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“Nhu,” says Pruk one lazy Sunday. The thirteen-year-old is propped against the headboard in his room, reading a book. His soulmate rests his head on his shoulder, playing a game on his phone, while Priknoom naps on the carpet near the bed. Earlier that day they played football with their friends, so after quick shower and dinner, they decided to spend the rest of the day just lazing around. The school year is finally over, so now they have time to do many little things, like cuddle all afternoon, eat snacks and watch cartoons.
Nhu, Pruk repeats when the younger boy doesn’t respond, too engrossed in his game. They spent a lot of time training their mental link. After a few days of constant presence of the other one in their heads, it started to be less fun and more troublesome. So they learned how to channel their thoughts into direct messages without having to hear every single thing that came across their minds. And the best thing is that no one besides them knows about it.
Now they alternate between speaking out loud and in their minds, choosing mental speech mainly when they’re apart or when they don’t want to be overheard. Pruk especially likes this way of communication as he always can reach to Chawarin and check if he’s okay.
And once or twice, he helped Nhu when he had exceptionally hard test. Not that Chawarin asks; he just sometimes thinks so loud that Pruk can’t help but hear him and well, what kind of soulmate would he be if he didn’t help his Nhu? So don’t judge him, okay?
Rin finally raises his head and looks at Pruk from under his bangs.
“Yes, Hia?” he says softly, locking his phone.
“Have you ever thought who would you like to be when you present?” The older boy finally asks the question he has been thinking about for a long time. He’s nearing fourteen and he knows that soon he may present as Alpha, Beta or Omega. Two of his classmates already presented, one Omega boy named Poppy and a Beta girl named Farah, and while the girl had it easy, as Betas were quite common, the boy was at first treated as misfit.
Omegas are rare because they carry the recessive gene; that’s what their teacher said in A/B/O Biology class. They make up only 7 percent of the population, and only one in a thousand is a male Omega. So having one in their school caused quite a stir. Kids didn’t know how to behave around Poppy, so many of them bullied him, despite teachers’ efforts.
Chawarin taps a finger against his cheek.
“Not really? I mean, it would be the best if I were a Beta, right? I can’t see myself as an Alpha, and Omega? No, thank you. I saw how everyone treated Poppy.”
“Hey, what about me? I wasn’t weird to him,” Pruk feels that he must protest against his soulmate’s last statement.
Chawarin looks at him with raised eyebrows.
“Because you’re Hia, duh,” he says as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world. “Last week you apologized to a lizard because you almost stepped on it.”
“I almost crushed him, Nhu!”
“Exactly. But back to the topic, I hope we’ll both present as Betas, without all this Alpha/Omega bullshit. Imagine being like Jenna with her anger issues.” Chawarin shudders at the thought. Pruk’s oldest sister Jenna, who is now twenty and away for university, always seemed a little gruff.
“Awww, don’t be so harsh on her. She’s okay now,” Pruk replies, ruffling Chawarin’s hair. “But yeah, being Alpha or Omega seems like too much trouble. The only cool thing about being an Alpha are red eyes; they look so dope. And think about heats or ruts. Jenna was obnoxious when she was nearing her ruts.”
“Yeah, do you remember that one time when she growled at me when I sneaked past her on the stairs? I was afraid to look her in the eyes for almost a year.” To be honest, Chawarin is still a little bit afraid of Jenna. Mimi, on the other hand, is his absolute favorite. She’s a Beta, and she’s so nice; she always finds time for him and treats him as his equal. And she never ever growled at him! It’s such a shame she’s also away for her studies. “And heats? Yuck!”
“I can’t imagine being locked up for a week four times a year. You know what I heard lately?” Pruk looks at him with a glint in his beautiful eyes. “But you must promise that you won’t tell anyone.” He seems excited that he can share something juicy with Chawarin.
“What? Tell me, tell me.” Rin breaks away from his favorite place that is Pruk’s shoulder and sits on his heels, looking at him expectantly.
Pruk also sits up and looks around as if to check that no one would overhear them.
“The rumor says that when male Omegas go into heat, they…”
Pruk makes a pause.
“They what?” Chawarin makes big eyes.
“They get wet down there!”
“Where?”
“You know… below the back.”
“No!”
“Yes!”
“OMG!”
“Right?!”
“But… there?”
“Yes!”
“But… why?”
“I don’t know. They didn’t tell us about it in ABO class.” Pruk scratches his head, a little embarrassed. “Maybe it’s something like when you’re sweating to cool your body down. Wait, we’ll google it.” He reaches for Rin’s phone and unlocks it with his fingerprint. Then he quickly opens the tab and starts typing:
Why do male Omegas get wet in heat
Seconds later, he finds his answer, and with each word his eyes become bigger.
“Two to three days before heat begins, Omegas will go into what is known as pre-heat. During this time, their bodies start to prepare for actual mating, producing small amounts of slick. Slick is a translucent fluid that makes the breeding and knotting easier. Male Omegas have self-lubricating anuses and if they are breeders, are capable of getting pregnant,” he finishes with a gulp.
“Ewww, self-lubricating anus, that’s so gross!” Rin scrunches his face. “I can’t believe how anyone could want to be an Omega. That’s too bothersome, seriously. Hia, I hope we’ll both present as Betas, without all that fuss.”
“And what if one us present as a Beta and other as an Alpha?” Pruk asks quietly with a look of uncertainty in his eyes.
“You mean if I’d be a Beta and you an Alpha?” The older boy gives a small nod. “Don’t worry, Hia, you will be my favorite soulmate no matter what, even with anger issues and all,” Rin says with a chuckle.
“Hey, I’d better be your only soulmate, Nhu.” With feigned annoyance, he stalks closer to the younger boy and hovers above him, griping his wrists and pining them above Rin’s head, trapping him completely under his body. “Or else you’ll taste the wrath of Alpha!”
He then proceeds to blow Nhu’s tummy, making the younger boy shriek with laughter. They wrestle with belly laughs and tickle each other until Chawarin starts to hyperventilate. Even Priknoom wakes up from his nap, totally confused, and starts to yip happily, seeing his masters laugh.
Hiaaaa, enough, please, I can’t take it anymoooore!
Okay, but first, you must admit that I’m your only soulmate. Pruk has too much fun, if his face is to be believed. He takes some strange satisfaction from having Rin at his mercy.
But Chawarin wouldn’t be himself if he gave up just like that.
“I don’t knooow, maybe there’s someone else,” he says cheekily, panting softly.
“Yeah? Who? Tell me. Are they better than me?” Pruk brings his face close to Rin’s, making the younger boy widen his eyes. “Hmm?”
“H-Hia…” Chawarin suddenly feels hot all over his body. His ears burn, and something clenches deep down in his belly. He never reacted like that before, so it makes him feel really strange. With a sudden burst of strength, he throws Pruk off himself, and covers his embarrassment with a giggle. “Hia, enough. You know I have only one person,” he says and gets up from the bed. “I’ll go get some drink; you want one too?”
Pruk just stares at him intensively.
“Yeah, I-I could drink something. Something cold. Freezing cold.”
***ZNN***
They never broach the matter of their possible presentation again, but after that day, something in their relationship shifts. It isn’t anything grand; they don’t treat each other differently. They still hug each other frequently, hold hands and tell each other everything but now… each glance, each touch carries some kind of… tension, some unspoken suspense. Pruk becomes more aware of everything that concerns Chawarin, noticing his every little shiver or twitch when they touch, and Rin can say the same about Pruk. But they don’t talk about it. It’s clear that they don’t know to address that topic, so they leave it hanging between them like a hot potato. They are soulmates, after all, so maybe that’s how it should be, and there’s no point in dwelling on it.
***ZNN***
“Hia, do you like it?” Thirteen-year-old Chawarin asks, twirling around with a bouncy step. He wears a pastel pink jacket over a white top and skinny jeans with white sneakers. He recently convinced his mom to let him pierce his ears, so he chose beautiful silver hearts along with matching necklace and bracelets. Just before Pruk came to his house to take him to school dance, he applied some pink gloss and brown eyeliner that he borrowed from Emi, his bestie from his girls’ gang. He must admit that he likes what he sees in the mirror.
“You look… so beautiful.” Pruk is clearly awestruck. Lately, Chawarin has started to experiment with his look, choosing more vibrant colors, more accessories, and clothes that fit his figure instead of baggy ones. He discovered that he likes to mix styles, sneaking in some more “feminine” or “omegan” features, as some may say, but fuck stereotypes. If he wants to look pretty, then he would look pretty, goddamn.
Not that he would ever say that out loud because he’s a good boy, after all.
But now he can bask in Pruk’s reaction.
Who still gapes at him as if he’d seen him for the first time.
“Photo time!” shouts Rin’s mom, raising her phone with tears in her eyes. “My beautiful boys, why do you grow up so fast? I feel like just yesterday I was taking you both to playground, and now you’re going on a date, I think I’m gonna cry.”
“Mooom, it’s not a date!” Chawarin protests, flustered. “It’s just a school dance, don’t exaggerate.”
“Yes, yes, of course. Now, pose together. I need to take a lot of pictures. You’ll thank me in several years.”
“Moooom!”
***ZNN***
When Pruk’s dad drops them off at the school parking lot, they immediately go inside to find their friends. Everyone compliments Rin, who blushes shyly and hides his face in his soulmate’s shoulder, but secretly preens inside. Pruk doesn’t let go of his hand for the first hour, and they dance together to many songs. Soon their friends join them and they all have so much fun on the dance floor.
“Hia, I have to go to the toilet,” the younger boy shouts in his soulmate’s ear after some time.
“Do you want me to go with you?”
“Nah, I’ll be right back. Wait for me here.” Chawarin squeezes Pruk’s shoulder and leaves him in the middle of the crowd.
Thankfully, there is no line for the toilets, so he quickly uses the john and is in the middle of washing his hands when the door opens and someone enters the bathroom.
“Well, well, well, princess, didn’t you mix up the rooms? The girls’ bathroom is next door,” a male voice says. Chawarin looks in the mirror. It’s… Saint. The same Saint who a few years ago wanted to give Pruk a Valentine card and who tries to flirt with him at every opportunity.
He's a bane of Chawarin’s life.
And he’s clearly after him. It’s not a coincidence that he’s here.
Chawarin swallows and turns around. The doors are blocked by the older boy, who smirks viciously at him. He won’t let him go easily.
“Fucking fag,” Saint spits, looking at him from head to toe with a twisted face. “Who told you you could wear that?”
Saint rolls up his sleeves. Chawarin knows that he has no chance against the older and bigger guy.
“What do you care about what I wear? It’s none of your business!” He wants to stay calm, but he starts to tremble no matter how much he tries to get a grip of himself.
Nu, why are you scared? What’s happening? comes from Pruk, who evidently sensed Rin’s distress.
“Aww, is the little lamb afraid? Hah! That’s good, you should be,” Saint says. “I’m gonna teach you a lesson, you fucking fairy, and no one will help you. ”
Hia! Help me, please! Saint ambushed me in the toilet. And I don’t think he just wants to chat, he sends to his soulmate whose response is immediate and full of anger and fear.
He what?! Hang on there, Nhu, I’m coming to you.
Feeling a little bit of calm washing over him, Chawarin straightens up and looks the older boy in the eyes.
“You think so? Unlike you, I have someone who will always stand by my side,” he says, feeling brave. “What do you want to achieve? You think that Hia will like you when you beat me? Fat chance.”
“Who do you think you are, you dumb bitch? When I’ll smash your ugly face, he won’t ever look at you again!” Saint looks furious now and reaches for something from his pocket.
It’s brass-knuckles.
Chawarin freezes.
Hia, hurry, please!
Saint stalks closer to him, and Chawarin tries to stand his ground despite fear that grips his heart.
Suddenly the door open with a bang and Pruk comes in looking like a madman.
“What the hell is happening here?” he demands, full authority in his voice, and comes to stand at Chawarin’s side. “Nhu, are you okay?”
“Yes, Hia,” he replies, relieved. “Saint was just leaving, right?” He doesn’t know where he got this confidence from, but the presence of his soulmate really helps.
Saint looks as if he wanted to smash something really bad.
“You think you’re funny?” he spits and turns to Pruk. “What he’s got that I don’t have?”
“I don’t know, brain maybe?” Pruk crosses his arms on his chest. “Really Saint, drop it. I told you hundreds of times that I’m not interested. It has nothing to do with Rinnie, so leave him alone, or else I’ll stop being nice.”
“You know what? Fuck you and your stupid bitch! I hate you both!” hisses Saint and raises his armed hand.
Two things happen at the same time.
Saint swings his arm, but not towards Chawarin. He aims at Pruk.
Chawarin feels that something snaps in him, the surge of adrenaline pumping in his veins is so hot and fast that it seems as if he was burning from inside. In his mind’s eye, he sees Pruk’s bloodied face, and the only thing that’s in his mind at this moment is dangerprotectmate!!!
With a sudden burst of strength and a loud roar, he headbutts in Saint, sending him sprawling to the ground with a thud, brass-knuckles falling from his hand and hitting the tiles with a bang. The other boy groans and grabs his head.
“Don’t you ever dare raise a hand against my mate again!” Chawarin growls, panting heavily, his chest raising and falling visibly. He has his fists clenched, and he looks at Saint as if he was ready for a fight for death.
“Nhu?” Pruk lays a hand on his shoulder, concerned about his outburst.
At once all bravado leaves Chawarin’s body. He turns around to Pruk on shaky legs and manages to only smile faintly and whisper “Hia” before he promptly passes out.