Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"Oh!" Said Gao Tu, as he stretched out on the bed in his apartment.

He was a small and disorganized boy who needed to divide his salary between living well, taking care of his sister, and paying off his father's debts, who was a compulsive gambler. He had already decided a year ago that he would no longer send him money, but every now and then, a bill collector would show up at his door, and he couldn't simply pretend he didn't care.

He had been playing Mario Kart for over three hours, the beer he bought yesterday was already gone, and the cans were scattered all over the place. It was the day his “paid vacation” ended.

A year ago, things in her life became a mess. His father was siphoning away all his money, his sister was hospitalized needing surgery that he didn't have enough money to cover, and he was hiding his second gender. The stress was driving him crazy.

His immediate superior detested omegas, but he was aware that he couldn't quit this job. If he hadn't gotten the apprenticeship at HS BioTech, things would have been much harder for him. He only managed to complete higher education thanks to a company apprenticeship program, which offered a scholarship, provided that the scholarship recipients guaranty a minimum of 5 years of work at the company after graduation.

The previous year, he was still in his third year post-graduation, which prevented him from simply quitting or leaving the company. The truth is, when your body is under intense stress, and you're surrounded by alphas, there comes a point when everything collapses and there's no way to avoid it.

The day he had his first seizure was chaotic. He fainted in the hallway, and his smell spread throughout the building. Some people helped him, and they had to go to HR to explain the situation and request his first paid leave. Shortly thereafter, his doctor issued a report indicating that his health condition was progressively worsening and that he needed this short period of rest whenever the estrus cycle returned, as the medications would not be effective in alleviating the problem.

After so long, discovering that he was an omega was a surprise to the group, but not as terrifying as he had imagined. The work he was doing was excellent enough that he wasn't dismissed; however, the news wasn't completely ignored, because he He was moved from the group he was part of, the creative team, to the group of secretaries. It wasn't a dismissal, it was just the company making it clear that they didn't want omegas anywhere near the company's most important process, which was development. "An omega in the position of secretary would have much less pressure, and that would contribute to their health," he knew, however, that he was only being rejected. But it wasn't a catastrophe either.

Without him realizing it, a year went by. He was already able to manage her heat cycle with medication, and he was aware that he could resume working as before, but the truth is that he began to value these moments of peace at home. In fact, his stress levels have significantly decreased. Being satisfied with one's own body is like winning a battle, and he realized that. Now, even her fertile period was now the best thing that could have happened to him. Previously, it was simply the worst of all.

Paid leave began as a way to alleviate the stress the body was facing. Until it became a way to relieve the pressure itself. It became a habit she couldn't break. So, since last year, he had been receiving paid leave.

“My vacation is coming to an end!” He said, looking down. “Now, I'll have to wait until next month.”

The work was exhausting, as always. The people were nice, but working is never a pleasant experience. If it weren't for the five years, his sister, and the constant need to pay loan sharks, he would probably be in another country right now. He didn't allow himself to think much about it, but the truth is that he had always dreamed of seeing other places; however, the situation didn't allow him to dream—only reality, however harsh it might be.

“Secretary Gao, I need to discuss something important with you!” The chief of staff announced.

And then the shocking news was revealed with the subtlety of an earthquake:

“The owner, Mr. Shen Wenlang, will be at this unit for a few months. And I thought there would be no one better to personally accompany him than you!”

Of course, there were alternatives, such as the Head Secretary, who would certainly feel much more comfortable and secure in the position. After all, he wasn't an omega dealing with an alpha S.

“But, are you sure about that? I have the feeling that I'm not the best choice. Why not consider Head Secretary?”
— I'm glad to hear that!

“Oh, here he comes!” He directed his gaze to a point behind him. Gao Tu turned in the direction his gaze was fixed on, and indeed, the fellow was attractive. “Come on, I'll introduce you!” He announced.

“Pleased to meet you, Secretary Gao!” The boss exclaimed. His expression was similar to the one Edward made when he met Bella at school, which bothered him. Who did that guy think he was?

“The pleasure is mine!” The expression of dissatisfaction wouldn't go away no matter what.
“Excuse me, is there a problem?” He asked, actually meaning to say, “Do I happen to stink?”.

"Are you an omega?" Wenlang asked. Gao Tu raised an eyebrow in surprise. It wasn't possible! So the company and the employees were bad because the owner it self was also a super annoying bigot.
"Yes, I am!"

And things were going to be terrible until next month.

And they really were.

Gao Tu didn't imagine that Shen Wenlang would be such a bore, a pain in the ass, a jerk, a spoiled, unbearable guy with a terrible temper and that… Wow, he could go on forever if he could. That guy was really annoying. On top of everything else, he lacked tact when dealing with omegas, something to do with his omega father. Gao Tu didn't want to listen to the end and decided to lose himself in his mind, thinking about and dreaming of his next vacation.

But despite everything, the guy was less bad than his old direct boss. Gao Tu thought he would be an unbearable bigot, but he seemed more like a tactless imbecile. That's a significant difference.

The truth was that, despite everything, working solely with him was good. He had far fewer duties now than he used to, and in less than a week he would be on vacation again.

“Have a good weekend, Mr. Shen!” He said, standing in front of his boss's desk. “I'll be on leave next week, but I've arranged everything, so the other secretaries can assist you.”

"What? License for what?" He raised his head with a certain indignation.

"Well, you know... cycle-related issues." He felt uncomfortable having this conversation with his boss.

"Oh, yes!" He was also uncomfortable "I don't think anyone could ever replace you, I hope you come back soon!"

Gao Tu didn't quite understand what that was about, but just nodded, thanked him, and left. Sometimes that alpha was strange.

On the second day of his heat cycle. He was at home, sitting on his bed, playing Mario Kart again. He was drinking his beer again and the world had color again. The truth was, living in such a hostile world was taking a toll on his mental health; getting this time at home was the only happiness he could afford himself, and he would do anything to keep his life like this. He would do anything to be able to stay at home - He had taken a low-dose suppressor so he could stay calm and without too much of a burning sensation in his body while he played.

He had placed a delivery order and was waiting patiently when the doorbell rang. He got up, happy as can be. His scent was still present, but much more controlled. As soon as the door opened, the person he saw wasn't a friendly beta with his food, but an insufferable alpha with an arrogant face. Shen Wenlang.

"What? What are you doing here?" He barely controlled his mouth. And only then did he remember he was barely dressed; he hid his body behind the door.

"I heard that going through a heat when the medications aren't working well can be very difficult for an omega." Gao Tu thought, flabbergasted. "So I came to check on you."

"What?" was all Gao Tu could manage. "I'm great, you can go now"

"You know, if you want, I can help you..." WHAT? "... I can be your partner."

"What?"

They stood there staring at each other for a good few minutes. Gao Tu in shock, and Wenlang with an expression that could be read as shyness, but Gao Tu refused to believe that someone who throws themselves at an omega in heat could be capable of such a feeling.

"I said if you're having problems with your heat, I can be your partner. You know, that way you can return to work sooner. None of those secretaries are good enough to work with me. I've been thinking about firing them all and hiring new people, but it would be even worse to find an entire team in such a short time."

"WHAT?" He shouted, for real. He was in shock. It couldn't be that he was hearing this just because of a team of incompetent people. "So my coworkers are bad, and I get screwed?" Gao Tu thought.

Wenlang was still standing there, now with a serious, impassive expression. Gao Tu didn't know what to think. He remembered that if he gave the impression that he could control himself during his heat, he might lose his monthly leave.

"Can I think about it?" He asked. Wenlang nodded in agreement. He closed the door.

He paced back and forth, calculating. If he refused the boss now, maybe he'd realize that his heat might be normalized and that suppressor use could already be done normally, and he'd lose the only good thing that had happened in his life in years. He banged his head against the door.

Wenlang heard the noise from the other side of the door. "Wow, his condition really isn't good; he's so weak he can barely stand." - "Are you okay?" He asked, and the door was opened.

"I accept!" Gao Tu said in the most spoiled, pleading voice he could manage. "I feel so sore all over."

They went straight into Gao Tu's bedroom, which was a mess. At least he could blame it on the heat.

"I feel like I'm burning up, the only thing I can think about is sex..." He was putting his all into his act. Maybe he should have pursued an acting career.

"I'm not smelling any pheromones in your room," Wenlang said.

"Well, that's because I turned on the fan," He said, already pushing him onto his bed. "Now let's get to the main event. Ready?"

He, well, maybe he hadn't thought too much about what he was doing, and only realized it when he needed to start moving. "What have I gotten myself into? Maybe I should just tell the truth and... And what? Pay the contract termination penalty? Get fired on grounds of misconduct, owe a bunch of money I don't have to this company, leave Gao Qing without her post-surgical treatment, and still starve to death?"

He felt Wenlang's hand go straight to the lower part of his body. Damn it, he really could never have anything just for himself, not even his own heat, not his rest. Anyway, he couldn't think too much about it, he just had to let it happen.

"Ah, Mr. Shen... not there" he was touching his member "here..." he dragged his hand to the middle of his buttocks. Maybe he should consider the possibility of become an actor.

"This is the first time I've slept with an omega in heat," he laughed; he wasn't even that far into his heat.

Wenlang switched their positions, ending up on top. He took off his shirt. Gao Tu felt his body truly heat up.

Their bodies were a mess, the scent of sage emanating from the omega was making him increasingly disoriented, increasingly confused, and completely out of it. Wenlang moved his kisses and licks down to Gao Tu's chest. "Mr. Shen, wait..." Her voice barely contained itself, and at the same time, was barely able to be expressed. "This is pretty good," he thought.

"Do you like roast chicken?" Shen Wenlang asked.

Why is he asking about food in the middle of all this?, he thinks "I like it," he replied, almost as if asking a question.

He then felt his legs being abruptly spread apart and almost lifted up. "Wow, you're really wet!"

Before he could say anything or ask what was happening, he felt his boss's mouth go straight to his entrance. His tongue was desperate, focused, and lost. The breathing and the muffled sound were filling the room. The only sound that broke thru the sound of saliva and sucking and the moans that Gao Tu made. It was almost a raw symphony that screamed sex, longing, and desire. It was good.

The truth was that this was Gao Tu's first time; he didn't know it would happen like this, but he was also happy that, even if it wasn't under the best circumstances, it wasn't bad. It was enjoyable, and he seemed to really want it. What he thot would never happen, happened. He was a normal omega, with average looks, which made things difficult for him, but still, he was having sex with Shen Wenlang, the handsome alpha from the business magazines he read and never thot he'd meet.

"You're so sensitive," Shen Wenlang commented. "Are you enjoying it?" He said, his voice somewhat muffled.

He kept repeating it in his head: Please, just cum and leave, please!, I don't like this old man talk.

"I'll help you down here," he said, positioning his member at her entrance. He put it down forcefully. Pushing everything all at once. Gao Tu saw stars. A languid moan escaped her throat, feeling herself increasingly surrendering to the sensation. He still didn't want to have to listen to the "dirty old man" commentary in his ear, but it wasn't all bad. I mean, it could be worse…

"I'm going to make you feel like you've never felt before." he said as he positioned him on all fours on the bed.

The thrusts were even faster. The tightness around her waist was so intense that Gao Tu could feel her whole body yielding and going numb, as if understanding that she belonged to him, as if wanting to surrender completely. However, he always tried to remember where he was. But, in fact, he was reminded of it all the time, every time the boss uttered the most vulgar and grotesque thing ever to come out of a porn site for middle-aged straight men.

"You're so attractive, so fragrant, I don't want to have to share you with anyone!" He declared. And then, Shen Wenlang spotted Gao Tu's exposed neck and bit down with all his might, unable to control himself, right on his pheromone gland.

Gao Tu jumped up in alarm "Did you bite me?" He asked, but it was a rhetorical question; he felt the blood running down his neck.

Wenlang was licking his lips, cleaning up the blood that was running down his mouth. "You're mine now, omega!"

…

"WHAT?"

Chapter Text

─ WHAT?
─ Looks like we're bonded now! ─ he said, still half-laughing.

Gao Tu moved very slowly. He didn't really know what to do. The truth was, he wasn't in heat, which meant they weren't actually bonded. He slipped out from under the alpha, picked up his clothes, and got dressed without a word. He threw his boss's clothes, which were on the floor, towards him. He pulled him by the arm and guided him out of the apartment. The man tried to protest, to say something, but he barely had time to finish putting on his underwear before he was shoved out into the hallway with the rest of his clothes in his hands.

"That's it, I need to die" Gao Tu says.

Wait a minute! I can't afford to die!, he thought, exasperated. After all, his sister still depended on him; he was her only legal guardian. "Shen Wenlang is the one who should die! I'm going to kill him!" he finally declared. "He's the one who put me in this shitty situation! Bastard, scumbag, son of a bitch, sleazy opportunist! He took advantage of a helpless omega with hormonal issues who can't find satisfactory medication, just to bite him without consent and force a bond!"

He was pacing back and forth now. His mind was already planning the murder. He knew that sleazy alpha's entire routine by heart. He had access to everything he did; he even knew the password to the apartment he'd rented temporarily for the project he was supervising. Even though he never get the chance to get in the house.

He would break in during the middle of the night, wearing gloves, a hood, and a mask to cover his face. He'd use a knife—a kitchen knife would do, no problem. A gun was out of the question; he wouldn't know where to find one.

"But if I do that, I won't have a boss anymore!" He started pacing around his living room. "I need to finish this five-year contract. There's not much time left" it was just enough to pay for my sister's treatment and then leave, never to return.

"I could always just run away, and he'd spend the rest of his life wondering what happened to the omega he bit without consent. That damned bastard!" He couldn't stop feeling angry. The thought that he could have been permanently bonded to a man he'd known for about a month was terrifying.

"I just need to keep this up for a while, get rid of everything, help my sister, and then we can disappear and never show our faces here again. Everything will go back to how it should've been. I just can't let anyone at work find out!"

Shen Wenlang didn't want anyone to know either "it would be terrible for him. An omega with no family, no history as a suitable bondmate, would certainly not be good for him or his family's reputation." He laughed to himself, being a nobody is a good thing sometimes.

////

"Congratulations on the bond!"

That's the first thing Gao Tu heard from everyone in the office when he arrived for work on Monday. The entire floor was there, celebrating with birthday hats, confetti, cake, and chocolates.

" What's going on?" was all he managed to ask. He looked behind him. "Is it someone's birthday?"

"Oh, silly, don't play dumb! You and the boss…" an assistant said with a happy smile. "You're bonded!"

"You never showed any signs of having that kind of relationship!" another person exclaimed excitedly. "We were so surprised by the news! We weren't expecting it!"

Gao Tu looked around, feeling his blood pressure drop. I'm going to have to kill him and make the body disappear, he thought. He saw his boss laughing shamelessly, happy as can be, as if he were playing a prank on him — as if seeing Gao Tu's pale face surrounded by confetti and wearing a party hat a coworker had placed on his head was the funniest thing in the world. Shen Wenlang approached him.

"Our relationship escalated faster than we could've imagined. All I can say is, he's the omega of my life!" Shen Wenlang said, still smiling.

" Why did you tell them?" Gao Tu whispered into his boss's ear.

"Why? Why wouldn't I?" he asked, still laughing. "Do we have something to hide?"

Gao Tu thought: "Well, except for the fact that you're hiding that I didn't consent, that I wasn't actually in heat, and that we don't have a real bond…"

"No, we have nothing to hide."

"That's what I thought!"

Yeah, I'm going to kill him in his sleep!, Gao Tu thinks

The celebration lasted a few more minutes, with everyone drinking, laughing, and happy—certainly much happier than Gao Tu was. A secretary (also an omega), who was a friend of his, approached him, still beaming. The curiosity was plain on his face.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked.

"Believe me, I wouldn't even have known what to tell you. I was just as caught off guard as you were." It was the truth.

"You hit the jackpot, didn't you?" his friend said. "You landed one of the most sought-after alphas of our generation. I bet he's amazing in bed."

I swear I'm going to curse Shen Wenlang's entire bloodline for having to listen to this kind of thing, thought Gao Tu. He forced himself to smile more than he thought he'd need to and said:

"'Lucky" isn't exactly the word I'd use."

Gao Tu was in Shen Wenlang's office, trying to disguise the growing rage in his chest. There he was, typing away calmly, pretending the aura of hatred emanating from Gao Tu wasn't directed at him.

"Why did you tell everyone, darling?" Gao Tu said, biting his lips to hold back the hatred.

"Why wouldn't I? It's the truth, isn't it?" Shen Wenlang looked up. Something in his expression hinted at things Gao Tu preferred not to speculate about.

"No…" He said, turning his face away. "I mean, yes! It's the truth!"

They sat in silence for a few more minutes until Shen Wenlang started typing again. "By the way, when are you moving in?" he asked without looking away from the computer.

"Excuse me?" Gao Tu asked. "Moving where?"

"Well, we're a bonded couple now. We need to be together! Besides, it'll be more convenient this way."

Gao Tu took a deep breath. He clenched his fists, trying his hardest to control his anger. This alpha was definitely testing his patience. The universe must be punishing him for being a selfish omega who only thinks about taking time off when he should be working to earn more money for his sister and father.

"I'm not moving. I'm the only legal guardian of my younger sister, and I'm not leaving her behind!"

"You have a younger sister?" He looked up again. "I've never seen her!"

"That's because she's in the hospital, and I was in heat" he replied dryly.

"If you want to bring her with you, my apartment is big enough. I'll arrange your move just let me know when!" he said, going back to work.

It was a statement, not a request. He had already decided for him.

The worst part of all this was realizing how the people around him had changed. His coworkers giggled here and there. They said absurd things when they thought he wasn't listening—the most outrageous things he could ever imagine hearing. Even someone he thought was friendly commented how "omegas in heat are easy and desperate, so Mr. Shen must have been hooked, despite his name and position."

"I'm in hell! That's the only explanation. I'm paying for all my sins in the deepest pit of hell!"

He was slumped in the chair next to the coffee machine in the office breakroom. He felt his body slowly losing strength. He thought about how to resign without having to pay the contract penalty. But it was impossible. Killing his boss was starting to seem like the only way out—but he knew he'd be the one God would make an example of. He'd be caught before he could even escape, and then his sister would die in the hospital thinking he'd abandoned her. His family name would be dragged through the mud, and he'd be found in prison by the people hunting his father. They'd take out their frustrations on his fragile omega body in jail, and then…

"Gao Tu?" Shen Wenlang's voice cut in. "Are you okay? I knew just once wouldn't be enough to calm your body. Maybe we should go home; it's the end of the workday anyway."

Gao Tu thought about retorting that he was in this state because of him, because of the mess he'd dragged him into, because of the crap he'd decided to spread around. Now he was doomed to be a comfort omega in prison, with no money, no friends, and worst of all, without his sister.

" I can go home alone. Don't worry about it!" Gao Tu said as he stood up.

" I know you can, but you don't have to act tough in front of me!" A few receptionists were watching their interaction with sparkling eyes. They'd definitely gossip about this with the other employees tomorrow. "I'm your alpha now!"

No, you're not, he thought, but he couldn't say it out loud. If he was being honest, he was a little touched by the excessive care after the heat they'd spent together.

"Come on!" Shen Wenlang said, pulling him along to leave with him. "live close by anyway!"

And he was practically carried to the house where Shen Wenlang was staying while working on the new project. The house was enormous—the kind you see in movies and TV shows. It was the biggest thing he'd ever seen in his life.

Shen Wenlang had told the truth when he said there was room for both of them and Gao Tu's sister. It could probably fit a family of ten. They could get lost in there, even go days without seeing each other because they kept missing one another.

"You need to understand that as my partner, a certain demeanor is expected of you. You can't just lie down in the breakroom where the other employees are!" Shen Wenlang began.

"I understand. You're right. But until yesterday, I was one of those employees, and I'm not used to being your partner, Mr. Shen." he said, trying to sound as calm as possible when he really wanted to tell Shen Wenlang to go to hell.

"Don't call me "Mr. Shen"; we're at home!" He took a deep breath. "And I don't want you facing any problems alone. We're a bonded pair now!"

Gao Tu heard that and regretted being harsh. Shen Wenlang was trying to take care of him, in his own twisted and broken way—the only way he knew how. And here was Gao Tu, just his fake partner who couldn't stand him, who didn't take care of him and had nothing to offer. Maybe he was actually a decent guy trying to do the right thing after a moment of carelessness during his heat…

"What do you say we have sex" Shen Wenlang said, taking off his watch.

I take back everything I said. This guy is walking trash, Gao Tu though.

Gao Tu could barely tell when his clothes had been completely removed from his body and how he had ended up in that position. His entry was on Shen Wenlang's penis, while his own was being sucked by him.

He had to admit, they had a chemistry he couldn't have imagined. Things were kind of awkward at first, especially when he started with that old man's dirty talk routine, but once that first part was over, all that was left was the action. That's when things got really good.

Shen Wenlang inserted a finger and began massaging, searching for her most sensitive spot. That was driving him crazy. The scent of sage began to spread thru the apartment. And then he was taken by surprise by a smell that he had not yet come into direct contact with. Lilies.

Slowly, without realizing it, her body was giving in more and more to desire. The desire grew, setting her body ablaze. He remembered the crisis he had in the office when he was dealing with the deregulation of pheromones. A terrible feeling, like the world was going to end with the sun exploding, and it was happening from the inside out. As if he himself were the sun.

He felt the alpha switch their positions, turning him around and penetrating him without much effort. He could barely feel his body, only the sensations. He couldn't quite distinguish the things that were happening, only the sensations, only the wet sensation on his body, the places where his tongue wandered across his body. The burning sensation he felt when his hands strayed from where they should be.

His body was gradually making way for an orgasm he didn't know was possible. A stupor he never imagined he would feel. "I didn't imagine sex could be this good" was the only thing he remembers thinking before feeling the waves pass thru his body, taking him to another universe.

They had such a high compatibility that Gao Tu began to fear becoming too accustomed to this life. He felt his body slowly shutting down, he felt Shen Wenlang gently laying him on the bed, arranging their bodies so they were embracing.

"You know Gao Tu!" Shen Wenlang said when he saw that he was waking up again. "When are you going to move into my apartment?" I can't imagine what it's like for my omega to live in that shoebox-sized apartment.

He said, hugging him.

"I'm really going to have to resort to murder!"