Chapter Text
Charlie heaved a sigh of relief as he stepped outside, stretching his body one piece at a time as he waited for Darcy to follow him out. They had both just finished their shifts at Sweet Home, the cafe where they had part-time jobs.
Darcy came bounding out, and Charlie felt a fraction more exhausted just from witnessing their rambunctiousness. He had no idea how they had so much energy after pulling and pouring and scrambling all morning.
The pair began walking in the direction of the university. Darcy had a flat just past the campus, but Charlie still lived in the uni accommodations - though, not for much longer, he hoped. He was still working on that.
“So, Charlie-boy, I've got some good news for you.”
Charlie looked at them with a sceptically raised eyebrow. Their definition of “good news” varied wildly.
“I've found your new home!” Okay, well, that was mildly promising. “I have an alpha friend who's looking for a beta roommate, and I immediately thought of you! He's going into his third year, and his flatmate just graduated, so he needs some new blood.” Darcy waggled their eyebrows as if that was meant to be suggestive.
“He’s specifically looking for a beta? Do you think–”
Darcy cut him off, waving their hand. “Absolutely. I've come to know Nickalicious quite well, and you two will be perfect for each other! In a totally platonic flatmate sense, of course,” they grinned.
Charlie eyed them suspiciously. “Why do I get the feeling that that's the complete opposite of what you mean, and that this is actually a ploy to set me up with someone?”
“What do you mean?!” Darcy asked exaggeratedly, not even trying to hide their wicked grin. They held up their hands after Charlie huffed in exasperation. “Okay, okay, I do think you'd make a cute little pair, but that would just be a bonus, honestly. He's tidy and he loves to bake - your place will smell divine 24/7!”
Okay, maybe Charlie was interested. “How do you know him?”
“We met at the Queer soc!”
Charlie was surprised. “Really? Have I met him? What did you say his name was?”
“Nickerdoodle! Or, Nicholas if you want to be official and boring. Nick Nelson. Funnily enough, I don't think I've ever seen the two of you at the same meeting - almost as if fate wasn't ready for you to meet!” They put the back of their hand to their forehead dramatically, while Charlie rolled his eyes. “I am graciously stepping in and doing fate’s job for it, since it's taking its damn time.”
It would be wonderful to live with another queer person, to be able to authentically be himself. “So, he's queer then? Or is he just an ally?” It felt a bit rude - allies were important too, of course - but nothing beat chatting with someone who had shared experiences.
“Yes! He's our beautiful binicorn! Our binosaurus rex! Our bicon!”
Charlie chuckled. “So you're saying he's gay, got it,” he joked.
“Yes, half gay. Easy on the eyes, too, which I say as an absolute lesbian.”
With a snort, Charlie replied, “I'm still not sure if you're trying to get me a boyfriend or a place to live.”
“Pourquoi pas les deux?” Darcy said with a terrible French accent.
Charlie snickered and shook his head. Darcy could be a lot . “Okay, when can I meet this bicon , then?”
“Does right now work for you?”
Charlie stopped walking in surprise, sputtering a laugh. “What?”
Darcy stopped as well and gave him a sheepish yet unapologetic smile. “I kind of told him we were on our way to come see the place. So, yeah, no time like the present!”
Charlie laughed incredulously, eyebrows at his hairline. “Oh my god, Darcy, you are too much.” He shook his head again before relenting. “But, yeah, I suppose now works.” It was Saturday, so he had no classes, and it wasn't like he had much else going on in his life.
“Stupendous!” Darcy resumed walking, and Charlie relied on her to take them where they needed to go; it turned out to be the complex next to where Darcy and Tara lived. They stopped in front of flat number 62, and Darcy knocked enthusiastically. The door opened a few moments later, and Charlie had to remind himself how to breathe.
Tall and muscular, the man before them was the very picture of an alpha, though his face was attractively rounded and his brown eyes were soft and kind. Charlie mentally turned and glared at Darcy for not telling him how hot Nick would be, but his body just couldn't look away from the gorgeous man in front of him.
“...Hi…” Nick greeted first. His voice was barely more than a breath, and his eyes were locked onto Charlie's.
“H– hi,” Charlie stuttered in reply, also completely ignoring Darcy.
After a few moments of stunned silence, Darcy's voice cut through the tension. “Charlie, this is Nick; Nick, this is Charlie! I just remembered that Tara and I have plans this afternoon, so I've got to get to it, but I'll leave you two to get acquainted and work out the details. Bye bye!”
This broke the spell enough for Charlie to turn to glare at them and yell, “Darcy!” which was unexpectedly in stereo as Nick did the same. But alas, they were already walking down the pavement, wiggling their fingers back at the two of them in a wave.
Charlie and Nick turned to face each other once more, grinning ruefully. “Won't you come in?” Nick offered, stepping aside so that Charlie could enter. Charlie smiled shyly and stepped over the threshold. The room smelled faintly of honey and vanilla.
“Would you like a cup of tea?”
Charlie was honestly surprised, having expected an alpha who looked like Nick to offer him a beer. “Or, we have water, or coffee, or I could grab us a couple of beers, or… even a glass of milk?” Nick instantly looked mortified. “No, sorry, god, who just drinks milk?” Nick's face was turning red.
Charlie held back his laughter - Nick's rambling was just too cute to interrupt. Nick’s embarrassment suddenly turned to panic. “Shit, unless you just drink milk, and now I've insulted you and made an arse of myself - god, I'm so sorry!”
Charlie couldn't contain it anymore; he threw his head back and laughed, moving closer and placing a calming hand on Nick's arm. He somehow managed to stay still as sparks seemed to arc through his fingers.
“Nick! I do not, in fact, drink milk, so I am not offended, and yes, a cup of tea would be great, actually.”
Nick looked so relieved it sent Charlie into a mini fit of giggles. Nick turned away from him quickly, his ears and the back of his neck visibly flushed.
Charlie looked around while Nick switched on the kettle and got mugs ready for them. It was a very basic flat, the kitchen open to the living room, which contained a blue sofa, a coffee table, and two mismatched yellow armchairs, all covered in colourful throw pillows. There was a wooden bench on wheels in the middle of the kitchen, acting as a makeshift island to, presumably, provide more storage and workspace.
While waiting for the water to heat, Nick took him down the short hallway off the living room. There was a bathroom at the very end, where the scent of honey and vanilla was even stronger. Perhaps it was an air freshener? Whatever it was, it was a delight to Charlie's senses.
Back in the hallway, there was a door on either side that led into the two bedrooms. Nick took him into the vacant one, which contained basic furniture - a double bed, a wardrobe, and a desk. He explained that both rooms had a door into the bathroom, so Charlie would have to remember to lock and unlock the other doors when he was done using it.
They returned to the main room, and Nick made their tea to their respective liking. They sat on either end of the sofa facing one another, ready to have a chat to see if a living situation would work out between the two.
“So, Nick, what do you want to be when you grow up?” Charlie asked with a cheeky grin.
Nick chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. “Well, I'm not entirely sure, to be honest. I love rugby, and I've played practically my whole life, so I've thought about playing professionally after uni, or semi-professionally at least. But I'm studying education, so I could go into coaching younger players. I've also thought about forgoing rugby altogether and teaching primary. So, yeah, I'm still trying to figure myself out.”
Charlie smiled, pleasantly surprised. He turned his hands flat, palms up, and lifted them up and down like the sides of a scale. “Professional rugby player or primary school teacher, huh? I doubt anyone has ever considered more opposing professions,” he teased.
Nick laughed sheepishly. “Yeah, you're probably right. Well, what about you, then? What do you want to be?”
“I'd love to be an editor, eventually,” Charlie answered confidently. “I'm studying English Literature and the Classics.”
Nick looked impressed - maybe even a bit dazzled. “Wow, you must be really smart!”
It was Charlie's turn to feel embarrassed. “Oh, I don't know, I feel like people take English Lit when they don't want to work hard at school,” Charlie demurred.
Nick watched him intently, and Charlie felt his face heat up. “Maybe…” Nick reluctantly relented. “But I bet you do work hard, and I bet you're really good at it. It's not easy to understand all the themes and metaphors and analogies” – Nick waved his hand to convey how overwhelming it all was – “in literature, but I bet you're brilliant at it.”
Charlie turned his burning face down to his lap. “You don't know that,” he protested.
“You're right, I don't.” Charlie looked up to see Nick grinning at him with a sparkle in his eye. “But you look like a huge nerd, so I bet I'm right.”
Charlie laughed incredulously, eyes wide and brows high. “Woooow,” he drawled, feigning offence. He was too amused to truly be offended. “I'm already being bullied and I haven't even agreed to move in yet.”
Nick put his hand over his heart. “I don't know what you mean, Charlie, I would never !”
“Oh, well, what would you call this then?” Charlie asked, gesturing between them.
Nick was suddenly struck speechless, his face, ears, and neck reddening once more, as the unspoken answer floated between them.
Flirting . I would call this flirting , Charlie thought, warmth creeping through his body until it had filled every dark, empty corner.
~~~~~
Nick was absolutely enamoured with Charlie. He had swooned at Darcy's description of him alone, but nothing could've prepared him for the real thing. Beautiful dark curls that Nick had to actively hold himself back from wrapping around a finger; deep blue eyes that sparkled like the sky just after twilight; a smile like a secret that Charlie just couldn't keep to himself, with adorable dimples that popped every time Nick embarrassed himself or managed to actually say something funny. He would make himself the butt of every joke just to get Charlie to smile like that.
He knew that Charlie was a beta - Darcy had said so, and he had no detectable scent, which was what Nick had wanted in a roommate, after all - but it just felt wrong. It felt like Charlie should be as fragrant as he was beautiful, and it made Nick sad that he wasn't.
The two of them talked and talked about anything and everything. They discovered that they were from the same hometown, but that Charlie had gone to Truham while Nick had gone to St. John's. Charlie loved horror movies, but Nick couldn't bear to watch them; Nick loved Marvel, but Charlie was not a fan. Nick baked when he was stressed, while Charlie played his drums - Nick thought that was so cool , and he told him so.
Nick offered to make dinner for them both when it got to be supper time. “I mean, if you don't have plans, that is! Sorry, it's Saturday, of course you have plans, just ignore me,” Nick said sheepishly.
Charlie touched Nick's arm again, and Nick nearly combusted. “I'm a huge nerd, remember? I don't actually have plans,” Charlie laughed. “You really don't have to make me dinner, though, but I'd love to stay if you really want to.”
Nick beamed at Charlie. They continued to chat while Nick cooked, and while they ate, and while having lemon cupcakes for pudding.
It was a no-brainer. Charlie was added to the lease, and as soon as he was finished with exams, Nick and their other friends were helping him move in.
~~~~~
The alpha and beta were best friends before they knew it, their relationship and trust in one another growing deeper and deeper. Charlie confided in Nick about the bullying he went through in high school, about his eating disorder and OCD. Nick revealed how much his father's abandonment and his brother's homophobia and biphobia truly hurt him.
Nick learned that Charlie always said he hated Marvel movies to keep the peace with his friend Tao, but that he was actually secretly, ashamedly, curious about them. Nick cooed that there was nothing wrong with being curious, as if they were talking about something far more serious, but his sincerity reassured Charlie nonetheless. They started with Iron Man, and had made it through to the second Avengers movie, Age of Ultron. By now, Charlie had to admit that, yes, he was a Marvel fan. The fact that he got to (totally platonically) cuddle with Nick while they watched was just an added bonus.
In exchange for the joy that Charlie brought Nick by watching the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Nick agreed to watch some of Charlie's favourite horror movies with him. Even though they still scared him silly, Nick came to be a fan of horror, because it meant he got to bury his face in Charlie's chest when he was scared, and peek through his fingertips from the safety of Charlie's one-armed embrace. He hadn't told Charlie this, though.
~~~~~
One Month After Charlie's Move-in
Charlie sat on the sofa, watching an old episode of Bake-Off. Nick was making dinner, and had shooed him out of the kitchen. Charlie ran his hands over his bare arms, chilly even though it was July. Since he was always cold, he had a throw blanket he kept on the back of the sofa; when he reached for it, however, it wasn't there. He looked behind him to confirm before asking Nick.
“Hey, Nick? Do you know what happened to my blanket?”
Charlie was probably just imagining it, but it seemed like Nick froze for a split second before answering over his shoulder. “Oh, um, no, I'm not sure. It's probably just with the laundry, I'll check later.” Nick turned to face him. “Do you want me to grab you a new one?”
Charlie waved him off, standing and stretching, his shirt riding up his tummy. “No, no, it's fine, I'll get it.” Charlie went to his room and got a new one that was tucked away in his wardrobe.
Come to think of it, there are a few jumpers that I can't seem to find, either. They must be in the laundry, too.
~~~~~
After dinner, Nick looked mildly faint, and Charlie was concerned.
“Don't worry, it's just my rut,” Nick assured him. “It's about that time, and I always get this kind of burning headache the night before it starts.”
Charlie still wanted to be there for him if at all possible. “Is there anything I can do to help you prepare for it?”
Nick shook his head with a fond smile. “Thank you, but I'm good. I've already stockpiled water bottles and snacks in my room.”
Charlie nodded, and Nick continued. “I apologise in advance for the smell. Hopefully, you won't notice it too much since you're a beta.”
Charlie smiled shyly. “It's okay, I like your smell anyway.”
Nick flushed as his face registered surprise. “You– you can smell me?”
Charlie panicked a bit, but rushed to reassure Nick. “Only just barely, it's not that strong, honestly. And it really is lovely.”
Nick looked down bashfully, tomato red but with a tiny, pleased smile on his face. “I'm… I'm glad,” Nick whispered.
If Charlie had had a tail, it would surely be wagging.
“Well… I'm not feeling great, so I'm gonna go lie down and wait for the inevitable. Um, I'll have to use the bathroom, obviously, but if everything goes well, you shouldn't see me for the next four or five days.”
Charlie nodded sadly. “I understand. Can I… can I give you a hug before you go?”
Nick beamed, then nodded. “Yeah,” he breathed. Charlie reached for him, and they pulled each other close. It took every ounce of self-restraint Charlie contained to stop himself from taking a deep, conspicuous breath, but somehow he managed.
Nick and Charlie separated, staring into each other's eyes for long seconds until Nick cleared his throat and Charlie looked off to the side.
“Um, well, good night,” Nick said with a blush.
“Good night, Nick,” Charlie said softly.
They each retired to their rooms, and Charlie crawled into bed.
~~~~~
In the middle of the night, Charlie gasped as he woke in a cold sweat. He looked around in the darkness, wondering what roused him so suddenly and in such a state.
It was then that he noticed the scent of honey and vanilla, deliciously strong without being overpowering. It made Charlie's mouth water, and he breathed it in deeply, unable to get enough. It hit him, though, as he realised something.
This… this wasn't the scent of an alpha in rut.
This was the scent of an omega in heat.
Charlie couldn't help himself - he threw his duvet aside and climbed out of bed, following his nose out into the hallway. He placed his palms on Nick's door, inhaling and listening. Charlie heard whimpering from within; the sound tore at his heart, but it also made him rock hard. Breathing heavily, Charlie couldn't help himself: he knocked on Nick's door.
“Nick?” he called out, practically groaning his name.
A pause, then, “Just a minute,” sounding weak and pained. Charlie felt guilty for interrupting Nick's heat - he didn't even know what he was doing here. He knew this was a bad idea. But Nick smelled so good that Charlie couldn't resist.
Finally, the door cracked open, and Nick peeked out, holding a blanket around his waist.
It was Charlie's throw blanket. Fuck. Charlie bit back a moan.
“You're in heat,” Charlie panted.
Nick looked shocked, and a little scared. Charlie wanted to soothe him and hold him and knot him. “What?! But you're a beta, how… how can you tell?” he whimpered.
“Because, Nick….” Charlie couldn't help it - he leaned into Nick's sliver of space and inhaled deeply.
“Because you've just triggered my rut.”