Chapter Text
Prologue:
Will, William Jacob Byers has the biggest crush on his oblivious best friend Mike, Michael Theodore Wheeler, which was out of the question because nothing was ever going to happen between them. His sweet wholesome traumatized alpha sister Jane El Hopper has been with Mike since they were twelve years old, now fourteen almost fifteen. They were all over each other last summer. It was gross. She was constantly clinging onto him and kissing him and scenting him, especially on his neck and face and arms.
Mike presented as an omega at twelve years old the very same night Will was rescued from the upside down and El disappeared in 1983. Will remembers at the hospital Mike tried not to make a big deal of it since everything that had happened, and he did not want to take the attention away from Will. Will knew Mike was in a lot of pain. Male omegas have the hardest and most painful presenting as he learned, a year later he in eighth grade health class.
It involves a lot of blood and the microscopic opening of their womb growing and developing to eventually accommodate for impregnation and childbirth, someone fainted in school after seeing the presentation puberty videos.
God or Mother Nature or whatever must really hate male omegas because getting your first period, your reproductive organs developing and an opening growing in between your legs in the same week then on top of the getting your first heat a month later sounds like hell. He remembers Jonathan locking himself in his bedroom, pain meds, pads and he cried so much. His mom had to take a whole week off from work.
He demanded that Mike lay in his hospital bed with him. Mike was so excited to see him and was all loopy and giggly from the meds he was given because otherwise he would have been his stubborn self and insisted he was fine. Instead, he ended up cuddled up next Will making sure he was extra comfy despite also being in a lot of pain. He may have accidentally turned the bed into a nest, which nobody acknowledged as to not cause him any further embarrassment. Frankly Mike doesn’t even remember most of it because well all the meds he was given.
Presenting happens on average between ages thirteen to fifteen. However, presenting can happen earlier or later. Mike really had not wanted to come to school after. But he needed to be there for Will. He was happy to be an omega once he figured out was actually happening to his body and the daze, the bleeding, the pain and emotions of presenting wore off. If anything, he just wishes he didn’t present so early and didn’t deal with the outside word. There were signs there. Mike changed after that. They don’t know if it is because of the trauma or presenting or both.
Mike tries really hard not to act particularly omega-like and to develop a hard surface. Sometimes it worked but most times it failed. He purrs when happy and comfortable and excited. He likes to nest, just look at his basement. He kept up the fort he built El for over a year and didn’t let anyone take it down or inside because he didn’t want her scent to go away. She smells like firewood and maple. Sleeping over at Will’s when he got possessed by the mind flayer Mike built a nest hoping it would make Will feel better.
He will steal his friends' belongings when his heat and period are close. He will accidentally scent his friends and family without realizing and likes having their scents on him. He smells like honey and old books.
He starts blushing and giggling if El growls or uses her alpha voice on him affectionately. When El’s rut is near, she gets a bit friskier and aggressive. She likes to sit on top of Mike peppering his face and neck with kisses, scenting him so he only smells of her and leaving little love bits making him blush and laugh. Sometimes her hands will travel below his waist but, instead they cuddle on the couch and watch soap operas. He lets her do that to him.
He got jealous of Max when she first moved to Hawkins and got even prissier when she first presented.
He compares himself to omega characters and during Dungeons & Dragons his characters are omegas even before he presented, without realizing.
No alpha or beta male in their right mind would let themselves be saved and protected or let themselves be so nurturing and emotional. They wouldn’t be the group caretaker.
Will tries really hard not to give into stereotypes. He doesn’t judge Mike. He knows Mike is happy about being an omega. He doesn’t want Mike to be bullied worse than he already is. He, himself, does not want to be omega. He doesn’t understand how he himself is seen as more sensitive and more of an omega than Mike.
Will doesn’t remember the last time he cried in front of Mike; he holds it all in. He is sensitive and caring and creative and has such a big heart. However, Mike with his big brown beautiful eyes and big loud energy, trying to hold it together but then one tear would trickle down his cheeks and chin slowly, and it was all over. It turns into a full-blown inability to stop sobbing, needing to be hugged and reassured with soothing words to calm down. Will wished he could be that emotional without being questioned. It would not only hurt their ego but, it would be suicidal. Mike is allowed to live in his delusions and is humored or maybe he isn’t? Will knows his best friend so he should really stop projecting himself onto him.
Instead of comforting a child who went through multiple traumatizing events, who has been bullied most of his life and top of that presented pre-maturely at the age of twelve years very traumatically, you either act like nothing happened or shame him for his actions and reactions.
The government agency people implied he presented prematurely because of El to shame him into talking even though he didn’t know anything. They could smell her on him. "Physical intimacy can trigger pre-mature presenting and presenting omegas can be very emotional and naïve. The first alpha comes, and sweet talks gets them all excited. It is their instincts; they don’t know how to control them yet and get taken advantage of. It is very clear with his scent and building her a nest"
After they left, he got an hour long talk from his parents about puberty and presenting and what it means to be an omega and how he shouldn’t be letting anyone touch him at his tender age of twelve, especially his private parts. He wanted to scream into a pillow and die. It was just a little peck on the lips and a hug. At fourteen he knows it is bullshit, you can’t trigger someone to present.
Before all he had to deal with violent bullies and being so called “weird” . But now, he had to deal with the trauma he endured, sexist remarks and slurs, bullies and his personal space being invaded. "You know young omegas are so hormonal and they act out." "Make sure to keep all the alphas away." "He was always such a crybaby." "He is a clumsy twig, of course he’s an omega." "I heard he had a little alpha girlfriend and went crazy when she left him. That’s why he is acting weirder." His sister presented at fifteen at the end of ninth grade and he presented at twelve in the beginning of seventh grade. How is that fair and how is it fair he is still getting bullied in high school? He thought everyone was more mature but guess not.
According to all his friends and his family he has been acting differently and closed off he just doesn’t see it. He just can’t wait to see El and Will.
Will knows he himself is an omega. He has been told this his whole life by his ass-whole father and jerk bullies. He is dreading the day he presents; he just really hopes they are wrong. It is only getting closer and closer.
But, in a few days he will see Mike and he is so happy.