#shenard

They had processes for when Sheldon got sick, but this wasn’t real sickness. Not really. This was something that Leonard had learned to deal with from Rajj, and Bernadette, but he’d never in a million years thought that he would have had to walk Sheldon through the intricacies of Omega heats.

“Just keep hydrated,” he said, shoving some water bottles into his friend’s sweaty hands. “If you need anything, call Penny. She’ll be able to help you out.”

“Wh-. You’re not staying?” Sheldon demands, his normally high-pitched and indignant questioning voice softer now, no more volume to it than a whisper. “I can’t ask Penny to do something like this. Leonard! You’re my friend! You have to help me.”

It wasn’t part of the roommate agreement - Sheldon, Mr Contingency Plan, had never drafted a copy that catered to what Leonard should do during his heats. They’d thought he was a Beta, or completely genderless, but the sweet scent of Omega slick is thick in the air and Sheldon is sweaty and fevered and Leonard can feel the part of him making him an Alpha stirring, long-dormant and sluggish.

“I can’t stay, Sheldon,” Leonard replies, pleading. “I’m an Alpha. I can’t stay.”

“Leonard.” Sheldon sways, thumps against the doorframe to his room and Leonard reaches out to steady him, hand warm and fingers splayed wide to help him balance. “I’m asking you as my friend. Please.”

“Don’t you have any toys? Any -?” Sheldon’s already shaking his head. No. No, of course he doesn’t. And truthfully Leonard has no reasons to reject Sheldon now - it would make him an asshole and a heartless Alpha to run away from an in-Heat Omega under his roof. By law, Sheldon and his health is Leonard’s responsibility, even without the oppressive weight of the roommate agreement hanging over his head. To leave him here to starve or overheat or suffer in any way could have much more serious consequences than a cold shoulder or a seminar in being a good Alpha.

Leonard swallows and nods. “Okay,” he finally says, taking some of the water bottles back and pulling on Sheldon’s arm until the Omega stumbles after him, into his room. Dimly Leonard knows that Sheldon would thank him for not trying to enter his - an Omega needs boundaries, places to run to and hide and recuperate and to trespass onto Sheldon’s space, even invited, is a faux pas Leonard’s not willing to commit.

“Sit down,” he says gently, letting Sheldon settle on his bed, and he opens a water bottle and hands it to him when Sheldon seems content to sit and blink dumbly at those still in his hands. While he drinks, thirty and gluttonous for anything to cool the fire, Leonard unshoulders his bad and makes a call to the University and updates Howard and Rajj on the situation, and places the remaining water bottles on his bedside table.

“I can call Bernadette or Amy,” he suggests. “They might be able to get things for you.”

Sheldon nods slowly, one bottle finished and clattering limply to the ground. “I would appreciate their…expertise,” he admits, his hair plastered against his forehead from sweat and the stench of ripe Omega curling in the air. It’s suffocating but Leonard owes it to Sheldon not to open a window and broadcast his weakness to the entire building. “Thank you.”

“I’ll be right back,” Leonard says, grabbing his phone again. In truth they both know where this will end - even with all the toys in the world, Sheldon is an old Omega to present and without a real Alpha knot he’ll likely not survive the week. His body’s regimen is too strict to be able to handle such an upheaval.