Work Text:
The day had been horrible. First, I found out my guitar practice was cancelled due to some unspecified reason. What a drag. The teacher probably just wanted to skip our class or something stupid like that. This was already the third time this year that this happened. And it was only the start of February.
Second, my best friend Ivan had been all over me all day long. He wouldn’t leave me alone even when I told him to piss off. At first I couldn’t figure out why. And then it hit me.
I was going in heat.
You see, the universe I live in has these roles. Secondary genders, if you may. Alphas, betas, and omegas. Alphas were at the top while omegas were at the bottom of the hierarchy. Yeah, it’s not fair.
In the past, omegas used to have no rights. They were expected to be with their alphas at all times. Why? Because all omegas can bear children. It doesn’t matter if you’re a female or a male, you just can. And that’s why people saw us as lesser than alphas or even betas. On top of that, they saw us as submissive. Thanks to science, we now know that the ‘submissive’ behaviour is due to pheromones and instincts. Basically, we were forced to act like that through manipulation.
And I was an omega. An omega going in heat. An omega that had been around an alpha, Ivan, who clearly likes me, all day.
That explains his behaviour today.
So now, I was gathering my things as fast as I could before my heat fully hit. The heat usually lasts about a week, so I had to pack most of my things. I just hope this won’t be as bad as the last one. Or any of the heats before that. They were always bad and painful for me. Most omegas nowadays had suppressants on other pills to avoid or relieve their heats, but my father didn’t allow that. Stupid traditional alpha…
………
“Hey Till!!!”
I’d know that voice everywhere. That annoyingly bright and energetic voice. Daniel. The kingdom’s own dear crown prince. A fellow omega. Loved and adored by all, his sweet scent was always everywhere around him. Like he didn’t know how to control it. Which was stupid, because of course all royals would know how to control their scent! Probably.
Daniel was the epitome of an ideal omega. Beautiful, small, smells sweet, nice, energetic, rich, and everything else. Most alphas and betas wanted him. To be fair… I, as an omega, kind of wanted him too.
“What do you want, Dan?” I snapped at him. Even though we were great friends. It was just a natural reaction. Well, for me.
“I thought that maybe you’d want to… well, uhh… walk me to the palace..?” His voice was shaky and breathy. Like he had just ran a marathon.
Daniel’s face was flushed bright red. There was the smell of sweat in the air. His scent… was sweeter than usually? Oh. oh. He was in heat too. And apparently, deep in it, as he couldn’t even stand still. Daniel had to lean against the lockers to stay up. I put my arms around his waist to keep him up. Unfortunately, if he were to actually fall, I think I wouldn’t be able to keep him up. Stupid little weak arms…
“Dan…”
I knew what being in heat in public meant for an omega like Daniel. The most lusted after omega. I couldn’t let anyone see him like this. Omegas were already targeted if they were in heat in public, at their most vulnerable. So, if an aggressive alpha saw Daniel, the literal crown prince, they might take advantage of that. No, not might. Definitely will.
“ Daniel, of course I’ll walk you home,” I said. Of course I would. I couldn’t leave a fellow omega alone.
“..Actually… nevermind…. you smell like an omega in.. heat.. too… That would put both of us.. in.. uhm… danger..” He sounded so soft when he said that. Daniel’s gaze was downcast. I followed his gaze to his feet. Was he embarrassed?
“At least we’d be together…”
I watched as Daniel slumped down on the ground, bringing his knees to his chest. His expression spoke words.
I followed right after him. The ground was cold against my warm body. It was also probably dirty, from all the dirt from people’s shoes. But right now, I couldn’t care less. All I could think about was my friend’s wellbeing.
The ginger’s curly hair was covering his green eyes. I had always been fond of how those eyes shined when he smiled, or talked about anything he was into. It seemed like they were only bright around me. Why…? It didn’t make any sense. Seeing his expressive eyes always made me happy. Daniel was the complete opposite of me. While he was perfect, I was a horrible omega. Yes, my body was slim, but not ideal. My hips were narrow, I looked weak. Not in the seductive way alphas wanted, but in a sickly way. It seemed like only Ivan thought I was attractive. For some reason, I couldn’t return those feelings at all.
“...Is there something wrong with me?” Daniel suddenly blurted out.
“Why would there be?” I was genuinely caught off guard by Daniel’s question. I had been so busy watching his body that I hadn’t noticed the tears falling down his cheeks.
“I like other omegas.”
Oh.
Oh.
He likes omegas. Other omegas. The crown prince is into omegas. An omega who likes other omegas.
“No… No, of course there isn’t anything wrong with you, Dan..” That didn’t mean I had no questions.
Did he still like alphas? Or was it just omegas? He was a royal, he was expected to mate with a strong alpha. To produce offspring and continue the bloodline. With another omega, he couldn’t have that. Wasn’t that every omegas dream? To find a strong, influential alpha to start a family with. To… serve them. I didn’t want that. I thought I was weird for not wanting an alpha, but to hear the prince felt the same way… I felt seen.
“I’ve… never been attracted to an alpha. I find them disgusting,” the prince sounded truly disgusted.
“That’s… relatable,” I let out as a silent whisper. Never would I have thought that the prince of all people could relate to the thoughts I was having.
It didn’t make any sense. Daniel could have any alpha he wants, but he prefers omega company. I couldn’t help but be confused.
Was there anything to question?
“I hate all the attention,” the ginger started, looking quite uncomfortable. “It’s horrible. They think they can say anything just because I have to act all nice and pretty for them. I hate it!”
Suddenly I felt bad. Of course. I had never thought about how much Daniel has to pretend. I always just thought it was just how he is. Joyful, full of life, kind, pretty… basically perfect. But no, he’s pretending. Under that act there is a vulnerable, young 19-year-old boy. He’s just like me. Tired of being suppressed and discriminated against just because of our secondary gender. Tired of being objectified.
The prince was shaking with unshed tears. I hugged his small body, whispering some comforting words like “It’s okay, let it out…” and “Dan, you’re perfect.”.
“Till…”
“Yeah, Dan?”
“I think I’m in love with you.”
…What? Did I hear that right?
The feeling I felt was something new, something I had never felt before. It was warm, like being under a blanket after being somewhere cold. The feeling made me happy. A smile threatened to form on my face. My cheeks flushed, and I quickly covered my face so no one would see. It might have been new and scary, but I welcomed it.
Daniel watched me with a worried expression as I looked away from him. I was giggling, bordering a smitten laugh. I just couldn’t help it. It was the most stereotypical omega I had ever acted. But for some reason, I didn’t mind it.
“W-what?? Are you… laughing at me???” His voice broke in the middle of his sentence. Right, he was pretty emotional right now.
“No, no…!! I’m just.. so happy!” I smiled at him, wider than ever before.
………
The look Till had was pure, like an angel. Nothing Daniel had seen before. A smile so wide, eyes almost closed, and face flushed. It felt like time had stopped for both of them.
Till’s smile would have made anyone around him blush and smile too. Especially Daniel. He couldn’t stop smiling either. For them, it was just the two of them in the world. Just two young male omegas loving each other. It wasn’t so bad after all, was it?
The prince leaned closer to the younger omega. It happened so slow, but felt so fast, as their lips touched.
………
Daniel’s lips felt so soft and warm against mine. It came instinctively to me to put my hands on his shoulders. The kiss was everything I had ever hoped for and better. It was addicting, like a drug. I immediately wanted more. Daniel’s wandering hands made me feel special, loved. His small, warm hands on my waist. It made my brain short-circuit.
I just had to pull him closer. To get more. I needed more. My upcoming heat was making my brain foggy. I couldn’t think straight. And apparently neither could Daniel.
He was touching me everywhere he could. My waist, my chest, my neck, and my thighs. The touch felt like it could burn my body. But the feeling wasn’t necessarily bad. I could feel myself leaning against his touch. The ginger giggled as I gently wrapped my arms around his neck. This was surreal.
Eventually I pulled back from Daniel, panting like never before. I tried to catch my breath, but it was getting hard with such a sight right in front of me, and knowing what we just did. Both of us were clearly exhausted.
I could feel my heart beating so fast that I thought I was having a heart attack. It was starting to hurt. But when didn’t love hurt? We felt like this feeling would never end. Like we would be able to embrace each other forever with no interruptions. It was a silly thought, but two guys can always dream.
“I think… we should stop making out in the hallway…” I managed to blurt out in between breaths. At this rate, I think I’d go in full blown heat in the middle of a school hallway, and I don’t think anyone would want that.
That seemed to snap Daniel out of the haze caused by his heat. He quickly nodded while slowly getting up from the ground. I noticed a wet spot in his pants, but decided against saying anything. We had bigger things to think about. Like getting Daniel back to the palace, and me home.
He coughed. “So… You’re still walking me home, right?”
“Damn right I am.”
………
And so they walked to their homes. Till helped Daniel to the palace as far as he was allowed, and ended up calling his friend Ivan to pick him up. Good thing Ivan would do anything to help Till. Unfortunately it came from wrong intentions.
Ever since Till presented as an omega, and Ivan as an alpha, everyone said they’d end up together. They said it was only natural for an omega and an alpha as close as they were to end up mated.
While Ivan clearly revelled at the thought of mating with Till, the omega had always hated the thought. He had always been downright uncomfortable with it. But no one seemed to care, because “Oh, he’ll realise it in time!” . No. It was never going to happen.
Ivan was Till’s best friend, and had been since they were toddlers. No matter what the adults around them had said while growing up, he never changed his mind.
He had always thought that there was something seriously wrong with him. In his mind, that explained why he had never felt attraction towards Ivan or any other alpha like he was supposed to. He had felt broken. He had thought he was broken.
Turns out, he just liked omegas. Not Ivan, not any other alpha.
Anyone but alphas.
And that was okay.
………
Around a week later my heat ended. The moment it stopped, I messaged Daniel to know if he had finished yet, but I only got an answer a few days later. It must have been because his heat lasted longer than mine. I remember reading that royal heats lasted longer somewhere once.
But it didn’t mean I didn’t worry about him. Oh, I did. Every second of each passing day. I kept wondering if Daniel was okay. If he was safe inside the palace. He must be. You can’t break into the palace. It just wasn’t possible. And surely there was proper security while the crown prince himself was in heat. There was no way they’d let anyone in during that.
When he finally answered, all I got was: “Hey!!! :33 sry i’m answering late. heat lasted longer than expected!!!!!!”.
Of course I was glad to hear from him and know he’s okay, but I couldn’t help but feel something was off. However, I chose not to press the issue. Instead I asked him to meet up.
To be honest, I was desperate to see him again. To touch his ginger hair, kiss those soft lips, and to just… be with him. It had been too long. I couldn’t stop thinking about him, and it was starting to get annoying.
Anytime it was quiet, he was all over my mind. It distracted me from the stuff I needed to do. I thought of him during my heat. I imagined it was him relieving me. And oh boy, did that help.
Usually I just suffered through my heat. The pain and feelings are too painful. No amount of help ever helped. I was told only an alpha could help, but if that was true, then why did just the thought of Daniel make me feel better?
Easy. I loved him.
………
We agreed to meet at a private cafe the royal family owned. Basically a place I would have never been able to go if it wasn’t for Daniel. What a lucky guy I was. The fact that no alpha would ever get this treatment from him made me almost purr.
When I arrived there, a bunch of guards were near a table. And at the table, there was Daniel. That beautiful pile of sunshine. The moment he saw me, a huge smile formed on his face. It made me want to smile.
“Hi Till!”
“Hey Dan.”
I sat down across from him at the table. “So… This is a really nice place, huh..?” I sounded almost unsure when I said that. Like I didn’t want to be there. Which was actually far from the truth.
The prince nodded excitedly. He clearly had been looking forward to this. He was wearing an even fancier suit than usual. It fit his body perfectly. Not too tight, not too baggy, perfect. Anyone who saw him like this would fall in love. Thank god he was mine.
When the waiter came to get our order, I still had no idea what to get. Never had I dreamed of getting to eat food like this. My father said I wasn’t worthy. I had come to believe that myself, but considering I was now at a fancy restaurant, it clearly wasn’t true. But that also meant I had no idea what to get. What were you supposed to eat with a prince? Fish? Do rich people even eat that?
In the end, I just ended up getting what he did. If Daniel liked it, then it must be good. And if it’s not good, well, it’s not my money that got wasted.
It was pretty quiet after ordering, and it was slowly getting more and more awkward. So, I tried starting a conversation: “How was your heat?”
“Oh? Normal, I guess…” Well, Daniel clearly didn’t want to talk about it!
God, this was awkward. How else was I supposed to start a conversation? Should I just say something random? It was much easier to talk with him before we started dating. Were we dating? We never discussed what we are. We kissed, didn’t we?
“Are we dating?”
“Uh, yeah??”
“Right… Stupid question…” I just wanted to know. Does he think I am dumb now? Am I? Love really drives people insane.
“Dan, I used to have a crush on Mizi back in the day,” not the greatest way to keep the conversation going with your boyfriend, Till! Good try, though.
Surprisingly, he wasn’t angry at me for bringing this up. Instead, he was shocked. The ginger’s eyes were wide open. “Mizi? The cheerleader beta girl?”
Everyone knew Mizi. She was the most popular girl at our school. Despite her popular status, she was extremely kind. Even innocent sometimes. She was always bright and happy. Which, to be fair, was one of the reasons I had a crush on her. On top of how beautiful she is.
Unfortunately, she was a cheerleader for Ivan’s football team. Yes, that guy is a dumb jock. Actually he’s pretty smart, and gets much better grades than me. Ivan always has that stupid smile. It’s like I’m the only one who truly sees the freak he is.
Anyway, back when I was crushing on Mizi, I went to a lot of the football team’s games to watch her. Of course, the arrogant prick Ivan is, he thought I was there for him. Or maybe he knew I had liked Mizi, and wanted to tease me. Sounds like Ivan.
“Isn’t she like, dating Sua?”
“Yeah. But I had no idea back then. God, that was in high school.”
Mizi was and still is dating an omega girl named Sua, who is the perfect opposite of Mizi. Sua is a quiet, more ‘keeping it to myself’ kinda person, while her girlfriend is an outgoing, party girl.
“Well, I don’t mind it. I mean… everyone knows she likes Sua, and would never even consider you.”
Ouch. It was true, but ouch.
I changed my expression into mock offense.
………
I watched as Till tried his best to look offended. It was kind of cute. The look suited his sharp features. I started giggling. I always did when I saw something cute. And right now, I had the most adorable thing ever right in front of me.
My giggle seemed to get him to smile too. I knew my smile and laugh did things to people. That’s why I always either flashed people a small smile or let out a fake laugh. People always fell for them. But for some reason, with Till… It felt real.
I ruffled his silver hair, and watched as his elegant face flushed bright red. I laughed.
………
“Daniel, you CANNOT be with an omega!”
“That goes against nature!”
“You stupid BIT-”
………
I was listening to my father lecture me about something related to omegas and my behaviour, how I acted like a beta, or something. I wasn’t listening. All I could think about was Daniel. But this time, not in a good way. I was worried. Horribly so.
Why? Because he hadn’t shown up at school in days. He wasn’t answering my messages. And on top of all, none of his friends knew anything about his whereabouts either.
What if some desperate alpha had managed to break into the palace? Or maybe he was terribly sick? It couldn’t be his heat, since he had his last one just a few days ago.
After our dinner date, I didn’t hear anything from Daniel. At first I thought that he must have just been tired, but when he didn’t show up at school, I got worried. It was suspicious. He never disappeared for a long time without his friends knowing where he was.
Technically speaking, it could be some post-heat stuff. But this just didn’t feel like something like that…
That was until later that day, the royal family posted an announcement of a royal marriage. With Daniel in it.
…How could he?
………
“Till, hurry up! I wanna see the little one!!!” The alpha almost yelled in my ear.
Ivan. Of all people, Ivan. I was married and mated to Ivan. And having a child with him. Something he was clearly excited about. He always said how glad he was that I confessed my feelings to him years ago, since he had started thinking I actually hated alphas.
Yeah. Five years ago, right after it was announced that he would be getting married to some random alpha, I protested. By dating Ivan.
It wasn’t supposed to last. I was supposed to just be with him for a while. But of course that gorgeous jock couldn’t control himself and marked me. And now I was stuck with him.
If I learned anything from my relationship with Daniel , it’s that omegas don’t belong together. It could never work. After all, omegas were made to be with alphas…
So, I just decided to ignore my unnatural feelings, and never look back.
………
“All good things must come to an end.”