Chapter Text
Sampo has the typical beta nose. But… enhanced. Like, betas can typically smell strong emotions and other’s scents faintly, but Sampo never has smelt any of that before. He can’t smell the feelings seeping into the scent around and from other people, because he never learned how to interpret the numbing scent into some form of emotion to read people. He can’t smell someone’s personal scent and get a good first impression. Oh well, at least he’s good at guessing from appearances!
When he first presented, he had a mind-splitting headache and passed out on the streets for two days straight. He woke up in a hospital, the doctors telling him something about his presentation coming out of the blue and needing to run some tests to see his current state and to prescribe medication. The details are blurry when Sampo looks back at it, but he remembers being tested with a lot of syringes and the doctors announcing his quote-unquote ‘broken’ sense of smell.
Anyway, his point is he can’t smell emotion, but the majority of the Jarilo VI population can. It’s not like he’s the only one who has a blocked nose, he knows some clients and connections who have bad noses, it’s just frustrating.
Even more frustrating, now that he has a mate. Betas are meant to at least be able to smell the scent of their mate, but not Sampo. Hooray!
He knows betas are rare. He knows betas are rarely considered for ‘mate’ material. He knows the societal standards of betas. He knows the stereotypes against betas, and how they’re viewed as unable to fit the needs of any secondary gender, unlike alphas omegas. But that didn’t stop Gepard from seeing him as Sampo rather than another beta. It makes him feel giddy.
But, back to the frustrating part, he can’t tell when Gepard feels certain things, and with that straight face he has on most of the time, it’s tiring to crack into him each time to figure out whether he likes the eggs he made for breakfast or not, or whether he enjoyed work or witnessed misconduct that usually pissed him off.
But Gepard isn’t an insanely closed-off person, and he communicates and understands. It’s one of his most charming qualities. Sometimes he gets it wrong, but he admits to that mistake and tries to learn from it. Aeons, I’m so in love.
+++
Sampo wakes up with a smile on his face. The white roof gleams with Overworld sunlight that peeks from the window on the right of him, and there’s a slight shine of rainbow on the side as well. It’s going to be a good day. No meetings means no clients, no clients means no need to leave home as early!
He turns around under the blanket, and locks eyes with Gepard. Mate, his beta screams, mate sees you. Mate loves you.
Sometimes the useless rambles that his beta says at the top of its lungs usually pester Sampo, but today it doesn’t seem to bother him today. Another indicator is that it's going to be a good day.
“G’morning, Gep.” Sampo chirps, his beta purring when Gepard hums in reply and wraps his arms around the former’s torso to pull them both closer. Gepard inhales deeply around the side of Sampo’s neck, tracing small shapes into his skin. “What are you…”
“‘M smelling you. Isn’t that obvious?” Gepard growls. “I missed you.” The arms around Sampo squeeze tighter and his mate starts nipping at the skin in front of his mouth, like he’s in a possessive trance.
“We sleep together everyday. Literally.” Sampo pauses before adding, “I want to say metaphorically as well, but we both know that’s a lie.”
Gepard hums (he probably didn’t listen to what Sampo said), and licks the unblemished skin. “You taste good.”
“Ew! Gepard!” Sampo laughs, pulling off Gepard’s mouth by his hair. “What’s got you in this mood? I don’t remember you ever being a cannibal.”
“If you could smell yourself,” Gepard murmurs, pupils looking more… dilated, “you’d see why I go insane over you every day.”
Sampo’s heart stutters, beating way faster than what should be normal. He turns pink and starts stammering. He always gets excited when someone praises him in regard to his personal smell, he starts purring happily and smiling bashfully. It’s the quickest way to make him into a mess. He can’t smell his own scent, so it’s always exciting when someone gives their opinion on it.
“Ah, geez, you’re making fall for you all over again.” Sampo gushes. He gently lets go of the grip he has on the blond hair. “Remember when you hated my guts? And tried to arrest me every time I breathed?”
Gepard nods, eyes still dead staring at him. “We were given multiple formal complaints about how you sold things to your buyers.”
“Well,” Sampo seethes, “they got what they wanted, and my way was quick and efficient. They probably didn’t like that I was a beta, most of them were old geezers anyway.”
Gepard growls, the air around both of them becoming wintry and numbing. Not softly like before, it’s full on this time. He shows his gleaming teeth, the fangs seeming sharper than usual, and hugs Sampo tight. “Don’t listen to them. You’re perfect. I love you.”
“Wh…” Sampo coughs out a laugh. “Aeons, don't tell me you’re angry from that.”
No response. Gepard seems to realise what he’s doing, blinking harshly, retracting his arms, and slowly sitting upright. His cheeks turn pink, and Sampo finds it so charmingly endearing. Or endearindly charming, whatever.
Sampo follows suit, chuckling. “Don’t be shy! I just wanna know why you growled like that. Don’t make the apartment an igloo, I wouldn’t be able to survive.”
+++
Sampo was facing the brick wall as he hummed along to a distant tune coming from inside the tavern. Taverns in the Overworld are overpriced, so you can’t blame him for nicking the fine wine that was being displayed on the wall and dashing out immediately. As for the reason he was facing the wall, in an alleyway…
Well he didn’t want to get caught, now did he? That would give the Silvermane Guards an actual reason to chase him around and arrest him.
“Sampo Koski.”
After hearing his name, the man turns around after taking a swig from the bottle. “Yeah? Who’s—”
Sampo then realises who’s in front of him. Fuck. His face goes pale.
“Gepard Landau!” He laughs out, eyes frantically searching left and right for the emptiest street to run away. “Wh— Uh, fancy seeing you here—”
“I’m not here to arrest you, Sampo. I'm doing quite the opposite, actually.” Gepard sighs, crossing his arms. The blond takes a step closer, leaning in. “I want to ask you a question.”
Sampo leans back, smile faltering and back hitting the wall. “Look, if you want the wine—”
“I want to court you.”
“— you’re gonna have to… What?!” Sampo squawks. “Did I hear that right!?”
+++
Sampo steps into the kitchen, smiling at the memory. He still has all the courting gifts displayed in his own apartment, most of them being jewellery he wears on the daily or more precious rings with gemstones that were definitely worth a lot.
He was halfway through cutting Gepard’s omelette into slices before he feels arms circle around his midriff. Gepard noses his scent gland, licking fervently and purring affectionately.
Sampo purrs back, smiling softly. His beta is running in circles happily, yipping with excitement. “Do you want five slices or six?”
“Six.” Gepard’s tongue moves to the mating bite, sending sparks down Sampo’s spine. A flush spreads throughout his face and down to his collarbones, and he’s a mess the second time this morning. Yeesh, and it’s only 6AM…
“Gepard, you’re clingier than usual this morning…” Sampo awkwardly chuckles, almost groaning at the tight squeeze from the arms around his waist. “You okay?”
Gepard doesn’t answer. He only continues licking the slightly faded teeth mark like it's his favourite food. Sampo knows the little shit is thriving over how much of an imprint the teeth made onto his skin.
“Ah, what am I saying…” Sampo drops the knife onto the side of the cutting board and turns around, cupping Gepard’s cheeks. “Go and sit on the table, yeah? I’ll serve breakfast soon.”
Gepard nods, but he surges forward and starts pecking away and Sampo cheeks. Sampo laughs in retaliation, eyes crinkled and teeth showing, yapping playfully. He wishes he could live in the moment forever, so he only encourages Gepard more, letting his lips get kissed by softer ones.
Gepard’s omelette is served cold. Sampo flushes with embarrassment, offering to warm it up again for the alpha. Gepard only scarfs it down, saying he’d eat anything Sampo makes.
Sampo knows why he loves this man.
+++
Natasha
Doing outpatient runs at the Robot Settlement. Check my availability …
——————
Sampo
Nat
Sampo
Nat
Sampo
Nat
Natasha
What is it, Sampo?
Sampo
I have a question!
Natasha
Obviously.
Sampo
[Sticker: Mischievous_PomPom]
Sampo
Can you tell me about reasons an alpha might be more growly than usual
Natasha
…Growly?
Sampo
Yeah!
Natasha
Well, it’s typical for an alpha to be possessive of their ‘territory’ and/or ‘property’… If you’re asking why an alpha would be more possessive than usual, I’d say it’s an indicator of pre-rut.
Sampo
Omg
Natasha
Do you have an alpha, Sampo? I didn’t know this.
Sampo
Yes! We’ve been mated for a while :)
Sampo
But I can’t tell you who
Sampo
[Sticker: Apologetic_PomPom]
Natasha
Haha. It’s okay to have privacy.
Natasha
Was your alpha acting strange this morning?
Sampo
Yeah!
Sampo
When we woke up, he started licking my neck and insisting I smell good.
Sampo
And he was getting all protective over me for no reason ;(
Sampo
I thought he was drunk…
Sampo
And when I was making breakfast for him, he was hugging me most of my time and his mouth was like, fixating over my mating mark.
Sampo
And I had to basically drag him to the door so he could go to work because he wouldn’t stop smelling my scent gland?
Sampo
It’s unlike him to act like this, especially in the morning
Sampo
[Sticker: Confused_PomPom]
Natasha
Ah, I see.
Natasha
It’s most likely pre-rut, he seems close to starting. Alphas tend to want to be closer to their mates during this time, and they usually try to envelop themselves in their scent and get agitated at anything that might pose a threat to said mate. They also want confirmation that their mate is still with them and will help them through the rut, so they get clinger.
Natasha
Talk to him about it. Help him with it.
Sampo
He’s at work :(
Natasha
Aww. Miss him, do we?
Natasha
It’s okay. Talk to him once he gets home, then.
Natasha
It’s usually obvious in the alpha’s scent, as it becomes more potent, but considering your anosmia…
Sampo
Oh
Natasha
Sorry, I didn’t mean to make you feel bad…
Sampo
I don’t feel bad!
Natasha
Sampo. I know you.
Natasha
Don’t feel bad about it. You can’t help it.
Sampo
[Sticker: Suspicious_PomPom]
+++
“Gepard! Aeons, what’d you do?!” Sampo shouts out of shock, looking at the image presented to him: Gepard in front of his Overworld apartment door, bruises and cuts in various places of his face. “Come in, geez.”
After patching up Gepard, Sampo forces him to sit on the couch and talk about what happened.
“…” Gepard sighs. “There was someone who wasn’t… talking very nicely about you. I... I snapped, I guess.”
“Aw, Gep!” Sampo coos, placing a hand over his chest. “I’m flattered. But let’s be honest, look me in the face and tell me I don’t look punchable.”
Gepard stares at him flat. “You don’t look punchable.”
Sampo stares back, blinks, and feels a smile creep up in his face. “It wasn’t a command… I’m trying to say that I don’t care what people say about me. Not a lot of people enjoy this charming face, y’know.”
“But I do, Sampo,” Gepard presses, “because I—”
Sampo holds his breath.
“Because I… I love you, okay?! There’s a reason I’ve been courting you! Are you—”
Sampo shuts Gepard up with a kiss. And more kisses after that.
+++
Sampo peeks his head out after pulling the door slightly, and after he notices blond hair, he swings the door fully open.
“Gepard!” Sampo greets. “Welcome home, babe.”
Gepard smiles. He looks deprived of… something, Sampo observes. “Hello, Sampo. Can I go in now?”
Sampo steps back to let Gepard in, he notices the clenched jaw, widened pupils, and stiff posture as he walks in. Gepard kisses Sampo softly. “How was your day, love?”
“Meh, didn’t do much. Bought groceries, though.” Sampo grins, before his eyes soften. “Rough day at work?” He asks.
“You could say that,” Gepard sighs, taking off his outer garments. “Everyone kept on saying I stink.” He takes a moment to pause, like he’s deciding if he wants to add something or not. “I forgot to tell you, but I’m—”
“You’re starting your rut,” Sampo nods, taking the metal clothing decor into his arms. “Yeah, I know.”
“… Oh.” Gepard flushes, scratching the back of his neck. “Well, I was wondering if…”
Sampo tilts his head as he watches his mate walk closer to him, swallowing. He raises a brow. “You were wondering if…?”
“If you—” Gepard only gets redder, covering his face with one hand. “Urgh! It’s hard to ask.”
Sampo places the metal objects in his grasp onto the coffee table near the door, and offers his arms. “It’s okay. Take your time—”
Gepard grabs his hands and holds both his wrists to the wall. Sampo stares into those eyes, so cold yet so warm, and he realises he wouldn’t mind getting frozen if it means the last thing he saw was those entrancing pupils.
“Uh…” Sampo croaks. “You good?” He tries to wriggle his way out of the grip Gepard’s hand has on his wrists, but he won’t budge.
“Sampo.” Gepard calls. Sampo’s beta forces his whole body to go pliant and ready for the alpha, which is fucking annoying. “Help me with my rut.”
“Oh.” Sampo breathes, becoming a mess for the third time today. “Y— Yeah, but… I dunno, I’ve never helped with a rut before, and this is the first one you’ve had since we’ve mated—”
His thoughts are pushed away with a wet and heated kiss. A seemingly endless one, that continues on even when he’s dragged to Gepard’s bedroom.