He knew there was going to be a day in which he wished to have listened to his classes, Osomatsu thought, panicked and still somewhat sleepy. Not that he would repent about not paying attention no, even doing nothing is les boring than school but.

BUT.

He knew something was wrong with him, he could feel it and how much! Some weeks ago, he got a serious but painless neck swelling he got to hide for some days with a scarf because he knew that if his mom found about it he would be chastised for playing almost naked in the roof because "he felt hot". He was found of course, and now… his asshole was red and inflamed while he did nothing wrong with it.

Well, it was not his asshole per se.

He didn't really know what it was, it were only two big fat inflammations around it, he felt as if they were two baseball balls dangling and rubbing and goddamn, they itched so much.

He knew they had a name, it was something that biology classes explained not so much ago, but he had it on the tip of his tongue and couldn't put his mind over what the fuck they were.

If only he could beat them away…

And so here he was, 2 AM in a cold autumn night, sitting in floor of the bathroom, panicked and uncomfortable because he couldn't find a reason over it. What if he was going to die all red and itchy? First his neck, now his ass, and then his entire self! He was sure that goddamn things weren't there some hours ago!

God, he was still a child!

A not-so-good child he knew, but a child nonetheless!

He sobbed.

"I don't wanna tell my mom I'm gonna die… *sob*"

But light tappings at the bathroom door took him out of his wild imaginations on how he was gonna tell his family about his mortal condition.

.

"… I'm busy, go away" – he croaked.

"Osomatsu-niisan? Is everything ok?"

"… I… I'm not sure… *sobs* Uuuuhhh…" – he must have been a very bad child to be this embarrassed and scared at his young 12 years of life. At least Choromatsu would understand him… right?

"I'm gonna open the door."

"Ok!"

So he stood up, trying to stay without rubbing his ass (how the fuck was he able to run to the bathroom in that conditions, he wasn't even sure), and Choromatsu, looking worried, entered upon second of him opening the bathroom door.

"Are your legs ok?"

"My legs aren't the problem, Choromatsu… It's my butt, it itches so much, and from it grew up two big strange balls that are all hot to the touch! I'm sure they are red too. Also, for the record, I'm not going to show you them."

"Aw, that sounds nasty. Have you tried some Pasta de Lassar?"

"… Yeah, I was searching for it when you came… "- he lied, Osomatsu was too worried – panicked, really - thinking on the many ways he could die of this to even think of a possible cure.

"Ichimatsu uses it, so maybe is on our room."

"Huuuuhhh…" – he couldn't even stand up well anymore, so wobbly and all he supported himself on the wall. - "Hey, how did you found I was here Choromatsu? You are such a log when sleeping."

Choromatsu looked at him as if it were obvious, but Osomatsu didn't think it was.

So he conceded. Twin synchronicity always worked at the end.

"Oso-nii, you smell all funny yanno!" – he put his hand over his nose to prove his point – "You see, the smell is all over the place, even worse than when you got that scarf with you when it was so hot and—"

"W-wait, what? I smell? Did I smell before…?" – he tried very hard to keep himself up, this was not what he was expecting at all.

He smelt his armpit, just to confirm anyways.

"Yes! It's something like… glue? A bit sweet though. But it was so strong, and now it smells so much again!"

...

Smell huh…

Oh.

...

Osomatsu sat down, now in the toilet, finally with an idea in his mind.

"Choromatsu… do you believe it can be related with the Alpha and Omega thingie?"

"Hmmm… No, I don't think so? If you were an Alpha you'd be… probably attacking me now or something, I believe, territorial animal instincts and such. Omegas get all this strange lube down their butts and get fevers." – he was obviously reciting what he had learnt from classes, of course - "But only other Alphas and Omegas can smell them, and I'm sure that I'm not any of that!" – he saw his brother sit in the toilet all pained, put on his best thinking face and finally declared – "Maybe those are hemorrhoids?"

"WHAT!? NO!"

"But they could be…"

"Nope, I don't have any of that, I refuse!"

"Ok, ok" - He offered his hand - "You wanna get up? Maybe we should get mom to examine you"

"Mom will scold me again for being this sick…"

"No, she will not scold you for that, this is not something you can get from playing shirtless outside you dummy!" – Choromatsu laughed, and Osomatsu felt that his smile was contagious.

He was glad of having his brother and his very best friend as a confident.

He would never forget it.

"Ok, let's go to search that weird paste that my butt is killing me. I'll tell mom tomorrow, its too late for worrying her at this hour."

"Isn't it better for you to wait here and wait for the cream here?" – Choromatsu laughed again, and this time it was at his face. Osomatsu pouted.

"Yeah, yeah sure."

"Always slow, Oso-nii!"

"Shut up!"

ooo

Time passed, their deeds were done, and soon both were in their futons again. Choromatsu sided with Osomatsu this time, his brothers wouldn't mind as they trashed and moved so much they wouldn't even notice that Choromatsu had moved them out of their respective places that night so he could be with his best friend (again). He snuggled at his side, this time mindful of his butt, not like when he put his leg badly when supporting him and almost ended with Osomatsu screaming obscenities down the hall.

And when he was almost asleep, he thought he listened to certain tiny words which melted his heart.

"D-do you believe this is serious enough for me to die Choromatsu? I-I'm kinda scared…"

"Whatever it happens I'll be with you, Osomatsu-nii, don't worry"

And he has never felt this warm and giddy over it, he was sure.

ooo

At the very next morning, Osomatsu woke up with a big fever and hallucinations, proof enough that even when being a Matsuno it only meant bad luck.

Osomatsu was only one of the thousands of victims of a serious pandemia after all, and the Matsuno family received some instructions over his care. The most important things were for him to not be touched at all by his brothers until two weeks passed, and something related to his possible presentation, easily forgot over time.

And of course, in a house of six, rules are to be broken, because Choromatsu never left his side, whenever his parents weren't on sight of course.

They held hands, and time passed again until they were alright again.

...

They grew up, and their special connection seemed to stop the more time it passed. It was understandable, considering their personalities.

But, again, bad luck was always was their best friend, and they still slept side by side.

Whatever it happened, they were going down together, and it wouldn't be so bad.