Chapter Text
“Ahg, uf”
The omega with tousled, disheveled hair and flushed cheeks writhed between warm sheets that had been carelessly kicked aside. His face, hidden beneath a pillow soaked with sweat and other fluids (drool, tears, and something more), was scrunched up from the agonizing pleasure that spread from his sensitive nipples all the way to the tips of his curling toes.
Contrary to what one might conclude, the omega was not in heat. He had officially presented two months ago, with his first heat catching him off guard at school.
It had been one of the most embarrassing days of Zenitsu's life. At first, he had thought he would pass out from skipping breakfast. Then the heat began to creep up his spine as if he had been set on fire from the inside. An annoying tingling settled between his legs, and suddenly, he felt a warm, viscous liquid seeping through the fabric of his pants, soaking his underwear and trickling down his thigh. The sweet, heavy scent that emanated from his own body scared him so much that he ran to the bathroom without looking at anyone, slammed the door shut, and gripped the sink with trembling hands.
“What… what's happening to me…?”
The heat wasn't just a fever. It was a visceral need, as if every nerve in his body was screaming to be touched, filled, used. His soft, swollen sex—utterly oblivious to how wrong it was to be doing this kind of thing at school—pulsed strongly, opening just a little and releasing more of that slippery fluid that stained his clothes. His nipples had hardened to the point of hurting at the brush of his shirt; every breath made him feel the thin fabric graze his chest with each small movement. He had ended up on the bathroom floor, two fingers buried to the knuckle, whimpering against his own wrist to keep from giving himself away, while the heat destroyed him from the inside. It was one of the most humiliating moments of his life.
Sensei Rengoku found him and kept him safe from the alphas trying to get into the restroom, carrying him on his back to the infirmary.
Rengoku-san was amazing—so responsible, kind, with soft, gentle eyes and a pair of strong arms he liked to leave uncovered. He had been so kind, so gentlemanly, ignoring the hormones and the scent that must have been filling his nostrils. Zenitsu still remembered the strength of those bare arms and the softness of that gaze, and he hated himself a little for getting aroused even in the midst of panic.
“Ah…~” He slid his pants down a little further until they reached his ankles, so he could move his legs more freely and rub himself using his thighs.
Omegas usually present between the ages of 13 and 15. Alphas, on the other hand, present across a wider range, from 12 to 17. Which is why he had spent all this time believing he would be an alpha.
He had always been attracted to cute, curvy omegas, and after his first heat, he thought he would end up looking for a pretty beta with the same characteristics. However, it was quite the opposite—his eyes were drawn to every male alpha at the institute like a magnet to metal, and saying "every one of them" was no exaggeration. To Zenitsu's dismay, that included the teachers. But it wasn't his fault! This school was full of proud, conceited alphas giving off their pheromones everywhere.
The only good thing about that devastating day was the day after. Tanjirou, his sweet friend Tanjirou, had brought him a basket full of candies and chocolates, asked if he was feeling better, and kept watching over him attentively. If he had been an alpha, he would have thought he was being courted, but his best friend still hadn't presented and only left him flustered and confused with all his attention.
He didn't know how other omegas acted so naturally, but he couldn't stop thinking about the feeling of a knot filling him since his presentation. He had masturbated before, of course, he was 16. But lately, he was so sensitive… so sensitive.
Another broken moan escaped his swollen lips as his hand circled his clit. He was wet and ready, but he couldn't stop touching himself long enough to reach the vibrator—he couldn't stop touching himself for a single second.
Zenitsu had planned to finish the history homework together with Tanjirou. He had changed into comfortable clothes and decided to make some progress on the project before the redhead arrived. Instead, he had crawled under the covers to caress and touch every sensitive part of his body.
Tanjirou would be arriving soon. If he wanted to come quickly, he would have to use something more to get off as quickly as possible. He mustered all his willpower to stretch lazily toward the nightstand and open the first drawer. There it was—the pink vibrator he had bought on impulse (after having to get through his heat with only fingers and saliva).
He couldn't take it much longer like this. He gave a few last tentative strokes to his overstimulated clit and pushed the toy inside himself in one smooth motion. The low, constant buzzing made him arch his back. He pushed deeper, searching for that spot that made him see stars, and in less than a minute, the orgasm shattered him.
He lay there trembling, drooling, the sheets a complete mess, and the vibrator still inside him, buzzing on the lowest setting because he hadn't had the strength to turn it off.
Then he heard the familiar footsteps in the hallway and an unmistakable tune.
Panic hit him harder than the pleasure.
He didn't manage to take it out.
He only managed to throw himself on his side, pull the blanket up to his chin, and pretend to be studying when the door slid open.
The beta entered with his usual smile, his bag hanging from one shoulder and a notebook tucked under his arm.
“Zenitsu! I came a little early, do you mind if we start?”
“No, no, not at all!” he replied too quickly, his voice pitched higher than normal “Come in, come in.”
Tanjirou took a step into the room and stopped short. He frowned at the sight of his friend bundled up to the chin, his back against the headboard and his legs folded under the blanket.
“Are you sick?” he asked, setting his bag on the floor “Your face is really…red”
Zenitsu shook his head a little too vigorously.
“No, no! It's just… it's a little cold in here, that's all”
Tanjirou looked at him skeptically. It was twenty-five degrees outside, and Zenitsu's window was cracked open.
“Cold?” he repeated, stepping closer “But you're sweating”
He leaned in to touch his forehead, and Zenitsu flinched as if he'd been shocked. The sudden movement made the vibrator still inside him, buzzing on the lowest setting because he hadn't had the courage to turn it off press right against the spot that drove him crazy. A moan escaped him, half-stifled.
Tanjirou pulled his hand back immediately, blushing.
“Are you sure you're okay?” he asked, this time more concerned than before. His eyes scanned Zenitsu's curled-up figure, the strange lump under the blanket that didn't quite look like a leg “Why are you so covered up? It's warm in here.”
Zenitsu swallowed with difficulty. He could feel the sweat trickling down the back of his neck, the sweet smell that had surely already permeated the room, and the damn buzzing that wouldn't stop.
“It's just… I'm uncomfortable” he managed to say, his voice strained “Can we do the homework on the floor? Or at the desk, or…”
“But you're already on the bed” said Tanjirou, confused, pointing at the empty desk to the side “We can work right here, you don't need to move”
And with that, he sat down on the edge of the mattress, as naturally as anything, ready to pull out his notes. The weight of his body on the mattress made the vibrator shift slightly inside Zenitsu, and he had to bite his lip until it almost bled.
Tanjirou sniffed the air unconsciously, and his brow furrowed. His nose wrinkled for a moment, as if processing something strange. He looked at Zenitsu with a mix of curiosity and confusion.
“Did you use a new perfume?” he asked, tilting his head “It smells weird in here. Really sweet.”
Zenitsu felt the ground open beneath him.
“Y-You can smell it?”
“Yeah. It's really strong” Tanjirou sniffed again, and this time his face flushed a deep red that reached his ears. He looked down, uncomfortable “I don't know… it smells like… honey? Or overly ripe fruit. It's… weird. Did you eat something?”
Zenitsu wanted to die. He wanted the earth to swallow him whole. He wanted the vibrator to stop buzzing and for Tanjirou to stop sniffing the air like he was trying to identify the source of that smell.
“No, I haven't eaten anything” he managed to say, his voice trembling “Hey, don't you think we should do the homework on the floor? More… space. Yeah, more space.”
Tanjirou stared at him. His brown eyes landed on Zenitsu's hands, clutching the blanket as if his life depended on it. Then they dropped to the strange lump under the duvet, and this time something clicked in his mind. His cheeks burned even brighter. He looked away abruptly.
“Ah.” His voice came out rougher than he intended “Yeah. Okay. I might… need to use the bathroom for a moment. I'll be right back.”
He stood up so fast he almost tripped over his own bag. He left the room without looking back, and the sound of the door closing was like a release for Zenitsu, who collapsed against the pillow with a groan of despair, the vibrator still buzzing inside him, and the absolute certainty that Tanjirou had understood perfectly what was going on.
Two minutes later, Tanjirou called out from the hallway, his voice a little shaky and trying hard to sound normal—and failing completely:
“Hey, Zenitsu! Do you want me to go buy something to drink while… while you change? I'll be about ten minutes!”
Zenitsu buried his face in the pillow and groaned. Forever. He was going to be embarrassed forever.
Omega heard Tanjirou's footsteps retreating down the hallway and felt panic mix with humiliation in a way that churned his stomach.
“Wait!” he shouted, his voice cracking “Don't go!”
Silence. Then footsteps returned, slower, uncertain.
“Zenitsu?”
“Don't go!” he repeated, and this time his voice sounded desperate, almost childish “Just… just give me a minute. Please”
He moved clumsily under the blanket, feeling the buzz of the vibrator that was still on. With trembling hands, he turned it off and pulled it out in one swift motion, letting it fall to the floor with a dull thud. He pulled his pants up with jerky movements, not caring about the fluid still trickling down his thighs, and stood up shakily. He yanked the door open.
Tanjirou was there, in the hallway, his face still flushed and his hands shoved in his pockets as if he didn't know what to do with them. At the sight of Zenitsu, his eyes widened slightly, surprised by his friend's disheveled and flustered appearance.
“Zen…”he began.
“I'm not in heat” Zenitsu interrupted, his voice already trembling “I swear, I'm not in heat. My presentation was two months ago, my next heat isn't until… until weeks from now. This isn't that.”
Tanjirou blinked, unsure how to respond.
“Then… what…?”
“I don't know” said Zenitsu, and tears began to roll down his cheeks “I don't understand what's wrong with me. I'm like this all the time, Tanjirou. All the time” He gestured vaguely back toward the room, as if that were enough explanation. “I feel dirty. I feel like a pervert”
Tanjirou stepped forward, concerned.
“Zenitsu, don't say that…”
“But it's true” he sobbed “I can't stop thinking about things like that. All the time. At school, at home, whenever I see an alpha…” his voice broke and he lowered his gaze, ashamed “Whenever I see Rengoku-sensei. I can't help it. I see him and I feel like I'm melting, and then I hate myself for feeling that because he's my teacher, and he's so much older, and he's so kind to me and I just think about…”
He couldn't finish the sentence. Tears fell uncontrollably, and he brought his hands to his face to hide.
Tanjirou fell silent. But it wasn't an empty silence. Zenitsu, even as he cried, could hear it. He could hear the beat of his heart, the one that was always so calm, so steady, like the ticking of an old clock. But not now. Now it sounded different. Fast. Erratic. As if trying to find a rhythm it had lost.
Zenitsu looked up, confused.
Tanjirou stood before him, his face pale, lips pressed together, and hands trembling inside his pockets. His jaw tightened when their eyes met.
“Tanjirou?”
“It's not dirty” said Tanjirou, his voice deeper than usual “Zenitsu, it's not dirty. What you feel is normal. You're an omega, your body… it reacts like this. It's not your fault”
“But you don't understand” Zenitsu insisted, shaking his head “You're a beta. To you, all of this must seem ridiculous, absurd, disgusting.”
“I'm not a beta” said Tanjirou.
Zenitsu blinked. The tears paused for a moment, confused. Tanjirou didn't look at him. His eyes were fixed on the floor, and his fingers fidgeted inside his pockets.
“I haven't presented yet” he said, his voice barely a whisper “But I'm not a beta. Betas can't… betas can't smell as strongly as I do. I've always had a keen sense of smell, but this is different. Betas don't feel what I feel when I see you like this.”
Zenitsu opened his mouth, but no words came out.
“When I walked into your room” Tanjirou continued, and now his cheeks were red, and his voice trembled slightly “the smell hit me like a punch. And I… I didn't know what to do. Because I liked it. And that scared me. Because you're my best friend, and I didn't want you to think I'm like those alphas who tried to get into the bathroom when you presented”
Zenitsu stood frozen.
“But I can smell you” said Tanjirou, and he finally looked up. His eyes were bright, but not with tears—with something more intense, more profound “And it's not disgusting. It's not dirty. It's…” he searched for the word, and his voice cracked “It's sweet. Like a ripe peach”
Zenitsu's heart skipped a beat.
“You…?” he stammered “But aren't you an alpha?”
Tanjirou slowly shook his head.
“I don't know yet. But when I present… when I find out what I am…” his fingers twisted in the hem of his shirt “I don't want you to think I'm like the others. I don't want you to be afraid of me”
Zenitsu looked at him. He saw the tension in his shoulders, as if carrying an invisible weight. He saw how his fingers nervously played with the fabric of his clothes. He saw the blush crawling up his neck and spreading to his ears.
And then, without knowing why, Zenitsu smiled. A trembling smile, wet with tears, but genuine.
“Tanjirou…”
“Yeah”
“You're an idiot.”
Tanjirou looked up, surprised.
“Me? Why?”
"Because I thought you were going to judge me," said Zenitsu his voice still trembled, but now with something different. "Because I thought you'd see me as a pervert. But instead…" He laughed, through tears. "Instead, it turns out you were hiding things too."
Tanjirou let out a nervous laugh, scratching the back of his neck.
"I guess so."
They stood in silence for a moment, looking at each other. The hallway was dim, and from Zenitsu's room came the faint buzz of the vibrator on the floor, which neither dared to mention.
The omega's eyes drifted down to Tanjirou's crotch. He was erect; school pants weren't good at hiding that sort of thing, the fabric too thin and already showing signs of dampness. The beta seemed to notice his stare.
"Ah, I'm so sorry! It's the smell…"
"Do you… do you want to come in? Please."
Tanjirou, though surprised, nodded. Zenitsu closed the door behind them. The click of the lock was the only sound that broke the silence for a few seconds.
Tanjirou remained standing, his bag hanging from one shoulder and his fingers gripping the strap as if it were a lifeline. His eyes didn't know where to settle: first they looked at the floor, then the window, then the corner of the bed, carefully avoiding the pink vibrator still resting on the floor, and most of all avoiding looking at Zenitsu.
The beta shifted uncomfortably, adjusting his pants without success, and the sound that escaped his lips was barely a hoarse whisper.
"Do you want me to sit…?"
The question hung in the air, uncertain. Zenitsu nodded, gesturing vaguely toward the bed.
"Wherever you want."
Tanjirou chose the edge of the mattress, sitting with his legs together and his hands resting on his thighs, fingers pressing against the fabric. His posture was rigid, as if he feared any movement would betray him further. He didn't look at Zenitsu. He looked at his own hands, the carpet, the corner of the nightstand.
Zenitsu sat beside him, leaving a few centimeters of space. The mattress dipped slightly with his weight, and Tanjirou inhaled sharply, holding his breath.
The silence stretched. Zenitsu could hear Tanjirou's racing heartbeat, so loud it almost seemed to echo in the room. He could smell him too, though it was hard to tell if it was his own scent mixed with that of the unpresented beta, or if Tanjirou was already starting to emit something of his own.
"I'm sorry," Tanjirou said suddenly, his voice hoarse and barely audible. "For this. For…" He made a vague gesture toward his own body, not daring to point. "I can't control it."
Zenitsu slowly shook his head.
"You don't have to apologize."
"It's just that…" Tanjirou swallowed, and his Adam's apple bobbed with the effort. "Your scent is too strong. And I can't stop smelling you. And every time I breathe, I feel like…"
He didn't finish. He bit his lower lip, and his fingers clenched tighter against his thighs.
Zenitsu watched his hands, the white knuckles, the tension in his shoulders. He saw how Tanjirou looked away every time their eyes got too close. He saw the moisture on his forehead, the almost imperceptible trembling of his legs.
"Tanjirou. I can help you with that… we can help each other."
The beta looked up. The omega's brown eyes were dark, dilated. He swallowed.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes." Zenitsu moved a little closer. The sweet smell of his still-open, wet cunt filled the air between them. "The vibrator… is still on the floor. And you… you're hard because of me."
Tanjirou closed his eyes for a second, as if fighting himself. "I don't want to hurt you."
"You won't." Zenitsu took one of his hands and guided it under the blanket, to his still-damp pants. "Touch me."