Chapter Text
Penny had always struggled with being an Omega.
Society held them to a strange double standard, desiring Omegas as mates, but looking down on them as being weak. As she grew up, her father had tried to help her understand her place as a young Omega child on several occasions, but the subject had only made her more confused and unhappy.
As a result, she spent most of her adolescence constantly at odds with her dynamic. At least, as young girl she could easily get away with passing as a Beta. This had worked up to a point, until she began to develop and properly presented. The signature sweetness of an Omega's scent had exposed her in the middle of her youth, and in Penny’s eyes, immediately undercut all she had worked for.
Rather than be cowed by society, instead Penny learned to fight for recognition beyond the natural inclination to be desired or disregarded as an Omega. The lessons she had to absorb through her high school years toughened her, made her outspoken in ways most Omega's weren't.
Leaving for school had been bittersweet, but necessary. College was a fresh start for her, and it meant she could find people that saw her just for herself. She took pains to make sure people didn’t see her as just a pretty, innocent thing, but rather, recognized her for her own merits. On the rare occasions she engaged in discussions about the gender politics of ABO society, her arguments were passionate but intelligent, and carefully researched.
Of all the things that annoyed her about being an Omega, heat was the worst. It wasn’t something that could be circumnavigated, or blithely pushed aside. Dealing with her heats forced her to temporarily change her attitude and behaviors, and she hated it every time. The constant, underlying arousal made her question everything she did. When her heats came upon her, Penny would retreat from her vivacious lifestyle until it passed, forced to become a cautious recluse, wrestling with a body that refused to cooperate.
Suppressants were sometimes a necessity, even if she despised them for the obvious effect they had on her chemistry-- as if she were a defective tool that needed to be brought in line. But the alternative choice of suffering through a multi-day hormonal rollercoaster was just as bad. At least she had been blessed with mild bouts when she was young and could get away with desperately telling herself that there was nothing wrong with being a little more aroused than normal.
But as she had grown older, 'working through' her heats had become harder--and more painful--to do. Her parents had implored her to be regular with her suppressants. She only ever begrudgingly accepted the advice.
Despite her fiery outward attitude, Penny was otherwise well-liked. She had a small heart- shaped face and sharp and clear blue eyes, exuding wit and intelligence. Her skin was healthy and clear, pale-peach color, with a youthful crimson blush when flushed. This combined with Penny's unfailingly friendly and loyal attitude, and her quickness to speak up when defending her friends meant that she was only alone if she went out of her way to be.
It didn't hurt that she was easily one of the more attractive females on campus. With a disinterest in the traditional sexual politics of being an Omega, she had instead poured her energy into anything else that interested her. She'd dabbled in a little bit of everything but settled on competitive dance, when not studying or spending time with her peers.
Penny had the body of a gymnast, small and thin, leanly muscled, though some of the roundness of youth still clung to her, smoothing out her profile with soft and full curves. Her bust too, had filled out a little from childhood. No longer thin and flat, her breasts were full and sat close on her chest. Her hair was normally braided or combed to a shining blonde mane.
She should have been out with friends tonight, dressed up and laughing, having the time of her life. Instead she sat on her bed, clad in very unfashionable pajamas, her hair in a messy bun, and running through her favorite glut of 80's movies. trying to decide where to start was always the hard part.
This had become a sort of unofficial ritual for her, after she experienced her first heat during an 80’s Marathon late at night. She would intentionally lose herself in the flights of fancy, distance herself from her own body. Back home, she had been lucky enough to have her beta girlfriend, Delilah, who would sometimes accompany her. They would stay up late into the night, laughing and talking in the glow of never ending cinema. It always managed keep her entertained and distracted through the worst of it, and Penny had always been grateful for the gentle company, especially when she eventually succumbed to desire.
This was her first heat away from home, and though she'd been at college long enough to make some dear friends, the daunting prospect of managing this alone--comforting rituals aside-- honestly worried her.
She tried very hard not to think about the warm slick growing between her creamy thighs. She wanted to avoid daydreaming as much as possible-spending the night night marinating in her own juices with nothing but sore fingers and wrists for company didn’t appeal to her at all.
The truth was, Penny felt supremely lonely, even though she knew in her own heart that her pride was the cause for her longing. She did enjoy the movies though. They would have to be enough, despite the ache in her chest, and the warmth budding between her thighs.
Even so, Penny found herself paying increasingly minimal attention to the TV, as the ache between her thighs grew to a soft buzz. She glanced at the corner drawer of her dresser where the awful suppressants sat, along with her meager collection of sex toys, and found herself hoping she could go a little longer before succumbing to the urge to rub herself raw, when the doorbell downstairs rang.
For a brief moment, Penny panicked. Only a select few knew she was here, on her own. The thought of having to explain her circumstances to a friend was, frankly, mortifying.
The doorbell rang again, followed by the harsh sound of knuckles rattling on loosely fit plate glass. "Pens?", a soft, if muffled voice called from below. Penny winced slightly. Marie. Arguably her closest friend and confidante at school. They had been planning to meet tonight, when Penny had felt the first stirrings of her heat. She had feigned ill over the phone, and hastily called things off... And may have gotten a little carried away with her message.
"Pens?" The voice called again, more insistent. Marie loved to call Penny by nicknames, thought it was cute. To Penny, it was sometimes grating, other times heartwarming. Tonight, however, it simply filled her with guilt.
"Penny? I know you're in there. I got your message. You sounded awful. I wanted to check up on you."
Penny's heart melted. Marie was a big softie, with a deep soul. Penny liked to sometimes refer to the other woman as Penny's gentle giant. Of course she'd swing by to check up on her friend. Penny deliberated a moment. She wanted the company of someone close to her, but still wasn't sure she wanted to share this particular secret with her friend.
If Penny was one side of the coin, then Marie seemed to be the other. Where Penny was small and peachy, Marie was tall and dark. A Junior Varsity volleyball player, Marie had the body of an amazon warrioress. Bronze, flawless skin flowed smoothly over svelte, lean muscles. She had a larger bust than Penny, though few knew it--Marie seemed to favor wraps or sports bras to something more traditional. In private, it was a fact that penny equally envied and enjoyed when hugging her friend. Dark hair flowed over her shoulders, seemingly effortless in its application. Her face was a beautiful contrast of youth and adulthood, with full cheeks, and dark pouty lips, but a sculpted jaw. Despite all of this, Marie was often clad in the sort of nondescript sweats that all athletes seemed to have.
They had met early in the year while Marie had been trying out for Volleyball. Penny and her dancing partner had been working out routines on the other side of the gym, when an errant ball had bounced by. Since then, they had become nearly inseparable. In that time, Marie had never inquired about Penny's status. After hearing the tiny fireball voice her opinion on the matter as a whole, Marie had never offered her own status up for discussion either. For all that they had shared, this had remained taboo between them, and Marie had respected that silent request.
"Coming, Marie. Just give me a second?"
Penny tried to make her voice sound suitably rough and ill. It wasn't that hard, the low level arousal she felt at the beginning of her heats often made her voice a little lower, a little more smokier.
Even though her body temperature was rising with the onset of her heat, she threw a light blanket over her shoulders to accentuate her sickly image, and rubbed her eyes a little to make them red. Lastly, she dashed a bit of perfume on her neck and wrists to hide her blooming scent.
Finally prepared, Penny made her way carefully down the stairs, blanket wrapped around her shoulders like an adolescent cape. She caught sight of Marie in the door's waist high window, and favored her with a warm smile.
Penny worked the ancient, rickety lock and tugged the door open, and was instantly enveloped as Marie stepped across the threshold, bent down and pulled Penny into a crushing hug.
"Pens!" She exclaimed, "You had me worried, sounded like you were dying of bird flu!"
Penny laughed, and hugged Marie back. Marie's warm bust pressed against Penny's sensitive breasts, and Penny covered the soft moan that bubbled up with a weak cough. She ducked her head into the soft crevice of Marie's neck and and mumbled a soft apology, as she inhaled, as if trying to get her wind back.
What reached her nose when she did, threw her for a loop. Marie smelled amazing. A rich, heady scent, dark...like forest wood after a fresh rain. The scent woke up her body further, as her stomach twisted pleasantly and heat further pooled between her thighs. She bit her lower lip and swallowed the moan that threatened to escape. Her self-control slipped, and before Penny could stop herself she pressed her bust briefly against Marie's, reveling in the soft press of warm flesh against her hardening nipples.
As they separated, Penny was struck with two thoughts: Her best friend was outrageously hot, and that it was equally outrageous to have her in the house while Penny was going through her heat.
She played up her faux-sickness, coughing and making a show of covering her mouth with the crook of her elbow.
"It's nothing, Marie." Penny deflected. "Really."
Penny reached down to grip Marie's hand to lift and put to her warm forehead, intent on using her physical heat as further evidence for her faux-ailment.
But Marie's cool palm and callused fingers pressing against the hot skin of Penny's forehead resulted in a different reaction: the smaller blonde felt her eyes flutter shut, and a soft, satisfied sigh escaped her. When she realized that the noise had come from her, Penny’s cheeks bloomed with rosy color and she took a step back from her tall friend. She offered a shaky smile, which only deepened the look of confusion on Marie's striking features.
"What on earth is going on, Pens?" Marie asked. Penny knew the perfume she had daubed on would only hide her calling scent for so long.
Penny laughed nervously, her brows rising. "Just a little under the weather." She tried again.
Marie advanced on her, concern etched in the woman's features. Marie's moved up again, shifting to cup Penny's flushed cheek, and pressed her palm to the warm, soft skin in a gesture of concern. Penny, to her own undying embarrassment leaned into the warm palm, eyes fluttering closed again.
Marie's brows furrowed with curiosity, and she leaned in to the crook of Penny's neck on impulse and inhaled deeply. At first all she got was a noseful of perfume, but that gave way to something faint, but heavier, sweeter, a scent that lit unexpected parts of her brain.
Marie jerked her hand away, and stumbled back a step. Penny crooned sadly at the loss of touch, but her eyes fluttered open, and she settled heavily on the stairs beyond the landing behind her. Both pairs of eyes locked onto each other, staring across the space of the foyer with new understanding.
Finally, Marie broke the silence. "You're an Omega." She whispered.
Penny stared for a long moment. Then her head drooped, and she nodded silently feeling a mixture of shame and relief. Her cheeks burned with embarrassment, and stinging tears threatened to spill from the corners of her eyes. That was it then, her secret was out.
Silence hung between them another moment, then: "Why didn't you tell me?"
Penny sighed heavily. "Because I..." She started, before halting. Marie knew her secret, might as well hear the rest.
"You know why." She looked up now, tapping her inner indignation. "I hate the way we're seen by society." "We're more than just.. this." She waved a hand between her thighs, and instantly regretted it when Marie's eyes followed, widened, and her dark cheeks bloomed with color.
"Oh."
A nervous giggle escaped Marie's lips, and she softly repeated, "Oh."
Another beat of nervous staring and silence passed between them. Penny tightened the stifling blanket around her shoulders, as Marie's wandering gaze made her nipples harden and tighten. Her own eyes wandered over Marie's powerful figure, ghosting over the seat of her sweatpants. She wondered, for the first time, what lay beneath them.
Marie licked her lips and cleared her throat. "What about suppressants?"
Penny's response was immediate and simple. "Upstairs. Locked away."
Marie simply nodded. Given her friend's views, the response had not surprised her in the slightest. Marie wouldn't be surprised to hear that Penny never bothered with them during her heats until it was unbearable to do without.
She turned to make her way to the door. Marie knew better than to stay in close proximity to an Omega in the throes of heat. Especially given her own dynamic. Marie felt she had a good grip on her self control.. But heats and ruts made people do dumb things. Not to suggest that she's--
Marie stopped her line of thinking there, as the beginnings of a vivid mental image began to form.
To the surprise of them both, Penny rose and crossed the short distance to snatch the corner of Marie's sleeve. A beat of silence passed between them, each too afraid to move, until Penny's soft voice cut through the deafening silence.
"Don'--Don't go."
Marie turned back to her slowly, as Penny's words came tumbling out.
"I--I've never had anyone know, before. I--I mean... No one who I cared about..." Penny stumbled over her words, confused by her own desires and actions, not making any sense. She hadn’t wanted companionship before, but now that she had it, she didn’t want to let it go.
She was cut off as the taller woman turned and enveloped Penny in another full hug. Penny was crushed against her friend's full breasts again, and she nuzzled against them, inhaling deeply. Marie's scent aroused her certainly--a puzzle to be figured out later-- but for the moment she reveled in the security of the arms around her, and found herself understanding the possessiveness with which some Omegas back home spoke of their Alphas. Regardless of Marie's actual dynamic, she felt comforting and safe to Penny in that moment. She returned the tight hug and cooed into Marie's front. The woman felt like home to her.
They drifted back in the embrace far enough to gaze into each other's eyes. Marie licked her lips and smiled nervously at the blonde fireball in her arms.
"So.. I stay?" She quietly asked.
Penny's smile was small, and nervous, as she nodded. Bad idea or not, everything in her yearned for Marie to acquiesce.
"Yeah. Stay."
Marie turned back to face the smaller woman and was immediately undone by her nervous, unsure expression. She exhaled slowly, and favored her friend with a warm smile.
"Okay, uh, sure." Marie responded quietly, with a tiny nod. "I can stay awhile."
Penny's lips split into a bright smile and her cheeks warmed with blush at Marie's response. Her slight fingers glided down her friend's arm to fall into the soft, cool cup of her palm. They closed around it, and Penny turned to lead her companion up stairs.
Marie could feel her pulse hammering in her throat. Whether Penny noticed it or not, Marie could feel a tension in the air, and it only intensified when Penny led them into her room.
She took a few moments to look around. She'd been here before, but now details stood out to her. Penny's low set queen bed, with the pillows strewn about, looked like a gladiatorial pit in her mind. Maybe a nest.
Penny released her hand and moved to the windows, drawing the shades shut on the darkness outside. She threw a nervous, if warm smile over her shoulder at Marie, all the while still clutching the blanket over her shoulders with one hand, still holding onto her flimsy excuse for her earlier dismissal of her friends.
"Have a seat."She murmured, gesturing at the bed with a nod at the mussed sheets and bedding. Marie returned the nervous smile with a small one of her own, and gently crawled up onto the mattress. She shuffled up to the headboard and then twisted to sit against it, her back against the lightly padded wood frame, legs spread akimbo, in a wide "v" shape. At the foot of the bed, set atop a dresser against the far wall was a large, if old and outdated, television. The screen flickered, frozen mid scene with what she could only guess was Ferris Bueller's Day Off.
Marie smiled lightly. She'd enjoyed the movie on the few occasions she'd seen it. Something about Ferris' carefree Alpha attitude, and the lovable, if confused Beta and Omega companions’ constant reactions had sent her into a fit of giggles when she was younger.
Penny turned from drawing the blinds, and slipped onto the bed with the grace of a dancer. She didn't seem to notice the way Marie's eyes followed her body as she bent down to slink across the bedding on her hands and knees. What mattered to her was that she was no longer alone.
She slipped in between Marie's sprawled legs, flashing her friend a friendly, easy smile and twisted to settle her rear against the soft cotton of Marie's inner thighs. As she gently leaned back, a soft sigh escaped her. Marie felt warm and secure against her. Immediately comfortable, she tilted her head back to rest it on the curve of Marie's shoulder.
"Thanks for staying." Penny murmured, gazing up at Marie. Her small smiled widened, and gratitude and affection radiated from her eyes. Marie wordlessly returned the smile, though Penny missed the flicker of Marie's gaze to the nape of the Omega's slim throat. Instead, Penny turned back, reaching for the remote. She took a moment to settle in a little more against Marie, and resumed playing. The looming prospect of her heat was happily pushed aside and purposely ignored in favor of the comfort of Marie's companionship.
----
Hours later, as the credits scrolled for The Princess Bride, Penny found herself struggling to stay awake. Marie's natural warmth, the gentle earthy scent, and her own elevated warmth from the onset of her heat made Penny sleepy. She felt safe and comfortable with Marie's arms loosely wrapped around her waist. She yawned expansively, garnering a lethargic giggle and an answering yawn from her companion.
She fumbled for the remote in her lap, before turning off the TV, suddenly plunging the room into moonlit gloom.
She felt Marie stir behind her, shifting their collective weight on the bed.
"What..what time is it?" Marie asked, looking around.
Penny's head swung to the nightstand, where her clock sat. In fluorescent orange, the numbers glowed back in the dark.
" S'bout Eleven-thirty."
Marie's voice carried softly against the shell of her ear, " I should be getting home."
Penny whined at the words, and seemed to snuggle closer to her friend. "Please don't go?" She pleaded.
Marie's arms tightened around Penny's waist at the pleading tone. She cared much for the smaller blonde girl, and discovering her status had only deepened that instinct. But she also had come to suspect that her friend's heat was on its way. Penny almost never just relaxed. She was the sort to talk back at movies, so much so as to sometimes annoy others. Instead the little Omega before her had been attentive and quiet, only bothering with murmured comments-- something Marie had to admit she preferred. But Penny's scent had gotten a little stronger over the evening too, and it seemed like everything pointed to a possible heat. She never had thought to consider that it may have already started.
Even so, despite her concerns, the evening had gone well so far, and the thought of leaving Penny alone after a very enjoyable evening didn't seem right.
She moistened her lips as the logical question came to mind. "If I'm not going, what would you like me to do?"
Penny shot her a teasing, if mostly tired look. "Sleep with me?" She asked, with enough faux-innocence that Marie knew her friend was laying it on thick.
Marie's cheeks bloomed with color nevertheless, a sight which Penny would later admit she found extremely adorable. Marie coughed softly, and her eyes darted to the side.
"I don't know about sleeping with you..." They shared a nervous giggle.
"But I don't mind keeping you company."
To Marie's great surprise, Penny wordlessly nodded, and rose to clean her teeth and get ready for sleep. Marie watched Penny's retreating form dumbly for a few moments, still trying to process how things had progressed from a friendly visit to apparently spending the night with her friend. A tingle of arousal settled in her belly, and Marie immediately quashed it. They had spent time over night in the dorms before, but it had always been in good lighting with proper ventilation. The room Penny had left her in was suffused with the Omega’s scent, in a way she could never recall happening before.
To her discomfort, Marie realized that she'd never sleep well in the heavy sweats she was in. And when Penny returned from the bathroom, she was wearing much lighter sleep wear-- matching Pajamas. Marie had never accounted for the possibility she might be spending the night in her best friend's bed. If she was going to get any sleep, the heavy sweats she was wearing would have to come off. And while the loose shorts and tee she wore underneath would be easier to sleep in, they would do nothing to hide the truth, should her arousal grow unchecked.
With a sinking feeling she shuffled under the covers, pulled off the offending items, and dropped them over the side of the bed. Penny approached, looking adorably tired in the gloom. Marie could just barely discern tiny cartoon ducks on the thin cotton tops and boy-shorts, the rest of Penny's toned legs distressingly bare. Penny climbed into bed, careful not to lay too close. From across the bed, she gazed over at her friend, the corner of her bottom lip caught between her teeth. Penny had hoped for more of the easy camaraderie from earlier but now that they were in bed together, she felt a tension and gravity between them. Marie was fighting the urge to pull Penny into a full-bodied cuddle, so strong was the urge for more contact, but instead snuggled further into the blankets. Penny offered her taller friend a nervous smile, and deliberately rolled over. She half expected Marie to scoot in and spoon her for a moment before closing her eyes and softly wishing her friend a goodnight. Instead, Marie rolled onto her back and nodded silently. She cleared her throat, a noise that almost spooked her with how loud it sounded in her ears, before issuing her own goodnight, and shut her eyes, desperately hoping for sleep.