I'm never gonna write this, so if someone else wants to, go right ahead (preferably with credit, please):
Everyone thinks that Steve Harrington and Eddie Munson are alphas, but they're actually hiding their true designations--not because they're scared omegas, but because they're both secretly betas.
They're mimicking! You obviously can't choose what you present as (unless you go through bitching or studding, but this is rural Indiana in the 80's; nobody in that town has ever even heard of these things)--
BUT! Your designation can be partially influenced by your environment! That's why Steve's dad made him join three different sports teams; to encourage his body to develop into that of an alpha. Except, well... Steve doesn't really want that. He hates the culture surrounding alpha males, but he also sees how the world treats omegas of all genders, and he doesn't want to play a part in any of that bullshit. So his body decides to present as something else entirely.
Eddie's story was much the same, but he also went through a different kind of pressure from his family. His parents fought a lot, so he would play the mediator in a desperate attempt to keep them together (and so his dad would target his anger at him instead--just like he does with bullies at school).
Steve sees alphas as assholes, and Eddie sees alphas as abusive, but they both recognize they would be granted a certain level of safety and social standing if everyone thought that they were alphas instead.
That's not even getting into the fact that betas aren't exactly a hot commodity; Steve is terrified that people will find him boring--or worse, undesirable.
They came up with the plan together. Steve was a sophomore, and Tommy had dared him to try buying weed from the weird junior who still hadn't presented *yet. Eddie had just seen his last client for the day, but as soon as Steve approached the picnic table, both their presentations hit at the same time. There's no beta equivalent of a heat/rut, they just... suddenly Know™ that's what their designation is.
It was actually Steve's idea, at first. He remembered reading a book about mimicry in elementary school, and when he mentioned Monarch Butterflies, Eddie came up with the nickname King Steve (it only stuck because other students overheard Eddie refer to him as that while snarkily muttering under his breath). He helped Steve flesh out the details of the plan, and the two came to an agreement: they'd try to prevent targeted harassment from their respective cliques, under the threat of mutually assured destruction.
*in my mind, they go through their initial puberty around ages 11-13, and then their presentation/second puberty hits around ages 14-16. I imagine Steve was freshly 16, with Eddie just a few weeks shy of turning 17, so he was a bit of a late bloomer.
Spawned out of late night discussions of Revenged Love in an ABO universe
"…Teacher, are you sure about this?" Wu Suowei asked, eyeing the delicate glass perfume bottle sitting in his palm.
Xiaoshui nodded sagely. "You want to smell like an Omega, right? This is 100% Grade A Omega scent. Chi Cheng must be an Alpha, so he won't be able to resist." Then he hesitated, pursing his lips. "…Of course, he really won't be able to resist. Are you sure you can handle it?"
Wu Suowei puffed out his scrawny chest and wriggled into a more upright posture, one that conveyed determination and masculine certainty. "Watch me," he said, holding up the bottle and spritzing himself straight in the face.
An hour later, when he could see again, he wandered onto the basketball court, where he dribbled basketball exactly like a pro, if pros never moved, watching the door for the perfect moment to sink a basket.
As soon as his target entered, he threw in a perfect arc, then watched helplessly as the ball hit the edge of the backboard and bounced straight toward Chi Cheng, who caught it one-handed.
"…Show-off," he muttered, but really, this was a golden opportunity, all part of his perfect plan. He trotted over and offered a coy grin he'd practiced a hundred times in the mirror, getting a little closer than he normally would to another man so Chi Cheng could get a good sniff. "Ah, that's my ball."
"So?" Chi Cheng said, staring down at him with narrowed eyes, no doubt falling instantly in love.
