Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Being an omega had never really affected John, not the way it seemed to affect everyone else. For one, no one had ever tried courting him, back when he was a cripple people were only interested in beating him, some people had tried taking it forcefully but he didn’t need an ability to beat those sorry excuses for alphas. 

After he had gotten one everyone was too scared to even approach him let alone court him. Anyone that tried using it against him were quickly shown how wrong they were about ‘all omegas being weak.’ Now that he was an Wellstone, well no one even knew he was an omega, they all assumed he was a beta when he was posing as a cripple, after they saw him publicly beat up Zeke (fuck that little rat, he was the one that started it and John had been so full of rage that he hunted him down not noticing the crowd forming), everyone thought he was an alpha. 

He dealt with it the same way he dealt with everything in his life, indifference and avoidance. At the end of the day it didn’t matter what people thought. 

If his secondary gender really mattered that much, than they were all fucking scums for caring. Trash at the bottom of his feet. All of them, the low tiers that refused to fight back even once, and hurt those that were even lower than them, to the high-tiers, degrading everyone below them. None of them mattered, John hoped they all died.

But it was the time of his heat cycle, he was content, filled with constant sunlight like heat pulsing through him. 

As he walked down the halls of Wellstone high his eyes were half lidded, shoulders drooped down low, posture loose and relaxed. He was satisfied and calm, wrapped up in a blanket of his own relaxing pheromones. His heats had always been periods of times where he could unwind, sleeping for hours and hours in his nest. 

There was still a small part of him that whined about being alone in his nest without a strong alpha, but he was the strongest at Wellstone so even if someone was willing to mate with someone as ‘angry and feral’ as him, they would still be weaker. 

He didn’t need anyone, never had, never will. 

(The thoughts of a green haired beta, with pigtails in her hair and the future in her eyes did not come to mind.) 

The more he walked the drowiser he felt, he sighed softly smelling his own scent of mangos and vanilla, sweet and clean. Today wasn’t as shitty as it could have been, apart from the whispers following his every move, the hungry eyes trailing his body, which in the midst of his heat made him want to seek an alphas comfort or turn around and gouge their eyes out. Other than that everything was going fine, until he smelled the scent of an omega in distress and heard her heavy sobs. 

As he turned at the corner he saw a pink haired girl getting her hair pulled by a bluenette. 

“There’s nothing i hate more than weak little omegas like you who go prancing around like you own the place.”

He tugged at her hair sharply when calling her an omega, spitting it out with disgust, while leering at her sobbing form. She was kneeling on the ground, trying to desperately escape while he was leaking a putrid scent of an alpha on his rut. 

An angry alphas scent was the scariest scent for an omega especially while going through heat, her scent was getting more and more terrified as were her screams. 

There was a crowd surrounding them, just silently watching. 

‘If nobody else is gonna out this fucker in his place, than i will.’ 

As he approached the crowd, people parted to allow him access. The alpha looked up at Johns meanaching figure, a harsh scowl marring his face. Before anyone could react, before even John got the time to think, the alpha was on the ground clutching his broken nose. 

John kicked him in the ribs while he was still down, stomping once more for good measure. 

“There’s nothing i hate more than vile weak bastards like you, talking like you own the place,” John growled at him and the alpha paled gulping nervously. Despite the intensity of his growl and gaze he didn’t feel like this was a typical alpha challenge, it was even worse, this wasn’t a challenge this was a massacre.

John had nothing to prove and the alpha would learn that though a nice long stay in the hospital. 

“W…wait! Please I'm not doing anything wrong, I'm just teaching an omega her place! This is where they belong, at us alphas feet’s.”

As the alpha kept talking John's face got more and more contorted until finally like marble it became cold and hard. 

“Should i get on my knees as well?”

The bluenette had no idea where this was going, neither did the crowd or the pink haired omega.

“What no no i would never, i’m not- omegas are the weak ones, us alphas are the ones at the top.”

“And yet you an alpha, are kneeling down before me, an omega.”

The crowd gasped than started muttering about what they had just heard, it couldn’t be though, John of all people an omega?, and the alphas face lost all colour, jaw dropping to the ground.

“IMPOSSIBLE there’s no way someone as strong as you could be an-”

He didn’t finish his sentence as John ripped off his scent blockers, allowing everyone to smell the unmistakable scent of an omega in heat. 

The crowd inhaled sharply, the eyes of all the alphas dilated, pupils turning larger and darker while all the betas and omegas were surprisingly comforted by the spicy, clean scent. John of all people, someone who had taken Zeke down so furiously he was being only discharged after 2 weeks, having such a calming scent was a shock and the crowd announced as such, whispers getting louder and louder. 

“Ah so this was all some desperate plea to mate with me? It’s okay, come to me and i’ll treat you like the good little omega bitch you are.”

Everyone watching paled, some gasping scandalously while some actually fainted. The audacity of the alpha to say that to john, and to even bring up the idea of mating to an unknown alpha to an omega in heat? unthinkable. 

John started at the alpha blankly before coping his ability, some minor strength quirk. He stepped closer, and the alpha started drooling after getting a stronger whiff of the scent than suddenly he was thrown across the hallway, through the wall and straight into a random English class. 

The students and the teachers jaw dropped, getting even lower after they caught the scent of an omega coming from John. Remi who was in the class, alongside Seraphira, started wobbling off her seat from how shocked she was. 

John, ignoring all of the stares on him, the burning one of Seraphina and the hungry ones of the alphas, picked up the omega who had finally stopped crying. 

He tucked her into his arms in a bridal carry, with her nose close to his scent gland. She sniffed, burying her head in his neck seeking the comfort of a fellow omega, of a friend and the one that had rescued her. 

Seraphira felt conflicted, when had John ever treated anyone other than her with that kindness? In fact Evie was getting treated even better, she had no idea that John had an omega. 

Remi felt her insides warm with hope as she saw the same man who had beaten up Zeke and (and Arlo as well which what the fuck. when? why? how?) help a person from the safe house. Maybe he wasn’t as bad as she thought, he had helped Evie and now he was carrying her away while comforting her and he never attacked unless provoked. Maybe he could even jo- 

“Don’t even think about it, Remi.”

“You don’t even know what I was going to say though?,” Remi pouted at having been seen through so easily. 

Seraphira just rolled her eyes. 

That should have been the end of it. 

Yet here he was two days later outside of the safety house or whatever the fucking name was waiting for the omega he had safed.

After carrying her to the infirmary he just went back home, what else was he supposed to do? But apparently the om- her name was Evie? wanted to personally thank him with a gift or something. 

John refused, he didn’t care about gifts or getting thanks, he was sleepily and horny but no mate so sleeping the horniness off and he wanted to go home and avoid people like he always did, he didn’t have time to talk and he didn’t want to.

Yet she was persistent, chasing him down the hallways, waiting for him outside his class. The final straw was finding her sitting at his table at the Boba place. He relented and she set up a date. 

And here he was about to go in after his big reveal about him being an omega, yay! 

He opened the door and walked in, immediately Arlo’s eyes found his and the scent of musk, elegance, strength hit him like a sledge hammer and he felt his legs get shaky, he didn’t show any of this, just kept walking to where Evie was waving enthusiastically from. 

Chapter Text

Blake and Isen side eyed him, having heard of his reputation, Remi stared with wide eyes and Seraphira watched intensely, scanning his face looking for the slightest hints of remorse or anything at all, anything to show that he still felt something for sera and their friendship.

“Evie.”

John crossed his arms and loomed over Evie, the other students around her wilted at the sight, some going as far as to whine and submit their heads in submission.

Utterly fucking ridiculous, omega doesn’t translate to dog, they didn’t need to bow their heads to him, to anyone. He could rather he caught fucking dead than bowing his head down. 

The royals glared at the scene, enraged at the black haired ‘alpha’ forcing the innocent omegas to submit. Remi and Seraphira watched confused and curious, could they not tell what John was. 

Blake tried standing up, ready to go and confront John, but was stopped by Arlo pulling him back down. 

“Don’t. I want to see how this goes.”

Evie elbowed her friend, who was still displaying his neck in submission and glared at the rest who were just as scared. 

“This is the omega I was telling you about, the one who saved me! The super strong one?”

Everyone one gasped, Arlo’s eyes widened and Blake looked ready to faint. 

“Even if i was an alpha you shouldn’t immediately bow your head, it makes you look like a dog,” John glared at the omega, who gulped and started shaking. 

Blake marched over to where John was and tried to move him by his shoulder but John just lifted up an eyebrow, judging and unimpressed. 

“I don’t know what you could gain from lying, but there’s no way you could be an omega.”

“Why, cause i'm not weak?”

“Yes! You’re a god-tier and you’re not submissive, or nice and you don’t even smell like one.”

At the farthest corner of John’s mind, a thought as old as when he’s been declared omega arose, thoughts of insecurity at being so undesirable. Unlike when he was 13, now those thoughts were easily blanketed by false indifference and resignation that John would never find an alpha, anybody that truly loved him. 

 “Not all omegas are weak. and scent patches exist, idiot,”John glared at him while gritting his teeth.

The tension in the air was palpable and all of the omegas, except John, were affected by the prospect of a fight between two people who they deemed as alphas. 

“Prove it then.”

“Is this your way of asking to spend my heat with me?”

As he talked, John moved closer and closer to Blake until they were chest to chest, and after he finished talking Blake’s face matched his hair. He stuttered and flushed trying to deny it but the pure shock and embarrassment was enough to turn him into a mess. Having John’s pretty face so close to him, and being able to feel his solid heat and chest wasn’t helping either.  He could count each long dark eyelash, as well as see the flakes of hot molten gold in his eyes. 

John just smirked lightly, ignoring the outraged gasps at mentioning a heat so boldly and ripped off his scent patch. 

Blake was the closest and almost passed out from the intense smell, while Arlo had the most intense reaction, eyes turning a solid black and fangs protruding from his mouth. Submissive omegas were highly sought after, and were the norm. But a strong one that could rival their alpha was what Arlo wanted. Someone who could match and even win against him. 

As soon as he thought that he fought against it, it didn't matter how heavenly John’s scent was, or the rapid hardening between his legs, the saliva in his mouth, the heat in his spine that it caused. This was John, he may be strong but he was brutal and cruel with no redeemable qualities. 

Despite this, his inner alpha was telling him to move closer to John, to rip away the unworthy alpha who was touching what was his. He needed to claim John, more than that he needed to prove his worth to John. He had lost to him, after he had tried to separate him and his best friend, Arlo was that one that needed to redeem himself, prove that he was a good alpha. 

Arlo grimaced at his thoughts, then ducked his head down trying to avoid John’s intense glare at having smelled his arousal. John wasn’t the only one staring, everyone in the safe house was openingly staring at Arlo, shocked, awed or lustful at his scent. 

John wrinkled his nose, “Can’t you control yourself, you’re 18, not 8.”

Blake immediately jumped to his defence, “Scent isn’t something you can just control asshole!”

John stepped back from Blake, Arlo untensed at there finally being no one close to someone his wolf saw as his, rolling his eyes and scoffing, “That’s what scent patches are for, I'm sure Mr. Richie Rich can afford them.” 

He turned again towards Arlo and slowly looked him up and down. Arlo remained stoic outwardly while praying no one saw how much he wanted to shut that stubborn mouth up by pressing his own against it until John was gasping and mo-

“If that’s all you wanted, Evie I'll be leaving. I can’t stand this awful stench, it’s giving me a migraine.”

John put on his scent blocker, then with one final look at Arlo stomped out of the room ignoring Evie shouting his name, and the pleading looking Sera was giving him. 

“I’ll be leaving as well, i have assignments to do and i doubt you’ll need me as well as the rest of the royals.”

Arlo left without looking back, ignoring the yells for his to come back and confused mutters of why he was leaving early. 

As soon as he was alone in his car he smashed his head against the steering wheel. What was wrong with him, why was he getting so upset at John insulting his scent. Why were his eyes tearing up and why did he feel the need to grab John by the hair and kiss him until he took back those words and accepted Arlo as his alpha. 

This was stupid, Arlo had nothing to prove, especially not to John of all people. Yes he had gotten beaten, but power didn’t mean everything. Which was a lesson he learned only after having gotten beaten by John… 

Regardless, he was violent and an asshole, he would make a terrible friend let alone an acceptable mate and yet his wolf was rolling around sighing dreamily at the chance to have those burning gold eyes focused on him again. 

At the same time that Arlo was freaking out in his car, John was in an abandoned bathroom. After having run out of the room before anyone could smell how Arlo’s scent was affecting him, he first punched a wall hoping that maybe some pain would get his mind to focus. When that didn’t work he tried thinking of other matters, like having sex with zeke. His stomach rolled and he almost gagged but his boner still didn’t go down. 

After 20 minutes of thinking of increasingly more disturbing and horny thought killing things, and all of them not working, he was stifling his moans by biting his hand, while he stroked his dick, to the thoughts of Arlo and his scent, and his hair and his burning eyes and way he had looked at him like he was the only one in the room. 

He came all over his stomach and hand while whining Arlo’s name. After some post-nut clarity he stared down at his dirty hand and punched another wall. Hastily washing his hands 11 times, he stepped out of the bathroom and almost ran out of the school. 

But for some reason, a certain pink haired stalker was obsessed with him and came running after him. 

“JOHNNN WIATT PLEASE DONT LEAVE.”

He wondered if he should keep ignoring her, but remembered how she had stalked him for days, even waking up at 4 am to go on a morning walk with him and relented, slowing down to hear what she had to say. 

“Umm… okay so that was awkward, at the safe house, but erm… I-I um.”

“Just get on with it. Please.”, the nicer he was the more likely that she would stop being so shy and just tell him what she needed. 

“Right!! uhhh… YOURE SO COOL! I mean, like you’re an omega yeah? but you're amazing despite that and like you’re a god tier! just below seraphina and like you’re so so so good at fighting even without any ability… so can you PLEASE TEACH US HOW TO FIGHT!”

The last part of her speech echoed in the hallways and John stared blankly at her. On one hand, this was a pain, on the other hand how omega had warmed up to her slightly seeing her as a friend and hopefully if he was busy teaching people how to fight, there wouldn’t be a repeat of the bathroom incident. 

Arlo may be a strong alpha, but he didn’t want John, not that John cared, but Arlo just wasn’t a good fit. They were too different, he was too cold and posh while John was hot blooded and just as feral as everyone in his life had said. They wouldn’t work well, and it would do good for him to remember that, not that there was even a chance of them being together. 

There was nothing he could lose from the deal, other than maybe time, so why not. 

“Sure, tell you and your little friends to meet me at lunch tomorrow on the rooftop.”

Arlo was still freaking out in his car. 

Chapter Text

John hated the hierarchy equally, the pathetic weaklings at the bottom that never bothered to fight back and only fought those weaker than them and he hated the unsympathetic assholes at the top who got a kick out of watching everyone lick their shoes. So why exactly was he training both those groups during lunch? 

Evie and her friends who were still shaking, because she had persistently asked over and over again to the point it would have been more annoying to keep ignoring her, and the high tiers that were being used as shields for the omegas just showed up. 

John glared, Blake started back defiantly and the omega behind him started shaking even more. The smell of fearful omega was distressing for both Blake and John and they ended their glaring contest. 

“Why are you here Blake?” John crossed his arms. 

“Why, do you have something against alphas?” 

John scoffed, “No, I have something against assholes, other than myself.” 

The last line got some laughs out of people but honestly John was being completely serious, he knew he was an asshole but he could not stand other assholes. 

Blake flushed and spluttered, “I’m not an asshole you’re an asshole.”

“I know I literally just said that.”

Evie was covering her mouth with her hands trying to not burst out laughing and even Seraphira and Remi were laughing. Blake glared at Isen. 

“Shut up Isen.”

Isen laughed, “Sorry HAHAH it’s just you’re acting kind of stupid right now, are you nervous?”

More snickers and smirks, some even dared to smirk at John who just blankly stared back at them. 

“Okay, try and attack me.”

Evie stepped back, while all her omega friends moved to the furthest end of the rooftop, John rolled his eyes, and the royals side eyed each other. Seraphira elbowed Remi, Remi pushed Isen forward. 

“What the- umm okay let’s go dude!”

John uncrossed his arms before looking Isen up and down, he smirked, some people squealed and blushed and Isen gulped, sweating. 

He stepped forward shaking, “So what did i do first haha.”

“Put your arms up.” 

Isen held his arms up using the proper punching form, John nodded his head in approval and held his own arms up in a defensive position. Isen stepped closer throwing a fake punch with left hand and tried to kick John’s shin. John dodged the punch, then grabbed Isen’s leg. While Isen was struggling to break free John punched him square in the face before grabbing the back of his neck and head butting him. 

Isen’s nose started trickling red, his ears were buzzing and as he stepped back his vision turned white. He fell back on his back, disoriented and defeated. 

John watched passively as Blake ran to Isen’s side ignoring the awed and scared gazes as well as the slight jealousy burning in his stomach. 

“Was that a proper demonstration? Who wants to go next?” 

Evie bounced up towards him. 

“OMG THE WAS AMAZING!!, I TOLD YOU HE WAS GOOD DIDN'T I??”

She laughed before grabbing his hands and swinging him around. John put up with her with an air of tired tolerance, she still saw the slight smile though, as did Seraphira. 

The next 30 minutes were spent with Evie getting tossed to the ground and laughing while getting up to get thrown and flung around again. The royals stared disturbed, Blake reluctantly impressed and Seraphira strangely betrayed. She had always known he was a good fighter, she had seen him fight people bare handed, despite the impossible odds he had never seemed desperate and he had won again and again. That was the thing she admired about him the most, his never ending positively, how he never gave up.

That was all a lie however, he wasn’t a cripple, he was a god tier. He was just as powerful as the people he hated. 

“I’m leaving.” 

Sera left behind a confused Remi, expecting and wanting John to chase after her. He didn’t and she left without looking back.

John watched her leave, his inner omega whining at his friend leaving upset at him. Why didn’t he just tell her the truth? If he had just told her, she could have stayed. There was a possibility, but even the slightest possibility of her staying by his side was worth taking. 

It was the heat induced chemicals talking. She was bound to leave once she found out what a monster he was, regardless of how she had found out. He hadn’t even done anything and yet she had left him, left him for the ratbag who broke his wrist after trying to intimidate him into revealing his identity, the hot heated asshole who had shot a laser at his head, and the absolute fucking dick that broke her phone, got her expelled and had him jumped. 

…Why was he helping them again?  

Isen, Arlo and Blake coughed, sneezed and shivered randomly and respectively at the sudden aura of hatred being directed towards them. 

Heats usually lasted a minimum of 2 days and maximum of 6 days. John due to having messed up and over powered hormones, whatever that even meant, usually had heats that lasted at least 8 days. As much as he acted like the typical heat symptoms didn’t affect him, they did and were probably stronger than the average omegas. He had this relentless itch within his body, a physical and emotional one. 

He wanted to get held down against a mattress that smelt like his alpha and fucked againt every surface of the house, but he also wanted them to just hold him while they watched howls moving castle and shared a bag of caramel popcorn. But none of that was happening, not the getting ploughed into a mattress and not the sweet after care either. 

One day, a month before he had started attending Wellstone and had moved to his own apartment, the loneliness had been too much for him. One of his fathers works was turning into a movie and he had no time to call his son, living on the opposite side of the world. He had been going out for a run when a tall, good looking blonde man without any scent patches approached him, smirking and smug. Sweating and wearing plastic scent patches weren’t a pleasant combination so the entire world could smell John’s own spicy mango and jasmine scent. 

“What’s a pretty omega like you doing out here?”

He moved closer to John, purposely spreading his heady leather scent of arousal towards him, an invitation and a message. 

The black haired omega simply started, unimpressed at the moronic question. 

“I’m out on a run, where else would I go other than the public park.” 

The white haired alpha chuckled, before licking his lips and stepping even closer to the omega. 

“Oh yeah, how good is your stamina?” 

The alphas voice and scent was giving John a migraine, but he had no other plans after this run other than going back to an empty cold home, with no other scent than his own, and he had never known the touch of another alpha, hell he rarely knew even platonic touches. 

So they went back to John’s apartment, which was back handedly complimented as being quaint and cosy, and as soon as he locked the door the other man was on him. He ripped off his t-shirt, and started aggressively sucking and biting at his chest, avoiding his nipples, enjoying the way the omega was whining for simulation underneath him. 

He carried him over his shoulder, ignoring his yell of protest, and threw him onto the bed. John reached for his face, trying to lean in for a kiss but the alpha avoided the kiss choosing to suck hickies into his neck instead. John moaned loudly, sensitive and slightly hurt at the rejection. 

He had just gotten used to the attack on his neck, so so close to the aching scent gland when the guy pulled off his pants and underwear. 

“You got lube?”

“Um yeah it’s in the dresser,” John's voice stuttered quietly, shy and foreign even to his own ears. He had done a lot of things most wouldn’t consider appropriate, sex wasn’t one of them, but this was strangely nice? His like of thought was cut off as cold and slimy fingers pressed into his entrance. 

“Ah wait- that hurts,” he gently sniffled, lightly humiliated and slight tears clung to his bottom lashes. The alpha leaned in, rejecting another attempt at a kiss and instead licking his tears before kissing his eyes. 

“There there, omegas shouldn’t complain about sex, they’re made for this okay?”

He smiled but his eyes were leering and hard. 

“Hey, do you mind if you cover your face?”

“W-what?”

He continued fingering John, pressing his thumb against the pink rim and trying to find the prostate. John was still lighting sniffling before he started moaning loudly at the new burst of pleasure from within him. 

“Your eyes don’t look like an omega's, it's turning me off, see i’m not even hard.”

He still continued rubbing the warm walls of John but used his other hand to bring John's hand that was clutching at the bed sheet to his half hard dick. 

“You wouldn’t want to disobey your alpha now would you?” 

He smiled again, before retreating his fingers and stroking John’s hard nipples instead. John tried to hold back his moan and speak but the gentle touches to his chest caused pleasant tingles to shoot all over his body, he couldn’t think, he couldn’t breathe all he knew were those hot hands cupping his body. 

“I- ah s-sure we can turn the lights off.”

The blond man began thrusting inside, not pausing at John’s protests and sniffles. The alpha just kissed his tears away, telling him this is what omegas were made for and that he should be enjoying this. After what seemed like hours of a constant uncomfortable ache in him, he started getting dizzy and hot. His whole body ached and the slight breeze from the window caused his nipples to harden again. 

“Fuck you’re going into heat.”

Disoriented and confused John could only moan as slick started gathering at his entrance. Now lubricated and in heat the sensation of a dick pounding into him felt like the only thing he ever needed. The alpha was hitting his prostate every time, while still licking and mouthing at john’s nipples. The simulation to his ass and his chest was too much for john, he felt like he was going insane he couldn’t even speak anymore he was just sniffling and hiccuping. 

“Ah- ah i’m so- i’m.”

As he came, his whole body tensed up, his toes curled and he screamed out in ecstasy before breaking down into tears. The alpha hadn’t stopped thrusting and despite being covered in john’s cum, was still hard and pounding. 

“Huh ah- ah.”

He was losing his mind, too busy moaning and sobbing softly to speak. It felt so good he was losing his mind, the endless heat pooling in his ass, the hard cock pounding at the bundle of nerves everything felt perfect, this was perfect. 

But he wanted to see the alphas face, all he could see was the blacked out silhouette of him, the suggestion of his muscles. What did he look like? The searing heat was getting to him, he had never before wanted so badly to please someone. Was he happy? Was he enjoying this? Was John doing good? 

Why were the lights closed, what was wrong with his eyes? What was wrong with him, why wasn’t he good enough? Tears started forming in his eyes, his heart hurt and the pleasant tingling sensation was starting to burn. All too quickly it became too much, the stretch was too much, the overpowering scent of sweaty leather was too much. But the alpha still wasn’t stopping and neither were John’s moans and sniffles.

With a frustrated huff the alpha pulled out, John sighed in relief but his omega couldn’t ignore the sting of hurt from what felt like rejection from an alpha. He grabbed John’s now limp dick and John cried out too overstimulated to find it enjoyable. 

“Your annoying screeching’s turning me off, can you be quiet and let me finish?”

“Ah- i sorry.”

It continued like that in the dark, with John trying to stifle his sniffles and moans until 20 minutes later the alpha finally came. He sat up, got changed and left after thanking him for the good fuck. 

John cleaned himself up and that was the end of his first time. 

Chapter Text

He wasn’t even that affected by it honestly, he just happened to suddenly enjoy doing it in the dark, with all noises of pleasure stifled into his palm. After that experience he tried again, three times and the Alpha’s never objected to not being able to see his face, they even seemed to prefer it. 

The heat of another body on him wasn’t enough to warm his mattress or his strangely cold insides. Not a single one ever reached up to wipe away at his tears, to caress his burning skin, they just kept thrusting and moaning into his ear while he sobbed. Hands only touched him to pull him back to bed when he stood, too ashamed and overstimulated to keep going, or sometimes they would hover above his mouth when he was too loud.  Was the humiliation of hearing only his sobbing and the grunts of the alpha above him worth the 2 hours of pleasure?

As they left, picking up their clothes without turning back, the cold seemed to grow more frigid, entering through his ribs and filling the space around his heart. The muddled mixture of their scent and his turned his stomach, he would shake and gag until the smell of vomit and mangos flooded his apartment. He burned the bedsheets after each encounter, scrubbed the floors and his skin and the walls and everything until his skin broke and his fingers cramped. 

The next days were spent in a daze, memories of the past night still upon his skin. A part of him longed for it again, but the memory of hot eyes, salt in his mouth and the putrid wrong scent chained him to his house, leaving him to suffer his heat alone. 

After that Seraphira lost her ability, his was revealed and since then her cold hand shoving him away had been the last contact he’d had with a person. 

He had had three more heats since then, each one getting more painful. There was a constant sting accompanying the warm wash of pheromones, a restlessness that whined and clawed begging to be satisfied, begging for an alpha, a mate someone to hold onto at night. After 4 days of those constant thoughts and feelings, he could barely walk down the hall with how hot he felt. Sweat rolled down his brow, soaked his shirt to the point it had become see-through, clinging onto his chest and abs, making them clearly visible to all the extras gawking at John. 

The amount of omegas distressed and scandalised at someone so blatantly showing off their assets, the alphas lustfully staring at the assets while projecting their phenomenons, and the betas just there out of curiosity created a blockage in the hallway leading to the crowd being pushed even closer against John. There was still some space, but in the midst of his heat with all his senses running on overdrive he felt suffocated. The intrusive eyes of the alphas and the resentful ones of the omegas made his stomach ache and acid attempting to rise up to his mouth. John was shivering, he was too bare, too weak, so vulnerable. The whispers of the omegas about him being shameless, a whore, a hustler made his face burn but it did nothing to stop the cold. 

A part of him, the rational part wanted to get up and beat those fuckers faces in. He wanted to grab all of them and show them how fucking pathetic they were, standing around staring at a struggling student, just ogling him. But the bigger dominant part, his omega was in control and it was ashamed of not having an alpha to protect him, not having an alpha to send his heats with.

Even if John had been in control, he could hardly move and no one was moving to help, just staring at him. The heavy gazes on his chest and the acidic smell of musk made him curl up further into himself. Some people snickered, while others cooed at his cute omega-like behaviour.  

Humiliated, tears formed in his eyes and he whined, pressing his face into his elbow to hide the tears and stifling his sobbing. At hearing the usually defiant and intimidating god-tier cry the crowd only got more and more enthusiastic. When would an opportunity like this ever come? This was an even bigger deal than Arlo himself crying, John was an 7.5, the same person who had beaten numerous middle tiers to the ground while still paradaring as a cripple, seeing him so defeated and ashamed was worth the beating they were all going to get tomorrow.  

A brave and stupid alpha stepped closer to John, panting and with a clear bulge in his pants.  He reached out a hand trying to grab at John’s face but stopped to turn around and face the sudden mysterious noise.

Just like John a few days prior, Alro had been walking to class with a pounding headache from his rut hormones, his inner alpha screeching and demanding him to find a mate. Arlo rolled his eyes at the stubborn voice and its silly demands of finding a strong omega. The only omega that could be described as such was John and hell would freeze over before they even talked to each other civilly. 

Just as his alpha dreamily started recounting the omega’s spicy and enchanting scent, the same smell but sour from distress and shame was radiating from the middle of a huge crowd blocking the entire hallway. Arlo’s headache worsened and he felt rage rock through him at seeing John pressed up against the wall.  

He was terrified and curled in on himself and there was a stupid, disgusting smelling alpha panting like a rabid horny dog trying to touch him. 

“You’re blocking the fucking veiw, sky skraper”, someone pushed Arlo aside, trying to get a close look at John. 

The impact of their body caused a crater in the wall. It was the same English class as last time, but it had been reinforced by metal and even though the steel barrier was dented, it didn’t break. 

The resounding smash of flesh and bones against pure metal caused a small supernova of noise, the whole crowd and the English class turned towards the noise startled. Their confused looks quickly turned fearful as they saw the 6’4 shaking figure of Arlo with glowing yellow eyes. 

The people at the edge of the crowd moved back trying to escape but were met with a solid yellow barrier. The golden glow grew and grew until it surrounded the entire hallway, another smaller one formed around John isolating him from everyone else. 

Sweat dripped down his forehead, dampening his eyelashes, they mixed with the tears and as John opened his eyes he had to squeeze them shut again to get rid of the booming dark spots. When he was finally able to see again, all there was to see was a warm soft yellow, like the sun on a winter day and the suggestion of hunched over shadows bending to the rays of sunlight. 

A shadow stepped closer and the smell of sun and vanilla lured John back to sleep. 

Chapter Text

John’s eyelashes were dark and delicate, and his eyes were so bright the golden glow could be seen through his closed eyelids. Arlo watched the gentle rise and fall of John’s chest counting the intervals in between and eventually drifted off after the sun dropped down and the room turned dark. 

He dreamed of eating mangos underneath the hot sun, and cooling off by liking the sweat of a pale lean arm, licking up till he reached a bare shoulder. He kissed it gently, before turning to face John, who looked at him fond and happy.

“Arlo,” his voice was sultry and deep, a purr rumbling up in his voice that matched the purr from Arlo’s alpha. 

He moved closer until their breaths began to mingle, he finally touched the soft delicate pink lips and kissed John like a man starving. It was wet and warm and so perfect, but then a noise startled him out of the dream. Warmth rushed into his mouth and instead of saliva he tasted the metallic tang of bitter pennies. 

John stood above him with a bloody fist, the room was lig in the glow of his eyes. Arlo half asleep remembered the warmth of the sun, the taste of sweet mango on his lips, he looked down at John’s snarling lips and smiled at him fondly, blood staining his teeth red. 

John’s growled as he grabbed the collar of Arlo’s shirt, he was furriou yet confused and the calm that settled over his omega at seeking Arlo smile made him uneasy. 

“What the fuck did you do to me,” John’s voice was still hoarse and the reminder of his helplessness made him even angrier. He had woken up from his dreams of sunlight and safety, to a dark room with a sleeping Arlo. For a brief moment, as he looked at Arlo’s sleeping face, with the usual eyebrow furrow gone and lips slightly up, John felt some restless lonely part of him settle.  His omega was calm and so was he.

At 5 he had been diagnosed as a cripple, the look of shame on his fathers face and the cold far away look in his mothers still haunted him. William tried his best to be supportive, but it was impossible to find the mocking phone calls from Jane's family. Three times a day, everyday for 3 months they would call. ‘Of course he ended up a cripple, with his father,’ ‘What a waste of good genetics.’ 

7 years later, he went back to the same doctor with only his father. His omega status was a blessing compared to his status as a cripple. 

‘This doctor must be pretty talented,  specialising in genders and powers.’

 ‘He’s pretty young and I need another parent, try seducing him.’

 They had bantered back and forth on the way home, but the relief in William's face didn’t help John feel any better. Logically, he should be thanking god that he was an omega, regardless of power nobody ever tried fighting omegas, they were submissive beings, they couldn’t fight back in the first place. Everybody knew that all omegas were good for staying home and bearing children. If John had been an alpha, everyone from the lower end to the god tiers would try and fight him. 

But the same god that made him an omega, had made him a cripple in the first place, if he hadn’t been there would be no need to be so scared of confrontation, of fighting and violence. There would be no need to hide his blooming bruises and bloody fists, to cry into his pillow until he either fainted from the lack of air or exhaustion. But because he was a cripple, he had to suffer, suffer the same way his father had had to. Why did it matter if he was an omega or a cripple? Didn’t he deserve to be treated with respect, to be treated like a person. 

The kids at school didn’t agree with John, and when he returned to school with the added baggage of omega, his cripple status was such an annoyance that they fought him anyway.

The head, red headed, bullied an alpha and a 3.5 came up to John during lunch, to knock the books out of his hands. John stared down at his knocked over books and then back at him, dead panning. 

“Hey cripple, I heard you’re an omega now!”

“Just when I thought you couldn’t get any more useless.” 

All the surrounding lackies laughed, one was even clutching his stomach struggling to breathe. ‘Dick rider’ John thought and his omega suggested fighting them. A spineless alpha that only bullied the weak was a useless alpha. John shouldn’t have to suffer through such disrespect from a 3.5, he needed someone who was at least a 7. 

All the stories John heard of omegas were that they were weak and would accept any alpha they could get, but here was his one, criticising alphas and encouraging John to fight them. After whipping out his dads tackles and punches, he managed to win the fight and escape with only a black eye, broken hand and bleeding fist. 

Not bad at all for a cripple. 

As middle school progressed and he gained an ability, as his power grew, as he got betrayed and detained, tried dating and sex, and finally put down his fists and agreed to fight without the ability he had poured blood into, his omega had supported him through it all. Yet it had never been happy, even when John was delighted, with the blood of an elite soaking his school uniforms, with the teeth of a king in his palm, with alphas at his feet sobbing and begging, his omega hadn’t cared. 

‘If they are this weak, they don’t deserve our acknowledgement.’ 

John would always just shrug and agree, since he first knew he was an omega he had given up hope of finding an alpha. Before it was because he knew no one would like him, now it was because everyone was too weak. 

‘Whatever makes you happy.’ 

‘I don’t think we’ll ever be happy.’ 

That same picky omega, who had gotten mad and sulked when John had sex with ‘weaker alphas’ was suddenly on cloud 9 at seeing arlo sleeping on a chair.

It didn’t mean anything, he was watching over John and it certainly wasn’t Arlo trying to protect John, because firstly he didn’t need it, and Arlo was probably doing it for weird cryptic reasons. Despite those thoughts John softly smiled as Arlo shifted in his sleep. Maybe the heat was getting to him, or maybe his brain had melted from the fight, but he had a sudden urge to sit in Arlo’s lap and then kiss his pink lips and then- 

A wave of pain suddenly overcame him, radiating from his stomach to down his legs. 

Fuck he was in the middle of his damn heat and then- 

Suddenly the memories of those weak willed assholes standing over him, and trying to violate him returned to his mind. The suffocating feeling was akin to mud being shoved into his mouth, the crowd laughing at his downfall held the same cruelty as Claire’s confrontation. Yet it hadn’t been as bad, he didn’t expect anything from Wellstone, except he had at one point. At one point the fucking king himself had personally came down from this throne to parade as a kind and loving ruler just so he could crush any rebellion in a cripple. 

Arlo had stared at a desperate John who craved friendship and acceptance, held out his hand and then punched him with it. It was humiliating having hope, again and again letting your defences down just to be proven right about how unfair the world is. John saw everything he hated in Arlo and still chose to believe in him. 

And here he was making the same fucking mistake in the heat of the moment, while in heat, and trying to make puns as well. 

The same face that had made him so content was infuriating to look at. The burning fury and anguish inside him needed a catalyst and Arlo was a perfect stress reliever. With his defence John would have to get serious if he wanted to hurt him. How fun. 

Chapter Text

The usually burning eyes were calm and warm, a perfectly still ocean with no ripples tempting John to dive in. Blood slowly dripped from Arlo’s mouth stained his teeth stretched into a smile, he looked adoring and dopey.

Who the fuck was he thinking about while looking at John?

That thought combined with Arlo’s betrayal infuriated John and he tugged tighter at the collar of Arlo’s shirt, almost lifting him off his chair.

“What the fuck are you playing at Arlo.” He growled at him, but it came out pitiful with how quiet his voice was.

Arlo’s eyes softened, “What are you talking about? Don’t you remember what happened?”

John’s eyes darkened, he knew exactly what happened as well as what all the faces and what he was going to do to all of them. He smiled slightly thinking about how sweet their screams would sound like, and how many combos he could make with so many skills.

He let go of Arlo, throwing him down into the chair and without a word left down the long corridor, stopping to admire the amazing view from one of the top penthouses, the marble floors with persian rugs, and all the artworks and fur image he couldn’t look too close at but was definitely worth more than his entire apartment.

He cursed himself for being so hasty and missing out on his only chance to see Arlo’s apartment close up, and Arlo for being so stupid rich. And John was only interested in Arlo’s apartment because he wanted to rob it.

Eat the rich!

Closing the simple but elegant black door with a golden Arlo plate on it, he walked down another marble floored long walkway, walking down a marble and gold spiral staircase into a entryway bigger than his apartment. With a respitoust and more marble. Why was there so much marble??

After nodded goodbye to the bellboy who ‘hoped to see him again!’, ‘I hope not!’ and came to a stop one street down.

Where was he?

His eyes scanned the expensive skyscrapers, luxury boutiques, old white people walking their dogs, and the pristine pavement. Where the fuck was he?

He cursed again as saw his phone's black screen. He was lost.

John wandered aimlessly and Arlo watched from his window smiling softly. Their encounter didn’t count as a conversation, but at least John had spoken to him and he hadn’t punched him too hard. Maybe there was still hope for them.

Them, as in the safe house, because Arlo was not interested in John. He repeated this even as he melted onto the bed, overwhelmed and worked up over his mango and vanilla scent, he clawed at a pillow bringing it to his face while another one reached inside to grab his half hard erection. The snarl on John’s beautiful face, his delicate waist, glowing eyes caused it to fully harden and Arlo’s vision whited as he came with John’s name on his tongue.

He stared disquieted at his white covered hand before getting up defeated to clean.

And repeated the cycle until the first rays of sun exposed his large hand wrapped around his large, aching and spent dick. With tired eyes he rolled over to once more clean up his mess.

————

John was in the same predicament. After hours of wandering around lost, an alpha had come up to him and invited him home. John glared in disgust but since the alpha was already there and seemed friendly (too friendly) asked him for directions to his neighbourhood.

Exhausted, he collapsed into bed and was dozing off until suddenly slick started suddenly leaking out of him and he moaned instantly hard and hot, panting he tossed and turned trying to go back to sleep before giving up and grinding down onto his mattress. He whined as his hard nipples scratched against his thin tshirt and his erection rubbed against his soft mattress. He rutted against it seeking out more and more simulation but it wasn't enough, he was just on the edge of release he reached down into his pants sighing at the cool touch of his hand on his burning dick.

He bit his shirt to hold it up and pinched his hard nipples, stifling his moans in his shirt and tugging at his cock. John’s moans got louder and louder as he tightened his grip and at the thought of his hand being bigger, and rougher and a deep voice whispering how good he was for him he came staining his stomach and bed sheets.

“Fuck.”

His 6 AM alarm rung.

“Fuck.”

———

Arlo walked down the hallways of Wellstone private school posture perfect, not a hair out of place but with eyebags dark as bruises whispers followed him down the hallway all concerning the same person who had kept him up.

‘Did you think John’s been giving him trouble?’

‘I’d like to give John some trouble.’

Arlo turned to face whoever made that disgusting comment, eyes glowing but was confronted by a fearful face and a cheerful John already gripping on to the shirt of the student.

Just 5 minutes ago he had run into school hair messy, shirt half way undone and the heat still curling in his stomach, the warmth was buried in a blanket of anxiety and panic as he walked down the same hallway where so many people had just watched him almost be defiled.

He shivered as he thought back to the disgusting expressions on everyone’s faces, his own pathetic actions just whining for someone to face and his omega complained at his continued self deprecation.

He sighed, accepting that there was nothing he could have done but perked up as he realised that he was perfectly capable now, and who knows when he’d be conscious next, this was a fantastic opportunity to track down everyone who had simply watched and beat them to the ground. He skipped down the hallway with a small smirk on his face and everyone stopped to stare terrified, confused and slightly aroused.

There was a small crowd forming in the hallway and above all the background extras he saw a tall figure with golden hair than made his heart skip a beat, ‘alpha!! it’s our alpha!’.

‘Shut up. He’s an alpha. Not ours.’

His omega sighed before sulking about how perfect Arlo was, a caring strong king who would look after them so well. Caring?? Strong?? The same one who baited him into attacking him? The same one he had dethroned??

His omega stayed quiet after that.

He already spotted one of the little listeners and caught the end of his sentence.

“I’d love to give John some trouble.”

He snuck up behind him and lifted him up with his shirt just as Arlo turned to the beta in his hand, eyes filled with rage. His heart skipped. a beat again and he ignored it by focusing on the squirming body in his hand, he smirked before pulling his face closer to him.

“What was that about giving me trouble?”

His voice was a deep purr, eyes glowing bright gold, black aura suffocating.

Arlo stared aroused as he remembered how those eyes from his fantasies. He bit his lip trying to contain himself and side stepped the bodies being flung around by John. One of the friends of a midtier who got knocked out tried hitting him from behind and suddenly the hallway was lit with gold.

John hesitated with his arms ready to block, observing the barrier protecting him and then the person responsible for it. Reluctantly he nodded in thanks and kicked the midtier through a wall crushing his rib cage. He smirked at the satisfying crunching sound and at the looks of terror being exchanged between the crowd.

He turned towards them intending to teach them a lesson about when to mind their business (fights, gossip) and when to help (omega struggling) with his fists but was stopped by Arlo calling out to him.

“John, can we talk?”

“No, the fuck?”

They stared dead pan at each other before finally John huffed, following Arlo down the hallway. They walked in silence, every time Arlo opened his mouth John glared at him and he closed it.

Finally they reached the stairs leading up to the rooftop.

“I think this was reserved for royals?”

“I made that rule, so i can break it if i choose to.”

“But when i was a cripple i wasn’t good enough for expectations?”

Arlo flinched slightly, and John frowned as he changed the subject.

“Let’s work together to find the people who harassed you yesterday.”

It was John’s turn to flinch now at the memory of what transpired and he shivered slightly. Arlo subconsciously took a step forward wanting to calm down the omega and protect him but retreated as John glared again.

Why did he glare so much??

“If you don’t stop glaring you’ll end up like Doc.”

John stared at him stunning before erupting “What the fuck did you just say you asshole?? And that’s rich coming from have you seen how mad you look all the time?!”

Arlo cut off his rant by softly laughing and John watched entranced, he had never seen Arlo laugh, unless it was the weird creepy smug one but this sounded genuine, happy and content. John was the one that made Arlo laugh like this. His omega skipped around rejoicing at having made the Alpha laugh and John mindlessly agreed.

“If you don’t want help catching them do you want help with your heat.”

Again John was left stunned. Was this the same Arlo that had looked so pissed at John mentioning his heat during training? The same one that looked like a massive prude?? The same one that jumped him??

John prowled towards Arlo, having to bend his neck up to stare at him.

“What is fucking wrong with you?”

“Other than my ears ringing from your vulgarity?”

Arlo smirked as John’s ears turned red. John’s jaw clenched and he gritted out, “Why the hell would i spend my heat with you off all people?”

“Who else would you spend it with?”

Something dark stirred in his chest at the thought of John spending his heats with someone else. Did the mysterious figure even care about John?! Would he be gentle and revert, worshipping each part of John’s no doubt flawless physique? Was he even a god tier??

John huffed, breaking him out of his thoughts of murdering the nonexistent man, “There isn’t anyone else to spend it with, but even a random man would be better than a godtier who jumped me.”

Arlo crossed his arms trying to ignore the jab, “A random man isn’t someone you can trust besides in a god tier im capable of proctoring you during your most vulnerable moment.”

John narrowed his eyes as Arlo spoke, vulnerable and him? But after what had happened yesterday… and Arlo was the one to save him, besides if he tried something he wouldn’t even need to track him down to kill him.

“What’s in it for you though?”

Why do you want to sleep with me??

Arlo crossed his arms, “God tiers shouldn’t be left vulnerable, it exposes weaknesses in the hierarchy and if you’re unstable you may be a danger to yourself or others.”

John laughed bitterly, “Of course it’s about the fucking hierarchy.”

He stepped back from where he’d been almost touching Arlo’s chest and smirked while looking him up and down.

“Well I guess there are worse options. I’ll tell you my answer by the end of the day.”

He walked off leaving the lingering smell of mango’s and a bright red Arlo.

As soon as the door was closed and his footprints weren’t audible Arlo fell onto his knees.

“Oh my god i actually asked him and he didn’t even react that badly!!”

Both Arlo and his alpha were freaking the fuck out on the roof top. John calmly walked to the bathroom before running into a stall and pulling out his throbbing erection. He cursed as he rapidly tugged at it, grip punishing as he recalled how tall and big Arlo was, his bright blue eyes, his intoxicating scent and his offer. Why the fuck had he offered to spend his heats?? There’s no way John could say no. But he shouldn’t say yes either.

Post nut clarity hit almost as hard as his oragsm as his knees weakened but his resolve to say no strengthened.

Why did he even consider the offer??

He had already trusted Arlo once and had a still broken phone and shattered trust to show for it.

It had been so hard to trust him, he was so sketchy, rude, self absorbed, elitist but under all that John had gotten glimpses of someone who truly cared about people, a trustworthy and reliable alpha. He didn’t become out of nowhere; he worked his way up fighting tooth and nail because he believed in something, and even though John didn’t agree with his belief he still admired Arlo’s stubborn nature.

All the weird moments in their friendship, brief moments of fimiality were written off as weird god-tier quirks, Seraphira and John acted even weirder than Arlo so who was he to judge?

Besides, did John trust anyone? And Arlo despite being the king of Wellstone was kinder to the cripple than anyone else had been, even Seraphira had punched him when they first met!

Other than being prickly and sleazy Arlo wasn’t bad, he was better than John at least. John was violent, brash, attacking first but never questioning anything, no one willing to follow him.

If only one person opposed Arlo, and that person was a god tier pretending to be a cripple, a walking oxymoron perhaps Arlo was doing something right?

A week after that his head was pressed against rough dirt and Arlo stood above him, eyes glowing as he goaded about how stupid John was to ever trust him.

That stupid fucking smirk.

He wanted to punch it off his face.

And he did.

Broke the mother fuckers nose, jaw, ribs and ego.

John smirked while watching his hands as he remembered the look on Arlo’s face and then stopped as he realised how creepy he looked. While he was berating himself on his serial killer tendencies two people walked in freezing when they saw John.

John froze as well and stared at them. They stared back. They turned towards the exit, bumping into each other and stumbling as they ran out. John chased after them and they screamed as they bumped into a wall.

“Wait- wait please we didn’t do anything if was all-”

“I don’t have anything against omegas i just-”

“Anyone would have stayed and watc-”

John swept his leg back and kicked the one nearest to him, sending him crashing into his friend. He slowly watched towards them.

“I don’t fucking care what pathetic excuses you come up with. I’m going to beat the shit if you losers anyway.”

He crouched down and punched them both in the face, once, twice, again and again until their faces were swollen and dripping blood. Then again for good measure, finally he stood stretching out his legs and kicked them in the stomach.

Staring down at their bruised broken bodies he skipped away happy and satisfied.

There were still 2 hours until school ended and already he had punished some people from yesterday, today was such a productive day!

Whilst walking down the corridors he contemplated going back and interrogating the men but as he turned around his vision swam, he started rapidly sweating and panting and slid down a wall trying not to faint.

‘Fuck.’

Was he seriously going into heat again??

He bit his lip as his body throbbed and he slowly turned his head to face the sudden scent of safety, sunshine and vanilla, the same scent that had reduced him last time.

A giant figure stood in front of him and gently knelt down, before effortlessly gathering John in his arms. He fell asleep as soon as he was picked up, in the strong arms of his saviour.

Chapter Text

This was becoming a pattern for them.

 Pathetically fainting, getting saved by Arlo and ending up in his stupidly expensive apartment. John was about to spring up, reluctantly, from the massive and impossibly comfortable bed covered in silk sheets and punch Arlo but he was awake this time. 

Awake and kneeling besides John, gently stroking his forehead?? His usual scent of vanilla and luxury was the sweetest it has ever been, smelling like a decadent freshly baked cake and John subconsciously relaxed at the pheromones of bliss radiating off the alpha. His omega was the most content he’d ever seen it as well, panting open mouthed and drooling, gently urging John to move closer to the alpha and that this was a sign the the alpha held affections for him. 

Well John wasn’t stupid. He knew that this had been Alro’s plan all along, pretending to think John was sleeping and acting all kind and civilised to earn his trust. He had done it once already and the outcome hadn't ended in his favour. 

Technically John had also broken several bones and probably irreparably shattered his last remaining hints of trust but Arlo broke all his bones and… 

Honestly Arlo hadn’t suffered enough. John started scheming other ways to make Arlo suffer, while Arlo continued with stroking John’s soft locks. It stopped after a few minutes, but to John it felt like hours yet when Arlo’s warm calloused hand was removed he found himself missing it. 

‘Alpha! Alpha please don’t stop.’

‘Get a grip over yourself. The alpha you want so badly is Arlo of all people.’ 

‘So? he’s strong what’s wrong with wanting him-‘

‘Just cause he’s strong doesn't mean anything you stupid-‘ 

John was cut off from arguing with his omega at the string stench of sadness wafting off Arlo in waves of emotion, practically yelling ‘I'm so pathetic, I don't deserve to live, I will never recover from this.’ 

John subtly tried to open his eyes wider without revealing he was awake in order to see and Arlo was holding. Subtly wasn’t needed as Alro was completely absorbed in his despair all caused by the small black leather bound book he was holding. Extremely thin and John squinted trying to make out the words. 

That’s a… 

Wait no. No way. 

A menu?? 

First of all, why did Arlo just have a menu in his room?? Did he have private chefs?? And why was looking at it making him so sad? Did he have too many options and didn’t know what to get?? 

John scoffed softly, rich people problems. How stupid. 

Arlo was mirroring John’s thoughts. How could he be so stupid? 

He brought John back to his apartment and had a plan with breakfast (lunch now) in bed and a whole speech to convince John that if he didn’t want to spend his heats with Arlo they could at least work together to track down anybody who had participated in trying to humiliate John the day before.

Thinking back to the incident had made Arlo upset enough that he considering storming off rn and inorder to calm down he had taken to stroking John’s hair to remind himself John was right there safe and sound and he had been there to help him and if anything Arlo probably needed to be protected from John. 

Arlo’s arm slightly ached at the memory and his heart felt heavier with the guilt weighing it down. Trying to distract himself again, he stopped petting John’s hair, missing the sensation already and decided to order food. A massive flaw in his plans and his delusions of his closeness with John (practically nonexistent) was revealed as he peered at the menu. Arlo had no idea what John would like to eat. 

Other then mango boba tea, he didn’t know anything about John’s references. Did he reference his eggs scrambled or boiled or fried? Did he drink milk with his breakfast or juice? What kind of juice? Did he pour milk first or cereal? He knew the answer of none of these, in fact other then his power level which John told him while getting absolutely fucking him up and his elementary school he knew nothing personal about John. 

His hopes and dreams, his opinions on the hierarchy system, they were important and precious but they were things you told close friends and in John’s case his dislike for the royals was something everyone knew of him. 

Arlo didn’t want to be just John’s friend. 

He wanted to know every single detail but him, more than he already knew and much much more then what Seraphira knew but why should he get that right? 

And why exactly did he want John so badly, it was like he had been put in a trance over night after having smelled his delectable scent and connecting that smell with a pretty face and glowing gold eyes fists heavier than any he had ever felt. 

‘Why are you over-thinking so much? He is a beautiful and strong omega. What is there not to like?’

I don’t know anything about him. 

‘So ask him. Simple.’ 

Arlo went back and forth with his inner alpha, growing more and more agitated trying to explain how none of this made sense his feelings, or why he thought John would give him a chance and John observed the scene growing more and more confused at Arlo’s rapid scent change. 

He had gone from smelling as sweet as a freshly frosted vanilla cake to immense sadness, transforming his scent into pungent vanilla extract and now he was mad?? 

What was wrong with the guy?

Arlo’s figure grew smaller, shoulders hunched, head hanging, fingers anxiously tangled in his sweater and John finally decided to take pity on him and began to wake up, loudly tossing and turning. 

Arlo’s head snapped up immediately and he sprung up to stand, back ramrod straight before forcefully relaxed trying to act casual. 

At first glance Arlo’s eyes appeared cold, as icy as the frigid arctic waters but after all the times he had saved John and the way he had seemed so conflicted moments prior, allowed John to peer beyond the surface and see hesitation and doubt. 

Two worlds he never thought would be associated with a god-tier and the King of Wellstone. 

This was probably all a stupid convoluted scheme to lure John into trusting Arlo just to be met with the same betrayable as last time. 

Maybe it was because of look in his Arlo’s eyes, so much like his own had one been, or the soft silk sheets he was laying on, or the faintest hints of sunlight slightly caressing John and painting Arlo in gold combined with the sweet smells of mango and vanilla an unlikely yet beautiful scent but John sat up the bed and smiled at him. 

“Is your offer to help me with the heat still on?” 

 Alro left the room.