Archive of Our Own

It hasn’t been easy, getting to where he is now. He wasn’t exactly destined for greatness when he was born, just another gutter rat in Crime Alley. No one could have ever guessed what he’d become, who he’d become.

A male omega, for one thing. Not unheard of, but certainly not common. He could still bear children, but only to an alpha, and his fertility is far lower than a female omega’s. When the doctor told him this after he presented, two weeks before he got himself killed, he couldn’t have cared less about his fertility.

As of right now, fresh out of another natural heat he needs to let himself have in order to keep his cycle in check, and prevent the onset of SUHS, Sudden and Unexpected Heat Syndrome, he feels a bit different.

It would be healthier for him to have a heat with an alpha, it would also lessen the duration and severity of his heats as well, but Jason doesn’t have an alpha, and he doesn’t want anybody to see him in that state out of fear that they wouldn’t respect him in the field anymore.

He can’t risk it.

He’s kept to his principals all these years, never wavering. Enduring heat after viscous heat with nothing but a few toys and his hand.

His current doctor, a beta male he’d found being blackmailed into doing illegal surgeries that he freed a few years back, tells him that his way isn’t going to cut it much longer.

“You don’t need a mate or anything,” he assures him. “Just an alpha to help you through the duration. It doesn’t have to be sexual, either, you just need a trusted alpha to provide a constant stream of fresh pheromones.” The man goes on to explain how male omegas need a little more help during their heats than females, their own biology fighting itself with every cycle.

An alpha, or alpha pheromones to be exact, will allow his body to relax, to let the heat flow through him naturally.

He can’t do anything like an anonymous hookup, his paranoia won’t allow it, and he’s more likely to hurt himself and his partner in fear when he goes under.

This last heat had been brutal, nearly ten days of agonizing pain, each orgasm only worsening the feeling of heat building up within him, and he nearly ran out of supplies with the rate he was burning through calories.

In total, he feels like shit, and he has less than three months to find an alpha he trusts enough not to attack the second he goes under.

As if all that wasn’t bad enough, he’s been experiencing an intense bout of baby fever, and it hasn’t lessened at all since his heat ended. He nearly got thrown out of a supermarket the day before, his instincts taking over at the sight of a baby in a stroller, and he followed the poor woman and her child halfway around the store before snapping out of it, the smell of the woman's distress burning his nostrils.

On his patrol last night, he could hear a baby crying through an open window as he grappled between buildings, and he nearly lost his grip on his line. His body reacted violently to the sound, nipples suddenly hard and throbbing, an unfamiliar ache building under them. He was forced to cut his patrol short, body not calming down at all, even after he moved away from the sound.

He’s currently in the Manor Library, staring at the inside of a book while his mind wanders. Tim had popped in earlier, absently scenting him with a wrist drawn over his shoulder while he grabbed something from the table behind him before scurrying back out, face nearly glued to the tablet he had in his other hand, muttering incomprehensibly about some case he must be working on.

He left behind a scent trail of coffee beans and vanilla musk, rich and heady, and Jason is glad Tim didn’t bother to look up from his tablet long enough to see Jason practically melt into the couch. It took him longer than he would like to admit to regain enough focus to continue reading his book.

Jason had entertained the thought of sharing his heat with Tim, once upon a time. The alpha is smaller than him, less likely to set off his fight or flight the moment he drops under. Unfortunately, this very same reason would probably be a major turn-off for Tim as an alpha, that and the fact that Jason has committed some pretty heinous acts of violence on him in the past.

In another life, Jason would contemplate asking Bruce for help, as a parental alpha figure. It’s a brief, futile thought. With the history between them, even if they are good now, Jason knows he’d never be able to relax with Bruce there.

The scent of vetiver, intertwined with a note of citrus drifts over to him, and he has to fight to remain still as Dick strolls into the library, sunny scent preluding his sunny smile.

“Jason! What a surprise, you never visit the manor!” The asshole means it too, that’s what irks Jason the most. He’d be able to deal with it if Dick was just saying that for propriety's sake, but the alpha really means it, his scent growing stronger and brighter in his genuine excitement.

Jason grunts in acknowledgement, and tries to go back to his book. He’s waiting for the alpha to do what Tim did, casually scent him and leave him be, like a normal packmate.

As the seconds tick by, the air between them fills with tension, and when Jason peeks over the top of his book, Dick is in the same spot as before, eyes wide and hopeful. He has his hands behind his back, shoulders tilted towards him as he leans forward.

He should have expected this, no way would Grayson ever make this easy for him.

Jason closes the book with a snap, then gently sets it on the coffee table before he stands with a sigh. The alpha smiles wide and stands up straight, eyes sparkling in excitement and looking just a little too smug for Jason’s liking, but Jason’s omega is already excited about the scenting about to take place, and now he couldn’t back down if he tried.

The moment he lifts his head up and back to bare his throat, Dick is on him, arms around his torso, forcing Jason to wrap his arms around the alphas wide shoulders to accommodate him.

So soon after a heat, especially a nasty one spent alone, Jason finds himself helpless to the whims of his instincts, which are proclaiming quite loudly that he should submit to the very attractive and very available prime specimen of an alpha in front of him.

He just barely manages to hold back a rusty purr as Dick rubs his face and neck all over Jason’s skin, his arms like a pair of steel bands across his back, preventing any and all possible escape. It goes on for longer than Jason anticipated, the alpha seemingly fixated on a certain spot on his neck as he rubs and rubs and rubs.

It’s difficult, trying to convince himself that Dick is just like this with everyone, his inner omega all but sure that the alpha is the perfect mate. And his inner omega isn’t wrong, Dick would be the perfect partner. He’s strong, reliable, handsome, and would make a wonderful father for their pups.

The thought of pups, his pups with Dick, is enough to ruin the moment, his lips falling open on a low moan as heat starts to gather between his legs, his scent turning syrupy sweet.

There’s no way to hide it from the alpha, not when he’s nose deep in his neck, inhaling his scent from the source. Just as Jason recovers from his moment of weakness, Dick’s arms around him go slack in shock, and it’s the perfect moment for Jason to push him away and make his escape, face beet red with humiliation.

He should have known it wouldn’t be that easy, Dick recovers fast, and grabs his wrist in an iron hold, jerking his momentum back towards him, and Jason is too panicked to break free, crashing into the alpha's chest and sending his phone flying out of his pocket.

Because Jason is the most cursed person in the universe, his phone magically lands in a way that makes his case push in on the volume up button, which in turn plays the audio of the video he was in the middle of watching before he picked up his book.

The bright clear laughter of a happy baby fills the room, and it’s enough to stun both of them for two very long seconds, as they both stare at each other with wide eyes.

Two things happen then, the first being Tim poking his head into the room with a very quizzical look, probably wondering why the hell he hears a baby in the room he just saw Jason in earlier. The second is that Jason dives for his phone, dislodging Dick’s hand, which causes the alpha to lose his footing, and he ends up kicking the phone under the couch by accident.

“Fuck!” Jason shouts, fighting the shiver that works through his body as he can’t stop his scent from turning syrupy again, flooding the room with the smell of yearning omega. It feels like a lifetime before he’s able to grab on to his device, body flat on the floor as he stretches out his arm to reach it.

The silence that fills the library as he cuts the video is deafening. Tim has fully stepped into the room, face showing every emotion as it passes through him. Shock, confusion, surprise, and finally settling on the calculating look he gets when he’s moments away from solving a tough case.

Dick doesn’t look much better, staring at him like he’s rethinking everything he’s ever known about him.

Unable to take the silence anymore, he blurts, “This isn’t what you think.” Which is probably the stupidest and most damning thing he could have said.

Jason’s head swivels back to look at Tim again, and he nearly jolts out of his skin at how close he is now, socked feet nearly silent on the floor. Jason jumps to his feet, hastily sticking his phone back into his pocket, making sure it’s as far in as it can go, keeping his eyes on Tim, who looks like he’s trying to think of something human to say, as opposed to just blurting out what he really thinks, which usually doesn’t work out so great for him.

Good to see the kid is learning at least. He could use some normal friends to use as a frame of reference.

His mistake is not keeping his eyes on the real threat, who wraps an arm around his shoulders from behind and yanks him down to sit on the couch, pressed close to the alphas side. He sits down hard, letting out a noise as the air is knocked out of him, the couch nearly tipping backwards at their force.

In a flash, Tim is at his other side, boxing him in, and there’s a reason Jason doesn’t like to come around the manor fresh off a heat, and that reason is the two most insufferable and stubborn alphas in the world. The fact that they smell like safety and home and most prominently, available, doesn’t really help a whole lot.

Dick, as expected, is in full care mode, worry evident on his face as he runs his hands over him, searching for injuries even though he knows Jason didn’t hurt himself. Jason lets him, knowing from experience that it’s best just to let it happen, anything else would just draw it out.

Tim just stares at him, and Jason wishes he didn’t know the other guy well enough to understand that Tim is trying to convey that he’s open and willing to listen to whatever is bothering him, wishes he could pretend that it unnerved him and upset him instead of making his chest tight and cheeks flush.

“Jason, what’s going on? You smell like you just finished a heat, but you're acting like you could go into one at any moment.” Dick’s voice is clear and low, just loud enough for them, making the moment far more intimate than Jason would like.

Tim puts a comforting hand on his shoulder and damn it, he feels his body relax at the reassuring touch. Any other time and he could have just shaken it off, but Dick is right, it feels like he’s about to go into heat, even though he literally just had one. His doctor assured him that he wouldn’t, but did warn him that his body was going to be off, hormones fucked up until he finds an alpha-shaped solution.

“Just a bad heat, that’s all. I’m working on a solution.” He grumbles out, and he closes his eyes as soon as the words pass his lips, cursing his inability to hide information when his instincts are so close to the surface.

“A solution for what, what’s the problem?” Tim asks, voice equally low, latching on to the slip immediately. Dick finally stops his search for non-existent injuries, hand settling on his thigh, and Jason doesn’t think the alpha realizes that he’s a little too high up to be considered polite, but doesn’t want to bring attention to it.

Figuring that the truth was going to be the only way out of this, and also unsure how long he can take the attention of these two before giving in to his instincts again, Jason decides to lay all his cards on the table.

“I need to find an alpha for my next heat, or my unstable hormones could put me in cardiac arrest.” He confesses, and he can feel the alphas stiffen in alarm before the combined scent of two upset alphas hits him like a punch to the gut.

“Ok, but that doesn’t explain the baby video,” Dick prods, and Jason would slug him in the jaw if he didn’t look so genuinely concerned.

“What are the chances we can let that part go for the moment?” He groans out, covering his eyes in the crook of his arm, head leaned backwards.

“I think I already know, so it’s not like you can just ignore it.” Tim states, all matter-of-fact like the little know it all he is. Jason growls in embarrassment and annoyance, must he be stripped of all his dignity?

“We won’t judge, little wing, and I promise we won’t tell anyone.” Dick reassures him, and Jason bites his lip to keep in the squeak when the hand on his thigh squeezes. It was probably meant to be a sign of comfort, but his fingers are way too close to the scent gland on his inner thigh to be familial.

He needs to get out of this situation, and fast, before these two manipulative little shits manage to pry all his secrets out of him.

“I’m just having a bout of baby-fever, ok? It happens to all omegas once and a while, and it’s not polite to pry!” Tears start to burn in the corners of his eyes as he squirms a little in place, trying to earn himself some space from the two nosey alphas.

Tim’s phone starts beeping violently, just as it looks like Dick was about to reply, and Jason sags a bit in place, thankful for the distraction. Both he and Dick watch Tim intensely as the younger alpha furrows his brows, lips moving silently as he reads what sounded like an emergency alert.

“Shit, I’m really sorry, I have to go,” Tim eventually says, and Jason can’t help the way his face melts into an unguarded, indulgent smile at the obvious inner conflict written all over his face. Tim’s eyes go wide as saucers at the sight, and Jason just waves him away, gesturing to Dick behind him.

“Go on, Timmy, I’ll be fine. I still got Dickface over here watching over me, so you can rest assured that nothing will happen to me.” The arm across his shoulder tightens as Dick rumbles out a purr in surprised pleasure at the obvious praise from the closed off omega.

Tim searches his face, and Jason lets him, fully aware of how paranoid and protective he is, like all the other bats. Being an alpha doesn’t help, his instincts and his trauma are hard to fight off when he gets worried. Whatever he sees in Jason’s face is enough, thankfully, and with a quick nod to Dick, he races off, fingers already flying over the screen of his phone as he slips into the hallway on silent feet.

Dick hasn’t stopped his pleased purr from earlier, and Jason is almost scared to face him without Tim as a buffer. Dick isn’t afraid to share his feelings, and if he starts getting all lovey and gooey right now, Jason won’t be able to handle it.

“Little wing,” Dick coos at him, nuzzling his face into his hair. “I’m so happy to see you and Timmy getting along now.” Jason didn’t think it was possible, but Dick’s purr ramps up a notch, the alpha ecstatic that they repaired their relationship.

He’s too weak from his heat, and his instincts are too close to the surface, that’s the excuse Jason goes with as he tentatively starts up his own stuttering purr, his omega basking in the praise of a trusted alpha.

“Yeah, Timmy’s turning into a fine alpha, isn’t he?” He’d cut off his own arm before he said as much to Tim himself, but right now he has everything fighting against him, hormones all over the place, weak from a harsh heat, and surrounded by the smell of pack and content alpha.

Dick’s purr cuts off abruptly as the words leave Jason’s mouth, and Jason’s own purr is suddenly caught in his throat, wondering what he did to ruin the moment.

“Yeah, Tim is going to be a great alpha, I'm sure he’ll make someone very happy someday.” Dick chokes out, and Jason watches out of the corner of his eye as the hand resting on his shoulder balls into a fist, arm tensing where it rests on his neck and shoulders.

“Uh, yeah, I guess?” Jason wants to crawl in a hole and die. He can’t even control his scent, let alone the way he’s obviously stiff as a board with tension, shoulders rounding inwards like he’s trying to make himself smaller.

Dick clears his throat, his own scent souring a bit at the devolving situation. Maybe he should have kept his mouth shut, but Dick was so happy when Jason gave him backhanded praise, he figured he’d love to hear Jason being nice to the kid for once.

“Tim’s interested in someone. He’s talked to me about it, and I’ve looked into him, civilian, beta, seems nice enough.” Dick talks softly, like the information is delicate, and Jason has never been more confused.

“Oh. Uh, should you be telling me this? I mean, good for him, I hope it works out, but this doesn’t seem like the type of thing you should go around telling people.” He can smell his scent thickening with sour worry, Dick doesn’t go around telling others what people talk to him about, he’s pretty well known for doing the opposite, actually.

He shifts his body to tilt towards Dick, his own hand moving without thought as he checks the alphas pulse, skin temperature, and looks for any irritation or abnormality in his pupils. Dick looks appalled, blood draining from his face as he removes the hand that was on his thigh to rub it down his face.

“Oh my god, please forget I said that. I didn’t mean to- I’ve never-” Dick stutters, shame heavy in his scent, sour citrus making his nose crinkle a bit.

This is a side of Dick that most people never see. Jason wouldn’t say he’s used to seeing it, it’s not like he and Dick hang out very often, other than a few trips to a local bar to catch up, but he’s definitely seen his fair share of the alpha’s outbursts, his fights with Bruce when Jason was Robin were legendary. Understandably, Dick doesn’t really like to show off his uncontrolled anger to other people, especially people that he’s close to.

Jason finds himself leaning into his instincts a little bit, something he never would have been able to do outside of this specific circumstance, and he brings one of his hands up to gently pet Dick on the head, a soft noise he’s pretty sure he’s never made before filling the air between them.

Jason can see how close Dick’s alpha is to the surface, and his omega lets out a soft chirping sound, which he didn’t even know his vocal chords could produce, but it seems to be effective. Dick’s eyes close as he lowers his head a bit, leaning into the petting, and the sour note in his scent lessens gradually.

“Jay?” Dick calls out to him in a small voice, and waist deep in his instincts, Jason can’t stop himself from responding in the most humiliating way.

“Yes, alpha?” The horror is nearly enough to cut through the fog of omega instincts that are clouding his mind, and apparently his judgement, but Dick lets out a happy rumble, lifting his head to show Jason the way his eyes are sparkling, and it makes the regret a little harder to grab on to.

“Can we go to my room for a bit? I don’t want to be alone.” There are a million reasons why that would be a very bad idea, especially with the way they both seem to be having trouble controlling their instincts, not to mention the undying crush Jason never did quite shake off on the alpha. Unfortunately, his omega is buzzing loudly in his head, drowning out any and all logic thoughts that are telling him that this is a bad idea.

He must have agreed, he can feel his throat working, but there’s cotton in his ears that makes it difficult to make out what exactly he said. There’s a fleeting moment of panic, where he remembers everything with crystal clarity, and can understand that he’s going down, down hard.

The next moment, he trips on his own foot, trying to take back control of his feet, but Dick catches him, sweeping him up into an effortless princess carry, and whatever he was worried about falls away again, and he’s content to close his eyes and nuzzle into the warm embrace of his strong alpha.

 

Jason is almost convinced that he’s dreaming when he next opens his eyes, body feeling light in a way he hasn’t felt in at least a year. Usually, he wakes with a pounding headache, instincts calling out to a pack that isn’t there.

The reason for his miraculous recovery snuffles into the back of his neck, and that’s when the problems come rushing in.

For one thing, he isn’t wearing any pants, and his shirt is nowhere to be seen, and he does NOT remember when he took them off. He can tell Dick lost his shirt as well, thanks to the feeling of having an actual, living furnace clinging to his back.

Dick was taking him to his room to… talk? Cuddle? Hang out? The details on the why are fuzzy, but he can confirm with his own eyes that he’s in Dick’s room, the wallpaper and posters familiar enough.

Another problem makes itself known when he shifts one of his legs, and he nearly whimpers in embarrassment at the wet mess covering his thighs and absolutely soaking his briefs. He must have been leaking for a while to overcome the special absorbent material they make for omegas who are close to heat and can’t control their slick production.

The scent of slick is heavy in the air, and it mixes with Dick’s musky alpha scent to create an intoxicating perfume that has his breathing picking up a little bit. He squirms around a little bit, and manages to extract himself from the alpha with a little bit of patience and a lot of flexibility. He might not be as bendy as Mr. Acrobat himself, but Jason can bend more than people think.

He doesn’t bother looking for his shirt, just grabs his pants, heavy with his phone still in the pocket, and flees the room, wincing at the obvious wet stain he leaves on the sheets where he was lying.

He feels a little bad, but he doesn’t think Dick will get that upset, he did know that Jason just came off of a bad heat, so really, this is on him.

His old room is just as he remembers it, and Alfred was even kind enough to stock it with clothes his size, and the more Jason looks around, the more he can tell that his room is made to be moved into at a moment's notice. Omega products line the shelves in his bathroom, there’s more than enough nesting materials both on the bed and in the closet, and there isn’t a speck of dust on any surface.

His chest squeezes at the implications, that his pack wants him to be there, to live under the same roof. He shakes his head to clear it, and peels off the ruined briefs to chuck them in a plastic bag, tying it up and tossing it by the door so he remembers to throw them out when he leaves.

Showering at the manor is always a treat, especially when he doesn’t have to deal with the chill of the cave when he’s done. The soaps and shampoos are all unscented and top quality, and Alfred even knows the exact brand of fancy moisturizer he uses, one of his only personal indulgences is a simple skincare routine, something he started with Kori when he was living with the Outlaws.

Kori tried to get him to invest in a seven step routine with all these fancy oils and serums, but he put his foot down. Even so, he did use a few things and Kori still lights up when she sees he uses them.

He’s got a guava exfoliater that he rubs into his skin, and it’s strong enough to work out all the gunk he accumulates during a patrol or mission, he didn’t realize how filthy his face was until he started using it and saw how his skin practically glowed afterwards.

The other item is an overpriced, unscented moisturizer that practically melts into his skin. It has a cooling effect, which helps with calming down his skin after using the harsh exfoliater.

There are a few more items he’ll use as needed, like eye patches and face masks, plus a few serums that Kori forced onto him that he feels bad not using, and he doesn’t even bother hiding his smile as he opens the mirror cabinet above the sink to find it stocked exactly the same way he does at his apartment.

Alfred must have sent someone to infiltrate his den, there’s no other way he could have gotten everything so exactly, right down to the brand of face masks. He would be furious at the lack of privacy if it was anyone other than the beta butler, and instead he feels a rush of warmth at how hard he worked to make him feel welcome.

He snatches one of the masks at random and carefully sticks it in place, rubbing the extra solution into the skin of his neck and upper chest before he grabs his phone to set a timer.

Alarm set and ready, Jason sprawls out over his bed on his back, closing his eyes as he revels in feeling like a human being for the first time in recent memory. He isn’t the type of omega that puts a lot of stock in his appearance, he can dress up all he wants, it doesn’t make him any shorter or smaller.

The next few days pass uneventfully, though he is noticing a bit of a difference in his energy levels and performance on patrol. He’s slower to tire, and he feels sharper than ever, more aware of his surroundings, not like he was unaware of his surroundings before, but it’s less effort now, to focus on his task and the world around him.

Unfortunately, at the one week point, he finds himself back where he started, feeling worse now that he knows how he should be feeling. That’s how he finds himself back at the manor, a mere seven days after his last visit.

He’s in one of the entertainment rooms this time, a set of large couches and chairs spread before an even larger TV mounted on the wall. He’s hardly been there for ten minutes before Tim finds him, pinning him in place with a pair of puppy dog eyes that Jason has no defense against.

He assures the little alpha that he’s fine, and that just being in the manor helped him out a lot, and with a little more convincing, Tim concedes, smiling warm and bright. Like the last time, Tim scents him with a wrist up his arm, one swipe that doesn’t leave him reeking of alpha like Dick does, but firm enough that it will last until Jason showers it off.

The contact with a pack alpha, even one as low ranked as Tim, is already making him feel better, lifting a weight he didn’t even realize he was carrying.

Unfortunately, partway through a movie he was half watching, a baby enters the scene, and when a new scene starts, Jason finds himself with his nose almost touching the screen of the TV, the static from being so close nearly making him sneeze. Somehow, for an entire week, Jason managed to avoid any contact with an infant, which isn’t really that crazy of a feat considering who he is and what he does, but he’s still a little disappointed that the baby-fever hasn’t abated.

As if summoned by the dip in Jason’s scent, the omega finds himself the reluctant recipient of a Dick Grayson Special, and he can do nothing but stand there and pretend to be put-off as Dick rumbles happily, rubbing his face over every inch of skin he can reach.

This time, though, instead of his neck, Dick becomes focused on his arm, at one point, both hands are rubbing up and down it, absolutely slathering him in gentle citrus and rain clouds. He’s confused for a moment, until he remembers that Tim had just scented him there hours earlier.

“Hey!” Jason protests, yanking his arm back and bringing it to his nose, but it’s too late, not a trace of coffee remains. Jason narrows his eyes at Dick, who has the presence of mind to look a little guilty.

Covering up a previous scenting isn’t the worst thing, it’s just incredibly rude, especially when it’s to cover up a fellow pack mate's mark. However, Jason is no stranger to following the pull of his instincts, and Dick does look remorseful, so he chooses to let it go with a sigh.

Permission re-granted, Dick eagerly goes back to his mission of making Jason smell like him for a million years, running his scent gland over him again and again and again, like he’s a newly presented alpha that doesn’t know when to stop. It’s flattering, having Dick focus on him so single-handedly and intensely, and Jason revels in the attention and care of the older alpha.

Once Jason smells more like Dick than himself, they sit on the couch, sides pressed together as they watch whatever movie or show is playing on the screen. As the time goes by, Jason finds himself entering that floaty headspace again, eventually resting his head on Dick’s shoulder as he fights to keep his eyes open.

 

Waking up in Dick’s room is a little more suspicious the second time around. It’s like a mirror of the week before, except this time, Jason doesn’t remember how he got here, the last thing he can recall is watching movies with Dick on the couch in one of the entertainment rooms.

Once again, he’s stripped to his briefs, which are totally ruined, and once again, Jason wriggles out of Dick’s octopus hold, but a flash of orange on black catches his eye as he climbs out of the bed. It’s his shirt from last week, the one he didn’t bother to look for before he bolted. It’s lying half tucked into the pillowcase Dick is currently drooling into, and his stomach erupts into a ball of butterflies, pulse racing as he tries to explain it in a way that makes sense.

He doesn’t see his shirt from yesterday anywhere, and he does take the time to look this week. It’s just him and his pants, phone, keys and wallet still tucked into the pockets where he left them.

His room is just as he left it, though it looks like Alfred was in to remake the bed, he always manages to tuck the sheets in impossibly tight around the mattress, it’s one of the things Jason couldn’t pick up no matter how hard he tried.

He gets intense deja vu as he disposes of his briefs again, tossing them towards the door. He watches as they land with a small ‘thunk’, and his face heats up as he realizes that he forgot to take them out himself last week, so Alfred must have disposed of them.

He curses himself for forgetting such a simple thing. Alfred has to deal with enough, Jason at least wants to spare the man from dealing with his unregulated bodily functions.

He manages to calm down during his shower, mind peaceful as he goes through his little self care routine. He picks out another face mask, sets an alarm and flops gently down on his bed, grabbing a random book off his nightstand and settling in for a bit.

Now that he generally knows what to expect, he doesn’t over exert himself the first few days, and manages to stretch out the feel-good period for the whole week, instead of feeling amazing the first half, and terrible the second half.

This time, when he leaves, he makes sure to remember the bag with his soiled briefs, and almost works himself into a panic when he sees the bag is gone from its spot next to the door. Alfred must have gotten it while he was sleeping.

It leaves an uneasy pit in his stomach, but honestly, the man has seen the worst of all of them, and probably doesn’t even realize how embarrassing it is for him. He leaves the manor quickly after that, hoping to go back to normal after this.

 

Unfortunately, by the time a full week passes, even though he didn’t push himself like last time, he still finds himself drained and lethargic. It’s not as bad as before, he feels like his body is starting to regulate again, the low this week not as low as last week, but still enough that he needs a recharge.

This week, he spends half an afternoon with Alfred, helping the butler out in the massive kitchen, which helps him relax even more because all other members of the pack are actively banned from entering while either Alfred or Jason are cooking.

There’s a tingle on the back of his neck, hairs standing on end as he feels a pair of eyes watching him, but all the doorways are clear, and the only camera in the kitchen is an eagle eye above them, but who would want to watch security footage of him and Alfred cooking? He brushes the worry away, it’s probably just his hormones acting up again, and goes back to stirring a pot of homemade spaghetti sauce, closing his eyes and inhaling deep as Alfred retrieves the loaf of garlic bread from the oven.

The two men eat their early dinner at the kitchen counter, exchanging quips about classic novels and world history between stretches of easy silence. Jason has to insist quite firmly for the task of cleaning up, and eventually he pulls out his secret weapon, letting a single tear well up in his eye and run down his face as he pleads that he wants to pay the man back for all he does for him.

It works, like it did the other two times he’s been forced to bring it out in the past, and with a misty look in his own eyes, Alfred leaves him to it, though Jason knows better than to think the man will take even a moment's rest before starting his next task. He takes a moment to dab at his eyes with a napkin before he gathers up all the dirty pots, pans and dishes and starts to spray them down in the industrial sink.

He’s always been an efficient and thorough cleaner, and he’s self aware enough to recognize that it’s a symptom of one of his traumas or issues, but stress cleaning is better than stress eating or stress smoking, which he stopped after experiencing breathing issues while in pursuit of a serial rapist that led to him getting away and assaulting two more girls before he could find him again and put him down.

He doesn’t really have a destination in mind when he leaves the kitchen after he finishes cleaning, but he ends up in the parlor, where Damian is currently set up with his art supplies, though at the moment he’s playing on his switch while Titus lays on his feet and Alfred the cat lounges next to him on the couch. His muscles tense at the sight of the kid just laying around, being a normal kid for once.

He blinks and suddenly he’s looming over Damian, who looks up at him, unimpressed and slightly defensive. “What do you want, Todd?” His voice still has that high pitched, little kid sound, and it’s pup-like enough to have him start rumbling out a soothing purr, before he gets a hold of himself and steps back.

“Todd?” Damian sounds less defensive, but Jason doesn’t want to risk looking at him and triggering whatever stupid instincts seem to make his mind shut off. He brings a hand up to hold his head in, and with his other hand he stops Damian from getting closer.

“Shit, sorry, just stay back, don’t come closer.” He really wants to cuddle the pup in his nest right now, and it’s both alien and completely natural at the same time, of course he should want to cuddle the pup in the pack, he’s an omega, but this is Damian, who learned to stab before he learned to walk, and Jason really doesn’t want to end up with a knife in his side. His inner omega is incapable of stringing thoughts like that together, and is howling at him to take the pup back to his nest for an in depth scenting session.

“You can’t fool me this time, Todd. I asked father, and he said you didn’t have a cursed sword arm, so you can give up the act-” The foolish pup stepped within grabbing distance, and it was all over before it began.

His nest feels too far, so he just sets himself down on the couch, Damian on his lap, arms trapped to his sides as Jason purrs loudly in contentment, rubbing his cheek on the top of the pup's head in bliss.

“What are you doing, Todd?! Let me go this instant!” The pup wiggles, and he’s stronger than he looks, and this makes Jason puff up with pride and happiness, his pack has such a strong and healthy pup, and Jason will be the best omega ever and help take care of him. In the end, Jason, omega or not, wins hands down in a contest of strength, and the pup is forced to give up his struggles with a huff.

As time goes on, the pup relaxes in his arms, and Jason gradually loosens his hold, assured that the pup will no longer flee, the light scent of content and happy pup filling his mind with a happiness Jason doesn’t think he’s ever felt before. He can hear his purring echoing around the room with its intensity, and the usually shy and standoffish cat that follows the pup around curls up right against his leg, while the large dog the pup is training hops up to snuggle in on Jason’s other side.

The room is bathed in the bright orange light of sunset when the pup speaks again. “Grayson! You have to help me, I think Todd has been dosed with something, he’s been smothering me for hours!” The implication that the pup is in distress causes Jason to cut off his purr, worried coos taking its place as he checks the pup for injuries.

“What a good omega, taking care of the pup like that.” His alpha praises him, and Jason’s attention is caught by his approach, slow and careful, voice low and calm. “It’s time for the pup to go to bed, so I’m going to go tuck him in, OK?” He holds out his arms, but makes no move to take the pup away by force, so Jason considers his request.

“I’m not a baby! I don’t need you to-”

“Damian, do you want my help or not?” The alpha speaks to the pup in a calm, loving voice, despite the tone the pup took with him, and that fact is enough to prove that he can be trusted, so Jason hands him over carefully, hands under his armpits and feet dangling off the ground.

“I swear on my family name, I will get you for this humiliation, Todd.” The pup hisses and Jason brings him close for one last nuzzle that turns the pup’s upset scent back to the light happy scent he had before.

The alpha takes the pup carefully, skillfully keeping hold of him despite the pup's violent struggles. He feels a little cold without the pup in his arms, and he wraps his arms around his middle to try and comfort himself.

“Grayson, if you don’t put me down this instant,” The pup yells, but the alpha isn’t fazed, replying with the same tone as before, and some of the cold dissipates, assured that the pup is in good hands.

“I need you to bear with it, just until we’re out of sight.” The alpha’s words calm the pup down, and the pair exit the room, heading towards the bedrooms. The cat and dog both get up with big, slow stretches, and Jason gives them both a good scratch behind the ears before sending them off to follow the pup.

It feels like the alpha barely made it down the hall before he’s suddenly back, no pup in sight. He doesn’t have time to panic before the alpha distracts him, putting an arm around him and whispering words of praise and complimenting his ability to take care of such an unruly pup. The alpha leads him down a hall, and Jason lets himself drift, content to live in this moment forever.

 

A beam of light on his face is what wakes Jason up, and he’s blinded for a moment, which allows him to fool himself that he’s in his apartment, or his room at the manor, and not once again in Dick’s den, half naked and positively soaked.

He’d groan in mock agony if he wasn’t worried about waking the alpha snoring lightly into the nape of his neck. The hot puffs of air on his skin send a shiver down his spine, and it’s almost like a fog has entered his mind, making it hard to focus and he has to concentrate really hard to beat back his instincts.

He figured his luck would run out sometime, and apparently the third time really is the charm, the arm slung over his waist going from a gentle weight to a firm hold as Jason tries to wiggle out of the alphas hold.

“Mmh, mornin’ Jay.” Dick slurs, voice rough from sleep, and Jason has to bite his lip to hold in the sound he makes when the alpha rubs his morning stubble over the sensitive skin on the back of his neck. It certainly doesn’t help with his downstairs situation either, more slick gushing out of him at the deliberate marking.

“Why am I in your bed, Grayson?” Jason chooses to ask after a long period of silence, Dick apparently having zero intention of letting him go, or explaining things on his own.

“Cuddles.” Dick answers unhelpfully, using his strength to flip Jason over, wrapping his arms around him as he pulls him practically on top of the alpha, head pillowed on his chest with a leg slotted in between his.

It’s not a position Jason really wants to be in, as it has him straddling Dick’s thigh, and there isn’t a way in Hell that the alpha hasn’t noticed his… situation. He struggles to get out of the hold, but Dick is famous for his inescapable hugs, and now that he’s awake, there’s no hope for Jason to escape by force or flexibility.

“Stop strugglin’,” Dick whines, eyes still closed as he tries to coax Jason into falling back asleep with a gentle hand rubbing up and down his back. The skin to skin contact feels heavenly, and mixed with the heavy concentration of alpha pheromones in the air, has him producing another wave of slick, drenching Dick’s thigh.

Instead of getting grossed out or upset, Dick starts purring, a low rumbly sound that Jason feels more than hears, and the whole situation has him confused. He can feel himself starting to get anxious, he doesn’t know what’s happening, and for a bat, that’s just about the worst situation to be in.

“Damn it, wake up! Or better yet, let go of me! This is the third time I’ve woken up here, that’s not a coincidence!” Jason has been willing to kind of let it be, living in his own little fantasy world where Dick can’t help himself from getting Jason in his den, in his bed.

Now, though? Now he’s pissed, and he’s fully intending on letting his anger cover up any other annoying little feelings he might have.

Dick blinks a few times, eyes eventually focusing on Jason’s face with a serious look. “Do you remember last night?” He asks him, and the question drains the blood from his face, hands moving to rip the sheets away and look between his legs.

If Dick fucked him and he doesn’t remember it, he’s going to kill every single member of the Rogues Gallery, so help him god.

The alpha immediately tunes in to what direction his brain went and is quick to correct him. “Whoa! No, we didn’t- I wouldn’t take advantage of you, Jay, I-” He cuts himself off by releasing Jason from his iron grip, and he takes the opportunity to scramble to the other side of the bed, face heating up at the sight of the mess he left on the alpha’s thigh, his golden skin glistening with slick.

Once he’s taken a moment to get over his initial panic, he composes himself. “Yeah, I know that, Dickie. My hormones spoke for me for a second there, my bad.” He awkwardly scratches the back of his head as he lowers his head.

“It’s ok, sorry to scare you like that, I should have worded that differently. How about this, what’s the last thing you remember from yesterday?” Dick takes the situation in stride, scooting his butt up the bed to lean his back on the headboard, giving him more space.

Jason takes a moment to think. Yesterday he was in the kitchen, cooking with Alfred. Then he guilt tripped the man into letting him clean up, and after that…

The only instances where Jason loses time like this are when he’s having a pit rage episode, or when he’s dropped into his instincts, his inner omega taking over. He hasn’t had a pit episode in nearly a year, and his head doesn’t hurt like it does after suffering through one, plus he doesn’t have any injuries, and can’t smell any blood.

He must have dropped, it’s been happening lately because of his hormone imbalance, but he thought he was getting better after starting his little weekly routine of coming by the manor.

“Damian promised retribution for the ‘grave insult’ to his dignity.” Dick says, voice even and neutral, and Jason is glad he’s choosing not to be an asshole about this, though it doesn’t exactly make him feel that much better about losing control in the pack house.

Damian’s name stirs up a fuzzy image in his mind, the kid on his lap, nuzzling into his chest while Jason pets his hair, and his chest feels light and airy as he swears he can smell the scent of content pup in his nose. He blinks the hazy memory away and puts his head in his hands. There’s no way Damian got to that security footage before someone made a copy, he’s pretty sure they were in that room for hours, someone had to know they were there.

“Well god forbid the kid get some quality omega time,” Jason grumbles, trying to play it off. “Anyways, that doesn’t explain why I’ve woken up in your bed the last three weeks.”

Dick’s jaw snaps shut, whatever witty comeback he had prepared dying on his tongue. His face goes through a few complicated expressions that Jason can’t make sense of before falling back to a neutral look, but he can tell it’s forced.

“You’ve been dropping at the end of the night when you come over, so I brought you here so I could keep an eye on you.” He explains, and he’s looking right at Jason, but he can tell he’s holding something back, his posture just a bit too stiff to be normal.

Jason narrows his eyes, clearly disbelieving. “I’ll give you that, I did tell you about my hormone issues, but you could have just taken me to my nest, my room is fully stocked.”

Dick nods along, like he’s agreeing with him, before he catches himself and stills. “Well, yeah, I guess, but,” He bites his lip and mumbles something into the skin of his shoulder.

“Dick.” Jason’s voice is firm, and the alpha caves instantly.

“You never let me cuddle you like that anymore, little wing.” Dick pouts, eyebrows furrowing and lower lip jutting out. “I had to take advantage of the opportunity! What if I left you alone and you went to Tim!?” He looks a little manic as he throws the question out, as if Tim were a rival alpha from another pack, and not a literally lower ranking alpha in his own pack, not to mention his little brother.

“Why would I go to Tim for cuddles?” Jason asks, baffled. Sure, he’s fine with the light scenting Tim gives him when they run across each other outside of the field, but other than that, they don’t really interact. They talk, sure. Their relationship is nothing like it was when Jason first came back, but they aren’t close or anything.

“And what is it with you and Tim recently? Has he done something?” He remembers last week, in the entertainment room, when Dick covered the younger alphas scent on his arm, and his hand comes up to touch where it was.

Dick’s eyes are darting around the room, a touch of anxiety entering the edges of his scent. “Well, it feels like you’ve been getting along really well recently.” Dick hedges, and Jason levels him with a blank stare, daring him to dance around the subject again.

“Like you two are becoming… closer.” Dick says carefully, and Jason finally connects the dots, mouth dropping open in awe at the alpha’s dumb assumption.

“You think Tim is into me? That I’m into Tim? What the actual fuck, Dickface.” Jason tugs at his hair in exasperation. “So you mean to tell me that you’ve been practically kidnapping me every week because you thought I’d pick Tim over you?”

Dick’s face hardens, chin lifted in stubborn defense. “No, I’ve been taking care of the pack omega, as is my duty as second Alpha in the pack.”

The words pierce deep, and Jason can’t hide his reaction, scent souring and face twisting up. “So sorry to be such a burden on you and the pack.” He spits out, watching the alphas face as he realizes he fucked up.

“Jay, no, I didn’t mean-” He reaches for him and Jason flinches back, scrambling off the bed.

“Don’t fucking touch me, Dick. I can’t take all these mixed fucking signals, not right now.” He finds his pants and tugs them on over his sopping briefs, wincing at the way he has to work the material over his wet thighs.

The alpha lets out a frustrated growl, and Jason doesn’t hesitate to aggressively growl back. “Just leave me alone, alright? You did your ‘duty’ to the pack, thanks for your service.” The last part is said over his shoulder in a tone dripping with sarcasm.

Dick lets him go, knowing better than to try and chase after an annoyed omega. Jason doesn’t wish he would, either. He brings a hand up to rub at a spot high on his chest, experiencing an odd ache feeling with every step he takes away from the alpha.

He knew it. Knew he was nothing but a burden on the pack, someone they had to take time out of their busy schedules to ‘take care of’. With all the raging hormones rushing through him, he allowed himself to be disillusioned by fantasies, seeing intent and interest in actions that were merely done out of a sense of duty to the pack.

He keeps his discarded briefs on the bathroom floor this time, unwilling to let Alfred clean up after him a third time.

No matter how hot he makes the water, no matter how much he scrubs, he can’t get rid of Dick’s heavy alpha scent, probably spending half the night rubbing it into his skin.

He steps out of the shower and dries off quickly, wincing at the way the rough material chafes against his sensitive skin. What right does Dick have to go all protective-older-brother on him? He’s not some young kid looking up at him with stars in his eyes anymore, he doesn’t need his patronizing bullshit.

He takes the briefs and bags them up, throwing on a pair of sweats and the softest sweater in his closet and storming out of his room. He finds the nearest trash chute and chucks them in, spinning on his heels and marching back the way he came.

He doesn’t quite know why he’s walking further into the manor, but he understands why when he stops in front of Tim’s room. He knocks on the door with a level of calm he doesn’t feel right now, and after a few moments, knocks again.

He repeats this a few times until he’s positive Tim isn’t in the room, cracking the door open to peak inside. It’s a mess, but Tim’s a teen so Jason tries not to judge him. His eyes land on a navy pullover draped on the back of his desk chair, and Jason recognizes it instantly as one of Tim’s favorites; he's seen the young alpha wear it multiple times now.

It’s in his hands and he’s out the door in less than ten seconds, feet carrying him to his next destination with a swiftness that Alfred would chide him for.

Bruce’s door is open, and Jason must have gotten here before Alfred this morning because there’s a few articles in the hamper by the door, and Jason just grabs the first thing his hands touch, a compression shirt like the ones they all wear under their suits to prevent chafing and irritation, and to keep them warm in the chill of the night.

He’s basically hit the jackpot here, and when Alfred catches him trying to pilfer something from his room, he just silently hands Jason a large bag with a few different blankets.

“I’ve known this day would come, and have taken the liberty to pick up some items used by different members of the pack and seal them for you.” The butler informs him, and as Jason takes the bag, he realizes that each item is sealed in its own airtight packaging, and it looks like he’s even gotten items from more distant pack members, a scarf from Steph, and a winter hat from Cass.

Alfred gives him a warm pat on the shoulder and tells him he’s welcome anytime. The older man seems to know that Jason is in a hurry, so he excuses himself, and Jason heads back to his car.

He spends the drive back to his place bouncing his knee up and down, filled with a restless energy. By the time he’s locking the door behind him and setting his security, he can barely stand still, tossing the bag and stolen clothes onto his bed as he yanks the sweater off, replacing it with a thin tank top. He throws his underwear in his general trash bin, and slips a pair of boxers on, not bothering to put any pants on.

He doesn’t wrap his hands as well as he should have, but he can’t be bothered right now, needing to feel the sting in his arms as he gets into position, aiming jabs and kicks at the heavy punching bag he has set up in his living room.

Usually, he listens to music, or at least tunes in to the police chatter, but right now he doesn’t think he can handle the extra stimuli, the only sounds he needs are created with the impact of his fist against the leather of his punching bag. His arms are starting to ache, and he can feel the sweat covering his body, but the restless feeling is still there, crawling under his skin and urging him on.

When he starts to feel lightheaded, he stops, breathing heavily and standing in a small puddle of his own sweat. Afternoon light shines in through the sheer curtains, illuminating the motes of dust flying through the air. The punching bag sways gently, gravity slowly bringing it to a standstill.

He drinks three glasses of water, one after the other, before he wipes down his excess sweat with one of his dish towels, tossing it in his hamper on the way to his nest. Once in his room, he closes and locks his bedroom door, and it settles his inner omega a bit to have a barrier from his nest to the rest of the world, the windows already equipped with metal bars.

His shirt and boxers, now damp with sweat, are tossed into the hamper as well, and he leaps into his nest, already digging through the bag to add his new acquisitions. The items he took from Tim and Bruce's rooms go near his headboard, woven in between one of his favorite blankets and a robe from Kori.

He adds the gloves from Alfred to his pillowcase, the beta’s faint scent needs to be close to his nose to recognize against all the heavy alpha ones. He adds the items from Steph and Cass, but the scent of his pack in his nest is rapidly proving to be too enticing to work through, and he figures he can put the other stuff in later.

He purrs as loud as he wants, confident in his bedroom's soundproofing as he rolls around in his newly scented nest, reveling in the way the scents all mix together. He snuggles under a thin sheet, still too hot from his workout to bear anything heavier, and drifts off, pushing all the confusion and heartbreak aside to deal with when he wakes up.

 

The incessant sound of his ringtone rouses him from his nap, coming from the hamper in the corner, still in the pocket of his sweats. The sky is dim, but bright enough that he can tell the sun just set. He rubs his eyes as his phone cuts off, only to groan as it starts ringing not three seconds later.

Getting out of his nest when he’s all cozy is a crime, and he kills criminals, so whoever is calling him better be prepared for the hell he’s about to rain down on them.

Dick’s name is staring at him from the screen as he fishes his phone out, and Jason lets it ring two more times, hoping he will give up soon.

There’s a sudden knock at his front door, and Jason takes the excuse readily, tossing his phone into his nest to ring away, and slips on some boxers and a terrycloth robe he got as a Christmas present from Alfred last year, and opens the door, secretly hoping for an assassin, but he’ll settle for a mobster or a rogue, he just wants to beat someone up.

Unfortunately, it’s none of the above. In fact, it’s one of the last people he wants to see right now, and if he hadn’t used his foot as a door jam, Jason would have slammed the door right in his stupid pretty boy face.

“Wait, Jason, please just hear me out? I came to apologize.” Dick has his infamous charm out in spades, eyes wide and pleading as he begs. The part of Jason that remembers how Dick talked about him like helping him was just a task that needed doing wants to scratch his eyes out, but the part of Jason that’s held a torch for the older alpha for years makes him hesitate, and Dick takes advantage of the moment to slip past his door and close it behind him.

This puts the alpha directly in his space, chests nearly touching, and his heavy alpha scent swirls around him. Jason tries to play off his shiver by shaking his head and walking backwards, not trusting the alpha enough to turn his back on him, yet needing to put space between them.

“Geez, come on in I guess,” He says sarcastically, pointedly looking at the alpha’s feet as he takes a step further into the room. He gets the message and slips off his boots, and Jason takes the moment to look him over.

Dick has a very odd sense of fashion. Sometimes he dresses like a supermodel or celebrity in disguise, sunglasses and a hat, designer jeans that look like they were painted on, low cut shirts to show off his perfect golden skin, stuff like that. Other times he looks like a fashion designer's nightmare, pinstripe pants in a garish yellow paired with a polka dot button down with ruffled sleeves topped off with cowboy boots.

Today, he’s wearing a faded tee that actually looks like it’s his size and not two sizes smaller, a heavy flannel, a pair of loose fitting sweats and what look to be the boots from one of his Nightwing suits. He doesn’t get the chance to try and analyze what the hell that outfit means before the alpha steps fully into the room, although Jason does notice that he has two different socks on. He judges him heavily for such an oversight.

Jason watches as Dick makes himself comfortable on his couch, not moving from his spot near the wall, all points of exit within his sight and nothing but plaster wall to his back. Once settled, the alpha looks at him expectantly, like he’s waiting to be asked if he wants a drink or snack. Jason’s nails dig into his palms at the nerve of the alpha.

“I believe you had something you wanted to say to me?” Jason speaks through his clenched jaw, proud of himself for holding back from yelling and leaping the coffee table to strangle the guy. Dick tilts his head like a confused puppy, and it’s NOT CUTE DAMMIT.

“You aren’t going to sit? I promise I won’t touch you without permission.” Dick asks, and Jason worries about the integrity of his teeth with the way he grinds them.

“I’m fine standing, now apologize so you can leave. You did your ‘duty’ so there’s no need to stick around.” It’s a miracle he hasn’t snapped yet, the only thing keeping him from exploding on him is the lingering, and rapidly fading, scent of his nest on his skin.

Dick looks pained, and his hands fidget in his lap. “I’m really sorry, Jason. I never should have done anything without your consent, and when you weren’t able to give it, I should have taken you to your room.” His head hangs in shame, silky strands of hair creating a curtain to hide his eyes behind. “I’m sorry for implying that helping you was just a task I had as a pack alpha, I didn’t mean it.”

Jason lets him sit there in silence for a few moments, enjoying the way the alpha becomes more restless the longer he goes without replying. He eventually takes pity on him, giving him a curt, “Thank you.”

Dick’s head pops up, eyes sparkling with excitement. “So does that mean-”

“Now get out of my apartment.” Jason interrupts, and Dick looks crushed, brows coming together and mouth opening like he’s going to start to beg, and Jason cuts him off before he starts, knowing full well it’s all over if Dick starts begging. He’d never be able to deny him anything if Dick turned the full force of his puppy dog eyes on him.

“Just because you apologized, doesn’t mean I have to forgive you. I probably will, in the future. Right now, though, I’m not ready to forgive just yet.” Normally he never would have said that much, but even if the alpha hurt him, it still bothered Jason to see him look so down. He did come all the way here to apologize, even if he was rather pushy about it.

Dick bites his lip, nodding in understanding, and Jason is glad he had the foresight to put on scent patches before coming to see him, or else his apartment would reek of upset alpha, and who knows what that would have done to him in this state. “I understand. I’ll give you some space, but please, call me if you need help, ok? You’ve been getting better slowly, but I don’t want to be the reason you’re in pain.”

Jason’s chest constricts at the obvious worry in the alpha’s voice, and there’s still a part of him that doubts his sincerity, but deep down he knows the alpha cares about him. He cares about everyone, even if they don’t deserve it, it’s why he said he would probably forgive him after a while. Even if the world changes around him, Dick always remains constant in his care for others and his drive to help as many as he can.

It hurts that much more to know that Dick cares about him, just not in the way Jason does. What if he knew that all those slick puddles on his sheets weren’t a symptom of his imbalanced hormones, but a natural reaction he had from being so close to him, surrounded by his scent?

“I won’t let it get that bad.” Jason compromises, not able to promise anything more. He still hasn’t moved from his spot on the wall, and his arms are crossed over his chest to hide the shaking of his hands.

Dick gives a noise of understanding and quietly leaves, slipping his boots on at the door and letting himself out, but not before shooting Jason one last look. The door shuts with a clear click, and Jason takes a moment to overthink the entire interaction. He locks the door after being lost in his head for minutes, catching the faintest whiff of citrus in the air, likely from the clothes he was wearing.

In his heart, he’s already forgiven Dick, he forgave him as soon as the alpha came and apologized. Most alphas value their pride far too much to come to an omega’s den just to apologize, and even less would accept his response and respect his wishes. If he just forgave him, it would make him look weak, and he can’t stop the memories of Catherine after getting hit by his father, shushing him and making excuses for the bastard.

He knows this isn’t the same type of situation, he knows that even if they fight on the field, or spar in the cave, that Dick would never hurt him like that. Would he put a wingding in his leg if he tried to kill one of his targets? With no hesitation, but that’s different.

God, what a psychologist wouldn’t give to look into HIS head.

The interaction drained him a lot more than he’d like to admit, and Jason trudges back to his nest, carefully pulling out the old sweatshirt Alfred packed for him, the smell of salt and citrus filling his head as he buries his face in the fabric. He snuggles under his bedding, lifting the heavy comforter over his head to block out the light.

 

Having the pack scents in his bed helps a lot, he doesn’t quite feel as refreshed as he does when he wakes up next to Dick, but he’d rather chew off his own arm than admit that out loud. The good news is that his baby fever has disappeared. He realized one night that the sound of a crying baby no longer put him in a trance, it just made him want to shut the window to muffle it.

Time passes as it always does, way too fucking fast, and suddenly two months have gone by, and the scents in his nest have almost faded to nothing. He’s started to get cramps from the oncoming heat, and they are just as severe as he feared, all but confining him to his den.

He had another meeting with his doctor, who told him that nothing has changed and that he needs an alpha to be with him during his heat. He even went to Leslie for a consultation, but she said the same thing, and when he asked about artificial pheromones she gave him a death glare over the rim of her glasses and told him he would probably die if he tried to use them.

He was kind of putting the whole thing off, hoping that maybe being around so many pack scents would have balanced everything out, but he should have known better. He’s got about a week until it hits, and he’s no closer to finding an alpha to ride it out with than he was three months ago.

Alfred stops by, somehow knowing exactly what he needed, bringing a new batch of scented items from each pack member, which eased his symptoms somewhat, but it was made pretty clear that those alone weren’t going to be enough to get him through it.

Two days out from his heat and somehow he wakes up on the phone with a frantic Tim. “Jason! Talk to me, are you hurt? Jason!”

He blinks a few times, but he physically cannot remember what the hell he was doing on the phone with Tim of all people. The yells are steadily becoming more frantic, and Jason clears his throat, the noise cutting off the panicked sounds in his ear.

“Tim? Wuz goin’ on?” Jason rasps, coughing at how dry his throat feels, stumbling to the kitchen to grab a glass and fill it with water, downing it in one go and refilling it to sip at more slowly. Tim has been frantically talking this whole time but Jason can’t understand him because he’s talking a mile a minute.

“Wait, slow down, start over. Did you call me?” Jason sounds much better now that his throat doesn’t feel like sandpaper, and Tim makes an exasperated sound into the speaker, sighing heavily.

“You called me, but all you did was whine and yell, I was about two seconds away from tracing your call and asking Alfred to be on standby in the cave med bay.” Jason can’t see Tim right now, but he would bet his entire criminal empire that he’s pinching the bridge of his nose right now. “You’re about to go into heat, right? You don’t have to tell me who, actually, please don’t tell me who, but your alpha is around, right?”

Jason takes a slow sip of his water, he’s not at the top of his game right now, and if he lies Tim will see right through it. He could make up an alpha, but then Tim would hang up and Jason would probably die alone in his apartment due to sheer stubbornness, and he’d rather not die again, it wasn’t exactly a pleasant experience.

It seems his silence speaks for him, Tim groaning out his name in pain. “Jason, didn’t you tell me your doctor told you that you could die if you didn’t spend your next heat with an alpha?”

“No, he didn’t tell me I could die,” Jason protests, eyes shifting around even though Tim can't see him. “He told me I would die. Big difference. I even checked in with Leslie and she said the same thing.” Tim chokes out an agonized sound, and Jason can hear the noise of his hand hitting his face.

“So what’s your plan, are you going to kidnap the first alpha you see on the street? Or are you gonna sit around in your apartment in excruciating pain while you wait to die?!” Jason slumps to the ground, the hopelessness of the situation fully sinking in for the first time. Tim’s right, he’s going to die, again, all alone in horrible pain, just like last time.

He starts to shiver, fear sliding down his spine like ice as he wraps his arms around his knees, hugging them to his chest. Tears slide down his face as he considers his options, Tim’s voice distant and small because he dropped his phone when he fell and it slid a good eight feet away.

He could find an alpha on the street or in a bar, but alpha hookers are nearly non-existent, the few he knows of from his territory are underaged and he would never ask them to do something like this. He could find a random alpha, but he doesn’t have time to check if they’re clean or if they have a history, nor could he trust them not to bite him in the throws of it, binding him to some random person for the rest of his life.

Misery surrounds him, the too-sweet smell of rotting fruit filling the air around him, putting him in an inescapable loop of agony. His relationship with Bruce is too full of conflict to ask him, and he doesn’t even know how he would react when he goes under, he might just attack him. Tim is far too young, and Jason doesn’t want to hurt him by accident, if he woke up from his heat to find he’d hurt or even killed Tim while he was under, he didn’t know if he could live with it.

Dick would help him, he told him in no uncertain way that he’d be there for him if he needed anything. He cries harder at the thought of Dick helping him, giving him everything he’s dreamed of for years, only to leave when he wakes up, going back to being just packmates and reluctant allies. No, he can’t live through that humiliation, that kind of gentle rejection.

His door is suddenly slammed open, and to his surprise, it isn’t bounty hunters or assassins that run in, but Tim, clothes in disarray and hair sticking out in every direction. The crazed look in his eyes and the dark circles under his eyes, mixed with his clothes and hair, gives him the look of an asylum escapee, and Jason would tease him for it if he wasn’t in the middle of a breakdown.

In a flash, Tim is crouched in front of him, hands hovering around him, not touching even though it’s clear he really wants to. “Jason! You stopped answering, I thought you passed out!” His chest is heaving as he tries to catch his breath, and more tears slide down his face, making Tim flail around even more.

“I don’t wanna die again.” His voice is small and scared, and he’s halfway here and halfway in his head, memories of the light catching the crowbar as it swung down on him, heavy ropes keeping him immobile, the distasteful but detached look of his real mother as she watched.

A gentle warmth surrounds him, bitter coffee with a hint of ink and paper invading his senses. Tim has him wrapped up in a hug, and the feeling of another person touching him with such care contrasts so heavily with the violence and horror of the memory that it overtakes his mind, washing the phantom sensation of his body breaking under the violent blows away, replacing them with the present.

Tim is crying silently, shoulders shaking and tears dampening his shirt as the alpha holds him tight and surrounds him with his scent. Jason leans into the touch, sniffling a little as he calms down, but doesn’t hug back. After a moment, Tim calms down as well, pulling away slightly to scrub his sleeve over his face.

“You are not going to die, Jason. I’m gonna be here the whole time, all right?” The words pull a guttural sound out of him, and he couldn’t even tell you what the hell it was supposed to convey, but hearing Tim offer to be there for him tore a piece of his chest open, and while it did hurt, it also felt grounding, like a part of him was altered, his firmly held beliefs changed, even if just a bit.

He loses time for a while, and when he comes back to himself they are in his nest, Tim doing his best to be the big spoon, despite the notable difference in their sizes. The effort alone is enough to pull a rusty purr out of him, and he nuzzles in. For a while, it’s enough, Tim’s alpha pheromones doing wonders for his aches and cramps, and he’s able to sleep for hours at a time without issues.

After about a day, a feeling of wrongness sets in, and Tim’s touch turns from comforting to irritating, and he eventually has to shake him off, unable to bear the discomfort. He doesn’t know what’s wrong with him, it’s like his body is fighting him, and he has the horrible thought that maybe he’s too late. Maybe the damage is too severe, and even with an alpha his body is shutting down.

“Hey, calm down, we’ll figure this out.” Tim reassures, but Jason can smell his panic, his anger and desperation that he’s aimed inwards, blaming himself for not being enough of an alpha to help his distressed packmate. “You haven’t even gone into heat yet, so there must be a reason for your aversion to me.”

“But I trust you, I don’t know why my body is rejecting you.” Tim’s seen him crying on the floor, and promised to help him through whatever happens, and Jason reciprocates his kindness with being honest and open, no point in keeping secrets when the clock is ticking down and his life is on the line.

His words lighten the alphas mood a bit, and he throws in a joke to try and raise morale. “Man, Dick would implode if he could see us now, did you know he thought we were dating?” It works spectacularly, a disbelieving laugh startled out the alpha, his eyes nearly bugging out of his head.

“Yeah, you scented me when I showed up at the manor after seeing my doctor, and apparently that was enough of a proclamation of undying love for him.” They are both giggling now, and the mood has improved significantly as they allow themselves to forget about the bleak situation for a minute.

“That was his proof? I barely touched you, I remember because I meant to scent your arm, but I was so focused on my case that I didn’t actually look where I was reaching, and I almost punched your throat!” Tim is laughing a lot more than the situation warrants, but so is Jason, desperate to escape for just a while longer.

“That’s why you ran out so fast! Man, Dick was gonna kick your ass, he covered up your scent every time he saw me and even took me to sleep in his den every time I visited.” Suddenly, Jason is the only one laughing, and he looks at Tim in confusion. The alpha has his face twisted up in clear confusion.

“You slept in his den? Every time you visited the manor?” There’s a tone in his voice that makes Jason think that he’s missing something big, and all the humor and light atmosphere from moments before evaporates like water from the desert. Jason nods slowly, jovial expression melting into cautious neutrality.

“Well, it wasn’t my choice, I dropped pretty hard in the evenings, and Dick wanted to prevent me from seeking you out and avoid a situation where you ravish me in a night of passion.” His joke falls flat as he desperately thinks of why the hell it matters. “So what does that mean? He told me he didn’t fuck me, and I believe him. He wouldn’t do anything like that.”

Now Tim looks lost. “Why did you think he fucked you?” The words are clearly very painful for Tim to say, and the image they invoke is obviously unpleasant for him.

“Well, my hormones were all fucked up, so I’d wake up in a huge puddle. C’mon Tim, do you really want to know this?” Jason wants to be honest with him, but even if he doesn’t really view Tim as a brother, he still doesn’t really want to talk about this kind of stuff with him.

“Did that happen other nights, or just when you were with Dick?”

“What are you, my doctor? Fuck off.” Well, that didn’t last long, but what the hell did he expect? Jason’s only got like, one dignity left, and he doesn’t plan on losing it anytime soon. “Haven’t I told you enough about my bodily functions? Why do you want to know this crap, I would wake up next to Dick with no memories of the night before because I dropped.”

Tim scooches closer and looks at him with an intense focus, and Jason feels bad for all the cases Tim’s worked on because it is not fun to be under such intense scrutiny. “What?” He’s trying to cover up his insecurity with annoyance, but with Tim in full detective mode he’s got about a fourteen percent chance of succeeding.

“I’m about to propose a theory, and I just want you to hear me out, all right?” Tim is deathly serious, and Jason’s glad he cleared up his beef with him back when he was younger, because as he is now, Tim scares him. He takes his silence as the agreement it is, and leans back a bit, out of his personal space, and Jason lets out a breath he didn’t know he was holding.

“So omega A-”

“Tim, I could die in less than seven hours, I’ve got cramps that make me feel like I’m being gutted and a migraine that might actually make my eyes pop out of my head. For the love of fucking god, just use our names.”

Tim doesn’t acknowledge his interruption, but luckily he does drop the suspension of disbelief he was trying to use. “So Jason, as an omega, is interested in Dick, an alpha.” Jason makes a choked sound of denial and embarrassment, but Tim continues over him like he didn’t hear it.

“Your hormones are all messed up because of an absence of alpha pheromones, and it’s gotten so bad that artificial ones won’t cut it, so you visit the manor and spend time with your packmate, who also happens to be an unmated alpha who is not related to you, and has been voted in multiple media outlets to be the sexiest alpha to ever live.” Jason gives him a flat look and Tim returns it. “He may be my brother but I’m not blind, and as his brother I can assure you that he would make a wonderful mate.” Tim’s nose scrunches, the thought of his brother mating probably making him a little ill, but Jason has a sinking feeling that he knows how this hypothetical situation is going to end.

“Anyways, you go from having no alpha pheromones in your system to sleeping in a nest next to an unmated, very attractive alpha. You probably felt great when you woke up, the influx of pheromones tricking your system into thinking that everything is balanced out. You leave, and the absence of alpha pheromones brings you right back to where you started, and a week later, you repeat the process.” Tim glances at him and Jason tries to keep his face blank, but whatever Tim sees has him continuing without pausing.

“Then you repeat the process for a third time, and now your body is attuned to this cycle. Massive influx of pheromones, a week to work through them, rinse and repeat. Dick didn’t need to… do that with you, your body had adjusted to the schedule, and bam! An unconventional, but not impossible imprint.” Jason feels like he needs to hang around more normal people. He didn’t let Tim stay and help him just for the little bastard to expose him like this.

“Imprinting requires intent from both sides, genius.” Jason fires back, annoyed that Tim wasted his time. “Dick told me to my face that the only reason he did that was to ‘fulfill his duty as second alpha.” Jason uses a dumb voice to indicate what Dick said, the slight against the alpha bringing him a small amount of joy.

“I scented you at half strength and he immediately thought we were courting, then got so jealous that he not only scented you for basically the rest of the day, but also took you back to his den to ensure you stayed with him.” Tim’s voice is monotone, and Jason doesn’t appreciate his little fantasy world he’s painting, it’s too close to what Jason’s been dreaming about when he lets his guard down.

He raises an eyebrow at the alpha. “You telling me Dick lied?”

Again, Tim mirrors the look. “Yes, that is exactly what I’m telling you.”

Jason blinks, caught off guard and Tim rolls his eyes. “Dick lies every other sentence, I’m pretty sure it’s pathological.” He looks away in thought for a moment. “Well, that and the training he went through, mixed with all the trauma.”

“Has anyone ever told you that you were a joy to be around?” Jason asks, and Tim scowls.

“I’ll prove it.” He declares, and before Jason can respond a nasty cramp hits him, and he doubles over for a moment to breathe through it. By the time he recovers, Tim has his phone out and it’s already ringing.

“Hey Tim! I was just about to call you, Alfred said you blew out of the manor yesterday and haven’t come back yet. Is everything ok?” Hearing Dick’s voice, even through the speaker of a phone, has him muffling an embarrassing moan with his hand, body lurching forward as if to get closer to the source.

Tim looks a little worriedly at him before responding. “I was late meeting up with Bernard, and by the time we finished our date I was too tired to travel across the city so I stayed in a safehouse I have in the southern docks area.” The lies come so easily that even Jason is convinced for half a second, despite literally being with him the whole time.

“I wanted to get your advice though, I was thinking of asking Jason if he needed help with his heat, I talked with Bernard about it last night and he actually encouraged me to reach out and offer, but I wanted to talk to you first. Bernard said he was fine if I needed to knot him-” The sound that comes through the speaker is inhuman, a primal growl that causes the hairs on his neck and arms to stand up, and he can’t help the tiny submissive whimper that escapes him. Tim looks extremely unnerved, as if this was not what he was expecting.

“I just want to help him, he said it was serious, remember? He’s going to die if he doesn’t find an alpha,” Heavy breathing intermixed with snarls crackle through the connection, and Tim visibly braces before he goes for broke. “Well, I guess he might have found an alpha by now, so he might not even need me to help.”

A loud crack startles both of them, and the call ends abruptly. Tim’s face is ashen, and Jason honestly fears for him. The reality of the situation starts to settle in, and he tries to make excuses, to find any loopholes or inconsistencies he can, but they all get disprooven quickly.

The only other reason Dick would react like that to what Tim said was if he viewed Jason as his pup, and can’t find any evidence of that ever being the case, even when he first became Robin.

Tim’s hands are shaking as he tries to pull up another contact and Jason reaches over to gently take the phone, looking to Tim for direction. “Bruce.” He chokes out, and Jason reaches out to pat his shoulder in sympathy but finds that he can’t make his body do it, and just presses the call for Bruce instead.

He picks up and doesn’t even get the chance to say anything before Tim is speaking, words rushed and urgent. “I’m calling Kon in to pick me up, it’s an emergency with the Titans, please don’t shoot us down. I’ll report in when the situation is stable.” He manages to steady his hands enough to end the call abruptly, and Jason doesn’t hesitate to pull up the contact for Superboy, pressing the green call button hurriedly.

“Sup dude-”

“Kon, I need you to come get me from Gotham, right now. It’s urgent, I’m in a lot of danger and I can’t handle it by myself. I’ll explain when you get here.” This time it’s the other line that disconnects first, not even bothering to say goodbye.

It takes ten seconds for Superboy to find him, and he scrambles to unlock his window before he breaks it. Jason takes in the black leather jacket covered in spikes and patches, the patched up, faded jeans that tuck into black, scuffed up combat boots, and is reluctantly impressed.

“You could learn a few fashion tips from him, Timmy.” Jason groans out, another cramp hitting him as he speaks.

“Is he ok? What’s going on, I don’t sense any danger nearby.” He’s in full work mode, and Jason has to admit that he’s a lot sharper than he thought he was going to be.

Tim explains everything and Kon relaxes, zoning out for a moment. Jason and Tim wait in uneasy silence as Kon searches for Dick, but the city is unfamiliar to him, too many distractions to find him quickly, and he doesn’t know Dick’s heartbeat like he does with Tim, making it that much harder.

“We can always take you somewhere else, if you’d like.” Tim offers, crouching across from him. He takes a moment to think about it, but it wouldn’t solve any of his problems. He’d just be stuck in the same spot, body rejecting every alpha except for one. Really, his only other option at this point is going to a hospital and being sedated for his heat, while an alpha stays with him to provide pheromones and his body can’t reject them.

Even then, he’s not sure if it would work, and he’s not willing to risk it when it sounds like Dick is willing to tear apart the city just to get to him. He can let himself have this. It’ll hurt like hell when it’s over and Dick inevitably leaves, but at least he’ll be alive.

He shakes his head, but gives Tim a weak smile, and thankfully the alpha seems to understand, flashing a small smile of his own before he’s snatched in a fireman's carry, letting out a surprised ‘oomph!’ as Superboy strides towards the window.

“He just entered the building, are you ok if I get him out of here?” It takes a moment for Jason to realize that Superboy is talking to him, brow furrowed in worry as Tim just ragdolls in his hold, like this is a thing that happens all the time.

Jason gives the guy a thumbs up, but to be honest, he’s probably going to start crying out the moment he’s left alone. He’ll just have to hope that Dick will be more interested in him than the scent of Tim, and his heart jumps into his throat as he casts a panicked look at his nest. The one Tim slept with him in last night.

“Tim!” Jason stage whispers, like the superhuman clone won’t hear. “Tim, what do I do about my nest?!”

“Shit.” Tim seems to come to the same conclusion as him, if Dick smells Tim in his nest, he might fly into a rage, the instinct to fight away competition overwhelming him. It’s not an issue most alphas struggle with, but with how possessive Dick is as a person and an alpha, it’s basically a guarantee.

“Ok, I’m not in heat yet, do you think he’ll be able to take me back to his place?” The pressure of knowing that Dick is going to burst through his door any second has him surging with adrenaline, and he’s able to drag himself to his feet.

Just as Tim opens his mouth to respond, Superboy’s head whips to the side, staring right at Jason’s front door. Fuck, he’s out of time. As he turns around to face Tim and Superboy again, all he catches is his curtains blowing out of his open window, the pair long gone.

He knows why they left, he knew they were going to leave, but that knowledge means nothing to his hind brain, and a lonely cry burst out of his throat as he slams his window shut, not needing his neighbors and random passersby to hear his pathetic wailing.

As he engages the locks on his windows, he can hear his door squeal open, banging against the wall in a way that is sure to have noise complaints, not that Jason could give a single fuck about that at the moment. He closes his eyes, takes a breath, and sprints straight at the alpha looming and huffing in his doorway.

Sandalwood and citrus fill his senses as he all but tackles the alpha, pushing him out of his doorway and into the hall, almost slamming him against the opposite wall. He purrs happily as the alpha wraps his arms around him, hands roaming all over him as he spreads his scent over every inch he can reach.

He relaxes even further as his door swings shut behind him, locking automatically. Dick rumbles happily at him, and Jason nearly takes them to the ground with the way he goes boneless in relief. His body doesn’t reject the touch like it did with Tim, instead, every point of contact burns with intensity, his sensitivity skyrocketing.

Dick says nothing, pleased chuffs and rumbles the only noises he makes, and Jason finally manages to get a look at the alpha’s face. His expression is vacant, like Dick has checked out and the only one running the show is his alpha. He had no idea Dick was this far gone, and the longer he breathes in the intense, heavy pheromones that cloud the air around him, the fuzzier his brain gets, slowly slipping as his omega claws its way to the forefront.

“Dick,” he rumbles, purr making his words a bit wobbly and uneven. “Can’t stay here, take me to your den,” The asshole intentionally touches him around the areas he craves touch the most, and the hungry smile on his face as he ignores Jason in favor of continuing their foreplay in the hallway of some fuckass apartment building should make Jason uneasy, or angry.

Instead, he slips a little further under, thoughts scattering as he tries his hardest to hold onto them. “Alpha,” He holds the last syllable out for longer than he should, trailing it off until it disappears underneath his purring. Dick pauses his sadistic little game of ‘seeing how close he can get Jason to coming undone in a random public space’ and cocks his head, indicating that Jason finally has his attention.

“Nest, home, please,” He’s reduced to single sentences, and his skin is heating up faster than he’d like, heat coming on fast with his imprinted alpha basically smothering him in pheromones. Dick rumbles in agreement, plastering Jason to his side as he steps back up to his locked door, lock picks suddenly in hand.

“No!” Jason doesn’t want to go back in there. He tries to remember why, but his memories are like clouds, fingers slipping right through them as he tries to grab onto them. His cry is enough to make Dick stop, a confused and slightly worried look on his face. Is he even safe to drive? The thought pops up in his mind, gone as fast as it appeared, and Jason dismisses it as unimportant.

“Home,” He stresses, pulling a little on his alpha’s arm, trying to get him to start down the hallway towards the elevator. His chosen alpha shows great restraint and control, eyes closing and head shaking a bit as he tries to surface enough to understand what he’s trying to say. Jason watches in fascination as a little bit of awareness comes back to his handsome face, and the blooming sweetness in his scent at the sight of his alpha fighting his own instincts to try and understand him.

“Omega, Jason,” Dick’s face screws up in concentration. “Your nest. Here.” The alpha lays a hand against the door to Jason’s apartment, but a pervasive feeling of wrongness fills him at the prospect of going in there. His voice takes on a whiny tone, purrs cutting off as his eyes fill with frustrated tears. He’s not GETTING it, he doesn’t UNDERSTAND, and Jason doesn’t know how to be any more clear.

“Not home!” He whines, eyes burning as his vision becomes a little watery. He points a finger at the door as he says it, and Dick’s eyes go wide with surprise. Finally feeling like he’s starting to get it, Jason presses on, finger moving to point right at the alpha.

“Alpha den. Pack home.” He stresses, peering right into his soul with his baleful, watery eyes, and finally, for once in his horrible, terrible, tragic life, he seems to actually manage to get his point across, and Dick makes a noise of understanding, which turns to quiet, soothing coos as Jason lets out a silent sob of relief.

He can’t remember why, but he just knows that Dick can’t go in his apartment, the very thought filling him with a curious sense of dread. He pulls his alpha to the elevator, and they cuddle in the corner as it begins its loud and shaky descent to the lobby.

When the doors open with a pleasant ding, Dick takes the lead, hand gently but firmly holding his as he leads Jason out the front doors past a few gawking people just milling in the lobby. He ignores the whispers around him, and the worried looks they try to send him, eyes glued to where his hand rests in his alpha’s, a blush blooming on his already flushed cheeks as he swoons.

His omega doesn’t really understand, but where most people daydream about kissing and making love to their future romantic partner, Jason has always been enamoured by holding hands. Sure, kissing is great, and all the other stuff as well, but what had him giggling into his pillow while swinging his legs into the air was the thought of holding hands. An alpha leading him through a busy street, hand firmly grasped in his so not to lose each other in the crowd. Sitting across from each other on a date, his hand resting comfortably over his alpha’s as they rub their thumb over his skin, unable to bear being so close without touching. His alpha looming over him in bed, bodies flush together, fingers laced with his as he kisses him breathless, needing the contact despite the fact that they are glued together.

It’s proof he’s wanted, that he’s loved. He’s seen many couples that break up and fall apart for all kinds of reasons, just as he’s seen couples that share in a love so profound and unbreakable that it transcends language. When he looks at the way Dick threads their fingers together, gripping him tight, like he’s afraid to lose him, it makes his heart flutter. None of his fantasies or daydreams even come close to what he feels right now, and the world around him falls away, leaving just him and his alpha, hand in hand.

They get into the back of a car, the interior clean and sterile, and Jason doesn’t even bother to put on his seatbelt, he just melts into his alpha’s arms across the plush leather seats. The drive is short, but that might be because Jason is starting to lose time, impending heat looming over him like a stormcloud.

The only thing Jason knows for sure, and honestly the only thing he really cares about right now, is that not once has his alpha let go of his hand. Not when entering the car, not when exiting, not as he’s pulled through the halls of the manor, not as Dick checks the perimeter of his den, and not even when he’s pressed down on the bed underneath the alpha. He’s smiling dreamily up at Dick, and his expression is so open and honest with his affection that if Jason remembers this when his heat is over, he’s never going to live it down.

Dick doesn’t seem to be faring any better, lips parted as he pants above him, pupils nearly eclipsing his blue irises. The alpha tries to gently detangle their hands, his free hand already underneath his shirt to shuck it off, but Jason lets out a panicked chirp, grip tightening and refusing to let go.

There’s a brief moment of struggle, but as soon as Dick picks up on the distress threading its way into his scent he relents, looking quizzically at the omega. Whatever he sees on his face is enough to make him huff in fond amusement, indulging the omega in his strange request with a shower of light, barely there kisses all over his face.

It’s this act of acceptance that has Jason stepping back to allow his inner omega to take full control, still aware of what’s happening around him, but relying more on instincts and base need than rational thought. He’s a little surprised that he hasn’t blacked out, but never in his life has he been so aligned with his secondary gender, this is the first time he’s ever accepted the inevitable instead of fighting against it until he physically can’t.

It’s a similar feeling to being underwater while looking up at the sky through the ripples and waves. It’s certainly not an out of body experience because he can feel everything going on, his sensitivity feels like it’s been doubled.

His clothes are quite literally shredded off him, tatters of fabric tossed off the side of the bed carelessly. Dick looks at him for approval, preening at the way he problem solved getting them naked without letting go of each other’s hands.

He blushes and turns his head, but can’t quite keep the happy chirp from escaping his throat, and the way Dick reacts with a blinding smile and a proud chuff, you’d think he just won the lottery. Dick’s clothes end up with a similar fate, nothing but strips of cloth thrown to the side, and then there’s nothing between them.

Feeling Dick’s warm skin pressing against his, so firm and real leaves Jason with no other option but to believe this is real. He wraps his arms and legs around the alpha above him, forcing him to press down on top of him, and it’s everything he never thought he could have, especially when Dick starts sucking hickies into the skin around his collarbone, marking him up and declaring him as taken.

There’s an air of anticipation around them, but Dick takes his time kissing and nipping at Jason’s fevered skin, gently disentangling Jason’s arms and repositioning them so that the alpha could make his way down his body. His free hand cups one of Jason’s pecs in his palm, fingers splaying as he tries and fails to fit the whole thing in his hand.

Jason squeezes Dick’s hand when the alpha leans down to press a wet kiss on his nipple, body spasming at the flood of pleasure that jolts through him as Dick goes from kissing to sucking, teeth scraping the hardened nub in a delicious tease.

The noises he’s producing are foreign to him, high pitched squeaks and whines and whimpers, but Dick’s scent gets thicker and heavier with arousal whenever he manages to coax a new sound out of him. It’s making his head swim, he’s never been around such concentrated alpha pheromones during a heat, and all the pain and cramping he’s used to are nothing but distant memories.

Eventually, Dick leaves his chest to kiss his way down his ribs and abs, gently kissing every scar and mark he encounters along the way. The sudden rush of cold air over his spit soaked chest makes him shiver in both cold and arousal, and Dick holds him down at the hip with the hand that was kneading finger shaped bruises into his tits.

Jason’s been trying to ignore it for a while now, but when his alpha shoulders his way between his thighs, he has to face the facts. The facts being that he is more worked up than he’s ever been in his life, and he’s been slicking up since Dick first held his hand in the hallway in front of his apartment.

His pussy is a mess, and his alpha hasn’t even touched it yet, and he’s so embarrassed about how eager he’s acting that he tries to use his free hand that he previously had fisted in the sheets to move the alpha back, pressing his palm to his forehead and pushing.

It works as well as he thought it would, which is to say, not at all. The alpha reaches to move his hand back so it tangles in his hair, and the look he gives him while he does it is full of primal hunger. It makes his hand twitch, yanking at the handful of hair he was just given, and jolts in place at the low rumble of approval the alpha gives him in reaction.

That was apparently all the restraint the alpha had left in him, because the next moment, his face is buried in the valley of his thighs, tongue licking at the mess Jason made with the eagerness unparalleled to anything he’s ever experienced. It’s as mortifying as it is pleasurable, the alpha’s tongue hot and wet and firm in a way Jason’s unable to articulate, and his vision whites out as he shakes through his first orgasm of the day.

Dick doesn’t care to slow down or let him rest, tongue flicking his clit in a pace that borders on cruel, drawing out his orgasm longer than Jason’s ever experienced, and he can’t tell if he’s just riding out the same wave, or if the alpha pushes him straight over a second peak. He does pull away from his clit when Jason’s noises go from pleasured moans to painful cries, tracing the outer lips of his labia with the tip of his tongue before plunging it as deep as he can between them.

Jason’s still not fully recovered from his previous orgasm, and feeling the way Dick’s tongue worms its way into him has him nearly screaming at the way his nerves light up. It’s a different pleasure than his clit, not that he has long to think about it as a finger slips in alongside the tongue, the glide smooth and easy with how drenched he is.

His body tenses at the foreign feeling. It’s not like he hasn’t fingered himself before, or even had things inside him, he had to get through his previous heats somehow, but it’s so different from doing it to himself, Dick’s finger feeling so big and long, despite the fact that Jason’s own hands are actually slightly bigger than the alpha’s.

His alpha freezes at his response, carefully withdrawing his tongue to lift his head and give Jason a worried look that nearly wrecks him more thoroughly than anything he could do to his body. The care and attention Dick is giving him, despite the way his own body must be aching to find release, has his omega purring louder than he’s ever purred before, and he curses the way his eyes instantly start to water, overwhelmed with everything.

Dick pulls their connected hands to his face, making Jason sit up a little bit to reach, and lets out a soothing rumble as he softly presses his lips to the back of Jason’s hand, eyes shining as he feels the way Jason clamps down on his finger at the action. It’s meant to be a sign of reassurance, Dick breaking through his alpha instincts long enough to let him know that he won’t make him do anything he doesn’t want to do.

It’s exactly what Jason didn’t know he needed from the alpha, and he lays back down, letting all the tension he didn’t even realize he was still holding on to drain out of him with a deep, contented sigh. His vice grip on Dick’s finger lets up, and he’s rewarded with a flash of heat as another slides in alongside it, calloused fingers petting his inner walls, the new sensation making Jason’s spine arch.

Instead of leaning back down, like Jason assumed he’d do, Dick chooses to remain where he is, eyes glazed over a bit as he stares at the way Jason’s pussy pulses and throbs around his fingers. He eventually adds a third and thrusts them in and out of him in a parody of what’s to come, the lewd sound of wet squelching reaching Jason’s ears and his blush impossibly deepens.

With a hungry growl, Dick withdraws his fingers, using his wet hand to slick up his cock, which Jason is just taking notice of now. He barely gets more than a few seconds to look at the impressive member before his alpha climbs back up his body, knees between his legs to keep him spread open as he brings their tightly clasped hands down on the sheets next to Jason’s head.

Acting on a strange, but sudden urge, he tilts his head up minutely, pink tongue darting out to clean up the slick that the alpha got all over his face and neck while he was eating him out.

Dick gives a surprised but pleased rumble at the submissive action, the noise turning into a purr as Jason finishes up and starts pressing shy kisses along the length of his jaw. He turns his head in a quick move and Jason’s next kiss lands squarely on the alpha’s mouth, surprising a high pitched sound out of him that he didn’t physically think he could actually make.

The alpha chuckles at his shy response and remains still, waiting for Jason to make a move. The thought of actually kissing Dick, the alpha he’s had a crush on since he fucking met the beautiful asshole, nearly has steam blowing out of his ears, brain shutting off and leaving him blinking dumbly up at him.

Him, kiss Dick? No, no way, that’s way too embarrassing!

Dick, kissing him? Much better, way easier and exactly what Jason wants.

He tries to use force to bring the alpha to him, but his limbs are like noodles, muscles refusing to work, and the alpha refuses to budge, not giving into his request.

Next he tries to entice his alpha down to him, tipping his head back to expose the vulnerable length of his unmarked throat. This makes him perk up, and he almost looks like he’s about to give in, but he stubbornly remains, making Jason grumble grouchily.

His last resort is to allow the frustrated tears he’s been holding back to spring forth, mouth turning in a pout, letting out a pleading whine. The alpha, having no doubt caught on to his plan at this point, remains unmoved aside from the small twitch at the corner of his mouth, indicating that he’s trying to hold back a smirk.

Fed up and pissed off, Jason tries to use force again. When that fails, he turns his head and pouts, kisses are overrated anyways, he doesn’t even want stupid Dick to kiss him.

His anger leaves as quickly as it comes, and Jason is left with a blush so intense he’s a little worried it might become permanent. His alpha remains patient and steadfast throughout his tantrum, eyes fond but sharp, and Jason suddenly remembers the mean streak the alpha has.

Unable to blink away the frustrated tears welling in his eyes, Jason lifts himself up enough to quickly peck the alpha’s lips, drawing away a fraction to see if he would take it. He waits for a few seconds, huffing when the alpha still doesn’t move. Screwing his eyes shut, Jason presses his lips against his alpha’s, once, twice, a third time, each kiss longer and more insistent than the last, until he starts to let out a genuinely distressed cry, wondering if maybe he’s doing it wrong, or his alpha doesn’t want him anymore.

Before those thoughts could grab hold in his mind, Jason is being pressed hard down to the bed, his alpha’s lips moving against his own in a hungry frenzy, nipping, licking, sucking, even plunging his tongue into Jason’s mouth at one point.

In this position, he can feel the hot length of his alpha’s cock pressing up against his stomach, leaving drops of precum all over his skin, the scent driving him crazy with need. Right now, nothing else matters more than getting his alpha’s cock buried as deep as it can go in his little omega pussy.

His alpha must feel the same urgency, as he wastes no time in reaching down and positioning the flared head of his length directly at the mouth of his cunt, eyes rolling back in his head at the way Jason’s body tries to greedily suck him in. With a little bit more pressure, the tip pops in, spreading Jason’s walls apart, making him want to run away and beg for more at the same time.

Dick starts up a slow but steady rock of his hips that has Jason taking more and more with each press in, stretching him in a way that borders on painful, but never truly crosses that line. It isn’t until their hips are flush, his alpha buried as deep as he can go, that the pleasure held back at the prospect of pain fills him all at once, and his hips twitch, changing the angle that Dick’s cock plunges into him, and the fat tip presses against something within him that has him nearly blacking out with the force of his orgasm.

He squirts all over Dick’s abs, soaking them both as he convulses with the molten heat that surges through him, every minute movement pressing the alpha’s cock even harder against that new spot. Dick groans, leaning forwards and grinding deep as he bullies the back of Jasons’s pussy, and the added pressure is enough to actually make the omega pass out from over stimulation.

He’s blinking awake minutes later, in the same position as before, with a frantic and worried alpha in his face.

“Jaosn! Jason, can you hear me? Are you ok? Talk to me, please!” The unexpected barrage of words throws him for a loop, disorienting him further for a moment as he holds his free hand up to cut the alpha off. He takes stock of his body, his blush coming back with a vengeance as he realizes that Dick still has his cock buried balls deep in his pussy, though he’s leaned back to change the angle.

His head is clearer than before, the unexpected situation triggering his training, conditioned to push his instincts to the back of his mind in the event of an emergency, likely the same reason Dick can actually use words right now.

“I think I’m alright, it must be because of my hormone levels, the high concentration of alpha pheromones from you and being in your den must have overwhelmed my system.” Jason tries to reason, but if he follows that logic, then he should have passed out as soon as he was in the den with the alpha.

Dick, mind actually working for once since this whole thing has started, narrows his eyes as he looks Jason over, unable to take him fully at his word because he’s the most likely of the bats to try and hide any pain or injuries. Once he’s satisfied, he mulls over Jason’s theory, and just by looking at his face, Jason can tell the alpha isn’t buying it.

“You promise I didn’t hurt you?” He asks one last time, just to make sure, and Jason rolls his eyes, trying not to think about the fact that the alpha’s cock is throbbing inside him at this very moment.

“Yes, I feel goo- fine. I feel fine.” He stubbornly meets Dick’s gaze in a challenge, daring him to ask again. Instead of glaring at him for his stubborn attitude like he always does, the alpha instead breaks out into a smile that looks more dangerous than happy.

“Hmm, so if I didn’t hurt you, then why did you black out after squirting all over me when I filled your little pussy?” The casual way of speaking, mixed with the crude way he worded it really does it for him, apparently, his body clenching tight around Dick in a way that has the alpha’s smile widening.

“I told you, my hormones-”

“We both know that’s not the reason, sweetheart, let's not waste time.” Dick cuts him off, voice dripping with honey as he slowly withdraws his cock to the tip, his flared head scraping against Jason’s walls and making him shudder in pleasure. The endearment isn’t something he ever thought he’d be into, but he can’t deny the way his stomach clenched and filled with heat as the word left his mouth.

“I don’t- I don’t, Ah!” Jason tries to pant out, voice failing as Dick keeps his thrusts shallow, cock relentlessly rubbing the spot he found with his fingers earlier. It feels good, but not as good as it felt to have Dick filling him up.

“Ah, ah, ah, lets not lie to ourselves,” Dick chides him, hips keeping up the infuriating tease, going back and forth between abusing his g-spot and fucking the head of his dick in and out of Jason’s pussy with a lewd pop.

Jason tries again and again to speak, but every time he takes a breath, Dick switches up his tactics, and the words never make it out, dying in his throat to be replaced by needy whimpers and pleading whines.

“Hmm, if you can’t tell me, how about I guess, and you can just nod, or shake your head, ok?” The way he says it lets Jason know it’s a trap, but he doesn’t know how much longer he can take this teasing, the deepest parts of him aching to be filled again, only to be denied again and again. He knows it’s the last thing he should do, but he worries his bottom lip with his teeth and nods.

“Good boy,” Dick practically purrs, radiating smug satisfaction, and there’s no way he missed the way Jason reacted to his words, his whole body tingling, pussy clenching so tight around the alpha’s cock that he couldn’t move for a moment. Frighteningly aware eyes bore into his as Dick flays him open piece by piece.

“You see, I think that you passed out because you’ve never had your little pussy filled with an alpha’s raw cock before, your toys at home not even coming close to comparing to the real thing.” It’s true, but that’s not the reason Jason passed out, and he shakes his head frantically, moans spilling from his lips almost nonstop as Dick presses forwards, stuffing half his cock in him in one hard thrust.

“No? Ok, then maybe you passed out because my cock pressed up against your cervix?” Stars burst behind Jason’s eyes at the suggestion, the pieces falling into place. The spot in the back of his pussy that made his body teeter between pain and pleasure. Still, he remembers the way that felt, and he is pretty sure that wasn’t why he passed out. He shakes his head a little slower this time, and Dick’s smile turns straight up predatory.

“Not that either? Well, I have one final guess, ready to hear it?” Jason doesn’t think he’s ready for anything at the moment, but he can do nothing but nod, Dick slowly sinking further and further into him, and the slow drag makes Jason aware of every detail, every ridge and vein on his cock as he cores him out.

“I think you passed out because I started grinding up against your tight little cervix, and the thought of getting your womb stuffed full of your big brother's cum was too much for you.” The words hit him like a semi truck, or maybe that’s just the feeling of Dick slamming all the way to the base, hips angled down to press flush against his cervix.

Jason doesn’t know if he actually screamed, or if he just opened his mouth in a silent scream, his ears are full of static as the thought of getting bred by his big brother combined with the feeling of Dick’s cock pressed snug against the deepest part of his pussy has him almost blacking out again as he squirts for a second time in as many hours.

Dick’s smug look is gone, replaced by deeply furrowed brows and a fang digging into his lower lip, blood beading at where it digs into him. If Jason was able to form a coherent thought, he might be proud and awed at the fact that he’s the reason Dick is barely holding onto his control right now.

The intensity of his orgasm leaves him limp and boneless beneath his alpha, and when Dick opens his eyes and looks down at him, blissful and sated beneath him, whatever restraint he had left snaps, and Jason finds himself turned over on his stomach, his alpha ramming into him harshly from behind.

Dick slams into him with abandon, thrusting in and out of him roughly and snarling when his knot starts to pop in and out. His alpha leans down to plaster his chest along Jason’s back, and the position forces Jason to angle his hips upwards, and there’s no way it’s a coincidence that the new position gives Dick a perfect angle to smash against his cervix.

Overwhelmed by all the new sensations, Jason can barely hold on to consciousness, like hell will he pass out again and give Dick the pleasure to lord it over him. But his alpha isn’t done tormenting him yet, pressing his lips to kiss the sensitive spot on his neck right under his ear, he starts up a steady flow of dirty talk that somehow makes him even wetter than before and makes his scent spike with desire.

“Can you feel my cock kissing your little cervix? You may be a little shy, but your body is so honest, I don't think I could pull out right now if I tried, that’s how tight you’re holding on to me.” His statements are punctuated with thrusts and nips to his earlobe and neck, and the proximity of the alpha’s fangs to his gland is driving him wild.

“Are you going to be a good boy for me, Jason? Are you going to let your big brother breed you? I’ve been waiting to knock you up for a long time, little wing, see you grow big and round with our pups, tits getting bigger as they start to leak milk,” The hand holding his tightens around him, like Jason might disappear if he doesn’t hold him there.

Jason, on the other hand, is having what he can best described as a ‘religious experience’, only instead of god, it’s Dick Grayson wanting to breed him. The words ping pong around his empty head, taking root and forcing Jason to remember all of his own fantasies about being bred by his alpha big brother. He’s so lost in his own mind and in the endless pleasure Dick is drowning him in that the alpha lets him get away with not answering, this is Jason’s first time getting bred, after all.

“You’re the best, so perfect for me, Jay, I’m going to knot you and you’re going to take every single drop, aren’t you?” The praise pushes a noise out of him, but Jason can’t hear what it was due to the pressure clogging his ears, body and mind overwhelmed by everything that’s happening.

“Can you feel it?” Dick whispers, and moves to slower thrusts and grinds to allow Jason to have a few coherent thoughts. He tilts his head in question, head arching back to try and look at the alpha. His head is gently eased back down to the bed with Dick’s free hand, but Dick follows him down, fangs scraping directly over his scent gland, and Jason can’t even bother being embarrassed by the way he tilts his head to the side, exposing as much of his neck as possible to entice the alpha.

“Can you feel how eager your body is to get bred? Every time I do this,” Dick presses down on him which forces his cock deeper, pressing even harder against the back of his pussy, making sparks dance across his vision. “I can feel your cervix opening up just a little bit more for me. I’m going to pry it open slowly and carefully, just like this.”

Dick doesn’t pull back, but starts to circle his hips, pressing and rubbing deep inside him, and the sensation is enough to have him cumming again, convulsing around the alpha. Jason’s free hand slides to his stomach, over the spot he can feel Dick pressing against as he feels it give just a little bit, the alpha’s cock sliding a fraction deeper than before as his body relaxes after so many orgasms.

“Yeah, now you feel it, huh? I’m going to breed you directly in your womb, baby. I won’t even need my knot, the tip of my cock is going to plug up your womb, forcing it to take all I have to give you.” Jason’s breath hitches before he lets out the most pornographic sound he’s ever made in his life, narrowing all of his focus down to where Dick is slowly but steadily working him open in a way he’s never even dreamed of.

“I should probably let you know that I haven’t gotten off once since you told me about how you needed an alpha for your next heat. I wanted to save up all my cum for you, wanted to make sure I bred you successfully on the first try.” Dick’s voice is getting rougher and rougher as he goes on, growing knot grinding directly into Jason’s g-spot, making him come again every time Dick hitches his hips upwards.

“I had to wear a cock ring at night, so I wouldn’t cum while I dreamt of fucking you, breeding you, claiming you.” Fangs scrape over his skin, pressure nearly enough to pierce his gland, and Jason shakes through another orgasm.

His body relaxes a little bit more, and there’s a sudden build and release of pressure inside him as the tight ring of muscle in the back of his pussy finally gives, the flared head of Dick’s cock popping into his womb, his cervix sealing back as tight as it can under the glans.

The chain reaction is as predictable as it is pleasurable. Dick’s knot blows fully, already buried in his pussy, which puts pressure on Jason’s g-spot and forces him to cum weakly, body strained and tired from his previous orgasms. The feeling of Jason’s tired pussy still doing its best to milk his knot despite the omega’s obvious exhaustion, paired with the fact that he’s inside Jason’s womb, is more than enough to push the alpha over the edge, and Dick cums harder than than he’s ever cum in his entire life.

The unrelenting pressure of Dick’s knot and the scalding heat of his thick, virile cum pumping directly into his womb makes Jason pass out again, but not before he squirts, barely any liquid coming out of him this time, but his body convulses just as harshly.

Dick sinks his fangs into Jason’s gland, and the forming bond has Jason waking up, only to be forced into another unending orgasm that has him passing right back out again.

 

Jason comes to, slowly and hesitantly, clawing through the deep fog of sleep and exhaustion, and opens his eyes to find a water bottle lying on the pillow next to his head. The sight makes him aware of exactly how fucking thirsty he is, and he grabs it and tries to sit up to drink, only to hiss at the sudden tug of pressure from deep within him when he moves.

Everything rushes back to him, and he blushes so hard he gets light headed. His body is still tied to Dick’s, the alpha’s knot stuck fast in the tight clench of his pussy, and with a little bit of wiggling, Jason can safely say that his cock is still stuck snugly in his womb. His stomach is slightly bloated with the sheer amount of the alpha’s release swirling inside, the head of his cock plugging him up, just like Dick said it would.

Said alpha is passed out cold behind him, gentle snores filling the air along with the scents of their mating. Jason can feel the muted contentment and satisfaction of the alpha through the new bond, and it brings happy tears to his eyes to know that he wouldn’t have to suffer through another heat alone ever again.

Dick’s hand is still wrapped in his, and even with the alpha’s cock literally in his fucking womb, the sight makes his heart flutter, a blush rising on his cheeks. The alpha knew it was important to him, and never let his hand go, even when passed out. Jason settles back into the nest, and brings their joined hands to rest over his stomach.

He REALLY hopes it takes, but if it doesn’t, he could probably be convinced to do this again.