Chapter Text
George had presented as an Omega earlier than most.
It had happened whilst he was young, far too young for anyone he grew up with to remember the whole ordeal. He'd been dozing off in class when his stomach started burning, his entire mind turning into a fog-like state as he entered his first heat. His teachers had been quick to act, calling his parents to whisk him out of the school before he could trigger any other presentations. That had been in third grade, and the rest of the year flew by as he all but trained himself into acting like a Beta.
Even as an eight-year-old, George knew the horrors that were associated with his second gender. Despite new laws against discrimination being put in place globally, or the few extra rights that Omegas were given, they were still beneath every other gender in societies eyes. Female Omegas were treated marginally better than males, but not enough to the point where George could call himself jealous.
George's parents knew the danger that his gender put him in, and quickly taught him everything he needed to know. They were nothing but supportive, even going so far as to move abroad to America where things were slightly more accepting. Unfortunately due to this he was held back a year- which meant he presented a lot earlier than his new classmates. George didn’t mind, though, as it gave him a completely clean slate.
At the age of nine, he started using scent-blockers, and by ten he was taking suppressants. The gold colour that took over his eyes when feeling exceptionally emotional only became a problem when he was thirteen, and so from that point forward he took to wearing a white pair of 'clout goggles'. George was determined to never be limited to just his status and worked extremely hard to ensure that it would never be found out.
The pills he took ensured that he looked and smelt like nothing. His scent was that of a default Beta, clean and neutral in the way that it wouldn't affect anyone if he got emotional. He hadn't had a heat since he started taking heat-suppressants, and so his body never really reached its full potential either. George didn't have the curves or softness that an Omega generally had, and instead was all sharp lines and pointy bones.
He pretended that his appearance didn't bother him, but sometimes he'd stare at his hips longingly in the mirror- mourning a softness that he'd probably never have.
When George started high school, he decided that he needed to stand out in a way that would ensure he wouldn't stand out. His grades were high, but not high enough to draw attention to himself. He was nice to everyone unless they gave him a reason not to be, and even then he kept his disliking under wraps. An emotional outburst was the absolute last thing he needed.
Surprisingly, he found trying to be average exhausting, but knew he had to maintain it if he wanted to keep his secret. His suppressants were good, but not good enough that they'd be able to hide him forever. It would only take one small slip of the tongue or leak of his scent before everyone would find out. The more neutral he kept his life, the smaller chance there was of it happening.
George eventually joined the school's soccer team, maintaining a safe position within it that would keep the focus off of him during matches. He played well, never being the person to fumble the ball- yet also never causing the winning goals. By doing so, he got to sit with the team at lunch- giving him a secure network of people that helped him to blend in and keep up a semi-popular status.
He kept the group of people he talked to small, and the people that he considered friends even smaller.
Quackity was probably the only person he'd call a 'best friend', what with the shorter man constantly clinging to him like glue. He was a Beta himself and seemed to get along with almost everyone around him, which is how he landed a seat next to George at their lunch table. Despite not being on the team, they all seemed to love him and happily let him hang out with them during their breaks.
It was because of Quackity that George managed to become noticeably unnoticeable. He dragged him to parties and out with him on the weekends, but also respected George's decisions enough to not bug him if he said no to something. He was annoying and brash and loud, but George knew that there was no one he would rather call his best friend. Quackity was one of the few highlights of his monotonous days.
The other highlight was his Comp-Sci class.
George loved computers, but especially coding and programming. It came to him naturally- letting him sit hunched over one of the school desktops for hours upon hours writing flawless code for various projects. It was also one of the few subjects where he let himself be free, not worrying about trying to keep a natural grade. He collected his A+'s with pride and made sure that he never failed a test or project, uncaring of the possible 'nerd' reputation that came along with it. Thankfully, his position with the 'jocks' prevented such a thing from happening.
George walked into his first Comp-Sci class of the year with a content hum, his body instantly relaxing at the smell of the familiar room. He was finally a Senior, and with being one came new knowledge that excited him to no end. The class was his last period of the day, meaning that he could go straight home after and relax. Everyone in the small lab smelt familiar, too, having known most of them since he'd started taking the subject two years prior. It was perfect.
Until it wasn't.
In George's normal seat, the one that was in the middle-right of the classroom, sat a boy he'd never seen before. Everyone had established a 'seat' when they had first started, so to see someone where he would normally be made his eyes narrow in annoyance. He let out a quiet grumble, adjusting the bag on his shoulder before stalking up to the stranger with a scolding in his throat, "Excuse me, but you're in my-"
George froze when he locked eyes with him.
Bright green eyes stare back at him in surprise and confusion, almost hidden behind the mess of golden hair atop his head. It stops just above his eyebrows, parted in a way that exposes the middle of his forehead. He's only wearing a simple hoodie, an obnoxious lime in colour, but George hates to admit that it suits him. A line of piercings glint at him when the boy tilts his head, mouth parting slightly in shock.
That small action is what sent George reeling backwards.
An abrupt, overwhelming scent of what smelt like sandalwood and beaches hit him all at once. It encompassed him, warming him from the inside out as it curled around his body like a second skin. George inhaled it greedily, suddenly thankful that his glasses hid the dilation of his pupils. If he focused hard enough, he could almost picture himself lying down on hot sand, the sound of waves crashing peacefully behind him.
"...Hey, are you okay?" The stranger asked, and George almost felt himself falling in love. His voice was the perfect mix of deepness and raspiness, not too low that it would annoy the shit out of him, but not so high that he could be mistaken for a Beta. He didn't realise he was frozen until the man spoke again, "Do I need to get the teacher or something?"
"Fuck- no, I'm fine," George quickly shook his head, his cheeks slightly red in embarrassment. God, he was such a mess. He gestured down at the desk uselessly, almost feeling bad for what he was about to say, "You're just... you're kinda in my seat."
"Oh," The boy blinked, his own face turning pink in what George could only assume was his own shame. He quickly stood up, his eyes refusing to meet George's own as he shuffled to the spare desk next to him, "Sorry, I had no idea."
"Are you new?" George hummed, finally slipping into his chair with a relieved sigh. He paused, why the fuck was he still talking to this guy? Normally he'd just move on and pretend nothing ever happened, yet here he was making general conversation like he didn't normally try to avoid Alphas like the plague, "I don't think I've seen you before."
"Ah, no,- not to this school, at least," He winced, and George instantly felt guilty. He probably seemed like such an ass for not recognising him. The man backtracked at George's expression, sending him a comforting smile, "You're George, right? I've seen a few of your games."
"Yeah, I am. You know me?" It was George's turn to be confused this time, his eyes widening in subtle shock. He'd tried so hard to be unnoticeable that suddenly being acknowledged made him feel all weird inside. He turned on his computer when the teacher suddenly clapped his hands, signaling the start of class. George almost wished he hadn't, wanting to spend more time talking to the pretty stranger. Wait- pretty?
"You play with my best friend... Sapnap?" The guy whispered quietly, and George pretended that the low tone of voice he had didn't make him shiver, "He's super loud, annoying... constantly wearing a bandana?"
"Oh! Him," George blinked in realisation, images of the sparky man coming to mind. Sapnap was a good guy, super fun to play with and had a real drive to look after his teammates. George wasn't hesitant to admit that Sapnap was probably one of his favourites within their group, "He's cool. I don't really see him outside of practice, though. I'm guessing that's because he's always with you?"
"Sorry to keep him away." The blonde teased, his eyes sparkling lightly in amusement, "Yeah, he's normally with me and my group at lunch- or just in general."
"He's all yours." George teased back, his lips curving up into a smile. Internally, he was slapping himself across the face. He really needs to stop talking before he potentially gets found out. Outwardly, he tapped his finger against his desk, only half-listening to their teacher as he murmured to another question, "So, what's your name? I feel bad that it's taken me so long to ask."
"How about we just do introductions instead? Pretend I don't know who you are," The man grinned, holding his hand out for George to shake, "My name's Dream. I'm a Senior who got told to take this class thanks to my sick coding skills. I'm an Alpha, and in my free time, I like watching pretty boys play soccer. You?"
"Oh really?" George laughed quietly, covering his mouth with his free hand as the other curled around Dream's. Fuck, he was warm. George couldn't remember the last time he willingly touched someone other than Quackity, but those touches never felt so soft or intimate. He coughed, clearing his throat before speaking, "Well, I'm George. I'm a Senior with even better coding skills. I'm... a Beta, and in my free time I play soccer with your best friend."
"Nice to meet you, George." Dream's grin grew, and George slowly started to melt inside. How was it possible for one man to be so perfect? The hand covering his own squeezed slightly as he spoke, almost swamping George's own smaller one with how big it was. Christ, it shouldn't have been as hot as it was. George normally hated being smaller, constantly living in fear that someday it would be how he was found out.
Yet, Dream seemed to be the exception to lots of things when it came to George already.
"Nice to meet you too, Dream," George replied a little breathlessly, still stuck on the way Dream's hand fit against his own. He shook it off when the other man squeezed again, slowly retracting his hand as to not break the bubble of comfort he'd found himself in. With another small smile, George refocused in on the class, only mildly distracted by the way Dream's fingers flew across the keyboard.
The lesson passed by quickly, both boys only speaking a couple more times as they got absorbed in their work. Dream wasn't lying when he said he had skills, evidently shown as he matched George's coding pace. The two had found themselves in some kind of friendly rivalry, both silently wanting to see who could finish their work first. Unsurprisingly, it was George- making a show of cracking his knuckles as he sent in his work to the teacher.
He ignored the way he wanted to preen at Dream's shock from losing.
"No one's ever out-typed me before," Dream admitted after class, swinging his worn backpack onto his shoulder as he stood up. George could only marvel at how fucking tall he was, having to tilt his head back to meet Dream's eyes when sat down on his chair. He himself was an average height for an Omega male, resting at a comfortable 5'8, whereas Dream appeared to be an overachiever in terms of what an Alpha should be. He looked roughly 6'3, but George couldn't be sure without asking- which he definitely wasn't going to do.
He quickly stood up after him, trying to will away the humiliation he felt at their size difference. Dream didn't seem to notice, instead carrying on his rambling, "I should've expected to not be the best in this class, honestly, but it's hard to adjust to."
"Give it another year, young one," George mocked, stifling a chuckle at Dream's affronted expression. He'd learnt that Dream was a few months younger than him a few minutes prior, and planned to use the fact as a teasing point for as long as possible, "You'll catch up in no time."
"Oh, trust me when I say I will," Dream smirked cockily, bending down until they were face to face, "Get ready, old man, I'll make you eat your words when I overtake you before the years over."
"Uhuh," George rolled his eyes, barely holding back the flush that threatened to overtake his appearance at their closeness. He flicked Dream's nose, gently pushing past him with a light shove, "I'll believe it when I see it."
"Then I guess I'll have to make you." Dream called out after him, laughing loudly as George held up his middle finger in return.
It was going to be a long year.
x-x-x-x-x
Two week's worth of classes went by, and George only found himself growing closer to Dream.
The other man made him smile in a way that he hadn't in years, made every fibre of his being light up and set on fire in excitement. Talking to Dream felt new and exciting, and only made George more eager to attend school. He only had Comp-Sci on Monday, Wednesday and Friday- but he already cherished those days stronger than anything. He loved the subject itself anyway, yes, but the pretty blonde sitting next to him in it made it that much more enjoyable.
As much as he loved Quackity, because he did, it was nice to have another person he felt like he could call a friend.
The following week, Dream didn't attend any of their classes. George sulked through all of them, not even the thought of doing Python managing to cheer him up. On Friday, in an uncharacteristic Omega-like fashion, he got worried enough to ask Sapnap where Dream was at the end of a practice match. They'd never really talked about anything other than soccer before, so the embarrassment George felt at asking was almost crippling.
"Hey, Sapnap!" He called, effectively stopping the other from leaving the locker room. George fidgeted slightly at the attention, inhaling sharply before forcing himself to ask the damn question, "...D'you know where Dream is? He hasn't shown up to Comp class all week, and I don't have his number to text him."
Sapnap blinked in confusion, clearly trying to remember who exactly George was. Once he did, he let out a surprised snort, clapping George playfully on the shoulder, "Dude, he didn't tell you? He's in rut."
"Ah," George responded pathetically, his mind suddenly filling with extremely inappropriate images.
"You good, man?" Sapnap snorted again, though his eyes were tinted with light concern. He squeezed George's shoulder in a way that was meant to be comforting, sending him a light smile, "I didn't even know you two knew each other."
"Yeah! Yeah, I'm fine," George answered, voice a bit too loud and strangled to be considered normal. He hated his brain sometimes. Dream was a fucking Alpha, and only just barely his friend. He shouldn't be thinking about him like that, or anyone, for that matter. If he wanted to lead a normal life, he most likely could never be with anyone, much less intimately, "We sit next to each other. He's mentioned you to me a few times."
"Oh? What's he said?" Sapnap perked up, eyes glinting with mischief, "Go on, you can tell me. We're all friends here, right?"
"Hmm," George hummed, pretending to think. Would Dream get annoyed if he told him? He didn't seem like the type to get irritated at such petty teasing, but you can never really be sure, George sighed, his face filling with fake sympathy as he reached out to pet Sapnap's arm, "I'm afraid to say that he called you annoying. My deepest apologies, Sapnap."
"What a jerk." Sapnap chuckled light-heartedly, clearly not taking offence to what he'd said. His scent slowly increased its strength, making George step back a little warily. He hadn't noticed that Sapnap was an Alpha, which made him nervous. It meant that he was loosening up and forgetting how careful he was meant to be, and that only spelt danger. Sapnap spotted his sudden anxiety, staring at his face with a worried frown, "Hey, what's wrong?"
"Nothing! I'm... I'm okay, honestly. I just remembered something," George stuttered, averting his own gaze up to the ceiling. He couldn't bear to see Sapnap's concern, as it would only increase the guilt crashing around in his stomach.
"Shit, I'm sorry. Did my scent trigger something in you?" Sapnap's scent suddenly turned dull and lifeless, the sparkiness drifting away into the air. George instantly looked back down at him, his heart squeezing painfully at Sapnap's crestfallen expression. The other man sighed, rubbing his scent gland almost nervously, "Some people have bad memories associated with my smell, y'know? I always forget to reign it in around Betas because it's usually not as noticeable to them."
Truthfully, George had never really noticed Sapnap's scent. Thanks to his suppressants, everything around him was somewhat dulled anyways. They could almost be compared to anti-depressants with the way that they controlled his emotions. Scents were duller unless he focused on them or they were brand new to him, and his emotions were kept suppressed so he didn't have an outburst and release his own smell. However, they really made him seem like a Beta, so he couldn't complain too much.
It was a pain to deal with sometimes though, especially with scenarios like this.
Sapnap smelt like ash and bonfires, a smokey scent that almost felt comforting to George. He took a deep breath of it in, smiling sadly once he realised why Sapnap would be concerned about his reaction to it. Omegas and occasionally Betas normally avoided fire-like scents due to the strength associated with them, the ash undertones smelling awful whenever an Alpha was feeling anything negative.
George, luckily, was not one of those people.
"Hey, your scent is fine, okay? Please don't worry about it," George hummed, moving in closer again as if to prove his point, "I actually kinda like it."
"You do?" Sapnap breathed, his eyes wide in surprise. Suddenly, he started beaming, stretching out to bring George into a tight hug, "Thank you, that makes me feel a lot better."
"Y-Yeah, of course," George murmured, twisting his arm to awkwardly pat Sapnap's back. It felt strange to be hugged, but would feel even worse to ask Sapnap to get off. The poor man clearly needed comforting after almost having to relive a bad memory, and who was George to deny him of it? Sapnap slowly calmed down, pulling back with a grateful smile.
George's train of thought gradually started to drift onto Dream again as he remembered his original purpose for seeking the younger man out, making him slow down his patting motion, "When will Dream be back?"
"Uh, normally his ruts are only a week, I think?" Sapnap furrowed his eyebrows thoughtfully as he moved out of the hug, "So he should be back on Monday. I'd give you his number to ask him yourself, but he's really protective of it- sorry."
"Don't be," George waved him off, smiling at him to show that he didn't mind. He'd be pissed if Quackity gave out his number without permission, after all, "I should probably get going, but thank you for your help."
"No worries, man," Sapnap chuckled, bending down to pick up his gym bag, "I'll see you on Tuesday for practice."
George watched him walk away with a sigh of relief, his heart beating painfully in his chest as he mentally went through their conversation. He didn't say anything suspicious, did he? Whilst he liked Sapnap, he didn't trust him. Yet - his brain supplied unhelpfully. He couldn't help but notice that he was slowly starting to become closer with Dream compared to his normal soccer 'friends'.
The idea should've scared him, but instead, it only filled his body with a light warmth.
Speaking of, why did he care so much about Dream's disappearance? Quackity could leave for weeks at a time and George would only be mildly concerned- mostly due to the fact that the shorter man was normally hanging off of him like a leech. He'd barely known Dream for three weeks. less than a month, yet here he was pining over him like an infatuated little schoolgirl.
He couldn't help it, though. Dream almost felt like a drug, and George hated the thought of not taking him in. He'd grown accustomed to the comforting way Dream's scent wrapped around him in lessons, and missed the giddy feeling he'd get whenever the taller man smiled at him. Maybe George hadn't been sleeping enough? That was the only possible explanation- because there was no way that he was getting a... crush, especially on a goddamn Alpha.
George had gone seventeen years without liking anyone, and he wasn't about to break that streak for the pretty boy he'd met three weeks prior.
With that in mind, George spun on his heel, quickly racing home to take a well-deserved nap.