Chapter Text
Charlie had been going out with Nick Nelson since he was 14. They had first met in form, and if he hadn't believed in love at first sight before then, he did now. Kind brown eyes had looked up, a soft smile on his face as he greeted his new form member with a 'Hi'. Charlie's stomach had jittered with butterflies as he took in the older lads floppy hair and broad frame. He whispered out a shy 'Hi' back before taking a seat next to him. They were both far too young to present, but from the off Charlie knew that everything about Nick Nelson screamed Alpha.
He had never expected for anything to come from his crush, but it hadn't taken long for Nick to confess that he had feelings for him too. Charlie's friends had warned him against any sort of relationship with him. 'Nick's head of the rugby team, one of the populars,' Tao had reminded him, 'whilst we're a group of borderline outcasts.' It hadn't taken long for Nick to win Elle and Isaac over, and even Tao eventually (though he would never actually admit to it).
Winning over Charlie's family was a different matter. Whilst Sarah Nelson had welcomed him with open arms and a kiss on the cheek, Julio and Jane Spring had been much more cautious about their son's first boyfriend. Their relationship was somewhat unconventional, with it being uncommon to date until you had presented. And for those who did date when they were young, it was likely not to last. His older sister Tori had learnt that the hard way, when her boyfriend had presented early and suddenly showed little interest in her, instead spending all his time lusting after omegas. A typical knothead. It's perhaps why she seemed more sympathetic to the pair, knowing how easy it is to fall in love with someone. And perhaps why their parent's treated Nick so coldly, knowing the pain it could cause. He was a year older than Charlie after all, it was only a matter of time.
It had happened over Christmas half term during Nick's first year of Sixth Form. They had had plans to go a Christmas market in town, something they had both been so excited about. Charlie had donned his favourite woolly hat and matching scarf, a festive jumper with the words 'Little Pud' splashed across his chest (Nick had a matching one saying 'Big Pud' which he had promised to wear too), pulled on one of his boyfriend's hoodies, a winter coat and then made the 10 minute walk Nick's home. Snow had started to fall, dusting the ground in a light covering and causing Charlie's face to flush red with the cold.
He had turned the corner to the Nelson household, walking up to the door when the smell hit him. Even as a pup, not yet fully developed, the smell of an alpha in rut was unmissable. He had hesitated a minute, thrown off by the new scent, before knocking on the door. Sarah had answered, a nervous smile on her face when she lay eyes on him. She was a beta, and although everything about Nick pointed to him one day as presenting as an alpha, she had held out some hope that he would be a beta too. It was uncommon for betas to produce alphas or omegas, but here Nick was defying the odds.
"I'm sorry, honey." Sarah had said to him in a voice scarcely above a whisper.
"Would I be able to see him? Just quickly?" Charlie had asked with some hope in his voice. She had given a look up the stairs, the sound of Nick groaning echoing through to the hallway. Her head shook, explaining that she wasn't sure how he would react to seeing him and it was safer if he kept his distance, at least until his rut had ended.
The first time they had seen each other after, Charlie had been a bag of nerves. What if he doesn't like you anymore? What if he dumps you for some cute little omega? Why would he want to be with a pup now he's a fully grown alpha? Voices had spiralled around his head. But his boyfriend, his amazing, loving, gorgeous boyfriend had wrapped him in the biggest hug as soon as he saw him. Charlie had let out a sob he hadn't realised he was holding back, clinging onto Nick as though his life depended on it.
"I love you," Nick reassured him, nuzzling his face into Charlie's mop of black curls, "and nothing will change that."
Nick had spent the next few months fighting off the newly presented omegas in his year. It seemed that no matter how public they were with their relationship, some people couldn't help themselves. But each time one of them practically threw themselves at him, Nick would respond with 'I'm sorry, but I have a boyfriend,' sometimes even lifting up their intertwined hands as if to prove a point (because yes, even when they walked the school corridors hand in hand, some omegas would still flirt with Nick).
Charlie had convinced himself he was going to present as a beta. His father his an alpha and his mother an omega and, unlike betas, it was equally likely for any of the three secondary genders to be produced. Tori had presented as an alpha just a few months after Nick, and Charlie had realised just why Sarah had been so reluctant to let him in. He hadn't realised just how strong alphas could be until her bedroom door, bed, and wardrobe all had to be replaced when they had locked her in to prevent her from getting to the omega in heat a few houses down.
For every 10 babies born, 6 would present as beta, 3 as alpha and only 1 as an omega. Of those omegas, only 20% were male. The odds were in Charlie's favour. He didn't want to be an omega, didn't want to be seen as someone needy who's only role in society is to reproduce. And he knew in the unlikely event he would present as alpha that it would practically be the end of him and Nick. Betas had the perfect life in his opinion. No heats or ruts, free from societal expectations to be the breadwinner or homemaker, free to peruse what and who they wanted. Yes, that was the life Charlie wanted.
It had started in Biology. He had sat there next to Isaac, struggling to pay attention thanks to the thumping headache he had developed. He pressed his fingers to his temples, trying to soothe the ache. By lunch, it hadn't eased, much to the concern of his over protective boyfriend.
"Here, take some paracetamol, and take my bottle of water. Do you need to go to the nurse? Do you want me to take you home?" He had asked, worry laced in his voice.
He had gratefully accepted the pills and water from his outstretched hand, ignoring Tao's quizzical look as he downed them before snuggling further into his boyfriend's arms.
The pair had gone back to his house to study that night - they both had mocks coming up, and Nick was conscious that his predicted grades wouldn't be high enough to get an offer at Leeds Uni.
'It's hot in here, don't you think?' Charlie had asked, tugging off his shirt and trousers to change into a pair of shorts. Charlie rarely got hot- he nearly always had at least 2 layers covering up his small frame, but now he sat in his bedroom in a state of undress, sweat gleaming on his body.
'Are you sure you're ok, Char? Do you want me to-' Nick stopped talking mid sentence, sniffing the air, eyes going wide.
Charlie can't really remember what happened after that. A mantra of knotme,fillme,breedme seemed to be repeated in his head. He had presented as an omega, right in front of his alpha boyfriend, the smell of which in turn had bought on his rut early. Jane had come running up the stairs as soon as she had smelt it, but it was no use at that point. Neither boy had any self restraint from their natural instinct, something which is usually built up over the years. If Charlie had been looking, he would have noticed the early signs of his heat at school. But he hadn't. Jane had opened the bedroom door but quickly slammed it shut again, knowing better than most that it wasn't a good idea to try and separate the pair. Had it been a stranger, things would have been different, but it was her son's boyfriend of nearly 3 years. Instead, she informed the family and made sure to leave plenty of food and water outside the door.
His heat had broken 6 days later, his body a sweaty mess as he lay naked in Nick's arms. The past week had left them exhausted, but he couldn't help but feel content in the presence of his alpha. His Alpha. They hadn't mated, priding themselves in showing constraint at least there, but they had emotionally bonded. They had never felt happier.
They had emerged from their nest hand in hand looking rather sheepish but both with a little sense of pride. Sex had been a taboo subject in his house - every other month when his mother's heat came, or the two times a year his father went into rut, they would whisk their children off to their grandparents house for a 'holiday', giving vague answers to why their home had such a strange smell when they returned. And when his mother had fell pregnant with his little brother Olly some 8 years earlier, they'd told their children that 'baby's were born when a mummy and a daddy loved each other very much', refusing to entertain any other questions.
They had come down to Julio staring daggers at Nick as Jane plated up dinner for the pair. She had slipped a pill into Charlie's hand, whispering 'emergency birth control' before turning away, struggling to meet his eyes. The hostility in the room was hard to avoid as they all sat down to eat, Charlie knocking back the pills as Tori smirked at him. The silence of the meal was only broken by Olly innocently asking why Charlie had bite marks all over his neck, causing him to blush brightly and Jane to quickly shush the youngest Spring.
He'd given Nick a lingering kiss goodbye at the front door that night, conscious of the eyes watching them from the kitchen.
"I love you, Char, I'll see you at school tomorrow." Nick had said, giving his boyfriend one last kiss goodbye before walking the short distance home.