Chapter Text
Their world consisted of what you would call a second gender. And no. Cale would like to make a statement that his world is partially different from those books that contain explicit things. No. They're not animals who go ballistic over scents.
In a way, scent is their biological communication with someone they're close to. Not to strangers, not to mere acquaintances, but to their close family and friends. Only those kinds of people in your life can smell your scent, and you can also smell if they have another scent lingering with them. That was another way to see if your partner is having an affair.
Maybe because of the time you spend with them, or because you scent them as part of your own, and that's how you can scent them. Using those scents, people can tell who's a friend of whom. If you smell someone having the same scent as you, then you guys have the same kin. This is usually used in families, but because of the modern world, it has extended to friends.
Anyway, the latter was how Cale got into this situation. Someone scented him, and the moment he got his second gender that morning, the smell was full-blown into his nose, which made him scrunch in weirdness. Who in their right mind scented him this much? Is this why his father was looking at him almost the whole week and even asked if he had found a lover? No, Cale hadn't and is not planning on having one.
"Damn it. It almost stinks." Well, it wasn't far off from that, but along the line, it makes Cale feel warm that someone around him possibly scented him this much because they consider him close to their heart. So yes and no. Cale is not or is happy. The scent followed him everywhere. It clung to his scarf, his sleeves, even the collar of his pajamas. Every time he breathed, it slipped into his lungs before he could escape it.
Seeing as the scent lingered even after he took a bath, he considered skipping school for today. Maybe even for two days? He needs to go to the hospital to get his gender checked. He doesn't feel anything out of the ordinary except the mingling scent of various smells. He caught a whiff of two other strong scents, possibly his parents. Yet it was almost subtle from that other scent. Damn it.
He lowered his head on his hand and sighed heavily. Should he go to Eric Hyung's hospital or to another hospital? He's sure his Hyung will also smell that. Cale decided that if he's going to embarrass himself, he might as well do it to someone he knows. Thus, Cale excused himself that day.
7:20
Cale: Tell me if there's gonna be an assignment today.
Cale: And consider me excused, I already submitted my excuse letter.
Cale: Seriously, are you sleeping in?
7:30
Roksu: No. I just arrived at school.
Roksu: Are you sick?
Roksu: I'll come over later.
Meanwhile, Eric sat on his chair. His eyes trailed from Cale's toe to his face. Still, it baffles him how calm Cale is, considering the almost stinky scent on him. Just what sort of joke is this...
"Cale... Did you..."
"Far from it, Hyung," Cale cut him off before he could say more. He plopped down on the chair beside Eric's desk and calmly added. "If you say I have a lover, I might consider eloping with a pure maiden."
"Cale, no," Eric ran his hand on his face, almost painfully. "That's not—who scented you? I can't even smell mine." Eric pinched his nose. "Should I be—"
"Concerned?"
"—Jealous or what?"
Cale turned away with a hum and found the painting hung on the wall more interesting than on his previous visits. Right, his previous visit was a month ago. "It's not my fault that someone can't seem to control their scent around me, and your scent was probably already gone from a month ago."
Eric shook his head with fondness. Seriously, he's sure he gave Cale a scent enough to last three months, considering how the brat doesn't visit him much. "Who do you spend your time with the most?"
Cale narrowed his eyes and flatly replied. "I'm not answering that."
"For solution, Cale, goodness." Eric let out a long breath.
"Roksu, but he still doesn't have his own second gender yet." Cale tapped his finger on his lap and sighed when Eric didn't say anything, signalling for him to continue. "That's followed by that ugly blonde because of a school project, but we're not close," Cale added with a hint of disdain.
"Alberu Crossman. Alright," Eric listed down the names, or at least Cale assumed so.
"I also visited my family for four days this week, and no, it's not one of them. Father was giving me the eyes." Cale shivered when he remembered his father's question. Eric only hummed.
"The one who scented you can be another business; let's go to finding out your gender first." Eric smiled, stars flinging towards Cale that made him close his eyes.
"So long as it's fast." Cale stood up, and Eric as well. They left the room and proceeded. After seven hours of examination and being put inside some machine and drinking weird substances, Cale can finally breathe.
"Did you tell Uncle Deruth your second gender?" Eric suddenly asked when Cale was about to leave his office. Cale came to a halt.
"...I'll inform them when I get my result."
"You— haa..." Eric stood there with a resigned face. Cale can't be blamed, you know? He's an independent person, and he's proud of that. He even has pocket money, from his father, of course. And don't even get him started from that weird lingering scent that wafts through the air, and only he and Eric can smell right now. They stood there in silence, and Cale almost got lost in his thoughts when he saw Eric staring at him.
"What?"
"The scent..." Eric fidgeted.
"Hm?"
Silence.
"Tsk, you already scented me, though." Cale raised his eyebrow.
Eric pouted. He pouted. Cale can't believe the childishness of this man. He breathed in and out before he fully shifted his body to Eric and opened his arms. The latter quickly brightened at his gesture.
"Fine, make it fast." Not even a beat later, Cale is already engulfed in a hug. No kidding, his genes did him dirty with his height. Then something floral, tinged with citrus, wafted through the air and seemingly attached itself to Cale. It reminded him of what? Peach? Mango? What exactly? "You should teach me how to spread my scent like that." Cale blurted out.
"It comes naturally," Eric whispered.
Then, the scent suddenly became stronger, and Cale narrowed his eyes with a scrunched nose. "What are you doing?"
"Trying to balance that scent." Eric supplied calmly. Almost purring—
What the actual mother— "You're making it worse." Cale almost hissed.
"No, I'm not. If there's an Alpha scent on you, there should also be an Omega one." Eric said as a matter of fact.
Cale knew that Eric was an omega and respected him for being steadfast despite people's weird prejudice against Omegas. But that's not what caught his attention. "What?"
"What?"
Cale pulled his face away and looked at Eric. The latter only smiled at him. "An Alpha?"
"Yeah!" Eric beamed as if that was helpful.
"How can you tell? But can't tell mine."
"Well, it's so strong, no? And your scent has yet to fully develop. In a day or two, you'll be smelling your own scent." Eric explained before pulling Cale back and letting the silence hug them both. Cale can smell how the almost stinky scent is being nullified, replaced by something equally stinky. But he didn't pull away.
"Are you done?" Cale was getting impatient.
"Almost... There!" Eric pulled away and put distance between them, his face still beaming brightly.
"Thank goodness," Cale sniffed. "Well, see you later." He turned away and finally said his goodbye and left, not before hearing, Call me if something happens!
When he was finally outside, he sighed for the nth time that day and shoved his hands in his pockets before trudging away from the hospital. Maybe he'll go visit the cafe near his apartment before going back. And maybe call his father and mother to inform them of his situation. Ah... Whatever. He's starting to feel like the cold weather has it against him when he feels something drop on his nose.
It's snowing. Right. It was winter, and he didn't bring a scarf. Only a large jacket is enough to provide him warmth. He pulled on a car and went on his way. To the cafe first.
Meanwhile, thirty minutes later, after Cale left the hospital, on the other side of the area.
"Why is he not responding?" Roksu tapped on the call again. It rang and rang, yet no one answered. "Is he in the hospital?" He went to Cale's apartment, only to see no one there. The place was empty. If you're wondering how he knows, he has the key, and there's a doorbell that no one answered. He looked at the building he exited from a while ago before looking towards the street. And by some sick coincidence, he saw someone who shouldn't be standing under the snow with not enough clothes. "Cale..." He quickly went over to where the redhead was.
"Oh..." Cale stopped on his track when he heard the familiar voice of his childhood friend. He looked up to see Roksu running—no, scratch that, walking fast towards him. "Why are you here? It's cold, you should've gone home and sent me the assignments."
Roksu stopped on his track. And Cale suddenly grabbed his hand.
"You didn't wear gloves?"
"You didn't, too."
Cale ignored him and held their hands up near his mouth, rubbing them together and blowing warm breath on them. It was warm. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming?"
"I called you multiple times," Roksu deadpanned.
"Oh... My phone was dead." Cale paused and sniffed before he slowly let go of Roksu's hand, now a little bit warmer.
Roksu's eyes flattened when he saw the visible breath seeping out of Cale's nose and mouth. "You're so red, why didn't you dress up well?" He squinted his eyes when Cale blinked at him multiple times.
"My phone is dead, and my nose is clogged from the cold."
"That's your fault."
"Whatever, let's go in." Roksu didn't say anything when Cale grabbed his hand again and led him back to the building. To Cale's apartment. When they got in, Cale quickly went to his room to change, not before going back out to the living room and handing Roksu a change of clothes. "The uniform must be uncomfortable." He commented before walking away.
He's not wrong, though.
After Roksu changed his clothes in the bathroom from another room, he threw himself on the couch and shifted to find the perfect position for his aching back. He sighed and waited for Cale. Roksu felt the cold dissipate from the warmth of the place. He turned to the side to stare outside the window. The snow was heavier now. Oh well, he can just stay in Cale's apartment. He won't mind. Besides...
Roksu looked at the closed door of Cale's room. His eyes were drawn there for a while before he shifted them towards his bag, where his notes and assignments are, and also that. He got lost in his thoughts and felt his consciousness swaying around the place. The weather was perfect to sleep like there's no tomorrow, and the room was warm, perhaps, just a little—
"Roksu," Cale called, his voice breaking the trance Roksu entered, and Roksu angled himself towards Cale from his lying position. "I've been meaning to ask," Cale was staring at him, as though looking past Roksu's face to something deeper behind his eyes. Cale always did that when he was fishing for reactions. And whenever he did, Roksu would stare back, patiently, while watching those eyes sharpen on their edges when he replied. Roksu wonders what— "But did you get your second gender?"
Silence.
Cale tilted his head curiously. "Did you?"
Ba-dump. Roksu felt his heart thrumming in his ears. He can no longer ignore it; could that scent lingering on Cale that nullified his being Cale's?