One-Shots [Boboiboy]

Unspoken Shame

"You do realize that ignoring your medicine isn't going to help matters, right?" Solar frowns, trying to understand Thunderstorm's words, despite the sentence consisting of simple vocabulary. "You never told anyone else?"

Thunderstorm turned his head, but his hands were clutching one of Solar's overly designed jackets. His face burned red that led to his neck, making his own red shirt look pale in comparison.

"Only Quake knows, and it's only because he's our leader," he grumbled, fidgeting on the bed. "Is there really no way?"

"You can't just change someone's biology, even through extensive surgery." Solar turned to him, his arms crossed. "Males becoming females and vice versa are different matters, because this is the ABO extension we're facing. You're still male, and changing your structure is impossible."

Thunderstorm sighed through his nose, though there was no anger. He was sweating, yet the room was air-conditioned. His movements were stiff, and his senses were visibly sluggish. He's experiencing a heat, Solar realized. The only other Omega heat cycle he'd seen was Blaze's, and that was only once. At least Blaze took his meds seriously.

If he hadn't told him, Solar would have never guessed that he was of the lower caste. Thunderstorm always seemed like an Alpha; if not, an extremely hard-headed Beta, but not the last variable.

Unlike other Omegas he met, Thunderstorm didn't wear a choker. It was something that all Omegas wore, for there could be unsuspecting Alphas triggered by their heat pheromones and would attempt to mark them.

But now, he was here, asking for his last-minute help. At first, he didn't know what was wrong with the lightning elemental, assuming that he was running a fever. As his assumptions were wrong with every answer, the next more carefully and frustrated than the last, Thunderstorm groaned in exasperation and told him that he was an Omega.

That was not the answer he was expecting. Not in a million lightyears.

Another thing was, Solar was an Alpha. For the fact that Thunderstorm would come to him of all people, who he knew that would be triggered by his pheromones, for help.

Did he really trust Solar? Or was he just that desperate?

"You know that coming to me in your..." Solar winced, still trying to ignore the strawberry scent that hung in the air. "In your condition," he forced out, "is taking a huge risk?"

"If you try anything funny, I'll just stab your eyes out," Thunderstorm grunted, forcing himself to put Solar's jacket down. He stood, but his balance was off, and he almost stumbled. "If you tell anyone about this, I will tear your throat out."

He left the room, leaving a faint trail of the summery fruit behind.

Solar installed air filters in his room that day.

* * *

Ever since Thunderstorm told him his actual biology identity, he began to see more cracks in his daily life. Sure, Thunderstorm went around like his day was normal, snapping at unnecessary incidents, or even cursing at himself for breaking a glass; but something was off.

He noted that Thunderstorm didn't react quickly enough when the glass was knocked off the table. He didn't waste a second of venomless rage, masking his fatigue with false anger-induced blood rush.

Thunderstorm was also wearing Quake's shirt underneath his jacket.

The difference wasn't notable if one didn't know what they were looking for, because his and Quake's shirts looked nearly the same, albeit one shade lighter. Adding to the fact that he also wore a jacket outside, it was completely hidden from everyone else.

Omegas tend to be calmer if a familiar Alpha's scent followed them, which could be helped by clothing if said Alpha was not available. He said Quake knew, and Quake was also an Alpha.

Had he been marked by Quake? Was that why he didn't wear a choker? But why come to him yesterday?

The facts bugged his mind, but he figured in the end he could just ask Blaze, who was the only other Omega in their team. As he suspected, Blaze was occupied, as of currently planting pranks in Quake's room.

"Hey, discount-Minecraft torch, you got a minute?"

"Yeah, sure do. Right after I burn your face off—"

After an argument, Solar and Blaze finally had the time to sit down and not glare at each other as much. Thorn and Cyclone both hopped off to find their next victim.

"How do Omega heats work?"

Blaze nearly choked on air. "Seriously? You're asking me that?" He waited for Solar to call it off as a joke, but Solar didn't do jokes. He folded his arms, frowning at the odd inquiry.

"I'm serious," Solar added.

"I can tell," Blaze grumbled, looking rather embarrassed by the question. "It just happens every three weeks, at the end of every month. It lasts from five to ten days, depending on the Omega itself. During that period—" Blaze caught himself, as if he would rather die than continue.

Solar waited, and Blaze didn't bother to finish his answer. He ran off before Solar could call out to him, and he disappeared into his room, slamming the door shut.

That was unsuccessful.

Soon after, Ice accosted Solar when he was reading.

"Got a second?" Ice asked.

Solar put his book down. "Hm?"

"Blaze told me you asked him what a man-period was."

"I didn't—"

"Just kidding." Ice plopped himself on the couch, yawning as he covered his mouth with his icy hand. "Asking an Omega how heats work is extremely offensive, especially when you're an Alpha. You should've relied on Google."

Before Solar could retort, Ice told him everything he needed to know.

Solar regretted ever listening to Ice.

"So," Solar grumbled, crossing his arms as his jaws were clenched in embarrassment. "You mean to tell me, that Omegas, are able to conceive."

"Well, if you want to phrase it that way," Ice said. "Then yeah. Omegas can get pregnant, regardless of gender."

"How do you know all of this? Are you also an Omega?"

Ice yawned again, and it was contagious. Solar suppressed the urge to follow his involuntary action. "No, I'm a Beta," he clarified, shrugging his shoulders. "Unlike you, I don't spend my day hiding in my room. I sleep a lot, but at least I pay attention to my life."

"Isn't that a surprise." Solar hummed. "Do you know what's the status of the rest of our team?"

Ice turned to him. "I'm assuming that means which caste they are." He turned to stare at his boots, though there was nothing to look at. "Blaze is an Omega. You and Quake are Alphas. Everyone else is Beta." He took in a breath. "I don't want to stay this, but stay away from Blaze."

"I don't care if you Alphas think that Omegas are your property, because they're not." Ice's tone took on a hard edge, and frost started to coat the sofa's leather. "I don't want to see you anywhere near him, you understand?"

His voice was calm, yet it was as cold as... well, ice. Unlike battles, Ice sounded more personal now. He was angry for someone else, someone that's most likely receiving hate that he didn't deserve.

Solar could only say, "Alright," and Ice left, leaving frosty footprints as he walked.