Archive of Our Own

Will is, eighty-percent of the time, okay with being an omega.

But he'll be the first to admit- he thinks his tri-monthly heats are painful as hell and a pain in the ass (but he's grateful he at least doesn't have them monthly like his female counterparts). His hypersensitivity to his environment and the textures of his clothes clinging to his body could easily be dialed back like three notches. His longing for the physical closeness of his pack can be endearing on the good days, and just plain inconvenient and irritating on the bad ones.

He appreciates how his pack seems to understand well enough his bittersweet relationship with his subgender. They give him the space he needs to be independent and have solitude, but also know when to step in when his instincts for pack bonding are at their strongest. If there's one thing about being an omega that Will takes to heart, it's his seriousness and dedication to keeping their pack bonds strong, healthy and stable.

With their close-knit pack having an equal balance of subgenders, thankfully the tasks of pack maintenance are spread evenly. He and his partner in crime, Max, are experts at keeping their pack on a schedule, with dinners and movie nights and study groups planned well in advance. Their routine helps them feel stable and connected to their pack mates, and they keep tabs on everyone and how they're doing at almost all times, like second nature.

Their resident betas are ever the mediators and peacekeepers. El is the best at listening and validating any concern any of them could ever have, and Dustin helps keep the stress at bay by brainstorming any solution you could ever need, along with a neverending optimistic approach to life. When either of the other ends of their pack spectrum seem to be having trouble in their dynamics, they never fail at relieving tension and keeping everyone focused on their goals.

Mike and Lucas, ever the providers, never fail at their job keeping their pack happy, safe and protected. First to wake up, last to sleep. Offering to be the designated driver to any event, no matter how long it's been since they got to drink and unwind themselves. Keeping pantries stocked at all times, carrying extra pairs of gloves in the winter, never far from emergency painkillers and bandages. Anything is a little less scary and a little less daunting when one of them was there.

All in all, Will thinks that being an omega is tolerable when he has such a great and loving pack to be an omega in. However, there are days, like today, where he seriously has a bone to pick with the universe and the fucked-up society he's landed himself in where shitty people exist.

He knows so many good alphas. He can think of at least five off the top of his head that are not even in his own pack as he storms out of his Art History class and down the walkways of his campus. They've come leaps and bounds as a society in the respecting-the-boundaries-of-every-subgender-department, and yet. How he still meets meathead alphas who think that any unmated omega in their general vicinity is available to them whenever they please, especially in the most liberal arts major at his school, art, is beyond his active comprehension.

"I need one of you guys to rub this stench off of me immediately," he says approaching the blanket where most of his pack are predictably gathered at this time on a Wednesday, eating lunch outside before they all disperse for their afternoon activities. He chucks his bag onto the ground and flops down onto the nearest open spot on the blanket. "Before I actually claw my own skin off. I still have a three-pm lecture to go to."

He can feel his packs’ eyes watching him in half-amusement half-concern. Lucas is the first one to speak up in response. "I'm assuming your art history class didn't go well today," Will can hear the crinkle in his nose as he speaks. "Your scent is practically screaming 'I'm pissed' to anyone within ten feet."

"Because I am pissed, Lucas, thanks for asking," Will retorts, rolling over and pouting at the omega sitting cross-legged closest to his head. "Maaax," he whines.

The redhead snorts and reaches out to pat his hair. "Run into your asshole classmate again?" she asks, fingers beginning to run through his fluffy strands.

"My professor hates me," he replies. "And paired me up with him for our research paper."

"Asshole classmate?" Mike questions from nearby. Will turns to look at the alpha from his place of misery on the blanket. He's wearing a blue Yankees cap and his glasses outside of the apartment for once. Truly unfair, and distracting him from his current problems.

"Will has some 'knot-headed dirtbags' in his 301 class," El explains helpfully from the other end of the blanket, propped up against Dustin's back, doodling in her notebook while he reads a book. Her bangs have been straightened today, and her long hair has been woven into a side braid. Mike looks over at her as she raises her fingers in two quotation gestures. "Or so I've heard."

"They're giving you trouble?" Mike inquires, setting his bookmark into the spine of his own book to properly focus on the conversation.

"Yes. No. Sometimes," Will responds, reaching his hands up to drag them down his face.

"Don't downplay it if it's actually bothering you," Lucas says, voice sounding casual but the concern is there. "Weren't there some guys in this class that were kicked out of some frat parties already for starting trouble?"

"Those are the ones," Will responds. "They always interrupt my professor in class, or sleep, or talk too loud and make me lose my focus. Also they stink."

"You think everyone other than us stinks." Dustin helpfully adds to the conversation without taking his eyes off his book. His amused smile gives away his lack of concentration though.

"Okay, well, this one guy definitely does." Will replies petulant, sticking his arm up in Max's face for emphasis. She gives the offending object a sniff as he says, "He kept on rubbing up against my arm while we were mapping out our project today. I don't know for sure if he was trying to be an insensitive prick, but I'm not sure I want to give him the benefit of the doubt when my wrist smells like a freshly paved driveway."

Max's nose wrinkles as she smells the scent lingering on the area of Will's t-shirt he shoved in her face. "Ugh. You're not kidding." She rolls her own sleeve up and rubs her own hand and wrist up and down Will's forearm, both for soothing purposes and to dispel the stranger's scent with her own. Her coffee scent has always had a slight aftertaste of maple, which reminds him of early mornings and breakfast on the couch.

"He scented you in class?" Mike raised, eyebrows burrowing in concern. "The hell? Can't he tell you're part of a pack?"

"I don't think guys like him care all too much." Lucas replied, leaning back on his hands with a huff. "Those types of shitheads don't see a mating bite and think everything's fair game."

"Not to mention that leaving a scent on a complete stranger, even if he wasn't an omega, is disrespectful," El adds, upset for him. His sister reaches out and sets a comforting hand on Will's ankle. "I'm sorry that happened. Do you think he’ll cause more trouble as you have to complete the project?"

Will's shoulders begin to relax as Max finishes her scenting and goes back to playing with his hair, the stranger's scent now being replaced with that of his pack-mates'. "Probably. I know at least that I can go to the TA or my professor if it gets worse."

"Maybe you should wear something of ours the next time," Max replies. "I know you said he ignored the pack-scent anyways, but maybe if it's more obvious he'll back off."

"You should take one of Mike's hoodies or something," Lucas suggests, gesturing to the other alpha. "I'd offer up my own, but the scent of someone's who's already taken probably wouldn't be much help."

Will's cheeks flush a bit. He tilts his head back up to look at Mike upside-down. "Is that okay?"

Mike is nodding before he even finishes the question. "Yeah, of course. You can wear whatever you need." he smiles and the last of the tension from Will's shitty class leaves his chest with a big sigh.

"We should do a movie night soon." El suggests, placing her notebook on the ground and laying down near Will, shimmying up the blanket to get close enough to rest her head against his upper arm, her sea-salt scent adding to the de-stress cloud he was falling under. "I think it would make you feel better. I also bought some new nail polish the other day, if you wanted to try some."

"Can you paint mine again too?" Mike asks, raising his fingernails to show off the chipped dark purple color.

El beams at him. "Of course. I can give everyone something fun. Maybe except you, Lucas. Basketball might not appreciate it. Maybe just some skincare?"

Lucas chuckles from his cross-legged position next to them. "I really don't care much about what the team thinks of me anymore, but yeah. No bright colors would be nice."

"Okay but what's our movie choice?" Dustin speaks up, now fully intrigued, book put down. "Should we go old fashioned, rent a physical something from the store? Or find something to pirate? Because a friend of mine in my chemistry class was recommending me-"

Will turns his face up toward the sky and lets out a big sigh of relief. Being around his pack and their familiar scents has already dispelled almost all of his discomfort from his earlier class. While his pack debates their movie-night choices, he feels a gentle tug on one of his locks of hair, causing him to open his eyes and tilt his head backwards. Mike is looking at him, black curls sticking out of his hat by his ears, with a small smile. He raises his eyebrow the slightest bit and tilts his head to the side. All good? his eyes ask.

Will gives him a small smile back in response. Perfect.

One of Will's small graces is the fact that he doesn't have any classes before 11am. He and his pack are certified night owls, except for El, and the act of having to shift his sleep schedule earlier his previous semesters had left him nothing less than sleep deprived. Will naturally tends to wake up some time between 9 and 9:30, giving him enough time to relax in their den and drink coffee with his sister or anyone else that might be up. Today, though, it's just him and El.

"Do you have your art history class today?" his sister asks, sipping on her coffee in the unicorn Lisa Frank mug Max had gotten her for her last birthday.

Will lets out a sigh and leans his head back on the couch cushions "Yes," he pouts. "The worst part is that I already took this class in high school. How was I supposed to know our AP credits wouldn't transfer over?"

El hums supportively. "You couldn't have." she says simply. She stands up and takes his empty mug from his hands, moving to round the coffee table and head towards the kitchen. "Don't forget to wake Mike up and borrow a shirt or something. You need to focus on getting a good grade, not an asshole who can't read the room."

Will's palms sweat a bit at the reminder. Right. He's supposed to wear Mike's clothes to class today. "He probably can't even read, period." he responds back.

He hears his sister's gentle laugh leave the room, the smell of ocean waves lingering in the path she took. "Probably not." she answers.

Will takes a look at the time and decides that she's right, it's time for him to get ready for class. He has his 11am history lecture, followed by a meeting with his academic advisor, followed by his allotted 2 hours of studio time. None of which he can be late for.

He stands and heads for his own room down the hall, puttering around and getting ready for the day. He checks the temperature outside on his phone, and after reading a slightly cool 45°, he decides to wear his own t-shirt with some blue jeans and asks Mike for a sweater or sweatshirt.

He gathers his things in his tote bag, a gift from Dustin (it has the Vitruvian man on it- a true mixture of both of their passions.) and walks out of his room to leave it on the couch. He pauses by the coffee table, looking over at the closed bedroom door on the other side of the living room. Mike is still undoubtedly asleep- him and Dustin by far have the most fucked up sleeping schedules out of all of them.

He approaches the door and gently gives it three knocks, moving towards the handle to slowly open it when he doesn't hear a response.

The door opens and he's smacked in the face with that scent. Wet wood and crunchy autumn leaves. Halloween nights spent trick-or-treating with numb fingers. Thunderstorm season. The library when it shuffles its genres around each spring.

He takes a second to pause and let his nose adjust. After standing there for 30 seconds undoubtedly looking like an idiot, he opens the door wide enough to step through and his eyes land on the person-shaped heap on the bed in the center of his room.

Everything about Mike has always screamed comfort to him. Equal parts Mike comforting those around him, and also himself. He has fairy lights hung around the edges of his bookshelves, giving the room a soft glow. Said bookshelves are stuffed to the brim not only with books of every genre (there are dividers every couple of sections to keep them organized, Will can spot El's doodles and glitter pens on the lettering from a mile away) but also with small pictures and trinkets that remind him of their pack. Mike himself, tucked into the blankets in his bed, can't sleep without hugging a pillow to his chest for comfort. His hair is wild and curling every which way, crazy enough that Will lets out an exasperated chuckle at the sight.

He walks further into the room and places his hand on Mike's exposed arm that's tucked over the pillow. "Mike," he raises gently, knowing it wouldn't take much to wake him up.

As expected, Mike's face frowns and he inhales deeply. Will gives his arm one more shake and he rolls over slightly onto his back, hand coming up to rub his eyes and move his hair out of his forehead. One brown eye opens to look at him standing by the bed.

"Will? Wa' swrong?" he slurs, voice deep unused. And, oh god. Will Byers might as well kill over now. He won't have to deal with his annoying classmates because he'll be here, dead on Mike Wheeler's bedroom floor.

He swallows and notes his dry mouth. "No, nothing's wrong. But I have to go to class now, is it still okay if I borrow a hoodie or something?"

Mike lets out a noise of understanding, and Will swears he can smell his scent flare for a moment, ever so slightly. "Yeah, yeah, o'course," he says, leaning to the side a bit to look around his room before pointing to his desk chair, where one of his forest green cable-knit sweaters lays over the spine. "I wore tha'one yesterday. S'okay?"

Will doesn't know how to handle sleepy, slurring Mike Wheeler when his coffee hasn't even begun to kick in yet. "Yeah, that's fine." He stands up straight and moves from the edge of the bed to grab the sweater and yank it over his own head, pulling it down and shaking out his hair to let it settle. It's a tad too big on him, so he tucks the front into his pants.

He nods and turns to leave only to find Mike's eyes already on him. He has a soft smile on his face, and his eyes are the color of warm chocolate. Will smiles back in question. "What? Looks bad?"

Mike sleepily furrows his brows, head already laying back down on his pillow, a disagreeing noise sounding certain, as if Will had personally offended him. "No, never." he responds, blinking over at Will as he rounds the bed. "Tell me how it goes, okay?"

Will sends him a reassuring smile before grabbing the doorknob. "For sure. Go back to sleep, you look exhausted."

Mike only hums back, and Will still feels his gaze following him even as he gently shuts the bedroom door closed again.

In hindsight, Will knew for certain that walking into his art history class wearing an alpha’s clothes was supposed to signal to the other alphas in the room hey, back the fuck off. What he didn’t consider, however, was his sweet but sharp-tongued beta friend who sat next to him in the third row, Katie. Who, after talking to her the first couple days in class, and finding out the knowledge that she was from Boston of all places, he should have known that his current choice of clothing would not go unnoticed.

The second he sets his bag on the floor and slides into his seat next to Katie, her eyes bug out and she leans into his personal space. “No way,” she gasps. “You’re being courted?”

He immediately waves his hand back and forth, shaking his head in denial. “No, no, no, nothing like that."

Katie looks side to side, as if there were other people watching and listening to their absurd conversation (there were none, not many college students were mentally present at any morning class, no matter the time). "Then please, do tell why you're wearing an alpha’s sweater. Which does look good on you, by the way. I’ll admit when I first saw you I thought you were just giving the new grandpa-chique look a try."

"It's my packmate's," he explains, tilting his head back exasperatingly. "He's letting me borrow some clothes so that those douchebags in the back row hopefully stop hitting on me." he says, gesturing behind him. He pauses for a second before looking down at the sweater and smoothing over the front. "Also he doesn't... always look like a grandpa, I promise. He just likes to be comfortable."

“Hoodies are comfortable too,” his friend points out, smiling at the eyes rolled in her direction. She hums while looking him up and down. "Are you two close?"

He nods. "Yeah, my pack lives together. We've all known each other since childhood." She makes an understanding sort of noise, putting her chin in her palm. Understanding of what, Will doesn't know. "What’s up?”

“And he’s just… lending you his clothes. Baked in his scent. Casually.”

“Um.” Will keeps his eyes on her knowing expression while he pulls his tablet and pencil case out onto their table. “Yes. To help me out. So I can hopefully survive this research paper.”

“And what if you get, I don’t know,” she tilts her head this way and that. “Attached?”

He tilts his head in confusion. "He's already in my pack. I am attached to him."

"No, no, I mean attached to his scent," she explains. "I'm not an omega, so obviously I don’t know what it’s like for you,” She huffs a breath through pouted cheeks to blow her bangs off her forehead. “But for me, my nesting and scenting instincts always get so intense when I have a romantic partner. It’s like I need their scent around me 24/7.”

Will tries not to be so obvious about his cheeks heating up. "Katie, we're not romantic partners." he points out.

"Yeah, I know, but you’re planning on having to do this for a while right? Our research paper isn’t due for like, a month.” He reluctantly nodded, not having truly thought about it that hard. “Right. I feel like that’s long enough that your inners might start to think otherwise." She raises her shoulders in a shrug at Will’s eyebrow raise. "They're instinctual. His scent is gonna be all over you, three days a week, maybe more. Scent claims mean courting, or at least signs to a possible mate." Will flushes again at the mentions of Mike being his mate. "I guess if it were me, my inner would immediately jump to those conclusions.”

Will thinks on her words for a second. True, Mike's scent has always been a sense of comfort for him growing up, and, objectively, it's a very lovely scent in general. But the smell of fresh leaves after it rains and paperback books would leave anyone feeling relieved, no?

“I mean, friends scent each other all the time, Kate,” he responds. “Especially my pack. We’re all pretty clingy. Max and El scent me literally all the time, which I’m sure you’ve noticed.” he points out.

Katie nods in agreement. “I’m sure. But they’re both other omegas, right? No, one’s a beta. Do any of the other alphas in your pack share their scent with you?”

Will feels a bit like he’s walking into a trap. He narrows his eyes. “No, Lucas and I aren’t really like that. Not to mention him and Max have been destined mates since we were like, fourteen.”

One of the doors to the side of the podium opens and their professor walks in, always punctual and early. "I think I'll be okay," he smiles at her. "We've been around each other's scents forever. It's normal. Thanks for worrying about me, though." He sighs and crosses his arms on the desk. "I'll pretty much do anything to get the idiots from this class off my ass.”

Katie raises an eyebrow and smirks. "Anything? Like telling this poor alpha who's giving you his clothes that you want to court him?"

Will stares petulantly at the front of the classroom as the professor sets up for their lecture. "I have no idea what you're talking about." he says. Katie chuckles under her breath.

Thursdays are, ironically, his days for meeting up with Mike for dinner or evening coffee. His studio block and Mike’s only class of the day end at the same time and spit them out around the same part of campus, so it’s always been convenient to grab food together. Usually, this weekly outing is something he shows up to happy and content, always looking forward to having a relaxing evening with his packmate at the end of a busy day.

This Thursday, however, is different. He suspects that the aftermath of his art history class is going to become a trend he is fully unwillingly participating in. First off, his choice in clothing only seemed to piss off his intolerable research partner in his morning lecture. Which, in turn, pissed Will off, because what the fuck. His peer spent their entire class wrinkling his nose up at Will’s scent any time a draft blew his way, and eventually, left his disgusting scent on Will’s shoulder under the lie that there was fluff that needed to be picked away from his sweater. Mike’s sweater. Their lecture ended before Will could properly say anything and assert some boundaries, or even remind him of common courtesy, but Will is sure the entire class could smell pissed off omega from anywhere in the room. He hopes the message got across.

He then had to talk to his academic advisor, who only reiterated to him that this stupid class was indeed a necessity for him to graduate and that there was no other times in his schedule in future semesters to push it to. He left that meeting with a sour taste in his mouth, only to spend his entire studio class huffing and puffing over the lingering smell on his shoulder. He tried to cover it up with his own linen and bergamot scent, but it wouldn’t work. He took to keeping Mike’s sweater on the whole period to try and somewhat offset the scent, which meant he had to wear a smock to keep paint off of it, which made him hot. Which means he couldn’t focus.

And now he was upset. He didn’t want to meet up with Mike in a terrible mood, but the clouds just wouldn’t go away. His sensitivity to scents was fucking with his ability to think straight, and the only saving grace of the day was the knowledge that he was currently getting closer and closer to a safe person who could hopefully take the ick away.

He rounds the corner of the fountain that sits in the center of the east square and sees Mike sitting at one of the round tables stationed outside of the library, where the coffeeshop was. He sees Mike’s baggy striped long sleeved t-shirt and slightly distressed jeans and all the tension from his shoulders just seemed to melt. He probably took a shower after Will left that morning; his hair was curling cutely across his forehead.

Mike looks up from his phone, seemingly sensing his approach. A smile is on his face instinctually, but once he gets a better look at his friend, he stands up with his brows furrowed.

“Hey, hey,” he says in a soothing voice, reaching out to grab Will’s elbows when he gets close enough. “Everything okay?”

Will throws his head back and lets out a loud and dramatic groan. He then tilts his head forward and lets it thump against Mike’s chest in defeat.

Mike makes some sort of chuffing sound, caught between laughing at his misery or comforting him. “Was your day that bad?”

Will lets out another groan. “Just stressful,” he replies. He thumps his head against Mike’s chest a couple more times to further dramatize his point. “I hate people. I hate talking to people. Just- some people. Not everyone.”

“Right,” Mike says, rubbing his hands up and down on Will’s arms in a soothing manner. “Makes sense.”

He feels rather than sees the moment Mike notices the foreign scent lingering on him, a small but noticeable flinch making his spine stand up straighter. Will lifts his head to see Mike’s face, and he mostly gets to see the furrowed brows of frustrated confusion on his friend’s face before he moves in closer and sniffs Will’s shoulder where his classmate touched him that morning.

“Yeah,” Will says exasperatedly. “Don’t get mad, but I think this alpha will pick a fight with anyone at this point.” Mike’s frown continues to grow from frustration to annoyance.

“Another alpha tried to cover up my scent that I left with you. Kind of hard to not be mad about that.” he lets out a frustrated sigh. “And this was supposed to give you some comfort, too. I’m sorry.”

Will shakes his head, ready to try and dispel his friend's frustration, even though he can still feel his own. “I know, but it’s okay.”

Mike steps an inch closer, letting out a huff. “I can get rid of it for you?”

Will almost melts in relief. “Please.”

Mike makes a comforting sound and pulls Will in for a hug, guiding his head to fit into the nook of his neck and shoulder. His arms lock around him, sturdy and strong, and Will lets all of his stress leave his mind and body for a moment. Regardless of his strong affections for the alpha, physical closeness from his friends and pack have always been the key to fixing any emotional problem Will might’ve ever had.

Mike rubs his cheek on Will’s hair, both comforting him and leaving his woodsy scent on him. He releases a small rumble, a noise that alphas make to soothe, and moves down to his shoulder where his classmate had left his scent earlier. He rubs with his cheek to his gland near his pulse-point under his jaw, keeping a steady motion and rubbing the scent that Will loves so much into his sweater, back where it belongs.

And god does Will love it. Scenting has always been a big weakness of his, and he should’ve foretold that asking to wear Mike’s clothes, which are always covered in his scent, would turn him into an absolute puddle of goo. He feels his muscles release the tension, and he almost feels like if Mike’s solid body wasn’t holding him, he would fall down and merge with the soil. Mike continues until he is absolutely soaked, barely being able to smell himself under the recent scent marking and the sweater that isn’t his.

Wil didn’t realize that he had closed his eyes in bliss until Mike reset his head, resting his cheek back on Will’s hair, letting out a relaxed sigh around the rumbles that Will can still barely hear being in such close proximity to his chest. They stand there for another moment, just soaking up the comfort they both can offer, before Mike gives him a final squeeze and lets his head detach from the crook in his neck. Mike pulls back and gives him a smile, eyes bouncing around Will’s face where his pupils are no doubt larger and eyelids drooping in relaxation. He almost feels like he could take a nap. “Okay then,” he starts. “Why don’t we go into the shop, we get you a tea that’ll help calm your nerves, and then we hope that the bay window is open and you can show me what you got done in the studio today.”

Will could kiss him on the mouth. He won’t, but. It’s the thought that counts. “Your treat?” he asks. Mike laughs and gives his elbows one last squeeze before stepping away to grab his bag from the chair. Will mourns the loss of contact immediately.

Mike hauls his bag over one shoulder and motions to the library for them to get going. The student-run cafe is off to the side of one of the library’s wings, and is a regular hotspot for students at any time of the day. Mike and Will have a regular spot they like to sit at, this converted bay-window with comfy pillows and a small table for their cups to sit.

When they enter through the double doors and see their spot is available, Mike nudges his shoulder forward. “You go ahead, I’ll order for us.” Will gives him an exhausted smile as he moves over to the window, letting his art bag fall over his shoulder and sitting down to get comfortable. He leans his head on the chilly window and takes a deep breath, enjoying the smell of coffee and whipped cream. The library has always been one of his favorite places. Namely because it smells eerily similar to someone he really adores.

Mike comes over holding two to-go cups in his hand, both with his name written on the side. He shuffles some and hands Will one of the cups. “It’s just a decaf herbal tea. I asked them to put honey in it for you though.” he says. In his other hand he has something undoubtedly caffeinated, if the smell of espresso is anything to go by.

Will smiles as he goes to take the warm cup from him. “Thank you.” Mike nods, satisfied, before letting his own bag fall to the floor and sitting down close enough to Will that their legs touch. Will, by some grace of god or maybe exhaustion from stress and a long day and a thorough scenting outside the shop, decides to take advantage of the close proximity and lean his torso over so he can rest his head on Mike’s shoulder.

Mike pauses for just a second, enough for doubt to creep up into Will’s mind, but he quickly relaxes and leans more into Will’s personal space. They’ve never been cuddlers much, the two of them, but something deep inside Will, some piece of him feeling vulnerable and wanting physical touch from This person Specifically, has decided that this is okay. He wants to soak it up while Mike is willing to give it to him.

They sit in silence for a little bit, just people watching and intermittently taking sips of their drinks. They watch a date possibly go wrong three tables down from them. A professor leaving for the day and cussing someone out on the phone. A guy leaning over the counter and talking to a barista, who keeps smiling and laughing loudly, clearly amused and familiar with the interaction.

At one point when he’s sure he’s drifted off, he feels Mike’s cheek begin to rub back and forth gently onto his hair where they connect. It’s small, not over the top; a quiet gesture of scenting him out of content and relaxation.

Will realizes he can’t get enough of it. He also realizes, belatedly, that the floodgates may have opened the second he pulled Mike’s sweater over his head that morning.

As the days go by and Will keeps going to class wearing Mike’s clothing, Katie’s words echo in his brain a number of times.

And what if you get, I don’t know, attached to his scent?

At first Will thought that was silly. He’s already a pretty scent-based person. His whole pack knows this. How could he get more attached then he already was?

He laughs thinking about it now. Because he can feel it. His inner (him?) growing attached.

It’s not his fault that Mike’s scent is just so good. Trees after it rains has always been one of his favorite things in the world, and on a campus full of young pompous assholes whose scents practically assault his nose in any close proximity because they can’t stop posturing, Mike’s mellow and clear scent is genuinely like a breath of fresh air. It attests to his gentle, solid personality. Not overbearing, but just right. Not to mention, after they started this arrangement, Mike has been more physically affectionate with him than ever. He finds little ways to leave his scent on him whenever they part ways- ruffling his hair or nuzzling his head when they hug, or even one time rubbing his wrist on Will’s neck. Will thought he was going to melt into the ground at that. He likes it so much he barely suppresses the urge to roll around in his scent like his instincts so desperately crave.

Except for the one day, in his haste, he doesn’t.

That morning he had somehow slept through his alarm, waking up instead to El opening his door and telling him he was going to be late. He throws his covers over his head and dresses in the simplest outfit he can manage while freshly awoken, which ends up being a plain t-shirt and a pair of tan sweatpants. He throws the necessary items in his art bag, brushes his teeth the fastest he thinks he ever has, and launches himself out of his bedroom. He sets his bag down on the way to the living room, passing El on the couch as he heads to the room across the way.

He barges into Mike’s room with the grace of a small dog, not reacting to Mike’s head popping up at his loud entrance. He makes a beeline straight to Mike’s closet, just like he has many other days this week and last.

“Will?” he hears Mike sleepily call while he looks through his packmate’s hoodie collection. It seems though, in a disappointing turn of events, that Mike seems to have done laundry while Will was in class yesterday, all of the hoodies hanging up in the closet smelling like detergent and not as much like Mike. Will fights a groan and slips on the comfiest looking one, a deep maroon color, and turns to walk out of Mike’s closet.

Said alpha is rubbing his eyes awake on his back laying in the center of his bed. He smiles and waves at Will when he reemerges, and something about the way his curly hair is defying gravity and his blankets puffing up around him like a big cloud and the fact that Will hasn’t been scented in over 48 hours and honestly was feeling deprived, causes Will to abandon all subtlety in his rushed state and take a slight running jump right into Mike’s bed.

He lands right next to the alpha but practically on top of him on the comforter. Mike makes a surprised squawk and then a loud laugh, immediately and maybe instinctually wrapping his arms around Will where he’s curled into Mike’s side with his arms held close to his chest, shimmying his way up to tucking his face into the crook of Mike’s neck hastily.

“Oh my god, give me one sec,” Mike says, still laughing at his behavior. “You’re smothering me.”

Will makes an unbothered sound, not trusting his voice not to shake in slight embarrassment, and starts to rub his face into Mike’s neck and hair to grab some of the scent he was missing.

Mike laughs again at the motion, and only a few seconds in does Will feel hands on his waist, and then they’re both rolling over to the side of the bed closer to the door, Will on his back, arms hovering in the air in the transition, and Mike now being the one to half-lay on him, hugging his arms tightly around his waist.

Will lets out a whine at the feeling of Mike’s body weight on his accidentally, but his friend doesn’t seem to mind, simply letting out a soothing rumble out of his chest in response, letting his head creep up to Will’s neck this time and mirror the scenting motions Will himself was trying to accomplish moments before.

Mike lets out a satisfied chuffing sound as Will absolutely melts into the bed, all embarrassment leaving his brain as the mix of rain and bergamot fill the air when their scents mingle together. Mike rubs his face into the crevice of Will’s neck and shoulder, adding himself back into Will’s clothes and skin so that a part of him is carried along wherever he goes for the day.

Will’s eyes close in bliss and Mike lets out a big sigh, only stopping his motions when Will is thoroughly covered in the smell of paperback and mist. He lets his full weight lay on his packmate, and Will lets out a small huff of laughter in response.

He pokes Mike’s cheek as he looks down and sees his friend with his eyes closed. “Mike.” he says, earning no response other than a crinkle of his nose. “Mike.” he says again with a smile, laughing when the alpha turns his head back into his neck, away from Will’s fingers. “You can’t fall back asleep. I’m already running late.”

“That’s not my fault,” the raven-haired alpha says, his voice muffled by Will’s (Mike’s) sweatshirt. “No school. Don’t go. Snow day,” he says.

Will laughs incredulously. “A snow day in October?”

“Yes,” Mike says, not moving an inch. Will tries to move his legs out from under him, but has little success.

“Will!” he hears El call for him out in the living room, her voice getting louder as she gets closer. “Are you in here? You’re going to be late.” She pushes open Mike’s cracked door and peeks her head in, immediately setting her sights on the current trap Will has been snared in.

She immediately snorts when he meets Will’s blank stare. “Will, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but there seems to be an alpha trapping you in his den.”

Will’s eyes go wide and he lifts his hands to gesture to their packmate. “What? No way. I didn’t even notice, El.”

His sister laughs. “Mike, unfortunately, you’ll have to give up your heated blanket.”

Mike only lets out a whine and burrows deeper. Will gives El an exasperated look. “Help me.”

El lifts her eyebrow in mischief. “Not my fault you entered the lion's den.”

Will’s huff follows her out the door. Will wiggles his way to the side of the bed, and then after a moment of silence, he jabs his fingers into Mike’s sides. The alpha squawks and rolls away from him into the protection of his comforter, and it gives Will the chance to slip away and out of the bed with a loud laugh. He walks to the door and turns to look back at his friend before he leaves, smiling wide at the pout on his face. “See you for movie night?” he says.

Mike just sticks his tongue out at him and pulls the sheets over his head childishly. Will laughs again and runs out to where he left his art bag near the kitchen, stopping by El at the sink to give his sister a peck on the cheek.

Before he steps out the door of their den he hears his sister say in amusement, “Nice cologne, by the way.”

He pauses to give his sister a small glare, aware of who he absolutely reeks of now. “Shut up.”

Pack movie night is a long standing tradition created by Will and Max. Well, actually, it started when it was just him, Mike, Dustin and Lucas, back when they would curl up in someone’s living room in sleeping bags in elementary school and tell scary stories with flashlights until early morning. But ever since they added Max and El and their pack became official, sacred bonds and all, movie nights have been one of the ways that their pack omegas have kept everyone together and comfortable. Sometimes he and Max have their own movie nights, nesting included and all, but it’s always been better with the whole pack filling their living room.

It’s nearing the end of October, prime autumn time for the North East, and so their theme of the night is cozy seasonal movies. They contemplated going with horror or spooky, but decided on something more relaxed, giving them all a chance to wind down from their busy week. The first Hocus Pocus was already halfway done, with Practical Magic and Little Women up next in the queue. Him and Max put their all into the setup- they have a snack board full of cheese and crackers and fruit on the coffee table, everyone has been set up with their favorite flavor of cozy drink, and most of the pack’s collection of blankets and throw pillows have been spread over the couches and under the butts of the people on the floor. The fairy lights are all that are turned on, Dustin always vehemently denying any use of the “big lights” past 5pm, but especially at pack movie nights.

Will is at the end of one of their couches, tucked into Mike’s side after the alpha had draped his arm over the back of the couch to rest behind Will’s head, easy as breathing. His sister is sat on the floor on a mound of pillows, leaning back against his legs as he runs his fingers through her long hair, adding little braids in random places. Dustin is splayed out on top of one of the sleeping bags they still own, propped up on his own mound of pillows as he quietly sings along to the songs in the movie. Lucas and Max have taken over the loveseat, Max laying in her mate's lap and Lucas also playing with her long red hair, similar to how Will is playing with El’s. It’s comfortable, and Will feels like a haze has washed over his brain as his pack bonds glow with warmth, a clear signal that all of them are equally happy and content.

It would be 100% perfect, if not for one thing; the itch that has begun to make its way under his skin ever since he and Mike had settled on the couch.

The itch began when he was in his studio block, a gentle thrum under his skin that he thought was just tiredness or lack of sleep. It went away as he and Max prepared the living room, causing him to realize that it was his nesting instinct rearing its head. But he gave into it, letting it guide him into placing the blankets in the correct areas, and collabing with Max to put pillows in the areas where they would sit just right. He grew up in a family of betas, and never knew the satisfaction of building a nest with a fellow omega until he and Max joined their pack. It was one of his favorite things to do with his friend and packmate, and usually it left him feeling completely overjoyed and content with his instincts in the aftermath.

However the itch was coming back, and using El’s hair as a distraction was no longer working. He pulled the green knitted blanket that was wrapped around him tighter, twisting his arms in different positions to try and lay them right. When that didn’t work he tried fluffing up the pillows in between him and the arm rest. That didn’t work either. He looks sideways and his eyes land on the fluffy brown blanket resting on the other end of the couch near the loveseat, and he wiggles a bit. He wants that blanket, but he doesn’t want to move an inch from the place he created tucked between the pillows and Mike.

Lucas seems to notice his fidgeting out of the corner of his eye, and lets out a chuff as he reaches over for the brown blanket and holds it out for Mike to take. Mike immediately reaches his hand out to receive it without taking his eyes off the movie, passing it to Will in a second. Will blinks as his vision is suddenly filled with the fluff of the blanket, but he doesn’t complain as his instincts immediately get to work positioning it around himself. As it so happens, since he and Mike are sitting next to each other, barely an inch of space apart, he is also included in his instinctual bubble of sorts. Will spends a little bit rearranging the blanket over his and Mike’s legs, even going as far as to reach over his lap to tuck it into his packmate’s other side, moving the pillows on that side of him as well.

Mike stays perfectly still during this entire exchange, but Will can smell the satisfaction on him, completely happy with letting the omega do whatever he needs to do to feel comfortable. Once Will gets the blankets in the perfect place, he looks around for some smaller pillows to add, and the second he seems to start looking, two arms appear in his vision from the floor, both Dustin and El handing him a small couch pillow from their stacks without saying a single word. Will smiles and accepts both gifts, giving to his instincts last cry and bringing them up to rub his jaw on them, scenting them one at a time. He places one pillow in Mike’s lap, and keeps the other one in his own lap for himself, finally settling with a sigh as the itch under his skin fades.

After he settles, his mind finally leaving his omega headspace and placing him back in the living room, he realizes that his whole pack but Mike is stealing glances at him. He looks at all of them with wide eyes as he sees their knowing, gentle smiles, and he freezes as he realizes what he’s been doing for the past five minutes. The blankets surround him and the alpha sitting next him in a ring-shape, pillows filling out the empty space for maximum comfort. Oh god, he thinks. He’d just made him and Mike their own nest. Right in front of their entire pack to watch. In their communal living space.

He sinks down in mortification, but pauses when he feels the light sensation of fingertips trailing over his shoulder and hears the tell-tale sound of an alpha’s rumble coming from deep in Mike’s chest. The sound was a quiet one, but was only made when alphas were completely and utterly at peace. It was enough to make him melt, forgetting about the embarrassment, falling further into their nest and resting his head against Mike’s shoulder. The alphas' happy rumbling gets louder for a second, and he keeps running his fingers in a comforting gesture along Will’s arm. As El leans back against his legs again, wordlessly offering her hair up for play again, barely even reacting at the exchange between her brother and their packmate other than a gentle smile fixed on her face, Will thinks that maybe this is where he’s supposed to be all the time. Maybe the direction they’ve steadily been going the past few weeks is exactly what needs to happen, and that maybe, this happiness will just continue.

Actually, no. Will should know better than to test his luck.

His first ailment was foretold through his previous experiences with his itch. He realized only a couple days after their movie night that the itch was actually his first symptom pointing to him entering into pre-heat. Of course. And as the days went on it was joined by his other symptoms like headaches and fatigue. Thankfully his heats aren’t that bad compared to some other omegas he knows, but it doesn’t mean he looks forward to feeling like a slug for an entire week and a half as his body prepares itself to be in heat-haze for three days straight. Thankfully, if his cycle stays on schedule, his heat should hit on a Friday, meaning he only has to take a long weekend off and won’t have to miss much school. Having his cycle hit this close to exam prep is seriously the worst.

Scratch that. The worst is when his pre-heat symptoms hit all at once, and he trudges his way into his art history class feeling almost hungover. It’s not uncommon on their campus for omegas to still attend classes even in pre-heat, and so mercifully, most of his classmates ignore the smell lingering on him and leave him to his own devices, even if his professor does give him a small look and eyebrow raise, as if to ask everything okay? which Will responds with a nod and a thumbs up from his seat.

He says most, because as he gathers his belongings and makes his way out of the lecture hall, his arm is grabbed and he’s pulled to a stop by his research partner, David. He almost groans out loud, coming to a stop in front of one of the alphas that has made his entire experience in this class a nightmare.

“Hey, sorry to stop you,” he says, a snake-like smile ever present on his face. Will hates the way this man looks at him. Like he’s looking at the display case of a jewelry shop.

“Not to be rude, but do you need something?” Will asks, staring in disdain at the grip on his arm, thinking about the scent of tar that will no doubt be left on it later.

David’s eyebrow twitches a bit at the tone in Will’s voice. “Well, I couldn’t help but notice your scent change today. Which smells amazing, by the way.” He takes a step closer, and Will belatedly realizes that they’re the last two in the hall, and his back is to the wall. “You always smell amazing. And I wanted to offer up my services. See if you were game for a little action.”

Will curls back in disgust, his back hitting the wall. Shit. “Absolutely not. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I’m not available for your services. Nor am I interested.”

The alpha scoffs, his scent growing stronger in frustration. “Oh please. That weak pansy scent that’s always all over you? Give me a break. I could do so much better than that. You’d smell delicious,” Will’s entire body shivers as the alpha moves his hands from around his wrist to run them up Will’s shoulders and to cradle the sides of his neck, leaving a trail of his scent on his shirt. “Covered in my scent instead.”

Will’s fight or flight kicks in, vision going red at the insults thrown at his alpha, and he raises his boot to throw the meanest stomp onto David’s toes through his thin chucks as he can. The alpha howls and flinches backwards, hopping on one foot.

“You keep my alpha out of your disgusting mouth,” Will seethes, breath coming out in angry huffs. He takes another chance and shoves at his classmates shoulders, sending him sprawling out on the floor. He stands over him menacingly. “If I see you again, I’ll cut your own dick off and shove it down your throat. Stay the fuck away from me and what’s mine.”

He grabs his bag and sprints out of the humanities building. He’s huffing out breaths too quickly as he weaves through students, and his skin is burning. God, he wants to claw the top layer off. His inner is howling in disgust, only now realizing that he didn’t stop by Mike’s room to grab an outer layer today with the warmer temperatures. He has no barrier from himself and the scent of burning plastic and pavement placed on his shirt and neck, and his breaths continue to come out almost panicked as he fixates on it more and more.

He gets to his apartment building in record time, flying up the stairs and slamming the front door to the den open. The loud bang alerts his pack members that are home, Lucas and Dustin immediately sitting up straight on the couches in the living room.

Will slams the door back shut and throws his bag onto the ground, walking towards the inner den, breaths labored, giving into his instincts and clawing off his long sleeved t-shirt, throwing it to the side and rubbing his own wrists over his bare arms and up to his neck, a sound like a sob coming out of his throat as his breath continues to get caught.

In an instant his pack members are flying up to meet him, arms outstretched as if to hug him, or catch him if he falls. “Woah, woah, Will, what’s wrong?” Lucas grabs the sides of his arms and steadies him, eyes flying around his face in concern. Dustin reaches out as well and puts a hand on his spine, the weight comforting in Will’s distress.

“Okay, it’s okay, just take deep breaths,” Dustin says soothingly, releasing more of his scent to hopefully help calm him down. The smell of tree bark and ink fills his lungs as he tries to take a deep breath with Dustin demonstrating to him, his other hand clutching one of Will’s and joining it on his bare chest, encouraging his lungs to expand. They repeat this process a couple times, both his packmates surrounding him and giving him words of comfort, it’s okay, you’re doing great, you’re at home, good job Will, entering his ears through the haze.

The door to one of the rooms opens quickly, and Max flies out of it with her headphones pushed down around her neck, obviously having smelt the panic in the air and distressed omega now wafting through the apartment. At the sight of Will her face crumbles, reaching him in only a couple steps and pulling him straight into her arms. Will lets out a loud distressed whine, and she shushes him while petting his hair and running her hands up and down his back. Lucas and Dustin do the same, comforting him in the way they know is best.

“Hey, Will, it’s okay,” Max says. “What happened? Did he do something to you? Do we have to kill him?”

Will shakes his head and buries his face in her neck, craving the coffee scent of his packmate. “He- nothing bad, technically,” he gets out, voice thick with tears that refuse to shed. “But he cornered me, and left his stench on me, and I can’t smell myself anymore, and I almost broke his toes, but I smell horrible and I hate it-” he gasps out, working himself up further.

His pack lets out noises of upset at his words and they surround him, the boys adding their arms to the hug as a protective circle. They start to rub their faces on him, transferring as much scent of pack as they could without everyone actually present. It calms him down enough to stop hyperventilating, leaving him shaking in the center of their circle. After a couple more moments of soothing, Max gives him a big squeeze and separates from him, if only a little bit, to look at his face and upper body and make sure he’s physically okay. She cups the side of his face and forces him to look her in the eyes. “Do you need anything? That we can get you? How about some tea, and a hot shower?” she asks. Then an idea flies into her mind. “Do you want us to call Mike home?”

At the mention of the alpha his body almost bows forward, another upsetting keen leaving his throat. He squeezes his eyes shut to keep the tears in and nods his head over and over again, his pack members resuming their soothing rubs on his back at his reaction. He looks over at the cracked door to the alphas room, a strong sense of yearning overtaking him.

“Can I- I need to-” he says, taking a step towards the door. His pack nods at him and Dustin ushers him towards the room, hand on his lower back in support. He can dimly see Lucas pulling out his phone to make a phone call in his peripheral vision, but it all soon fades away as he enters Mike’s room and is hit in the face with the scent he’s been craving, no, desperately seeking ever since he left the lecture hall. He wraps his arms around himself and lets out a dry sob, the tears still refusing to come. He leaves Dustin’s side and makes his way to the bed, laying down in the center and curling up in a protective ball instantly, the strong scent on the sheets and covers making him want to burrow deep inside, never to come out again.

Once he takes a few gulps of Mike’s scent, he starts to calm a bit more and his mind starts to clear. He realizes, for a second, that he feels so silly. He must be closer to his heat than he thought if a stranger’s scent on him was affecting him this much. He feels like he’s been burned, his instincts roaring inside him to replace the stench on him with something else.

But he also thinks that David is fucking dick. And that he’ll make sure of his promise the next time he sees him, if his pack doesn’t see him first and do worse things.

He lays in Mike’s bed for a while, feeling not right in his skin. His inner is longing for more than just the lingering scent of the alpha on his sheets, and he feels restless at the thought of his friend not being home or in the den.

As if on que, his ears perk up at the sound of the front door opening, keys jingling and a bag being dumped on the ground, voices talking through the walls. Seconds later Mike appears in the doorway, hair swept everywhere and face flushed like he ran home. The second his eyes land on Will the omega lets out a loud keening noise, which he belatedly realizes is a sound omegas only make when they’re calling their mates in distress. The sound causes Mike to spring into action, throwing his sweatshirt off and throwing himself on top of Will onto the mattress.

“Jesus Christ," the alpha says, reaching for Will and cupping the back of his head, guiding him into the crook of his neck. “It’s okay, you’re okay, I’m sorry”

Will just claws at Mike’s t-shirt, pulling him closer and closer. He inhales Mike’s scent from his neck and finally, after what feels like forever, lets the dam holding his tears back break.

Mike shushes him through it all, holding onto him tightly, his body acting as a grounding weight as the tears start to soak through Mike’s t-shirt and roll down Will’s face into the pillows. The alpha makes a sad noise as he notices, and he pulls back only to prop himself up on his elbows and grab Will’s face with both his hands, wiping the tears away from under his eyes. He makes a chuff and moves his hands to pull this head towards his slightly, pushing his forehead into Will’s cheek in a soothing manner, before nuzzling his nose into his cheek as well, finally leaving a kiss on the skin, to Will’s surprise. His fingers claw deeper into Mike’s shirt, and the alpha takes this as a sign to move down to his scent gland, angling his own neck to place his own next to the omegas and begin to rub. Will exhales in relief, the alpha nuzzling and rubbing and scenting him urgently, as if to drown out the stress in his scent for his own.

Mike is relentless, switching from both sides and also leaving his scent in his hair. It’s the most thorough scenting Mike has ever given him, and definitely the most intimate. Every time their scent glands brush each other a wave of warmth washes over Will, and the whines he lets out get softer and more relaxed as the alpha continues. Eventually, under Mike’s tender care, Will is able to lie limp in the sheets, wrapped in a bubble of rainy leaves and bliss.

Mike lifts his head again, looking down at Will with warm eyes. He raises his palm to brush Will’s hair back, cupping his forehead. His eyes are bouncing back and forth between Will’s own, and he can tell that there’s a question in his mind. Will hums, beckoning him to voice it.

“Your heat is coming soon?” Mike asks gently. Will’s eyes furrow in confusion, but he nods. Mike hums and runs his fingers through his fringe. “Your eyes are turning blue.” he explains.

Will closes his eyes and makes an understanding sound, and Mike nudges his cheek with his forehead again, in case pointing it out was the wrong move. “Yeah,” Will responds with a sigh. “I think I went into pre-heat a couple days ago.”

Mike hums sympathetically. “It’s progressed a little quickly, don’t you think?”

Will made a noise in agreement. He had already been thinking about this, before today’s… events. Katie’s warning had been playing in his mind on loop, and he quickly realized it felt more like a foretelling. Because he was attached to Mike. Not just his scent, but his presence, his voice, his everything. The little crush he had been harboring on the alpha for years solidified, and his inner had made a decision. Mike was his.

He thinks this, realization, combined with an increase in his and Mike’s physical relationship, had led to this connection forming. His inner has claimed Mike as his mate, as if they had been courting this entire time, just like Katie had predicted would happen. Based on Mike’s interactions with him and the role he’s more than willingly taken on in the dynamic they’ve landed in, Will has some pretty positive proof that things will go well for him. But based on the fact that his heat is merely days away, he has to be absolutely sure.

He nudges Mike’s face from his neck, holding his cheeks in his hands. They take a moment to just look at each other. Will doesn’t doubt that he probably looks like an absolute mess, and Mike’s hair is going every which way from his run home and from his nuzzling, but Will thinks he’s never looked better.

“I have to tell you something.” Will starts. Mike hums and shifts himself slightly, lifting himself back up on his elbows to look down at Will, giving him his full attention. The position is so intimate, but Will has to be brave.

“I think all the scent marking we’ve been doing,” Mike’s eyes are zeroed in on him. “Has. um. Encouraged my inner.”

Mike nods and tilts his head a little to the side. “Encouraged it how?”

Will gulps. Here goes nothing. “Well,” he starts. “I’ve always been really- attached to you, since we were kids. I’ve always-” he takes another deep breath and looks Mike dead in the eyes. “Always really liked you.”

Mike inhales at his words, and his eyelids droop into a hooded gaze. Rain fills the room even more, if thats possible, and Will's anxiety is slightly relieved at the seemingly positive reaction. He sometimes would wonder, what he would say if he ever confessed to Mike, what kind of grand gesture or fancy phrases he could make up to make the moment worth it. He didn't really realize that sometimes being simple and as honest as possible was the easiest way to go. Will continues on before his bravery runs out. “So, when we started exchanging scents, I think my inner attached itself to your scent- to you, really quickly. Because it knew what I wanted.”

Mikes gaze hasn't left his at all, and the attention was flustering. He pauses for a moment before filling in the gaps. “Which was me?” he asks.

Will nodded. “Which was you.”

Mike leans his face into Will’s palms, seemingly enjoying the attention of his thumbs absentmindedly stroking his cheeks. “Why didn’t you ever say anything?”

And isn’t that the question, Will thinks. “Well,” he says. “For one, I love our pack. So much. And I was nervous for a long time that we would somehow tip the balance, or make things different between everyone. I liked what we had.”

Mike nods, following along. “Me too.”

Will smiles. “And, most importantly, you were always there.” Always there. Somewhere near, always giving him joy and comfort and love, in some shape or form. “You never went far. It’s not like I was lonely, or sad. We were always still together, and I didn’t necessarily need anything more.”

Mike smiles at his words. The warmth in his eyes grows. “And now?”

He takes a deep breath. “Now my inner has claimed you as mine,” he says, the words rushing out. Mike lowers himself closer at that, the circles around his pupils beginning to slowly bleed into a deep, deep red. Oh, Will thinks, he feels the same. “And it all just kind of… clicked.”

“I’ve felt the same.” Mike responds, and Will’s heart clenches with the confirmation. “I’ve always loved you, as a friend or more, and you’ve always been part of what my inner considers mine. It’s changed and grown to fit our lives over the years but, yeah. I guess when we started scenting each other properly, our inners decided for us.”

Will chuckled, his thumbs continuing their path on Mike’s face. “Kind of crazy of them to decide, if I’m honest.”

Mike laughs, a big smile on his face. “Yeah, definitely kind of crazy.”

Will looks down at their position, they way they’re laying, faces so close, and the other problem in his mind rears its head. “So the other thing I needed to say,” he says, looking back up at the mixture of red and brown in his packmate’s eyes. “Is that my inner-” he swallows thickly. “I, have claimed you as ours, and my heat is hitting soon, probably this weekend.” His brows furrow in concern and Mike leans closer to listen. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to spend it without you now that I’ve acknowledged our attachment.”

And oh, at that confession, Mike’s eyes blow out into complete blood-red irises. A quiet rumble starts from his chest, a sound that Will has gotten used to now, which means that the alpha is satisfied. “So what are you trying to say?” he asks.

Will has to avoid this gaze this time. His thumbs stop moving in their circles in his hesitation, and Mike has to nudge the side of his face to get him to look back up. “I don’t know if it’s inappropriate to ask.”

“It’s not.” Mike says almost immediately.

“It’s not?” Will confirms, doubt still heavy on his tongue. Mike leans down and nudges his cheek with his nose, the rumbling sound growing louder.

“Tell me what you need.” he says.

And Will has to close his eyes at that one. He’s entirely too worked up from today’s events, and entirely too close to his heat now, but what else can he do. “Will you spend my heat with me?”

Mike's rumbles get so loud it’s almost close to purring, and he nuzzles his nose into Will’s face, smile stretching wide. “Yes. Of course I will.”

All of the air in Will’s lungs leaves him in a big sigh of relief, and he wraps his arms around the alpha in glee. He can feel their happy scents mix in the air, filling the room with content.

“I just have one request,” Mike says, lifting his head against Will’s arms to stare back down at him again. “May I please court you? After your heat is over?”

Will’s face immediately erupts in red, a blush taking over his cheeks and neck. Mike smiles down at him, absolutely smitten. “You want to?” he asks.

The alpha nods, leaning down to rest their foreheads together, nose rubbing against Will’s own. “I want to treat you right.” He says simply.

And Will all but melts. Here is his best friend, his packmate, his alpha, lying above him, promising to care for him and give him all the things he’s always longed for. Will doesn’t care that they’ve waited for so long. He thinks that somewhere deep down he always knew this would happen, that they were always meant to be together in some way. But he’s so eternally happy that an annoying circumstance was able to push them together into something more.

There’s nothing he can even think to do than lean up and kiss him.

The second their lips meet Mike’s happy rumbles are coming back to life. Will wraps his elbows tightly around his neck, and he can feel Mike’s hands fall to wrap around his waist, sneaking between his back and the bed. Their lips move together in one peck, two, then they slide together in a dance they both knew by heart, not needing to be taught the steps. Back and forth, push and pull, and Will is so happy he could burst. He’s covered head to toe in Mike, both literally and baked in his scent, and without his permission, little high pitched keens start releasing from his throat. An omega sound, similar to the one Mike keeps making to him, but a rarer sight. He’s a little embarrassed at first, but that is quickly swept away at the introduction of Mike’s tongue in his mouth, first swiping at his bottom lip and then curling inside, intertwining with his own. One of Will’s hands moves to tangle in Mike’s curly dark hair, and the alpha separates their lips with a slick sound, huffing. He moves to place a sweet kiss to Will’s cheek, then to the underside of his jaw, and then he places multiple fairy-like kisses across his neck and where it meets his shoulder, causing Will to giggle at the ticklish feeling. He can feel Mike’s smile grow wide, and he brings him back up to meet his lips again.

And maybe alphas and omegas aren’t meant to be as close as they are. Maybe they’re not meant to swap scents and wear each other's clothes, like Katie was warning him about. But he knows now that he doesn’t care. Mike has always been his, in whatever way he was able to be, and he’s always been Mike’s in return. And laying here, in his alphas bed, tangled up in his sheets, he can’t help but think this was where he was supposed to be all along.