Work Text:
3 years ago…
Tsukasa sat patiently on the examination bed, curious to learn how much he grew.
“Tenma, we need to measure your height now.” He gladly hopped off the bed and towards the wall. He stood as tall as physically could, feeling like his limbs were being stretched. The nurse pursed her lips together as she jotted down his height.
Had his growth been stunted? He didn’t really feel all that much taller than he was a year ago. The nurse must’ve noticed his melancholy pondering as she wiped the concerned look right off her face.
After that he was weighed and returned to the exam bed. The nurse stared at his neck and pulled out a cotton swab. She swiped the side of his neck without warning, inexplicably causing a jolt of energy to course through his body. Since when was that spot so sensitive? She then gave to swab to the doctor and he began to run tests on it.
While waiting, Tsukasa asked: “How tall am I?” The nurse’s reaction from earlier was still eating away at him.
“170 centimeters” She answered. Tsukasa frowned. That wasn’t much taller than he was last year. Wasn’t he at the age when males were supposed to be hitting their growthspurts? He was growing steadily before, why was he stopping now? Maybe… perhaps… no! He shouldn’t jump to conclusions. Tsukasa Tenma was always loud and outgoing, a natural born leader. His friends and family always joked about how when he grew up he’d definitely present as an alpha. They had to be correct, right?
The doctor spun his chair around to face the blond, an indecipherable look on his face. “Tenma, we’ve ran the proper tests and are certain…” There was a brief pause filled with heavy tension. The doctor and nurse stared at Tsukasa with smile he could tell was artificial. It would have been better if they hung their heads and frowned. Was he severely ill? Was Saki’s condition genetic? Come to think of it, he had been experiencing abdominal pain recently. He didn’t think it was serious enough to see a doctor over.
The news was worse, well… maybe not objectively, but in Tsukasa’s eyes in was.
“…you’re presenting as omega.” He couldn’t breathe. “You’re quite far along, you should be expecting your first ovulation cycle soon.” Ovulation… more commonly known as heat cycles. Tsukasa hadn’t been formally taught sex Ed yet, but that much was common knowledge. He felt nauseous, possibly because his insides were literally rearranging themselves.
Tsukasa knew omegas stopped growing shortly after presenting. He didn’t have much time left. He should eat more protein, get as much sleep as possible! He tried to distract himself by thinking of the things he could control. It didn’t help much. There wasn’t much he could control.
He was scared more than anything. Cramps and leaking some sort of bodily fluid twice a month. That’s almost half his life! Presenting as omega was something most teenage boys feared. Those who did usually tried to hide it, taking scent blockers every time they stepped outside. It was an embarrassing secret only trusted friends and family could know about. Omegas males—and to a lesser extent alpha females—were seen as half way between primary genders, male on the outside, female on the inside, freaks of nature.
Tsukasa’s biggest concern was how this would affect his future career. Hiding secondary gender from an agency was basically impossible, even if you lied on your application they’d surely catch on if you needed constant breaks to down scent blockers. Omega males were rarely lead characters, and omegas were rarely cast to play non-omegas. They were too short, too girly, too weak. But he’d dreamed of being an actor for as long as he could remember. He couldn’t let something like this stop him. He needed scent blocks, he needed heat suppressants. He didn’t know when Mother Nature would curse him, but the doctor said it would be soon.
Tsukasa didn’t know how long he spaced out for, but he realized his expression must have been petrified. The nurse threw him a glance of pity. “I know this is a lot to take in, but you have nothing to worry about. You’re developing healthily at a rate normal for your age.” As if that would help anything.
The doctor handed him the documentation of his checkup, usually used to bring home to parents and brag about how much you grew. This was nothing to brag about. The trembling of his hands was amplified by the paper shaking in his grasp. He mentally compared the sheet to his last examination. He was a year older, two centimeters taller, two kilograms heavier, but the most notable difference lied at the top of the page. Secondary Gender: To be Determined, Secondary Gender: Omega
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Tsukasa dragged himself home, looking more depressed than he would have liked. When he turned the key and inched the front door open he immediately heard what he assumed to be his mother washing dishes in the kitchen.
“Welcome home Tsukasa, how did exams go?” She turned away from the sink in an attempt to make eye contact with him. “What’s wrong?”
Tsukasa tried not to appear scared while his heart was thundering. Alas, there was no point to hiding this from his own mother, now a fellow omega. He simply handed her the sheet, unable to speak. He saw her expression shift as she read. She glanced back to him with the most sickening pity Tsukasa had ever seen in his 14—almost 15—years of life. His heart sank even deeper, trying to dig a hole in his stomach.
“Oh sweetie” She hugged him, seemingly out of obligation. She didn’t smell as sweet as he remembered. “I know it can be scary, but it’s okay, we’ll be here for you. I can buy suppressant if you want.” He didn’t want to take suppressants. He didn’t want to be pitied. He just wanted to be normal.
Their embrace lasted a while—too long for Tsukasa’s liking—but he couldn’t bring himself to let go. He fought his hardest to hold back tears, desiring nothing more than to curl up in the fetal position and fall asleep. Then maybe he’d wake up and it would all have been a nightmare.
His mother pulled away. “Sorry I didn’t get the chance to inform you, but one of my students had to reschedule so I have to leave for a lesson soon. But I promised Saki I’d visit her today, could you be a dear and go see her? Maybe it could help take your mind off things.”
“That’s a great idea!” Tsukasa’s face lit up. He hadn’t visited his sister in… god almost a month now. He desperately needed something else to pay attention to and Saki was surely going through something worse than he was.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
The train ride was long and painful. He was hyper aware of everyone around him. The doctor said he was very far along the presentation process. Had he already started producing pheromones with realizing, numb to his own scent? The mix of pheromones in the cramped train car—something he hardly noticed prior—made him nauseous. It was mostly full of office workers commuting home from work, surely they wouldn’t care about some random middle schooler. That did little to soothe Tsukasa’s worries though.
When his stop finally arrived he practically dashed off the train, all but running. He moved towards the hospital with such great speed passerby might have assumed it was an emergency.
As he opened the door he was greeted with a gasp, out of shock or excitement he wasn’t sure. “Onii-chan? I thought mom was supposed to come today?”
“Yes, but she had to reschedule a lesson.” He pulled up a chair and sat down by her bed.
“Oh, I see… wait a minute…” She started sniffing the air like a dog. “Are you wearing perfume? You smell kinda sweet.”
Shit, why didn’t his mom tell him that? “No… I smell sweet you say?” He raised his hands to the sides of his neck instinctively.
“Yeah, like cake, or milk, or maybe vanilla… it smells good but… why are you covering your neck like that?”
He froze. Saki’s bright pink eyes burned holes into his soul. He shouldn’t have touched his neck. He should lied that they baked in home ec that day. But he froze, too shocked to respond. He’d just found out this awful news, and he couldn’t even hide it from his loved ones?
“Onii-chan?” She tilted her head, innocent and unaware. He wanted to run, he wanted to cry, he wanted to hide, but he couldn’t do that to Saki. He’d just arrived. “It’s sour.”
“What?”
“It smells sour now… I heard you had physical exams today… did something happen?”
He gulped and hung his head, unable to look her in the eye. “I found out I’m presenting as omega.”
She nodded. “I’m sorry, I should’ve taken a hint sooner… but… why are you so sad? This is good news, isn’t it?”
Good news? His heart sank even further.
Saki had been sick in the hospital instead of experiencing the horrors of middle school. She hadn’t overheard upperclassmen talk behind the backs of those who were unfortunate enough to present as omega. Any who were on sports teams were all but forced off. Male omegas were often shunned by their former friends and viewed as less desirable than their female counterparts.
Was Saki under the belief that being omega was all sunshine and rainbows?
“Well… you see, a lot of the time male omegas get made fun of for being too weak or girly, and I’m worried it will be much harder to become a star. Agencies don’t tend to hire male omegas.”
“Hmmm…” Saki seemed deep in thought for a minute. “Then, you’ll just have to prove to them you’re strong enough!”
Tsukasa sighed. “If only it were that easy…”
“What happened to Mr. World Future Star? The big brother I know would never give up this easily. Since when are you so affected by others’ opinions?”
Tsukasa felt guilty for making his sister worry over him. He chuckled, nervous and awkward, not a genuine laugh. “But… their opinions could change my life.”
“Well, if they judge you for who you are… then maybe they’re not worthy of your life!” She almost shouted the last part in a desperate attempt to reach him.
Tsukasa was taken aback by her volume. It was very rare for her to be speaking so much louder than him. “Saki… you’re right, I shouldn’t give up hope so easily.”
“That’s the spirit! There has to be at least someone out there who recognizes your talent.”
“I guess that means I’ll just have to work extra hard.”
And with that, Tsukasa was instilled with the hope that if he worked hard enough to prove he wasn’t a weak omega people would see past his secondary gender and he would see the success he wasn’t destined for. Surely, he could prove he was as strong as any alpha. (Even if biologically he was at a disadvantage)
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Present day…
Tsukasa’s was back in the location where all his troubles began, the godforsaken clinic.
The doctor handed him the checkup report. He had to blink twice to make sure his eyes weren’t deceiving him. He had grown, one whole, singular centimeter. A negligible difference, but it made him feel giant. He hadn’t grown since the end of middle school. What could he possibly have done to receive such a blessing?
Tsukasa marched out of the clinic with a skip in his step, ready to brag to whichever acquaintance fell in his path first. To no one’s surprise, that person happened to be Rui.
His classmate, director, and best friend, Rui was considered an outcast long before he presented as alpha. Whenever he wasn’t causing mischief he had his head buried in whatever strange contraption he was currently working on. He never showed any interest in sports or attempted to court omegas. If it weren’t for that distinctive scent most would probably assume him just to be a beta who happened to be on the taller side.
Tsukasa had known Rui for almost a year, ever since he transferred to Kamikou. He always felt drawn to him, like a moth to a flame. Even in times when Rui annoyed him, he couldn’t bring himself to walk away from the alpha. He couldn’t stand being away for even just a few days. He convinced himself it was because Rui was his director, an essential part of his shows and by extension his dream.
However, as days turned to months, the amount of time they spent together grew as well as Tsukasa’s feelings. He found it becoming harder and harder to deny his romantic interest in the alpha. He thought if he neglected to acknowledge his emotions they would fade away, but alas, they continued to spiral until it became impossible to ignore.
Tsukasa cursed himself everyday for falling in love, especially with an alpha. The omega feared nothing more than the being viewed as an accessory to someone of higher social standing. He always strived to prove his independence, even before he presented.
Would Rui view him differently if they started dating? Definitely not, he had always been respectful and not let their secondary genders affect their relationship up until that point. But he could not predict what strangers would think. Surely many would see him as the lesser of the couple, not someone worthy of being a star.
He wanted to show that an alpha and omega could have a completely platonic relationship, yet somehow he’d turned into living proof against himself. He hated himself for it. He hated how much he loved his scent. He hated the way his heart beat faster when Rui got too close. He hated how much he wanted to be held tightly in his arms. And he absolutely hated how much he craved the sensation of Rui’s teeth sinking into his skin.
But he could never bring himself to hate Rui, even if he tried.
“Oi! Rui! You won’t believe this!”
“Fufu~ what’s gotten you so peppy today?” The alpha playfully pondered.
Tsukasa shoved the paper in his face, so close Rui couldn’t even read more than a few words. “I’m struggling to grasp it myself! I’ve grown a whole centimeter over the past year!”
“That’s amazing, Tsukasa-kun!” The omega’s excitement was always adorable and infectious in Rui’s eyes, even if it was over something so minuscule.
Tsukasa retracted the paper and held to proudly to his chest. “I was sure my growth had slowed to a halt, but life is full of surprises.” He glanced back his friend. “And I feel taller than you already!”
Rui neglected to mention his most recent check up revealed he had grown two centimeters over the past year. The excitement had most certainly gotten to Tsukasa’s head, but who was he to rain on his parade?
“Maybe one of these days you’ll overtake my height.” Both knew that was impossible, but a funny fantasy to indulge nonetheless.
“Ha Ha Ha! I hope you’re prepared to be towered over.”
Rui giggled along. “Anyways, Miku-kun said she wanted to meet us in the sekai today after we get home.”
“Any specific reason?”
“Nope, she just told me it’s been too long since we’ve visited and they’ve been missing us. Emu-kun said she’s missed Miku-kun as well.”
“So Emu and Nene are coming as well?” Rui nodded. “I see. Saki has band practice after school today, so it shouldn’t be an issue.”
“Perfect! Shall we meet around 3:30?”
“That works for me!”
The pair exited the school as usual, though Tsukasa took note of Rui’s unexplained lack of mischief as of late. They walked down the first block before parting ways on the path to their homes.
When Tsukasa arrived home the house was empty, so he didn’t have to worry about being caught entering or exiting the sekai. He opened his phone and pressed play on “Untitled” just as he’d done many times before.
Before his eyes could adjust after being teleported through a cocoon of light he felt a strong tugging on his arm. “Tsukasa-kun! Tsukasa-kun! You’re finally here!” The voice was very recognizably Miku’s.
“Finally? School just got out!” He squawked.
“Well everyone has been waiting for you! We have a super special show from your esteemed director!”
“A ‘super special’ show? Why? I can’t remember any occasion calling for celebration.”
“That’s because it’s supposed to be a surprise! Ah, I should shut my mouth before I spoil it.” Miku giggled to herself. “Come on! To the theater!”
Confused but mildly amused, Tsukasa let himself be dragged by Miku to a seat dead center in the front row of the sekai’s auditorium. Tsukasa wasn’t usually fond of craning his neck just to see the stage in the front row, but Miku insisted it was absolutely necessary. The theater was unnervingly silent, as the rest of the vocaloids and WxS members were behind stage, supposedly participating in the performance.
“Don’t move an inch!” Miku whispered before skipping up the steps on either side of the stage—presumably to give some sort of signal—and returned to the audience several rows behind Tsukasa.
The curtains flew open and Tsukasa was greeted by an all too familiar story. It started off just like the play Tsukasa and the others put on for Rui all those months ago, to convince him to come back to their troupe. The one about the showman, clown, songstress, and alchemist. It was cute, but Tsukasa could not fathom would they’d want to retell this story without him, until the story continued further.
The alchemist returned to their troupe and they continued performing, however new conflict soon arose. The alchemist was keeping a secret, one he was afraid to tell, but terrified he would drift from his precious troupe leader as he held it in. He acted as if nothing was wrong as it burned him from the inside out. After consulting the clown and songstress he determined no good would come of hiding his true feelings any longer.
The stage went dark.
“Don’t bother with all those effects, what matters is that you’re honest.” “The songstress” nagged in the dark.
“You can do it! Don’t psych yourself out now!” The rest cheered.
Suddenly, Rui was kneeling center stage, much in the same way Tsukasa was. The spotlight gleamed over him while another pointed towards Tsukasa, stunning him. Rui’s yellow eyes pierced through Tsukasa’s own, then down deep into his heart. His hand outstretched—begging Tsukasa to grab hold. The omega would be lying if he said he didn’t let blush dust his cheeks.
“Tsukasa-kun, my dear troupe leader, the brightest star I’ve ever had the pleasure of viewing, I love you.”
Huh? Everything about this was pulled right out of Tsukasa’s most longing dreams, which is exactly what snapped him out of his dream-like state. Tsukasa wanted to burry his feelings no matter how often they tried to climb back up. But what was he supposed to do when they were unexpectedly ripped from the ground?
He couldn’t say no, but he sure as hell couldn’t say yes. Everything he tried to prove and in the end he’d let his instincts win. Could he really allow himself to be taken by the nearest alpha?
But god, that desperate and nervous smile on Rui’s face, the rare sight of him so honest and unguarded—it was too much for Tsukasa’s heart. “Tsukasa-kun?” He hadn’t realized tears started streaming down his cheeks. Rui hopped down from the stage and carefully stepped forward towards the omega. Tsukasa could only burry his face in his hands. What was the point of trying so hard to be confident and strong if he’d just prove how pathetic he really was?
Rui bent his knees and leaned forward, trapping Tsukasa into his seat as he laid a hand on his shoulder—earning a flinch from the boy beneath him. “Why are you crying, Tsukasa-kun?” His voice was so gentle and concerned. The close proximity allowed his pheromones to tickle Tsukasa’s nose, creating butterflies in his stomach. Every fiber of his being wanted to jump into Rui’s arms and proudly declare how much he loved him back, but all he could do was sit there and cry. The wandering eyes of Emu, Nene, and the rest of the vocaloids behind Rui certainly didn’t help.
“Tsukasa-kun, please answer me. It pains us to see you like this.” The omega reluctantly lifted his head. From the corners of his eyes he could see Emu and Nene sporting uncharacteristically concerned frowns. Guilt settled into his stomach. After all, bursting into tears of shame *is* quite an unusual reaction to a love confession. Especially for someone who liked to pretend he was immune to embarrassment.
Rui gestured his hand outward again, but this time it was within Tsukasa’s range. Rui helped lift him out of his seat and flashed him a pitiful smile. “I-I” Rui rubbed his thumb over the top of his hand. “I… love you too… Rui.” Tsukasa’s voice trailed off, much quieter than usual.
A genuine smile painted the alpha’s face. “Then why are you crying, my dear?”
Tsukasa hated to admit he was scared, no matter how painfully obvious it was. “I-I’m nervous about starting a relationship.”
“I see, that is not an uncommon sentiment, but I never took you as the type to break down and cry over something like this.” Tsukasa turned his head away in embarrassment.
Rui couldn’t shake the feeling that Tsukasa wasn’t telling the whole truth. “Why are you so scared?” The alpha caressed his arm in a failed attempt at comfort which only caused Tsukasa’s heart rate to skyrocket.
“Well… you know… sometimes people view omegas as belongings of their alphas… and… I…”
“You were worried others might see you differently.” Tsukasa nodded feebly. “Tsukasa-kun, if they think lesser of you then they simply aren’t worth your time.”
Tsukasa blinked away tears as he looked upwards, meeting Rui’s gaze. “Some people won’t support you regardless, I’ve learned that the hard way. You just need to focus on your supporters, and I’m absolutely positive you can make them smile.”
Tsukasa pulled the alpha into a sudden embrace. “Rui!” He wept. Tsukasa was always a crier, even before he presented and was flooded with hormones.
“Group Hug!” He felt someone jump onto his back and both of his sides. “M-Miku?” He failed to act shocked as he smiled and sniffled. “Rin? Len too?”
“Tsukasa-kun doesn’t have to prove anything. He’s already the coolest omega I know!”
“I’m the only omega you know, Len.” Several annoying giggles could be heard in the background.
Tsukasa pulled himself away and wiped his own tears. “So you guys all planned this?”
“Yup! But it was mostly Rui-kun’s idea.” Emu chirped up from the stage. “He wanted to do something SUPER DUPER special for his crush!”
For once Rui’s face was the one blooming in shades of rose. Even the shameless director feels embarrassment every once in a while. “Well, I couldn’t have done it without everyone’s help.” The alpha showed an embarrassed smile.
Tsukasa averted his gaze from Rui to look at everyone around the room. “Thank you! Everyone!”
“I wasn’t surprised when I heard Rui wanted to confess to you via some grand show.” Nene sighed, yet couldn’t help but smile. “You two really are show idiots.”
“I thought I should return the favor since Tsukasa-kun put on a performance to tell me about his true feelings.” Rui gently took the omega’s hands in his own, causing the latter to blush.
“Aw… young love…” Luka cooed and she yawned, not helping Tsukasa’s embarrassment.
“Geez, Luka, you act like a grandma sometimes.” Len joked.
“Just kiss already!” Rin chanted impatiently.
“Tsk—not when you yell like that!” Tsukasa protested with all the anger of an annoyed kitten, face burning crimson.
“Aww… I wanna use the confetti cannons!” She pouted.
“You made confetti cannons?!” Tsukasa face palmed before massaging his temple. “I really shouldn’t be surprised.”
“Yes, and I’d like to make use of them!” Rui gestured a hand signal towards Kaito—who was still backstage—and before Tsukasa could blink tiny specs of color rained all around them.
“Let me ask you properly.” The alpha dropped to one knee, keeping contact with one of the omega’s hands with raising the other to his heart. “Would you allow me the pleasure of being your alpha?” He bowed his head in respect as if talking to royalty.
Tsukasa was taken aback by the sudden shift in formality. He—not very elegantly— had to clear his throat before responding. “Yes” Rui lifted his head to meet the omega’s gaze, glimpsing at his adorably flustered face.
Their “audience” started clapping like it truly was the end of a show.
Rui rose to his feet. “Tsukasa-kun, there’s something I’d like you to see outside the theater, if you’d be so kind as to follow my lead.”
“Ooo, I wanna see, I wanna see!” Emu begged.
“I’m sorry Emu-kun, but I’d like to share this moment with the two of us.” He lifted Tsukasa’s hand, still intertwined.
“Maybe some other time”
“Ah, I understand.” Emu tried not to sound too sad.
“Just make sure not to do anything too dirty!” Miku chirped.
“We wo-“ Tsukasa paused. “HAAAAHHH? I’d never let Rui do anything like that in our sekai! And he just confessed! It’s much too early to-“
“Tsukasa-kun, relax. Miku-kun was just joking.” Rui rubbed his hand back and forth across his now omega’s back.
“And you know how teenagers are.” Meiko—now sitting on the edge of the stage—chimed in. “Always getting all handsy with eachother and-“
“PLEASE STOP MENTIONING STUFF LIKE THAT!”
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
The evening breeze ruffled Tsukasa’s hair and tickled his cheeks as he lay on the lawn of the sekai. “It should be dark enough now. Can you see it?” Rui pointed to the sky.
It didn’t take long for Tsukasa to notice a constellation in the shape of a heart, made up of purple and yellow stars. Brightly colored constellations weren’t uncommon in the Wonderland Sekai, but this seemed far too convenient to be a coincidence. The clouds seemed to shift to make way for the heart. “Ah… our feelings really do affect this place.”
“A couple weeks ago I came here late at night to get some fresh air after working on inventions for hours. I saw that constellation and couldn’t help but smile. I hoped that maybe it could be a sign, a sign that my feelings were mutual.”
“So that’s why you planned that show?” Tsukasa realized.
“Yup!” Rui nodded and turned to face Tsukasa. “I was lucky enough to guess correct.” The alpha leaned in to peck his cheek.
Instead of flinching and blushing as expected, Tsukasa frowned slightly, not even realizing his expression.
“What’s wrong?”
Tsukasa sighed. “I’m still pretty nervous about the whole dating thing.” He confessed.
“I see, anxiety is a persistent plague, but the courting process is not one that should be rushed. We don’t have to start scenting if you don’t want to.”
“This is all so much to take in. Too many decisions to make at once!”
“Well I suppose sleeping on it could only help. There really is no rush to decide.”
The blond yawned. “That sounds like a good idea.” His voice dragged with drowsiness. He absentmindedly—perhaps out of instinct—leaned in to rest his head next to the scent gland of Rui’s neck.
“You smell very sweet, Tsukasa-kun.” The sudden flattery sure woke him up.
“Th-thank you!” He leaned away slightly and proudly brought a fist to his heart, which was racing wildly. “Stars should always carry a pleasant scent.” He faked his usual confidence despite his cherry-red cheeks.
“Fufu~” Rui pressed a slow and deliberate kiss atop his lover’s scent glad.
Tsukasa could feel his body tensing in anticipation, yet he didn’t pull away. He felt a full-body shiver when Rui’s lips made contact and he failed to suppress an embarrassing squeak.
“Cute” Rui muttered, mostly to himself as Tsukasa buried his nose his neck for comfort, only to be overwhelmed by the intense scent of alpha.
Rui stroked his blond hair, more so to indulge himself than comfort his boyfriend. He could feel the omega’s breath begin to slow as sleep overcame him. Perhaps it was a little late for a nap, but Tsukasa’s mind could certainly use the rest.
“You’re stronger than I could ever be, Tsukasa-kun.” Rui was sure the blond was far too tired to process anything he was saying. He’d just have to remind him when he was awake.