Chapter Text
Travis had bolted out of the classroom as fast as he could when the old teacher started that stupid speech about bullying and respect. Her voice echoed behind him as he crossed the hallway, nearly tripping over his own feet.
“We need to learn empathy.”
“Violence never solves anything.”
What a load of crap, honestly.
The heat inside his body was unbearable. It felt like a fever, but his stomach was aching and churning in a strange way. The sound of the teacher’s voice in his head only made everything worse, like guilt boiling in his chest.
Because Travis wasn’t innocent. He knew full well the shit he did. The shoves, insults, punches, and cruel stares in the hallways.
He bullied others because it was easier to be the aggressor than the victim. Not that that justified anything, but it was necessary to hide his true self, so that no one would realize just how broken Travis Phelps really was.
Fights had become his routine. Always a split lip, a black eye, or dried blood between his fingers. And it never amounted to anything.
All because of his dear father.
Kenneth Phelps, the town’s great pastor. The great man who preached love for one’s neighbor at the altar and beat his own son at home.
Travis clenched his teeth as another wave of pain surged through his body. His hands gripped the hallway cabinets to keep from falling.
But being there was nothing worse than going home sick.
Because at home there was Kenneth. The aggressive alpha who used the word of God as an excuse for violence.
“You were born wrong, Travis. Useless omega and sick little faggot.”
The man’s words hurt more than the bruises.
Another sharp pain shot through Travis’s gut and he gasped, feeling his legs tremble. His whole body was hypersensitive and burning hot.
Then the realization hit him as hard as a punch from his father.
He was finally going into heat, something he hadn’t believed he’d ever be able to do until today.
His first heat had come at school.
Panic immediately rose in his throat.
No. Not here.
His mind was in shock, but his body didn’t care about that. Travis might be fucking ignorant, aggressive, and completely out of his mind, but he wasn’t stupid. He knew how to recognize the symptoms.
He pushed open the men’s bathroom door, almost desperate, and rushed inside before anyone could catch his scent. The bathroom was empty, reeking of cigarettes, cheap bleach, and old piss.
What a perfect setting to go into heat.
Travis slipped into the last stall and locked the door with trembling hands. His body slumped down onto the toilet seat as he clutched his own purple jacket as if the fabric could keep everything under control.
But it couldn’t, nothing could.
The heat burned inside him like fire. His stomach ached, and every breath felt too heavy. The fabric of his shorts was damp with the natural omega heat lubricant, and it made nausea rise in his throat.
Because he was too pathetic.
Travis covered his face with his hands, trembling with rage and shame. He just wanted his mother and his sisters.
Even after all these years, he still wanted them.
He wanted someone to tell him everything would be okay. He wanted a warm lap and not to be alone in that disgusting bathroom while his body went crazy.
A tear rolled down before he could stop it.
Then the bathroom door slammed, the sound echoing loudly.
Travis froze immediately, his heart racing as he sensed an alpha’s presence in the bathroom.
His scent grew stronger with fear, and the omega crouched down, covering his mouth with his hand to stifle any sound.
He heard slow footsteps moving deeper into the bathroom.
Shit.
“Uh… hello? Is anyone in there?” A muffled voice spoke up.
The sound made the Omega’s eyes widen.
Because it was a familiar voice very familiar, in fact.
Fear was replaced by shame so quickly it almost hurt.
Sally Face was there of course it had to be him.
Of all the alphas at school, it had to be the boy Travis had a crush on who found him in heat.
“Hey, are you okay? Your scent is getting really strong. Wouldn’t it be better to go to the infirmary?” the alpha spoke again.
Travis remained silent, feeling his body tremble with anxiety.
He could smell Sally even through the cabin door. It was different from his father’s and the other alphas at school.
It was still strong, but less suffocating.
Even so, it was still scary, because alphas were strange by nature. One moment they were kind and caring, and the next they were dangerous and perverted, trying to get into his pants.
And Travis was too vulnerable to fight back if he tried anything.
“Travis, I know it’s you. Please, open the door and let me help you.”
The boy’s voice came right in front of the cabin now.
The blond’s heart raced violently.
Travis froze for a moment, not knowing what to do; his heart begged him to open it, and his brain told him not to. His trembling hands reached for the latch hesitantly, and then he opened the door slowly.
Sally stood motionless on the other side. For a second, the two just stared at each other.
To Sal’s eyes, Travis looked like a complete mess.
His face flushed with fever, his eyes wet, and strands of blond hair plastered to his forehead with sweat.
The purple coat clung to his body like a useless shield while the sweet scent of an omega in heat escaped from the small, suffocating cabin.
The scent was so strong that Sally had to clench his facial muscles immediately to keep from letting out a growl.
His alpha instinct reacted instantly. Something heavy and restless made his brain scream that there was a vulnerable omega in need of help, while another, more animalistic part of him wanted to get even closer and claim him.
That scared him a lot because he had never felt anything like it before.
Travis noticed his hesitation and his gaze hardened immediately, even as he trembled.
“What’s up? Did you come here to laugh at me?” The omega growled.
“What? Of course not.” Sally’s eyes widened.
“Liar.” Travis gripped the door to steady himself.
“It’s not a lie.” Sal replied with a sad look.
Travis quickly looked away; he was angry at himself for having opened the door.
He hated all of it.
He hated being weak.
He hated his own scent.
And he hated even more that Sally was looking at him like that. Because the alpha didn’t seem satisfied with his suffering, much less harboring malicious thoughts.
He seemed genuinely concerned, and that made Travis’s chest hurt more than any punch.
“Do you want me to walk you to the infirmary?” Sally asked softly.
“Go away.” The omega turned away, planning to go back into the cabin.
“Travis...” The alpha tried again.
“GET OUT OF HERE!” The shout broke off mid-way, more desperate than aggressive.
Sally didn’t back down from his outburst. And that annoyed Travis even more.
Because anyone else in Sally’s place would have backed off and left him alone.
But the blue-haired boy just stood there like a stubborn idiot.
“Travis, I’m serious. You’re shaking, I need to take you to the infirmary.” Sal tried again.
“I don’t need your help!” the blond growled, shooting her a furious look.
But his miserable body betrayed him again when another painful contraction shot through his stomach. He let out a low groan of pain and immediately doubled over, feeling humiliated.
Sally stepped into the cabin without asking permission and closed the door behind her. The small space grew even hotter with the two of their scents mingling.
“WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!” Travis’s eyes widened.
“Trying to stop you from passing out on the floor!” Sally huffed.
“Get out of here!” Travis tried to push her away, but he was too weak.
Sally gently held his wrists before he ended up hurting himself.
Even that light touch made the omega’s body shudder.
They both froze.
“Shit.” Sally let go of his wrists immediately, as if she’d been electrocuted. Because Travis’s scent had changed instantly, becoming sweeter.
The alpha instinct inside him practically roared.
Protect what’s mine.
Hold and bite.
Keep close forever.
Sally clenched her teeth. He wouldn’t do anything like that; he wasn’t some fucking animal.
Travis noticed the change in his expression, and fear immediately flashed in his eyes.
That destroyed Sally, because Travis looked terrified, not shy, much less ashamed.
He was terrified as if he were expecting violence, and that made Sally’s stomach churn.
“Hey, I’m not going to do anything to you.” he said more quietly this time.
Travis laughed without humor, a small, broken sound.
The boy remained silent for a few seconds before slowly sliding down until he was sitting on the cabin floor, leaning against the wall.
Sally hesitated for a moment, then sat down on the narrow floor next to him.
“You should hate me.” Travis muttered tearfully.
“Why?” Sal frowned.
“I’ve been bullying you for months and you’re still here.” Travis let out a bitter laugh.
“Yeah.”
“Are you an idiot?” Travis snorted.
That drew a small laugh from Sally, it was almost silent but real.
And Travis hated the way it warmed his chest even in the midst of the hellish heat.
“Maybe I am.” Sal smiled slightly.
The bathroom fell silent again. Only their heavy breathing filled the cramped space.
Then another wave of heat washed over Travis’s body. Much worse than that time he’d grabbed Sally’s shirt without realizing it, pulling him close in a desperate reflex.
Both of their eyes widened because they were so close.
Sally’s scent flooded the Omega’s senses immediately. Cat fur, light cigarette smoke, and something else strangely comforting that brought a sense of security.
The Omega’s body reacted before his mind did, and he relaxed without realizing it.
And that nearly destroyed Sal’s self-control. His heart was pounding too hard, and his entire body was tense.
The Alpha closed his eyes for a second and took a deep breath, because there was an Omega right there beside him, vulnerable and scared. And he refused to become yet another trauma in Travis’s life.
So, very slowly, he cupped the blond’s warm face in his hands, being gentle and careful.
“Take a deep breath, I’m here.” he murmured softly to the Omega.
The blond did exactly what Sal asked; he took a deep breath, but that only made things worse. The alpha’s scent filled his lungs, hot and heavy, causing his body to react immediately and more lubricant to seep into his shorts. Travis couldn’t say exactly when he’d started panting and trembling so much.
It was too embarrassing, so he pulled away slightly and covered his mouth tightly.
“Shut… the fuck up,” he muttered to himself, his eyes welling up.
Sally watched it all in silence.
His chest tightened more and more because the omega seemed to be truly suffering. It wasn’t pretty, much less sensual or anything like that romanticized crap in the magazines he and Larry used to steal from each other to get through heat.
“Hey…” Sally called softly.
Travis didn’t answer. He kept staring at the floor as if he wanted to disappear into it.
“Did you take any blockers before coming?” Sal asked, worried.
“Do you think my dad would let me?” The blond let out a bitter laugh.
That answered everything.
Sally clenched her jaw tightly.
Of course Kenneth wouldn’t let him.
The scent of Travis’s fear grew stronger again.
“Sally, he’ll notice when I get home with your scent on me.” His voice was low.
The boy’s hands began to shake violently.
“I can’t go home like this.”
Sally felt something heavy churning inside her chest. The absurd urge to snatch Travis away from there and hide him somewhere safe. It was strange, intense, and animalistic, but it also came from him, not just from instinct.
“Then don’t go back.” He simply said.
“What?” Travis looked up immediately.
“You can stay with me.” Sal said calmly.
Silence fell over the bathroom, and Travis stared at Sally as if he’d gone mad.
“Did you hit your head?” he asked, dumbfounded.
“No?” Sal blinked, confused.
“Your dad’s going to kill you if he finds out you brought a heat-stricken omega home.” Travis stared at him, shocked.
“My dad doesn’t really care what I do. He’s always busy with work,” Sal explained.
The blond continued to stare at him in shock, as if that were absurd.
“Why?” he asked suspiciously.
“Why what?” Sally tilted his head, confused.
“Why are you doing this?” The question came out sharp and suspicious.
Sally took a few seconds to answer, because the truth was complicated. Part of him wanted to help Travis simply because it was the right thing to do.
And the other part… the other part felt his alpha instinct practically begging him to keep that omega close.
That scared the hell out of Sally, but Travis needed help, and Sally trusted himself enough not to hurt him.
“Because you’re suffering.” The answer was simple and honest.
Travis’s face twisted immediately, as if those words were harder to bear than the pain of heat itself.
Because no one ever said that. People only saw the bully and the pastor’s troubled son. The aggressive boy.
They didn’t see the broken boy hiding beneath it all.
Travis felt the tears burn his eyes again and hated it immediately.
“Don’t look at me...” the omega pleaded.
Sally looked away without protest. That made Travis’s chest tighten once again.
Damn it. Why did Sally have to be so kind?
Another wave of heat washed over his body before he could think any further. The omega gasped loudly and doubled over almost immediately.
This time, Sally held him; the alpha’s arms wrapped around his body out of pure reflex.
And it was a mistake, a huge mistake.
Because the moment Travis felt the warmth of his body, his instincts simply gave way.
The omega clung to Sally desperately; his face sank against his chest while his hands trembled, clutching the alpha’s black shirt.
Sally stopped breathing for a second.
Shit.
Their scents mingled completely in the cramped space of the cabin; his heart was beating too fast. And he could feel Travis trembling against his body.
Vulnerable and sensitive.
Trusting him in that moment, even without wanting to admit it, moved Sally in a dangerous way.
Slowly, he ran his hand through the messy blond hair, trying to calm him down.
Travis let out a low sound against his chest, but didn’t pull away even a little.
“Travis.” Sal called softly.
“Hm.” The blond made a tired sound in response, still hidden against his chest.
“We need to get out of here.” Sally could feel every one of Travis’s hot breaths against his shirt.
“I don’t want to...” His voice came out muffled, almost childlike.
That squeezed something inside Sally’s chest.
“You can’t go into heat in a school bathroom.” He tried again.
“Better than at home.” The blond muttered.
Sally couldn’t disagree with that.
His fingers continued to slowly stroke the omega’s hair, almost unconsciously performing an automatic, soothing gesture.
Travis shuddered in her arms and clung to her tighter. His body was more sensitive.
“Your scent is getting worse,” Sally murmured, worried.
“I… know,” Travis sighed.
“We need to get out of here before other alphas show up,” the alpha said seriously.
Travis stiffened immediately, and Sally noticed right away.
“Hey, I’m not going to let anyone get near you.” The blue-haired boy gently cupped the blond’s face, making Travis look into his eyes from behind the mask.
Travis’s eyes wavered as he turned his face away, annoyed with himself.
“You talk like a sentimental idiot,” he muttered in the alpha’s arms.
“And you keep cursing at me even though you’re about to pass out,” Sally retorted.
“Fuck you,” the omega growled irritably.
Sally let out a small, nasal laugh.
Travis rolled his eyes, but for the first time since Sally had entered the bathroom, the tension on his face eased slightly.
Then voices echoed from outside the bathroom.
Laughter and heavy footsteps.
The two of them froze immediately.
Travis turned pale, and his scent changed instantly, becoming sharper with nervousness.
“Shit…” he whispered.
Sally looked up at the stall door as she heard three guys enter the bathroom talking loudly.
“Can you feel that?” one of them asked.
Silence.
“Fuck, an omega in heat passed through here,” replied the second.
Travis’s body began to tremble instantly against Sally’s; the alpha felt something cold run down his spine, his instincts reacting before his mind.
Danger.
Sal automatically pulled the omega closer to him, almost placing him on his lap, as the footsteps outside grew nearer.
“Maybe it’s the smell of some sophomore slut who came in to jerk off a little.” The third boy laughed as his friend finished peeing in one of the stalls.
“It’s fucking strong. Let’s get out of here before that smell gives me a hard-on.” The first one replied in a grumble.
So the three alphas left the bathroom, still talking loudly.
Travis buried his face in Sally’s shoulder, trying to control his breathing. His fear was so intense it almost suffocated the alpha.
Sally hated the fact that others had smelled Travis.
The bathroom fell silent for a moment. Only the faint sound of their breathing filled the cramped space.
Travis was breathing slowly now while Sally stayed close.
Very close.
Her scent enveloped Travis completely now. Cat, light smoke, and something strangely comforting that made the omega want to sink deeper into that warmth.
Pathetic.
Travis was already sick of all this.
“I’m so tired of this,” the omega murmured hoarsely.
“I know.” Sally’s expression changed immediately.
That came out sadder than Travis intended. He quickly looked away, annoyed with himself.
But Sally kept looking at him with that calm, attentive, and concerned gaze that made the blond’s chest feel strange.
Because no one had ever looked at him like that.
Never.
His father looked at him as if he were a mistake. And his classmates looked at him with fear or disgust, because he was a jerk to everyone.
So having that look now hurt.
“You’re really messed up in the head, you know that?” The omega laughed weakly.
“Probably.” Sally shrugged.
That drew another small, weary smile from Travis, and Sally felt a warm tightness in her chest when she saw it.
Beautiful.
The thought came too quickly and made the alpha look away.
Travis noticed it immediately, and his heart raced.
Because he realized what that look meant. And the way Sally looked away as if she were guilty.
That made something strange grow inside Travis.
Courage, or perhaps desperation.
“Sal...” Travis called.
The alpha slowly raised his eyes.
The blond’s trembling hands gripped Sally’s black shirt again.
“Will you hate me afterward?” he asked quietly.
The question hit Sally right in the chest, because Travis seemed genuinely scared by it.
Scared of being rejected.
Or treated like a creep.
Sally carefully brought her hand close to his face. Her fingers glided against his warm skin.
“I won’t hate you.” Her voice was low, but honest.
And that was more than enough.
Travis slowly pulled back the boy’s mask, exposing his misshapen mouth. He stared at it for a moment, then kissed him.
The world seemed to stop the second their lips touched. Sally drew a sharp breath through her nose, her whole body tensing with force.
Travis’s taste was hot, sweet, and dangerously addictive. For a second, the alpha instinct inside him clouded his mind completely.
Hold on and bite down.
Don’t let him get away.
Sally pulled away too quickly, breathing heavily as her eyes widened behind the prosthesis.
Travis felt his chest sink immediately, interpreting it as rejection.
Shame burned his face instantly, and he tried to pull away, but Sally grabbed his wrist first.
“Don’t do that.” Her voice was firm.
Travis looked up, confused.
Sally took a deep breath, trying to get her thoughts in order.
“I’m just… trying not to act like a perverted animal right now.” He ran his hand nervously through his blue hair.
The silence lasted a second.
Then Travis started laughing for real this time. Weakly, wearily, and somewhat desperately.
Sally stared at him in surprise.
“Sorry. It’s just that was probably the most alpha thing I’ve ever heard in my life.” Travis said between small laughs.
That made Sal laugh too.
And suddenly, the dirty school bathroom seemed much less suffocating than before.
Then Travis pulled Sally by his shirt again and kissed him once more.
Slower this time, as if he were learning. And he really was, because neither of them knew exactly what they were doing.
The omega was still holding onto the alpha’s shirt when a noise echoed from outside the bathroom.
“Sally, are you in here?!” A familiar voice called out.
The two pulled away immediately upon hearing Larry.
Travis almost banged his head against the stall wall in the process.
“Shit!” the omega muttered.
Sal ran a hand through his hair, trying to look even remotely normal.
“Sally?” Larry called again.
“I’m here!” Sally replied, quickly getting up from the floor and opening the stall door.
“Man, what the hell is going on?” Larry asked as he hurried across the bathroom.
Then he appeared in front of the stall and stared at the unexpected scene before him.
Travis on the floor and Sally with her mask askew, both inside the same stall.
The boy was silent for a few seconds before sighing.
“Ah, that explains everything.”
“Larry...” Sally began.
“No, no. It’s fine.” The alpha interrupted. “Honestly? Compared to the other weird things that have happened to us, you coming into the bathroom to beat the crap out of the clown with Travis doesn’t even make the top ten.”
“I hate you both.” Travis buried his face in his hands.
“Nice to see you too, Phelps.”
Larry took a closer look at the other boy’s condition and sniffed, the strong smell made his good mood vanish immediately.
“Oh shit, is he really in heat?” he asked seriously.
“Yeah.” Sally nodded.
“Okay, so we’ve got a serious problem here.” Larry let out a heavy sigh.
“You just now realized that?” Travis grumbled.
“I wasn’t talking to you.” Larry snorted.
“Screw you.” Travis flipped him off.
“He’s better than I expected,” Larry commented, looking at Sally.
Despite the awful situation, Sally laughed.
Larry immediately pointed at him.
“Oh no.”
“What?” asked the masked man.
“You laughed like a lovesick idiot.” explained the dark-haired guy.
“Shut up.” Sally rolled her eyes.
“You definitely laughed.”
“Larry...”
“My best friend kissed Travis Phelps. I’m taking this to my grave.” The brunette said in a tearful voice.
Travis made an indignant sound, drawing the gaze of the two alphas.
But then Larry sighed and grew serious again.
“Does your dad know?” he asked worriedly.
The blond’s face immediately darkened. The answer was written all over his expression.
“Just as I thought.” Larry ran his hand over his neck.
Because he knew what Kenneth Phelps was like.
Everyone did.
“Okay, so you’re definitely not going home today.” he said simply.
“What?” Travis blinked.
“You heard me.” Larry crossed his arms.
“You don’t even know me that well.” Travis looked at the boy in shock.
“I know enough to know what your father is like.” The alpha snorted.
Travis looked away.
Larry didn’t press the issue. He just pulled his phone out of his pocket.
“Sal, I’m going to call my mom to come pick us up.”
Sally just nodded.
Travis stood motionless for a few seconds before muttering, “You guys are really weird.”
“Finally, something we all agree on.” Larry smiled.
Beside him, Sally just let out a low chuckle.
But when Travis looked up and met those blue eyes staring at him again, he was absolutely certain of one thing.
God, he was in deep trouble when he got home.