Chapter Text
Everyone knew Nani was an omega. It’s not like he ever tried to hide it: as far as Sky knew, he never used scent blockers and walked around without a care in the world. After all, most of the time he had Sky by his side, scaring away whoever even thought of coming close to his best friend. Sky would place his arm around Nani’s shoulders, softly inhaling that pure scent he knew so well. Despite it all, their scents always remained separate. Usually, alphas and omegas couldn’t just be friends. There had to be something happening between them, something that pulled them towards each other like magnets. Something that would inevitably attract them towards one another, filled with a desire that would mix their scents. It inspired lots of question of why such a close alpha-omega couple wouldn’t share the same scent. Their friends used to tease them about it. While Sky would tease them back, Nani would just smile to himself as he kept on playing on his Nintendo Switch.
Sky had never thought about marking Nani with his scent. Of course, that thought had lingered in his mind during restless night in his room, as his hand slid inside his pants, shyly, as if Nani was there to watch and he should be ashamed. But he had never thought of actually doing it, not even to protect him. That was his best friend. Nothing more than that. As no one dared to touch Nani, as long as Sky was there, he could keep pretending that omega was his.
Nani was soft spoken and gentle, like a wild flower Sky wouldn’t dare to pick up. Nani had always been his best friend, and his comfort had always been Sky’s priority. It started with Sky asking him if he had eaten, since Nani used to forget from time to time. Then it was buying him his favourite frappe in the morning or pointing out to him Sanrio merch in the local store. Whether it was bringing his groceries inside, rearrange his furniture or organizing their trips, Sky could do it. Sky could do it all. And he did it with a smile on his face, knowing he was lifting up a weight off of Nani’s shoulders.
Nani, like every omega, wasn’t aware of his own scent. Other than that, he didn’t even seem to notice the reaction his own scent brought in others. Someone tried to hit on him, others tried to get Nani to follow them in dark alleys. Nani smelled like cherry blossom and vanilla, a scent so tempting that even Sky sometimes struggled to collect himself. That’s why Nani needed him. He needed Sky to scare them away. To protect him.
“Nani? Wake up. Class is over”
Sky gently tapped on his best friend’s shoulder, who was sleeping with his head on the desk, until his eyes slowly blinked open. Sky couldn’t help but notice they were red and glossy. His cheeks were blushed.
Sky felt Nani’s arm with his palm, then his forehead. “you’re heating up, Nani! Are you ok?”
Nani just nodded, but that wasn’t enough to convince Sky. He had goose bumps on his porcelain skin and was shaking like a leaf in the cold wind.
“can you stand? I’ll walk you home”
Nani lifted his weak body, leaning into Sky for support. They slowly left the classroom, walking the long corridors of the campus.
As they almost reached the exit, a guy blocked the way. Sky knew who he was: he took a few classes with them. Sky remembered him because he always tried to initiate small talks with Nani and wouldn’t stop staring at the him during class. He was also an alpha. He pissed Sky off so bad.
“hey, Nani!” the guy said. He pressed his hand against the wall, right in front of Nani.
“…what?” Nani asked in a hoarse voice. He probably just wanted to go home and slide in bed as soon as possible. Instead, the guy was staring at him up and down, as if Nani was warm food and he had been starved for days.
“are you sick, cutie?” the nickname and the creepiness in his voice made Sky’s skin crawl. He was sure his face portrayed the exact disgust Sky was feeling. But just as Sky was about to shut him up and keep Nani away from him, the alpha touched Nani’s neck, his flat palm rubbing against that boiling hot skin.
The alpha’s sly attempt to put his scent on Nani’s skin didn’t go unnoticed.
“you’re boiling hot!” the alpha chuckled. Nani touched his own forehead, as to feel his own temperature again.
Sky tightened his fist.
“Nani, you need rest. I’ll walk you to the dorm”
And that’s when Sky lost it.
He slapped the guy’s hand away as it reached for Nani’s wrist.
“you’re not needed. I’m walking him home myself”
“Sky! Don’t you have to go to the library? I’ll bring him home inste-”
“No need. Nani’s mine to take care of” he growled.
The guy chuckled creepily. “no, he’s not! He’s unmated. His scent is pure. He’s not yours”
“you’re right, he’s not mine” Sky said, but it hurt to admit it, “But he’s not yours either. Now go. Get out of the way”
The guy raised his hands, pathetic and defeated. Then, finally, walked away.
Sky sighed. He grabbed Nani’s hand in his, guiding him to the thankfully close dorm.
“Thanks. For shutting up that creep”
“don’t worry about him. He won’t mess with you anymore”
“I don’t know why he touched me like that”
Because you smell delicious and you’re the prettiest omega on campus, the pretties boy even? That was Sky’s answer, but he thankfully kept his mouth shut.
“you could have told me you weren’t feeling well” Sky said before blowing on a warm spoonful of congee.
Sky had placed Nani on his bed under a warm blanket. Then he cooked congee, Nani’s favourite when he was sick.
“I thought I was just tired” Nani spoke in a small, weak voice that made Sky’s heart tighten. He was holding the My Melody plushie he sleeps with every day between his arms and a Hello Kitty soft blanket was keeping him warm through his chills.
So Sky fed him the congee, one spoon at a time, confident it would make Nani’s temperature lower. Then he handed him the usual medicine Nani took every time he fell sick.
Then, as he was trying to talk Nani into getting some sleep or at least close his eyes, Sky received an unusual request: “Can you give me a sponge bath?”
Sky froze. His heart stopped, before he started to beat loudly in his chest.
“it always made me feel better when I was a kid” Nani added.
Despite Nani’s dangerous request, Sky just couldn’t say no to him. “Sure, I’ll do it. if that’ll make you feel better” he said, shifting awkwardly on the bed.
So Nani undressed. It was fast and Sky couldn’t prepare properly. Nani pulled his shirt over his head and pulled down his pants, the only thing now covering his skin was a pair of underwear. Nani was comfortable undressing in front of Sky, as if you would be with your childhood best friend, which Sky was. On the other hand, Sky was affected, to say the least, by Nani’s almost naked body.
His skin was fair and unscratched, like a porcelain doll. His moles created a cute constellation Sky couldn’t wait to recognize and his nipples were small pink nubs tempting Sky to touch. Pink just like his underwear, and that’s when Sky decided he should look up, stop staring and most importantly don’t make it awkward.
Sky took a big breath in, Nani’s scent already fogging his mind.
Remember, Nani is the flower you can’t pick.
He squeezes the washcloth and drops of warm water fell into the bowl. Then he looks back at Nani, his naked body and the soft blush on his cheeks. Sky starts safe, brushing the washcloth against Nani’s forearms, and then goes up to his shoulders.
“is the temperature ok?” Sky asks softly, glancing at Nani as he holds his left arm still. Nani just nods.
Now every other place looks too dangerous to touch. Hesitant, Sky moves to Nani’s back, slightly toned from the lazy workouts he did from time to time. Then he moved to his lower back, where Nani’s small waist met his hips. That’s when Nani relaxes, his eyes softly closing.
“you always take such good care of me, Sky” Nani breathes out, echoing softly in the silence of the room.
Sky had to pause. He gulps. Nani’s whisper went straight to his dick. He had to fight the urge to wrap his arms around Nani’s small waist and to bite into that soft skin. To bite into the crook of his neck and make him his.
“of course I do” Sky mutters, pushing those thoughts deep down. “how would you do without me, hm?”
“I couldn’t live”
“I couldn’t either. Not without you”
Nani smiled softly, and that’s when Sky kept going with the sponge bath.
“lay back” Sky said, and Nani complied. Nani was looking up at him, before his eyes closed again. The way Nani was fully trusting him in such a vulnerable state made Sky’s body feel hot. Just like Nani’s, but for different reasons.
As Sky brushed the washcloth against Nani’s chest and neck, he remembered that guy, the one who once tried to touch Nani, to mark him with his scent. What could have happened if Sky wasn’t there with Nani?
And that’s when his alpha instinct hit. If he wouldn’t mark him himself, someone could do it before him. Claim him. Claim him as yours. Keep him safe.
Sky breathed out.
Nani’s eyes were closed and relaxed as the washcloth brushed against his skin, leaving only warmness behind him. Sky’s left hand was now on Nani’s body as well. While the washcloth kept doing his work, Sky’s left hand was brushing along the omega’s body. His wrist gently rubbed against Nani’s neck, his half erection pressed against Nani’s thigh not-so-subtly.
Sky was panting, fighting further urges as his hands kept brushing against Nani’s soft naked skin. They moved down, caressing the omega’s inner tights.
Nani’s sweet scent, the one tempting Sky to eat him alive, was slowly mixing with Sky’s own, creating a fragrance that belonged just to them. That awakened something primal in Sky, urging him to take whatever his best friend was willing to give him.
A new, intense scent reached Sky’s nostrils. It was warm and made his head spin. It made him want to touch Nani again and again, until he melted under his body. Flaring his nostrils to get more of that intoxicating scent, Sky looked down, to where it came from. There was a dark spot on Nani’s underwear, slowly spreading on the big lump between his legs.
Sky couldn’t help but stare, hypnotized by that smell fogging his mind. Nani closed his legs, as if to hide his shame. His chest rose up and down, panting. His cheeks were red. But his eyes, they were looking right into Sky’s, as if he just didn’t know. As if he didn’t know what was happening to him and why his body was reacting that way to a simple sponge bath and a few touches.
Sky gulped. He stood up and backed away, before he did anything stupid he could regret. He turned his back to the bed as Nani ran away, locking himself in the bathroom.
Sky… he should just go. He successfully held back any feelings for all those years, but now, with Nani’s precum lingering in the air, fear washed over him. He was scared, scared of himself. Scared he could act like those alphas who couldn’t keep it in their pants. Scared he could hurt him, drugged by Nani’s omega pheromones.
So he just left. He collected his stuff and left, leaving no trace behind other than his scent.