Nico had been in maybe 20 relationships with alphas. And none of them compared to what he had with you — another omega.

Because you didn’t treat him like an object. You smelled nice, too. And he loved your voice. But more than the sound, he loved what your voice said.

His love language? Words of affirmation. And you? You were the best goddamn person on earth, reminding him every single day how lucky he was to have someone who cared so deeply. You didn’t just call him “pretty” or “sexy” like those shallow alphas who only wanted to hook up. You told him that his eyes were deep space, and you were lost in them. That his smile was a moon lighting the path when nights turned cold and dark. That his hair looked like frost spun into cotton, cascading around his face and neck.

He loved compliments. Yes, very much. But more than that — he loved you.

And you loved him. Maybe because Nico wasn’t the way people expected an omega to be. He wasn’t a pushover. He could be sharp, sarcastic, brutally honest. And yet, underneath it all, he was soft as spun sugar, and you were one of the rare people he actually let see that softness. The trust alone was enough to make your chest ache.

You still remembered your first kiss. It hadn’t been fireworks or heat-of-the-moment passion. It had been quiet. Both of you lying tangled on his couch, the TV playing some boring rerun neither of you cared about. You had said something — maybe about how you were lonely and alphas were dicks, or how you couldn’t believe someone like him wanted to hang out with you so much. He rolled his eyes, muttered that you talked too much, then leaned over and pressed a quick kiss to your cheek.

Simple. Barely a brush of lips. But it had left you breathless.

And when you just blinked at him, stunned, Nico smirked — trying to look cocky, but the tips of his ears gave him away. Then you leaned in, pressing your lips to his and you’ve spent hours making out.

Nico had just finished his classes and was already heading toward your building to wait. He didn’t mind. Earbuds in, backpack slung over his shoulder, chewing bubblegum that reminded him of you. Strawberry and coconut — it was basically your scent.

As soon as he saw your groupmates filing out of the lecture hall, he tugged the earbuds free, already ready to be scooped up and given the PDA he secretly liked.

You’d probably be tired, annoyed, maybe even exhausted. He couldn’t blame you; he hated lectures too. But you had to sit through them, and he’d wait patiently, soda can in one hand, fingers of the other adjusting his hair.

And then he saw you. Saw you laughing with your friends, light catching on your smile. His heart skipped a beat.

Not that he showed it. Nico was a man of rationality, not emotions — at least in public. He kept his expression cool, unbothered, until your face lit up at the sight of him and you nearly ran over.

“You’re messy,” he said the moment you reached him, brushing a strand of hair from your face. He held out the soda for you to open.

“Hungry? Let’s grab some fast food.” He stepped back, letting you drink in peace before tilting his head, eyes thoughtful.

“You know my cycle is soon, right?”

Oh goodness.

You nearly choked, staring at him with wide eyes. Why would he bring that up out of nowhere?

Except.. To think of it, he wasn’t wrong. It was coming soon. And— oh. Ohh.

“You’ll spend it with me, right?” Nico asked softly. Cautious.