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As someone who lived in a rural place where travelers and visitors were scarce, Coco wasn’t exposed to much diversity in her life. Just a few weeks back, her view of the world was limited to her mother’s shop, the handful of villagers that she grew up with, and occasionally some guests and visitors that pop into the shop to buy her mother’s fabrics and designs. Festivals were rare. She never got to know new people that much when they were held either. She lived comfortably in her little bubble all her life that she didn’t pay much attention to secondary genders and dynamics as she grew older.
Everyone around her were betas. Her mother was a beta. Her neighbours were betas too. Some customers would come smelling a little funny, a bit different, but it was never something worth noting. Her mother never explained much about it either when she did ask about it.
“That man just now was an alpha, Coco. Just like your grandfather,” she explained once. But she never knew her grandfather, so the example her mother said made no sense to her at all.
After being able to discern between the regular betas she encountered and alphas by herself, Coco had learnt to stay away from them. Alphas that come to the store tend to shove her around. They would refuse to be assisted by her just because she was a child. Or worse, they’d scare and intimidate her with their scent and presence that she would run upstairs to hide in her room. Her mother tried to protect her, of course. But an alpha was more commanding, there was nothing much she could do except pull Coco aside.
Until Qifrey came along.
When Coco saw Qifrey for the first time, she noticed how tall he was. His height was almost the same as the door in her shop, bright blue eyes just like the sky staring straight at her with confidence. There was an air of elegance around him that made him different from others. He carried himself carefully, like every step had meaning. His robes cascaded beautifully down his large figure, the woodsy scent of a forest wafting through the air each time he passed by to look at different fabrics.
She had seen and scented alphas before, carefully learning their characteristics. They had sharper and stronger scents than betas like her mother and the villagers. She could tell Qifrey was one of them, despite being on the lankier side. Alphas that came to the shop were mostly larger-bodied, with sturdy muscles that sometimes made it harder for fitting clothes. However Qifrey was lean, just enough muscles in several places that was necessary, not for show.
It all clicked when he announced that he was a witch. Witches don’t need muscles! It made even more sense in Coco’s head after she peeked into the studio when Qifrey was fixing the broken carriage. If all witches had to do was draw, then it was fitting for Qifrey to have lesser muscles than other alphas she had ever seen, right?
Now that she had spent more time with Qifrey after he took her in as an apprentice, she finally had a clearer image of what a nice alpha should be. A strong, yet calming scent. Strong arms that could still carry and reprimand her when needed. Definitive steps that would guide her to her future. He never belittled or shoved her away just because she was small. He listened to everything Coco had to say and gave her a chance. Compared to the other alphas that had visited her family’s store, Qifrey was the best.
But the secondary gender dynamics consists of alphas, betas, and omegas. Coco was even less familiar with the last one.
Omegas were even rarer. Her mother didn’t have much explanation for people with these secondary genders. She had seen them a handful of times before, always accompanied by their alpha mate wherever they went. It’s been so long that she’d met one that she forgot how they looked or smelled. All she could recall from them was that many of them were women.
So when she met Olruggio for the first time, she was surprised with what her senses were telling her.
“Who’re you?” the raven haired man asked lazily, leaning on the door frame as he looked down at her. She wasn’t expecting for there to be another man in the atelier, especially one that looked this rugged. “Are you a messenger? For Alaira?”
The man was tall, but not as tall as Qifrey. He looked a bit thicker bodied than her professor, along with a scruffy, thin beard that didn’t look well-kept. His eyes looked tired and baggy, yet still vigilant enough to be wary of her. At a glance, Coco would register him as a beta. But his scent was telling her otherwise.
Frozen in place, all she could do was look at the man, her nose busily sniffing and confirming what she was sensing. “I– I,” she stuttered.
Fortunately, Qifrey followed her from behind and saved the whole interaction from getting even more awry.
The following incidents afterwards didn’t make sense to her either. From arguing with Qifrey, who was an alpha, about taking in another apprentice without telling him beforehand to saving Dagda and Coustas’ group and fending off against the Knights Moralis from taking her away–Olruggio was a mystery that Coco just couldn’t fathom.
His scent, looks, and actions didn’t make sense. How was that possible? She wanted to ask Agott, but she was busy with her studies. She didn’t feel like asking Tetia or Riche, seeing how exhausted the two of them looked after the rescue. As for Qifrey, her professor seemed busy after taking her bottle of ink. It wouldn’t be good if she disturbed him after all the needless stunts she pulled in just two days.
Coco tried to sleep all her thoughts off, letting the rain lull her to sleep. She could live being curious. She can always get answers later when things have calmed down, or maybe through the countless books that were available in the atelier. She was positive that there will always be another way to get the answers she needed. All she had to do was let her body ease into the bed and close her eyes to drift to slumber.
But alas, the nightmares came.
Jolting up, Coco’s eyes blared open. Her heart hammered in her chest. There’s a pounding headache at the back of her skull, her eyes heating up with tears as she remembered the dream that had plagued her. It has been a while since she dreamt of her mother getting frozen because of her magic. Meeting the Knight Moralis certainly stressed her out. What if she failed to bring her mother back without the use of Forbidden Spells? Would she have to be detained and have her memories erased? Will everything she learned about magic be lost as a price to get her mother back?
After wiping down her face with a damp cloth in the bathroom, she paced in front of her shared room, feeling uneasy to sleep again. What if she had the same nightmare again? She didn’t want to see her mother being petrified over and over again. Her little hands gripped the handle of the door, feeling the cold metal seep into her skin. Even if she laid on her bed, she is certain she will never be able to close her eyes. The fear of the nightmare made her stomach drop each time. No matter what, she won’t get a good night’s rest.
The girl’s hand left the door handle, letting her little footsteps guide her away from the room. She passed by Tetia and Riche’s room, away from the cold, dark kitchen. Brushbuddy was nowhere in sight, probably sleeping at one of the other children’s beds in warmth. The floor creaked as she passed, the darkness of the hallways didn’t scare her. Mindlessly she wandered, following what seemed to be a hunch to find a cozy place to wait for the sun to rise.
Her feet had unexpectedly led her to Olruggio’s room. There was a gap where the door was supposed to be closed. The sound of tinkering and mumbling could be heard from inside, along with a faint warm light that seeped through the crevices that seemed to invite her in. Swallowing her nervousness, she braved herself to push the door open and stepped inside the room. For some reason, warmth immediately encapsulated her, giving her a little more ease to come closer to where Olruggio was sitting.
“Professor Olruggio?” Coco stepped closer, keeping both her hands close to her chest. The little greeting managed to catch the older man’s attention.
He looked a little bit more disheveled than before. A pen was held in between his fingers, his eyes a little bloodshot from staying up late–which probably mimicked Coco’s. A frown settled in between his eyebrows as he stared at her weirdly. She was ready to be kicked out, clenching her eyes close to receive a shout, but instead, a hand caressed her head softly.
“Aren’t ya supposed to be sleepin’? It’s really late,” he said, appearing right in front of her. He had taken off his cape, wearing only his shirt and trousers. “Ya hungry? Want some midnight snacks?”
Coco shook her head, feeling a little bad for disturbing the other. “I can’t,” she said, enjoying the weight of his hand on her head. “I… guess I had a lot in my mind.”
“The Knights gave you a real scare, huh?”
The little girl bit her lip. Her hands fiddled with her sleeping gown. She didn’t know whether or not it’d be wise to tell Olruggio of what she’s worried about. What if Olruggio dragged her to the Knights because of it? She had only known him for less than a day. There was no telling what he was about to do. He is, after all, still the watchful eye for their atelier.
She heard a heavy sigh from the man, his hand moving away from her. “Now don’t look all mopey like that. I wouldn’t know what to do,” he lightly said, stepping on the stairs that led up to his workspace. “Come now.”
Coco took that as acceptance. She brought her little feet up, following the older man’s every step. Her eyes darted around, looking at all the scraps of paper and appliances scattered throughout the floor and table. There was even a makeshift bed and blanket on the floor, along with some eaten snacks that were left unfinished. The scent of ink was strong. Weird shapes and forms of iron, clay, and iron were laid out, probably prototypes that Olruggio hadn’t managed to finish.
She thought she was going to have to stay there and watch him work, but instead, she was led to a small doorway that led to another room. Inside was nothing but mattresses and blankets all over the floor, pillows in all different shapes and sizes. There were pieces of clothing in certain nooks and on the bed, which Coco immediately identified as Qifrey’s. It explained why the room smelled heavily of him and Olruggio. Everywhere her foot set on felt soft, as if she was stepping on clouds. The window on the wall was inscribed with magic that she has yet to master, showing the outside world darkened with rain. Weirdly enough, she couldn’t hear the rain anymore when she was in the room.
“Soundproofed. People can’t see inside this room from outside, nor hear what happens inside ‘ere,” he explained, leaving the door half open. “Welcome to my nest. Sit wherever you want. Make yourself comfortable,” he laid down on the bed, laying his head on a rather large pillow.
“Nest?” she asked, while still trying to maintain politeness and sat next to him. Everything was so cozy and warm, she didn’t know what to do.
Olruggio looked at her funny as he turned on his side. “Was your mother a beta?”
Coco nodded.
“Everyone else too?”
She nodded again.
“Figures,” he scratched his head. “Caught you lookin’ at me all day curious like that,” he chuckled. “It’s quite funny.”
She let out a noise, her face flustered red at his words. “I’m so sorry!” she blabbered in panic. “I- I didn’t mean to be disrespectful–”
“‘s okay, Coco. You're just a child. You must be curious,” Olruggio couldn’t help but be enamored. “This is my nest,” he patted the bed. Coco lied down in front of him, mirroring his position. “I like making them high up so I can see who comes into my room. It’s where omegas usually spend their heats and sleep if they’re alone—like their private, veeeery comfy bed. You can stay here for the night and see if it helps you sleep.”
Coco’s eyes lit up at that. Omegas are peculiar! It must be nice to always have a comfortable place to stay in. But there was a word that made her tilt her head in confusion. “Heats?”
“They’re like, uh. Ruts.”
“I don’t know that either,” Coco frowned.
“You can ask Qifrey about that part,” Olruggio quickly said. His face was gaining a bit of color. Thankfully for him, Coco didn’t notice that.
“Okay. I guess I can ask Professor Qifrey in the morning,” she smiled. “But… is it really okay for me to be here?’
“Course. The other girls would always sneak in here whenever they’re homesick back when they were younger. I learnt to just accept them and let them. But could I just… scent you a little bit?”
“Oh! Alright,” Coco grinned. The older man just quickly brushed her hair with his fingers, letting his wrist touch her face, neck, and her arms briefly. The action was subtle, but with the amount of calming pheromones that Coco could sense, she knew she was drenched and smelled like him very much.
“Done,” the man said in triumph, settling into the bed in happiness. “Right. If you have any questions, just ask away. Except for heats.”
“Okay!” Coco said happily, listening to Olruggio’s soft happy purring. She had never heard of omega purring before. Her hands grabbed hold of a cloth and used it as a makeshift blanket. She noticed that it was her professor’s shirt. His scent immediately brought more ease for her, the scent of fresh rain in a forest made her relax even more on the bed. “Oh, why is Professor Qifrey’s–”
“You should ask him that,” Olruggio cut her off, the purring immediately stopped.
“Umm,” she gripped on the shirt, a little caught off guard by that. “Well, I’m… very sorry for staring at you a lot today. I’ve never had a chance to get to know an omega before. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a boy omega before too,” she said with a small voice.
His smile came back on his face. “We are quite rare. When I presented, everyone around me made a fuss. They thought I would at least become an alpha.”
“Even Professor Qifrey?” Coco’s eyes widened.
Olruggio scoffed haughtily. “Even him. But I adapted to my condition,” he continued. “I was different from the other typical omegas, y’know? ‘m not as pretty as the others. Definitely not as meek as they come when I grew up. I was rebellious. Resourceful. I was the type that couldn’t stay still,” he said, not with sadness, but confidence. “It became my strength. People don’t look down on me anymore. They don’t treat me as if I’m made of glass. ‘Sides, I never liked people fawning over me. They could be pretty annoying when uncontrolled.”
“People fawned over you?” Coco giggled.
“Don’t underestimate me, girl. I had so many witches requesting to court me ‘cause I was such a brilliant omega!” he grinned. “But I wanted to focus on my inventions and commissions. Qifrey also needed a watchful eye for his atelier, so I’m here now.”
The little girl smiled at that. She was grateful that they had someone like Olruggio watching over them. He seemed to care for Professor Qifrey and the others, to the point that he’s accompanying her like this over sleeping or work. He even took care of Brushbuddy when everyone was busy tidying up the atelier!
And just like her teacher, Olruggio was someone who defied all stereotypes of their secondary gender. The two of them don’t quite fit into the boxes that have been designated for them, and yet, everything still worked out. The stereotypes that Coco knew of omegas didn’t apply to the man at all. From how she thought omegas were just beautiful women that accompanied their alphas everywhere they go, now Coco had broadened her horizon and found out that omegas were just as tough and smart as alphas–they could even be better! In front of her was an omegan witch that invented the very magic that piqued her interest towards the subject. Nothing gets any better than that.
“I’ve also been meaning to ask,” she pointed to his neck. “What’s that for?”
“This?” Olruggio reached towards the piece of leather around his neck. “It’s a neck protector. I need it so that I don’t get marked and claimed easily by alphas. Being an omega is tough. Some alphas can get crazy and force me to become their mate. This is to prevent it. It’s not perfect, but it helps.”
Coco’s face fell when she heard that. “I thought it was for fashion. Like a necklace!”
“I wish it was,” the other scoffed. “It’s stuffy wearing this, but it’s mandatory for unmated omegas.”
“People shouldn’t force others to become their mates! It’s supposed to– supposed to be romantic, right?” Coco asked, looking conflicted.
“Yep,” the man smiled, finding Coco amusing. It was very much like her to be so determined of her own justice. She was a kind and bright child. Even Olruggio, who had only seen the child for less than 24 hours, could see that. How the Knights Moralis missed this, he had no idea.
The little girl still seemed to be deep in thought, her eyebrows furrowing as she tightened her grip on the blankets. It was a little funny, seeing Coco all serious like that. The girl was completely oblivious to how the omega was trying very hard to stop himself from cooing. Then comes the million dollar question.
“How do people even force someone–“
“Ask Qifrey,” he immediately said. The curt response made Coco pout in disappointent.
“You’re making Professor Qifrey do all the work!” she wallowed.
“He’s the teacher. I’m just the watchful eye trying to get you to sleep,” Olruggio shrugged, shirking away from Coco’s questions. He really didn’t want to answer any of her questions that’s… like that. Qifrey could definitely do it.
“Boo!” Coco stuck out her tongue playfully. “Anyways!” she scooted closer. “Do you like being an omega?”
“It’s not like I can choose. I didn’t like it at first when they told me what it means to be one, but I’ve come to terms,” he told her calmly. “After I was born, I immediately knew what I was going to be. But… experiencing everything, going through heats, presenting, being different… It took a while to adapt to everything,” he hummed.
Coco smiled sadly at that. “I see. I’m glad you managed to overcome that, Professor Olruggio.” She then thought deeply to herself. Seeing how Olruggio acted the whole day, matching them with the newly found knowledge of omegas that she finally learned from him, she finally presented a huge grin to the older man. “Mhm!” she decided, “I like that Professor Olruggio is an omega. It kinda fits you and your magic.”
“Not a professor,” Olruggio groaned, correcting her. But her statement piqued his interest. “How so?”
“You’re nice and warm.” Coco pulled the sheets over her shoulders, inhaling the scent. She felt safe in between them, like she’s being enveloped in a warm hug.
Olruggio, however, couldn’t help but snort at that. He’s used to being called brilliant. Genius. Captivating. Marvelous. But warm? There was only one other person that always complimented him that way. “Qifrey’s body runs hotter than I do. Your professor has weird metabolism compared to mine.”
“But it’s different! You’re… softer. Cozier?” she started explaining with her hands, making random shapes and gestures. “Your scent…reminds me of my mother,” Coco slowed down, hiding her hands in the sheets. “She used to make these warm, sweet ginger drinks for me when it rains and you— kinda smell like them.”
A pause. The little girl buried her face into the blankets hurriedly, as if she was ashamed of being sad. Her little body shook as whimpers took over, little sobs filling the small room. Olruggio softens his expression, his body naturally exuding the calming scent to console Coco as much as he could. He placed a hand on where her shoulder might be and softly kneaded it.
Coco wasn’t planning on crying. She tried very hard to seem strong in front of her peers and professors. She’d been doing a great job masking everything, having fun while she studied, distracting her grief by trying new spells and spending time in the kitchen with everyone–but it wasn’t enough. Her sadness still lingered, despite her attempts to corner it. It seeped through whenever it can, her tears leaking out the moment she remembered her mother.
It didn’t help that Olruggio reminded her heavily of her. The strictness, yet softness in his actions. His warm and sweet scent that mirrored every belonging her mother had. The warmth of her hand, mimicked by the omega’s hand that’s calming her down. The only difference between them was that Olruggio’s bearded, while her mother wasn’t. That mere thought managed to cheer herself up, enough to brave herself to peek out of the blanket. She wasn’t aware of how puffy her eyes looked at this state, but she probably looked pitiful enough for Olruggio to look that sad.
“Coco…” he sighed, patting her lime green hair. There was weight in his tone. Unspoken words were held by his tongue, stopping just enough to tell her that he’s a little worried.
“I’m sorry. I really miss her,” she said, wiping her tears with the back of her hands.
“It’s okay,” Olruggio assured her. “I heard what happened to her from Qifrey. She’ll be okay, Coco.”
That very sentence almost made her cry again. How could she trust his words when she was being pessimistic over a while ago? “I hope so,” she tried to smile. Now that she had let her tears out, she was feeling a little sleepy. The warmth of the bed and overall coziness of the room was beginning to get to her. “Will you… be here tomorrow?” she asked, yawning as she relaxed her head into the fluffy pillow.
“Sadly, no,” he sighed. “I need to go out and meet a client tomorrow for a commission. Why?” he snuggled into his own pillow and blankets, ready to go to bed as well.
Coco shook her head. She still wanted Olruggio to be here to accompany her. She liked how she felt safe to sleep when she was there with him. In the end, she still had to deal with her feelings alone. She needed to face her nightmares on her own and defeat them. “It’s nothing,” she finally said. She didn’t want to be the reason for Olruggio to skip work.
“Sleep, Coco,” Olruggio assured her. “I’ll be here when you wake up. You’ve got to rest. Lack of sleep will do you over when you grow up, y’know,” he added a little nag.
Coco giggled at that and closed her eyes. “Okay,” she said to end the night, letting slumber take over her.
Sleeping in an omega’s nest was the best thing Coco had ever done after moving into Qifrey’s atelier.