Work Text:
Listen to the podfic of this work, read by the author:
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Charlie gazed up at the tall skyscraper in dismay, holding his breath as his eyes strained to reach the top. He didn’t have a fear of heights per se, but knowing he had to go all the way to the 47th floor of the office building did make him wonder why on earth he had elected to do this interview in person, instead of on Zoom from the comfort of his own flat.
It was something about the way Imogen had charmed him over the phone when they first got in contact, persuading him that they could have a lot more fun if he was in the studio with her. And truthfully, he was a big fan of hers, and was just as eager to meet her as she was to meet him.
Charlie squared his jaw and walked inside, steeling himself for the long ride up as he boarded one of the lifts. He took a deep breath and was about to press the button when he heard a shout, “Hey, hold the door!”
He lurched back as a hulking man rushed onto the lift with him. The man was dressed way down in trackies and a hooded jumper, certainly not what Charlie would’ve expected from someone doing business here. Charlie himself wore slacks and a button down shirt.
They exchanged a tentative glance and gave each other a friendly smile. Charlie’s heart did flip flops in his chest as he took in the man’s features. He was gorgeous, tall and muscly, but with a sweet face that gave off more of a teddy bear vibe than a knothead one. Any lingering fears about the elevator ride quickly dissipated, and were replaced with desire and curiosity.
Realizing he’d been staring, Charlie turned and reached his hand out to push the button for 47, at the exact time the man reached for the same button.
An electric zap sparked between them.
“Oh, sorry—”
“Oh, are you—”
They spoke at the same time, laughing lightly, and Charlie noticed a blush creep over the man’s cheeks.
“Floor 47?”
Charlie smiled and explained, “Yeah, I’m coming in for an interview.”
“Oh,” the gorgeous man huffed out a breath. “Well, I don’t make any of the hiring decisions, but I’d say you have the job—”
“Oh, no,” Charlie interrupted. “I’m, um, a guest. I’m being interviewed on Imogen Heany’s podcast?”
“Ohhhh,” the man grimaced and nodded his head, and Charlie giggled a little at his adorable misstep. “Okay. Yeah, that—that makes more sense.”
They rode in silence for a moment before the man turned to him again.
“Sorry, I know this might be a little forward, but like… is that your natural scent?”
Charlie stared at him with wide eyes.
The man ran a hand through his cornsilk hair, fumbling over his words, “It’s just, we’re obviously in this really enclosed space, and your scent is, like, really intoxicating, and, god, I hope the scent coming off of me is okay.”
Oh, sweet man. Charlie was flattered, but he had no time to explain all the reasons he’d only be a disappointment. Charlie’s mouth crooked up into a sympathetic half-smile as he tilted his head and shrugged, “Sorry, I wouldn’t know.”
At that moment the elevator dinged and the doors opened. With one final flirty smile in the man’s direction, Charlie stepped off the lift and walked up to the front desk, trying to not plan out their perfect life together in his head if he’d only asked for the man’s number.
“Hello, I’m Charlie Spring, I’m the guest on Imogen Heany’s podcast today?”
“Yes, Mr. Spring,” the receptionist greeted. “Come right this way.”
She motioned for Charlie to follow her, and as they walked away, Charlie couldn’t resist looking back to see if the man from the elevator was still there. He was, of course, typing on his phone. He glanced up and caught Charlie’s eye and Charlie couldn’t resist winking at him. The man’s eyes widened, visibly standing up just a little straighter and sucking in a breath, making his chest puff out a little.
Charlie turned back around and smiled sadly to himself. Although he was delighted by the clear interest the man had shown, it was too bad it would never work out. It was best if Charlie left him guessing.
The receptionist led Charlie down a long hallway to a studio with a large round table in the middle of it, where Imogen was waiting. She was giggling and texting on her phone as Charlie entered, but she pocketed it immediately when she noticed he was there.
“Charlie! So nice to meet you! I'm so glad you could be here.” She stepped forward and shook his hand.
“Yes I’m very excited!” Charlie beamed. “To talk about my book, of course, but also…” he leaned in and said in a hushed tone, “a man also flirted with me in the lift just now, and he was so cute.”
“Oh really? That’s always a nice ego boost,” Imogen giggled, nudging him in the elbow. She then cleared her throat, as if remembering to be professional, “Would you like to take a seat?”
She gestured toward the chair next to her and Charlie sat down. A man in glasses hurried into the booth and straightened up a few things before placing a gentle hand on Charlie’s shoulder.
“I’m Nathan, the producer. Can I get you any water or coffee?” he asked.
“Nice to meet you, water would be great, thank you,” Charlie replied.
“Thanks, Nathan,” Imogen smiled appreciatively as he left the studio. She turned back to Charlie, “So, I think you said you’re familiar with my show?”
“Yes!” Charlie smiled. “I love it; it’s so informative.”
Imogen beamed, “That is so nice! Thank you! So then, you know the format: I’ll introduce you, we’ll chat about your book, and then I do have a little game planned if you’re okay with that.”
“Yes, I know you like to put the guests through their paces.”
“I think you’ll really like the game we have planned, trust me.”
She winked at him then, and it made the hairs on the back of Charlie’s neck stand on end.
“And, we’re not live, so anything you want to take again or cut out, you just let us know. We want the conversation to flow naturally, but we also want you to be comfortable with what we release.”
“Thanks, I appreciate that.”
Nathan returned to the studio with a bottle of water, and Charlie took a healthy swig. He had been on the book tour circuit for a while and knew how to get into interview mode, taking a few deep, calming breaths and reviewing in his head the scripted answers to the list of questions she would be asking.
Although, knowing this podcast and its host, he knew to expect the unexpected, that she would likely veer off script a few times.
“Ready?” Imogen asked with a smile as she brought her mic close to her face. Nathan repositioned Charlie’s mic for him as he continued to make various adjustments to the equipment.
“Ready,” Charlie replied as he shimmied in his seat, trying to shake the tension from his body one final time before putting his face close to the mic.
“Okay, let’s go!”
She pointed at Nathan, who was now sitting with them with a pair of headphones on. He pressed a few buttons and a light came on in the middle of the table, signalling that they were recording.
Imogen’s confidence and clear diction came through effortlessly. “From HeatRut Media, this is Omegathon, a podcast that covers every conceivable topic in the marathon of life for omegas, from presentation to omegapause and beyond. I’m your host, Imogen Heaney, and we have a really fascinating conversation to bring to you today. I’m here with omega author, Charlie Spring.”
She turned to Charlie, who took in a deep breath to steady himself.
“Thank you so much for having me,” he smiled. “I love your podcast.”
“Why, thank you! I love hearing that from guests of the pod, because obviously the feeling is very mutual,” she smiled. “Now, you just published your first book, Deodorized—”
“Yes I did—”
“And it has shot to the top of the bestseller list.”
“Mmhmm.”
“I devoured it.” She put her hand on her chest then, as if to steady herself.
“Oh, thank you,” Charlie blushed.
“It’s an autobiography—”
“It is.”
“Can you tell us a little about what separates you from other omegas that would yield such a captivating narrative?”
This was it. No matter how many times Charlie dropped this bombshell, it always landed with the same forceful impact every time.
“Sure,” Charlie exhaled. “Basically, I have a medical condition called congenital anosmia, which means I was born without a sense of smell.”
Imogen held the silence for a long moment before reacting. “Wow.”
Charlie chuckled, trying to soften the blow, “Yeah, obviously that’s something really important in alpha/omega dynamics.”
“It really is! And I do want to get to that, but that’s not where your book starts. Can you walk us through it from the beginning?”
“Absolutely,” Charlie nodded, thankful that they weren’t jumping into the hard stuff right away. “I first became aware of my condition around the time I started primary school. It wasn’t even any omega-specific events that gave me away, it was more average things like, ‘oh someone broke wind,’ and I couldn’t smell it. Or, ‘lunch smells great today,’ and I had no idea what they were talking about.”
Imogen tittered and nodded along, “Normal kid things—”
“Totally normal kid things,” Charlie confirmed. “So, I made a comment about it to my mum, and she took me to our GP, who did some genetic testing. And they found out I have a genetic condition called Kallmann Syndrome.”
“Right, so there’s a clear reason why you have no sense of smell—”
“Yes, and this syndrome, funny enough, also relates to a hormone deficiency that impacts puberty and the presentation of secondary sex, called congenital hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, or CHH.”
“Oh, thank god there’s an acronym,” Imogen laughed, and Charlie was relieved he’d pronounced it correctly, that was always anxiety-inducing during interviews.
“Right, it is a mouthful!” he laughed. “So, about half of all CHH cases are classified as Kallmann Syndrome—in fact, in order to have Kallmann Syndrome, you have to have that symptom of congenital anosmia.”
“So the lack of a sense of smell is really just the tip of the iceberg.”
“It’s the canary in the coalmine.”
“And, how much of the population does this syndrome affect?”
“Oh! Right,” Charlie pantomimed a facepalm. “It’s between 1 in 10,000 and 1 in 50,000 people. So it’s rare, very rare.”
“And does it affect omegas more?”
“Studies suggest actually it’s almost twice as common in alphas than omegas or betas. But it's still a very low number relative to the population.”
“So you’re an extremely rare case then.”
“Yes I am.”
They paused for a brief moment and Imogen gestured for him to breathe along with her. She was so reassuring, Charlie felt truly at ease talking to her.
“Okay, so then back to your story. Your mum takes you to the GP, who does some genetic testing, and it comes back with this Kallmann Syndrome. Then what?”
“So then there’s not much to do until puberty,” Charlie explained. “They just monitor me at annual visits, and they keep waiting for puberty to happen, but it doesn’t. They actually had to start giving me hormones to stimulate puberty. I didn’t start puberty until I was fifteen, which is very late—”
“Oh my! Talk about a late bloomer! What was that like?”
Charlie could feel the heat on his cheeks, knowing he’d now have to describe himself. In detail. This part never got easier.
He sighed, “Well, I know this isn’t a visual medium—”
“Oh, we can link to your Instagram in the show notes, so the listeners can check you out for themselves—”
Oh god, of course she’d do that to him.
“Great,” he said sarcastically.
“He’s really very handsome,” Imogen reassured her listeners. A nice gesture on her part, and truly Charlie didn’t have a problem with how he looked, but he had a complicated relationship with his body, and he could feel the tension in the interview rise.
He barreled forward, knowing this was why he was here, “Well, as you can see, and if you look on my Insta, you’ll notice right away that I’m like, a stereotypical twink. I’m quite slender, not much muscle mass, that’s an effect of this syndrome. And it’s also a stereotype of omegas in general, so my peers in secondary clocked me right away.”
“Ugh! Isn’t that so tough?” Imogen gave him a sympathetic frown, and Charlie relaxed into the validation. It was never easy talking about himself, but her warm personality was like wrapping a blanket around himself, safe and secure.
“It really is. And in my case, it wasn’t just that I was the size and stature of an omega, for a long time I still presented like a kid. My voice didn’t deepen very much, as you can hear, and I didn’t have normal facial hair growth. Like, shaving is still not a thing I need to worry about on a daily basis.”
Imogen, ever the upbeat host, tried to find the silver lining, “Blessing in disguise, perhaps?”
“Maybe! But…” Charlie braced himself to disclose the toughest part. “Going through puberty so late and in such a stunted way gave me an underdeveloped anatomy, which affected my heats. They’ve always been quite irregular, and so part of my book is finding out what that means, including doing some testing and discovering… that I am infertile.”
Imogen let the silence hang for a moment as the weight of what Charlie said sank in. A lump formed in his throat.
“That bit of the book was so emotional, you really were so raw and honest…” She had tears in her eyes now, and put a comforting hand on Charlie’s.
“Thank you,” he swallowed and gave her a sad smile before continuing. “You know, so much of the omega identity is wrapped up in breeding, for better or worse, and I’ve had to come to terms with the fact that I cannot bear pups. And so then what does that mean for me? Does it make me less of an omega?”
“I certainly don’t think so!” Imogen said with indignation.
Charlie gave a hint of a smile. He loved that she used her platform to be such a strong voice for omega rights, it was half the reason he agreed to be on her show.
“I agree,” he said melancholically. “But, obviously that’s not what everyone believes, and I’ve had to confront that in therapy and with some of the people in my life. And so that is the final section of the book, grappling with how I can function as an omega in society knowing this about myself.”
Imogen put her hand on her heart again. “That is such a journey you take us on, it really made me rethink how I consider my own identity as omega.”
That remark left Charlie speechless, with pinpricks of tears forming in his eyes. Usually he was being interviewed by a beta who had barely even read the book, so to see how profoundly he’d impacted Imogen was worth all the blood, sweat, and tears that he’d poured into his work.
“Thank you,” he managed to get out, gratitude washing over him.
“And I’m not going to spoil how you resolve it!” she continued. “You all need to go out and get a copy of Deodorized and read for yourselves. It’s riveting. And with that, we’re going to take a quick break, stay with us.”
She allowed another quiet beat, silently checking in with Charlie and nodding to confirm the hardest part was over. He smiled at her while Nathan hit some keys on his board, and then he pointed at her to continue.
“We’re back with author Charlie Spring, and we are talking about his book, Deodorized, and his journey with congenital anosmia—am I saying that right?”
“You are.”
“Which is the lack of a sense of smell. So then,” she pivoted. “You’re single. Tell us about dating as an omega with this condition.”
Oh, this was supposed to be a lighter topic. Okay then.
Charlie put on a fake laugh, knowing he’d have to steer away from the answer he had been scripting in his head about how difficult dating actually was. “Well I know, being a listener of your podcast, about the big, ongoing debate about scent blocker sprays and patches: who they’re appropriate for, and when and where to wear them or not wear them, and is it hiding or lying about yourself in some way to use them—”
“Oh, yes that is a big debate—”
“And it’s one that, unsurprisingly, I actually don’t give a shit about because I have my own built in scent blockers 24/7—”
“That is so true! So you don’t wear any?”
“No, because I’d have no idea if they’re working!”
“And you can’t smell anyone else either. Does that make it easier?”
Charlie bobbed his head side to side in contemplation. “Yes and no, because, while it’s nice not to have to smell every alpha’s scent on the street in my daily life, it can be quite a disadvantage in other situations. For example, scenting an alpha is something that immediately calms the omega’s nervous system, but because I’m missing those receptors, I can’t use that trick.”
“Riiiiight, so an alpha can’t just release calming hormones for you, because you wouldn’t be picking up on them anyway.”
“Exactly,” Charlie nodded, and Imogen sighed dramatically.
“This is quite complicated!”
“You’re telling me!”
She leaned in conspiratorially then, “And so, how do you find someone you’re interested in if not based on scent?”
“Well, you know what they say, when one of your senses is lost, the others are heightened. So for me, that looks like placing emphasis on a man’s voice, or his appearance, obviously, or even…” he smirked cheekily, “the taste of him.”
“The taste of him?” Imogen raised an eyebrow.
“Yes.”
She waved her hands and shook her head to halt the conversation. “Now, wait a minute, taste is like 80% smell, or something like that.”
“Smell is a big component of taste, that’s right,” Charlie conceded. “But there are taste receptors that are different from smell receptors. So, my tongue can still detect sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami flavors, but without my sense of smell, I can’t detect the more subtle differences between those flavors.”
It was taking all of Imogen’s willpower to maintain a straight face. “So, say, when you lick the scent gland on a man’s neck…”
Charlie smiled devilishly. “Or other places…”
“Naughty!” She looked thoroughly scandalized.
“You’re the one who asked!”
Imogen picked up a folder on the table and started fanning herself, and Charlie couldn’t help but laugh.
“Well even though you were a late bloomer, it seems there’s nothing stopping you now!”
“I’m trying my best,” he forced a smile, glad that he’d navigated that portion of the interview without being too much of a downer.
“Okay, well Charlie, this has been a really enlightening conversation. But as you know, we also like to have some fun on this podcast, so we’re going to play a little game, if that’s okay.”
Charlie laughed, “Listen, I know what I signed up for. I know the kinds of things you put your guests through, and let me tell you, I am ready—”
“Oh, good!”
“Bring it on.”
Imogen rubbed her hands together wickedly. “Great! Well, in the spirit of what we were just discussing, we have rounded up a few staff members from around the HeatRut Media headquarters, and we are going to have you play a little game that I’m calling, ‘Guess the Alpha.’”
“Oh boy,” Charlie fake groaned, and then Nathan handed him something before exiting the room. “Oh, what is this?” Charlie asked as he unfolded the fabric.
“This is a blindfold, darling,” Imogen told him. “We’re going to cut off as many senses as possible to start.”
“You mean, I’m going to guess the alpha by licking them?” Charlie tried to say in the most hopeful voice imaginable.
“No, you’re not! Cheeky thing…”
“Damn,” he sighed and put the fabric around his eyes, tying it in the back, “Alright.”
Imogen waved her hand in front of his face and was pleased with Charlie’s lack of reaction. Maybe it was just a placebo effect or something, but he really could notice his hearing was more attuned to the rustling of papers and squeaking of the office chairs. And his own heartbeat speeding up in his chest.
“Okay,” she announced. “The blindfold is on, so there’s no seeing them. You obviously don’t have any smell to go off of. You can’t reach out and touch them, and you’re not licking anyone—”
“Aw, come on!” Charlie laughed.
“So that just leaves hearing. Perfect for a podcast!” Imogen helped reposition his chair and the mic. “We’ve placed the mic close to Charlie’s ear, right where we’ll have our potential alphas do their best growls!”
Charlie heard the squeak of Imogen returning to her chair, and then heard the studio door open and shut. Then he heard several sets of feet shuffling in.
Charlie gulped, no doubt loud enough for the mic to pick up. “Now wait, how many potential alphas are there?”
“Three.”
“And there’s only one actual alpha?”
“Yes.”
“Okay,” he settled into his chair with confidence, crossing his arms. “I think I could get it just from their growl.”
“You like a good growl in your ear, Charlie?” Imogen asked suggestively.
“I’m just saying I know an alpha growl when I hear one.”
“Well there are three rounds, and we’re going to make you play all three rounds and then we will tell you if you’re right—”
“Fine, I guess it’s more fun that way.”
“Potential alpha number one, please growl into his ear and the microphone.”
Charlie felt warmth next to the side of his face and a tickle of breath on his ear, and then heard a noise more akin to a grunt than a growl, someone who was clearly forcing it.
“Oh, okay—” Charlie started.
“Don’t say anything,” Imogen interrupted. “We’ll ask you what you thought after everyone has gone.”
“Okay,” Charlie nodded.
“Potential alpha number two, please step up and give us your best growl.”
This time the warmth and breath near his ear was not as surprising, and the accompanying grumble was deeper, but still sounded strained.
Charlie chewed on his bottom lip, holding back his thoughts, “Hmm…”
“Alright, potential alpha number three, please give Charlie a nice growl.”
The last one took a large inhale close to Charlie’s ear, almost as if they were scenting him, and the sound and feel of it gave Charlie goosebumps. And he was not prepared for the deep rumble that followed, shaking him to his core, leaving him breathless, and sending waves of electricity straight to his groin.
He wanted more of that.
“Oh!” he finally exclaimed after a long beat, remembering he was supposed to finally give his guess. “Yes, okay,” he said shakily.
“Do you have your answer?” Imogen asked as he heard the three sets of feet shuffle out the studio door.
“Yes.”
“Who do you think is the alpha, just based on growl alone?”
“Definitely number three.”
“Oh! Why is it so clearly number three?” she asked, sounding surprised.
Could she not tell that this person had just melted Charlie’s insides to goo with only the sound of their voice? “Um,” he hesitated, a blush creeping over his cheeks. “I can’t really go into much detail on air other than I just felt a specific tingle with number three.”
“I think we all get what you mean by that!” Imogen sang teasingly. “Listeners, I hope you’re having as much fun playing at home as Charlie is here in the studio.”
“I doubt it,” Charlie scoffed.
Imogen thankfully moved on, “Next we’re going to introduce touch. Our participants have consented to having you feel…”
“Oh, what am I going to feel in order to find the alpha, I wonder?” Charlie asked teasingly.
“Teeth impressions.”
“Oh. Damn.”
“Because, as we know, alphas have sharper canines used historically in fighting and also in claiming a mate,” she explained as she placed a pair of medical gloves in his hand. “So you will feel these impressions and see who you think has the sharpest, most alpha-like teeth.”
“Okay.”
“Here is number one,” she said as she handed him a mold with a dental impression in it.
He felt it for a moment and couldn’t quite get a read on it. Maybe it was the gloves impeding his senses? He continued running his fingers across it.
“It’s a little weird, because I’m feeling the indentation of the teeth, so it’s kind of hard to tell how sharp they are,” he remarked.
“A fair point, but this is only one piece of data, you make your final final guess at the end.”
Charlie had forgotten that part. Upon remembering what number one’s growl sounded like, he stretched out his hand with the mold in it to give it right back to Imogen. There was no way they were the alpha.
Imogen giggled at how quickly he discarded the clue and replaced that one with another. “Let’s keep going. Number two?”
The second set of impressions honestly didn’t feel much different than the first. Perhaps slightly larger, but not nearly as sharp as Charlie would think they’d be.
“Huh. Okay…”
“And number three?” she said with an eagerness in her voice, making Charlie suspicious.
He felt along the impressions and immediately noticed a distinct size difference, and then, there they were. The indentation of huge, sharp canines.
Charlie’s stomach did backflips.
“Oh! Yes, still clearly number three,” he declared proudly.
“Really?”
“Yes, these teeth seem way more sharp, even from the indentation. And they’re larger.”
Imogen smirked, “Number three is someone who you’d really like to have sink their teeth into you?”
Something about the way she said it confirmed Charlie’s hunch—this was almost too easy, and there was definitely something else going on here. But he wasn’t about to argue with Imogen’s game within a game.
“If they’re a male alpha, then absolutely!” he confirmed unequivocally as he removed the gloves.
“Okay! Well, you can remove the blindfold. We’re moving on to round three,” Imogen instructed.
Charlie did as he was told, blinking a few times to readjust to the light.
Imogen directed Charlie’s attention to the studio’s window. “Now for sight. As you can see, we’ve set up a curtain in the adjoining room. And we’re going to have you take a look at the biceps of each of our potential alphas, because, of course, alphas have a great deal of muscle mass. So one by one they will stick their arm through the curtain, give a little flex, and we will see what you think by the look of them.” She pressed a button on the keypad in front of her and Charlie noticed the sound projecting into the room with the curtain. “Number one?”
Charlie smiled as he immediately recognized the arm of the producer, Nathan, giving an admirable flex and then disappearing again.
“Oh! Yes okay,” Charlie laughed. He smiled at Imogen, who gave him a knowing look in return.
“Number two?”
A long, lanky arm presented through the curtain and flexed. It had a bit of muscle, but nothing like Charlie would’ve imagined an alpha having. He glanced over at Imogen again, who was doing her best to not look at him but whose face clearly gave away the answer.
Charlie held his tongue.
“And number three.”
Charlie sucked in a breath, anticipating what he would see, and sure enough, a bulky, well-defined arm snaked its way through the curtain, already larger than the other two biceps combined. The person— man, Charlie hoped—flexed and literally made the 💪 emoji, and Charlie practically drooled at the sight. He would love to swing on that arm, or bite it, or have it choke him, just a little, not enough to even count as breathplay, but like—
“Charlie?”
Charlie was brought back to reality as the arm slowly disappeared behind the curtain, and he almost got out of his seat to run out the door and find the alpha attached to it, the one who growled so low and deep in his ear, and who had canines that Charlie could feel biting into his scent gland already, and whose arm he wanted buried inside him to the hilt.
God, he hoped it was a queer man. He had told Imogen several times in the interview in no uncertain terms that he was gay. She wouldn’t be that cruel, right?
“Oh, oh my god,” Charlie shook his head, remembering how words worked. “Yes, it’s number three by a landslide.”
“You have guessed number three for all three rounds,” Imogen smiled innocently.
“I am that certain.”
“Even without smelling him?”
HIM.
“One hundred percent.”
“Okay, number three, can you please come into the studio and say into the microphone whether you are or are not the alpha?”
The door opened and Charlie’s breath left him as the gorgeous man from earlier in the elevator stepped inside. He locked his eyes on Charlie immediately and that same pretty pink blush crept over his cheeks. He smiled softly at Charlie and Charlie nearly melted into a puddle on the floor. He couldn’t believe he had gotten a second chance with him.
Charlie couldn’t take his eyes off the man as he walked around to Charlie’s microphone, their faces now inches away from one another, and with a coy glance in Charlie’s direction, he practically purred as he confirmed, “I am the alpha.”
Of my dreams, Charlie finished in his head.
Charlie watched as the man took a step back and smiled again, running a hand through his hair bashfully, the way he did in the lift.
“Yes!” Imogen’s voice cut through the haze of lust filling the room, or maybe it was only in Charlie’s own head. “That is Nick Nelson, one of the hosts of Knot at the Table, the sport podcast here on this network. Not sure how much overlap there is in listenership between our two shows—”
The gorgeous man, Nick, chuckled as he leaned back into the mic, “You never know…”
Imogen carried on, “‘Knot’ is obviously an alpha pun—”
“The best alpha pun—”
“But ‘table’ is some kind of sport thing?”
“Yeah, it’s like the standings in the league… it’s also a pun—”
“Right,” she interrupted dismissively. “And can we have our two non-alphas in here, please?”
Nathan and another lanky man entered the room, both looking slightly chagrined.
“Number one is our very own producer, and fellow omega, Nathan Ajayi. And number two is the host of another show on this network, Common Scents, it’s everyone’s favorite clueless beta, Harry Greene!”
Imogen hit a button on the keypad and some canned applause filled the studio.
“Thanks to all of them for participating, and great job, Charlie! Way to go! You sure know your stuff.”
“Just… using what I have to work with,” Charlie said absentmindedly, still unable to take his eyes off of Nick.
“Glad those other senses work so well!” she squeed, clearly enjoying the love connection happening before her. “Okay, that is all the time we have on Omegathon, but we hope you enjoyed the show. Please go out and get yourself a copy of Charlie’s book, Deodorized, at your local omega-owned bookstore. And if you like this podcast, please leave us a review so other listeners can find us, and give us a follow on social media! We are everywhere @omegathonpod. Okay, take care everyone! See you next week!”
Nathan, who was back in his producer’s chair, hit a button and the light in the center of the table turned off, and Charlie noticed Imogen visibly relax. She sighed and stretched before glancing Charlie’s way.
“This was a really fun one. Did you have fun?”
“Yeah, it was definitely one of the better interviews I’ve had,” Charlie beamed.
“I’m so glad. I’d love to keep in touch with you, can we exchange numbers?”
“Of course!”
They traded phones, Charlie entering his contact info as “Charlie Spring 📖🚫👃” which made Imogen laugh.
“Great!” She then looked over at Nick, who had been awkwardly standing by, making polite chit chat with Nathan, and gestured to him. “And you know, I suspect there’s someone else who might want your number also…”
Charlie turned toward Nick and stood, getting Nick’s attention. He beamed as Charlie took a couple of steps over to him, each one feeling monumental. Charlie almost forgot to breathe as he gazed up at Nick’s gorgeous face.
“Hi.”
“Hi.”
“So, you have no idea what either of us smell like,” Nick remarked, and Charlie laughed at that.
“Not even a little bit.”
“I know I told you this in the lift, but you smell great. I mean—” he stopped himself and shook his head embarrassedly. “Just, so you’re aware.”
“Thanks.”
“I’ll admit I hadn’t really committed to helping Imogen today, until I realized you were the guest she was speaking with.” Nick quickly pulled out his phone and showed Charlie a text message exchange between himself and Imogen that had apparently happened as Charlie had been walking with the receptionist through the halls to the studio.
Nick: Who’s the guest on your show today?
Immy: His name is Charlie Spring, he’s an author
Immy: Why?
Nick: I just rode up on the lift with him, he’s so cute!!! And smells amazing
Nick: You still need help with the game part of your show today?
Nick: I know I was kind of wishy washy about it when you asked the other day but I definitely want to help now
Immy: Great!
Immy: I think you’ll like how up close and personal you get with him
Nick: 🫦🥵
Immy: He’s here gotta go
Charlie looked past the phone at Nick, who was trying his best not to appear flustered at how forward he was being. But honestly, Charlie found it quite refreshing after dating guys who constantly played hard to get, especially alphas. Charlie could hardly contain his smile, he’d never been pursued like this before.
“Also, I listened in on a bit of your interview, and I think you sharing your journey and being so vulnerable about it is amazing. It was really moving.”
Charlie bit his lip. He had talked a good game on the podcast, but truthfully he had hidden the worst parts of his dating experiences. Even if an alpha showed interest initially, like Nick had in the elevator earlier that day, they usually wanted to call things off the moment they found out about Charlie’s infertility. And so he had all but given up, not even open to the possibility of finding a special someone because it would only lead to rejection. Despite how much he had worked on himself and the catharsis of writing his book, in this area of his life he still struggled.
But here Nick was, even after Charlie had brushed him off in the lift and after he’d heard Charlie’s whole story, still gazing at him hopefully with his sweet puppy dog eyes. Maybe it was actually worth it giving things a try with him.
“Thank you,” Charlie breathed, taking a half step closer to Nick, allowing himself to be drawn to him. He could feel the heat rolling off of Nick in waves, and wanted to bask in the warmth. He almost reached out to touch him, curious if he would feel the same spark that they'd had in the elevator. “I wish I could smell you, I bet you smell great…”
He trailed off, distracted by Imogen and Nathan over Nick’s shoulder, who were both wafting air toward their noses and giving two thumbs up, as if to gesture that Charlie’s assumption was 100% correct. Nick caught Charlie looking, but turned too late to only catch the podcast host and her producer milling about the studio innocently.
Nick turned back around as Charlie murmured to himself, “Might have to lick you to find out for sure...”
“What was that?”
Charlie’s eyes widened in surprise. “Nothing!”
Nick chuckled and shook his head before asking, “Can I take you to lunch?”
“Yes, absolutely!”
Nick offered his hand and when Charlie took it, that same electric zap greeted him, like he’d felt in the elevator, this time shooting all the way through his whole body. Charlie’s hand was practically enveloped by Nick’s much larger one, his palm and fingers finding intriguing calluses as he held on tightly. Charlie wondered more about this man who seemed so open and genuine. Nick gave another low growl, at almost too low a frequency for others to hear, but Charlie heard it, and the electricity hummed through him like a current. He looked up and met Nick’s eyes, like smooth pools of chocolate, and for a moment he drowned in them.
Perhaps for the first time in his life, he didn’t feel inhibited by not being able to smell the alpha in front of him. Every one of Charlie’s other senses was screaming at him that their chemistry was undeniable.
Nick gave Charlie’s hand a pulse, shocking him out of his reverie, and smiled as they walked to the door. They gave a friendly wave goodbye to Imogen and Nathan as they left the studio together, excited for what possibilities lay ahead.
⚡️⚡️⚡️
“Okay, we’re back! This is our end of the year wrap up episode, where we revisit some of our favorite stories and guests from the year,” Imogen explained as she turned to the person in the studio beside her. “This next story got a lot of comments on our socials. It was certainly one of my favorite stories of the year. Please welcome back author Charlie Spring.”
“Hi Immy, glad to be back,” Charlie spoke softly into the mic.
“You were here with us way back in April promoting your book, Deodorized, which made several lists for best books of the year.”
“Yes it did. It was very well-received.”
“Tell us what you’ve been up to since then.”
Charlie took a breath as he contemplated the months since his last appearance on the podcast. His life had certainly gotten busier, fuller, both professionally and personally, and he smiled as he thought of all the changes he’d been through.
He began with his professional accomplishments. “Well, I did a book tour circuit. Actually, it was not the usual type of book tour. In addition to the normal stops, I was also invited to speak as a guest lecturer at a few different medical schools about my condition and my experiences as a patient—the good, the bad, and the ugly.”
“What a thrill!”
“It really was. The feedback I got from the students in those lectures was amazing. I’m really glad I could share my insight to them,” Charlie explained, thinking back to the students who had approached him after the lecture, some shocked by the challenges he’d faced, and others commiserating that omega discrimination in healthcare was what brought them to med school in the first place. He was so proud to have touched so many minds and hearts.
He continued, “I hope it helps them as they go on to treat actual patients. I hope they remember that a diagnosis like this can affect a person in many different physical and emotional ways, and to take time to listen to the patients who have extensive lived experience. Most people just don’t seem to grasp that part of it, so I’m glad to have spread awareness about it.”
“I certainly hope so! That is wonderful!” Imogen agreed, and then a smirk appeared across her face. “Have any other big events happened since we last spoke?”
Charlie let out a laugh. “I feel like this is a leading question…”
“So you’re saying there haven’t been any other major changes in your life?” she inquired as she tilted her head.
Charlie let a beat of silence pass before he let the cat out of the bag. “Oh, well… I started seeing someone.”
“Oh really?”
Charlie beamed, his smile spreading from ear to ear. “And it’s going quite well. We’ve actually… we’ve claimed each other.”
“That is so fantastic! I’m so happy for you both!” Imogen grinned and clapped in her seat.
“Thank you,” Charlie laughed. It was hilarious that Imogen was playing it so dumb, considering she had been instrumental in orchestrating the whole thing. The suspense must’ve been for her listeners’ benefit. “We actually have you to thank for everything, basically. Because when I was on this show the first time, it was actually a set up.”
“No it wasn’t!” she replied, pretending to be shocked.
The man sitting beside Charlie cut in. “It was, actually—”
“Alright,” Imogen conceded. “If you don’t recognize that voice, it is Nick Nelson, another host on this network and Charlie’s new mate. Thank you for selling me out, Nick.”
“No problem,” Nick laughed.
Imogen went on, “I want to say, for the record, it wasn’t meant to be a set up, but once I knew what was going on I may have… encouraged things a little.”
“And it worked spectacularly,” Charlie affirmed.
“And as promised,” Imogen said as she pointed a finger at the two lovers. “I am going to be the flower girl at your wedding.”
Nick chuckled. “That’s fair.”
“Well it sounds like you’ve had an incredible year, Charlie,” Imogen sighed. “What’s next for you?”
Charlie looked over at Nick fondly, his heart practically exploding from his chest. He couldn’t believe that some silly little game on a podcast had brought him here, to such a fulfilling relationship, and he continued to look at Nick as he answered, “Maybe a sequel about dating?”
“I can’t wait to read it,” Imogen exclaimed. “Thank you so much Charlie and Nick. You make an adorable couple. Stay right here, Omegathon listeners, we’ll be back after the break.”
Nathan pressed a button on his keypad and the light in the center of the table went off.
“Thanks, boys, this was fun having you both back,” Imogen said as they all stood. “Still on for drinks on Friday?”
“Definitely,” Charlie replied as he gave her a hug. It was hard to believe that on top of everything else, he and Imogen were now good friends who got drinks together, another way his life had totally changed. He noticed someone else waiting just outside the studio and tugged on Nick’s shirt while addressing Imogen. “We’ll clear out so you can bring in your next guest.”
Imogen held up her hands, “Oh, I don’t want to rush you—”
“No rush,” Charlie assured her, and then turned to Nick with a glint in his eye. “Nick, didn’t you also say you needed something from your office?”
Nick let out a quiet gasp and nodded enthusiastically as an involuntary growl escaped from him, an echo of the one that had stolen Charlie’s heart all those months ago. He took Charlie by both hands and the electric current that was ever present when they touched thrummed between them. They made their way out of the studio and down the hall, and as Nick closed the door to his office and pulled Charlie in for a searing-hot, breathtaking kiss against it, Charlie couldn’t help but think how he didn’t even need to smell Nick in order to sense his desire.