Sometimes, Rey Kenobi felt like her life was a series of unfortunate events. She had a propensity for getting figuratively and literally shit on (because, yes, in the past year, she'd been brutally attacked by nameless birds on three separate occasions) and considered herself a target for bad luck.

But, if anything in her life had worked out perfectly, had worked out exactly how she hoped and dreamed, it was that she never presented.

Yessir, Rey Kenobi was thrilled to be a boring old Beta, exempt from the trials and tribulations of her family and friends. Funny enough, only about thirty percent of the population identified as Alpha or Omega, but in Rey's life, it seemed like everyone close to her was either of the two designations.

It was primarily why Rey was so afraid she would present in her teens. Her childhood had been a rough one, namely that she born to an unmated omega, Jyn Kenobi, and fathered by an unknown Alpha. Jyn had a rather terrible drinking and drug problem, one that contributed to her early death. Rey remembered little of life when her mother was alive, as the woman died when she was six, except for the constant presence of her grandfather.

When she was older, she eventually learned that her grandfather, Obi-Wan Kenobi, had fought to raise Rey from the moment she was born. Despite numerous attempts to separate Rey from his daughter, the courts weren't cooperative, and she only arrived to live with her grandfather upon her mother's death.

And so that's how Rey had spent most of her childhood, living with her Grandpa Obi. He was an Alpha and had been married to an omega for twenty-five years, until his wife Satine's death about a decade before Rey was born.

So, everyone in Rey's immediate family had been an Alpha or an Omega, which was part of the reason why she was so concerned about presenting. And her family aside, her closest friends were too.

Currently, every single one of her best friends had a designation. Finn, an Omega, and Poe, an Alpha, were newly mated, and in the process of planning their official wedding. Rey's best friend at work, Rose, was similarly an Alpha. The same went for her closest friends from college—Jessika and Kaydel were both Omegas.

And then, her closest friend throughout childhood and even now was Ben Solo. Growing up, he had lived down the block with his parents, his home a monstrosity next to the modest bungalow Rey lived with her grandfather. Ben's parents were two of her grandfather's closest friends—Leia being an Omega, and Han being an Alpha. Ben had presented at age 14, slightly earlier than most Alpha males, in a moment that Rey would never forget.

-x-x-x-

Eleven Years Ago

Armed with a backpack full of enough snacks to last more than the modest three films they planned on watching for the evening, Rey dashed across her front lawn. In mere steps she had crossed into the perfectly manicured green grass of the Solo lawn, the space filled with gorgeous trees, and rose bushes, and some stylish garden gnomes that she knew Leia treasured dearly.

Rey and Ben typically spent Friday evenings together, always prepared for hours of just eating and playing video games and watching movies, no matter how strenuous school or their respective sports had been that day.

But Rey had a weird feeling about today. Ben hadn't shown up in their seventh period and while they always joked about wanting to skip their US History class, they always stuck it out like the good students they were. At any rate, she hadn't heard or spoken to him since lunch, but she didn't think it was too weird.

Han and Leia had periodically pulled Ben out of school for random tasks. Only two weeks ago, Han pulled Ben out of school after lunch because he had been given a pair of tickets to an afternoon baseball game. Han wasn't one to miss a game, even if it meant his son missing pre-calculus, biology, and US History.

According to Ben, Leia had been furious. Well, until Han mentioned her similar behavior—she too had pulled Ben out of school the previous month. Although, instead of forcing him to attend a baseball game, she instead made her son get fitted for a proper suit. She had a work dinner coming up, and she was unsatisfied with how his old suits fit his ever-growing body.

At any rate, it wasn't unheard of for Ben to disappear, but she was surprised he hadn't texted or IMed her after his early departure from class. But she tried not to think too much about it—if Han or Leia had dragged him off to do god knows what, it was possible he just didn't have a chance to let her know.

Besides, it wasn't like he needed to keep her updated every moment of his life. And their Friday night hangouts always started at eight, so that was precisely when Rey rang the Solo's doorbell.

Only a few moments passed when the door flew open, revealing a rather exhausted looking Han. Instead of the cheerful smile or playful smirk that he usually threw her way, he looked weary. Upset by her appearance, even.

It immediately put Rey on high alert.

Han sighed and looked over his shoulder, presumably looking at Leia.

"I can't do it. You gotta talk to her." Han explained, before casting another glance at Rey. With a "hmmpf," he moved away from the door, leaving Leia in his wake.

Rey frowned and looked to Leia, suddenly going into panic mood. "What's wrong? Where is Ben?"

Leia sighed and offered her a soft smile. "Come inside, dear. Let's make you some tea. Something has come up."

And so, she followed Leia inside, quick to settle into their ginormous kitchen. The usually-talkative Leia was silent for once, giving Rey enough anxiety that for once in her life, she wasn't desperate to eat any of the Twizzlers or Doritos hanging in her backpack.

Within moments, Leia had joined her, a pot of tea between the two of them. She smiled softly and touched Rey's hand.

"I'm sure Ben would have preferred to tell you himself, but—"

Leia's words were cut off by a masculine cry and the sound of something shattering, loud despite clearly coming from the second floor of the home. Rey's eyes widened.

"Oh my god! Is that Ben? Is he okay?" She sputtered out, looking at Leia frantically.

The older woman squeezed her hand. "He's okay, Rey." She paused, considering her words, "Well, not okay, I suppose." She sighed and rubbed at her eyes, "I thought I had another year before this happened! Designation education isn't even offered until your sophomore year."

Rey blinked. "Designation education?"

Leia smiled softly. "Yes, Rey. Ben presented today. He's an alpha."

Her words had Rey's heart beating out of her chest. How could Ben have presented? He was only 14! Most people didn't present until 15 or 16, some as late as 18. And Leia was right—designation education was a mandatory course but wasn't taught until sophomore year.

Which meant that like Rey, Ben presumably knew very little about the biological changes his body was going through. In fact, Rey's knowledge of the presentation process was limited to what she watched on movies and television. That and when their old next-door neighbor, Kyle, had presented as an alpha almost five years ago.

Apparently, he was arrested for trying to attack an Omega during his rut.

Rey swallowed and glanced away from Leia, concerned about Ben, especially as she listened to his cries from upstairs.

"Is he okay?" She whispered, her voice wavering, "Can I see him?"

Leia squeezed her hand. "No, Rey, Ben needs to be alone. He's experiencing his first rut." She cleared her throat and paused again, now studying Rey intently.

Rey flushed under her gaze. "Wh-what?"

"Well, Rey, it's just… With your mother… gone, and with it only being you and Obi…" She took a deep breath, "I was wondering if you had been given the chat yet?"

Rey blinked. "The chat?"

Leia smiled softly. "The talk, sweetheart. About sex. Designations."

The word 'sex' immediately had young Rey turning red. "Um. No."

"I assumed so. I think I should explain a few things to you. Now that Ben has presented, things are going to…." She considered her words, before continuing, "Change. Not too much. But there will be changes."

Rey could only nod. "Um. Could you um… I've heard the word rut before. But I um. I don't know exactly what it is."

Leia sighed and looked around, clearly perturbed that her husband had disappeared for the hard conversation. "Yes, of course. Back in the day, you know, hundreds of years ago, alphas and omegas would experience periods of intense longing for their mates. Er… Biological indicators that they were ready to mate and reproduce, if you will."

Rey took a gulp of her tea, suddenly happy she was having this conversation with Leia, and not her grandfather.

"And they typically happened every month or so. Omegas would experience heats, driving them mad with hormones and desire. Since Omegas were historically female, it was their bodies' way of trying to get them excited for sex and thus a child."

Leia sipped her own tea before continuing. "And Alphas had their equivalent ruts. Again, since Alphas were historically male, they experienced these intense periods of sexual desire and hormonal madness. It was their bodies' way of proclaiming that it was time to mate and reproduce."

Rey flushed. "So… all alphas and omegas experience these ruts and heats?"

Leia nodded. "Yes. But, the difference now is, we have suppressants. And the best suppressants in the market will limit heats and ruts to typically twice a year. However, one can't start on suppressants until they present." She set her teacup down and continued, "If they present, that is."

It was hard digesting Leia's words, especially when she considered her real-life context. She remembered being sent to the Solo home on various occasions throughout her childhood, only ever told that her grandfather was "sick". Knowing exactly what that sickness was made her cringe.

Then, of course, she remembered why the conversation was evening happening.

Ben was upstairs, crying in distress.

Rey swallowed. "So, you're saying that Ben is um… Really horny?" Her cheeks were bright red. She never expected to speak of her best friend that way, especially in the presence of his mother.

Thankfully, Leia was laidback. She laughed softly. "Well, not quite. It's not that simple to explain but yes, essentially, he's experiencing very intense longing. His body is telling him he's ready to mate." She snorted and sipped her tea again, "Of course, his parents and society agree that he is most certainly not."

Rey bit her lip, trying to ignore the cries coming from above her. "So, um, what makes him feel better then?"

"Well, when he's older, the help of an Omega. It's really the only thing that makes an Alpha's rut bearable. Other… solutions exist to help, but nothing truly ends the struggle except for an Omega."

Silence fell between the pair. Rey finished her tea, suddenly wishing she hadn't dropped by the Solo house at all.

She knew, deep down, that nothing would ever be the same. Ben was an Alpha. People were going to treat him differently.

Rey swallowed and glanced at Leia. "When did you present as an Omega?"

Leia gave her a knowing look, one that turned Rey's red cheeks somehow even redder. "I was two weeks shy of my sixteenth birthday. Luke and I presented at the same time. My poor mother almost ripped her hair out dealing with both of us."

Rey swallowed and nodded. "Why did Ben present so early?"

The older woman laughed. "Well, it's anyone's guess. My personal theory is just that he comes from a long line of troublemaking men. He needed to outdo everyone else."

Rey opened her mouth to respond, but froze as Han appeared, his eye blackened. While she gasped, Leia merely groaned.

"He fucking punched me!" Han spit out, pointing at his eye, "I'm running down to the store. Gonna get the kid something to use. I know you didn't want to give him toys during his first round, but he'll kill me if this goes on for another few days."

Leia gave her husband a look, indicating that this was not a conversation to be had in front of Rey. Thankfully, her grandfather had taught her tact, so she grabbed her backpack and stepped away.

"Thank you for the tea, Leia. I'm going to go home. Um… Tell Ben I said hi. Oh, and," she unzipped her backpack and dumped out the contents on the table, showing the married couple far too many packages of candy and chips, "Maybe Ben could use these."

Leia smiled softly. "Thank you, sweetie. Tell your grandfather we said hello."

With those words, Rey raced out the front door, desperately trying to avoid listening to the conversation of the couple as she dashed through the halls of the home.

But even she couldn't ignore the conversation transpiring behind her as she left.

"I'll get the kid a fleshlight. The new ones accept knots and everything."

"You are not buying my son a fleshlight!"

"Leia, he fucking threw his desk into his closet and broke the doors! We're getting him something! Even if it's just—"

When the door slammed shut, Rey crossed the perfect lawn, her shoulders slumped in defeat.

Her ultimate dream had been shattered.

She knew it was silly to hope, but she still did.

It was ridiculous to think that she and Ben would both be Betas. That the two of them could live happily ever after.

And now, with Ben an Alpha, she too would have to present if she ever wanted a chance to be with him.

But who was she kidding?

At 14, she loved Ben. Dearly. He was her everything.

But could she sacrifice her freedom and life to be with him?

No. She couldn't.

With any luck, Rey would be the first Kenobi Beta in four generations.

She was counting on it.

-x-x-x-

Present

Rey had held her breath for the rest of high school—hell even into her first two years of college—but thankfully, her presentation never hit.

She was a blessed boring 'ol beta.

While she was initially concerned about how Ben's designation would affect their friendship, nothing really had changed. Since she never presented as an Alpha or an Omega, there wasn't a tension between them. There was never a territorial fight for dominance or an underlying romantic tension.

Well, a biological romantic tension, anyway.

It was no secret to Rey that she had probably been in love with Ben Solo since she was 10 years old. Of course, by the time she had reached twenty and accepted that she was never going to present, she knew she had no choice but to get over her attraction to him.

Betas didn't date people with designations. It just didn't happen. They couldn't understand the scenting, or the mating glands, or the ruts and the heats, or the nesting, or… Really anything.

They were just so fundamentally different from Alphas and Omegas. While you'd occasionally hear about short term relationships between Betas and Alphas or Omegas, you never heard anything long term.

It simply wasn't practical for a Beta to marry someone with a designation.

Rey knew that. And so, from the moment she accepted her Beta-ness, she worked to get over Ben. And she had, at least partially.

Sure, he was still stunningly gorgeous and her best friend, but she liked to think she was over him. She had seen him flirt with enough Omegas that it no longer hurt.

That much, anyways.

And after college, Ben and Rey had moved into an apartment in the city together. The living arrangement was perfect. Ben's obsessive cleanliness balanced with Rey's overt messiness. Ben cooked. Rey ate. Leia brought food. Rey ate. They ordered takeout. Rey ate.

It was a simple arrangement and worked for all parties. And, when Ben's ruts came, usually two or three times a year, all he would have to do is send Rey a short text.

Scooby-Doo.

They picked something that reminded them of childhood, and something that would never come up organically.

Not to mention, his catchphrase was "Rut-ro" and Rey found it deliciously hilarious.

Ben was rarely amused but even cracked a smile.

Whenever she received the word from Ben, she knew he was in a rut, and to vacate the apartment. She'd stay with Rose or Finn and Poe, whoever was most convenient. And thankfully, Ben's ruts normally followed a set routine, so it was rarely a surprise. Somehow, despite years of friendship and living together, Rey had never been in the same room or enclosed apartment with him during a rut.

She never had to see him at his worst.

In fact, now at 25, Rey was finally certain that things had worked out as well as they could of. Sure, the Rey of her youth still dreamt of a life of her and Ben as boring Betas, the opportunity to be together and have boring Beta babies.

But even with Ben's designation, their friendship still worked. Because there would have been tension had she presented as either Alpha or Omega.

And sure, sometimes, when she's drunk, or sad, or lonely, or very horny, she dreams about what could have been if she had presented as an Omega.

Would she and Ben have mated? Would their biological combability made them suitable mates?

But then she remembers that heterosexual alphas and omegas are rarely 'just friends' with one another—unless of course they're mated to other people. So sure, she dreamt of the turn of events that put them together, but then she remembers the other alternative.

Had she presented and her and Ben didn't work out, the pair of them staying friends would have be virtually impossible.

The thought alone made her extraordinarily happy to be a Beta.

She and Ben would never be together romantically. But that was okay.

He was still her best friend, forever and always. That would have to be enough.

But then something changed.

-x-x-x-

When Rey woke up one Saturday morning in May, she just felt so… alive. Maybe it was the arrival of spring in the city—the sight of the flowers blossoming in the trees, or the cool breeze in the air, or even the coffee brewing in the shop below the apartment she shared with Ben.

But whatever it was, she just felt good.

So good that she was content to start her day much earlier than usual—9 to be exact—deciding on hitting the local farmers market. She could stock up on produce—weren't strawberries in season now?

Then maybe she'd finally get to her laundry since she had ignored the basket of bedsheets sitting on the couch for the past few days. Go for a run. Clean up the apartment.

It was hers until that evening too—Ben was off on a business trip, set to land back in the city that afternoon. It had been a lonely week without him, but also refreshing.

She loved him, but sometimes he could be a moody pain in the ass.

Besides, she loved walking around in just underwear.

So, maybe she could do something nice. Swiffer the floors. Take out the trash. Cook.

She snorted.

Okay, definitely no cooking, but she could have fresh strawberries ready.

She'd even remove the green part.

-x-x-x-

It did end up being a wonderful Saturday. Rose joined her at the farmer's market and together they picked out fresh cheese, bread, and produce, before returning to Rose's place for a lunch of said goodies and whatever they decided to watch on Netflix.

Then, after hanging with Rose, she dropped by Finn and Poe's to help them hang a few paintings—both men were embarrassed to admit that Rey operated a drill with far more ease than either of them. With their new art on the walls, the trio shared fresh lemonade and enjoyed the spring air on the roof of the couple's building.

By 4pm, Rey headed home, knowing Ben should have arrived by then, any delays aside. He hadn't texted her since the previous evening, complaining that he had been assigned a middle seat and that he should have never been forced into coach—he exclusively flew business class, but he just had to get on this particular flight, and it was economy or bust.

So, she was a bit surprised by his silence, but knew he was probably busy and exhausted. Besides, they'd have plenty of time to catch up when she got back. She'd even order dinner for them.

Yet, thoughts of dinner and if Postmates had free delivery escaped her head entirely at the scene awaiting her on the other side of the door. As soon as she passed the threshold, she dropped her basket filled with farmers market goodies, her mouth agape.

Ben stood in the living room, his suitcase thrown haphazardly on the kitchen island. He had stripped down to just his boxers, and was hastily gathering the blankets from their couch, as well as sheets from the discarded laundry basket.

Rey blinked. "Um… You doing laundry, Ben?"

His shoulders tensed at her voice. He turned around, his eyes…

Wild.

He growled and stormed towards his room, losing sheets as he walked. Rey, on the other hand, remained by the door, eyebrows quirked.

Was he angry she hadn't done the laundry? She had promised but… You know… laundry…

Before she could ask, he reappeared, his muscles bulging as he walked. She desperately tried to avoid staring, but that was of no use. He stopped in front of her, his body shaking slightly.

"Rey." He growled out, "Blue plastic bin. Linen closet. Where is it?" He hissed out.

She raised an eyebrow. "That container of ratty blankets? I thought you said I could give it away. I took it to the animal shelter in March."

A low growl escaped his lips, making Rey shiver. "You gave it away?" He screamed, before proceeding to grab his suitcase from the counter and tossing it to the floor.

Rey jumped against the door, suddenly scared. "Ben…."

He hissed and stormed back down the hall. But instead of going into his room, he stopped in hers. And so, Rey watched, with wide eyes, as he exited her room, arms filled with her cotton pink sheets and the Gryffindor blanket Rose had given her for Christmas.

"Ben! What the fuck!" She squeaked out, "What are you doing?"

He growled and threw the blankets in his room. "Scooby-Doo."

And then he disappeared into his bedroom, the slam of the door echoing throughout the apartment.

Rey was momentarily speechless before grabbing her purse and hurrying back out the door.

-x-x-x-

On Wednesday, Rey received word from Ben that she could return to the apartment. While Rose was understanding and always willing to let her use the spare room, Rey hated relying on her friend's generosity and not sleeping in her own bed.

So, after work that night, she strolled back into the apartment, everything smelling of antiseptic. Ben appeared from the bathroom, wearing rubber gloves and holding a bottle of bleach.

"I cleaned. This place was filthy." He explained casually, before putting the cleaning supplies away, "And I did the wash. Made your bed too."

Rey nodded and set her purse down. "Thank you." As she rounded the corner, the oven timer went off, and Ben pulled out what appeared to be a tray of lasagna.

God, he cooked and cleaned.

She sighed.

Ben cleared his throat and grabbed plates from the cabinets.

"So, I uh, I wanted to apologize for Saturday." He began, his voice cautious as he cut into the gooey, cheesy, dish.

Rey sat on one of the stools, watching her best friend. "What for?" Maybe playing dumb would ease the tension.

He snorted and dropped a slice on one of the plates. "Look, I was out to dinner with Phasma and Hux in Indianapolis and our waitress was an omega. She was literally starting her heat, standing in that restaurant. And she smelled…" He sighed and shook his head, before adding another slice to the same plate, "She smelled too good. She left mid-shift but I… I knew the damage was done."

Ben cleared his throat and added a slice to the other plate. "I could feel my rut coming on at the airport, so I took a sleeping pill to knock me out. By the time I was in the cab back here, I was going to fucking lose it." He shook his head and glanced at the plates, before adding a third slice of lasagna and setting it in front of him, "My phone was dead. I didn't even think to text you."

Rey watched as he shoved a ginormous forkful into his mouth. She couldn't help but giggle and grab the other plate, knowing she too would have more than the one slice he handed her. But, he swallowed and continued.

"I do nest, but normally the desire isn't too strong without an omega involved. But I guess since an omega caused mine, my body got all muddled. And when I got home, the blankets I normally use were missing. I was panicking."

Rey frowned. "I'm sorry, Ben. I thought you wouldn't mind since they were so… distressed."

He snorted. "Yeah, they were gross. Anyways, I needed supplies. Hence me stripping your bed. So. I'm sorry." He ate another forkful before adding, "I even got that Harry Potter blanket dry cleaned."

She smiled softly. "Thank you. But you don't need to apologize. What you went through is natural."

He sighed and shrugged. "Yeah, but I hate making you uncomfortable. I'm just angry I didn't warn you."

"Ben, it's fine. Really."

He seemed appeased and began to dig into his second slice. "I owe you one."

"You could cook for the rest of her week?" Her grin was massive.

He snorted and rolled his eyes. "Don't I do that already?"

"Dessert too? Maybe your mother's pound cake recipe?"

He laughed and shook his head. "Yeah, yeah, alright."

They ate in silence for a few moments, before Ben spoke.

"Oh, and sorry for eating your groceries. That fancy cheese from the farmers market was good. I'll have to get that sourdough again too."

"And I'll have to Venmo charge you for that."

Ben smirked. "Are we playing that game? Should I calculate how much you owe me for dinners?"

She groaned and let out a whine. "But, Ben! Do you know how expensive that artisan smoked gouda is?"

"I'd say less than that prosciutto I get from that place by my office."

Rey grumbled and added another slice to her plate. "God, you're so annoying."

"But I'm your best friend."

That he was.

-x-x-x-

But on Friday morning, something weird happened. Rey woke up with a fever. Or, at least she assumed a fever.

And she was never sick. Ever.

Yet, there was no other explanation she could come up with for why she just felt so…

Hot.