"Toss the dice and check your luck, if it's 1 you're just as rare as those who get the 6."
Slowly through time humans learned a lot about their own bodies, not only how to properly heal illnesses that afflict them, but also how to properly understand how to control certain instincts. From the old times humans were classified in different boxes made by the majority of society, each box representative of one blatant characteristic. In current times, with science and a lot of curiosity to learn, humans soon found that every constant has an exception, but even then, the majority still works inside the boxes made a long time ago.
However the boxes that before were considered 'bad' or 'weak' are now more well-regarded and soon we learned how to deal with our own afflictions. Such knowledge took humans to come to the following details of the state of the current modern world:
All humans are born with two different sets of genes that classify their sex, the primary set of chromosomes define their external sex, their genitals, appearance and some specific hormones, there are two boxes of which humans fit inside when regarding their primary sex: male and female. While those with exceptions can be observed, those are considered biological rarities and are documented in separate literature. The primary sex cannot influence a person's mind or instinct, it is purely physiological.
The secondary sex however, is a different case, it influences a person's nature, their growth, their strength, even the way their brain works. A distinct set of hormones is cultivated through the combination of their chromosomes, those hormones influence their judgement, sexual desire, capability of making decisions and their body functions. It also influences if the person is able to give birth or impregnate others, the set of internal sexual organs are also modified accordingly. Those with a certain combination of chromosomes can also exude and detect pheromones, a scent-like hormone that is produced differently in every human being, similar to fingerprints, being used as identification in some cases, especially among lovers and children.
Pheromones can be used with different goals, for more information on them please check the Vol. 2 of this Introductory Course on Sexes.
There are three separate boxes inside the secondary sex gene: Betas, Alphas and Omegas, each possess very distinct characteristics that can influence one's personality and life-style. Betas are currently 60% of the world's population, they have no particular or distinct reproductive organ and only the beta females can give birth - having an uterus - and the male betas can impregnate - producing spermatozoids. Most Betas are able to have their daily life with no interference of their secondary sex and aren't able to produce pheromones, and are only able to sense strong or heavy scents exuded by Alphas and Omegas.
Alphas are 28% of the world's population, they have what most within the society call ''superior'' genes, they're distincted by being tall - with a medium height of 185cm -, stronger than Betas and Omegas and more focused - with close to none concentration affecting illnesses recorded within their parcel of the population - than most, and they're able to impregnate both omegas and female betas. Within the 28%, 12% are Recessive Alphas, those are represented by fewer hormones and less expressive genes, meaning they're less fertile, their pheromones aren't as strong and they can sometimes even live as betas without presenting other Alpha characteristics. 11% are Regular Alphas, with normal levels of fertility, pheromones and instincts, their gene expression is also within normal levels. However the last 5% of the Alpha population are considered Dominant Alphas, they're usually from well-made families with good financial conditions, have distinct external appearance, have more strength and intelligence than others, however due to their high level of hormones, their mental stability is easily shaken, making it necessary the use of implant suppressants since birth - usually put inside the babies neck within the nursery. Dominant Alphas have high fertility rate and are recorded as being able to affect Betas genes, causing shifts within their secondary sex, or even partial shifts, the biggest one recorded is of a male Beta being able to give birth, even if rare, most Dominant Alphas should avoid unprotected intercourse outside of their state-registered relationships.
Alphas also experience a highly fertile one-week period every 3 months called 'Rut' where they lose most of their rationality and seem to fall into reproductive instincts; those instincts are reported to be stronger in the presence of Omegas, as their hormones are engineered to be attracted to one another. During this period Alphas might experience shifts in humor, avoid common necessities such as food and hydration and might also experience the need of 'Marking' an Omega. More information on 'Rut' and 'Marking' on the Vol. 2 of this Introductory Course on Sexes.
The last secondary sex are Omegas, the rarer of all three sexes, Omegas were previously considered weaker and more useless than the other two, after many years of research, it was found that Omegas are actually responsible for not only Alphas mental and hormonal stability, but their hormones can be used in many scientific fronts, making them the currently most sought-after sex in jobs and research facilities. Omegas also have better vision and tend to have better spatial skills than others. Only 12% of the world's population is composed of omegas, of those 6% are Recessive, 4% are Regular Omegas and only 2% are Dominant. The difference between the expression of their genes is similar to those of Alphas: Recessive Omegas can have trouble getting pregnant, have soft pheromones and can be passed as Betas, while Regular Omegas have perfect normal levels of everything, being able to go by their days normally.
Dominant Omegas are so rare that the birth of one is considered a 'luck day' within a family, due to their strong gene expression, Dominant Omegas are also obligated to have implanted suppressors in their neck from birth, however, due to their strong and addictive pheromones they're also obligated by law to use a collar - also since birth - to prevent unwanted Marking. Dominant Omegas are an 'asset' of society and are well-regarded, most are from well-off families or are adopted by such.
All Omegas have an uterus and a 'Marking Gland' (More information on the Vol. 2 of this Introductory Course on Sexes), but the efficiency of those organs is related to their gene expression.
Similar to Alphas, Omegas can experience a highly fertile moment, however differently from Alphas, an Omega period of 'Heat' is frequent and usually lasts from three to seven days every month, the extent and effects of this moment differs for every Omega, being a quite delicate and sensitive moment, as it is when they're mostly vulnerable. It is the role of all within the society to protect Omegas, most countries even having laws surrounding Omega rights, in order to protect them from being unwantedly Marked, especially considering the rate of Alpha-Omegas in the world.
Congratulations on learning more about the Sexes, please check Vol. 2 for more information.
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When you're constantly unlucky a sudden stroke of luck can seem unreal. That's how Vahe Kouris sees the situation he's finding himself in, completely unreal. It hasn't been even a day since his 18th birthday and he already had one too many changes in his now adulthood.
First on the night of his birthday his father was arrested for… way too many things to even begin processing. Not only was his old man involved with the local gang, but he was also trafficking drugs, guns and people across the Exos Republic. He was arrested in a big operation by the Exos Police Department (EPD), leaving his two sons to clean up the big mess he left.
Luckily for them, they weren't tossed to the streets as distant relatives that heard about the commotion took pity on them and allowed them to live at their house in the Capital until they found their footing in society.
…fuck
"Is this a big hoax?" Vahe groans with frustration, messing his hair as he sighs looking at the horizon from the wonky bus he's taking from his home in the countryside to the Capital.
One who may look at him from the sides might see him as an incredibly good-looking omega, his features aren't delicate or soft like most omegas, but he is undoubtedly gorgeous, from his well trimmed slightly wavy light brown hair, round hazel eyes, plump pink lips with a beautiful beauty mark under his bottom lip to the top of his pale fingertips. He's not usually pale, as he enjoys being under the sun, spending most of his childhood tanned, but since he shut off to study for university, he has lost the golden tone of his skin, becoming paler and skinnier due to lack of nutrition.
He intended for his words of frustration to be only to himself, but his brother, sitting next to him, still heard. Zerah Kouris is the light at the end of the tunnel in Vahe's life, his only hope inside that miserable house, he is only three years older, but he shouldered a lot to prevent them from falling apart. I shouldn't be complaining, Vahe thinks, if they didn't offer their house Zerah would try to deal with it alone as usual. He gazes towards his brother with a soft expression, especially towards his brother's glaring dark circles, he worked a lot, hopefully this will be a new beginning for us.
Yes, hope is always the best remedy, even if this whole situation seems like a scam.
His brother is different yet so similar to him, his skin never lost the tan due to his work with construction, he has built muscles also due to work and is 7cm taller than Vahe, his hair is more straight and longer, reaching the man's neck, and he has freckles under his hazel eyes. His appearance is more rugged and tired, but still anyone could tell the two are related.
Zerah laughs, ruffling Vahe's hair, making it become fluffier as it was already a mess prior. "Don't worry so much, lil' bro, they said we can stay until we finish school, so we can save enough money and live by ourselves once I graduate", his words are soothing, yet the worry on his gaze is still clear as day.
A thunder is heard as it starts to rain outside, Vahe looks at the bus window, watching the water droplets traveling down the glass. I wouldn't be so worried if I could trust them…
The family they're moving into are related to them from their mother's family. As the mother of the family is Vahe's and Zerah's mother's cousin. They never met, but they heard of them, the only one to succeed, an omega femme fatale that snatched a good and rich alpha. At least that's what their father told them.
Still, deep down, Vahe still thinks that this whole situation is a prank and that soon he'll be tossed back inside that dark and damp house, just thinking about it makes the boy touch his arm where old scars lie.
"You should try sleeping a little", Zerah says, Vahe shakes his head in response.
"Nah, I'm good, you look like a zombie tho', so you should rest instead", he doesn't glance at his brother while he speaks but he can feel the tiredness in the heaviness of his gaze.
"Yeah, I was 'till late solving my transfer…" Zerah trails off, finishing his sentence with a sigh.
In two days they had to pack their whole lives in two small suitcases and move 10 hours away from where they spent their formative years, so of course they're exhausted.
Vahe was lucky that he had applied to a bunch of universities trying to shoot blindly until he got accepted, having a good option in the Capital, able to enter at the last minute as his admission was under a special omega's program. But Zerah was different, he was already in the middle of his course, he had to apply for a transfer and find a university willing to take him in. He's superhuman for being able to wrap everything up in two days, Vahe thinks, proud of his older brother, yet worried about his health.
A tired sigh leaves his lips as he closes his eyes and leans back onto the uncomfortable bus seat. He was feeling under the weather for a while already, it's nothing unusual for him as he spent his whole life dealing with the effects of being a dominant omega.
You see, since the beginning of time there were two types of boxes for people to fit inside. Their primary sex, female or male and their secondary sex, beta, alpha and omega. While being a beta is living normally, being an alpha or omega can strongly affect their lives. Most alphas are well-regarded in society and are considered natural leaders, while omegas are considered caretakers, weaker than most. Especially dominant omegas… their lives are hell. And that isn't Vahe's bias from being one.
From birth they're marked as 'delicate' beings, it's the role of the society to protect and care for them, and they're obligated to use a collar from day one as their pheromones are active from the moment they leave the womb. Which should be a flaw of nature, Vahe thinks as he touches the worn off collar on his neck. The material is cheap and the design outdated, it is even too tight as he's been using the same collar since elementary school. Most dominant omegas are also obligated to have suppressants implanted in their neck as dominant alphas.
And that was probably the beginning of Vahe's unluckiness… As he is allergic to every single suppressant existent and it's not like they would produce a new suppressant just for one dominant omega.
He slowly opens his eyes again, looking at the heavy rain falling, the sound of thunder and strangers' snores filling his senses, the rough material of his collar brushing against his lean fingers.
Normally, dominant omegas are only born from an alpha-omega couple, and even then, the chance is minimal and most are born in rich families as their genes are carefully chosen. Vahe is an exception, he's poor, no, he's dirty poor, and not only that both his parents were betas, even his older brother is also a beta, his birth was a miracle and also his own loss in the genetic lottery.
Most would be glad to be a dominant omega, it brings riches, guaranteed entry in any university and especial treatment mostly anywhere.
But that statistic is wrong.
If all dominant omegas are rich of course they would be privileged.
Vahe isn't rich, neither is he privileged.
He was bullied, and almost sexually abused more times than he can count. Luckily for him, he had a good build all things considered. Escaping some of the usual assumptions one would have of omegas. He's 170cm tall, has okay-ish muscles and has decent strength, he could even pass as a beta appearance wise, since he doesn't have 'cute' features. The giveaways of his true identity are his collar and his pheromones.
You see, omegas have sweet pheromones, smelling like fruits, candies or like sugar itself while alphas have nature related pheromones, usually smells like rain, grass, flowers, etc. And their pheromones have different levels of scent: faint, normal, strong and heavy. Scents are characteristic, just like a fingerprint, some children have the same scent as their parents but with different levels, however they will never have the same scent with the same level as someone else. The stronger your pheromone level the more influence you have over the different sex, betas usually can't sense pheromones, however they can sense those who have strong or heavy scents, the same thing goes for alphas or omegas, they can tolerate faint or normal levels, but strong or heavy ones can play with their brains, bringing their instincts forward.
For example, a recessive omega that usually isn't sensitive to pheromones can go into heat if an alpha with strong or heavy pheromones goes by them. That's another reason why dominants use suppressants, as they could bring people towards insanity as they would become pure animals at a whiff of their scent.
Now you must be thinking, Vahe is a bioweapon then.
Yes, he is.
He has a heavy peach like pheromone, and due to his condition he needs to have full control of his pheromones all the time in order to keep a semi-normal life. The only moments he can't control are when he's in heat and when he drinks too much.
That's why he never drinks alcohol and keeps track of his heat constantly.
But due to the moving and the stress he was unable to check his calendar uphand and now he's dealing with the start of his heat. The first lucky thing to happen to him is that as it is the first day of his heat, he doesn't spread many pheromones and can still keep a sane mind, only being mildly sick and feverish.
I hate being an omega, is the last thing he thinks about before finally falling asleep, 6 hours into the trip and only 4 hours to go until they reach the Capital.
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The Chrysl household is copy paste from rich people's magazines, a huge property with a huge iron gate at the entrance and a garden extensive enough for the house itself to be hidden from the entrance because of it. From the taxi, Vahe could tell that those people were living quite different lives from him and his brother. Ha, they have a pool, a tennis court and a basketball court? They're rich rich. Vahe thinks as the taxi stops in front of the house, no, sorry, mansion. The place was big enough to fit at least ten families, white like the doctor's office and elegant like the pearls his mom used to admire through the windows of a rich people shop. Not even in a million years Vahe would begin to think he would set foot inside a place like this.
They leave the taxi silently with their only two small bags. Before seeing his distant relatives, Vahe feels them. Two omegas and two alphas, he observes, that's rare. Even families composed of alpha-omega couples aren't guaranteed to produce an alpha or omega offspring. Vahe flinches once the door opens, he can't distinguish recessive or dominant characteristics by scent alone, since it varies, but once he sees the collar on the neck of one of the Chrysl family members he can tell. A dominant omega… inside his own mind Vahe can feel all the envy and sadness he wishes not to, while his face expresses nothing but pure boredom. He's envious of that omega that has a full family, a privileged life and a collar that is made of gold.
"Be polite", Zerah whispers to his brother, Vahe shrugs, he doesn't see how he is nothing but polite to anyone he meets. Undoubtedly, Vahe is quite blind to how others perceive him, probably a reflection to his loneliness that comes with his rare condition. Zerah walks towards the family, he introduces himself with a polite smile and thanks them for allowing them to stay at their residency.
However right now, Vahe doesn't feel lucky for being there, he feels sick.
"I'm Vahe Kouris", he says, his tone low from the headache and carsickness. He extends his hand and the first one to take is the older alpha. The man is tall, well-built, his hair is black like the night's sky and his eyes are a mix of green and brown, almost yellowish. His scent is strong but he's probably using suppressants as the scent of azaelias doesn't make Vahe shiver. "Welcome Vahe, I'm Magnus Chrysl. Please feel at home." His smile isn't genuine, and his gaze goes fast from his wife to Vahe, probably looking at her for the right words to say.
The second one to grab his hand is the younger alpha, he mustn't be dominant because his neck is devoid of any marks, his scent is gentle and is similar to the scent of grass after it rains, his hair is platinum blonde and his eyes are a very clear tone of blue. "I'm Alkaios", his words are short but his tone is clean and elegant, his voice is calming just like his scent. I don't like him, Vahe thinks, as he tends to be suspicious of those with overly calm demeanors.
An older woman steps closer, she's an omega and a quite beautiful one at that, she's shorter than all the men there, her long and silky platinum blonde hair is similar to her son's and her eyes are clear blue, making her look like a doll, her face is almost completely devoid of age marks, making impossible for most to believe the woman is over 40. "Nice to meet you sweetie, I'm Else Chrysl, I was your mom's cousin, I'm so sorry for everything that happened to you", instead of shaking his hand the older omega woman pulls him towards a tight hug, which freezes Vahe for a moment before he steps back with a shocked expression.
"Sorry Madam, my brother doesn't like being touched", Zerah steps forward with an apologetic expression. Due to many years living as a dominant omega, Vahe learned to never allow people to touch him too much, the only exception being his older brother, so he doesn't feel the need to apologize to the woman, however he doesn't correct his brother either.
"Oh no, I understand", she glances at Vahe's collar, making the boy pull his hoodie up, trying to hide the worn out symbol of his own disgrace. "I wasn't very considerate of your… condition" her words are cautious, she probably already knows of Vahe's rarity.
The last one to introduce himself is the other dominant omega, if Vahe didn't know better he would guess they were twins separated at birth. The boy even has the same under lip beauty mark as him, their eyes are shaped the same and even their height is similar, however differently from him the boy was wearing high-end clothes and he had platinum blonde straight short hair and yellowish eyes just like his father. "I'm… Nikias", his words are quiet, almost like a whisper in the wind, a big contrast to his deep voice. His pheromones are strong but Vahe can see the small scar under the boy's collar, signaling that he uses suppressants. He smells like green apples, he thinks, which he finds surprisingly pleasant, contrary to most omegas smells that can repulse the boy, including the older omega woman that smells like red apples, her scent almost makes Vahe throw up, but he learned to hold in throughout the years.
An omega repulsion to other omegas pheromones is a biological response in order to ''intimidate'' the ''competition''. Especially to Vahe who doesn't use suppressants, the scent of another omega can cause him severe repulsion.
''Come in, make yourselves at home'', Else, the omega woman, says, her eyes are gentle, and Vahe commends her attempt at being polite, clearly the reason why they're being taken in is because of her, since the other men there don't seem eager to welcome strangers to their home.
At first glance Vahe feels the uncomfortable atmosphere inside the house, white walls with - probably - expensive artworks and expensive appliances, the ceiling is high and even the light bulbs exude money. On a second note, he notices that the house isn't the only thing uncomfortable, the two older adults seem distant from their children and the two young adult boys don't even walk near each other. I guess it's true that money doesn't buy everything, he thinks as he follows his brother around as the woman shows them the house facilities.
When they arrive at the kitchen they start meeting the employees, two housekeepers, one private chef, two drivers and the list goes on. Vahe can't even begin to see the purpose of hiring someone to do everything around your own home, but he guesses that's probably a rich person thing. ''The bedrooms are on the second floor, and your rooms have bathrooms, so don't worry about sharing it'', the woman says as they climb the extensive stairs Vahe only saw in movies before. ''The two doors at the end of the corridor, you can choose which each of you want to take''.
''I have to run to work, nice meeting you, don't worry about much and make yourselves at home'', the older man says, he shakes Vahe's and Zerah's hand before kissing his wife's cheek and leaving the house.
''Don't worry about Magnus, he isn't home much due to work, I work mostly from home, so if you need something just knock at my office'', she pointed at a dark wood door on the first floor. ''Anything you need feel free to take from the cabinets and the fridge, don't worry about restocking, Hannah, one of the housekeepers, does it for us constantly'', Vahe fights the urge of making a sarcastic remark, Zerah seems to notice as he gazes a warning at him, the boy shrugs, trying to show that he didn't say anything, but that doesn't ease his older brother. Tsk, he knows me too well, he thinks with a smile. ''Meals are served at 6am, 1pm and 9pm, if you won't eat with us let, Peterson, our cook, know beforehand''.
''We couldn't possibly intrude'', Zerah says, with a soft smile, Vahe notices the discomfort in his brother's voice. ''Vahe has food restrictions, I can do our meals, please''.
The woman laughs, as if Zerah's words were stupid worries. ''Darling, just tell Peterson about his restrictions, don't worry…'' She touches Zerah's arm. ''We offered our sincere help, sometimes it is ok to just accept kindness'', her words are so spot on that both brothers feel shocked. Where they lived, accepting a stranger's words or acts was the recipe for danger, so they learned how to deal with everything themselves. Her worries and actions could be genuine, but it will take more to make them simply accept. ''If you feel uncomfortable, you can pay us 10% of your salary as a contribution'', Zerah nods.
''That would be fairer, but I doubt it would even be 1% of the employee's salaries''.
''It's symbolic, darling'', she laughs again, her whole being shines, like a rich woman with the perfect family. Everything feels so fake that Vahe feels suffocated, he glances at the other dominant omega there, his older brother had already left quietly when his father left, but he stayed, his yellowish eyes fixated on Vahe.
''...Ok, but I think me and Vahe should help around the house as well, as payment'', Zerah sighs, defeated, the long bus trip didn't make it easier.
''I'll inform the employees that if they need help they can request your assistance, but please don't feel pressured, I just want you guys to rest and study during this tumultuous times.'' Vahe feels grateful for her pity but uncomfortable at the same time, his brother seems to be the same by his expression. The woman claps her hands, ''Now, go unpack and explore around, you can use all facilities we have, the only places off limits are the offices, other bedrooms and the olympic pool, my eldest is a professional swimmer, so he uses it for practice''. They have an Olympic pool too? Apart from the normal one? Vahe scoffs inside his brain, the whole time all of their words seem so unreal and out-of-touch that he finds incredible he still is surprised by the richness.
''Very well, thank you so much for everything Else'', Zerah smiles, his smile is tired but sincere, Vahe almost feels the need to smile together with his brother.
The woman leaves and the two brothers proceed to the bedrooms, ''Unpack and rest, we will discuss more tomorrow'', his brother says with a sigh and Vahe nods, the golden colors of the sunset shine across the hallway window. Vahe takes the end-left room, when he enters he laughs, the whole room is bigger than their old house, large windows towards the back garden, a large bed with silk sheets, a closet that would fit fifty times more clothes than that he has, a mirror with gold decorations, a large solid wood desk with a chair that feels comfortable just by looking at it and the bathroom… A bathtub, a shower and porcelain decoration with so much space that he and his brother could share and never run out of places to stand and walk. Too much, he thinks, the higher you go the bigger the fall, a sigh leaves his lips as he places his suitcase on the desk.
Accepting this new reality could signify a big downfall or worse, they could be left even more scarred. However, they could also use this opportunity and save enough for them to be quite comfortable later on. It's a probability of 50% terrible luck or 50% incredible luck, no inbetween.
''Are you in heat?'' A low deep and whispery voice startles Vahe, he glances at the door where the other omega is standing. Nikias Chrysl seems fixated on him, his eyes are filled with curiosity, his hands are slightly trembling and his pose on the door frame is awkward. Vahe wants to answer with sarcasm or send the other boy away, but something inside him feels as if he and Nikias are two sides of the same coin, as if their souls resonate with one another, not that Vahe believes in something so intangible, either way he replies to the boy with a soft tone.
''First day'', he's short but not rude, the boy seems to understand some underlying tone in his voice because he enters the room and sits on Vahe's bed, still looking at him.
Vahe opens his suitcase, starting to take off his things to organize them. ''Don't you use suppressants?'' Nikias asks.
''Allergic'', he replies with a dry laugh.
''Did you ever slept with an Alpha before?'' His question crosses a line, but the tone is one of interest and self-doubt, he doesn't seem to be mocking Vahe.
''No'', he responds honestly. ''Zerah was quite firm in protecting me before I was an adult''.
''How old are you?''
Geez, are we playing 20 questions?
''18''.
''When was your birthday?''
''2 days ago''.
Nikias pauses, he looks surprised.
''For real?'' His tone is less formal. ''Mine too''.
So we don't only look alike, but we also share the same birthday.
''At what time?''
Vahe laughs. ''6 a.m., what? You too?''
Nikias laughs as well. ''No, I was born at 1 a.m., it was raining, my mother likes to talk about my birth a lot''. His words don't have an ounce of discomfort, Vahe must've been wrong about the boy's relationship with his parents.
A silence befalls upon them after a couple minutes, Vahe doesn't take long to unpack and store his things on the closet and set his study desk, he only has an old laptop and a few stained notebooks, but that will do until he finds a part-time job to buy his supplies and a new computer.
''Mom told me we will be going to the same university''. Nikias speaks again, Vahe sits on the desk chair, he looks at the other Omega with cold eyes, he doesn't really know how to make any other expression. ''What's your major?''
''Mechanical Engenieering''. Vahe answers with a sigh. ''You?''
''Fashion'', Nikias blushes, he seems embarrassed. ''You're that smart, huh? No wonder mother was speaking highly of you and your brother…'' He pauses for a second. ''What's your brother's major?''
''Architeture''.
''Oh.''
Another silence.
''V-Vahe…'' The boy stutters, his eyes go to his trembling hands. ''Can we be friends?'' His question takes him by surprise.
''I don't see why you want to be my friend, we just met.'' His words are cold and his expression is stoic. But he isn't exactly opposed to the idea, he just feels they're too different to be truly close. Nikias seems shy and self-depreciative, while Vahe is one of those people that choose to be alone because he just can't be bothered. ''And if you're going to say that is because we're both Dominant Omegas I call it bullshit'', his words are more crude, Nikias seems shocked by his curt words, but doesn't seem to give up on the idea.
''I always wanted a best friend'', Nikias words make Vahe laugh.
''That's adorable, best friends are for children Nikias''. Even if his words are rude, he can't help but be slightly moved by Nikias proposition, he also never had close friends, because of the whole bullying and constant abuse attempts surrounding his life. And he can't deny that from all the Omegas he met, Nikias is the only bearable one to be around.
''Can't you try?'' Nikias sighs. ''Listen, I don't have friends, you're new around here as well, we can keep each other company and talk about things we can't talk about with our brothers.''
''Like?'' Vahe crosses his arms and raises his eyebrow. ''I don't know about you, but I'm quite open with my brother''.
The boy flinches. ''I'm not close to Alkaios… I guess, but even so, I doubt you can talk with him about things like heat, sex and relationships''. Vahe nods, of course he can't, Zerah would beat up anyone that approaches him with impure intentions. Even if he isn't an Alpha, his muscles are no joke, he is also a big reason why Vahe never had a relationship before. When the heats started becoming unbearable, Vahe mentioned getting a ''relief'' partner, just to help him out, but Zerah was adamant that he should wait until he's 18 to do those types of things.
''Fair enough, but why should I do so with you?''
''Don't you feel it too?'' Nikias sighs, looking Vahe in the eye. ''There's this invisible connection between us, if I didn't know better I would think we're twins, but we aren't, so maybe we're just destined to be close friends''.
''I don't believe in destiny'', he responds.
''I do'', Nikias retorts back.
Vahe scratches his head with a defeated sigh.
''Fine, we can try being besties'', he says with a sarcastic tone. Nikias smiles. ''Just don't bother me too much.''
''Great!'' The boy claps with excitement. ''Wait here'', he asks, running off the room.
Vahe sighs, leaning back on the chair, he's already exhausted by this short interaction, and something tells him that Nikias is the clingy friend type. ''Yet I don't feel anger'', he whispers to himself, surprised at his own actions. Maybe the boy is right and there is some invisible connection between them, even so, accepting to be best friends is too far fetched, even if they could forge a close friendship that simply, he doesn't see how that could work when their personalities are just too different.
Nikias doesn't take long to come back, he extends his hand towards Vahe, giving him a silver collar with flower engraving, the collar is pretty and seems quite expensive, the engraving is delicate and seems to be made by hand, it also has some small transparent stones in it that Vahe hopes it isn't diamonds.
''Take this as a symbol of friendship!'' Vahe laughs at Nikias words.
''No, I can't take something this expensive''.
Nikias rolls his eyes, ''Please, I never use this because my neck is too thin, you have more muscles than me, so it'll fit well, if you don't accept I'll just toss it and never use''.
Vahe analyzes the boy's face, he seems adamant in making him accept it, and fair enough, Vahe is a bit malnourished but he still has more meat on his bones than Nikias. ''Why are you so skinny? Are you starving?'' His question makes the boy blush violently, his face becoming red like a ripe tomato.
''No… I work as a model so I have a strict diet''.
''Even so you should eat more, we spend too much energy to keep our bodies'', Vahe gets up from his chair and leans closer to Nikias. ''If we're going to be friends we will go out to eat together, no? You should eat more''.
Nikias laughs, ''You sound like a nagging grandma''. Vahe shrugs. ''Just take the collar, yours is clearly hurting you'', Nikias touches Vahe's neck, pulling his worn out collar slightly to reveal his bruised neck.
He sighs, ''You win'', he takes the silver collar, takes off his older one and puts it on, the cold material makes him shiver, but it is significantly better than the old one, he doesn't feel suffocated anymore. ''But we're going out to eat and walk around campus tomorrow'', his words come off so naturally that he isn't sure why. Did I just plan to hang out with him like this? Why am I so accepting of this?
''Sure! It's a plan!'' Nikias sounds like an excited child, Vahe almost pities him for being excited over something so trivial. ''If you want I can share my toys for your heat as well!'' Vahe opens his eyes in shock.
''Hell no!'' he yells. ''That's too much Nikias! Keep some things private please'', he completes his face burning with embarrassment.
Nikias smiles. ''Sorry, your reaction is too funny though''.
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FINAL REGARDS:
This is a slice-of-life story so I'll focus a lot on friendship, romance, school, etc. I wanted to make a what-if scenario where Nikki and Vahe both exist in the same timeline, but their connection still exists. I think they're opposites yet still similar, so they would be the worst friends yet those who stay with you even when you're ugly crying over your own bullshit. I'm itching to write the twins and Rainier into the story soon, but since I'm writing the ''introduction'' and Vahe & Nikki's soul connection relationship, I don't know when I'll introduce them. (Just want to be clear that the ML is Lyor please, Nikki and Vahe are like friends-almost-brothers that have a deep soul connection - due especially to the idea that their soul wavelength is the same, a concept I introduced in HLWC).
I want to make Nikki and Zerah especially happy since they both are dead in HLWC - not a spoiler. I intend on giving them love interests but am yet to figure it out who. Alicia was Nikki's fiance in HLWC, but I don't think their relationship was something it would translate into a non-arranged marriage situation, especially omegaverse.
Anyway this is a fun and silly project, please don't expect a huge plot, this is just romance, omegaverse and uni days.
A little on the new roles compared to HLWC (only characters mentioned in this chapter):
Vahe/Nikias Gregor Chrysl (Former homeless handyman to reincarnated Prince) -> Vahe Kouris [Dominant Omega] (Mechanical Engineering freshman)
Nikias Gregor Chrysl [Deceased] (Second Prince, dead at 17 by poison) -> Nikias Chrysl [Dominant Omega] (Fashion freshman, young master of the Chrysl family).
Zerah [Deceased] (Poor child of the slums, Vahe's older brother, death by unknown cause) -> Zerah Kouris [Beta] (Vahe's older brother, hard worker, Architecture senior student).
Alkaios Theodore Chrysl (Crown Prince) -> Alkaios Chrysl [Alpha] (Heir to the Chrysl Conglomerate, Business senior student, professional swimmer)
Else Elizabeth Chrysl (Empress) -> Else Chrysl [Omega] (Vice-president of the Chrysl Conglomerate branch on Entertainment - Andromeda Entertainment)
Magnus Valerius Chrysl (Emperor) -> Magnus Chrysl [Dominant Alpha] (Chairman of the Chrysl Conglomerate)
Hannah Clair (Empress Else's butler) -> Hannah Clair [Beta] (Housekeeper of the Chrysl Family)
Peterson Blanchet (Emperor Magnus' butler) -> Peterson Blanchet [Beta] (Private Cook of the Chrysl Family)