Kiss Me if You Can

Late the next afternoon, Josh headed to the hospital with his mother, where she had made an appointment. Fortunately, there was an available slot, so they were able to see the doctor immediately.

On the way there, Josh kept hoping that his mother and Emma were wrong. But after hearing their conversation the previous day, he spent hours online and combining that with the basic education he'd received at school, the conclusion he reached was that they were right.

Still, he hadn't completely given up hope. He had never particularly disliked being an Omega or preferred Alpha. He just thought it was something far removed from his life, but now, suddenly, this unexpected onset of it as an Omega—he still couldn’t believe it. Even as he went through the tests and waited for the doctor’s results, Josh remained uncertain.

“Yes, that's correct.”

“Huh.”

At the doctor’s blunt declaration, Josh let out a deflated exclamation. He awkwardly smiled, looking perplexed, then continued with a mechanical explanation. It was mostly what Josh had learned in special classes at school. The shock seemed to be so much greater than he expected, that the doctor’s words barely reached his ears. The doctor, seeming to understand, added one last remark.

“Right after the onset, everyone reacts similarly.”

As a Beta, the doctor smiled and advised Josh to be sure to take his medication properly, as the cycle might be unstable at first, and that the medication was important to regulate it. He finished the consultation with that advice.

“Welcome back, how was the consultation?”

Emma, who had returned home earlier, asked curiously as she saw Josh and his mother enter. Josh replied with a half-hearted answer.

“Eh, it was fine.”

When Emma turned to look back, her mother shook her head slightly, signaling her to be quiet. Emma quickly zipped her lips. Josh said nothing and went straight to his room.

Sigh.

He lay on his bed, exhaling a long sigh. It still didn’t feel real. That he had become an Omega. In his bag was the doctor’s diagnosis and the suppressant medication. The doctor had strongly urged him to keep taking the pills for a while to regulate the cycle.

Sniff.

Josh raised his arm and sniffed himself. He sniffed different parts of his body, but the only faint scent he could smell was the soap from his morning shower. To think that he was leaving a scent he couldn't even detect.