come here. Or maybe he shouldn't have joined that stupid game. Maybe he shouldn't have lied in the first place.
But what was he supposed to do?! If Mysta found out that he was an omega...if he found out...fuck.
Mysta had always hated omegas. He hated that they were needy and over reliant. He always told Shoto about how he was so tired of taking care of his mom who was an omega, worse — abandoned by her alpha. Mysta had to grow up even when he was still just a child so he could take care of his mom. He didn't even have a chance to enjoy his childhood, even more so as he turned out to be an alpha.
He was so tired of taking care of people. Of having people rely on him. Of having to always be the tough one. Of being destined to be with another omega.
So what choice did Shoto have? How would Mysta feel if he found out that his best friend was an omega? He had to lie. Then maybe Mysta would keep him by his side. Though he failed in that aspect.
Shoto felt way too guilty about lying. He couldn't find it in himself to talk to Mysta while hiding something so crucial to him. He thought he could get away with it.
He thought he could just let Mysta live his life peacefully, and that if he ever reminisced about his childhood friend, he'd reminisce it with glee and not anything negative, such as getting disheartened at the fact that Shoto was an omega.
But then they met again.
Shoto just wanted to see him for a bit. Maybe talk if given the chance. He just wanted to see how he was doing.
He shouldn't have.
He should've stayed home. He shouldn't have come.
Now Mysta was going to know. Now he knows.
"Shoto! What are you doing down there?" Shoto jumped as he heard the familiar voice, the thick aroma of agarwood filling his senses. "Get up," Mysta said as he held Shoto by his arms, guiding him to sit down on the nearby bench.
Shoto could feel it. He could feel Mysta releasing his pheromones to calm Shoto down. That only meant one thing. He already knew.
Mysta just kept on stroking Shoto's back, choosing to stay quiet as he watched Shoto cry quietly into his own hands.
"What are you doing here? Get back inside." Shoto tried to be as cold as possible, set on driving Mysta away.
"You know I can't do that," Mysta said softly. "Not when you're crying."
Shoto bit on his trembling lip, a new batch of tears forming in his eyes again as he expected the worst thing to happen.
"Oh, come on now. How are we going to talk if you keep on crying?" Mysta tried to lighten the mood, wiping the tears from Shoto's cheeks as he smiled at him. "It's okay, alright? I'm not mad. I'm not whatever you think it is I'm feeling."
"How did you...how did you know?" Shoto asked, trying his best to not choke on his sobs.
Mysta patted Shoto's head, his head leaning to the side as he gazed at Shoto. "Yeah, your scent and pheromones were kinda obvious back there. I did have my speculations back then since your scent was too sweet to be that of a beta's, but I thought it was just my bias and feelings clouding my senses."
Shoto sniffled, his breathing back to normal thanks to Mysta's pheromones. "...I'm sorry." Shoto was filled with so much guilt and anxiety that he didn't even understand the last portion of what Mysta just said.
"No need to be sorry. It was probably my fault too. I made you feel that I would hate you as long as you're omega. I never told you how I still loved my mom despite everything she made me go through, and that I don't regret a single thing I did for her." Mysta cupped Shoto's cheek gently, to which the omega instinctively leaned into. "And how I never told you that I was really bummed when you told me you were a beta."
That caught Shoto by surprise. "You were bummed? Why? I thought you were relieved?"
"Hello? I was an alpha, you were a beta. Socially and culturally, that would not be an ideal match in this society. I'd be forced to look for an omega and you'd most likely end up with another beta, like Shu."
Eh? "Why is Shu's name brought up again? What does he have to do with this?"
"Because I was planning to pursue you even if you were a beta but then I thought you guys were already together."
Now Shoto was even more confused. "What? Wait, can we run it back a little? I don't understand, planning to pursue me? We haven't seen each other for years!"
Mysta chuckled as he hunched his shoulders, stretching his arms as he looked back up at the sky. "I haven't gotten you out of my mind ever since."
Ever since?
"That's why I told Vox to contact all our high school friends for a reunion, because of course, I would never do that as I'm a fucking introvert and I don't really care about any of them. But I wanted to see you again."
Shoto felt his cheeks go hot. He was probably as red as a tomato right then. "So you're saying..."
"Yeah, that's exactly what I'm saying, Shoto."
Shoto could feel the heat rushing to his eyes again, his vision turning blurry and watery as he heaved a relieved sigh.
"Oh, come on! What did I say about crying?"
"I can't help it! It's just...I'm happy," he whispered, gaining a tender smile from Mysta.
"Let's put everything behind us, alright?"
Shoto hummed in agreement, blinking his tears away with a shy smile. "Mmkay."