Work Text:
It took Cheng Xiaoshi half a year to find out that Lu Guang wasn't a beta like he initially thought he was.
He discovered that Lu Guang has pills of his own, but concluded that they were either for headaches, insomnia or his general health since staring at too much photos could take a tool on him rather harshly. It wasn't a secret that his partner had a large kit full of pills beneath the desk in their bedroom. He used them rarely, but always had them stacked so he wouldn't have to leave the studio to get them.
And Cheng Xiaoshi, he did get a permission to use the pills in case of his own issues, but was told to be careful and not break anything.
However, he dropped the kit one morning after hitting his knee on the bed's edge. It fell and the boxes scattered around the floor. Cheng Xiaoshi flinched, already imagining how Lu Guang would charge upstairs from his daily cleaning routine to scold him again. However, he didn't come and Cheng Xiaoshi thought that he had escaped his wrath.
While picking up the items, the alpha noted how the mat of the box dropped out of its place and revealed small pill bottles which he had never seen before. He took one of the bottles and curiously read what was written on it.
"Scent blockers" he mumbled before frowning. It wasn't a secret that Lu Guang disliked people knowing too much about him. Cheng Xiaoshi always thought he was an alpha just like him. However, he became a bit suspicious about it since no matter how angry he was, he never used alpha voice. Unlike Cheng Xiaoshi, whose alpha voice sometimes echoed through the studio. Be it by accident due to being overexcited or at times angry.
Qiao Ling often scolded him for using his alpha voice so recklessly while Cheng Xiaoshi would just laugh at her, stating that there are no omegas that he could potentially harm. He was not a bad alpha. He just didn't know how to control himself at times.
Cheng Xiaoshi glanced at another bottle
"Scent suppressants" that made Cheng XIaoshi quirk a brow. Scent suppressants were for alphas and omegas exclusively. Blocking scents completely during heats or ruts could ruin ones health so the suppressants were used for reducing ones scent instead of blocking it completely.
"So Lu Guang is an alpha after all" the black haired man thought to himself, before reaching for the last bottle. It was probably a rut suppressant as it was dangerous having two alphas in the same household. Not mention having a rut at the same time.
However, Cheng Xiaoshi froze upon reading the last label.
"A... heat suppressant?" he almost dropped it in shock. There was no way Lu Guang was an omega. He wasn't petite nor adorable. Well, not to anyone but Cheng Xiaoshi and at times Qiao Ling. And he was far from pleasant, always keeping everyone at arm's length and avoiding any unnecessary social interactions.
"No way" Cheng Xiaoshi backed away in astonishment before placing the three bottles, covering them with a mat and neatly organizing the other pill packs on top of them. He shut the kit, placing it away neatly before sitting on his bed with his face in his hands.
The person he had spent so much time with was actually an omega.
His mind was filled with so much questions. But he let that aside and wanted to take a pill for his headache first. He had completely forgotten about it in the middle of the chaos. With a groan, he took the kit out once again. Just as he was about to open one of the boxes with the pills he needed, he felt a gloomy presence in the doorway.
"What's taking you so long?" he heard Lu Guang ask and could see him crossing his arms with that casual frown of his.
"L-Lu Guang!" Cheng Xiaoshi exclaimed as he faced the other, but could barely say anything at that moment. It was still Lu Guang in front of him, but everything felt so strange and out of place. He wanted to know the truth.
"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked, frowning softly. Almost in sympathy. He didn't want Lu Guang to think that he felt betrayed.
The shorter gave him a curious look, not seeing what Cheng Xiaoshi was aiming at.
"If it's about the pills to treat nausea, I thought you'd be the one to get them"
"What!? No, I did get them! Just, that's not what I meant" Cheng Xiaoshi took a step towards his partner. And for the first time, he noticed that the omega in Lu Guang wasn't so unnoticeable, he just didn't pay it enough attention to acknowledge it.
"Cheng Xiaoshi..." the words his partner muttered, carried some tension and he just wanted to give him a hug.
"Lu Guang, why didn't you tell me that you're an omega?" the blue eyes widened in surprise as Lu Guang backed away into the wall. Cheng Xiaoshi kept his distance, not wanting to overwhelm him, and just released a sweet scent of chamomile. He was sad that Lu Guang was hiding his scent so he couldn't read what he was thinking. His scent seemed to calm Lu Guang down at least a little bit.
"It's not that I wanted to hide it just from you" the omega muttered, avoiding his gaze "I just don't want anyone to know it because it makes me feel much more..."
"Vulnerable" Cheng Xiaoshi muttered and Lu Guang's eyes met his "You know, I won't judge you if you want to hide your scent forever. I do want to feel your scent, but not if that'll make you uncomfortable"
Something he had never seen before lit up in Lu Guang's eyes before they turned their gaze to the ground. With a small nod, Lu Guang passed Cheng Xiaoshi into their bedroom and closed the door behind him.
He heard one of the bottle caps come off and sighed.
Lu Guang still wanted to take his scent blockers.
It wasn't until a month later, when Cheng Xiaoshi came back from running some errands, that he felt a soft scent envelop the house. He took it in with a big breath and deemed the scent indescribable.
Heading upstairs, the scent began forming into something that reminded him of distant alpine mountains and the trees after the first snowfall while also associating him with the warmth of being with the ones close to him.
It smelled like home.
He almost tripped on the last step before reaching the bedroom. With a gentle knock on the door, and receiving no response except his partner's usual grunt of permit, he peeked inside and almost melted at the sight.
His beloved partner was on the bottom bunk, huddled up in various blankets and pillows and barely visible to the world. The scent of his friend was fulfilling Cheng Xiaoshi more and more with contentment as the seconds went by. And the realization hit him like a storm.
'Lu Guang was nesting' a common omega habit Cheng Xiaoshi had never seen before. Ever since finding out about Lu Guang being an omega, the blue eyed teen sometimes asked him for pillows, blankets and even clothes at times, but Cheng Xiaoshi had never seen him in a nest before.
At some point, Lu Guang rose his head from the pile of many soft fabrics to look at him with a longing look. Cheng Xiaoshi took that as an invitation to climb inside and flop beside his partner with a content grin. He wrapped his arms around the white haired's torso and pulled his back closer to his chest.
"Lu Guang, you're amazing!" he laughed, the scent charging him with joy and just pure happiness. He felt Lu Guang sigh into his chest with a small smile and held back the urge to coo at the sight. Actually, he let out the coo and pecked his partner's lips gently.
It didn't seem like Lu Guang was in heat as Cheng Xiaoshi's instincts didn't make him overprotective and feral. More like his scent was overflowing from being concealed too long. Everything in the studio, from the bottom to the top, smelled like home, like Lu Guang, to Cheng Xiaoshi.
"Hey, Lu Guang" he asked quietly, not to disturb the moment.
"Hmm?"
"Can I scent you?" his partner glanced at him with a gaze of pure adoration and then shyly buried his face into Cheng Xiaoshi's neck. The taller teen couldn't stop laughing. He was just so happy that Lu Guang was finally being himself without the blockers or the suppressants.
He brought his wrist to the pale neck and gently rubbed their scent glands together. He felt Lu Guang's arms tighten around him and his legs wrap around his body in response. Cheng Xiaoshi found him adorable.
After making sure he scented his neck enough, he moved his wrist to Lu Guang's cheek and almost flinched when the white haired teen moved his face against his wrist. What surprised him even more was a quiet sound a purr which almost made Cheng Xiaoshi release a whine. Instead, he let out a low rumble and moved lower to nose at the scent glands on the pale neck.
Lu Guang shivered slightly, but let Cheng Xiaoshi scent him. After finishing, Cheng Xiaoshi moved to place a chaste kiss on Lu Guang's lips.
"Thank you, Lu Guang" he smiled softly "I love you"
"I love you too, Cheng Xiaoshi" the white haired man smiled back.
Cheng Xiaoshi covered them with a blanket before pulling Lu Guang to his chest and deciding that's how they would spend their morning.
Unless Qiao Ling drops by because of the rent, but Cheng Xiaoshi wouldn't let that bother him too much.