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It all happened far too quickly for Sejanus to fully process any of it. Only one thing stuck, repeating itself in his head over and over again, like a broken record. Coriolanus is an omega. Coriolanus, an omega. Coriolanus Snow is an omega.
It had made Sejanus stop dead in his tracks on his way home from the University, his nostrils flaring to allow more of the unmistakable omega-in-pre-heat scent to waft in. Roses … candied apples … fresh mint leaves …
It had been Coriolanus, slumped over just outside the entrance to the alleyway leading to the Snow’s penthouse. As he rushed over to his crumpled form, taking note of his red cheeks and sweaty forehead, it slowly dawned on him. Omega.
Sejanus resolutely ignored his internal reaction to the scent as he grew closer, the way his stomach twisted almost painfully with need, breath hitching and staying caught in his throat, fists clenched by his sides. He often prides himself on his self-control, and this was exactly the moment to utilise it to its fullest extent.
“Coryo?” He was feverish, skin burning hot, his whole frame shivering as if caught in a blizzard.
Coriolanus flinched away from his touch, blue eyes widening, his scent turning a little sour, betraying fear. “Wh-what do you – want?”
“Coryo, you’re – you’re burning up. You’re going into heat.”
At that, Coriolanus had violently jolted away from him, looking at him as if he had just horrifically insulted his entire bloodline and spat in his face. “No, I’m not.”
“Yes, you are. Come on, we need to get you to a hospital.”
The hospital receptionist took one glance at Coriolanus’ shivering form and wordlessly took him off Sejanus’ hands. Sejanus’ heart raced, nose still full of that scent. Roses, candied apples, fresh mint leaves.
Coriolanus is an omega.
Not many people had expected Sejanus to present as an alpha. Too soft, too accommodating, too selfless to embody the ruthless dominance that Alphas are characterised by in Capitol society. Sure, he’s big and strong, towering over the vast majority of his peers and besting all of them in gym class. But, personality wise, he’s nothing like the alphas he knows, not seeing any point in harbouring a superiority complex over a secondary identity he had no control over, never engaging in the ‘locker room’ talk and the objectification of omegas, befriending betas as opposed to looking down on them.
When he presented at 15, he immediately became more attuned to all of the scents around him, able to tell who was a fellow alpha, or a beta, or an omega. Able to tell who was in pre-heat and who was about to go into rut. Able to tell who was in distress and who was acutely aroused.
In all the years he’d known him, Coriolanus had never smelled of anything.
The logical conclusion everybody came to was that Coriolanus was an Alpha on extra powerful suppressants, determined not to give into his base needs until he graduated and found an omega good enough to court and settle down with.
Sejanus fell in love with him regardless.
He had always been helplessly drawn to him; while all the other alphas around him chased after the pretty little omegas and bragged about their latest conquests, Sejanus longed for nothing and nobody other than Coriolanus. Those big, bottomless blue eyes that he could stare into forever and never grow tired of, the soft blond curls that he dreams of running his fingers through, his soft pale skin and pouty pink lips …
Roses. Candied apples. Fresh mint leaves. An omega.
“It’s his first heat. Late presentation is common in cases of malnourishment,” the doctor informed him. Malnourishment? “I haven’t given him suppressants, only painkillers, as suppressants aren’t recommended for an omega’s first few heats. He’ll need a lot of rest and constant reassurance for the following days. He’ll need to take some time off University, as will you, and not to worry — I’ve written up a list of recommended remedies that will help — ”
“—Wait,” Sejanus’ eyebrows knit together in confusion, looking down at the list that’s just been handed to him. “Me? But, I’m — ”
“I understand your confusion, but Mr Snow trusts you.”
Sejanus feels his heart jump. “What do you mean?” he asks dumbly.
“I asked Mr Snow to give me a list of people he trusts to be around during this time, and he immediately named you, and only you,” the doctor says completely casually, as if this information hasn’t completely flipped Sejanus’ world on its head and caused his heart to stutter inside his chest. “I understand that this may be tough on you, due to your alpha instincts, but Mr Snow was adamant that nobody else should see him in this state.”
Sejanus can only nod, speechlessly taking it all in.
“I recommend you take him somewhere safe, where you can keep an eye on him and ensure his safety.”
Sejanus nods. Of course, he thinks, Coriolanus’ safety comes first, always. He’s already mapping it all out in his head; luckily, he has no roommates to worry about, and he can give Coriolanus his room, and sleep on his living room couch for a few nights. He nods again.
“Yes, of course. When can I take him?”
Coriolanus examines his surroundings, his eyelids droopy. “Where are we?”
“My apartment,” Sejanus tells him softly, brushing his sweaty hair out of his eyes.
He smells heavenly, even more so than earlier. The close proximity is almost dizzying, but Sejanus is determined to stay in control.
Coriolanus is quiet for a few minutes, eyes still glazed over, body still slightly shivering as he continues to survey the area. Then,
“Can I shower? I’m all … wet.”
Sejanus curses inwardly, internally chastising himself for the way his cock twitches at those words. He trusts you. He trusts you to take care of him. He trusts you not to take advantage of him. Get it together.
“Of course, Coryo,” he smiles, strained. “The bathroom’s just over there,” he points, “I’ll get you some clothes, okay?”
All of his clothes are far too big for Coriolanus, but they’ll have to do. He picks out some boxers and a t-shirt and sweats, and a clean towel for him to use, and leads Coriolanus to the bathroom.
When the door is safely clicked shut behind him, Sejanus takes several deep breaths. He isn’t like the other alphas, driven entirely by lust and base instinct. He’s usually so in control. And yet, he can barely fucking breathe, the smell of Coryo torturously wafting in and out of his nose, fucking with him.
He busies himself in the kitchen, picking out one of the recommended remedies on the doctor’s list and gathering all of the required ingredients.
Coriolanus seems to have sobered up a little bit after his shower, walking over to Sejanus with a determined expression on his face, looking endearingly small in Sejanus’ oversized clothes.
“Have you told Tigris about this?” he demands.
Sejanus shakes his head no.
“Good,” Coriolanus snaps. “Do not. She can’t know. Nor can the grandma’am. Nor can anyone. Understood?”
Sejanus nods, frowning. “Yeah, of course, but — ”
“Do not,” Coriolanus repeats, finger jabbing hard at Sejanus’ chest. His scent has turned sour again; fear. “Tell them it’s … we’re having a sleepover. We’re working on a project. Something. Anything.”
“Okay. Alright,” he reassures. “Don’t worry, Coryo.”
“Promise.”
“I promise.”
Coriolanus’ scent loses some of that sourness, and he breathes a barely audible sigh of relief. Sejanus watches as his nostrils flare a little bit, his pupils subtly growing wider at the sight of what Sejanus is stirring in his big pot. Sejanus smiles. “It’s pumpkin and hazelnut soup. Do you want some now?”
Coriolanus scoffs down 3 full bowls of the stuff.
“You like it?”
“It’s okay,” Coriolanus shrugs. Sejanus grins, unbearable fondness flowing through his veins.
He can’t seem to stop staring; even Coriolanus’ goddamn eyelashes are getting to him, unfairly long and pretty, fluttering like butterfly wings every time he blinks. All of him is so pretty; has always been so, so pretty —
He clears his throat. “More?”
Coriolanus nods and, with a chuckle, Sejanus tells him, “Think we’re going to run out soon.”
Sejanus immediately knows he’s fucked up when Coriolanus freezes in his motions. He regretfully thinks back to what the doctor told him about late presentations and malnourishment, and also about Coriolanus needing constant reassurance during this time, and feels like a flaming piece of shit.
He flails to fix it. “Which is really, really good! I, uh, didn’t think you’d like it, and the doctor said you need to eat a lot — not that you did eat a lot, you — ah — anyway, I’ll — I’ll get you some, and then I’ll make a lot more. Okay?”
Coriolanus says nothing, blinking rapidly. “No,” he says, voice firm. “I don’t want anymore.”
“No, come on, you gotta eat,” Sejanus insists. “You’re … ” he debates it for a moment, not wanting to strike a nerve, not wanting the fragile peace, already barely hanging on, to shatter. “The doctor said something, about your late presentation as an omega, and how it might be linked to — to malnourishment. You need to eat, Coryo. Please.”
Coriolanus remains silent, staring down at his empty bowl, blinking rapidly. Sejanus wants to wrap him up in his arms, engulf him in a tight hug, entirely overcome by the urge to protect.
“Coryo?”
“I ate too much?” It comes out so quiet that Sejanus could’ve missed it were they not sat so close together on the couch. It’s phrased like a question, and it’s so unlike Coriolanus, who’s scarcely vulnerable in front of him, only by accident, never by will. Sejanus knows that it’s the omega in him talking, and the alpha in Sejanus scrambles to reassure him.
“Not at all, honey, not at all,” he resists the urge to pull him close and run his fingers through his hair. “You can eat as much as you like, it’s all for you.”
The already overwhelming aroma of roses in Coriolanus’ scent intensifies, quickening Sejanus’ heart rate.
2 bowls of soup and more painkillers later, Sejanus deposits a sleepy Coriolanus to his room, laying him down gently on the bed and underneath the covers. He clicks the door shut quietly behind him, retreating back to the living room.
He still hasn’t completely processed it all; Coriolanus presenting as an omega, way after puberty. He can’t allow himself to dwell on his own feelings for too long, not when the poor boy is going through something so drastically life-changing; Sejanus remembers his own presentation, the emotions and difficulties that came with it. Coriolanus is already going through so much; and he trusts him. He trusts Sejanus.
So, Sejanus takes 3 long, deep breaths, and tries to keep it together.
He continues to keep himself busy; Coriolanus will need some solids to eat when he wakes up, not just soup, so he cooks him some rice and chicken. Coriolanus has always had a sweet tooth, and luckily Sejanus’ apartment is teeming with treats. He gathers a bunch of them up — chocolate chip cookies, brownies, lemon drops, truffles, fizzy cola candy — placing them in a small basket for Coriolanus to enjoy later.
He calls Tigris, keeping his promise and informing her that Coriolanus will be sleeping over for a few nights as they work on a project for one of their shared classes at the University.
When it’s been well over 4 hours and Coriolanus still hasn’t budged, he decides to go and check on him. He takes the treat basket with him, along with a bottle of water and more painkillers just in case —
He stops dead when it reaches him. The unmistakable smell of arousal. He swallows, grip around the treat basket tightening.
Coriolanus is well into his heat now, his scent sharper and his arousal more easily identifiable. This isn’t at all a big deal. Get it together. Get it together. Get it together.
He’s about to knock on the door when a sweet voice calls out to him — “Alpha, alpha, please!”
He’s met with the sight of Coriolanus’ open legs and tear-stricken face, two fingers stuffed inside himself. “Sejanus, please,” he sobs, back arched beautifully. “Need — need you so bad, alpha, alpha.”
Sejanus feels his brain short circuit, breath catching in his throat.
He trusts you. He trusts you. You can’t. Youcan’tyoucan’tyoucan’t.
“I — I got you some, some stuff,” he says, refusing to meet his eye as he places the treat basket down on the bedside table. “I’ll — I’ll just — ”
“Alpha!”
Sejanus can’t leave fast enough. His heart bangs loudly against his ribs, hands shaking as he lets the door shut behind him. It physically hurts to leave the room, to leave an omega wanting, needy and begging for his alpha. He swallows hard, pulling off the wall — every step feels like torture — and locking himself inside the bathroom. He can still hear him — those sweet moans — Sejanus, alpha, please, alpha, please, Sejanus — and it physically pains him, takes every ounce of strength he has not to burst back inside that bedroom and take Coriolanus right then and there, take him apart on his tongue and his fingers and then his knot, fuck him full and satiate his needs, make him feel so fucking good —
He comes hard into his fist, groan muffled against his palm. He can barely breathe, suffocated with need.
When Coriolanus finally emerges from the bedroom, well after sunset, he looks furious, refusing to meet Sejanus’ eye.
“Hey, Coryo, y — ”
“Fuck you,” Coriolanus spits. “Where did you put my shoes?”
He looks adorable, still in Sejanus’ clothes, hanging off his lithe frame. Sejanus wants him so badly it hurts.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“Anywhere but here,” Coriolanus snarls. “Now tell me where my fucking shoes are.”
“You’re not going anywhere, Coriolanus,” Sejanus says firmly, standing tall and fixing him with a stern look.
Coriolanus takes a step back, whole demeanor subtly softening, obviously against his own will. Sejanus can see the way he tries to fight against it; that natural urge to give in, to submit to the alpha in the room.
“Yes, I am,” he insists, testing the waters. “You can’t tell me what to do, you’re not my alpha.”
But I want to be.
“Coryo, you’re in heat,” Sejanus says slowly. “I’m not letting you leave.”
Coriolanus is adamant. “I am going to leave, and I’m going to find an alpha who actually wants me,” he snaps, glaring hard at Sejanus.
Sejanus’ heart drops. Through gritted teeth, he repeats, “You’re not going anywhere.”
“Fuck you,” Coriolanus hisses again, but this time there are tears in his eyes, his bottom lip quivering. Sejanus feels his chest constrict. He’s just about to open his mouth again, to ask Coriolanus if he’s hungry, if he needs more painkillers, or if he’d like a new set of clothes, considering —
“Why don’t you want me? You’re — you’re an alpha. You’re supposed to — to — ” he flails for words, voice getting caught in his throat.
Sejanus wants to scream. Of course I fucking want you. I want you more than I’ve ever wanted anything. “Coryo, it’s … this is your first heat, you’re not in the right headspace — ”
Coriolanus cuts him off, violently shaking his head. “Just fucking tell the truth! You don’t want me!”
Reassurance. He needs reassurance, Sejanus reminds himself.
“I do. I do want you.” I’ve always wanted you. “But this is all new to you, and you’re very vulnerable right now, and I can’t — I can’t take advantage of you like that. You have to understand where I’m coming from, Coryo.”
And, as if Sejanus’ resolve wasn’t weak enough already, Coriolanus starts to properly cry, tears running down his flushed cheeks, miserable sobs leaving his lips. “Alpha, please.”
Sejanus swallows hard. That scent — roses and candied apples and fresh mint leaves and pure, unadulterated need — damn near knocks him off his feet, makes his head go all fuzzy. “Coryo … ”
“Sejanus,” he breathes, stepping closer so that their bodies are inches apart. “If you … if you really wanted me, you’d do it.”
“Do what?” Sejanus asks, stupid with desire.
“You’d fuck me. You’d — you’d knot me.”
Sejanus groans. “Coryo, I — I can’t, we’re — ”
Coriolanus scowls through his tears. “Then let me go find someone who will — ”
“No,” Sejanus practically growls, making Coriolanus flinch back.
A moment of tense silence passes between them, and then Sejanus helplessly watches as Coriolanus storms back to his bedroom like a petulant child, slamming the door shut behind him.
He’ll thank me later, Sejanus assures himself, ignoring the sheer, violent need to claim coursing through his veins.
The following morning, Sejanus wakes up in rut.
This is bad, very, very bad — it doesn’t help that Coriolanus still smells so fucking good, his scent so thick it penetrates through walls and wafts directly into Sejanus’ nose. And now that his rut has been triggered, the self-control he so prides himself on is almost non-existent, and his instincts to mount and fuck and knot and breed are overpowering. He growls into his pillow, clenching his fists so hard his nails draw blood on his palms.
He fruitlessly jerks himself off to try and take the edge off, to stop himself from storming into his bedroom and pounding into Coriolanus’ pliant, willing body, stuffing him full of his seed and spreading him open on his knot. He wants him so bad it physically aches, wants to bury his face into his neck and bite until the skin breaks so that Coriolanus is officially claimed as his and his only —
“Sejanus!”
Sejanus is on his feet in seconds, no longer able to think rationally about it all. Fuck it. Fuck being good, fuck waiting around, fuck all of it. Coriolanus needs him. His omega needs him.
All night those sweet sounds had echoed around the apartment, taunting him, triggering his rut; Sejanus, alpha, please, please, I need you, please.
The sight that greets him when he walks in knocks the breath from his lungs; a completely bare Coriolanus has seemingly created a makeshift nest, made entirely using clothes taken from Sejanus’ closet. He’s surrounded himself with Sejanus’ scent, fingers thrusting desperately in and out of his glistening wet hole, sweet sounds of pleasure leaving his lips.
This time, Sejanus doesn’t flinch, doesn’t run away. Instead, he rushes over to him.
Coriolanus sobs as he immediately wraps himself around Sejanus, arms wounding themselves around his neck, legs around his waist, locking together behind his back. “Sejanus,” he gasps.
“Coryo,” he rumbles, burying his face into his neck and inhaling deeply. “You want this?” he asks, pulling back to look into his eyes. “Tell me you want this.”
“I want it!” Coriolanus yells. “I already said I want it, I need it, I n-nee — ”
Sejanus cuts him off with a rough kiss, relishing in the way he’s immediately kissed back, Coryo’s hands playing with the hair on the nape of his neck.
“You drive me crazy, you know that?” Sejanus murmurs against his mouth. His lips trail down his neck, pressing hot, open-mouthed kisses here and there before taking one pink nipple into his mouth, making Coriolanus sob and arch up against him.
“I thought you didn’t — mm — want me,” Coriolanus whines as Sejanus moves onto his other nipple.
“I’ve wanted you so badly, for so long,” Sejanus confesses, “for as long as I can remember.”
More tears spill over, wetting Coriolanus’ cheeks further. He’s so unbelievably pretty like this — always, but especially like this. A gorgeous mess, for Sejanus’ eyes only.
“I need you,” Coriolanus repeats, and Sejanus couldn’t deny him if he tried.
He’s dripping wet with slick, the smell of it so tempting that Sejanus can’t help but wonder if it tastes just as good, too — “Can I put my tongue inside you, baby?”
Coriolanus whines. “Need your cock — ”
“I know, baby, I know, I’ll be quick, I promise — ” he moves down Coryo’s body until he’s eye to eye with his puckered pink hole. It’s so wet that it glistens, winking at him as Coriolanus clenches desperately around nothing. Sejanus is so hard it hurts.
Coriolanus tastes heavenly, even better than he smells. He sobs as Sejanus thrusts his tongue in and out, hands twisting in his hair, thighs squeezing around his head. Sejanus eats him out for what feels like hours, losing track of how many times Coriolanus has come, his tight hole spasming around his tongue and releasing more and more slick.
He opens him up with his fingers, pushing one in alongside his tongue and then another, and another, until Coriolanus is wailing for his cock, begging to be fucked.
“Need more, need your cock, alpha, please, please.”
Sejanus hums, unable to deny him any longer, unable to deny himself any longer. He’s so painfully hard, the mere sight of Coriolanus’ shiny pink hole leaking endless amounts of slick only making it harder, making every moment spent not pumping inside of him pure pain and torture.
“Will it — will it hurt?”
Sejanus’ heart aches. “No, baby, just a little strange for a bit, and then you’ll feel so good,” he presses a kiss to his nose, each of his flushed cheeks, his swollen lips, “I’ll make you feel so fucking good, I promise.”
“Please,” Coryo nods, “Alpha.”
Sejanus rearranges him so that he’s on his hands and knees, before finally freeing himself of the confines of his boxers, stroking his engorged cock a couple times and pressing it against Coriolanus’ hole, watching it clench.
Coriolanus gasps as he’s slowly breached, hands fisting the sheets. Sejanus’ thighs tremble with the exertion of holding still, of only very slowly sheathing himself inside so as not to hurt Coryo. He’s only halfway in when Coriolanus whines in frustration,
“Fuck — m-me.”
Sejanus can no longer take it, rut-addled brain only making it worse, and at those two words he throws caution to the wind and, with one hard thrust, shoves his cock the rest of the way in. Coriolanus screams, back arching and face pressing against the pillow as Sejanus starts a ruthless pace, pounding him into the mattress, just like he wanted, just like he needed, for so long, for so, so fucking long —
No omega has ever felt this good, no omega could ever feel this good — Coriolanus takes him so perfectly, hole clenching around him, so wet for him, so perfect.
“F-feels so good — alpha — ”
“Is this what you imagined?” Sejanus grunts, hands encasing Coryo’s waist — it fits perfectly in between his hands — as he continues his ruthless pace. “When you were fingering your tight little hole? Is this what you wanted?”
“Yesyesyes,” Coriolanus whines, “wanted, wanted it — s-so bad — Sejanus!”
“Fuck.”
The slick sounds of Coryo’s hole being fucked mix with the sweet sounds he makes. Sejanus can’t decide what drives him crazier — when Coryo says his name or when he calls him alpha.
This is something out of his wildest dreams; he’d been pining after Coriolanus for so long, had been so thoroughly convinced that they could never be together, that Coriolanus wasn’t an omega, or even a beta. This — having Coriolanus like this, underneath him, taking his cock, moaning his name, calling him alpha — never felt like a possibility, not even in his wildest fantasies.
“You feel so good, love,” Sejanus groans, dangerously close to coming.
Coriolanus whines in response. “Feels so-so good, alpha.”
Seemingly without any warning, Sejanus’ hips stutter as he comes inside him with a sharp gasp, spilling into him as Coriolanus’ hole spasms around his hard cock, gushing come. Sejanus has no time to warn Coriolanus as he feels the base of his cock begin to swell, his knot expanding and staying firmly locked inside Coriolanus — even through the haze of pure pleasure, Sejanus worried that, maybe, this isn’t what Coryo wanted at all, sure, he might’ve wanted his cock but he’s gone and taken it too far by knotting him —
“Thank you, alpha,” Coryo purrs, as if to silence Sejanus’ panicked thoughts. Sejanus exhales, smiling softly and leaning down to capture Coriolanus’ soft lips in a kiss.