Chapter Text
A soft kiss on his forehead woke Barry up, and he smiled when he saw his Alpha leaning over him. Hal brushed the hair off his face and cupped his cheek, chuckling when he leaned into the touch.
“Good morning Omega.” He greeted.
“Morning Alpha.” Barry replied, stretching leisurely.
Hal got off the bed and pulled the covers off of him, taking in his bare skin as he did so. Then, to his dismay, he held up the bondage gloves from yesterday.
“Hands Omega.” He ordered.
Barry tucked his hands close to his chest, staring at the offending mitts with no enthusiasm.
“But Alpha, you said I didn’t have to wear them today.” He protested.
Hal’s eyes hardened and he put the gloves back on the table so he could cross his arms.
“Are you talking back to me?” He growled.
“No Alpha!” Barry said quickly, “I’m sorry Alpha, I just thought I didn’t have to wear them today.”
“I don’t think you properly learned your lesson. Now give me your hands.” He snarled.
Trying not to cry, Barry held out his hands for his Alpha to take. Gone was the kindness Hal had shown him yesterday when locking him in, now he was rough and quick as he tightened the straps. By the time he was done with his second hand, the first one was already tingling because of how tight the cuffs were and he couldn’t help the pathetic whimpers he was making.
“Knock it off.” Hal growled. “And get up, we’re late to a meeting.”
Not trusting himself not to cry if he spoke, Barry got out of bed. Hal grabbed his arm once he was standing and started walking him towards the door, either oblivious to or uncaring of his nakedness.
“Alpha!” He choked, struggling to keep up with his Alpha. “Alpha please, I’m naked.”
It was bad enough that he had to wear these terrible gloves again, but he might die of humiliation if his Alpha made him stay nude when every other Omega would be clothed. Hal blessedly stopped and turned to look at him, but his face had no kindness or sympathy, rather, he looked cold and uncaring.
“That isn’t my problem.” Hal said simply, as though he wasn’t about to drag him naked in front of a crowd. “Now come on, you’re making us late with your whining.”
And then they were off again, Barry still naked and struggling to keep up. He was crying now and it wasn’t helping his stamina, he was already out of breath and wasn’t able to get it back. Hal didn’t pay him and his emotional turmoil, he ignored him until they were in the elevator.
“FRIDAY, take us to the garage.” He ordered, then finally turned to his Omega. “You slipped your collar.”
“What?” Barry asked. His collar was finger print activated, he couldn’t open it up, but when he looked in the elevator mirror, he saw that his neck was indeed bare.
“Nevermind, I have a spare.” Hal sighed, reaching into his pocket.
He pulled out a collar very similar to the one he usually wore and he was able to take a deep breath for the first time since getting out of bed. Then Hal turned it around to reveal the cruel medal spikes. Barry threw himself backwards, opening and closing his mouth uselessly while his Alpha stalked closer with no concern for the pain he was about to inflict upon him.
Barry swallowed hard when Hal placed the collar and started to tighten it, pushing the spikes into his skin. Oddly, he didn’t feel any pain as his throat was speared but he could see his own blood running down his neck and torso in the mirror. When Hal stepped back to examine it, he ignored the blood and tears, instead fastening a leash to him and giving it a choking tug. Barry tried to complain but when he opened his mouth, no noise came out, his Alpha had successfully muted him.
“There, now you look like a proper Omega.” Hal said, still ignoring all the blood.
Struggling to breathe, Barry felt his vision going fuzzy around the edges and his surroundings stopped making sense. The buttons had numbers but they weren’t in the right order and he couldn’t feel the elevator moving but he heard the gears moving as it did. Weirder still, they stopped before reaching the bottom line of buttons, even though that shouldn’t have been where the garage was.
“Come one, stop lallygagging.” Hal ordered, tugging on the leash once more.
Barry staggered out after him, his bare feet hitting the floor unpleasantly hard as he once again struggled to keep up. Without his hands and voice, he had no way to tell his Alpha that he was struggling to breathe, all he could do was try his best to keep up. His tongue felt horribly dry and he was compulsively swallowing, only making himself bleed even more.
Finally, mercifully, Hal stopped and Barry was able to sink ungracefully to his knees at his feet, trying his best to drag in as much oxygen as he could. He leaned hard against Hal’s leg, silently grovelling for forgiveness, he didn’t know why his Alpha decided that he needed another day of punishment but he was miserable about it. There were footsteps echoing around him but he couldn’t be bothered to look up, he was exhausted.
“Look Omega, look who’s here for you.” Hal instructed, syrupy sweet as he tugged the leash.
Still choking, Barry lifted his head to look and his heart dropped to his stomach. Lex was here, standing tall and suited and smiling at him like he’d played the funniest prank on him. The bald Alpha stepped forward and shook Hal’s outstretched hand like they were old friends, then took the leash from his hand.
Hal crouched down, grabbed his jaw in a bruising grip, and forced Barry to look at him.
“Did you really think you could disobey me, make a fool out of me, and get away with it?” He hissed, squeezing his jaw so hard it creaked. “You embarrass me.”
Lex chuckled and pulled the leash hard, dragging him forward until he was sprawled on his stomach.
“Poor little Barry. Barry. Barry-”
“Barry!”
This time, there was no Alpha leaning over him when he woke up, for real this time. There was only FRIDAY calling his name and slowly making the lights brighter.
His left hand was numb under his chest where he’d been resting his entire body weight on top of it and he quickly shook it out, desperate to get some feeling back in it. He’d kicked the nest apart in his sleep and was tangled in the many blankets, some of them were so tight that there were red marks under them.
Untangling himself from the mess his perfect sleeping space had become, he stumbled to the bathroom and looked in the mirror. His reflection didn’t look anywhere close to how horrible his dream reflection had, there was no blood and his collar was sturdy and properly fastened around his neck. He slipped a finger between the collar and his neck, reassuring himself that there were no spikes, wires, or other hidden nasties to hurt him.
“Are you okay?” FRIDAY asked.
“No.” Barry replied, curling forward until his forehead rested against the cool counter top.
“Do you want me to get your Alpha?” She asked.
That should have been comforting but with the dream still fresh in his mind, the last thing he wanted was Hal here, hovering and touching him.
“No thank you. I just need a moment to get it together.” He rasped, gripping the counter hard.
FRIDAY let him have that time, turning the temperature in the room up a few degrees. Barry was crying now, shoulders shaking a little but he was too tired for his body to actually put full force behind them. He straightened and turned on the tap, waiting until the water was as cold as it could possibly be, then he splashed some on his face.
“Can I do anything for you?” FRIDAY asked, desperate to help. “I don’t have to get Hal, but maybe I can have some warm blankets brought down, maybe some tea?”
“No, I’m good. Thank you though.” Barry replied, “I might have one of those water bottles though.”
“I think that’s wise, hydration is an often overlooked part of anxiety reduction.”
It was such a clinical answer from the otherwise personal robot that it dragged a laugh out of him. It was weak and a little watery from the tears, but it did make him feel much better. FRIDAY opened the mini fridge for him before he had a chance to even find it hidden in the wall and he grabbed a chilled bottle of water happily. The cool liquid was soothing going down and it did wonders for his emotional state.
He drank half the water before he was able to address the bed he’d messed up in his sleep. Some of the pillows had been pushed to the floor, there were blankets stretched out everywhere in an unappealing carpet, it looked so different from the cozy nest he’d so carefully crafted earlier.
“What time is it?” He asked. If it was close to morning, he may as well just stay up rather than waste time fixing the bed.
“It is two ten in the morning.” FRIDAY responded.
So definitely not close to morning, he had plenty of time to get himself back to sleep once he cleaned up the bed. He started by striping all remnants of his nest from the mattress and refolding all the blankets. He wanted to rebuild, he had really enjoyed the process when he’d first done it and it had been amazing to fall asleep in a nest of his making again.
If he was going to make a new nest, he needed to make it better, he didn’t want to wake up tangled again, it needed to hold it’s shape. He started the way he had the first time, shaping it with the pillows, but he grabbed some more from the arm chairs to try to shore up the walls to keep them sturdy.
“Why don’t you try wrapping a fitted sheet around the pillows, so that way they can’t move too much if you squirm in your sleep?” FRIDAY suggested, “That’s what Boss does when he makes his nests.”
“Oh my god, that’s a great idea!” He chirped, grabbing one from his little horde.
It took some doing, he was tired and clumsy, and fitted sheets were always a pain regardless of how alert you were, but finally, he’d tucked all the pillows into the fitted sheet and gotten it moulded properly. While he liked the shape it had, he hated how the sheet felt on his skin and he started covering it with other blankets.
“Do you want to talk about it?” FRIDAY asked eventually.
Barry paused with a blanket in his arms, ready to be laid out in his nest.
“Can I make my nest first?”
“Of course, you don’t have to tell me anything, if you don’t want to.” FRIDAY promised.
In lieu of a response, he just went back to construct his nest. He took his time, even though he was exhausted, because he hated how the tangled blankets had felt when he’d woken up. He wanted a comfortable nest, he wanted to be able to snuggle up in it and be perfectly safe.
~~~
Finally, his nest was up to his standards and he was ready to crawl in. He had decided not to have his shirt in this time, it felt horrible, but he wasn’t sure if he wanted Hal’s scent on him right now, he still felt shaky thinking about his dream. Maybe it wasn’t logical, since Hal obviously had nothing to do with his nightmare, it wasn’t even real, but he felt betrayed. And he hated himself for it.
“FRIDAY? Are you still there?” He called once he was curled up comfortably in his nest.
“I’m always here.” She answered.
“Can we, uh, can we talk?” He asked.
“Of course.”
Despite the fact that he had started the conversation, Barry stayed quiet for a moment while he thought about what to say.
“In my dream, my new Alpha gave me back to my old one.” He confessed finally.
There was another beat of silence before FRIDAY piped up, “That sounds terrifying.”
“It was.” He agreed, “I know it was just a dream and it wasn’t real, but it felt so lifelike.”
“Dreams often do feel like that.” FRIDAY said calmly, “It’s understandable that you would feel frightened because of it.”
“He also- He put a spiked collar on me.” Barry swallowed, “It made me bleed and so I couldn’t talk. He made me wear the gloves again. He said I embarrassed him.”
His voice was starting to shake again, he was hurting from the words Hal had ‘said’ to him in the dream. It may not have been real but it wasn’t a good feeling. He didn’t want to feel like he disappointed his Alpha.
“It sounds like in your dream, Hal displayed behaviours that your previous Alpha had.” FRIDAY said, “And despite the fact that you and I both know that Hal would never ever do something like that, your brain made it up and scared you. What you’re feeling is completely normal and you don’t have to feel bad about it.”
“Thanks.” He croaked.
“Do you think that stress from today’s events caused the nightmare or do you think it’s something else?”
“Kinda both?” He guessed. “I don’t know, I guess I’m worried about a lot.”
“Like what?”
“Will you tell my Alpha what I say?” Barry asked, worrying his bottom lip with his teeth.
“My program will not allow me to disclose any private conversation between myself and anybody. I cannot tell Hal or anyone anything you tell me unless I have reason to believe that you are a danger to yourself or another person, you or someone else is in danger, or you confess to breaking the law.” FRIDAY assured.
“My Alpha is going to take my pup and I to California.” He confessed. “And I’m nervous about it.”
“Why?”
“I’ve never been to California before, I don’t know anybody there and I don’t know if I’m going to like it there. And the only reason I know we’re going to California is because my Alpha and doctor talked about it in front of me.” He said, “But I feel upset because he keeps saying he wants me to make my own decisions, but if I make the wrong one, he’ll step in and make it for me. Like, he said it was my choice to go into the Cradle until I said I didn’t want to go in, then he made me do it anyway.”
FRIDAY hummed and Barry could picture her stroking her chin or nodding her head. It was a pity she didn’t have an actual body, though she was perfectly expressive without one.
“So you’re feeling a little stepped on?” She said “You feel like your Alpha doesn’t respect you?”
“I wouldn’t say I feel disrespected. He doesn’t have to give me any choices at all, I just wish that he would make up his mind about it. If he wants to decide everything for me, he should just do it, I don’t always want to have to guess which choice he wants me to make.” Barry corrected, running his fingers through his sweaty hair.
“I can see how that would be stressful, feeling like you have to tiptoe around your mate all the time.”
“He’s not my mate.” He mumbled.
“Do you think that your Alpha deliberately sets you up to make the wrong choice so he can correct you?” She asked, completely ignoring Barry’s protest about Hal not being his mate.
“I don’t know. Maybe?”
FRIDAY hummed again. “What would he gain from tricking you?”
“He would remind me of my place.” He answered easily. “He’s my Alpha and he can choose what to do with me.”
“And you making the wrong choice, as you put it, will give him the opportunity to remind you that he is the Alpha?”
“Exactly.”
FRIDAY was quiet for a moment and Barry worried that she might have decided to stop conversing with him.
“Is the Cradle incident the only time that your Alpha has overridden your decision or does it happen often?”
“He made me go to this mornings doctors appointment, even though I’m totally fine.” Barry said, though he knew he sounded petulant.
“To me, it sounds like your Alpha only overrides your choice when your health is at risk. I saw you when you came for the Cradle and you were very sick, had you not received medical intervention, I don’t think you would still be alive today.” FRIDAY said carefully. “I think you may need to talk to Hal about this, probably before you go to California.”
That wasn’t what he wanted to hear, he didn’t want to be told he was overreacting. He knew now that the Cradle wasn’t as bad as he’d thought it would be, but he felt he still had a right to be upset about it.
“I don’t want to go to California.” He rasped, tears welling up in his eyes. “I want to stay at the manor. I don’t want to leave the other Omegas.”
“But the other Omegas have their own homes, the only ones who live in the Manor full time are Bruce, Clark, and Dick.” FRIDAY pointed out. “And Hal's home is very nice, it’s in a nice wooded area with lots of land. And it’s close to the ocean so you can go walk on the beach if you’d like to, I’m sure that you’ll be very happy there.”
It took Barry a moment to properly respond around the massive lump in his throat. He was shivering now, and crying, making the pillow under him a little wet.
“I’ve always lived in the Midwest, I’ve never lived somewhere where it doesn’t snow. What happens if it’s bad there?” He asked tearfully.
“It’s completely normal to be nervous. I won’t lie, it will be a big change, but that doesn’t mean it will be bad.” FRIDAY soothed, “Hal is a good man and an even better Alpha, and he lives with Alpha Gardener and Beta Stewart, who are also very good people. They’ll all help you get settled and taken care of.”
He didn’t have anything to say to that, it may have been logical but he was still stressed. FRIDAY waited for a response
“I don’t want to go.” He whispered finally, still incredibly upset. “I don’t want to go.”
He was weeping now with his face pressed into his pillow and an arm thrown over his head. FRIDAY was silent for a few minutes while he let it out but when he started choking on his sobs, she piped up.
“Barry, I’m going to call someone down for you. I think you need an actual human with you right now.” She said.
“Don’t call my Alpha!” He choked, sitting up even though it made his head throb.
“I’m not going to call Hal, I know you don’t want to see him.” She promised, effectively settling him. “I’m going to call Tony.”
“It’s late.” Barry sobbed as he wiped at his nose.
“I’m not waking him up, he’s already awake.” FRIDAY assured him gently. “Just try to take deep breaths, he’s on his way.”
Barry nodded and laid back down, trying his best to take deep, even breaths. He was curled up and running his fingers through his hair to soothe himself. He was so focused on his own sorrow that he didn’t notice Tony had arrived until the other Omega climbed into his nest and caught his wrist gently.
“Hey Blondie, what’s happening?” He whispered, tugging him closer until Barry’s nose was pressed against his chest. This close, he could feel the slight vibrations from the arc reactor settled deep in Tony’s chest.
“My-my Alphas gonna move me to California.” He choked, “And I don’t wanna go.”
Tony hummed and started massaging his scalp with one hand and rubbing his back with the other. His scent was blessedly neutral and non-judgemental, like he didn’t think it was stupid for him to be this wound up about something so trivial.
“I wanna stay here.” He continued. “In this area I mean, not here here.”
“I know.” Tony shushed, increasing his ministrations. “I got what you meant. It’s completely understandable, you just got used to your surroundings and you don’t want to move.”
Thank god, he was worried that he was going to be laughed at.
“I’ve never even been to the west coast.” He whimpered, snuggling in closer.
“Haven’t you?”
“I didn’t even leave Missouri until I was almost twenty-eight.” He confessed.
“So this is gonna be a big change for you, isn’t it?” Tony hummed, “No wonder you’re so nervous, I would be too.”
“What happens if I hate it? What if Wally hates it? God, when we adopted Wally, we were so excited to do all the winter things with him.” Barry sniffled, “We didn’t get much of a chance before Iris died, and when we were with my old Alpha, we barely left the tower. Now I’ll never get to take him sledding, or build a snowman, or make forts.”
He cried harder with each item on the list. Frankly, there were more but he didn’t want to become unintelligible to his friend.
“Oh Blondie, you’ll still get to do those things.” Tony cooed.
“How? It doesn’t snow in California.” Barry snarked. “Unless the climate has changed that much in the five years I was away from the world.”
“You’re right, it doesn’t snow much in California, especially not the part Hal lives in. But Hal’s pack house is in New York, where it snows all the time.” Tony pointed out, “And he goes back to the pack house pretty often, and for every holiday. So you and Wally will be around plenty of snow, you’ll be able to have all the winter fun you want.”
That did soothe the ache in his heart a little, it wasn’t gone completely but it was dulled significantly.
“And while I doubt you and Wally will hate Cali, Hal adores you both. If you get there and either of you are miserable, he’ll move heaven and earth to make you happy. Even if it means moving you two across the country to a climate you’re more accustomed to.” Tony said, “But you have to talk to him. Hal is a lot of things, but he’s not a mind reader. If something is bothering you, or scaring you, you need to tell him, don’t wait for it to boil over to let him know something is wrong.”
He had a feeling that Tony wasn’t just referring to the move and he knew it wasn’t a secret that he’d been a total brat about his appointment. It was embarrassing that others knew but he couldn’t do anything about it now.
“I’m going to miss the other Omegas, I don’t want to never see them again.”
“You will definitely see them again, don’t worry your pretty little head about that. They’re not a pack for lack of contact, they see each other all the time.” Tony huffed into his hair.
“But what if they don’t want to see me? I’m not in their pack.” Barry pointed out, feeling cold inside.
“Maybe not yet but trust me, you will be soon. They love ya babe.”
“But what if my Alpha doesn’t want me anymore? He could send me away right now if he figures out I’m not worth the effort.” Barry whined, curling up closer to Tony.
The other Omega went stiff against him, his hands stilling and his scent going burnt. His breath shudders and Barry curls tighter, nearly a little ball of sad, silly Omega against his friend.
“So first of all,” Tony said slowly, with a heavy tone. “You are most certainly ‘worth the effort’ and don’t you ever forget it. Second, my pack doesn’t associate with Hals just because, we have similar values, and those values include not sending our Omegas away.”
“But he could.” Barry pointed out.
“Legally, yes he could. But if he ever even thought about it, he would be exiled from his pack so fast his knot will fall off, and Clark would scoop you up even faster.” Tony said, “You belong to Hal, which means you belong to his pack. You will never be alone again, Clark is very protective of his pack, if he even suspects that something is wrong he will swoop in to take care of it.”
When Barry didn’t respond to that, Tony squirmed until they were awkwardly face to face.
“You’ll probably never even open a jam jar again, he’ll fly to California and do it for you.” He joked, cupping Barry’s face so tightly he made him go fish lipped. “Your Alpha, and his pack, care about you very much, but you have to learn to accept it.”
“I don’t deserve it.” He insisted, awkwardly since tony was still squishing his face.
“Yes, you do. I know it’s hard to remember that you’re human after a bad Alpha, I’ve been there, but I promise that it gets easier.” He whispered, finally releasing his cheeks and embracing Barry tight. “I think we should talk to Hal about this, you can’t just let this stew.”
“He’ll be mad.” Barry whispered.
“No he won’t. I’ll make FRIDAY alert me when Hal comes to get you in the morning and we’ll talk about it. He needs to know Barry, he wants to help you and he can’t do that if you never let him in.”
Barry, falling back into a habit he thought he’d broken in university, clammed up. He hated talking about his problems, had since he was a little boy before his mother died and it had only gotten worse in foster care. If he had it his way, he would never talk about what was troubling him.
“You need to think about something else?” Tony guessed, correctly. “Ya know Blondie, I think you and I are very similar. We don’t like to bother people, we like to solve things ourselves. So I’ll make you a deal; I’ll call you out on your bullshit if you call me out on mine. How does that sound?”
“Okay.” Barry agreed, nuzzling closer. “Just, please don’t be mean.”
Surprisingly, Tony kissed his head and started playing with his hair and rubbing his back again. The comforting movements soothing him enough that he started purring subconsciously.
“Never. I know what it’s like to have people try to drag it out of you.” Tony assured quietly, continuing to cuddle with him. “But let's distract ourselves and we’ll talk more tomorrow. Do you want to talk about something or do you want to watch something?”
“Watch, I guess.” He shrugged.
“What do you want to watch? FRIDAY can pull up anything.”
“I don’t care, something boring. I want to go back to sleep.” Barry murmured.
“FRIDAY, can you put on some Downtown Abbey for us?” Tony asked to the ceiling.
FRIDAY didn’t say a word but the wall panel opened and the TV turned on. The pair watched in silence and the show was boring, just as he’d needed. Barry soon curled up into Tony’s embrace and closed his eyes, the scent of another, calm Omega slowly lulling him into sleep until he was teetering on the edge, just one small push from falling asleep. Tony started to detangle himself from him but he was too far gone to really care, he just barely felt Tony run a hand through his hair and press a kiss to his head before he was out.
~~~
It felt like he’d only just closed his eyes when somebody was nudging him awake again. He whined against the hand pushing him and rolled over, latched onto a spare pillow in his nest, and tried to slip back into slumber when the annoying hand followed him. Frustrated, he groaned and shoved the hand away, hoping they’d get the hint. Instead, he heard his Alpha laugh and his brain settled on being awake.
He rolled over reluctantly and saw Hal sitting on the edge of the mattress and leaning in towards him, careful to not disturb the nest. When he saw that he was awake, Hal cupped his cheek and brushed his thumb along his cheek bone.
“Alpha.” He rasped.
“Hey baby, how’re ya doing?” His Alpha whispered, his scent light and happy.
“Alpha.” Barry repeated. He pushed himself up and reached for his Alpha, seeking comfort as he woke up.
Hal easily obliged, eagerly embracing him and tugging him into his lap. For a moment, Barry worried that Hal was going to smell Tony’s scent and be angry at him, but he either didn’t notice or didn’t care because he didn’t mention it.
“You made a nest.” Hal whispered, his happy scent spiking wonderfully. “I’m so proud of you.”
Barry preened under the praise and nuzzled against his scent gland. Suddenly, he was struck with a genius idea. If his Alpha was so happy just seeing the nest, he’d be even happier in the nest. He squirmed out of the hold and started tugging on his arm, relentless until Hal got the hint.
“You want me in your nest baby?” He asked and smiled when Barry nodded. “Are you sure?”
Barry groaned in annoyance. Here he was, offering his nest up to his Alpha, and he was stalling.
“C’mon Alpha.” He whined.
Hal instantly softened and gingerly climbed in, careful to not disturb any of the pillows or carefully placed blankets. Once he was settled, Barry laid down next to him and snuggled into his side.
“How was your night sweetness?” Hal asked.
He didn’t want to talk about his nightmare so he just shrugged. “It was alright Alpha. I missed you.”
“Oh StrawBarry, I missed you too.” Hal said and squeezed him.
Barry smiled and clutched at his Alphas shirt. They laid still for a moment until Hal got bored and started wiggling, making Barry annoyed. His Alpha was gonna mess up his nest. Hal grabbed his half full water bottle from the nightstand and held it out for him.
“Drink up sweet boy.” He instructed.
Obediently, Barry took the cap off and swallowed down the room temperature liquid. Admittedly, it felt great going down his throat and he was disappointed when it was gone. Hal took the empty bottle from him and embraced him again, pressing kisses into his hair.
“Ready to get up baby?” He asked.
“Yeah.” Barry admitted.
Hal climbed out of the nest, just as carefully as when he’d gotten in, then leaned in and scooped him up. The cold air hit him right away and Barry curled up against his Alpha to leech his warmth. Hal searched around until he found the pajama pants Barry had discarded and set him down just long enough to redress, then lifted him back up.
~~~
Half an hour later, Barry had showered, brushed his teeth, and gotten dressed in some very comfortable clothes and was side by side with his Alpha on their way to breakfast. Hal’s arm was heavy and comforting on his shoulder and he kept giving him kisses. His good mood died when Tony strutted up and grabbed Hal’s hand.
“Let's go this way.” He said, dragging them both into an empty parlour that coincidently already had fresh tea and coffee on the table.
“What’s wrong?” Hal asked, “I was hoping to get some of Rhodeys pancakes.”
“Trust me, the way both of our packs eat, he’ll be making pancakes until tomorrow afternoon. You’ll get some.” Tony assured and gave the Alpha a shove towards one of the sofas.
Once Hal was on his couch, Tony claimed the one across from it and dragged Barry down to sit next to him. As though he hadn’t just disrupted their morning, the brunette started pouring himself some coffee.
“The tea is decaf.” He said, “So it won’t bother your stomach.”
Since his stomach was rolling in anticipation and nerves, Barry had absolutely no interest in tea but he made himself some anyway, just to have something to do with his hands. Hal also made himself a cup of coffee and it definitely wasn’t an accident that his hand brushed over Barry’s a few times.
“Tones, does this have anything to do with why your scent was in Barry’s room this morning?” Hal asked.
“Yep.” Tony confirmed, popping the ‘p’ at the end. “Blondie’s nervous about the move to California.”
“Tony!” Barry hissed.
“I told you we were talking to your Alpha in the morning. It’s morning.” Tony said back.
“Barry?” Hal asked. “Are you scared of the move?”
With the focus on him, Barry squirmed in his seat and looked into his tea like it would hold all the answers. Unfortunately, it didn’t and he had to come up with some by himself.
“Yes.” He said into the cup.
Hal huffed and fiddled with his own mug.
“What’s scaring you?”
The tone left no room for Barry to deflect, it was Alpha and compelled him to answer. It made his hindbrain itch to respond properly and honestly.
“You didn’t tell me about it. I’ve never been to California. I’m scared that I won’t like it.” Barry listed robotically.
“I told you!” Hal said. “I told you-”
The Alpha broke off suddenly and ran a hand through his hair.
“Actually, maybe I didn’t tell you. I’m sorry baby, I never meant to hide it from you, I meant to tell you after you got out of the Cradle but there was so much happening, it must have slipped my mind.” He explained, “I’m sorry Barry, I honestly didn’t mean to spring it on you.”
Tony nodded decisively and leaned towards Barry’s side.
“He’s an Alpha, they don’t remember things very well.” He whispered.
Barry cleverly disguised his giggle by taking a scalding sip of tea. If Hal had heard the jab, he didn’t react to it.
“Blondie and I talked last night and apparently, he didn’t even leave Missouri until he had graduated university.” Tony announced, pushing the conversation along. “So he’s nervous about the climate difference.”
“What did you study at university?” Hal asked, completely ignoring the other part of that statement.
“Forensic Chemistry Alpha.” Barry said. “I’ve never been out of the Midwest, I’ve never been to California.”
Hal hummed and took a sip of his coffee. While he formulated a response, Barry studied his socks.
“Well, California is very different from what you’re used to, I won’t lie.” He started. “But I don’t think you’ll hate it, our house is in a nice area outside of the city, like the manor, and it’s pretty nice. We’re not directly on the water but we’re close enough that we get a nice breeze from it, and there’s a nice pond on the property that we can swim in if you want to.”
When Barry didn’t complain or interrupt, he continued.
“I live with Guy and John, they were with me when I first got you, so we won’t be lonely, and I have a cat named Itty who’s pretty friendly. There’s a small orange tree orchard that produces a fair amount of fruit, so you can have fresh oranges, and there’s a farmers market in the city every saturday where we can get fresh fruit.” Hal rambled, trying to sell it. “We also have solar panels, I don’t know if that interests you or not, but I think it’s cool, and we can work on getting you an Omega licence when we get there so you can drive.”
“What about the other Omegas? I like them, I don’t want to not see them again.” Barry mumbled, still looking at his feet.
“I promise, you will see them plenty. Dinah’s family only lives an hour away and we spend a ton of time together. I’m already working on getting Wally enrolled in the same school Roy goes to, though they’re obviously in different grades.” Hal said, then launched into another tangent. “Wally will love the school, it’s nice and small so the classes aren’t too big and there are tons of extracurriculars for literally every interest a pup can have.”
“What about Mera and Bruce?” Barry asked.
“Well, Mera lives in Atlantis but she and Arthur come to the coast pretty often. Bruce usually stays in Gotham but we’ll be coming back for holidays and we usually go on trips and vacations as a pack.” He answered, “I’m really glad you like them so much and I promise that you’ll see them often sweetheart.”
A little bit reassured, Barry took another long sip of his tea and exhaled. Tony waited for him to continue the conversation and rolled his eyes when he didn’t.
“Barry’s also feeling a little insecure about his permanence in your life. He’s worried you might get bored of him and send him away.” He said bluntly, making Hal grimace and Barry choke on his tea.
“Tony!” He whined.
“Barry!” Tony mimicked. “He needs to know.”
Hal set his cup down and dropped his head to his hands, the scent of upset Alpha wafting from him and making both Omegas squirm.
“I’m going to call Clark, I think both of us need to be here for this.” He said finally. “FRIDAY, can you send Clark our way?”
“Of course.” FRIDAY replied.
Barry closed his eyes and focused on taking deep breaths through his nose. He hadn’t even really wanted to have this talk with Hal, he didn’t want another Alpha there.
Regardless, it didn’t even take five minutes for Clark to show up and take a seat next to Hal and the conversation progressed anyway.
“What’s up?” The pack Alpha asked.
“Barry’s worried I might get rid of him once I get him to California.” Hal said and Barry flinched. “I wanted to clear that up.”
Clark nodded grimly and looked at the small Omega, curled in on himself.
“I see. You feeling a little disposable?” Clark asked him.
Barry nodded reluctantly and chanced a glance up. Both Alphas looked upset but neither smelt angry so that was a blessing. Clark rocked back and forth for a moment before he started talking again.
“You are not disposable, not to Hal and not to me, but on the incredibly slim chance that Hal suffers a traumatic brain injury and decides to send you away, as your secondary, you would come right to me. I have the ability to challenge any decision he makes regarding you and have it taken into consideration.” Clark explained. “If I even suspect that Hal isn’t treating you properly I can take him to claims court and fight for you to come home with me. If something happens to Hal where he is unable to care for you or he passes away, you come to me. You will never be ‘sent away’ or anything of the sort.”
“What about Wally?” Barry whispered.
“Wally stays with you, the pup stays with the Omega.” Clark said.
“Nobody is going to try to separate you and your pup.” Hal added. “Even if everything goes wrong, you and Wally stay together.”
Tony smiled and put a hand on his shoulder, giving it a squeeze to be reassuring. He appreciated it, even if he was a little angry at his fellow Omega for making him have this conversation in the first place. Hal and Clark were looking at him expectantly, waiting for him to continue the discussion, which he wasn’t inclined to do. When Hal realised that he wasn’t going to say anything, he got up and stepped around the coffee table to crouch in front of him. He traced a knuckle across his cheek and made him shiver at the contact.
“I can prove it when we get back to the manor, Clark and I have had a lawyer draw up a contract that makes sure that you and Wally will stay together even if the worst happens.” He said.
“I’m scared. I don’t want to go to California, I like the snow.” He whined.
“Oh baby, I’m sorry, you have a right to be scared but can you please try for me?” Hal asked, stroking his cheek again. “My job is in California, so are all of my things. I just need you to try for me baby, I’ll make it so comfortable for you, we can get you all the nesting supplies you want, you’ll have plenty of space to move about, your doctor is in California.”
Barry whimpered and moved back, breaking the contact between them. He was regretting even letting Tony know about his private thoughts, this was going horribly.
“Hal.” Clark said, “Give him space.”
Hal obeyed his pack Alpha and went back to his seat but he kept his focus on his Omega.
“I can make you so happy sweetness, we’ll get you taken care of. California is really great, we can get you settled with anything you need to feel at home!” Hal rambled, “Do you like reading? Cause we have a great library at the Lantern House, and we have an awesome pizza oven outside by the fire pit. And the night sky is amazing, we’re far enough out in the country to see lots of stars, there's a balcony off our living room, we can go out and look at the sky every night if you want.”
Tony wrapped an arm around him and gave him a side hug as well as not so discreetly scenting him.
“It’s okay blondie.” He whispered.
Barry sniffled and curled in to snuggle for comfort. He hated this, he hated this entire damn conversation. He was considering running out and finding himself a nice spot to hide for the rest of the day. Maybe he could pull the fire alarm. Anything to get out of this situation.
“Barry.” Clark called, waiting until he peeked over to continue. “I completely understand how difficult it is to move to a place with a different climate. I was raised in Kansas where our winters are pretty mild and I hated Metropolis when I first moved because of how cold the winters were. But I made some friends who taught me how to have fun with the weather and I started to love it. I think that with Hal and Wally, you’ll come to love California.”
Hal grinned like a loon and looked at him eagerly, clearly expecting some sort of positive reaction.
“And I told you that Hal visits his pack house often, so you’ll still see snow.” Tony added.
“Yeah, all the time!” Hal added on, “I usually visit every month and every holiday, I spend almost three weeks in Gotham from Christmas to New Years.”
That did perk Barry up a bit, knowing that he’d still be able to be in the climate he grew up in a little bit. He wasn’t sure about everything else. He was angry, he was tired, and he didn’t know what he wanted. Maybe he just wanted to sulk.
Hal once again got up and stepped over the coffee table to take his shoulders in his hands, his thumbs tracing back and forth over his collarbones. He didn’t have the strength to pull away from him, his nose just twitched at Hal’s scent, the Alpha is agitated and it’s probably his fault.
“Please sweet boy, my sweet StrawBarry, can you promise you’ll at least try to like California?” He asks.
He nodded, because what else could he do? He has no say in anything that’s going to happen to him, not his healthcare, not his diet, not where he lives, not even if and when he sleeps. All of that is up to his Alpha and what he wants. Hal clearly takes his nod as enthusiasm and drops to embrace him in a hug so tight that it squeezed all of the air out of his lungs.
“That’s my Omega.” He whispered in his ear and kissed the side of his head. “That’s my good, sweet Omega. Are you hungry baby?”
At the moment, he has no interest in anything except perhaps heading back to the nest he’d made, but Hal probably wants him to eat so he just nods silently again. It must be the right thing to do, because Hal gives him one extra tight squeeze before he lets go and physically lifts him up from his seat.
Hal grabbed his hand and started to pull him towards the door and he went willingly. Tony threw him a look that suggested that he knew that Barry was intentionally letting the conversation die without everything being discussed but thankfully, he didn’t say anything.
~~~
The main floor is a hustle of activity, with everybody moving and talking and cooking different things. It was craziness and very overwhelming, so he curled himself closer to his Alpha and tried his hardest to not be in the way of the madness. Evidently, he didn’t hide very well, because Rhodey saw him and called him out.
“Hey, we wondered where you were! C’mon blondie, I’ve got a plate for you right here.”
Timidly, Barry crept over and accepted the plate Rhodey held out to him. The plate had two pancakes, a piece of bacon, and some fruit salad, it looked and smelled amazing. Hal had wandered off to go talk to some of the others, a group too big for him at the moment, so instead, he found Scott settled in a corner and went to join him.
As he walked over, he got very unpleasant reminders of being the new kid in the highschool cafeteria, when everybody else had friends and he didn’t know everybody, looking for a place to sit. Fortunately, Scott heard him coming, looked up, and smiled, scooting over to make room for him.
“How was your night?” Scott asked kindly, stuffing a bite of pancakes into his mouth.
“It was alright.” Barry shrugged.
“Ya feeling okay this morning?” He pushed, “I know that I always feel a little sensitive after I’ve been corrected.”
Barry squirmed and poked his fruit, watching a strawberry fall down the pile and stop against the pancakes.
“I’m a little down I guess, it’s not so bad though.” He admitted. Finally, he cut into his breakfast and nearly moaned at the taste. These were easily the best pancakes he’d ever had, they were so amazing.
“Good, aren’t they?” Scott asked with a chuckle. “You’ll be alright though, Hal seems like the proper type, he’ll take care of you.”
All Barry could give him was a strained smile. Hal was still in a very animated conversation with some of the other Alphas, whose names he couldn’t remember. Hopefully, he wouldn’t be dragged into the conversation, he didn’t want to play nice for other Alphas at the moment.
He was distracted by Scott shifting, his ankle monitor catching his attention. The other Omega noticed his staring and smirked.
“You’re dying to know, aren’t you?” He asked.
That made him blush, because on one hand, yes he did. On the other hand, it was definitely rude to admit it. Nevertheless, Scott cut another bite of his breakfast, chewed, swallowed, and explained.
“So you know about Tony’s ex right?” Scott asked, getting a cautious nod. “Well, that bastard’s really manipulative, and I’ve always been too trusting. There was this thing called the Accords being discussed that would basically limit the power vigilantes have in terms of going into other countries and the Good Captain was really against it.
“His best buddy was also on the run from the cops, cause it was suspected that he’d bombed a UN building and killed the king of a visiting country. So Cap helps this guy fight off the cops and they go on this massive car chase where they collapse a tunnel on top of rush hour traffic, and they get ready to flee the country. Keep in mind, I didn’t really understand any of this.
“This dude named Sam recruited me, told me that the Accords were basically the holocaust for meta humans. He said that the government would force me to fight like a collared dog, that they would take me away from my home, and that if I didn’t obey them then they’d take my daughter away from me. And what parent lets their kid get taken away from them? I jumped to go and help them.
“I was already on probation and wasn’t allowed to leave the country, but they smuggled me out anyway. We wound up at this airport when Tony and his friends showed up to stop us and we fight, hard. And I’ll admit, I’m not blameless in this, I did a ton of property damage, I nearly killed some of the people that are now my pack. And I got arrested.
“Since I had been on probation and violated that, and I’m an Omega, they wanted to put me in a retraining centre for five years and then hand me off to a state appointed Alpha who would keep me in line. I would have never been able to see my Cassie again, ever. I would have never been allowed to have any creature comforts ever again.”
Scott was tearing up and wiping at his eyes desperately. In sympathy, Barry reached out and squeezed his wrist.
“Thanks. Anyway, Hope stood by me. She got me a kickass lawyer who helped negotiate a deal so I wouldn’t be a mindless pet for the rest of my life. The lawyer said that since I had been lied to and had my pup threatened, I’d acted instinctually to protect them and didn’t deserve such a harsh punishment. I had to tell them everything I knew, which actually wasn’t much, since I had been acting on completely false information.
“They released me to Hope but there are a ton of conditions, I’m not allowed to go outside without her holding my leash, which can’t be longer than a metre. I’m not allowed to have unsupervised access to any technology, not even the television because I slipped my tracker once using a microwave. Obviously I have to wear my monitor, and my parole officer can come into our house and poke around whenever they want.”
“I’m sorry.” Barry said, not knowing what else to say.
“It’s alright. It’s really my own fault, I should never have broken parole.” Scott said, “My Alpha also has to spank me
“What?” Barry gasped, fumbling his fork.
“Oh shit!” Scott cursed, instantly reaching for his shoulder. “It’s not that bad, honestly, it’s okay.”
“This pack doesn’t hit.” He whispered, “Alpha promised; this pack doesn’t hit.”
“They don’t, they don’t hit, I promise.” Scott said firmly, gripping his shoulder tight. “It’s only me and only because my Alpha has to.”
The whole world felt far away and there was a sharp ringing in his ears. He needed space, anything to clear his head.
This pack doesn’t hit.
He was in the hallway, when that had happened, he didn’t know. Maybe his power restraints were malfunctioning.
This pack doesn’t hit.
The floor was hard under him but it was soothing. Following the lines between the floorboards with his fingers, it made the ringing a little quieter.
This pack doesn’t hit.
There wasn’t enough air in the tower. It was tall, wasn’t it? Maybe they were so high up that the oxygen was too thin. Maybe that was why he couldn’t breathe. Just keep following the lines.
This pack doesn’t hit.
The oxygen problem was quickly becoming more prevalent, his chest was tight, he was getting dizzier by the second. He couldn’t see the lines anymore and his fingers were too numb to find them. He couldn’t feel his feet and the numbness was creeping its way up his legs.
This pack doesn’t hit.
Scott got hit, his Alpha spanked him. But Hal was in a different pack, wasn’t he? But Tony said that their packs were similar, so he wasn’t safe.
There wasn’t enough air, he couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t find the lines.
This pack doesn’t hit.
Somebody was nearby, they were dragging his hands away from the lines. They didn’t get it, he needed those lines, they were nice, why were they taking his hands away from them. Maybe he was getting the gloves again. He was pretty sure he’d stormed out of breakfast, maybe he’d spilled his plate on the floor and was getting punished for it. The floorboards were nice, they would be a pain to replace if he got syrup on them.
It would probably be hard to get syrup out of the lines.
He fell upwards, hitting against something warm and hard. He wasn’t sure how he fell up. Maybe he was so high up that gravity was wrong.
Wrong oxygen, wrong gravity, everything was wrong.
Something kept touching his face, brushing over his mouth and nose no matter how his head moved. It followed him until it stuck and wouldn’t move.
Whatever was pressed against him sank, dragging him with it. He could feel the floor and started searching for the lines but he couldn’t find them. The thing curled against his back, shaping him with it, and a warm heavy thing landed over him.
This pack doesn’t hit.
“It’s okay.”
It wasn’t a thing that was holding him, it was someone. His ears were starting to work again but it wasn’t great.
“Breathe into the bag.”
That was someone else. Or the voice was moving. Maybe there were two people.
“You’re okay, everything’s okay.”
“Breathe into the bag.”
Definitely two people.
This pack doesn’t hit.
The floor was nice, whatever they had put on him that was warm contrasted nicely. It made it easier to breathe.
“That’s it, good job.” The first voice whispered.
He was able to find the lines now, his fingers running over them easily while the person behind him ran their hand up and down his arm.
A second hand started playing with his hair and another body pressed against his front, forcing itself into his field of vision. So close to him, Barry could smell that they were Omega but he couldn’t place who it was.
“It’s alright.” They whispered.
The ringing in his ears had almost completely subsided, his limbs were all accounted for and moving properly, and he could breathe without the aid of the paper bag. Now that the panic had passed, all of his limbs felt heavy and any energy he had was sapped but he was much more aware of what was going on around him, such as the warmth on him was a weighted blanket that was incredibly warm, like it had been in the dryer recently.
“Are you okay?”
Now that his eyes were working again, he could see that it was Tony in front of him, and he could smell his own Alpha behind him. He nodded slowly and shifted to a more comfortable position. His muscles screamed in protest at the movement, he was stiff and sore.
“You’re okay Barry, you’re alright.” Hal whispered in his ear and squeezed his arm.
Tony paused in his ministrations and nuzzled his neck. The other Omega was oddly in control, he may be laying on the floor but it was clear that Hal was taking points from him.
“Think you can sit up?” Tony asked.
“Feel heavy.” He rasped.
Tony nodded and pressed a kiss to his gland.
“Alright, that’s okay, Hal, Clark, and I can help you.” Tony soothed, ghosting his fingers on his neck.
That was when he noticed Clark standing at alert a few feet away, though he was hasty to move closer when the other two started to help him up. The Pack Alpha slipped an arm under his arms and guided him upright and helped him lean against the wall. Hal settled beside him and wrapped an arm around his shoulders.
Tony grabbed the fallen blanket and took his free side, then tucked the blanket around the three of them. The heat was still soothing and it did wonders to ease the tension in his muscles.
Clark opened a bottle of water and handed it to him and he drank it with greed, the cool water was amazing on his sore throat. He didn’t know when the sore throat came on but he would be happy when it was gone.
“How’re you feeling?” Tony asked.
“Better.” He replied.
“Are you hurt anywhere?” He pushed.
“My throat hurts and I’m sore everywhere but I’m not hurt.” Barry said.
Hal squeezed his shoulder and nuzzled his shoulder. Clark was also shifting and it was clear that both Alphas were agitated but not going to interrupt Tony.
“Alright, we’ll get you some tea with honey and an advil, does that sound okay?” Tony asked.
“Yeah.” He agreed easily.
“Scott told us what you two were talking about before you had your panic attack, why don’t we get you, Scott, Hal, Hope, and I settled somewhere private and clear up some misconceptions.” Tony said. It sounded like a question but Barry didn’t doubt it was a command.
“Hope hits Scott.” Barry whispered, the squeeze in his chest coming back.
“It’s a lot more complicated than that and you know that.” Tony said firmly, in a scolding tone. “Now, lets get you up, can you stand?”
“Yes.”
Tony nodded and together, he and Hal helped him to his feet and his Alpha stayed close with a steady hand on his hip. Tony was in his element, requesting that Scott and Hope meet them somewhere through FRIDAY, guiding them down the hall and back to the elevator, and giving instructions without any concern for whether or not he’d be listened to.
Hal had to lift him into a bridal carry in the elevator when his knees became too weak to carry his own weight. Secretly, he was incredibly grateful, as it gave him the chance to snuggle up close to his Alpha and breathe in his scent. Hal felt quite similarly and squeezed him tight and pressed his cheek to the top of his head.
They wound up in a spacious parlour with a luxurious sitting area in front of a floor to ceiling wall of windows with a beautiful view of the city. Of to the side was a bar with more sitting accommodations and Tony hurried off behind it, routing around until he had an electric kettle and a nice but modern tea set.
The other couple joined them before the water was boiling and they took a seat on the far end of the big sectional, Hope tucking herself into the corner and Scott settled close against her. Hal put them on the opposite end of the same piece of furniture, though it’s curved shape allowed them to see each other without having to twist.
The atmosphere felt painfully awkward to Barry and he couldn’t bear to look at the others so he stared at the city below. The issue wasn’t bothering Tony any while he brought the tray with the teapot and cups on it and set it on the coffee table, stepping back with a clap of his hands.
“Alright, the tea needs a moment to steep but let’s just dive into this. Barry, do you have any questions?” Tony declared.
He was quick to shake his head. Not because he didn’t have questions but because he didn’t want to verbalise them. Tony obviously didn’t believe them though, because he gave a tolerant nod and turned to Hope.
“Fine, Hope, can you please explain what the court has ordered you to do with Scott?” He requested.
“Well, there's the obvious loss of privileges and certain freedoms. Besides the ankle monitor, Scott cannot be outside without a court approved supervisor, either myself, Rhodey, Carol, or a legal officer assigned to his parole. Obviously, these rules can be bent in the event of an emergency, such as the need for hospitalisation or if the area he’s in becomes unsafe.” Hope started, holding onto Scott tightly.
“Any trip out of our main residence has to be declared to his parole team and approved by them, even a routine trip to a doctor. His parole team has unlimited access to our main residence and if they felt it was warranted, they could accompany him into doctors appointments, even ones of incredibly intimate nature.”
“He has no access to personal technology, the television in our house has to be in a locked room. Scott can’t have a cell phone, smart watch, or even an electric toothbrush because of his skill set. His hands have to be restrained individually behind his back and he cannot sit in the front seat, I had to fight to even allow him to be allowed in the cab and not in an Omega Hutch in the trunk or bed of the vehicle.”
Hope grimaced and ran a hand down Scotts arm distantly.
“And I have to administer physical punishment everyday, using an implement provided by the court. I want to make it really clear that it goes against my personal values and the values of the pack, but if I don’t administer the punishments as the court sees fit, Scott could be taken away from us and placed into an Omega Correctional Facility where he would be treated worse and after his sentence is finished he could be sold or married off to any Alpha who had the money to pay for his papers.”
By the end, Scott had his head down and he had tensed up while Barry had started shivering with the stress from the list Hope had described. Hal nudged him and rumbled deep in his chest.
“Scott, can you tell us about how the physical punishments are carried out?” Tony asked.
Scott squirmed awkwardly and fidgeted with his shirt sleeves. He didn’t look up or turn his head towards Barry and Hal at all.
“After dinner, in the later evening but before we start getting ready for bed, I have to go to the bedroom and retrieve my paddle from the case in the closet. I have to kneel on my cushion in the corner while holding it for fifteen minutes when Hope calls me to the bed. I have to confess to my crimes, declare that I was wrong and sorry, and then ask for a spanking with the paddle.” Scott said, “Hope usually puts me over her knee and she gives me a warm up with her hand. Once that’s done I get twenty swats with the paddle and I have to count them out loud. If I don’t count the swat quickly enough, I get it again. After that, I’m responsible for cleaning the paddle and returning it to it’s case.”
“Are you scared of your Alpha?” Tony asked.
“No, of course not!” Scott declared and finally looked up, showing off his teary eyes.
“Do you think Hope enjoys inflicting pain on you?” Tony asked.
“No. I know she hates it and I feel bad for making her do it. If I hadn't been so blinded by the Captain America title and broken my first parole, she wouldn’t have to do it at all.” Some of the tears fell from his eyes and Hope bent forward to grab him a tissue.
“Hope, what are your methods for correcting Scott, outside of what's issued by the court?” Tony redirected.
“I use the same methods the rest of the pack Alphas use, without the intent to cause pain or extreme discomfort. I never intend to humiliate or degrade him. I’ve used bondage gloves, gags, restraints, separation, and removal of certain privileges or soothers without disturbing his nest or safe space.” Hope said.
“Will you use physically painful corrections once Scotts parole is over?” He asked.
“No, never.”
Barry wiggled and curled closer to himself. His nose felt oddly runny and his eyes itched with unshed tears.
“Barry.”
His name being called startled him into looking up, only to see Tony leaning against the back of the couch, legs crossed at the knee, and one arm draped over the back of the sofa.
“Do you think that Hal or any other Alpha in your pack is going to use physical pain to punish you?”
“I don’t know.” He mumbled, looking down at his lap.
“You don’t know?” Hal asked quietly, sitting up straighter and tilting his head.
“I know that Alpha promised he wouldn’t and I trust him, bit, I just…”
After a moment passed without Barry continuing, Tony leaned forward and put a hand on his knee.
“You’ve been living with an Alpha who you couldn’t trust and who would hurt you for so long, you’re just used to being on edge.” He finished.
Barry bit his lip and nodded. He was now fighting tears too, he didn’t want to start crying again, his throat still hurt from his last cry session.
“I get it. And I get that hearing Scott tell you that he gets spanked was really confusing and scary.” Tony promised.
“I’m sorry.” Scott offered from his spot across the sofa.
“Are you okay?” Tony asked.
“I’m tired.” Barry confessed, “My chest feels tight still.”
“Alright, well how about we just rest and drink the tea. Do you want me to have somebody bring you your breakfast?” Tony asked.
“No thank you.” He whispered.
Hal nuzzled him and gave his head a kiss, which he eagerly leaned into. While Hal tended to his Omega, soothing him and helping him relax, Hope was doing the same with Scott. He doubted either Omega was going to be pulling away from the affection any time soon.