Chapter Text
Their mothers were very clear about their instructions when Niall presented as an Omega. Ruben stays out of the house and away from Niall to avoid him getting a whiff of his little brother’s scent and ending up doing something they both would regret.
And as for Niall, well, his sweet Bambi looked so guilty, whispering ‘sorry’ before going to his room. They’ve talked about what could happen before the day of orientation, Niall was so worried he would end up being an Omega, because that meant he can’t be around his older brother that much, to which Ruben reassured him that nothing could change what they had.
**The night before the day of Niall’s orientation.**
Niall was lying on Ruben’s bed, that’s how it usually is. Ruben was right there next to him, texting his girlfriend Mona, she was also an Omega, and a happy one at that, though he hasn’t marked her yet, she wants to wait, which felt a little… off to him but he didn’t want to rush her.
He didn’t understand why Niall was so stressed over the possibility of him being an Omega, he probably would be okay. Ruben could sense how jittery Niall was, which was slowly getting on his nerves.
“Niall, quit doing that.”
Ruben grumbled under his breath.
“I’m not doing anything…”
Niall replied, he knew what Ruben meant , but he couldn’t stop, he felt so stuck he could explode at any second.
Ruben huffed and put his phone down.
Mona could wait.
But he doesn’t think Niall could, not if he was five minutes away from spiralling into a full-blown panic attack.
“Niall, I’m not an idiot to believe that, don’t fucking lie to me, I can feel the anxiety from here.”
He sounded more annoyed by now, the whole week has been like this with Niall.
“…I just…,Ruben…”
His voice broke, he tried to take a breath to calm himself but it felt like nothing was going into his lungs, he was an idiot, clearly he was an Omega, it’s just… a small part of him hoped that he could be at least a Beta, but even that felt like he was reaching, his chest burnt, every breath felt wrong.
How fucking pathetic.
“Damn it…,Bambi…,hey, shh…shh…,look at me..” *Ruben ordered firmly, a low growl started rumbling through his chest.
His hands cupped his brother’s face and gently turned him to the side, pressing their foreheads together.
“calm down…,come on…, breathe with me…, hmm…, in and out. Why worry when I’m here…? You’re safe.” It didn’t take long for Niall to breath a little normal after that, not when Ruben was holding him like this, talking to him in that perfect Alpha tone that had no right in making Niall’s heart beat a little differently.
“…There he goes…, good boy…, really nothing good comes out whenever you start thinking, Niall. Quit it, son.”
Ruben teased, his Bambi reeked of that Omega scent through and through, he so badly wanted to tell Niall but didn’t want him to panic again. A smell that was a combination of honey and vanilla that had his mouth watering, he didn’t know such a mix could be this heady, Ruben almost wanted to to bury his nose against that developing scent gland in Niall’s neck and breathe in that sweet scent, he didn’t find it weird , they were brothers, of course he would find comfort in it…,right?
“…You need to stop freaking out, Bambi. It’s useless and I could tell it’s exhausting you more and more. Do you think I won’t be here to protect you, hmm? That I’d ever let you get hurt? You’re worrying yourself sick for nothing.”
“It’s not nothing, Ruben. It’s everything, this defines my entire life-“ Niall’s voice shook.
“You know how society looks down upon male Omegas. And you won’t be always here to look out for-“
Niall was cut off by Ruben’s hand that was suddenly around his smaller neck, making his eyes widen and his body lock up at the look Ruben was giving him. Ruben was enraged.
“Enough. I think you’re really getting ahead of yourself, Bambi, is it so hard to believe your older brother won’t fucking leave you? And so what if you end up being a fucking man with a pussy, huh?”
God all that whining was getting to Ruben so much, his little brother was driving the both of them crazy.
“…Ruben , I just don’t want to be that…, I’m so scared…”
Niall was running in circles, the tears he was holding back now ran down his cheeks freely. Ruben’s hand remained around his neck, firm and tight, an anchor and a restriction, he wanted so badly to hate it. He couldn’t.
“…shh…,enough, Bambi, enough. I’m here , am I not? Mom and Lori could go to hell, I would never leave you. I would Gut Anyone that tries to hurt you.”
Niall knows for sure that his brain might have shut down after that, all the negative feelings of what is orientation could end up being tomorrow vanished. Ruben’s thumb was rubbing against his pulse point , he sniffled as he leaned into his brother’s touch.
“…I’m sorry…, it’s just gets too much sometimes…”
His voice felt almost like it was not his.
“…I know…,I know it’s that head of yours…, it keeps working overtime…, no need though when I’m here,… come here…”
Ruben brings Niall closer, letting go of his small neck and instead bringing it to the back of Niall’s head, pressing Niall’s head to his neck, exactly where his scent gland was.
“There…,there…,I know my scent has always calmed you down. Sleep , Little one. Everything will be okay.”
*Ruben whispered into Niall’s ear until he felt him slip into a peaceful sleep.*
**Present Time**
He wanted to follow his brother, he could smell his misery a mile away, but he decided against it, he thought about making Niall’s favourite drink, some tea with a little bit of cinnamon, something warm and sweet to calm him maybe. So he headed to the kitchen and started on that.
Niall was lying under his covers, silent tears rolling down his flushed cheeks, he saw this coming, so why was he so upset…? Maybe it was the fact that an Alpha or a Beta didn’t have that much trouble fitting in, while Omegas, especially Male Omegas with how unique they are, struggled the most…, a life where his fate lay in another man’s hands. It made his heart squeeze tightly and painfully.
He wanted to sleep all this stress off, wanted to wake up from this nightmare. But no, he could already sense the changes happening to his body, his chest and his private parts, he was changing. God he wanted to fucking die. He was jolted out of his thoughts when he heard a knock on his door. Ruben.
“…Just go, I don’t wanna talk…”
He yelled from under his blanket. Knowing fully well his step brother won’t be listening, Ruben always pushed against every boundary Niall put, it’s like he’s trying to prove that all those boundaries applied on everyone but HIM. And he was right because the Alpha just barged into his room as if it was his own.
“Already being a bratty omega i see, huh?”
He teased but noticed that didn’t pull Niall out of his sour mood, so he dropped it for now. Ruben took a seat on the edge of his brother’s bed, while setting the steaming cup of tea on the nightstand.
“Come on, Bambi, get up, I made you some tea, I put some cinnamon in there too, just how you like it.”
Ruben pulled at the blanket, wanting to see Niall’s face, hoping he wasn’t wasting his tears on this, again and for the third time in two days.
But obviously that was too much to hope for, he could smell his tears and hurt. It put his wolf on edge.
“…Don’t want to, please..,Ruben…,just leave”
Niall knew his brother has always been a volatile Alpha, one second he’s gentle and the other he’s asserting his dominance regardless of who was the on the receiving end. Niall just felt..tired. So tired of thinking, he wanted to be left alone.
“No way, Niall. Get your ass up before I make you.”
That was enough for Niall’s whole body to go rigid, why couldn’t Ruben understand? Niall was feeling like shit, he wanted to dig up a hole and hide in there forever. Fucking Alphas. That’s all they do, dominate Omegas like they owe them something. The words made his chest tighten and jaw clench in anger.
“No! You don’t get to order me around just because I’m an Omega now! Just get out, Ruben. Leave me be.”
He couldn’t stop his voice from rising and still quivering so pathetically.
A small and broken part of Niall knew he was just pushing his brother too hard for Ruben to put him in his place. A cry for mercy to stop the poisonous thoughts plaguing his mind.
That deep growl coming from his older brother was proof that Niall was pushing way too far.
Suddenly Ruben’s body was pressing on his, heavy and heated. His jaw clenching to the point of pain.
“I’m counting to three.”
Ruben’s voice dropped into something cold enough to freeze blood.
“If your eyes aren’t open by then, I’ll put you over my lap and remind you exactly who’s in charge.”
Niall bit down on his tongue, hard, to stop the desperate whimper that threatened to leave his throat. His closed eyes brimming with hot tears.
His brother knew what his body and mind needed, he was such a good Alpha, Mona was so lucky she had Ruben to take care of her, Niall would never be that lucky.
“One…”
Niall’s thoughts were cut off by Ruben’s voice, cold and out of patience. Fear twisted in his stomach. Did he really want Ruben’s wrath directed at him…?
“Two…”
“Ruben, just please lea-“
Niall tried to talk, but the air around him felt too heavy to take into his lungs. Yet opening his eyes at the last minute. He knew that Ruben could still punish him just because he waited for too long.
The tears fell down his face freely now, burning his already flushed cheeks, and the whimper he was holding back so desperately left his mouth before he could stop it. Weak and sorrowful.
That embarrassing noise slipped out.
Ruben moved. A hand fisted in the hair at Niall’s nape and yanked. Pain shot through his scalp.
His other hand clamped around Niall’s jaw.
His tears were the reason he wasn’t on Ruben’s lap taking a well deserved spanking.Yet.
“Tell me, Bambi, why shouldn’t I just do it anyways cause you clearly seemed to have forgotten who you’re talking about to, hmm…?”