Chapter Text
“Stiles. Stiles? Are you even listening to me?”
Stiles startles and looks over at his best friend, the boy/man he’s known since they were both six and Stiles shared his lunch on the first day of kindergarten. “Yeah. Yeah, sorry, bro, I’m just a little distracted. So what’s up?”
Scott sighs and flops back on his bed. “I was saying that Allison’s upset. She thinks there’s something wrong with her. She didn’t give me all the detail, but…” he stops and looks around the room as though there’s hidden cameras somewhere. “She said she’s woken up a couple of times and she was… she was wet. In her, you know, her panties.”
“So?” Stiles shrugs and raises an eyebrow. “She’s a 17 year old girl, I guess they have sex dreams, too, right?”
“Well, maybe they do. But no, she said it isn’t like that, it’s not like just damp, it’s… she says she’s wet like there’s a lot and it’s not regular, she thinks it’s like a wet dream. Like a guy would have.” Scott’s brows are drawn together and he looks so serious when he leans over and says, “She thinks she might be presenting. She thinks she might be an alpha!”
Stiles tries to keep his face neutral, not sure yet what Scott thinks about this new development. “Have you looked? I mean, you guys have…?”
Scott looks scandalized and exclaims, “No! We’ve done some stuff, you know, kissing and rolling around. But she’s really worried her dad would find out if we, like, did it.”
“Okay,” Stiles says, hoping he doesn’t need to hear much more. So far, senior year has been filled with stories of how perfect Allison is, and how wonderful she smells, and how beautiful her breasts are. But it’s his best friend, and Stiles needs one right now. “Has she said if things look different?”
“She said she thinks she’s…getting bigger,” Scott says, looking concerned and slightly confused. “If she’s an alpha and I’m not an omega, her dad won’t let us see each other! He’s going to make her date someone else.”
“Yeah, well, that’s supposedly what happens, especially for a family as traditional as the Argents. I guess this is the time a person’ll present if they’re going to,” Stiles says, and looks around Scott’s room, which is as familiar to him as his own.
Scott sniffs the air, like the overgrown puppy he is. “Stiles, are you okay? You’re acting kind of strange. And you smell really nervous.”
“Yes. No. Maybe. I don’t know. Things are...things are weird for me, too, Scott. I’m also waking up kind of wet and sticky,” he says. He looks down at his hands, which look the same as always – something has to.
“That’s normal, isn’t it? I mean, sometimes I wake up and need to change the sheets. Not lately, not like the last couple of years, unless it’s one of those times with Allison and…Oh. That’s not what you mean?”
“I don’t know, but probably not that. I think things are changing down there,” he says and glances down at his own crotch. “I mean, I can’t really tell for sure, there’s only so much that I can, like, feel. And I’ve tried looking in a mirror, but it’s kind of awkward.”
“But you think you’re presenting as an omega?” Scott asks. There’s only curiosity and concern in his voice, none of the judgement Stiles feels himself.
“Maybe. I don’t know. I mean I don’t think I look like the omega guys do in porn,” Stiles says and shrugs.
Scott gets an earnest look on his face and asks, “Do you want me to look? I don’t know if it’ll help, but maybe I’ll be able to see if your junk looks different.”
“Dude, you’d do that for me?” Stiles asks. “Really, you’re okay with that?”
“Dude, if I can help, sure!” Scott jumps off the bed and points at his friend. “Take off your pants!”
Stiles keeps his head down on the bed and tries to look at Scott standing behind him. “Well, what do you think?”
“I’m not sure,” Scott answers, tilting his head and moving closer between his friend’s legs. “Umm, can you move your legs apart a little more?”
Stiles repositions himself, spreading his legs more. He’s standing, bent over with his butt facing out. “It’s changed, isn’t it? It’s not like a beta is it?”
“Ehhhh… I don’t know, quite honestly, I haven’t seen a lot of naked beta dudes.” Scott leans back and scratches his head. “At least not this closely.”
“Well do I look like a male omega in porn?”
“How would I know? Why would I know what they look like?” Scott squeals, sounding insulted.
Stiles snorts and says, “Cause it’s porn! Omega porn, haven’t you ever watched omega porn?”
“No, sorry I’m so vanilla, but no, I’ve never seen omega porn.” He tilts his head and looks again and says, “Don’t be mad, but I can’t smell anything either. I mean, I thought omegas were supposed to smell terrific but…”
“Wow, looking is one thing, but the smelling thing is really intrusive. And I think omegas only smell good to alphas. And I don’t mean alpha werewolves.” Stiles puts his head down on the bed and sighs.
“Oh, I have an idea!” Scott exclaims, and pulls out phone, focuses between Stiles’ spread legs and takes two quick pictures. “Here, you’re the expert, mister porny, what do you think?”
Stiles take the phone and looks at the pictures. “I don’t know, it doesn’t look like porn, but it does look like it’s changed, there’s definitely what looks like a slit there, right?”
Scott leans forward and says, “I think it might be something like…”
There’s a knock on the bedroom door and it opens at the same time. “Scott, I’m going to do some laundry and it looks like you’re either hoarding your underwear or…. Oh. Oh excuse me,” she says and backs out the door slamming it behind her.
Stiles jumps up and pulls on his discarded underwear and jeans, hissing at Scott, “Oh shit, doesn’t your mom knock?”
“She’s still outside the door!” Scott whispers back and when Stiles is decent, he throws open the bedroom door. “Mom! Mom, it’s not what you’re thinking.”
Melissa is leaning against the wall, with a hand on her chest. She nods and plasters on what is certainly a fake smile. “It’s okay. It’s okay, I understand. I love you, Scott, and you too, Stiles. You boys have always been close, and I should have seen it earlier, but now that I know, I want you both to know that …”
“Mom, it’s not that! We’re not anything like that!” Scott takes her shoulder, trying to turn her so she’ll face only him. “Really, we’re friends only, that was just a friends thing.”
“I think I might be a little insulted, the way you’re talking like it's impossible,” Stiles says. “But there isn’t a romance, promise, Ms. McCall."
Scott shakes his head and says, “No, I promise Mom, no romance. It’s… Stiles thinks…”
“Scott!” Stiles exclaims and shakes his head. He looks at Scott’s mother, who looks at the two of them, worry starting to show on her face.
“Stiles? Is everything okay?” she asks, and sits on the edge of Scott’s bed. She taps the place next to her, clearly indicating he should sit.
He kicks his shoes and socks out of the way and sits, facing forward, which is easier than looking at her while he talks. “I don’t know for sure, but I think I’m presenting.”
She looks blank for a moment, until it clicks. “Oh. Oh, you’re presenting? Oh, well, that’s great, congratulations. It’s right around the right time for you, I was thinking if Scott doesn’t present, we’d be doing the blood tests in a few months, but if you’re presenting…”
“I don’t want it!” he says, shaking his head. “I just want to be a beta, just a regular, nothing special, do what you want beta.”
She takes another breath and says, “Well, it would need to be confirmed, of course, what you are. You think you’re an omega and that’s what you and Scott were doing?”
“Yeah, here look,” Scott says, handing his phone to his mother. “I took a picture for him ‘cause I couldn’t tell.”
“Scott! What are you doing, don’t give her that!” Stiles dives for the phone, but Melissa holds it away from him, pushing him gently with her other hand.
“Okay,” she says, looking at the picture, turning it on its side and back again. “Well, I’m not an omega specialist, but I think you should probably discuss this with your father and then a doctor. If you want, I’ll be there when you talk with your dad.”
Scott sits between his mother and Stiles. “I’ll be there, too, if you want me to be.”
“Thanks, both of you,” Stiles says, sighing. “I just…I just wasn’t expecting this, you know. Dad’s a beta, I thought I’d be a beta.”
“You know your mother was an omega; that’s pretty much the reason you’re here. Omegas don’t usually get pregnant by betas, but they can. And there’s nothing wrong with being an omega,” Melissa says softly, reaching over to rest a hand on Stiles’ shoulder.
“I know.” Stiles chews on a cuticle and says, “But it also means there’s jobs I won’t be able to get. I can’t be in law enforcement, which is pretty much all I’ve wanted to do.”
“You can still be in law enforcement; there’s things you can do. Maybe crime scene investigative stuff. I don’t know, and neither do you, not yet,” Melissa says, as she stands and faces both boys. Don’t start looking at the things you can’t do, or the doors that are closed to you. Things are a lot different than they were a hundred years ago. I mean look at me – I’m an ER nurse, that wouldn’t have happened before.”
“And the head of the ER? Isn’t he an alpha?” Stiles sneers.
“Yes, he is, and the head of surgery is an omega. And the hospital’s chief administrator is a beta. Your gender doesn’t matter, what you can do does. And you’ll find that applies in a lot of professions.” She sighs and rubs her forehead. “Okay, when does your father have a night off, and I’ll be with you to discuss it with him. And if you need me to, I’ll help you with doctor appointments or whatever you need.”
Stiles crosses his arms and looks down as he mutters, “Thanks, Ms. McCall. I think that’ll help.”
“No problem, Stiles, I know your father would help out Scott if he needed anything.” She stands and gets ready to go back to the laundry when she turns around and looks at Scott. “You deleted those pictures, didn’t you?”
“Oh yeah, I’ll do that now. Thanks, Mom!”
“So Stiles said we should talk. I hope everything’s okay. No new werewolves, are there?” Andrew says, settling into one of the chairs in the living room. He has a beer in front of him, and so does Melissa. Scott’s sipping on a bottle of water and Stiles has a coffee; Andrew tries not to think about what it’ll do to his sleep.
“No, nothing supernatural for once,” Melissa says, picking on the label of her bottle. “This is a totally natural discussion.” She looks over at Stiles and makes a face to try to encourage him to talk.
Stiles gives his head a minute shake and says, “Okay. Dad, I think, it might be, that maybe, I’m presenting. And I’m an omega.”
Andrew pauses for a second and then a huge smile is on his face while he says, “Wow, Stiles, congratulations! That’s terrific, son, I know your mom would be so happy. How do you feel?”
He shrugs and says, “Scared? Trying to be okay with it? Disappointed, too, maybe. It means I won’t be able to be a cop like I wanted.”
“That’s a minor thing, really,” Andrew says, smiling over at Melissa. “We can figure out something that works, it might not be exactly what you were thinking, but we’ll find a career that will work for you.”
“That’s what Mom was saying,” Scott says, nudging Stiles with an elbow. “See, your dad agrees!”
“Like I said, we’ll figure something out that will work.” Andrew nods to his son and says, “Okay, so next is… you have to get certified and register, right?”
“Yes. He can go online and find instructions on where he can go to get a certification exam. And they’ll help him with the registration.” Melissa looks over at Stiles, and quietly asks him, “Do you want to take suppressants? Have you given that any thought?”
“Oh god, yes! Please! I don’t think I want to start having heats and getting pregnant! I mean, not right away, I want to go to college and and and…”
Andrew puts a hand on Stiles’ back, rubbing circles to soothe him before he ends up giving himself a panic attack. “That’s great. It’s totally your choice, of course, but I think it’s a good idea. It’ll keep you comfortable until you’re older and want to choose an alpha to be with permanently.”
“Oh, he will need to register with an alpha,” Melissa says. “I mean technically, he can go without one, but he won’t be able to get suppressants without naming one.”
Stiles’ head jerks up and he exclaims, “What? Why? I thought taking suppressants was my decision and not something I need permission for!”
“True, you don’t need permission from the alpha. You just need to have one named. That’s the law,” his father says. “Even after your mother and I were married, she still had her father listed as her official alpha.”
“What does that mean? Did she need permission for things?” Stiles asks.
“Technically, he could have objected to our marrying; he could have insisted she marry an alpha. Of course, he didn’t, because he wanted what would make her happy,” his father smiles smugly and shrugs. “Stilinski men are pretty darned special, you know.”
“So it’s like a technicality, right?” Scott questions his mother. “Not a real big deal? Mom, who is your alpha?”
“Actually, it’s your grandmother McCall. I always liked her and trusted her and when your father and I divorced, she offered.” Melissa shrugs and says, “You know she adores you and so she wants to do whatever made things easiest for both of us. And if I ever fall in love with an alpha and want to marry again, she’s sign off on that person registering as my alpha.”
“Well how do I find an alpha? I don’t have an alpha relative, do I, Dad?”
“No,” Andrew says, sighing. “My father was an alpha, but with both my parents gone…”
“Great. And I need to pick an alpha so I can get suppressants, right? What else can they control? Shit, they can’t say that I have to live with them, can they? I’ll be able to live with Dad, right?” Stiles looks around the room and is close to hyperventilating again.
“Again, technically, your alpha could say that you have to live with them, but if they care about you, they’d want you to live where you want to. That’s one of the things in the omega protection laws that came out; omegas aren’t property of alphas and their wishes need to be taken into account,” Melissa studies both boys and raises an eyebrow. “I know there’s gender study classes, wasn’t any of this discussed?”
Scott nods and says, “It was, but… I don’t think we were listening that much, we were both pretty certain we’d be betas.”
“You both have one omega parent; what were you thinking?” Andrew shakes his head and says, “Okay, you’ll need a crash course and I’m sure we can get that, there’s lots of books out about being a modern omega. The doctor’s office probably has pamphlets or something for you when you get certified. That’s part what – three of this process?”
“Who do we know who is an alpha who would be a good person to register with you?” Melissa asks, looking at the group around the table. “There’s… well, how about Chris Argent? He’s an alpha and you know he’ll want to have you with your father.”
Scott shoots a look at Stiles, begging with his eyes. “I don’t know, I don’t think so. Chris’ father is still alive and frankly, I don’t want to be attached to that family at all,” Stiles says and the relief on Scott’s face is so obvious, Stiles thinks his mother must suspect something else. Thankfully, she doesn’t push it.
“Okay, who else? There’s Scott’s boss, Alan Deaton. How about him, I’m sure he’d be willing to let you register with him,” Melissa says, smiling brightly.
“No. No, thank you. I mean, if it were Scott, sure, but…I don’t think he really likes me,” Stiles says looking over at his father. “Besides, he kind of freaks me out. You know, what with the drowning and all.”
“Alright then,” she looks over at Andrew and asks, “Who do you know? Anyone at your office?”
Andrew scratches his chin and looks off past their heads. “Yeah, there’s a couple of alphas at work. It might be kind of weird, though – someone who is my son’s alpha and reporting to me. Favoritism questions might come up. We’ll figure out a way around it, if it’s needed, but…”
“No, I don’t want to put you in that position, Dad,” Stiles says, reaching over to pat his father’s hand. “There’s got to be other options. How about anyone at the hospital?”
Melissa raises an eyebrow and says, “There’s certainly a few doctors and nurses there, not a lot that I’m really close with. Ones that don’t necessarily know you at all…”
“What about Derek?” Scott interjects. “He’s an alpha. In all meanings of the word! And you’re in his pack, I bet he’d agree.”
“Derek Hale?” Andrew asks, voice dripping skepticism. “The werewolf who’s nearly gotten you killed more than once?”
“And he’s saved you more than once, and you’ve saved him, so I’m sure he’d agree to it!” Scott crows, as though it’s a great suggestion.
“Do I want to know about mutual life savings?” Andrew asks Stiles.
Stiles shrugs and says, “Initially, things were a little challenging. It’s better now, I promise.”
“Then what about him? If he’s your pack’s alpha, does that mean he might be good as the alpha to you as an omega?” Andrew asks.
Stiles thinks it over and shrugs. “Well, he sure as hell won’t want me to live with him, that’s for sure. And I can’t imagine he’d try to steer me into one profession over another.”
“He’d be like the most hands-off alpha ever,” Scott says, nodding. “And he’d agree, I know it. You’re pack. I know he’s registered as Cora’s alpha and she lives in frigging South America.”
“Anyone have a better idea?” Melissa asks.
They look at each other and Andrew says, “Okay, so I guess next step is we talk with Derek Hale about being your alpha.”