Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Hal felt the truck shake as it left the paved road and drove onto the pot-hole riddled shipyard surface. He wrinkled his nose at the scent of oil, body odour, rust, and dirty water that wafted through the ventilation system. He heard Guy in the driver’s seat snarl, whether at the smell or the person they were meeting, it was hard to say, but either way Hal agreed. John shifted audibly in the backseat, leaning between the two front seats to fix the two with a stern lecture.

“Look, I know you’re both unhappy about this and you’re concerned about the meeting place but please try not to go feral during this meetup.” John implored the two Alpha’s.

“John, this has all the components of a mob set up, you know that right? We’re meeting one of the dodgy-est men in the world, in an abandoned shipping yard, at dusk.” Guy returned, navigating the vehicle through the maze of shipping crates and heavy machinery.

“I never thought I would say this but; Guy’s right. This doesn’t feel right.” Hal said, scanning the shadows for hidden figures that may be lurking around.

“I know.” John sighed. “But this entire job was a breach of our comfort zones, might as well end that way.”

“Why did Big Blue even want us to take this mission again?” Hal asked.

“Something about Bruce needing information cut Lex off at the knees that could only be achieved like this.” John said, massaging his temples while Guy parked the car just outside of the designated meeting spot, a secluded area with two sides blocked by the harbour and a wall of shipping containers, giving them privacy.

As they checked their rings to make sure they all had enough power in case the meeting got tense, an imposing black limo with black tinted windows pulled up at the other side of the clearing and stopped, followed by a bleak sudan. Hal glanced at his companions and got nods from the both of them, so he opened the door and gracefully climbed down, waiting for the others to come around the sides of the truck before he started walking towards the middle of the clearing.

They got a mere few paces away from the center and stopped, Hal front and center with Guy on his right and John on his left. It was then that Hal realised that the wind was behind them, meaning that the people he was meeting would be able to smell their scents but they wouldn’t be able to smell theirs, putting the trio at a distinct disadvantage if things went sideways. Looking at Guy, the two exchanged a glance that told Hal the other Alpha had noticed too, but there was nothing that could be done about it now but wait and hope the meeting didn’t get heated.

They didn’t have to wait long, the backdoor of the limo opening up and revealing the man they were here to meet; Lex Luther. Hal expected him to come with armed guards but instead, a small, red haired pup clamoured out of the backseat beside him before Lex grabbed something off the seat and yanked it harsley, dragging someone out and onto their hands and knees.

Guy inhaled sharply beside him and Hal found himself agreeing. The someone was obviously an Omega and it was clear that he was battered, the only clothing he had on was a wrap around red skirt that barely covered the tops of his thighs, his feet were bare, and he was decorated in an array of bruises in various stages of healing. As he was hauled to his feet, Hal noticed that the thing Lex had grabbed was a leash attached to a collar around the Omega’s neck, and as the Alpha grabbed his chin and tilted his face up, Hal saw that a large ball gag was fitted in his mouth.

Left speechless, the trio could only watch as the bald Alpha led the pup and Omega across the gravel, the collared man limping as he was forced to walk over stray rocks and sharp debris that littered the ground. Hal failed to hide a wince of sympathy as Lex stopped beside a broken bottle and a small part of him hoped that against all odds, he wouldn’t be that cruel, the dice didn’t roll in his favour as Lex pointed his finger at the ground covered in glass, the Omega obeying the order and kneeling on the glass. The pup had followed the two from the limo and immediately scrambled into the lap of the kneeling man, the Omega pulling him close despite the fact that the added weight must be adding to his own pain.

“Gentlemen.”

Hal had to drag his gaze away from the suffering man with the child as Lex spoke, the bald man acting like he hadn’t just forced someone to wait on shattered glass.

“The job went well, I take it?” He asked.

Swallowing his rage, Hal plastered on a smile and played nice.

“It did, no trouble so to speak. I’m sure you received the files we sent you?”

“I did indeed.” Lex replied. If he noticed the barely concealed anger of the other Alpha’s he hid it well, he was the picture of laid back, hands in his pockets with his shoulders relaxed.

“Then may I ask why you wanted to speak with us?” Hal asked.

Luther grinned, taking his hands out of his pockets and gesturing to the Omega at his feet.

“I figured I owed you some form of compensation, after all the hard work you gave me.”

Guy snarled beside him, adopting a hostile stance at what the man was implying, implicating that the three were low enough to assault a hapless Omega as payment. Hal placed a hand on his shoulder, leaning in close to whisper in his ear.

“I know, it’s abhorrent but the Omega will be frightened if you lose control.”

Guy flicked his tongue over his teeth before closing his lips, the look he gave Hal told him that he was only just holding onto his infamous temper for the sake of the beaten man on the ground.

“I appreciate the offer, but we don’t roll that way.” Hal called across the clearing.

“And we prefer partners who can consent.” John stage muttered, Luther obviously hearing him.

“Oh! I think there’s been a misunderstanding, I’m not offering for you to use him, I’m giving him to you. He’s a little too defiant for my tastes, but a couple of strapping young Alphas and a battle hardened Beta ought to be able to handle him.” Lex laughed, as though he wasn’t discussing trading a human being in lieu of money for a service.

“We all know that it’s not quite as simple as that. We would need someone from the Registration and Guardianship Agency to oversee the transfer, that’s assuming that you are, in fact, his legal Alpha.” Hal growled, trying not to look at the Omega. 

Lex smiled like a shark smelling blood in the water, he lifted his hand and waved. The drivers side door of the sudan that had arrived with Lex opened and a plain looking man stepped out. He briskly walked over to Lex and nodded to the three across the gap, Lex tipped his head to the man and addressed the other people there.

“This is Geoffrey Wilferd, he works in the transfer department of the RGA. He was kind enough to agree to have the paperwork printed out and accompany me to this little shindig so we could go through the proper channels.” Luther introduced, looking at them as though challenging them to escalate the situation.

“Well that’s nice.” Hal muttered sarcastically. “I’m afraid we have to decline, we’re not in the market of courting an Omega.”

Luther shook his head in false sadness as he looked down his nose at the pair by his feet.

“Well that does not bode well for you, does it?” He asked, making the Omega cower under his gaze. “I guess it’s off to a group home for you.”

John stiffened while Hal and Guy growled. The Omega across from them tightened his grip on the pup and curled in on himself. Hal couldn’t blame him, group homes were notoriously awful, rampant with sexual assault, physical abuse, forced bonds, and links to the sex trade, an Omega would be better off stranded in the middle of the ocean than in a group home.

“No!” Hal burst out, inwardly cursing how manipulative Lex was “We’ll take him.”

“We will?” John whispered.

“Would you rather he wind up in some sicko’s basement?” Guy whispered back.

“Excellent! Come step over here and we’ll fill out the paperwork.” Lex exclaimed, sharply tugging the leash to force the Omega to stand, the collared man desperately climbing to his feet, the man's shins were a torn, bloody mess as he set the child on his own feet to follow him.

The lantern trio followed the business man to a wooden crate set against a massive shipping crate, the RGA guy spreading out a mess of papers for them to read across its surface.

“Which of you will be taking custody of the Omega?” He asked, clicking a pen to fill out the blanks in the form.

Guy immediately pointed at Hal, holding up his hands to demonstrate that he wanted no part of custody over a human being.

“I guess I will.” Hal said. “My full name is Harold Jeremiah Jordan.”

The man scribbled down his name in a box and turned to Lex.

“What’s the Omega’s legal name?” 

“Bartholomew Henry Luther.”

More scribbling followed as he filled in boxes before turning to Hal and handing him the paperwork.

“Read that over, make sure you understand the terms and requirements you’ll be agreeing to.” He ordered.

Hal obliged, taking his time to read through all of the legal jarden, though that was difficult. Now that he was closer, Hal could smell the blood and fear scent rolling off the Omega, and while the ball gag prevented him from speaking, it didn’t do much more than muffle his laboured breathing and pained whimpers coming from behind it and it was driving Hal to distraction. Still, he laboured through it, frowning when he noticed an absent member.

“Is there a different form I need to fill out for the pup or is it assumed that he’s following the Omega?” He asked.

Luther frowned, looking at the two people who he had legal power over.

“You don’t need to take the pup. He isn’t whelped to the whore, just scented so he can just go to a shelter without any questions being asked.” 

“No!” The pup wailed, throwing himself at Bartholomew and clinging to him, the Omega digging his fingers into his shirt and glaring at Lex with defiance in his eyes, and Hal could smell that he was about to go feral even though he was in no condition to fight an Alpha in peak physical prowess, so Hal stepped in.

“I’m not separating a pup from his parent Lex.” Hal warned, letting an air of authority creep into his scent to alert Lex about how serious he was about this. Lex smiled and looked at the two clinging to each other with a debating look on his face.

“I’m not sure, it would be easier for you if you just took the slut. I didn’t allow the two to fully bond so there would be no adverse effects on the Omega.” Lex pondered, touching the pups shoulder, causing Bartholomew to swat at his hand. Luthor snarled, ripping the pup away from his Omega and throwing the man to the ground, pressing his foot down on his neck to keep him there.

“You're not someone else's problem yet, bitch, and I will punish you if you act out.” He snapped, pressing his foot down harder to cut off his breath for a moment before releasing him and hauling him to his feet. Hal growled, drawing Lex’s attention away from the panting blond.

“I told you, I’m not separating them Luthor. If you want compensation for the boy, I’d be willing to negotiate but I’m not leaving here without them both.”

Lex cocked an eyebrow at him, looking him up and down with amusement before shrugging.

“The brat isn’t worth anything, take him if you want him.” 

Hal didn’t take his eyes off the other Alpha as he raised his hand towards the pup, who was standing a few feet away from when he’d been thrown so Lex could terrorize his Omega.

“Come here pup.” He ordered, letting a tinge of Alpha slip into his tone so he wouldn’t be disobeyed.

The child hurried to his side and started looking between Bartholomew and Hal, biting his lip. Hal knelt down as much as he was comfortable with to address the child.

“What’s your name pup?” He asked softly, brushing his thumb across his cheeks, surprised when the child leaned into his touch.

“Wally.” He whimpered.

“Hello Wally, can you tell me your full name so I can take you with us when we leave?” Hal encouraged.

“Wallance Rudolph Luthor.” He answered, placing his small hand over Hal’s large one and looking at Hal with hopeful green eyes. “Are you really going to take us away?”

“I’m hoping to, yes.” Hal said. “Why don’t you go hang out with my friends while I get this paperwork sorted out.”

Wally stayed where he was for a moment, looking towards Guy with an unsure look. John noticed his discomfort and donned the smile he wore when dealing with scared kids as he approached, he laid a hand on the boy’s scrawny shoulder to guide him away from the discussions and towards the truck. As soon as Hal was sure the pup was far enough away, he turned his focus back to Lex and the paperwork.

“So is there a different form I need to fill out or is it just assumed that a child stays with their parent?” He asked again, letting his disdain infect his voice. The RGA agent shrugged, unfazed by the violence he had seen displayed.

“As long as they’re both registered under the same name and transferred at the same time, it won’t be a problem.” He informed, gesturing back to the paperwork in Hal’s hands. “Have you got any other questions?”

“No, I think I have everything sorted out.” He said, accepting a pen from the man, who pointed to a blank line.

“Sign here.” He instructed. After Hal signed, he took the pen back and pointed to another one. “Alpha. Luther, sign here please.”

As soon as Lex signed over rights to the Omega, the RGA agents took his copy of the paperwork, bid them adieu, and retreated to his car. Lex was still smiling that ‘blood in the water’ grin, handing Hal a remote with various buttons and a print scanner.

“If you’ll just hold your thumb over the reader, that will allow you to adjust his accessories to your desires.” He said in an oily tone.

With no real choice but to oblige, Hal pressed his thumb down on the small screen, feeling the surface’s heat and then the remote vibrate as it transferred ownership. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the Omega shift as the collar’s latch synced with the remote, his eyes downcast, avoiding eye contact.

With a flare of pageantry, Luthor pressed the leash handle into Hal’s hand along with the remote, clapping him on the arm like they were old friends. Hating himself, Hal gave the leash a gentle tug, trying to guide the man away from his former Alpha without hurting him. He was surprised when instead of obeying, the blond resisted, leaning back to counteract the pull of the cord and squaring himself. Lex tsked, grabbing the leash beside Hal’s hand.

“Like I said, defiant. Just remind him who’s in charge.” He said.

As he finished his sentence he tore the leash down, dragging the blond back to the gravel and dragging his bare skin across the rocks. The Alpha snarled, seeing the Omega lay still and watching blood ooze out from beneath the collar. In a single motion, Hal snatched the leash away from the other man and stepped protectively over the Omega.

“I’m in charge!” He roared. “And I’ll thank you for remembering that you have no right to him any more, you signed away your right to discipline him not five minutes ago.”

Lex stared him down, a challenge in his eyes as the two braced for a fight, the overwhelming smell of an Omega in pain flooding both of their senses. Hal was mentally preparing for a fight when he felt Guy’s presence beside him, ready to back him up and reminding Lex that he was outnumbered. In an instant, Luthor stepped down, resuming his facade of acting harmless.

“Of course, my apologies. Force of habit.” He conceded, turning away to head back to his waiting ride. “Good evening gentlemen.”

“Fucking bastard.” Guy muttered, rolling his shoulders and cracking his neck to settle himself down.

Hal didn’t respond, watching as Lex got back into the car and it started to move, slowly disappearing out of sight. The moment it was gone Hal relaxed from his defensive position and knelt beside the trembling Omega.

The poor thing was a wreck. His eyes were glassy and unfocused like he was on the brink of passing out, and judging by how his nostrils were flaring as he tried to regain his breath, Hal wouldn’t have been surprised if that was the case. His cropped blond hair was pink in small patches, courtesy of the variety of small cuts visible on his scalp, the skin around his collar was caked in dried and fresh blood, and his shins and the bottoms of his feet resembled ground beef because of how cut they were. Murmuring wordlessly, Hal stroked the man's cheek, knowing that he needed to calm him down before he could figure out what to do with him. As his eyes came back into focus, Hal smiled.

“There we go, well done.” He praised. 

As he said that, he carefully slid one arm under the man’s shoulders and the other under his knees, hoisting him off the ground and holding him to his chest, carrying him over to the truck and letting Guy drop the tailgate before setting him down on it. The first thing Hal knew he needed to address was the gag, reaching around the back of his head to press his thumb against the release, the straps going lax as it came undone. Bartholomew didn’t spit out the gag, instead keeping it in his mouth.

“Come on now, spit it out.” Hal said gently, waiting fruitlessly for him to release it.

“Hal, if he’s had to wear that for awhile, his jaw might be cramped.” John pointed out, his one hand still on the pups back.

Nodding to the idea, Hal started gently massaging the Omega’s jaw. He could feel that there was obvious discomfort in the muscles he was massaging and they were tense from holding such an awkward position for an unknown length of time. Finally, the tension eased just enough for Bartholomew to tip his head forward and spit the gag out, moving his jaw side to side and opening and closing his mouth.

Hal took the gag and set it on the floor of the truck bed, glaring at it like it had personally offended him. It was indented with bite marks where it had been forced into the Omega’s mouth, which told him that it couldn’t have been anything less than painful to have to wear. He was broken out of his thoughts when Bartholomew started to cough, rough and ragged like he had swallowed a cheesegrater.

“Oh shit, you could probably use some water, couldn’t you?” He said, fruitlessly looking around as though a bottle of water would magically appear beside him.

“There’s a convee across the road from where we came in, can’t be more than a ten minute walk.” Guy supplied, “How about John and I take the kid to grab some water while you get Blondie sorted out here?”

Hal nodded along, relieved that there was a way to get some water on hand. Having a drink wouldn’t solve all of the Omega’s problems by a long shot, but it would probably ease some discomfort.

“We’ll check and see if they have any first aid supplies there too, our kit’s almost empty and he’s got some scrapes.” John added.

Hal scoffed, scrapes was an understatement. The Omega’s legs and feet were shredded beyond the capabilities of first aid, what he needed for those was a doctor, and the blood seeping from beneath his collar was an unknown, but he would bet it was bad as well. Still, their first aid kit did need refilling and it would be best to get that sooner than later, so Hal nodded and the other lantern headed off with the kid.

As soon as they were out of sight, Hal turned back to the man in front of him. Now that he didn’t have the scents of another Alpha, a Beta, and a pup in his nose, he could focus solely on the Omega. The scent of fear and pain wafted off of him in waves, bitter and offensive to Hal’s nose. But there was another scent underneath those that he couldn’t place but put him on edge, it was toxic, almost rotting, and it was mixed with the coppery smell of the Omega’s blood, and Hal found himself curling his lip at it.

Bartholomew noticed the change in his mood and shrunk in on himself farther, another wave of fear hitting Hal in the face. Gaining control over himself, Hal tried to appear comforting and approachable.

“I’m sorry, I’m not curling my lip at you, don’t be frightened.” He soothed, deciding to properly introduce himself. “My name’s Hal, I’m going to help you, alright?”

Bartholomew nodded and let out a shaky breath, his eyes were clenched tight but some tears still managed to fall down his cheeks. Hal felt a tinge of sympathy in his heart, the last half an hour had been very stressful for him, he couldn’t even begin to fathom how frightening it must be for the two people who had just been signed away like used goods. He knew he needed to be careful here, if Bartholomew was this stressed and in pain, he may go feral and try to fight Hal, further injuring himself in the process, so he started moving slowly and announced what he was going to do.

“I’m going to get that collar off of you, so I’m going to need to put my hands near your neck.” He declared, showing the Omega his hands. “I’m going to be as gentle as I can, but this might still hurt a bit and I’m sorry.”

Having forewarning about what was going to happen seemed to put Bartholomew at ease a little. He tilted his head back to fully expose his neck to the Alpha as he unclipped the leash and moved on to undoing his collar. Hal tossed the leash beside the gag, giving it a similar glare he had given the muzzle, then went back to the collar. It’s locking mechanism was very similar to the binds on the gag, unfastening when he pressed his thumb against the scanner. The collar was stuck to his skin with dried blood, and as soon as he tried to pull it away, the toxic, rotten smell intensified, hitting him like a brick and making him gag and growl. 

The skin under the collar was covered in deep, infected cuts that were leaking puss and blood. Trying to breath through his mouth, Hal carefully pulled the collar off and was able to examine it. It was made of firm leather, but on the side that touched the skin, there was a variety of what looked like piano wires that were covered in blood and puss. Hal realized that it was designed to dig into the wearers skin and cause pain if they resisted, or if they were being dragged around on a short leash.

“Oh God, he made you wear this awful thing?” Hal gasped, looking between the collar and the Omega’s bloody neck.

Bartholomew nodded again, trembling when Hal carefully grazed a finger over one of the less infected cuts. 

“I’m so sorry, that’s a horrible thing to do to someone.” 

The blond Omega nodded again but kept his eyes closed, which was probably for the best. Hal was fuming and he couldn’t keep it off his expressions. Given the political shift in the past few years, Omega Rights had been restricted, resulting in the creation of the group homes and the Registration and Guardianship Agency, but he doubted that the country had sunk so low that a device such as this would be tolerated and available for use. Luther must have had it specially made to torment the Omega.

He shook his head to refocus, tossing the collar into the discard pile with a low growl. Bartholomew flinched and made a strangled noise that might have been a whimper of some kind.

“Sorry, I’m not mad at you.” He apologized, looking over the Omega. “Did he put anything else on you, or is that all?”

Bartholomew shook his head, a blush colouring his pale cheeks. He pointed down to his skirt with a shaky hand and Hal bit his lip. It made sense that Lex would have put things on his private parts but it made it awkward for him now that he needed to get them off.

“Okay.” He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Why don’t you lay down and I’ll get that sorted out.”

With assistance from the Alpha, Bartholomew laid down on his back with his legs apart so Hal could see what he was doing. The wrap around skirt he was wearing wasn’t very long, so Hal didn’t need to push it up to keep it out of the way.

The first device was easy to see, a silver cock cage wrapped around his manhood, digging into the flesh it was touching. The second device was obstructed, being inside of him and all Hal could see was a flared base. Taking a deep breath to compose himself, Hal decided to start with the cage and then move onto whatever Luthor had shoved up inside him.

There really wasn’t a way for Hal to address either without some intimate touching, so he just kept his touches light while he looked for the clasp to unlock it. After a few seconds of awkward and pointless fumbling, Hal pulled back to reexamine and reaccess. The cage had obviously been locked on somehow but he couldn’t figure out how to get the damn thing off.

Smacking the side of his head, Hal remembered the remote he had been given. ‘For his accessories’ Lex had said, so it made sense that this torture device would be related to that. Retrieving the small device from his pocket where he had previously forgotten about it and examined it’s various buttons. In a brief stroke of good fortune, Hal was able to make out pictures on the buttons indicating what they controlled.

Pressing the appropriate button, Hal saw the cock cage loosen and inwardly cheered. Now that it wasn’t digging into the Omega’s skin it was easy to get off and join the others in the pile. 

Finally, Hal needed to address the anal plug. Taking the base between his thumb and pointer, he started to pull slowly. Bartholomew shifted and spread his legs wider, the fear smell intensifying while the Alpha removed his plug. When Hal got to the circumference, a rivet of bloody slick started leaking out, indicating that the Omega was injured on the inside as well. With a final pull, the plug was out, followed by another rush of blood and slick.

“There, that probably feels better, at least.” Hal said, tossing the final accessory onto the pile.

Bartholomew looked better, slightly less pained now that his injuries weren’t being reopened constantly. Hal hopped onto the tailgate beside him and helped him sit up, rubbed his back to comfort him. Given that they had some time, Hal started talking, trying to give some insight as to what was going to happen.

Obviously, Bartholomew needed a doctor. His legs alone justified it, and the mess that was his neck, along with whatever was wrong with his hole added to it. However, he couldn’t just drag him into a hospital, the signs of domestic violence would result in an inquisition from the RGA and could end with the Omega and his pup separated and thrown into the system. Hal’s best option was to get him to Gotham across the river and hope Bruce would be able to help keep this on the down-low while getting Bartholomew and Wally the treatment they needed. He would have to discuss it with John and Guy, and he would need to call Bruce for permission to come to his home with his mate and child, but it was Hal’s best option so far.

Turning to Bartholomew, Hal started filling him in on what was going to happen.

“Hey, so I know everything is really stressful for you right now, and I’m sorry that it is. I know you don’t know me, but I promise that I’m not going to hurt you or your pup.” He started, “My friends won’t hurt you either. I’ll talk to them when they get back, but I think our best bet is to take you to our friend Bruce’s house, he employs a retired military medic who can get you patched up. He lives in Gotham, which is just across the river, so we won’t even have to go too far, alright?”

Bartholomew nodded timidly, keeping his head ducked to avoid looking directly at Hal. Happy to just get any reaction, the Alpha nodded with him and looked at the pile of discarded toys while he tried to figure out what to do with them. 

He knew he couldn’t just leave them here, that would be repulsive to whomever had to clean it up, and they could be used to get Bartholomew’s scent and track them down. Bruce would already insist on checking all of them for tracking devices, if they let an easy way to get the scent of a person he was bringing over, Bruce would kill him. That being said, he didn’t want to take them with him, he didn’t want the Omega to think he would use them on him again and he didn’t know if they had trackers in them.

He was pondering what he was going to do when Bartholomew shifted closer to him, not touching him but still closer. 

“You okay?” He asked.

The blond made a strangled noise and broke off into a cough, turning his head away until the bout passed. The strangled noise repeated itself and Hal realised that it was an attempt at speech that wasn’t going well. The choking noise was making Hal’s hair stand on end, he didn’t know if the lack of voice was because of the collar or if there was something else wrong, but he knew he needed to stop him from damaging himself further by trying to talk.

“Hey hey hey, quiet.” He ordered, “You’re hurting yourself more by doing that.”

Bartholomew flinched at the order and shrank back, moving away from Hal entirely. The Omega brought his hands up to wrap around his middle and Hal heard a sob from him.

“Shit, I’m sorry.” He apologized, moving towards him and grabbing onto his arms. “Hey, no, it’s okay, I’m sorry.”

Grabbing him turned out to be a mistake, Bartholomew went completely lax and cried harder. Frantically trying to calm him down, Hal pulled him closer and against his chest, shushing him.

“What the actual fuck did you do?”

Looking up, Hal saw John and Guy coming back from the convenience store with a few bags at their sides. Wally was trailing beside them, but he had stopped and was staring at his parent with wide, frightened eyes. John pushed his bags into Guy’s hands and hurried toward Hal and the sobbing Omega, hoping up onto the tailgate with them.

“Hal, what the hell did you do?” He asked.

“I snapped at him by accident, I think I scared him.” 

John looked at him with an ‘are you fucking me’ look. He ran a hand over his face and paused at his eyes.

“So let me get this straight, just so I know that I’m understanding.” He sighed, “You snapped at the Omega who we just watched get dragged across gravel by his Alpha, he started crying, and your solution was to grab him and restrain him against you so he can’t move at all. Do I have that right?”

“Yeah, that about sums it up.”  Hal admitted, realising now that the entire thing was a stupid mistake on his part.

“You’re a goddamn idiot.” John sighed, “Go away. Let go of him and go away, go help Guy figure out the first aid kit or something, just go somewhere else.”

Hal obeyed, letting go of the trembling Omega and sliding off the tailgate. Guy was waiting for him at the hood of the truck with the first aid kits strewn out in front of him and the pup sitting on the hood with a bottle of water and a package of crackers. The other Alpha greeted him with a nod as he approached them and turned to the child on the hood, he handed Wally another bottle of water and lifted him under the arms, lowering him to the ground.

“Here Kiddo, why don’t you take that to your Daddy. Might make him feel a little better to have some water in him.” He suggested.

“Okay!” The kid chirped, hurrying over to the back of the truck and out of earshot of the two Alphas.

Once they were alone, Guy reached over and smacked him upside the head hard.

“You dickhead. How the hell did you screw up that badly?” He snapped, “We were only gone for twenty-five minutes.”

“It was an accident!” Hal defended himself, “He was trying to talk but I think his throat is damaged from that fucking collar Luthor had him wear. He was hurting himself trying and wouldn’t quit, so I told him to be quiet and then he started crying.”

“You ordered him to be quiet, you mean?”

“I guess, yeah.” Hal agreed, “But I wasn’t a dick about it! I don’t get why he started crying like that!”

Guy slammed his hand down on the hood of the truck. Ignoring the package of bandaids that slid to the ground as a result. The red haired Alpha turned to his teammate and snarled at him, both of their scents clashing and aggressive.

“Really? You don’t get why the battered Omega, whom in the past hour has had to deal with being forced to kneel on broken glass, been threatened with a group home, almost lost his pup to a shelter, and was given away to some jackass he’s never met before, might start crying when said jackass orders him to be quiet?” Guy growled, sarcasm dripping from his tone. “That nineteen-eighty nine dell computer loading screen you call a brain just can’t fathom why a stressed out Omega would start crying when the Alpha he’s been sold to orders him to shut up. That’s just too much for you, huh?”

Hal faltered, shame rising in him as he started thinking about it. He had known that Bartholomew was stressed out, he had smelt the fear on him and he knew he was in pain. He had also known that the blond Omega had taken a risk by moving closer to him, and Hal had shot him down by snapping at him like that, after promising that he was going to be gentle with him.

“Yeah, I guess that was a dumb move, wasn’t it?” Hal sighed, kicking himself.

“Yeah, it was. You should apologize to him when the boss lets you near him again.”

Hal nodded, biting his tongue. Guy stared him down for a few seconds and then nodded as well and went back to filling up the first aid kits with what they had gotten from the corner store. 

“What are you going to do with him?” Guy asked, keeping his eyes on the task at hand.

“I’m not entirely sure but for now I want to take him to Clark and Bruce’s place. He badly needs a doctor, but if I walk into a hospital with him, he’ll end up in a group home for sure.” Hal answered.

“Well you better call Bruce then, and ask him if you can bring two strangers into his home because he is going to castrate you if you show up unannounced.” Guy told him.

Hal nodded and pulled out his phone, stepping a few feet away from the truck to make his call in peace. Bruce was a very private person and didn’t like it when people showed up at his home unannounced, especially when strangers did it. So even though Hal doubted he would leave an injured Omega and his pup out in the cold, he called to let him in on the situation.

~~~~

Hal came back from making the phone call feeling relieved. As he had hoped, Bruce had been sympathetic to a fellow Omega in need and had agreed to take them in so Alfred could take a look at him. He had even offered to have Clark go fetch Leslie Thompson so that the Alpha would be out of the house when they arrived and so the doctor could bring extra supplies to help Bartholomew.

He had done his best to describe the injuries on the Omega over the phone, emphasising that his neck and legs were in the worst shape, and that something was wrong with his hole that was making him bleed. He had also described what Luthor had forced him to wear, going into almost disturbing detail about the collar he’d dragged the poor man around by. By the end, Bruce had told him to hurry up and get to the manor so Bartholomew could get treatment and his pup could get a meal and a warm bed.

“Bruce is cool, we’re good to take him to Gotham.” Hal announced when he got back to the hood of the truck.

“Great, better go tell John then, so he knows where we’re going.” Guy suggested.

“Good plan.” 

Hal stepped around the truck to the tailgate, knocking on the side of the truck to announce himself to the three in the truck bed. John turned to see who it was and narrowed his eyes when he recognized Hal. Wally was sitting in Bartholomews lap and looked over his dad’s shoulder to see the Alpha and waved at him before snuggling up to his dad and sat back down. Bartholomew didn’t turn at all, but when he caught Hal’s scent he stiffened and bowed his head. At some point while Hal was making the phone call, John had gotten a blanket from one of their bags and had wrapped it around the Omega to keep him warm and the man tugged it closer to him as Hal approached them.

“Hey guys!” He greeted, letting the relief he felt now that he had a next step seep into his scent.

Despite the calming smell he was emitting, Bartholomew shrunk down father and held Wally tighter. John gave him a pat on the back and glared at Hal, stopping the Alpha in his tracks.

“Careful Jordan.” He warned.

Hal stopped, backing up a few steps so they had space to breath. There were two empty water bottles next to the discarded toys and one that was three quarters full beside Bartholomew, so at least the Omega had had something to drink and had been able to compose himself.

“I just spoke to Bruce, he’s agreed to put us up for the evening so Bartholomew and Wally can get looked at and treated.” He relayed.

“So we’re heading to Gotham?” John asked.

“So we’re heading to Gotham.”

John nodded and hopped off the tailgate. 

“Great, why don’t you get these two settled into the cab while I get these,” He looked at the toys in the truck bed with disdain. “Things into a bag so we can drop them in the dumpster on our way by.”

The Beta deterred the few feet it took to get right into Hal’s space so he could lower his voice and only be heard by Hal.

“And you better have a damn good apology ready for making him cry like that.” He hissed, “For better or worse, you’re his guardian now and he’s scared. You need to gain his trust and ordering him around like he’s some dog you found on the street is not how you do it.”

The Beta stared him down until Hal nodded, leaving to grab one of the plastic bags to put the toys in. For privacy’s sake, he waited until John was out of earshot before he cautiously approached the two on the tailgate. Before he was even within arms reach, Bartholomew made a choking noise and started to shiver while holding his pup tighter, not promising for Hal at all.

“Hey.” Hal whispered, taking a seat on the tailgate.

Bartholomew lifted one hand off Wally’s back in a wave but didn’t lift his head to look at him. Hal swallowed hard and ran a hand through his hair, deciding that he should just go through with his apology and hope for the best.

“Listen, about earlier. I’m really sorry that I snapped at you like that, that wasn’t kind and it wasn’t fair. And I’m sorry that I just grabbed you like I did, that was wrong of me. You’re a human being and I shouldn’t have tried to just restrain you.” He murmured, “I know it’s not ideal, but you and I are going to be spending a lot of time together and I don’t want you to be scared of me. We’re going to go to a friend's place across the river, they know some doctors who can get you patched up without anybody from RGA asking you questions, are you okay with that?”

Bartholomew nodded, tilting his head towards Hal but keeping his face lowered. 

“Great, so to do that, I’m going to need to get you into the cab, and to do that, I’m going to need to pick you up. I know that you probably don’t want me or my scent all over you, but when I’m done, you’ll get to be in the warm truck and not out here in the wind.” 

Bartholomew nodded again and looked over his shoulder to the cab. Projecting what he was doing, Hal lifted Wally off his lap and set him on the ground so he could solely focus on the Omega. He fussed with the blanket a little, making sure the blond was well covered to keep him warm, then tugged the Omega closer with his arms under his knees and shoulder blades to lift him up. 

Bartholomew was concerningly light, his spine and ribs uncomfortably noticeable while Hal carried him to the backseat of the truck. They ran into Guy and John on the way, which wound up being helpful because they were able to open the door for him so he could set the Omega inside on the bench, shiting him to the middle seat and lifting Wally up to sit on the seat beside him. After buckling them in, he leaned out of the cab to call for Guy.

“Hey Guy, toss me the keys! I wanna warm these two up!”

He couldn’t see John but he could hear him burst out laughing while Guy rolled his eyes and threw him the keys. Hal pocketed them and shut the door, hurrying over to the drivers side and hoping in. When he had turned on the truck, he turned up the heat and the fan to warm up the truck.

“There, nice and toasty!” He declared, looking in the back and smiling at the pair. “And thank you for trusting me to carry you over here Bartholomew, I know that wasn’t easy. However, in my defense, it’s been a weird two weeks and I haven’t had time to shower properly, but I am sorry for the smell.”

The joke had the intended effect, Wally fell into hysterics, giggling and squealing at the self-own. Bartholomew was more controlled, a hitch of his breathing and a smile being the only betrayal to his humour, but it was better than nothing. Hal startled when he felt a smack on his back, turning to see Guy, ready to reclaim his seat.

“Back of the bus Jordan, next stop, Gotham.” he ordered, jerking his thumb to the back door.

Within seconds, Hal was on the seat beside Bartholomew, still fastening his seatbelt as the car started moving. The vehicle retraced the path they had taken to get into the shipping yard, only an hour ago but it felt like a month's events had happened in that time. They made a pitstop beside the dumpster, John leaning out of the open passenger window to toss the bag of toys into it without a glance, sliding back into the cab when they started moving again.

Hal did a quick check of his new wards, a responsibility he never thought he would ever have. Wally was staring out the window as they started driving towards the Metro-Gotham bridge, looking as though he hadn’t just been sold to a complete stranger and was going somewhere he had never been before. Bartholomew was more serious, hunched over staring at his bloody feet, wringing his hands and occasionally looking over at his pup. Neither were fine, how could they be, but his solace was that within two hours they would be somewhere safe, at least for a night. Then Hal could plan from there, his life had certainly just gotten far more complicated.   

Chapter Text

Transfering from the road to Bruce’s driveway was far different than heading into the shipyard. It was seamless and easy, barely noticeable at all. Hal leaned around Guy’s seat to look ahead at the mansion they were approaching, in the two hours it had taken to get across the Metro-Gotham bridge, through Gotham and to the outskirts of the city, night had fallen and it would have been impossible to see the manor were it not for the lights shining out the windows. It was also raining, which wasn’t a surprise, it was always raining, dark, and cold in this city but Hal could not have been more grateful to be here.

During the trip, Wally had snuggled closer to his dad and fallen asleep with his head leaning against his shoulder. Bartholomew was much the same as he had been when they’d started, but he occasionally turned his head to give the pup a kiss on the head if Hal was turned the other way. When he saw the imposing house they were approaching, he started to shiver and his breathing picked up, the constant scent of fear on him becoming more prevalent to the others in the car.

“Hey, it’s okay, you’re okay.” Hal reassured, “This is our friend Bruce’s house, you’re safe here. Why don’t you wake up your pup so we can get ready to go inside.”

Nodding, Bartholomew gently shook Wally’s shoulder and gave him some kisses on the head when he started to wake up. The little boy came to with a whimper and squirmed closer to his Omega, a sweet scent filling the truck as he scented with him. Bartholomew returned it, though his scent was laced with the rotting smell of his injuries. If it hurt to scent, he didn’t care, Hal could hear him purring at his pup while the child stared at the grounds they were on in awe.

Guy pulled around a majestic water fountain to the stairs leading up to the front entrance, putting the truck in park and turning it off. The Alpha and Beta turned to the backseat, watching while Hal helped Wally and Bartholomew get unbuckled, though none of them made a move to step out into the rain.

“Okay, here’s my plan. Bartholomew, I’m going to pick you up and bring you out on this side. Wally, would you please follow me through this door so I can keep an eye on you? The front door isn’t too far away from here, so we’re just going to hurry and you two shouldn’t get too wet, alright?”

When Hal got nods from the both of them, he started moving Bartholomew into his lap, tucking his blanket around him tighter. With the middle seat now vacated, Wally moved into it, wriggling while he waited for his new guardian to open the door so they could get out.

“Hey Jordan, it’s pretty windy out there, so I’ll come get the door for you.” Guy offered.

“Thanks man.”

Guy nodded and pushed the door open against the elements, hoping down from the truck and shutting the door with a loud slam. Not five seconds later, the backdoor opened letting in a rush of cold air. Steeling himself, Hal carefully got out with the trembling Omega in his arms, Wally following them and being helped down by Guy.

The four moved towards the front door, John racing around the truck to join them as they started up the stairs. Bartholomew had stopped purring, holding the blanket tight against him with his head bowed, raindrops running down through his hair. Hal could hear Wally sniffle and whimper by his side as he was battered by the wind and rain, feeling his heart twist for the pup as they approached the front door.

Before they even had a chance to knock, the oak door opened and Alfred greeted them, looking over the ragtag group and freezing when he got to the Omega. Somehow, Bartholomew looked worse now than he had at the shipyard, his short hair was plastered to his scalp, the blood from the cuts had run because of the rain and made more of his hair that odd pinkish colour. His legs were a similar story, blood and rain water dripping down his shins and off his feet, not protected by the blanket. Stepping to the side, Alfred ushered them inside.

“My heavens.” He whispered, “Bring him inside, quickly.”

Gratefully, Hal stepped through the door and into the mudroom, looking down to make sure that Wally was still by his side. With the whole group inside, Alfred closed the door behind them, shutting out the elements. As Hal was readjusting Bartholomew in his arms, Bruce appeared around the corner and hurried towards him, focused on the Omega he was holding.

“You weren’t kidding about him being banged up.” He stated, looking over his ruined legs. “Clark has gone to get Leslie, but we can get started now.”

The haste was welcomed and Hal worked to match their pace, using his ring to untie his boots and step out of them, as well as move them under the bench. He followed Alfred down a labyrinth of hallways and sitting rooms until they came to a well lit, sterile room with a hospital gurney in the center and multiple locked cabinets around the walls, along with a few chairs. On Alfred’s instructions, he set the Omega on the gurney while the old Alpha rolled up his sleeves and started gathering supplies.

When he had what he needed to get started, Alfred gently pried the blanket from Bartholomews grasp and pushed it into Hal’s hands, who folded it and put it on the bed. With his injuries and skin exposed, Alfred started to wipe at his neck with an alcohol-soaked wipe. As soon as it touched his skin, Bartholomew flinched and hissed, trying to shift away from the sting of the wipe on his sore neck.

To Hal’s surprise, Alfred obliged and pulled the cloth away from his neck, letting the Omega move away from him and cover his neck with his hand. He had been treated by the older man before, as had most of the league, and no one had ever been able to get away with refusing care.  Alfred placed the cloth on the tray he had beside him and turned to Hal, pointing to the door that led to the hallway and guiding him out of the room, out of Bruce and Bartholomew’s earshot.

“What’s wrong Al?”  He asked, worry making a pit in his stomach.

“I’m concerned that I cannot treat his injuries by myself.” He confessed, “The lacerations on his neck are horribly infected and incredibly painful, as you just saw. Master Clark is on his way with Dr. Thompson, and she’s bringing stronger painkillers than I have on deck here. I believe our best course of action would be to wait for her to get here before we precede.”

Before Hal could take that in properly, Bruce stepped through the door and joined them.

“Hal, I think you need to go talk to him, he’s freaking out a little.” Bruce said, “He can’t speak, so I’m going to go find a pen and paper for him so he can communicate better, but you should go help him while I get that.”

Hal heard Alfred curse under his breath as he rushed back into the room. Bartholomew was sitting on the gurney with his knees drawn up to his chest and had his face buried in them, he was trembling and crying and Hal could smell his fear and sadness from across the room. 

“Oh dear.” He whispered to himself.

Adopting a calming presence, Hal slowly crossed the room and sat down on the gurney beside him. Cautiously, he placed a hand on the Omega’s back, surprised when he uncurled and flung himself at him, clinging to his lapel and burying his face in his shirt.

“Hey, it’s okay!” He promised, embracing the man and rubbing his back. “I know, it’s been a really weird day, but you’re safe now. Go ahead and cry it out, I’ve got you.”

Getting comfortable, Hal pulled him closer and into his lap. He could feel the goosebumps on Bartholomew’s skin so he retrieved the blanket and wrapped it around them, moving his hand around on his back to warm him up. 

“There, that’s a little better, right? Not so cold anymore.” He murmured, “You’re alright, Bruce had gone to get you something to write on, then maybe we can help you feel better. There’s a doctor on her way with something to help with your pain so we can get you treated without hurting you, then we can get you into some actual clothes and get a warm meal for you. That’ll make you feel better.”

Bartholomew nodded into his shirt, sniffling. Hal cheered in his mind, proud of himself for handling this better than he had the first time he had started crying, thankfully this time it wasn’t his fault. At least the man was starting to settle down, pulling his face away from Hal’s shirt to wipe his eyes.

“There we go, well done.” Hal praised, brushing his thumbs under his eyes to catch the tears.

Bartholomew dipped his head forward towards Hal’s chest but not resting against him anymore. Deciding to take a chance, Hal cupped the back of his head and brought him in closer, laying his head against him. For a moment, Bartholomew just stayed still, then he shifted and tucked his nose against Hal’s scent gland, getting comfortable in his arms.

Hal stayed with the Omega in his arms like that until he smelt Bruce entering the room. The owner of the house had brought a bundle of clothing, a bottle of water, and a notepad with a pen. For a moment, Hal worried that he was emitting too many pheromones and making the room uncomfortable for him to be in, but then he stepped further into the room and placed the items he’s brought on the gurney.

“I wondered if he would be cold. I brought a warm shirt, a zip up hoodie, and a warmer skirt for him to wear. I hope they fit him.”

Hal nodded his thanks, trying to suppress his scent so he didn’t make Bruce uncomfortable. Bartholomew shifted in his lap and looked over at the things the other Omega had brought for him with interest. Given the thing he was currently wearing, Hal figured that he’d never been allowed to wear anything modest during his time with Luther and the clothing Bruce had brought were certainly modest.

“Alfred said not to give him anything that would need to be pulled over his injuries, so just be careful getting the skirt on him.” Bruce said. “They’re fresh out of the dryer, so they shouldn’t smell too much like Clark.”

“Excellent, thank you Bruce, I really appreciate it.” Hal thanked him.

Bruce nodded and left without another word, leaving Hal alone to get Bartholomew changed. When the door was firmly closed, Bartholomew tucked his nose back against Hal’s gland, a small purr sounding from his throat. Hal smiled and laughed a little, rubbing his back.

“Okay you, how about we get you changed, then we can go find your pup and go wait for the doctor in the living room, how does that sound?” He asked.

Bartholomew nodded, purring louder. Hal shifted him off his lap and back onto the gurney, the blanket falling into a pile with no one under it to keep it up. Hal started by figuring out which article of clothing was which, separating them so he could grab them easily. The skirt had a zipper running up the side with two sets of clasps at the waistband to keep it in place, so he unzipped it to get it ready.

With the new clothes ready, all he needed to do was get the skirt Bartholomew already had on, off. Given that it was only a wrap around, it wasn’t difficult to get off and the other man wasn’t wearing any undergarments, so he was completely naked in a matter of seconds. To get him dressed, Hal started with the skirt, carefully guiding his bloody shins in and then pulling it up to his waist and doing up the zipper and clasps. 

The skirt was black and simple yet elegant. It hung down to Bartholomews knee’s, on Bruce it would probably be skin tight but given how skinny Bartholomew was, it barely clung to his hips. Still, it was far better than the unfolded napkin he’d been wearing before, warm and made of much softer material. The shirt was easier to get on, Hal didn’t have to lift him at the waist to help him get it on, he just let him get the thing on and then buttoned it up for him. He finished by helping Bartholomew get the hoodie on and zipped up, and by the end he looked much more comfortable.

“There we go, well done.” He praised, watching the Omega touch and feel the new things he had on him.

Bartholomew was still purring, holding up the collar of his sweater and burying his face in the fleece. Hal smiled while he watched him, feeling amused that he was getting confident enough to move around a little on his own, not just sit like a statue and let the Alpha move him around. Grabbing the notepad, pen, and water bottle off the mattress, Hal handed the writing pad to him, the water bottle following after he had loosened the cap a bit.

“You can write?” He asked.

Bartholomew bent over the paper, scribbling something on the first page, then turned it back to him.

/Yes, I can Alpha./

Hal laughed, nodding. He was glad that Bartholomew’s writing was tidy and easy to read, that would make it so much easier to understand him. Figuring he had a few minutes to get to know the Omega he now had legal control over, Hal sat back down and asked him another question.

“What’s your name?” He asked. 

He already knew his name, but he wanted to start with some easy questions to help build his confidence. Bartholomew went back to the paper for a few seconds, paused, looked over what he’d written for a moment, wrote something else, and then handed the paper to Hal.

/Bartholomew, but I like to go by Barry. If you are happy with that Alpha/” 

“Barry, that’s a nice name.” Hal said, handing the paper back to him. “Less of a mouthful than Bartholomew at least.”

Bartholomew, Barry, smiled while he took the paper back. Hal noticed that Barry was starting to lift his head a little more, looking at him but still not making eye contact with him.

“Okay Barry, where are you from?”

Scribbling, this time Hal focused on what he could see of Barry’s face. Without a doubt, he was very handsome, with fair features, pink lips, and a little button nose. He was very skinny, but Hal suspected that when he was properly fed and had more meat on him that he would be drop dead gorgeous. He was distracted from staring at the man when he was handed his response.

/I was born and raised in Keystone, it’s a villa outside of Central Alpha./

“Central, that’s in Missouri, isn’t it?” He asked.

Barry nodded, taking his notepad back from his Alpha.

“Well, you’re quite aways from home. Have you got any family, anybody you want me to get into contact with?” He asked.

Barry went still, staring down at his paper. He stared at the blank space on his page, picking up and putting down his pen a few times as he tried to think of his response. Finally, he put pen to paper and handed it over with just two words.

/No Alpha./

Hal frowned at the response and handed the paper back. This beautiful Omega, who had a child and was a long way from home, didn’t have anybody missing him? Nobody who may be looking for him or wondering where he was? Or had he had a falling out with his family and didn’t want to see them?

“You don’t have anybody you want me to find for you? No siblings, no parents, aunts, uncles, no one?” He pushed. “No one who might be looking for you?”

Barry’s response was even slower this time, stopping sometimes to wipe at his face. Finally he handed Hal his answer.

/Mom’s dead. Dad’s gone. I grew up in foster care. No one is looking for me Alpha./

That explained it, or at least cleared it up. Given the difference of descriptions he had used for his mom and dad, Hal suspected that there were some complications regarding that relationship. As for growing up in foster care, that was hard to come to terms with, Omega’s in foster care were almost certain to be abused, probably further adding to his mistrust of Hal. 

The foster care system was well known for turning out broken Omega’s and violent Alpha’s, given the lack of proper guidance they were given. Hal had been treated to the displeasure of meeting a few Alpha’s who had come from the foster shelters in Basics, all of them were overly aggressive and usually loners, they had no respect for Omega’s and were prone to dirty fighting. He had gotten into an altercation with a fellow Alpha in his squadron after she had cornered and harassed an Omega into having a drink with her, Hal had dragged her away and called the Omega a cab to get home. He couldn’t imagine being an Omega and being forced to live with people like that, who believed that an accident of biology gave them the right to use their influence to bully someone into giving into their will.

“I’m sorry to hear that Barry.” He whispered, “If you ever want to talk about that, I’d be happy to listen.”

Barry swallowed hard and nodded, taking a drink of his water. Hal suspected he was only doing that so he wouldn’t be asked anymore questions.

“Would you like a hug?” Hal asked when the cap was back on the water bottle.

Barry nodded and leaned into him. Hal brought his new ward into his lap and held him close, feeling Barry press his nose back against his gland and stay there. Hal wasn’t sure how he smelled to the Omega, but obviously it was somewhat pleasant if he kept putting his nose there. While Barry calmed down, Hal decided he was done with the questions. The doctor would be there soon and he had promised that Barry would be able to see his pup before she got there. He would have time to talk to Barry and get to know him later.

“Would you like to go find your pup?” He asked, his nose buried in Barry’s hair.

Barry shifted in his arms and Hal heard writing behind him. After a second, the man in his arms twisted and pressed the notepad into his hand.

/Yes please Alpha./

“Okay.” Hal said, giving the paper back. “Let’s go find Wally and we can just settle in and wait for the doctor to get here.”

Hal adjusted Barry in his arms and stood up. He felt Barry curl and press his face back into his neck, his hands folded over his stomach to hold the paper and pen in place. He knew he would have to get Barry off calling him ‘Alpha’ but that would have to wait till later, right now, he needed to track down a tiny pup in a huge house.

It wound up not being difficult at all. The pair bumped into Bruce in the hallway and he led them to the kitchen in the basement/ servants sector. Alfred had found Wally with John and Guy and had brought him to the kitchen for a meal, the pup was sitting at the kitchen island with a peanut butter and banana sandwich and a glass of milk in front of him. When he spotted Barry in Hal’s arms, he started smiling and wiggling.

“Daddy!” He chirped, waving at them.

Barry lifted his face from Hal’s neck and waved back at his son. Alfred turned to address the Omega with a fond look, using his grandfatherly voice to put him at ease.

“I hope you don’t mind, I figured that you hadn’t had dinner yet and I just cannot have hungry people under this roof.” He said, “He told me that you always make him peanut butter and banana sandwiches when you’re able, and I just figured he needed some comfort food after the day you’ve both had.”

Barry nodded and smiled, looking at his baby smiling while he ate his sandwich, cut into quarters with the crusts cut off, just how he liked. Wally’s feet couldn’t reach the floor and he was kicking them while he ate and drank. It was the first time in recent memory that he had been with Wally while the pup had a meal.

“Would you like something to eat?” The old Alpha asked, “We have some leftover roast beef, pasta, and some turkey stew. Do any of those interest you?”

Barry twisted to face Hal, writing frantically in his notebook. Hal was amused, imagining that the starved Omega was ecstatic at the offer of something to eat. He was disappointed and confused by what he read when the book was turned towards him.

/I’m only allowed to eat formula and shakes Alpha./ 

Hal knew what he was referring to, Omega Formula and Nutrition Shakes were quite common, especially in hospitals. They were meant to be accompanied with actual solid foods and were often consumed by Omega’s for the vitamins or for extra nutrients while pregnant. They were also used by Alphas who wanted to have another form of control over their mates, if given nothing except formula and shakes for any prolonged period of time, it could cause shrinkage of the stomach and made it difficult to switch back to solid foods.

“Is there something wrong, Master Harold?” Alfred asked, picking up on his emotional shift.

“He’s exclusively on shakes and formula.” He responded curtly.

“Oh dear.”

“How long?” Hal asked the Omega, “How long have you been off of solid foods?”

Barry started writing again, hurried by the disappointment he could smell on the Alpha holding him. Hal bounced him, holding him tighter against him. When he finally tuned the notebook around, Hal silently cursed.

/Five years Alpha/

“He’s been on them for five years.” Hal relayed with a growl.

Wally and Barry both flinched, the pup went back to his meal with far less enthusiasm while Barry closed his eyes and went still. Alfred tsked, a rare display of emotion from the normally composed man.

“So we can’t just switch him back over to solids, he’ll need those supplements.” 

“Yeah.” Hal agreed, “I don’t suppose you have any packages of Omega Formula around here, do you?”

“No, we don’t. But I can contact Master Clark and ask him to make a pit stop to pick some up on his way.” Alfred suggested.

“If you wouldn’t mind, I would really appreciate that.” 

Alfred turned away and pulled a phone out of an inner pocket, stepping out into the hallway to make the phone call. When he was gone, Hal worked to ease Barry and Wally’s nerves, starting with Barry. He held the man closer in what he hoped was comforting and purred, letting the Omega feel the rumble in his chest.

“I’m sorry, I know I sounded mad but I promise, I'm not angry at you or Wally.” He whispered.

Barry stayed still, eyes shut tight and his hands wringing again. He could see the man's lips moving but he wasn’t making that choking noise that came out when he usually tried to speak. Hal wanted to push a calming scent to the Omega, let that help him, but it would be irritating for Bruce to have a calm scent from someone who wasn’t his Alpha, so he just kept talking.

“Hey, Barry, I swear it’s not you I’m angry at. I’m angry that someone forced you onto that mush, not that you need it.” He swore, “Listen, Alfred is calling Clark to grab you some shakes and formula, so you will be fed tonight, I swear. I’m not just going to let you starve.”

Barry forcibly opened his eyes and wrote something down, his hands shaking the entire time. When he’d finished, he timidly held it up for the Alpha to read, avoiding looking at him the whole time.

/I’m sorry Alpha. Mercy please Alpha/

His handwriting was no longer neat, some of the letters had gaps in them or were misshapen because of how shaky Barry’s hands had been when he wrote them. 

/Damn, John is gonna kill me/ Hal thought to himself, knowing that if he drove the Omega into another anxious fit, the Beta was going to neuter him.

“No no no, Barry, don’t be sorry.” He pleaded, “It’s not your fault, you have nothing to be sorry for, my Omega.”

The term seemed to settle Barry somewhat, he took his paper back and held it against his chest like a child clung to a toy. He turned his head to look at his pup, who was drinking the last of his milk after he’d finished his sandwich. Hal pushed the chair beside him away and leaned against the counter, trying to get comfortable to help the man he was carrying relax. 

Alfred came back into the room, getting Hal’s attention.

“Excellent news, I managed to catch Master Clark when he was not five minutes away from a super store. He and Dr. Thompson have agreed to run in and grab some supplies, should only take a few minutes and they should be here in fifteen minutes or less.” He announced, turning to take Wally’s empty dishes. “For now though, Master Harold, why don’t you take your charges to the parlor, I imagine that will be a more comfortable place to wait.”

“Thank you Alfred.” He said, turning to address Wally. “Hey pup, why don’t you follow me. We can wait for the doctor to get here up in the sitting room.”

Wally nodded and clamoured down from his chair, hurrying over to follow Hal through the winding hallways, up a stairway, and down a corridor to a large sitting room with a roaring fire in it’s hearth. There was a vast array of couches, armchairs, and automans, as well as multiple coffee tables with coasters and decorative centerpieces in strategic locations throughout the room.

Hal chose a loveseat close to the fire and sat down with Barry in his lap, picking Wally up and placing the pup right beside him. Because of the way they were sitting, Barry and Wally were able to see each other, and if Barry sat up he could reach Wally to touch him, but Hal stopped the pup from trying to crawl into his dad’s lap. He knew it would help calm the pup down but he was worried that a wiggly child would irritate Barry’s various injuries and the Omega wouldn’t say anything about it, so he pushed Wally back into a sitting position when he tried to get closer.

“I know pup, you wanna be with your Daddy, but he’s a little banged up right now and I don’t want you to hurt him.” Hal explained, tucking the little boy under his arm.

“He’s always banged up!” Wally protested with a pout, “And he’s always let me sit in his lap!”

Before Hal could try to reason with him, Barry sat straight up in his lap, reached over to his son, smacked him lightly on the arm, and firmly placed three fingers over his lips. There was an air of urgency in his movements and he was giving Wally the ‘I’m disappointed in you’ look that every parent under the damn sun had down pat, and Hal was impressed that there was some silent discipline happening.

He supposed it wasn’t really that surprising, he had no idea how often or for how long Barry had been forced to wear a gag or a muzzle, so he must have figured out a way to communicate with his son without being able to speak. It also made sense that he would have found ways to convey disappointment and apply corrections in a similar way, such as placing his fingers over the child's mouth or the smack, which he figured was mostly to get his attention, not to cause pain because the pup hadn’t yelped. 

After a few seconds, Barry moved his hand away from the boy’s lips and picked up his pen and paper, hastily writing on the surface. When he was done, he handed it to Hal and bowed his head low.

/I’m sorry for his behaviour Alpha. Please forgive him, he is still learning./

Of course, there was also that. Hal could see that there had been physical abuse dealt to Barry, mostly because he hadn’t had much covering him when they’d met, but he didn’t know much about Wally. The little boy didn’t seem to be having any troubles moving or speaking, he had been wearing appropriate shoes and clothes for the season that covered most of him, and Hal couldn’t see any bruises or marks on him, but that didn’t mean he hadn’t been hurt. Growing up knowing it was just a matter of time before your parent got hurt must have been terribly stressful, and if Barry was so quick to beg forgiveness on his behalf, Hal could guess that there had at least been threats of violence towards the boy.

“It’s okay, he’s fine. I get that he’s had a hard day and he just wants to be close to you.” Hal reassured, addressing them both. “Once both of you have been looked at by the doctor, I swear that you can have some more time together, right now I just don’t want to do more damage.”

Both of his charges seemed to relax at his assurance that he wasn’t angry with either of them, Barry leaning his head against his shoulder and breathing out a sigh of relief. Wally shifted and curled into his side, placing his hand on Hal’s chest.

“Thank you Alpha.” He whispered.

Hal nodded, pulling the pup closer to him and giving him a squeeze. He did the same with Barry, briefly resting his chin on top of his head. When he pulled back, he decided to talk about the term they used to address him.

“You can just call me by my name Wally, you don’t have to call me ‘Alpha’, Hal is fine.” He told the pup. “Barry, you too. You don’t have to formally address me every time you want to speak with me.”

Neither responded, Wally looked over him to look at his dad, Barry just stayed against his shoulder. Whatever, he wasn’t really hung up on it, the two would be staying with him for the foreseeable future and beyond, he could work on it more later. For now, he just held them close and let them relax while they waited for Clark and Dr. Thompson to arrive, with the late hour, Wally was starting to doze off against him.

“Who’re you?” 

Barry and Wally startled and jumped, looking at the doorway where the voice had come from. Hal recognized the raven-haired pup standing at the entrance of the room, looking at the three with curiosity. He was clad in his pajamas, holding onto a stuffed elephant, and his hair was tousled, so Hal suspected he was supposed to be in bed, not roaming the hallways. The pup rushed over to the loveseat and started talking at Barry and Wally, making the red-haired pup lean further into Hal’s embrace and hide his face, not seeming at all interested in the other child.

“Who’re you?” He asked again, looking at the two people he’d never seen before. “Why are you here? Why do you smell so weird?”

Hal smiled at his nephew but held his charges closer to him. Wally was trying his best to avoid any contact with the other kid, even whimpering a little when he got too close. He wanted to try to distract him into focusing on something other than the new Omega and pup on the couch when Bruce came into the room.

“Dick, I thought I put you to bed already.” He sighed, crossing his arms and leaning against the doorframe.

“But there’s new people here!” Dick whined, waving his arm towards the guests and making Wally hide his face completely. “And they smell really funny.” 

“Don’t be rude!” He chastised, coming over to the sofa and picking his son up.

The raven-haired pup didn’t even flinch at the disappointed tone from his dad, nuzzling under his chin to cuddle. Bruce rolled his eyes and hugged him, crouching down so he was in front of the three on the couch.

“Barry, Wally, this is my son; Dick.” He introduced, “I’m sorry he bothered you, he’s supposed to be in bed right now.”

“No, I don’t wanna be in bed!” Dick whined, squirming to crawl out of his dad’s hold.

Bruce shook his head and caught his son, holding him firm against his chest. Wally was still hiding in Hal’s shirt, every part of him screaming ‘I don’t want this person near me’ except for his actual voice. Barry reached across Hal and put a hand on his head, running his fingers through his hair and gave Bruce a small smile and waved at him. The other Omega smiled at him and carried his own kid over to another couch, giving Barry and Wally plenty of space to breath without another excitable pup bouncing around.

“You can stay up, but you need to be nice and respectful to our guests.” He told his pup, holding him and his stuffie on his lap.

Dick grinned and snuggled into him, tucking his nose into Bruce’s neck and nuzzling his scent gland. Hal felt his nose twitch as the two scented, catching Clarks scent from both of them, letting him know that the two belonged to him. Dick was whelped to Bruce, something Clark and Bruce had agreed to do after they had adopted him. The process wasn’t dangerous, but it could be stressful, especially for the Alpha. Both the Omega and the pup would be bedridden for a few weeks to a month, both emitting pheromones that sent the Alpha into an overprotective frenzy, then the pups stomach would soften under their belly button and the Alpha and Omega could properly claim them. Afterwards, the whelped pup would smell like their Omega without having to scent, though many still did, just because it made both feel safe and reassured of the relationship.

Wally slowly emerged from Hal’s shirt but didn’t acknowledge the other pup at all, he just grabbed onto Barry’s hand and leaned his face into it. Hal tucked them both close and adjusted Barry so he could pull Wally up onto his lap, allowing them to be closer to each other, even though he was worried about Barry’s legs. Bruce gave Barry’s legs a sympathetic look.

“Clark shouldn’t be longer than a few minutes now.” He said.

Hal nodded his thanks, feeling Barry shift and try to relax. He knew that the Omega was in pain, he could smell it on him and see it in his body movements. He really hoped that the doctor had some heavy painkillers in her bag, Barry was going to need them when his injuries got cleaned.

Five minutes later, Wally was sleeping against Hal’s chest with Barry’s hand on his shoulder. Dick was almost out too, holding his elephant close to his chest and laying still on the couch with Bruce. That left only Hal, Bruce and Barry awake when Clark and Dr. Thompson came in.

Clark was carrying a few shopping bags brimming with various items, what Hal could see was very practical, personal hygiene items like a toothbrush, a hair brush, a loofa, and a razor. Dr. Thompson was carrying two black bags, which smelt like a doctors office. The newcomers immediately set eyes on the Omega and pup on Hal’s lap and rushed over, Dr. Thompson stared at the injuries on Barry’s body with barely concealed horror.

With Clark rushing them, Barry started to panic. He lowered his head and pulled his arms behind his back, adopting a very submissive position. Clark, ever the gentleman, recognized that he was frightening the Omega and halted, taking a knee to make himself less imposing to him.

“Hey.” He greeted quietly, holding out his hand. “I’m Clark, I’m Bruce’s mate. You must be Bartholomew.”

Barry took both hands from behind his back and took Clarks hand, pressing his forehead to the back of it. Clark blushed and looked at Hal with confusion, the other Alpha shrugged at him. Bowing over an Alpha’s hand was widely considered to be outdated and was only really used in conservative churches and in some very small communities where modern era rights hadn’t quite reached. Clark lightly pulled his hand, letting Barry release his hand before taking it back completely, grabbing the bags he’s brought and placing them at Hal’s feet.

“I gave the formula and shakes to Alfred, he’s making some up for him now, but here’s the other stuff I grabbed him.” He said, “I just grabbed some necessities, things no one really wants to share; socks, some underwear, soap, toothbrush, hairbrush, and some basic nesting materials.”

“Thank you, Clark, that’s very generous.” Hal thanked.

Barry nodded timidly and slowly rested his head back against Hal with his eyes downcast and his mouth shut. Clark nodded and stood, moving over to his mate and pup, collapsing on the couch next to them and holding them close, leaving only Dr. Thompson near Hal, Barry and Wally.

“Hello Bartholomew, I’m Dr. Leslie Thompson and I’m going to be taking care of you and your pup this evening.”

She didn’t offer her hand, likely not wanting him to bow to it like he had done with Clark, instead she put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

“He likes to go by Barry.” Hal informed her, shifting Barry in preparation to stand up.

“Barry? That’s a nice name, and your pup is called Wally?” She asked.

Barry nodded, brushing his hand over Wally’s cheek, making the boy stir in his sleep.

“Alright Barry, I need to take a look at both you and your pup. Alfred has told me which room we’re going to be doing this in, would you mind waking your pup so he can follow us to get a check up?”

Nodding again, Barry moved until he could gently shake Wally’s shoulders until he opened his eyes. Once he was awake, Wally quickly realised that there was another Alpha in the room, turning to the couch where Clark was sitting and curling back up against Hal. He tucked the pup under his arm, and drew his attention to the doctor in front of his dad.

“Hello Wally, I’m Dr. Thompson. I’m going to give you and your daddy a quick check up just to make sure you’re healthy.” She greeted, “If you would just follow me, we’ll go and get you looked at and then you can go to bed.”

Wally looked up at Hal and nodded, rubbing his eyes and standing up. Hal stood up with Barry in his arms, waiting for Wally to stand up as well before he and Dr. Thompson started walking towards the hallway. Unfortunately, Wally was still waking up and wasn’t very coordinated, tripping and falling to his hands and knees after only a handful of steps. Hal stoppe in his tracks when Wally fell, as did Leslie, Barry made a noise of concern in his arms and shifted to try and see his pup. 

On the sofa, Bruce handed Dick off to Clark and got up. He knelt beside the red-haired pup and picked him up, settling him on his hip, and following Hal and Leslie down the hallway. Wally kept an eye on his dad while they walked, straining to see around corners when Barry briefly left his field of vision.

Leslie led them to the room Hal had brought Barry to when they’d first arrived, Alfred waiting for them by the gurney with a glass full of Nutrient Shake. Bruce set Wally down on the gurney and stepped back, Leslie set her bags down on two of the chairs she had dragged over to the gurney, and Hal sat down with Barry on his lap. When the pair was settled, Alfred pressed the glass of Nutrition Shake into Barry’s hand, complete with a metal straw so he could drink it easily.

“Alright, since Barry’s still having part of his supper, why don’t we start with Wally?” Dr. Thompson suggested.

Barry nodded, sipping on his shake. Hal agreed as well, giving the doctor the go ahead to start her check up. 

She started by having Wally strip down to his undergarments and taking his measurements, having him stand on a scale and using a measuring tape to record his height. After that, she checked Wally’s senses, looking in his mouth and ears as well as having him smell different scents and identify them. Then she checked his stomach, pressing her fingers down on his tummy, making sure she couldn’t feel any damage or scar tissue under his skin. 

Overall, the checkup didn’t take that long and was over within fifteen minutes. When it was over, Bruce wrapped him in the blanket Hal had accidentally abandoned there, picking him up and carrying him over to Barry.

“If you don’t mind Barry, I’m going to take him to get a bath and find some pajamas for him to wear. Are you okay with that?”

Barry nodded, giving Wally a kiss on his head and cupped his cheek. Wally gave him a hug, kissing him on the cheek and waving as he was carried away. 

When the pair was gone and the door was firmly shut, it was time for Barry’s treatment. Hal set him on the gurney and backed up, retreating back to his seat. The doctor and Alfred discussed among themselves for a second, then ultimately decided to start with his legs and work up to his neck. While Dr. Thompson filled a syringe with a local anesthetic, Barry hitched up the skirt he was wearing, fisting the material as the needle pushed into his skin and the serum went in, whimpering when his other leg was numbed.

With his legs numbed, Dr. Leslie and Alfred started cleaning out the injuries rapidly, picking out bits of grit and pieces of the broken bottle he had knelt on. When they were cleaned, Leslie started giving the injuries that needed stitches, stitches, while Alfred applied salve and bandages to those that didn’t. They finished by wrapping his legs in gauze from his feet to his knees and secured it in place with metal pins.

Next came Barry’s neck, which was numbed by the same drug that had been used on his legs. Cleaning the injuries on his neck was very different, the lacerations were very infected and full of pus and bacteria, which needed to be drained before they could be properly treated. Hal had a strong stomach, but he had to turn away when he saw the pus running down Barry’s neck and dripping off the clothes they were using. They wound up needing to give Barry another dose of painkillers as the first dose wasn’t working properly. None of his injuries were in need of stitches but they needed to be treated with what Alfred called ‘fancy polysporin’ and bandaged carefully. Bruce slipped back into the room right when they finished up on Barry’s neck, which Hal couldn’t have been more grateful for when Leslie announced what was needed next.

“Barry, I would like to do an internal examination to access the damage done to your hole.”

Hal immediately stood up to leave the room, knowing that his presence was going to make an already awkward situation worse, making sure the door was shut tight behind him.

With Hal out of the way, Bruce and Alfred helped Barry take off his skirt and lay on his back with his legs up in detachable stirrups. Dr. Thompson put on fresh latex gloves and applied gel to her fingers. Barry shifted and bit his lip when three fingers pushed past his rim and moved around inside of him, checking his inner walls.

“Okay, I am feeling a few tears and cuts Barry. Nothing too serious that won’t heal on its own, but I don’t want you having any sort of penetrative intercourse or masterbation. I also want you to be careful when you clean down here, only use gentle soap and a clean washcloth, okay?” Dr. Thompson told the Omega, pulling her fingers out.

Barry had his eyes closed tight and was blushing badly but he gave a thumbs up to the doctor. With the internal exam done, Leslie started to check his perineum checking for lumps or damage. When she was done, she wiped away any leftover gel and Bruce helped him sit up and get his skirt back on. After being dressed, Barry was surprised when Alfred was shooed out of the room and Leslie handed him his pen and notepad.

“Barry, I’m going to ask you some questions that may make you upset. I know that these will be difficult, but I want you to know that nothing you tell me will leave this room, I am bound by the hippocratic oath and I cannot tell anybody what you tell me, alright?” She started.

Barry looked frantically between Bruce and the doctor, nervously nodding and holding his paper closer.

“Okay, when did you adopt Wally?” She asked.

Barry froze, swallowing hard and shaking his head. It took him a moment but he started writing quickly, pushing it into her hands.

/Wally is mine./

“I know he is.” Leslie agreed, handing the paper back. “But you didn’t have him yourself. I just checked your perineum Dear, and I saw no signs of a birthing canal ever forming or closing back up after birth, so you did not have him yourself.”

The Omega licked his lips, shaking his head futilely for a few seconds, then, he accepted that he was caught and dropped his head into his hands, crying. Bruce sat next to him, wrapping his arm around the fellow Omega and trying to comfort him. Barry choked, striking himself hard on the side of his head, only to be grabbed by the doctor to stop him from doing that. He grabbed his pen and wrote furiously, giving the doctor a plea.

/Please don’t tell my Alpha, please! He’ll take my pup, he’ll send my baby to a shelter./
  
“Hey, easy now! Take a deep breath, you and your pup are safe.” Leslie soothed him, “Barry, I swear to you, no one is going to take Wally away from you. All I want to know is when you adopted him.”

Barry just kept crying and shook his head. Bruce rubbed his back and got his attention, helping him wipe his face with a clean cloth.

“I know it’s hard to tell, but Dick is adopted. He’s whelped to my mate and I, but he’s not related to either of us by blood. One of our friends, who’s basically a brother to Hal, also has an adopted son who’s whelped to them, and another friend of ours is going through the adoption process now. My mate was adopted by his parents and loves his mother very much and Alfred raised me alone after my parents died.” Bruce informed him kindly, “Our pack has always been very accepting of adoption and chosen family, including Hal. He may be a knucklehead, an adrenaline junkie, and prone to putting his foot in his mouth, but he has the best of intentions and he would never try to separate you and your puppy.”

That calmed him down, at least a little bit. He sat up more and wiped away his tears with his palms, then accepted his writing utensils back from the doctor. He wrote slowly with precision, occasionally having to stop to catch his tears. He put his pen down and started at what he wrote and hesitantly passed it to Dr. Thompson.

/I’ve been his caretaker since he was 2 ⅕ years old, after his parents died in an auto accident. I’m the only dad he’s ever known and I’ve always tried to do the best for him. I can’t have kids of my own, that’s why my Alpha got rid of me. Please don’t tell my Alpha./

Leslie handed the paper back, smiling at him to reassure him. Bruce pressed his forehead against the side of Barry’s head, letting him breath.

“Barry, I promise that this conversation will never leave this room. If you would like, you can rip that sheet you’ve been writing on off and give it to me, I’ll throw it in the fire on my way out.” Leslie offered.

The noise of ripping paper filled the room as Barry tore the page out of the notebook, crumbled it up, and handed it to the doctor. She slipped it into her pocket and patted it to assure him that it was there. Next, she started discussing the treatment needed for his neck.

“Barry, your scent glands have deep, infected lacerations over them and the infection has spread to the glands themselves. Every time you emit any scent, you reopen those wounds and make them worse. To treat that, I need to temporarily freeze your glands.” She said, “Your vocal cords have similar damage, and the treatment for that is very similar. I have the medication here to administer the treatment and, with your permission, I’d like to give it to you.”

Barry wrote fast and gave her a question.

/How do I take it?/

“It’s an injection, one per gland and a third for your vocal cords. If we do it now, it won’t hurt at all because the local anesthesia I gave you hasn’t worn off yet, but that window is closing fast.”

Barry wrote quickly again, hesitantly giving her his question.

/You swear that nobody will take my baby from me? I won’t be able to scent him with my glands frozen./

“Nobody will take your pup from you, I promise. You’re right, you won’t be able to scent him, but you’re still his daddy and he’s your pup.” Leslie promised.

Barry nodded, writing two words with grim determination.

/Go ahead./

“Excellent, thank you Barry. I’m going to get your medication ready and I’m going to have Bruce go fetch Hal to take you to bed when we’re done. These drugs will make you sleepy when they first go in, so you can just sleep them off in a nice, cozy bed.” 

Leslie grabbed three clean needles from her bag as well as a bottle of medicine, preparing the dosage for injection. Bruce gave Barry a pat on the back and got off the gurney, heading out the door to find Hal.

~~~~

Hal followed Bruce back into the examination room right when the final syringe was being disposed of. Barry was sitting stock still on the gurney with his neck exposed and the bandages pulled back. The Omega had tear tracks down his cheeks and was sniffling occasionally while the doctor wiped down the injection spots with a sterile towelette and replaced the bandages. When the doctor had finished, she took off her gloves and gave Barry a gentle pat on his hand, moving to let Hal have access to his charge.

Hal slowly stepped over to Barry, who was moving lazily, pawing clumsily at the bandages around his neck. He brushed his fingers through the Omega’s hair and cupped the back of his head, smiling at the sleepy man with affection. Barry leaned his cheek against the Alpha’s wrist and opened his eyes, staring up at him with half lidded eyes. Hal was taken aback by the sudden eye contact from the nervous Omega who had gone out of his way to previously avoid it, his eyes were the most amazing shade of blue Hal had ever seen and he felt his mouth go inexplicably dry while he picked him up.

He had been briefed about what Barry had needed and what that meant for him. Bruce had told him that the Omega needed to sleep off the drugs and that the frozen glands and vocal cords would last about two weeks. It was going to be hard for the Omega and he might be extra emotional and prone to crying or being overprotective of his pup. Alfred had shown him where the three would be staying, a very generous room with lots of space, an attached bathroom, a king sized bed, and a rocking chair beside the window. Wally was already sleeping in the bed, dressed in a pair of borrowed pajamas from Dick.

Hal carried the sleepy Omega into the room and laid him down on the bed on top of the covers. Bruce had lent him some clothes and pajamas, so Hal carefully got Barry changed, taking off his skirt, shirt, and hoodie, being mindful of his bandages. He then pulled a nightgown over his head, got his arms in the sleeves, and tugged it down so it covered him to his mid shins. Barry was almost out when he was done, so Hal just scooped him up, pulled back the covers with his ring, and tucked Barry in. As soon as he was tucked in, the Omega shifted and wrapped his arms around his pup, nuzzling into his hair.

Hal smiled at the two while he turned off the light. Using the glow from his ring, Hal found a clean-ish pair of pajamas, changed, brushed his teeth in the bathroom, and crawled into bed beside Barry. The Omega wriggled back until he was pressed against the Alpha, pulling his pup with him so he could cuddle with both of his bedmates. Saying a mental ‘fuck it’ Hal wrapped his arms around his new charges, holding them both close and breathing in their scent, getting his own on them. Barry sighed and smiled, drifting off when the scent of a happy, content Alpha hit his nose, the drugs pulling him under.
 

Chapter Text

Hal woke up slowly in the bed he had shared with Wally and Barry. He could tell it was early because of how dark the room was, and there wasn’t any noise that could have woken him, so he wasn’t sure why he was awake. 

Then he felt the warm heat around his semi-hard cock and realised why he had woken up. Barry was awake and had squirmed over him and down under the blankets to suck him off while he slept. Looking over his shoulder, Hal was relieved to see that at some point he had turned away from the pup and Barry had followed him, so the sleeping pup wasn’t exposed to anything.

A big part of Hal wanted to grab Barry and drag him up to give him a stern talking to, but with the Omega holding his dick in his mouth, he would have to be careful. He did not want Barry’s dental records indented on his cock because he scared him. So he waited until Barry pulled back for air to grab onto him and pull him up.

He felt the other man jump while he grabbed his shoulder, and he struggled briefly when the Alpha pulled him up. Hal cupped the back of his head and held him close and still against his chest. The Omega’s hair was tousled from being under the covers and he was completely frozen under Hal’s hand.

“What the actual hell was that?” He growled at the Omega.

Barry moved his hands and head but didn’t say anything, and that was when Hal remembered that he couldn’t speak. He sat up and pulled Barry along with him, reaching over to grab the pen and paper off the bedside table and shoved it against Barry’s chest. The blond man fumbled to catch them, holding them close while he cowered at the scent of a very angry Alpha.

“Care to explain to me what you were doing?” Hal asked again, glaring at the Omega.

Barry struggled to write, dropping the pen twice because of how badly he was shaking. He had tears streaming down his face and he wouldn’t even lift his head up when he timidly handed the notebook over.

My morning chores Alpha.

The handwriting was awful and it took Hal a second to make it out. After a few re-reads he kind of understood. The phrase ‘morning chores’ kind of explained why he had done it, if he hadn’t had a choice before, he probably thought that Hal expected him to do that. With a defeated groan, Hal pulled up his pants, dragged Barry over his lap and dropped him on the bed beside him, stood up and threw the notebook on the mattress. 

Barry snatched up his paper and started to write something down but Hal ignored him and left the room. He knew it wasn’t Barry’s fault, that he had probably been conditioned to do that and was just following what had become his instinct, but it was still violating for him to wake up to someone he barely knew sucking his dick. 

Hal headed down to the kitchen, knowing it must be very early, because Alfred wasn’t even awake yet. The clock confirmed it, reading 5:04 in the morning. Pushing his palms into his eyes, Hal tried to wake himself up enough to properly make coffee, putting the filter in, adding the coffee grounds, measuring the water, and turning the machine on. 

He sat on one of the stools at the island while he waited for the coffee to brew to think. In hindsight, growling at Barry like that had almost certainly been a bad idea. He should have spoken to the Omega the day before about what his daily routine was, or asked for either a different room or for a cot so that Barry wouldn’t have been able to follow through with his training. 

Even though he hadn’t taken those precautions, he still shouldn’t have gotten that aggressive. Now he would need to go back to a terrified Omega after growling in his face and walking out, he could only imagine how scared he was right now, waiting for what he probably assumed was a beating. Hal stood up and stretched, grabbing a mug and a glass from the cupboard, he filled the glass with water for Barry and made himself coffee in the mug.

He carried the drinks up his room and used his ring to open the door. As he’d suspected, Barry was a mess. He was curled up with his head on his knees and his hands in his hair, even without being able to speak, he was choking and shaking from the force of his sobs. Hal brought the drinks over to the bedside table and sat down on the bed, checking Wally over to make sure he hadn’t been bothered by the drama. He looked over at Barry when the blond coughed, trying to muffle it in his nightgown.

“Here,” Hal said, holding out the glass of water. “Take a drink.”

Barry wiped the back of his hand across his eyes, trying to wipe away the tears. Without lifting his head, he blindly reached towards the Alpha for the cup, keeping his head low the entire time. After watching him fumble and miss for a moment, Hal grabbed his wrist and pressed the cup into his hand, waiting for him to grab on before letting go of his arm. 

Trying to drink proved to be even harder for the Omega, he wouldn’t lift his head far enough to properly drink, so he spilled some of the liquid on his face and on his pajamas. The accident made Barry start crying harder, sobbing and choking while Hal took the glass back. The Alpha put the cup back on the table, took a sip of his coffee, put the mug down, and then started to address the problem.

He shifted closer to Barry, noticing the way he shrunk in on himself as he moved closer. Hal put a hand on his shoulder and pulled Barry close into a hug, pressing his head against his scent gland so he could smell that he wasn’t angry anymore. The Omega grabbed his notebook and put it down on Hal’s lap, obviously trying to tell him something.

I’m sorry Alpha, please don’t hurt me, I’m sorry.

“Oh Barry, I’m not going to hurt you Omega. It’s okay, I’m not angry at you.” He whispered, hugging him close.

Barry pushed his nose closer, crying into his Alpha’s neck. Hal wrapped his arms around his waist and pulled him onto his lap, rubbing his back in what he hoped was a soothing manner. He had to adjust the Omega’s legs, as he was resting on his bandaged shins when he wasn’t supposed to, so Hal made him stretch his legs out, only for Barry to wrap his legs around his waist. 

“I’m sorry my Omega, I shouldn't have growled at you like that, that was scary and unkind.” He whispered, “I’m sorry I scared you, my precious Omega, please forgive me.” 

Barry nodded into his shoulder, wrapping his arms around his neck and holding tight. Hal squeezed back, cupping the back of his neck and rubbing his back. Taking a deep breath, Hal started to purr, knowing Barry could hear him and hoping that it would calm him down. 

After a few minutes, the sobs turned into hiccups and gasps, letting Hal know that he had calmed down enough to talk to. Before he started asking questions, he made Barry sit up and drink some of the water he’d brought for him, helping to hold the glass steady so he wouldn’t spill. When half of the water was gone, Hal let Barry hand him the cup to put back onto the table, then he grabbed Barry’s notepad and pen and started talking to him.

“I’m sorry Barry, I’m not mad at you.” He began, “I’m not going to hit you and I’m sorry that I made you think I would, are you okay?”

Barry nodded, his eyes closed tight while Hal tried to look him in the face so he could apologize. The Omega had only looked Hal in the eyes once, the previous night when he had been drugged and on his way to bed, he doubted that he even remembered it. Hal didn’t know what Luthor’s rules had been in terms of eye contact, but if Barry was going this far out of his way to avoid it, then it must have been against his rules.

“Earlier, you told me you were doing your morning chores, what are those?” He asked.

Barry grabbed his pen and started to write, while he was doing that, Hal stroked his hair and rubbed his back. He stopped when he felt the notepad push against his chest. Barry’s eyes were closed again and he bowed his head when Hal took the paper.

I have to have you in my mouth before you wake up, I have to keep you warm under the table while you eat, I have to make the bed, and I have to put your pajamas in the hamper Alpha.

That was a clear list, at least. All of those things made it easier for him to understand why he had woken up to Barry wrapped around his cock. Now he needed to find out what happened if Barry didn’t do any of those things.

“What did Luthor do to you if you didn’t suck his dick before you woke up?” Hal asked, giving him back his paper.

Barry swallowed hard and started writing. From that reaction, it must have been bad.

I would get a spanking with his belt and I would have to swallow his cum with a spider gag in if he woke up and I wasn’t ready Alpha.

“Was that the punishment for missing all of those, or did it vary with each task?” 

If I didn’t warm his cock while he was eating it was, but if I didn’t make the bed properly he would take away my hands, if I didn’t put the clothes in the hamper he would shove a vibrator in my mouth and lock me in the closet Alpha. And my morning spanking would be worse Alpha.

“What do you mean he would take away your hands?” Hal asked.

He would make me wear these mitts that made it impossible to move my fingers and he would pin them behind my back with cuffs Alpha.

Bondage gloves, that made sense. They would make it impossible to use his hands and pinning them behind his back would add an extra layer of helplessness to it. Not to mention the spankings, from what he’d gathered, he had received at least one every morning.

“And he spanked you too? Every morning?”

Barry nodded, biting his lip. He was fidgeting with the hem of his night clothes, rubbing it between his fingers and following the stitching with his pointer. Hal couldn’t blame him for his discomfort, it must have been humiliating to be used as a cum rag, even worse to be spanked afterwards, and now he was expecting someone he barely knew to continue that trend.

Hal rubbed his back some more and gave him a kiss on the side of the head, trying to help him relax. He knew full well that he wasn’t going to hit the Omega, would never even consider placing a harmig hand near him, but Barry didn’t know that. 

“That’s awful. I’m sorry he did that to you, Omega, you didn’t deserve to be treated like that.” He whispered.

Barry had gone statue still when he started speaking, his fingers freezing with the edge of his nightgown still between them. His head was still bowed but there was a small, almost unnoticeable hitch in his breath that let Hal know he was listening.

“I’m not going to hit you. I know that you don’t believe me yet, but I promise I’m going to work with you until you do.” 

Hal put a hand on the back of his head and pressed his nose closer against his scent gland, feeling Barry’s warm breath against his sensitive neck.

“You’re not with Lex anymore. There will never be any morning beatings, you don’t have to suck me off, or make the bed, or pick up after me. I’m not going to hurt you or embarrass you, I’m not going to lock you in the closet.” He promised, “I’m not Lex, I’m not going to treat you like you’re less than human just because you’re an Omega. I’m your Alpha now, it’s my job to keep you, and your pup, safe.”

Something wet hit his neck and Barry sniffled against him. It was a first step, even if it was wobbly and uncertain. Barry had said he’d been on formula for five years, which Hal was using as the minimum time he had been under Luthor’s thumb, five years of being treated like an animal, five years of being smacked around and hurt, it was going to take more than one conversation to work through five years of trauma.

But this was progress and Hal was proud of the Omega. Barry had been nothing except brave and resilient the previous day, he hadn’t once snapped his teeth at Hal, he had kept Wally calm, and he had let Alpha’s and Beta’s he had never met before put their hands on him and he deserved some praise. Hal moved and scooted back towards the headboard of the bed, propping the pillows up and laid back against them with Barry on his chest.

“You’ve been very brave Omega, I’m proud of you.” He whispered.

Barry started moving again, squirming on Hal’s chest until he was comfortable. The Omega’s head was heavy on his chest and even without seeing his eyes, Hal could see that he was tired. That wasn’t surprising, he had had a late night and it was very early, at most he had been asleep for four hours, which wasn’t nearly enough.

“Go to sleep Barry.” He urged, “I’ve got you, go to sleep.”

It took awhile, the Omega almost nodding off a few times only to jerk back awake, but finally, he dozed off and didn’t wake back up. Hal wrapped the blanket tighter around them and pulled the sleeping pup closer and under the arm that wasn’t around Barry. While his scent glands were frozen, there was still a very present lingering scent of fear, pain and Lex Luthor clinging to Barry, something that would hopefully fade once he’d been bathed. Wally smelled like Barry, but his pajamas had their hosts scent on them and it threw Hal off for a moment.

The only thing he could do to rectify their smells at the moment was to scent them both, laying a claiming scent over them. They each reacted in their sleep, Wally tilted his face into the pillows and curled up into the fetal position. Barry’s face scrunched up and he tried to move away from the overwhelming scent of possessive Alpha laying a claim to him.

His reaction made Hal start to wonder about whether he was bonded to Luthor. He hadn’t thought to check the previous day when he had been getting the collar off of his neck, and he couldn’t remember if he’d seen a bonding mark on his neck. With a bit of maneuvering, Hal pulled his arm out from under Wally and left him to sleep in the blankets, then he sat up with Barry on his lap and started to gently pull back the bandages covering his scent glands.

Both of his glands were swollen and infected, as well as covered in the sticky salve that Dr. Thompson and Alfred had used over his injuries. Checking his right side first, Hal looked at the swollen gland for a claiming bite that would bond the timid Omega to the monster Hal had taken him from, feeling tentative hope swell in his chest when he found nothing. That hope was stamped out when he checked his left gland, it was hard to see around the open cuts and bruises, but there was the unmistakable pattern of teeth marred into his gland, binding him to Luthor.

That complicated things quite a bit, after a few days of being away from his bonded Alpha, Barry was going to go into bond withdrawal. Hal had never seen someone go through that up close before, but it was standard in health education across the country and it had been expanded upon in Basics. Symptoms included fever, delirium, vomiting, irritated skin, difficulty resting, and emotional distress, all things that Barry’s damaged body was going to struggle to weather. Ideally, Hal could take him to an RGA Registration Center and have Luthor’s bond bled from his body before he went through bond withdrawal, but with how damaged his neck was and the fact that his glands were frozen made that impossible. He was going to have to talk to Alfred and Bruce about how he could make it more bearable for the Omega, but other than make it slightly less intolerable, there wasn’t anything they could do.

Retaping the bandages to his neck, Hal laid back down and pulled Wally back against his side. He had a few unanswered questions, such as why Barry always put his nose right by his gland if he was bonded, why Luthor had given him up if they were bonded, and what they were going to do about it. The best thing he could think to do right now was go back to sleep, but at a better hour he was going to talk to Bruce about taking Barry to go see Tony, another Omega who had been through an abusive relationship, bond withdrawal, and being stuck with raising his pups alone might be able to help Barry in a way the people here couldn’t. But for right now, he was just going to hold the Omega and pup close.

Chapter Text

Barry woke up feeling fuzzy, his head hurt and he could hardly think straight. His whole body was protesting even being alive, mostly his legs, and he struggled to remember what could have happened yesterday for his Alpha to hurt his legs. Normally, Lex would hit his face or spank him, it was completely at odds for him to punish him by hurting his legs.

Then he remembered, he remembered being dragged out into the cold, ordered to kneel on glass at the mercy of his own Alpha and the two very angry ones not even twenty feet from him. He remembered being dragged around by the collar to be handed over to his new Alpha, someone he’d never met, and being taken to a new city.  From there he had been carried around, seen by a doctor, and put to bed, then he had woken up, tried to do his morning chores and gotten snarled at, held, and then put back to sleep. And now he was here.

He was on his side, tucked under his new Alphas arm with his bandaged shins pressed against his legs, which was probably why they were hurting so badly. He shifted and moved his legs away and the pain subsided, but he kept his head on the Alpha’s arm. He could hear his breaths and knew he was still asleep, which gave him time to look around. He was pretty well confined to the bed, given the state of his feet, and he was held by the Alpha’s arm, but he could still kind of look around. 

What part of the room he could see was a mix of old luxury and modern luxury, an old wooden bed frame that was obviously hand carved but a new mattress with egyptian sheets, a stone fireplace on the far wall but a flatscreen tv right across from the bed, and the windows were surrounded by carved wooden framing but the glass in them was tinted. It was the kind of room that should have clashed, but somehow complimented itself quite nicely. He could also see the door that presumably led to the rest of the house, it was shut tight and there was no light under it, so he figured that the other people he had met yesterday must still be asleep.

All that said, he turned back to who was holding him. He knew that the Alpha had told him his name yesterday, but he had forgotten it, all he knew was that it started with an H but that was all he had. He was still sleeping, so Barry chanced looking at his face so he could see the man that now owned him and his son. He had brown hair that was styled long on top but cut close to his scalp on the sides , his skin was tanned and the bridge of his nose was spotted with a handful of freckles. Paining him as it did, Barry had to admit he was handsome, with a chiseled jaw and broad shoulders, the Alpha was also taller than him by quite a bit, which certainly added to it. 

It wasn’t only his appearance that was nice, his scent was very comforting. His own Alpha had always been very controlling and always smelled aggressive, and the other Alpha’s he had hung around with were similar. Having that scent constantly assaulting his senses had been overwhelming and exhausting, to the point that he preferred it when he was just left alone and ignored. This Alpha, on the other hand, smelled happy and content, though there was a stale smell of anger from earlier on him it wasn’t overpowering. Barry couldn’t remember the last time he had been around an Alpha whose scent didn’t make him nauseous.

The other man was on his back with Barry under one arm and Wally under the other. Both the pup and the Omega were tucked against his side, though Barry was turned towards him and Wally was looking the other way. The Alpha stretched and shifted in his sleep, moving his arm and putting his hand on Barry’s side. Taking a deep breath, Barry slipped his hand in the Alpha’s, lacing their fingers together and curling closer to him. It had been a long time since he had held anyone’s hand, it was nice and he’s missed it.

The Alpha moved again and Barry realized that he was starting to wake up, instantly uncurling their fingers and tucking both of his hands up by his chest. He lowered his face and closed his eyes, listening to the man he was tucked against wake up. The arm around his waist left and he could feel the other man stretch again and prop himself up. A hand brushed through his hair and he shivered under the touch.

“Are you awake?” The Alpha asked.

Barry nodded and moved around to prove it. The Alpha laughed and Barry felt him move, the mattress dipping and springing back up as he got off of it. The drawers made noise while they were opened and sorted through, and Barry could see some clothes land on the foot of the bed. Then there was the rustling of plastic from the base of the chest of drawers, then a grocery bag was put down beside the clothes and the Alpha sat down beside them.

“Okay, so I know we don’t know each other very well, but you need a bath.” The Alpha opened, and Barry tried not to feel offended. “Clark grabbed you a bunch of stuff from the store and there’s a bathroom attached to this room, so I can just bring you over there and get you cleaned up. You okay with that?”

Reluctantly, Barry nodded. He didn’t really want to be naked and exposed to this person, but he also felt grimy and dirty from dried sweat and tears stuck to his skin. The Alpha handed Barry the clothes, hung the shopping bag on his wrist, and slid his hands under the hollows of his knees and under his shoulders to pick him up. He was carried to the bathroom and set down on the closed toilet seat while the other man started filling the bathtub up with water.

Now that he had a moment to think about it, Barry saw a flaw in the plan. There was no scenario he could see where his bandaged legs wouldn’t be in the water, and there was no way that hot water on his stitches was not going to hurt. Resentment rising in his chest, he noticed that his pen and paper, the only way he had to clearly communicate, was still beside the bed.

‘So I’m not allowed to walk or scent my pup, but this guy can just drop me in a bathtub and that’s somehow fine?’ He thought.

The only thing he could do was try to get the Alpha’s attention to try and stop this before he made his injuries worse. He leaned forward as much as he could and started waving his hands at the brown haired man, tapping on the wall beside him to make some noise. The Alpha lifted his head from the water in the bathtub and looked at him, standing up and going to talk to him.

“Everything alright?” He asked.

‘Oh yeah, ask me questions, because I can definitely answer those. It’s not like my only method of communication is in the other room or anything.’ Barry thought sarcastically.

It was probably a good thing he couldn’t speak, he would have gotten himself into a lot of trouble already if he could. 

Gesturing as coherently as he could, he pointed to the tub, tapped one of his shins, and shook his head. He did that cycle a few times, hoping that he was being understood. His frustration only grew when he heard the Alpha laugh and he frowned, then some weird green light flashed and he was wearing thigh-high, transparent green socks. There was a slight pressure on his neck that wasn’t there before, so he imagined that he was wearing a collar of the same thing.

“You didn’t really think I was just going to put you in the bath without covering your injuries at all, did you?” He asked, chuckling.

Barry shrugged and lowered his head, though he touched the collar with suspicion, feeling it’s texture and the edge. It worried him that this Alpha could probably just tighten it without having to touch him, he had no idea what this thing was made of or how it was controlled, but he didn’t like collars to begin with. His fingers froze when the Alpha’s hand closed around his and guided it back to his lap, giving his hand a squeeze.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be laughing.” The Alpha murmured, “You have those injuries because of another Alpha, of course you think I’m going to hurt you.”

The hand enclosing his own gave another squeeze, the Alpha’s thumb running circles on the back of his hand. Barry tilted his head to the side and started fiddling with the collar again, trying to slide his fingers in between the bandages and the collar.

“You don’t like it?” He asked.

Barry shook his head and scratched at it. He could feel that there was a latch on the front, even though, as far as he could tell, it was only decorative. 

“Okay. It’s easier for me to maintain a structure if it looks like something I know.”

He paused for a second, tapping his foot against the floor.

“Sorry, I’m just trying to think of something else that will cover your throat but won’t bother you.” 

Barry nodded and lowered his hand from his neck. The Alpha was still holding his hand, so he focused on that while he thought. After a moment, he felt the collar shift and he lifted his hand to touch it. A mirror was held in front of him and Barry saw that he was wearing a transparent bowtie, making him smile.

“Is that better?” The Alpha inquired.

He nodded, still smiling. Back before he had met Lex, Barry had worn bowties a lot, they were one of his favourite accessories. It had been years since he’d worn one, but it still brought a spark of joy to his heart to wear one again.

“Good. Now let’s get you in the bath.’ He declared, “Wrap your arms around my neck and hold on, I’m going to lift you up.”

The Alpha stood up with Barry dangling from his shoulders. A hand centered on his back while another hitched the skirt of his nightgown up to his waist so it was out of the way, he was then sat back down on the toilet lid. He let go of the Alpha’s neck and pulled the nightgown over his head and off entirely, leaving him completely naked and exposed. He was picked up bridal style again and carried to the bath, but instead of being put in the water, the Alpha knelt down next to the tub.

“Put your hand in the water.” He ordered and Barry complied. “Is it a good temperature?”

The water was a little warm but nothing he couldn’t handle, so he nodded and was lifted again. The Alpha lowered him into the water slowly, letting it soak over him without splashing over the edge. Barry wiggled his feet once they were submerged, marveling at how they were covered in water and yet totally dry, protected by the green socks.

Leaving him to soak, the Alpha rummaged through the plastic bag and started lining up bottles beside the tub. He took the purple loofah and removed the tag, then dropped it in the water with him. Barry leaned over the edge of the bath to look at the soaps on the floor, there was a lot more than he’d thought there would be, with a variety of coloured lids but he couldn’t see any of the labels.

“So Clark got you two of everything, so you can pick what scents you like best.” The Alpha said.

He picked up two bottles and presented them to him, letting him see the labels. They were Omega’s body soap, one was scented like honey and lavender and the other was orchid and coconut. The Alpha popped the lid of the honey scented one and held it under his nose to smell, as soon as the scent hit his nose, Barry grimaced and turned his head away.

“Okay, so not that one!” He laughed, closing the lid and discarding the bottle back in the bag.

He opened the lid of the coconut soap and waved it under his nose. This one was far less offensive, not so sickly sweet. The Alpha took the loofah from the water and drizzled some soap onto it, lathering it up under his palm. He started cleaning up Barry’s back and shoulders, scrubbing in small circles.

Barry could tell he was trying to be gentle and he appreciated it, the worst of his injuries were on his neck and legs but there were various smaller ones all over him. It was nothing too serious, just a variety of cuts and bruises but it would hurt if they were pressed on too hard. He closed his eyes and relaxed while his Alpha cleaned him up, feeling his hands on his skin, smelling the soap mixed with the steam, and soaking in hot water.

His arm was lifted up and the loofah slid over his arm and wrist. It caught briefly on the power inhibitor on his wrist and the Alpha paused, revisiting that spot with his fingers, finding the spot where his skin was covered by the inhibitor. The bracelets were skin tight and blended into his own skin, they were completely invisible and were so thin that someone who didn’t know to look for them wouldn’t be able to see them. 

The Alpha started pushing on the edges of his inhibitor, catching a sliver of it between his fingers and pulling upwards. As soon as he did, the nausea he felt when they were meddled with hit him hard. Lex had designed them so that he couldn’t pull at them without physical consequences, they were virtually indestructible and could only be loosened by his accessories remote, this Alpha pulling at them wasn’t doing him any favours, and he didn’t want to throw up in the bath, so he pulled his wrist away.

“What on earth did he put on you?” He asked.

‘Again, my communication method is in the other room.’ Barry thought.

The Alpha stared at him for a second, then took his hand and ran his finger over the bracelet.

“Is it hurting you to have it on?” He asked.

Barry shook his head, grateful for a yes or no question. They didn’t hurt him to wear, it was only if he pulled on them or tried to tamper with them in any way that they started to hurt.

“Okay.” He muttered.

He lifted Barry’s arm again and continued to clean him up. The loofah sliding over the inhibitor without issue this time, now that its presence was known. The Alpha moved on to his other arm, finding the bracelet on that wrist but leaving it alone. He lathered up that arm, then pushed his shoulder to lean him back in the water to rinse off. Next, the Alpha moved onto his legs, adding more soap to the loofah and lifting one of his legs. Because of the socks, he could only wash his thigh and stomach, but it was better than nothing.

With his body washed, he put the soap down and rinsed off the loofah, hanging it on the spout to dry. He grabbed the two bottles of shampoo for Barry to smell and held them up to him. One had a yellow lid and advertised that it was scented like daffodils, the other one had a red lid and was scented like pomegranate. The Alpha repeated what he had done with the body soap, letting him smell each one to see what he liked better, and he decided on the daffodil one.

The Alpha put one hand on the back of his head and the other on his shoulder and started to push his head downward into the water. Barry started to panic as the water lapped at the base of his neck and he strained against the force shoving him downward.

‘I don’t want my head underwater, I don’t want my head underwater!’ He thought.

Realistically, he knew fighting wasn’t going to help him, the other man could just use his Alpha voice and Barry would be helpless but he kept at it anyway. He flailed bindly and grabbed onto his shoulder, using it to pull himself up and wrap his arms around the Alphas neck, holding fast. He shook his head and tried to drag himself out of the water when the Alpha moved his hand from the back of his head to his shoulder.

“Okay! Alright, calm down.” He urged, lifting Barry back up. “Do you not want to lay back in the water?”

Barry shook his head desperately, clinging to his shirt. He held fast when the Alpha tried to push him away, shaking his head more and burying his face in his shoulder. He was on the brink of bursting into tears again when he felt a hand rub circles on his bare back.

“Barry, calm down.”  He said, pulling him up further from the water. “Calm down, little Omega, you’re okay.”

Now that his head wasn’t so close to the water, he could calm down a little. He let his hands be removed from the Alpha’s shirt and instead grabbed onto the side of the tub, leaning his head over the side so he couldn’t just be pushed right back down. The Alpha stood up and grabbed the showerhead, unhooking it from the wall and lowering it down to the tub, showing it to Barry.

“Feeling better?” He asked, getting a nod. “Good. So I understand that you don’t want to put your head in the water, so I’m just going to rinse your hair with the shower nozzle.”

He nodded again and cautiously moved his head back over the water. He closed his eyes when the other man swept his hand over his face to push his hair back, then tilted his face upwards. Barry expected to feel water on his head, but instead, his hand was taken and guided to the Alpha’s bicep.

“Barry, I’m going to turn the water on.” The Alpha informed, “I’m going to try not to get any on your face, but if you want me to stop, just squeeze my arm hard and I’ll stop.”

Barry nodded with his eyes closed, hearing the water turn on. He focused on taking deep breaths while his hair was sprayed with warm water. True to his word, his Alpha kept the water away from his face, running his fingers through Barry’s short hair to make sure every strand was soaked, then the water turned off.

“There we go, good job.” He praised.

There was a popping noise and then the smell of daffodils wafted by his nose. The shampoo was colder than the water had been and it stung a little when it got into the cuts on his scalp, but it felt good to feel the build up and sweat being washed out. 

‘Thank you Alpha.’ Barry thought, tipping his head back again so his hair could be rinsed. ‘I wish I remembered your name.’

He tried to purr when his scalp got massaged but he couldn’t, which was when he remembered that his vocals were frozen. Regardless of whether or not he could purr, he must have looked funny, because he could hear laughter from the other man.

His hair was rinsed, then shampooed again, then rinsed, and then combed through with conditioner. Every time the water was turned on, the Alpha let him know, and he made sure to never spray Barry in the face. When the last of the conditioner had been rinsed from his hair, the plug was pulled and the water started to drain around him.

Once all of the water had drained, he was wrapped in a towel and lifted from the tub. He was carried back to the toilet and set down on the seat, a second towel flopping over his head and starting to absorb the water from his hair. He lifted his legs and arms when his body was dried off, trying to make it as easy as possible for the Alpha to dry him off. 

When he was dried off, the Alpha made the green socks and bowtie disappear and unfolded the shirt he’d brought in. It was a button up shirt again, so it wouldn’t bother his neck at all. Like the shirt he’d worn yesterday, this one was simple yet elegant, it was black with black buttons, but it was comfortable. There was also a skirt of a similar style, to get it on, he had to hang off his Alpha’s shoulders while it was pulled up to his waist and zipped up. The clothes were warm and comfortable, the skirt hung down to his ankles and was pretty and flowy. He still had no underwear, but the fabric was opaque so no one could see his butt or manhood.

Now that he was dressed, he was picked up again and sat down on the counter next to the sink. When the Alpha turned around, Barry turned quickly to check himself in the mirror. His skin looked a lot better now that he had gotten some sleep and a bath, not so sallow and the dark circles under his eyes had gotten smaller. His hair wasn’t pink anymore, now it was the cornsilk blonde it was supposed to be.

“You look good.” The Alpha commented.

Barry turned back around quickly, but he was able to see his face go red. He ducked his head bashfully, trying to make the blush subside. He was handed a toothbrush, a tube of toothpaste, and a small bottle of mouthwash.

“You can brush your teeth, right?”

‘//My hands are fine.//’ Barry thought.

Definitely a good thing he couldn’t speak, he wasn’t in a very polite state of mind this morning. He just nodded and started the process of brushing his teeth, putting a dollop of toothpaste on his brush and wetting it under the tap. While he brushed his teeth, the Alpha cleaned up the soaps around the tub, putting the ones he’d used in a cabinet against the far wall and the one he hadn’t back into the grocery bag.

Spitting out the lathered up toothpaste, he opened the mouthwash, filled the cap halfway with the purple liquid and put it in his mouth. He swished the bitter liquid around for exactly one minute and spat it into the sink, then he filed the cap with water from the tap and did the same thing. When he had finished, his mouth felt fresh and minty.

“Feeling better?” The other man asked.

Barry nodded and put the oral hygiene things in a pile against the wall. He was picked up and carried back into the bedroom and set down on the bed. In the time it had taken to get him bathed, Wally had woken up and was sitting up in the bed. As soon as he saw his dad being carried into the room, he perked up and reached out to him.

“Daddy!” He squealed, crawling to the edge of the bed.

“Careful Kiddo, let me get him down on the bed first. Then you two can say good morning to each other.” The Alpha told the pup.

Wally pouted and looked ready to argue, but one stern look from Barry had him backing up and sitting down.

“Okay Alpha.” He mumbled.

“Just Hal is fine, Kiddo.”

‘Hal! That’s his name!’ Barry thought, ‘I knew it started with an H.’

Hal put him down on the bed and Wally flung himself into his arms. Barry returned the embrace, nuzzling his hair and giving him kisses. Wally started purring and humming while he cuddled with his dad and he tried to scent with him, noticing when it wasn’t returned.

“Daddy?” He asked, pushing his shoulder.

Barry turned his head away from Wally and wiped at his eyes. He could smell Wally start to panic and felt his shoulder shake while his pup pushed on him. The mattress dipped beside him and the smell of a calm Alpha wafted around them both, a pair of arms wrapped around them both and pulled them onto Hal’s lap.

“Hey you two, everything okay?” He asked.

“Daddy won’t scent with me!” Wally wailed.

Hal hummed and held them tighter, Wally kept crying and looked at Barry with heartbroken eyes. The Omega closed his eyes tight and bit his lip, guilt and shame tainting every sense.

“Wally, your Daddy can’t scent with you Pup.” Hal told him, “His neck was really hurt because of that collar he had on, and to make his neck better we had to freeze his scent glands. That’s why he can’t scent with you.”

Wally blinked up at him, going quiet for a moment while he thought. Barry used the opportunity to wipe away his own tears and calm down.

“So he’s never going to scent with me again?” He whimpered.

“No! No no no, Kiddo!” Hal said in a rush. “It’ll wear off in time, but it might be a few weeks.”

“But he can’t scent with me!” Wally sobbed, “He’s not gonna love me, or wanna be my Daddy anymore.”

Barry started to cry along with him, wrapping Wally up in his arms and holding him as close as he possibly could. The pup cried in his arms and held onto him, Barry shook his head, but without his voice he couldn’t tell Wally that he did love him. Hal held them both and tried to comfort them.

“Wally, you know that isn’t true. Your Daddy loves you very, very much, regardless of whether he can scent you or not.” Hal whispered, “He just needs a few weeks to heal so that he can feel better, then he’ll be able to scent you again.”

“No, cause your gonna give me away!” Wally protested.

“I am not. The both of you are under my care, we’re all staying in this room, neither of you is being given away.”  He promised, “I’ll protect you both.”

For a moment, all Wally did was cry. He dropped his head and cried, ignoring Barry’s attempts to comfort him and shrugging off his hands. Hal took a different approach, waiting for him to calm down a little before talking to him.

“I know that you’re upset, this is stressful and I’m sorry. Your Daddy needed this treatment because he was hurting, not because he doesn’t love you.” He told the child. “Both of you love each other a lot, that hasn’t changed just because he can’t scent.”

Wally nodded and let loose a fresh wave of tears. Barry cupped the back of his head and kissed his forehead, wiping the tears off of his face. Wally leaned in and grabbed onto him, both of them hugging each other tight. Hal shifted them off of his lap and laid Barry against the pillows, both of them cuddling while Hal did his best to construct a makeshift nest from the pillows.

“Barry, I’m gonna go take a shower. Are you two okay here?” He asked.

Barry nodded, his eyes closed and his chin resting on Wally’s head. Hal covered them with a throw blanket and tucked them in, he wasn’t an Omega and couldn’t make a proper nest for them, but he could make them as comfy as he could. With both of his charges safe and together, he gathered a change of clothes and went to take a shower.

~~~~

After a hasty shower and a quick shave, Hal brushed his teeth and got dressed. He combed his hair quickly and went to rejoin the Omega and pup in the bedroom. The pair was the same as how he’d left, Barry propped up against the pillows with Wally in his lap and both of them covered in a blanket. Wally was squirming a little, but Barry was so still that Hal thought he might have fallen asleep, only for him to open his eyes and turn his head towards him when he came close. 

He was about to say something when there was a knock on the door, making Barry sit up straighter and tighten his hold on Wally. Hal opened the door to reveal Bruce and Alfred with a medical kit in hand. He stepped aside to let them in, closing the door behind them and going to stand beside the bed. Alfred set his kit on the bed and sat down on the edge while Bruce started talking to Barry.

“Alfred needs to check your injuries and make sure that they’re clean and that the stitches haven’t popped. While he’s doing that, I can take Wally to get some breakfast. Does that sound okay?” He asked.

From Hal’s point of view, Barry looked absolutely miserable at the suggestion, scowling a little into Wally’s hair. Still, he nodded and let Bruce guide his son out of the room and away to the dining room for some food, watching him disappear around the corner. Hal closed and locked the door behind them, hoping that Barry would have enough privacy while having his bandages changed.

Alfred started with his legs, carefully untapping them and unwinding them from his shins and feet. The skin was still stained red from the blood, especially around the stitches and scabs, but there was no new blood that Hal could see. Alfred took two fresh syringes from his kit and filled them with the numbing serum, injecting one into each leg. While they waited for his legs to numb, Alfred did the same to his neck, unwrapping the bandages and numbing the area.

“I’ve given you a smaller dose than the one you were given last night, but if you start to feel any pain, let me know and I’ll give you another.” Alfred informed the Omega, “With this dose, it’s effects should wear off within two to three hours.”  

Barry nodded and toyed with his skirt, which was hitched up to his mid thighs to keep it out of the way. Hal sat behind him with a hand on his shoulder, giving it a firm squeeze to reassure him that he was there. The Omega sat still and stoic while Alfred cleaned each and every individual cut with an alcohol soaked cloth, applied polysporin to the ones that weren’t stitched, and wrapped his feet and shins in clean bandages.

He had to take his hand off of Barry’s shoulder when it came time to do his neck, but Hal sat off to the side and in his view. While the Omega still hadn’t looked him in the eyes, he would look in his direction quite frequently, especially when Alfred cleaned over his scent glands. The older Alpha carefully inspected his neck to make sure the infection hadn’t spread further, checking down to his collarbones for signs of blood poisoning or clots. He gave a nod of approval when he saw no signs and started to rewrap his neck, taking care to not make it too tight so he could still breathe without restriction.

“There we go, Master Bartholomew.” He declared, pulling off his gloves, “Your wounds are healing nicely. There are no signs of infection in your legs, and the infection in your neck hasn’t spread. I’ll come to clean them again this evening, but if you start to feel any unusual pain or any sudden loss of feeling, I want to know about it.”

Barry nodded and tugged his skirt down, covering the bandages with the black fabric. Hal moved closer to him, getting ready to stand up, he needed to talk to Alfred about his bond mark. He hoped to do it while Barry was eating breakfast, that would give him privacy and space to discuss options.

“So, off to breakfast then?” Hal asked, getting ready to lift Barry up.

“Ah, not while his throat is numbed. He could choke or irritate his injuries more.” Alfred said, “The anesthetic shouldn’t last longer than two hours, maybe two and a half. He can eat something then.”  

Hal moved his hands so they were no longer positioned to lift the Omega up. Barry looked frustrated, his mouth was set in a firm line and his hands were balled into white-knuckled fists. He couldn’t really blame the poor man too much, Barry hadn’t gotten much of a meal last night, only a shake, and now his breakfast was being delayed for two hours because of his injuries.

Alfred urged him to lay back against the pillows again. Barry immediately turned onto his side and curled up. Hal gave him a pat on the back and gestured for Alfred to talk to him in the Hal, both Alphas stepping outside and closing the door behind them.

“I know that it’s not ideal, but that anesthetic is the best to use for the severity of his injuries.” Alfred started.

“I’m not worried about the medicine, I trust your judgement. I need to talk to you about something else.” Hal said.

“About Master Bartholomew?” Alfred asked, “What’s wrong?”

“I checked under his bandages this morning, I noticed he reacted like a bonded Omega to my scent so I checked his glands.” Hal started and he saw realization dawn on the other man's face.

“He’s bonded, isn’t he.” He muttered.

“Yeah.”

Alfred sighed deeply and nodded, looking at the close bedroom door as if he could see through it. Hal waited for a moment before speaking again.

“He’s going to go through bond withdrawal if we don’t do something, what can we do to prevent it?” Hal asked.

“With how injured his neck is, the only thing we can do is try to get his weight up before he gets sick and keep him comfortable when he does.” Alfred responded, shaking his head. “His glands are frozen, and even if they weren’t, they’re too damaged to safely bleed enough scent from to stave off the withdrawal.”

“So we’re just going to let him suffer? He’s already hurting, this could kill him.”

“Like I said; we can try to get his weight up in the week or so we have, that gives him better chances. Other than that, I’ll get some I.V bags from Leslie, and some medicines to help with the pain a bit. We can get some soft nesting materials, try to get him to nest.” Alfred offered, “I’ll talk to Master Bruce, have him take care of Wally while his dad’s sick, keep him away so he can rest.”

“Anything else we can do?” Hal pleaded, hoping for a miracle. “Anything at all? He’s survived everything else Lex did to him so far, he’s finally safe, he can’t go out like this.”

“Master Harold, bond withdrawal isn’t a death sentence, many Omegas are able to survive it. The chances are that Master Bartholomew will be fine, if ill for about ten days to two weeks.” Alfred explained. When he saw how desperate Hal was, he nodded to himself. “If you would be comfortable with it, try getting him to start imprinting with you. That won’t be easy, because he’s bonded, but if you can get him comfortable being scented by you then you can take some of the pain away while he’s sick.”

Hal paused to take that information in, having a bonded Omega imprint on him would be hard. Barry had reacted adversely to his claiming scent earlier that morning, but if he could get him comfortable with it, and it made the pain more bearable, then he would try anything.

“I’ll do my best.” Hal said.

“Alright. Then I’ll gather those supplies for later. For now, I’ll start making and warming up some formula and a shake.” Alfred said. “And I’ll track down some prescribed formula for weight gain. And I’ll talk to him about heat suppressants later.”

“Thank you Alfred.” Hal thanked him.

The old Alpha nodded and turned away. Hal watched him walk away for a second, then opened the door and went back into the suite. In the time Hal had been gone, Barry had flipped onto his stomach with his face buried in the pillow. His legs weren’t supposed to have too much pressure on them but he didn’t seem to care. Hal crawled onto the bed beside him and sat against the pillows, looking over at him.

“Barry, could you roll onto your side please?” He asked.

He didn’t move, but his head tilted for a second so Hal knew he had been heard. Obviously, the Omega was upset and he had every right to be, but he couldn’t hurt himself.

“Come on Barry, you’re hurting your legs more. Move onto your side.” He asked again.

Once again, he got no response. Barry didn’t even react to his voice that time, he just kept his face submerged in the pillow. Hal moaned in frustration, he hated to do this, but if Barry kept that pressure on his legs he could hurt them more.

“Omega! Roll onto your side, now.” He ordered, his voice pure Alpha.

That got a reaction. Though he fought it for a few moments, very few Omegas could defy an order from an Alpha, and with how conditioned Barry was, he had to obey. He grudgingly shifted and rolled over, his back to the Alpha, which was certainly a conscious choice on his part.

“Thank you.” Hal said.

‘Stupid Alpha! Both of them! Why couldn’t they let me eat and then numb me?’ Barry thought, bitterly. ‘And now he’s bossing me around like I’m a dog, a stupid Omega!’

Hal turned back to Barry when he started to sob, swiping at his face and curling up tighter. He put a hand on Barry’s arm, trying to comfort him, but he was shrugged off. Once he’d started moving, Barry started smacking himself, hard, in the face. Hal sat up straight and grabbed his hand, trying to stop him from hurting himself more.

He pulled Barry up into a sitting position and forced the hand he was holding down to Barry’s lap and trying to grab the other one. The blond continued to fight, he fought until both of his hands were restricted, then brought his knee up and smacked his head against it. With a growl, Hal willed cuffs around his wrists and wretched them behind his back, connecting them so he couldn’t move them. He pulled Barry back against his chest and slid one of his legs between Barry’s, propping it up to make it harder for him to weaponize his legs.

“That’s enough!” He snapped, “You do not hurt yourself! Ever!”

Barry struggled, trying to pry his wrists apart, pulling against Hal’s grip and trying to lift one leg over Hal’s. The Alpha held firm, keeping Barry how he wanted him to avoid hurting him. He checked the clock and noted the time, making a decision.

“We’re going to sit here like this until you’ve been calm and still for fifteen minutes. Every time you fight me, the clock resets.” Hal told him.

He knew immediately what Barry thought of that proposal, he fought with a reignited anger. Hal held firm but didn’t do anything to stop him, when he was done with struggling, he would stay still. Tiring himself out, Barry eventually stopped fighting and went lax, pressing his head against his knee.

“We’ll start the clock now.” He said quietly.

Barry choked and shook his head, his shoulders shaking hard. Hal nodded, adjusting his shirt so he would be more comfortable.

“Yes. It’s just fifteen minutes. Fifteen minutes, no fighting and then you can lie back down.”

For five minutes and forty seconds, Barry was still and calm. Hal rubbed his back and checked on his cuffs, making sure they weren’t too tight and hurting him. Then he felt Barry tense up and braced himself for a struggle. As he had suspected, the Omega started to fight again, trying to force his arms apart, kicking and squirming. Hal held him still and firm, not giving him any leeway to hurt himself.

“We’ll start the clock again.” Hal told him when he’d calmed down.

That happened a few times, Barry would be still for a little while, then tense up and start fighting again. Each time he did, Hal made sure to tell him that the clock had reset and he had fifteen minutes to sit still. 

“Fifteen minutes.” Hal muttered after the fourth reset. “This can be your whole day Barry, I have nowhere else to be.”

‘//No! No no no.//’ Barry thought, ‘//Let me go, I’m hungry, I want to see my son!//’

Barry felt his defiance break, every ounce of fight draining out of him. He needed to behave, that would get him out of this time out and hopefully some breakfast.

‘//Just be a good Omega. I need to be a good Omega.//’ He thought.

He sniffled and shrugged, trying to wipe his eyes on the sleeves of his shirt with his arms behind his back. He hoped that the Alpha didn’t think he was struggling, he wasn’t trying to, not anymore, now he just wanted to finish his punishment and be done. With another sob, Barry forced himself to sit up straight and lay back against his Alpha’s chest, turning his nose against his neck.

“Feeling cuddly now, our we?” He laughed, “Is this how you’d like to spend your fifteen minutes?”

‘Yes, please Alpha, yes.’ Barry pleaded in his head, nodding frantically.

“Alright, let me get you more comfortable.”

The leg between his lowered and Hal lifted him up and turned him. Soon, he was sitting in the Alphas lap sideways, his face pressed into his scent gland and his feet to the side of Hal’s legs. A hand started petting his hair and he nearly started crying again, were it not for the fact that his hands were behind his back, it was nice to be held.

Hal stroked Barry’s head, pushing a calming scent on him. The Omega was trembling and sniffling, occasionally making a choking sound when he sobbed, and Hal made sure to hold him in a way that made it easiest to breathe. He kept one eye on the clock, counting down the minutes until he had told Barry he would let him go. He didn’t like doing this, he hated treating Barry like he was a possession, but from the way he was hitting himself, he would have hurt himself if he hadn’t. That didn’t mean he didn’t heave a sigh of relief when they hit the fifteen minute mark.

“That’s fifteen minutes. If I let your arms go, are you gonna hurt yourself?” He asked, making Barry shake his head. “Alright.”

Hal willed the cuffs to dissipate, hearing the Omega let out a relieved breath when his arms were free. He moved his hands in front of him and started massaging his wrists, glancing up at the Alpha a few times to check that he was in line. Hal took his hands and brought them up for a kiss, rubbing his wrists to relieve any discomfort.

“I didn’t hurt your wrists, did I?” He asked, kissing Barry’s hands again.

Barry shook his head and started to cry, bowing his forehead to rest against his neck. Hal let go of his hands and started wiping his tears, holding him tight.

“Good. I’m sorry I had to do that Barry, I didn’t want to and I don’t want to hurt you.” Hal promised, “I know that this has been a stressful day and I know that you’re frustrated, but you cannot hurt yourself. I don’t ever want you taking out your emotions on yourself or Wally, if you need to hit something, there are plenty of pillows, or Bruce has punching bags in the gym.”

Barry nodded, grabbing Hal’s hand and bringing it to his forehead. He moved his lips but couldn’t make a sound, and Hal recognized groveling. He let Barry go for a second, then pulled his hand away and tucked Barry’s nose back to his scent gland.

“I’m not angry Barry, you aren’t in any trouble. You do not need to grovel, my Omega, you’re safe.” 

Hal started kissing his head, holding him tight. He pushed more of his calming scent onto him, feeling Barry go limp while his senses were filled with the smell of a calm Alpha. 

“We’ve got forty more minutes until that anesthetic wears off, then I’ll take you to go get some food.” Hal whispered, “Try to get some rest Barry.”

Hal held him and kept him close. Barry pressed his face into his neck, blocking out any light or scents other than his own. Hal made a note to ask him about the weird bracelets he’d noticed on his neck earlier, but that could wait until later. It wasn’t like Barry was in any state to do anything except be held at the moment, besides, he’d have plenty of time with him for questions.
 

Chapter Text

Hal sat at the table, a plate of eggs, toast, fruit, and homemade hashbrowns settled in front of him. He also had a glass of orange juice that he was savouring, and a mug of coffee beside it. It was a generous spread and while he was grateful for it, he couldn’t help but feel sorry for the Omega next to him. Barry’s placemat was considerably less full, more bland and franky, unappetizing. 

He had a large bowl of Omega Formula in front of him, looking like watery oatmeal with even less texture and a sickly mix of gray and yellow, with little bits of pink scattered around in it. He also had a glass, but rather than orange juice, it was full of the shake, which looked better than the formula, but still unappealing. If Barry shared his thoughts, he didn’t act on them, he just alternated between sipping on his drink and putting spoonfuls of the mush in his mouth. Apparently, the mush was supposed to be flavoured like strawberries, but it didn’t look or smell like the fruit so Hal had his doubts.

The others had already eaten without them and were now off doing other things, Clark had taken Dick to go play outside, Guy and John were watching Wally, and Alfred was in the kitchen cleaning up breakfast, leaving just Barry, Bruce, and Hal in the dining room. The other Omega’s reaction to the sludge Barry had to eat was well concealed, but Bruce and Hal had been packmates long enough for him to recognize the veiled disgust that darted quickly across his features. 

A part of Hal wondered how it felt for Bruce to see how Barry acted, if it was painful for him in any way. The billionaire had safe houses in multiple cities across the country for beaten Omegas, with lawyers there to help them file for separation from abusive packs and mates, job counselors to help find employment, and other services to assist those who needed to start anew after being in dangerous situations, so he was obviously aware of the lives some Omegas lived, however, knowing about something and actually seeing it were two different things.

For his entire life, Bruce had been rather privileged, he had grown up in the lap of luxury, even after his parents had died and had had the privilege to attend a proper school, not just an Omega Study. His parents had been openly minded in their believe that regardless of whether or not their one child was male or female, Alpha, Beta, or Omega, that they be raised to inherit the family fortune and company, and their will had stated that if Bruce were to present as an Omega, like he had, that he be allowed to choose his own mate. Bruce had never had to deal with the weight of life that other Omegas had to carry, such as the prospect of an arranged bond, forced parenthood, having his assets stolen by his mate, or having his bodily autonomy revoked.

Hal knew Dinah, the only other Omega in their pack, had a little more experience with these types of things, but mostly from the outside looking in, not first hand knowledge of it. She had been lucky enough to be born in an urban area in a liberal state where she had been raised and educated, she had known other Omegas who had been forced into arranged bonds but had managed to avoid one herself. She had a variety of partners of her own choosing, though she had eventually settled down and bonded with Ollie and they lived together with their own adopted son happily. 

The two Omegas were very outspoken on Omega rights, Dinah had attended a number of rallies urging for the removal of the group homes and the RGA, she had used her influence as Oliver Queen’s mate to advocate for Omegas to regain complete autonomy over themselves and their finances, and to gain the right to divorce. Bruce had given money to politicians who supported Omega Rights, had paid for an advocacy group to go and testify before congress, and employed Omegas in his company, as well as thoroughly vetted Alphas to act as their guardians if they needed it. 

Still, it must have been hard for Bruce to see a broken Omega choking down a sickly looking mush because his Alpha had forced his body to reject actual food, his legs and neck bandaged up to hide the injuries that had been dealt to him by someone he should have been able to trust. It had to be hard to look at the life he could have led if his situation had been even just a little bit different.

“Clark talked to Ollie last night,” Bruce said, forcing Hal back to the present. “Guess they got Stephen and Tony in the call too. They all think it would be a good idea to take Barry and Wally over to New York.”

Hearing his name, Barry glanced up from his meal, anxiety clear on his face. Hal was quick to smile at him, hoping that it was slightly calming for him.

“Stephen, Tony, and Ollie are friends of ours.” Hal told him, “Stephen and Tony are mates, they live in New York together with their two boys. Ollie and his mate, Dinah, have a son as well.” 

Barry nodded wearily and went back to his breakfast, though his head was tilted to the side slightly so he could hear the conversation.

“If you and Barry are okay with it, we can leave after you two have eaten.” Bruce said, “We should only be on the road for an hour, maybe an hour and a half. Ollie and Dinah are going to bring Roy and meet us there.”

To Hal, it sounded like a good plan, at the very least, he wanted Barry to meet Tony. Before he had been mated to Stephen, Tony had been bonded to Steve Rogers, an Alpha from the forties who had brought his ideals with him, particularly in how he had treated his mate. The pack he had been a part of had been made of all Alpha’s and a few Beta’s, most of whom had been pretty complacent or even participated in the pack leader's treatment of his mate. He had been effectively cut off from his three closest friends, the only opportunity he had to speak to others was when he had been Iron Man in public or when he had gone with Steve to a Stark Industries function. Hal didn’t know for sure if Steve was physically abusive the entire time or just emotionally, but he did know that Tony had struggled to even choose his own shirts after Steve had left after the Accords issue.

Stephen and Tony weren’t officially a part of their pack, choosing instead to expand on their own in New York, but they were close to them anyway and often worked together as vigilantes, as well as civilians. Tony and Bruce had known each other for the majority of their lives, sharing the fact that they were Omega heirs to large companies to bond over, the two were close.

“That sounds like a good plan.” Hal agreed, taking another bite of his breakfast.

Barry looked over at the two of them from the corner of his eye but kept his face turned towards his breakfast, shoveling another spoonful of formula into his mouth and swallowing mechanically. Truth be told, he didn’t really care where he was taken as long as his son was allowed to come with him. As long as they were bringing Wally with them, he was fine with whatever.

~~~

Shortly after breakfast, Hal was settled in the backseat of a stretch limo with Barry tucked against his side. Clark and Bruce were sitting with Dick across from them, the ravenette pup settled on Bruce’s lap while the vehicle started to move. Wally was sitting in Barry’s lap, bundled in borrowed clothes and reading a picture book from Bruce’s extensive library, occasionally he’d glance up at Dick but he was quick to look away. So far, the two hadn’t clicked, Dick seemed to be too enthusiastic and loud for the young redhead, which had made Wally wary of being around him too much.

Once on the road, Hal watched as Wally altered between looking out the window and thumbing through his book. Occasionally, he would tug on Barry’s hand and point something out in his book or out the window, which would cause the Omega to follow his finger and nod at his son, nuzzle his nose against his hair, and kiss him on his head. Regardless of what Wally pointed out, whether it was a picture he thought looked cool, or a statue on the sidewalk they were driving past, Barry responded the same way, with enthusiasm and affection. Briefly, Hal thought that there was no way the drive with Luther over to the shipyard, and he couldn’t imagine any other way in which Lex would allow this wort of interaction between the two, but there had to have been for Wally to be this used to pointing things out to his Dad like this.

In the meanwhile, Dick kept asking his dads’ questions of his own, like if he’d be allowed to play with Harley and Peter, when Roy would be there, if they could go to Legoland and other questions to keep himself occupied during the car ride. Bruce and Clark tried their best to answer his questions. Every once in a while, Dick would look over at the other pup and ask him a question, and every time Wally looked around like he might have been asking someone else, and then giving a non-committal answer to the question. When asked if he wanted to go to Legoland, Wally simply responded by saying he’d never been and got a groan from Dick, who insisted they now had to go because Wally had never been.

As they started approaching the tower, Dick got more bouncy, clambering off Bruce’s lap and rushing across the cab to look out the window only to be pulled back by Clark. Seeing Dick’s behaviour, Wally started twisting to look out the window as well but he never tried to leave Barry’s embrace. Alfred expertly navigated them into the private underground parking garage and stopped in front of the elevator so they could all exit the limo and get into the elevator.

The carriage was Tony and Stephen’s personal elevator, so only FRIDAY could make it work. Dick chatted to her enthusiastically while they ascended, telling her that he was happy to talk to her again, and she responded in kind. Wally and Barry, who had never been around such an advanced AI before, remained still as she spoke to them, but Hal heard Wally quietly thank her as they got off and saw FRIDAY flash the lights in return.

Tony and Stephen were waiting for them in the entryway, Harley and Peter along with them. Tony’s eyes immediately fixated on Barry in Hal’s arms and something Hal couldn’t place flashed across his face. Stephen surveyed the entire group, looking over the people coming into his home with his family in it, but ultimately nodded in greeting and allowed them in. Harley ran forward instantly, dragging his brother along with him, latching onto Dick’s hand and pulling him into a quick hug.

“You’re here!” He exclaimed, “Dad kept saying you’d be here soon but I was starting to think he was crazy.”

“I’m here! I haven’t seen you in ages!” Dick agreed.

“Wanna see the upgrades I made to my potato launcher?” Harley asked.

“Totally!” Dick replied.

And like a shot, the two were off down the hallway. Stephen rolled his eyes and Tony winced in faux fear.

“Boys! Those potatoes don’t get launched at actual people, understand?” He called after them.

“Yes Dad!”

“Okay Uncle Tony!”

Clark and Bruce laughed, each remembering how the two got with Harley’s homemade weapon of mass destruction.

“So , we’re gonna get potatoes shot at us?” Hal asked.
 
“Without question.” Stephen replied.

“I’d watch your back if I were you.” Tony added.

Peter was far quieter than his brother, and noticed the redhead that the other pup had missed in his mad dash to get an accomplice and start terrorizing the grown ups. He waved at the other and was happy to get one back.

“Hi. I’m Peter.” He introduced.

“I’m Wally, it’s nice to meet you.” Wally returned.

“Do you want to come build Legos with me?” Peter asked, “I just got a new set, so we can both start from scratch.”

Wally looked up at Hal, the question unspoken but readable on his face.

“As long as your Dad’s okay with it.” He answered, turning the control over to Barry.

Wally grabbed his dad’s hand, bouncing slightly on the tips of his toes to look him in the face.

“Dad, can I go play with Peter?” He asked.

Barry nodded, ruffling Wally’s hair as he turned away. The two walked away, much calmer than the others had been, and there was no reminder to behave being called after them by their hosts. It was well known that Peter, while having a love for pranks alongside his brother, was more prone to accidental mischief like a robot design going wrong than he was to attack someone with spuds FRIDAY bought for him in secret.

With the children out of the way, Tony turned his focus back to the Omega in Hal’s arms. He looked over the man quizzically, his hand unconsciously going to his chest, where the arc reactor was nestled in his chest cavity to keep his heart beating. Stephen wrapped an arm around his shoulders’ keeping his mate close to him. Finally, Tony broke the silence.

“Babe, would you mind getting me the wheelchair Rhodey brought here when he was in physical?” Tony asked.

Stephen nodded, pulling Tony close for a second to scent him, then left down the opposite hall. Once he was gone, Tony stepped forward, getting closer to Barry, looking him over with an unreadable expression.

“Someone did a number on you.” He muttered.

“His ex.” Bruce informed him quietly.

Tony nodded and lifted his hand to touch around the bandages on Barry’s neck. Trying not to offend his host, Hal turned slightly, moving Barry just out of arm's reach, the Omega tilted his head towards him, resting against Hal’s shoulder. At that moment, Stephen returned pushing the wheelchair in front of him, he pushed it to Hal and stepped back. 

“There. Might be a little better to move around on your own terms.” Tony told him, gesturing to the chair.

Hal slowly sat him in the chair, watching him get comfortable and experimentally swivel himself around. Once situated, Tony clapped his hands together and drew their attention.

“Well, now that that’s sorted out, I suggest that I take Bruce and Blondie here down to my lab for some quality Omega time while you Alpha’s stick around and compare dick sizes, or whatever it is you do together.” 

Clark flushed at the last part and Hal immediately jumped on that opportunity to embarrass him further.

“Mine’s seven inches Kansas, how about you?” He goaded, watching Clark turn an even deeper shade of red.

Hearing a muffled noise from below, he looked down to see that Barry had somehow blushed even more. Storing that away for later, Hal let Stephen lead them into the den to talk, turning back to watch the Omega’s get into the elevator shaft once more.

Once in the elevator, Tony handed Barry a tablet with a keyboard up on the screen.

“I was told you couldn’t speak, figured that would be easier than a pen and paper. Faster too.” Tony explained. “If you type what you want to say, when you hit enter it’ll read it aloud.”

Nodding, Barry moved his fingers over the keys. 

‘Thank you’ a mechanical male voice read out.

“No problemo Blondie.” Tony replied.

“You made that this morning?” Bruce asked.

“No, I repurposed an old one. Peter was pretty much completely nonverbal for six months after Rogers and I split. I made that tablet for him with a bunch of buttons with pictures on them so he could ask for things and let us know what he needed while he was working back up to speaking. All I did was take out the buttons and add a keyboard.” Tony explained.

“Peter went nonverbal?” Bruce asked.

“After Germany. I had the Pup’s there with me, didn’t know how bad things were gonna get. I left them in the hotel room with Happy while I went to talk to Rogers. Peter snuck out and saw the whole thing, knew his pops and I were against each other. Then he saw me in the hospital after Siberia and put together who must have done it.” Tony said, “He was always a pretty quiet kid but that pushed him over the edge. He stopped talking and no matter what I said to him he couldn’t say anything back. I got him into therapy and made him that tablet, even once he started talking again I kept it around just in case.”

Barry felt a sympathetic pang in his heart towards the pup. He didn’t know extensively what this family had gone through, but it was obviously awful if it had resulted in one of their children losing their ability to speak for half of a year.

The elevator slowed to a stop and the doors opened, revealing a mechanical laboratory filled with tables of different parts, a car with no wheels up on jacks, and several screens with different graphs and blueprints displayed on it. There was a couch in the far corner and Barry figured they were going to have their ‘Omega time’ over there, only to be steered away by Tony when he tried to move that way.

“No way, I’ve got a more comfortable spot for us to talk.” He said, guiding the other two through the lab, darting around tables and past half finished projects to the car. 

He pushed a hidden button under the panel and the wall beside them opened and a small hallway was illuminated. Tony led the way through the doorway and Barry and Bruce followed after him hesitantly. Once all three were inside, Tony pressed a button on the wall and the door sealed behind them, leaving them hidden in the wall, away from view. Down the hallway, there was a room with a large bed, a fridge embedded in the wall, a kitchenette, and another door that was closed but Barry suspected that it led to a restroom of some kind.

“Nice panic room.” Bruce complemented, looking around.

“Thanks, I built it after the whole Stane incident. Only a few people know about it and I’m the only one who can get in here. Those buttons only work on my fingerprint and pulse, FRIDAY doesn’t even have access to it and it runs on a separate power source. It’s not on the building's blueprints either so as far as the world is concerned, it doesn’t exist.” Tony said, plopping down on the bed.

Bruce settled in beside him and both Omega’s helped Barry get onto the mattress. Once he was there, Tony and Bruce started working on making a more comfortable nest, building the wall and filling the middle with soft blankets and pillows. Barry helped where he could, shoring up the walls with pillows and fluffing up blankets to make the nest comfier. With the nest built, Bruce laid down and stretched, a small purr rumbling from his chest.

“Dinah will be sad that she missed building a nest with us.” Bruce pointed out.

“Sucks to be her.” Tony shrugged off, wriggling to get comfy. “We needed to get this one ready to talk and I didn’t want to wait.”

With that, he turned to Barry and fixed him with an inquisitive look.”

“So, talk. What happened to you?”

Barry bit his lip and started typing on the tablet.

‘You first.’

He expected to be snapped at and told to answer the question. Instead, the other Omega just chuckled and flipped over, laying on his back and staring up at the ceiling.

“Fair enough. I was a rowdy Omega, all through my youth, there wasn’t anyone walking and talking that I wouldn’t sleep with. I never intended to bond or be a parent, I wanted my name and bloodline to end with me so I took heat suppressants and pretty much every kind of birth control on the planet. Then Afghanistan happened and it no longer mattered if I wanted kids because my heart wouldn’t handle a pregnancy anyway.

“Then SHIELD pulled Captain Steven Rogers out of the ocean and defrosted him, they got us all together to deal with a doomsday event on it’s way and I met my future mate through an argument and an explosion. We won against the invaders, saved the city and all decided to live happily ever after with some shawarma. Not even three days later, there’s a bundle of roses on my doorstep with a beautiful hand drawn picture of me and a note from Rogers saying how beautiful he thought I was, how capable I was, and how he would like nothing more than to take me out to dinner.

“One date turns into two, which turns into three, and then next thing I know we’re courting and I couldn’t be happier. He’s the perfect Alpha, always so kind and caring, bringing me handmade pictures, sitting with me while I worked in the lab, and escorting me to any meeting or press conference I had. That turns into him taking me to the science museum with a collar in a velvet box in his back pocket. We wound up engaged in front of a prototype of the first rocket to successfully bring monkey’s too and from orbit.

“Within a week of being bonded, he starts talking about starting a family, talking about how we should decorate a nursery and whelping room, names for pups, all these kinds of things, the picture’s he drew of me started including a baby bump or even a baby. I told him pretty much immediately after that because of my heart that I could never host a pregnancy but that I would love to start a family. I found different adoption agencies, foster to adopt programs, different centers where we could go and take tests to match us to a child who needed us, all kinds of alternatives so we could start a family together.

“He didn’t much like that idea, but he agreed to take the test. That matched us to Harley, who had just turned five and had just watched his mother and sister die in a car crash, his father had split before his sister was born. I fell in love pretty much instantly after reading his file, and after a lot of conversations with Rogers, we brought him home and scented him, but never whelped, Steve said he just didn’t feel comfortable bonding like that.

“Once we had Harley, Rogers got a lot more possessive over me. He would drag me out of meetings halfway through them because my board was taking too much of my time, wouldn’t let me have more than a five month phone call with Pepper, Rhodey, and Happy, and he wouldn’t let me leave the house alone. He also amped up the pressure to have our own pup, he found different fertility clinics to get me knocked up and flushed my heat suppressants so I couldn’t take them. I started using this room through my heats so he couldn’t put a baby in me.

“I kept my mouth shut through the whole thing, regardless of how bad it got. I only spoke up when he started calling Harley a mistake, that he had corrupted me into thinking I was complete as an Omega now that there was a pup in my care. Kept saying he should never have agreed to Harley and that we should send him back. By that point he was almost six and I couldn’t imagine my life without him. I started doing anything I could to keep him in my life, I let him try to knock me up, but had Jarvis get me the pill in secret.

“Years passed and I was almost completely cut off from the outside world, all because he wanted it that way. I handed off SI to Pepper and tutored Harley myself, I learned to cook meals he liked, I kept Harley quiet and out of his sight, I was entirely under his thumb.

“Then Peter showed up at one of the few events we attended outside of the tower, in his pajamas holding a stuffed Iron man toy and had no idea where he was. I managed to get away from Rogers for a while and kept the kid warm while the police got there. Turns out that he had been in foster care after his aunt died, wandered out of the group home he had been placed in and found the gala by accident. His caretakers didn’t even notice he was gone.

“I fell in love with him just like I did with Harley, I couldn’t just let him be sent into the system to be forgotten so I begged Rogers to let me keep him. He finally agreed on the condition that we would keep trying for a baby. Obviously, I couldn’t get knocked up while on the pill so I agreed and we scented with Peter.

“For a few more years, things continued. I had my boys and other than that I didn’t really care what happened to me as long as they were safe. Rogers chose my outfits for me and did the same with the boy’s. The pictures he drew of me always included me, him, and I was always either pregnant or holding a baby. They never had the boy’s in them, he never drew the boys. To him they were place holders for a baby we had.

“Then the Winter Soldier was spotted in DC while he made a complete disaster of the Washington Monument and he was gone almost all the time. He always left specific instructions for me and the boys, rules we had to follow, when we were to eat, sleep, and bathe. I had never felt more conflicted. On one hand, when he was gone I could hold my babies and spend proper time with them. On the other, he was my Alpha and I loved him. I figured out a way to adjust the arc so that I could safely carry a pregnancy to turn, though I would need to have a c-section.

“In the end, I wound up being dragged to Germany because someone pretending to be the Winter Soldier bombed a UN meeting, killing the king of Wakanda. He was ordered to be arrested, Rogers stepped in to stop the arresting officers, killing one and leaving the other with permanent brain damage. That led to a high speed chase through a highly trafficked road where they he and his buddy Barnes intentionally caused cars to crash, threw a civilian into oncoming traffick, and brought down a bridge with cars driving under it. By the end of that hour, twenty people were dead, three of them children, and over one hundred people were injured.

“So they called me in, had me bring the Iron man armour to apprehend him and his little gang of rouges. We fought in an airport I had cleared out earlier, that’s when Peter snuck out and saw us. One of my teammates betrayed me and Rogers and Barnes managed to escape to Siberia. I followed them out there alone, like a moron, and confronted them about their stupidity but agreed to help them. Then I was shown a video of the Winter Soldier, my mates best friend, killing my parents by slamming my fathers head against the steering wheel and choking the life out of my mother with his hand.”

Tony paused and took a deep breath, gathering himself.

“I lost it. I started hitting at random, I know i punched Steve right across his smug face. Barnes joined the fight and suddenly neither of them were pulling punches. Barnes tried to rip out the arc reactor and the suit’s security protocols defended me. Then Rogers got me on my back and started hitting me, he slammed his shield across my face and ripped my helmet and face shield off. I thought he was going to cut my head off when he lifted his shield, but he put it through the arc reactor instead, which broke through the artificial sternum and three of my ribs. He and Barnes just left me there, in the cold with a broken suit and no way home, two pups waiting for their dads to come back for them.

“I passed out eventually, but Pepper and Vision found me and came to get me. I was unconscious by that point and nearly dead. They got me to a hospital, where I was in a coma for almost a week. Eventually, Rhodey agreed to using the modified version of Extremis that I’d modified for an emergency. It saved my life and woke me up, but now I rely on the arc more than ever.

“I was a single parent for a while, but I met Stephen through work and Peter’s therapy. We started going out and eventually bonded. He loves the boy’s so so much, and was the one to suggest we properly whelp them to us. So now I’ve got a loving mate and two safe, happy, healthy children.”

With his story finished, Tony wiped the stray tears from his eyes and turned to Barry.

“Your turn, what did that bastard do to you?”

Chapter Text

“Your turn, what did that bastard do to you”

~~~

Barry slowly started typing on the tablet, intentionally drawing it out so he didn’t have to tell them, so they didn’t have to know. It wasn’t that he didn’t think they would judge, it was embarrassment, knowing what he’d played along with to keep himself safe, to keep his son safe. All those years, all the never ending humiliation and pain, it was hard to let it all out all at once.

He was spared for a moment at least, by Tony perking up beside him, his brown irises flashing metallic blue for a moment. Then the other Omega was crawling out of the nest and heading down the hallway.

“Dinah must be here.” Bruce mumbled, tilting his head to look down the hall.

Soon, Tony hurried back in, followed by a blond female Omega. She was about Barry’s height, and had similar blue eyes, but the similarities between them ended there. While Tony crawled into the nest immediately, she took the time to kick off her high heels before following, settling in beside Tony.

“I can’t believe you guys built a nest without me.” She grumbled.

“We needed to get Blondie 2.0 here talking.” Tony replied, forcing the other Omega to look at him properly.

“So you’re Barry then?” She asked, leaning over Tony and offering her hand. “I’m Dinah, it’s good to meet you.”

Unsure, Barry clasped her hand gently. He didn’t have much experience meeting other Omegas like this, so he just tried to copy what she’d done.

“He’s about to tell us what Luthor did to him.” Bruce explained from Barry’s other side.

“So you really were Luthor's mate then?” Dinah asks.

All Barry can do is raise his hand and shake it a bit. To say he was his Alphas mate would be  a leap, he’d been his Omega but there had never been any sort of proper ceremony or paper to make them mates. 

“Just let the man tell his story!” Tony pipes up, watching Barry intently as he starts typing again, faster this time.

~~~

It takes Barry fifteen minutes in total to get his story put together. He decided to include the bit about Wally not being his son by blood, even if his heart keeps twisting at the thought of his baby being taken away. During the time it had taken him to type it all out, Tony had braided Dinah’s hair and Bruce had started reading something on his phone. Gently getting their attention, Barry hit play on the screen.

I was employed at Lexcorp right out of university, working in the chemistry lab under another scientist. Once a week, Alpha Luthor came around to check up on things, see how his money was being spent and how the experiments were progressing. He used to stop to talk to me but I never thought much of it, he’d ask about Wally, how we were doing at home, that sort of thing.

The first Christmas I was working there, the company hosted a party with an open invitation to all of the employee’s. I wasn’t going to go, but then a coworker told me that the company would provide childcare, so I decided to go. Wally was only three years old and I wanted him to have some experience with other pups before he started preschool.

I was having a good time, talking with my coworkers, drinking with people I’d never met. And then my superior called me over, said he wanted to talk about a new project with me, need to know only, and took me to an office on the other side of the floor. Next thing I knew, I was being held down over a desk, my pants were ripped off, and I was marked, claimed and bonded to the head of the company I worked for.

The next morning I woke up tied down on a bed, getting my hole filled by my new Alpha while he explained my new rules. He explained the morning and evening chores I had to do each day, and that I would be going on fertility treatments because he wanted me pregnant. He would let me keep Wally but only if I did everything he wanted me to do, and if I started being too much trouble, he’d send my son away and I’d never see him again.

I tried my best to fight him, but he was stronger than me, and every time I did he would spank me until I would say anything to get him to stop. Wally fought him too and got the same thing. One day, after I hadn’t been ready for him in the morning, he showed me a pup shelter he’d found to send Wally to, and the forms he’d already filled out to have him taken. He said he’d give me one more chance to behave myself and if I couldn’t do it, I could say goodbye to my pup one last time. I never fought him again after that.

He put me on formula three weeks later, and fertility treatments a week after that. I had to wear whatever he put me in, and some days he just made me stay naked in his study. He kept my hole plugged except for cleaning and sex. I only got to see Wally for two hours a day if I was perfect for him. The entire time, he kept trying to get me pregnant, everytime I went into heat all he did was strap a feeding gag into my mouth and use my hole the whole time. But I never got pregnant.

He tried everything, he switched the treatments so many times I lost count. He tried putting me on different diets and exercise plans, he made me take care of a newborn for the week leading up to my heat, different positions, everything he could think of. Eventually he got tired of that and tried Invitro Fertilization and that stuck for about two months before I miscarried, he tried it a few times and the longest I could carry was three and a half months before I would lose the baby.

All of that took years, he only got worse after the RGA was formed, that’s when he started gagging me around other people so I couldn’t talk, and making me wear those awful skirts all the time. Sometimes he’d put clamps on my nipples just because he thought it was fun. He’d drag me to his board meetings and make me keep him warm under the table, then spank me in front of everyone. He kept me on a leash anytime we left his penthouse, and he started using the cutting collar as well.

He told me a few months ago that he was getting sick of waiting for me to get knocked up, that he just needed to find another little slut who knew how to be a real proper Omega. He gave me one more chance to get pregnant and it didn’t work, I didn’t catch. He told me he’d found someone who would love to have a slut they could knot and not have to worry about any babies, and that maybe if they were feeling generous they’d take my adopted pup too. If they wouldn’t take me, I’d go to a group home and Wally would go to a shelter.

He got a lot more rough with me after that, now that he didn’t have to worry about keeping me kind of healthy. He hit me a lot more and a lot harder, he would spank me for no reason and kept me gagged all the time. The plug he kept me full of got a lot bigger and sometimes he would put one in me that would shock me randomly. Then yesterday he dragged me out of the penthouse on a lease, threw me into his limo with Wally inside, we drove to the shipyard and I got traded to my new Alpha.

The tablet went silent, the other Omega’s in the nest looking teary and horrified. Barry lowered his head to the nearest pillow and shut his eyes tight, trying to keep himself from crying. The other Omega’s were quiet, absorbing the information they had heard from Barry, then Barry felt someone press up against his back. Bruce wrapped his arms around him while the other two pressed against him as well, their scents flooding his nose. 

“I’m so sorry.” Tony whispered, “I’m sorry that you had to go through that.”

“You didn’t deserve that, neither of you did.” Dinah muttered, “No real Alpha enjoys hurting an Omega and their pup, or scaring them.”

Now Barry was crying into the pillow, choking on his sobs while he did so. His baby was somewhere else in the tower and he just wanted to be able to hold him. He had also never been in a nest with other Omega’s like this, so while he enjoyed it he had no idea how to act with the others nuzzling him and holding him like they were.

Bruce and Dinah smelled similar, being that they were in the same pack. Tony had a different scent, and Barry with his glands frozen, likely just smelled like the soap he’d been washed with and Hal. All the pillows and blankets were clean and soft, making Barry feel like he was resting on a cloud.

“I think you should tell Hal.” Bruce muttered. “At the very least he needs to know how he hurt you so he can know how to be near you without scaring you.”

Shaking his head, Barry quickly typed on his tablet. Pressing the speaker button to make it speak for him.

“He’s gonna know it’s not worth keeping me around. I can’t have a baby for him, and once he figures that out he’s going to know Wally isn’t mine. I’ll lose him and I can’t lose my baby.”

“Well didn’t Lex tell him that you can’t have pups and that Wally isn’t yours? I thought he already knew?” Dinah said.

Once more, Barry shook his head and typed again.

“I don’t think that my old Alpha told my new one anything. Alpha Jordan didn’t even want to take me until Alpha Luthor mentioned a group home. I have no idea why he wasn’t told I wasn’t a proper Omega.”

“You are a proper Omega.” Tony said, “You aren’t here to be an incubator, and this isn’t the Great Depression. Hal isn’t going to expect you to get your meals by sucking him off.”

“What?” Dinah asked, propping herself up on her elbow.

Tony rolled over onto his back, looking slightly awkward.

“Alpha cum has a lot of nutrients for Omegas in it, which happened through evolution for times when there wasn’t enough food for everyone in the pack. Basically, they could save food if the Alpha’s fed the Omegas and the Omega’s fed the nursing pups. It’s not sustainable for too long but for a few months, it could keep an Omega fed.” Tony explained. “The most recent time it was used in America was the Great Depression when families couldn’t feed all their pups and the adults. To avoid the children seeing, most Alpha’s would insist that Omega’s get their fill early in the morning before feeding the rest of their family, and before the two went to sleep. Hence the creation of Morning and Evening chores.”

The other three looked at him quizzically and he let out a dry laugh.

“Steve grew up in the thirties, when it was regaining popularity. Before that, it was used a lot in poorer neighborhoods, which both his parents grew up in. He had me on a ‘chore’ schedule too.” He said.

“Jesus.” Dinah muttered, laying back down.

“Yeah, it can be hard to be an Omega when you wind up bonded to an asshole.” Tony agreed. “Barry and I can vouch for that.”

Barry nodded and curled into himself. Bruce nuzzled against the back of his neck and started purring, feeling Barry relax.

“So Hal doesn’t know that you can’t have babies and that Wally’s adopted. He won’t care, like I told you last night, our pack is very open to adoption.” Bruce reminded.

“It’s true. My mate Ollie and I adopted our son Roy, even though, medically, we could have biological pups. And I know for a fact neither of us would trade him for anything in the world.” Dinah agreed.

“Clark and I could also have a biological pup if we wanted to. But we were at the circus when Dick’s parents died and neither of us could just leave him to go into a Shelter. We fell in love with him and would do anything to keep him safe.” Bruce said.

Barry nodded but he was not enthusiastic about his secrets getting out. There was too much riding on them remaining secrets for him to be comfortable just giving them away. Tony recognized that he was still reluctant, and pressed his forehead to Barry’s.

“If you really don’t want to tell him, you don’t have to. But you should at least tell him what else he did to you. I’m not a member of his pack but I do know Hal pretty well, he’s going to do his best to help you.” He whispered.

“We’ll be there with you if you’d like.” Dinah offered.

“I would like that.” Barry’s tablet read out, with the blond genuinely happy to have them beside him.

“Then we’ll be there with you. We can get Hal down here so that it can be a little more private.” Tony said.

Barry nodded, leaning into the embrace of the other Omegas, greatly enjoying how the scent of their calmness was affecting him. He knew that pack Omegas usually nested together, but he had never been in a pack before so he had no idea what it felt like before now. And the other Omegas were similar, all of them purring and holding each other, smiling to themselves.

“See, this is why I could never be an Alpha.” Dinah muttered, “They never even share a bed and they certainly never nest. I don’t even know how I could sleep if I didn’t have a nest.”

Bruce and Tony laughed and Barry smiled. He had to admit, being in a nest was lovely, soft and warm with a built in feeling of safety. They hadn’t pulled the comforted over them yet so they were exposed to the open air of the room, but it still felt super cozy.

“The only thing that could make this better would be if we had the kids here.” Dinah mumbled.

Bruce and Tony laughed, each looking at each other over Barry in understanding.

“Listen, Peter and Wally would be happy to be in the nest to cuddle and be here with us. But Harley and Dick would tear the bed apart within thirteen seconds of being in here. Roy can go either way.” Bruce laughed.

“Dick and Harley are two little hellions together.” Tony agreed. “A big part of the reason I choose a locked room is so that we don’t wind up as targets for Harley’s potato launcher.”

All four of them laughed, nodding in agreement. Barry had seen Harley and had sort of met Peter, but he hadn’t met Dinah’s pup yet.

“Is Roy a troublemaker too?” The tablet asked for him.

Dinah hummed, tilting her head back and forth for a moment before answering. 

“Sometimes. He was the first pup in our pack, so when he was bored all alone he could stir up trouble just for fun occasionally. But ever since Bruce and Clark took Dick in, he’s gotten a little more mature, he got it into his head that he’s in charge of taking Dick under his wing.” Dinah explained, “That big brother instinct of his has only gotten stronger since Arthur and his mate, Mera, started the adoption process of a pup named Kaldur. So sometimes he’s the big brother that helps them make peanut butter sandwiches, and sometimes he’s the brother that teaches them how to steal from the cookie jar. It depends on his mood and it can change by the hour.”

Barry laughed silently, understanding pretty quickly what kind of pup Roy was. If he was known to act like an older brother to the other kids, maybe he’d be able to pull Wally out of his shell. Since he’d been under Alpha Luthor's care, Wally had been homeschooled and had never been in any extracurriculars like a sports team, and as such, he hadn’t spent any time with other children. Barry had been really excited when he’d first met Dick, hoping that the lively pup could become Wally’s friend, but despite the raveonettes best attempts, Wally hadn’t reciprocated any of his invitations to play. Of course, his own son was pretty quiet and Dick was really excitable and loud, so maybe another quiet kid could help him start to open up.

“Think he’ll like Wally?” The tablet read.

“Oh I’m sure Roy will love him.” Dinah assured, “He’s got the same colour hair as your little boy, and I’m sure he’ll find a way to bond from there.”

“You don’t think Dick and Harley are bothering Peter and Wally do you?” Bruce asked.

Dick was known for being a little prankster, ever since he’d been brought into the manor, he had found a way to try to prank the older members of the house. With the exception of Alfred, who Dick respected too much to try to try anything with, Bruce and Clark were always worried about Dick trying to pester anyone on the property. Dick had pranked both Peter and Harley on multiple occasions, which was fine with Tony’s pups, as they gave as good as they got, but Bruce was worried that Harley and Dick would get so wrapped up in the fun of tricking the other two that he would alienate himself from Barry’s pup further.

“Harley knows better than that. Both he and Peter know what it’s like to be scared, I’m sure that he won’t bother Wally on purpose.” Tony said, “He might play rough a few times by accident cause that’s how he’s used to playing, but I’m confident that he’ll correct himself on his own.”

“Plus Roy is up there, he’ll make sure that the other two aren’t being used as target practice.” DInah added.

“And all of the Alphas are up there with them. Stephen, Clark, Oliver, and Hal are up there to keep them in line.” Tony joked, “All four of them can probably handle five little pups.”

“Plus, with four Alphas to shoot with potatoes, why would Dick and Harley bother with the other three pups?” Dinah said, “If anything, Roy’s gonna steer them towards the adults rather than the other kids!” 

Barry nibbled on his lip, amused but also a little nervous. The pups were still little, he didn’t want any of them being punished for playing.

“What will happen to the pups if they try to play with the Alphas?” He asked. “Will they get into trouble?”

Bruce laughed, which settled his nerves before the other Omega even spoke.

“They’ll get pummeled by potatoes and the pups will get tickled or held captive in exchange for the potato gun. We’ve done this song and dance a few times, we all know how this is gonna play out.” 

“And none of the puppy’s are going to get punished.” Tony piped up. “Most of the Alphas upstairs are meta’s, so they aren’t going to be hurt by a few potatoes and an airsoft gun. Hell, even if the kids get too into it and they do wind up in trouble, all of our mates agree that a punishment should never involve pain or humiliation. None of our kids have ever gotten a spanking while with us, certainly nothing like Luthor did to you or Wally.”

Barry nodded and smiled at them, typing into his tablet.

“Thank you.”

“Don’t thank us!” Dinah cried, “Not having to worry about your partner hurting your pup should be a given, not something you have to be grateful for.”

“Do you want to go upstairs for a few minutes? We can grab some snacks and check on the kids so you can see that all of our kids are safe?” Tony offered. “Or I can show you on your tablet that your pup is safe if he and Peter are in the playroom like I think they are.”

Barry nodded and handed his tablet over to the other Omega. Tony sat up and started tapping the screen, occasionally swiping his finger across it. Then he handed the device back to Barry, who could see both his son and Peter playing with Legos together. Each looked to be making different things, but there was a bigger contraption in between them that it looked like they were working on.

“I don’t put cameras in the children's room for obvious reasons, but they both know about the cameras in the playroom, living room, and kitchen. Gives me peace of mind when I’m working or if Stephen and I go out for a while.” Tony said.

“Thank you.” Barry typed, having the tablet read it for him.

“Of course.” Tony whispered. “And for what it’s worth, Steve used to spank both of my boys and Stephen had to really work to prove that he wasn’t going to do that to them. My mate understands how to handle kids who are nervous around adults, he’ll know how to not scare Wally.”

Barry nodded his thanks and went back to resting against the pillows and blankets. Tony settled in as well and snuggled back in against the others. Bruce and Dinah shifted closer to the others, making a tight Omega bundle in the nest they’d made. If there was anything that Barry hoped he got to do again, being in a nest with other Omegas was on the top of his list, right below taking Wally in again. Later, he was going to have to tell his new Alpha what he had been through, but right now, he got to cuddle and be safe.

Chapter Text

Hal was settled on a sofa in the lounge with the other Alpha’s, enjoying the conversations while their Omega’s were off somewhere having their own discussion. So far, the conversation had mostly been centered around how work was going for each of them, and remained that way until Oliver arrived, then it changed to how Hal had wound up with an Omega and pup under his care.

“So Lex basically forced your hand?” Oliver asked after Hal finished telling them how he had wound up with Barry and Wally.

“Pretty much. It was either take them myself or let the Omega wind up in a group home and the pup in a shelter.” Hal confirmed.

“That’s rotten.” Oliver said.

“Well what else could I do? Knowing Lex he’d find the worst places for them to wind up in and they were right in front of me. I could actually see them and their faces and I knew that they knew that I was kinda their last hope.” Hal exclaimed. “I don’t think I could live with myself if I just left them to rot.”

“No, hey man, we get it.” Clark agreed, “We just agree that it was set in a way to force your hand.”

“Yeah, it totally was.” Hal agreed with a sigh.

“So…” Stephen muttered, “What’s the plan with him? Are you going to keep him?”

Hal mopped his hand down his face, already exhausted.

“I have no idea. Wally’s a sweet pup and Barry’s nice enough, but he’s really submissive and nervous. I would love to be able to meet them under a more normal setting, but I feel bad trying to get to know them under these circumstances.”

“But you’re not doing anything wrong, just getting to know them. It would be wrong to try to make Barry your mate, but just getting to know them isn’t doing anything wrong.” Ollie consoled, “I mean, what else can you do in this kind of situation? They’re yours now, you need to get to know them.”

“Yeah yeah, I get that, but I know that’s what Barry’s expecting, that I’m going to try to make him my mate and I know that he expects me to hurt him and his pup, and I’ve been trying to get it into his head that I’m not going to do any of that. But then at the same time, any chance he gets, he puts his nose against my neck, like right on my gland, so he must feel comfortable around me.” Hal said.

All the other Alpha’s looked shocked, sitting around the room with identical looks of confusion.

“That is… Strange.” Clark said carefully. “It took Bruce almost a year before he would put his nose on my gland when we were sitting together or cuddling.”

“Yeah, it was similar with Dinah, she wouldn’t go anywhere near my neck until we both knew each other better than we knew ourselves.” Ollie agreed. “Strange? Anything to add?”

“Tony and I got there pretty quick actually, I think it only took us a few weeks. Of course, I was taking Peter to therapy and Harley out to the park by that point already, so I think our relationship was quicker.” Stephen admitted, “Tony and I had a talk a few months in, because he was also pretty submissive and I just wanted to see what was going on in his head. He told me that my scent was less offensive to him than Rogers was, that it felt nice to be near me and to be breathing my scent, so maybe Barry’s going through something similar.”

There were nods all around the room, seemingly in agreement about why Barry was acting so peculiar. 

“Could be. Your scent probably doesn’t terrify Barry like Lex’s would.” Clark agreed, “Plus, he’s going to go through bond withdrawal soon, Alfred mentioned that if he imprinted with you somewhat, that it would make it a little easier on him.”

“He didn’t have his scent bled?” Stephen asked, shocked. “Why on earth would Luthor let his claimed Omega go without bleeding his scent?”

“I don’t know. Because it’s not as bad for us as it is for them?” Hal suggested.

“His neck is also cut to hell, and so infected we had to freeze his scent glands. They’re too damaged to have a bonding mark bled from them.” Clark added.

Stephen shook his head, clearly deep in thought.

“No. This still doesn’t make sense. Lex should have let him heal, bled his accent, then got rid of him. How is Luthor going to be head of his company for a week while in bond withdrawal?” He asked. 

“I don’t know, and frankly, I don’t care.” Hal said, “What I’m worried about is how I’m going to take care of both a scared pup and a sick Omega when Barry goes into bond withdrawal.”

All the other Alphas nodded, each understanding the struggle of watching an Omega they cared about suffer and not being able to help. It also helped that they all had pups who needed them and looked up to them for love and guidance.

“Dinah and I are staying with Roy at the manor for a while. She and I can help take care of your pup while you take care of your Omega.” Oliver offered.

“Bruce and I already talked about how we can make it easier for Barry, he’s gonna build Barry a nest if he won’t make one himself. And I can go grab medicines and equipment for Alfred to help him out.” Clark added.

Strange remained silent, looking over at the window as he contemplated whatever was on his mind. FInally, he looked over at the others.

“I can call Helen Cho to set up the Cradle here at the tower. She and her team can set it up to speed up his healing process.” He offered, “If we get it done quick enough, she could bleed his glands of Luthor's scent and he won’t go through the withdrawal.”

Clark looked over at Hal, one eyebrow raised while he watched Hal process the information. Finally, Hal nodded, the words clicking into his brain.

“How quickly can you get her here?” Hal asked.

“If I contact her right now and she’s not busy, I can have her here within the hour with a portal.” Stephen said. “Let me go call her and see if she’s available, I’ll be back in a moment.”

With that, Stephen stood up and grabbed his phone out of his pocket. As soon as he was out of the room, Clark and Ollie turned their focus to Hal.

“This is fantastic.” Clark said, “If he can get his injuries healed up, he won’t go into bond withdrawal at all!”

“And he’ll be able to talk, so he won’t have to write on a notepad to be in a conversation. Plus, I think it would really help Wally to be able to talk to his dad.” Hal added eagerly, “He nearly broke down when he found out he and Barry couldn’t scent, talking could help him feel more secure that he’s still Barry’s kid.”

“So you’d get him the surgery?’ Ollie asked.

“If he wants it obviously.” Hal assured, “I’m not gonna make this decision without his input, but I can’t imagine he’d pass up the opportunity to be able to walk and talk again.”

Ollie nodded, leaning back on the couch and looking where Stephen had gone. Hal was already excited, hoping that Dr. Cho would be available and able to help Barry. It wasn’t that he didn’t like helping Barry, but he knew that part of Barry’s recovery from the abuse he’d endured was going to be regaining his independence and he was going to help the Omega recover in any way he could.

Suddenly, Clark tilted his head to the side and tensed up, only to relax again and start to smile. Hal was about to open his mouth and ask what set him off when he heard a vicious battle cry and saw a yellow blur dart past him and hit Ollie square in the shoulder. Realizing that he was now down range in a potato gun’s sight, Hal ducked down and willed up a shield to block any shots aimed at him. 

Soon enough, Dick and Harley ran into the room yelling and excited, Harley with his spud gun and Dick holding a small bag of potatoes. Both boys were laughing and taking aim at everyone else in the room. Clark just sat there and caught the flying potatoes with his superspeed, Ollie grabbed a pillow and protected his face and chest, while Hal just kept his shield up and let the potatoes bounce off of it. As soon as Harley lowered the gun to reload, Clark darted forward and grabbed Dick around the waist, lifting him off his feet and turning him upside down. Hal got the hint, lowered his shield and ran to grab Harley, playfully wrestling the gun away from Harley and throwing the child over his shoulder, spinning around to make him squeal and giggle.

Listening to the pup laughing and screaming with excitement, Hal started taking big, exaggerated steps back towards the couch, swinging the child with the momentum of his steps. He stopped in front of the couch and threw the kid onto the cushions, then he pinned him down and started tickling him. On the other side of the room, Clark was giving Dick the same treatment, both pups yipping and giggling while the grown ups took their revenge for the potato attack.

After a few seconds, Hal let up and pulled Harley into his lap. The pup was still laughing, though he was also now hiccupping and had happy tears in his eyes. The little boy started to settle down and relaxed when Stephen came back into the room. The doctor took a look around the room and sighed deeply.

“Harley, I thought you were told not to shoot that stud gun at people.” He said, fixing his son with a stern look.

“Did you?” Harley asked, looking like the picture of innocence on Hal’s lap. “I didn’t hear you.”

Ollie burst out laughing, clapping his hand over his mouth. Clark rolled his eyes and snuggled his own son, who had caught onto what game Harley was trying to play.

“I didn’t hear you either!” He chirped, bouncing on Clarks lap. “Maybe you didn’t say it out loud.”

The stern face stayed on Stephens for a moment before he cracked and smiled, lifting his son off Hal’s lap and ruffling his hair. He took a seat on the couch and kept Harley on his lap, creating a portal under the abandoned stud gun and watching it fall away.

“Hey!” Harley protested.

“Oh hush, it’s only going to your room.” Stephen promised.

Harley grumbled but kept quiet, nuzzling under his Papa’s chin and getting himself comfy. Stephen looked at him with affection, waving his wand towards the door to summon a red cape to fly into the room. The cloak wrapped itself around the pup’s body and Stephen’s shoulders, blanketing them both comfortably.

Dick was still with Clark, no longer being tickled but rather laying on the couch with his head on Clarks lap. Hal’s Pack Alpha was running his hand through Dicks hair, brushing it back from his face and behind his ears. The pack’s youngest pup was still, curled like he was asleep, except for the way his hands moved and his fingers moved while his dad played with his hair. 

“You two are little troublemakers.” Clark commented.

“We were only having fun.” Harley protested from Stephens lap, a pout obvious from his voice. 

“Yeah!” Dick agreed, propping himself up. 

“Harley, you have plenty of targets down in the shooting range to practice with. You know you should have gone to shoot those.” Stephen scolded his son.

“Well, we /were/ shooting the targets. But I memorized their movement patterns and it got boring.” Harley argued, the disappointment of his father making his voice sound higher and more innocent.

Stephen sighed deeply and pulled Harley closer, kissing the top of his head. 

“Then you should have come to myself or your Dad to change it up for you, not aimed at people.” 

“Fine.” Harley mumbled.

“Good pup.” Stephen said, “Where’s your brother?”

“He’s playing with Roy and the other kid in the playroom.” Harley answered.

“Wally.” Hal piped up, “His name is Wally.”

“Yeah him.” Harley agreed.

“Okay, why don’t you take Dick to go play with them.” Stephen suggested, lifting Harley off his lap and setting him on the ground. “The other Alphas and I need to talk.”

Clark helped Dick sit up the rest of the way up and helped him off the sofa. The ravenette pup scrambled over to his friend, who was still wrapped in the cloak, and the two scurried off down the hallway. Stephen watched until they were gone, then turned back to the guests.

“I got a hold of Helen. She was really sympathetic to your situation and she’s gathering her team to see if they can get here to help your Omega out.” Stephen said, “I would recommend talking to Barry to make sure he understands this and see if this is something he wants to do.”

“That’s awesome.” Hal breathed out, already ecstatic. “Tony took him and the other Omegas somewhere, do you know how I could get my Omega up here to talk to him?”

“Yeah, let me shoot Tony a text.” Stephen said, whipping his phone out of his pocket.

~~~

Hal waited by the elevator while the Omega’s got up from wherever they’d been hidden away, shifting eagerly from foot to foot. He couldn’t wait to tell Barry that there was a way to fix his injuries quickly, knowing that Barry would be excited himself. 

Finally, the elevator dinged and the doors started to open, so Hal forced himself to stand still. Barry was nervous to be around him when he was calm, being all worked up would make him scared. The first to exit the elevator was Tony, followed by Dinah, and then Barry and Bruce, with Bruce pushing the other’s wheelchair. Dinah quickly wrapped Hal in a hug, greeting her packmate warmly.

“Hey Di.” Hal greeted, returning the hug.

“Hey.” She replied, “Did the pups give you any trouble?”

“Dick and Harley forgot the no aiming at people rule, but other than that, no.” He answered, making her, Tony, and Bruce smile.

“Well we all knew that was going to happen.” Tony chuckled.

The others all laughed, even Barry cracked a smile. Tony and Bruce went off to find their respective pups, leaving Dinah and Barry alone with Hal. 

“What’s up Hal?” Dinah asked.

“Well, I’ve got something that I need Barry’s opinion on, I was hoping that we could go find somewhere quiet to talk about it.”

Barry perked up at his name, watching Hal discreetly while his head was lowered. Dinah nodded, giving Barry a quick kiss on the top of the head and following after Bruce and Tony in the direction of the children. Now alone with his Omega, Hal took the handles of the wheelchair and started pushing it down the hallway in the opposite direction, looking for an empty room to talk.

“We’ll go have this little talk and then I’ll take you to go find Wally.” Hal said. 

The Omega nodded, fiddling with his tablet while he was wheeled around the tower. Hal managed to find a small library towards the end of the hallway, with a wall of windows and a sofa looking towards it. Deciding that this was the perfect spot for the conversation they were about to have, Hal pushed Barry inside and closed the door behind them, helping the Omega set situated comfortably on the sofa, then taking a seat beside him.

“Are you enjoying your day?” Hal asked, deciding to ease into the conversation rather than diving right in.

Barry nodded, typing on his tablet quickly and then hitting the microphone button.

“Yes, I like the other Omegas Alpha.”

Hal smiled broadly, happy that Barry had gotten along with the others. If anyone could help him recover, it would be them.

“Good I’m glad.” Hal said.

Barry nodded and returned to his screen, typing away once more. Hal waited patiently, knowing it would be incredibly rude and unfair to Barry to start talking when he was typing. Given that he couldn’t use his actual voice and needed to take extra steps to make himself heard, it was going to make conversations with him take longer, but it was important to wait. He knew that if he started interrupting or talking on while Barry was trying to respond, he would just stop responding. His voice hadn’t mattered with Luthor, Hal wanted him to know that it mattered to him.

“What did you want to talk to me about Alpha?”

“I’m actually glad you asked. Stephen and Tony have a friend who holds the patent to an advanced piece of medical equipment that could really help you. It would heal all of you injuries much faster, all it would require is a few days in it and some physical therapy, and you’d be good to go.” Hal said.

“Would I be able to see my son while I’m in there Alpha?” He asked.

“No, you’d be asleep for the whole thing.” Hal said. “I know that it’s a little drastic, but it would mean that you wouldn’t need to have your injuries everyday, you’d be able to walk, and you’d be able to scent and talk.”

Barry still looked nervous, shifting his weight and curling himself up.

“So I have to get this Alpha?” The tablet read out.

“No you don’t have to.” Hal assured, “But I thought I’d give you the option, just in case you want to have the surgery. You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

“Would you be mad if I say no Alpha?”

“No, of course not.” Hal assured, “ It’s your body Bar.”

“Then I don’t want it Alpha.”

The Omega had assumed a very submissive position, arms crossed behind his back, eyes turned, and his head tilted to the side to expose his neck. Though he had to admit he was a little disappointed by Barry’s decision, he tried not to show it. Instead, he pulled Barry into his lap and held him close, making sure his scent was calming and intimidating.

“Alright then.” He conceded, “I’ll let Stephen know.” 

Chapter Text

The limo ride back to the manor was much quieter than the ride to New York had been. It was late, given that they had eaten dinner with Tony’s family and stayed longer after that, so the sky was already dark on their way home. The pups were both tired, Dick sleeping in Bruce’s lap, wrapped in Clarks jacket to keep him warm. Wally was laid out on the bench with his head in Barry’s lap, the blond Omega running his fingers through his hair.

It didn’t seem like Wally and Dick had hit it off at the tower, Wally staying in the playroom with Peter while Dick played with Harley. Roy had drifted between the pairs, joining in on whatever activity was happening in whichever room he was in, which for Peter and Wally, was legos, and for Dick and Harley, was causing chaos. Hal and Clark had talked about how Wally and Dick hadn’t really interacted willingly, with Wally seeming to go out of his way to avoid Dick. Both Alphas suspected it had to do with upbringing, given that Dick was very social, being born into a large pack, then being adopted into another large pack and was used to being held and hugged and used touch as his affection of choice. Wally was a bit of a mystery, but he obviously wasn’t very sociable and didn’t feel comfortable with rambunctious behaviour or loud play, both of which were two of Dick’s favourite way’s to play.

 Hal and Clark had spoken and agreed to not try and push a relationship between the two, given that Wally didn’t seem open to many people except for his dad and Peter a little. Hal wanted to get Barry healthy enough to travel so he could get both of them back to the Lantern’s home in a safe house in rural California. John and Guy had left with the truck to get back to their own beds earlier that morning before Hal had brought Barry down for breakfast. It was his hope that both the Omega and pup would make more progress if there were less people around, so that he could then get them each a therapist. He knew that Wally was very dependent on his dad, getting nervous if his dad wasn’t close to him when there were other grown ups around, and he hoped to see the pup start to get a little more independent.

As of right now, with both pups sleeping and Barry focused on his son, Hal was just sitting quietly beside them. He had his arm around Barry’s shoulders, keeping an eye on both of his wards and making sure Barry was comfortable. Unfortunately for the Omega, the manor wasn’t very wheelchair accessible with all the stairs, and because of how old it was, there wasn’t an elevator, so the wheelchair had to be left behind. However, Tony had gifted Barry the tablet, so he wasn’t confined to a notepad anymore.

Hal was broken out of his thoughts when the limo stopped and the engine turned off, letting him know that they were at their destination. Across from him, Bruce adjusted Dick on his lap while Clark got out, then offered his hand to help his mate out with their pup. Barry started to gently shake Wally, ready to wake him up so he could walk up to their bedroom, though Hal had a different idea.

“Don’t wake him up Barry, can you get him on your lap?” He asked.

Barry looked confused, though he nodded. Hal waited patiently while the Omega carefully lifted his son onto his lap, cradling him as close as he could without crushing him. With both of them together, Hal wrapped them both in a green support and lifted them effortlessly. After stepping out of the limo, he guided the two out and into his arms, dissipating the green film and letting them settle into his arms. He was carrying Barry like he usually did, supporting him under the knees and shoulders while Barry kept Wally laying on his chest, keeping his pup close to him while Hal got them inside and up to their bedroom.

“I’m gonna put you two down on the bed, okay?” Hal said.

Barry nodded, eye’s closed and his nose pressed into Wally’s hair. Hal carefully settled them against the pillows and climbed up beside them, wrapping his arm around Barry and pulling them close to his side. Once they were settled in, Wally wriggled and put his head under Barry’s chin, sighed, and went still.

“Comfy?” Hal whispered.

Barry nodded and gave the hand Hal had on Wally’s side a squeeze, rubbing his thumb across the back of his hand. Hal pulled them closer, scooped his free hand under Barry’s knees and lifted him onto his lap, with Barry’s head resting on his shoulder and Wally leaning against both him and his dad. 

Soon, he knew that he and Barry were going to have to get Wally changed into pj’s and tucked into bed. He’d also have to help Barry get into the bathroom to brush his teeth, and then help him get changed, which might be time consuming. Given the little chores he was going to have to take care of, he gave himself a mental time limit of twenty minutes to hold his two charges, and then he would start getting them ready for the end of the day.

~~~

After twenty minutes of cuddling, getting Wally changed and tucked in, helping Barry to and from the restroom, Hal gently set Barry down after helping him get changed into his nightdress. He’d been careful not to wake Wally up, knowing from spending time with his nephews that once a pup was woken up, they were up for a while and it was hard to get them back to sleep. It was only nine o’clock at night, so Hal wasn’t feeling tired enough to get into bed and sleep, so he was probably going to spend a few hours watching tv or talking with Clark and Ollie.

It was only when he was helping Barry adjust the sleeping garment he had on and his thumb passed over the spot on his wrist where he was wearing a well camouflaged bracelet that his curiosity spiked once more. He had noticed earlier that day, but with the events of the day it had slipped his mind. He didn’t want to be nosy to his Omega who hadn’t been able to have much privacy, but he didn’t trust anything that Lex had put on him and needed answers as to what it was. If it was harmless and Barry wanted to keep it on, no harm no foul, but if it was doing damage or causing him pain, then it needed to come off.

“Okay you, we’re gonna go hang out downstairs for a minute.” Hal said, scooping Barry up.

He didn’t want to have any conversation in the bedroom, lest they wake up the pup. Instead, he and Barry were going to leave to talk in the lounge so they had some privacy. He crouched down a little beside the bedside table so Barry could grab his tablet, then continued on his walk.

Getting to the lounge, Hal set Barry down on the couch and settled in beside him. Carefully, so as to not frighten his Omega, Hal took Barry’s hand and brought it close enough to press a kiss to the back of his hand, and rubbed his thumb along the bracelet.

“What’s on your wrist Barry?” Hal asked quietly.

Barry pulled his hand away so he could type properly, quickly hitting the button to read his thoughts aloud. 

“It’s a power restraint Alpha.”

That certainly caught Hal off guard. He wasn’t entirely sure what he’s been expecting from those bracelets, but power restraints certainly wasn’t it. 

“What powers are they restraining?” He asked

“Super speed, fast healing, and a fast metabolism Alpha.” 

So now that he knew, Hal still felt a little confused. He understood that keeping a super speed metahuman gene under control would be vital to Luthor so that he couldn’t run away, but he didn’t understand why he would repress an advanced healing gene. If anything, it would help Lex, because he could hurt his Omega as much as he wanted and his advanced healing would force him to bounce back faster.

“Alright, are they hurting you?” He asked.

“Only if I pull on them or try to run. Other than that, I don’t notice them Alpha.” 

“How do they hurt you?”

“They give me a headache and make me nauseous. If I kept pulling at them after that, they knock me unconscious Alpha.”

That was a red flag to Hal, having the bracelets at all was wrong already, but for them to do that much damage to him if tampered with made his blood boil. He was already plotting to get them off of his Omega and hopefully thrown into the Grand Canyon or a volcano.

“Okay. Alright, well let’s go talk to Bruce to see if we can get those things off you.” Hal said

He started getting ready to lift Barry up again when his Omega started shaking his head frantically typing on his tablet. Hal moved back and gave him some space, hoping to calm him down a little.

“You can’t take them off while I’m only on formula. I can’t get enough nutrients from the formula to fill my metabolism and at my current weight, I could starve to death in less than a day.”

Lifting his hands up in understanding, grateful that Barry had spoken up at all. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt his Omega.

“Okay, so we can’t take them off. What if we replaced them with ones that aren’t so cruel?” He asked, “Bruce has designed power suppressants before, I’m sure he could find ones that would restrain your powers without hurting you if you touched them.”

Barry nodded slowly, tapping at his screen.

"If that’s possible, I’m sure it would work. Even if there isn’t anything that can happen with me, Wally’s healthy enough to have his removed, as long as his nutrient intake increases to meet his metabolism Alpha.” 

“Wait, these things are on Wally too?” Hal clarified.

Barry nodded in response.

“And he has the same powers you have?”

“His powers aren’t as developed as mine, probably because he’s just a puppy, but his metabolism is the same if not faster Alpha.”

Well there was certainly no way Hal was leaving things like these on a hapless child. Even if they didn’t hurt him unless he touched them, he didn’t want Wally to think that his powers or anything else that made him different made him lesser.

“Alright, let's go talk to Bruce. If we have to wait to get yours off, I can live with that but I want Wally’s off as soon as possible.”

Hal lifted Barry once more and started off towards Bruce and Clark's chambers, knowing that he could usually either find them there or in the Batcave, which could be accessed through their library. The door to their bedroom was open, but Hal knocked anyway, knowing better than to intrude on an Alphas den with his mate without permission. Fortunately, Clark poked his head out from the library door and invited him in, where he and Bruce we settled in their library on the loveseat.

“What’s up Hal?” Clark asked, settling beside his mate and wrapping an arm around him.

“Barry and I just had a conversation, he’s got power restraints on his wrists that can knock him unconscious if he pulls at them. I want to know if there’s a more humane option because he’s too hurt to have no suppressants at all.” He explained.

Clark perked up at the mention of power restraints and Bruce looked pale when Hal described what happened if Barry fiddled with his bracelets. The head of the pack stood up and hurried over to the other two, gently grabbing Barry’s hand so he could get a better look at the restraints. 

“Of course, I have some base models in the basement that I can tune to his needs in fifteen minutes.” Bruce said, hopping up and opening the secret passage to the Batcave.

The hidden staircase was revealed when a false bookshelf pushed into the wall. Bruce led the way down, followed by Hal and Barry, with Clark bringing up the rear. In his arms, Barry started twisting and looking around when he heard the bats start to squeak and saw the scenery change from luxurious to cold stone.

“Just relax, we’re safe.” Hal muttered.

That didn’t seem to comfort Barry at all, but at the very least he stopped squirming. Instead, he curled into Hal, wrapping his arms around his neck and burying his face in his shoulder. As the temperature kept dropping the deeper they went, Hal remembered that Barry was only wearing a nightgown and was probably freezing, so he made a mental note to give him his sweater and grab him a blanket as soon as they weren’t moving anymore.

Bruce led them to the bottom of the staircase and out into the main cave, causing a swarm of bats to fly off of the railing and up into the black void of the ceiling. Barry squeezed Hal's neck when he heard the bats squeal, but kept his face buried in Hal's shirt so he couldn’t see. Hal kept him close while they made their way to the medbay in the cave, which was behind a locked door, so at least there were no bats, and set Barry down on a cot.

It took some coaxing to get Barry to let go of him completely but as soon as he had freed himself from his grasp, Hal took off his sweater and wrapped it around Barry’s shoulders. He took a seat beside Barry and pulled him close once more, in equal parts to keep him warm and to keep him calm. Bruce stepped out, claiming that he was going to get the new restraints for Barry once the old ones were off. Clark took a seat beside Hal, offering comfort just in his presence while they waited.

“So, how do we get these things off?” Clark asked while they waited.

“Umm, I guess I hadn’t really thought of that.” Hal admitted, “Barry, do you know how to get those things off of you?”

Barry lifted his head from Hal’s shirt to type on his tablet, quickly putting his nose back against his Alpha once he was done.

“My accessory remote Alpha.”

Shit

“O-kay. That’s a problem.” Hal admitted.

Barry tensed even more, tilting his head up to give Hal a nervous look. Clark also looked confused.

“Why? Just get the remote” Clark asked, as though Hal was just an idiot.

“Because I threw it out at the shipyard. I didn’t realise he had more things on him so I just threw it out with the rest of those things he had on.” Hal said, frustrated with himself.

Clark bit his bottom lip, looking more like he was trying not to laugh than anything else. To hide it, he put his arm around Hal’s shoulder and forehead against his head.

“Alright, well that’s not so bad. I can always just break the bands off myself without the remote.” He offered.

“That’ll probably work. Thanks Clark.”

“No problem.”

Soon enough, Bruce hurried back into the room, two unlatched bracelets hanging from his hand. Clark took his mate aside to explain the situation and how they were going to handle it, which made Bruce huff a little in amusement. 

“Listen up, these are the power restraints that I’ve made.” Bruce announced, “They’re not tailored to Barry’s powers, but if you’ll give me till tomorrow, I can have some made and you can just wear these tonight.”

“You’re going to sleep through the night though right?” Clark asked his mate, looking at him critically.

“Yes, fine, I’ll sleep eight hours first.” Bruce agreed, “and I’ll get to work in the morning.”

Clark nodded, looking fully ready to force his mate to sleep if he tried to refuse and just work through the night. Before Bruce had joined the pack and had just been a member of the Justice League, he had routinely stayed up all night either patrolling or working on something in the cave, then spent most of his day at Wayne Enterprises, only sleeping in the Limo between destinations and surviving on coffee. When he and Clark had started dating seriously, Clark had started coaxing him to spend the night in his bed and actually rest, and once they had bonded, they had agreed that they each needed to sleep near each other and went to bed at the at close to the same time. Obviously, Hal knew that Clark would never order Bruce around unless the Omega was actually in danger, but he also knew that coming to that compromise had been a major challenge in their relationship.

“Alright. So I know that we need Clark to break these off, so I think we should start with that.” Bruce said.

“I think that would be wise, but Barry mentioned that if the bracelets he has on are tampered with they will start to make him sick. So we have to go fast, we can’t fuck around with them.” Hal said, with Barry still tucked securely in his lap.

Clark nodded in agreement, hoping off of the cot to stand in front of Hal and Barry. Hal started to coax Barry out of hiding, urging him to sit up enough that Hal could turn him around and sit behind him, arms around his waist while the Omega timidly held out his wrists.

Clark gently took one of Barry’s hands and slid his thumb down the back of his hand until he found the edge of the bracelet, running his finger around his wrist to follow it. For a while, all he did was look at the device and run his finger over it, examining it before he tried to break it. When he’d accessed it enough to have formulated a proper plan, he spoke to Hal.

“Okay, so this thing is practically attached to his skin. Can you make a construction under the band and lift it a little so I can grab it? I’m worried I’ll hurt Barry if I try to strong arm it.”

Nodding, Hal willed a thinner bracelet underneath the one Barry had one, expanding it to lift the thin material off his skin. Once he’d lifted it, Clark pinched the fabric tightly and pulled, the fabric slowly stretching until it finally tore with a loud snap. Once the first band was off, the second one started flashing red and Barry’s head dropped, a gagging noise coming from the back of his throat while the systems defenses kicked in.

Bruce snatched a trash can from beside the bed and held it up by Barry’s head in case he threw up. Hal and Clark started on the other bracelet, repeating the process much faster, the band tearing faster this time as Clark knew how much force he needed to break it.

Once broken, both bands just sat on the bed, harmless as any other bracelet now that they had no connection to Barry’s skin. Hal glared at them for a second before turning back to his Omega, who was still looking pale and sick from the whole ordeal. Clark grabbed the bracelets and left the room, while Bruce put the trash can directly under Barry’s face.

Both Bruce and Hal worked to get Barry relaxed, Bruce dabbed at his forehead with a paper towel while Hal kept him sitting up and whispered kind words in his ear. Clark returned shortly, a glass of water and a cold compress in his hand for the suffering man on the bed, followed quickly by Dinah, who was holding a small bottle. Between the four of them, they managed to get Barry’s colour back in his cheeks, wrapping him in Hals sweater and giving him small sips of cool water to settle his stomach after his ordeal with the restraints.

“Feeling better?” Hal whispered, cuddling him close so Barry could relax against him.

The Omega nodded against his shoulder, eyes partially closed while the Alpha stroked his hair and pressed kisses against his forehead. Dinah kept her hand on Barry’s shoulder, trying to bring him some comfort while Hal kept him upright.

“Ready to get the new restraints on?” Hal asked.

It did not look like Barry was interested in having any new restraints whatsoever, but he nodded and held out his hands for Bruce to latch up the new ones. The new restraints were made from a thick fabric, double layered with the steel restraints sandwiched in between them so it wouldn’t rub against his skin and irritate it. The new bracelets were also slightly looser so he could move them to wash underneath them or adjust them if they were uncomfortable. Bruce had also assured both of them that these wouldn’t make Barry feel sick if he fiddled with them, which should make it easier to relax.

With the new bracelets on, Barry started testing his range of motion by rotating his wrists, lifting his forearm up and down, and stretching his hands out and curling his hands into fists and uncurling them again. Hal didn’t really know how the other suppressants had felt for him, but it looked like he was moving with far less pain than he had before. 

“Are we still going to do Wally’s?” He asked.

Barry nodded but reached for his tablet, holding up one finger to ask for a moment to express his thoughts.

“Yes, but his reaction is gonna be way worse just because he’s so small and his powers aren’t fully developed, Alpha.”

Dinah murmured sympathetically, chirping to relax the other Omega about the situation.

“It might be hard in the short term, but do you think he’ll feel better once they’re off?” She asked.

“/I hope so. I just don’t want him to be in pain./”

“I don’t want him in pain either Barry, trust me on that.” Hal assured, “But I think that to do that, we need to get those damn restraints off of him so he doesn’t feel sick every time he wants to try to run and play.”

Barry nodded, leaning heavily against Hal, seeking comfort from the Alpha while he typed.

“Can I please be with him while we get them off Alpha? Just so I can hold him and try to make him feel better?”

“Of course Bar, I wouldn’t do this without you there.” Hal promised, “I’m just going to go get him, and I’ll bring him back down to you so we can do this all over again with him.”

With his dad’s approval, Hal gave his Omega a kiss on the head and headed up to bring Wally down to the cave. He made sure to grab an extra sweater for the pup to ward off the chill, as well as a throw blanket for Barry. He had to wake Wally up, carefully picking him up and rocking him while he called his name until the pup started mumbling and opening his eyes.

The pup was still half asleep while Hal carried him downstairs, head resting fully on his shoulder, arms wrapped around his neck. Knowing how important it was for the kid to get used to Hal being around and being someone he could rely on, he started talking quietly to him. He didn’t talk about anything heavy or serious, just how nice of a day he’d had with him, how sweet he was, and how much he enjoyed having him in his life.

When they started getting into the cave, Wally’s reaction was much different than Barry’s had been. Rather than fear, Wally was looking around with a keen interest at all the different things happening and kept turning his head to look at different things. All the while, Hal brought him closer to the medbay and soon crossed the barrier into the room.

Barry was still on the cot, most of his water gone and the borrowed sweater still on his shoulders. Dinah and Bruce were sitting on either side of him, each with their phones out, taking turns showing Barry things on the screens, all three smiling at whatever they were looking at. Once the trio saw Hal coming in with the pup, Dinah and Bruce shifted to make room for him while Barry reached out his hands to take the child into his lap.

Hal and Clark went to the corner to talk about how they were going to get the restraints off the small pup. Because he was so young and wouldn’t have the same pain tolerance Barry did, he would probably squirm a lot more than his dad had. Both Alphas agreed that it would be best to have Barry hold the child in a hug with his arms over the Omegas shoulders, that way he could be with his dad and get both the bracelets off. They had also agreed to have Hal lift both bracelets at once so Clark could tear them in quick succession of each other to not drag it out longer than it needed to be.

Hal relayed the plan to Barry, who had nodded enthusiastically and immediately started getting his son situated on his lap the way he needed to be. Dinah wrapped the pair in a blanket, giving Wally a pat on the back while doing so. Hal sat on the bed beside Barry but looking the same direction Wally was, and taking his hands in his to hold them out. Clark stood in front of them, joking around with Wally and playing around with him a little to get him relaxed.

Next came the hard part, as soon as Hal pulled the bands away from his skin Wally started complaining about it. He tried pulling his hands away to no avail, quickly starting to cry as the pain got worse the longer the bands were tampered with. Clark was true to his word and acted fast, he grabbed one of the bands and snapped it off as fast as he could, though with one band gone, the other one doubled down.

“Stop!” Wally squealed, “Stop it please Alpha! You’re hurting me!”

The little pup started gagging and threw up, a bit of his supper winding up on the bed sheets. When Clark reached for his other hand, Wally started pushing at his hand, screaming when the band was grabbed. Once it was snapped and his powers were released, they hit him full force without any warning. His trembling turned into vibrating, with no way for the child to control the powers that he had never been able to learn to control. 

All too soon the kid was overwhelmed with the power he had, pushing himself away from his dad so roughly he fell to the floor. Some parts of his body were moving so fast they were just a blur, trying to push himself away from the grownups who had hurt him. Barry was off the bed and beside his son before Hal could stop him, on his knees with his hand on the baby’s shoulder, trying to silently comfort him.

Wally pushed away from him, accidentally knocking his own head against the metal leg of the bed so hard he left a small smear of blood. As his panic got worse, small sparks started to move over his appendages and torso, his eyes looking sparky and scared. Hal pulled Barry back, worried that Wally was going to accidentally hurt him or that he was going to hurt himself by crawling on the floor. Clark lifted Wally up, using his superspeed to match his speed and rocking him to try to calm him down.

“Bruce, have you got any more restraints that could fit a pup?” Hal asked curtly.

“Yes Alpha.” Bruce replied, darting out of the room.

In his arms, Barry kept straining against him to get to his child, lips moving while he tried to talk to his son. Hal tried to keep him calm without making the situation worse than it was, with the frightened, hurting child and an Omega who wasn’t fully able to protect his son. He had Barry off the ground, taking all of his weight so they weren’t on the bed where Wally had thrown up.

Finally, Bruce ran back into the room with a fresh pair of restraints, this pair much smaller than Barry’s. Clark hadn’t managed to calm Wally down at all, all he’d managed to do was get him off the floor and out of harm's way. Clark made Wally hold out his hands so his mate could put the cuffs on him, the powers slowly being forced back under control until all Clark was holding was a shivering, sobbing puppy.

Bruce guided the group over to the bed beside the one they had been on, Hal sitting Barry on the covers while Clark handed the pup off to him. Barry looked close to crying when his baby was finally within arms reach, when he was able to hold him and comfort him. Wally was still hysterical, clinging to his dad and sobbing, flinching away from both Hal and Clark whenever either of them got within three feet of the bed.

Dinah and Bruce retrieved a fresh cup of water and a gravel tablet to help settle the pups stomach, handing them to Barry who helped him take small sips and swallow the pill. Barry held him and rocked him until Wally eventually cried himself to sleep again, resting against his dad while he snuggled up against him for comfort. With the child asleep, Hal took a seat next to Barry and held both of them close, pressing a few kisses to Barry’s head.

“If you want to get him back to bed, go ahead.” Bruce said, “Tomorrow morning I’ll make some more tailored restraints for you two, but those should keep your powers under control until morning.”

Barry nodded and cradled his baby closer to him, leaning into Hal’s arms. The Alpha carefully lifted both of them up and brought them back upstairs, setting them on the bed and fetching a fresh pair of PJ’s for Wally. Between him and Barry, they got the pup into clean clothes and tucked into bed, Barry snuggling with him under the covers with a few stray tears dripping down his cheeks.

The sight of his Omega crying and the smell of a stressed pup tugged at his heartstrings to the point where he couldn’t focus on anything else. So despite the fact that it was earlier than he would usually go to bed, Hal changed, brushed his teeth, and crawled into bed with them, wrapping his arms around them both to keep them close. He could protect them, tomorrow they would have better bracelets for them both, but right now they were safe with him.
 

Chapter Text

A rare nice day in Gotham urged Bruce and DInah to take the pups outside to play, while the Omegas enjoyed the sunshine on a blanket they set out in the grass beside the play area. Bruce and Clark had been quick to set up a playground on the property when Dick was adopted so he had somewhere to enjoy himself, with monkey bars, swings, lots of slides, and a tunnel connecting two play structures together.

Wally was a lot more active now that he had better power suppressants on, now able to run and play with the other three kids and not feel sick. Bruce had made personalised bracelets for both Barry and Wally, making them specialised to their powers, more comfortable to wear, and making sure they wouldn’t feel sick if they were touched or played with. He had also made Wally’s more fun for a kid to wear, making them red with little lightning bolts as he had requested. 

Bruce, DInah, and Barry had made a nice spot on their blanket, Bruce and Dinah sipping on wine while Barry enjoyed a very watered down iced tea. The Alpha’s were further away enjoying their afternoon in their own way, but still close enough to their children and Omegas to keep an eye on them. So far, the kids had chased each other around, gotten bored, and were now playing in the sandbox. Dick and Roy were building sandcastles and then stomping on them, while Wally built his own little village in a corner away from the other two.

“Why won’t you play with us?” Dick whined, standing over the other pup.

“Because I don’t want to smash my buildings.” Wally explained, protecting his town with his hands.

“Augh! You never want to do anything!” Dick snapped, “You never want to play with me, you never want to hang out, you are so boring!”

With that last word, he kicked Wally’s sandcastle hard, directly at his face. Wally squealed as his face was assaulted with sand, bringing his hands up to protect himself too slowly. Roy pushed Dick to the side and scooped the younger redhead up, carrying him to the Omega’s blanket. Bruce and Clark, who had both witnessed the whole thing, stalked over to deal with their naughty pup, while Dinah met her own child and helped him get Wally to his dad.

Barry reached up to take his son from Dinah, bringing him in close to hold him. Wally’s face was covered in sand, his hair was full of it, he was spitting it out, and it was clearly in his eyes and nose as well. Hal was with them in seconds, ready to help in any way he could while Dinah and Barry tried to get him calmed down.

“We need to get him inside.” Dinah said, “Hal, can you?”

“Of course.” He responded, lifting Barry up, who was holding his pup.

As a group, they got Wally into the house and into a bathroom to start cleaning him up. Dinah suggested they start by getting the sand out of his eyes, which meant they had to fill the sink with warm salt water. Together, Dinah and Hal managed to help Wally put his face into the water, open his eyes and blink rapidly to get the sand out. They had to do something similar to help get the sand out of his nose, which he complained about because now instead of sand he had water up his nose and was still uncomfortable. 

At the very least, getting his hair clean was much easier because all he needed was a bath. Barry hadn’t been able to help much with his eyes and nose because he couldn’t stand, but Hal brought a stool beside the bathtub in their bathroom so he could actually take care of his pup. Dinah wished Barry well and went to go find her own son, leaving the trio together in the bathroom.

Hal made sure to give the other two some space, though he stayed close in case he was needed. Meanwhile, Barry got Wally undressed, into the bath, and cleaned up, gently scrubbing the sand from his skin and hair with a very soft washcloth. When he’d finished cleaning the pup up, he helped him from the tub, wrapped him in a towel and helped dry him off.

At that point, Hal grabbed some clean clothes for the pup and handed them to Barry. They were comfortable and soft, so hopefully it would help him calm down and relax a little. Barry got him dried off and dressed, then pulled him onto his lap to cuddle and hold him. Hal got them both to the bed and let them relax, throwing a blanket over them and heading to the kitchen to get Wally a cup of water and a snack, he certainly deserved it after that little ordeal.

~~~ 

Bruce was walking beside Clark, heading to Clarks study. The Alpha had their pup over his shoulder while he kicked and yelled, caught between apologising and making excuses for his behaviour . Both adults were clearly disappointed, the scent of anger wafting from both of them.

In the study, Bruce closed and locked the door behind them while Clark set Dick on his feet. The adults stood beside each other in front of Dick, arms crossed, ready to dish out a lecture for how he’d acted. Noticing how much trouble he was in, Dick glued his eyes to the floor and squirmed.

“What on earth were you thinking?” Clark asked, a tinge of a growl in his voice.

“I don’t know.” Dick mumbled.

“You don’t know?” He repeated, “You don’t know why you kicked sand in someone's face? You don’t know why you yelled at Wally for wanting to play by himself? You don’t know why you made someone cry on purpose?”

Dick swallowed hard and shook his head, shrinking in on himself under the weight of his parents' stares. 

“He never wants to play with me.” He mumbled.

“And you think that this will make him want to play with you in the future?” Bruce asked. “Now that you’ve hurt him and made him cry.”

“I didn’t want to make him cry! I just wanted to break his castle!” Dick cried.

“Do not lie.” Clark growled, “You kicked the sand directly at his face and you said some very mean things to him. Do not lie to us and pretend that you made him cry by accident.”

Finally, Dick looked up at his parents, his big blue eyes full of tears.

“Papa.” He whimpered.

“Don’t ‘Papa’ me, young man.” Clark said, “You know full well that what you’ve done is wrong and you knew it before you even did it.”

“I’m sorry.” He whispered. “I’m sorry Papa.”

“No you aren’t.” Bruce sighed, “You’re sorry that you’re in trouble. You aren’t sorry that you hurt Wally.”

Dick shut his mouth, pouting.

“We both raised you to be kind to others, and we both know that you know better than this.” Bruce scolded, “There was absolutely no reason or justification for that.”

“I can’t imagine what possessed you to act like that, and in front of the company no less.” Clark said, “Honestly, acting like a brat, you are better than that.”

Throughout the lecture, Dick shrunk into himself more and more. Through all the disappointed looks and frustrated words he just wanted to disappear into the floor. He shuffled his feet and focused on the patterns of the hardwood floor, doing his best to tune out his parents. He was broken out of his thoughts when he was lifted off the floor and brought to his time out corner.

“Ignore us while we’re talking to you, honestly young man, you are in enough trouble without making it worse for yourself.” Clark muttered.

Papa sat him down firmly on the little stool, nose in the corner with nothing to look at or entertain himself with. When he tried to look over his shoulder at his parents, Papa placed his hand on the top of his head and turned his face back to the wall.

“Your Dad is going to go talk to Barry and Wally, you are going to keep your nose in this corner until I call you.” He ordered.

Dick resigned himself to his punishment, facing the wall and crying quietly. He heard the door to the hallway unlock, open, and then close again while his dad left. He felt lonely more than he felt guilty, he wanted this timeout to be over so his parents would hold him and tell him they love him.

~~~

Bruce found Wally and Barry in their bed, with Hal settled in the rocking chair nearby. Wally had cried himself to sleep already, clutching his dad while the Omega kept him close to him and protected by his arms. Barry was still awake, though he was clearly in a very protective state of mind, and he suspected that were it not for the fact that his glands were frozen, then the room would be filled with Barry’s claiming scent. 

“Is he doing okay?” Bruce asked quietly.

Barry lifted his hand and tilted it up and down. At the very least it was an answer, when he was in an overprotective state, he could be downright cold to anyone except his mate when they got too close. As he was in the middle of thinking that, Barry looked over his shoulder at Hal, who immediately got out of the chair and over to their side. While Barry’s glands were frozen, Hal’s certainly weren’t and he was quick to lay a possessive scent over his Omega and pup.

“He’s not hurting too badly is he?” Bruce asked, trying not to impose on their space anymore than necessary.

“He was a wreck when we brought him in, but we got him cleaned up, got some water and food in him and he settled down.” Hal said.

“I’m so sorry.” Bruce apologised, “I assure you that my son is facing serious consequences for what he did.”

Hal nodded but Barry reached for his pen and paper, opting to use the quieter version of communication because he didn’t want to wake Wally up. 

“He’s not going to get hurt is he?”

Hal read his words aloud, prompting Bruce to shake his head firmly.

“No, of course not. He’s in a time out in the corner right now, and after that he’s going to write some lines, but he’s not going to get hurt.” Bruce promised.

“We don’t hurt each other in this pack.” Hal said, backing Bruce up. “Clark will never hit any of us, Ollie will never hit Dinah, and Bruce will never hit DIck. We don’t use corporal punishment in this pack.”

Barry didn’t look entirely convinced, but he laid back down with his son, resting his chin on his head. Hal threaded his fingers through Barry’s hair, making the Omega relax more. 

“Just relax Bar, Wally is safe and so are you.” Hal muttered.

“I’ll leave you two alone now, I just wanted to apologise and check on Wally.” Bruce said, 

“Thank you Bruce.” Hal said, speaking for himself and Barry.

Bruce nodded and left the room, shutting the door behind him to give the others privacy. Now he just wanted to find DInah so he could talk with her, knowing Clark was still dealing with their pup and wouldn’t be able to focus while he was in the room. Hopefully, he and the other Omegas could build a nest together in the Omega Room later so they could talk and hopefully fix this whole thing. While Barry and Wally weren’t apart of their pack right now, he didn’t doubt that they would be later, and at the very least, Dick and Wally needed to somewhat get along.

~~~

Dick felt like he was never ever going to be allowed to leave his corner when his Papa called him over. He nearly started crying again as he got off the stool and hurried over to the big desk, reaching for his Papa to pick him up and hold him. Instead, Papa took his hand, sat him on a chair with a writing platform, put a notepad and a pen in front of him and stood back.

“You are going to write “I will not hurt others” thirty times, neatly.” He ordered, “When you’re finished, come show me and then we’re going to talk.”

“But I already had a time out!” Dick protested.

Papa crossed his arms and gave him a cold look.

“And now you’re writing lines.” He said.

His tone left no room for debate, so he picked up the pen and started writing as neatly as he could. He knew that if his writing was too messy that he’d have to rewrite his lines, so he made sure it was in his best penmanship. While he was writing, Papa went back to work, typing on his computer and looking at his own notes.

After another eternity, he managed to finish the awful lines. He checked them over quickly to make sure all of them were neat, then slid off the chair and brought the notepad to his Papa. He had to wait while his work was checked over, any mistake scrutinised and examined while he waited and hoped that he didn’t have to do it over.

“Well done.” Papa said, tossing the paper onto the desk and lifting his son into his arms.

Finally receiving the contact he’d been craving, Dick snuggled in and whimpered quietly. Papa used his phone for a second, then returned to holding him. Moments later, Dad came in to join them, greeting Papa with a kiss on the head.

Papa stood up and guided Dad over to the couch in his office, sitting down beside him and pulling him close. Dad started purring, making Papa purr too, which felt super relaxing, especially after all of his corner. Unfortunately, it only lasted a few minutes before Papa pulled back and both him and Dad stopped cuddling.

“So, what was wrong with your actions?” He asked.

“I shouldn’t have yelled at Wally and kicked sand in his face.” He mumbled, trying to move closer to cuddle again.

“How do you think that made Wally feel?” Dad asked.

“Really sad.” He said.

“And really hurt Richard. You got sand in his eyes and nose, he was in a lot of pain and it was hard for him to get it out.” Dad lectured, “And it was really scary for him to have to go through all that.”

“I’m sorry!” Dick cried, “I’m sorry I kicked sand at him, I won’t do it again. And I’ll tell him I’m sorry!”

“You’re darn right you will.” Papa said, “Barry and Wally are trying very hard to get used to all of us. You are going to go and apologise to both of them for your actions.”

“Not right now though.” Dad said, “Wally’s taking a nap.”

Dick stared down at the floor, desperate for the conversation to just be over so his parents would just cuddle with him. He screwed up, he’d gotten the point and he was sorry, it just felt like rubbing it in at this point.

“Alright, he won’t apologise right now, but he will before he goes to bed tonight.” Papa said with a tone that left no room for arguing. 

“Yes Papa.” Dick agreed.

“Good pup.” Papa praised, lifting him up and setting him on Dad’s lap. “I need to go check on the rest of the pack, but you two are welcome to stay here.”

Dick pouted while Papa got up and left, closing the door behind him, he just wanted both his parents and now one was gone. Dad nuzzled and scented him, pressing a few kisses to his head while he started to cry.

“Oh pup. C’mon, let's get cleaned up.” Dad whispered.

Dick held on tight to his Dad’s neck while he was carried to his room, reluctantly letting go when Dad put him on his bed. He sniffled and cried by himself while Dad routed through his drawers to find more comfortable clothes for him to change into. At least once he was changed he felt a little better, he still rushed into a hug when it was offered.

“I’m sorry Daddy.” He whimpered.

“I know baby, I know.” Dad replied, squeezing him tight.

“I just got so angry! I tried being nice to him, I invited him to play with me but he never wanted to!” He sobbed.

“I know, you were very frustrated.” Dad agreed, rubbing his back. “But that doesn’t make it okay to hurt him.”

“I know, but it still felt kind of good.” Dick admitted.

Dad was quiet for a few minutes, rocking him and rubbing his back. It worried Dick that he was about to go back to the corner when his Dad finally spoke.

“Do you know why Barry and Wally are the way they are?” He asked quietly.

“No.” Dick said.

“It’s because the Alpha who had them before Hal wasn’t nice to them. He’s the reason Barry can’t speak or walk, he kept them alone and away from other people, and he scared them.” Dad said, “He told Barry that he would take Wally away from him if he didn’t do as he was told.”

“Why?” Dick asked, “Why did he do that to them?”

“Because he didn’t love them like your Papa loves you and I, he didn’t want to take care of them, he just wanted to own them.” Dad explained, “Barry told me that Wally hasn’t been around other pups since he was three.”

His dad kissed his head and pushed him back to look him in the face.

“So while I know that it’s frustrating that Wally doesn’t play with you, it might make it a little easier to remember that he probably doesn’t know how. He’s never had anyone else to play with before, he’s never been allowed out of his home before now.” Dad said. “That would be pretty scary, don’t you think?”

“Yeah.” Dick agreed.

Dad smiled at him and pulled him closer, kissing his head. Dick pushed against him, finding his scent gland and pressing his nose against it, finding comfort in his Dad’s scent. It would be better if Papa was here, but the lingering smell of him on his Dad would have to do for now. 

“So, how do we want to go forward?” Dad asked.

“I don’t know.” Dick said, “He doesn’t like doing anything I like to do.”

“That’s not true.” Dad said, “Barry says that Wally really likes to draw and build with legos, you like both of those things. He was even enjoying building sandcastles with you, he just didn’t want to smash them. Why don’t you invite him to colour with you and Roy?”

“I guess.” Dick muttered.

“There you go.” Dad said, laying him down into his nest. “Why don’t you get some rest? I’ll come back with Papa in a little bit and we can all just relax and cuddle, how does that sound?”

“Really good.” Dick said.

“Good.” He said, “Te iubesc.”

“Si eu te iubesc.” He whispered.

~~~

Bruce had just turned the corner when he bumped into Hal, frantic and unable to hide it. The Alpha was jumpy and his hair was a mess, like he had run his hand through it multiple times.

“What’s wrong?” He asked, already worried.

“Barry’s got a fever.” Hal blurted out.

Bruce felt his own heart drop. 

“Okay, it could just be because he’s so stressed.” He offered.

Hal looked at him like he was stupid, and he certainly felt like it.

“Or he’s going into bond withdrawal.” He countered.

“Or he’s going into bond withdrawal.” He agreed hopelessly.

Chapter Text

Bruce, Alfred, Dinah, and Hal spent the next hour preparing Barry’s space for bond withdrawal, Alfred and Hal bringing up bottles of water, medical supplies, and a cot that they set up in a corner. Dinah and Bruce built a nest around Barry so he would be a little more comfortable, using light blankets layered with plastic sheets for easy clean up when he threw up. After that, Dinah and Alfred got him to eat a large bowl of formula with a glass of water, knowing that he wouldn’t be eating very much during his withdrawal. 

Ollie had taken Wally down to the kitchen with Roy to get some snacks, giving the others space to work without children underfoot. He and Dinah had already agreed to mind Wally while Barry was sick, so that took that off of Hal’s plate. Barry wasn’t sure about everything, clinging to Hal’s shirt and refusing to let go once Hal got close enough to grab, likely unhappy that there were so many people in the room and feeling ill from the fever. 

Once the room was made up to Alfred’s liking, the other three left the room to give Barry and Hal some space. Once the door was closed behind them, Hal got up and locked the door so they wouldn’t be interrupted, he needed to talk to Barry about the next few days while he would be ill. He allowed himself to be pulled into Barry’s nest, propping himself up against the pillows while Barry snuggled into his chest and planted his nose firmly against his neck, hiding his face from the light.

Hal spent a little bit petting Barry’s hair, giving him kisses on the head, and holding him close. While he normally tried to suppress his scent as much as possible, now he was trying to get it over every centimetre of the nest, just to help Barry feel more comfortable later. Hal and Alfred had already spoken to Barry about bond withdrawal and how they would take care of him through it, but it would still be hard for someone to know that there were days of nothing but pain and suffering in their future and there was nothing they could do to stop it.

“How are you feeling?” Hal asked quietly.

Barry lifted his hand and wobbled it, not bringing himself out of the safety of Hal’s embrace.

“Come on Bar, I need to know.” Hal pushed, grabbing his tablet from the bedside table. “What hurts?”

Reluctantly, Barry pulled back enough to type, only to lay back when he was finished.

“My body hurts a little, I feel cold, and my head hurts a little.” The speakers read.

“You feel cold?” Hal asked, getting a nod. “Okay, well let's get cuddled up in a blanket and we’ll try to get you warmed up.”

He suspected that there were more issues than Barry was letting on, such as fatigue based on how sluggish he was, but he didn’t want to push the matter and make Barry pull away and shut down. Dinah was going to send Wally up when he was done with his snack so he could cuddle and bond with his dad before he had to go days without seeing him, and Hal didn’t want Barry too upset while that happened. 

“These next few days are going to be really hard.” Hal whispered, feeling Barry shiver. “But I’m going to be with you the entire time.”

Barry nodded and curled closer, tense with anticipation for the next week. He was scared, both for the pain and for how it was going to affect his son. Inevitable though it was, Barry wanted to never ever have to go through the withdrawal or even have to think about it. Still, his anxiety made it hard to fall asleep later that night.

~~~

Hal wasn’t entirely sure why he woke up when he did, it was still very dark outside, there weren’t any noises, nothing he could pinpoint to wake him up. Then he felt a bony knee press into his gut and realised that Wally squirming had woken him up, and now the kid was trying to crawl over him to the other side of the bed.

“What on earth are you doing?” Hal grumbled, wiping the sleep out of his eyes.

“Daddy won’t stop moving.” Wally said, tucking himself back in.

That made absolutely no sense to Hal, because he hadn’t felt Barry moving, though he had Wally as a buffer. Reaching over, Hal rested his hand against Barry’s exposed shoulder and then immediately pulled back at the heat radiating from his skin. There was a layer of sweat on him and drenching his night dress, clearly his fever had spiked, dragging him into full bond withdrawal.

Climbing out of bed, Hal grabbed a throw blanket from the cot in the corner, pulled the covers fully off the bed, wrapped Wally in the blanket and left the room. He had been hoping that the fever would spike tomorrow in the morning, but it seemed that they were going to start now. At the moment he was taking Wally to Dinah and Ollie, who were going to keep Wally fed, bathed, and out of the way while his dad was sick, after that, he needed to go get Bruce and Alfred to help him with Barry.

Thankfully, Wally fell asleep in his arms on their way down the hall, so there weren’t any tears or anything from him at being taken from his parent. Dinah and Ollie’s suite was close by, and the door was slightly ajar, so Hal just stepped into the sitting room and knocked on the master bedroom door. Within a few seconds, Ollie answered, pulling the door open and blocking the gap to protect his mate from anyone who might want to hurt her, eyeing Roy’s bedroom across the room in case he was in trouble. He did stand down when he recognised who was at the door but still didn’t look happy at being woken up.

“What the hell man?” He hissed quietly, “It’s like, two in the fucking morning.”

“I know, I’m sorry.” Hal started, adjusting Wally in his arms. “But Barry’s in full bond withdrawal and I need you and Dinah to take Wally now.”

“What?” Dinah's voice asked from behind Ollie, the door opening more to reveal her.

“Barry’s in withdrawal.” Ollie told her, his face softening now that he knew the situation.

“Oh no. So you’re here to give us Wally then?” She said, noticing the blanket bundle in his arms.

“Please.” He said.

Dinah nodded, slipping past her mate and taking Wally from her friend and cradling him. Ollie wrapped his arm around her, looking down at Wally with sympathy.

“I’ll take care of him like he was my own.” Ollie promised, shaking Hal’s hand firmly.

“Thank you, I owe you.” Hal said gratefully, hurrying out of the room.

He hoped that Wally wouldn’t stress too much, not because he didn’t think Dinah and Ollie could handle it, but because he worried about the pups' health. Of all the horrible things Wally had gone through and witnessed in his short life, he wouldn’t be surprised if he had some mental and physical repercussions from it, and he didn’t want to exacerbate those anymore than needed.

Not that he had time to dwell on it as he approached the Master Suite in the manor, now he had to get Bruce up to help him out a little. He didn’t enter the suite like he had with Ollie and Dinah, Clark’s enhanced hearing would make that unnecessary. Sure enough, he had hardly had time to knock before Clark opened the door and ushered him in.

“I heard you with Dinah, Bruce is getting changed and I’m going to go get Alfred. Just wait here for Bruce.” His Alpha ordered on his way out the door.

Standing stunned, Hal waited for all of thirty seconds before Bruce hurried out of his room. The pack Omega took his hand and pulled him down the hallway towards Hal and Barry’s room.

“How hot is he?” He asked on the way.

“I don’t know, he was really hot to the touch and sweating. I just wanted to get all of our ducks in a row before we started treatment.” Hal admitted.

Maybe he should have checked Barry’s temperature before gathering everybody, but he felt way too hot and he didn’t want Wally to see him so ill. He hadn’t been away from the Omega’s side for five minutes, so he wasn’t neglecting Barry’s health.

“Smart.” Bruce said as they reached the room.

Hal entered first, hurrying over to the bed and placing a comforting hand on Barry’s shoulder, that unnatural heat still very present. Bruce turned on a lamp behind him, illuminating Barry’s flushed cheeks and chapped lips from the fever and rousing him from the light sleep he’s been managing to get.

“Hey you, Bruce and I are here and we’re gonna take care of you.” Hal greeted.

Bruce soon joined him with a thermometer that he stuck into Barry’s ear and waited until it clicked. He showed the number to Hal, revealing that Barry’s fever had spiked to 102.4 which was probably why he was so warm to the touch. 

Bruce left for the bathroom and came back shortly with a damp washcloth, which he promptly laid over Barry’s forehead. As soon as the cloth touched his skin, Barry leaned into it, a small smile gracing his face.

“Does that feel better?” Hal murmured, stroking his hair.

Barry gave him a clumsy nod, tilting his head towards him slightly. Hal gently cupped his cheek and whispered comforts as Alfred came in and started examining him. Barry still couldn’t make much noise, but the faces he made while he was touched made it very clear that he was in pain, and a few tears started leaking down his cheeks while Alfred put an I.V line in.

Hal wiped the tears and gave him a kiss, watching Alfred hook him up to a bag of fluid from the corner of his eye. He was hoping that there were some painkillers in that bag, because he was going to need it, with what he had to look forward too. The reading he had done on bond withdrawal highlighted a very clear path Barry was going to have to go down, where the first two days were fever, body pain, and a migraine, the next two days being nausea, painful rash, and confusion, then the last few days were full of all the previous, plus neck pain and delusions. He had read about cases where the patients had scratched themselves to the point of needing stitches from the rash, or had been so confused that they hadn’t been able to recognize where they were and had gotten hurt trying to leave.

At the very least, Barry was bed ridden because of his feet so he couldn’t fall down the stairs and break his neck by mistake. What worried Hal was the scratching, with his immune system already fighting off the infection in his neck and trying to heal the injuries on his legs and feet, it would be too easy for an infection to get into any wounds he opened on himself, or for the one he already had to get worse. Alfred wanted to clean his injuries more frequently to help prevent that, but Hal didn’t know how well that was going to work, since it would be hard to get Barry to be still long enough to do that.

“Could you wrap him in something that smells like you Hal?” Bruce asked quietly, watching Barry with an expression Hal couldn’t quite read.

“Yeah.” He responded, grabbing one of his favourite hoodies and wrapping the trembling Omega in it. “Won’t this make him too hot?”

“We’re going to try to bring his temperature down with damp cloths and ice packs,” Alfred informed, “But that will not be pleasant and I don’t want him so worked up this early on. I’m hoping you being here and being able to smell you will help him relax a little.”

That made sense, Barry needed to save his energy for the next few days. So Hal stayed close, stroking his cheek and holding his hand while Bruce and Alfred pressed cold presses against his shoulders and ice packs against his sides. While he knew that it was for Barry’s own good, that didn’t make it any easier when Barry squirmed and tried to shift away from the biting cold, looking up at him with desperate eyes for his Alpha to step in and make the discomfort go away. It made Hal really wonder if this would be better or worse if Barry could talk, either better because he could tell them what he needed, or worse because he would beg for the pain to stop. Regardless, they were here, Barry was mute, and it was going to be a long life.

~~~

The next day, Bruce urged Hal to pry himself away from Barry’s side to go down to breakfast and talk to Wally about what was going on. Normally, he would love to spend time with the pup, given that he had taken a liking to him, but leaving Barry felt like a betrayal of the Omega’s trust. Nonetheless, Bruce had a point, Wally needed to know what was going on and it would be better coming from Hal.

He showered quickly and changed, not even bothering to look in the mirror before he left because he knew he looked like crap after a night of no sleep and worry. Along with talking to Wally, he had been instructed to grab as much coffee as humanly possible, some easy breakfast foods, and a package of formula for Barry. He spends the walk down to the dining room wondering if he should just steal the entire coffee machine, after all, he, Bruce, and Alfred were mostly confined to one room, the others could go out for coffee if they wanted to, or buy a jar of instant coffee if they got truly desperate. 

He already had a plan worked out on how he was going to get the coffee machine past them when he entered the dining room. Clark was head of the table as per usual, with Dick beside him to his left, while Ollie, Dinah, Wally, and Roy sat to his right. Roy and Dick were calmly eating their cereal, though it looked like Dinah was talking to Wally while his bowl was untouched. He had everyone’s attention the moment he stepped into the room, the child he came for nearly twisted himself fully around in his chair, watching as Hal made his way towards him and knelt down beside him.

“Hey kiddo.” He greeted, well aware that they had an audience. “How are you this morning?”

“Where’s my dad?” Wally retorts, crossing his arms.

It’s the angriest he’s ever seen Wally, and he doesn’t want this to be an angry time for anyone.

“He’s up in our room, he’s not feeling very well right now and probably won’t feel okay for a week.” He explained, “So while I take care of him, Ollie and Dinah are going to take care of you.”

That doesn’t seem to sooth Wally in the slightest, if anything it just makes him angrier.

“You’re hurting him.” He states plainly, “I know you are.”

“That’s not true kid, your dad is sick.” He says patiently, “I would never hurt either of you, ever.”

“Let me see him then.” Wally counters snidely. 

“I can’t kiddo, he’s not looking so good right now and he doesn’t want you to see him like this.” Hal explained, “I would love for the two of you to be together, but once he’s better, I promise that you can see him and snuggle with him.”

“I don’t want to see him later, I want to see him now!”

Wally’s voice is starting to rise to a shout, making Dinah react. The Omega gently put her hand on his shoulder, trying to make him focus on her.

“Honey, Hal can’t take you to see him right now, he’s too sick.” She said, “But Ollie and I are gonna take care of you until he’s better, and then he’s all yours.”

“He can, he just won’t.” Wally retorted, turning his attention back to Hal. “Cause he’s hurting him, he just won’t say it.”

“Wally, you’ve been with me for almost two weeks. I haven’t laid a hand on either of you and I never intend to start.” Hal promised. “I swear, your dad is sick and myself, Bruce, and Alfred are trying to take care of him.”

“You’re. Lying.” Wally growled.

“No, I’m not. And your dad can tell you himself once he’s better.”

“He could tell me now, if I could see him.”

 It’s starting to feel like he’s going in circles with this kid. Hal can’t blame him for thinking that his dad is being hurt at his hands, given the circumstances he’s grown up in, but at the same time, he can’t waste all day trying to convince his pup that his dad isn’t being beaten out of view. 

“Look, believe me right now or not, I am not hurting your dad. I would love for none of this to be happening, but it is and I need you to stay with my friends and stay away from our room.”

That sends Wally over the edge, jumping off his seat before Dinah could stop him and trying to shove Hal.

“No! He’s my dad, I need to see him!”

“You can’t. Right now, you can eat your breakfast and then you can play with Roy.”

There’s a fire in Wally’s eyes, though the rest of his expression is colder than ice.

“Eat this.”

Before Hal had time to react, Wally grabbed his cereal bowl and threw the contents in Hal’s face. There’s a collective gasp from the table and a loud laugh from Dick, everyone looking at Wally standing defiantly in front of Hal with the bowl still in his hand. There’s a part of Hal that wants to return the favour, but he holds himself back, sighs deeply, stands up, and wipes his face.

“Okay.” He says calmly, opening his eyes.

Now that he’s towering over the pup, Wally looks a little unsure, looking like he’s going to dart. Hal carefully takes the bowl from his now trembling hands and places it on the table where it’s supposed to be, then turns his attention back to Wally.

“I need to get back to your dad now, but I’ll try to come talk to you sometime later when you’re not so worked up.” He said, “Don’t give Ollie and DInah a hard time.”

And with that he heads past the table to the kitchen, pushing open the door and heading to the sink. He grabs a handful of paper towels, runs them under the tap, and tries to wipe the majority of the sugary cereal off of his face, which based on the array of colours running in the sink, had been Lucky Charms. Shame, he liked Lucky Charms and if the circumstances had been different, he and Wally could have eaten together.

Once he’s sure his face was decently clean, he turned the tap off, threw away the towels, and started gathering supplies on the counter. He grabs a few mugs and a whole pot of coffee, breakfast bars, apples, oranges, a bowl and a packet of formula for Barry, along with a spoon. He’s loading it up onto a tray when Clark joined him in the kitchen and started adding more to the tray.

“I was really impressed back there.” He commented.

“Yeah, kids got good aim.” Hal joked.

“I meant how you handled it, it would have been very easy to lose your cool after that.” Clark said. “If it had been Dick, he would be doing some time in the corner.”

“Yeah maybe, but Dick doesn’t have Wally’s background, he’s never had to worry about any Alpha hitting his mother when he was with her, or Bruce now that he’s with him.” Hal explained, “I can’t fault him for being upset.”

“No, but you can be angry that he just threw his breakfast on you.”

“Honestly, I think that was his way of trying to protect his dad. If the Alpha is focused on him, his dad gets a break, I think he wanted me to get mad.” Hal confessed, “I’ll talk to him more later, but I don’t really have time to right now.”

Clark nodded and clapped him on the shoulder, walking him down the hallway.  It was almost funny really, of all the ridiculous things Clark had been through with Hal, this was the first time he wasn’t getting a lecture for being irresponsible. Maybe it was because this time Hal wasn’t focused on his own self, but on the two people he needed to protect and take care of, even with milk and marshmallows in his hair. Before he could go up the stairs, Clark put a hand on his shoulder and made him pause. 

“I know that you three are very capable, but if you need anything from me, just ask.” Clark said, “We’re all here to help you.”

“I really appreciate that, Clark, thank you.” Hal said.

Then he just had to ruin the moment with a wisecrack, a grin spreading across his face.

“If you wouldn’t mind, you could help me steal the coffee maker and bring it up for Bruce, Alfred, and I.” He joked.

To his surprise, Clark didn’t scold him and instead smiled back.

“I’ll see what I can do.” He replied.

“Thanks man.”

“Don’t mention it.” Clark said.

With that, Clark turned and headed back to the dining room, leaving Hal to climb the stairs and get back to the room. As soon as he pushed the door open, Bruce rushed over to grab his coffee mug, eyes widening when he saw the state Hal was in.

“Jesus Christ, what happened to you?” He asked.

“Wally was not in a very agreeable mood today. He’s convinced that I’m hurting Barry and that’s why he can’t see him, so he threw his cereal on me.” Hal explained.

“Well, you might wanna take another shower, because you have some marshmallows in your hair.” Bruce suggested, taking a deep sip of his drink.

Agreeing to that idea, Hal set the tray down on the dresser and went to hose himself off. His coffee would definitely be cold by the time he was done, but at least he would be able to smell something other than Lucky Charms. 

Climbing out of the shower and drying off, Hal grabbed a new outfit that was also comfortable. When he exited the bathroom and went to check on Barry, he found that he’d been changed from the nightgown he’d previously been in to a lighter one, and the ice packs had been switched out. The Omega looked slightly more comfortable, his face was still flushed, but at least he had dozed off into a light slumber. He grabbed his mug off the dresser, then settled into a chair beside the bed, slipping his free hand into Barry’s and giving it a kiss. 

“You know it’s gonna be a rough week right?” Bruce asked, “Like, for everyone.”

“Yeah, but I promised him I would be there for him, so as long as I’m still here, then he’ll be okay.” Hal replied.

Chapter Text

Wally was a complete wreck after breakfast, he had been chastised by Dinah and Ollie at the table in front of Roy and Dick, and then Clark had made him write lines in his study after the meal. He’d finally gotten out of that room with the Alpha and now he just wanted to find his dad, wandering the halls to get back to their bedroom. His Alpha might have said that he wasn’t hurting his dad, but Wally didn’t believe him at all, there was no way he’d woken up in a different bed without his dad and he wasn’t getting hurt.

Finally, he arrived at the wooden door to his bedroom, shut firmly to keep the rest of the house out. Steeling himself for whatever he found inside, Wally grabbed the knob and twisted, pushing against the door fruitlessly. To his growing horror, the door didn’t open. Twisting the knob again, he tried pulling instead, as though the way the door moved had changed from the previous day. When the door didn’t move again, Wally lost it. He pulled and pushed on the door in rapid succession in a vain attempt to open it, only succeeding in making a racket. 

He was forced to relinquish his grip on the door when someone grabbed him around the waist and lifted him up, the door growing smaller in his view as he was carried away. Wally beat on the back of the Alpha carrying him, letting out an anguished wail as they rounded a corner and the door disappeared.

“Hush.” Clarks voice said. “Honestly, your father is hurting right now and he needs rest, not someone slamming on his door while he’s trying to sleep.”

Wally sobbed, pushing against Clark’s back while he was carried to Dinah and Ollie’s suite. Clark and Ollie took him inside and locked the door behind them, trapping him in with them so they could talk without him running away. Wally was sat on the couch with both Alphas standing over him, fiddling with his hands while they lectured him sternly.

“When I said to give your dad some space, did you think I was joking?” Ollie asked, crossing his arms. “Because the only way I can fathom why you would think it was okay to try and bother him is if you  thought I was joking.”

“And I’m trying to understand what didn’t set in with our conversation earlier.” Clark added. “I specifically told you not to go back to your room and that all of your things were here for the time being.”

Wally gathered up a small pool of courage in his stomach and rather than bow his head in shame, looked up at them.

“I want to see my dad.” He said.

“Your dad is sick, you can’t see him.” Clark replied, “And disobeying your guardian will not get you anywhere.”

“He’s not my dad!” Wally snapped.

“I know I’m not your dad, but for now I’m acting as your guardian because Hal is busy and he entrusted you to me and Dinah.” Ollie said, “Which means that you will do as I say, you will respect myself and my mate, and you will keep a respectful tone when speaking with either of us.”

“Ollie?” 

Wally turned his head to see Dinah peeking out of Roy’s room, the other red haired pup beside her. Both of them were looking in on the lecture Wally was receiving with concern and curiosity. A small part of Wally, one he didn’t want to acknowledge, wanted the Omega to scoop him up and hold him like she did with her own pup, if only just for a moment before the Alphas lectured him anymore.

“Is everything okay?” Dinah asked.

“Everything is fine, Clark and I just have to deal with a naughty pup who can’t handle instructions.” Ollie soothed.

Wally pouted indignantly at the slight, he wasn’t naughty, and he could handle instructions, he just wanted his dad. All the other kids here got to have their parents, so he didn’t understand why he couldn’t have his. Nevertheless, Dinah gave a hum at the answer and disappeared back into Roy’s room and shut the door behind them, leaving Clark and Ollie to focus all of their attention on him.

“Anyway Wally, you can’t go bother your dad right now.” Ollie said. “He needs to focus on getting better, not you climbing on him.”

“I wouldn’t bother him!” Wally protested, tears burning at the back of his eyes, “I just want to see him! I just want to know he’s okay!”

“You’re just going to have to trust us, we want him to be okay too, which is why he needs some peace and quiet.” Clark said.

“Why should I trust you?” Wally asked, “I know that my dad’s hurt and you don’t care!”

“We do care, that’s why you can’t go and pester him right now.” Clark sighed, “He’s getting the attention he needs, he doesn’t need you getting in the way and making it worse.”

That last part hurt, Clark made it sound like Wally was an idiot when he knew he wasn’t. His dad said that he was really smart, and he always wanted to spend time with him, even when he was hurting or not feeling good. It felt like these Alphas were only keeping him away to be mean to them both and it made him angry.

“So, are you going to do as you’re told this time and stay away from your room?” Clark asked, “Or am I going to have to come have this conversation with you again?”

“Fuck you.” Wally mumbled.

Truth be told, he didn’t entirely know what that word meant. He’d just heard it from his old Alpha and things he’d seen on TV, all he knew was that it wasn’t nice, which was fine because he didn’t feel very nice.

“I beg your pardon young man?” Ollie growled.

Before he could react, Ollie had grabbed his arm and was dragging him across the room to the bathroom with Clark close behind. For a moment, Wally worried that he was about to get swatted, especially when Clark held his arms still. Instead, Ollie opened a bar of soap, lathered it under the faucet, and then forced it into his mouth, the awful taste flooding his tongue. 

Now Wally was really crying, neither adult was hurting him, but Clark was holding his arms so he couldn’t push away and Ollie was both pressing on his cheeks to keep his mouth open and was holding the soap at the same time. To make matters worse, nothing he tried to say could be understood with the bar in his mouth so he couldn’t even tell them to stop.

“Now now, if you want to use dirty language like that then you’re going to get your mouth cleaned out.” Clark scolded. “Now, bite down on the bar.”

Wally looked up at him, distressed by the order. Just having the awful thing in his mouth was gross, he didn’t want to bite it. Still, his sad eyes didn’t deter Clark.

“Wanna make this worse?” He asked, watching Wally shake his head quickly. “Then you’d better bite down, we’re going to finish this in my office.”

Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Wally obeyed, his teeth making dents in the soap and holding it firm after Ollie let go. Clark let go of his arms, so at least he could wipe his face of the tears, but that didn’t make him feel any better. He was expecting to be led by the arm to Clark's office like he had been to the bathroom, but instead Ollie picked him up and carried him, which at least saved him the embarrassment of being dragged through the house with soap in his mouth.

Once in the office, Ollie set him back on his feet in front of the desk. Clark moved to stand in front of him, staring him down until Wally ducked his head in shame. Rather than letting him stare at his feet, Clark took his chin and tilted his head up to look at him.

“There we go, there are those eyes. You’re going to listen to me young man, and once you’re through with this, you’re going to give Oliver and myself a very sincere apology for that language.” Clark lectured, ignoring Wally’s tears and muffled sobs.

At the very least Ollie took some sympathy on him, brushing his tears from his cheeks gently. 

“Hush now, you’re okay.” He soothed, “Now Clark and I know you’re having a hard day but you cannot be using bad words like that.”

“And you certainly will not be sneaking back to try and bother your father.” Clark added, “I try not to be a controlling Alpha who bosses everyone around, but I also won’t tolerate disrespect and disobedience.”

Finally, Clark released Wally’s face, only to guide him over to the corner where there was a little stool, where he was instructed to sit facing the corner. Clark knelt down behind him and reached around to push the bar further into his mouth, making Wally wail into it.

“Here's what’s going to happen young man, you are going to sit in this corner with that bar in your mouth for fifteen minutes. You will not touch the soap and if you do, I will add five minutes to the clock.” Clark instructed. “And after that, you’re going to write some lines and an apology letter to both myself and Oliver.”

Wally started sobbing and wailing into the bar, but didn’t dare try to get up or spit out the bar for fear of the extra minutes being added to this punishment. The minutes ticked by agonizingly slowly, with nothing to focus on except the bad taste in his mouth and the subtle ache in his jaw. Because his mouth was forced open, he had started drooling and that made him feel even worse. He had heard Ollie leave the room, so all that left him with was Clark, who terrified him because of how big he was, and also because he was scary now that he was angry.

Finally, after what felt like forever, a big hand took his arm and gently helped him stand. Once he was out of the corner, Wally felt like his legs were about to give out underneath him, but he still hurried along while Clark guided him to the desk. Clark scooped him up and helped him sit on the desk, wiping his face with a tissue to clean him up, and holding a trashcan up to his face so he could finally spit out the soap, coughing and spitting into the bin to get the taste out.

“There, I’ll bet that feels better.” Clark whispered, rubbing his back.

Wally nodded desperately, clinging to the bin and crying into it. Clark let him settle himself down enough to breathe without gasping, brushing his hair out of his face and rubbing his back while he did so. Once he was calm enough to not be hyperventilating, Clark wiped his face clean of the tears and drool, then carried him over to the school desk he kept in the office. Wally settled into the seat and grabbed the pencil on the table, Clark wrote something onto the top of one of his pieces of paper.

‘I will not swear.’

“You’re going to copy that twenty times, then you’re going to come show me.” Clark instructed. “After that, you can write your apology to myself and Ollie.”

Wally nodded quietly and started immediately, ready for his nightmare to be over. He fumbled over the pencil a few times, mostly because he hadn’t had a lot of practice writing and spelling. It was easier the more he did it, and was starting to have fun writing the sentence by the end, then hurried up to show the Alpha.

Clark raised an eyebrow at him when he ran up to him, holding the paper up to him. Looking it over, he saw that the pup’s writing was all over the place and very messy, but he also knew that Wally hadn’t had the same formal schooling that Roy and Dick had received, so he decided to let it slide. While writing lines was a punishment, writing in general wasn’t, and Clark didn’t want Wally to only associate writing with being in trouble, or embarrass him when he had clearly tried his best.

“This is very nice Wally, you did a very good job.” He praised, scooping the boy up and onto his lap. 

Wally still had a few tears in his eyes, and his face was flushed. Standing up, Clark carried him to the bathroom across the hall and helped him rinse his mouth out properly with water and mouthwash. He also helped him get a good drink of water to rehydrate after all the crying the pup had been doing in the past forty-five minutes. 

Afterwards, he carried Wally back to the office and settled him back into the desk, handing the pencil back to him. Wally tried giving him his puppy eyes again, hoping that this time it would let him out of the final part of his punishment.

“The big eyes don’t work on me, little pup. You’re still going to write two apology letters, one for me and one for Ollie.” Clark laughed, ruffling his hair.

Wally huffed in frustration but still got down to it, trying his best with spelling and spacing. He mostly felt punished and not really sorry, but he would admit that using the word ‘fuck’ had been rude, even if he still didn’t really know what it meant.

Once both letters were written, he folded both and headed up to the big desk to hand Clark's letter to him. The Alpha took his letter, unfolded it, and spent a few moments reading it, smiling at the misspelt, but sincere letter. Once he was finished, he put the letter on the desk and pulled Wally into his lap, cuddling with him while the pup started crying again.

“I know kiddo, I know. It’s been a hard day for you, hasn’t it?” He whispered, rubbing his back.

Wally nodded into his shirt, burying his face into the fabric. Clark cradled him and nuzzled into his hair, pressing a few kisses against his scalp. Wally shifted closer and tried his best to relax against an Alpha he didn’t really know, he had gotten used to his Alpha, given that he had been sleeping in a bed together with him and his dad. He didn’t know the other Alpha’s in the pack very well, certainly not well enough to really want to climb into their lap and be held, but he was really upset and in desperate need of a hug, so he ignored the scent of a strange Alpha and cuddled.

Clark continued to soothe and comfort him, occasionally pushing him away long enough to wipe his face with a tissue, only to pull him back into the embrace. He held the whimpering pup until he stopped crying, then he pushed him back to talk to him.

“Wally, I want you to understand something that’s really important, okay? Everybody under this roof is here to help you and to help take care of you, both to help you and your father and to help your Alpha. And we don’t need thanks by any means, but we do need respect.” Clark said, “Because the same way you don’t like us snapping and being angry at you, we don’t like it when you do it to us.”

Wally sniffled and nodded, trying to lean in closer to cuddle again. He didn’t want another lecture, not after the three he’d already gotten today.

“I know that you’re going through a hard time right now and you’re really stressed, so I understand that you might feel grumpy or snappy, and I don’t think you’re wrong to feel like that, but you cannot take those feelings out on other people. If you need to work through those emotions then you can yell into a pillow, or I can show you where our gym is so you can use the punching bags.” Clark continued, “Or, if you just need somewhere quiet to be, then you and I can just come hang out in here for a while for you to calm down. I know that you’ve only been in here because you’ve been naughty, but I also have some blankets and pillows and there are some movies on my laptop. You can come here and watch some by yourself and relax, and I’ll make sure that no one comes and bothers you.”

Wally nodded and wiped his tears away.

“I’m sorry.” He muttered.

“Oh puppy, I know you’re sorry.” Clark whispered.

“I just want my daddy!” Wally cried, “I’ll be a really good pup but please let me have my daddy.”

Clark pulled him back into his embrace and rubbed his back as he cried. The Alpha snuggled him and rocked him a little to calm him down.

“I know sweet, you just want your dad. And I know he wants you too, but he needs to get better before he can see you again.”

Wally nodded and swiped at his face. 

“Come on, let's get you to Ollie so you can talk to him and then we can get you a little snack.” Clark soothed, playfully tickling his stomach. “Don’t think I haven’t heard your tummy growling, we’ll get you something to eat.”

The second letter was clutched in Wally’s hand and his head was on Clarks shoulder, nearly dozing off while he was carried. He startled when Clark nudged him lightly to wake him up, noticing that Ollie was standing in front of them ready to take him.

“Remember squirt, if you need anything, just come find me.” Clark whispered, “I’ll make sure you’re okay.”

And with that, he handed him off to Ollie, who carried him back into the suite. The blond Alpha carried him to an armchair and settled in with him on his lap. Immediately, Wally handed off the letter and then hid his face in his arms, scared of another scolding.

Instead, he jumped when a hand carded through his hair and another centered itself on his back and pulled him closer. Ollie shushed him and rocked him a little, the letter he’d written discarded on the arm of the chair.

“Thank you for the apology Wally.” He whispered.

“I’m sorry I was bad.” Wally replied, “I know that I was a brat.”

“Oh kid, you aren’t a brat. There aren’t any bad kids, just some bad behaviour, and that’s why Clark and I corrected that.” Ollie countered, “And now you’ve been corrected, you’ve apologized, and all is forgiven.”

Nodding, Wally clung to him again and pressed his face into his hands. His stomach rumbled audibly and he blushed, trying to hide further while Ollie chuckled.

“Clark mentioned that you needed a snack.” He laughed

He brought Wally to the coffee table, where there was a Tupperware container full of crackers, pepperettes, cheese, and grapes. There was also a bottle of water and a cup of milk next to it.

“When Roy first came to us, he had a bit of a potty mouth and got his mouth cleaned out quite often. He always liked a cup of milk afterwards, he said it got rid of the taste.” Ollie said. “You aren’t the only pup in this pack to need some guidance, in fact, you’re in good company.”

Gratefully, Wally took a few mouthfuls of the drink, the taste of soap fading with each sip. After that, he started on his snack, making meat and cheese sandwiches with the crackers and enjoying the grapes. He had full plans to get back to his dad, but he needed the eyes off of him before he could try again, and a full belly would make it easier.

~~~

By the end of the next day, Clark, Ollie, and Dinah were fed up with Wally’s behaviour. Any time eyes were off him, he was back to his dad's door trying to get in. Nothing had deterred him, not lectures, time outs, or writing lines, he just did as was instructed and then tried again.

Finally, after his fifth attempt, Clark called Zatara. He didn’t like what he was about to do, but he didn’t see any other option. Bruce had texted him and told him that everyone in the room could hear Wally banging and yelling at the door, and that the sound of his pup distressed Barry. If Barry was to get better, he needed quiet and as little stress as possible, and he couldn’t get it with Wally sneaking away any chance he got.

What he needed was for Zatara to cast a spell to keep Wally in Ollie and Dinah’s suite unless invited out. He hated to do it, but if the pup wasn’t going to listen to reason and he wasn’t going to respond to the punishments he’s been receiving, then he hadn’t left them any other option. 

The only other thing that Clark had thought about was physically restraining Wally with a harness so he couldn’t get too far away from one of the grown ups. What made him veto that idea was how clever Wally was, even if the latch for the harness was elaborate, he had no doubts that Wally would be able to figure out how to get it open, or worse, he could hurt himself trying. With the magic, he wouldn’t be able to outsmart it and it wouldn’t hurt him no matter how hard he fought it.

No matter how much he tried to convince himself, Clark didn’t feel better welcoming Zatara into the manor. Wally had fallen asleep after a very fed up Ollie had crushed up half a benadryl and put it in his juice, so he was safely in his bed. Zatara had been informed on the situation and had agreed to cast the spell and explained it’s parameters to Clark. 

The spell would keep Wally in the suite but he would have free range within it, all it would do was form a barrier in the doorway that would activate if he tried to leave. He had made sure Wally would be able to leave if there was an emergency, and he could pass the barrier if an adult said “Come on out Wally.” Other than that, he wouldn’t be able to leave.

Ollie and Dinah had agreed to eat in the suite with him and spend time with him. There were toys, sketch pads, and drawing utensils in there for him to amuse himself with, as well as a television. It wasn’t going to be fun for Wally, but it was only for a week and then he could go back to his own bed with his dad.

Dinah and Ollie were there to meet them at the door of their suite, Roy in between them. The Omega looked upset but she agreed that the spell was needed to keep Wally and his dad safe. Zatara shook Ollie’s hand and embraced Dinah gently, the couple welcoming him with strained smiles, knowing what he was here to do.

Without much fanfare, Zatara started muttering under his breath, a purple circle with various runes forming in the air. The edges of the door frame started to glow purple as well, the colour ebbing and seeping away in tandem with his mumbling. Ollie scooped Roy up and pulled Dinah into his side, keeping his two people safe and easing the pain in his chest at what that spell was doing. Finally, Zatara waved his hand and the circle stretched into a rectangle the same size as the doorframe, the purple lining of the frame and the rectangle meeting and sealing, glowing brightly before fading away completely.

“There.” Zatara said, “That will keep Wally in without inconveniencing the rest of you.”

Clark nodded with closed eyes, shaking the other man's hand and offering him a coffee, which was declined. Clark guided their guest back to the door so he could get back to his own family while Ollie shooed his family back into their suite. Dinah instantly broke off from her mate and hurried to the sleeping pup on the sofa, brushing his hair and kissing his forehead, whispering an apology to him. Ollie knelt beside her and embraced her, trying his best to comfort her.

“I know baby, but we didn’t have any other choice.” He whispered to her.

“I know.” Dinah sighed, wiping a stray tear from her face, “But he’s going to be heart broken.”

Nevertheless, she let herself be helped up and guided into her bedroom, Roy following his parents. He wasn’t entirely sure he understood what was happening, but he knew that his parents were upset and he just wanted to be near them.

~~~

When Wally woke up, he couldn’t see either of the adults but he could hear them speaking in hushed tones from their bedroom. Seeing his chance, Wally hopped off the couch and made a mad dash to the door, pulling it open and darting forward. Rather than getting into the hallway though, he hit a solid barrier and was forced to stop, unable to pass through the door.

Confused, he started pushing at the invisible trying to find a seam so he could pull it back and get out. No matter how hard he tried though, he couldn’t find an opening or a way to leave. He thought he was being quiet but he must have made some sound because Dinah came out of her bedroom and went to him.

“Sweetheart, you can’t get out darling.” She told him, “There’s a barrier, you can’t get out unless Ollie, Clark, or I invite you out.”

Wally felt his heart drop to his stomach, the news that he wouldn’t be able to leave sent him into a frenzy. He started pounding on the barrier and scratching at the air to try and get out, falling to his knees in front of the door. Dinah settled in beside him, rubbing his back and trying to pull him into her lap to hold him.

“I know honey, but we can’t have you keep running off to bother your dad. Once he’s better, the barrier will go down and you can leave.” She tried to comfort him. 

Wally shrugged her off, leaning his head against the empty frame and bawling like a baby. He cried until his head was pounding and all that was left in his body was hiccups and sniffling, all while Dinah sat with him and rubbed his back. When he’d cried himself completely dry, she scooped him up and carried him to the sofa, settling them both comfortably in the corner, accepting the glass of water with a straw that Ollie handed her. 

She held Wally against her with one hand and pushed the straw against his lips until he took it with the other. While she was making sure he drank, Ollie brought out a change of clothes for Wally to get changed into and a wet, cool washcloth to wipe his face with. All while drinking, and then when being changed, Wally kept his eyes on the deceivingly empty doorway, wishing that he could get away from the pair and get back with his dad, knowing that the door made it impossible.

Chapter Text

Dinah woke up to her pup shaking her shoulder, his scent sharp and distressed. For a moment, she thought he must have had a nightmare, so she moved over to let him crawl in beside her. Instead, Roy pulled at her arm.

“Wake up.” He said, tugging on her again.

“What is it baby?” She asked.

“Wally’s really sick.” Roy told her.

“Sick how?’ Dinah asked, getting out of her nest.

“He threw up. He’s been at the door for a while and he threw up.” He said.

Dinah hurried around the room, wrapping her robe around her and putting her slippers on her feet. Roy followed her closely, likely to settle his own distress. Once she was ready, she followed Roy into the sitting room and to the door, where she did indeed find Wally.

The pup was leaning against the barrier, weakly pawing at it while he cried. Once she’d turned on the light, Dinah saw that he was sitting in a puddle of vomit and that his shirt was covered in it. 

“Roy, go get your dad for me.” She instructed, her son hurrying to fetch the other adult.

Wally hadn’t acknowledged her at all, still fussing at the door and crying. He was still in his pajamas and it was clear that he had gotten out of bed to get to where he was. 

“Hey honey.” She whispered, sitting in front of him. “What’s going on?”

“I want out.” He whined, “I just want out.”

“Oh puppy, I know you want out.” Dinah whispered.

Wally just dipped his head and kept crying, ignoring but not pulling away from Dinah when she put a hand on his shoulder. Soon enough, Ollie joined them in the sitting room, humming with sympathy when he saw the sorry state Wally was in.

“Do you wanna get him cleaned up while I get a mop?” He asked, wiping his eyes.

Dinah nodded at him gratefully, moving to the side to let him out into the hallway. Roy stayed to look at Wally for a second before his mom gestured for him to return to his nest. With the audience out of the room, Dinah scooted forward and reached out to the boy.

“Hey sweet boy, let's get you cleaned up and back into your nest.” She said.

Wally pawed at the barrier again but didn’t fight Dinah when she picked him up and brought him into the bathroom. The first thing she did was plug the drain and turn on the water, adding some eucalyptus and lavender bubble bath to it, hoping that something nice and relaxing would help him fall back to sleep. Once the bath was running she undressed the pup, tossing the soiled clothing into the hamper and helped him into the tub. 

“You just relax baby, Auntie Dinah’s gonna take care of you.” She said with a smile.

The smell of the bubble bath was having its desired effect, both on the pup and Omega. Wally’s sobs turned to sniffles, which turned into the occasional whimper while Dinah washed the sweat, vomit, and tears from his small body, all while Dinah whispered sweet words and praise to him. Even once Wally was cleaned up, Dinah kept him in the warm water for a while, letting it work it’s magic to keep him down for the rest of the night. 

Soon enough, Ollie slipped into the bathroom long enough to put a fresh pair of pajamas, a glass of water, and half of a gravel tablet to help settle Wally’s upset stomach. Personally, Dinah thought that the reason Wally had gotten sick was because he’d cried and gotten himself so worked up that his body had no other way to deal with it other than to make him sick. Still, gravel wasn’t something that would hurt Wally to take the tablet, and the water would definitely help him rehydrate.

“C’mon baby, let’s get you back to bed.” Dinah whispered.

Lifting Wally out of the tub was very easy, given that he was completely quiet and still in her arms. Drying him off properly wasn’t much of a challenge either, she just dried off his front and then leaned him against her shoulder to dry off his back. Dressing him was a little harder but doable once Wally picked up what was going on and moved enough to help her out. After he was dressed, she had him take the pill and drink some of the water Ollie had brought her.

“Alright you, it is very late.” She mumbled, “It’s time for little boys to be in their nests and asleep.”

Wally nodded against her and he even grabbed ahold of her robe when she lifted him up into her arms. She carried him into the living room and settled into an armchair with him on her lap, stroking his hair and rubbing his back.

“I know that I haven’t had the chance to know you for very long, but I care for you very much.” She whispered, “And I hate to see you so upset.”

Wally whimpered and nuzzled closer to her, tucking his nose against her neck.

“I don’t want to go to bed.” He said.

Sighing, Dinah nodded and moved to the sofa and laid down with Wally curled up into her side. She grabbed the throw off the back of the couch and wrapped it around them to keep them warm. If Wally really didn’t want to be in his nest, then she would stay on the couch with him, so long as he actually slept, then she could live with it. 

It took a while to actually get him to sleep, spent mostly rubbing his back and holding him close. Ollie came out to check on her and see why she hadn’t come back to bed, when she explained why she was spending her night on the couch, her mate had grabbed an extra blanket and her pillow, then settled into the armchair to keep an eye on them. Eventually, Wally finally fell asleep for good, which gave Dinah a chance to fall asleep herself, hoping that the pup would sleep late into the morning to compensate for the lack of sleep he’d gotten already.

~~~

Wally didn’t sleep for long and he didn’t sleep often, the next few days proved that to everyone. It got to the point where Clark would come and spend the night with Wally on the couch so Dinah and Ollie could get a full night's rest. What made it worse was how the pup spent his days, sitting at the barrier and trying to get past it, even when he was told time and time again that he couldn’t.

He hadn’t eaten much since before Barry had gone into bond withdrawal, either poking it around on his plate or throwing it at Ollie or Clark in fits of anger. To save on cleaning up the mess and laundry, they had switched Wally to foods that weren’t saucy or wet, making his foods mostly dry cereal, precut fruits and veggies, cheese, and pepperettes. It was sad that his diet had become so limited but it was even worse to see him avoid it so fiercely. 

A part of Dinah wondered if the sleep deprivation and food aversion was a sick form of rebellion or a way to force their hands into letting him go back to slamming on his dad's door. So far, she had been spared from Wally’s anger and food throwing, but she wasn’t sure if she would remain in his good graces for long. When he wasn’t sulking at the barrier, he was hiding himself away in the closet in Roy’s room, curled on his side with his face covered. It was depressing to see him looking so lifeless and unwilling to be comforted, even Roy couldn’t drag him out to play, the things they'd brought for him untouched.

Currently, Dinah was sitting beside the closet where Wally was hiding, Roy cuddled up in her arms. It was starting to get late and Dinah was hoping that tonight would be the night that Wally would sleep in the nest she had made for him, though that hope was waning with every passing minute. 

“Wally honey, Roy and I are gonna read a little before bed.” She said gently, “Why don’t you come out and join us?”

Unsurprisingly, Wally didn’t say anything. He was still curled up on the floor of the closet, trying to completely ignore the two near him.

“You can pick one of the books I read.” She added, trying to sweeten the deal.

There was still nothing, there wasn’t even any noise of Wally moving in the closet. Knowing when she was beaten, Dinah sent Roy off to fetch the book he wanted her to read and settled herself on his bed.

~~~

The next day, Dinah decided she couldn’t just sit around and let a child mope until he passed out every single day. She got up early in the morning, got her slippers on and wrapped herself in her robe, then stepped out of the room to find Wally settled near the door again. Without hesitation, she scooped him up and said the phrase that would allow Wally to pass the barrier. Once they were out of the room, Wally perked up, looking more lifelike than he had in the past three days.

“Okay kiddo, I have a deal for you. You and I are gonna go for walks twice a day, we can walk by your dad’s room and you can whisper at the door. But you have to stop throwing food at Ollie and Clark.” She offered. “And you have to come back into our quarters

Wally looked at her quizzically, checking to see if she was lying to him at all. When he decided that she was telling the truth he nodded slowly.

“Can I walk?” He asked slowly.

“As long as you hold my hand and promise not to run off, then yes, you may.” She agreed, setting him on his feet and taking his hand.

For the first few steps of their walk, Wally was unsteady on his feet after three days of minimal physical activity. Once he reacquainted with the movement however, he started skipping and jumping a little, making up a game with Dinah where he had to jump from one spot on the carpet to another. It was amazing for Dinah to see and only solidified in her mind that she was doing the right thing for the pup Hal had entrusted her with.

When they neared the hallway where Barry’s room was, Dinah pulled Wally to the side and knelt down in front of him.

“Okay kiddo, you and I both know that your dad's room is close by, and I want to walk you by it, but you have to promise me that you aren’t gonna scream or yell.” She said.

“I promise.” Wally agreed seriously.

When Dinah raised an eyebrow at him, he reached out his pinky finger to her.

“Pinky promise.” He offered.

Smiling, Dinah accepted his pinky and shook it with her own, then gave him a kiss on the head. Standing up, she took his hand again and they walked down the hallway and stopped outside of Barry’s door. Wally stood up straighter and glued his eyes to the shut door, not even tearing his gaze away when Dinah stroked his hair and knelt down next to him again.

“How about we just whisper well wishes to your dad?” She asked, “We can tell him really quietly that we want him to get better soon.”

Wally nodded and sat down on the floor.

“I love you daddy.” He whispered as quietly as he could. “And I really, really miss you. I want you to get better so I can hug you again.”

Dinah rubbed his back, both to sooth him and encourage him while he whispered to his dad. For five minutes, Wally just whispered to the door how much he loved his dad and wanted him to get better. Once he’d run out of things to say, Dinah blew a kiss at the door and watched Wally copy her, then they both stood up and started their walk back to their rooms. 

Now was the real test to see how serious Wally was about his promise. He had promised to go back into their rooms, but Dinah also knew that he’d promised to not go bother his dad again, only to run off at the first opportunity. Holding her breath, Dinah opened the door, waiting for the breakdown.

Instead, Wally stepped through the barrier without any fuss or complaints and waited patiently for Dinah to follow him. Overjoyed at the boy’s behaviour, Dinah celebrated with him by giving him a tight hug and a kiss on the head. It melted her heart when Wally returned the embrace, holding onto her robe gently.

When they broke apart, Dinah brought him over to the table and gave him a bowl of cheerios with strawberries and actual milk rather than dry. Immediately, Wally dug in and started eating his breakfast, barely chewing as he finally acknowledged his hunger. Dinah made herself a cup of coffee and sat beside him, keeping him company while he ate.

“We’ll go for another walk tonight, okay?” She said, “And we’ll make sure that we do that twice a day until you can go back to your dad.”  

~~~

Meanwhile, within their bedroom, Hal was working on keeping Barry as comfortable as physically possible. His fever hadn’t fallen below one hundred and two degrees in three days and he couldn’t keep down anything they fed him except some water. The Omega had been skinny to begin with but he looked emaciated and on the brink of dying now. Because of how often he had vomited and had to have his clothes changed, Bruce, Alfred, and Hal had agreed to just leave him naked and covered in a thin sheet. 

There wasn’t much of a reprieve from taking care of Barry, so they took shifts catching a quick nap on the cot in the corner. The rest of the time they were working on making sure Barry was on a good path to recovery and drinking sinful amounts of coffee, courtesy of the coffee machine Clark had brought up to them. 

Hal had personally vowed to take the least amount of breaks so he didn’t have to leave Barry alone for too long. He wasn’t entirely sure if Barry knew where he was or who was with him, but it helped him keep sane through the whole thing. When he did have to sleep, he usually just took the chair beside Barry and held his hand through his nap so he’d know if the Omega needed him.

Fortunately, they were already more than halfway through the bond withdrawal, four days through the process and only three days left to go. Unfortunately, that meant that the worst was yet to come, with delirium and worse pain in his neck as the bond bled from his body. The itching had come into effect and to prevent him from scratching himself bloody, Alfred had wrapped his fingernails in scotch tape. 

~~~

Barry’s fever finally broke four days later, at almost ten thirty at night. He was sweating and starting to become more aware of his surroundings, clinging to Hal’s hand while Alfred started cleaning him up and washing his wounds. The Omega was physically and mentally exhausted, he was in pain, his brain wasn’t functioning well, and he just wanted to sleep. Nonetheless, Barry didn’t have the energy to push Alfred away when he started cleaning his neck and legs, so he had no choice but to squeeze Hal’s hand through it all.

“It’s alright baby, just a little longer.” Hal soothed, kissing Barry’s hand gently.

Once he was cleaned up enough for Alfred's liking, Hal scooped him up out of the messy nest and carried him naked to the bathroom. The air was apparently too cold for Barry’s liking because he tried to reach for the blankets from Hal’s arms.

“No no Omega. Those are filthy and I want you cleaned up properly.” Hal said, moving away from the bed. “But Bruce is gonna make you a new nest with clean blankets, and then you can go right back to sleep.”

Sulking, Barry clung onto Hal while the Alpha drew a hot bath and wrapped his injuries in the green socks and bowtie again. Hal had to be very careful with him this time, he was too weak to hold his head up, so Hal was supporting it with his arm. It also seemed that no matter how gentle he tried to be, he couldn’t stop hurting the Omega, every place on his bony body was hurting.

“I know Bar, I’m so sorry.” He apologized after making the Omega flinch for the fifth time.

Barry just nodded and held onto his Alpha’s arm, tilting his face into the crook of Hal’s elbow where he was cradling his head. Alfred stopped into the bathroom to deposit a nightgown beside Hal and request to speak with the younger Alpha in private once he was through with taking care of Barry. If the Omega had heard, he just ignored it in favour of enjoying the warm water.

Hal frowned when he lifted the other man out of the water and he pouted, immediately trying to warm himself up once the warmth the bath was giving him was gone. Moving quickly, Hal dried him off and dressed him in the nightgown, scooping him back up and holding him close. Once he was being held, Barry wrapped his arms around Hal’s neck and curled himself up closer to Hal. 

Slowly, Hal carried Barry back into the bedroom, where Bruce was putting the finishing touches on the nest. The bed was covered in fluffy pillows, soft blankets, and a few heating pads to make it warm for the other Omega. Looking to his packmate for the invitation, Hal started to settle his Omega into the clean nest, only for him to cling tighter.

“C’mon Barry, I just need to talk to Alfred and then I’ll be back to hold you.” He bargained.

Barry shook his head and tried to pull Hal into the nest with him, looking up at the Alpha with big, pleading eyes. It was a rare occasion for Barry to make eye contact of his own free will, but when he did it always made his heart swoon, the Omega had the biggest blue eyes he had ever seen. To calm him down, Hal let a purr rumble in his chest and ran his fingers through Barry’s hair, feeling his grip loosen on his neck.

“There we go love, you just get comfortable and I’ll be right back.” He whispered, laying Barry back against the pillows and kissing his head.

Reluctantly, Barry laid down and started getting himself situated among his nest, pushing things around and adjusting them to make them more to his liking. Bruce climbed into the nest with him and started helping him get situated and ready for sleeping in. While the two Omega’s nested, Hal stepped out with Alfred to speak privately.

“What’s going on Alfred?” He asked once the door was shut firmly behind him.

“I am extremely concerned about the state of your Omega.” Alfred said, getting straight to the point. “There are signs of infection in his legs, the infection in his neck is getting worse, and from the blood on the sheets, the injuries to his hole are getting worse.”

Biting his lip, Hal nodded and ran a hand through his hair. He just wanted Barry to be able to heal properly and then be able to scent with his pup again, but it seemed the universe had other plans.

“So what should we do?” He asked.

“Personally, I would call Dr. Cho to see if she would be willing to set up either here or at Omega Starks tower.” Alfred admitted, “His immune system is weak and I’m worried about the infection in his neck spreading to his spine and up to his brain. He needs medical intervention quickly.”

“I asked him about the surgery almost two weeks ago and he said no, but I’ll talk to him about it tomorrow.” Hal said.

The older Alpha nodded and opened his mouth to say more when both of them noticed Dinah approaching, Wally sleeping in her arms.

“Hey!” She whispered, “I got a text from Bruce that Barry’s out of withdrawal and I figured that father and son should reunite as soon as possible.”

With that, she bounced Wally gently in her arms, making the pup whimper in his sleep and curl in closer to her. Hal felt some tension drain from his shoulders looking at the little boy, innocent and soft in Dinah's arms. No matter how stressed he’d been the past week, he’d always had Wally in his thoughts, knowing that Clark had made the decision to keep him sealed in Ollie and Dinah's suite for his own safety and for the sake of Barry’s recovery. He hated that the magical barrier had been used, but he respected his Head Alpha enough to know that it must have been very needed.

“That sounds like a wonderful idea.” Hal agreed enthusiastically, reaching for the puppy. “Here, if you’ll give him to me, I’ll take him to Barry.”

Carefully, Dinah transferred Wally from her arms into Hals, stroking his hair and giving him a kiss on the forehead once he was settled with his Alpha. Right away, Hal could tell that Wally had lost weight, worrying him quite a bit.

“How was his week? I know he was a little difficult for you three.” Hal asked, accessing his pup.

“He… Struggled quite a bit. Toward the end he would eat more if I was there giving it to him, but he wasn’t really happy. I’ll admit, I got a little fed up with having to keep him locked up in three little rooms and I’d take him for a walk twice a day. Once we started doing that he got a lot better.” Dinah said, pursing her lips.

“Clark agreed to take him out for a walk?” Alfred asked.

“I didn’t really ask.” She admitted, “He needed the movement and if it got him eating I would have done anything.”

Nodding his appreciation, Hal embraced her with one arm, bid both Alfred and Dinah good night, and went back into his room. Barry had gotten comfortable in their nest and was dozing off while Bruce fussed with the blankets on the end of the bed. Once the Alpha was in the room, the other Omega hurried off back to his mate and pup, leaving the trio alone.

Getting straight to the matter at hand, Hal settled Wally against Barry’s side, wrapping the Omega’s arm around his pup. After that, he grabbed a pair of his own pajamas and headed into the bathroom to clean himself up. He took his time in the shower, washing his hair twice and leisurely shaved the beard that he’d been growing during the week. Once he was cleaned up, he tossed his filthy clothes into the hamper and changed into his clean pajamas, then headed into the bedroom.

Settling in on his side of the nest, Hal pulled Barry and Wally closer and laid a claiming and protective scent over them. Mentally, he was preparing for the conversation he’d have to have with Barry about the surgery tomorrow, as well as getting both the Omega and his pup on a heavier meal plan to push them up into a healthy weight. He was hoping that Barry would be more agreeable to the whole thing than he had been before, if only for the sake of getting him healthier quicker, but that would have to wait for tomorrow. Giving Barry a kiss on his forehead, Hal held him closer and quickly let sleep pull him under.

~~~

The next morning, Hal brought their breakfast up to their room so they could eat together in peace. He had put an extra portion of shake in Barry’s glass, hoping to get him eating more. He and Wally were eating pancakes with sausage and maple syrup, along with a side of fruit. The pup had kept to Barry’s side all morning after he had woken up beside him, followed by a joyous reunion between the pair, filled with lots of hugs and kisses and a few tears by both of them. 

Hal knew that he was going to have to talk to Barry at some point about the surgery, but he didn’t want to do it before breakfast. Barry was slowly working his way through his mush, as though the weight of the spoon was too much for his body to handle. Hal didn’t rush him, he’d rather just let him eat at his own pace than make himself sick by eating too fast.

Once breakfast was finished, Hal sent Wally off to play with Roy in the living room, allowing him to have a private conversation with the Omega. Barry had pushed away his bowl, which was more than half full, but he had kept the shake within reach so he could keep sipping on it. Hal moved them to the rocking chair with Barry on his lap, tablet in hand so the conversation would go smoothly.

“Barry, I had a conversation with Alfred last night and we’re both worried about you.” He opened, “There’s infection in your legs, the damage in your breeding hole is getting worse, and the infection in your neck is spreading. Alfred is seriously concerned about the infection spreading to your spinal cord or brain.”

Barry dipped his head and played with the corner of his tablet, the eye contact he’d graced Hal with yesterday nowhere to be seen. Hal tried to comfort him, knowing he’d scared the Omega, so he held him closer and rocked him a little.

“Don’t worry though, because we can fix this.” He said, “I’ve talked to Stephen and he’s willing to call Dr. Cho to get the cradle set up so we can heal everything. We can have you in the Cradle and getting fixed up by tomorrow evening. I just want to know your opinion on it.”

Barry started typing on his tablet, head resting against Hal’s shoulder. The Omega had been shivering like he was freezing all morning and he suspected that a lot of it had to do with how skinny he was now. 

“I don’t want a surgery Alpha.”

Hal felt his stomach twist at those mechanical words, he had certainly been hoping for a different answer.

“Barry, I want you to understand how serious this is. You are at serious risk of getting an infection in your brain because of how damaged your neck is. The surgery is basically risk free.” Hal said, “If you got the surgery, we could have your neck completely healed and you walking within four days.”

The perks didn’t sway Barry, who just hit repeat on his tablet and let the words ring out again. Hal sighed deeply and stroked his hair, letting the Omega snuggle close to leach his warmth from him. He didn’t know what else to say to him, it was clear that Barry had made up his mind and didn’t want to change it, despite the fact that it would be better for him to reconsider. It put Hal in between a rock and a hard place, because he wanted Barry to get healthier, but it was obvious that Barry wasn’t interested in the extreme measures needed to get there.

~~~

“I don’t know what to do, Clark, he doesn’t want the surgery but his injuries are getting worse.” Hal ranted, pacing around Clark’s office like a mad man.

The other Alpha was leaning against his desk, letting him get his emotions out in a safe place. Hal had left Wally and Barry snuggled together in the nest after breakfast, The Omega had wrapped himself and his son up in as many blankets as he physically could, till only his face was poking out of his cocoon.

Ollie had joined them in the office, sitting on the couch with a glass of whiskey in his hand. His best friend had been the one to suggest that he talk it out among the Alphas of the pack, so they could all bounce ideas off each other.

“Have you told him that it’s minimally invasive for a surgery and really low risk?” Ollie asked.

“I have but he doesn’t care. I don’t know why he doesn’t want to get into the Cradle, but he won’t change his mind.” Hal answered, finally stilling.

“He doesn’t want to protect his brain from the infection?” Clark asked, “I know Alfred has talked with him about how much danger he’s in, does he just not care?”

“I have no idea, I don’t know if he’s scared or if he doesn’t trust me enough to get him healthy, but he doesn’t want to do it.”

Clark furrowed his brow, clearly concerned and thinking of answers. 

“He could die.” Ollie said gravely. “If the infection reaches his spine and brain, his immune system won’t be able to fight it. He can barely fight it now when it’s just in his neck.”

“And he’s got a child.” Hal added.

“I wonder if that’s part of his fear. You get him put under and then take his kid away for good.” Ollie said.

Hal massaged the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache coming on from all the stress. He couldn’t figure out what to do, Barry didn’t want the surgery and he couldn’t convince him otherwise, and that was making him nervous.

“I hate to say this, but from a legal standpoint, you don’t need Barry’s consent to get him the surgery. As long as you have the papers to prove that he’s under your guardianship, the doctors can do the procedure.” Clark sighed, head down in defeat.

“Clark!” Ollie cried.

“Ollie, it’s either that or we all watch him die.” Clark countered, “And then we’ll have to try to find his son a new space to live and get him through the very preventable death of his father.”

Turning to Hal, Clark looked him in the eye.

“I understand that this is uncomfortable, and under normal circumstances I wouldn’t have even brought it up, but this isn’t a normal case. Barry is getting sicker and if we don’t do something then he’s going to die in front of his son. We need to remember that you aren’t just responsible for Barry’s wellbeing, but for Wally’s too, and he needs his dad.” Clark said.

Feeling numb, Hal stalked over to the couch and collapsed beside Ollie, head in his hands. The other Alpha put a hand on his shoulder and handed him the glass of whiskey, which Hal downed in a single gulp, savouring and embracing the burn on the way down. He was desperately wracking his brain for another option, knowing that Barry wasn’t going to like being ordered to do something, even if it was for his own good.

“He’ll hate me.” Hal muttered.

“He’ll get over it. But it’s better than watching him die and doing nothing.” Clark said.

“Have you ever forced your Omega into anything he didn’t want to do?” Hal asked.

“Not to this extent, but I have insisted that he get medical attention.” Clark admitted. “But this is different, because Bruce wasn’t dying during any of that.”

With a defeated sigh, Hal stood up and handed the tumbler back to Ollie. Sweeping a hand through his hair, Hal pulled out his phone and headed to the hallway.

“I’ll call Strange.” He said.

~~~

After the phone call, Hal went down to the gym to work off some steam, hitting the punching bags until his knuckles were bruised and cracked. He was dreading going up to tell Barry about the decision he had made, knowing that the reaction wasn’t going to be pretty. He had been instructed to only give Barry a light lunch and then nothing afterwards so he could have the surgery as soon as possible. Clark had agreed to lend him a car so he could drive to New York with Barry in the early morning, with the two set to leave at four o’clock the next morning.

Finally, after enough delays, Hal crept up to their bedroom and hurried into the bathroom to take a shower. Once he was finished, he dressed and splashed some cold water on his face, steeling himself. He was quick to send Wally down to the kitchen to get a snack so he could tell Barry what was happening, not wanting the pup to see the incoming breakdown.

“Barry, I know that you don’t want it, but I’m afraid that I’ve had to make a decision regarding your health. You and I are heading to New York early tomorrow to get you the surgery.” He said, watching the look of horror appear on his Omega’s face.

He spoke up again when Barry reached for his tablet, desperately trying to type something, either to beg or bargain his way out of the treatment.

“The plans are already in motion, Dr. Cho is on her way to set up the Cradle now. You have the rest of the day to snuggle with your pup before the surgery.” He said, “We leave at four o’clock tomorrow morning and we’ll be back in five days.”

Barry started crying and shaking his head, grabbing onto the hem of Hal’s shirt and looking up at his Alpha with tear-filled, pleading eyes. Hal took his hands and sat down next to him, wrapping his arms around the Omega as he spiralled into a panic attack, holding him to his chest and whispering to him until his breathing evened out.

“I know baby, I know you don’t want this, but I can’t just sit by and let you die.” He whispered, “I promise you, I am going to be with you in New York the entire time. And Wally will be perfectly safe staying with Oliver and Dinah again.”

Somehow, Barry started crying harder, alternating between trying to get away from Hal and pressing himself against him for the warmth. All the while Hal just rubbed his back and soothed him, letting the Omega cry himself into a light doze. When Wally got back, Hal got him settled in beside his dad with a quick kiss.

“Wally, I need to talk to you. Have you noticed how much pain your dad is in?” He asked.

“Yeah, he can’t even lift his arms above his head.” The pup stated.

“Okay. Well, I have called a doctor who can take that pain away from him entirely. He and I need to leave really early in the morning tomorrow to get there though, and I think it would really help your dad if you stay with him today to keep him calm.” Hal said.

“How long will he be gone?” Wally asked nervously.

“Less than five days, but when we come back, your dad will be able to walk and talk again.” Hal said.

“Will he be able to scent with me again?” Wally asked, perking up.

“I don’t know. I can talk to the doctors about it tomorrow and see what we can do.” Hal admitted. “But I can guarantee that he won’t be in any pain anymore.”

“What’s gonna happen to me?” Wally asked quietly. “Am I going with you?”

“I’m afraid not kiddo, Dinah and Ollie are going to take you again. But I’m gonna call Dinah twice everyday to talk to you so I can update you on how your dad’s doing.” Hal told him.

“Okay.” Wally muttered, snuggling closer to his dad. “But after this, I don’t wanna be away from dad anymore.”

“I know puppy, I’ll do my best to make sure you two stay together from now on.” Hal soothed.

Getting them both settled, Hal got up to start packing clothes for himself and Barry for the next five days. Barry would be asleep for the majority of it, and when he was awake his legs would be healed enough to wear pants of his own, so he had plans to get Barry his own clothes while in New York. What he packed for Barry was a few blankets that smelled like himself and Wally, some nightgowns, a simple skirt and blouse, and his toothbrush. Barry had turned away from him entirely and was clinging to his baby. The next day was going to be a strain on himself and his Omega, but hopefully, once he could walk and talk again, Barry would forgive him. That was his hope at least.
   

Chapter Text

Barry was curled on his side in the nest, staring at the digital clock on the bedside table, the time taunting him. It was three o’clock in the morning, one hour before his Alpha said they needed to be leaving for New York and Barry wanted to freeze time so four o’clock never came. Wally was snuggled up in his arms, head tucked under his chin, as he had been on and off since earlier that morning when Hal said that Barry was getting surgery whether he liked it or not.

Wally and Hal had fallen asleep hours ago, but no matter how hard he tried, Barry hadn't been able to get to sleep. He had purposely avoided being touched by his Alpha as much as possible, too angry at him to want to be close to him, with obvious exceptions of when he needed to go to the bathroom. Hal had been pretty accepting of his emotions, but he hadn’t been swayed on his decision, no matter how much Barry cried or sulked, he was getting the surgery.

At three fifteen, Hal got up and started getting himself ready, grabbing a change of clothes and heading into the bathroom. Barry started trembling when he heard the shower turn on, knowing his time was running out and that soon he’d be dragged out of bed and forced to get in the car to leave. He was holding Wally so tightly that he worried he was going to hurt his son, so he tried squeezing a pillow to calm himself down. When Hal got out of the bathroom, he shook Barry’s shoulder gently, making him flinch and tuck into himself.

“C’mon you, let’s get you dressed and ready to go.” He whispered, trying to take Wally from his arms.

Barry started crying when he felt the Alpha pull on his son, holding on tighter and curling himself around the boy. He kept shaking his head while Hal sighed and pet his hair.

“I know Barry, but we need to get you ready. If we go quickly, then we’ll have time leftover that you can spend holding your son.” He said, “But if you keep fighting me, then this will take longer and we won’t have time for that.”

Reluctantly, Barry loosened his grip on his son and let the Alpha take him and tuck him back elsewhere in the nest. He was given a chance to make sure his son was comfortable and tucked in properly, then he was lifted up and taken into the bathroom. Hal started by taking off Barry’s nightgown and willed up the traditional socks and bowtie that he always wore when he got bathed.

Surprisingly, his Alpha didn’t draw a bath for him, instead, he put him in the empty bathtub and turned on the showerhead. Given that they didn’t have much time, Hal didn’t bother washing his hair, instead focusing on his body and face. He lathered up the loofa and carefully started washing the sweat off his bony body, making sure each inch of skin was clean as it could possibly be. 

Barry quickly decided he would rather have a proper bath, the warm water from the shower head was very localised, with his bare skin being exposed to the cold air too much for his liking. He was grateful that Hal was efficient, because he wasn’t having a good time sitting in the cold while crying. Despite how angry he was with his Alpha, he couldn’t stop himself from latching onto him when he was dried off and taken out of the tub, craving the heat emitting from him that he was lacking.

“Cold?” Hal asked quietly.

Barry nodded reluctantly and kept his face down. He didn’t really want any comfort from Hal, unless that comfort was being put back into his nest while Alpha admitted that he had changed his mind about the operation and he wasn’t going to get it. Nonetheless, he did want the warmth from the others body, so he held onto him.

“We’ll get you dressed, get your teeth brushed, and I’ll turn the heat way up in the car on the way, okay?” Hal promised.

As if that was comforting, he didn’t want to think about travelling at all because when he did, his stomach twisted. It felt like his chest was too tight and he couldn’t get a breath in, which he recognized as his anxiety. 

Hal tried dressing him in a sundress Bruce had lent him, but he was so skinny that it kept falling down his shoulders and exposing his chest. After hitching it up for the fifth time, Hal just took it off and left the bathroom to fetch something else for him to wear. When he came back, he had one of his own tee shirts, which was huge on him and hung down to his mid thighs, but it was better than the dress.

“Alright, let’s get your teeth brushed.” 

Not trusting Barry to go as quickly as they needed to be moving, Hal sat Barry on the counter and brushed his teeth for him. It wasn’t great for Barry for two reasons, one because he was an adult who could have brushed his own teeth, and two because when Hal was holding his chin he was forced to have his face up and the risk of eye contact got higher. He didn’t think that Hal was the type of Alpha to punish him if he looked him in the eye, but he didn’t want to chance it.

Come on baby, let’s go say goodbye to Wally and get on the road.” Hal said, carrying him into the bedroom.

In the nest, Wally was still sleeping peacefully, warming his heart. Hal set him beside his pup and gently woke him up with a kiss and gently shaking his shoulder until he stirred. Once he was up, Barry pulled him into a tight embrace, pressing kiss after kiss into his hair. Hal gave each of them a kiss and settled in on Wally’s other side, holding both of them while they said goodbye to each other.

“Hey kiddo, your dad and I need to head out now.” Hal told the pup, “So why don’t you two say goodbye and then we’ll get you to Dinah and Ollie.”

Barry and Wally hugged while the pup whispered to his dad. Hal stroked Barry’s back and held the two to his chest. As soon as the clock hit three fifty five, Hal pulled away and ruffled the pups hair.

“Okay you two, I need to get Wally to Dinah and Ollie’s and then Barry and I are gonna hit the road.” He announced.

Barry reluctantly let go of his son after planting one last kiss to his forehead, watching with sad eyes while Hal picked him up and carried him out of the room. Once he was alone, he laid down on his side and curled, trying to warm up once the others had left. His stomach was still twisting and his heart was going too fast to properly relax, and that only got worse as the minutes ticked by.

Within minutes, Hal came back without the pup, clearly ready to go. He threw the duffle bag he’d packed the previous night over his shoulder and went to pick Barry up.

“Alright you! We’ve got a long drive ahead of us and I want to beat rush hour traffic.” He said, lifting him up.

~~~

Half an hour later, Barry sat in the passenger seat with his tablet on his lap, staring out the window as the scenery passed. True to his word, Hal had turned the heat up, but he had also wrapped his jacket around his shoulders to keep him warm through the drive. 

“Alpha, I really don’t need this. Please, can we just go home?” 

Hal sighed when he heard the speakers, having heard this plea a few times already. He knew that Barry was scared and he understood that, but he couldn’t let his fear of an operation get in the way of his life.

“We’ve been over this Barry, you do need this. Your immune system cannot keep up with the strain of the infections and without the surgery, you are probably going to die.” He explained patiently.

“I can get better on my own Alpha.” 

“No, you can’t. If you were at a healthy weight and hadn’t just gone through Bond Withdrawal, then maybe you could. But you’re too thin and you’re barely twenty four hours out of withdrawal.”

Taking a glance over at the passenger seat, he saw that Barry was shaking and probably not from the cold. He was also pale and there was a layer of sweat on his forehead, clearly nervous and probably trying to alleviate it.

“Listen, I know that you’re scared and you have every right to be. But I want you to remember that I only ever have your best interests at heart, and I wouldn’t be doing this if it weren't necessary.” He promised, “and I swear to you, I am going to be with you through the whole thing to make sure that you’re okay. You will never be alone for the time that we’re in New York.”

He could hear Barry’s gasping breath and knew he was probably panicking, which was worrying to him. They weren’t running behind by any means, so if he had to pull over to help get Barry through an attack he could, but he didn’t know if his Omega would be able to make it through the ride without multiple attacks. To try and settle him, he reached over and pet his hair, pushing a strong, calming scent to get him to relax.

For a moment, Barry just cried, taking one of the napkins Hal had given him to wipe his eyes. His Omega leaned into his touch, probably subconsciously, and breathed in his scent, letting himself be comforted by the Alpha.

Once he was calmed down, Barry grabbed his hand and brought it down to his cheek, nuzzling against it. Taking the hint, Hal stroked his cheek and purred for the Omega, feeling him curl up and lean against the centre console, still holding his hand. 

“You’re going to be okay baby.” He said quietly, “I just need you to trust me and I’ll take care of you.”

He pulled Barry’s hand up to his face and gave it a few kisses and a squeeze. He knew Barry was still crying but it was less like a spiralling panic and more like an acceptance. To keep him calm, Hal made sure that he pushed the calming scent every few minutes and kept petting the Omega’s hair and cheek, purring whenever his breathing got too quick.

“Try to get some sleep, Omega, I know you didn’t get any last night.”

~~~

No matter how hard he’d tried to keep Barry calm through the drive, it all went out the window when he parked in Tony’s garage. He pushed away Hal’s hand and sat up straight, gripping his seatbelt in a white knuckle grasp. Now that they weren’t moving, Hal got out of the car and crossed to the passenger side to get him calmed down.

Barry fought him hard when he tried to open his door, trying to hold it shut with his hands, and then went back to holding his seatbelt when it was opened anyway. He scooted himself back until he was as far away from the door as possible, back arched awkwardly over the centre console. 

“Oh Barry.” Hal sighed, seeing the desperation on his face. “I know, I know you’re scared, but everything is going to be okay.”

Shaking his head, Barry swatted at his hand when he reached towards him, trying to get away from him.

“Hey! Don’t hit me!” Hal said, “You are allowed to be scared but you aren’t allowed to hit me. Now, we can get you inside and have a nice sit down before your doctor's appointment or we can sit out here in the cold.”

Reluctantly sitting up, Barry typed at his tablet, still flinching back from his Alpha when he reached for him.

“/Alpha please, please take me home. I’m sorry I hit you, you can hit me back, but please don’t do this./”

Swiping a hand down his face, Hal groaned. This was harder than he anticipated.

“Barry, I would never hit you, my little Omega, never ever.” He assured, sitting on the edge of his seat. “But we do need to do this, and we’ll do it together. Just let me get you out of this garage and we can talk properly.”

Reaching around Barry, he unclipped the seatbelt and coaxed it out of his grip. Without the strap keeping him in the car, he shrunk down on himself, avoiding Hal’s gaze. Waiting patiently for Barry to settle down enough to be reasoned with, Hal put his hand on the Omegas knee, making him jump.

“Feeling better?” He asked, watching Barry shake his head. “I’m sorry. Let me get you inside and we’ll work on getting you better.”

Moving his hand to his back, Hal tugged him into his lap, dousing him in a calm scent. Barry had his tablet cradled to his chest, wound tighter than a clock in his arms while he cried. Carefully, Hal stepped out of the car and stood up, his charge cradled in his arms.

Outside of the car, Barry felt the biting chill of the underground garage creeping over him, nipping at his exposed toes and his wet cheeks. As they approached the elevator, he felt his fear mount, gripping onto Hal’s shirt while the doors opened in front of them.

Hal knew Barry was struggling, scratching his chest while he pawed at his shirt. Worried that the fear might push him to drastic measures like trying to squirm out of his arms, Hal tightened his grip on him and stepped into the carriage. Leaning against the wall, he pressed a kiss to his head and nuzzled him.

“FRIDAY, can you take us to Tony and Stephen’s floor please?” He requested.

“Right away.” FRIDAY replied, the elevator shaking slightly as it started moving. “Boss and his mate are already waiting for you in the kitchen.”

“Thank you.” Hal said.

Turning his attention back to Barry, he gave him another kiss and purred.

“Little warmer now?” He asked.

Barry nodded but kept his face buried in his shirt, shoulders occasionally hitching from the force of his sobs. Hal’s jacket was still wrapped around his shoulders so he pulled it up more to protect his face and give him some privacy as the elevator stopped on the penthouse floor. Stephen was standing in the entrance to greet them, a mug of tea in his hands, looking sick when he saw the bloody bandages on Barry’s chins.

“Jesus Christ, you weren’t kidding when you said he’d gotten worse.” He said, guiding the pair to the kitchen.

Tony was in the kitchen by the coffee maker, two mugs on the counter in front of him. He held the coffee pot up, silently offering a mug to Hal, who gratefully accepted. Stephen kept an eye on Barry, clinging to Hal and crying in his arms, face hidden so he didn’t have to look at anyone.

“Is he okay?” The doctor asked, worrying about the Omega.

Looking down at Barry, Hal smiled sadly and nodded.

“Scared.” He replied.

Strange nodded and took a sip of his tea, giving Barry a tender look of sympathy usually reserved for his mate and pups. Tony, overhearing the conversation, turned and tried to address Barry, practically standing on Hal’s feet so he could properly talk to the other Omega.

“You’re scared of the Cradle?” He asked, “Don’t worry, I’ve been in it before. It doesn’t hurt or anything and it’s way better than your usual medical procedure. You basically just take a nice nap and wake up feeling way better.”

Grateful that he had an Omega backing up his claims that he would be safe, Hal jumped in.

“Hear that baby? It won’t hurt and you’ll feel better after.” He said.

Barry trembled and held onto Hal tighter, shaking his head. It didn’t seem like Barry had any interest in lifting his face and socialising with the other three.

“When do you meet with Helen and her team?” Stephen asked.

“Seven o’clock.” He answered, bouncing his Omega gently.

“So you’ve got about twenty minutes.” Stephen said, stepping forward and tugging Tony back to give the pair some space. “Helen is two floors down, she finished getting set up last night, so we can just sit down and you can have a cup of coffee before the appointment.”

Tony grabbed both mugs of coffee off the counter and guided the two Alphas to the living room so they could sit on the couches while they waited. Hal sat down with Barry on his lap, adjusting the Omegas clothing, tugging the jacket tighter around him and pulling his shirt down from where it had hitched up. Barry was still crying and didn’t want to be talked to, though his stomach did start asking for food when he smelled the coffee.

There wasn’t a clock near enough that he could see, so he could only imagine how quickly the time was passing. He considered snatching Hal’s coffee mug and taking a huge drink of it so he couldn’t be put under anaesthesia, but that would probably just make him sick and get him scolded by both his Alpha and the doctor he was going to see.

Hal felt Barry wiggle and shift nervously in his lap and rubbed his arm to comfort him. He was keeping an eye on the time, making a mental note to leave with ten minutes to spare so they could get the consultation out of the way and get Barry in the Cradle as quickly as possible.

“Stephen and I set up a bedroom for you down on Helen’s floor so you can be near Barry.” Tony chirped, “We can take you down for your appointment so you can see it.”

“Thank you Tony, we appreciate it.” Hal thanked.

“If we go down now, we can show you your room and then you can get Barry to his appointment.” Stephen offered.

“That sounds great!” Hal said, standing up with Barry, using a construct to bring his coffee along.

Barry’s fingernails were digging painfully into Hal’s chest, so scared that he needed something to hold onto to ground himself.  It hurt and he was sure that when he checked later, there would be imprints in his skin, but he was already forcing his Omega into something  he clearly wasn’t interested in, so he would suck it up. If he was expecting Barry to go through something unpleasant, he could tolerate some poking.

“You’re okay Bar, take some deep breaths.” He whispered in the elevator.

Two floors down, the group stepped out of the carriage and Tony guided them to the bedroom they’d set up. There was a huge bed full of blankets and pillows, a massive TV, and a loveseat at the edge of the bed. 

“This looks amazing guys.” Hal praised.

“Thank you, we tried to make it comfortable for Barry’s post surgery recovery. I know with the Cradle he’ll be back on his feet really quick, but the doctors will want to keep him close overnight to make sure he’s okay.” Tony said, “And when I was out of the Cradle that first night, I just wanted to sleep and be comfy.”

“Well he’ll certainly be comfy.” Hal agreed, “Like sleeping on a cloud.”

Tony smiled at the praise and leaned into his Alpha, looking at the other Omega who hadn’t emerged from Hal’s shirt the entire time he’d been here. He knew the man was scared and he knew that the circumstances surrounding the surgery weren’t great. Barry didn’t want to get in the Cradle at all, but he was so injured and the risk of his infection was so great that Hal was using his guardianship over him to force him to get it. As a figurehead in the Omega Rights Movement, Tony didn’t agree with an Alpha being able to force any sort of medical treatment, but at the same time, he didn’t want a man he knew to die of a preventable illness.

Checking his watch, Stephen showed the time to Hal, reading six fifty. Nodding, Hal bounced Barry again to get his attention.

“Alright Barry, ready to go for your appointment?” He asked.

Barry shook his head firmly, finally lifting his head just enough to glare at his Alpha for even suggesting it. Stephen and Tony chuckled, the other Omega rushing forward to give Barry a quick hug.

“You’re gonna be okay.” He whispered.

Barry didn’t look convinced and he started squirming in his arms, trying to hold onto the door frame as they passed it. Stephen laughed at the attempt and gently pulled the Omega’s hands off so Hal could keep going. The further down the hallway they got, the more desperate he got, trying to grab onto anything that looked sturdy enough to stop them from continuing. Finally, when that didn’t work, he started smacking at Hal.

“Knock it off.” Hal growled.

Not swayed, Barry kept at it, landing a blow to his nose that made him pause and fix him with a stern glare. 

“Alright, you did this to yourself.” He snapped.

For a moment, Barry was sure he was about to get spanked. Instead Hal threw him over his shoulder, holding the backs of his knees so he couldn’t kick him and continued walking. Cursing internally, Barry started beating his Alphas back, pushing on it to try and get out of his grip.

Even though he’d been scared while they were walking, he was terrified when they stopped. Propping himself up so he could look over his shoulder, he saw that they were in a large room with various medical equipment, which made his heart drop. There was a petite woman standing by a medal table in a white lab coat, surrounded by a small group of people, who all looked at the pair when they came in.

“Alpha. Jordan, I assume that this is your Omega.” The woman said.

“Yes, this is Barry. He’s the one who needs the procedure.” Hal said.

“Excellent. I am Dr. Cho and I’ll be in charge. If you would like to lay your Omega down on the table we can start discussing this procedure.” Dr. Cho said, gesturing for Hal to lay Barry down on the table they were standing around.

Taking the invitation, Hal quickly put Barry on the table and pushed him to lay him back, one hand on his chest to keep him there and another on his head for comfort. Once he was on the table, there were multiple eyes on him, making Barry wish he could disappear. 

“So the way the Cradle works is that it creates new cells, so my team and I will determine which of Omega. Jordan’s cells are the most damaged, then we’ll program the Cradle to fix them. It essentially speeds up the healing process from a few weeks to a few days and because it grows cells from his DNA, there’s no chance he’ll reject them.” Dr. Cho explained.

“So with my team here I have a general practitioner Dr. Cartmen, an Omega urologist Dr.Sapsmin, a laryngologist Dr. Daniels, and a physical therapist Dr. Cameron. Doctors Cartmen, Sapsmin, and Daniels are going to examine your Omega to see the extent of the damage and where the repairs need to be focused. After that, I’ll program the Cradle to repair those areas, and after the procedure, Dr. Cameron will work with your Omega to regain his balance, range of movement, and stamina.”

“With the abilities of the Cradle, this process won’t need as much physical therapy as someone else with injuries of this extent, so he should only need one session of guided therapy and then regular check ups for a few weeks after. He should be able to go home the day after he’s out of the Cradle.”

“That’s excellent. And what about his glands?” Hal asked, “We had to freeze them to prevent further infection, but he has a pup he’s scented with who wants to know if he and his dad will be able to scent with when this is over.”

“He certainly will. We’ll completely remove the drugs freezing his vocal cords and scent glands, as well as the damage. He’ll be able to scent, speak, purr, and make Omega sounds.” Dr. Cho answered.

For the first time since the previous day, Barry looked happy about something. The reward of reaffirming his bond with his pup perking him up, which Hal noticed.

“Well, that will make Wally very happy. I promised to call him later today, so I’ll tell him then.” Hal said.

“Good, I’m glad to hear that we’ll be able to help him bond with his pup. Now then, because it will take a few hours to program the Cradle to his needs, we should start with the examinations now. That way we’ll be able to get started by this evening.”

“Alright let's get started.” Hal agreed, “What do you need us to do?”

“Take off your Omegas clothes and bandages so we can see the extent of his injuries. Dr. Cartmen is going to take the first examination, followed by Dr. Daniels, and then Dr. Sapsmin.” Dr. Cho instructed, to Barry’s horror.

The last thing Barry wanted was to be naked and exposed in front of this many people, but it seemed that his Alpha didn’t care. The Alpha started by peeling the jacket away from him, hushing him when he reached for it. Before he had even adjusted to the loss of the jacket, Barry felt hands at the hem of his shirt, pulling it up and exposing his genitals to the room. Barry sat up quickly and tried to pull his shirt back down, looking at Hal while silently begging for him to not make him nude in front of everyone. Ignoring his look, Hal shooed his hands away and pulled the shirt up and over his head, depositing the article beside the jacket. 

Once he was naked, Hal moved onto the bandages, tilting his chin up to unwrap the gauze on his neck. His injuries hadn’t properly closed and the bandages were stuck to his skin with blood, pulling painfully despite how careful Hal was. After his neck was unwrapped, he legs were unwrapped one after the other with the same issues.

Looking down at his battered body, bruised and torn up, Barry hid his face in his hands and tried not to make more of a fool of himself. He jumped when he felt his Alpha’s hand on his shoulder and a warm breath on his neck.

“The doctor is going to examine you now, and I am going to be here beside you the whole time. He is going to have to touch you, and I’m going to hold your hand while he does.” Hal whispered. “But you need to take your hands away from your face.”

With a trembling lip, Barry pulled his hands away, slipping one into his Alpha’s. He tried to lean closer to Hal as the doctor put on rubber gloves and got closer to him.

“I think the best way to start would be to take his weight and height.” Dr. Cartmen started, toying with a screen. “The table will already take his weight, and if you’ll get him laying down straight on his back then I can get his height.”

Nodding, Hal guided his Omega back into a recline position, helping him get into a position that made it easier for the doctor to measure him. Once he was situated, Dr. Cartmen took a tape measure and took his height carefully, marking it on his screen.

“Alright Alpha. Jordan, your Omega is eighty-seven pounds at five foot seven, giving him a BMI of fourteen. Ideally, his BMI should be at least eighteen point five, though most Omegas should be at nineteen or twenty.” The doctor announced, “His low weight is significantly contributing to his body's inability to heal his injuries.”

“I’m aware that he’s very thin, and I assure you that I am not the one who got him that way.” Hal said, stroking Barry’s hair. “We were working on getting him healthier when he went into bond withdrawal and couldn’t keep anything down.”

“I figured that you weren’t the one who did any of this, don’t worry.” The doctor assured, moving on with his exam. “I’ve seen abusive Alphas and they don’t normally go out of their way to get their Omega’s treatment to save their lives.”

The next thing the doctor did was listen to his heartbeat and breathing, pressing a very cold stethoscope to his chest to listen. Barry looked to Hal, gripping his hand tight.

“Omega. Jordan, can you please take a few deep breaths for me.” Dr. Cartmen asked, moving the stethoscope to better hear his lungs.

Doing his best, Barry took slow, deliberate breaths, watching the doctor make note of on his tablet. Then, a straw attached to a plastic compartment was presented to him.

“Alpha. Jordan, if you can have him sit up, I’ll test his lung capacity.” He instructed, pushing the straw of the spirometry machine into his mouth. “Blow out as hard as you can for as long as you can Omega.”

After that test, it took Barry a moment to regain his breath. Next, his muscle reflexes were tested, though only on his elbows because his knees were too damaged. After that, the doctor ordered him to open his mouth so he could examine his mouth and throat. That was where Barry shook his head, slapping one hand over his mouth. He had already been poked and prodded by the Beta, he was not opening his mouth for him.

“Barry.” Hal said sternly, “Take your hand away and open your mouth, now.”

Shaking his head again, Barry heard the doctor laugh, which worried him. Hal let go of his hand and pulled him in close.

“Listen and listen well Barry. I don’t want to start ordering you around in front of all these people, but I will if you don’t do as you’re told.” He growled, “Everyone in this room is here to help you, and you are not going to make that more difficult than it needs to be. Now move your hand and open your mouth.”

With that, he pushed the Omega away, watching him with crossed arms as he lowered his hand and opened his mouth. Once Barry had complied, he took his hand again and gave it a squeeze. Dr. Cartmen took a ring and pushed it into Barry’s mouth, preventing him from closing his mouth at all through the exam.

“Just to make it easier for you there little Omega.” Dr. Cartmen said, pushing his fingers into Barry’s mouth.

Forcing himself to take deep breaths through his nose, Barry tried not to gag while two big fingers explored his mouth. He was holding Hal’s hand so tightly he was sure he was breaking bones, but if he didn’t hold onto something he was sure he’d faint. He was so focused on his breathing that he almost didn’t notice the ring collapsing and being pulled out.

“Well done. I know, that’s my patient's least favourite part of every exam.” Dr. Cartmen soothed, “But that parts over and we can move on, I’ll just give you a minute to catch your breath.”

Struggling to get his breathing under control, Barry reached for Hal. He had avoided physical contact with his Alpha earlier, but now he was desperate for any sort of gentle touch from him, anything to prove that he was still there and cared for him. Obliging, Hal wrapped his free arm around his shoulders and guided him into a hug.

“You’re doing well Barry, just a little more to go.” He said.

Once he could breath easily, the doctor checked his eyes, nose, and ears, then examined his injured neck and legs, and after that he’d gotten an x-ray and an ultrasound. Hal held his hand the whole time and stroked his hair when he could without getting in the doctors way. Finally, the examination was done and Barry heaved a sigh of relief, resting his head on the table and closing his eyes for a minute.

~~~

The examination with Dr. Daniels wasn’t nearly as extensive as Dr. Cartmens, but it was more uncomfortable. She had to press on his neck to feel his vocal cords and then he had another ring in his mouth to keep it open, though this one was bigger than the last one. He also had to deal with a wand with a mirror being pushed down his throat so Dr. Daniels could see the damage. 

Because he’d squirmed so much, Hal had gotten up on the table with him, pulled his back against his chest, and held him still. He still tried to tilt his head away when another tool was pushed into his mouth along with the wand, Hal’s hand keeping him from avoiding it.

When everything had been removed from his mouth, Barry coughed and threw up stomach bile, tears, drool, and sweat soaking his face and chest. Dr. Daniels held a garbage bin under his mouth, catching the bloody bile as it came out. Hal had nearly had a fit when he saw the blood dripping from his mouth, thinking that his stomach was damaged as well, but Dr. Daniels and Dr. Cartmen assured him that his stomach was fine, it was his throat that was bleeding. 

He’d gotten a twenty minute break after his stomach settled, after Hal had spent ten minutes washing his face and chest of any fluids and then cuddling him. He had a bottle of water that he was instructed to sip slowly and Hal’s jacket back around his shoulders. Through his break, Hal held him on his lap and covered him in a very protective, claiming scent. He was thoroughly exhausted, he hadn’t gotten any sleep in the night, he’d cried through most of the day, he was starving, and he knew he had one more examination to go. 

~~~

After the break, Hal took the water and jacket from him and carried him to a different examination table. This one was padded and had stirrups, likely for his legs. Dr. Sapsmin was waiting by its side, tablet in hand and a table of tools with a speculum, plastic spatulas, and brushes to carry out the exam. 

“Alright Omega. Jordan, last one. Alpha. Jordan, if you would lay him down on the table please.” He said.

Hal laid him on the table, guiding his legs into the stirrups, which hadn’t been opened yet. Once Hal took his place by his head, Dr. Sapsmin tightened the straps to keep his legs in place while the exam was conducted.

“Now then Alpha. Jordan, I’ve seen how his previous examinations have gone and I’m worried about how much he squirms. For his safety, I’d like to use abdominal, chest, and wrist restraints.” He suggested.

Suddenly no longer tired, Barry shook his head furiously, tugging on Hal’s shirt to get his attention. Instead, Hal just stroked his head and turned to the doctor.

“I’ll certainly agree to the abdominal and chest restraints, but given my Omega's history with having his hands locked up, I’d rather just hold his hands myself.” He said, hand still on Barry’s head.

Dr. Sapsmin nodded in agreement and went to get a stool for Hal to sit on. Between the two Alphas, it only took minutes for Barry to be completely pressed against the table, unable to move anything except his neck. Hal took his stool and put it behind Barry’s head, pressing a kiss to his crown.

“Hands here.” He instructed, tapping his hands on either side of Barry’s head.

Already crying, Barry slowly brought his hands up and rested them palm side up beside his head. Once he had followed through, Hal encircled his hands with his own and kept them still on the pillow.

“Are you ready, Alpha. Jordan?” Dr. Sapsmin asked.

“Whenever you are, doctor.” Hal replied.

“Alright, now I have to warn you, I will be touching your Omega’s penis, balls, and Omega hole, if you could please not rip my arms off.” He requested.

“I won’t.” Hal laughed.

“Thank you.”

To start the exam, the doctor forced the stirrups open until he could sit between Barry’s thighs and have a clear view of his private parts. The first thing Dr. Sapsmin examined was his cock, measuring it with a ruler and checking his slit with a urethra sound. After that he moved onto his balls, rolling them between his fingers to check for lumps or damage, then he measured them as well.

Finally came the part Barry was dreading, the examination of his hole. He’d been examined by Dr. Leslie before but it hadn’t been pleasant or anything he wanted to repeat. The restraints were tested when his perineum, just above his entrance, was pressed on firmly. Slowly, the pressure moved down to poke at his furled hole, testing the muscle keeping it tight.

“So already I’m seeing a lot of damage just to the sphincter here, which I’d guess is from having things inserted without enough stretching and slick.” Dr. Sapsmin said.

“Thank you.” Hal replied, squeezing Barry’s hands.

The fingers finally stopped prodding at his hole, which gave Barry a chance to let out the breath he’d been holding. He gasped when he felt two cold, gelled fingers pushed into his hole, stretching his sore muscles. He fought against the restraints and Hal, trying to sit up and get away from the fingers inside of him.

“Settle down Barry, you’re not helping yourself any.” Hal whispered in his ear.

Barry wanted to yell at him that it was hurting and if he didn’t think it was that big of a deal, he would gladly switch places with the Alpha. He tried growling at him but all that came out was a shaky breath, which Hal responded to by squeezing his hands again.

The fingers inside of him pushed in deeper, pressing against his inner walls and feeling the tears, bruises, and lumps. Momentarily, the doctor pulled back for a moment, though only long enough to use his free hand to make notes on the tablet. After that, he pushed in up to his last knuckle and found his prostate, pressing firmly against it, making Barry arch and open his mouth in a silent yelp.

“Barry.” Hal said sternly.

“That’s actually my fault, Alpha. Jordan. I’m examining his prostate and it seems that there’s quite a bit of damage.” Dr. Sapsmin defended, “I imagine that it hurt quite a bit.”

“Ahh, I’m sorry Omega.” Hal said, kissing both of his hands.

“I’m sorry too, Omega. Jordan. I know it hurts but I need to see the extent of the damage done to your prostate.” Dr. Sapsmin.

Barry clung to Hals hands and sobbed all through the inspection, each press feeling like it was driving pins deeper into the soft tissue. Hal rested his forehead against his, whispering comforts his Omega couldn’t hear through the whole thing. When the fingers finally pulled out of his hole, both Alpha and Omega sighed in relief.

“Alpha. Jordan, I know that you are not the one who did this to your Omega, and I think you deserve to know what’s wrong. I’m feeling cuts inside of your Omega’s channel, as well as bruises, and the prostate and surrounding area feels like it’s been burnt.” Dr. Sapsmin relayed grimly. “I’m honestly concerned that a hot iron was forced into his hole. His slick glands have basically shut down from how damaged they are, and I’m concerned about what the cervix exam will reveal.”

“Good God.” Hal mumbled, looking down at Barry’s pained face with sympathy.

“The good news is that all of this damage can be easily fixed in the Cradle. Though I would heavily suggest therapy for your Omega afterwards.”

“I already had plans to get him therapy but thank you.” Hal said, kissing Barry’s forehead.

Barry tensed up again when he felt a plastic nozzle push into his hole, then squirmed when a rush of cold lubricant squirted into his channel. He felt like panicking when he felt the familiar shape of the speculum push inch by agonizing inch into his hole, then opened his mouth to cry when it opened, pushing his inner walls apart and opening him up.

“You’re okay, take a deep breath.” Hal whispered.

Trying his best to follow the advice, Barry started panting. He could feel pressure way up in his hole, but he couldn’t entirely tell what it was. Desperately, Barry thrashed his head from side to side, clenching his jaw from the pain. It felt so bad that he was seeing spots, and he could hear both the doctor and his Alpha trying to sooth him but he couldn’t focus on it.

Blessedly, the speculum closed and slowly pulled out, leaving his hole messy and gaping, lube dripping out and onto the floor. Dr. Sapsmin wiped away the excess lube from his cheeks and hole with a soft washcloth while Barry calmed down and caught his breath. The stirrups closed and the straps loosened, then the ones over his abdomen and chest followed, angry red lines on his skin where they had held him still. Gently, Hal pulled his hands down to rest on his stomach and helped him sit up, pulling him in close to hug him.

“I’m sorry, My perfect little Omega. I’m so, so sorry.” Hal whispered, his voice sounding strained, “I’m so sorry that that hurt so badly. And I’m so sorry that the shit stain who had you before hurt you so badly.”

With shaking hands, Barry held onto his shoulders and rested his head on his chest, feeling too weak to hold it up himself. A familiar warmth pressed against his back and he recognized Hal’s leather jacket being wrapped around his shoulders by Dr. Sapsmin. 

“The doctors are talking right now, so it’s just you and me for a while.” Hal said, “So I can hold you while they do, I’ll get you warmed up baby.”

Dr. Cartmen brought the pair a shock blanket that he’d thrown in the dryer for a few minutes, which Hal wrapped around them both. The heat radiating from it was soothing and made Barry’s head feel even heavier, which was amplified when Hal rubbed his back and started purring. 

“You can take a nap if you want to sweetheart, I’ll keep you safe and warm.” Hal promised.

Not needing to be invited twice, Barry tucked his nose into Hals chest and closed his eyes, letting the fingers carding through his hair lull him into sleep.

~~~

Barry didn’t know how long he’d been asleep, but he woke up to his Alpha pressing kisses to his forehead and shaking him lightly. Hal pulled at the blanket, exposing his face to the fluorescent lighting in the room and forcing him to wake up more.

“Hey you, gotta wake up so we can talk to the doctors.” Hal said, bouncing him in his lap.

Grumbling in his head, Barry rubbed the sleep from his eyes and started sitting up. In his opinion, if his Alpha could force him into this procedure without his input, he could talk to the doctors without his input. At the very least, they could have let him sleep a little longer, or have a pain pill ready for him to soothe the ache in his hole. 

“Did you have a nice rest Omega. Jordan?” Dr. Cho asked, to which Barry nodded. “Good. My team and I talked and we’ve got the plan for your time in the Cradle. I’ll program the plan into the Cradle, which should only take three hours, so during that time your Alpha can take you to your room so you can get comfortable.”

At the reminder of the actual surgery Barry started to feel a little sick. If Hal noticed his distress he didn’t care, instead proceeding with the conversation.

“And how long should he be in the Cradle for?” He asked.

“About four days, which I know sounds like a long time but really isn’t. The technology is so good that there won’t even be any scars left.” Dr. Cho answered.

“Awesome.”

“One thing I would recommend before we continue, we should shave Omega. Jordan’s head.” Dr. Cho added. “That way his hair will be healthier when he comes out of the Cradle.”

Barry sat up in Hal’s lap so quickly that he punched the Alpha in the chin with the top of his head. Already, he was against that idea, he didn’t want this procedure to begin with and he certainly didn’t want to lose his hair. He didn’t like much about himself anymore, but one thing he was proud of was his hair, when it was properly cleaned and brushed he considered it his best feature, now these Alphas and Betas were plotting to take it away.

“If that’s what you’d recommend then that’s what we’ll do.” Hal said, rubbing his jaw after the blow from his Omega.

Turning to face his Alpha, Barry grabbed onto the front of his shirt and shook his head. He gave Hal his best pleading eyes, trying to look like an innocent Omega to sway him to his side. 

“Your hair will grow back, Barry.” Hal replied to his begging Omega.

With that, the Alpha stood up with Barry in his arms and followed Dr. Cho to a sink. Despite his fighting, Barry was sat in a chair with Hal holding his chin still and his head was shaved, his golden locks falling to the floor. As stupid as it was, Barry cried for the loss, looking at the strands as they were swept up and discarded.

“I know Barry, but it’ll grow back healthier.” Hal comforted.

Barry wanted to hit him and scream, tell him exactly what he thought of that sentiment. It didn’t matter to him that his hair would grow back, it mattered that he didn’t have any right now.

“Alright, well Alpha. Jordan, if you want to take your Omega to your bedroom, you can. Before you bring him back at one o’clock, he’ll need to be bathed and have received an enema. I know that the washroom attached to your bathroom will have the necessary shower accessories to do that.” Dr. Cho instructed. “As you know, he isn’t to eat anything and as of now, I’m going to cut off his fluids as well.”

“Yes doctor.” Hal agreed, “I’ll bring him back for one.”

“Excellent, we’ll see you two then.”

~~~

Barry was curled up in a bed again, staring at a clock. Again. He finally had his tablet back but he hadn't said anything to his Alpha yet. Hal had left him alone for a few minutes while he’d gone to fetch the duffle bag from the car, but after that he hadn’t left Barry alone. Because he only had a few hours, a good portion of which would be spent in the bath, he hadn’t been dressed, so he was still naked, which wasn’t great.

He was plotting a way to get out of this situation and back to his pup where he belonged. Begging obviously didn’t do anything, so he threw that out the window. Finally coming up with an idea, he started typing on the tablet. When he’d finished typing he hit play and crawled into his Alpha’s lap, straddling his waist and ignoring the pain in his shins. He reached down and gripped Hal’s cock through his pants and squeezed it, making the Alpha gasp, then he nipped at Hal’s scent gland.

“Alpha, I will submit myself body, mind, and soul to you. I will please you as much as you want, everyday you want me, with no complaint. I will wear anything you’d like me to, use any toy, and smile while I do. Anything you want from me, Alpha, I will comply and submit to you, but please don’t make me get this surgery.”

For a moment, Hal just sat frozen, which Barry assumed meant that he was considering his offer. To sweeten the deal, he started massaging the bulge he was cupping and bit down harder on his neck. That snapped Hal out of it, a green construct forcing his hand open so he released his cock, then shoved him off of his lap and onto his back. Before he could react, Hal pinned him with a hand on his chest, frowning down at him and making the Omega still.

“Listen to me, Omega. This surgery is happening, regardless of whether you give me a handjob or not. And you will never, ever, try something like that again.” He growled, “Am I understood?”

Barry nodded quickly, anything to appease the Alpha he had made so angry. Narrowing his eyes at him, Hal pressed down on his chest for a second, then removed his hand from his person. After that, he got up and went to sit on the loveseat, leaving Barry alone and breathless on the bed.

~~~

At two o’clock, Hal brought him into the bathroom for his bath, sitting him on the floor while the tub filled up. As Dr. Cho had said, there was an enema nozzle beside the tap, which seemed to be taunting him while the bath filled up. 

Hal was very quiet while he washed Barry’s body, still angry about his attempted bribery. He wasn’t rough with him, but there wasn’t any conversation or talking and it put Barry on edge. Finally tired of the quiet anger, Barry reached for his tablet on the floor and typed in an opening.

“I’m sorry Alpha.”

“It’s fine.” Hal said gruffly.

“Please forgive me Alpha, I’m really sorry.”

“I forgive you, you are forgiven.” Hal replied.

It didn’t feel like his heart was in the acceptance and it made Barry’s heart twist. He was scared, his time was running out and he just needed his Alpha to promise him that he was going to be okay. Finally, Hal noticed how distressed the Omega was and was and gave his arm a squeeze.

“We’re okay Barry.” He said, ‘Let’s just get you cleaned up.”

The soap Hal used was sharper than what he usually used and it made Barry’s skin feel unnaturally clean and tingly. Then, despite being clean, Hal didn’t lift him out of the tub, he just pulled the plug with him still in it. The Alpha lifted the enema nozzle, the hose stretching while he examined it. Barry stared at it with mistrust in his eyes, knowing an enema was going to sting in his damaged hole.  

“Alright you, lay down on your back and pull your legs up.” Hal ordered.

Sulking, Barry laid down in the tub and pulled his knees up to his chest and held them apart, putting his hole on full display. Hal attached the soap canister and applied lube to the nozzle, then he put a hand on Barry’s stomach to keep him from squirming too much and pushed the nozzle in. Barry bit his lip as his hole was filled with rushing soapy water, his stomach expanding to accommodate the volume.

When he was filled to the Alpha’s liking, the water rush turned off and the nozzle pulled out. Before he could start to properly release the water, Hal started massaging his bloated stomach, pushing the water out with every press until his Omega was empty and laying spent in the tub. Then, and only then, did he list the Omega out of the tub and start drying him off.

Once he was dry, Hal lifted him up and they started back towards the medical lab. Barry’s tablet was resting on the floor, forgotten by the Alpha as they left. Barry wrapped his arms around Hal’s neck, already shaking from his nerves as they got closer to the medical lab.

At least Hal had moved past his bribery and held him close, giving him kisses as they walked. If there was one thing that he could say for sure about his Alpha, it was that he didn’t hold a grudge towards him, no matter what he did. 

The team of doctors was ready and waiting for them in the lab, the Cradle open and waiting for Barry to be placed inside. Hal set him down on a table beside the cradle for Dr. Cho to get him ready for the surgery. Mostly he was just rechecked and had his injuries cleaned so the machine could do its job.

He tried to stay still and perfect for the doctors, though he squeezed Hal’s hand tight through the whole thing. He lost his calm when he saw the face mask that would put him under, shaking his head and crying, pushing away the mask when it got close. He could have danced for joy when Hal came to his rescue, lifting him into his lap and cuddling him close.

“I know Barry, I know that this is scary.” He whispered, “But I’m going to hold you until you fall asleep, and I’ll be holding you just like this when you wake up. It’ll just be like you took a nap in my lap, you won’t even notice that you got surgery.”

Barry cried and wiped away his tears, leaning against Hal with his whole weight. He knew he shouldn’t fight and that it wouldn’t do anything, but he was scared. Still, Hal was holding him and kissing his shaved head, and he knew he’d rather be held while he fell asleep than be held down and forced to breath in the gas. So when Dr. Cho brought the mask to his face, he didn’t fight it, he just squeezed Hal’s arm while the gas was turned on, letting the Alpha pet him and hold him while the medicine pulled him under. 

Chapter Text

While Barry was under and safely in the Cradle, Hal used the free time to do some research on his laptop. He had pulled a chair up to the Cradle and sat right by Barry’s head, able to monitor his Omega and do his snooping. Given that he had Barry’s first and middle name, as well as his hometown, he just googled his name and Keystone, waiting to see what came up.

The very first thing to come up was a variety of articles from different newspapers at different times, spanning over two years. Finding the oldest, Hal clicked on it and started reading, wanting to know what was so important that multiple newspapers had covered it. When he started reading what the paper covered, he felt like throwing up.

The paper covered a crime scene in a suburb in Central City, Alpha. Henry Allen had beaten his mate, Omega. Nora Allen within an inch of her life, and then stabbed her in the chest to finish her off. All of this had been done in the view of their eleven year old pup, Bartholomew Henry Allen. Alpha. Allen claimed his innocence, screaming it to the arresting officers, news crews, and onlookers as he was taken into custody.

Feeling stunned, Hal opened another tab and found another article on the subject, hoping for more information. This article covered the evidence and the looming court case, apparently Alpha. Allen and his Omega mate had been having marital problems, with friends of the deceased women saying that they had hosted her on their couches many times in the months leading up to her death. Furthermore, the Alpha hadn’t been well known in the close community, apparently hating the small city and wanting to leave for bigger pastures, stopped by his mate who had been born and raised in Central and wanted her son to have the same upbringing.

The next article was actually more about Barry, which he wasn’t sure how to feel about. According to the newspaper, the only one convinced of Alpha. Allen’s innocence was his young son, Bartholomew, who insisted that he’d seen a “yellow blur” surround his mother and hurt her, eventually killing her, all while his mother begged him to run. A child psychologist that was interviewed explained that the trauma and stress that Barry had been put under had forced his brain to block out the memories of his mothers untimely demise and replace it with a new cause, such as a blur of colour.

After that, Hal found an article covering the trial itself, which wasn’t surprising. Central wasn’t a very big city, and the story of an Alpha brutalising his Omega mate to death while his pup watched in horror would have been the biggest story of the decade. The evidence against Alpha. Allen was staggering, with his mates blood found on his hands and clothing, the history of marital unrest between the two, no signs of forced entry or any break in, and the fact that Alpha. Allen was the only one around his mate when she died. It only took the jury two hours to find him guilty of First Degree Murder.

According to the article, there were multiple petitions circulating, demanding that Alpha. Allen faced the electric chair, but his pup, faced with the threat of losing both his parents in less than a year, begged for his fathers life in front of the judge, who agreed to give him life in prison, with no possibility of parole. As for the child himself, he was to go into state care, with no family who could take him. The ruling angered the Omega Rights Movement in the city, who were using the case as further proof that Omegas needed more protection, both under the law, and in healthcare, which eventually passed in the states supreme court.

Setting his laptop aside, Hal looked at his sleeping Omega, resting in the Cradle and completely unaware of what Hal had just found. It made sense now, why Barry didn’t want Hal to try to contact any family if the only person left was serving a life sentence. Not to mention, Barry had obviously grown and matured since he was a puppy, he’d probably realised that the only person who could have killed his mother was his own father. 

His poor Omega must have been so confused, having to grow up without the comfort of his parents. Presenting without his mother to teach him how to properly build a nest or use the ointments and lotions to take the strain off his sore muscles, with no father to hold him close and promise to keep him safe. No one to take him to his first Omega OBGYN appointment and hold his hand or pet his hair, all of those things that children looked to their parents to look to for guidance, Barry had gone through without, and it broke Hal’s heart.

Reluctantly, Hal picked his laptop back up and set off on another search, hoping to find happier news and being rewarded for his efforts. The first article he found was centred on Barry when he was thirteen and had won the county science fair, a much younger Barry standing in front of an elaborate contraption with a proud smile on his face. The next article was from Barry’s teenage years, when he’d won first in his district's hurdles, two hundred, and five hundred metre sprint. There were a few pictures that showed Barry mid sprint, so far from his competition that they weren’t even in the shot, and another picture of Barry with all three of his medals, grinning from ear to ear.

The next article wasn’t necessarily centred around his Omega, but rather five students, including Barry, from the same year who were graduating from high school with high honours. Two of the students were Alphas, two were Betas, and then there was Barry, the only Omega. The article listed the students highest marks, scholarships awarded, and future plans, and he found out that Barry had graduated with a 97% average and had a full ride scholarship to Central University for Forensic Chemistry and Anthropology. The article praised the young people for their hard work and dedication to school for a few more lines and then ended with some lecture about how more young students should strive to be like them.

Finally, Hal found an article celebrating the union of Beta. Iris West and Omega. Barry Allen. It wasn’t anything elaborate, just a few short lines dedicated to how they met, the promises they made to each other, and the time and place where they got married. It wasn’t an elaborate wedding, just a few friends and her family in a courthouse and then dinner at her parents place. It was sweet really, he was at a crime scene gathering evidence, she was a crime reporter looking for a story, they’d met a few times and she’d asked him out to coffee, which had flourished into a courtship and then marriage. 

For a moment, Hal wondered why the pair had broken up. Barry hadn’t mentioned anything about his past wife to him, so it might not have ended well. Typing the name into google, Hal quickly found out why the pair weren’t together. Iris West had been killed in her home by an unknown attacker, being found by her husband when he got home from work. He had called 911 and attempted CPR while he waited for first responders to arrive, though it had already been too late by the time Barry had gotten home and she was declared dead on the scene.

“Oh Barry.” Hal whispered, looking at the sleeping man.

It was horrible to think about all the pain and heartbreak his Omega had been through in his life. Against all odds, Barry had graduated highschool and attended university, gotten his degree and a good job, finally found happiness, only to have it snatched away again. He still didn’t know how he’d wound up with Luthor, but he suspected that it wouldn’t be in any article he could find for free on google. Luthor was notorious for covering up and hiding his dirty laundry, he could definitely cover up an Omega and Pup without anyone in the public knowing about it.

One thing that still confused him though, was Wally. He hadn’t found anything in his search regarding the little pup, which he found weird. Iris and Barry had been so proud of their marriage, surely they would be even more proud of the son they’d made together, though he must have been conceived through IVF because Barry was an Omega and Iris was a Beta. Maybe the pair had wanted privacy, or it had been a rough pregnancy and they had forgotten about an announcement in the paper? Either way, Hal decided to do some digging.

He started the same way he had with Barry, by typing his first and middle name into google, followed by Keystone. However, all that came up was a Wallace Smith from Keystone, who apparently fought in World War One and had died in nineteen eighty-three. Widening his search to the whole country, he weeded out some that were way too old or new and finally found the kid he was looking for, though what he found shocked him a little.

He did in fact find a birth announcement for Wally, though it was in Nebraska rather than Missouri and instead of being born to Iris and Barry, he’d been born to Mary and Rudolph West, Iris’s brother. Wallace Rudolph West had been born a healthy six pounds, two ounces, in a home birth in his parents home in rural Nebraska. His parents had had a traditional bond, with his father being an Alpha and his mother being an Omega, which meant Wally had an equal chance of presenting as any of the three options.

Digging further, Hal found another article pertaining to the pup he was taking care of, though this one was less happy. According to the article, Rudolph West, while driving intoxicated, had hit a patch of black ice in January during a thunderstorm, lost control of the vehicle and drove into a ravine, killing himself and his mate instantly. His son however, safely strapped into his car seat, had survived for hours until dawn had come and a passerby had noticed the wreck and contacted authorities. The pup had only been two years old when he had been orphaned, though the article emphasised that he had family in Central city who offered to take him in and raise him as their own. Obviously the pair was Iris and Barry, but it also meant that, biologically, Barry wasn’t Wally’s dad.

He supposed that shouldn’t be that much of a surprise. Barry was very fair, with an angelic face, blond hair, and blue eyes, whereas Wally also had pale skin, though he was decorated with freckles, he had bright red hair, and brilliant green eyes to match. The only thing similar about the two was the slender runner's physique, but that wasn’t really genetic. Hal did wonder if Wally was aware that he had had a set of parents before Iris and Barry, or if the pair had agreed to tell him when he was older.

He considered asking Barry when he woke up but quickly decided against it, when he had first met the Omega, he had been terrified of having the pup taken away from him. He had also gone out of his way to make it clear that Wally was his son and that he would fight if someone tried to hurt him or take him away. Clearly, Barry didn’t want him to know that Wally was adopted or he would have told him already, bringing it up would probably just make Barry scared and it could hurt Wally if he didn’t know that he and his dad didn’t share blood.

Whenever Barry was ready to tell him, he would listen, but for now he would pretend to be ignorant to the situation. Obviously, the pair loved each other very much and were close, hugging each other whenever there was the chance. The lack of blood between them didn’t change it and it never would, opening old wounds would make him a complete asshole. Besides, he hoped that when Barry got more comfortable and noticed that all of the other pups in Hal’s pack were adopted in, he would open up about his son's lineage. 

Closing his laptop and stretching, Hal knelt down beside the Cradle, next to Barry’s face. The Cradle was sealed and wouldn’t be opened unless there was an emergency or until the procedure was complete, so Hal couldn’t touch Barry. The Omega finally looked at peace, there was no pain or stress weighing on his features, and every muscle in his body was relaxed. All of those would have been impossible before, with Barry being in so much pain that he could never fully relax or get into a deep sleep.

“I promise you, my little Omega, you and your baby will be safe with me.” He promised in a whisper, “And I will never, ever, take Wally from you just because he’s adopted.”

Really, he was just making promises to himself. Barry was so deeply asleep that he couldn’t hear him, and even if he could there was a solid five inches of bullet-proof glass between them. Still, he felt that it needed to be said, even if only he heard it. 

Getting up from the floor, Hal grabbed his laptop and went back to his room. He needed to charge his laptop before he continued with his research and he needed some lunch. When he entered his room, he found Tony fussing with his bed, pushing pillows and blankets around, starting to make a nest.

“Ahh, whatcha doing there Tones?” He asked.

The Omega jumped and spun, clearly not expecting to be interrupted this early in his endevour.

“Oh Hal, hey!” He greeted, looking embarrassed. “I was just trying to make sure that the bed was comfy for Barry when he wakes up.”

“Well thank you, but Barry won’t be waking up for another three days.” Hal pointed out.

“I know! But I remember coming out of the Cradle and my skin was so sensitive and my brain felt all foggy and I just wanted to be comfortable, but I didn’t have a bed set up for it.” He explained, “And I don’t want him to be uncomfy when he wakes up because he was so scared to go under.”

Hal chuckled and shook his head. It certainly was a kind gesture and he really appreciated that he had other people just as worried about his Omega as he was. Still, it was clear that Tony had a lot of nervous energy and was trying to find some way to let it out, and while he wasn’t his Alpha, he did have a way to help both himself and the Omega.

“If you wouldn’t mind helping me, I need to order some clothes for Barry for when he wakes up, but I have absolutely no idea what he’d want or how Omega sizing works.” Hal began, watching Tony perk up. “I don’t want to get him things that he’ll hate.”

“Say no more Glow Stick! I’ve got you covered!” Tony chirped, grabbing Hal’s hand and dragging him out of the room and toward the elevator.

In his head, Hal wanted to stop him so he could plug in his laptop, but figured it would be easier to just charge it later. Tony was mumbling and chattering to himself all the way up to the penthouse level, which Hal didn’t even bother trying to decipher. He was led to the island and instructed to sit while Tony had FRIDAY pull up a holographic screen for them.

“Alright! Tell me what he needs.” Tony instructed, finding some shops that sold clothes in male Omega sizes that he liked.

“A little of everything I guess. He wasn’t wearing anything worth keeping when I got him, and he’s been borrowing Bruce’s clothes ever since.” He answered, watching the screen change and start to display different pants, shirts, skirts, and dresses.

“Alright so let's start with the basics; socks and underwear.” Tony muttered, “FRIDAY, can you examine Barry and get me his estimated sizes when he gets out of the Cradle?”

“Right away, Boss.” The AI responded, going silent for a moment. “Given my projections, Barry should be between a size four and a size six when he emerges from the Cradle. He will also wear a standard size eight shoe.”

“Awesome, so let's assume a size six. If it’s too big that’s fine but it’ll be uncomfortable to wear if he’s wearing clothes that are too small.” Tony suggested.

“That sounds good. So the only thing that I have to say is that anything we get him has to fit in a suitcase that can go on an aeroplane.” Hal agreed.

“Fine. But we should also grab some clothes for Wally, I noticed when he was here that the clothes he was wearing were really small.”

“Yeah, they’re borrowed from Dick.” Hal admitted. “I haven't had time to take either of them shopping.”

“No worries, I’m just going to add some basics to the cart. Nothing too fancy, just standard socks and underwear in different styles so he can find what he likes best.”

The number over the cart icon got bigger as Tony added a few pairs of boxers, briefs, and panties, as well as a few packs of socks. It wasn’t much but hopefully it would be a good foundation for the Omega’s future wardrobe.

“Okay, now that that’s out of the way, let's move onto bottoms. Do you know if he prefers pants or skirts?” Tony asked, expertly navigating the site.

“I honestly don’t know. We’ve been keeping him in skirts so far because he couldn’t wear pants.” Hal said.

“We’ll just throw in a couple of each then.” Tony said, finding a few of each that he had worn and liked, then finding the proper sizes and adding them to the cart. “How about shirts?”

“Let’s keep it simple for shirts, just a few tee shirts, cardigans, maybe a few hoodies to keep him warm.” Hal suggested.

“Do you know anything about what he likes?” Tony asked, looking at all the options.

“We haven’t had a lot of time to get to know each other. I know that he was a forensic chemist before Luthor.” He offered.

“Ohh, I am so adding some shirts with science puns.” Tony squealed.

“He likes bowties too.” Hal added, smiling when he saw how happy Tony was.

“Of course he does!” Tony laughed, “He’s definitely the bowtie type.”

The pair continued like that for a few minutes, getting a small clothing collection together for Barry, as well as a suitcase for him to pack it up in. They’d also added some simple throw blankets to use and bring with them when they left for the Lantern house, that way Barry would still have some of his nesting materials with him in the new home.

After getting Barry sorted out, they moved onto Wally and his needs. The first thing Tony insisted on was a few toys and books for the pup, things that were actually his and that he didn’t have to leave behind. Tony suggested that Hal write a note on the cover of some of the books directly to Wally, just some kind words so that he’d always know that he was there for him. After that, they moved onto clothing, working in a similar manner as they had with Barry’s clothes. The only thing really different was that they didn’t need to get shoes for the pup, as he had been given to Hal with a pair already. What both of them did need was outdoor wear, like coats, mittens, a scarf, and a hat.

On Tony’s suggestion, they agreed to have the pup’s clothes sent directly to the manor, but everything else sent to the tower. The Omega had suggested that the toys and books would mean more to the pup if they came directly from him, and obviously Barry needed clothes to wear home. Double checking their order, Hal gave the site his card number, divided the order based on where he wanted it to go, and then checked out. 

Tony was practically giddy with excitement, but he changed his trajectory from Hal to his mate, who came in to make himself another cup of tea. Once the Alpha no longer had the mug in his hand, Tony latched onto him and nuzzled into his chest, purring all the while. To his credit, Stephen took it in stride, carding his hands through Tony’s hair and laying a calming scent over him to settle him down.

“Are you doing okay, my little love?” The doctor asked.

Tony hummed in reply and pressed himself closer to his Alpha, one hand resting on his chest. 

“Perhaps you should take your puppies and go to our nest.” Stephen suggested, “Since you seem to be in an Omega mood.”

“But you won’t be there.” Tony complained, looking up to pout at his mate.

“I’ll join you shortly, as soon as I’ve made my tea and cleaned up the library. And I’d like to have a discussion with our guest. But right after, I’ll be with you.” Stephen promised.

Reluctantly, Tony peeled himself away from his mate and left down the hall. Stephen waited until he was sure his Omega was out of earshot, then turned his attention to Hal.

“How is your Omega doing?” He asked, straight to the point as always.

“He’s doing well. Even though it’s been less than twenty-four hours, I can already see an improvement in his condition.” Hal said.

“That’s to be expected, the Cradle is well known for its medical wonders.” He said. “And do you have a plan for him when he gets out of the Cradle?”

“Well, obviously he’ll get the physical therapy he needs and then I was going to take him back to Gotham.” Hal said, confused.

“Allow me to rephrase. What are your long term plans for the Omega? Are you planning to make him your mate?”

“What?” Hal sputtered.

“From a legal standpoint, you would be within your rights to make him your bonded, though I already know that you wouldn’t do that. I’m wondering if you’re intending to support him for the foreseeable future, or if you’re looking for other options for him.” Stephen said, as passively as if he were discussing the weather.

“Well obviously I’m not going to force him into a bond!” Hal snapped, feeling disgusted at the thought. “And I don’t really know what to do with him. So far my plans are, get him healthy and then go from there.”

Stephen nodded silently, pouring boiling water into his mug.

“So you don’t know what to do with him long term?” He asked finally.

“Not really.” Hal sighed, “I know that I’m going to take him to the Lantern House with me, we have the extra room for him and his pup. And if he wants to court and find himself a partner, I’ll support him.”

“But?”

“But I’ve done some research, his Alpha father beat his Omega mother to death in front of him when he was just eleven. And after that, he was in foster care, I don’t know if he’s ever had a truly safe place to live. I kind of want to help him ya’know? Get him therapy, more comfortable with eye contact, all that stuff.” Hal continued.

“That sounds like a good plan, and I fully agree with getting him therapy.” Stephen agreed, “Furthermore, as his Alpha, you can have access to the files from when he was in foster care. All you would have to do is email the RGA and request them.”

“For real?”

“Yes, and off the record, I would advise that you do so.” Stephen said, lifting his mug and starting to leave the kitchen. “Your Omega has been through hell, and to help him, you’ll need to know what kind.”

With that, the sorcerer left, leaving Hal alone in the kitchen to ponder the conversation they had just had.

~~~

Later in the evening, Hal was back by Barry’s side, settled in his chair with his laptop. He had taken Stephen’s advice and emailed the RGA for Barry’s records. He’d received them a few hours ago, and now he was working himself up to opening them. No matter what, he knew it would be awful, no Omega coming from the foster care system had a completely wonderful childhood. Pups that were adopted before they presented were statistically safer, and Alphas and Betas were less likely to be the victims of physical abuse, but Omega’s were pretty much guaranteed to be abused.

Finally, Hal took a deep breath and opened the PDF file, bracing himself for a hard read.

The first few houses Barry had been placed in didn’t appear to be bad. According to the social worker, Barry had kept running away from home to visit his father, or screaming at his foster parents that his father was innocent. Eventually, the adults had reached their wits end and sent him back. From there, he’d been in a few group homes but had quickly been moved due to more frequent disappearances.

It was once his father was convicted that things seemed to get bad. The first house after the trail, Barry had snuck out once more, though this time to find a payphone to call his social worker. He’d been beaten with a belt, locked in his room, and called a bad seed and other distasteful things. Fortunately, he’d been removed and the Beta who’d beaten him lost his foster licence.

However, it seemed Barry’s trials didn’t end, in fact, they just got worse. From what he could see, he’d never stayed in the same house longer than three months until he presented as an Omega, when it was lowered to six weeks. The house he’d presented in, he had to be removed from for “tempting the Alpha pups” with his scent. The pictures of Barry from that house made his stomach turn, his neck was covered in dark marks, there were fingerprints embedded on his wrists and waist, and his left eye was so swollen it couldn’t open.

The evidence of frequent assaults only continued, though it seemed that his social worker never took his claims seriously. There were well spoken accusations from Barry of fellow foster kids trying to get in bed with him, or even taking advantage of him during his heats, even though at his age, they would have only been nesting heats. He recalled in great detail how one of his foster parents had torn up his nest and spanked him for taking all the spare blankets in the house, even though they’d been told that he would need nesting materials and hadn’t provided any.

In one house, Barry had run away out of desperation and hidden in a chemical storage closet. It happened to be during a thunderstorm and by some stroke of bad luck, he was struck by lightning. For four months, he was in a coma and wasn’t expected to wake up, until by some miracle, he did. Once he was cleared of injuries and discharged from the hospital, he was put right back into the foster care system.

Reports of abuse continued until Barry was sixteen, when he was placed in a home and didn’t leave until he was eighteen. That concerned Hal, because while he wanted to believe that Barry had found a safe family, the fact that Barry didn’t want them called told him that they weren’t all rosy. 

Reading further, he found an interview between Barry and his social worker where he admitted that he’d found a good job as a farm hand, which surprised Hal. Barry may have been average height for a male Omega, but he wasn’t built like a farm hand. He was slender, without much muscle on him, and he was clearly a runner, not a bodybuilder and he had to wonder what Barry could do on a farm. Perhaps he worked the machinery, such as driving tractors, or tended to smaller animals like chickens or well trained horses.

Without question, Hal was mentally planning a trip out to Keystone. He needed to know who had managed to keep Barry for two years with no issue, and why they didn’t keep in communication once Barry grew up. He was sure that he could have Clark keep an eye on Barry and Wally while he was away, and he could just fly there with his ring. It might seem odd, but he needed answers, this house might have had more influence on Barry than most of the others and he needed to know what had happened in it.

~~~

Even later that same night, Hal was sitting on his bed, on a video call with Wally. The pup was just about ready to head to bed for the night, his hair was slightly damp from his bath, he was in his pyjamas, and there was a little bit of toothpaste on his lips. Dinah and Ollie could be heard in the background, likely tucking Roy into bed at this hour.

“How’s Daddy?” Wally asked immediately.

“He’s doing really well, his injuries are starting to heal and the doctors say he’s right on track.” Hal responded patiently.

“So he’s coming home tomorrow?” Wally asked hopefully.

“No kiddo, he needs a little more time.”

“How much more time? He’s been gone forever!” Wally whined.

“Not much more sweet, just three more sleeps and he’ll be back.” Hal said. “And the doctors say he’ll be more than capable of scenting with you again.”

He’d added that last part to sweeten the deal. If Wally knew that he had more to look forward to, he might be willing to wait a little longer.

“Really?” He gasped, looking ecstatic.

“Really.” Hal promised, “Now then, it’s time for little puppies to be in their beds and sleeping.”

“Fine.” Wally huffed, the camera moving while he climbed into his bed. “Can you tell my daddy that I love him?”

“Of course I can, and I know he loves you too. very , very much.” Hal said.

Dinah came up beside Wally and took the phone from him, getting both of them in the shot.

“Say goodnight to Hal, kiddo.” She said, waving at the camera.

“Goodnight Alpha Hal!” Wally called, waving frantically with both hands.

“Goodnight kiddo, I’ll talk to you tomorrow, okay?” he replied.

“Okay.” Wally chirped, laying down in his nest.

With that, Dinah hung up and he put the phone down. It was nice to get to talk to Wally, even if only through video call. He knew that it wasn’t Barry’s fault, but it was hard to not be able to hear the Omega’s voice. He often wondered what Barry’s voice sounded like and he was looking forward to hearing it when the Omega was able to use it. With Wally, he knew what he sounded like, how his voice pitched when he was excited or sad, and it was welcome. 

With a few hours left before he wanted to turn in for the night, Hal returned to his post at Barry’s side. The Omega’s stomach was slightly bulged from all the formula that the nasogastric tube was feeding him. The doctors had assured him that he was feeling no discomfort, and they were feeding him so much because his body was capable of absorbing more nutrients faster while in the Cradle and they wanted to take advantage of that to get him to a healthier weight. Kneeling beside Barry’s head, Hal leaned his forehead against the glass.

“Hello my little Omega.” He greeted, “Your pup wants me to let you know that he loves you, and I told him you love him too.”

Barry still couldn’t hear him. That was fine, he needed the rest. It still made Hal feel better after saying it. He would be sure to give Barry all the praise and loving endearments once he was awake again. Just a few more days, then he could finally hear Barry’s voice, he’d help him relearn to walk, and he’d be able to reunite the father and son duo, and he was so excited. 

Chapter Text

Three days passed both at a snail's pace and in the blink of an eye and Hal watched as Barry’s skin knit itself back together faster than it would have without assistance. As scabs turned into pink new skin, which blended into the rest of his skin, his hair grew quickly as well and now he had enough hair that it was falling over his eyes. Dr. Cho had been closely monitoring his vitals and progress, giving Hal regular updates.

And now, Hal was standing back while the doctors got ready to open up the Cradle, trying his hardest to not get in the way while also keeping an eye on his Omega. The glass dome opened slowly and without much fanfare, leaving Barry open to the poking and prodding Dr. Cho subjected the sleeping man to before smiling and beckoning Hal forward.

“He’s completely healed physically now, we’ll only need to work with him on some physical therapy tomorrow and he’ll be good to go home.” She said, “I know you promised to be there with him when he woke up, so you’re welcome to move him and hold him while the anesthesia wears off.”

Happy to take her up on the offer, Hal gently gathered Barry up in his arms and held him close to his chest. Dr. Cartmen led him over to an examination and grabbed a shock blanket to wrap around the pair once he was sitting down. Carefully, Hal brushed the hair from Barry’s face and gave him a kiss on the head. Because his glands were no longer frozen, Hal could smell the sweet scent of a sleepy Omega.

~~~

For an hour and a half, Hal just sat patiently and waited for Barry to wake up. He had a perpetual purr rumbling from his chest, seeing his Omega so peaceful and relaxed just made him so happy. When the anaesthesia started wearing off, Barry occasionally snuffled in his sleep and turned his face closer to him. The doctors noticed that their patient was starting to wake up and started getting their tests for him ready.

Finally, Barry scrunched up his nose and slowly opened his eyes with a small groan. Hal tucked the blanket tighter around them, waiting for him to wake up enough to recognize where he was. The Omega squirmed in his arms, clumsily reaching up to wipe his eyes and look around at his surroundings.

Hal wondered if Barry really knew where he was or if he was still in his mind while he was waking up. He had the blanket positioned so that Barry was mostly hidden in his arms by the material, so while Barry was moving his head and hands, he was tugging on the blanket to be able to see. One of the first things he saw was the Cradle, and Hal could see the recognition wash over his posture, and from there Barry freaked out. Despite the drugs still coursing through his system, Barry turned and pushed against Hal’s chest, kicking his legs to try to get away.

“Hey hey, Barry take it easy!” Hal said, tightening his hold on the Omega.

Barry looked up at him and snarled, or at least he tried to. He clearly didn’t have enough control to make it the threat he intended for it to be, so it looked more like a grimace.

“Hey, you’re done! It’s over, it’s all done.” Hal soothed.

If Barry heard him, he didn’t understand him. Or at least he didn’t want to. He kept fighting against Hal, mostly with his hands and arms, though he was moving his legs. When Hal reached up to brush his hair out of his eyes, Barry pulled back and growled, freezing when he heard his own voice.

The fighting stopped as quickly as it had started, now instead of fighting against Hal, Barry was using his hands to poke around his own neck, feeling for any pain. He made a few random sounds as a test and his eyes got comically wide when he did. Convinced that his neck was healed, he moved onto his legs, sitting up slowly in Hal’s arms, assisted by the Alpha because he was still very unsteady. Hal bit back a laugh when Barry wiggled his toes and grabbed at them, sliding his hands up and down his legs.

Still holding onto his calves, Barry looked up at Hal with a wondering look on his face. Smiling at him, he brushed his hand through Barry’s hair, drawing the Omega's attention to the blond hair he had as well.

“Good morning, little Omega.” He greeted quietly, “Did you enjoy your nap?”

Barry blinked and chirped, his voice sounding raspy from lack of use but still very pretty. Grabbing the water bottle he’d been drinking from, Hal opened it and held it up to Barry’s lips, helping him take small sips. Once he’d had a drink, Barry chirped again and most of the rasp was gone.

“See, I told you it would be just like taking a nap with me.” He teased lightly, his scent mixing perfectly with Barry’s.

Continuing with his little noises, Barry snuggled into him and gripped his shirt. Hal chuffed and held him tight, tucking the blanket back around them to keep Barry’s bare skin warm. With the other so close and the energy he’d expended fighting against him, Barry’s eyes started to droop and his Omega noises got quieter.

“Hey you, keep those pretty eyes open. The doctors want to give you a little check up and then I can take you back to our room and get you dressed in some cozy pajamas.” Hal said.

Frowning, Barry shook his head and tucked his face into Hal’s shirt. It was way more adorable than it should have been, but he needed to stay firm.

“Yes, it will only take a few minutes.” Hal said, stroking Barry’s hair.

Dr. Cartsmen noticed that Hal was segwaying into getting Barry his immediate post-op examinations and came over to greet him.

“Good evening Omega. Jordan. I hope that you’re feeling better and my colleagues and I would like to check that everything is in working order.” He greeted.

Barry shook his head and leaned into Hal, only for the Alpha to stand up and follow the doctor to the examination table. All the way there, Barry whimpered and whined, pawing at his Alpha all the while. When Hal put him down on the table, Barry gripped onto his shirt and gave him pleading eyes when he tried to back away.

“I’ll be right here Barry, you’re okay.” Hal soothed.

His reassurance didn’t calm Barry down at all, instead, once Hal broke their contact, he started crying hard. The distress wafting off of him making the other two cringe.

“You can hold him while I do the examination.” Dr. Cartsmen said, “Nothing I’m going to do will be hindered by you being close.”

Giving the doctor a nod of appreciation, Hal stepped into Barry’s reach and held him close. He tucked him tightly against him and kissed the top of his head, climbing up onto the table with him, Hal sat Barry beside him and held him. Dr. Cartsmen gave them a few minutes for Barry to calm down before he began the examination.

He started the exam by checking Barry’s feet and legs, flexing and curling Barry’s toes individually, rolling his ankles, and doing a reflex test on his knees. After that was done he had Barry lay on his back with his head on Hal’s lap and pressed on his stomach, which was still slightly bulged from the continuous feeding he’d been receiving in the Cradle. He also took his stethoscope and listened to Barry’s abdomen, lungs, and heartbeat, even pressing on his stomach while he listened to his breathing.

The next thing he did was feel around Barry’s neck, asking him to swallow a few times to feel the muscles moving. Then came the part that Barry was dreading, the dreading ring exam. He tried to keep his mouth closed so it couldn’t go in, but Hal pinched his nose until he had to open his mouth to take a breath and then the ring was slipped in. He had to swallow a few more times while to doctor looked, and he even had to swallow a mouthful of water, and only after that was over was he allowed to close his mouth.

For a moment, Barry hoped the exam was over, but then Dr. Cartsmen used a light to examine his nose, ears and eyes. He checked his eyes a few times, making his Alpha nervous.

“Is there something wrong with his eyes?” Hal asked, squeezing Barry’s shoulder.

“His pupils are responding slowly, but I’d chalk that up to the Propofol still in his system. I’ll check them again tomorrow but since his eyes were perfectly fine before the procedure, I’m not at all worried.” Dr. Cartsmen explained.

“Alright.” Hal said, though he was still concerned for his Omega.

“Alpha. Jordan, let me assure you, your Omega still has plenty of a very powerful sedative in his system but he is perfectly fine.” He said, “You can see the effects in his emotional state and movement, he’s very sensitive and uncoordinated, but that will wear off.”

Satisfied, Hal nodded and the doctor finished his exam, rolling Barry’s head and shoulders to check his range of movement and then taking his temperature. Once finished, Dr. Cartsmen gave Barry a pat on the head.

“Alright Omega. Jordan, that’s all I need from you tonight, but I’ll see you again tomorrow morning.” He said.

Personally, Barry would have preferred to never see the doctor again but he couldn’t say that, so instead he nodded and leaned back into Hal. Once Dr. Cartsmen was out of the way, Dr. Daniels took his place to conduct her exam. She also touched Barry’s neck and had him swallow, but she also made him make as many different noises as he could so she could feel how his muscles were moving.

Knowing what was coming next, Barry tried to cover his mouth with his hands, but he was so clumsy from the drugs that he mostly just pawed at his own face. Chuckling at his attempts of aversion, Hal took his hands and brought them down to his lap while Dr. Daniels fitted his mouth with the ring.

“You’re so dramatic.” Hal commented, pressing a kiss to the side of his head.

Pushing the mirror wand into his mouth, Dr. Daniels had him repeat as many noises as he could. Without the ability to move his tongue and lips, a lot of the noises merged together, but Dr. Daniels didn’t comment on it. Instead, she continued to check Barry’s throat and vocal cords. Barry whined all through the examination, stray tears dripping down his cheeks. Hal whispered comforts in his ear while the examination was carried out and when it was finally over and the ring was removed, the Alpha was quick to pull him into a tight hug.

“His vocal cords have recovered from the damage done and he should have no physical issues regaining the ability to speak. As I’m sure you’ve noticed, he’s already figured out plenty of Omega noises and I wouldn’t be surprised if he figures out some small words before we start speech therapy tomorrow.” Dr. Daniels said.

“Excellent.” Hal said, stroking Barry’s hair. “I’ll admit, I’ve been looking forward to hearing his voice. Just to put a voice to his pretty face,”

The second part was mostly directed at Barry, trying to cheer him up with some compliments after an unpleasant examination. Dr. Daniels understood what he was trying to do and agreed with him.

“He is very pretty and I’m sure that he has a voice to match.” She agreed, patting Barry on the shoulder. “We’ll work on it together tomorrow, but I would highly encourage him to keep making the Omega noises he’s already figured out.”

“Alright, thank you doctor.” Hal said, reaching out to shake her hand.

“Of course, I’ll see you two tomorrow. Make sure he gets some sleep.” She said.

Hal gave Barry a few minutes to calm down before the final exam. Dr. Sapsmin had already told Hal that he would only do a minor exam and save the extensive one for the next day, but he knew that Barry would hate it. Because the doctor needed to give Hal a demonstration of how to do something going forward, they were going to use the wrist restraints.

Once he was settled down enough, Hal carried him to the examination table and laid him down. While the doctor got the abdominal and chest restraints tightened and situated properly, Hal got his legs into the stirrups. Dr. Sapsmin wordlessly handed Hal the wrist restraints so he could get him settled without panicking him. Getting behind Barry’s head, Hal tapped the table beside the Omega’s head.

“Hands here Barry.” He ordered.

Reluctantly, Barry obeyed and rested his hands up beside his face. Moving quickly, Hal pinned the Omega’s left wrist to the table with the leather strap, then did the same with the right. Because he was so drugged, Barry didn’t catch on to what was happening until well after it was done, but when he did, he started crying again. Sobbing, Barry chirped desperately at his Alpha and pulled at his restraints.

“I know, and I’m sorry, but it’s only for a few minutes.” Hal whispered.

While Dr. Sapsmin conducted the internal exam, Hal stayed by Barry’s head, petting his hair and holding his hand. Even though this examination wasn’t painful like the one he’d received before the Cradle, Barry was obviously uncomfortable. Hal also knew that Barry had a lot of trauma related to having his hands restrained and that this was triggering that trauma, and he was very sympathetic to his distress. At least this examination was very short, so they could move onto the next part.

“Alright Alpha. Jordan, if you’d like to join me over here, I’ll show you how to properly clean and plug your Omega.” Dr. Sapsmin said.

“Now then, because of how damaged his slick glands were and then how quickly they were repaired, they will need stimulation to produce slick as needed. The best way to do this will be for him to have an anal plug in, as well as keeping his hole nice and clean.” He explained once Hal was beside him. The pair were standing in between Barry’s legs while the instructions were given.

“I’m going to prescribe two enemas a day, one in the morning and one at night, as well as having his hole plugged in between those cleanings. Now, most Omegas have their holes plugged through the day, both to keep their scent down and to maintain the health of their holes. It doesn’t need to be a large plug that will hinder his movement, just one that will stimulate his slick glands.

“I have a plug that will suit him, but if you would like to get different ones for him, you are very welcome to, just make sure that it’s a Seal Safe plug so it won’t slip out. I’ll show you how to clean him out first, and then I’ll show you how to properly plug him.”

Dr. Sapsmin added a leaf to the examination table, connected the drain to the collection drain in the floor, and used the tables control remote to tilt it upwards so that Barry’s rear was higher. Once that was done, he picked up the bottle with the enema and attached the lubed nozzle. Carefully, he slipped the nozzle into Barry’s hole and unclipped the hose to allow the water in, squeezing the bottle gently to push all the water into Barry’s channel. Once all the water was out of the bottle, Dr. Sapsmin took a lubed butt plug and replaced the nozzle with it, twisting the base to seal the enema in.

“This plug is Seal Safe, so it will keep the enema in for the next part.” He explained, tilting the table until it was back to the standard level.

Dr. Sapsmin pressed firmly on Barry’s taut stomach and started massaging it, moving to cover every part of the Omega's water-filled abdomen. Hal took note of where the doctor focused the pressure, knowing that it was important that he do this properly. Barry’s future health was going to depend on him doing everything he could now.

Once the massage was done, Dr. Sapsmin twisted the base to release the seal and pulled out the plug, allowing the soapy water to rush out. While Barry’s internal muscles worked to expel the water, Dr. Sapsmin pressed on his stomach to assist him.

“You won’t normally need to press on his stomach during release, because he should be sitting on a toilet and have gravity to help him. He also won’t be coming off of a heavy sedative. You also won’t need to wipe him down after because he should be able to do it himself, but because of his position and the restraints, we’ll do it for him tonight.”

Once the water was gone, Dr. Sapsmin took a wipe and cleaned Barry’s hole and perineum. He finished with the wet wipe and then took a dry cloth and dried him off, then he took the plug and slipped it back into Barry’s hole, and twisted the base to seal it.

“And then you’re done. This plug won’t be uncomfortable or overly distracting for him, and it won’t hinder any movement.” He said, “You could go a few inches bigger if you wanted to, or get a plug that vibrates. That would speed up his ability to produce a healthy amount of slick but it won’t do him any harm to use one that doesn’t vibrate.”

“Alright, and is there anything I should watch out for?” Hal asked.

“If he starts bleeding, remove the plug and call me immediately. I would sync the plugs fingerprint recognition to you so he can’t remove it himself, but I would also discourage him from pulling at it while it’s sealed. It won’t do any real damage if he does, but he could make himself pretty sore.” Dr. Sapsmin explained. “Now, before I send you two on your way for the night, I’d like to see that you understand what I’ve explained.”

Dr. Sapsmin pulled the plug out, cleaned it off, and set it on the tray beside them. He also tilted the table back again so the enema would go in easier. Then he stepped back to let Hal take over.

Hal took the second bottle, attached the nozzle, slipped it into Barry’s hole, and unclipped the hose. He held the bottle up so gravity would assist the flow, and squeezed to push the last few inches of water in. He carefully removed the nozzle and replaced it with the plug, twisting it’s base to seal the water in.

The doctor then corrected the tables angling so Hal could continue on to the massage. Gently, Hal started pressing on Barry’s stomach and massaging the skin, he was careful to not press too hard that he caused pain, but still firm enough to get the job done. It was odd for him to feel the water inside of the Omega move under his skin, but he didn’t say anything about it, simply observing it.

Because of where he was standing, he could see Barry’s face. He was blushing and had turned his face as far to the side as he could, his eyes were also shut tight. Clearly, he was incredibly embarrassed by what was happening, but it did need to be done for his health. Besides, in the future, it wouldn’t be so awkward and there wouldn’t be as many people, so that would hopefully make it better.

“Almost done Barry, just hold on.” He said to the Omega.

Done with the massage, Hal unsealed the plug and pulled it out. He pressed on Barry’s stomach to help get the water out, then cleaned him up, replaced the plug, and then sealed it. Dr. Sapsmin nodded his approval at Hal’s process and pushed away the tray.

“Well done. It doesn’t seem like you’ll have any issue with this so as long as he gets this done consistently twice a day, your Omega will be fine.” He said. “I’ll conduct a more extensive examination tomorrow, but for tonight, we’ll just let Omega. Jordan sleep off the rest of the anesthesia.”

“That sounds great, thank you doctor.” Hal thanked him.

Dr. Sapsmin undid the stirrups straps while Hal worked on the chest and abdomen restraints. He purposefully left the wrist restraints for last so that Barry wouldn’t try to undo the others himself and get in the way. With only the wrist restraints left, Barry twisted and squirmed on the table to try to get them off. When he caught Hal’s eyes, he mewled pitifully and tugged on his wrists, imploring his Alpha to release him.

“Oh Barry, I know, these aren’t pleasant, are they?” He asked, tapping the wrist strap. “Let’s get these off of you and then we’ll go get you tucked into bed.”

Once his hands were free, Barry reached up and wrapped his arms around Hal’s neck, pulling himself up to bury his face against his Alpha for comfort. Gathering Barry up in his arms, Hal lifted him off the table and held him close, listening to Barry mewl while he carried him out of the medical bay.

It wasn’t a long walk and before Barry had time to get comfortable in his embrace, Hal was setting him down on the bed. He wasn’t ready for the Alpha to be away from him, so when he put Barry down, he hung on to keep him there. Laughing, Hal rubbed his back and kissed the side of his head.

“C’mon Bar, let go for a moment so I can grab you something comfy to wear.” He said.

Pouting, Barry let go of him and settled down on the bed, getting distracted by the pillow beside him. Without the other hanging off of him, Hal could easily retrieve one of the new pairs of pajamas he’d gotten for the Omega. All of the new clothes had been washed so they wouldn’t smell like a department store and they smelled like the lavender scent of Strange's fabric softener. While he was at the dresser, Barry kept chirping, mewing, and chattering, sometimes it sounded like it was directed at the Alpha, but other times it was like Barry was just exploring the vocal range he now had. When Hal had settled on what pajamas he thought would be best, he turned around and Barry stared at him, still making his Omega noises.

“I know.” He agreed, “Listen to all the pretty sounds you can make.”

Barry chirped again and reached for him, clearly wanting to be back in contact with him. Smiling, Hal insisted that Barry be dressed first, pulling the shirt over his head and then helping him get the pants on properly. The pajama set was a simple one, with little Zzz’s in different colours on the pants and a plain blue long sleeved shirt, but the material was soft and it fit well enough that it wasn’t falling off of him. Once dressed, Hal sat by the pillows and pulled Barry into his arms.

Once he was settled in his lap, Barry started purring, nuzzling under Hal’s chin and kneading his chest. The Omega smelt relaxed and tired, but he also smelt happy, which was great because Hal had worried that he would be miserable when he woke up. Barry reached one hand up to grab onto Hal’s neck so he could pull himself closer, making the Alpha laugh.

“Goodness we’re cuddly!” He exclaimed, holding Barry tighter.

Barry kept wiggling and squirming on his lap until he was where he wanted to be. He had his face pushed into the crook of Hal’s neck where his scent gland was, then he started kissing and nipping at it. Hal jumped at the shock of being bitten and pushed Barry away, making the Omega whine.

“No thank you.” He said, “We can cuddle but let's keep our teeth to ourselves.”

Barry whined and mewed but when Hal guided him back to rest his head on his shoulder, he didn’t bite. He did keep giving the kisses, which Hal decided to tolerate. He often gave Barry kisses so he couldn’t complain when Barry returned the favour. It was also nice to feel Barry so lax and unconcerned, clearly not in pain and able to express himself vocally in some way. He had had his doubts about his decision to get Barry the procedure before and while he was in the Cradle, knowing that the examinations were uncomfortable and embarrassing, even painful because of the extent of the injuries. Now though, all doubts were gone, Barry was already closer to a healthy weight, his skin was practically glowing compared to how it had been before, and his movements were more fluid.

He was sure that tomorrow, when Barry started getting speech and physical therapy, he would be able to see more of the forward momentum in Barry’s overall health. Based on how Barry was crawling and moving himself around, he wouldn’t be surprised if he took a few steps before he even got back to the medical bay tomorrow morning. He could even picture how excited Barry would be when they got into the car to go back to the manor, and then the happy reunion between the Omega and his pup.

“Are we so happy?” He cooed, “Now that you can make all your little noises and snuggle up close?”

Barry nodded against his shoulder and chirped. Feeling playful, Hal caught Barry’s chin and tilted his face up to look at him. The Omega’s pupils were dilated but his eyes looked brighter and bluer, his lips weren’t chapped anymore, now they were smooth, plump, and pink from the rehydration he’d gotten in the Cradle. He had suspected when he’d first gotten Barry that he would be stunning if he wasn’t so malnourished and now he had been proven right. With his soft blond hair, blue eyes, cute little button nose, and plump pink lips, he was gorgeous, super model stunning in Hal’s opinion. Of course, he had always had a weakness for blonds.

“God you are so pretty.” Hal breathed, tracing his thumb over his cheekbone, “You could have anyone you want wrapped around your pretty little finger, couldn’t you?”

The compliments made Barry blush and somehow that made him even cuter. Hal was going to have to be careful and remain firm with Barry in terms of his health, because if Barry were to bat his pretty eyes and ask sweetly for them to ignore doctor's orders, he might just give in.

While he was lost in his thoughts, Barry pulled himself up and kissed Hal on the nose. It wasn’t graceful and it felt more like he’d gotten bumped into than kissed, but he understood the sentiment. Giving Barry a smile, he returned the favour, kissing his nose carefully, then he brushed his hair off his face and kissed his forehead.

“How about we get your teeth brushed?” He asked, getting ready to lift him up, “Then we can get all comfy in the nice nest and get some rest.”

Barry nodded and yawned, cuddling up close to Hal while his Alpha picked him up and carried him to the bathroom. He had his arms wrapped around Hal’s neck and his legs crossed behind his back, hugging him close.

Hal sat Barry down on the countertop beside the sink, coaxing him into letting go of him so he could get the toothbrush ready. He helped Barry lean against the wall and kept a close eye on him in case he suddenly fell forward so he could catch him.

It only took a moment to get the toothbrush ready, so soon enough Hal was back in front of his Omega. In the short amount of time he’d been out of contact with him, Barry’s eyes had started to close and his breathing was getting slower, nearly asleep on the counter.

“Hey beautiful, don’t fall asleep just yet.” Hal said, “Let me get your teeth brushed and then tucked into bed, then you can rest your pretty little head.”

Barry whined in complaint but opened his eyes and sat up. Hal carefully held his chin while Barry opened his mouth, then started brushing the Omega’s teeth. Barry sleepily reached up and held onto Hal’s wrist, which was cute in it’s own way.

It didn’t take long to get Barry’s teeth brushed and soon enough Hal was holding up a cup of water so he could rinse his mouth out. Once his Omega was taken care of, Hal brushed his own teeth quickly then lifted Barry up again and brought them back to the nest. It wasn’t that late in the evening, hardly pushing eight thirty, but he was already heading to bed so Barry wouldn’t be alone.

Pulling back the covers, Hal laid Barry down in the nest, and while he got himself comfortable, Hal changed into his own pajamas. Climbing into the nest, he didn’t even get a chance to lay down before Barry latched onto him and pressed himself against him while he settled in. Hal laid on his side and tucked Barry under his chin, pulling the blankets up to cover them, effectively hiding Barry from the rest of the world with his body.

It didn’t take long for the Omega to fall asleep, his beautiful face buried in Hal’s chest, his fingers tangled in his Alpha’s shirt. It took Hal longer, not used to being in bed this early. While he waited for his brain and body to get tired, he carefully played with Barry’s hair or ran his hand up and down his back, the notches in his spine far less noticeable than they had been less then a week ago. Finally, he settled down, resting his hand in the dip of Barry’s waist with the other between his shoulder blades.

“Sleep well, my pretty little Omega. You have a big day tomorrow.” He whispered.

He intentionally let a possessive scent wash over them both, wanting Barry to readjust to having his scent on him. It was also nice how their scents mingled and combined, with his own Alpha scent mixing with Barry’s sweet Omega smell. The Alpha part of his brain was urging him to wake the blond up and claim him as his bonded, but he ignored it. Instead, he purred and held him closer, feeling Barry’s breath against his neck and chest. Maybe, when Barry was further along in his recovery, they could talk about the possibility of a courtship, but right now, his Omega just needed some rest.

Chapter Text

Hal woke up to his alarm at seven thirty in the morning, sluggishly tapping his phone to silence it. Barry was still sleeping peacefully in his arms, practically under his shirt with him he was that close. His hair was tousled from the covers and his cheeks had a little blush from sleep, his adorable little nose was squished against Hal’s chest so the Alpha could feel every breath he took.

He was tempted to ignore the alarm, pull the covers back up, and go back to sleep with Barry in his arms. However, he also knew that it was important to get Barry to the doctors so they could get everything taken care of and his therapy started at a decent time. The quicker they got everything done, the sooner he could return his Omega to his pup, which he was sure would be an emotional affair. One of the biggest obstacles to getting Barry to get the surgery was his son, the pair had been used against each other and threatened with permanent separation so much that getting them to part had been hard. 

Detangling himself from the sleeping man clinging to him, Hal got up and started his morning routine, still deep in thought. He had been putting a lot of thought into how he was going to convince his wards that he wasn’t going to take them away from each other, especially with the information he had found out about Wally’s parentage. He had the toys and books he’d ordered for the pup in the closet of the room they were in, and he was planning on having Barry write some notes to his pup in some of the books. 

He did have a little ace up his sleeve, something to reassure Barry and Wally of their relationship. He hadn’t changed his mind about blabbing Barry’s secret to anyone, but he’d talked to Tony without revealing it. The other Omega had had his own children used against him and Stephen had gone through a similar struggle that he was currently going through, convincing his Omega that his children would not be taken or hurt if he didn’t submit to his Alpha. He had the perfect gift for his pup and Omega hidden away in his suitcase, wrapped perfectly for the two to unwrap later that night.

Drying himself off from his shower, Hal brushed his teeth and shaved, finally reentering the bedroom. Barry was still deep in sleep, though his arms were stretched out in front of him, like he had been looking for Hal in his sleep. Hal dressed himself in comfortable clothes and picked out a similar outfit for the other man. Once he was dressed, he started the heartbreaking task of waking his Omega.

“Barry.” He whispered, shaking the Omega gently. “Barry, wake up.”

Barry mumbled in his sleep and tried turning away from the hand shaking him, turning onto his stomach. Smiling, Hal adjusted and kept bothering him to wake him up.

“C’mon, my Omega, time to wake up.” He called, shaking him again.

Finally, Barry moaned and lifted his hand to push him away, burying his face further into his pillow. He was clearly awake now, but he definitely didn’t want to be, ignoring his Alpha. Laying down next to the Omega, Hal brushed a hand through his hair.

“Good morning Barry, time to get up.” He greeted.

Moaning again, Barry leaned into his hand, blue eyes finally opening. He looked over at Hal and blinked, looking annoyed and confused.

“We need to start getting you ready for your doctor's appointment.” Hal explained, stroking Barry’s cheek gently. “So we need to get you cleaned up and dressed now.”

Closing his eyes, Barry shook his head and pressed his face back into the pillow. The silent refusal was hilarious but not really helpful, because he did need to start getting him ready. Quickly, Hal sat up and pulled the covers back, leaving Barry in just his pajamas. Once exposed to the outside air, Barry reached for the closest source of warmth, which was Hal, who scooped him up into his arms.

“Alright you, let's get you cleaned up.” He said, standing.

“Mhmm! No.” Barry whined, reaching towards the bed.

Eyes wide at the sound of Barry’s voice, Hal’s brain short circuited. Dr. Daniels had told him that Barry would probably figure out small words by himself, but still, it was kinda funny that the first word he’d figured out was ‘no’.

“Yes, sorry but the quicker we get everything here done, the sooner we can go back and see Wally.” He said.

Hearing his pup’s name, Barry perked up and stopped reaching for his bed. He looked up at Hal with his big blue eyes, all full of hope.

“Wa-wally?’ He stammered.

“Yeah, we’re gonna go back to the manor tonight.” Hal said, turning on the tap to start filling up the tub. “I told Wally when we spoke last night that we would be home by evening today. So the sooner the doctors clear you to go home, the sooner we can go see Wally.”

Knowing that he would see his pup soon, Barry didn’t struggle anymore. Instead he pulled off his shirt when Hal started undressing him for the bath. Settled into the tub, Hal started cleaning up Barry’s legs and feet, running the soapy cloth over the new skin of his shin. While Hal focused on one leg, Barry focused on the other, pulling at his toes and moving his ankle with his hands. It seemed that the drugged state he’d been in the previous night hadn’t transferred to this morning, so Barry had to re explore his own body.

“How do your legs feel?” He asked, moving on to the other leg.

In response, Barry lifted a thumbs up and chirped. It didn’t concern him that he wasn’t trying to talk anymore, after all, he was going to need therapy to relearn the skill of talking. The two words he had already figured out were impressive and Hal was proud of him for it, but he really didn’t want him damaging himself trying to speak more.

“Good. Are you excited to walk again?” He continued.

Barry nodded and made another noise, sounding like a mix between a chirp and an attempt at speech. Humming in response, Hal moved on from his legs to his torso to clean up his abdomen and chest. Now that he knew to look for them and he wasn’t covered in bruises and cuts, it was easy to find the scars from the lightning strike on Barry’s skin. They were more clustered on his right shoulder and branched out down his arm and out over his back. They also shot down his chest and legs, though they were less noticeable past his hips and he really had to look for them. 

Finally finished cleaning Barry on the outside, he pulled the plug and started getting ready to clean him on the inside. He’d given Barry an enema before he’d gone under for the Cradle, and again the previous night, however, he had been severely injured before the Cradle and he’d been drugged last night. He hoped this went well.

“Okay you, can you roll over and lift your butt up?” He asked once the water drained.

Eyeing him suspiciously, Barry did roll over and reluctantly lifted his ass up, arching his back to give Hal better access. Hal placed one hand on Barry’s shoulder, both to soothe him and to keep him in that position, then with the other, he unsealed Barry’s plug and pulled it out. With no ledge or table to put the plug on, Hal just set it on the floor of the tub, noticing Barry stare at it.

Barry had been tense since he’d been asked to change position, but as soon as Hal grabbed the enema nozzle, he started shivering. There was a whimper building from his throat, so he traced his thumb in a circle on his shoulder.

“Relax.” Hal said, “Take a deep breath Baby, this isn’t going to hurt.”

With that, he pushed the nozzle past Barry’s rim and turned on the water. Once he felt the water start rushing into his hole, Barry tried to push himself up, kept in place by Hal's hand. 

“No no no beautiful. We gotta get you cleaned up, and getting your hole cleaned is part of that.” Hal said.

“Ala!” Barry whined, squirming under Hal’s hand. “No, Ala no!”

Shushing him, Hal turned off the water and replaced the nozzle with the plug. Once the water was sealed safely inside, Hal helped Barry sit up with his bulging belly, the Omega staring at his water filled stomach with teary eyes.

“Ala!” Barry cried, some tears slipping down his cheeks.

“Oh Sweetheart, it’s okay.” Hal soothed, wiping the tears from his face.

“Ala.”

“Are you trying to say Alpha?” Hal asked, getting a nod. “That might be a little hard for you right now, Sweetpea.”

“Ala!” Barry cried again, pushing his hand away when he reached for his belly.

“Now now, don’t fight me and this will be over soon.” He said, pushing past Barry’s hand. “And while you’re still learning, maybe ‘Hal’ would be easier to say than ‘Alpha’, don’t you think?”

All he got in response was a pout and a whine, so Hal just kissed Barry on the head and got on with the massage. It’s more difficult this morning than it was the night before, now that Barry was trying to push his hands away from him and giving him big pleading eyes. Finally, after about five minutes of dodging Barry’s hands and pulling him back into position after he had squirmed away, Hal deemed that Barry’s hole was clean enough.

“Alright, my sweet little Omega, all done.” He said. “Comere, let’s get you up.”

He had to be careful lifting Barry up, since his stomach was poking out further than it normally would and it threw the Omega off balance. He sat Barry on a towel on the floor and started drying him off, letting him cling onto his shirt while he did to comfort himself. Once he was done drying Barry off, Hal pulled out his plug and sat him on the toilet to let the water out, turning around to clean up the tub and to give Barry some privacy.

After a few minutes, during which he’d cleaned the nozzle, hung the towels to dry, and washed the plug and lubed it for reinsertion, he turned back to Barry. He helped the Omega up and leaned him over the counter by the sink, spreading his legs to push the plug back in, only for him to start freaking out.

“No!” He screamed, trying to push himself off the counter. “No Ala no!”

“Hey, easy now!” Hal said, catching Barry before he could fling himself to the floor.

“No! Ala no!” Barry cried.

Once he realised he was stuck on the counter, Barry reached around and covered up his bum with his hands. He even lifted his legs as much as he could to put an extra barrier between his hole and his Alpha.

“Barry, Sweetheart, it’s just a plug.” Hal said, “You’ve had it in all night and it didn’t even bother you.”  

That didn’t sway Barry, who just kept crying and protecting himself, his breathing getting faster and more erratic. Deciding to get ahead of the upcoming panic attack, Hal lifted Barry back up and carried him into the bedroom, setting him on the bed. Since the plug seemed to be the trigger, he set it behind the pair on the bedside table and wrapped Barry in a tight embrace.

“Deep breaths Baby, in through your nose and out through your mouth.” He instructed, rubbing Barry’s back. “Everything is going to be alright, I’m going to take care of you Sweetheart. You are going to be okay.”

Barry clung onto Hal, choking on his sobs and whimpering through his attack. Scooping him into his lap, Hal pressed kisses to his forehead and wiped the tears away with his thumbs, trying to sooth him and help him breathe easier. He was debating calling one of the doctors, worried that Barry was going to pass out, either from the panic attack or afterwards from exhaustion. Before he could reach for his phone though, Barry took a deep, shuddering breath and coughed, then taking another breath in the same fashion.

“Barry? Feeling better?” Hal asked tentatively. “Do you want some water?”

Shaking his head, Barry buried his face in Hal’s shoulder, gripping him as tightly as he could. Returning the embrace, Hal forced himself to purr, trying to get Barry breathing easier by making himself as calming as possible.

“Don wann.”

Barry’s raspy voice made Hal stop purring, looking down at his ward curled in his lap. Barry’s face was streaked with tears and flushed, his skin was clammy and covered in goose skin, and he was shivering a little, probably because he was still naked and exposed to the cold.

“What don't you want, my little Omega?” Hal asked, though he figured he knew what it was.

“Plug, Ala. Don wan plug.” He said.

“Why?” He asked, “Why don’t you want your plug?”

“Gon hur.” Barry whimpered, reaching down to cover his hole.

Now Hal got it, he was scared of the plug hurting him. That did make sense, now that he thought about it, Barry’s hole had gotten so damaged that he needed surgery to fix it, and it had gotten that way through things being shoved up inside of him and hurting him. If anything proved that, it had been the dangerously massive plug he’d removed from him in the shipping yard. He was probably scared of being plugged up because he was used to it hurting and hindering his movement.

“No Baby, it won’t hurt.” Hal whispered, giving Barry a squeeze and a kiss.

Despite the reassurance, Barry kept his hand shielding his butt, not willing to bare himself to his Alpha. Deciding to try a different approach, Hal cupped his chin and kissed the tip of his nose.

“Barry, when I first got you, you were wearing a lot of horrible, painful things. Do you remember?” He asked, getting a nod. “Who unclipped the gag and got it out of your mouth?”

“You.” Barry whispered.

“Yep, and who got the collar off of you?”

“You.” 

“Who got the cock cage off of you?”

“You.”

“That’s right. And who got that plug out?”

“You Ala.” Barry said, blushing.

“And did I put any of them back on you?”

“No.”

“No, I didn’t.” Hal agreed, “Because I don’t want to hurt you or see you in pain, and that means that I won’t make you wear clothes that are too small, or a collar that’s too tight, or a plug that’s too big.”

Barry nuzzled against him, kissing his chest. Reaching back, Hal retrieved the plug and handed it to its recipient. Barry held onto it like it was explosive, looking between Hal and the toy with panic and confusion. Hal encircled Barry’s hand with his own, making him squeeze the plug he was holding, some of the lube squishing between their fingers.

“Do you feel that? You can get your whole hand around it, and you have smaller hands than I do.” Hal said, “And the base is big enough to prevent it from slipping inside of you too far, but not big enough to bother you while you sit. Sweetheart, you’ll hardly know you’ve got it in.”

Barry nodded and tilted the plug to examine it further, though he did keep glancing up at Hal. The Alpha kissed the top of his head when he was looking down, and kissed his forehead whenever he looked up. After a few moments, Barry took a shaky breath and handed the plug back to him and uncovered his bum. 

“Ready?” Hal asked quietly.

Barry nodded with his eyes shut tight, a few tears slipping down his cheeks. Wiping them away, Hal willed up a soft construct on the bed that he could lay Barry over to prop his butt up enough to fill him up. He levitated the plug and manoeuvred the Omega over the structure as gently as he could, giving him a quick kiss again once he was situated how he wanted him.

Getting behind him, Hal lubed up two fingers and slipped them into Barry’s hole. Barry squeaked once his hole was breached, tensing up and squeezing Hal's fingers with his rim. Another hand settled on the back of his neck, near his hairline and squeezed, urging him to settle down. Taking a deep breath, Barry forced himself to relax and unclench his hole, immediately feeling the fingers inside of him curl to open him up further.

“Take a deep breath.” Hal instructed from behind him. “I’m just getting you stretched, but I want to know if I’m hurting you.”

Barry shook his head, he was woefully uncomfortable and desperate for this to be over, but he had to admit, his Alpha was doing his best to not hurt him. The hand on his neck squeezed again and then the fingers started scissoring inside of him, which did make him gasp. He could feel his slick starting to seep out, lightly coating Hal’s fingers while he opened him up further. 

Relaxing further, Barry started pushing back onto the invading fingers, instinctively trying to angle himself so Hal would hit his prostate. Before he knew it, Hal was adding a third finger, stretching him further, but in a way that his Omega brain liked and urged him to push back on. He mindlessly murmured what might have been a beg to continue, had his tongue remembered how to make words.

“Liking this?” Hal laughed, ruffling his hair. “Just enjoy yourself, pretty boy, let me make you feel good.” 

He could certainly agree to that, it had been a long long time since he’d had something up his hole and enjoyed it. The fingers continued their massage, finding his prostate quickly, Hal started teasing it. The second his nub was pressed on, Barry gasped and moaned in pleasure, curling his toes and gripping the blankets. He heard the Alpha laugh but couldn’t bring himself to care, he felt good all over and that was a nearly novel feeling.

“Alright Baby, I’m gonna plug you up now.” Hal warned him, still playing with his hole. “Just try and relax.”

The nerves came back and hit him like a car crash, but he definitely didn’t want to disappoint his Alpha anymore. To settle himself, Barry grabbed a handful of the comforter underneath him and focused on taking deep breaths. The fingers in his hole pulled out, leaving his hole feeling empty and cold, then there was a poke at his entrance. Biting his lip, Barry buried his face in the bed and braced for the pain of having a plug shoved inside of him. The cool silicone pushed in, inch by inch, pushing his inner walls apart. 

The pushing stopped for a second and Barry tried to prepare for the final push to get the whole thing in. Instead, the hand on his neck ruffled his hair and then pulled away entirely. Then the structure under him disappeared and left him laying on the bed, alone. Chancing a look over his shoulder, Barry saw his Alpha sitting calmly on the bed, wiping his hand with a towel.

“How does that feel?” He asked when he noticed him staring.

Stunned, Barry let go of the covers and gave him a shaky thumbs up. He still wasn’t convinced that there wasn’t more to go in, but he couldn’t understand why his Alpha would stop if it wasn’t in properly.

“Good, I’ll just seal it then.”

There was a hand on his bum and another fiddling with the plug, then he felt it swell and attach to his inner walls, right inside his entrance so it wouldn’t fall out. It wasn’t painful and the more his body got used to it, the easier it became to ignore it. Tentatively lifting himself up and moving his legs, Barry learned that it didn’t hurt to stretch his body with this plug inside of him than the one Lex had stuffed inside of him. 

“C’mon you, let’s get you dressed and brush your teeth, then we can get you to your appointment.” Hal said.

Nodding, Barry wiggled to the edge of the bed. He was expecting another dress, or a shirt and skirt combo like he was used to wearing. Instead, Hal brought him panties, a pair of socks, grey sweatpants, a tee shirt with a bunsen beaker with glasses and a bowtie on it, and a red zip up hoodie. Somehow, the outfit didn’t strike him as something Bruce would wear, or at least not in the colours they were in, so he didn’t know who he was borrowing from now.

“I got you a few different pairs of everything.” Hal admitted, helping him into the panties and socks, “But if something doesn’t fit or feels uncomfortable, just let me know and we’ll donate them. Or if something does suit your tastes, let me know, and we’ll get more of those.”

So these were clothes that his Alpha had got for him. It was touching, to think of Hal finding clothes just for him, and now he didn’t have to worry about ruining the shape of Bruce’s outfits. And it seemed that he had thought about Barry’s comfort and build, the panties were made for male Omegas too, which was nice, it wasn’t comfortable to be squished into underwear for a female when he had male parts. The pants that followed were soft and flexible, close to his skin but not cutting into it. 

He was still so excited for the bottom part of the outfit that Hal had to tap him on the shoulder to get his attention to pull the shirt over his head. It was also well fitting but in a good way, not too tight against his neck. The hoodie was next and it was also lovely, nice and warm with sleeves that weren’t too long or too short.

“Comfortable?” Hal asked, watching him fiddle with his clothes and nod. “Good, let’s finish up and head out.”

Brushing his teeth was easy and quick, plus, he actually got to stand this time, albeit with assistance. Hal was holding his waist to take most of his weight but he was still standing and it was amazing after only being able to sit or lay down for the past month. While he brushed his teeth, he checked himself out in the mirror. His hair had grown back and was now longer than it had been before, softer and noticeably silker. His eyes no longer had the darker circles under them, making them look bigger and brighter. He had to admit, with his cheeks filled out more, brighter eyes, and silky hair, he looked better than he had in years.

Once he’d finished brushing his teeth, Hal got him up into his arms and started off towards the medbay. All the way there, Barry wiggled his sock-clad toes and played with his sleeves, marvelling at how nice it all felt on his freshly healed skin. He was looking forward to therapy, or at the very least, he was looking forward to being able to walk and talk again.

~~~

The first thing they worked on was physical therapy, though working more on his fine motor skills in his legs rather than walking. He had to lift one leg and rotate his ankle, then do it again with the other one. When they finally got to the fun part, Hal had to help him stand up and slowly start letting him take his own weight. It took a few tries for Barry to stand on his own, his legs unused to being used.

“Well done.” Dr. Cameron praised when he finally managed the simple task.

“I’m proud of you.” Hal agreed, still close by incase he fell.

Despite the simplicity of the task, Barry was out of breath and shaking. It felt humiliating to be so helpless, unable to even stand by himself without his Alpha beside him to step in if needed. Even though he was struggling with something everyone else could easily do, Hal smiled at him and squeezed his hand, silently letting him know that he was there.

He had to practice sitting down and standing up after that, which felt harder than it should have been as his legs struggled to support his weight. Because he needed to get used to getting up by himself, he couldn’t have his Alpha help him. Dr. Cameron stopped him after the fifth time he managed to stand up and checked his legs to make sure they were okay and then had him continue five more times.

He got a little break after that, finally able to rest his burning legs after the work out he’d just done. Hal brought him a bottle of water and some sliced strawberries to snack on during the break, sitting beside him through it and rubbing his back. It had been years since Barry had gotten real strawberries, not just the artificial strawberry taste in his formula, and the second he put a slice in his mouth he nearly died of happiness. It was sweet but had a slightly sour undertone, the seeds rolled on his tongue while he chewed, and the flesh of the berry was just firm enough to require chewing. It was amazing and he must have made a face because Hal laughed.

“Like that Baby?” He asked.

Barry nodded and immediately reached for another slice, popping it in his mouth and purring. 

“Bet it tastes better than that fake shit you’ve been on since forever.” He commented, “Just don’t eat too fast or you’ll make yourself sick.”

Barry nodded and purposefully took a long sip of the water he’d been given, even though he’d rather just devour the entire plate and then lick it clean. He had forgotten how amazing fresh fruit tasted, too used to the fake flavour of his formula after five years to remember how it tasted. Still, he knew that his stomach wasn’t going to be used to real food and eating too fast would make him sick, so he limited himself to two slices and then a drink of water.

“You really do like those?” Hal said, “My Strawbarry likes strawberries.”

The nickname made him blush and lower his gaze. It was nice to be called sweet things like ‘baby’ or ‘sweetpea’ rather than ‘slut’ or ‘whore’ like Lex had always called him. Pretty much everything Hal did was nice, excluding forcing him to come to New York for surgery, and he was always gentle with his hands and words. Even when he had to boss him around, he tried to be nice about it, or apologised afterwards if he couldn’t be kind.

When his snack was finished it was time to get back to therapy, Dr. Cameron had him stand again, then held his hands and pulled gently to help him take a step. Hal had a hand on his waist, concern clear on his features and in his scent, he was ready to catch him if he fell. The first step was hard, Barry’s feet felt odd when he lifted them, like they went limp when they weren’t touching the ground.

“Alpha. Jordan, if you could take most of his weight, I think we should get him used to the motion of taking steps before he actually walks.” Dr. Cameron said.

“Of course.” Hal said.

The hand around his waist held him tighter and his legs no longer felt so strained. Trying again, Barry managed to finally take a step, then another one. Dr. Cameron had him walk until they came to the wall, then had them turn around and walk back in the same fashion. When they got back to the table, Dr. Cameron had Hal give him some of his weight back and they did the lap again. 

It took a few tries but eventually he was able to walk without Hal holding him up, though he couldn’t go very fast and needed to stop every few steps to catch his breath. Hal stayed beside him the entire time, holding his hand and keeping a hand on his waist, giving him kisses every time he had to stop for breath or to turn around. Through the whole process, Dr. Cameron and Hal gave him plenty of praise and encouragement, even when he stumbled over his own feet or when his knees got so weak that Hal had to take his whole body weight until he could stand on his own feet again.

“Well done, you’re progressing very quickly.” Dr. Cameron said while Hal helped him sit on the table. “We’re gonna take a break for lunch and your vocal therapy, but we’ll continue immediately afterward. I’m confident that with the progress you’re making, you’ll be able to go home before six.”

Barry grinned at the praise, even though he was still trying to get his breath back. Hal nuzzled into his hair and kissed him, a purr rumbling from his chest while he snuggled his Omega. His Alpha helped him over to a small table, where a big bowl of formula and a glass of nutrition shake was waiting for him. He was a little disappointed that he didn’t get any more fruit, but he didn’t want to seem ungrateful so he didn’t say anything.

Hal had a sandwich with french fries and a glass of water, so they were going to eat their lunches together. Once both of them were seated, Barry took a spoonful of his formula, nearly choking when he did so. This stuff was different from what he was used to and it was nasty, it had the same texture as mud and probably the same taste.

“I know, I’m sorry Baby, this stuff is different from the other stuff. It’s going to help your stomach expand to it’s normal size after being on a liquid diet for so long, but it doesn’t come in so many flavours.” Hal admitted.

Barry wrinkled his nose and stuck out his tongue in disgust. He did not want to put anymore of this stuff in his mouth but he also didn’t want to make his Alpha disappointed in him, so he reluctantly put another spoonful in his mouth. It was still gross but he persevered to swallow it and another spoonful down. Hal looked at him, his mouth twisted in sympathy, finally he stood up and started to leave the table.

“Okay, hang on a second Baby. I’m going to see if I can find something to make that less repulsive.” He said, leaving Barry alone to go in search of a miracle.

While he waited for his Alpha to come back, he sipped at his shake, breathing through his mouth to not smell it. It’s taste and texture were better at least, less like mud and more like a proper drink. It was still way too thick to drink with a straw and he was concerned that he would need to use a spoon to get all of it from the glass.

Hal came back in as quickly as he had left, a bottle of maple syrup and a carton of blueberries in his hands. He threw a generous portion of the berries into the bowl with his formula, then flooded the top of the bowl with maple syrup.

“Stir that up, tell me if that tastes better.” He instructed, setting the additives down on the table.

Barry obeyed and mixed the concoction together, taking another bite. The muddy texture was still there but it did taste better than it had. He gave his Alpha a thumbs up and continued eating, Hal smiling and taking a bite of his sandwich. The two ate in relative silence, mostly because Barry still couldn’t talk except for a few small words like ‘no’ or ‘Ala’ but that wasn’t enough to make conversation.

Hal finished his lunch first but waited patiently for his Omega to finish at his own pace. The portion was larger than it had been before the Cradle, both to encourage his stomach to go back to normal size and to maintain the healthy weight gain he’d achieved. Hal had assured him that he would only have to eat this nasty stuff until his stomach could get used to exclusively being on solids and then he would never have to see it again. When he’d finished, Hal helped him walk over to where Dr. Daniels had set up shop for his vocal therapy. Hal sat on the chair and pulled Barry into his lap, holding him tightly.

Because of how all of his other appointments with her had been, Barry kept waiting for the dreaded ring to come out. He was so nervous that he pressed himself against Hal with his face tilted towards his neck, hoping that his Alpha would protect him. When Dr. Daniels went to reach out for him, he flinched and eyed her hand warily, looking for the hidden ring.

“Aww Sweet thing, scared of the doctor?” Hal asked, nuzzling his nose against Barry’s forehead.

Though he was embarrassed he couldn’t deny that he was a little scared. Though it was less that he was scared of the doctor and more like he was scared of the discomfort the examination brought him. When he nodded, his Alpha and the doctor both chuckled, though it wasn’t very funny to him.

“Don’t want the ring exam, do you?” Dr. Daniels asked, making Barry shake his head. “ Well, luckily for you, I did that exam last night. We don’t need to do it again today, we’re just going to work on your words today.”

The relief that washed over him couldn’t be described in words, but he could feel his heartbeat start to slow down. Hal chuckled and squeezed him tightly, giving him a kiss on the head. 

“You’re okay Sweet, no need to be scared.” Hal soothed.

Dr. Daniels smiled at him and his Alpha, taking her own seat across from them. She had a stack of flashcards with the alphabet shuffled in her hands that she laid on the table in between them and had him make that noise. After a few cards she paused and addressed Hal.

“He’s doing really well, I take it he’s figured out some words.” She said.

“Yeah, he can say ‘no’ pretty well but some other words are hard. He seems to be having trouble with the hard sounds like ‘t’ and ‘f’.” Hal said.

“Okay, well let’s work on those then. He’s got the rest down so there’s no sense in practicing what he knows.” Dr. Daniels said. “Omega. Jordan, can you lightly bite your bottom lip and push air through your teeth?”

With those instructions, Barry was able to make the fff sounds that he had struggled with earlier. While Barry followed the instructions Dr. Daniels, Hal texted Dinah to check in on Wally. The pup had been having some trouble sleeping recently and he was worried for the kid, it had been a hard few weeks for his new pup and he was probably terribly stressed. Dinah and Ollie had told him that this week had been insistent that Wally wasn’t behaving the same way he had when Barry had been in withdrawal, but he was stressed and it was affecting his emotions and sleeping schedule. 

“Hey Di, how’s Wally doing?” He asked via text.

“Doing okay, we’re teaching him how to play go fish rn while we have a snack.”

“Did he get any sleep last night?”

“A little. He and Roy have been sharing a nest for the past few days so that’s helped him a lot.”

Well at least he’d gotten some rest last night, hopefully he would get some more with his dad later tonight. He knew that Bruce had moved them to a suite rather than a room, with a bedroom for Wally to have to himself and Barry and Hal had a bedroom with their own bathroom. Bruce had insisted that they would need the extra space now that Barry was walking and since they were going to be staying until Barry was back on solids for good, he had also insisted that it would be good for Wally to start getting used to his own bed and that he wasn’t completely cut off from his dad just because he wasn’t in direct contact with him. 

Despite that, Hal had already decided that Wally and Barry both needed a few nights of co-sleeping to start repairing their bond. He knew that Barry had been the one to decide that his glands needed freezing, but that didn’t change the fact that it was hard for them both to not be able to scent with each other. The added strain of being separated from each other for the withdrawal and later for the surgery hadn’t helped anything between the pair and he had spent most of his time during the week brainstorming ways to help them both. 

“Al-pha?” 

Barry’s voice broke him out of his thoughts, his Omega had threaded their fingers together when Hal had been zoned out so he gave his hand a squeeze. Barry’s big blue eyes were bright and happy, so he clearly wasn’t in trouble.

“Yeah Baby?” He asked.

“It’s nice to meet you.”

The words were slow and some of the sounds melted together but it was miles ahead of what he’d been capable of earlier that morning.

“It’s nice to meet you too.” Hal replied, “My name is Hal, what’s yours?”

“My name is Barry Joran.” 

It seemed that the hard ‘d’ noises in the middle of a word were still hard for him, but he was still making progress. He suspected that Dr. Daniels had instructed him to converse with him for practice so he could get the experience talking. To continue his treatment, he coaxed Barry to continue.

“That’s a pretty name. And you have a puppy right? What’s his name?” Hal asked.

“His name is Wally Alpha.” Barry replied slowly, “He’s eight years old and his favourite colour is yellow.”

Damn, Hal absolutely couldn’t deal with the colour yellow. His ring wouldn’t work with the colour, even when he’d tried to pour a packet of skittles into a bowl he’d willed up, the yellow ones had fallen through. Still, he was going to encourage Wally in everything he did, he was going to be better than his mother, so he’d find a way to tolerate it. (And maybe convince him to prefer a different colour).

“That’s a wonderful name, and it sounds like you love him very much.” Hal said.

“I do, he’s the best thing that has ever happened to me.” Barry said, a loving look in his eyes.

“Are you looking forward to seeing him tonight?”

“Yes Alpha! I miss him so much and I haven't been able to scent with him in so long.” Barry rambled.

“Good, I know he’s excited to see you too.” Hal said, “I got a few toys and books for him in our room, would you like to write him some notes to go with them?”

Barry’s eyes got wide with excitement and he smelled like happiness. 

“May I, Alpha?” He gasped, gripping Hal’s hand.

“Of course.” He assured, “I wouldn’t have offered it if I didn’t mean it.”

“Omega. Jordan, can you try to use a word with the letter ‘D’?” Dr. Daniels interrupted.

Barry thought for a second, his nose scrunching up in the same adorable way it had earlier that morning. When he’d come up with a sentence, Barry leaned into his Alpha.

“I don’t like spiders.” He stated, “They shouldn’t be in doors.” 

Hal laughed at the statement, kissing his Omega on the head. It was off topic to what they had been talking about, but it did contain the letter ‘D’ so he had met all requirements.

“I’ll keep the spiders away from you, my sweet Strawbarry.” He said, “I won’t let them get you.”

Barry giggled, squeezing his hand tightly. Hal returned the gesture, also tracing his thumb in a figure eight movement on the back of Barry’s hand.

“I like it when you call me ‘Strawbarry’.” He admitted, tucking his nose into Hal’s neck.

“Do you?” He asked, getting a nod. “I’ll make sure to call you that more often.”

He felt the Omega purr in his arms, snuggling into him and breathing in his scent deeply. Barry had always been cuddly with him and had been tucking his nose into his neck, but it was different now that he was healthier. No longer was a malnourished, sickly Omega clinging to him, but an almost normal sized Omega cuddling up and purring while he ran his hand over his back.

“Thank you Alpha.” Barry whispered. “Thank you for saving me.”

“Oh Strawbarry.” Hal whispered back, kissing his head. “You are so welcome.”

Dr. Daniels smiled at the pair, watching the Alpha hold his Omega tight and close while whispering to him. The pair weren’t mates right now, but she wouldn’t be surprised if Omega. Jordan had a bonding mark on his neck within the next six months. Alpha. Jordan, who was certainly handsome and commanding, was also love struck with the blond man in his lap.

“Omega. Jordan, can you ask your Alpha to lift his left hand above his head?” She asked.

She knew that it was a weird request but it was also funny to her to see Alpha. Jordan bend over backwards to help his Omega. She had spoken to him a lot through the week and knew that he’d become a guardian to an Omega and his pup after their previous Alpha had threatened them with a group home and a shelter. He would have been well within his rights to just leave the pair in a room with food and get on with his life, but instead he took care of them and got them medical help. 

“Alpha, can you please lift your left hand over your head?” Barry asked.

“Of course Baby, anything for you.” Hal responded.

He took his hand away from Barry’s waist and lifted it above his head. 

“Thank you Alpha.” Barry murmured.

“You can lower your hand now Alpha. Jordan.” Dr. Daniels said.

Hal smiled at the doctor and returned his hand to Barry’s waist. He was surprised that Barry was picking up speech so quickly, he had expected it to be slower based on how his physical therapy had gone. He supposed that there weren’t as many muscles or stamina used in speaking as there were in walking and that’s why it was more difficult for Barry.

“Omega. Jordan, I feel that you have accomplished what I needed you to accomplish and I can’t think of anything else to help you with.” Dr. Daniels admitted, “You are incredibly smart and if you continue to practice, I’m certain that you should be speaking properly by later today.” 

“Hear that?” Hal asked, nuzzling into his hair, “I have an incredibly smart Omega.”

“If you two would like, Alpha. Jordan, you and your mate can go back to working on physical therapy.” Dr. Daniels said.

Thanking her, Hal stood up with Barry in his arms. He couldn’t place it, but he didn’t want to correct her when she called Barry his mate.

~~~

A few hours later, Barry was finishing up physical therapy and was excited to be done. He was getting tired and hungry, looking over to his Alpha every few seconds for reassurance and comfort. He had gotten another short break for more water and fruit, watermelon instead of strawberries this time, but that felt like forever ago and he was exhausted.

Hal had been beside Barry, or at least as close to him as Dr. Cameron allowed, for the whole thing. Barry had gotten comfortable walking by himself, then they had moved onto carrying things while walking, jumping, jogging on a treadmill, and climbing stairs. Barry couldn’t carry things that were very heavy and he struggled with stairs quite a bit, but he was assured that that would change with practice. At the moment, Dr. Cameron was finishing up and then he was going to take Barry to pack up their things for the trip home. 

“Well Alpha. Jordan, your Omega has done what is required. I want him walking and building stamina on his own, but as of right now, I’m confident in discharging him.” She said.

Barry looked to Hal hopefully, clearly ready to start heading back to the manor and by extension, his son.

“That sounds excellent, thank you doctor.” Hal thanked, reclaiming his spot beside Barry.

He and Barry slowly made their way back to their bedroom, Hal’s hand on his waist to keep him steady. Because of how tired he was after all of the therapy, Hal planned to let Barry nap while he packed and loaded up the car, and then wake him up to get him in the car. When they got to their room, Tony was waiting for them, lighting up when he saw Barry on his feet.

“Blondie!” He chirped, embracing him tightly. “How are you feeling?”

“Hey Tony. I feel good, really tired.” Barry answered, returning the hug.

“You can talk now! That’s awesome.” Tony chirped.

“He can.” Hal said, guiding the two Omegas into the room. “And he’s very tired after all the therapy he just did.”

“We can make a nest!” Tony exclaimed, pulled Barry to the bed.

“I’m going to start packing to go back to Gotham Tony.” Hal informed him, “But you two can certainly snuggle while I get us ready to go.”

Tony didn’t need to be told twice, he had Barry in the bed and under the covers in seconds. Relishing the contact, Barry latched onto his fellow Omega and curled in close, willing to let Tony adjust the blankets and pillows into a makeshift nest for the pair to sleep in without any input from himself. 

Hal smiled at the two and leaned over to kiss Barry once more, his Omega already dozing off. Tony’s eyes were getting heavier too, he had been excited to see Barry once he got out of the Cradle and now he could, even if it was only for a little bit. While the Omegas snuggled and napped, Hal started packing, folding and putting his clothes in his suitcase. He had hardly started when Stephen portaled to the doorway, quickly taking in the two Omegas snuggled into the bed and the other Alpha kneeling in front of a suitcase.

“I see that my Omega found yours.” He commented, taking a few steps closer to the bed to examine the pair. “He didn’t bother you two, did he?”

“No, he’s fine. I was planning on letting Barry take a nap while I packed, all he did was get him into bed quicker.” Hal assured him.

“Need any help?” Stephen asked.

“Sure, if you wouldn’t mind, I have some toys and books for Wally in the closet with two suitcases. If you want to bring me the bigger red one, I’ll pack Barry’s clothes up after I’m done with mine.” Hal said.

Stephen rolled his eyes and portaled everything from the closet to the space beside the dresser. The books and toys were in the same careful pile Hal had put them in, tags removed and ready to be brought to their recipient. While Hal worked on his own clothing, Stephen started packing up Wally’s toys in some gift bags, even magicing up some wrapping paper around them so he could unwrap them.

Between the two of them, it only took a few minutes to get everything packed. Once they were done, Stephen even portaled their luggage into the car for him so it was all packed. All the while, Barry and Tony slept peacefully in the bed, clinging to each other in their sleep.

“Jeez Strange, trying to get us out?” Hal teased, knowing full well that if Stephen didn’t want them there, he wouldn’t let his Omega snuggle up with his.

“Just trying to help.” Stephen muttered, “And I wanted to see how Barry was doing.”

“He’s good, we’ve still got a long way to go but he’s making progress.” Hal said. “Though if you wouldn’t mind, I’d like to pick your brain later. You’ve helped an abused Omega and his pups, I’d like to know what worked for you.”

“Well if you’d like, we can leave these two to sleep and go talk.” Stephen offered.

Nodding, Hal followed his host to the elevator and up to the penthouse. The sorcerer guided him to the library and gestured to the two armchairs, taking one himself. The two settled in and got comfortable, ready for the conversation.

“So, how did you help Tony, Harley, and Peter?” Hal asked.

“It wasn’t easy, Tony was very injured, Peter had gone nonverbal, and Harley was so overprotective of his dad and brother that he’d put himself between me and them whenever I came over.” Stephen reminisced, “I was coming over to talk to Tony about the accords and I recognised the signs of domestic abuse in all three of them, so I decided to try to help them out.

“Rhodey was in the hospital, he and Pepper still weren’t talking, and the rest of his pack had abandoned him. Not that the Avengers had ever stepped in to help him anyway. Tony’s chest was being held together with surgical glue and staples, but that was only a temporary fix and he needed the Cradle, much like Barry did. But he was too busy trying to help his children and his hormones were so out of wack from the medicine he was taking and the stress of his pack leaving.

“I started offering to help out where I could, I brought them their groceries and picked up Tony’s prescriptions, I used my magic to help with chores around the house like dishes and laundry, and I tried to get to know the pups. I knew that Tony wouldn’t trust me if he thought I was a threat to his puppies so I had to be very careful, if I overstepped, I would push Tony into a fit. Because I’m still a neurosurgeon, I was able to get Peter his scans, which did help settle Tony’s nerves.

“After that, I got him in touch with one of my friends from medical school who had specialised in paediatrics psychology. I had a feeling that Peter wasn’t physically hurt, but rather severely traumatised and needed a therapist to help him work through it. I think that that was when Tony started trusting me, knowing that I wouldn’t hurt his babies like Steve would, so I started trying to get him the help he needed.

“I met Rhodey and the two of us managed to convince Tony to get into the Cradle and leave the boys with me. I helped him like you helped Barry, I held his hand through the examinations and helped him get cleaned up before the procedure, while he was in the Cradle I took care of the boys and that’s when I started to see the extent of Steve’s abuse.” 

Stephen took a moment to pause and collect his thoughts. Clearly, the story still made him angry and it rightfully should. Stephen loved and cared for all three of the victims in this story and he was about to recount how they had been hurt.

“I had gotten both boy’s set up with spaghetti for dinner, with juice for each of them. I was sitting at the head of the table, with Harley to my right and Peter right beside him. We had just started eating when Peter knocked over his cup and spilled his juice by accident because he was still learning to control his stickiness. He started freaking out and crying, Harley was trying to tell me that it was his fault and to punish him not his brother, and I was just trying to clean up the spill.

“When I reached for Peter both boys started crying, I cleaned up the spill and got Peter another glass of juice to let them calm down and then asked what was upsetting them. Turns out the they never ever got to eat with the Alpha of the house and when they did, if they spilled a drink, dropped sauce on the table, or were too loud, Steve would spank the offender at the table and yell at them, put them in the corner until the others finished their dinner, then he would make the pup watch while he threw out the rest of his meal and send him to bed with no supper. They were terrified that I was going to do that too because that was the only Alpha they knew.

“I was furious but I managed to convince them that I wasn’t going to beat them for an accident or ever at all. I didn’t convince them immediately but I got them through that dinner, and I made sure to tell them that they would never, ever hit them or their dad. I also started giving Peter his drinks in a sippy cup for less spillage when he was having trouble letting go of something, which seemed to help him a little.

“I wound up winning over Peter first, that kid is way to trusting for his own good. I was babysitting the kids one night, weeks after Tony was out of the Cradle and was at a gala for Stark Industries. I had put the kids to bed hours ago and was reading on the couch with some late night show on in the background and Peter woke up lonely and came to fing me. He still wasn’t talking yet but he had brought his tablet and asked for a cuddle, which I obviously wasn’t going to deny, not after I went through so much effort gaining his trust. He wound up falling asleep on my lap and because he and Harley were sharing a room at the time I just held him until Tony got home so I didn’t wake up his big brother.

“Tony really started to trust me after that, he invited me over for dinner just because, he let me take Peter to therapy when he was busy, and he started opening up a little about what Steve put them through. He focused mostly on the kids but I could tell when something applied to him too because he would get nervous. We started dating shortly after and I was spending alternate nights here with them.

“It took a lot longer to win over Harley, he had been hurt badly by Steve and he didn’t trust any Alpha, not even Pepper or Rhodey. He always put himself between Tony and I, or growled at me whenever I got too close to them, he even bit me once because I tried to put my arm around Tony while we were all watching a movie together.”

“Jesus.” Hal moaned, wiping a hand down his face. “How did you get past that?”

“A literal fuck ton of paitence and the fact that I am also very stubborn. I also offered to use my magic to enhance his potato gun.” Stephen confessed. “But Tony still doesn’t know about that, so don’t tell him.”

“When did he really start to trust you?”

“I don’t entirely know when he did, but I realised that I had passed his tests when he called me at midnight because Peter and Tony had a stomach bug and he was worried about them. I obviously came over and gave them a check up, and then stayed the night on the couch just in case they took a turn for the worse. Harley stayed in the living room with me, sleeping in an armchair and getting up whenever I did to check on his dad and brother. By noon the next day, Tony and Peter were better and sleeping off the bad night so I just threw some messy bedding in the wash and started making Harley some lunch. He ate the soup and fell asleep against my arm on the couch, and I knew he trusted me in that moment.” Stephen said fondly.

“Harley’s always been more like me, he’s sarcastic and reclusive, but he’d do anything for his people. Once he knew that I was going to protect and care for his people, he began to tolerate and then actually like me. Honestly, I don’t need to wait for him to turn fourteen to know what he’s going to be, he’s way to protective to be anything but an Alpha.”

Hal had to agree with that, he didn’t know Harley the same way he knew Roy, but he had been around him enough to get a feel for his personality. The blond pup would throw himself in front of any threat that made the mistake of being too close to his family, potato gun armed and ready. When the Justice League had first started working with the Avengers as friends rather than colleagues, Harley had sat beside his parents and brother, a five pound bag of potatoes at his feet and the spud gun firmly in his lap. Now that he wasn’t in immediate danger all the time, the potato gun had turned into a toy rather than a weapon, but he didn’t doubt that it could become one again if he needed it to.

“What about Tony? How did you get him what he needed?” Hal asked.

“I really can’t take all the credit for that, Rhodey was the one who insisted that he start getting therapy and Pepper had him meet with lawyers to make sure Steve couldn’t get anywhere near him or his pups. She also got all of Tony’s money back into his name and agreed to let him start working in R&D again, so long as he didn’t do week-long binges anymore.” Stephen confessed, “But I did help take care of the pups while he was busy, I gave him a shoulder to cry on when he needed, and I brought him and the boys his favourite foods when I knew he had a hard day.”

“I guess that really what helped was that, aside from our names, Steve and I are nothing alike. He was horribly controlling and isolating, he would hit the boys, made Tony stop working and locked his lab, he kept Tony away from the press and galas, and he controlled his diet, though not as much as Lex did to Barry.

“I encouraged him to spend time with his friends and coworkers, I didn’t text him every ten minutes demanding to know where he was, I’m not the best but I do my best for the boys, and when Tony wanted to go back to making designs for Stark Industries, I encouraged him and bought a bottle of champagne and a bottle of sparkling apple cider for the boys to celebrate his first day back. I also never pestered him for sex, when he asked me to help him through his heat, we discussed his boundaries long before hand and I stayed within them, FRIDAY recorded the whole thing so he could see that I didn’t take advantage of him while he was vulnerable.”

“What would you do if you had Barry?” Hal asked, desperate for advice. “I’ve been getting advice from Clark and Ollie, but their Omega’s haven’t been abused and yours has.”

“For your Omega, honestly, you will need to be firm and bossy for a while. Barry’s so used to having everything controlled that suddenly having to choose everything on his own is going to be overwhelming and may actually do more harm than good. When Tony and I got together, he was embarrassed that he couldn’t pick an outfit for himself and needed someone else to help him with it.” Stephen advised, “Start having him pick his things out slowly, like what socks he wants to wear, or what kind of drink he wants with his meal. He’ll be able to work up to making all of his own choices as long as you keep encouraging him to keep making those choices.”

“Anything else?” Hal asked.

“You need to get comfortable using your Alpha voice on him, it’s good for an Omegas brain. Don’t use it to punish him or when you’re angry, but when he’s done something good and you’re happy for him.” Stephen said, “I used to use my Alpha voice to ask him who’s Omega he was and have him repeat that his Alpha loved him. Now I just use it a few times a week or whenever he’s having a bad day because he’s used to it being a good thing not a bad thing.”

“Won’t that scare him?”

“At first it probably will, but you need to persevere. If he doesn’t learn that hearing an Alpha voice doesn’t mean you’re angry, he’ll always be scared to hear it. You can talk to Clark about it, see if you two can make a team activity of it with him and Bruce, let Barry see that having an Alpha talk to Omegas like that isn’t the prelude to a beating.” 

“What about Wally? He’s been through hell too, I don’t entirely know if he was beaten too but he’s scared and I don’t know how to help him.” Hal said.

“Eat with him, make sure he knows that his food is his and won’t be taken away. Make time for you to be alone with him and his dad to relax, be there to tuck him in at night and acknowledge him nicely when he wakes up.” Stephen advised. “He will not trust you immediately and how you treat his dad will really make or break you. Trying to get alone time with him might be hard, so make sure you spend time with him and his dad together. Other than that, it’s just going to be time and patience.”

“God damn it.” Hal muttered.

He knew it wasn’t going to be easy, but a selfish part of him wanted this to be quicker. He wanted to get Barry comfortable with him so he could talk to him, he wanted Wally to be able to just be a normal kid with no fears of losing his parent or beating.

“Welcome to the world of having a hurt Omega.” Stephen said sarcastically but not unkindly. “It’s a lot of work and a lot of second hand anger, word of advice, find a therapist for yourself when you find one for Barry and Wally. You can’t take care of them if you’re suffering too much to take care of you.”

“Thanks Doc.” Hal said, standing up to shake his hand. “I should probably get Barry up and start heading home. I promised Wally that he’d see his dad before he went to bed.”

“Hal.” Stephen said, “If you need anything, either for Barry or yourself, I want you to call me. I know you have your pack to help you two out, but Tony and I know what you are going through. If Barry needs someone to talk to about what he went through, Tony would be willing to listen, and I can always lend you an ear.”

“Thank you Stephen, I really appreciate that.” Hal said, letting the doctor catch up to him so they could go down to retrieve their Omegas.

When they got to the bedroom, the pair were much the same, snuggled up in the covers together. There was a very prominent scent of sleepy, content Omegas in the air that made both Alphas purr and emit a calming scent. Stephen ran his hand through Tony’s hair and down to the bonding mark on his neck, pressing down on it to make Tony mumble and stretch, leaning up into the touch. From the look on Stephens face, Hal was sure that he was going to take his mate back to their bedroom to thoroughly claim him once he was awake.

“Barry.” Hal called, shaking him gently, “Wake up Sweet, it’s time to go home and see Wally.”

Waking him this time was easier than it had been that morning. Barry blinked a few times, stretched, and sat up slowly, reaching for his Alpha. Hal embraced him and detangled him from the blankets, then pulled him into his lap.

“Have a good nap?” He asked softly.

Barry nodded and leaned into his shoulder, clearly ready to go back to sleep. Behind him, Stephen was waking his own Omega up and doing much the same as he was, pulling Tony into his lap to cuddle.

“Ready to go see your puppy?’ He asked.

“Yes Alpha.” Barry mumbled sleepily.

“Okay, let's say goodbye to Tony and Stephen and then you can nap more in the car.” He said.

Hal carried his Omega over to their hosts where Tony was practically asleep with his nose hidden in the collar of Stephen’s shirt. When he noticed the other Omega next to him and realised what was happening, he reached up and hugged Barry tightly. Stephen ruffled Barry’s hair and gave him a kiss on the forehead, wishing him a speedy recovery. When the Omegas broke apart, Hal bounced Barry a little in his arms.

“Ready to head out?” He asked.

Barry nodded and wrapped his arms around his neck. If he were a more strict Alpha, he would have made his Omega walk to the elevator. But his fears came true and Barry gave him those big blue eyes and Hal’s resolve disappeared. He carried him into the elevator and to the car, helping him get settled in the passenger seat. Hal tucked his flight jacket around him, fastened his seatbelt, and tilted the seat back so Barry could comfortably sleep through the drive. Once his Omega was settled, Hal claimed his own seat, started the car, and started the drive home.

~~~

Two hours later, Hal parked in the manor's garage and turned off the car. Barry had slept peacefully through the whole trip, never stirring through the whole ride. Hal got out of the car, opened the trunk and used his ring to lift all of the luggage from the trunk, then went to wake up Barry. He had purposely left his arms free incase Barry was too tired to walk all the way to their new room, but when he woke the Omega up, he managed to take steady, if slow, steps.  The walk was steady and the pair was quickly joined by Bruce, who marvelled at Barry’s progress.

“Wow! Barry, you look really good!” he exclaimed, giving him a light hug.

“Thank you.” Barry replied with a smile.

“And you can speak now!” Bruce said, “God that must be nice after being mute for so long.”

“It’s very nice.” Barry agreed.

“Where’s Wally?” Hal asked.

“He’s up with Dinah in your suite.” Bruce replied, turning to Barry. “You’re going to love your new suite, you and Hal have your own bedroom, Wally has his own room, and you have a sitting room for when you three want some alone time.”

Eagerly, Barry followed Bruce through the halls, his excitement giving him extra stamina to keep up. To his credit, Bruce noticed that Barry still wasn’t up to top shape yet and slowed his pace to accommodate him. Barry handled the walk well, only struggling at the stairs, which Hal carried him up.

Finally, they were at their new door, where Bruce bid them goodnight and left them. Grinning from ear to ear, Hal opened the door, gesturing to Barry to go in first. In the sitting room, Dinah was sitting on the couch with Wally, a picture book on her lap that she stopped reading the second the door opened. Once he saw Barry, Wally leaped off the sofa and rushed over to him.

“Daddy!” He squealed.

“Oh Baby!” Barry gasped.

Barry collapsed to his knees and caught Wally in his arms, holding him tight and kissing his face. Dinah and Hal looked at the reunion of the pair, each smiled widely. After a few seconds, there was a sweet scent in the air, followed by another sweet scent mixed with vanilla and citrus, and Hal realised that they had scented each other for the first time in a month. Barry was crying, but he didn’t smell sad or distressed, so Hal assumed they were happy tears. Dinah got up off the couch, leaving the book on the coffee table and gave Hal a quick hug.

“Glad to have you back.” She whispered, “If you need anything, just let me know.”

“Thank you.” Hal whispered back.

Once he was alone with his wards, Hal knelt beside the pair and kissed Barry on the side of his head. He didn’t want to try to separate them right away, instead, he would go unpack and then get the other two settled into bed to sleep. He had already decided to skip Barry’s enema tonight, just to let him get situated and comfortable with his new bed and his pup.

Hal left the two in the living room and quickly unpacked, admiring the bed in their room. There was no nest and for good reason, because Barry’s hormones had basically been reset, he would be going into a nesting heat and would need the space to build his own nest. There were nesting materials in the closet, plus the ones Hal had bought for him, for when he slipped into heat. At least a nesting heat was better than bond withdrawal, it wouldn’t hurt, Wally wouldn’t need to be locked out, and he would feel better after his hormones balanced.

Once he was finished unpacking, Hal hurried back to his boys. Barry had Wally in his lap and they had clearly scented a few times, based on the heavy scent in the air. Kneeling down beside them, Hal lifted them both up and carried them into the bedroom and set them into the bed. On the bed, Barry pawed the blankets back and tucked himself and his son into the bed, curling his entire body around his. Wally was already in his pajamas and all Hal had to do for Barry was peel off his socks, take off his hoodie,a nd help him change his shirt., letting him sleep in his sweats and the new shirt.

Changing his own clothes for pajamas, Hal brushed his teeth quickly and joined the two under the covers. Once he was under the covers, he pulled both of them close and nuzzled in Barry’s hair. The Omega chirped and looked up at him with blown pupils and chattered, leaning into Hal’s hand when he cupped his cheek.

“Look at you, my sweet Strawbarry, all sleepy and cute with your puppy.” He cooed, “Going to snuggle up with me and your baby tonight?”

Barry nodded and leaned in closer, rubbing his son's back and closing his eyes. Hal held them tight and purred, lulling them both to sleep. He took some time to check over them, making sure that Wally was comfortable and sleeping, hoping he’d sleep through the night. He could focus on getting both of them healthier mentally now that he wasn’t worried about Barry’s physical health as much, which was very nice.   

Chapter Text

Barry whined when he felt something press at his shoulder and push, rocking his body slowly. For a moment, he thought it was Wally squirming around in his sleep and held onto him tighter to keep him still. When that didn’t stop the pushing, he opened his eyes to inspect what was bothering him.

He was shocked to see the new room they were in, but he didn’t have any time to look around when he saw his Alpha. Hal was sitting on the side of the bed beside him, one hand still on his shoulder, so clearly he needed him. He reluctantly wiped his eyes from sleep and sat up.

“Yes Alpha?” he rasped.

“Hey Strawbarry, I know it’s early but I want to clean you up.” He said, “It’ll only take a few minutes.”

Not excited about the prospect of getting bathed again because he knew that now it would include an enema, Barry reluctantly wiggled out of the covers and stood up. Hal immediately wrapped an arm around his waist to steady him while his limbs woke up and helped him walk to the bathroom. The lights in the bathroom hurt his eyes a little because they were so bright after he was just asleep so he kept his gaze down, his Alpha could guide him around to where he wanted him to go. He was hoping that he could catch a few more minutes of sleep in the bath, so long as he could lean his head against the edge and not slip under the water.

“C’mon Sweet thing.” Hal instructed, guiding him around the room.

To Barry’s surprise, he wasn’t in front of the bathtub, but rather in front of the shower cubicle. The shower was decked out in extras, with a double line of sprayers down the front to clean all of his body fast, a detachable shower head, and some weird lights in the ceiling. There was also a seat attached to the wall so he could sit if he needed to, which was nice because at least his legs wouldn’t get too tired. 

A nudge from Hal brought him out of his inspection of the shower, noticing that his Alpha was getting undressed. Following suit, Barry took off his shirt and pants, trying not to look embarrassed while he slipped his panties down his thighs and into the discard pile. Soon he and his Alpha were naked in the bathroom, Hal turning on the water and letting the water warm up before guiding Barry into it.

“Together?” He asked.

“Might as well.” Hal shrugged, “I just want to clean off the smell of a hospital and get you cleaned up. No sense in wasting water.”

Not understanding but not in the mood to argue, Barry tilted his head back to let the water hit him in the face. The thrum of the water hitting the tiles on the floor mixed with the rush of water in the pipes created a relaxing serenade that he enjoyed listening to with his eyes closed. He was vaguely aware of his Alpha moving beside him, the occasional brush of his skin against his own letting him know that he was close.

“Hey you.”

Hal’s voice made him wipe away the water from his eyes and blink them open. There was a soapy loofa extended to him, his Alpha’s hair flattened from the shower. Slowly, Barry took the extended loofa, holding it in both hands and staring at it. He suspected that he was meant to start washing himself but he wasn’t entirely sure, maybe he should wash his legs, arms, and torso but leave his cock, balls, and hole for the Alpha to clean. He’d never been allowed to wash his privates with his other Alpha and was severely punished if he tried touching them.

“Alpha?” He asked quietly, barely loud enough to be heard over the water.

“Yes?”

“What do I do with this?” 

“Wash yourself silly.” Hal laughed.

“Where?” Barry asked.

“Everywhere?’ Hal said, though it sounded like a question. “Is something wrong?”

“Am I allowed to touch…” Embarrassed, Barry moved his hand in a circle above his cock.

“Yes, of course you are.” Hal said, “It’s your body, you can touch it wherever or however you like.”

“When you let me.” Barry said, getting the point. In handing him the loofa, Hal had given him permission to touch himself.

“No. Whenever you want to.” Hal corrected. “I mean it, it’s your body. You can clean off your privates, hell you could jerk yourself off if you wanted. You don’t need my permission.”

For a second, Barry just stood there in shock. Maybe cleaning himself made a little sense, it took a chore off of his Alphas shoulders, but there was no way in hell it would fly with any Alpha for their Omega to pleasure themselves. The only way he could understand what had been said was to believe it was a joke, that was the only thing that made sense.

“Very funny Alpha.” Barry said, forcing himself to smile. He didn’t get the joke but he didn’t want to offend the other man.

I’m not joking Barry.” Hal sighed, “Just get yourself cleaned up and we’ll talk later.”

Eyeing his Alpha suspiciously, Barry started to wash off his arms, slowly moving down to his chest and stomach. He skipped his cock and balls, going to his legs instead. He couldn’t balance on one foot, so he had to sit down on the seat to not knock himself out if he fell. Beside him, Hal was also cleaning himself off, lathering up his loofa and running over his body. Barry was a little dumbstruck by his Alphas physique, he was tanned and toned, his abs looking absolutely delicious with the soap running down them to his flaccid cock. Even soft, Hal’s cock was big, which he’d known because he’d tried to suck it his first morning with him, but completely exposed, it was easier to see. He had to avert his gaze so he wasn’t caught gaping like a fish out of water at him, so he focused instead on thinking about baseball and washing between his toes.

Unable to delay it any longer, Barry stood up and slowly touched the loofa to his cock, looking towards Hal for a reaction. His Alpha was busy washing his hair and wasn’t even paying attention to him or where his hands were. Moving quickly to not get in trouble, Barry cleaned off his privates and rinsed himself off, all before the Alpha finished shampooing and conditioning his hair. Once he was done, he returned to standing under the warm water and enjoying the sounds while watching his Alpha wash his hair.

“Like what you see?” Hal asked, noticing his audience.

Blushing, Barry looked down.

“You have nice hair.” He mumbled, “I like it.”

“Well, I suppose any hair is nice after having an Alpha whose head acts like a mirror.” Hal said sarcastically.

“Yeah I was never a fan of the bald look.” Barry giggled, “Whenever we were in the car on a sunny day, his head always shone the sun directly into my eyes, Alpha.”

Hal burst out laughing, leaning hard against the tile so he didn’t fall down. Too focused on standing up to bother with his hair, he didn’t notice the runoff of the conditioner until it had run into his mouth making him cough and almost choke. Now he was leaning against the wall for a different reason, but he was still laughing a little.

“God, that's gross.” He complained, spitting a few times to get the taste out. “Don’t make me laugh like that in the shower.”

“You were the one who said his head looks like a mirror, Alpha.” Barry defended himself, also laughing.

“You’re right, it is my fault.” Hal agreed, tilting his head back to catch some water to rinse his mouth.

Once his mouth was sufficiently cleaned out, Hal rinsed his hair out properly and turned off the water. The steam had fogged up the glass door and walls of the shower, leaving the pair alone in the steamy room, which Barry almost stepped out of before he noticed his Alpha preparing the enema nozzle.

“Alright you, last part. Can you lean over and hold onto the seat?” He asked.

Frowning, Barry complied, bending in half to grab the edge of the seat with his feet shoulder length apart. He whimpered quietly when he felt Hal place his hand on the small of his back and run it up to the beginning of his crack, two fingers slipping down it until they found the base of his plug. Just from that tease, Barry was trembling and lifting his butt up higher to give Hal better access to his hole, biting on his tongue to stop himself from begging his Alphe to take his plug out and fuck him.

“Settle down.” Hal instructed.

Barry wanted to tell him to stop teasing him but he didn’t trust himself to speak without making a fool of himself. Instead, he just nodded and forced himself to breathe slowly while he felt his plug unseal and hole cling to the plug while Hal pulled it out. He barely had time to take a deep breath when the nozzle pushed in and the water started rushing in to fill up his channel, forcing his stomach to expand against his skin, making his belly swell. Hal’s hand slipped around to rest on his growing belly, measuring how big it got to know when to turn off the tap. When he was finally full enough, Hal turned off the water and plugged him up again, helping him stand up straight, one hand on his shoulder, the other still on his stomach.

“Take it out Alpha.” Barry whined, holding onto his stomach.

“Not yet Baby.” Hal said patiently, “Come here.”

Hal took a seat and pulled Barry into his lap, his Omegas chest pressed against his back so he could reach around to touch his belly. 

“Stay still now.” He instructed.

With that, he started massaging Barry’s belly, the water moving under his thin skin when he pressed on it. Despite the instructions, Barry couldn’t help but squirm while his stomach was massaged, trying to press further against Hal to avoid his hands or get off his lap entirely. Each time he tried to get away, Hal readjusted him and continued his assault on his overly full stomach.

“I thought I told you to stay still?” Hal said, pulling him back into his lap for the fifth time.

“It hurts my stomach Alpha.” Barry whined, “Please, I don’t like it.”

“I know my Omega, but it needs to be done.” He said, continuing with the massage.

“Why!” 
 
“Because it’s going to help keep you clean and healthy in there.” He explained.

Barry whined and tried to get up off his lap again, even pushing Hal’s hand away from his belly. Patiently, Hal pulled him back and propped one leg up to keep him in his lap.

“I’m clean! Alpha I’m clean now!” Barry yelped.

“No, you aren’t. But if you’d stop fighting me and just sit still then we can be done in a moment.” Hal said patiently. 

Despite the instructions, Barry couldn’t sit still through it all. He squirmed and pushed his hands away from his stomach as much as possible, even when Hal pulled him back and dodged his hands, he kept at it. The weight of the water pushing on his plug felt awful and like it was gonna slip out, even when he knew it couldn’t, and it felt awful when the water moved under Hal’s ministrations.

“Alpha! I can’t hold it anymore!” Barry said.

“You don’t need to hold it, the plug is going to keep it all in for you.” Hal soothed, “Do you want a break?”

“Yes!” He agreed instantly.

He expected his plug would be removed and he’d be allowed to evacuate the enema, but all Hal did was slide him off of his lap and onto the seat beside him. Barry immediately started rubbing his swollen belly, trying to settle his twitching innards. Hal wrapped an arm around him and gave him a kiss, rubbing his back to try and relax him.

“Please Alpha, take out my plug.” Barry begged, taking his hand and kissing it.

“No darling, we still need to finish up your massage. After that’s finished, then I’ll take your plug out and let you empty yourself out.” Hal said.

With that, he pulled him back into his lap and continued his massage, letting Barry whine and whimper through it all. Finally, after Barry was certain that his Alpha was going to make him keep the water in all day, Hal helped him stand up off his lap and step out of the shower cubicle. Barry danced from one foot to the other while Hal helped him dry off and then while the Alpha dried himself off and got a fresh pair of sweats on.

“Alright you, let's get you unplugged.” Hal said finally.

“Yes! Yes Alpha, please!” Barry exclaimed, pulling his hand.

Hal guided Barry to lean over the counter and removed his plug. Finally able to release, Barry ran to the toilet while Hal brushed his teeth and started shaving. While he was in the middle of shaving, he felt a timid hand grab his free arm and Barry’s soft hair brush against it.

“Feeling better Baby?” He asked.

“Yes Alpha.” he mumbled.

“Good, how about you brush your teeth and then I’ll plug you up and get you dressed.”

Reluctantly, Barry let go of his forearm and gathered up his oral care things. Hal couldn’t watch him while he was shaving but he heard him and could smell the minty toothpaste while he brushed his teeth. He finished shaving and rinsed off his face, stepping back to give his Omega space while he finished brushing his teeth, gathering up the plug and lubing it up again. 

When Barry finished, instead of turning to face Hal, he stared at the mirror. It had been fogged up from the shower but it had started to clear up now and he could see some of Barry’s face in the mirror. His eyes were wide and his mouth was slightly agape, he looked absolutely mortified by something that Hal couldn’t see.

“Barry? Are you alright?” He asked.

“What did you do to me?” Barry rasped.

“What?” Hal asked, convinced he heard him wrong.

“What did you do to me?” He repeated, “God, I don’t even look like me!”

Now it sounded like he was about to cry, he couldn’t stop staring at the mirror and touching his face. Hal had no idea what Barry was talking about, only that he was upset.

“I didn’t do anything to you Baby.” Hal assured, still confused.

“Yes! Yes you did, look at me!” Barry wailed.

He was full on crying now, tears running down his cheeks. When Hal reached for him, he smacked at his hand, growling angrily.

“Hey! Can you use your words and tell me what's wrong?” Hal asked.

“You… you changed me!” He sobbed, flailing blindly at the mirror.

That didn’t exactly help him in any way, he just didn’t know how to tell Barry that when he was clearly so upset.

“What did I change, Sweetheart?” 

“Me! You changed me, you changed my face!” He cried.

Oh, so Barry thought that he looked different than he did before. That did kind of make sense, he wasn’t sure if he’d gotten a good look at himself before now, so maybe it was difficult to connect with his body after the Cradle.

“You do look different.” Hal agreed, “But you’re healthy now.” 

Barry shook his head and dipped his head, his shoulders shaking. Feeling sorry for him, Hal came up behind him and wrapped him in a hug, or at least he tried to, but Barry shoved him off. The Omega started scratching at his lips and cheeks, tears still dripping down his face.

“Hey, don’t hurt yourself.” Hal instructed sternly.

Barry didn’t stop, he kept picking at his face, even moving further down his body to his hips. He experimentally touched certain parts of his body, the crying getting worse every time he did.

“I don’t look like me anymore.” He whispered, more to the mirror than to Hal but he heard it anyway.

“You do look like you.” Hal corrected, “All that’s different is that you’re healthy.”

“How do fillers make me healthy!” Barry snapped, rounding on him.

“What?” Hal asked.

“You gave me fillers, I can tell.” The Omega growled, going back to his examination of himself. “And you did something to my hips, I can tell.”

“Do you think I gave you plastic surgery?” Hal asked

“Well how else did this happen?”

Hal felt like he had been slapped across the face, he could understand that Barry may have some issues with the drastic changes that his body had gone through, but it seemed like a leap to immediately go to plastic surgery.

“Barry, Sweet thing, I did not get you plastic surgery.” Hal said.

“Yes you did! Why couldn’t you just find an Omega that already looked like this? Why did you have to do this to me?” Barry muttered.

“Barry, I didn’t have any cosmetics done.” 

“Then how do you explain this?” Barry snarled, poking at his lips.

“While you were in the Cradle, they had a tube down your throat to keep you fed and hydrated. They had vaseline on it, which combined with the proper nutrition and hydration, took away the scabs from your lips.” Hal explained patiently, “I did not have the doctors inject fillers into you.”

Barry faltered and hesitantly, but then his eyes hardened again and he looked back at Hal.

“And my cheeks?” He asked.

“You gained weight. That’s why your cheeks look fuller.”

There was silence for a moment and Hal really hoped that that was going to be enough to get the Omega calmed down enough to continue with his morning routine. Instead, Barry started pressing on his hips suspiciously.

“No. No you changed me.” He mumbled. “This isn’t how I’m supposed to look, you messed with my body somehow.”

“Baby, I would never change your body. All that you got in the Cradle was what was necessary to make you healthy and heal your injuries.” Hal said.

“Stop lying!” Barry growled, stomping his foot. 

“I’m not lying Barry, the reason you look so different is because you aren’t starving anymore.” Hal reasoned, “You have a little more meat on your bones, which is why your figure looks fuller. It happened quicker because of the Cradle helped you absorb nutrients faster than if you did it without the assistance, but there were no cosmetic alterations involved.”

This time when Hal tried to pull Barry in close, he let him, though he was still poking at his body. Hal figured that the questions weren’t over but he would just wait patiently until they were asked. In the meantime, he just rested his chin against Barry’s head.

“My legs are different.” Barry announced after a few minutes.

“They are, they’ve gained some weight but they lost some muscle. We’ll keep up your physical therapy and they’ll develop more muscle mass.” Hal said.

“My skin is different too.” He whispered.

“Because you’re properly hydrated, clean, and rested.” Hal said.

“You made me shorter.” Barry said, though Hal could see that even he didn’t fully believe it.

“No I didn’t. Come here.” 

With that, Hal scooped Barry up and held him like he had before Barry could walk. When he held him, Barry was close to level with his face, but when he was on his own feet, the top of Barry’s head was just below his shoulder. He lifted Barry and put him down a few times, until the Omegas eyes drifted down to the floor, letting Hal know he’d gotten the point.

“You really didn’t give me any fillers?” Barry whispered, staring at the mirror. “You didn’t change me?”

“I really didn’t. I don’t need to.” Hal promised, taking Barry’s chin and lifting his face so he had to look at himself in the mirror. “You’re just this beautiful all on your own, no fillers needed.”

“I’m not beautiful.” He mumbled.

“Baby, you just thought I pumped you full of chemicals to make you look this good. Face it Barry, you’re drop dead gorgeous.” Hal teased.

In the mirror, Barry blushed and bit his lip. There was no fight left in him so he was leaning back against Hal’s chest, exhausted from his crying. Hal pressed a few kisses to his head and rubbed his shoulder.

“Let's get you plugged and back to bed. Whatdaya say?” Hal asked.

“Do I need to be plugged?” Barry asked, though he already knew the answer.

“Yes, you do.” Hal said, “C’mon, let’s get this over with.”

Hal lifted him up off his feet and leaned him over the counter, putting his butt at the perfect angle for being plugged. Taking a quick second to admire the pretty ass in front of him, Hal saw the two perfectly sculpted globes hiding a tight hole in between them. Now that he’d gained some weight, Barry had an amazing ass that he would love to squish and hold. 

Shaking away those thoughts, Hal lubed up his fingers, pulled Barry’s cheeks apart, and started stretching out his pretty hole to put the plug back in. In the future, he would like to have Barry hold his own cheeks apart for this, and probably for his enema too, but that would take some time and training to build him up to that. Purposefully, Hal teased Barry’s sensitive spot, making him startle and press back onto his fingers, which let him know he was ready to be properly full. Once the tip of the plug pressed against Barry’s furled hole, the Omega stilled, taking a deep breath when it started to push in, only releasing it when his hole swallowed up the internal part of the toy, it’s flared base comfortably between his cheeks.

Washing his fingers clean, Hal helped him down from the counter and onto his own feet. Barry stood and took a submissive stance, arms behind his back, eyes on the floor, and his feet a shoulder length apart. It wasn’t really surprising to him that he was feeling very submissive after having his ass played with, so Hal pulled him in close, cupped his cheek with one hand and rubbing his stomach with the other.

“Feeling a little better?” He asked.

“Yes Alpha.” Barry mumbled.

“Good. I know that the enemas and massages aren’t comfortable but they’ll keep you healthy. And as your Alpha, it’s my job to take care of your health.” Hal said, “But I still don’t like causing you discomfort.”

Barry didn’t respond to him, instead, he leaned into the hand on his cheek and reached up to hold onto it. Smiling, Hal hoisted him back up onto the counter, sitting him down and crouching down until his face was right in front of his belly. Holding onto Barry’s hips, Hal peppered his stomach with kisses, feeling it twitch while he giggled. Once he’d given him five kisses, he stood back up and gave him another kiss on the forehead.

“How about we get you dressed and into bed?” Hal asked, cuddling with the Omega.

“Yes please Alpha.” Barry whispered.

There was an undertone of sleepyness in his voice, probably from the hour and the meltdown he’d had earlier. Lifting him up, Hal wrapped Barry’s legs around his waist and carried him to the stool where he’d put his clothes on, setting him down long enough to help him get dressed, then picking him back up. The new pj’s were red with turkeys and leaves on them. In the spirit of the holiday that had passed recently, they were a little big on Barry but very comfortable. 

Barry was already halfway asleep before they even crossed the threshold into the bedroom, so Hal just pulled the covers back, got in, and settled himself and his Omega under the covers. Wally was still curled up and out cold, the blankets were pulled up to his chin, making him look like just a little lump in the covers. Reaching over, Hal pulled his pup into the cuddle pile he’d made with Barry, tucking him under his arm so he could hold him.

“My sweet boys.” Hal said, giving them each a kiss.

“Both of us?” Barry asked quietly.

“Of course. I’m very happy to have both of you.” Hal said, “Barry, you’re both mine. I have paperwork to prove it, you’re both staying with me.”

“Thank you Alpha.”

“Oh Baby. You don’t have to thank me, I’m Your Alpha and I’m going to protect you and Wally.” Hal assured, “And protecting you means keeping you with me.”

Reaching over him, Barry held Wally’s cheek and smiled. Hal ruffled his hair and pulled him up to lay on his chest.

“Get some sleep Darling, everythings okay.” 

Hal watched while Barry got himself comfortable and closed his eyes. In a few minutes, his breathing slowed down and evened out until finally, he was sleeping peacefully. With both of his charges heavily on top of him, there was nothing he could do except lay with them while they slept. Mentally, he started making a mental to-do list; he needed to get Barry on a meal schedule, get Wally more comfortable with him as a figurehead in their little mismatch unit, keep up with Barry’s physical therapy, settle Wally into his own bed, and retrain Barry. 

It was an extensive list, full of difficult tasks that might not always be pleasant for his charges. He wasn’t sure if weaning the pair off of cosleeping would trigger some trauma in the pair, but he also knew that it needed to be done, though he did intend to do it slowly. Getting Barry trained would be difficult, he needed him comfortable with collars and leashes again so he could take him out in public safely, and from the display earlier, he needed to work on sitting still while his internal cleaning was happening. 

He was planning to talk to Clark about the whole thing, see what his advice was about the whole thing. He knew that he was kind, but firm, with his mate and son. He was protective and slightly possessive over them, but he also encouraged their independence. If anybody was going to help him, it would be him, and also, given that he was the pack Alpha he would wind up being Barry’s secondary Alpha. Having Clark be Barry’s secondary would mean that the Omega was going to need to get comfortable with him, he needed to be used to Clark touching him, talking to him, and generally just being around him.

He figured that getting Wally comfortable and settled would be easier, he was going to start getting him into his own bed by the end of the week. He was going to alternate nights in his own bed and with them, then slowly extend it to two nights in his bed and one night with them. He didn’t want to be cruel or demeaning about it, and obviously there were going to be nights where it was more difficult or there were hurdles, like nightmares or nerves where he would have to buckle and bring him in with them. Wally needed to be confident that the adults would be there to keep him safe and know that he could come to them with any struggles he was having.

While he was thinking about it, Wally shifted and squirmed closer to him. In response, Hal held him tight and gave him a kiss, the sweet pup scent filling his nose. The kid had stolen his heart just as quickly as Barry had but in a very different way, he was playful and sweet, but he was fiercely protective of his dad and Hal had already fallen in love with him. He wanted to get both Barry and Wally into the pack, but he knew that it wasn’t something he could force, the pair would have to bond with the rest of the pack naturally and then get the brand seared on their skin. On Barry it would be on the left side of the small of his back, and for Wally it would be in the centre of the small of his back, which would bind them to the pack. That was something that would come from Barry spending time with the other Omegas and bringing his child around them while they had their own pups, which Hal intended to encourage.

~~~

Hal must have dozed off at some point, because he was woken by Wally squirming and climbing around on the bed. He had climbed over Hal and was beside his dad, starting to nudge him and pester him into waking up. Sitting up, Hal scooped him up and pulled him into his lap, tickling his stomach and kissing his head, making him squeak and giggle.

“What are you doing, little man?” Hal asked.

“I want dad awake.” Wally said, still giggling. “I’m hungry.”

“Alright, well let's get you some breakfast.” He said, climbing out of bed with the kid in his arms. “We’ll just let your dad sleep and wake up on his own, he had a long day yesterday.”

“But I want to cuddle with him!” Wally protested, “I really missed him.”

“I know, you have been incredibly patient and strong these past two weeks, and I really appreciate all of it. We’re just going to have a lazy day here today, we can all hang out on the couch and watch some movies.” Hal said, “So you and your dad are going to have plenty of time to snuggle and catch up with each other.”

Wally perked up and smiled at the thought of being allowed to spend the entire day with his dad. He stayed still while Hal carried him out into the rest of the manor and toward the kitchen, clinging to him all the way. In the kitchen, Hal gathered some bowls, cereal, spoons, and other miscellaneous breakfast things for the three of them, he adjusted Wally so he was on his back and could hold some of the lighter things.

“Can we have Lucky Charms?” Wally piped up.

“Yeah sure.” Hal agreed.

Wally smiled and took the box from his Alpha, holding it and the raspberries like they were royal jewels. Once they’d gathered all the supplies they needed, Hal started the journey back to their suite so they could have their first meal. Hal had already spoken to the rest of his pack about his plans for the day and had been encouraged to follow through with them, Ollie and Clark had even made plans to take the rest of the pack out for the day so the manor would be quiet for them. 

The only person still in the manor was Alfred but he was working in the basement after Hal had assured him that he could keep his charges safe and fed. He was planning on keeping all three of them in the suite, both to keep them close and to get Barry and Wally accustomed to that space being comfortable and safe for them. He wanted them to be comfortable coming and going from their rooms as they pleased as well as keeping their valuables in their respective rooms. 

Back in their suite, they were met with Barry frantically stumbling around the living room, eyes snapping up when he heard the door open. Wally dropped off his back and raced over to his dad, nearly knocking the man over with the over zealous hug. Barry dropped and returned the embrace, the room filling with the sweet smell of the pair scenting. Hal gave them space even though he wanted to ask him why he looked so panicked when they’d come in, instead, he set up the table for them to eat.

Soon, Wally’s hunger took precedence over his desire to be in contact with his dad and pulled him over to the table. There were three seats around it and he pulled one of them closer to another, gesturing for his dad to sit beside him so they were together. Hal pushed one of the bowls to Wally and handed the Lucky Charms box to him, Barry had a small bowl of raspberries in light yoghurt and a large glass of nutrition shake because his stomach couldn’t handle the overly processed sugars in Lucky Charms yet. Hal had grabbed himself a mug of coffee and took a long sip while Barry poured his son a bowl of cereal, adding the milk for him and then placing both back in the centre of the table.

“So Barry, I already told Wally but the three of us are just going to hang out here today.” Hal informed him, “I just think it’ll be nice to spend a day catching up and settling in.”

“Okay.” Barry agreed, a small smile gracing his face.

The three were relatively silent through their meal, Wally and Barry snuggled and ate together through the entire thing. When he thought Hal wasn’t looking, Wally gave Barry a sip of his orange juice, which he pretended not to see. Barry could have orange juice so it didn’t matter that he’d had a small sip, but the secretive smile the pair shared kept him from speaking up about it. 

At the end of the meal, Hal helped the other two get a movie playing and settled them on the couch with a blanket while he ran the food and dishes back to the kitchen. He put all the food away into the cupboards or fridge, and put the dishes in the dishwasher. He made sure the kitchen was in a better state than he found it and made a return to the suite, finding Wally curled up in his dad's lap. When he got closer to them, he could hear that Barry was purring and chirping quietly.

“Hey Cuddlebugs.” Hal greeted, taking a seat beside them.

He wrapped an arm around Barry’s shoulder and tugged him close, pulling the blankets tighter around the two. Barry snuggled against his shoulder and pressed his nose into Hal’s neck, breathing deeply to catch his scent. Hal laid his scent over the pair and gave them each a kiss, checking over the pair to make sure they were okay, which they were.

“You two doing okay?” He asked.

“Yes.”

“Yes, Alpha.” Barry replied contently.

“Just Hal, Barry.” He instructed, “Just call me Hal.”

Barry didn’t reply, just nuzzled into his arm further. Clearly, he wasn’t going to be comfortable calling him by his first name and it would take some corrections and some time to get him there. Still, Hal wasn’t comfortable being called ‘Alpha’ all the time so he pushed the name issue to the top of the retraining list for the pair to work on.

The movie played on the television while the three cuddled on the couch together, with Barry and Wally practically on Hal’s lap. At noon, he wanted to take the them for a little walk around the floor, just to keep up on Barry’s physical therapy, but other than that, he just planned on keeping them as close and cozy with him. He fully expected both of them to fall asleep on the sofa and he wasn’t disappointed, Barry noticed Wally’s eyes drooping and scented with him a few times and the comfort of the ritual lulled them both to sleep.

~~~

Clark re entered his home with most of his pack, his mate properly beside him and clinging to his arm. They had met up with Arthur, Mera, and Kaldur in the park and had met Diana at the train station to bring them all back to the Manor with them. The whole situation with Barry and Wally was still turbulent and as the Alpha of the pack, he had decided to bring the whole pack back to the pack house to work through it. Bruce had met the new Omega last night when he’d gotten back with Hal and had reported that he looked much better now than he had a week ago.

He wasn’t sure how he felt about the new Omega. He had no doubt in his mind that Lex had brutalised him horribly, but he wasn’t sure entirely how he’d wound up with Hal and what Lex’s grand scheme was. He had checked both Wally and Barry when he’d first seen them for any trackers or listening devices and hadn’t found any, but he still worried that there was some way that he was in communication with his old Alpha. 

He hated how paranoid he was about the whole thing, he’d never wanted to be that kind of Alpha, the kind to need to know where his mate and pup was at all times, he was scared that Lex was tracking Barry somehow and could go after his family. He didn’t want to treat Barry unkindly, if he was still helping Lex it was probably because there was something being held over him and he could sympathise, but he didn’t want his pack at risk because of it. It felt selfish to even think about and it made him feel horrible, but if he had to choose between protecting his family and helping Barry and Wally, he would choose his family with no hesitation. 

He was still praying he never had to make that choice.

As soon as their coats and boots were off, the pups all ran off to go play amongst themselves, leaving the adults in the entranceway. Ollie and Arthur were with their mates, each taking off their outdoor gear, Diana was calmly untying her own boots, long hair hanging over her shoulder. The only female Alpha in their pack had been incredibly interested to hear about the new Omega that Hal had rescued and was eager to see him. 

Bruce stayed by his side, sensing through their bond the stress his mate was under. Clark was immensely grateful for his partner, Bruce hadn’t confronted him on his feelings because he knew that Clark would open up when he was ready, but he’d shown his support by standing by him. He had been so over protective over him and Dick that he practically kept them within arms reach, getting up at multiple points in the night to check on Dick just in case he needed help, and he’d bitten and marked Bruce as his so often that his Omegas chest was covered in teeth marks and hickeys. At least Bruce liked it when he marked him, he would have hated himself if he was putting his mate through something he hated for his own peace of mind.

Once he’d gotten his coat and shoes off, he subconsciously started heading to Hal’s suite to check on them. Bruce stayed beside him, their arms just brushing as they walked through the halls.

“Where are we going?” Bruce finally asked, even though he already knew.

“I want to check on Hal’s little brood.” He responded.

“I thought Hal was going to keep Barry and Wally in the suite, alone, so all three of them could settle in.”

Clark paused and rubbed his eyes. He knew, he was fully aware of Hal’s plans for the day but he just needed to know how everyone was. He wouldn’t be able to rest or relax until he knew that they were there and that the new Omega wasn’t doing anything untoward. 

“I know I just-” He broke off and sighed, “I just need to check on them.”

Bruce nodded and stepped in close to him, he stood on his toes and wrapped his arms around his shoulder. Clark wrapped his arms around his waist and dipped his head to touch their foreheads together, he could feel Bruces’s heartbeat against his own chest, steady and constant it reminded him that his mate was still safe.

“Will you be down for dinner?” Bruce finally asked.

“Yes, I’ll only be a few minutes.” Clark replied.

“Good. I’ll see you at the table.” Bruce said, kissing him. “I love you.”

“I love you too. I love you so much, my Omega.”

The pair kissed again and then Clark stepped back, breaking their contact. Bruce turned to head back to the communal part of the manor, leaving his mate to continue with his check up. In front of the door, he heard little movements and three distinctive heart beats, one of which he easily recognised as Hals. Raising his fist, he knocked on the door and listened to the shuffling behind it, then the door opened and Hal appeared.

“Hey man, what's up?” He asked 

“I just wanted to check in on the new Omega, see how he was settling in.” Clark said, trying to look more laidback than he felt. 

“Oh sure, c’mon in.” Hal invited, stepping back to welcome him in.

Barry and Wally were asleep on the sofa, wrapped in a blanket and holding onto each other. They were laid down with their heads on the couch, which led Clark to believe that they had probably been leaning against Hal when he’d interrupted. Seeing him looking so small and helpless, Clark felt awful for even suspecting that Barry could be up to something, but he still couldn’t shake his nerves.

“How’s Barry been?” He asked quietly.

“He’s great! He can walk and talk now, his stomach is a little bigger now and he isn’t in pain.” Hal relayed happily, “And his glands aren’t frozen now, he and Wally have been scenting all day.”

“I can smell it.” Clark joked.

He slowly circled the couch until he was standing in front of the sleeping pair. He wasn’t really interested in Wally, having been around him and helping to take care of him for the past two weeks, he knew what he was struggling with and what he liked and didn’t like. Barry was more of a mystery and that’s what he was here to learn about, he wanted to check him over a little bit to see how he was doing.

“Can I?” He asked, gesturing to Barry.

“Of course, let me put Wally in the bedroom.” Hal said, carefully detangling the pup from his dad.

Clark waited patiently until Hal came back, no pup in his arms. He took a few steps back while Hal gently woke his Omega up, kissing his forehead and stroking his hair. When he noticed that there was another Alpha in the room, he sat straight up and crawled closer to his Alpha, eyeing Clark suspiciously.

“Easy Barry, easy.” Hal soothed, “It’s just Clark, he just wants to check up on you.”

That didn’t seem to calm Barry down at all, but when Clark came closer he didn’t fight. Even before he put a hand on him, Clark could see how much healthier he looked, his skin was smoother, his hair shinier, and his eyes brighter. Clearly, getting him that surgery, whatever his objections, had been the right choice.

“Hello there.” He greeted softly, taking Barry’s hand in his.

With one hand holding the Omegas, he caught his chin with the other, tilting his face up so he could examine his neck. The skin was completely healed with no sign that it had ever been damaged in the first place, there were no scars, no marks, it was completely unblemished. Moving his hand down, Clark gently traced his finger down the middle of his chest, feeling him breathe and his heart beating under the skin and bones. He wanted to lift up his shirt and get a better look, but he decided to leave that for another day, instead, he rolled up his pant leg to look at his shins, unmarked, just like his neck.

“He looks amazing.” Clark admitted, releasing Barry’s hand.

“He does, doesn’t he.” Hal agreed, pressing a kiss to his Omegas head.

It was funny really, to see Hal so lovestruck by this little Omega. The pilot had never been one to stick to a relationship for long, with the exception of Carol, who he had been on and off with for years and had seemed to settle on off for good. He had been sure that he would never see the day when Harold ‘Highball’ Jordan ever looked at another person with the softness in his eyes that he had for Barry. He hoped that whenever he got to the bottom of the Lex debacle, that Hal would get to keep the Omega and pup, they really seemed to bring out the best in him. 

“I’m going to head down for dinner now, I’ll bring you three up some plates.” He said, catching Barry’s chin and resting his forehead against his. “Nice to see you again Barry.”

Hal purred and nuzzled the other man when Clark stepped away, laying his claiming scent over him. He and Clark walked to the door together, leaving Barry to get up and race to the bedroom, closing the door firmly behind him.

“Is he okay?” Clark asked.

“Oh yeah, he’ll be good.” Hal assured, “I want him getting used to you being around him anyway, what with you being the pack Alpha and all.”

Clark nodded, knowing exactly what was coming. Aside from Mera, who couldn’t stay out of the sea for very long, all the Omegas had Clark as their secondary. Being a secondary Alpha meant that if something were to happen to an Omegas primary Alpha, their secondary would step up and take care of them and their pups. In a pack like theirs it wasn’t as necessary, but it gave their Alphas a sense of security knowing that in the event of their death, their mate would be taken care of. 

“You want me to be his secondary?” He guessed.

“Would you?” Hal asked, “I know he’s not my mate and you haven’t known him for very long, but I was hoping that eventually, he and Wally could join our pack.”

“I have no issue being his secondary, but we’ll need to talk to the rest of the pack about adding new members.” Clark conceited, “And you’ll need to see if your charges would even be willing to join.”

“Of course, thank you Clark.” Hal said, clapping him on the shoulder.

“Anytime. I’m going to join the rest of the pack, Diana, Arthur, Mera, and Kaldur are here now, but I’ll be back shortly to bring you three your dinner.” Clark said, returning the familial gesture.

Walking back to the dining room, Clark felt that he could breathe a little bit easier. He still had his suspicions and he wanted to examine Barry a lot more thoroughly than what he had done, but that would have to wait for another day. Right now, he would have to satisfy himself with what he had and just remain vigilant, fortunately, all of his pack but one was safely under one roof. J’hon was off on Mars, so he wasn’t able to be there, but having the others under the intensive security systems of the manor certainly eased his nerves, at least a little. Hopefully, it would be enough that he could finallly get some sleep that night.

Chapter Text

The next morning, Hal had decided that he was going to take his charges downstairs after their breakfast. He wanted to introduce his charges to the members of his pack who had arrived the previous night and get them acquainted with them. He figured that Wally would get along fairly well with the new guests just as he had with the ones he’d already met, it was Barry that he worried about the most. The Omega didn’t even fully trust Hal and he was his Alpha, he knew that Arthur and Diana would scare him given that they were Alphas, but he hoped he’d get along with Mera.

Hal assumed that Barry didn’t trust the Alphas because he was sure that abuse from them was imminent and he was just running out the clock with each passing day. And of course, he wouldn’t believe Hal when he assured him that he would never be hit while with him, because he didn’t trust an Alpha, especially one that now legally owned him and his son. He was hoping that he would be able to spend alone time with the other Omegas and ask about the lives they lived with their children and mates. Maybe, hearing that abuse was not tolerated in this pack from the Omegas who had lived in it for years, would convince Barry to relax and maybe put a little more trust in his Alpha.

He was in the middle of cleaning up the breakfast dishes while Barry was getting Wally dressed and groomed for the day. Barry had immediately fallen back into his role of Wally’s caregiver when he’d gotten home healthy enough to fulfil it, reading to him, playing with him, holding him, and helping him get dressed. He had refused most offers of help from Hal, even for things as mundane as helping the boy tie his shoes, Barry was Wally’s dad and he did not need help raising him. Nonetheless, Hal helped anyway as much as he could, Barry might be the primary caregiver, but he was the guardian and provider for the pup and Wally needed to get used to Hal taking care of him.

“Alpha Hal!”

Hal turned around at the call, knowing exactly who was calling for him. He’d managed to find a compromise on his name with Wally, which was a big step for now and he was sure he’d take more later, on his own time. He had offered Barry the same compromise but so far, he’d stuck exclusively to “Alpha” when referring to him. 

“Yes Kiddo?” Hal asked, bending down to catch the boy up in a hug when he ran at him.

“Dad says that there’s new people here!” Wally announced.

“Yes, four new people are here and one of them is around your age.” He told him, the pup's little hands gripping at the neckline of his shirt. 

“Are they nice?” Wally asked.

“Yes, Kaldur is a very nice kid, I think you’ll get along with him very well.” Hal said 

“Can we go meet them?” Wally asked, wriggling in Hal’s arms.

“Barry, are you ready to go downstairs?” Hal asked, addressing his Omega.

He was the picture of a submissive Omega homemaker from the fifties, in an ankle length skirt with a modest blouse, hair neatly combed and off his face, feet shoulder length apart, arms behind his back, and his face down. He’d been incredibly nervous since Hal had told him about the new people he wanted him to meet earlier that morning and because of his nerves, he’d been incredibly submissive and vulnerable to suggestion from his Alpha.

“Yes Alpha.” Barry said, voice clear but tight. He was scared.

“Alright then, let’s go see them.”

Hal put Wally on his feet, watching the pup race over to hold onto his dad’s hand while they walked. When Barry got close enough, Hal wrapped his arm around his waist and walked with his Omega right by his side. Being so close to him, Hal could smell the bitter scent of Barry’s fear, which he was trying to cover with a scented lotion and his shirt collar, he pressed a quick kiss to the top of Barry’s head and gave his waist a squeeze. He knew that meeting new people was going to be stressful, there was nothing he could really do about that, but he could try to keep him close to make him feel safe.

When they got closer to the den where the rest of the pack was already settled, the scent of all the Alphas and Omegas was noticeable all the way out in the hallway, even with the closed door. At the smell, Barry shivered, held Wally’s hand tighter and leaned into Hal’s embrace, desperately trying to fill his nose with only his Alphas scent. Hal gave him another kiss on the head and hummed at him, feeling the body under his arm tremble.

“Easy baby, everything is okay.” He whispered, “Everyone is really excited to meet you.”

That didn’t really seem to calm Barry’s nerves but when Hal ushered them forward, he didn’t pull back. When he opened the door and guided Barry and Wally through, the trio was greeted by ten pairs of eyes locked on them, or more specifically, on the two new people. Clark immediately stood up to stand beside Hal so he could introduce the new people to them. Barry was still until Hal gently guided him in front of him, both hands on his waist and his chest pressed against his back. 

Diana got up first, being that she was Clark's second in command, she had a higher rank in the pack. As she got closer with each step, Barry leaned back against Hal and held his pup tighter. When Diana was right in front of them, Clark placed a hand under Barry’s chin to lift his face up enough for Diana to get a good look at him.

“Diana, this is Barry and his pup Wally. Barry is Hal’s new Omega ward.” Clark informed her, “Barry, this is Diana Prince and she’s my right hand in Pack affairs and my Omegas secondary.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you Barry, I’m Diana.” She introduced herself.

When Diana offered her hand for a shake, Barry caught it and lowered his forehead to the back of it, the same way he had greeted Clark. Diana looked over at Hal and Clark with confusion while Barry submitted to the new Alpha.

“I thought that this style of greeting by Omegas was frowned upon here?” She thought over their mind link.

“It is, but Barry’s been through a lot.” Clark whispered back. “Hal and I will explain later, when the Omegas and pups aren’t around.”

Nodding, Diana pulled her hand back gently and took Barry’s chin, tilting his head from side to side, examining him. She could easily admit that he was attractive, though the fear that he was trying to mask marred his features slightly. Hal had certainly wound up with a catch of an Omega, though she’d been informed that he hadn’t gotten him through any good means. Noticing how stressed the Omega was, she released his face and gave his hand a kiss.

“Well Harold, I don’t know how you did it, but you’ve managed to get yourself one of Adonis’s children.” She teased, then turned her attention to the pup.

Kneeling down to the boy’s eye level, Diana extended her hand to him, smiling as nicely as she could when he shook it timidly. This new child, Wally, had similar features to Roy, with bright red hair, fair skin, and lanky limbs. However, Wally had freckles dotting his complexion and bright green eyes, he also wasn’t as tall, considering he was younger than Roy. He was nervous but more open to her than his father was.

“Hello Little One, it’s nice to meet you.”

“Hello.” Wally replied.

“I’m Diana, how are you?” She asked.

“I’m well Alpha, how are you?”

“I’m doing just fine, Wally, and please just call me Diana.” She requested.

Wally nodded and looked up at his dad, who was holding onto his shoulders with both hands. Barry gave him a strained smile, clearly uncomfortable that there was a strange Alpha so close to his baby but not so nervous that he was going to have a fit. Still, Diana stood up and shook Hal’s hand, then cupped Barry’s cheek briefly and stepped back to reclaim her seat.

Once she had cleared off, Arthur stepped forward with his family to greet the new ones. Wally looked eager at the sight of another pup close to his age and only his dad’s hands on his shoulders kept him from running up to greet him. Mera and Arthur were more focused on Barry, examining him before Arthur introduced himself and his mate to him. Having seen how Barry had greeted Diana, when the Omega reached to take his hand, Arthur switched the roles by grabbing his hand and bringing it up for a chaste kiss on the back of his hand.

“Barry, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” He said quietly, “I’m Arthur and I’m at your service.”

At the greeting, Barry looked dumbstruck, clearly not used to having an Alpha take the more submissive part of a traditional introduction. When Arthur released his hand, he just lowered his arm awkwardly, slightly stunned, and he didn’t look nearly so stressed when the Alpha touched his face and neck, even letting him run his hands up and down his sides and chest with no complaint. 

After he had finished his inspection of the new Omega and deemed that he had passed, he invited his own mate forward. Mera and Barry each leaned forward until their foreheads were touching and then clasped their hands together in between them. It was a very traditional Omega greeting, which Mera knew because she was raised as a princess and knew different cultures' traditional greetings as part of her schooling, and Barry knew from wherever he’d come from before he was here. After a moment, they pulled back but kept their hands together.

“I’m Mera Curry, it’s very nice to meet you.” Mera said

“Hello, I’m Omega. Jordan.” Barry replied quietly.

“You can give her your first name Bar.” Hal interrupted kindly.

“Barry Jordan. Nice to meet you too.” Barry corrected.

After the introduction between them, the pair let go of each other and started introducing their pups. Kaldur stepped out from where he’d been sheltered behind Arthur and flitted over to his Omega, his hand finding hers easily.

“Barry, this is my pup, Kaldur.” Mera introduced.

“This is my son Wally.” Barry replied, gently pushing him forward to say hello.

“Hello!” Wally chirped, extending a hand. “I’m Wally!”

“I’m Kaldur, my friends call me Kal.” He replied, accepting Wally’s hand.

“Nice to meet you.” 

The two pups seemed to be getting along and already hitting it off. Roy and Dick were by their own parents on the couch, the younger of the pair trembling with anticipation of getting to play with them once they were released to the rest of the manor. With introductions finished, Arthur took his family back to their seats while Hal guided Barry and Wally over to a loveseat and pulled Barry into his lap with Wally relaxed into his side. 

Diana had noticed that every Omega had a collar on except for Barry, which struck her as odd. Clark prided himself on being a modern Alpha, separated from the dated Kansas views his neighbours had, but one thing he kept in his mind was that all Omegas in their pack needed to wear collars. He had only gotten more strict with that rule after the Omega Rights Laws were rolled back and the RGA had formed, scared that without a collar to claim them, one of their Omegas could be snatched and sent to a group home. She had to wonder what could have swayed him on that stance that he allowed this new Omega to walk around with a bare neck.

She kept her mouth shut on the matter however, not wanting to bring up something sensitive around pups. For all she knew, Barry might have had something wrong with his neck that prevented him from wearing a collar, or perhaps Clark was having one made but it wasn’t ready yet. Given what she had heard, Barry had only recently recovered from some injuries that had required surgery, and had been through Bond Withdrawal to boot, it would make plenty of sense that fitting and making a collar had simply been pushed to the back burner. 

As was suspected, Dick quickly grew restless on his dad's lap, eager to play with his packmates. After ten minutes, he started corralling the other children to go play with him in the playroom, the adults watching with varying amusement as the pups followed their leader out of the room. 

Once the children were out of sight, Clark suggested that Bruce take the other Omegas to the Omega den, which his mate happily agreed to. Dinah and Mera were quick to rise, ready for a relaxing afternoon with each other, though Barry took a little coaxing. Soon enough, he was off his Alphas lap and slowly following the others out of the room, his hand held by Dinah.

Finally in private, the Alphas could start their talks mostly uninterrupted, which would undoubtedly center around Hal’s new charge. Before the discussions started, Dinah and Arthur got up and poured themselves a drink, even though it was still early, this conversation would require something strong. Once seated again, Diana tilted her tumbler to Clark and Hal.

“So, how did you come by those two?”

“Not too well, remember that mission Bruce sent the other Lanterns and I on just last month?” Diana nodded, “Well, at the end of it, Lex brought Barry to us as a form of payment, and if one of us didn’t take him, he’d go to a group home without his pup.”

“That’s horrible.” Arthur said, “But how did he wind up here? Wayne Enterprises has plenty of Omega shelters that you could have taken him to. They would have set him up with a proper guardian.”

“He was beaten something fierce Arthur, he couldn’t walk, talk, scent, or anything. He needed medical attention that he wouldn’t be able to properly receive at a shelter and taking him to a hospital would have ended with him in a group home.” Hal explained.

“Can confirm.” Clark added, “It was sickening, how hurt he was. And you think he’s skinny now? He looked like a POW when I first saw him.”

“Yep.” Ollie seconded.

“So what are we going to do with him?” Diana asked, “Are we keeping him?”

“Thats… Kinda undecided.” Clark replied, looking at Hal, “He would certainly fit in well, he’s a total sweetheart, cares about the pups, and he’s a metahuman too. He and Wally both have super speed and accelerated healing and metabolism. Even if Barry didn’t want to put on a mask, he would certainly fit in well as a parent and a companion.”

“And Hal’s sweet on him.” Ollie joked

“No, I am not ‘sweet on him’ Ollie.” Hal snapped, but his cheeks were bright red.

Diana couldn’t say she was too shocked about the accusations of a crush. Barry might not be her type but she couldn’t deny he was attractive, and she knew for a fact that he was Hal’s. With the long legs, slender frame, cornsilk hair, and delicate facial features, he may as well have been made in a lab especially for her packmate to bond and breed with. She could very easily picture Barry with a bond mark on his neck and a baby in his belly, settled into Hal’s side while his Alpha doted on him.

“You’re awfully red.” Arthur commented snidely.

“It’s hot in here.” he excused, avoiding the looks his family gave him.

“Of course, we believe you.” Clark agreed, though he dramatically mouthed ‘not’ to the rest of the group. “But we can keep them even if you aren’t longing to court him.”

“I really think he would do well here.” Hal admitted, “He’s had a rough go, I think he deserves a good pack who won’t smack him around or threaten his pup. He’s a good man and an amazing father, he adores his puppy and I think he’ll love the other kids too, and I’m sure that with some therapy and some gained confidence, he’ll be more outgoing like the other Omegas.”

“I’m sure he will be.” Ollie said, “Besides, it’s not like there’s any rules saying that says an Omega can only join a pack if they marry in, Barry could join the pack independently with his son. Dinah joined before we even started courting, so we know it’s very possible, and the new bullshit laws don’t say anything about pack dynamics.”

There was a murmur of agreement among them all and then a lull in conversation. Hal got up for some water while Clark and Ollie absently scrolled through their phones. Diana and Arthur sipped their drinks idly while they waited for Hal to return, she had some questions that she needed answers to.

“Why doesn’t he wear a collar?” She asked when he returned.

Hal sighed and ran his hand through his hair. 

“He’s uncomfortable with them. Lex made him wear a collar with some kind of cutting wires, so every time he pulled on the leash it would cut his neck. He had to have his glands and vocal cords temporarily frozen because of all the damage.” Hal explained slowly, “I tried to put a construct of one on him the first day I had him, but he looked so scared and uncomfortable that I took it off.”

“But he’s going to need one soon though, right?” Clark asked, “If you ever want to take him out in public, he’ll need one and it’s required by law that all Omegas wear one on planes and in government buildings. I know we don’t want to stress him too much, but we will need to get him used to them.”

“I know, I know. Trust me, I know we need to get him a collar, but I just want him to be comfortable first.” He said, knowing he was delaying the inevitable.

“And I respect that, I do, but he can be comfortable with a good collar.” Clark said.

“We could all go out and help find a base that would be comfortable for him to wear and then have the proper insignia sewn into it.” Arthur offered, “We could have it ready within two days.”

“This is very true, and then you can start retraining him with his collar, and by extension, start leash training.” Diana said.

“That… would be nice.” Hal admitted reluctantly.

“We could go out tomorrow.” Clark offered.

“I’d like that.” Hal said.

~~~

Barry slowly followed the other Omegas through a door and into a suite very similar to the one he slept in with his Alpha and son. However, there were blankets and pillows in abundance on every flat surface, piled on the sofa or over the backs of chairs, it gave the room a very cushy appearance. Bruce, Mera, and Dinah instantly started pushing the fluffy pillows into different positions and settled into the makeshift nests, which Barry copied as best he could, sinking into the warm burrow he’d made with a happy sigh.

The sofa was an odd shape, it curved around in a ‘U’ and there was an ottoman in the exact shape of the dip in the sofa. Bruce hopped up and pushed the ottoman into place and crawled back into his nest to cuddle up. Aside from Barry, all the Omegas were very close, practically in each other’s laps, even though their burrows were separate. 

For a few minutes, Barry worried that he was going to have to recant what his past had consisted of and answer any questions Mera had about it. Instead, Dinah rested her head on Bruce’s shoulder.

“How have you settled in, Barry?” She asked.

“Pretty well, thank you.” He replied.

“That’s really good, have you been able to spend enough time with Wally?” Bruce asked.

“I did yesterday, we spent the entire day together yesterday.” He said happily, remembering how nice it had been to snuggle with his baby.

“Nice. He really missed you while you were in New York and I know that it must have been hard to not be able to scent with him for so long.” Dinah hummed sympathetically.

“Wait, you couldn’t scent with your puppy?” Mera chimed in, shocked.

“My scent glands were really infected and the doctor said she had to freeze them so they could heal properly.” He admitted reluctantly.

He wasn’t really opposed to the idea of his fellow Omegas knowing what he’d gone through, after all, they probably had similar experiences. What he didn’t want was for the Alphas to know the full extent of it, he didn’t want them to know that the reason his old Alpha had given him up was because he wasn’t able to give him a baby. He knew that his Alpha and his packmates were being incredibly gentle with him right now, probably expecting that he’d be a good bonded Omega to Hal, one who could keep him properly fed, his space clean, and give him pups if he wanted them. He imagined that the kindness he’d been given so far would evaporate in an instant if it got out that he was defective.

“That’s horrible! Barry, I’m so sorry.” Mera said, “God, I can’t imagine not being able to scent with Kal, I think I would lose my mind.”

“It would break my heart to not be able to scent with Roy.” Dinah agreed.

Bruce didn’t say anything, but he did nod along in agreement. Scenting was very important to relationships, especially between an Omega and their pup before Whelping, and even afterwards. Mera and Arthur hadn’t properly Whelped Kal yet, though there were plans to do so, and obviously since Luthor hadn’t allowed it, Wally wasn’t Whelped to his son. 

“And poor Wally, he’s only a pup.” Dinah added, “Poor thing, he’s been through too much. He didn’t tell Ollie or I about it, but he was having nightmares and didn’t like having to go to sleep.”

At the mention of his son’s suffering, Barry squirmed. He knew very well that Wally had been through too much, that he deserved better than the hand he’d been dealt in his short life. He had seen first hand what he’d been through and had done his best to make it better for him whenever he could. The child had never had many toys, he and Iris hadn’t had the chance to get him many and when Iris had been killed, there simply hadn’t been enough left over for children's toys, and of course, Lex had never bothered with providing Wally with anything suitable for his age. Hal had told him that he’d bought some things just for his pup and that they were in the closet of their bedroom, and he’s said that together, they could give them to Wally later in the evening. 

It was almost definitely a way to give him something to look forward to, but he didn’t care much to think about it. Hal had been very forgiving of his fear and reluctance to meet the new people, not even scolding him for how he’d dragged his feet that morning. If his Alpha thought the best way to get him going was to bribe him with things for his child, he’d always go with that over a swat.

Meras hand on his shoulder broke him out of his thoughts, pulling him back into the warm comfort of the room they were in. Dinah grabbed onto him too, and between the two of them, they pulled him into Dinah’s nest, the blond behind him and Mera in front of him. The women urged him into a reclined position and held him tight, all the while Bruce expanded the nest they were in to encompass all four of them, then crawled in to join him. He wound up behind Dinah, reaching over her to encircle his hand over hers on Barry’s waist.

“No more bad thoughts.” He muttered, “Not in the Omega room.”

Dinah and Mera hummed in agreement, pressing even closer to Barry, until they could hear each other's heartbeats against their own. Slowly, Barry started to relax into the nest, letting the blankets and others lull him into a soft place in his brain, until all he could focus on was the weight of the others and how good his entire body felt. Soon enough, he was floating mindlessly in his own head, acutely aware that even if he tried, he wouldn’t be able to speak, his brain was far too mushy for that.

He had to admit, it wasn’t a bad feeling, more like the bliss of the intersection between sleep and wakefulness. He knew what was happening around him, he could hear the others murmuring and feel them shifting, he just couldn’t bring himself to care or focus on it. Instead, when Mera moved her arm, he reached to embrace her in a reclined hug with his nose buried in her hair so he was able to himself be pulled further into the bliss by her scent. She smelled like something flowery, along with a hint of salt and cold air, something he assumed came from the ocean she lived in. She also had a sharp scent underneath, similar but more assertive, probably her Alpha but he didn’t care. 

Suddenly, there was an unwelcome chill behind him, Dinah and Bruce weren’t there anymore. He whined and wriggled closer to Mera, unhappy that his blissful float was being interrupted by the lack of touch. He heard a giggle from above, and then Mera was pulling away from him too, expertly detangling herself from his grasp despite how hard he tried to hold onto her. 

“C’mon Barry, we’re moving to the bedroom.” Dinah said kindly.

She tugged on his arm until he finally sat up, then helped him clamber out of the makeshift nest. To his annoyance, his legs refused to cooperate with him, he was clumsy and he needed Dinah there to help him balance, though she seemed to be indifferent to his stumbling. Together, they made their way to a bedroom off of the living room. It had a massive king sized bed against the far wall that was covered in a pile of blankets and pillows; clearly a well made and maintained nest. There were a few small dressers along the walls, and another door on a far wall that probably led to an attached bathroom.

Left uncertain in the doorway, he could only look on as Mera and Bruce started taking off the clothes, stripping until they were only in their underwear. Dinah guided him in further and Bruce and Mera helped him get undressed to his panties, then sat him on the edge of the bed. For some reason, Barry seemed to be the only one floating in his headspace and unable to perform simple tasks without assistance.

As soon as they were all in the same state of undress, Bruce picked Barry up and carried him to the side of the bed, dropping him into the nest. To his delight, he was soon joined by the others while they settled into the blankets. 

“Aww Barry, you haven’t done this in a long time, have you?” Dinah cooed, curling around him from behind.

“Done wha?” he asked, his tongue heavy.

“Had some proper Omega time.” She answered, “That’s why you're so deep in your Omega headspace, because you haven’t got a tolerance for it.”

Barry just blinked owlishly, completely unable to formulate a response to what she’d said. It was certainly true, he had never really had a chance to cuddle with other Omegas like this, there were a few times that came close, but he didn’t want to think about it now. He would start crying if he did, he missed them so much, but he hadn’t seen them since after he’d moved to Metropolis. God, Wally probably didn’t even remember them.

“Shh, it’s okay.” Mera soothed, sensing his distress but not its source. “We’ll take care of you, just settle in and let yourself relax.”

Obeying the order, he leaned back into Dinah's bare chest, her arms encircling his waist and her nose buried in the crook of his neck. Quickly, they reassumed the position they’d all been in before moving to the bedroom, a light but warm comforter pulled over them so only their heads were exposed to the open air. 

This nest was very different from the one they had been in before, the wall was more sturdy with a solid base that was softened with blankets and shored up with pillows. Despite how many blankets were in the nest, it wasn’t full of pockets or lumpy, it was expertly constructed in a way only a group of Omegas that were familiar with the art of nest making could achieve. Even when he squirmed and stretched, his feet didn’t push through the wall, though he did make Dinah mumble and adjust her hold on him.

It didn’t take long for him to rise back into his headspace, the feeling of blankets and bare skin against his being the only thing to occupy his mind. The nest smelt like the other three, the scent comforting him and pulling him in further, in this room the only Alpha smell came from their lingering scent on the Omegas, barely noticeable. There were no sharp scents, no Alpha to try to dominate them or fuss at them, it was just the four of them. 

He didn’t even notice that he’d started purring, it was only when he heard the quiet medley of all of their purrs together that he realised that he was doing it. He felt more relaxed than he had in the past five years, no tension in his muscles or fear in his mind, he just felt safe and warm, enveloped between the others. He drifted in that bliss until he felt like it would never leave him, eyes closed and a sleepy smile on his face, he would be happy to stay like that forever.

~~~

He didn’t know what time it was, or how long they’d been in the nest before the familiar sounds of the purring were interrupted by a rude buzzing noise. Jerking back into wakefulness, Barry and the others started moving and sitting up, unable to ignore that buzz. The source was easily located, the collars Dinah, Mera, and Bruce were wearing had pendants in the latch that were glowing and buzzing, the pattern identical for each of them. Wordlessly, the other three got up and started to redress, leaving him as the only one in the nest.

“Wha’s tha?” He asked, rubbing his eyes.

“It’s our Alphas calling us.” Dinah answered plainly, buttoning her blouse. “It means they want us to come back to them. You should probably come too, if all of us are being called at the same time, your Alpha probably wants you too.”

Suddenly no longer relaxed, Barry climbed out of the nest with as much haste as he could muster. The idea that they could be in trouble embedding itself in the forefront of his mind and refusing to leave. He nearly tripped himself trying to pull his skirt on and zip it up when Bruce caught him, helped him right himself, and handled the zipper and clasp for him.

“You don’t have to rush. They know we need to wake up a little and get dressed.” He assured, pulling on his socks and trousers.

“But they want us.” Barry said.

“Yes and we’re going to them, we just need to get dressed before we do.” He said calmly.

“What if we take too long?” He asked.

“We won’t take too long. This isn’t urgent, we’re okay.” Mera soothed. 

Their reassurance didn’t do much to settle him, he still did up his own blouse as quickly as he could and pulled on his stockings. It didn’t matter how fast he got dressed though, he didn’t know the way back to their Alphas so he had to wait for the others to be done before they could go. To make it worse, it didn’t seem like any of the others were in a hurry to comply for their mates.

Finally, the others were ready and they were off down the hallways, Dinah’s hand finding his and giving it a squeeze. Bruce, Mera, and Dinah navigated the hallways easily, not at all turned around by the twists and turns of the large manor that they were residing in. Barry felt like his skin was covered in ants, itching and uncomfortably tight and he knew that it wasn’t going to get better until he’d completed the task his Alpha wanted him to do. He nearly cried out in relief when he saw the door to the den and smelled the Alphas inside, following his fellow Omegas into the room and finding his guardian.

Hal noticed how stressed his Omega looked, his eyes wide and nearly frantic and he was wringing his hands anxiously. Recognizing that he was scared as hell, Hal reached for him and pulled him onto the loveseat beside him and tucked him under his arm. Instantly, he started to relax, though he was looking around the room anxiously, specifically at the Alphas as they greeted their mates. 

“Did you have a nice time?” He asked, trying to get his mind out of whatever rabbit hole it was slipping down.

Barry nodded bleakly, still looking at the others in the room. Having heard the question, Bruce came over to join them, taking a seat on Barry’s other side and resting his hand on his thighs.

“We had a great time, just lots of nice Omega time.” Bruce said, nuzzling into Barry’s neck.

The other man's scent pulled him closer to the floating feeling he had felt before, but the stress he was still under prevented him from going further. Hal rubbed his back and kissed his head, knowing how hard this whole thing was for Barry. 

“Honestly, they probably only called us because we smell good after we cuddle together.” Bruce whispered.

“That’s exactly why we called you.” Hal laughed. 

Bruce gave him a kiss on the cheek and left to sit with his mate, leaving Barry under Hal’s care. The Alpha pulled him closer and guided his nose to his neck, wanting him to settle in more and knowing his scent helped him relax. It helped a little, Barry leaned further into him and breathed in deeply.

“You’re alright, my little Omega.” He whispered, “You just relax, let me hold you.”

Barry’s hand found his shirt and held onto it tightly, letting out a few sniffles while he calmed down. Clark, Arthur, and Ollie each had their mates, though they didn’t need to calm them down the way Hal had to for Barry. Instead, they had their Omegas either sitting in their laps or tucked against their side so they could be close. They had agreed to summon the Omegas because they always smelt heavenly after having Omega time in the den, the calm and happiness they felt carried over into their scents and would make any Alpha loopy. Hal had been pretty excited, since he now had an Omega of his own, though he had underestimated how nervous Barry would be. He still smelt very good, but he needed to be calmed down so he didn’t have a panic attack.

After a few minutes of being safe in his embrace and being able to see that nobody was being hurt, Barry started to relax. He loosened his grip on Hal's shirt and his back stopped feeling so tense under his hand while he rubbed circles on it.

“Doing okay sweet thing?” Hal asked quietly, brushing his thumb across Barry’s cheek.

“Yes Alpha.” Barry whispered.

“Good. You’re doing so well, I’m so proud of you.” He praised, giving him a kiss.

Barry blushed and rested his head against his shoulder, his blue eyes half lidded and his pupils blown wide. It was clear to Hal that his little Omega was starting to actually enjoy himself, cuddled up with him and comfortable, he had decided to trust the man holding him enough to keep him safe from the other Alphas he didn’t know. Of course, Hal was very aware that there wasn’t anywhere safer for Barry to be, surrounded by very kind Alphas who would rather die that raise a harming hand to him, but it would take him a little while to learn that. 

~~~

The day was slowly winding down into the evening hours and everyone was starting to unwind. The children had played together until they’d gotten hungry and then went to their parents for lunch and later, supper. After lunch, Barry and the other Omegas had gone back to the Omega den and not come out until Clark texted Bruce, letting them know that dinner was ready. Barry hadn’t been stressed out when he’d come into the dining room, and he’d looked absolutely adorable, still clearly deep in his Omega headspace. He’d been uncoordinated and sleepy, scooting his chair so close to Hal that he could lean his head against his shoulder while he ate and nearly fell asleep while he did.

After supper, they’d all gone to the theatre to watch a movie as a pack. Barry had insisted that Wally sit on his lap and cuddle with him through it all, wrapping them both up in a blanket burrito on the couch next to his Alpha. Arthur had grinned at him knowingly when he carried the two to their suite afterwards, making a heart with his hands at him and making a kissy face at them. He’d very maturely chosen to flip his pack mate off and then take his two people to their suite to have some time together and give Wally his presents.

 “Here we are.” He said, laying the pair down on the couch.

Barry chirped when Hal laid them down and rolled onto his side and tucked his pup under his chin. Hal sat down and pulled his Omega until his head was resting on his lap, then he turned on the tv and continued the television show they’d started the other day. Barry and Wally stayed laying down, Barry snuggling his son with both of their faces towards the tv, though the older of the pair had his eyes closed while Hal played with his hair. Hal let them watch one episode of the show, playing with Barry’s soft hair the entire time. 

Once it was over, he got up to grab the gifts from the bedroom closet for the pup to open. He and Barry had written some lovely notes after Wally had gone to bed last night and Barry had gushed over how grateful he was that now his son had nice things to call his own and thanking him over and over. Hal had assured him that it wasn’t a major deal and that he wanted to provide them both with a good life, he might not be able to give them a mansion, but he lived in a nice home with plenty of land for Wally to play on, and he could give them some creature comforts. He had prioritized getting Wally some playthings because he knew how important it was for children to have things to call their own, he was glad that Dick was generous and shared his things, but Wally needed some things of his own.

When he brought out the wrapped gifts, Barry perked up and got Wally’s attention. Hal set the packages down in front of the boy and then sat beside Barry with an arm over his shoulder. Wally was absolutely adorable when he realized that those brightly wrapped presents were for him, looking between the adults and the gifts a few times before carefully picking one up and putting it on his lap. He stared at the bag for a few seconds like he couldn’t believe it was really there.

“Go on kiddo, open it.” Hal pushed.

That was all the encouragement he needed, Wally pulled the wrapping paper out of the bag and discarded it on the sofa beside him. Barry quickly reached over to grab it and scrunch it up in his lap.

“Let him make a mess.” Hal whispered, “Let him have fun.”

Barry nodded and smiled at him, then they both turned back to watch his pup. The boy pulled out a three pack of books with a look of awe, his little hands gripping it so tightly that Hal thought the cardboard box covering would dent. It was the first three in a series called “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” that Tony had suggested, because both Peter and Harley loved them, they were funny and at a perfect reading level for a kid Wally’s age. 

“Is this really for me?” He asked, eyes glued to his new things.

“It's all for you Kiddo, all of these gifts are for you.” Hal promised, “Go ahead and open the rest.”

Slowly, Wally handed the books to his dad, his father taking it and holding them. The next gift was a box of assorted lego pieces, with no particular piece to build, it was just for creative play. He had gotten him a few sets of models for Wally’s age level, a boat, a spaceship, and a truck, though two of them had been sent to the Lantern house, waiting for him. After that, the wrapping paper and tissue paper revealed a hot wheels set, army men figures, some more books, and some stuffies. He’d gotten the pup a variety, not sure what he liked or how much children's media he’d had access to over his life.

Once all the toys were unwrapped, there were scraps of paper and discarded gift bags at their feet and the gifts contents carefully piled on the coffee table. Barry was still holding the box of books for his son and resting against Hal, a quiet purr sounding from his chest. In some of the individual books, Hal and Barry had written kind notes declaring their affection for Wally. When he noticed the note, he climbed into Barry’s lap and asked his father to read it aloud, which he gladly did.

“To my dearest Wally, I hope you learn to love adventure in these pages and know that you are a brilliant and kind young man. I’m so proud to call you my son and each day my love for you grows. I love you, my baby. Lots of love, Daddy.” Barry read.

Once he’d finished, Wally threw his arms around his neck and hugged him tightly, Barry enthusiastically returning it and kissing him on the head a handful of times. 

“I love you too, Dad.” Wally said.

“Oh Baby.” Barry whispered.

Wally pulled back from his dad and shocked Hal by giving him an equally tight hug.

“Thank you thank you thank you!” He squealed.

“You are very welcome Kiddo.” Hal laughed, hugging him back.

“Am I really allowed to keep these?” He asked, pulling back a little.

“Of course, they’re all yours for as long as you want them.” He promised. “We can write your name on the stuffies and books if you want, so you always know that they belong to you.”

Wally grinned broadly and threw himself back into the hug. When he looked over at Barry, he saw that he was smiling with a soft look on his face, still holding onto those books like they were precious gems instead of children's books. When he extended an arm to him, Barry was quick to join in on the embrace and for a few moments, the three of them just held onto each other, the only sounds from them being Barry’s purrs. As it stood, the one to initiate the hug was the one to pull back first, looking at his dad with puppy eyes.

“Daddy, can you please read one of my new books to me?” He asked.

“We can read a few chapters of one, sure.” Barry agreed, “But after that, it’s time for you to be in bed.”

Wally instantly took the deal, reaching to the pile of his new things and retrieving the book he wanted to read. Barry helped settle Wally against his side and took the book from his hands, flipping open to the first page and started reading. Hal stayed beside them while they read, listening to Barry read out the words theatrically, changing his tone for different characters and making Wally giggle when he found the voice funny. He could certainly get used to this, all three of them relaxed and happy while playing house, no fear or stress, just two adults taking care of a little pup.

Chapter Text

Hal listened to Barry read to his son quietly while he held the two under his arm, the two boxes hidden in his sweater an exciting weight on his person. He’d intended to give Barry and Wally their gifts immediately following the toys and books he’d given the pup, but when he’d seen how excited he was to be read to, he’d decided to wait a little while. As it stood, Barry was nearing the end of the chapter he had declared as the last one and once it was over, he would give the last gifts of the evening. In his thoughts as far as he was, Hal didn’t fully notice that Barry had finished until Wally complained.

“Please Dad, just one more?” He begged, giving his dad the best puppy dog eyes he had in his little arsenal.

“Not tonight Baby.” Barry said kindly, “It’s getting late but we can read more tomorrow.”

“And I actually have something else for you two.” Hal said quickly, unwinding his arm from the pair to reach into his pockets.

Barry looked at him with confusion as he’d been under the impression that the only gifts they had to give tonight were for his son. When Hal pulled out the two formal looking boxes, Barry pulled Wally fully into his lap and stared at them nervously. Hal handed the boxes to their respective recipients, smiling at them while they took the boxes.

“Go on.” He urged, watching Barry turn his over in his hands while Wally just looked at his.

Reluctantly, Barry unlatched the box and opened it slowly, like he was expecting something horrible in its confines. Instead, on a velvet cushion sat two bracelet cuffs with a piece of Aquamarine and a piece of Topaz entwined together in a silver circle over the latch. Barry looked up at him with confusion while Wally opened his box to reveal smaller bracelets with the same thing on the latch.

“Alpha?” Barry asked, looking between him and the box. Clearly, he wasn’t sure what he was looking at.

“They’re bracelets but they’ll fit over your power restraints.” He explained, “I wanted you two to have something matching to prove that you two belong to each other. The jewels are your birthstones, Aquamarine for you and Topaz for Wally.”

At the explanation, Wally lit up and lifted one of his bracelets to examine it, holding it close to his face to look at the leather and metal cuff. Barry reluctantly followed suit and lifted one up, though he held it more like it would hurt him. To settle his nerves, Hal reached for the second one still in the box and unclipped the latch, holding the leather strip up for him to see. He wondered if Barry was scared of the cuffs, thinking that they were similar to the collar Lex had on him.

Contrary to his general behaviour, Hal had thought long and hard about the gifts he’d given them. He had considered different things for them, such as shirts or necklaces of some kind, but he knew that Wally was still young and would outgrow a shirt too quickly and he worried that a necklace on a child might be prone to breaking. The bracelets could serve two purposes, one to prove that the pair belonged to each other and two to hide the power suppressants, which was why he’d ultimately decided on them for the gift.

“Alpha Hal, can you help me get it on?” Wally asked happily, holding out his bracelet to him.

“Of course Kiddo, come here.”

Happy that one of his charges was excited about his gifts, Hal guided the pup into his lap. He took one of Wally’s hands and enclosed the small wrist with the soft leather, pushing on the latch until it clicked and locked in place, then did that same with the second hand. He’d had Wally’s made slightly bigger than they needed to be so he had room to grow into them before he had to get a bigger pair for him.

“Alpha Hal, they look so cool!” He exclaimed, admiring the jewellery with a bright smile.

“I’m glad you like it, Squirt.” Hal said, ruffling his hair.

Looking over at Barry, he saw the Omega was looking at his pup and the new bracelets on his arms with suspicion. Giving him a reassuring look, Hal settled Wally on the cushion beside him and let him rest against his side, then reach for Barry.

“C’mere Bar.” He said quietly, extending his hand to him.

Blinking at him with an expression he couldn’t quite place, Barry took a breath to steel himself and then scooted closer. Gently, Hal took the hand holding the bracelet and pulled it towards him, rubbing his thumb across the smooth skin and then pressing a kiss to it.

“Eww.” Wally squealed, covering his face with his hands. “Don’t be gross!”

Barry let out a little huff of amusement while he just laughed outright. To make Wally squeal a little more, Hal gently took Barry’s chin, leaned forward, and pecked him on the cheek. As he’d suspected, the action made Wally squeal again, but he saw Barry smiling and blushing a little, so he counted it as a win.

Thankfully, the silliness had settled Barry’s nerves enough that when Hal took the cuff, he didn’t protest. He stayed still while he fitted the bracelet and latched it, the dark leather complimenting the pale skin and the gems glittering in the light. Once both were fitted, Barry held both hands up in front of him and looked at the accessories on his wrists. The material was thin and soft as room temperature butter, they covered his suppressants perfectly and unless you knew to look for them, they were noticeable.

“Comfortable?” He asked.

Barry nodded and crawled forward, returning the kiss he’d been given earlier, which made the pup fake gag again. Both adults laughed aloud that time when he did so, Barry gave him a devious look, reached over him, grabbed his pup and gave him a kiss on the cheek to his protest. Once he’d pulled back, Hal did the same thing to the other cheek, so Wally had both cheeks to dramatically wipe off.

“You are adorable.” Hal laughed, ruffling his hair.

“Am not.” Wally grumbled, still playful but also a little grossed out.

“Yes, you are.” Barry teased, “And now, it’s time to get you dressed and ready for bed.”

Wally moaned dramatically but let himself be pulled off the couch and guided to the master bedroom by his dad. Hal watched with amusement and affection while the pair closed the door, leaving him alone in the living room. Getting up to his feet, Hal started to gather up the garbage littering the floor around the couch and throwing it in the small trash can in the kitchenette. He jumped a little when he heard little feet patter on the hardwood floor towards him, turning to see Wally in a pair of the new pajamas he’d gotten for him briefly before the pup gave him the tightest hug a small eight year old can give.

“Good night Alpha Hal! Thank you for everything!.” Wally said, his voice muffled by the fabric of his shirt.

In the bedroom doorway, Barry was leaning against the frame and looking at the pair with a soft look on his face. Lifting Wally up and holding him close, Hal returned the hug and kissed the top of his head.

“You are very welcome, my little pup.” He replied.

Wally preened a little at the affection while he was carried over to Barry and the bedroom behind him. He made his way into the bedroom, Barry close by his side while he carried his son to the bed. The Omega pulled back the covers for him to lay Wally down into it, both of them tucking the blankets around him and kissing his forehead.

“Good night baby.” Barry whispered, “I love you.”

“I love you too Daddy.” Wally replied.

Hal took his turn saying good night to him.

“Night kiddo, sleep well.” He wished, brushing his hair back from his face.

“Good night.” Wally said back, blinking up at him.

Hal turned off the lamp and he and Barry slowly crept away and out of the room, closing the door loosely behind them. The pair made their way back to the sofa and Hal made sure to tuck Barry under his arm when they sat down, the other still fixated on his bracelets.

“Do you like them?” He asked.

“Yes Alpha.”

“Really? Because if they aren’t comfortable or if you don’t like them, you can take them off. I wouldn’t be upset.”

“No no, I do like them.” Barry assured, “they’re nice and soft. I’m sorry if I looked upset earlier, I just thought that the leather would be rough.”

“No need to be sorry.” He said, cuddling him close.

For a few minutes, both of them just sit together and hold each other tightly. At some point Hal laid back so he was completely reclined and Barry made himself comfortable laying on his chest, head on his chest and their legs tangled together. At some point that he couldn’t place, his Omega had started purring, the vibrations from them sinking into Hals own chest.

“Did you have a nice day today?” He asked.

“Mhmm.” Barry hummed.

“Good. I think it’ll be good for you to spend time with the other Omegas.” Hal said, rubbing Barry’s back.

“They’re really nice.” He mumbled, tracing little circles on his chest.

Hal chuckled at that, watching Barry’s smaller frame move up and down when his chest moved rapidly.

“They are, and I think they can help you.” He said.

Barry didn’t really say anything, he just hummed in response and kept tracing his circles. Hal understood that he might not be up to talking too much, he’d had a draining day and if he wanted to be quiet, that was his choice. He kept rubbing his back and they went back to cuddling like they had been before, the weight of each other comforting and sweet.

They stood like that for almost two hours, though the T.V had been turned on to play some Star Trek. Barry’s nose is pressed into his gland to breathe in his scent, a smile on his face and his body completely lax against his chest. He didn’t even notice when the fourth episode ended and Hal turned off the T.V for the final time that evening. Now it was time to talk to Barry about getting Wally into his own room by the day after tomorrow.

“Barry, there’s something I have to talk to you about.” He started.

Barry mumbled in response, nuzzling against his scent gland. Clearly, the little Omega was tired and hopefully he’d sleep well tonight.

“I wanted to talk to you about getting Wally into his own room on Friday evening.” He started, “I think it’ll be good for him to sleep in his own bed, we’ll have him alternate between our bed and his own for a while until he gets used to it.”

“Wha?” Barry asked, waking up at the topic. ‘Why?”

“Because he should get used to being in his own bed.” Hal said simply.

“Is it because you don’t want to have to sleep with him? Because Wally and I can go to the other room and leave you alone.” He bargained.

“That’s not it baby. Wally’s a big pup now, he deserves to have his own room and his own bed. We need to get him used to that.” He said, trying to stave off a panicked fit from his ward.

Barry was up now, no longer laying on Hal but rather sitting on his stomach, legs straddling his torso. He’s close to crying and he looks desperate, and Hal knows that he’s thinking that this is some form of punishment for perceived disobedience rather than the natural independence a child should have. Briefly, Hal wondered if it was because Lex had locked the two in separate rooms to keep them apart, now Barry thought that not being able to sleep next to his son meant he wouldn’t even be allowed to see him unless granted permission.

“Barry, he’ll just be sleeping in a different room. You’ll still be able to hold him and spend time with him, we’re still gonna eat together and spend the day with each other. Other than the sleeping arrangements, nothing is going to change.” He promised.

The assurance did nothing to cheer Barry up, he still looked sad and scared. When he saw that it wasn’t working, he sat up and situated Barry properly on his lap so they could talk easily. His braceleted wrists clasped behind his neck though his face was downcast in submission.

“Sweet thing.” Hal mumbled, cradling his cheek and stroking it.

Barry leaned into his hand and he felt a few tears dampen his hand while he silently cried.

“What’s going on in your pretty head?” He asked, wiping the tears away.

“I don’t want to lose my baby.” He whimpered.

“Oh sweet thing, you won’t lose him.” He said, “He’s going to be with you, he’s still your baby. He’s just going to have his own space now and privacy, but you’ll be able to scent and hold him every day and we’ll be able to tuck him in every night.”

“But, but he’s mine! If he’s gone, I can’t-”

“Whoa whoa whoa, babydoll! Slow down, he’s not going anywhere!” Hal interrupted, “C’mere.”

It took a moment for Hal to manoeuvre the pair up and off the couch so they were both standing. He took Barry’s hand and tugged him until he willingly followed along, trailing behind him slowly and like his legs were numb. It took less than a moment to get to the closed door leading to Wally’s room, which he pushed open and pulled them both in.

The room is furnished but a little cold, given that there wasn’t anyone staying in it yet but he was sure that once they got Wally’s toys and books in and put them away, it would look better. Together, the two of them sat down on the bed and he tucked Barry back under his arm while they each looked around.

“This is going to be Wally’s room while we stay here.” Hal explained, watching Barry look around. “He’s not even twenty yards away from our room.”

Barry reluctantly nodded and stood up, slowly inspecting different parts of the room, though for what, Hal couldn’t be sure. He watched while he looked at the knobs of both the closet and the bedroom door, checked the bed frame and mattress, and all of the walls and corners. When he finally made his way back to him, he stood in front of him and adopted a traditional submissive stance; feet apart, arms behind his back, and his eyes glued to the floor.

“Up to code?” Hal joked.

“Yes Alpha.” Barry mumbled and he sounded embarrassed.

“Good, we’ll start getting Wally’s clothes and other things into this room tomorrow.” He said, standing up and pulling Barry into his arms.

The Omega whimpered into his shirt and swallowed audibly, both of his hands clinging to him. Hal swayed back and forth, rubbing his back and whispering comforts to him while he composed himself, sniffling and taking deep breaths while did. After a few minutes of quiet comforting and crying, Barry had settled himself down and was exhausted, letting Hal support most of his body weight.

“Ready for bed?” Hal asked into Barry’s hair.

Barry nodded but didn’t move at all, he just kept clinging to him with his fingers grasping his shirt. With a smile, Hal scooped him up and held onto his little Omega tightly, all while he held onto his shoulders and hid his face.

“Let’s get you cleaned up.” He said.

“Do I have to have an enema tonight?” Barry asked, briefly looking up.

“You know you do.” Hal said firmly, ignoring the way his stomach twisted when Barry whimpered. “I know that you don’t like it, but it’s for your own good.”

~~~

The day finally came when it was time for Wally to sleep in his own room. Barry was so stressed that his hands hadn’t stopped shaking since that morning, dropping just about everything he’d tried to hold all day. Hal had tried to help him calm down but to no avail, nothing he’d done or said had helped his nerves. Wally had been told about his new room the morning after he’d told Barry and he hadn’t been upset, though he was now that his Dad was so visibly nervous.

Now it was almost seven thirty in the evening and it was nearing Wally’s bed time. Barry had made himself and his son into a blanket burrito in the armchair, scenting with him until Hal was certain he was going to strain his glands but he didn’t want to bother them. He’d been firm when he had told Barry that Wally’s bedtime was seven forty five, as they had agreed together, and that his son needed to get used to a routine. Of course, Barry had agreed in the morning, but now that it was evening it seemed he was having second thoughts.

“Hey you, think it’s time to start getting the Squirt ready for bed?” Hal asked, sitting on the couch.

Barry gave him a look of betrayal and hurt, holding Wally so tightly that the little pup squeaked in protest. For a moment they were locked in a battle of wills, Barry wanting to keep his kid up and Hal wanting to get him ready for bed at a reasonable time. Of course, Hal was able to wield the green ring for a reason and Barry reluctantly started untangling the pair from the blankets.

Hal stayed in the living room while Barry went to give the pup a bath, keeping his eye on the clock. He was well aware that tonight would be difficult for both Alpha and Omega, Barry would be dragging his feet as much as he could and Hal had decided to indulge him a little, though there were some things he couldn’t yield on. As he had suspected, Barry kept Wally in the bathroom longer than he usually would have but he did emerge on his own, his pup holding his hand and dressed in his pajamas. As he stood up, he saw Barry’s resolve crack just a little, looking like he was going to drag his son back into the safety of the bathroom, with its door that locked, so he wrapped an arm around his waist.

“Ready for your story Wally?” He asked, urging them all toward.

The trio had developed a nice bedtime routine for Wally; every other night he would get a bath, every night he would brush his teeth and hair, change into his sleep clothes, then all three of them would settle into the bed while Barry read Wally a few chapters of his book or a short story. Finally, both Barry and Hal would tuck him into bed, give him a kiss and wish him good night. It wasn’t a strenuous list and so long as Wally got what he wanted out of it, he didn’t complain too much about having to go to bed.

In the bedroom, Wally immediately clambered up onto his new bed with as much grace as he could muster. With his hand around his waist, he could feel a quick hitch of Barry’s breath and he gave him a reassuring squeeze, helping him get into the bed. Wally cuddled happily into his dad's side while Hal handed him the chapter book that they’d been reading, the one that Wally refused to even touch before bedtime, it was the bedtime book and wasn’t to be opened a moment before.

For his part, Barry kept his composure through the story as best he could. His voice cracked occasionally but he covered it up pretty well with a fake cough or a thrown voice for a character. Each time, Hal pressed a kiss to his head discreetly and gave his waist a squeeze, knowing that Barry was trying his hardest and mostly succeeded.

Once the three chapters they read a night were finished, the adults got off the bed and helped Wally snuggle under the covers, then tucking his blankets tightly around him. Barry was quick to pepper his face with kisses and stroked his hair, a stray tear trickling down his cheek, though he caught it quickly with his finger.

“Good night Sweetheart, I love you so so much.” He whispered.

“I love you too Dad.” Wally said, the covers tucked up to his chin.

Hal gave Wally a kiss on his forehead and whispered his own good night to the puppy. So far, Wally didn’t seem fussed about sleeping by himself, though that might be because the lights were still on and he wasn’t alone. Hal had gotten a nightlight that was plugged into a nearby outlet, it would glow a soft red when it was turned on, enough to see but not so bright that it could wake the kid up. He flicked its small switch and the light turned on, Barry slowly made his way to his side, though he was starting to shake slightly. Taking charge of the Omega, Hal guided him towards the door, wished Wally goodnight one last time, then turned out the light and closed the door.

Once the door clicked shut, the dam broke and Barry started crying so hard that his shoulders shook violently. Immediately, Hal embraced him and held him close, having him muffle his sobs in his shirt so he wouldn’t bother the pup behind the door. It took some doing, but he managed to get Barry away from the shut door and onto the sofa, the Omega all but collapsing onto the cushions as his knees buckled.

“Easy Bar, everythings alright.” He whispered, sitting next to him and taking his hand.

Barry nodded desperately and started taking deep, exaggerated breaths as he tried to compose himself.

“Sorry. Sorry Alpha.” He choked.

“No need to be sorry, you’re doing so well. I’m so proud of you.” He praised, inching closer.

Barry continued to sob and cry, taking those deep breaths and clutching Hal's hand like a lifeline until he was able to calm himself enough that he could breathe a little better. Hal detached his hand from Barry’s grip and got up to fetch him a glass of water, instructing him to take slow sips to rehydrate.

“Feeling a little better?” He asked.

Barry nodded quietly, busying himself by playing with the coasters on the coffee table. Hal stroked a hand up and down his back, trying not to grimace at the look of depression on his Omegas face.

“What’s going on Barry, this isn’t just about Wally sleeping in another room.” He asked quietly.

Under his hand, Barry shivered at the question. His eyes had that thousand yard stare that he’d seen in some of the older pilots in the Airforce, the ones who had actually seen combate and had never fully come back.

“He used to lock him up.” Barry rasped finally, eyes never leaving the wall he’d fixated on.

“Did he?”

Hal didn’t need to ask who ‘he’ was, it was obvious. Barry nodded numbly, blinking slowly.

“He’d lock him up in his room and I wouldn’t see him for days.” He said. “Didn’t matter if I begged, didn’t matter what I did. He wouldn’t get out till Alpha decided he could come out.”

“Oh Baby.” Hal whispered, reaching out to brush his hair back. “That won’t happen here, nothing like that will ever happen with me.”

Barry didn’t say anything, he just started crying again. It’s not as broken and harsh as it was before, instead it was silent and hardly noticeable. The only reason Hal really noticed was because he had been fixated on his face and had noticed when his cheeks dampened again.

“C’mere Strawbarry.” He muttered.

Hal pulled Barry into his lap and held him as tightly as he could without cracking his ribs. At the nickname, Barry seemed to relax a little and a fractional part of the tension he was carrying left his body. Hal gave him as many kisses and comforts as he possibly could, feeling his Omegas heart beating under his hand and he kept it in his focus, making sure it didn’t get too fast.

A shiver racked Barry’s skinny frame and Hal instinctively let out a possessive rumble. He grabbed the throw off the back of the couch and wrapped it around them even though he didn’t think Barry had shivered from a chill. While he was trying to control it, the feral part of Hal’s brain wanted to go drop Barry with Clark and then go and beat Lex until he was just as meek and scared as his poor Omega was.

Instead, he compromised with himself by focusing his attention on Barry, who was still in his arms. He pulled him up until he had access to his neck and gave it a few gentle nips, not enough to draw blood but enough to leave a few small red marks. With each bite, Barry gasped and squeezed his shoulder with his hands, he was careful not to hurt him and he held him tight so he wouldn’t have to support his own weight.

After he’d finished giving him a necklace of red marks, Hal settled him back down in his lap and gave him a tender kiss on his forehead. With one hand on the small of his back, Hal used the other one to massage Barry’s scent gland to soften it up enough for him to bleed the sad scent from him. Under his hand, Barry moaned slightly as his sensitive gland was touched, finally purring a little when all the bitter scent had been drained from it. Once that was done, Hal guided his face to his own neck, letting his possessive and protective scent flood the Omegas senses.

It wasn’t proper claiming, though if Barry were to ask him right at this moment, Hal knew he wouldn’t have the willpower to not sink his teeth deep into the flesh over his left gland, still, it would have to do for now. With each fresh wave of claiming smell, he felt Barry sink further into his Omega headspace, the fingers that were clutching his shirt loosened as he fell further and submitted himself. All the while, Hal rubbed his back and rumbled deep in his throat, his own brain giving way to some baser instincts.

“You are my Omega and you will be treated as such.” He grumbled, making sound like an order.

“Yes Alpha.” Barry replied breathily.

“Say it.” Hal ordered.

“I am your Omega.” He complied.

Hal nuzzled into his hair and squeezed him tight, Barry’s smaller frame practically encompassed by his own. He was sure that there was no coming back from this point, he was in too deep and though he was loath to admit it, his packmates had a point. He was falling for Barry hard.

As he was thinking it, Barry chirped and pressed a soft kiss to his gland.

Scratch that. He had already fallen for Barry and he was in too deep to get out now.

He wasn’t sure if he even wanted out. He had never considered himself as the type to settle down and raise a family, he’d never been able to hold a partner for longer than a few months and he had never been interested in babies. But here he was, enraptured with this delicate Omega and his adorable son. He found himself planning for Wally’s future schooling and extracurriculars, wanting to get Barry home and settled so he could heal and grow. And he was even planning further, such as him and Barry going to look at colleges with Wally and maybe even a proper courtship with the Omega.

He really hoped that Barry felt the same way, it had only been four weeks, a month, and he already couldn’t imagine parting with the pair he’d never imagined knowing. Even if he didn’t have the crush (and it was a crush) like he did, he hoped that at least he could still be a part of their lives. He wanted to see Wally grow and become the amazing young man he was growing into, he wanted to help teach the young boy to drive when the time came, maybe he could even attend some major life events of his like his high school and college graduation.

He thought he might actually lose a piece of his heart if he lost them both.

Chapter Text

A loud knock on the door made Hal groan and tilt his head to the side, wiping his eyes clumsily while he came back to consciousness. A weight on his torso had him looking down, seeing Barry curled up on top of him with his head resting on his pretty face resting on his shoulder. For a second, he just wanted to curl up with the other and keep holding him, especially considering that he still smelled like a very submissive, claimed Omega, drenched in his possessive scent. He realised that he couldn’t when another knock broke the silence.

“I’m coming!” He rasped, “Calm down.”

He carefully squirmed out from under Barry, laying his sleeping form back onto the couch to sleep. Once he was settled and comfortable, he went over to answer the door. He’d already figured out that he and Barry had fallen asleep on the couch after they’d put the kid to bed, so it was pretty late by now. Whoever was knocking must be desperate to talk to him, and when he opened the door, he saw Clark. Once he’d opened the door, the other Alpha reeled back and covered his nose, glaring at him.

“Jesus Christ Hal! Did you claim him already?” He asked, still covering his nose.

“What? No, of course not!” Hal said, shocked.

“Are you sure? Because it certainly smells like you did.” Clark said.

With that, he brushed past him and into the suite to check for himself. Hal rolled his eyes at the doubt and followed him in, hoping that he wouldn’t rouse the other two in the suite after finally getting them both to sleep. Inside, Clark had found Barry sleeping on the sofa and was examining his neck to see if there was a bonding mark on his gland. Hal stood off to the side and just observed, ready to step in if his Omega woke up and needed him while Clark poked at him. Finally, he stood up and stepped back, satisfied that his guest hadn’t been claimed and bonded.

“Convinced?” He asked.

“Yeah but god you came close.” Clark mumbled.

“I did not! Okay, I’ll admit that we got a little cuddly but I was never going to properly claim him.” Hal defended.

“Okay well you can’t really blame me. It smells like you went through a honeymoon rut here.” He explained, gesturing at the air around him.

“Whatever man, why are you here at this hour?” Hal asked, changing the topic.

He stepped around Clark to sit on the edge of the couch by Barry’s chest so he could stoke his hair gently. The other Alpha cocked an eyebrow at him and looked around slowly.

“Hal. What time do you think it is?” He asked slowly.

“I don’t know man, late. I just got the kid to bed and Barry settled down, I think we fell asleep right after so it’s gotta be midnight at least.”

“So close! It’s actually nine-thirty in the morning.” Clark informed him, smiling.

“What? No it’s not.” Hal protested, grabbing his phone off the coffee table to check.

Sure enough, the phone mocked him by showing him nine-thirty two on the lock screen. Which meant that he had slept the entire night on the couch with Barry on top of him and hadn’t gone to bed at all. At the very least, it explained why his breath tasted so bad, he hadn’t brushed his teeth last night.

“Son of a bitch.” He muttered.

Clark just chuckled and clapped his hands together quietly, shaking his head slightly. 

“Alright so it’s later than I thought, still doesn’t answer my question; what can I do for you?” He asked.

Being moved along, Clark reached into his back pocket and pulled out a long, slim box covered in velvety material. Wordlessly, Hal took it from his outreached hand and opened it to examine its contents, the beautiful collar on the silk cushion. The collar was slim and elegant, made of soft leather that was embroidered with Hal’s shield on the left and the packs shield on the right. The clasp was a stunning platinum with a blue sapphire on it and a ring hidden below it so a leash or a talisman could be attached to it and it was already set to respond properly to Hal and Clark. It was absolutely perfect and he knew without checking that it would suit Barry wonderfully and would compliment his features as well as signify Hal’s guardianship over him.

“Like it?” Clark asked.

“It’s perfect.”

The Alphas had gone out as agreed for some shopping, finding an accessories shop first thing so Hal could design one for Barry. It had taken nearly two hours for the sketch to be to his liking, then he had needed to pick the collar size and the type of leather, as well as the type of clasp and if he wanted something on the clasp. Looking at the end result though, he didn’t regret a single moment of it. They had also gotten a leash of a similar style to match, though it wasn’t stylised like the collar was and it was in Clarks possession for the time being until Barry’s retraining started.

“When are you going to give it to him?” Clark asked.

“I don’t know. I’m not sure how to give it to him in a way that won’t stress him.” He admitted, “I don’t want him to hate it.”

“What we could do is have an adult evening, let the Omegas play with each other and get themselves mellowed out, then you could give it to him while he’s so relaxed.” He suggested.

“That actually sounds like a great idea.” Hal said, looking forward to it.

“That would give the rest of the pack a chance to get to know him too.” Clark said.

Hal nodded his affirmation and went back to staring at the collar in its box. A little murmur from Barry had him closing the box and hiding it in his pocket, not yet ready to give up his surprise. Thankfully, Barry didn’t wake up, he just shifted and readjusted himself in his sleep, then stilled and didn’t make any more noise.

“Let me get him to bed.” Hal said.

Clark nodded in understanding and stepped out of his way, giving Hal plenty of space to lift the sleeping Omega off the couch and into his arms. He carried him to the bedroom with ease, Barry may have gained some weight but he was still small and easy to carry around. Settling him into the bed was equally as easy as carrying him to it, he drew back the covers and laid him onto the mattress, then tucked him in before he left. He rejoined Clark in the living room, the other Alpha sitting on the couch with his phone in hand, glancing up at him when he closed the door behind him.

“What set him off last night?” Clark asked.

Hal knew that he was asking about Barry.

“Last night was the first night that Wally spent in his room. Guess that Lex used to lock Wally in his room for days if either Barry or Wally acted out.” Hal explained, taking a seat beside him. “It was hard for him to leave Wally in his own room without being reminded of that.”

“So he felt a little overwhelmed.” Clark said with an air of understanding.

“Yeah. I think he knows that this situation wasn’t the same but he still felt stressed.” He said.

Clark grimaced in sympathy, nodding slowly. 

“That would be hard for anyone, I’m sorry that he had to go through it.”

“Yeah, I wanted to calm him down. That's why we got so close last night.” He admitted, “I didn't want him to have a fit or anything.” 

Clark nodded again and got up, Hal standing with him. The Pack Alpha made his way to the door but hesitated before he actually left.

“Once you get the collar on him, he should start spending some time with me. Get him used to me being his secondary.” 

“That’s a good idea.” He agreed.

“You and I should start making a priorities list for his training.” Clark added, “We should work with him on his bad habits sooner rather than later.”

Hal nodded his agreement and looked back towards the closed bedroom door. He was aware that every Omega in their pack had gone through at least some basic training with Bruce receiving the most and Mera receiving the least, but somehow it felt weird to have his own Omega to need it. He had a basic list of priorities on his phone for retraining but he was hoping that Clark would be able to help him sort it out and maybe add to it if there were things he’d noticed.

“You and I could sit down and talk about it later tonight.” Clark suggested, “Then we can talk to Barry about it and work with him to come up with a plan for his training.” 

“I think that would be a good idea.” Hal agreed.

“Awesome, see you later then.” Clark said, opening the door. “Take care of your Omega.”

And with that, Hal was alone in the living room to handle his people. The first thing he wanted to do was brush his teeth because he could not stand to taste his own breath, he also wanted to shower and change. After that, he needed to get Barry back on his care and hygiene routine because he’d missed it last night, and after that was done, maybe Wally would be awake and the father and son could cuddle a little.

~~~ Smut Ahead ~~~

Barry was snuggled up in the communal nest in the Omega suite, the blankets pulled up to his nose. He was purring quietly and running his fingers over the lingering marks on his neck, a little blush on his face when he felt the slightly swollen marks decorating his skin like a necklace.

Hal had been incredibly possessive of him last night after getting his son to bed, and earlier that morning as well. He couldn’t really complain because he wasn’t upset about it, in fact, it was nice to have an Alpha want to keep him and hold him close. He hadn’t even been rough, even when nipping at his neck, he’d been gentle and had held him kindly. He hadn’t even broken any skin while marking him up to claim him, he’d bitten just hard enough to leave an array of small marks and not any harder.

His brain was still reeling from the rush of emotions last night had brought about, the low of painful memories and the highs of being held and marked. As much as his anxiety protested, Barry knew he wasn’t stupid and he recognised that Hal’s behaviour wasn’t normal for an Alpha who just wanted to keep him as a guardian. A guardian didn’t give him kisses, wouldn’t share a bed with him, and certainly wouldn’t be nearly as possessive as Hal was. He was also very perceptive, he knew when the Alphas exchanged knowing looks or made kissing gestures to make Hal glare.

He had kind of figured out that the pack thought that Hal had a crush of some kind on him. Regardless of whether or not it was true or not, Barry was starting to come to the realisation that he had a crush on his Alpha. Hal was kind, both to him and Wally, he was funny, smart, and strong, even when he’d gone out of his way to piss the Alpha off, Hal had never struck him and when he’d gotten stern he had never been cruel. He wasn’t sure if anything would ever come of his crush, but it was making every hug, kiss, or brush of the hand cause his knees to go weak.

He was so caught up in how wonderful his new Alpha was that he didn’t notice there was someone else in the room with him until the blankets shifted and a rush of cold air hit his bare skin. He instinctively mewled in protest and clung to the pillow he’d appropriated as a snuggle toy. Bruce’s scent hit his nose and the other Omega wrapped himself around him, able to feel each other's heartbeats with how close they were.

Once the blankets were back over them, the cold he felt dissipated and he went back to purring. Bruce purred right along with him, nosing at him and kissing the back of his neck and shoulders, the hand resting on his waist squeezing gently. 

“You smell happy.” Bruce commented sleepily.

“Thank you.” Barry mumbled, nuzzling into his pillow.

“What made you so happy?” He asked.

“Just in a good mood.” 

That wasn’t entirely a lie, he was in a good mood, but he was in a good mood because Hal had been nothing but sweet with him all morning. 

“Sure it’s got nothing to do with Hal’s scent all over you?” Bruce asked with a teasing tone in his voice. “And don’t think I missed those marks he left on you, wanna explain that?”

“I was in a bad mood last night and he wanted to cheer me up!” Barry explained, a blush creeping up to his cheeks.

“Yeah, that’s why you smell like the two of you bonded last night.” He scoffed, “Come on, admit it. You’re happy because Hal marked you up.”

“Maybe.” He admitted, though his voice was muffled by his hugging pillow.

Bruce’s feet kicked in excitement and he laughed against his shoulder. Barry whined at the movement, pulling his feet up so they weren’t bothered by Bruce’s.

“I knew it! I knew it!” Bruce crowed, “I knew you liked him!”

“I never said I liked him!” Barry protested, looking over his shoulder.

“Liked who?” 

Both men looked towards the door and saw Dinah and Mera coming in, both of them getting ready to join them. Bruce adjusted his arm around Barry’s waist and pulled the other Omega back, holding him closer against him to make room for the others.

“Barry has a crush on Hal.” He announced while the girls crawled in.

“I do not!” Barry protested.

“Oh! I knew it!” Mera squealed.

“That’s what I said!” Bruce agreed.

Barry rumbled to himself and buried his face in his pillow, hiding his blush. Dinah’s scent made its way to his nose as she embraced him, her hands running up his neck and she ran her fingers through his hair. At the touch, Barry leaned in and started purring again, lifting his face from the pillow.

“He’s blushing.” Mera pointed out. “Arthur says that blushing means someone’s lying! He does like Hal.”

Immediately, Barry stopped purring and brought one hand up to his face, trying to hide the redness in his cheeks. Dinah kept massaging his scalp, scratching it lightly with her perfectly manicured nails until he trembled and stretched in pleasure, then she inched closer and held him tighter.

“Hal definitely has a crush on you.” Bruce said, trying to get Barry to admit his own feelings.

Barry scoffed and shook his head. There was no way that an Alpha as desirable as Hal would have any interest in an Omega like him, he had nothing to offer him and he came with so much baggage.

“It’s true, you’re his exact type.” Mera added, laying on her back and playing with her hair.

“No, I’m not.” Barry muttered.

“You are actually.” Dinah corrected. “I’ve known Hal for a long time and he definitely has a thing for blonds. Whenever he’s been in a relationship, except for Carol, it’s been with a blond.” 

“He likes long legs too. And a good butt.” Bruce contributed, one hand snaking down and squeezing his ass playfully, making him squeak.

All three other Omegas giggled at his outburst, Bruce’s hand returned to his waist and Mera reached over Dinah to touch his side. 

“You look very delicate too.” She said, “Hal likes to be protective of his partners.”

“As he proved last night.” Dinah laughed, tilting his chin up to examine the marks on his neck.

“I was stressed, he calmed me down.” He excused, though it sounded weak even in his ears.

“I’m sure that was part of it.” She placated.

Barry didn’t say anything, knowing that anything he said would be used to prove that he and Hal had the possibility of chemistry. He deliberately ignored the waiting looks he was getting until the other three got the hint and changed the topic, finally giving him a break.

“Clark said that there’s going to be a pack night soon, probably later this week.” Bruce announced.

“Ohh!” Mera said, “What’s the occasion?”

“Getting Barry properly introduced to the pack. J’ohn is coming over to meet him so this will be the packs opportunity to really examine him.” He explained.

“So we’re gonna get to play with Barry?” Dinah asked deviously.

“Play with me?” Barry asked.

“I guess that depends on whether or not Hal lets us.” Bruce said, “He hasn’t given me any control over Barry’s plug so far.”

Dinah pouted and held him tighter, nuzzling against him. Barry was still confused about the whole thing, though he had a sneaking suspicion that he already knew what ‘play with him’ meant. He definitely didn’t understand why Bruce would have any control over his plug, he didn’t even have control over it, only Hal and Clark did.

“Maybe he’s waiting for the traditional pack introduction?” Mera suggested, “Arthur did something similar with me.”

“That could be.” Bruce agreed.

Through it all, Barry just stayed still and cuddled with Dinah. If there was going to be some weird ceremony involving him, he felt like he had a right to know about it, but there could also be a reason his Alpha hadn’t told him yet. All he wanted right now was to snuggle up in the nest and maybe get a nap, not stress about something that may or may not happen. Dinah nudged him again and he chirped, holding onto Bruce’s hand tightly. In between them, Barry was stuck holding his pillow and curling into their warmth, ready to float once more.

~~~

Later that evening, Barr was still thinking about what the other Omegas had said, about a pack ceremony that involved him. He was busy cuddling with Wally on the sofa when it came to mind again, he hadn’t had enough brain power to think right after Omega time, so Hal had wrapped him in a blanket with Wally curled up beside him and put a movie on for them. It had taken almost an hour but his mind had finally cleared and he remembered the talk the others had before cuddling with him properly and now he was curious and wanted to know more. 

He could ask Hal, the Alpha was just on the other side of the couch, reading something on his phone. He may have been out of arm’s reach but he was certain he could just call and he would respond.

“Alpha?” Barry asked, adjusting Wally’s sleeping form to rest comfortably on the couch cushion.

“Yes?” He replied, not yet looking up from his phone.

“Bruce said that there is going to be a ‘pack night’ soon and I was involved somehow. I wanted to know what it was.” He said, playing with his blanket.

That got Hal to put the phone down, looking at the Omega with a cocked brow. For a moment, he wondered if he wasn’t supposed to know about it at all, but if that was the case, Bruce wouldn’t have told him.

“You heard about that, did you?” He asked, his voice worryingly even.

“Yes Alpha.” 

“Did Bruce tell you what it is?”

“No.” Barry admitted, scuffing his foot on the floor.

Hal rolled his eyes and scooted closer, pulling him into a side embrace and taking a deep breath of his scent, still pleasantly sweet from earlier. The grasp on his side was light and easy to pull away from, if Barry so wanted it. He had been very gentle with him all day, his touches unassuming and sometimes it would be difficult to tell if the intent was to hold him or just to let him know that he was there.

“Typical. This upcoming pack night will involve you, actually, you’re kinda the star of the show. It’s just a little get together with everyone to introduce you to the others, let them catch your scent and then at the end of it, the Alphas will decide if they want to take you into the pack.” Hal explained, “Not that you need to worry about that. Our pack has never denied acceptance ever and you certainly won’t be the one to break that streak.”

“Dinah asked if that meant the others would get to ‘play with me’ Alpha, does that mean what I think it means?” He asked, a blush creeping up his cheeks.

The chuckle that shook Hal’s chest already confirmed it, but that didn’t stop him from verbalising it.

“Yes, it most certainly does. The Alphas and Betas will examine you first, mostly just for tradition's sake, and when they give their approval, then the Omegas get to initiate you into their little circle.” He said.

“And then I’ll be part of the pack?” Barry asked.

“Not quite. That ceremony just gives everybody the opportunity to basically speak or forever hold their peace. If you really wanted to join the pack, you would need to take the brand and have everybody scent you until your scent melds with ours.” Hal said with a thoughtful look. “This upcoming get together means that everybody accepts you as an honorary member and will protect you until you decide you want to join our pack or join another one.”

That was a lot to take in. Packs were widely considered a thing of the past, something modern luxury had made obsolete and it wasn’t common for them to exist these days. Some of the few exceptions were War Packs in active service, nesting packs where pregnant Omegas and Betas came together to birth and recover safely with assistance, and Survival Packs in times of famine or other traumatic events where people had to stick together to survive. All of those were temporary however and usually broke up once the bond that brought them together no longer applied, such as when soldiers weren’t on active duty, the pack that Hal was in was a familiar pack, which was severely outdated.

Because they had gone out of style, most pups weren’t really taught about them or how they were formed. What was taught was mostly about how archaic they were, how some packs would kidnap Omegas and female Betas from small villages to force them into breeding, infighting and power struggles from within, and of course, inbreeding. Still, it seemed that Packs were making a comeback, especially with the recent political shift. Many Alphas who wanted to protect their Omega family members from bad bonds, auction stands, group homes, or other horrible fates, could simply form a pack and use that to keep them safe. A pack Alpha could have guardianship over every Omega in the pack, regardless of whether or not they were bonded or had proper paperwork, a pack bond trumped all.

“Obviously, you don’t have to join our pack if you don’t want to. Guy and John haven’t joined because they don’t want to.” Hal said quickly, trying to comfort him.

“It’s… certainly something to think about.” He admitted, pondering the idea. 

On the couch, Wally murmured and squirmed, reaching for his dad in his sleep. Barry softened instantly and pulled his son closer and into his lap, brushing his hair back and kissing his face. Hal watched them quietly and with a small smile, it was starting to get late and he should probably start getting the pup into bed but it was so sweet to see that adoring look on Barry’s face every time he held his kid the way he was and he wanted to see it more.

Chapter Text

n the master suite, book in hand and a cup of decaf coffee on the table beside him. There was a fire roaring a few feet away and aside from the lamp beside him, it was the only source of light in the room. He and Clark had tucked Dick into bed a few hours ago and it seemed like one of those rare nights that he would sleep until at least dawn, Clark had gone for a patrol around both Metropolis and Gotham to make sure nobody was up to no good, and so he had a few hours to spend by himself and just relax. He’d chosen to spend his time catching up on his reading, something that he hadn't had much time to do recently.

He was also thinking about the Pack gathering that Clark had told him about with dirty excitement. He was looking forward to being able to take Barry apart, pulling out his plug and fingering him until his hole was a slick filled mess, sucking on his nipples until he was breathless and begging for more. He wanted to make the other Omega squeal with pleasure for all the Alphas to hear and watch him come undone at the hands of the other Omegas. Of course, it was always fun to play with Dinah and Mera in the Omega room but there was a treat to have a new member of the group.

He was so focused on his dirty thoughts that he didn’t even notice when his mate came up behind him, unaware of his company until Clark slipped his hands under his arms and lifted him out of the chair like a cat. His book slipped from his hand and landed on the cushion he’d previously been sitting on and he silently cursed the loss of his place in the story he hadn’t been reading that evening. His mate pulled him close and pressed a kiss to his claiming mark, followed by a firm bite that made him shudder. The Kryptonians hand snaked down to his erection, cupping and squeezing it to make him gasp.

“My, someone is enjoying his down time.” Clark teased, continuing to make him moan with pleasure. “What’s on your mind?”

“The Pack meeting coming up.” He admitted in a breathy tone.

“Mhh, does my little Omega want to have some proper playtime?” He asked, continuing to grope him through his pants.

“Oh god Alpha!” Bruce gasped, bucking his hips into the firm hand to try and relieve the pressure building in his belly.

“Alright, settle down.” Clark said.

Without giving his mate a second more to beg, Clark lifted him up and unbuckled his pants with deft hands. His pants and boxers wound up around his ankles and Bruce felt his plug unseal and his sphincter stretch while the plug was pulled out, landing on the table beside his coffee mug. He barely had time to take a breath before his Alphas cock pushed its way into his channel until he bottomed out, hitting his prostate so hard he saw stars.

“Alpha!” He cried.

“Hush now.” Clark ordered, shutting him up.

The Alpha floated over the chair and sat himself down in it, his mate straddling his lap with his back pressed against his chest. He bounced Bruce on his cock a few times, making him cry out in pleasure each time. Once Bruce was teetering on the brink of an orgasm, Clark stilled and made him scream in frustration, then grabbed his mug and waved it in front of his face.

“Coffee at this hour?” He asked, disapproval evident in his tone.

“It’s decaf Alpha!” Bruce said quickly, “I promise.”

Clark hummed and took a sip, washing the liquid around in his mouth to clarify. Bruce whined in protest and tried to rise up and fuck himself but was held still by the arm around his waist. Finally, Clark swallowed and put the mug down on the table, giving him a kiss on the neck.

“So it is.” He acknowledged, “That’s a very good choice, I’m proud of you.”

With that, he started bouncing his mate on his lap and hitting his pleasure spot with every thrust. In his chest, Bruce felt a flower of pride blossom. When he and Clark had first gotten together, he hadn’t been very good at taking care of himself, he had rarely slept or eaten, he just worked as CEO of Wayne Enterprises or as Batman and worked through the worst of his injuries against doctors and Alfreds orders. When he had first started his training with Clark he had been as difficult as possible, trying to make his Alpha give up and just leave him to be. Clark had stuck by him though and he finally learned that being an Omega didn’t mean being weak and he submitted more willingly to his Alpha, making better choices like decaf at late hours, but it had taken a long time.

Now came his reward, Clark was going to fuck and knot him and make him come. He and his mate had a very healthy sex life but his Alpha had also used sex as a part of his training, usually as a motivator for his obedience. His mate grabbed onto his thighs and spread them wider, giving him better access to his hole while he fucked him.

“Clark!” He gasped, “Alpha!”

The other man laughed and sucked on his shoulder, leaving dark marks on his pale skin. Clark was well aware of what his mate liked and knew how to make him happy and he wanted to make him happy tonight. Bruce was a difficult Omega to understand, he was all sharp edges and jagged lines to the untrained eye, but he had been able see past that to the broken, hurting, and frightened man underneath. He had spent a lot of time and effort gaining enough trust to spend more than one night with him and tonight he was going to prove that it had been a good choice on his part.

The Omega kept bouncing until Clark felt his knot beginning to swell, then he pulled him down and bit hard on his claiming mark. Tied together, both of them could feel each other's heartbeats and heavy breaths as they each climaxed, Bruce gagging himself with his fist to keep from crying out. 

“Oh Alpha.” Bruce purred when he could speak again.

“My beautiful Omega.” Clark praised, kissing his neck. “Best thing that's ever happened to me, my sweet Omega, I love you so much.”

He ran his hands up and down his mates sides, feeling the lines of muscle Bruce was so proud of and the heaving of his chest while he came again was perfect. Reaching around to rest his hands on his stomach, he could feel the Omega pouch beneath Bruce’s skin start to swell with his cum and he gently massaged the area to make sure his mate didn’t cramp from it. 

“So pretty for me Darling, so pretty.” He continued, “Like a breath of spring air in January.”

Bruce gasped out a laugh and his tummy shook under his hand.

“You keep talking to me like a farmhand and you’ll make me cum again.” He said.

“Ohh I could live with that, might even get you a pretty gingham dress and a straw hat.” He teased, “Make you my little country belle for a night.”

At the suggestion, Bruce squirmed as much as he could and the movement pushed him over again, coating Clarks hand in his own spurt. The mess made him laugh and he brought his messy fingers to the Omegas mouth. Knowing what to do, Bruce’s tongue flicked out and he started to clean off his hand, taking each finger into his mouth individually and sucking his cum off of them. Through it, Clark stroked his side and kissed the back of his neck, able to hear Bruce’s happy purrs and muffled chirps.

“That’s my good Omega.” He whispered, his knot deflating.

He stood up with his mate, turned around and had Bruce bend over and grab the seat of the chair so he could pull out and replace his cock with the plug. Once his mate was plugged, He lifted him back up and started carrying him towards the master bedroom, it was getting late and he needed to get Bruce cleaned up and ready for bed.

And maybe a little more fun before actually sleeping.

~~~

Bruce and Clark were curled up together, both thoroughly worn out after a few more rounds of sex. Bruce had since cleaned up his nest, replacing soiled blankets, reshaping the edges and fluffing up the pillows. Clark had taken the load down to the laundry and started it up, prepared to come down early in the morning to switch it to the dryer. The couple had finally settled down and were just getting to sleep when a blood curdling scream split the air.

Both of them shot up and threw the blankets off of them, not caring where they landed. It seemed that Dick wasn’t going to be sleeping through the night after all. Bruce got to the pup's door first, throwing it open and rushing to his baby, thrashing and tangled in his sheets. As was common with Dick’s night terrors, his eyes were open but he wasn’t in his room, he wasn’t awake. Reluctantly, Clark took the glass of water on the bedside table and dumped its contents over his son's heads, leaving him sputtering and soaked but awake.

Drenched and curled in his bed, Dick looked even smaller than he actually was, his loud personality gone and his shoulders hunched in. His skin was pale except for where tear tracks made their way down his cheeks and he was trembling, one breath was all it took for Bruce to notice that he was spiralling into a panic attack and he was up on the bed with him, completely ignoring the water soaking into his pajamas. 

“Oh Păsărică, Vino aici.” He whispered, pulling him into his arms.

Dicks trembling hands came up and weakly clutched his shirt, strands of wet hair soaking his shirt. The boy's chest was heaving and Clark moved to embrace the pair, wrapping them up in his arms as tightly as he could without bruising them. Bruce might have been able to feel it, but Clark could hear the little heart beating too quickly and his lungs inflating and deflating rapidly. 

“C’mon baby, we’ve got you.” Clark muttered, “Follow Daddy’s breathing.”

“I-I can’t!” He panted.

Clark heard his stomach start turning and grabbed the trash can before he even gagged, holding it under his son’s face when he pushed back to throw up stomach bile. Looking over the boy, Bruce grimaced and they both knew that it would be a medication night if the attack was so bad that he threw up. When Dick finally sat up, Bruce pulled him back into a hug, rocking him and kissing him.

“Oh my poor baby.” He soothed, stilling when his mate embraced them again. “Papa and I are right here, we’ve got you.”

Slowly, breath by unsure breath, Dick managed to settle himself down enough to breathe properly. Clark scented the both of them, claiming them and trying to calm them down. Soon, the pack would trickle through to check on them, the walls were good but not completely soundproof and the adults would feel Bruce and Clarks distress through the pack bond. 

Dinah and Ollie came by first, a blanket brought by to offer as an offer of comfort. Bruce had gotten himself worked into a protective Omega state and didn’t want anyone over then his mate and son close to him so Dinah just left it on the floor close by so it could be grabbed easily. 

Hal came by next, alone and bringing a fresh glass of water for them. He didn’t stay long to visit, he simply deposited the glass on the bedside table, wished them good luck, and took his own leave.

Diana came next and while she didn’t bring anything, her physical presence was enough. She stepped around the bed, giving the trio a wide berth and grabbed the stuffed elephant that had fallen off the bed. Holding it in clear view, she handed it off to Clark and gave the shaking boy a small smile. Then she also left.

FInally came Arthur and Mera, bringing another glass of water, though this one was slightly glowing. They had done this a few times and Clark recognised that it was a calming serum for Bruce, something to help him not go into a drop once all the big emotions passed. Both cups of water sat on the bedside table and finally they were alone.

~~~

Hal made his way back down the hall to his suite, rubbing the back of his neck and head on the way. He had felt Bruce and Clarks distress over their bond, but he, Barry, and Wally had heard Dicks scream. He had assured them that it was just a nightmare, but he hadn’t missed how stressed Barry had been before he’d left. In his bedroom, he wasn’t surprised to find the sheets thrown about but nobody there. Grimacing to himself, he retreated to find his two wards in Wallys bedroom, curled into a far corner with Barry shielding his son with his body. 

“Barry.” He said quietly.

He took a few steps forward, stopping at the edge of the bed when Barry bared his teeth and growled at him in warning. Knowing not to push his luck with an Omega protecting his pup, even if the perceived threat wasn’t real, he took a seat on the bed and raised his hands to show he meant no harm. Barry looked him over and seemed to find no issue, relaxing back into the corner but keeping his teeth bared.

“What’s going on Strawbarry?” He asked.

“One of the pups screamed.” He growled, fussing with the blanket he had Wally wrapped in.

“Yes, that was Dick.” Hal said, “He suffers from night terrors and sometimes when he has them he screams or cries in his sleep. He’s scared but he isn’t hurt.”

Behind his father, Wally shifted and peeked out at him, also clearly frightened. His green eyes were big and tearfilled, and he was clinging to the teddy Hal had gifted him and were it not for the circumstances he would have found it cute.

“Why is Dick screaming?” He asked, only to be hushed by his dad.

“It’s okay Barry, he can ask.” Hal said, “Dick lost his birth parents in a very bad way and it still really hurts him. Sometimes he sees it again when he’s dreaming and it makes him yell or make other noises. His dads are with him though and he’ll be okay.”

Barry rolled his eyes and went back to fussing with his sons blanket, though he made it clear that he was keeping the Alpha in his vision. Tentatively, Hal scooted off the bed and onto the floor, catching Barry’s attention instantly and though the Omega glared at him, he didn’t move. It may be uncomfortable for him, but it wouldn’t do for Barry to be barricaded in a corner all night long, so he would have to coax him out.

“C’mere Bar.” He said, extending his hand.

Barry looked at his hand and turned away, trying his best to pretend he hadn’t heard him. 

“Barry.” Hal asserted calmly. “Either you can come here to me, or I can come over there to you. Which would you prefer?”

The glare he got could stop a clock but he didn’t waver. He would give him a second to think about it but if he didn’t make a move closer within a few minutes, he’d move a little closer. It took a few tries for Barry to build up enough confidence to leave his little haven, crawling forward a few inches only to dart back to its safety seconds later. Hal remained patient, given that he was trying he wouldn’t move closer, he just waited until Barry was finally able to drag himself into his reach.

Timidly, he placed his hand in Hal’s and let the Alpha pull him into his lap, looking back at Wally to make sure he was safe. Once the Omega was settled, Hal reached out to Wally, not even needing to say anything before the pup threw himself into his arms. Using his ring, Hal got them all up and sat down on the bed, giving them each kisses.

“Well done, both of you.” He praised. “Thank you for trusting me.”

Barry didn’t say anything and that also wasn’t surprising, it seemed that both male Omegas were in a very protective state over their pups and there was nothing to be done about it, at least he didn’t have Barry’s dental records embedded in his flesh. 

“Why don’t we go and sleep in the big bed tonight?” He asked, “Think that would make things better?”

“Can we?” Wally asked, already calmed down and ready to get back to sleep.

“Of course we can.” Hal said, giving the pup a kiss. 

They made it to the bed easily enough and Hal helped Wally climb up and into the centre of the blanket mess. Barry put the bed back together and crawled in with his son, wrapping his arms around him tightly and scenting with him. Wally was out like a light but it took longer for Barry, he flinched at any sudden sound or flicker of light, and when he started to drop from his state it just got worse.

“You’re alright baby, I’m going to keep you two safe.” Hal assured, stroking his hair.

“That other pup isn’t safe.” Barry whispered and a few tears fell.

“Yes, he is Barry. Bruce is in a similar state to you right now, so I can’t take you to see him, but tomorrow we’ll go and check on Dick. Does that sound okay?” He asked.

“He screamed.”

“He was scared. He’d been with Bruce and Clark for over a year now and he’s been getting treatment for his nightmares for just as long.” Hal said.

“And what treatment is that?” Barry rasped, “Smacks? Or a closet?”

Once those words washed over him, it became clear to Hal that Barry wasn’t really thinking about Dick. Sure, he may have been concerned about him but his main focus was his son. 

“Barry.” Hal said, sitting up. “Did Luthur hit Wally when he had bad dreams?”

For a second, Barry just laid still and stared at the shirt Hal was wearing. Then, he gave a single nod and kissed Wally’s head. Swallowing his rage so he wouldn’t go hunt Lex down, Hal laid back down and held the pair tight.

“That was there, not here. We don’t hurt our puppies here, we don’t punish them for being scared.” He whispered, “You don’t need to worry about Wally’s safety here. If he needs help, then he’ll get help.”

There wasn’t a response but he wasn’t really expecting one. Instead, he adjusted the pair so Barry’s head was pillowed on his chest and he could keep one hand on Wally’s arm. He knew he had positioned the Omega right over his heartbeat and knew it was bringing him comfort when he started to doze off. Tomorrow might be hard, both Bruce and Barry would be over protective, but hopefully they could help each other through it. And maybe it would be a piece of evidence to Barry that the most important thing in his life was safe. 

Chapter Text

Barry was hiding behind Hal while they headed to the master suite, like the Alpha had promised the previous night. They had left Wally in the bed, snuggled into the blankets and still sleeping off the stress from yesterday. According to Clark over the mind link, Bruce had come down from his protective state and while he was still a little fragile, he was willing to let them into the room with his sleeping son so Barry could see for himself that Dick wasn’t hurt at all. He wasn’t surprised that Bruce was still fragile, he’d been in a pack with Omegas long enough to know that it could sometimes take a day or so for an Omega to come down from an emotional high like that, the same way that an Alpha could take a while to get it all out of their system when they felt the need to claim their mate.

“Come on Bar.” Hal instructed when Barry paused just outside of the door.

The Omega curled himself further behind him, just barely peeking out enough to see. Hal could feel one hand on his back and the other on his shoulder, trying to anchor himself to the Alpha, which was actually a good thing, because it meant that Barry trusted him enough to protect him. Raising his fist, he knocked lightly on the suite door and stepped back, nearly tripping over the shorter man behind him, who he pulled around to stand beside him. 

The door opened slowly, revealing Clark still in his pajamas and looking slightly unkempt. Barry caught the other Alphas scent and reeled back, a prominent shiver going through his body that was nearly visible to the other two. Hal kept him still and tugged him close and squeezed his shoulder, trying to help him relax so he wouldn’t freak out. Bruce might be in a delicate state but so was Barry and he needed a little more support than he usually did.

“Morning.” Clark greeted, sounding exhausted.

“Morning, did you get any sleep last night?” He asked, rubbing Barry’s arm.

“A little, Bruce was restless all night and I just wasn’t able to settle in.” He admitted, noticing Barry for the first time. “And I heard that you two had a rough night yourselves. How are you doing?”

“Barry here got a little nervous, we heard Dick cry last night from our room and it was a little stressful for us.” Hal said, squeezing his shoulder again. “I knew that last night wouldn’t be a good time to stop by but I was hoping we could just check to make sure Dicks okay?”

“Yeah of course. Come on in, Dick and Bruce are still in bed, we had to give Dick a dose of Apo-Lorazepam last night to help him sleep and he’s still sleeping it off.” Clark said, welcoming them into the suite. “But Bruce is awake and I’m sure he’d like some company that’s not me worrying after him.”

Clark led them to the bedroom, knocking on the door and then opening it up to reveal a massive space, with a king sized bed against the far wall, some comfy chairs for resting, a small shelf of books and knick knacks, two large dressers, and a comfortable looking window seat decorated with throw pillows and blankets. In the bed, Bruce was lounging with Dick curled into his side, the Pack Omega looking up sleepily at the guests and then laid his head back on his pillow when he realised they weren’t any sort of threat to him or his baby.

“Hey Brucie.” Hal greeted quietly, planting himself a few feet past the door frame. “Barry and I just wanted to make sure that Dick was doing better this morning.”

“He’s doing good, still really tired but he slept through the rest of the night perfectly.” He replied, petting Dicks hair. “Though I think today will be a lazy day for the two of us, I just don’t want to overwhelm him so quickly after having such severe anxiety and then being given such a strong sedative.”

Smelling no pain in the room, Barry broke away from Hal’s embrace and timidly crept forward to get a better look at the pair. Bruce invited him up onto the bed and let him touch his son’s hair under his watchful gaze. 

“What made him so scared?” Barry asked quietly.

“He watched his birth parents die in a horrible accident.” Bruce replied, “He was diagnosed with PTSD and he suffers from nightmares because of it. He’s been getting better but he still struggles and last night was really hard for him. He goes to therapy and he has a journal and we go to visit his parents at the cemetery once a week, but he’s still so young that it’s hard.”

“I’m so sorry.” Barry whispered, “I can’t imagine how hard that must be for him.”

‘But you can.’ Hal thought, ‘You watched your mother die in front of you too.’

Beside him, Clark put a hand on his shoulder and tilted his head towards the sitting room. When he gave him a nod, Clark turned to his mate, not getting closer so as to not stress Barry.

“Bruce, Hal and I are going to the living room for some coffee, do you need anything?” He asked.

“No, thank you.” Bruce answered.

With a nod, Clark guided Hal out of the room and shut the door quietly behind them, leaving the Omegas to themselves with the sleeping child. With the other two out of the room, Bruce patted the bed and Barry climbed up beside him to cuddle. 

“How are you doing?” Bruce whispered.

“Little shaky.” He responded, shifting closer to the other.

“Yeah I can smell it on you.” He said, “It’s okay, so am I.”

“Your Alpha really didn’t hurt you, did he?” Barry asked, looking down at Dick. “Or him?”

“No, of course not. Clark may look big and scary but he’s super gentle and he’d never hurt a fly.” Bruce said, “He’s nothing but a teddy bear with more muscle.”

When Barry didn’t look convinced, Bruce wiggled out of the covers and unbuttoned his shirt, revealing his chest. While his chest was dotted with old scars, there were no new bruises or cuts to suggest any form of abuse, additionally, Bruce was muscular and had a comfortable layer of fat over them, so he wasn’t starved by any means. 

“I don’t want to wake Dick by taking off his shirt, but trust me, he isn’t hurt at all.”

Finally nodding, Barry settled down and nodded. With a smile, Bruce put his shirt back on and wormed his way back under the covers, wrapping his pup back up in his arms. 

“Are you two gonna be okay?” He asked, helping Bruce fuss with the blankets.

“Yeah, we’ll be okay. I’m sure that Clark’s gonna be over protective and all possessive today, so we’ll probably just hang around in here today.” Bruce replied, “How about you? Are you okay?”

“Umm, I don’t know. I think so.” He whispered.

“You will be, trust me.” 

~~~

Hal settled onto the couch and threw his arm around Barry. The Omega had been quiet all morning after their visit with Bruce and it was a little concerning to him, not that Barry was talkative on a good day but it was like he was mute again. They had eaten breakfast in near silence, though Wally had climbed into his dad’s lap and refused to move, so he’d eaten breakfast there. Now they were all on the sofa and Barry had kept his son as close to him as he possibly could.

“Barry, do you think you’re ready for some lunch?” Hal asked, hoping for an affirmative. 

Instead Barry just shook his head and leaned further back into the cushions and closed his eyes. The Omega had barely touched his breakfast, which wasn’t really shocking, he was still hosting so much residual stress from the night before that he probably didn’t have an appetite, so Hal was going to have to calm him down so he could get some actual food in his stomach. 

Scooting closer, he pulled the pair closer and pushed his nose into Barry’s hair. He smelled like stress and exhaustion, so clearly he hadn’t gotten enough sleep the night before. Maybe if he could get him to take a nap, he would wake up with a little less stress and an appetite. 

“C’mere you two, let me take care of you.” He whispered.

Barry didn’t respond or react, he was stiff as a doll when Hal manoeuvred him into a hug, though Wally visibly relaxed and even reached out and grabbed onto his shirt. Forcing himself to purr, he used his ring to drape a blanket over them, hoping that he could help Barry settle. 

“Do you need anything, either of you?” He asked, “Water, maybe some more blankets?”

“No thank you.” Wally replied quietly.

His dad didn’t say anything, nor did he really respond, he just stayed sitting still in his arms, eyes down and only looking at his son. Even when Hal nudged him or jostled them, he stayed quiet. Admitting defeat, Hal opened his part of the mindlink and called to Ollie, he needed help with this.

‘Ollie, I need some help.’ He thought, ‘Barry’s in a state and I don’t know what to do.’

‘What’s he doing?’ Ollie replied.

‘Nothing, he isn’t talking, he’s not really moving, I’m really worried.’

‘He had a fit last night didn’t he?’ He asked.

‘Yeah, damn near bit me when I tried to get near him. He heard Dick scream and it set him off.’ Hal answered.

‘So he’s probably just sensitive and out of it. Try throwing some blankets in the dryer for a few minutes, get all three of you into bed with them and he’ll start to loosen up.’ Ollie suggested. ‘That always works with Dinah when she’s like this.'

‘Awesome, thank you so much.’ 

The link closed and Hal shifted the two off his lap and back onto the sofa, wrapping them both up in the blanket so they would still be warm. He grabbed some blankets from the bedroom and hurried down to the laundry room towards the dryer, throwing his load in and starting a timer for ten minutes.

When he hurried back into the suite, his heart nearly stopped, the couch was empty and the blanket was in a messy fold on top of the sofa. Tossing down the blankets on the first flat surface he found and rushed further in to find them. He was hoping that they had migrated to the bedroom instead of leaving the suite, it would be harder to find them in the massive house. 

When he stepped into the bedroom, their scent was stronger so at least they were here, though not on the bed. Poking around for them, he heard a shuffling noise from the closet. Creeping closer, Hal opened the door slowly and peaked in, finding Barry curled into a far corner with Wally in his arms and Hal’s flight jacket laid over them. It seemed that Barry had found a safe spot for him and his pup to hide out in while their Alpha was gone. 

“Hey you two, what are you doing here?” He asked, taking a seat beside them. 

Barry didn’t respond but Wally did, perking up in his dads arms.

“We’re playing bunnies!” He announced proudly.

“Bunnies? How do you play bunnies?” Hal asked, genuinely confused.

“You have to hide, curl up real small, and be really quiet. Just like bunnies!” Wally explained.

“I see, and what are we hiding from?” He asked, noticing the pinched look on Barry’s face.

“Foxes! Cause foxes eat bunnies.” He chirped.

“I see.” Hal said slowly.

He would have to ask Barry later but he had a heart sinking feeling that it was a game Barry had come up with to keep Wally quiet while Lex was on a rampage. Keeping a pup quiet through fear wouldn’t work for long, because Wally would cry, but by turning it into a game, he took the fear away. It certainly seemed like this was a game that the pair had played often and he was worried.

“Well, why don’t my two bunnies come and hide in the bed?” He asked.

“Because then the foxes will find us.” Wally said, looking at Hal like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“Right, the foxes.” He mumbled, trying not to laugh at how cute Wally looked. “Well, why don’t we get your teddy bear? Bears eat foxes.” 

Wally didn’t look fully convinced, like he wasn’t liking how the game he’d played often was changing. Surprisingly though, Barry seemed to agree with him.

“Perfect, bears keep the foxes away.” He whispered to his pup.

With a dramatic roll of his eyes, Wally stood up with a huff and left the closet to the bed. Staying behind, Hal helped Barry to his feet and rehung his jacket on the coat hanger.

“Bunnies?” He asked.

“I didn’t want him to be scared.” Barry whispered, looking off into the distance.

So it was a way to keep Wally quiet to keep him safe. That was equal parts impressive and horrifying. Impressive because it seemed that Wally had never caught on to the fact that there was real danger while playing and horrifying because of how well acquainted they both were with the game. 

“How often did you have to play?”

“Too often.”

“Why’d you start playing this time?” Hal asked.

“I don’t know, I just felt…” Barry paused, fussing with the blankets on the bed. “Odd.”

So he’d felt a need to get his pup somewhere safe and so he’d ushered them into the closet, that was disheartening. He was trying not to take it personally, Barry wasn’t hiding because he was scared of him, he was just stuck in some bad memories. He’s been worried about Dick and subsequently, his own son, last night, had an Omega fit, and was still riding that emotional rollercoaster. He was acting purely on his emotions, following habits that were years old.

“Well, maybe you’ll feel a little more normal after a little nap.” Hal suggested, helping him get up and comfy in the bed.

Barry didn’t agree or disagree, he simply shrugged and wrapped himself around Wally once more, and Hal had to consciously drag his gaze away from the shaking hands of his Omega. He didn’t really know what had set Barry off like this, maybe it had been building all day and when he’d gone to the laundry room he’d finally given in, or maybe it was something more direct, like something Hal had said or done to make him nervous.  Either way, hopefully he would calm down with some physical affection and a nap.

Taking the warm blankets, Hal wrapped them around all three of them, making a little cocoon for them all to snuggle into. Wally noticed the warmth instantly and nuzzled into it, becoming a boneless little lump in their arms. Barry took a moment longer to relax, he was still tense and keeping an eye on his Alpha, protectively shielding his son from him. Pulling them both close, Hal kissed them each on the head and gave them a squeeze.

“Are my bunnies cozy enough?” He asked.

“Yes!” Wally chirped, wiggling around.

Barry nodded once and rested his head against the pillow so he could start to relax properly, but he kept his eyes open and glued to the print on Hal’s t-shirt, and something told Hal that he wasn’t really focused on the present. Nuzzling into his hair again, Hal claimed the pair and gave them each a kiss. Wally chirped and nuzzled in closer to him, Barry breathed deeply and held it in for a moment. He shifted and pushed Wally closer to their Alpha and rested his head on his shoulder. 

“Get some sleep bunnies.” Hal instructed, “I’ve got you both.”

Within ten minutes, Wally was in a deep sleep, almost completely dead to the world while his father stayed awake and vigilant. Hal kept rubbing his back and purring for him, trying to help him relax enough to drift off. The warm blankets seemed to have worked their magic a little but it seemed that he couldn’t shake the residual fear he was feeling.

“Can I do anything for you, Strawberry?” He asked in a hushed tone, not wanting to wake up Wally.

“No Alpha.” Barry replied.

The Omega squirmed and pressed his nose down against his Alphas shoulder, down with the conversation and ready to go back to the silence. Trying to not let his disappointment show, Hal kissed his head and settled himself into the blankets once more. 

A sharp knock on the door made Barry sit straight up and growl, one hand protectively resting on Wallys shoulder. Hal also sat up and did an instinctual look over at his wards, just making sure they were safe. Sliding off the bed, Hal started making his way to the door.

“Stay here.” He ordered.

Barry looked between him and the door frantically and then moved in front of his son. Hal hurried into the common room and opened the door to the hallway before the visitor could knock again. Behind the door stood Arthur, one hand raised to knock again and the other holding a cup of glowing water.

“What?” Hal asked, his tone sharper than it would normally be.

Arthur took a step back and wrinkled his nose, which alerted Hal to his own aggressive scent. His packmate held the glass out towards him and held up his other hand to show that he was harmless to Hal's wards. 

“Ollie told me that Barry’s in some sort of state. I brought some settling serum for him, it’ll put him to sleep for a few hours and then when he wakes up he’ll be docile and sleepy.” Arthur said, “It’s the same thing that I brought for Bruce last night when he had his fit.” 

“Oh, thank you.” Hal said, taking the glass from Arthurs outstretched hand.

With that, Arthur turned and hurried down the hallway, likely towards his own mate and pup. Taking a breath to steady himself, Hal carried the glass back to the bedroom to Barry. He was hoping the Omega wouldn’t make a fuss about taking the medicine, it wouldn’t do him any good to get anymore worked up in his current state. 

In the bedroom, Hal found an empty bed with the blankets strewn about, like whoever had been on it had gotten off in a hurry. With a sad sigh, Hal put the glass down on the bedside and turned his attention to the closed closet door. The whole room stunk like Omega fear and he could imagine that Barry had probably woken his son and ushered him back into the safety of the walk-in closet.

“Barry.” Hal called, knocking on the door lightly. “Barry, can I come in?”

For a moment, there was nothing and then there was a quiet shuffling noise from behind the door and it opened slightly. Barry was kneeling on the floor with his hand on the back of the door, staring up at him with fearful eyes. Behind him, Wally was curled up in the corner and even in the low lighting, Hal could see that he was trembling.

“Hey you two, it was just Arthur at the door. He brought Barry something to help him sleep and now he’s gone.” Hal assured, crouching down to Barry’s level.

Barry opened the door another inch and Wally crawled right up to his dad, latching onto his arm like a koala. Tentatively, Hal reached out and took the Omegas hand, pulling him closer until there were only a few inches between them.

“Come back to bed.” He implored, standing up and taking the other two with him.

Getting Barry back to bed was a lot harder than it had been the first time, mostly because Wally was also dragging his feet. The pup was very clearly reacting to his dad's emotions and as a result, he was twitchy and unhappy about moving from the perceived safety of the closet. Finally getting the pair on the bed had the same feeling of finishing a maths test, and he was quick to pull them both into an embrace, both to comfort and contain them. He didn’t think he would be able to coax them out a third time and he wasn’t sure if he was willing to sleep in a closet.

“Here you go Sweet, drink up.” Hal instructed, pressing the glass into Barry’s hand. 

The blond examined the glimmering contents with narrowed eyes and sniffed it a few times, suspicious of it. 

“Go on.” He urged.

Slowly, Barry raised the glass to his lips and took the tiniest of sips, then wrinkled his nose and held it away from him.

“Tastes bad.” He declared.

He tried to lean over Hal to put it back on the bedside table, but Hal stopped him and pushed him back into an upright position.

“No no, you still need to drink it.” He said. “Just drink it fast in one go, and then I’ll get you some water to wash it down with.”

Barry looked at him sadly and turned his head into Hal’s shoulder, obviously trying to delay swallowing the serum down.

“No Alpha, I don’t need it.” He whispered.

Hal pressed a kiss into Barry’s hair and rubbed his back. 

“You don’t want me to have to make it an order, do you Barry?” He whispered in his ear. The Omega shook his head against his chest and Hal could feel him shiver at the suggestion. “Then drink it up now so I don’t have to.”

With a sniffle and another sad look, Barry pulled back and put the glass back to his lips. Closing his eyes tightly, he swallowed mouthful after mouthful of the glowing liquid, until only a few drops remained in the cup. When he’d finished, Barry stuck out his tongue in disgust and shook his head a little.

“Well done.” Hal praised.

Using his power ring, he moved the glass to the bathroom sink and filled it halfway up with cool water, then brought it back to let the Omega rinse the medicine down. Barry drank the water much more slowly, taking small sips and swirling them around in his mouth before swallowing, trying to get all of the bad taste out of his mouth.

When the glass was only a quarter full, he handed it back to his Alpha and leaned against him, arms wrapped tightly around his pup. Barry’s eyes were starting to droop and most of the tension had drained from his shoulders, his body relaxing as the serum took effect. Through the whole thing, Wally had stayed quiet in his dad’s lap and was starting to follow the Omegas lead, relaxing and starting to look sleepy.

“C’mere you two.” Hal cooed.

Though he wasn’t able to build a nest like an Omega, Hal did have some strong burrito wrapping skills, so he bundled the three of them up in the still warm covers. Barry pressed his nose into Wally’s hair and looked up at him for a moment before closing his eyes and leaning against the pillow. 

Barry’s scent was very similar to how it had been when he’d first gotten out of the cradle, very tired and unbothered, though there was still the lingering scent of fear, which Hal was trying to mask with a calming scent. Wally still seemed a little nervous, shifting and squirming like he couldn’t find a comfortable spot between them no matter how hard he tried. With his father already halfway out, Hal knew it was up to him to settle the pup enough that he could get a nap too.

“What's wrong buddy?” He whispered.

“Dad’s upset.” Wally replied, “He doesn’t smell right.”

“Oh kiddo, I know he’s upset. That’s why we’re all cuddling in here today instead of going out and hanging out with the whole pack.” Hal said, “I think all of us are a little strung out today after all the drama last night.”

“Dad tried to bite you last night.”

It didn’t sound like a question, more like a statement about something that was bothering him. Hal had to assume that it had been stressful for him to see his dad snap and snarl at an Alpha that he’d started trusting. Not to mention that Barry hadn’t been able to properly calm down from the previous night and he’d been stressed all day, stressing out his pup by accident.

“Yes, you’re right, he did.” Hal agreed, “He was scared and he was trying to protect you, and he saw me as a threat to you.”

“Why?”

“Because your old Alpha has trained him to think that any Alpha is a threat to you both.” He explained, “You two have been here for a month and you’ve both come so far, but it hasn’t been enough to unlearn all that fear.” 

Wally was silent for a moment and held onto Hal’s shirt, playing with the fabric to distract and entertain himself. Barry was deeply asleep behind him, one hand resting on Wally’s side and the other under his head. He didn’t smell frightened anymore, his scent had taken on a very neutral tone and hopefully that would help Wally settle in to take a nap of his own.

“Are you mad at him?” Wally asked, playing with Hal’s shirt to avoid looking him in the face.

“No, of course not.” 

“But he tried to bite you.”

“Yeah he did, but he did it because he loves you so much that he was willing to do anything to keep you safe.” Hal said, “And I love that he loves you, because I care about you both very much and I want to protect you.”

“Why do you want to do that?”

“Because I care about you.” Hal answered.

The Alpha nuzzled into his hair, kissing his head and breathing his scent. Wally leaned into him and relaxed, huffing a laugh when it tickled his scalp. 

“Get some sleep baby, I’m here and I’ll take care of you.” He said.

It took a while and a lot of comfort. Hal rubbed his back and made sure to pull Barry closer to give Wally the comfort of his dad close by so he could smell him and cuddle with him. After about fifteen minutes, Wally’s eyes closed and didn’t open again, he stopped squirming and his breathing started to get slower and deeper. Waiting another ten minutes so the pup was definitely asleep, Hal heaved a sigh of relief and flipped over onto his back, scrubbing a hand down his face and stretched.

Using his ring, he cracked the windows and turned on the fan, wanting to clear the room of the rotten stench of fear and tension. He was going to go insane if he had to feel his adrenaline spike with every inhale, and it would give Barry and Wally a fresh start when they woke up. He just wanted them to relax and recover after everything. 

Chapter Text

Bruce and Dinah were secluded in the Pack Room, a large suite that was dedicated solely to pack events and displays. In the main room was an array of comfortable wooden chairs with padded seats and some small tables scattered between them, the chairs were arranged to face a raised section of floor with a slightly slanted circular bed. The bed was for the Omegas, where they could play with each other for the Alphas to watch.

Sometimes it was all on the Omegas to put on the show, teasing each other into climax for the Alphas to see. Other times, they would all have remote controlled vibrators that were controlled by their mates so they could be pleasured to orgasm or edged for nearly an hour for their amusement. Of course, when they were done, the bed was cleaned and sheets were changed, then the Omegas were tidied up and cuddled together for the remainder of the meeting.

~~~

Hal was waiting in the living room of their suite, phone in hand on the couch while Barry paced. He had been going back and forth to check himself in the mirror since he’d gotten dressed and had barely sat down, too full of nervous energy to stay in one spot.

He had insisted on wearing some of his nicer clothes, despite Hal telling him that it would make more sense for him to just be wrapped in a robe, he’d brushed his hair nicely and had pinched some colour into his cheeks. All of it was unnecessary, the Omega would be naked, bathed, and handed over for the others to play with as soon as he got there, but Barry had insisted that he wanted to put some effort into his outfit and Hal hadn’t had the heart to tell him no.

“Barry, sweetness.” Hal said, catching his Omegas arm when he got up for the fifteenth time. “You look fine.”

Barry wiggled and looked toward the bathroom door, clearly feeling the urge to perform the ritual again. Pulling him in, Hal got him onto his lap and kissed his head, nuzzling against him to relax him a little.

“Settle.” He mumbled, kissing him again.

Clark had recommended that he start conditioning a calming phrase for Barry, one that he would start to associate with being still and relaxed. All the bonded Alphas in their pack had a phrase for their mates, both Clark and Ollie used ‘at ease’ for their mates, while Arthur used an Atlantean word for relax. He had a few books on Omega Care and Psychology, and they had mentioned the same thing and some of them had gone into a little detail about creating the connection. He had decided to use ‘settle’ for Barry, though the proper connection wouldn’t form for a while and would be a part of his training.

“Are you ready to go?” He asked, rubbing his back.

Nervously, Barry nodded and threw one last look at the bathroom but he stood and followed Hal obediently out the door. While they walked, Hal took a moment to wrap an arm around his shoulder and gave him a squeeze, trying to reassure him while they walked.

He was hoping that the event would go well, he didn’t want another incident of retraumatizing his Omega. He had set rules and boundaries for the Other Omegas, they weren’t allowed to to tie him up, swat or spank him, gag him, or restrain him in any way, or Hal would step in and stop them immediately and the evening would be over. He had even given Barry a safeword if he wasn’t enjoying himself and wanted it to stop.

At the door, Hal knocked and silenced the noise inside. While the footsteps came closer to the door, Barry inched further and further behind him, until Barry was completely shadowed by his Alpha.

Clark opened the door and smiled, inviting them in and shutting the door behind them, cocking an eyebrow at Barry holding onto Hal. The rest of the pack was already there, the Alphas and J’hon in the chairs and the Omegas, robed, on the bed. Hal could detect a faint scent of lavender and vanilla, something that was nice and relaxing.

“Hey Barry, why don’t you come with Diana and I so we can get you ready?” Clark asked, holding out a hand for him to take.

Hal felt the hand on his back close into a fist, so he pulled him in front of him and gave him a quick kiss. Barry leaned into him and wrapped an arm around his neck, whimpering a little into his chest.

“Go with Clark, he’s gonna take care of you.” Hal encouraged, stepping them both closer to the Pack Alpha.

Slowly, ready to pull back if Clark even twitched, Barry laid his hand into his and didn’t pull away when Clark took it and pulled him closer. The Pack Alpha put Barry in the same hold Hal had held him with, pulling him into his arms and protectively rubbing his back and giving him a nuzzle.

The Omega looked tiny compared to Clark, who was six foot five compared to Barry’s five foot nine. Clark was also build like a tank, all muscle and mass, and it was easy to see why Barry might be a little nervous to be with him. Of course, Diana was also there, and hopefully, she would be a comforting presence for him while they cleaned him up.

Clark and Diana lead Barry to the attached bathroom, closing the door behind them. This bathroom had been remodelled to be able to suit the needs of the pack and it was bigger than the bedroom Barry was sleeping in. He was grateful that the Alphas stepped back and gave him a second to take in his new surroundings.

In one of the far corners was a massive, hot tubbed sized bathtub that intrigued him. Beside it was a large walk in shower, with multiple shower heads and spouts along the wall, so it must have been designed for multiple people to use at once. There were also multiple shelves filled with fluffy towels in multiple colours, cabinets with different soaps, lotions, and oils, and oddly enough, chairs around the walls.

“I like your outfit.” Diana complimented, placing her hands on his shoulders.

“Thank you.” He whispered, turning his full attention back to the Alphas.

“Are you alright if we start getting you ready now?” Clark asked, “Or do you need a few more minutes?”

“We uh, we can start now.” Barry agreed.

“Alright then, we need you to take your clothes off, you can put them in the hamper.” Clark instructed.

“Oh, uh, can I keep my clothes?” Barry asked, hugging himself. “I want to wear them again.”

“Sweetness, you’ll get them back.” Diana laughed, “Alfred will bring them back to you after they’ve been washed.”

Nodding, Barry started to undress, starting with his shirt and working his way down, leaving his boxers for last. His cheeks were definitely red, he could feel the flush. Even after everything Lex had done to him, he still blushed everytime he undressed in front of people.

“Well done.” Diana praised when he was fully unclothed. “Now, why don’t you come over here so we can clean you up.”

Barry stepped forward but he kept his arms wrapped protectively around himself, pulling back a little when Clark reached out for him.

“I already took a shower.” He said.

“Good, but Diana and I are going to clean you up again. It’ll help you relax. Besides, we need to clean you inside.” He replied.

Somehow blushing more, Barry nodded and stepped close enough to be touched. Clark bridged the gap and guided him to the large shower, he and Diana taking off their socks to step in with him but leaving the rest of their clothes on.

Diana took a showerhead off the wall and started up the water, testing its temperature on her hands before turning it on Barry. Clark prepared the loofah and started rubbing him down, then Diana rinsed him off. The shower barely took five minutes and soon the water was turning off and they were moving onto the internal part.

“Bend over and put your hands on the wall.” Clark instructed, lubing up the enema nozzle.

Barry took a deep, steadying breath and obliged, forcing himself to follow the lines on the wall. Diana crouched beside him and put a hand over his, rubbing circles with her thumb while Clark filled him up.

“Good job.” She praised, “You’re doing so well.”

Barry nodded in response and tried to focus on everything and anything except the feeling of warm, soapy water rushing into him. His plug was reinserted sooner than he had predicted, his stomach felt heavy but not terribly uncomfortable, and it wasn’t sticking out because of the bloat. Diana helped him stand upright and find his balance. Clark cleaned up the nozzle while Diana massaged his belly and then dried him off.

When he’d emptied himself and cleaned himself up, Clark and Diana each gave him a quick once over and found nothing to correct. While he wanted to cover himself up and maybe put his clothes back on, he knew that it wouldn’t be happening.

“You look beautiful.” Diana complimented, cupping his face. “Hal is truly a lucky Alpha to have you.”

“He is, having you in the pack makes all of us lucky.” Clark agreed.

All Barry could do was smile and blush, the compliments were nice but he didn’t really know how to respond. These Alphas were being very nice to him and he was enjoying it.

“Are you ready for us to hand you over to the others?”

“Yes Alpha.” He replied, butterflies in his stomach.

And then he was being brought out of the warm bathroom into the chilly main room. As soon as the door opened, all the eyes in the room found him and he fought the urge to cover himself up.

Diana gave his shoulder a squeeze and then took her leave to go to her own seat, leaving him alone with Clark. The head of the pack brought him up to the raised bed and made a show of handing him over to Bruce.

The Pack Omega pulled him up onto the bed with him and got him settled on his back. From his vantage point, he could see all three of the other Omegas and the entire audience. All of a sudden, he wanted to cover up and leave, it was worrying him that he was naked and vulnerable in front of everybody.

“Hey.”

Barry flinched when Dinah whispered in his ear. She had laid down next to him and wrapped an arm around him.

“You doing okay?” She asked, “You look a little pale.”

All he could do was shake his head, he didn’t want to seem too soft to handle this.

“Alright, how about we just lay together for a little, let you get your bearings?”

“Yes please.” He breathed.

Dinah moved and wrapped her arm around him, then pressed her nose into his hair. Bruce embraced him on the other side, his chin rested on the top of his head and his hand over Barry’s chest. Mera was behind Dinah but she reached over her and grabbed his hand.

For a few minutes, the four of them just laid together and relaxed, Bruce started purring and that really helped him calm down. After a little bit, Dinah started squeezing his bum and probing his hole with her fingers, making him jump in shock.

While she started working him open, Bruce’s fingers played with his nipples, running circles around them and then pinching them lightly, until soon they were erect and sensitive to every touch. Too distracted by Dinah and Bruce, he didn’t notice Mera moving until she was pushing his thighs apart to get between them, taking his semi hard cock into her mouth and swirling her tongue around the tip.

Within seconds, he was moaning and grasping at the pillow in pleasure. The three playing with his body escalated and he soon had two of Dinah's fingers scissoring in his hole and Bruce’s mouth on one nipple while he teased the other with his fingers. Mera was still sucking him off, working her mouth up and down his shaft with expert ease until he orgasmed with a cry.

“There we go.” Dinah cooed in his ear, “Now we can really get started.”

For the next two hours, he floated through pleasure while his erect cock was ridden, his hole was fingered and fucked, his nipples were sucked and played with, and his mouth was used to pleasure the others. He could hear the Alphas laughing and talking, but he couldn’t focus long enough to catch anything definitive.

When his body was covered in sweat, drool, cum, and slick and his brain was completely numb, Clark and Diana stepped in and stopped the show, even pushing Dinah away from where she had been licking his messy hole. The two Alphas started gathering them up and taking them to the bathroom. He was whining about the fun ending and the sudden lack of other warm bodies against his, but it didn’t sway Clark, who kept carrying him and Dinah into the bathroom.

“I know, you four want to keep at it.” He soothed, “But you all need to be cleaned up. It’s getting late.”

“So?” Dinah muttered.

“So you all need to rest.” Clark explained. “Once you’re all cleaned up, you can all cuddle up and snuggle.”

To him, it didn’t sound as fun as what they had been doing, but he was too tired to really voice any complaints. His body felt both light and too heavy, making him putty in Clarks arms.

Diana and Clark sat them down on the shower floor while they turned on the water and started warming it up. Clark and Diana started by cleaning up DInah, washing her hair and cleaning up her body, combing through her hair with a fruity smelling conditioner and lathering her up with a similar smelling body wash. Once the Alphas had rinsed her clean and put her hair up in a towel, they carried her to the massive bathtub and settled her into the warm water.

The two Alphas worked their way down the line, leaving Barry for last. When it was finally his turn, Clark lifted him up and held him steady while Diana carefully rinsed the sweat and slick off of him and then started massaging shampoo into his hair. He could smell the shampoo as it mixed with the steam from the shower and the scent of the Alphas.

“Such a good little Omega.” Diana cooed, running her fingers through his hair. “Aren’t you?”

“He is, isn’t he?” Clark agreed, “Such a pretty little thing.”

Diana rumbled and Barry just melted at the sound, the two Alphas were happy and they were happy with him. It was nice to be praised and pampered like this.

Suddenly to him, the water turned off and he was scooped up off his feet by Clark. He was still feeling very limp and he knew he couldn’t stand on his own even if he wanted to, so he was held safe in Clarks arms while he watched the tiles on the floor pass by under them. He was lowered into the water beside Mera, with his head resting on a waterproof cushion and the jets pushing the water around him.

The warm water soothed his muscles and lulled him further into his sleepy state while the jets pushed the water against his skin. The steam smelled flowery and slightly sweet, so the water was probably enhanced with some sort of oil to make it more relaxing, which was working on him at least. He closed his eyes and just let himself float, drifting into his headspace and nearly fell asleep a few times before he forced himself to open his eyes long enough to wake up a little.

He was lifted from the warm water too soon for his liking, he could have spent the rest of the night in there were it not for Clark lifting him out. The cold air bit at his naked skin and he whined at the Alpha carrying him for some warmth, only for Clark to laugh at him and settle him down on a towelled bench.

“Hush now, we’ll get you something warm to wear in a second.” He soothed.

Diana produced a fluffy white towel and started patting him dry, starting at his feet and working her way up. Clark took a separate towel and got to work on his hair, coaxing the water out of his blond hair with a gentle massage. The whole time all Barry can do is purr and lean into the touches, silently begging for more, his eyes are closed and his mouth is slightly open and he can’t even bring himself to care that both of these Alphas could have him dead in a heartbeat if they wanted to. Besides, why would they go through all of the trouble to make him happy, clean him, and now dry him gently if they were just going to hurt him, it wouldn’t make sense.

“Almost done.” Diana says and it startled him a little, “I’m just going to put some lotion on you.”

A lid pops and Barry can smell coconuts and vanilla wafting from the bottle, very similar to the body wash he uses every day. The scent envelops him as she massages the stuff into his skin, her hands easily sliding over his body to cover every inch of him in the stuff, his arms, his legs, his torso, every part of him smells sweet. He’s so far gone in the smell that he doesn’t notice that Clark has left, he only notices that he’s come back with a bundle of something soft looking.

“Diana and I have something for you.” He said, unfolding the bundle. “All of the Omegas have a pair of pajamas that are only used during pack nights like these. We got you a pair as well, they might be a little loose but I hope they fit.”

It’s a gift. For him. A pair of his own pajamas just for nights like these, heavily implying that there will be more and that they want him to be comfortable. It’s almost enough to make him cry and if he wasn’t so juiced up on his own happy hormones he probably would. Instead, he reaches out just enough to brush the tips of his fingers over the soft fabric and looks up at Clark.

“Thank you Alpha.” He whispered.

“You’re welcome.” Clark replied, separating the bottoms part of the pajamas from the top. “Now lets get you dressed and into bed with the others.”

The soft material on his skin was heavenly and Barry started purring again as soon as it was on. The outfit is light but warm, probably made to prevent overheating in a nest with other warm bodies but also to provide comfort and insulation on colder nights. Clark had been right, they were a little big on him, with the sagging in the shoulders and the excess around his waist, but they’re so comfy that he wants to wear nothing but this for the rest of his life.

He’s distracted by the clothes but he still squeaked when Clark lifted him up again, effortlessly cradling him to his chest. Diana gets the door for them, making sure that Barry was safe and secure and then she hurried away to her own seat, relaxing in her chair to talk with the other Alphas while the Omegas all come down from their high.

From his vantage point in Clarks arms, he could see the other Omegas, huddled up in the nest just like they would do in the Omega den. He could even see the place he would probably be, right beside Dinah on the edge but still close by to scent and snuggle. It was something he had come to crave in this house, the feeling of comfort the other Omegas could give him was foriegn and yet so addictive, which is why he felt so betrayed when instead, Clark sat in his seat with him on his lap.

“Mmm, Alpha.” He complained, squirming against his hold.

“In a second, little Omega, we just have one more thing to take care of.” Clark soothed.

Frankly, Barry didn’t want just one more thing, he wanted to be in the nest. Not that it mattered to Clark, the Alpha was already adjusting his grip on him, holding his arms firmly against his sides in a bearhug like that will conceal it.

“Alpha?” He whispered, fear making his chest tight. It was never a good thing when an Alpha restrained him like this.

“You’re okay, deep breaths.” Clark instructed, “You’ve been such a good Omega, you deserve a gift, thats all this is.”

The lump in his throat prevented him from snapping at the massive man holding him still, but all that he could think of was that gifts don’t usually come to the restrained. He wiggled again, trying to move his legs from where they sit, one on either side of Clarks lap, to get some leverage but all he got for his efforts was Clark giving him a squeeze.

‘Oh god, this is it.’

His stomach lurched and he started whimpering, all of the happy and light in him evaporated in an instant. He had gotten too comfortable with his place in this house and it was coming back to bite him, he should have known better but he had gotten stupid. Of course no Alpha was going to let an Omega just laze around like a spoiled house cat with no responsibilities, no paying back all the debt he’s accumulated with all the luxuries his Alpha had showered him with, now it was time to pay it back.

From his experience, this can go one of two ways. The first one is that he pays back what he owes by giving pleasure, either with his mouth, hands, or hole, and when his Alpha feels satisfied, then he gets sent away. The second one is that his Alpha will take a pound of flesh, beating him with anything he fancied until he was exhausted and then he would leave him to bleed all over the floor. He’s not sure which he’d prefer, neither of them were good for him and it was always humiliating, but he needs to pay this off.

“Deep breaths.” Clark instructs, bouncing him on his lap a bit.

“Nothing is going to hurt, my Sweet Omega, you are perfectly safe.”

Hal’s voice feels incredibly far away but he flinches regardless. All of the food he’s been given, state of the art medical treatment, new clothes, toys for his son, his Alpha has a lot to take from him tonight and he hates himself for not realising.

He audibly cries out when two hands encompass his face, wiping the tears from his cheeks. His eyes are shut tight but he can smell that this person is one of the other Omegas and he doesn’t know if that’s better or worse. Clark bounced him again and his stomach lurched upwards, all of the Alpha scents made him nauseous but he knew he couldn’t throw up, that would only make it worse.

“Hey.” Dinah’s voice breaks through his spiralling brain. “Just focus on me.”

He shook his head, he couldn’t focus on the one non threat in a room full of danger. Nothing he can do, or she can do, is going to make this whole situation go away. If anything, her involvement is only going to drag this out when he just wants to get this horribleness over with.

Dinah's hands move, cupping the back of his head and pulling him forward until their foreheads are together and he can smell her scent, still happy from their romp. He wants to either scream at her to go away or throw himself into her arms and never leave.

“Can you please just open your eyes?” She asked.

She sounded so sincere that he knew he couldn’t just ignore her, so after a few breaths to steady his rolling stomach he cracked his eyes open to look at her. Dinah looked ecstatic at his obedience and nuzzled his face against hers, nudging his gland with her fingers.

When he finally opened his eyes, he saw Dinah on her knees in front of him and Hal crouched behind her. Both of them looked concerned, and the other Omegas were behind them on the bed, looking very similar. Clarks hands squeezed his arms and nuzzled into his hair.

“Hey, my Omega, what’s going on?” Hal asked, shifting closer.

Hal reached out and embraced him, lifting him up and off Clarks lap and settling them both down on the floor. Barry buried his nose into his shirt and breathed in deeply, inhaling the scent of his Alpha and basking in the smell of his ocean and scotch scent.

“What’s wrong, Bar?” He asked, rubbing his back. “What’s got you so worked up?”

“M scared Alpha.” Barry confessed into his shirt.

“Why’s that?”

“Cause Alpha Clark’s holding me weird.” He mumbled, pressing closer to him.

“Is that it? You don’t like how Clarks holding you?”

The truth was, no, that wasn’t everything that was stressing him out but he didn’t want to dive into it, so he just nodded and hoped that it wasn’t pressed. Hal hummed and pressed a kiss onto the top of his head.

“Do you think that if he held you differently, you’d feel better?” He asked, “We just need to do one more thing, and then you can snuggle up with the others.”

“Maybe.” Barry admitted.

“Alright. Clark, is it possible for you to hold him differently?” Hal asked, keeping Barry snug in his hold.

“Of course I can, hand him over here.”

Hal shifted and stood, Barry still in his arms and even though he held tight to his Alpha, he was handed off to Clark effortlessly. The big man embraced him again, this time holding his hands in his own rather than crushing his arms against his sides, it’s still not a great sign but at least he felt a little more comfortable.

Once he wasn’t holding an Omega anymore, Hal pulled a velvet box from his pocket and crouched in front of Barry, displaying it before him like a prize. Barry watched while he opened it, revealing a leather collar with embroidered crests on either side of the metal clasp, and he knew without it being said that he would be wearing it.

“Clark and I had this made for you, I hope you like it.” Hal said, lifting it off its cushion.

Hal unclasped it and tilted Barry’s chin up to expose his neck. Clark gave his hands a squeeze while the collar clasped around him and locked with a beep and Barry tried very hard not to burst into tears again when it did. Hal took his face in both his hands and kissed his forehead, smiling at him.

“God, you look so beautiful.” He said, brushing over his cheeks with his thumbs.

Diana approached them slowly, holding a compact mirror, which she held up so Barry could see the collar around his neck. The blue gem caught the dim light and it was all he could focus on, he didn’t really want to look at the rest. Clark had released his hands but he didn’t move them at all, rather folding them on his lap while the three Alphas cooed over him.

“Alright baby, let's get you to bed.” Hal said finally, lifting Barry off Clarks lap.

His Alpha nuzzled him and kissed the side of his head, carrying him over to the nest with the other Omegas, laying him down amongst them. Mera crawled over to him and pulled him into a hug, pressing her face into his hair while Bruce did the same with his other side. Dinah rejoined the bed and nestled in against Meras back, purring while she warmed herself back up.

It took a while for him to relax again, he still felt incredibly highstrung after being collared and he couldn’t push away the feeling of being choked by the butter soft leather. He probably shouldn’t have been surprised that he was given one, all the other Omegas were collared so he shouldn’t have been surprised that the same would be expected of him, he was just sad that he felt so trapped by it. He was trying to look on the bright side, Hal wouldn’t have bothered to collar him if he didn’t want to keep him for a while so at least he was safe from being shuffled around to other Alphas, his collar was much softer and more comfortable than the one his old Alpha had him wearing, and he hadn’t been hurt.

So he was fine, he had no reason to be so nervous and upset over a collar his Alpha had every right to put on, he didn’t need to be so dumb about it. It didn’t matter, he was going to be alright, he just needed to relax and cuddle up with the others and not worry about the leather resting against his throat, ready to choke him with a harsh pull.

Chapter Text

Hal carried Barry in his arms towards their suite at the end of the Pack Meeting, it was incredibly late into the night and all of them were exhausted. Barry was almost asleep already with his face leaned towards his chest and his breaths slow and steady, though he occasionally shuffled and hiccuped a little. He hadn’t risen completely into his headspace after having his collar fitted but he was far enough in that he was clumsy which was why he was being carried.

He deposited the Omega onto the bed and gave him a quick kiss on the forehead and took a second to admire how beautiful Barry looked with the collar on. The blue gem really highlighted his fair skin and drew the eye to his delicate features, while the leather collar perfectly marked him as a claimed Omega who couldn’t be touched by anyone without his Alphas permission. 

Once he was done admiring the other man, he went to brush his teeth and change into his night clothes. Barry was still only on the edge of sleep when he came back, so he crawled under the covers for a cuddle with him. There was a little bit of squirming before both of them got comfortable, with Barry’s head resting on his shoulder while his arm was thrown across Hal’s chest while the Alpha had one hand around his waist and the other in his hair to run his fingers through it. It didn’t take long for Barry to nod off, dead weight against him in a very comforting way. 

~~~

Hal knew it was later in the morning than he would have normally woken up by the light streaming through the curtains, but that wasn’t surprising after their late night. He was a little surprised to find himself alone in the bed, he had expected Barry to sleep later than him after all the fun he’d had last night but his side of the bed was empty and cold. 

He absently threw his legs over the edge of the mattress to go look for him and shouted when he kicked something. On the floor, knelt with his hands clasped behind his back with his head down, was Barry, and Hal had just kicked him. 

“Barry! Oh my god, baby I am so sorry, I didn’t know you were down there.”  He said, throwing himself onto the floor next to him.

Barry flinched but quickly steadied himself and returned to his position with his eyes locked to the floor. He was shivering and his scent was sharp and bitter from stress, but he didn’t pull away from him when he put a hand on his shoulder.

“Hey, are you okay?” Hal asked.

“Yes Alpha.” Barry replied 

“Why are you down here?” He asked, ducking down to try to catch a look of his face, not getting anything. 

Barry only shrugged in response and huddled into himself further. His nose wrinkled and Hal had to check to see if he was emitting an off putting scent but he didn’t think he was, whatever was wrong, only Barry knew what was bothering him and he wasn’t sharing. 

“Are you cold?” He tried again, hoping for a verbal response. 

Once more, the only response he got was a shrug. A little fed up, he snatched the throw blanket from the end of the bed and threw it around him. He grabbed his phone from the bedside table and sent off a quick text to Clark, something was up with Barry and he needed back up. It was probably just the Omega being worked up but he wasn’t sure how to help him.

He and Barry stayed on the floor, across from each other with no eye contact or conversation until Clark let himself into the room with them. The head of the pack gave them a quick once over while he closed the door behind him and then sat down on the floor with them. Hal nodded at him but Barry didn’t respond to the addition in the room with them, his eyes still glued to the floor. 

“Good morning.” Clark greeted cautiously, watching the Omega. 

“Mornin.” Hal replied.

Barry nodded slightly but gave him no other acknowledgement and Hal shot Clark a ‘fix this now’ look. For a moment, Clark ignored Barry and focused on Hal, just talking with him about anything except the Omega until he was ready to address him.

“How are you this morning Barry?” He asked, never taking his gaze from Hal. 

Barry shrugged and shifted, tilting his head against his shoulder. Cocking his head slightly, Clark reached over and brushed his fingers over his cheek and up behind his ear, probably to discreetly check his pulse. Barry jumped at the touch but quickly settled himself back into position, though he was much stiffer and he was biting his lip while Clark continued his inspection. With a hum of authority, Clark leaned forward, scooped Barry up and pulled him into his lap.

“Your heart beats a little fast and you’re a little clammy, do you hurt anywhere?” he asked, running his hand up and down his back.

Barry froze in his hold and his mouth opened and closed without making a sound. Clark caught his chin and gently tilted his face up to look at him. 

“Tell me the truth now, are you hurting?” He repeated.

“M-my-my knees.” He gasped, quietly.

“Your knees hurt? Might be because you’ve been kneeling for a while but we’ll keep an eye on it.” He said, releasing his chin. “Do you have a headache?”

“A little.” Barry admitted.

“Okay, we’ll get you a tylenol. Have you eaten anything since yesterday?” 

“No Alpha.” 

Clark hummed again and brushed his fingers over his cheek. Barry was shivering still, even though he still had a blanket around him.

“Alright Barry, let's start by getting you back into bed while Hal goes and gets you a tylenol and a glass of orange juice.” He said, standing slowly with Barry in his arms. 

Hal staggered to his feet with much less grace and hurried to retrieve the items he needed. Once he had Barry alone, Clark sat down with him on the bed and helped him down under the covers.

“What’s really bothering you?” He asked plainly. “Is it the collar? Hal said that you were upset about the construct one he made a while ago.”

This time, it took Barry a moment to reply with his voiceless shrug and his scent sharpened, only to give a singular, tense nod. 

“I see. I can understand that this might be a difficult thing to get used to, but I can personally assure you that this collar is designed with your comfort and mobility in mind, it will never be used to hurt you.” Clark promised, running his fingers over the leather. “And it doesn’t mean that Hal wants you on the floor, you are still a human being, regardless of this.”

The shivering had stopped, which Clark took as a good sign. Hopefully, Barry was actually listening to him, not just letting words flow over his head. It was completely understandable that he would be uneasy about being collared again after what the last one had done to him, if he was in the same position, Clark would be scared too.

“I assure you that this is not a bad thing, little Omega, it’s just the next step. With the collar, you’ll be able to be out in public, nobody will be able to touch you, and you’ll be able to go on outings by yourself soon.” He added, hoping to sweeten the deal. “Think of how fun it will be to take Wally out without an Alpha around to supervise, the collar is your supervisor when Hal isn’t around.”

That didn’t seem to help at all, but it didn’t seem to have made the situation worse either and Clark would take anything he could get. It didn’t matter much because he couldn’t continue the conversation, what with Hal rushing back into the room with a dangerously full glass of orange juice and an entire bottle of tylenol. Even if there wasn’t even a scent bond formed yet, Hal was displaying all the classic signs of a doting Alpha doing everything he needed to keep his mate and pups comfortable, safe, and happy. He was absolutely entranced with Barry and in full denial of it. It was almost funny.

“Is this enough?” Hal asked, shifting with pent up energy.

Clark watched as some juice sloshed over the rim of the glass as Hal held the cup out to his Omega with a hopeful look. Thankfully, Barry reached out to take it and took a sip, if he hadn’t, Clark was pretty sure Hal would have had a protective fit. While Barry sipped his juice, Hal opened the tylenol bottle and fished out two little pills for him so he could ease the headache.

“Do you need anything else?” He asked.

Barry shook his head and put the half full glass on the table beside the bed and laid back down, curling around himself. Hal looked frantically between the Omega and Clark, clearly once again at a loss of what to do. Clark tilted his head at the bed and Hal sat on the edge and looked to him for encouragement.

“Barry, I’ll be back in a little bit with some breakfast for you. Why don’t you try and get some sleep and let Hal take care of you.” Clark suggested.

Hal still looked like he was going to freak out but hopefully he’d settle down while Barry slept off his headache. He was flitting around tucking the blankets in around his Omega and readjusting the pillows to try and make him more comfortable. Clark gestured for him to step outside with him and Hal blessedly obeyed without complaint.

“Hal, for the love of God, you have got to give him a little bit of breathing room!” Clark said, “He’s not dying, he’s just a little stressed and needs to relax. He’s not going to be able to do that with you practically on top of him.”

“He can breathe!” Hal protested, shifting his weight from foot to foot.

“Look, Hal, I can tell that you really care about him and you see a problem you want to fix fast, but this is something that is going to take some time. Let’s just start by letting him sleep and then we’ll start his training tonight, that’ll settle him down a little.”

That didn’t help Hal at all but at least he didn’t snap at him or rush back into his troubled ward. Small victories or whatever. 

“Just let him sleep a little, dote on him this morning, get some food into him and he’ll be fine.” Clark assured.

“Well why is he so upset?” Hal asked.

“Because he’s nervous about the collar, but that’ll get better once we prove to him that it’s not going to hurt him. We’ll talk to him about that later tonight but for right now, just focus on making sure he isn’t about to break down.”

Once again, Hal didn’t seem very convinced but Clark knew he wasn’t about to out argue some base instincts that demanded the Alpha protect his Omega. Instead, He just nodded at the closed door behind them.

“Go take care of him. I’ll bring up some breakfast for him in a little bit.”

Based on the look of relief that flashed over his friend and packmates face, he would have thought that the pilot was drowning and he’d just thrown him a life vest. Hal didn’t need to be told to go back to Barry twice, he just threw a quick ‘thanks’ over his shoulder and rushed back into him. 

~~~

Barry crept alongside his Alpha down the hallway towards head Alpha Clark's office, trying to stay as small and inoffensive as possible. The leather around his neck was a very stern reminder of his place and he wasn’t about to step out of it. 

Hal had been acting incredibly strange all day and it was freaking him out. He had kept him on a metaphorical short leash, never letting him stray too far from his reach and almost never out of his line of sight. Now he was being led to Alpha Clarks office after Wally had been put to bed and he had no idea what was about to happen.

“Relax.” Hal muttered. “Everything’s okay.”

Nothing felt okay but he wasn’t going to argue with his Alpha so he nodded and continued to follow along. Hal paused when they reached the big oak door, wrapped an arm around his waist, and knocked three times. Barry shivered when he heard heavy steps behind the door and he leaned in closer into his Alpha when Clark opened the door. While the head of the pack had never been anything but nice to him, he was also massive and his scent was incredibly strong and he made him nervous.

“Hey guys, come on in.” Clark greeted.

Hal pulled him closer and guided him into the room, never breaking contact with him. The office smelled strongly of Clark, which made sense, but there was also the underlying scent of Bruce and Dick, so clearly the family spent time in here together. As it was, Dinah was in the office on the sofa with a cup of something steaming in her hands and there was a big tote beside the desk. 

“Why don’t you two take a seat and we’ll all talk before we get started.” Clark suggested, waving to the couch. “I’ll get some tea.”

Hal pulled him over to the couch and settled down, pulling Barry down and holding him close. Barry kept his eyes on Clark as he moved around the room, moving a small table with a fancy china tea set with matching cups and little dishes with sugar cubes. It was every little girls dream set but he didn’t voice it, he just watched as Clark poured tea into the four cups and took one of his own, while Dinah took hers and Hal took two, handing one to him. 

The other three took a moment to add sugar and cream but he just stared at the dark liquid, he didn’t want to drink anything he could throw up later. He had no idea why he was here and Dinah being here just made him more confused so he kept quiet and held his tea. 

“So Barry.” Clark started, sitting back and making a comical image as such a big man with a tiny little tea cup. “I’m sure you’d like to know what’s happening.”

When Barry didn’t respond or even really acknowledge the statement, he smiled a little.

“Don’t think I can’t smell that sour fear scent on you, little Omega. I know you’re nervous.” He said. “There’s no need to be, you are completely safe here and you always will be. Hal and I just wanted to talk to you about a training regime for you.”

“I- I’m already trained Alpha.” Barry protested quietly. “My old Alpha made sure I was trained properly.”

Hal's scent turned a little bitter and Barry had to force himself to breathe through his mouth to make it less noticeable. Thankfully, his Alpha noticed and took a few deep breaths to calm himself down and his scent evened out.

“I know sweetheart, I know you’re a very obedient little thing.” Hal assured him, nuzzling his head with his nose. “But Luthor taught you some bad habits that we want to help you break.”

“I’m bad?” Barry asked, so quiet it was nearly inaudible.

“No! No no no, you are not bad.” Clark jumped in. “You’re not bad, but you have some habits that aren’t so good and are holding you back.”

All Barry could manage to say to that was a near silent ‘oh’ and then he ducked his head to try to stare his tea out of existence. Dinah huffed and set her cup on the little table, leaned into him, and pressed his forehead against him.

“They just want to help you stop calling them Alpha, make eye contact, and talk more.” She said, “I don’t know why they’re pussy footing around it instead of just telling you, but Alphas aren’t known for being smart.”

Barry reeled back at the last statement, eyes wide and waiting for the shouting. Calling Alphas stupid was an incredibly risky thing to do, even as a Beta, calling two Alphas stupid as an Omega, in front of two of them? Dinah wasn’t just playing with fire, she was crawling into the fireplace. Clark scratched the back of his neck and took a sip of his tea.

“As always, Dinah’s right. We just want to help you get some more confident, but we also want to freshen you up on some basic Omega roles. Nothing extensive, I’m sure that we can be done with it in a week or two.” He said, clearly trying to make his scent light and sweet.

That also didn’t help him settle down any but he didn’t reply, he didn’t trust himself to speak without freaking out. Hal's hand started moving up and down on his side, running all the way up to his shoulder and then back down to his hip. He was clearly trying to reassure him, giving him as much physical contact as he can, his scent calm and comforting.

“Finish your tea.” Hal instructed quietly.

It wasn’t an order but Barry jumped to obey, downing the beverage in one go and completely ignoring the burning in his mouth and throat as he did. Hal grimaced in sympathy when he did but kissed him on the head regardless. Barry may not have said it aloud but he knew he wasn’t happy about the upcoming training so he was trying to present himself in an overly positive manner.

‘See? See what a good Omega I can be? I don’t need training.’ 

He could imagine that was Barry’s line of thought, anything to make Hal change his mind without actually arguing with him. While Hal was never much of a traditionalist but he knew the basics of the practice, where the Alpha provided the food, shelter, and safety and the Omega tended to their mate and pups by preparing the food, cleaning the shelter, raising the pups, and being open and willing for their mates. There was a list of basic rules that Traditionalists felt that an Omega needed to follow, with swift, harsh punishments for disobedience, one of the biggest rules being that an Omega should never question or second guess their Alpha. He wasn’t sure if Lex was a traditionalist but he did know that he wouldn’t take anything other than blind obedience.

Regardless, he reached over and took the cup from his Omega and put it on the table. His tea was a bit cooler because of the milk he had added so he was sipping it quickly, Dinah and Clark working their way through their own drinks as well so they could actually get started. He tried to soothe Barry as best he could but he could feel the tension in every muscle under his skin and knew it wasn’t working very well, Barry felt like he was a second away from running and that only got worse when Clark set his cup down with finality.

“Alright then, should we just get right into it?” He asked, mostly just for show.

Dinah nodded and set her cup down beside his, she had agreed to be Barry’s role model for the first session and she obviously wasn’t scared of Clark which made her perfect. Barry was far less enthusiastic, all the blood had drained from his face and he needed to be steadied when they all rose. 

“So, we’re going to start with a little assessment, just to see what you know. Alright Barry?” Clark asked.

Barry nodded mutely, his eyes darting around the room. Dinah grabbed his hand and gave it a squeeze.

“Let’s start easy, just some basic poses.” Clark said. “Barry, can you show me Resting position?”

Soundlessly, Barry sunk to his knees and tucked his arms behind his back. He was holding his arms at the elbows with his eyes down. Dinah mimicked his position, though she was much less tense so she actually looked like she was resting. 

“Perfect! Barry, that's beautiful.” Clark praised.

“You’re already doing so well.” Hal added.

Some of the colour was returning to his face but he still didn’t look comfortable or happy. Still, it was progress even if it was slow.

“How about Waiting position?” Clark asked.

Waiting position was very similar to the Resting position, except Barry had to raise himself up on his knees with his back straight. It was designed to be an in between position so an Omega could stand up or go further down depending on their Alphas next command. More praise followed and then Clark gave the next instruction.

“Presentation position.” He said.

Barry instantly rose to his feet with his arms still behind his back. He shuffled until his feet were a shoulder length apart, then straightened his back with his chin up but his eyes down. His shoulders were back so whomever was looking him over would be able to see his chest easily.

“Good boy, you’re doing so well.” Clark says.

He’s using a sliver of his Alpha voice, something that Barry’s subconscious will pick up on even if he doesn’t notice it consciously. Hal hasn’t used his voice on the Omega much, not unless there's something important that he needs him to do. 

He’d never had an Omega before, never spent much time with one. He’d certainly spent the night with Omegas, both male and female, but usually they didn’t talk much except to ask about birth control, comfortable positions, or to affirm if the other was comfortable. Obviously, Hal was aware that he could order Barry around, if he wanted to, he could have Barry as a little maid following one order after another, unable to question or defy it because of his biological hardwiring. 

The thing was, he didn’t want to do that, the idea of accidentally breaking Barry down further scared him. He might not have been the best Alpha in terms of prior experience or general knowledge, but he was trying very hard to not make a total mess of things, he was taking his role as Barry’s Alpha seriously. He had several saved tabs on his phone of tips and tricks to gaining a battered Omegas trust, articles about Omega behaviour, and written stories from Omegas who had been in Barry’s position. 

Tragically, a lot of what he had found wasn’t just unhelpful, it was downright horrible. Too many looked at Omegas like they were lesser than dogs, too dumb to be given any important choices, too needy to be independent, not strong enough to do anything but birth pups and keep house. He had read one disgusting article on Omega care that boiled down to ‘knot them when they behave, slap them when they don’t’ and he’d almost puked. Sadly, that wasn’t a niche opinion, multiple different accounts from different Omega care ‘professionals’ preached the same nonsense, all of them trying to sell shock collars, muzzles, and Omega crates.

Fortunately it wasn’t a complete loss, after hours of disappointments and rage inducing read throughs, he had found a few resources that didn’t involve beating his poor little Omega into submission. A few works by one Dr. Robinson had proven to be incredibly insightful, he had a small harem made up of mostly abused Omegas that he had helped to rehabilitate and he cited them as the reason he had gotten his doctorate in Omega Psychology. Dr. Robinson had identified a cycle of recovery.

The first step was Following Habit, where the Omega would continue to follow the habits that they had developed under their abusers rules, such as not going to the bathroom without permission, or cooking different meals for their Alpha than they did themselves. He recommended allowing them to continue those behaviours for a few week, but questioning why they did them.

The next step was Testing, where an Omega would start to slowly start to push boundaries that they were used to. This could be as simple as seeking out affection instead of waiting until it was given but it was important to the recovery. He stressed the importance of praising the Omega for the littlest things, even what could be reasonably considered mediocre.

The third step was Settling, where the Omega would start to make a new routine for themselves in their new homes. This step often included nesting and scenting their new home, Dr. Robinson encouraged physical affection through this, as an Omega would scent with their new Alpha. He wouldn’t admit it, but Hal was looking forward to this stage, cuddling with Barry was nice and he would like to have some more of it.

The fourth step was back sliding, which wasn’t great but it would happen. This was when something reminded the Omega about past abuse, like a nightmare, a passing scent, or a commercial, and they regressed back to the mindset they had with their abuser. Then they went back to step one and the whole thing started again, thus making it the cycle of recovery. Dr. Robinson promised that as time went on, the steps would become less prominent until they were barely noticeable, but they were still in effect. 

Hal was broken out of his line of thought when Clark spoke up again, the other Alpha looking at him pointedly.

“Hal, isn’t Barry doing such a good job?” He asked pointedly.

Barry was still in Presentation position, and though his head was lowered he was looking towards him. The scent coming from him was bitter, like it had been all evening, but he was fidgeting slightly and he was getting desperate. 

“Of course, he always makes me so proud.” Hal said quickly, plastering a smile on. “He’s my perfect little Omega.”

Clark rolled his eyes a bit but Barry stilled and exhaled, clearly relaxing at his Alphas praise. Right, he needed him, Hal was his lifeline, he was responsible for his safety, he needed to stay in the present. 

“Alright, can you show me Leashing pose?” Clark asked.

Even without super hearing, Hal knew that Barry’s heart just sped up, or maybe stopped completely, one or the other. His eyes went wide and he opened and closed his mouth without making any noise. Slowly, he lowered himself down to his knees and tilted his head sharply to the side, not a very natural position and certainly not Leashing pose. Clark gave him another look, though this one told him to be prepared for a breakdown, not just to pay attention.

“Are you sure that’s it?” He asked, his voice low and steady, not demanding. 

Despite the fact that Clark wasn’t being judgemental or harsh, Barry whimpered audibly and Hal could see a stray tear slipping down his cheek. It seemed that his Omega didn’t know this position, which wasn't’t really that big of a deal, they can teach him, but to Barry it’s clearly a massive issue. Still, he tried again, even though he obviously doesn’t know and he’s just guessing and hoping for the best. He leaned back and tilted his head back so far that Hal was sure it was going to crack.

Clark winced and bit his lip, giving Hal a ‘get ready’ look and shook his head.

“No Barry, that’s not it Sweetheart.” He said gently, “Dinah, can you please show him?”

Before Dinah could present for them, Barry made a strangled noise and reached up to cover his face from harm. Clark nodded and knelt down next to him, in a similar manner that one would knell next to a ticking time bomb, and reached out to his shivering Omega. He doesn’t even get within two inches of him when Barry throws himself at his feet, sobbing and babbling and still protecting his head.

With a grimace and a poorly concealed sigh, Hal joined him them on the floor and crawled the short distance to sit next to them. Barry’s got his forehead pressed against the floor, his nose squished into it, and his lips are moving with indecipherable apologies. Dinah settled in and wrapped herself around him as best she could, but it’s obvious that Barry isn’t frightened of the other Omega. 

“Barry, Baby, you’re alright.” Hal soothed, further abandoning his long discarded dignity to lay flat on his back. It may be stupid and it may not work, but he thinks that maybe if he and Barry are on the same level, he might seem more approachable.

“Everythings fine Bar, I can show you the pose.” Dinah assured him, rubbing his back.

“No one’s mad that you don’t know it.” Clark added, “That’s why we’re all here, to help you.”

If Barry heard them, none of their words registered or he just didn’t believe them, because he kept sobbing and pleading mercy. Clark reached forward and put his hand on his shoulder, it was clearly meant to be comforting but it sets off a horrible reaction in Barry. The Omega made a horrible retching sound and for a second, Hal thought he had thrown up, but then he went still and silent and his scent basically evaporated. 

“What the fuck?” Hal asked, sitting up and reaching for him.

Barry didn’t respond, even when Hal grabbed him and started manhandling him, he was lax and his eyes were open but unfocused. If it wasn’t for the fact that he could see his chest moving as he breathed, Hal would have honestly thought he’d died.

“What happened?” He demanded, protectively guarding his Omega. “What did you do to him?”

Clark stood up and stepped back, hands up to appear non threatening, as though at six foot five and built like a brickhouse he could be anything but. Dinah wrinkled her nose and shifted away a little bit, and that’s what made him realise that he was putting off some incredibly threatening scents and scaring his friend and packmate. 

“Hal,” Clark started calmly. “I didn’t do anything to Barry. He’s just gone still, it’s something that happens when an Omega gets so freaked out that their brain shuts down. It’s like dissociation but worse, he’ll be fine but I’m going to call Alfred to give him something to help him calm down.”

“Fine! How is this fine?” Hal snapped, “My Omega isn’t even conscious anymore!”

“You’re right, you’re right, this isn’t fine.” Clark amended. “But he will come out of this and he will be okay. Right now, if you want to help him, why don’t you and Dinah get him some water for when he comes back while I get Alfred.”

It took a lot of fighting for Hal to get his hind mind to shut up long enough to nod to his Pack Alpha. His brain was screaming at him to try to fight Clark, to defend his Omega from the other Alpha who had scared and hurt him, rip off the hand he had touched Barry with when he stopped making noise. It was terrifying, since he usually trusted Clark and looked to him for advice and help.

With Clark gone, Dinah huffed, got up, and started opening the windows as wide as they could go. The wind blew some papers off the desk and made him shiver as it sucked all the warmth from the space. The other Omega roughly grabbed a blanket off the couch and threw it at him, hitting him square in the face, then went back to stand by the window.

“Cover him in that so he doesn’t get cold.” She ordered.

Her voice was clipped and cold and Hal realised that he was scaring her, his scent was probably unpalatable and she’d opened the window so she didn’t have to deal with it. But even still, she was trying to help him take care of Barry. That thought alone was finally able to silence his screaming brain, allowing him to take the situation in and truly see it. It was bad but not really terrible, Barry was breathing steadily and Alfred was on his way, so he started taking some deep breaths to calm himself down.

“Dinah, I’m so sorry. I’m not trying to scare you.” He whispered after a moment. “If you need to leave, I totally understand and I’m sorry.”

“I’m fine.” She said, still by the window. “I’m just making sure that Barry’s actually able to come out, but he won’t if it smells like a fucking fight pit in here.”

Hal nodded and tucked the blanket in around his Omega, stroking his face and giving him a kiss on the head. There was gooseflesh on Barry’s arms and he ran his hands up and down them to try to warm him up.

“My sweet little Omega, you’re okay.” He whispered, petting his hair, “I’m here, little Omega, Alphas here and I’m going to take care of you.”

Despite the fact that it was his office, Clark knocked on the door before he came in, and he looked sheepish. Alfred stood tall at his side, clearly not concerned that Hal could fit at the sight of him or fight him to defend his Omega. Instead, he walked right in and knelt next to Barry, promptly putting two fingers to his pulse point. 

“Little slow, but nothing concerning.” He declared, fishing into his pockets for a sanitary sealed syringe and a small bottle.

“Master Harold, would you please roll up his sleeve so I can give him a small dose of Apolorazapan?” He requested.

Hal hurried to comply, carefully hitching up the fabric to expose the pale, clammy skin. Alfred wiped the crook of his elbow with an alcohol swab and carefully injected the medicine into his vein. Barry didn’t respond to the needle but Hal held his hand and gave it kisses anyway, muttering praises to him even if he couldn’t hear it. Once he’d finished, Alfred tucked the used things in the small yellow medical disposal bin he’d brought with him.

“Alright then, Master Harold, that should help your Omega settle down and come out sooner. In the meantime, don’t move him too much or he’ll be very confused and frightened when he wakes up. Make sure to keep his airways clear as he won’t be able to take care of that himself.” Alfred instructed, “And for goodness sakes, close those windows! You’ll freeze the poor thing.”

Clark jumped to obey, closing the windows as quickly as he could without breaking them. Dinah retreated to the sofa, curling herself up in the corner like she had been before, conveniently as far away from Hal as she could comfortable be and he knew he owed her some flowers, or maybe some beer. Fuck it, maybe both.

Meanwhile, He laid down on the floor and gently pulled Barry close, making sure his head was resting comfortably on his chest. Then he used his ring to recover the Omega with the blanket and got ready to wait.

~~~

Hal was almost sure he was going to spend the rest of the night on the floor of the office when Barry’s hand twitched and he whimpered. His scent came back hard and bitter and Hal had to force himself to breathe through his mouth so he didn’t scare him into going still again. Clark noticed the movement and stood up, ready to grab the little comfort kit they’d put together for Barry consisting of a glass of water, some pretzels, and a blanket.

“Hey baby.” Hal breathed, “Hey, how’re ya feelin?”

Barry whimpered and raised his hand to guard his face, his fear scent getting worse. Dinah climbed off the couch where she had been leaning against Clark with her own bowl of pretzels and laid herself next to Barry on top of Hal.

“You’re okay, you’re safe.” She said.

Clark raised his brow at Hal, silently asking if he was alright. Honestly, he was finding it a little difficult to breathe but he would rather literally die than move the Omegas off of his chest. At least with Dinah nearby, Barry’s scent was mellowing out from afraid to confused and he was moving a bit more, putting an elbow right on his stomach.

“Wha- whats wrong?” He rasped.

“You went still, you were down for nearly an hour.” Dinah explained, “But it’s alright, Alfred gave you something to help calm down and we have some recovery stuff for you if you wanna get up.”

Barry nodded slowly and pushed himself up, inadvertently making Hal grunt as he pushed up off his stomach. Dinah rolled off of him and helped Barry up which was very needed as his legs were rubbery. Hal threw himself up and assisted her, planting a firm hand on his waist and walking slowly to the sofa. Clark waited until Barry was seated to hand him the blanket, which he immediately tossed over himself, then he was handing the drink and snacks.

“How are you feeling?” Hal asked again.

Barry didn’t say anything, but he did raise his hand and wobbled it in the air, so he wasn’t feeling too hot. At least his scent was more neutral, like he had just woken up from a good sleep rather than shut down from over stress, and he didn’t complain or pull away when Hal wrapped an arm around him. 

They all sat in silence while Barry finished the water and nibbled on the pretzels, though he didn’t seem to be enthusiastic about them. Maybe he didn’t like pretzels or maybe he was just exhausted and didn’t want to eat. 

“So Barry, I feel that I owe you an apology.” Clark said, “I should have been more clear about what our intentions were and for that I’m sorry. We will never hurt you or humiliate you or intentionally scare you for not knowing something, we will always work with you until you understand and are able to perform the task properly.

“Now I don’t want to push, I know that you aren’t feeling well, so I’m just going to make an observation and if you want to, you can tell me if I’m right or not. You don’t know Leashing position.”

Barry stopped pushing his pretzels around and closed himself off, folding his hands on his lap and hunching over.

“No Alpha. I didn’t even know it was a thing.” He muttered, “When my old Alpha wanted to leash me, he just grabbed me and clipped it on.”

“I see. Well that’s incredibly cruel and I’m sorry he did that to you, you didn’t deserve it.” Clark said. “I can promise you that it won’t be like that here, if Hal or I need to leash you, we’ll ask you to present and it won’t be cruel or scary in any way.” 

Hal was expecting another bout of tears, perhaps some panicking, but it seemed like he was fresh out of emotional reserves and just didn’t care.

“But I don’t know how to present.” Barry said.

“That’s why we’re training you, Little one.” Clark said, “We don’t expect you to know everything, all we want is for you to try your best and be willing to learn.”

That got a nod and nothing else. No changes in scent, he didn’t shift or squirm, he didn’t seem to care. Clark looked over at Hal, getting up off the couch and crouching in front of Barry, clearly double checking to make sure Hal didn’t go psycho on him.

“Barry, you’re such a smart Omega, I know you can pick up Leashing pose right now. Would you be willing to try?” He asked.

“I-uh- I don’t know.” He stammered.

Clark reached over and put a massive hand on Barry’s thigh. 

“Barry, I promise, if we try and you don’t like it, or you feel too tired and just want to go to bed, we’ll stop. No strings attached, we’ll just stop. But do you think we can try?” He asked.

“Okay.” Barry whispered.

“Perfect, thank you Little Omega. Dinah, can you please show Barry Leashing pose?”

Dinah nodded and quickly snagged a pretzel out of Barry’s dish as she stood up. Barry watched with rapt attention as she stood with her feet together, arms behind her back, held at the elbows, with her chin tilted back and her collar exposed. It wasn’t too different from Presentation position, really just the position of the feet and how the head was held. Clark smiled, still crouched in front of Barry.

“Do you see how she’s standing? Do you think you can do that?” 

“Yes Alpha.” Barry replied, a little confidence coming back into his voice.

When Clark moved back, Barry stood and copied Dinah. He wasn’t as confident as her and his feet weren’t perfectly together, but no one in their pack was a real stickler for the poses. As long as they were close and effective, no Alpha was going to call them on it. Besides, Barry was still wobbly on his feet, so having them a little bit apart was probably wise.

“Thats perfect!” Clark praised, “See, I told you you could do it! It’s your first try but you’ve done it perfectly!”

Barry blushed and broke position to duck his head but Hal could see the little smile and they could all smell the little hint of happiness on him. He stood up and embraced him, pressing a kiss to the side of his head.

“My clever Omega.” He praised, “My perfect Omega.”

That got the smell of happiness to become more noticeable and Hal couldn’t help but grin. It may have been a turbulent first session, but at least they were ending on a positive. That didn’t surprise him, Clark had stressed the importance of always leaving off on a good note whenever possible, as he would remember how he felt when he was leaving more than he would remember his mood during. It was important to the Pack Alpha that Barry not learn that training was scary or a punishment, even if there were going to be difficult parts.

“Are you ready for bed?” Clark asked, handing the rest of Barry’s abandoned pretzels to Dinah. “I think that this is more than enough for a first session.”

“Yes please Alpha.” Barry sighed, still in Hal's arms.

“Alright. Thank you for being so brave today, I know it was scary there for a bit, but you did very well.” He praised.

“You did, I’m very proud.” Hal agreed.

Barry wiggled and hid his face in Hal’s shirt, overwhelmed by all the positive feedback. That got a chuckle out of Hal, and he scooped him up. Barry was still shaky after all, and he’d done so well that he deserved to be carried back to bed. It had absolutely nothing to do with Hal wanting to get his scent all over him, just to make sure his Omega knew who he belonged to, just to make sure everyone else knew it too.

“C’mon, lets get you to bed.” 

Barry had his nose tucked into his neck before they had crossed the threshold of the office and Hal didn’t care. His Omega could snuggle up as much as he wanted, because he was going to take care of him. He helped Barry change into a sleep shirt and fresh boxers, they brushed their teeth together, and the blond was out cold as soon as he got himself comfortable with his head on his Alphas chest.

Chapter Text

Barry had nestled himself into the corner of the couch with a nice blanket and his pup in the early hours of the morning. He had gotten maybe three hours of sleep after Hal had gotten him into bed and he wasn’t able to fall back to sleep, so he’d grabbed Wally out of his bed and settled himself on the couch to camp out for the rest of the night. Despite the fact that both Alpha Clark and Alpha Hal had assured him that the collar wasn’t meant to hurt or hinder him, he was still adjusting to having it on.

He didn’t really have any plans for the rest of the night, it was too dark to read and he didn’t want to wake up the other two by turning on the tv so he was just sitting in the dark and thinking about the past few days. On one hand, he couldn’t say they’d been bad days, just not what he had expected. Realistically, he should have expected to be collared at some point, Alphas liked having physical reminders of their ownership over their Omegas. He should just be grateful that it wasn’t a burned on brand on his neck or something equally painful.

Now he was just hoping that his Alpha was satisfied with just a collar and the wristbands he’d gifted him and Wally. He already had some traditional Omega piercings, his septum and both of his ears were pierced, he’d gotten his ears pierced when he first presented and Lex had done his septum, but he’d never gotten around to doing the rest. Lex had left his nipples alone because he wanted him bred and able to nurse, but he’d often threatened to pierce them when he’d learned that he was barren. He had also never gotten a Prince Albert because having one would make it harder to put a cage on him. Neither of those piercings sounded like something he would enjoy, but if his Alpha wanted them on him, there wasn’t anything he could do about it.

He also wasn’t sure about his role as Hal’s Omega, he couldn’t figure out what he wanted from him. He was trying to be what he wanted from him, he sometimes smelled aroused, especially when he took his time preparing him for his plug, but he’d never acted on it. Other times, it seemed like he was just trying to be a guardian to him, but then he’d hold him close and nuzzle him and that wasn’t normal guardian behaviour. He just couldn’t figure it out and it was making him nervous, he just wished that Hal would tell him what he wanted so he could comply.

~~~

Hal once again woke up alone, Barry’s side of the bed cold and empty. He groaned and pressed his palms against his eyes, Barry’s scent wasn’t as strong as it should have been, so he had been gone for a while, probably most of the night. Reluctantly, he got up and started his morning routine, brushing his teeth and shaving his face to freshen up. 

He finished up by getting dressed for the day, comfortable jeans and a tee shirt replacing his sleeping clothes. His phone was fully charged so he unplugged it and slid it into the back pocket of his jeans and he went to find his absent Omega. He didn’t really have an issue with Barry being independent and wanting his own space, he was proud to have a ward that had his own mind. What did bother him was Barry secluding himself when he was clear upset and nervous.

He didn’t have to search far for his Omega, he found Barry as soon as he opened the bedroom door. Barry had made himself a small, messy nest on the couch with a thin throw blanket and one of the decorative pillows, and he’d either taken Wally from his bed or the pup had woken up and found his dad on the sofa and decided to join him. Either way, it was cute to see him asleep with his nose against Barry’s gland. As for Barry himself, he was awake and staring at the wall ahead of him, he clearly hadn’t slept, he had dark circles under his red eyes.

“Barry?” He called from the door. He didn’t want to scare him by getting too close.

Barry blinked quickly and turned to look at him, his hold on Wally tightening. He clearly expected to have his baby taken away from him and was willing to fight him the whole time. Maybe he needed to set more time aside for Barry and Wally to bond, it wouldn’t do any of them any good.

“You doing okay?” He asked, moving closer.

“Of course Alpha, I’m fine.” Barry responded quietly.

“Alright. Are you okay if I join you?” 

Barry didn’t respond but he did press himself closer to the arm of the couch and pulled the overspill of the blanket from the cushion next to him. Hal sat down next to his Omega and his pup but he kept a respectful distance, he didn’t miss how Barry was shielding Wally. 

“You didn’t sleep well last night.”

It wasn’t a question, Hal already knew, but he was hoping that Barry would tell him why he was stressed. 

“I’m alright Alpha.”

Not the reply he’d been hoping for but he didn’t want to pry, pushing for a response was only going to drive him further away. Instead, he stretched his arm over the back of the sofa, giving Barry the option to close the gap or stay further away.

“Do you want to watch something on TV?” Hal asked.

“If you want to Alpha.” 

So it seemed that Barry wasn’t in the mood to make decisions today, they could make do, all he needed was to soothe him a bit. He turned the television on and started up an episode of some random comedy that Barry seemed to enjoy and then waited for his mood to pick up. It took a little bit but soon enough, Barry inched closer and nuzzled into Wally’s hair, a faint smell of content Omega coming from him. 

Slowly, giving him time to pull away if he didn’t want it, Hal moved his arm from the back of the couch to Barry’s shoulder and pulled him and his pup against his side. The Omega squirmed and Hal loosened his grip to let him leave if he wanted to, but Barry just got comfy and went still. Wally mumbled and opened his eyes a little, unhappy that his dad was moving so much while he was sleeping. Barry cooed at him and nuzzled him again, scenting his pup and the little boy went back to sleep.

“You’re so good with him.” Hal whispered. 

Barry blushed and looked down, but Hal didn’t miss the smile on his face.

“He’s my baby.” He replied.

“I know, but it’s so amazing to watch you with him. I’m so lucky to have such a loving Omega.”

The elicited a purr from him, his happiness from the praise audible to his Alpha. It wasn’t very late in the morning, so Hal was hoping that Barry would doze off and get a little bit more sleep that he clearly needed. He couldn’t build up the muscle and fat mass that his doctors wanted him to have if he made himself sick with sleep deprivation.

~~~

Barry did not wind up falling asleep while watching TV, he stubbornly kept his eyes open until Wally woke up and started asking for breakfast. At the very least, Barry had eaten what was on his plate with no complaints, and he seemed to have his appetite still, which was a good thing. He had a follow up appointment coming up and Hal was hoping that he was making progress at the rate his doctors wanted.

After breakfast, Wally ran off to find the other pups. Apparently they had a game planned for today and he was looking forward to it. Left alone, Hal took Barry to the bathroom to get him cleaned up.

Barry didn’t complain about his enema but he still wasn’t great at sitting still and accepting the massage. He kept trying to get up off Hal’s lap or push his hands away from his stomach, regardless of how many times he scolded him. By the end, both of them were frustrated and Barry was crying softly. 

“Come on Sweetheart, lets get you dressed.” Hal sighed, ready for the ordeal to be over.

Barry sulked over to the bed and sat down beside it, annoyance prominent in his scent, and didn’t even look over at the dresser. Hal grabbed onto the dresser and bit back a sigh, it wouldn’t do him any good to lose his temper at his Omega, no matter how much he was testing his patience. 

“Barry, come here. You need to get dressed.” Hal said.

“No.” Barry replied.

“Barry!” Hal said, getting close to snapping at him. 

“Alpha.” Barry shot back sarcastically.

With a snort, Hal stalked over and caught Barry’s arm, hauling him to his feet. Despite the growl of complaint he received, Hal marched Barry to the dresser and held him while he fished through the drawers with his Omegas clothes until he found a suitable outfit for him. He tossed the clothes on the bed and finally released his Omega and pointed to the small pile.

“Get. Dressed.” He ordered.

“No.” Barry snapped with a shake of his head. 

The defiance in his Omegas face would have been welcome in almost any other circumstances, but he wasn’t the type of Alpha to want his Omega walking around naked. Now he was in a tricky spot, he wanted to encourage Barry to make his own decisions but he also wanted him to get dressed. Still, maybe a compromise would help.

“Fine. Stay there while I get dressed.” He shrugged.

He left him alone and got dressed, taking his time to let Barry have a moment to settle down. He even brushed his hair and ran some gel into it to style it, he rarely bothered with that but he wanted to give Barry more time to himself. When he couldn’t stall anymore, he turned back to the bed to see his Omega had returned to sitting on the floor.

“Barry, do you want to get dressed now?” He asked.

All he got was a shake of the head and a grumpy glare. Fortunately, the time he’d spent stalling had given him some time to calm down and he now had much more patience to deal with Barry’s attitude. 

“Why not? Do you not like the clothes I picked?”

“Whada you care?” Barry grumbled, “Can just order me around anyway.”

“I could, but that wouldn’t get me to where I wanna be. I wanna know what’s making you upset.” He agreed, “So what has you acting like this?”

“Gonna spank me?” Barry snarked at his Alpha.

“No, of course not. I’ve been telling you since day one that I will not spank you.” Hal reiterated. 

“Why not?” He asked, “M’not hurt anymore, you don’t need to pamper me.”

Ah, so they were getting to the root of the issue. Barry was noticing the shift in his treatment now that he’d come out of the cradle and was nervous about where it was leading. Still, it was tragic that he thought that he’d been pampered while hurt.

“Barry, I was in no way pampering you while you were hurt.” Hal said, “Treating you like a human being is not pampering you.”

Barry huffed at him and curled in on himself more. He noticed how stiff he was and had a brilliant idea. If Barry thought that what he’d done before was pampering, Hal would blow his mind.

“Put your boxers on and get on the bed. Flat on your stomach.” He instructed, getting up off the floor.

“Why?” Barry asked, though he was obeying.

“Because I’m going to show you what pampering is.” Hal said.

Barry slowly slipped his boxers on and crawled onto the bed, laying on his stomach with his hands resting by his head. He could hear Hal moving around and touching things behind him and he started to get nervous. He had no idea what Hal was planning and he was kinda scared, it probably wasn’t a good idea to sass him. He was so caught up in his own thoughts that he squealed when two big hands landed on his back.

“Easy.” Hal commanded, moving his hands along the expanse of his shoulders. “Just relax Barry, I’m going to make you feel good.”

And with that he started pressing his fingers into the Omegas flesh, easily finding multiple stress knots in the muscles. Starting at the top of his shoulders, Hal started rubbing the lotion he’d grabbed into his skin, intent on loosening the knots. He pressed hard, knowing that pressure was the best way to deal with them.

“Ahh.” Barry cried, arching up.

“Relax, You’re okay.” Hal soothed, rubbing over the spot he had just pressed lightly. There was a massive knot there and apparently he had pressed too hard for his Omegas comfort. “Sorry Sweetheart, I’ll be gentler, okay?”

Reluctantly, Barry laid back down and took a deep breath. To reassure him, Hal leaned down and pressed a kiss to that spot, then resumed his massage. This time, he was more careful, taking his time before adding more pressure even when he knew Barry could take more. Slowly, Barry started to go limp under his hands, his scent mellowing until it was sweet and happy and Hal could feel a purr rumbling in his chest.

He worked his way from the shoulders all the way down to the small of his back, making the tension and discomfort fade under his ministrations. Once he’d finished with his back, he moved up to Barry’s neck. He had wanted to start there but he figured immediately putting his hands on his Omega's vulnerable neck while he was worked up. 

When he put his hand on Barry's neck, he tensed under him but didn’t complain, and so he put tentative pressure on a sore spot and started rubbing. The collar moved a little when it got in the way, if Barry didn’t have such a poor opinion of it, he would have taken it off but he didn’t want to ruin his good mood by putting it back on. 

“So good, Little Omega, such a good little thing for me.” Hal praised, finishing up with Barry’s neck. “Why don’t you roll onto your back for me, Little Omega?”

Obediently, Barry flipped over onto his back and smiled at him with sleepy eyes. Hal took a moment to brush the hair out of his face, he hadn’t combed his hair yet so it resembled a blonde hedgehog. 

“Give me your hand, Little Omega.” He said.

Barry held his hand out and let Hal take it, even smiling when his Alpha pressed a kiss to it. Hal put more lotion on his hands and started massaging the appendage, lightly pushing up towards the shoulder and flexed the joints. He made a mental note to thank Diana for dragging him to a massage class, it wasn’t like he hadn’t used the skill before, either on his pack mates after a long sparring session or on some one night stands to set the mood, but seeing it’s effects on Barry, he was more thankful than ever.

He finished with one arm and moved to the other, repeating the process, then he moved to the legs. He started with a basic foot massage and worked his way up to the knee but didn’t go any further. Massages he’d given Omegas in the past may have ended with sex but this one was absolutely not going to. Barry needed to be shown compassion and respect without expectation of paying it back, he didn’t even want him to think that this could potentially be sexual.

When he’d finished with both of his legs, Hal wiped his hands off with a tissue and shuffled until he could put Barry’s head in his lap. So close to his major scent glands he was getting waves of happy Omega smell every time he took a breath and it was much better than the annoyed scent he’d been emitting before. Hal switched to a face lotion and started on a facial, focusing on the tension points to help him further relax. He would have stuck with the same lotion if it was him but Dinah and Bruce had both informed him many times that Omegas had more sensitive skin than Alphas and the miniscule difference between body and face lotion was enough to cause irritation. 

He continued stroking Barry’s face long after he’d kneaded all the stress out of him, but he was so grateful that he was relaxed that he moved his hand upward and played with his hair. At least Barry was happy, he was a purring mess who was sucking up all of the affection he could get and who was Hal to deny him. 

Eventually though, Hal knew he had to get them out to socialize with the rest of the pack and laying in bed all day for two days in a row wouldn’t help Barry build the muscles in his body. He pulled Barry into an upright position and nearly crumbled at the whine of complaint he got, weakening further when Barry gave him those sad blue eyes. 

“I know Sweetheart, but we need to get you dressed.” Hal said.

“Wanna stay w’th you.” Barry pouted.

Oh god, Hal had to take a few breaths through his mouth, he was going to pull them both down into bed if he didn’t. That sweet sugary scent was intoxicating. He would spend the rest of his life giving Barry the world if he could only ever smell that scent if he wasn’t careful.

“I’m gonna be with you all the way, sweet Omega, but you need more clothes.” He finally said.

Barry kept pouting but he didn’t do anything other than whine while Hal helped him get dressed. He even tried nuzzling at his gland to coax him back into bed. Cunning little thing that he was.

Finally though, Hal had Barry out of bed and heading to the most frequently used lounge to spend time with the rest of the pack. They were slow going, if they went too quickly, Barry would trip over his tired feet. Hal didn’t miss how exhausted his Omega was, two nights of poor sleep? Of course he was tired. Hopefully he’d nap on the couch rather than try to partake in conversation. When he sat down on one of the free loveseats, he pulled Barry down and tucked him into his side, his sweet little Omega immediately snuggled up to him and resumed purring.

Diana and Ollie, who were directly across from them, both made little kissy faces at him. He responded very maturely by flipping them the bird. After checking to make sure that Alfred wasn’t around, he didn’t need to be scolded in front of Barry. Clark rolled his eyes at the friendly display but didn’t directly comment.

“How are you two doing today?” He asked instead.

“We’re alright, little tired.” Hal replied.

Really, he meant that Barry was tired but answering for him felt wrong. Even if he was happily curled against him and taking in his scent, he didn’t want to speak over his Omega.

Clark examined Barry from his seat, his alien vision giving him the advantage at looking him over better from a distance than Hal could from right beside him. Evidently, he found something wrong because Hal felt the slight push in his mind that told him the link had been opened.

‘Has he had trouble sleeping?’ Clark asked through the link.

‘Yeah, he was camping out on the couch with Wally when I woke up this morning. The bed didn’t smell much like him.’ He replied.

‘Did you ask him about it?’

‘Tried. He was not in a talking mood and I didn’t want to push.’ 

Clark tilted his head a little, giving Barry’s curled figure another look over.

‘Maybe tonight for his training we’ll work on leash walking. That might tire him out enough that he sleeps through the night.’ He decided finally.

‘/I don’t think it’s that he isn’t tired, I think somethings bothering him. I think I got some of it, he felt that I didn’t have to take care of him now that he isn’t hurt. He seemed to think it was pampering an-/’

He stopped for a second when Clark audibly snorted and rolled his eyes at the comment about him pampering Barry. The pack Alpha had many things and a poker face was absolutely not one of them.

‘Yeah, my thoughts exactly. Anyway, I gave him a massage to show him what actual pampering is and now he’s happy, but I’m kinda hoping he’ll take a little nap this afternoon.’ 

‘Maybe some Omega time will help with that. I know that it often helps Bruce when he’s having trouble sleeping.’ Clark said.

Hal nodded and the link closed, the familiar pressure in his mind easing. Clark adjusts his arm from where it’s resting over Bruce’s shoulders, his mates head in his chest. Bruce looked up and then leaned in close when Clark beckoned, the two stayed for a moment, then Bruce pulled back.

“I want some Omega time.” He announced, forgoing subtlety since Barry probably wouldn’t even notice if someone threw a rock at him.

“Oh that sounds nice!” Mera chirped, swiftly climbing off Arthurs lap.

Dinah got up as well, pausing to give Ollie a chaste kiss before she went. The three waited for Barry to get up but he didn’t, he stayed tucked in close to Hal. 

“Barry Sweetheart, do you wanna go have some Omega time?” Hal asked, nudging him a little.

“No.” Barry answered, squirming to get comfortable again after Hal had moved him.

“Are you sure?” He asked, not so discreetly checking to see if he had a temperature. He’d never forgive himself if his Omega was ill and he hadn’t even noticed.

“Wanna stay with you.” Barry sighed, “Don’t wanna leave.”

“But you like having Omega time.” Hal pushed.

He hadn’t meant to offend but Barry’s scent turned sad anyway, he peeked out at him from under his eyelashes and was clearly close to crying.

“You want me to go?”

“Only if you want to.” Diana jumped in. “Nobody is going to force you anywhere, Little Love, Hal just wants to make sure you’re happy where you are. Right Hal?” 

She phrased it as a question but he knew that she was telling him to say yes and only fools argued with Diana.

“Of course baby, I’m sorry. Of course I’m happy that you want to stay with me.” Hal soothed.

That settled the blonde, he curled up into his side and nuzzled against his neck, his hair tickling his chin. The other Omegas stood still for a moment, shocked and confused, before Dinah snapped out of it and ushered them along. Barry didn’t even care that he was now the only Omega in a room full of Alphas and one Beta, he was comfortable against Hal and he wasn’t bothered by anything else.

Though now Hal was left with another problem, Barry wasn’t going to go take a nap in the Omega den, so he was going to have to get him to nap on the couch. He made himself purr and pulled the other man closer, almost completely into his lap. He even kept his voice low to be more soothing, anything to get him to sleep, but it wasn’t working. Barry stubbornly stayed awake.

Clark even tried to help him in his efforts, he got up with the excuse to grab some snacks from the kitchen and came back with a small plate of just saltines and a blanket fresh from the dryer that he threw over Barry. That didn’t even work, the blond purred and snuggled into the soft fabric and its warmth but didn’t doze off. It was baffling, Barry must be exhausted after two days of poor sleep and yet he wouldn’t sleep.

Eventually, Hal decided that if his ward wasn’t going to sleep, he should at least eat something. He used his ring to grab a singular cracker from Clarks untouched plate and then positioned Barry so it was easier to feed him. This was where he realised that he was absolutely hopeless at feeding other humans. He just kept pushing the cracker against Barry’s closed lips and ignored the crumbs on his lap from it.

“C’mon Straw-Barry, just eat a cracker for me.” He compelled, nudging his lips again.

Barry hummed and turned his head back into his shoulder and relaxed. Hal huffed and moved him again, going back to pushing the cracker at him insistantly. 

“Just half of it.” Hal bargained. 

“M’not hungry.” Barry muttered, tipping his head to avoid the offensive cracker.

“You’ve barely eaten in two days, you need something in the tank.” Hal said. 

Barry let out a moan of pure frustration and finally bit off a small corner of the saltine, then he leaned back into Hal while he chewed. It was incredibly dramatic but at least he was eating, so Hal let him be annoyed. In the end, it took ten minutes for Barry to finish one cracker and he kept trying to go back to cuddling.

“There we go, thank you.” Hal said, finally allowing them to snuggle up again.

The purring was back, from both of them, but Barry still wasn’t sleeping. By that point, Hal had just accepted that he wouldn’t be and was ready to just hold him. Then Clark moved to sit on Barry’s other side and hovered his hand above his side. 

‘Can I help? I think I know how to get him to sleep.’ He said through the link.

‘If you can get him to sleep, I’ll river dance.’ Hal replied, effectively giving him permission to help.

Clark slowly lowered his hand to Barry’s side and started rubbing circles slowly but with pressure. The Omega made a little noise at the feeling and moved to get more comfortable but he didn’t complain or move away. Gently, carefully, Clark moved upwards to Barry’s head and started petting his hair and stroking his cheeks, running his fingers under his closed eyes and even under his chin and up to behind his ears. Hal watched closely but he didn’t understand what his Pack Alpha was doing until finally, Clark moved his hand to Barry’s nape and pressed firmly. The Omega jerked and then went limp, looking at the man touching him with wide but dim eyes.

“Go to sleep.” Clark ordered, his voice low and commanding.

Immediately, Barry’s eyes closed and his breathing deepened, his body dead weight against Hal’s shoulder. Clark slowly pulled his hand away, watching to make sure Barry was, indeed, asleep and smiled when he saw he was. Hal manoeuvred his sleeping Omega until he was safely on his lap with his head on his shoulder.

“What the hell was that?” Hal asked, sniffing his Omega.

“I put him down, gently, of course.” Clark answered. “I noticed that he was hovering on it for a while, but he probably hasn’t dropped in a while and you don’t really know what to look for, so I put him down myself.”

“And putting him down makes him sleep?” Hal asked.

“It can, it could also get him to eat, move, settle down, or be still. If you do it nicely, like I just did, it’s a nice experience, but if you do it roughly it can hurt.” Clark said, “I’ll show you how to bring him down later, but for right now, he can just rest.”

“Should I take him up to bed?”

“No, not unless you’re going to stay with him. Coming up from a drop alone can be alarming and upsetting.” Clark said sternly, “He’s perfectly fine to stay here until he wakes up, just leave him be.”

Obeying the unspoken order, Hal readjusted the blanket to cover all of Barry and continued his conversation with the others. Hours passed slowly, Dinah, Bruce, and Mera came back happy and sleepy and ready to cuddle with their own Alphas, the pups finished with their games and found their way back to their parents. Wally nudged his dad until Hal shifted him into a better position so the pup could cuddle with his dad.

They all ate lunch in the sitting room, Alfred brought them sandwiches and veggie sticks, he even brought one covered in cling wrap so Barry could eat when he woke up. Once their bellies were full, Dick, Kaldur, and Roy were raring to go again, ready to play and run around. Clark eventually shooed them away to the playroom but let Wally stay, since he was dozing off against his dad and wasn’t being mischievous.

They passed the rest of the afternoon away in the sitting room, talking about nothing and watching Netflix on the television. Diana and Clark helped him care for Barry and Wally, who had snuggled up together in their sleep and were using Hal as their pillow. Diana helped him move the pair until they were lying down with Barry’s head on Hal’s lap while Clark put the blanket in the dryer again. 

Barry woke up just as the sun was starting to set and looked much better, his eyes were bright and more alert and when Hal ran a hand through his hair he leaned into it. When Hal kept up the petting Barry started purring, hugging his pup close and giving his Alpha big, happy eyes.

“Feeling better Straw-Barry?” He asked.

“Yes Alpha.” Barry purred and nudged his hand, desperate for more affection.

Easily being swayed by the begging, Hal resumed his petting to keep Barry happy. Clark came over and checked him over, looking at his eyes and into his mouth, then tilting the Omegas head to examine his nape for bruising, cupping his cheek gently when he found nothing. 

“Are you hungry?” Clark asked, reaching over them to grab Barry’s meal off the table. “Alfred made you a sandwich.”

Blue eyes lit up in interest and Hal smiled with relief when Barry started eating on his own with no prompting, taking a big bite of the sandwich,hungry after getting all the rest he needed. The meal disappeared quickly and was chased by a large glass of water, then Barry settled back against his Alpha with a content smile and a full belly. There was absolutely no stress on his features, no fear, and he was happy to be close to his pup and Alpha. Hal could have sung the chorus of “Hallelujah”  he was so happy that they had a break from constant stress. 

~~~

Barry shifted from foot to foot in Alpha Clarks study, Hal was behind him with a firm hand on his shoulder, leash in hand and Clark was in front of him with another leather leash in his hand. Apparently, they were going to be working on his leash walking skills tonight, something he absolutely wasn’t excited about. He had thought he would know everything they wanted to teach him but yesterday had proved him wrong, very wrong. Dinah was with them again, volunteering to be his tutor for what he needed to learn.

“Leashing Position.” Clark ordered.

Both Barry and Dinah complied, picture perfect images of their ordered pose and ready to have the leads attached to their collars. Hal stepped around Barry until he was in front of him, and then both Alphas clipped the leads to the collars. Dinah relaxed once her leash was attached but Barry held position, waiting for an order to break it. 

“Alright Barry, Dinah and I are going to do a lap around the room to show you how we want you to walk while leashed, then you and Hal will copy.” Clark said.

“Okay Alpha.” Barry said.

Clark gave Dinah's leash a gentle tug and the pair started their walk. Clark stood tall as always, his presence commanding, and Dinah walked two steps beside him with her head high. Barry watched them intently, this was not how Alpha Lex wanted him to walk while leashed. Alpha Lex always had him walk three steps behind and one to the side of him, never any more or less. The way Dinah and Clark were walking, you would think they were equals rather than Alpha and Omega. When they resumed their place, Hal gave his own leash a tug and Barry followed.

Knowing that he was to remain in position and not stray, Barry had to force himself to stay beside his Alpha, two steps beside him but not behind or ahead of him. He slipped a few times but always caught himself and corrected without any input from Hal but he noticed the Alpha side eyeing him when it happened. He was incredibly grateful when they finished the walk and he could relax a little.

“That was very well done Barry.” Clark praised, “You fell behind a few times but we can practise that another time. For now, I think we should work on your poses again.”

“I agree.” Hal seconded.

That didn’t sound very fun to him but he continued anyway, him and Dinah taking different poses as the Alphas called them out. Barry’s legs started to cramp up after a bit, his muscles were still building up and the exercise was intense to him. Fortunately, Hal noticed when he started struggling to get up and called a break for him, threading an arm around him to keep him steady.

“Why don’t we finish up for tonight?” Clark asked, “I think we’ve made good progress and we don’t want to over do it.”

Barry heaved a sigh of relief, he was tired and picturing his bed.

“I think that sounds perfect.” Hal agreed.

Hal pushed Barry forward and the Omega bowed his head to Clark, knowing that he needed to thank the Pack Alpha for the training. He hadn’t done it yesterday but he’d been informed that they’d be ending each session with Barry thanking them both for working with him.

“Thank you Alpha Clark, for teaching me how to behave.” He said, then turned to Hal. “Thank you Alpha, for teaching me how to behave. Thank you both for being patient with me.”

He hadn’t been given a script for what he should say so he was improvising and hoping that it was passable. Dinah stepped forward and brushed her cheek against his, which he eagerly returned, purring at the affection. When the Omegas pulled apart, Clark caught him and lifted him up and into a tight hug.

“Of course, Little Omega.” Clark said, “Thank you for being such a willing student.”

Then the big man handed him off to his own Alpha, who promptly put him on his feet again and kissed his cheek. The group left the study, Clark was escorting Dinah back to her suite, it wasn’t truly necessary but Clark was a gentleman so he was doing it anyway. Hal and Barry broke off from them on their way to their own suite, each step felt heavy and he was clumsy so he found himself leaning on his Alpha to keep a steady pace.

Hal scooped him up when they reached the door, nuzzled his neck right by his gland, and carried him into their bedroom. He cooed when he was deposited on the bed and his pajamas were laid playfully over his stomach. The pair changed in amicable silence and when they finished, Barry reached out to the Alpha, hoping for some more cuddling before they fell asleep. But Hal stepped around him and out the door without even looking at him, so Barry curled up under the covers by himself.

He perked up when Hal came back, a bundle in his arms that he immediately recognised as Wally. Hal laughed when he handed Barry his pup, climbing onto the bed and completing the cuddle pile, holding them both close while the Omega chirped and purred. Soon, they were all under the blankets, Wally in between them and Barry nudging against Hal’s chin while the Alpha combed his fingers through his hair.  

Chapter Text

The entire pack was squished into the stretch limo and on their way to New York. Barry had his follow up appointment with his doctors to check on his progress after his time in the cradle and the rest of the pack was along for a visit with their friends. Stephen and Tony’s pack was all gathered at the tower, and the majority of them were also vigilantes, so this would be a good chance to talk about their jobs.

The pups were antsy and squirming, stilling for a moment when their parents chastised them only to resume it a few moments later. Fortunately, they were nearly there and soon the kids would be able to get out and run off to play with the other pups. Tony’s pups were obviously there, but so were Kamala, Shuri, Vision, and Cassie Lang, as well as Laura Barton and her three kids as well as Peters friends MJ and Ned. Vision was a little complicated, he was a synthezoid accidentally created by Ultron and Tony who had all the knowledge that JARVIS had but the experience of a younger child, so he sometimes hung out with the adults and sometimes played with the children. 

The pups finally exited the limo in a pile of tangled limbs and excited squeals, leaving the adults to share a deep breath of relief at the sudden silence. Taking turns, they all got out and started greeting the various adults that had arrived to welcome them. Hal recognized Pepper Potts, Rhodey, Happy, Carol, Thor, Bruce Banner, T’Challa, Matt, and Jessica and waved to all of them. Barry curled himself in closer to him, clutching his jacket at the scent of so many different people. 

As the kids ran off to play, the adults gathered in one of the large living rooms to talk and catch up. Hal settled into a plush armchair and pulled Barry down onto his lap. They were strategically close to the hallway so they could go to the doctor's appointment without disturbing the crowd. Once everyone was seated and comfortable, Hal started introducing Barry to them.

“Everyone, this is my new Omega, Barry.” He said.

Around the room, Tony’s pack in its entirety started introducing themselves.

“I’m Bruce Banner and this is my mate, Thor.” A mousy Omega introduced, gesturing to the massive blond Alpha beside him.

“I’m Matt Murdock.” A blind man said with his cane resting beside him.

“I’m Jessica Jones.” The mean looking Alpha beside him said, “And this is Foggy.” 

“It’s nice to meet you Barry, my name is Laura.” said a small beta with a baby on her lap. “This is Nate.”

A dark haired Omega raised his hand cooly but didn’t look up from his cellphone. “I’m Loki.”

“Brother.” The giant blond Alpha groaned, “Please be nice.”

The Omega, his brother apparently, rolled his eyes and finally looked up at him. “Nice to meet you.”

The blond beside him chuckled and playfully shoved her packmate, then turned to Barry and Hal.

“I’m Carol, I’m the pack Alpha. It’s very nice to meet you and I’m glad my fellow Airforceman finally took a mate. It’s about damn time.” She jested, shooting Hal a playful look.

“Carol and I were in Basics together and then both went on to the air force. We’ve been friends since before either of our packs formed.” Hal said. 

“And that’ll bring you to me.” Called a man beside Tony, “I’m James but most people call me Rhodey. Hal, Carol and I all served on the same base.”

“I’m Wong.” Greeted an annoyed looking man in similar robes to Stephen.

“I’m Hope and this is my Omega, Scott.” A female alpha said, her mate happily beside her.

“I am T’Challa, King of Wakanda.” Another stern man said, “You may meet my little sister later, Princess Shuri.”

“I’m Reed and this is my beautiful mate, Susan.” An Alpha said, “And these are the other two members of our household, Ben and Johnny.”

He gestured to a humanoid rock creature in a reinforced chair and a smaller, young adult sitting beside them. Internally, Barry made a note to keep his distance from the massive meta human. 

“And I am Gamora, this is my Omega, Peter, and our crewmates, Drax, Mantis, Rocket, and our child, Groot.” A green lady said.

That was a lot to take in and Barry was already struggling to remember the name of the person who had introduced themselves first. All the eyes on him made him nervous, so he tucked himself closer to his Alpha.

“Nice to meet you all.” He replied politely with a nod of his head.

He wished that Wally was still with him so he could hold his pup close, he didn’t like being away from his son when they were both meeting so many new people. He was a dad, Wally’s dad, he needed to know that his son was safe. 

“You’re the one who needed the Cradle, right?” One of the Omegas asked.

“Scott!” His Alpha snapped, “Don’t be rude!”

Focused solely on the other male Omega, Barry noticed that he had an ankle monitor on, its little red light blinking on and off. He was incredibly curious about that, it looked high grade and indestructible, almost military. What would Scott have done to earn that kind of technology? Stuck in his wonderings, he’d forgotten to respond to the question, so Hal did it for him.

“Yes, Barry’s the one who needed the Cradle.” He replied. 

“How did you two meet?” Tony’s pack Alpha asked.

“I took him from his old Alpha, about two and a half months ago.” Hal said, dropping a kiss to Barry’s head.

“Well, he seems very sweet.” Pepper said simply.

With that, the conversation moved on to other things and allowed Barry to settle himself comfortably with his nose pressed against Hal’s scent gland. He didn’t really care to immerse himself in the talking with others, it wasn’t something he really wanted to do at the moment. Hal talked to the others while he remained silent, sometimes even answering questions directed at his Omega when it became evident that he wasn’t going to talk. Finally though, Hal pressed a kiss to Barry’s scalp and squeezed his shoulder.

“Alright, my sweet StrawBarry, time to get you to your appointment.” He whispered.

Reluctantly, Barry nodded and shimmied off his lap, then followed the Alpha to the elevator. He was not excited for the doctors to poke at him, to touch him and do their examinations. He was dragging his feet all the way and wishing for a longer ride in the elevator.

Hal knew full well that he was working himself up and that it was affecting his scent, making the air smell like burnt sugar. Hal pulled him closer and gave him a squeeze and a kiss, trying to comfort him before his appointment. It didn’t work at all, he could smell the panic rising in his Omega and he wanted to take him away, maybe curl up somewhere small and cozy, and never see the doctors. As soon as Hal opened the door to the office, he stepped back and shook his head.

“C’mon Bar, it’s alright.” Hal soothed, reaching out for him.

“No.” Barry whispered, taking another step back. “No, please, I can’t.”

With a bite of his tongue, Hal released the door and took a step closer to the other man. As he stepped closer, Barry stepped back and wrapped his arms around his middle. The sight broke his heart, that the appointment with his doctors was so distressing to him that he was curling in on himself. 

“What’s going on StrawBarry?” He asked, “What can I do to make it better?”

At the question, Barry perked up and looked hopeful. 

“Can we go back upstairs?” He asked.

Damn it. That wasn’t something that he could do until after the appointment. This check up was necessary for Barry, the doctors wanted to make sure that he was progressing properly. The Cradle was incredibly low risk but it wasn’t risk free and there were some chances that Barry’s body might not be bouncing back properly, and check ups like that were needed.

“After your appointment, yes, we can go back upstairs.” He said, though he knew that wasn’t what Barry wanted. 

“I don’t want to go to the appointment. Please Alpha, I don’t want to.” He pleaded, stepping back even further.

The growing gap between them felt pretty representative of his breaking heart, scaring Barry wasn’t something he wanted. He wanted Barry happy and healthy, and it felt like he couldn’t have both right now.

“I know it’s scary but it’s just a check up.” Hal said, “I’ll be right beside you the whole time.”

He took a tentative step forward and opened his arms, trying to appear non threatening. He was hoping that he and Barry could have a quick cuddle before they went in, something to calm both of their nerves. Instead, Barry frantically shook his head and some tears slipped down his cheeks.

“How can I help? How can I make this easier?”

“I want to go.” He choked, his voice broke and he sniffled. 

Before he could properly formulate a response for that, Dr. Cartsmen stepped into the hall and smiled at them. Hal raised his hand at the doctor in greeting but kept most of his focus on his flighty Omega. 

“Everything alright out here?” The doctor asked kindly. 

“Little nervous.” Hal replied shortly.

“Scared of the doctor's office? I can understand that.” Dr. Cartsmen said, “But I can assure you, Omega Jordan, that we will try to make this as comfortable as possible.”

Finally, backup! Maybe having an actual conversation with one of his doctors before the examination would help settle Barry’s nerves. Hearing first hand that they were all here for his best interests might help him take the necessary steps into going into the office. Noticing how Hal heaved a sigh of relief, the doctor continued.

“We’ve already got the heat turned up so you won’t be chilly and your Alpha is going to be right beside you.” He continued, looking at Hal who nodded enthusiastically. Dr. Cartsmen took some steps closer to his patient and reached out for his hand. “If you’ll just come inside with me, we’ll do this quickly. All we need to do is make sure everything is in working order and then you can go on your way.”

“I’m not going in the Cradle.” Barry snapped, his gaze switching between the Beta and Alpha in front of him. He had started to shiver even though it wasn’t cold and he’d positioned his feet in a way that did not inspire confidence in Hal. “I’m not going back in.”

“Good, you don’t have to.” Dr. Cartsmen affirmed, clapping his hands and making Barry flinch. “Why don’t you come in and we can all have a chat about what needs to happen before we start anything?”

Barry shook his head and Hal noted that he looked set to run. Taking a few steps but giving his Omega a wide berth, he blocked off the hallway so he couldn’t book it without running into him. 

“That sounds lovely doctor.” Hal replied for both of them, reaching out to take Barry’s hand. “C’mon Barry, time to go in now.”

Barry pulled away from his outreached hand and bared his teeth at him. He started growling when Hal tried again, shaking his head angrily. 

“No!” He cried.

“Yes. It’ll be alrig-”

Hal broke off when Barry suddenly lunged forward, grabbed his shoulders for leverage and tried to knee him in the groin. Fortunately, his ring activated and absorbed the blow so he only felt minor pressure from a blow that would have made him keel over, but he was so distracted avoiding the blow that Barry darted around him and took off in a sprint down the hallway towards the elevator.

“Sonova bitch!” He yelled. “FRIDAY, do not let him off this floor.”

“Already on it, Hal. Clark is already on his way down.” FRIDAY replied curtly. “All the doors in the hallway have been locked.”

“Thank you Darling.” Hal sighed, straightening up and smoothing out his shirt. 

“Anything for you, my love.” FRIDAY teased.

With a sigh, he started after his naughty Omega down the hallway. Dr. Cartsmen chuckled awkwardly and turned back into the office to set up with his fellow doctors. Try as he might as he set off, Hal couldn’t calm the anger that was flaming up in his gut. He had been gentle and kind with Barry, and the Omega had responded by trying to hurt him. He may be forgiving to his ward, but the blond had certainly earned a punishment for his poor behaviour.

Before he saw his wayward Omega, he heard a loud commotion at the elevator, complete with screaming and curse words. When he rounded the corner to the elevator he saw Clark with his arm around Barry’s waist while the Omega fought and screamed with his feet off the floor, even turning and trying to sink his teeth into Clarks bicep. The Alpha holding him rolled his eyes and pulled his chin away and wiped some drool from his face. 

“Trust me Barry, you’ll break your teeth before you break my skin.” He chastised and then turned to Hal. “You alright? FRIDAY said that he got physical.”

“Yeah, he tried to knee me but my ring blocked it.” Hal replied and cast a stern look at the squirming Omega.

“So, to the doctor's office then?” Clark asked.

“Yep. My naughty Omega needs to be looked over.” Hal agreed. “Would you mind sticking around? I’m not certain that he’ll be obedient to the doctors and I’d like some backup.”

“No!” Barry howled, doubling his efforts to get out of Clarks grip.

Ignoring Barry entirely, Clark nodded. “Of course.”

With that, he readjusted his grip on the fighting blond and he and Hal headed to the office. Barry kept fighting the whole time and managed to slam his knee off a passing corner so hard that Hal made a mental note to have the doctor look it over in case he had broken himself. The closer they got to the doors the more desperate Barry got until he was begging and crying to be let go.

“Please! Please, don’t make me!” He screamed, pushing off Clark’s face to try and gain leverage to wiggle away.

With another roll of his eyes, Clark grabbed his hand and pinned it between his side and Barry’s to keep him from doing it again. 

“I heard Hal and one of the doctors trying to be reasonable with you, and you tried to hurt your Alpha. No one is doing you any favours now.” Clark told him.

Hal used his ring to open the doors to the office so Clark could bring in the angry patient. Once they were all in, he locked the doors behind them to prevent another run from his Omega. 

Dr. Cartsmen had already warned his colleagues that they were going to be in for a difficult afternoon and they had set up a padded table with visible restraints for Barry while they waited. Waving the doctors away, Clark set Barry down on his feet but kept him in a vice grip.

“I take it you need his clothes off.” Hal said to the waiting doctors.

“Please. And please use the restraints as well, I don’t like getting hit by my patients.” Dr. Sapsmin requested.

“No!” Barry protested, trying to push away from Clark.

“Of course.” Hal agreed, ignoring Barry’s complaints. 

With Clark holding him in place, Hal pulled Barry’s shirt up and over his head, deaf to the screaming and pleading. Once his torso was bare, Clark lifted him up so he could pull down the Omegas pants and boxers and peel off his socks. Once he was naked, Clark scooped him up and pushed him down on the padded surface and held him still while Hal wrestled his wrists and ankles into the cuffs and tightened them, then fastened the body restraints to keep him still.

“Alpha!” Barry cried, staring at him with teary eyes and splotchy cheeks.

“Might as well fit him with the ring now.” Clark suggested, raising his voice to be heard over the crying “Just get him ready for everything now.”

“No! Please, no!” The restrained man sobbed, “Alpha, please no!”

Hal fixed him with another stern glare and then nodded. “That makes sense.”

The crying became muffled as Barry clenched his jaw to futilely prevent the two Alphas from fitting the ring. Working together, Clark held his chin with one hand and pinched his nose closed with the other while Hal waited patiently with the ring gag. When Barry finally opened his mouth to take in a breath, Clark slipped three fingers into his mouth and forced his mouth open wide enough for Hal to slip the ring in and fasten the strap behind his head. 

Finally ready for the doctors, Hal and Clark stepped back to talk to the doctors about what needed to be done. They agreed to do the blood tests first so they could have the result by the end of the appointment and have each doctor do their own exam while they waited. Dr. Cartsmen took the blood and sent it off to the labs, then started his exam. 

The table Barry was one had a scale built in so they didn’t have to move him to weigh him, and Dr. Cartsmen wrote it down on his chart. Then he tested his reflexes as best he could while Barry was restrained and made a note of that. 

“Alright Alpha. Jordan. Your Omega has gained some much needed weight and now weighs one hundred and eight pounds. He’s still underweight but this is an incredible start and as long as we continue along this path, he’ll be at a healthy weight before you know it.” Dr. Cartmen informed happily. “I would recommend adding more protein to his diet. If he’s having difficulty eating large meals, try multiple smaller meals more frequently throughout the day.”

“That’s great!” Hal exclaimed, stroking Barry’s hair.

The doctor continued his exam, looking into Barry’s eyes, ears, and nose, then examined his throat. Then, he’d prepared an ultrasound and looked over his internals for any issue, rubbing the wand over his stomach. After the ultrasound, there was an x-ray and the doctor pressed gently on his stomach and felt his breathing. He listened to his heartbeat and lungs, then felt around his lymph nodes to check for swelling. Once he was satisfied, he stepped back and addressed Hal.

“I must say, I’m impressed at how well he’s recovering. Other than an accelerated heart rate, which I’ll chalk up to his emotional state, everything seems to be operating normally. His digestive track looks more than decent, he’s breathing well, and he seems to be in good health.” He acknowledged. “Obviously, we’ll know more when we get the blood work back, but so far everything looks good. Do you have any questions for me about his care?”

“Not about his care but he hasn’t had a nesting heat yet. Is that normal?” Hal asked, “I know you told me a few weeks but I haven’t noticed any symptoms so far.” 

“Hmm, that is concerning. We’ll check the blood work but I’m not noticing any physical signs that he cannot go into heat, so it’s probably an emotional block. A nesting heat needs a certain feeling of safety for the Omega to give themselves over to it, you don’t put roots down where you don’t feel safe.” Dr. Cartsmen pondered, rubbing a hand over Barry’s stomach, over his pouch. “For an Omega with a past like his, he might not be fully able to let himself relax enough to properly nest. We could try SSRIs for anxiety to help him and I can give you a list of things that help Omegas feel safe. We can talk about it more once my colleagues finish their exams.”

“That sounds excellent, thank you.” Hal said, playing absently with Barry’s hair.

The Omega whined from the table and gave his restraints another tug, futilely trying to arch his back against the torso straps. Clark reached over and easily pushed him back down and rolled his eyes at Hal. Dr. Cartsmen stepped away and Dr. Daniels took his place beside Barry, using a panel on the side of the table to raise him into a more upright position. 

Ignoring his wordless cries of protest, Dr. Daniels started her exam by pressing on his throat and feeling his voice box. Hal kept petting his hair and Clark took one of his hands but neither of them stopped the doctor from completing her inspection of his mouth and throat. 

“Well, everything looks great!” She said, removing her mirrored wand from Barry’s mouth. “Has he been speaking a lot with you?”

“Yes, we have some lovely conversations.” Hal replied. He pulled a travel pack of tissues out of his pocket and wiped away the drool on Barry’s chin, then used another two to wipe away the tears and snot. 

“Well, if the yelling I heard was any indication, his vocal cords are in perfect working order.” She joked.

Hal and Clark chuckled and nodded in agreement while Barry himself just whined again. Hal returned to playing with his hair while Clark gave his hand a squeeze, both reassuring him of his safety. 

Next came the last examination, the one Hal knew Barry was dreading the most. Dr. Sapsmin separated the part of the table holding Barry’s legs and settled himself on a stool between them.

 The examination started with the doctor examining his urethra, something that made Barry wail behind the ring. After he was done examining his slit, Dr. Sapsmin moved on to his balls, checking for lumps and bruising. While the doctor was preparing his hole for the internal examination, Hal wiped Barry’s face of the tears and kissed his forehead.

“Almost done.” Clark soothed, rubbing circles over the back of his hand with his thumb.

Dr. Sapsmin did his internal exam with minimal talking, so all Barry heard was the two Alphas beside him soothing him. He couldn’t help but pant when the speculum spread him wide, it didn’t hurt as much as it did before the cradle but it wasn’t a pleasant feeling. He was counting as high as he could in his head to distract himself from what was happening and from how much trouble he was in, he almost didn’t notice when the metal contraption inside him closed and slipped out.

“How’s he looking?” Hal asked.

“Everything looks fine. His slick glands are producing slick much better, you should invest in a knotting vibrator to keep them progressing. Just having him sit on it while it’s knotted will keep his slick glands progressing and help his mental state.” Dr. Sapsmin replied. “He’s still a little too tender for a real knot, that’ll tear him, so nothing too big.”

“Alright. Is there anything else I should be on the lookout for?” Hal asked.

“Not really. Obviously, as I told you last time, if you notice any bleeding or if he’s complaining about persisting pain or discomfort, give me a call and we’ll take a look.” The doctor answered, then addressed Barry. “So if you feel any pain, or if something just doesn’t feel right, you need to tell your Alpha.”

Barry made a noise that sounded like an affirmative and the doctor nodded in approval. Once he was done cleaning himself up, Hal and Clark shook hands with the doctor and thanked him for his help. Dr. Cartsmen had the blood work result and was ready to talk with the two Alphas about it. Clark pulled a leash from his back pocket and handed it off to Hal, who clipped it to Barry’s collar and leaned down to talk to him.

“Listen up you. Clark and I want to let you up, but we won’t do that if you’re going to be bratty, so are you going to behave?” He asked quietly.

Frantically, Barry nodded his agreement and silently pleaded with his Alpha to let him up from the table. Once he’d gotten the affirmative, Hal started undoing the restraints one by one, leaving the ones around his wrists and ankles for last. Once he was free, Hal helped him sit up, removed the ring gag, and gave him a sip of water, then helped him ease himself off the table. The Alpha constructed a cushion by his feet and pointed at it sternly.

“Resting Position.” He ordered curtly and his tone left no room for debate. 

Barry lowered himself onto the cushion and got into proper position without making a sound. His head hurt from crying so much, his wrists and ankles were sore, and he hole felt messy and loose and he could feel slick and gel leaking from it and onto the pillow. He was still naked and he had no idea where his clothes were, not that he would be allowed to wear them, if the Alphas wanted him dressed, they would have dressed him. 

From his place at their feet, he could hear what Dr. Cartsmen and his Alphas talked about him and what he needed. None of them addressed him directly and he didn’t dare draw more attention to himself, he could still smell anger on both Hal and Clark. 

“So we didn’t find any hormonal imbalances that could prevent Omega. Jordan from going into heat, the only imbalance is the one that will be corrected by his heat. It’s nothing dangerous yet, but I do have a shot prepared that will start to balance them.” Dr. Cartsmen offered, holding up a syringe. “I also think Omega. Jordan could benefit greatly from an SSRI prescription. Just from the injuries he was brought in with, I would say that he’s struggling mentally. Taking this medication will help him relax, though it won’t take away everything he’s struggling with mentally.”

“What are the risks of taking SSRIs?” Hal asked.

“The risk is minimal. Some short term side effects include nausea, dizziness, mild confusion, fatigue, and a dry mouth, but most of those go away within a week or ten days at the most. If the nausea is too bad, give me a call and I’ll prescribe something to aid in that as well.” Dr. Cartsmen answered. 

Hal nodded. “Then we’ll go with the SSRIs. Any special instructions for having him take them?”

“Most people take them in the morning with food, but it isn’t really that important. As long as he takes it around the same time every day, they’ll do their job.” 

“Perfect.” 

Dr. Cartsmen nodded and quickly wrote a prescription from his pad, tore it off, and handed it to Hal, who tucked it safely into his pocket. 

“Now then, I wanted to talk about Omega. Jordans next appointment. We don’t want a freak out every time he knows he has a doctor appointment, it’s not a good habit to fall into.” Dr. Cartsmen started, shooting a quick glance down at Barry. “If every time he has to see me, he gets so scared he panics, acts out, makes you angry, and then gets punished, he’s not going to ever feel safe going to an appointment.”

“What do you suggest?” Clark asked.

“To start, a week or so before his next appointment, I’ll write a prescription for a relaxer. Think of it like a dose of laughing gas in pill form. Just give it to him an hour or so before the appointment and it will calm him down so he can’t panic.” Dr. Cartsmen. “I do usually work out of California, where I understand you usually live, Alpha. Jordan, so if you are looking for a general practitioner for him long term, I am available. If we start building trust now, then we’ll be able to make doctors appointments less of a re-traumatising experience and more of a general chore you do a few times a day.”

Hal nodded easily but Barry was shocked at his feet. California? If his Alpha lived in California, why were they in New York state? And they were going to be going to California, somewhere Barry had never been and where he knew no one? He was scared and annoyed, why had he not been told that they wouldn’t be staying in the state? Why hadn’t his Alpha, who claimed he cared about his opinion, not told him upfront about the living situation?

Of course, maybe he shouldn’t have been surprised. Hal had forced him into the Cradle against his wishes, so maybe he didn’t care as much about his opinion as he claimed he did. Maybe Hal wanted him to just be quiet and demure, unquestioning of his Alphas decisions. That thought scared him.

“I would like that, Dr. Strange told me that you specialised in Omegas leaving abusive situations?”

“I do, yes. I have my own practice in LA and I work with both the National Omegas Rights Organization and Safe Haven Housing as a consulting doctor and I volunteer my time with Safe Haven Housing providing medical care and prescribing medicines.” Dr. Cartsmen boasted, “I have also spoken before Congress about abolishing the RGA and reinstating voting and privacy rights for Omegas.” 

Hal nodded and stooped a little and ran a hand through Barry’s hair, running his fingers through the strands on top and then returning to brush some behind his ear. When he straightened, he adjusted his jacket and the leash tugged on Barry’s collar a bit when he raised his hand to do so.

“Well, that certainly seems promising. And you're accepting new patients?”

“I am indeed. And, I know your Omega and I’ve worked with him before, so I’ll be able to use all the tools in my office to help make the trips as pleasant as possible. We have examination tables similar to this one here, but they’re heated.” Dr. Cartsmen said. “We find that it makes it easier to relax if Omegas aren’t freezing during the examination. We also employ Omegas as soothers, with their guardians permission of course, to stay with our patients and help them relax.”

“I see, and that works?” Hal asked.

“It does, the scent of another, calm Omega triggers a dip in norepinephrine and a rise in GABA, which is the reaction that happens when Omegas nest or groom each other. It means that a patient's stress level cannot get as high as it did today so we don’t get screaming freak outs.”

“That does sound enticing, it’s hard to watch him get so worked up.” Hal said, looking down at his Omega.

“It’s difficult for me as well, I can only imagine how hard it is as an Alpha, but if we all work together, we can make this less stressful. Maybe not today but for our next appointments, we’ll work to make them easier.” Dr. Cartsmen acknowledged and even looked down at Barry. “I’ll bet it’s hard for you to get all worked up like this, can’t feel very good.” 

Timidly, Barry shook his head and curled in on himself. Hopefully his Alpha wouldn’t be angry with him for acknowledging the doctors question, he had a feeling he was already in pretty deep shit with Hal and Clark, he didn’t need to add to it. 

“And speaking of my overtired Omega, why don’t we finish this up so Clark and I can get him cleaned up.” Hal said, once again stooping to touch Barry’s hair. “You said he needed a shot?”

“I do have a medicinal balancer to give him, if you want to use it. It’s nothing dangerous, in fact we use it often in cases like this where an Omega is too stressed or suffering severe depression and as a result cannot go into heat themselves.” Dr. Cartsmen explained, “It isn’t the same as an inducer, which would force his body into a faux heat and can be incredibly stressful on the body and mind. It starts the balancing of hormones but then the body is capable of picking up the slack and goes the rest of the way. If you decide to allow me to administer the shot, he’ll likely go into heat in three days, a week at the most.”

“And are there any risks?” Clark asked.

“There are risks to every medication but this one is fairly low risk. Because it works as a stress reliever to help culture the proper mindset for an Omega to go into heat, for the first day or so after he may be more sensitive to your anger or sadness, so try to keep a level head, though he’ll also be more receptive to happiness and praise.. There is also a mild sleep aid mixed in, nothing strong but he’ll probably need a nap and he might be groggy and uncoordinated this afternoon.” Dr. Cartsmen listed, “There is also an incredibly small risk of strokes or seizures, but I cannot stress enough that it’s highly, highly unlikely.”

“So, he’ll be a bit clumsy today, how about tomorrow?” Hal asked.

“Tomorrow he should be mostly back to normal physically, though as I mentioned he will be more emotionally receptive. You may notice an increase in appetite as his body prepares for heat, that’s fine, his body is just stocking up because most Omegas don’t eat much during their heats.” Dr. Cartsmen assured, “He may be a bit confused and struggle to maintain focus, especially if he’s attempting to complete complex tasks, he might be more forgetful than usual. This isn’t any cause for concern, it’s pretty normal.”

“Is there anything we can do to keep him safe?” Hal asked, fiddling with the handle of the leash. “I don’t want him to be hurt.”

“He’s not in danger, he won’t be a danger to himself or to anyone else, so you don’t need to be on alert. If you’re feeling anxious for him then you can keep him close, be affectionate and gentle to him, but he won’t need supervision.” Dr. Cartsmen said.

Hal and Clark looked at each other and to the onlookers it appeared to be a silent conversation between them. For a moment, they just stood like then Hal nodded and turned back to the doctor.

“Alright, that sounds like a good plan.” He agreed, “So it’s a shot, just in his arm or elsewhere?” 

“This should go in the buttock or in the fleshy part of the upper thigh. If you’ll just have him bend over the table and hold his hands and the scruff I can have you three out of here in five minutes.” Dr. Cartsmen answered. 

Barry moaned in complaint and felt a painful pricking at the back of his eyes, he didn’t want to be touched by the doctor anymore, he didn’t want another shot, he was exhausted and his head hurt and he just wanted to be alone. Of course, nobody else cared about how he felt or what he wanted to do, so when Hal tugged the leash he clammered to his feet and wiped his eyes. 

Clark crowded behind him when they approached the table and with one hand on his hip and the other on his shoulder and pushed him down until he was bent at the waist with his hands on the padded surface. Hal stepped up and took Clarks place, placing a firm hand on the back of his neck, right over the bump on his spine where his back ended and his neck began. It was a sensitive spot, one that made it difficult to fight or move, and as such it was often referred to as a scruff.

Unable to push himself upright, Barry could only oblige when Clark appeared in front of him and enveloped both of his hands in one of his own and pulled him down to his elbows. Hal gave his scruff a squeeze and he couldn’t stop the pitiful whine that he made in response, it may have been in protest or in submission, even he couldn’t tell. Barry could hear the doctor moving around behind him and the tears started falling against his will, probably because his scruff was being manhandled and lowering his control over his physical movements. Hal used his free hand to squeeze his shoulder, probably intending to be comforting.

“Omega. Jordan, could you please angle your hips up?” Dr. Cartsmen asked.

Barry nearly laughed at the question, he was being scruffed by his Alpha, his body felt like it was locked up, he definitely couldn’t move enough to make a difference for the doctor. Hal actually did laugh and slipped his free hand beneath Barry’s body to reposition him for the doctor. 

There was a tearing of paper and Barry audibly cried out when a cold alcohol swab pressed against his sit spot. Clark squeezed his hands when he did and kept holding them when Barry sobbed at the pinch of the needle in his sensitive skin and the odd feeling of medicine being pushed into his body. Hal made a placating noise and rubbed his back while the doctor took care of his Omega and when Dr. Cartsmen finished, he guided Barry back upright and into a tight hug.

“There we go, all done.” He whispered, feeling the hitching breath of his Omega under his arms. “All over now.”

“Alpha.” Barry choked.

That single word held a lot of emotion, all the frustration, fear, and pain from the day rolled into it. Clark joined them and put a warm hand on Barry’s back to comfort him.

“Try to keep him from rubbing at that spot.” Dr. Cartsmen instructed. 

“Alright, thank you doctor.” Hal replied, looking down at Barry. “Are you guys sticking around for a while?”

“Yes, my colleagues and I will be completing some paperwork and general clean up.” Dr. Cartsmen said.

“Excellent, I’ll be bringing my Omega back to give everyone a sincere apology for his poor behaviour earlier but I want him to have a chance to settle down first.” Hal said with a nod.

Barry flinched in his arms and the crying intensified but Hal wouldn’t be backing down on this. He was going to consult Clark on the best way to punish Barry for his disobedience but an apology was non negotiable. Still, he rubbed Barry’s back and soothed him a bit, disobedience didn’t mean that he wouldn’t be treated kindly or gently. 

“Well I look forward to that, thank you Alpha. Jordan.” The doctor laughed, “I look forward to that apology Omega. Jordan.” 

All that elicited was another whine from the Omega, who was still curled against his Alpha and crying. Hal and Clark took a moment to let Barry cry himself out a bit before they worked on moving him around.

“Hey FRIDAY baby, is there a room where we can take Barry to get cleaned up and take a nap?” Hal called to the ceiling. 

“Yes, Magical Boss says that the room you stayed in last time is available and you are welcome to use it.” FRIDAY’s Irish lit came through in response. 

“That’s amazing, thank you darling.” Hal said, then pushed Barry back to  address him. “Alright you, do you remember how to leash walk?”

Barry sniffled and wiped at his red eyes and nodded jerkily. 

“Great, let's get going then.” He said. 

Barry found his spot and tried to keep up, something that proved difficult because of his sore body. Clark positioned himself on his other side so he was sandwiched between two Alphas who smelt angry at him. The leash swung and sometimes caught his leg as he staggered to keep up with Clark and Hals long strides. 

Finally, they arrived at the suite and Clark stepped in after the other two and locked the door behind them. Barry tried to go in for a hug again but got pushed away by his Alpha. When that didn’t work, Barry stepped as far away as the leash would allow and whined.

“None of that. Come on, let’s get you cleaned up and then you can take a nap.” Hal ordered, tugging the lead.

Barry shook his head and defiantly sat down. His sit spot complained at the pressure he’d put on it but he didn’t get up. Hal and Clark exchanged eye rolls and the Kryptonian stooped, grabbed Barry around his waist, and carried him to the bathroom. He set him on his feet and then used his body as a physical barrier between Barry and the door, not to mention Hal still had the leash clipped to his collar.

Hal didn’t bother drawing a bath for his Omega, he just sat him in the empty tub and hosed him down with the shower head. Grumpy and tired, Barry tried pushing his hand away and kept trying to squirm away from his Alpha, only to be pulled back into position. 

“Enough!” Hal snapped, “Just sit still and stop being a brat.”

“I’m tired!” Barry cried back, shoving Hal’s hand and spraying water up the wall.

“If you had just cooperated from the beginning, we could have been done by now!” Hal shot back, “Now sit still!”

When Barry didn’t obey and kept trying to fight back, Clark came over and held him still so Hal could finish bathing him. It did nothing to stop the crying but it did mean that there wasn’t any more water up the wall. 

Finally, Hal rinsed the last of the conditioner from Barry’s hair and turned off the water. Clark lifted him up and out of the tub, holding him up while Hal towelled him off. Barry’s fighting and crying had started dying down as his exhaustion took ahold of him, so when Hal finished drying him off, he didn’t instruct Clark to set him back on his feet, he just took him in his own arms.

“Okay you, let's sleep off this funk.” He sighed. 

Clark took the towel and started wiping off the wall while Hal took the Omega into the bedroom. He set Barry down on the center of the bed and clipped the leash to a hook attached to the headboard. The man was still in his birthday suit but it was warm in the bedroom and he wasn’t in the mood to fight Barry into his clothing. 

“Try to get some rest, we’ll all talk when you wake up.” He instructed, planting a kiss onto Barry’s head.

To nobodies surprise, Barry didn’t settle down, he instead threw a bit of a fit. He pulled back hard until the leash was taught, then tried to pull himself free. Clark came back from the bathroom, took in Barry’s tantrum with a sigh, then settled himself into a plush armchair across the room. Hal joined him and pulled out his phone to find a mindless game, neither of them acknowledged Barry, they didn’t tell him to stop or to go to sleep. When Barry found that pulling didn’t get him off the bed, he started screeching and crying at it, even sinking his teeth into the thick leather and tugging. 

Of course, the sedative that had been in his shot started taking effect and Barry started losing to it. His limbs started getting harder to lift, his grip on the leash got weaker, and soon all he had the strength for was to lean against the headboard and fiddle with the leash with clumsy fingers. He fell asleep with his fingers tangled in the line and his body propped up the board.

“He out?” Hal asked quietly, looking up from his phone to his still ward.

“Oh yeah, he’s done for the count.” Clark replied.

“Good.” 

Hal turned off his phone, pocketed it, and got up to go to his Omega. With great care, he repositioned the sleeping man in something more comfortable that wouldn’t give Barry any aches. He also draped two blankets over him and placed his head on one of the soft pillows. When he finished getting him situated and taken care of, he left for the bathroom and came back with a damp cloth and a glass of water. He set the glass onto the bedside table, well within reach for Barry, and then wiped his face with the cloth. When Barry was taken care of in a manner that Hal deemed acceptable, he rejoined Clark.

“So, what are we going to do about the poor behaviour?” He asked.

“Well, let's break it down. First, he defied you. Second, he hit you. And finally, he ran away from you. All of those, individually, would warrant a punishment and I think he should be punished for each of them.” Clark muttered, shooting a quick glance at the sleeping Omega. “I’m one hundred percent on board with having him apologise to the doctors, that’s a brilliant idea.”

“So what are we thinking? If this was Bruce, what would you do?” Hal prodded.

“If it were Bruce, he’d be eating from my hand with his own hands restrained for his meals for the rest of the day for defying me, he would be on cushions rather than furniture for running away, and he would be sleeping in his Omega bedroom tonight for hitting me.” Clark said easily, “But, I think we should talk to Stephen about this, because what will work for Bruce might crush Barry and Stephen has experience with abused Omegas that I just don’t.”

With a nod of acknowledgement, Hal looked to the ceiling. “FRIDAY, can you please ask Stephen if he can come join Clark and I?”

“He is on his way.” FRIDAY replied.

“Thanks dolly.”

In a shower of orange sparks, a portal opened and Stephen stepped out, looking shockingly drab for a wizard. The portal closed behind him and the doctor gingerly lowered himself into an unoccupied chair.

“FRIDAY said you needed my input.” He stated.

“Yes, we do.” Hal agreed, “Barry’s in a bit of trouble and we need help finding a fair punishment without setting back his progress. We were kinda hoping that you would have some advice.”

Stephen nodded sagely and looked to the sleeping lump on the bed, then back to the other two.

“What did he do?” 

Before either of them could answer, FRIDAY piped up.

“It might be easier to show you, Houdini.” She said.

The television mounted on the wall turned on and footage from the hallway appeared on the screen. The three watched the screen as the scene unfolded in relative silence, though Stephen winced in sympathy when Barry tried to knee Hal. When the video ended and the screen turned off, Stephen nodded again.

“He’s a bit dramatic isn’t he?” He joked, getting laughter and nods. “Alright, so what have you come up with already?”

“So I’ve already decided that he’s going to have to apologise to the doctors for his behaviour and for giving them so much difficulty.” Hal said, getting an appreciative nod from the doctor. “Other than that, we haven’t got anything concrete.”

“If it were my Omega, he’d have his hands restrained and be hand fed, not allowed on couches or chairs, and sleeping in his Omega bedroom. THe first for disobedience, the second for running away, and the third for hitting.” Clark added. “But I wasn’t sure if that was something that would be too harsh for Barry.”

“I definitely wouldn’t keep him off furniture, I’ve always been firm in the belief that the furniture is equal ground. If you want to punish him for running away, I would recommend keeping him leashed for the rest of the day.” Stephen said firmly. 

“Alright, so we’ll strike that one.” Hal agreed. “But are the others okay?”

“How are you going to bind his hands?” Stephen asked.

“I don’t know.” He admitted, “I don’t have anything here with me. Or at the manor either actually.”

“I’ve always used both handcuffs and bondage mitts.” Clark said. “Bruce can have trouble accepting his punishments sometimes.”

“Alright, well I always use bondage mitts. They’re more comfortable to wear, they’re safer, and it’s hard to get out of.” Stephen agreed. “So I would recommend mitts.”

Hal nodded and smiled grimly. He may acknowledge that he was going to have to punish his Omega but that didn’t mean he was looking forward to it.

“Okay, well I need to go and get some things for Barry from an Omega shop anyway, I’ll grab some bondage mitts while I’m there. Stephen, I know it’s a lot to ask, but would you mind slipping away with me for an hour or so to get that? I’d appreciate your input.” Hal asked.

“Why would this take an hour?” Stephen asked, “I can portal us to the best Omega supply shop in New York right now, so unless you plan on fucking around for an hour, we can be back in fifteen minutes.”

Hal laughed in shock and agreement, patting his pocket to make sure he had his wallet.

“That sounds great. Clark, can you hang out here with Barry?” He asked, “I know he’s sleeping but I don’t want him to accidentally choke on the leash.”

“Of course I can keep an eye on him.” Clark agreed calmly, “You two take your time.”

Hal and Stephen stood up and the sorcerer opened a portal to a seemingly empty alleyway and the pair stepped through. Upon stepping into the street, Stephen guided the pilot to an Omega supply shop that was blessedly empty. Immediately, Stephen made a beeline to the bondage section and grabbed a pair of mitts off a rack.

“These are the brand I use for Tony. They’re comfortable and designed for safety, they have small holes for air filtration and an emergency clip that opens them immediately if pressed.” He said. “They also have enough space for the wearer to spread their fingers so they won’t cramp up.”

“Alright, well that sells it.” Hal said, putting them in a basket he’d grabbed.

“What else do you need?” Stephen asked.

“Well, the doctor recommended a knotting vibrator to help his slick glands but he’s still too tender for anything too big.” Hal listed, “And some medicine he got today makes him more emotional so I want to get him something that’ll make it easier until it wears off.”

“Oh, did he get a hormone balancer? Tony needed to get one after the Cradle too, over here,” The doctor trailed off and hurried across the store to an array of pillows and pulled one from a pile. “He really enjoyed having some of these, he’d spray them with lavender and vanilla oil and make himself a little fort.”

“Is he a den Omega?” Hal asked.

A den Omega wasn’t a technical term, it was just used to refer to an Omega who preferred to nest in small, secluded spaces, like under a table or in a closet. Similarly, heat Alphas were Alphas who only liked to have sex with their Omegas when they were in heat. 

“Definitely, he loves having a den to curl up in.” Stephen smiled. 

“Barry does like to hide in the closet.” Hal mused, looking at the pillows. They were firm so they’d hold their shape, but also very thick so they could be perfect for walls of nests or forts, which was likely what they had been designed for. Looking further, Hal saw a preconstructed fort made out of similar material. It wasn’t fancy, just three walls, a top, and a flap that could be pulled down in the place of a fourth wall for privacy. “What about this?”

Stephen looked at it quizzically, examining the design and feel of the material. Hal found a pamphlet from the manufacturers that explained that the den was designed to be transportable and could be squished into a big pillow and held in place by four straps hidden and the base of the two perpendicular walls. It was a decent size, easily big enough that Hal was sure that he, Clark, and Stephen could all fit in if they wanted to, so surely Barry would have enough space. The company who made it also boasted the charity they ran for less fortunate Omegas, using some of the profits to donate nesting materials, slick pads, and heat suppressants. Additionally, the den could be combined with others like it, making it bigger if the need arose, they also made dens that attached to bed frames so the whole bed could be in the den, for Omegas who wouldn’t sleep uncovered.

“This thing looks fantastic!” Stephen gushed, reading over his shoulder. “I might get one for Tony, he’d love it.”

“Oh yeah, I’m definitely grabbing one for Barry. I mean, even if he doesn’t use it, Wally will love it, kids dig forts.” Hal agreed, pocketing the pamphlet. He might order from that company again. 

Together, they found a knotting vibrator for Barry, as well as a regular vibrator to help warm him up. Hal also grabbed two bottles of scent blocker, one neutral and one daffodil, since Barry seemed to like that scent and he’d need the blockers for the airport. Stephen made him get some heat snacks, all nutrient enriched and easy to eat since Omegas usually struggled with eating during their heats. They grabbed some juice boxes, granola bars, fruit puree, and some pretzels. The doctor turned magician also threw some vitamins and supplements into the basket, citing that those ones were often under-consumed in a traditional diet but important for an Omegas overall health. Hal wisely chose not to argue.

Stephen also recommended some heat/freeze bean bags for Barry, either for his preheat or during his heat. They could be chilled to help bring down the fever or heated up to relieve muscle tension. Hal grabbed some pills that advertised minimising the emotional and physical challenges of preheat, such as anxiety, depression, loss of appetite, dry mouth, and lethargy. In the end, they left with more than they came in for but Hal didn’t care. These were things for Barry, things that would make his life easier and more pleasant, so it was hardly a waste in his book. They also swung by a pharmacy to grab Barry’s SSRIs. Stephen opened one portal to Hal’s bedroom in the manor and they tossed most of Barry’s new things on the bed, then they went back to the tower.

Clark was where they had left him, holding his phone in a chair while Barry slept in the bed, unaware that they’d even left. Stephen was levitating the fort he’d gotten for Tony beside him, it was all folded up and tied down with the straps for transportation but Hal had a feeling it would be open in a few moments. Hal set the pharmacy bag and the bondage mitts down on the coffee table while Stephen opened another portal to his bedroom.

“Remember, explain what he’s being punished for, what the punishment is, and how long it’s going to last.” He said, “Don’t put those on him until he wakes up and understands why he has to wear them and make him hold out his hands so you can put them on.”

“Of course, thanks doc.” Hal agreed.

With that, Stephen nodded, stepped into his room, and closed the portal. As the only two left awake in the bedroom, Hal and Clark found a quiet way to entertain themselves while they waited for Barry to wake up.

Chapter Text

After an hour and a half, Barry started squirming under his blankets as he woke up, murmuring quietly as he did. Hal put his phone away and waited for Barry to properly rouse himself, then moved to sit on the side of the bed.

“Hey you, how’re ya feelin?” He asked quietly.

“Alpha?” Barry muttered, rubbing his eyes.

“Yeah baby, it’s me.” Hal said, “Here, do you want some water?”

He grabbed the water off the dressed and held it out to Barry, who took it and swallowed a few sips. Hal nuzzled him and took a whiff of his scent, there was the lingering anger from before he fell asleep, but now it was mostly his neutral cinnamon and apple smell. To his surprise, Barry returned the affection and pressed his nose against his neck and rubbed his cheek against him. When he stilled, Hal embraced him tightly.

“Alpha?” Barry whispered.

“Yes baby?” 

“I need the bathroom.”

With a nod, Hal unclipped the leash from the bed and helped Barry up from the mattress, steading him when he stumbled on sleepy legs. It didn’t take Barry long in the bathroom and soon he was leading him back to the bedroom and to the collection of chairs where Clark was waiting for them.

Hal got Barry settled into a chair with his blankets and took the vacant one next to him, holding the leash. Clark had told him that he needed to take the lead in announcing the punishment as he was the primary and needed to be the one to deliver the news. Still, he was there for backup in case he took it poorly.

“Barry, we need to talk about your behaviour.” He started, watching his Omega tense up and clutch his blankets closer. “It was completely unacceptable for you to run away or to hit me and you need to be punished for it.”

That was an incredibly blunt way to phrase it and Clark probably could have said it better, but it got the point across. Barry scowled and ducked his head, his scent becoming sharper. 

“You defied me, you hit me, and you ran away from me, and you’ll be punished for all three.” He continued. “For defying me, you’ll be wearing bondage mitts and eating from my hand, for running from me, you’ll remain leashed and by my side or Clarks if I can’t have you near me. And for hitting me, you’ll be sleeping in a separate room tonight rather than with me.”

By the end, Barry was staring at him with teary eyes and a trembling lip. He’d now noticed the gloves on the coffee table and had backed himself away from them as much as possible. 

“Alpha.” He choked. “Alpha, I’m sorry.”

“Good. Then you’ll accept your punishments gracefully.” Hal said firmly. 

With a shuddering sob, Barry lowered his face to his knees and tugged the blankets in tighter. To give him a moment, Hal took the gloves off the table and started preparing them for the Omega, cutting off tags and opening them up. Once he’d finished, he set them on his lap and waited for Barry to pull himself together enough to talk. When the sobs subsided a bit, he addressed his Omega.

“Do you understand the punishments I’ve given you?” He asked, getting a reluctant nod. “Good boy, come here and give me your hands.” 

Still crying, Barry slowly detangled himself from his blanket burrito and crept towards his Alpha. He knelt before Hal’s chair wringing his hands for a moment before he timidly laid his hands on his lap, palm up. 

Hal took one of Barry’s hands, gave it a kiss, and then tucked it into a glove and tightened the wrist cuff so it wouldn’t fall off but also wasn’t painful. He did the same with the other one and soon he had both of Barry’s gloved hands resting on his knees while the Omega sobbed in front of him. 

“There we go, well done.” He praised, tugging Barry up into his arms so he was sideways in his lap. The poor man ducked his head onto his shoulder and let out a heartbroken wail that had Hal tearing up. “Oh, it’s okay, everythings alright.”

Clark smiled sympathetically at the crying Omega and reached across the gap to rub his bare back. Noticing the goosebumps on his skin, Clark grabbed the abandoned blankets and offered it to Hal, who waved him off.

“How about we get you dressed?” He whispered to Barry, who didn’t argue or agree, so Hal just lifted him up and positioned him like a koala, then gathered some comfy clothes for him using his ring and hands. 

He had to coax Barry to let go of him when he finished his scavenger hunt, sitting him on the bed beside his clothes pile. Hal started by getting him dressed in the long sleeved shirt and hoodie he’d chosen for him, then helped him into his boxers and sweatpants and socks. Barry stared at his feet the whole time, only making muted sniffles but never saying anything to his Alpha. 

Clark, who had hurried off when Hal had lifted his Omega, came back in with a plate of crackers, grapes, cheese, and pepperoni and a glass of orange juice for Barry, since he hadn’t eaten much in the morning to adhere to the fast the blood tests would require. Hal nodded his gratitude, picked up the leash, and guided his Omega back to the chairs. When Hal settled into his seat, Barry tried to kneel on the floor at his feet, but Hal stopped him and tugged him into his lap.

“You don’t need to be on the floor, my sweet StrawBarry, I have plenty of room on my lap for you.” He said, giving him a kiss and feeding him a grape. 

Barry was still hanging his head, though he’d mostly stopped crying aside from an occasional tear. Though he was sullen and incredibly quiet, he obediently ate everything Hal presented to him without question or complaint. Hal rubbed his back and cuddled him through the meal and he took great care to make sure Barry was as comfortable as he could be. 

When the plate was clear and the glass was empty, Hal wiped his mouth with a tissue to wipe away any crumbs. Barry’s colour was much better when he’d finished his meal, he had a healthy pink on his cheeks and his eyes were brighter than they had been before. He gave him a kiss on the cheek and took his gloved hand in his own.

“How’re you feeling baby? Do you need anything?” He asked. 

Barry shook his head sadly and laid his head against his shoulder, clearly looking for a cuddle. Hal indulged him for a minute, giving Barry the contact and affection he needed, though he kept an eye on the time so he could take his Omega to the doctors to apologize.

“Are you ready to say sorry to the doctors?” He asked quietly.

With a shuddering breath and a cough, Barry nodded and wiped at his eyes with his gloves. He clambered off Hals lap and waited for him to stand, pleasantly surprising both Alphas by doing so. Clark and Hal stood up and as a trio, they started towards the doctors office. Hal had the leash in one hand and the other on Barry’s back.

“I’m proud of you.” He whispered on the walk. “I know this is going to be hard, but I’m proud of you for agreeing to do it.”

Clark opened the doors to the office and the trio walked in to the three doctors doing paperwork and packing up their equipment. They looked up at the guests and welcomed them in happily, looking expectantly at Barry. Shuffling in place, Barry glued his eyes to the floor.

“I’m very sorry for being a difficult patient and fighting you all when all you wanted to do was help me.” He started, “Thank you for being forgiving and patient with me even when I didn’t deserve it. In the future, I’ll try to handle myself in a proper manner so I don’t make your jobs harder. I’m sorry and I hope you can forgive me.”

Apology finished, he shuffled closer to his Alpha and turned away from his audience. Clearly he was embarrassed and wanted to hide himself away to diminish it. Dr. Sapsmin smiled and looked at Hal.

“Can I approach?” He asked, getting a nod. He stepped forward, bridging the gap between himself and his patient. “I really appreciate your apology Omega. Jordan. I understand that our exams can be intrusive and uncomfortable and that can make it difficult to willingly have them done, but I promise that nothing I will ever do to you will be out of malice or to embarrass you. Your Alphas and I don’t do these things to hurt you, we all want you to be as healthy as you can be.”

Barry squirmed and nodded reluctantly. His body language was very defensive and closed off, with his arms wrapped around himself, face down, and every muscle tight. Nevertheless, Hal patted his shoulder and sent a smile at Dr. Sapsmin, who returned it and stepped back. Dr. Daniels took his place eagerly and addressed Barry.

“Can I give you a hug?” She asked him quietly. Surprisingly to Hal, Barry lifted his face and nodded slowly. Dr. Daniels and Barry were about the same height but she held him tight and kindly. Barry returned the hug, wrapping his arms around her waist and resting his chin on her shoulder. “Thank you for your apology. I’m sorry that my exam caused you so much stress.”

The pair broke apart easily and Barry returned to Hal’s side. After his colleagues had had their turns, Dr. Cartsmen stepped up. 

“Thank you for the apology.” He said to Barry, then turned to address Hal. “Do you have a moment? I wouldn’t mind sitting down with the both of you and talking about future appointments.”

“Of course!” Hal agreed quickly, wrapping an arm around Barry’s shoulder, squeezing, and walking forward with him at his side.

Clark left with a quick nod to Barry and went to rejoin his mate for lunch with the others, giving Hal, Barry, and Dr.Cartsmen privacy. The doctor led them to the lounge the doctors had been using as a break room, complete with a dining table, two fridges, and a countertop lined with pastries, fruit preserves, and some sample cakes from one of Tony’s favourite bakeries, likely a workplace benefit from the billionaire. Dr. Cartsmen took a seat at the table and Hal led Barry across to the other side, pulling a chair out for his Omega, then sitting down beside him. 

“So, today was very difficult, for a number of reasons, I’m sure.” He began, “And while I know we talked about making it easier, I wanted to have another conversation with Omega. Jordan involved.”

Barry startled and squirmed in his seat, looking to Hal for guidance. To his surprise, he was nodding enthusiastically.

“That sounds wonderful!” He agreed.

“Perfect, so, Omega. Jordan, how were you feeling about the appointment when you woke up this morning?” He asked.

For a second, Barry looked to Hal, waiting for him to answer for him. Instead, Hal gestured for him to answer himself and remained silent. 

“I, uh, nervous doctor.” Barry rasped.

“And that got worse as the day went on?” 

“Yes sir.” 

“When you were on your way down, how did you feel?” Dr. Cartsmen pushed, “Did you have a headache, were you having trouble concentrating?”

“My stomach hurt, it felt hard to breathe.” Barry whispered, examining the table. “My hands and feet felt like pins and needles. I was scared.”

“Sounds like it, I can understand acting out because of that. Did you mention any of that to your Alpha?”

“No.”

“Why?” Hal asked, jumping into the conversation.

“Wouldn’t have mattered.” Barry muttered, his tone grumpy and rough.

“Yes it would have!” Hal protested.

“No, it wouldn’t have!” Barry snapped, fresh tears dripping down his cheeks. “It never matters! Omegas don’t matter, Omegas don’t talk! Omegas just-”

He broke off suddenly, like his tongue had stopped working. He looked at his gloved hands, shut his mouth, and brought his knees up on the chair to rest his head on them. Before Hal could reach out to him, Dr. Cartsmen waved him away, leaned across the table, and rested his hand on Barry’s shin.

“Omegas just what?” He prodded.

“Omegas just take it.” Barry whispered from his huddle. 

Hal bared his teeth at the answer but remained quiet. It seemed that Dr. Cartsmen had a plan and he was just going along with it.

“And this appointment made you feel like you had to ‘just take it’ as you said?”

Barry nodded but didn’t stretch out, it seemed he’d found himself a comfy position to ride out his misery in and he wasn’t about to move from it. 

“How often did you see a doctor with your old Alpha?” Dr. Cartsmen asked.

“Only when I needed to.” 

“When did they consider it necessary for you to see a doctor?”

“When I couldn’t take care of it myself.”

“Can you give us some examples?” He pushed.

“When I broke my leg or when I got frostnip.” He said, “And when I got a chest infection and coughed up blood.”

“What’s frostnip?” Hal piped up, horrified.

“It’s a precursor to frost bite. Less fatal but not good.” Dr. Cartsman answered, also horrified. 

“Good God.” Hal whispered.

“And the doctors he brought you to, how were they?” Dr. Cartsmen followed up. 

“They were scary. And rough.”

“How?”

“One of the doctors I saw, she never let me have any painkillers, even when what she was doing really hurt. She did a liver biopsy without any medicine.” Barry recounted in a shaky voice. “I screamed, it hurt so bad. Then my Alpha let her spank me for it.”

Hal looked green and Dr. Cartsmen recoiled. 

“Biopsy, that's where they take a piece of something out for study right?” Hal demanded, looking between Barry and the doctor.

“Yes, and it’s usually done with local anaesthetic and light sedation. I’ve never heard of a modern one being done without either.” Dr. Cartsmen replied, shaking with anger. “War criminals are treated better than that.”

“And they hit you after?” Hal breathed.

Barry nodded against his shaky knees with sadness wafting off him and making both doctor and Alpha wince. Hal felt bile rise in his throat and stood up so abruptly that he knocked his chair over and made Barry flinch and look up. He barely made it to the trash can before he puked into the coffee grounds. Despite the pain in his own stomach he couldn’t focus on it, all he could think about was his Omega, scared and in pain with no one to help him. Barry had gotten a chest infection so bad he’d coughed blood, somehow gotten frostnip when Lex Luthor lived in a state of the art tower that definitely had heat, how had he gotten so cold that he was in danger? 

He spit into the bin and righted himself, his stomach still protesting but he ignored it. Dr. Cartsmen had grabbed some gravel and a glass of water from the cooler that he handed to him when he returned to the table. Barry had unravelled himself from his huddle and was staring at him with teary, red eyes full of concern. Hal threw back the pill and dry swallowed, then took the water to Barry, his Omega had been crying a lot these past few hours, he needed the hydration more than he did. 

Barry sipped the water with Hal’s assistance, eagerly drinking down the cool liquid that likely soothed his throat after crying so much. When the cup was empty, Hal sat it on the counter and crouched down to Barry’s level. 

“I’m so sorry baby, I’m so sorry you had to go through that and I’m sorry that I hurt you today.” He whispered, closing his eyes, taking Barry’s wrists and laying his head against his gloved hands. “I’ll be better, I’ll take better care of you. Never hurt you, never want to hurt my sweet StrawBarry, never ever.”

He pressed a kiss to each of his wrists and rubbed his cheek against his pulse point, grovelling for his Omega, for his forgiveness. Barry sniffled and ducked his head in embarrassment at the affection, then lowered until he could rest his head against Hals, nose buried in his hair. 

“Alpha.” He murmured, the wetness from his cheeks leaking onto his scalp.

Hal pulled back awkwardly until Barry’s head was resting against his shoulder and his arms were around his neck so he could be lifted up. He soon had his Omega cuddled up like a koala, legs hooked around his waist, arms around his neck, and their chests pressed together. 

Dr. Cartsmen refilled the cup for them wordlessly while Hal sat down on the seat Barry had just vacated. The Alpha brushed his cheek against Barry’s head and rubbed his back, Barry had blessedly stopped crying and his breathing was much calmer, his scent was still sad but not nauseatingly so like before. 

“Want some more water, Barry-pie?” He asked.

Barry wiggled until he could be helped easily, laid his head against Hal’s shoulder facing sideways, and looked up at him with his exhausted eyes. “Yes please Alpha.”

Once more, Hal helped him finish off the water, with one hand on his waist while he got him water with the other. When he finished with his second drink, Barry stretched leisurely and nosed at Hal’s chin until his Alpha pressed a kiss onto his nose to appease him. 

“Feeling better?” Dr. Cartsmen asked, shyly interrupting their moment. 

Barry nodded and snuggled up closer to Hal, who kissed his head. 

“So Omega. Jordan, I want to thank you for your honesty. I understand that it must be hard to think about such horrible things.” He started, “And I’d like to talk about how we can make our appointments together better for you, in the future. Your Alpha and I talked about a relaxation pill for you, as well as the comforts my office has available, but is there anything that you can think of that would make our visits better?”

Reluctantly, Barry looked up at his Alpha, whether to answer for him or for permission to respond, neither doctor or Alpha could be sure. Finally, sensing that he was on the hook to fill the silence, he turned back to his doctor.

“I don’t like the straps.” He mumbled finally, looking embarrassed. 

“The restraints?” Dr. Cartsmen clarified, “Alright, so we use those so you can’t hurt us or yourself, but we can try to find a better way for that. If you take the pill before appointments, we likely won’t need to use them. Anything else?”

Seemingly encouraged by the support, Barry nodded and continued.

“I don’t like all the people around, I don’t like them all looking at me naked.” 

His tone was more firm, more confident. Which Hal was incredibly proud of, it wasn’t often that Barry asserted himself but he wanted more of it. 

“Oh that’s easy to fix!” Dr. Cartsmen exclaimed eagerly. “The only reason we have as many people in the room now is because of all the specialists you needed. Dr. Daniels only needs to look over your throat one more time, but after that, I’ll just use a light to look into your throat. How about, for the next time Dr. Daniels sees you, we’ll have her examination first so you can do it clothed, then she can leave and we’ll do the full body examination?”

Hal nodded and smiled, that sounded good to him, he could certainly empathise with Barry about not wanting to be nude around so many people. Especially not when they were all staring at him. Barry seemed amicable about the idea as well, if his nodding was anything to go by. 

“What else Barry, what will make this better?” Hal pushed. Anything for his Omega, he’d decided. If Barry needed to listen to classical orchestra and lay on a blanket made from wool from sheep raised in an ancient Aztec city, he’d find a way to accommodate. 

Shyly, Barry ducked his face into Hal’s shirt and spoke into it. Dr. Cartsmen chuckled and Hal smiled at him before nudging him teasingly. 

“Didn’t catch that babe, can you speak up?” He asked.

Barry tilted his head but kept his eyes closed, his cheeks were flushed with embarrassment. “Can he call me by my name? Not just Omega. Jordan?” He whispered to his Alpha.

Hal smiled again. It was sad that Barry didn’t feel comfortable asking the doctor but he’d already been so brave, telling them what he wanted twice, he could be the bridge of communication. 

“He wants you to call him Barry, not Omega. Jordan.” He said to the doctor while Barry hid his face again. 

Dr. Cartsmen smiled easily, clearly amenable to that request. “Certainly, so long as you call me Doug. All my regular patients do.”

“Think you can do that Sweetness?” Hal asked.

“Yes.” Barry said, smiling at the doctor from his safe haven in his Alphas arms.

~~~

After the talk with the doctor, Hal was cautiously optimistic about the future. He’d taken Barry back to the room and had a cuddle with him, helping to calm them both, they hadn’t talked because Barry had gone pretty quiet after the talk and that was fine with Hal. He wasn’t in a conversational mood either, learning that his poor StrawBarry had been so horribly mistreated by his doctors left a bad taste in his mouth. Still, at a certain point they were bound by social contract to go and socialise with the others, so even though Barry was nuzzling against him and sleepy, Hal roused him and helped him up off his lap. 

“C’mon Bar, let’s go play nice with the others.” Hal whispered, guiding them to the elevator.

Barry nodded and leaned against him. Hal was holding the leash in one hand and Barry’s hand in the other. As a result, Barry couldn’t properly leash walk but he didn’t care, he wanted to be close to him. 

When they got to the floor everyone was congregated on, Barry ducked behind his larger companion and hid his face from the others. The scent of embarrassment wafted from him, so he was clearly trying to hide the evidence of his punishments from his peers. 

“You’re okay, everythings alright.” Hal assured quietly while he guided them to the seat they had vacated when Barry had gone to his appointment.

He sat down and tugged Barry down beside him, holding him under his arm. 

“They’re gonna know I’m a bad Omega.” Barry whispered sadly, crossing his hands behind his back. 

“You aren’t a bad Omega, you’ve just made some mistakes. It’s not that big of a deal.” He corrected.

Stephen, God bless him, had likely alerted the others to not acknowledge or make a big deal about Barry when he came in, so the others hadn’t acknowledged them yet. Clark, the Alpha closest to them, raised an inquisitive eyebrow at the huddle, which Hal nodded away. Dinah slipped away from where she had been talking with Tony, Hope, and Scott and squeezed herself in between Barry and the arm of the sofa.

“You okay?” She whispered, completely ignoring Hal in favour of his distressed partner.

“I’ve been bad.” He replied, tilting his head to show her the leash clipped to his collar.

“Oh honey.” She sighed, leaning into him and nuzzling. “It’ll be okay, how long are you in that?”

“The rest of the day. And I have to sleep alone tonight.” Barry listed.

“Oh that’s not so bad, it’ll be over soon.” Dinah said, nuzzling him again.

Barry clearly disagreed, very unhappy about his predicament. While the other Omegas knew that punishments, while unpleasant, weren’t indicative of how their Alphas felt about them. They knew that once it was over, they were completely forgiven and that during, they were still loved and cared for. That was why most punishments dealt out were designed to enforce cooperation and remind the receiver of the affection of their mate, such as Hal, who would be acting as Barry’s hands whilst his were bound. 

“But everyone will know.” Barry whimpered, close to tears again. Hal made a note to grab him some water, he was going to dehydrate fast. “They’re gonna know I’m bad.”

“You aren’t bad.” Hal interrupted. “You’ve just made some mistakes.”

“We’ve all been where you are, nobodies going to think any less of you. I mean, Bruce was in that same attire every other day when he was new to our pack.” Dinah soothed with a laugh.

Barry tilted his head at the mention of Bruce, distracted from his own misery long enough to be curious. 

“Bruce had to wear these too?”

“We’ve all been in that get up at some point but Bruce had a hard time adjusting to our packs rules. He once had to be leashed for a week because he snuck out to fight some weapons dealers with three fractured ribs, a mild concussion, a twisted ankle, and some second degree burns.” Dinah recounted, discreetly settling him so that he was more reclined so they were both laying in Hal’s lap. Then she started playing with his hair until his scent mellowed out. “Clark dragged him back and he had to be leashed for a week, plus he wasn’t allowed to drive for a month, and he had to be hand fed three meals a day.”

“Why was he doing that? Why did he leave when he was hurt?” Barry asked quietly.

“Because before Bruce joined our pack, he only relied on himself and Alfred to deal with things and he didn’t want to fully trust us. It took a while for him to start letting us in enough to help him with solving problems. He got himself into a lot of trouble with his Alpha before he started to relax.”

“Why did you keep him?”

“Because we love him, and you don’t give up on people you love.” Hal answered, getting a smile from Dinah. “And I love you, and I will never give up on you.”

Barry squirmed and rolled until he was on his back, staring up at Hal soulfully with teary eyes. Dinah took the opportunity to nose against his gland and nip at it so the male Omega mewled and his scent got stronger. Awkwardly, as he had to with two fully grown people using his lap as a cushion, Hal dipped to press a kiss to Barry’s nose, feeling it crinkle under his lips when he smiled.

~~~

Dinner went well, Hal kept Barry on his lap and fed them both with alternating bites of the lovely lasagna, salad, and garlic bread that Happy and Pepper made for them. He had wine with his meal but Barry’s stomach wasn’t quite up to alcohol yet so he had water. They had a lovely chocolate orange cheesecake for dessert. Or rather, the adults did, the children had ice cream with diabetes inducing toppings. 

Overall, it had been a lovely day with all of their friends. Barry had been a picture perfect Omega all afternoon and evening, never complaining or trying to bargain his was out of his punishment. Hal had made sure to be overly affectionate with him, in contact with him whenever possible and was very liberal with his praise. 

Now though, the day was winding down and they were getting ready for bed. Hal had released Barry from his leash and gloves after giving him a bath and helping him into his pajamas and they were lounging in an armchair before Hal had to take Barry to his separate bedroom for the night. While Barry didn’t seem too upset about it at the moment, Hal was. He had gotten very used to having another warm body in the bed with him at night and he was going to miss having Barry to curl up with.

Besides, he was anxious about the separation. What if Barry needed him in the night and he wasn’t there? That could strain their trust. The morning had also been incredibly difficult; he wouldn’t be surprised if Barry had nightmares after all the bad memories they’d dragged up, not to mention all the new ones they’d made. Still, he’d made a decision and he needed to follow through, he needed to be strong. 

“Ready for bed?” He asked.

“Yes Alpha.” Barry replied, eyes half closed. 

“Alright, come on then.”

Barry’s room wasn’t far from his own, just at the end of the hall, Hal could see Barry’s door from his own. Still, his heart broke when he arrived at the door and opened it for the blond. 

“Are you going to be okay?” He asked, his hand on Barry’s waist. “Do you need anything?”

“No, I’m alright Alpha.” Barry replied, pressing against him. 

“Okay, but if you need me, for anything, just tell FRIDAY and I’ll be right over.” He said. 

“Okay Alpha.” 

“I mean it. Anything, anything at all.” He stressed. “I won’t be mad, you won’t be in trouble.”

“Yes Alpha.” 

Barry had his arms wrapped around him with his head leaning on his shoulder. They were both tired and clearly, he was eager to get to bed, but Hal was still stressed about leaving him alone.

“There’s a bathroom attached to this room, and obviously there's a bed. With blankets and pillows I want you to use. You don’t have to sleep on the floor or in a chair, I want you to be comfortable. And-”

“Alpha!” Barry interrupted, “I’ll be okay. It’s just one night, right?”

“Of course. Yeah, one night only, I promise.” Hal rambled, squeezing Barry so tightly that he made him wheeze. 

“Goodnight Alpha.” Barry said when Hal released him. He rose up on his toes to press a kiss to his cheek. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Goodnight StrawBarry.” Hal replied, returning the kiss.

Barry stepped through the threshold and Hal sadly closed the door behind him, the latch locking when it was in place. For a few moments, he just stood in front of the closed door, fighting himself to not open the door and drag him back into his arms. This sleeping apart thing might be a punishment for both of them. 

“Alpha. Jordan, may I point out that your room is down the hall?” FRIDAY asked eventually, distracting him.

“Oh, yeah. Sorry FRI.”

“For what it’s worth, Discount Houdini also struggles with leaving his mate alone for corrections like these.” FRIDAY said. “But I will keep an eye on your mate and let you know if he needs you.”

Damn it, even the AI knew he was falling for Barry, he must be really obvious about it. 

“He’s not upset, is he?” He asked the ceiling.

“No, he is perfectly fine.” FRIDAY assured. “I’ll let you know if that changes.”

“Thank you.” Hal muttered, finally turning away from the door to head back to his own bed. 

The room felt uncomfortably empty without the Omega to snuggle up with and talk to. He even unconsciously reached out to the empty space beside him where Barry would normally be, sadly but obviously, there was no one there. 

Even though he had already showered not even an hour ago, he showered again just for something to do. When he’d redressed in his sleep clothes, he chanced a trip up to the kitchen for a bottle of beer to settle himself back down. He flipped on the television in his room and took a comfortable seat on the bed to watch the old baseball game that was currently replaying. 

The beer was cool going down his throat, a welcome feeling after the hot shower he’d just taken. The comforter still held Barry’s scent from his earlier nap and Hal found himself absently nuzzling against the pillow his Omega had used. The beer was gone too soon but he stopped himself from going upstairs to grab another one, knowing it wouldn’t actually help his mood. 

Rebrushing his teeth and splashing his face with water, he crawled under the covers and grabbed the pillow that smelt like his Omega to press against his nose. Even with the comfort the pillow brought, it took him forever to fall asleep.

~~~

Barry was nervous, standing alone in a spacious room he hadn’t been in before and trying to take it all in. The space smelt a bit sterile from lack of inhabitants living in the space, but it was clean and didn’t have any hint of mildew or any other molds. 

Slowly, he crept further into the room, looking at the furniture and decorations on the walls. The bed was half covered in decorative pillows of various shapes and sizes, while the duvet exposed looked soft and pillowy, like it would be perfect to curl up on. There were more pillows on the arms chairs in a semi circle in the corner with a coffee table in the centre, littered with some books and magazines. 

There were two doors on opposite sides of the room, one with double doors that looked like a walk in closet and the other one that obviously led to the bathroom, based on the tiled floor rather than hardwood.

Feeling adventurous despite his nerves, he went to inspect the bathroom and was floored to find a massive jacuzzi tub in the corner, a glass table overflowing with bath bombs, epsom salts, and scented oils beside it. By the long marble counter, there was a glass doored cabinet filled with fluffy towels and a pristine white robe hanging on the side. 

“Whoa.” He breathed, in total awe.

“Do you like it?” 

Barry nearly leaped out of his skin at the disembodied voice asking him something out of the blue. He had heard FRIDAY speak before, of course, but never exclusively to him and she sort of freaked him out. He wasn’t sure how to feel about something watching his every move, probably reporting back to his Alpha, and maybe judging him. Little too 1984 for him.

“Um, yeah! It’s really, uh, generous.” He stammered, looking over the luxurious spread before him. 

“David Blaine's Inspiration had a feeling that you might need some down time after your day. He made sure that this room was stocked so you could relax and unwind.” FRIDAY said, either ignoring or blind to his discomfort.

“I’m allowed to use this?” He asked. 

“Of course. It wouldn’t be here if you weren’t allowed to use it.” FRIDAY replied, “If there’s something else you’d like, I can see if we can get it for you.”

“No no! This is already so much!” He gushed, still dumbstruck over the spa. 

Looking closer, Barry found the spout for the water but no way to turn it on. He couldn’t find any buttons, taps, or anything else to turn it on. He was about to abandon it all when the spout suddenly started flowing, steamy water filling the tub. 

“You just tell me when you want the water to turn on. It’ll fill to the proper level automatically so it can’t overflow.” FRIDAY said without prompting. “Do you want to select what you want to enhance the water with?”

Shyly, Barry started looking through the selection available to him. He quickly discarded any that smelt too perfumey or fake, but he adored the lavender and vanilla scented bath bomb that apparently turned the water purple. He unwrapped it and tossed it into the tub, watching as it started to sizzle and dissolve. Then he added some epsom salts to soften the water further and because it would feel nice on his skin. 

As promised, the water flow stopped on its own, leaving a tub full of purple, steaming water still. Removing his clothes and folding them neatly, Barry slipped into the water with a grateful sigh. The tub was deeper and longer than a normal one, so he could stretch his legs out comfortably and sink up to his shoulders, it was the best feeling ever. He considered just sleeping in the bath, it was so amazing. Wrinkled fingers be damned. 

He started to float, the warm water felt awesome and it was all he could focus on, the stress of the day really melting away and leaving him. He started purring but he couldn’t figure out when and he couldn’t care. 

Too soon, the water went cool but he lingered anyway. He whined in protest when the water started draining without his input.

“Sorry, but protocol dictates that you cannot stay in the water for longer than an hour and it’s been fifty five minutes and forty-two seconds.” FRIDAY apologised, pretty sincerely for an AI. “But your bed is very comfy and it is getting late, if you’re ready for bed.”
 
Grumbling under his breath, he grabbed one of the fluffy towels and wrapped himself up in it, dropping into a crouch so he could have his whole body covered. The towel was almost as amazing as the bath had been and he debated internally on whether or not to try to sneak it back to the manor with him when he left. Maybe it could go in his nest.

The cool tiles on his feet eventually pushed him to properly dry off and drape himself in the offered robe with gusto. He hung up his towel and grabbed his pajamas, heading back to the main room for his bed. 

“Barry?” FRIDAY asked, “There’s a mini fridge by the bathroom door, with some snacks and water bottles, if you need some after your soak.”

Curious, he poked at the wall until a small door opened, revealing itself from the wall it had seamlessly blended into. Inside were the promised water bottles, along with some pretzels, grapes, a fancy looking cheese, chocolate covered strawberries, and some kind of smoked meat he had never seen before. It was an amazing spread, incredibly tempting after his bath. Slowly, like it could disappear, he grabbed the plate out of the fridge and moved it to the coffee table. He admired it for a moment when the warm, happy feeling in his chest froze over. 

Obviously, this couldn’t actually be for him. He was here because he had been bad, he had tried to hurt his Alpha. He didn’t deserve a soft bed, or a warm bath, or a spread of nice foods. His Alpha was trying to test him, to see if he was greedy and stupid enough to take advantage of his generosity, and here he was, falling for it. Carefully, he put the food back in the fridge and started taking off the robe.

“What are you doing?” FRIDAY asked, sounding remarkably concerned for a robot.

“This is a trick, I know better than this. God, why am I so stupid?’ He whimpered, now standing naked in the middle of the room.

“What do you mean? What’s wrong?” FRIDAY pushed, “Do you want me to get Hal?”

“No!” Barry shouted, looking at the ceiling frantically. “No, don’t get my Alpha!”

“What’s wrong?” FRIDAY repeated, ignoring his denial of summoning his Alpha.

“This isn’t for me. I’m being selfish.” He said. “I’m so stupid, how did I fall for this?”

“Omega, can you sit down for me?” It was phrased like a question but it was clearly an order, so he sunk down to the floor wordlessly. 

“Have you ever done square breathing?” FRIDAY asked, and Barry shook his head. “Alright, I’ll teach you.”

The wall opened again, this time revealing a massive screen with a big square displayed. A dot appeared in the left top corner, glowing a dull green. 

“We’re going to breath in on the top line, hold as it goes down, exhale along the bottom, and hold while the dot goes back up.” FRIDAY instructed, “Does that make sense?”

“Yes.” He choked. 

As best he could, he followed along with the little dot, noticing that its colour changed from green, to blue, to purple, to red, then back to green as the cycle repeated. While he had never done it, he had to admit that it was helping him relax, that frozen feeling slowly melting away while the dot moved. 

“How are you feeling?” FRIDAY asked after a few cycles, once his breathing had slowed to a reasonable pace. 

“Better.” He said, “Thanks.”

“Of course. May I ask what made you so upset?”

Barry squirmed on the floor, suddenly very aware of the chilly air on his naked skin. “My Alpha is mad at me. He put me in here because I’m bad. I don’t deserve to be spoiled like this.”

FRIDAY was quiet for a long moment, leaving Barry to shiver in anticipation of her response. 

“What do you deserve?” She asked finally, tentatively.

“I don’t know. Not this.” Barry mumbled, gesturing vaguely to the room. 

“You don’t think you deserved the bath?” She asked, getting a shake of the head. “Or the food?” Another head shake.

“Don’t tell my Alpha.” Barry pleaded tearfully. “Please don’t tell him, he’ll be so mad at me.”

FRIDAY paused for a moment, maybe observing, maybe rebooting, he had no idea.

“Do you think that your Alpha doesn’t know about everything in here?” She asked finally.

“What?”

“Do you think that Hal would have put you in here, knowing it was full of things he didn’t want you to use?” She clarified kindly. 

“Yes.” Barry answered, though he was unsure. “To see if I would take them.”

“Why would he do that?” FRIDAY pushed, “What would he gain from trying to trick you?”

“I, I don’t know.” He whispered, “Maybe to see if I would respect my punishment.”

There was another pause, then FRIDAY closed the wall panel.

“Barry, your punishment was only to sleep in a different room.” She said patiently. “There was nothing in there about being miserable while you do. You’re allowed to use the bathtub, you are allowed to eat and drink. Everything in here is for you to use.”

“But I was so bad today. I shouldn’t have all these things.” Barry whined.

“You have already been punished for the other things. This is the punishment for trying to hit your Alpha.” FRiDAY recounted. “And it’s only to sleep apart, not to sleep on the floor, or to be hungry or thirsty, or to be scared.”

“This room is safe, nothing in here is here to trick you into unwanted behaviour. Nothing is here to tease you or put you down. Both Hal and Stephen put together this room to be comfortable for you, to make this as nice as possible.”

“So my Alpha won’t be mad?” He whispered, eyes shut tight. “That I took a bath? Or if I have the snacks?”

“No. Those things are here for you to use.” FRIDAY assured.

“Okay.” Barry exhaled, rubbing his arms.

“Why don’t you put your robe back on?” FRIDAY suggested, “It might make you feel better.”

“Okay.” He repeated, feeling like a broken record. 

Once again, the soft robe laid heavy and perfect on his bare skin. Absently, he started to prepare his bed for the night, even though he wasn’t ready to sleep yet. He took most of the pillows off, peeled back the covers and started playing with the materials. He pushed some of the pillows into a nice circle and made sure they were sturdy so they wouldn’t go anywhere. Then he grabbed some extra blankets from the chest at the foot of the bed and started laying them in the circle, layering them based on texture and colour. He was mindlessly fluffing up his blankets when he froze. 

He was nesting. Actually nesting.

Something he hadn’t done since Iris died. He was surprised that he still knew how, after all these years. 

Sitting back on his heels, he examined his handiwork. It didn’t look terrible, in fact, he was looking forward to sleeping in it. He just hadn’t slept in a nest of his own making in so long, it felt like trying something for the first time. It was like being a freshly presented teenager again, fumbling with his pillow and sweaters with no idea why or what he was doing.

Regardless, that was a problem for later. Right now he wanted a chocolate covered strawberry.

“FRIDAY.” He called to the ceiling, “Are you sure that my Alpha isn’t going to be mad at me if I eat the strawberries?”

“Of course not. He had them brought in so you could eat them.” FRIDAY said patiently. 

With less enthusiasm than before, he pulled out the plate and set it on the table. With one last look up at the ceiling, he took a strawberry and took a big bite, nearly moaning when the tart strawberry juice mixed with the sweet chocolate perfectly. He wasn’t hungry enough to eat the whole plate, but he ate all the strawberries and grapes, years without fresh fruit making them delicacies. 

Once finished with his snack, he put the plate back in the fridge and went to brush his teeth. He rehung the robe and hurried back to the bed, crawling into his nest and curling up. He squirmed for a few minutes, feeling like something was missing from his space that he couldn’t put his finger on. There was a scent missing, something his body wanted but didn’t know what it was. 

Hal

Finally, it clicked. He wanted his Alpha, he wanted to be held, he wanted to be able to smell him nearby. The issue was, he didn’t know how he was going to get that. Hal hadn’t come into this room, nothing smelt like him. The only thing he’d been in contact with was the pajamas he’d come in wearing. 

Suddenly desperate, he leapt out of his nest and nearly face planted on the floor in his mad dash to the armchair where he’d left his clothes. He grabbed the shirt he’d been wearing and pressed it to his nose, breathing deeply. There, faintly, was his Alphas scent, just enough to scratch the itch in his brain. He was smiling and purring while he tucked it into his nest, right by his pillow.

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.     

Chapter Text

Not to be rude to the others he had just met and spent time with, but Barry much preferred the safety and comfort of the suite at the manor to the crowded gathering of the tower. He liked Tony and thought that they might be able to become friends but with all the people who’d been there, he hadn’t been able to relax properly.

But he was home now, back in the suite that smelled like his pup and Alpha, with the lovely blankets that Hal had bought him piled on the bed, and the toys he’s gotten for Wally in their places. As soon as they’d gotten back to the manor, he had tucked himself away in their chambers and into their bed and was now just basking in the familiar, safe scents of his space. 

Thankfully, Wally was exhausted after not sleeping much last night and he was very happy to climb in beside him and take a nap to catch up on his sleep, so he could hold his pup while he hid in their rooms. He didn’t think that Hal’s pack would be angry at him for secluding himself but at least he could use Wally as an excuse for his self isolation, he’d tucked them both in and held his son close.

“Hey sweet thing.” Hal murmured, opening the door to their bedroom.

He keened quietly in response and nuzzled deeper into the blankets. Hopefully, Hal would join them in the bed and not try to coax him out of it. The current set up was nice but it would be made so much better if his Alpha would climb in and cuddle with them. 

“Do you need some water?” Hal asked, stepping closer to the bed and holding up the bottle of water he’d brought.

“No thank you.” He replied from under the covers. 

A firm press on his shoulder through the blankets had his stupid Omega brain going haywire, making him even more desperate for Hal to be next to him, holding him, scenting him, just being beside him and loving him. Despite his best efforts, he keened again and shifted to look up at him.

“Alpha.” He whined.

“Yes my Omega, what do you need?” Hal asked.

Instead of speaking, he pushed the blankets back to expose the empty space beside Wally, a silent invitation. Hal grinned and leaned down to kiss him on the cheek.

“Alright darling, alright.” He agreed.

His chest felt like it was overflowing with happiness when Hal, his Alpha, who was always so sweet and gentle with him, joined him, slinging an arm around him and his pup and scenting them both. He was purring so hard he was sure that his vocal cords were going to exhaust themselves, making him mute again. 

“Alpha.” He purred.

“I know sweetheart, I’m here.” Hal grumbled.

His Alpha nuzzled his nose into Wally’s hair and kissed him, making the puppy smile in his sleep and squirm closer to the Alpha. The affection towards Wally made his heart swell like it always did. Despite the fact that he was only obligated to provide Wally with food, water, and shelter, Hal always made time to go above and beyond for his pup. Obviously, he’d given Wally so many nice toys but he’d also played with him, held him and hugged him often, and spoke with him when Wally came to him about whatever games he’d been playing with the other pups. 

His happiness is obvious, because Hal finishes lavishing Wally with affection and focuses on him. He traces his finger from his forehead, down between his eyes, and to the tip of his nose, then he taps the tip of his nose and kisses it.

“Is my sweet Omega so happy?” He asked.

“Yes Alpha.” Barry smiled, preening eagerly under Hal’s attention.

“Hmm. What’s got my Omega so happy?” 

“You.” Barry admitted with a blush. 

“Oh? What am I doing to make you happy?” 

“You’re so good. To Wally and I, I mean.” He said. “You’re always so nice and gentle with us.”

Hal smiled and kissed his nose again. 

“Well, I’m glad I’ve made such a good impression.” He teased. “I’m always happy to be with my boys, I love you both so much.”

“I love you too Alpha.” He replied, unwinding one arm from around Wally and slinging it around Hal’s neck. “Love being your Omega.”

“Good. Because I love being your Alpha.” Hal said.

He’s purring still and he’s sure Hal can feel it with his hand firmly on his back. He adjusts Wally and leans the two of them into Hal’s embrace, basking in his scent. The blankets were comforting as they’d held his Alpha’s scent but they couldn’t compare to the real thing, to being held close and cuddled by him.

Soon, he’s getting that same floaty feeling he gets when he’s in the Omega Den with the other Omegas. He feels weightless and carefree, every caress and touch from his Alpha sending him higher and higher into his headspace. He feels like he’s surrounded entirely by safety and love.

~~~

When he woke up, he was still feeling floaty but it wasn’t as intense as it had been right before he’d fallen asleep. Hal’s still there, sitting propped up by the pillows and he’s either manoeuvred him until his head is in his lap or Barry had searched him out in his sleep. His Alpha has a hand on his head, alternating between running his fingers through his hair and stroking his cheek. Wally’s not there though and he instinctively reaches out in search of him, even chirping to try to get him to respond.

“He went to go play with Kal.” Hal said, drawing him back to lay in his lap. “He woke up about an hour ago and got bored, but he’ll be back before supper.”

That brings a pang to his heart that he can’t quite explain. His pup has gone off to play with the others before, he doesn’t know why it’s bothering him now. Probably just because he’s tired.

“Are you hungry?” Hal asked. “I can get you something to eat.”

“No Alpha, I’m not hungry.” He replied.

It’s the truth, he wasn’t hungry. If anything, he felt a little cramped. Nothing severe but enough that he noticed and was bothered by it.

“Are you sure?” Hal asked again. “It’s really not a problem if you are, I can just run and grab you something.”

“I’m fine, thank you.” Barry said.

Really, he just wanted to stay in bed and be close to Hal and Wally. He could eat later but the thought of being out of the room, the place where he felt pretty safe, made his brain itch. He liked their bedroom, he liked their bed, he liked that it smelt like his Alpha and that Wally was allowed to go in and out. He liked that Hal had never held sleeping in a proper bed over his head to keep him obedient, or ruined the blankets and pillows to punish him. 

Lex had done both of those things. He’d never nested in the five years he’d been with him, he’d never felt safe enough to even have the urge but Lex had forced him to sleep on the floor or outside on a balcony, and had torn up a blanket or pillow he’d taken a liking to. When he’d had his third pregnancy, he’d been allowed to stay in the bed every night, with an abundance of comfy blankets and pillows. When he’d inevitably miscarried, all those comforts were torn up and disposed of.

Somehow, he didn’t think Hal would do that to him, even if he knew that he was barren or if he did something incredibly wrong to anger him, he couldn’t see his Alpha tearing up his things. He wasn’t stupid, he knew that he was going to have a nesting heat soon, the doctor had given him a shot to basically induce it and everything. He recognized the symptoms he was experiencing now as preheat. It probably wouldn’t be like the induced breeding heats Lex had forced him into, but he wasn’t sure what to expect.

Hal had gotten him plenty of blankets and pillows to make a nest with, stored them in the closet for him, along with heat snacks. His Alpha had also gotten him painkillers for the cramps, something he hadn’t been able to use since before Iris died, and a pre-built den for him to hide in. He hadn’t used it yet but he would be lying if he said he wasn’t curious about it. 

His nose is pressed against Hal’s thigh and he had his arm slung over his lap, using his Alpha’s scent and presence to soothe his dumb Omega biology as it started to raise his anxiety, begging for the safety of a nest and the closeness of his Alpha and puppy. Hal doesn’t even seem bothered by how clingy he’s being, he doesn’t shove him off or scold him, instead, he starts petting his hair and circling his fingers over his sensitive nape. 

“Alpha.” He whined.

“I know sweetheart, it’s okay.” Hal soothed, keeping up his ministrations.

“It’s annoying.” He complained.

“What’s annoying my Omega?” He asked.

“My body’s being dumb.” He mumbled.

“It’s not being dumb baby, it’s doing exactly what it’s supposed to do.” Hal corrected gently. “Your hormones have been unbalanced for a long time and that’s finally being corrected.”

“What it’s supposed to do is dumb. Why does it have to make me so weird?” He asked.

“Probably because it’s been so long since your body’s been healthy enough to support anything except life support. I imagine that this heat it going to be a bit more extreme than a normal nesting heat, just because your hormones have been out of wack for so long.” Hal guessed, continuing to soothe him.

“No.” He groaned.

“You’ll be okay Barry, I promise. I’ll be here as long as you want me to be, I won’t leave unless you want me to.” Hal assured.

“Don’t leave!” He begged quickly, pushing himself up to latch onto Hal’s shoulder. “Don’t leave me!”

“Okay, it’s alright, you're okay.” Hal promised and embraced him. “It’s your heat sweetheart, we aren’t going to do anything you don’t want to do. If you want me here with you, then I’ll be here with you and I won’t leave you.”

“Please, don’t leave me.” He whined into his shoulder. He was holding on so tight that he was sure he was leaving bruises on his Alpha.

“I won’t baby.” Hal soothed, rubbing his back and the back of his neck.

Slowly, with his Alpha holding him and keeping him close, Barry calmed down. At least enough to loosen his grip and settle himself more comfortably against Hal, though with his head still resting on his shoulder. Hal cuddled him and kissed his cheek, he didn’t push him away or scold him.

“Maybe we need to have a conversation about what you want during your heat.” Hal suggested, “Just so we don’t have to hash it out while you're in your heat. Does that sound okay?”

“Okay.” He muttered.

“What do you like during nesting heats?” Hal asked. “Are there certain blankets you like? Something I can get for you?”

“I don’t know.” He shrugged, “I guess I don’t really care as long as they aren’t scratchy.”

Hal nodded in acknowledgement. “How about we go through the blankets we have in the closet so you can see if any of them aren’t to your liking?”

“That sounds nice.” He admitted.

“What else baby?” Hal pushed. 

“I don’t like it when it’s too hot in the room.” He said, “Makes my nest uncomfortable.”

“So we’ll turn up the AC to keep it cool in here. You’re going to get a fever anyway, so you’ll probably feel warm anyway but we’ll give you the fever reducers.” Hal said.

“Can my plug come out for my heat? Please Alpha, I hate having a plug in when I’m nesting.” He asked.

Hal paused for a minute while he thought about it and he kept pushing.

“Please, everything feels so sensitive when I’m nesting and having a plug in hurts. Please Alpha, please. Just for my heat and then I’ll keep it in for every day after.” He pressed, nuzzling into his Alphas neck and giving him his best doe eyes.

“Alright alright.” Hal laughed, cupping the back of his head and kissing his forehead. “Yes, I’ll take your plug out for your heat.”

Barry smiled and relaxed. “Thank you Alpha.”

“Of course baby, I don’t want you to be uncomfortable during your heat.” Hal said. “Do you think your collar will bother you or will that be okay?”

“I think it’ll be okay Alpha, a collar has never bothered me during a heat before.” He said.

“You’ve worn a collar for your nesting heat before?” Hal asked.

Hal didn’t have a ton of experience with nesting heats. He’d been with Omega partners through breeding heats but never nesting heats. He also grew up without a lot of Omegas in the family so he didn’t see much of the hormonal development of puberty or much about the social norms around collaring. He knew that Omega pups usually get collars once they present but he always figured that they only wore them out of the house and took them off at home.

“Yeah.”

“Were you given a collar in foster care?” He asked.

“Yeah, as soon as I presented Alpha. My social worker stopped by with it, put it on, and I pretty much always had it on until I turned eighteen.” Barry answered with a shrug. 

“Were you able to take it off?”

“No, of course not. My collar wasn’t as nice as this one, it had a padlock and only my social worker had the key.” Barry explained. “Even my foster parents didn’t have the key to it. it branded me as a state Omega and it made sure that everybody knew that.”

“That sounds cruel.” Hal said.

“I guess but it did give me some protection. If anybody tried to take me it would be a federal crime rather than a municipal one, since I was basically government property.” He explained. 

Well that’s disgusting to think about. For many reasons. He’s read Barry’s file and he knows that there was sexual abuse in his adolescence, multiple times. He knows that there was physical abuse along with it and aside from removing him from the home, there was no repercussions for the abusers. So being marked as a government Omega didn’t really protect Barry, but obviously he felt that it did in some ways.

“I’m sorry sweetheart, that sounds terrible.” He apologised.

“It’s not your fault Alpha.” Barry said, “And I’m yours now, it doesn’t matter anymore.”

That’s not something most people would just shrug off, this is something that most people are in therapy for, likely for the rest of their lives. Hopefully, when he gets Barry and Wally settled in California and he can get Barry into therapy, he’ll be able to start working through this. At the moment though, he can try his best to be steady and a source of comfort.

“You are mine now, my precious Omega.” He agreed and scented him. “My Omega, and I’ll always protect my Omega.”

The affirmation got the desired response and Barry started to purr happily. He laid his head on Hals chest and stayed there, listening to his heartbeat while Hal touched him and massaged him. Slowly, Hal brought his Omega back to the lax headspace he had been in earlier. Then, using what Clark had shown him, pressed on his nape and felt the other man sag into a boneless heap in his lap.

~~~

Surprisingly, most of his preheat went by well and without much issue. When Hal noticed that he was sore with cramps or getting anxious, he would get him a painkiller with some water or cuddle with him and Wally until the anxiety subsided. He had, however, been more firm about Barry clearing his plate at mealtimes, citing the loss of appetite his heat would bring and that he needed as many calories as he could get beforehand. He was never unkind in his stance and was willing to let him eat foods that were easy on his upset stomach but he did make him finish all of his food.

Barry’s clinginess only got worse as his heat grew nearer, until being left alone for even five minutes left him on the brink of tears. He hated it, it made him feel stupid and annoying but he couldn’t help it. Hal was at least understanding about it and didn’t force him to be alone or away from him and Wally for too long so he wouldn’t be distressed. 

What was weirder than the clinging was his aversion to the rest of the pack. While he usually loved going to the Omega den and indulging in the affections of his fellow Omegas, he couldn’t stand even their scents being in their chambers without getting agitated. Hal was baffled by his response but Clark was unsurprised by it.

“He’s getting ready to nest Hal, he wants this space to be his. Of course he doesn’t want the scent of other Omegas in it right now.” He’d exclaimed when Hal brought it up. “It’s not uncommon for a nesting Omega to be territorial, as long as he isn’t getting aggressive with anybody, it’s not a problem.”

He’d then handed him a book on nesting and what it did emotionally and hormonally for an Omega and sent him back to Barry. 

By the second day of preheat, it was just a waiting game for when Barry’s actual heat would hit. Any time the blond so much as touched a pillow, he was expecting him to start making his nest, but he was always disappointed. As they climbed into bed, Hal expected that tomorrow would be the day and was both excited and nervous for it. The book had said that a nesting Omega could be snappy if their space was changed in any way and with a wiggly puppy, he worried that Barry might get short with Wally.

But the book also said that Omegas in a nesting heat would be overly affectionate with their pups so he really had no idea what to expect and was prepared for anything.

~~~

He woke up to the room dark and Wally climbed over him in a rush. Worried the pup was about to puke, he sat up quickly.

“Are you alright?” He asked, ready to grab him and run to the bathroom.

“Daddy won’t stop moving!” The pup complained.

A quick glance to his side confirmed that Barry was also awake and compulsively pushing and rearranging the pillows. Just his luck that Barry’s heat would hit in the middle of the damn night.

“Alright kiddo, let's you and I go wait in the chair for your dad to make his nest.” He suggested.

He scooped Wally up and carried him to the rocking chair, set him down, and covered him in a blanket that had been draped over the back. Then, he grabbed the nesting materials he’d gotten Barry and put them in a big pile on the bench at the end of the bed.

“Barry, I’ve left you some nesting supplies here.” He said. “Just take your time baby, Wally and I will be patient.”

Barry didn’t give any indication that he’d heard him as he continued to move around the bed. To him, it looked like his Omega was pulling and shaping the blankets with no rhyme or reason but he knew that to him, it was a work of art only he understood. Rather than stand around and stare at him, he retreated to the rocking chair and cuddled with Wally.

~~~

He woke up again to Barry nuzzling against his cheek and tugging his hand. The Omega’s scent had changed, he smelled like a spring rain and the warmth radiating off him indicated that he had a fever. Regardless, clearly he had finished construction of his nest and wanted him and his pup in it.

“Alright, I’m coming.” He yawned. “Just be patient.”

Despite the request, Barry hurried him along, tossing the blanket carelessly aside and tugging on his arms. He also tried to pry Wally, who was still asleep, from him even though he wouldn’t hand him over. He didn’t know if Barry would be able to properly support Wally’s weight yet and he didn’t want any injuries. 

Beside the nest, Barry climbed in and pointed to a spot beside him.

“Wally goes here.” He ordered.

To him, that spot didn’t look much different than any other spot in the nest, but he wasn’t about to argue with him. He gently laid the pup down and let Barry kiss and scent him for a moment. Once the Omega was satisfied, he patted the spot beside Wally and looked at him.”

“You go here.”

Really, they were in the same places they usually were, so that hadn’t changed. Still, he climbed over the wall of the nest and got himself comfortable in his spot, then allowed Barry to fuss over him. The blond pulled the blankets over them, all the way up to their cheeks, and pressed closer to his bunkmates.

“This is a wonderful nest Barry.” He praised, exactly like Clark had told him to. “Thank you for letting me share it with you.”

True to what Clark had said, the praise had Barry purring and cuddling up to him. It was a little uncomfortable, because of the fever he was running, but rather than complain, he just grabbed the fever reducers from the bedside table and had Barry swallow two with water.

Once he’d taken the medicine, Barry fell asleep pretty quickly, probably spent after constructing the nest. It took him a little longer, he kept pressing the back of his hand to Barry’s forehead until the heat permeating from it dropped to a more comfortable temperature. He know that a heat fever was very rarely dangerous but he needed to make sure his Omega was as safe and comfortable as possible, Barry had been through a lot in his short time with Hal and he didn’t deserve any more hardships. 

Before finally drifting off, he pressed a kiss to each Barry and Wally’s foreheads and pulled them closer. Besides balancing Barry’s hormones, this heat would be a perfect opportunity to cuddle with both of them before he left for Central City to poke into Barry’s past.

Chapter Text

Despite having never been with an Omega in a Nesting Heat, Hal thought he was doing pretty well. After his nest had been built to his satisfaction, Barry had slept the rest of the night peacefully and without any troubles. His scent had sweetened significantly once his heat started and now smelt like sugar mixed with his regular rainy weather scent, like someone was baking pie on a rainy spring day.

Wally was having a great morning curled up with his dad and Alpha, being read to by Hal while Barry slept beside them. He was a little worried that the pup would get restless as the day crawled on, but he would address it if it became a problem. 

He’d shot Clark a text to let him know that Barry had finally gone into heat, just so he was aware. He’d probably been able to smell it already, what with his Kyrptonian nose, but it was important that Hal keep him updated anyway. While rules differed from pack to pack, in theirs, nobody entered an Omega’s nesting room without permission from said Omega, though it was generally recommended to also receive the blessing of their Alpha guardian. If they had a mate, it was typically them, though it could also be the secondary or even an older Alpha family member.

If Clark needed to have something brought to Barry during his heat, he’d do it through Bruce, given that his Omega scent wouldn’t be too abrasive on Hal’s protective instincts and wouldn’t frighten Barry. His Omega may also cling to Bruce a little, since they’ve bonded so much since he’d been brought to the manor. It’d be nice if he would cling to all of the other Omegas but he may not be ready for that, his poor body has been through the wringer and he may not be able to do that. 

He wants Barry to start to familiarise himself more intimately with the members of his pack and learn what it means to be a member. He won’t force it at all, it’s ultimately up to Barry if he wants to join their pack properly but he’s hoping that he’ll want to. Not only would it give him a bomb proof support system but it would give him and Wally the comfort and protection they both needed. Wally could grow up with the other pups, he could go to college without debt with their financial support, and with all the different industries their pack had a hand in he was assured employment. 

Barry would have the other Omegas to spend time with, to cuddle with and work with often. They would be incredibly helpful in teaching him how to expect Alpha’s to treat him, they may also be willing to take him out with them to help him spread his wings so to speak. Having a pack would be so good for Barry but it was up to him to join up, with how skittish he was, he may pull back for fear of being hurt. 

Right now though, he has a pup nudging him and pushing another book at him. Wally and his dad may not look much alike, but they have the same puppy dog eyes and he’s helpless to both so he happily took the book and tucked the kid under his arm.

“Are you doing okay Wally?” He asked.

“Yeah!” He answered eagerly.

“Your dad built a nice nest.” He commented.

“Yeah, I like it. It’s warm.” Wally agreed.

Barry started stirring at their voices, likely ready for some food and water after sleeping for nearly ten hours. He wiggled until he could reach out and grip the loose fabric of Hal’s pajama pants easily, then he opened his eyes and looked up at him.

“Good morning sweetheart.” Hal greeted, brushing a hand along his cheek. “Did you sleep well?”

In lieu of an answer, Barry lifted himself up and nosed against Hal’s gland.

“Alpha.” 

“Yes darling?” He asked.

“Alpha.” Barry repeated.

Hal chuckled and pulled him closer to scent him. Barry clearly didn’t really want anything except to be close and held, his heat must have been spiking. 

“You feeling okay Barry?” He asked, “Bit warm?”

“Mhmm.” Barry hummed without opening his eyes. 

Hal rumbled and rubbed his back while he grabbed the bottle of fever reducers from the bedside table and a bottle of water with the other. He had to push Barry away to open the bottle and shake a pill out and the Omega whined while he did.

“I know, just a second.” He soothed.

Barry whined but pulled away and curled up around Wally to satisfy the heat spike. Thankfully, his pup loved being held and returned the embrace happily. He reread the dosage instructions and shook two pills out of the bottle and coupled them with another bottle of water.

“Alright you, down the hatch.” He instructed, handing them to his Omega.

Barry grumbled but obeyed, pliable from his heat, at least to the Alpha he considered his. He popped the pills in his mouth and downed it with the water, drinking about half the water in one go. He took that to mean that Barry needed more water, if he was this thirsty, he didn’t need his charge getting dehydrated. 

“Good, thank you.” He praised, pulling him into his arms.

“Mmm.” He hummed.

Hal sat with the pair of them and rubbed Barry’s back, letting himself be scented and marked by the Omega. Not only was it nice to be close to him, since he smelled so sweet from his heat, but it made it easy to check his temperature often to make sure it was going down properly. All he had to do was tilt his cheek to rest on his forehead, it made Barry purr and let him check his fever.

He’d need to make Barry eat something later, probably once his fever went down since the high temperature was likely killing his appetite. The drawer on his bedside table was already stocked with meal replacement bars and power drinks for his Omega but he’d need to nip into the kitchenette for his and Wally’s food, not to mention some of the refrigerated stuff, though Barry probably wouldn’t go for that right now. He would need to work him up to being comfortable with him or Wally leaving the nest, he didn’t think it would be good for a young pup to be immobile for three whole days, maybe five if his heat dragged on.

~~~

Bruce brought in some supplies for them later, things like ice packs to help with Barry’s fever, more water bottles, dinner, and some new books for them to read to Wally. He dropped the food off and took a seat in the rocking chair to talk to them.

He and Hal were talking with Wally about what books he wanted to read when Hal felt a firm grip on his shoulder and Barry plastered himself against his back. The Omega started nosing at his neck and scenting him, even licking at his gland to make it more prominent. Even when he pulled Barry and Wally so tightly against him that he could feel their heartbeats, it wasn’t enough for him.

It was Bruce who recognized the problem, since Hal had no idea what was happening. Bruce stepped back and nodded to the other Omega.

“What?” Hal asked, confused.

“I’m getting my scent all over the place, it’s bugging him.” Bruce explained, “I’ll just head out so I don’t ruin the room for him.”

And then the other Omega was out the door and the three of them were alone. 

Barry relaxed his hold on Wally and Hal as soon as the door was closed and eased himself down into the nest again. Damn it, he was going to have to reread the book Clark gave him, he could have sworn most Omegas liked being around other Omegas while they nested. Hell, Barry had loved the communal nests with other Omegas before, he knew Bruce had brought Dinah and Mera into his nest during one of his heats, he was so confused.

“Happy?” He asked lightly, laying down next to him.

“Mhmm.” Barry hummed, brushing his cheek against the pillow.

Hal just huffed and shook his head, letting Wally climb on him while the two adults relaxed. The pup had been enjoying the uninterrupted time he had with them and he loved sleeping next to his dad but he was also eight years old, full of energy, and easily bored. And he had a feeling that Barry wasn’t going to be letting either of them out of the nest for longer than a shower so he was willing to let Wally use him as a climbing tower.

“You know Bruce wasn’t going to push you out of your nest right?” He asked.

Barry frowned and his scent got a little bitter.

“I’m your Omega, not him.” He growled.

The response smacked him in the face. He’d never have pictured Barry as the jealous type, certainly not so protective over /his/ Alpha that he’d be reactive to another Omega bringing them supplies. Though, Barry was in heat, a rough one at that, so maybe it was just irritability from that.

“Yes, I am your Alpha and you are my Omega, but sweetness, Bruce wasn’t trying to challenge that.” He said, “He has his own Alpha that he loves very much.”

At that, Barry huffed and buried his face in the pillow, effectively ending the conversation. He decided not to push, knowing that it would probably just annoy him. 

~~~

Barry’s heat broke four days later, his scent getting closer to his normal one on the last day. In the end, his nesting heat had lasted nearly six days and while both Hal and Wally had enjoyed spending the time with him, they were also eager to stretch their legs and start moving around after being in bed for so long.

While he was slow to re-engage with the rest of the pack, Barry would eat meals at the table with all of them. He’d let the other Omegas touch him but got shifty if the Alphas or J’ohn came too close for his liking, and Hal figured that all Barry needed was a little bit of time to readjust to being around other people.

In the meantime, he started working on planning his trip to Missouri, booking flights and a motel room for ten days in Keystone. Clark had agreed to mind Barry and Wally, since he didn’t want to take his Omega somewhere that could be very triggering to him. He had two recent pictures of Barry to show people who might have known him, he needed answers and this was truly the best way to get them.

And because life just could not let any of them rest, Tony and Bruce had worked over the files he and the other lanterns had brought back when they got Barry and they found some serious concerns about Lex’s connection to the underground Omega trade. Several shell companies he’d created had purchased many Omegas that weren’t seen again, even their profiles on the RGA had been erased completely. 

Tony had put a little backdoor into some of Lex’s online activity to keep an eye on him and the asshole had been looking for Barry, checking to see if their pack had made the announcement that he was a member or at least under their protection. He didn’t think that Lex wanted the Omega he’d nearly killed back yet but he wasn’t taking any chances. They needed to make it clear that Barry was theirs and under their protection. Wally too.

Clark and Bruce are working on the announcement while he packs for his trip, he’s informed his charges that he’s going to be gone for a while and that they’ll be staying with Clark for the duration of it. Wally’s understandably confused but he’s not raising any problems, Barry is the one who’s really upset.

“Why can’t we come with you?” His Omega asks, sitting on the side of the bed.

“Because it’s not a trip I want my Omega and pup on.” He says firmly.

They’ve had this conversation before, many times, but that hasn’t stopped Barry from pushing. Does Hal really think that Keystone Missouri is going to be dangerous? No, but it may be upsetting for Barry to be back there, especially if his foster care history is anything to go by. He doesn’t want to be dragging him around to places that could trigger him, and of course, Wally would just be confused. They’ll be safer and happier in the manor with Clark taking care of them.

“I can be helpful.” Barry pushes, watching him pack anxiously.

“I’m sure you would be but that won’t be necessary.” He agrees. “Baby, I’ll be all over the place. You and Wally can’t come with me everywhere and I don’t want to leave you two alone, unprotected, in a motel room for hours everyday.”

“Why are you going if it isn’t safe?” Barry demands, getting frustrated.

“It’s not unsafe for me but I still don’t feel comfortable bringing you two along.” He explains. He’s trying to pack, planning ahead for what he’ll need. “You two are staying here and that’s final.”

Barry groans and kicks his feet, glaring at the suitcase. He’s been fussy since he was informed of the plan and Hal’s just going to let his settle before he tries to cuddle with him.

His Omega keeps staring at the bag while he packs but he lets him be. He’s focused on his own needs and what he’ll be needing in Missouri. He’s not expecting to get up to pack his toothbrush and come back to Barry taking his clothes out of the suitcase.

“Omega.” He says firmly.

Barry freezes, clutching the shirt he’s pilfered to his chest and refusing to look at him. He’s still as Hal circles him and puts a firm hand on the back of his neck, the other hand outstretched.

“Give it back.” He orders.

Barry squirms and whines, twisting the fabric without making a move to hand it over. Hal gives him a moment to obey but when his Omega remains defiant, he gives the back of his neck a squeeze.

“Now.”

Barry smacks the shirt back into his hand, pouting when Hal releases him and returns to packing. He lingers near the bag, scuffling his feet against the floor.

“I don’t want you to go.” He whimpers.

Hal sighs, understanding that this is difficult for his Omega, even if it’s frustrating for him.

“I know you don’t, and I don’t want to leave you but I have to.” He says, standing up and tugging him into a hug. Barry grabs onto his shirt and whimpers against his shoulder. “I have a job to do sweetheart, and sometimes that means that you’re going to have to stay with another member of my pack while I travel.”

He can hear Barry sniffle and he feels tears start soaking into his shirt. He tries to soothe him, rubbing his back and rubbing his cheek against the top of his head to scent him. Even though he needs to get ready to leave, he doesn’t want to leave Barry alone to cry himself out when he’s clearly struggling.

It takes a while for Barry to calm down, his sobs turning to sniffles and hiccups while Hal rubs his back and kisses his head. Even when he’s settled down he doesn’t pull away, continuing to cling to him and draw comfort from him, making Hal the one to break their hug.

“I know.” He soothes when Barry whines at the loss, though he blocks the attempt he makes to come back in. “I’m going to say something and I need you to listen, okay? I love you, very, very much. I am not leaving because you have done anything wrong or because I’m trying to punish you for something, I just need to take care of some business.”

“Please-uh.” Barry whines, grabbing for his arms, trying to cuddle up closer. “Please, don’t leave us.”

“Barry, it’s only for a little bit.” He sighs.

“Please.” He repeats.

It’s clear that there isn’t any reasoning with Barry, the poor thing isn’t in a state to listen. Instead, Hal scoops him up and settles him into the nest, massaging the back of his neck to keep him calm, he even takes off his sweater and lays it over his shoulders and partially over his face. He’s hopeful that if the Omega can be comfortable in his nest, breathing in his scent, he’ll be happy to lay there and be out of his way while he finishes getting his ducks in a row.

He double checks his motel bookings, his train tickets, and confirms his car rental for when he gets there. He’s also making sure he has Barry’s files downloaded so he can refer to them when he needs them.

It’s going to be a hard trip.

~~~

Down in the foyer while he’s getting ready to leave for the train station, Barry is sniffling and whimpering while he watches him. He’d been attached to him like a burr, getting in his way until Hal had sighed and handed him off to Clark.

His pack Alpha now has Barry pulled close to his chest, both arms wrapped around his waist so he can’t squirm away. Bruce is leaning against him as well, nuzzling his Omega to try to soothe him, to no avail.

“Barry.” Hal sighs, finishing tying up his boots. “You’re going to be okay, sweet thing.”

His ward wiggles in Clarks hold and reaches at him, his face wet with tears.

“Alpha.” He whimpers.

The tone breaks his heart and he closes the distance between them, taking his Omega from Clark’s hold so he can soothe him as best he can before he has to leave. Barry latches on quickly, burying his little nose in the crook of his neck.

“Okay, you’re okay.” He whispers, rubbing his back.

He’s got time, he’s intentionally leaving earlier than he needs to so that he has this time to be gentle with Barry. Wally is, thankfully, mostly unphased. Most of his stress comes directly from his dads stress. 

“Everything’s okay.” He whispers, presses kisses into his hair.

“Please don’t go.” Barry sobs, adjusting his hold. “Please please please, don’t go. Don’t leave.”

“I have to baby, I told you I have to.” He mumbles, rubbing up and down his back and giving his neck a firm squeeze. “But I’ve also told you that I’m going to come back and that I still love you, and that isn’t going to change.”

It doesn’t really calm Barry down, he hadn’t expected it too but he’s hoping that buckling down on the fact that he’ll be back will be something he can hold onto while he’s away.

“We marked it out on the calendar last night, remember?” He asks. “We made the little circles for you and Wally to check off, and on the last day, I’ll be back, remember?”

“Yes.” Barry says, swiping roughly at his face.

“Gentle with yourself.” He instructs, using his thumbs to wipe away his tears. “I love you, and I am going to go but I promise that I will be back. Clark is going to take care of you.”

Barry whines against him and his chest flutters. He grabs at his hands, holding them tightly and brushing his cheeks against them, both trying to get Hal’s scent on him and trying to mark him as his.

“Go get Wally.” He instructs, “I want to hold you both before I go.”

Reluctantly, Barry releases his hands and sulks away to go get his pup from the breakfast table. Alfred has made pancakes for them all this morning, the kids and the rest of the pack are already eating but there are some set aside for Bruce, Barry, and Clark once they’re done with this goodbye. He’s skipping the pancakes, he’ll get breakfast on the train.

He can hear little feet running and then he’s crouching to catch Wally in his arms and hug him tight. The pup nuzzles against his neck and chitters happily when Hal stands up, holding him on his hip. Barry’s standing in the doorway, watching them with teary eyes and crossed arms, his body language screaming ‘I am not happy’, nevertheless, he hurries into the embrace when Hal extends an arm to him. 

He spends some time just holding them, scenting them, and giving them kisses and nuzzles. Wally’s happy enough, kneading against his shoulder with his hands and chirping his contentment. Barry’s less enthusiastic, he’s soaking up the affection but he can smell the sadness on him.

“Okay you two, I need to leave soon.” He whispers, giving them both a squeeze. “So I want you to listen to me. Clark is going to take care of you both, he is in charge of you and I expect you to be on your best behaviour for him. He has my permission to punish you both if you’re not behaving properly, and if he has to, you’ll get another one from me when I get home, understood?”

“Yes Alpha.” Barry mumbles.

“Okay!” Wally chirps. “I’ll be really really really good!”

“I know you will, you’re both very well behaved.” Hal smiles, kissing the pups forehead. “And Clark knows that this is difficult for you and I know he’ll be very good to both of you. I just wanted to remind you both to behave.”

Barry hums and cuddles into him.

“You two each have one of my sweaters, so you can hold onto those if you really need my scent. You can sleep with it if you want to, you can wear them, whatever you need.” He continues, “You’ll both be sleeping in Clarks suite, for simplicity's sake, but you can go back to our rooms during the day whenever you’d like, for however long you’d like. However, when Clark tells you it’s time for bed and that you need to go to his rooms, I expect you to listen and not give him a hard time.”

“But I like my bed.” Wally pouts dramatically.

“I know you do, but this will be fun. You’ll be having a sleepover.” He cheers him up, bouncing him on his hip. “And I already spoke to Clark, you can bring your toys and blankets to his rooms, you can bring your books. Daddy can still read to you before you go to sleep. Your bedtime routine doesn’t need to change too much, all that’s going to be different is the room you’ll be sleeping in.”

Wally wiggles in his hold so he can look up at him with critical eyes.

“I can have my stuffie?” He asks firmly.

“Yes puppy, that’s your toy, you can take it wherever you want to.” He promises.

“Okay.” Wally agrees easily, laying his head down. Clark snickers to himself, smiling at the redhead.

He holds the two of them for a little longer, scenting them heavily. He can feel Barry getting more and more tense under his hand as the minutes tick by. Finally, when Alfred makes his appearance at the doorway and Hal knows it’s time to go.

“Okay you two, I have to go now.” He whispers, kissing them both again. “I love you both very very much and I promise, in ten days, I’ll be back.”

Wally whimpers, getting upset now that its happening. Still, while he’s upset, he lets Hal give him another kiss on the forehead before handing him off to Clark, who also holds him on his hip. Barry is a little more difficult, he holds on a little tighter and tries his luck one last time with the pleading eyes.

“Please.” He rasps.

“I’ll be back sweetheart, I promise you.” He promises, kissing him again. “I love you, so much.”

“Love you too.” Barry whines, voice breaking terribly.

“Go to Clark now.” He instructs.

Clark gives Barry a sympathetic smile and holds out a hand for him to take. Reluctantly and with a firm nudge from Hal, Barry takes it and lets himself be guided into Clarks embrace. Alfred takes one of his bags while Hal throws his backpack over his shoulder and together, the two of them head to the car, leaving Barry and Wally in the entryway.

Chapter Text

It’s not easy at all, watching Barry sulk around once Hal’s gone. The Omega spends an hour standing in the foyer, looking out the window, whimpering quietly, like if he just waits patiently, Hal will turn around and come home. Of course, it wouldn’t and after a while, Clark had to step in and coax him away.

“Come on Barry, lets go get you something to eat.” He whispers, threading an arm around his waist and trying to pull him away.

“I’m not hungry.” Barry whimpered, shifting to avoid his hold.

“Okay, then you don’t have to eat anything, but I’d like you to come away from the door.” Clark agrees, leaning against the wall. “C’mon sweetheart, you’ve been here an hour already, you need some water and a distraction. Bruce and I were thinking the three of us could have a movie day with the pups.”

He needed Barry to at the very least, find another place to hang out, it couldn’t be good for him to just stand at the window and sulk. If Clark could just get him somewhere more comfortable, he’d be able to soothe him enough to make him feel well enough to eat, since he’d skipped breakfast.

“I want my Alpha.” Barry whimpers, sniffling.

“Oh pet.” Clark sighs, pulling him into a hug. “I know you do, but he’ll be back in a bit. While he’s gone, he’ll want you to be fed and taken care of, and you aren’t being very well taken care of if you’re just crying by the window.”

“I like the window.” Barry protests against his chest. 

Barry isn’t short, in fact, he’s average height for an Omega, but Clark is definitely tall. And while he’s got him cuddled against him, the Omegas face is pressed right into his chest. 

“So why don’t we find you a more comfortable window?’ Clark suggests, teasing his hair the way he’s seen Hal do with him many times before. “The library has some lovely window seats, you can get all cosied up in one, we’ll get you some blankets you can make a nest with and you can read or nap.”

“No I- But. I.” Barry stammers, his scent getting colder. “I want my Alpha.”

God, his heart is breaking. It’s not easy feeling this Omega whimper and cry in distress. He’s feeling abandoned, and Clark understands that, but he needs to get him calmed down a little. He cannot spend ten days wallowing in the entryway, not eating.

“We’ll grab the sweater he left for you.” Clark declares, lifting Barry into a bridal hold. “Come on now, let’s get you taken care of.”

Barry whines loudly as he’s carried out of the entryway but he doesn’t try to get out of his hold, instead, he lays against his shoulder and whimpers. It’s easy to find the sweater Hal left for his two charges, one is already in Wally’s room, the other is in Barry’s half of their nest. As soon as Clark tosses it over Barry and the scent hits his nose, he sags, relaxing in his arms. His scent mellows and he stops making such distressed noises, much more content now that he’s got Hal’s scent on him.

Clark takes him to the library and gets them settled in one of the window seats, helping Barry tug the sweater over his head. He leaves him briefly to grab some of the blankets he promised him, then returns to bundle the Omega up in them, making sure he’s surrounded on all sides by fluffy pillows and soft blankets, then he grabs an armchair and pulls it over, giving himself a place to sit.

He doesn’t want to crowd Barry and he knows that he doesn’t trust easily. He may not have been hiding behind Hal anymore but he’s still incredibly shy and prefers to be with his Alpha and pup. While Hal and Clark both agreed that the best thing for him was for him to stay with Clark, he knows it’s going to be difficult to adjust to. He knows that Barry may be sulky and withdrawn for the ten days Hal’s going to be gone, and he’s willing to be patient with him. He obviously won’t tolerate blatant disrespect or disobedience, but for things like this, where he’s just sad and needs someone to guide him somewhere else to unwind, Clark will gladly do that for him.

Bruce finds them soon after, carrying a small plate of honeydew melon and a cup of water. His mate hands the food off to him while he wiggles his way into Barry’s pile of blankets, making sure the other Omega is comfortable and then takes back the food.

“Eat up.” Bruce instructs, holding the plate in front of him.

Barry hums but obliges, taking a piece and popping it in his mouth. He chews slowly and swallows, then reaches out for the water Bruce brought for him, taking a long drink.

While Barry picks at his food, Bruce plays with his hair, rubs his shoulders, and nuzzles against his neck. Clark tries his best to be helpful without stepping on Bruce’s toes, he holds things for them and when needed, he goes to refill the water cup. 

When he’s finished his food, Barry shifts and tucks himself into Bruce’s hold, letting the other Omega cuddle and comfort him, running his fingers through his hair and scenting him.

“You’re okay.” Bruce mutters, letting Barry unwind.

“My Alpha left me.” Barry hiccups, starting to cry. “He left me behind.”

“He had to leave for work.” Clark corrects, reaching over to adjust the blankets, tucking them closer around Barry’s shoulder. He seems like the type of Omega who likes to be swaddled. “He’ll be back as soon as he can be.”

“He left me behind.” Barry repeats.

“He left you in a safe home with his pack Alpha taking care of you. You can move around the manor and its grounds freely, you and your pup are safe, and you’re both able to eat proper meals.” Bruce points out firmly. “If he had taken you with him, you and Wally would be locked up in a dark motel room, in a strange place without anybody you know, you would be alone pretty much all day, because Hal is working, he wouldn’t be able to stay with you. And you’d be living off of take out and gas station food. He left you here because it’s a better place for you, not because he doesn’t want to spend time with you.”

Barry whines and tucks his face into Bruce’s neck and lets the other Omega scent him and soothe him. Clark frowns sadly and wishes he could just pick them both into his arms for a cuddle but he knows Barry wouldn’t appreciate it.

“You’re okay, you’re going to be okay.” He says instead, trying to help as best he can. “Everything is gonna be okay.”

Bruce starts purring, trying to settle Barry down. Hopefully, he’d be able to get him to nap a little, maybe he’d be in a better mood if he slept a little, he’s doubtful that he slept much last night. 

~~~

Keystone, Missouri is a small but pretty town, predominantly a farming town, the majority of the population lives in the outskirts, spaced out and surrounded by fields. There’s a lovely centralised area with the schools, shops, a hospital, a movie theatre, and a few nice restaurants. He’s one of the last ones on the train when it arrives, and most of the other people getting off look like people who live in the town but are commuting to Central City for work or post secondary.

He gets the feeling this area isn’t very friendly to outsiders, the looks he’s getting don’t give him the impression that he was very welcome. 

The car rental is easy to find, being right beside the train station. He’s rented a small Kia, something good on gas and able to go where he needs to. Next, he checks into the motel room he has booked for the ten days he’s here. He doesn’t intend to be in the room for anything other than sleeping, showing, and getting dressed, hopefully, he’ll be out talking to people who /knew/ Barry.

~~~

He has a few hours before night time, though being a small town, everything except the movie theatre and restaurants are closed. So he starts by going to the busiest diner in town. Best place to go if you want to know about someone is the place where everyone is.

It’s a local pub, staffed by young adults and the family that owns it and serving what seems like high school kids, some families with older kids, and a bunch of people watching the football game on a television hung in the back corner. 

He finds himself a seat at the bar and waits for the young bartender to take notice of him, a tall, blonde Alpha. 

“What can I get for ya?” She asks, pulling out her notepad.

“What’ve ya got on tap?” He asks, smiling.

“We’ve got Molson, Bud, Bud lite, Alexanders, Corona, and Labatt.” She lists. “And we’ve got Guiness in cans, if you’d prefer that.”

“I’d take a Corona if you don’t mind.” He requests. “And if I could have a plate of fries, I’d like that as well.”

The Alpha nods, writing his order down on her note pad.

“I’ll get your beer for you now and I’ll get the kitchen started on your fries.” She says, and then turns and wanders off.

He doesn’t have to wait long for his beer, it comes in a nice, tall glass with a fresh lime. He doesn’t get to talk to his bartender though, she drops his beer off with him and then moves on to the next patron. He gets it, it’s a weekday but it’s pretty busy. Thursday night football will do that in a town like this.

The others in the dining area have noticed that he’s a newcomer and he’s getting some cautious looks. Alphas and tugging their mates and pups closer, though he notices that while he sees a lot of collared and claimed Omegas, he doesn’t see a lot of leashes, something he’d expect in a small town like this.

He also notices a lot of Omegas working, or just out and about without obvious chaperones. There’s a group of college aged kids near one of the big windows, with some collared Omegas among them, but they're smiling, healthy, and he notices a lot of paraphernalia for the university in Central. That’s surprising to him, a good surprise but a surprise nonetheless.

Maybe it shouldn’t be so surprising, Keystone and Central are liberal pockets in a very conservative state. 

His fries arrive with a clatter and his bartender looks him up and down.

“Anything else?”

“Uh yeah, I was wondering if you’d know who I could talk to about someone who used to live here.” He says.

“When’d they last live here?” His bartender asks.

“Uh, sevenish years ago, they finished highschool here.” He guesses.

“Probably wanna talk to Sue Dibny, she knows everybody.” She answers, “She runs the furniture boutique down on North Hills road, right next to the library.” 

“Perfect, thank you…”

“Jessie. Chambers.” His bartender introduces. “Best of luck.”

“Thanks.” He says.

~~~

Morning comes quickly for him and he’s thankful for it, because it means he can really get down to business. He showers, shaves, and gets himself dressed before leaving for the main drag of the town. 

He lingers for a bit, he doesn’t want to catch Sue Dibny off guard too early so he grabs a breakfast muffin and a cup of coffee from a small bakery. He’s still getting some odd looks from the locals, multiple times, an Alpha has pulled their Omega closer to them and the cashier at the bakery was even pulled to the back so his Alpha boss could complete the transaction. 

He can take a hint. 

The muffin and coffee are good though and he tries his best to not take it personally when Omegas and pups are pulled away from him.

Sue Dibny’s boutique is easy to find, it’s a very nice little building, with a covered porch with some lovely patio furniture so clients can sit and enjoy the fresh air. The inside is much nicer and he learns that Sue doesn’t necessarily sell furniture, rather she works as an interior designer.

His entrance  is announced by a little bell and he’s soon greeted by a very tall Omega, who narrows his eyes as soon as he sees him.

“Hi.” He greets, keeping himself well out of reach, in the doorway to a different room.

“Hi.” He returns, trying to remain non threatening. “I’m looking for Sue Dibny?”

“She’s by appointment only.” The Omega informs him coolly.

“Oh, I was looking for information about someone.” He tries, “A bartender I had yesterday, someone named Jessie Chambers, says she knows everyone.”

The Omega curls his lip but a set of footsteps keeps him from doing anything more.

“Who is it Ralphy?” 

The woman, a petite Alpha, steps out from behind the Omega, placing one hand firmly on the small of his back. It’s clear quickly that whoever this Omega is, he belongs to Sue.

“Hi, I’m Hal.” He introduces. “My bartender told me yesterday that if I need to know about someone, I should talk to you.”

Sue laughs and nods, attentive to his movements but not as hostile as her Omega.

“Well, what can I say? I like to stay informed.” She jokes. “Why don’t we step outside, it’s a beautiful day and I’d like to take advantage of the sunshine.”

“Sue.” The Omega, Ralph, mutters, eyeing him cautiously.

“Ralph.” Sue returns, “It’s alright.”

Ralph grumbles but retreats back into the shop, clearly not willing to be near him. Sue watches him with a frown but ultimately lets him go, then smiles at him once he’s out of earshot.

“Sorry about him, it takes him a moment to warm up.” She apologised.

“No trouble at all.” He assures her.

The patio furniture is lovely and Sue pulls two bottles of lemonade from a very well hidden pop fridge between the two chairs. 

“So, who did you wanna know about?” She asks kindly, smoothing down her skirt.

“I wanted to know if you knew where I could find Darrel Fyre?” He asks.

That wipes the smile off her face pretty quickly.

“I’m afraid he passed away a few years ago.” She says sadly, “He was a good man, very well liked in the community.”

Damn it. There goes one of the few links he had into Barry’s past.

“What did you need him for?” She asks, tilting her head.

“He took care of someone I need more information about. I was hoping he could answer some questions.” He explains, trying to control himself. Ralph is not going to be soothed if his Alpha comes back in and smells like another angry Alpha.

“Well, he’s been here his whole life, someone else would probably know that.” She offers, “What’s the name?”

“Bartholomew Allen.” He says.

Sue rears back like she’s been struck and her scent gets very sharp very quickly, it’s like a storm cloud has come over her. He’s about to ask if she knows anything when she grabs a notepad off the table and scribbles on it.

“Joan and Jay Garrick.” She says hastily, shoving the whole notepad at him. “Now, I’d like you to leave.”

“What?” He asks. They’d been getting along well, what about Barry’s name had set her off.

“Now! If you please.” She orders, and he can tell that the pleasantries are only a formality. If he doesn’t leave now, he’s in for a fight. 

“Okay.” He agrees, standing slowly with his hands up. “I’m sorry.”

She doesn’t respond, turning on her heel and retreating to her shop. The door slams and he hears the lock click, leaving him alone on the porch.

It seems that Barry is somewhat controversial. She definitely knew of him but for some reason, didn’t want to give him any information.

At the very least though, he has another starting point, an address written down that he plugs into his GPS.

~~~

He winds up at a nicely kept farm off the beaten trail, dirt road and all. The farm house has no lights on when he parks but there’s a trunk in the driveway so at least he doesn’t have to wait around. He parks the car by the street and starts for the porch when he sees someone disappear behind the barn.

“Hey!” He calls, waving. 

Whoever it is doesn’t see him, continuing on their way and disappearing behind the building.

“Hey!” He calls again, making to follow them.

He isn’t even halfway there when he hears the very distinctive sound of a shotgun loading behind him and someone snarls.

“On. Your. Knees.” They order.

“Yeah. Yeah okay.” He agrees, not wanting to anger whoever it is behind him with a loaded weapon. “Sorry, I’m not looking for trouble.”

“Ya come round our property and ya don’t even come up the front walk?” They snap, poking him in the back with the barrel. “Sounds like looking for trouble to me.”

“No, I’m not. I’m sorry, I didn’t realise anybody was in the house.” He apologises. “Really, I’m not here to cause trouble.”

“Then why’re ya here?” She growls.

“I spoke to Sue Dibny earlier, I’m looking for someone who knew someone named Bartholomew Allen?” He says as levelly as possible. 

That does not make her happy, she just growls and pokes him again.

“What in the hell?”

An older man, an Alpha, storms up from the barn, furious.

“Joanie, are’ya alright?” He demands, walking right past him to his mate.

“Fine. This’uns tryin ta snoop.” She says.

“I’m not trying to snoop.” He protests, “I was told you two would know about someone.”

“Who’re’ya looking for?” The Alpha, Jay, demands.

“He’s askin bout Barry.” Joan growls and he can smell her anger but he also smells sadness.

Regardless of her emotions, the answer makes Jay angry and he comes to stand in front of him, a harsh look on his face.

“What?” He demands, “Ya another one’a them punks that just wants ta stir up the pot? Wanna poke around for something for yer YouTube?”

“No, no nothing like that.” He says quickly. “Look, can you get her to put the gun down?”

That makes both of them snarl and Jay smacks him on the side of the head.

“Word of advice, don’t come trespassing on another Alphas territory and then tell’im howta talk to his mate.” He growls.

“I’m sorry, look, I’m not here for any social media channels. I’m Barry’s Alpha and I’m trying to find out who might have known him. I was told that you did.” He explains.

Joan whimpers behind him but she’s quick to cover it up with a snarl while Jay falters.

“Ain’t anybody had Barry in a long time. If you’re onea them quacks try’in ta tell me you can help us talk to him from the afterlife or some shit, just leave.” He rasps.

“No, I’m not a psychic or anything, I am Barry’s Alpha and if you can promise that I’m not going to get shot, I can prove it.” He promises.

Jay looks up, over his head, to his mate and then nods at him.

“Slowly.” He orders.

Really, he’d prefer that the gun be put down but this is a stand your ground state and he doesn’t want to piss them off anymore than they already are. Instead, he slowly grabs his phone, opens it, and pulls up the photo he took of Barry and Wally. Both are awake and looking at the camera, smiling and he hands the device over to Jay so he can see.

The older Alpha looks at the pictures and inhales sharply, running a hand through his hair and then hands the phone over to his partner. She doesn’t even have the phone for a minute before she’s rushed in front of him, holding the screen in front of him, shaking.

“Don’t you dare be lying.” She orders. “If this is a joke, so help me-”

“It’s not a joke, I’m Barry’s legal Alpha. Wally’s too.” He assures.

Joan stares him down for a moment before deciding he’s trustworthy, handing him his device back and putting the safety back on her weapon.

“Please.” Jay asks, looking desperate. “Why don’t you come in and have a cup of coffee?”

~~~

The farmhouse itself is tidy but sparse. The kitchen is right off the entryway and Joan hurries off to it as soon as they enter, turning on the coffee machine while Jay guides him to the dining room and offers him a seat.

While the coffee brews, the older man stares at him. It’s clear he has lots of questions but doesn’t know how to ask them, or maybe he’s just waiting for his mate to be here before he starts. Either way, it’s not a comfortable silence.

Thankfully, Joan arrives soon enough, a pot of coffee and three mugs hanging by their handles in one hand, cream and sugar in the other. She sets them down quickly, then hurries to pour him some coffee.

“I’m sorry, it’s not much.” She apologises, pushing the cream and sugar towards him. 

“It’s perfect.” He assures, lifting the mug to his mouth to take a sip. It’s not a great brew, it’s weak and watery but he keeps it to himself. She was in a rush, he did just drop a massive bomb on them.

Joan sits beside her mate, clasping his hand under the table while he makes them both their own cup. He notices that they also don’t take cream or sugar in their drink, so it’s something that they’ve only brought out for him. Interesting.

With his mate beside him, Jay starts on his questions.

“How?” He asks, “How did you find him?”

“His former Alpha kinda strong armed me into it.” He admits. “If I hadn’t taken them, Barry would have gone to a group home and Wally would have gone to a shelter.”

The answer makes Jay grimace and Joan whimper.

“I have to ask, how did you two know him?” He asks, confused. “When I looked over his records, you two weren’t in there.”

“I uh, I found Barry hiding out in my hayloft when he was about sixteen. Poor thing was in heat and didn’t wanna corner himself and thought that my barn, with all it’s smells, would hide his.” Jay says. “But of course, it didn’t. Joanie and I got him inside and got him to tell us that he was Darrel’s foster pup. Darrel was the police chief at the time.” 

“Why’d he run off?” He pushes. He needs to know if this Darrel guy was as mean as some of the others.

“He’d had bad experiences with Alphas while he was nesting before, didn’t trust Darrel. Of course, Darrel woulda rather cut off his own knot than do anything like that but the poor little thing was scared anyway.” Jay reminisces. “But the two of us were old buddies and we kinda came up with a deal. Since he worked such long hours and had an odd schedule, Barry would come here after school, do his homework, have supper, stay the night if Darrel was on the third shift. We wanted to make a safe place for him.”

“Right.” He says quizzically. “That’s odd, because when I asked Barry if anybody was looking for him, he didn’t mention you.” 

“What?” Joan gasps, clearly hurt. “No, we. We loved him! He lived here through university!”

“I’m sorry, I’ve never heard of you.” Hal says.

He needs to know why Barry never mentioned them. If these two were so influential, if he really felt so safe with them, why didn’t he tell Hal about them? Something isn’t adding up.

“You think we’re lying.” Jay says, sadly.

Joan stands in a rush and leaves, doors slamming while Jay drops his head to his hands. Joan returns in a flurry and slams a book down in front of him.

Cautiously, he opens it and finds-

Pictures. Tons of them. All of them of Barry and the two of them, all of them happy. In one, his Omega is tucked under Jay’s arm and cuddled up to him, both of them smiling. Another has Joan and Barry proudly displaying pies, the turkey decorations suggesting that it’s Thanksgiving. 

There are tons of important events. Christmas pictures, birthdays, one where Barry is proudly displaying his drivers licence while Joan, Jay, and Darrel surround him. Others are more relaxed, there’s one where Barry has tucked himself under Jay’s chin while he sits on his lap by a campfire, the Alpha has one arm wrapped around him while the other holds a stick with a marshmallow on it. 

Pages and pages of pictures, hundreds of memories documented and lovingly tucked away behind plastic protectors.

Towards the back of the book, Wally and someone he recognizes as Iris joins the pictures. It’s cute, Wally’s just little and adorable and he’s clearly got everyone's eyes on him. He also has tons of pictures, the baby pup gnawing on a gingerbread cookie, or getting a kiss on each cheek by Iris and Barry. His favourite is one where Barry is laid on a sofa, Wally sprawled out on his chest in a little onesie, both of them sleeping.

“We love him.” Joan insists in a whisper. 

“Okay.” He agrees.

The proof is in these pages. Even if Barry had been forced to play nice with these two when he was younger, he would never have brought Wally to see them. When these photos were taken, the Omega Rights Laws hadn’t been rolled back, he wouldn’t have been tied to them once he was an adult. But he not only came back, he brought his son to see them.

“We ah, we’ve been looking.” Jay rasps. “He was supposed to come over for dinner with Wally, he’d moved from Central to Metropolis after Iris passed, said he needed a change. I was worried but he was an adult, I couldn’t force him into anything. He didn’t come on Sunday and he wouldn’t answer his phone. We tried filing missing persons reports and got brushed off every time, nobody at Lex Corp would talk to us, we had to hire private investigators to actually get anybody to take us seriously.”

“The cops said that he’d probably taken his pup and walked into the river after his mate died.” Joan adds, tears in her eyes. “But they wouldn’t look for any bodies! And we know Barry, he may have been having a hard time but he would never hurt Wally, that pup was his whole life.”

Well, Hal’s no expert and he’s no psychic but if he had to guess, he’d say Lex is behind the police telling these two that they can’t do anything to find Barry and Wally. 

“We tried the private eyes but they’re so expensive. I had to take a mortgage out on the farm to afford them once we went through our savings.” Jay continues. “We were trying to find them but the only things they could ever say for sure was that somebody had to have taken him.”

“Someone did.” Hal confirms. “And I’m very sorry that you’ve had to go through this, I know it must have been hard.”

Looking around, with the knowledge that Jay had put them into debt to try to find Barry and Wally, gives him a new perspective of the house. It’s not just tidy, it’s empty, devoid of knick knacks or any real extras. The pair in front of him are wearing clothes that have clearly been patched several times and some of the wrinkles they’re sporting aren’t just from age. They’ve willingly put themselves into financial hardship to try to get two people they love back.

“How much?” Jay asks, “For my boys back? I can get my lawyer on the phone and we can draw up a payment plan. Please, what are you looking for?”

“I’m sorry, I’m not looking to sell and Barry isn’t in a good place to be traded off.” He says firmly but as kindly as he can. “When I got Barry, he was in bad shape, he had infected wounds, he went through bond withdrawal, and he needed intensive treatment so he wouldn’t die.”

Jay swallows and nods.

“I understand, you’ve invested a lot of money into him. If you’ll just name a price, we can work something out. I have good land, if need be, I can sell so you can recuperate your costs.” He insists, and Joan looks broken beside him. “Please, we just can’t lose him again.”

“I think there’s been a misunderstanding.” Hal says. “I am not selling, Barry still needs medical treatment and frankly, you two aren’t in a financial situation where you’ll be able to provide it for him. I will of course have you two over whenever you’d like to see him and Wally, when Barry’s better, he and Wally can come stay with you two for a while. I won’t stop any relationship he wants to have with you, but at this moment, I’m not going to be transferring ownership.”

Joan cries and slaps her hands over her mouth to muffle the noise, and Jay reaches over to pull her into an embrace.

“Please.” He begs, teary eyed. “Please, that’s our boy.”

“I know, and like I said, I’m not going to stop you from having a relationship with him.” He repeats. “But my pack has better resources to take care of him and his pup, Barry’s had access to top of the line medical care to help him recover and Wally’s enrolled in one of the best private schools in the country. Both of them will be getting therapy to help them recover from the abuse they both suffered.”

“When can we see him?” Joan demands from Jay’s lap. “Please, that’s my baby and my grandbaby, we haven’t seen them in years!”

“I’m here in Missouri for ten days at the most and then I’m headed back to New York.” He says. “Then I’m taking Barry and Wally back with me to California. If you two are willing, my pack and I will pay for your train ticket to come down for a while to see them. And once we get Barry a phone, you two will of course be able to text and call him as much as you’d like.”

“California?” Jay asks.

“I live and work down there most of the year. Two of my packmates live down there with their pup as well, Wally’s already become good friends with their pup and though he’s a few years younger, he’ll be in the same school as Roy.” He explains. “The doctor who's taken care of Barry is also in California, so it’s just better overall.”

That’s too much for Joan, and she’s pushing herself away from her mate and storming away. Jay is just blinking back his tears and Hal recognises that they need some time alone.

“Listen, how about you two talk. I’m gonna go back to my motel room, I’ll leave my number and you can call me if you need to talk.” He offers.

“Alright.” Jay mutters, taking a drink of his coffee.

He takes the paper Sue gave him and writes down his phone number on the blank side, then leaves it on the table for the older Alpha.

“If you have any questions, just send me a text.” He says.

~~~

Clark isn’t excited to tell Barry that it’s time to Wally ready for bed but it’s getting late and he needs to keep the pups routine up while Hal is gone. The pair have been hidden away in Barry’s nest since dinner and he knows that it isn’t going to be pleasant for either of them to be pulled away. 

It may be irrational, but he insists on the Omegas and pups he’s caring for in their Alphas’ absence to stay in the master suite. In case of a break in or an emergency, he never wants to have to choose between his own mate and pup and the Omegas and pups he’s taking care of. 

Usually, it’s not a problem, since Dinah and Mera have to travel anyway to be watched after in his home anyway. But Barry’s built himself a nest here and he isn’t happy to be leaving it.

“Go ‘way.” Barry whines, shoving Clarks hand away.

“No. Come on Meg, let me take care of you.” Clark coaxes, tugging him gently, “Let’s get your pup ready for bed.”

“I can get him ready for bed here!” Barry snaps, trying to pull away from Clarks hand and failing.

“You two are staying in the Master Suite with my mate and pup, you can get him ready here.” He says firmly.

Wally mumbles unhappily from his spot in Barry’s nest but once Clark scoops his dad up, he gives in, gets up, and starts to get out of the nest.

“No!” Barry whines, trying to wiggle free. “Put me down!”

“No, I think it’s time you two get settled in your new room.” Clark explains firmly.

Barry sniffles and hiccups, putting his hands over his face and turning away from Clark. The Alpha ignores that, switching Barry to one arm and stooping to lift Wally up as well so he could carry both of them.

By the time they get to the Master Suite, Barry has settled himself down and has gone from sulky and sad to annoyed and pointedly ignoring him, which is fine. As long as he isn’t being rude or hurting his son, Clark can live with not being acknowledged.

He sits on the rocking chair in the room he’s got set up in the room for them while Barry grabs Wally’s pyjamas and ushers him into the bathroom. When Barry finally emerges, Wally on his hip, he shoots him an angry look. He can live with that too.

Barry pulls the covers back and starts tucking the two of them in, pulling Wally in close and cuddling him. Clark frowns, knowing that Barry needs to be cleaned up himself and that he can’t go to bed just yet, but he’ll let him cuddle with Wally until the boy falls asleep.

When Wally had fallen asleep, Clark gave Barry a few minutes to snuggle before he started prodding him to get up and get cleaned up for the evening.

“Go away.” Barry mumbled, snuggling deeper into the blankets.

“Yes, come on darling, if you’re going to bed you need to be cleaned up.” He said, standing firm. 

Barry’s eyes snapped open and he looked up at the Alpha, unsure.

“You’re going to get me cleaned up?” He asked, biting his lip.

“Yes, I’m taking care of you for the week.” Clark reminded, taking a seat on the edge of the bed. “Come on now, if you want to go to bed, that’s fine but you need to be cleaned up properly.”

That made the Omega swallow hard, looking uncertain. When guided, he did climb out from under the covers and followed Clark to his and Bruce’s bedroom, being handed a towel and ushered to the bathroom.

“Go take a shower and brush your teeth, let me know when you’re finished and we’ll do your enema.” He instructed.

“I. I don’t need that Alpha.” Barry complained, one hand floating back and shielding his bum.

“Yes, you do. Now go get cleaned up.” Clark said, holding firm. 

That made the Omega pout but he did obey, disappearing into the bathroom to get showered and cleaned up.

Through the door, Clark could hear that the Omega was dragging his feet to put off having to have his hole cleaned. Nonetheless, he stayed patient, waiting until Barry finally took a deep breath and stuck his head into the bedroom.

“Alpha.” He called into the room, already trembling. “I’m ready.”

Kindly, Clark cupped Barry’s cheek and tugged him into a reassuring hug, rubbing his back to help him settle down. The Omega sniffled and hiccupped, shaking under his hands.

“It’s alright darling, I’ll take care of you.” Clark assured, guiding Barry back into the bathroom. “Bend over and put your hands on the toilet lid.”

“Alpha.” Barry whined, looking at the lid quizzically.

“You’re okay sweet, go on now.” He pushed, gathering the things he needed. He got a one litre enema bottle and filled it up with the soap and warm water, then screwed the nozzle onto it.

Reluctantly, Barry bent over and braced himself on the lid, knees pressed together as forcefully as possible. Likely to protect his plugged bum from Clarks hand, though that wouldn’t be necessary. 

The Alpha gently repositioned his legs and corrected his posture, pushing him down until he was resting on his elbows, hands clasped together. The new pose put Barry’s butt in the perfect position for Clark to do what he needed, he cupped his ass with on hand and gave it a squeeze.

“Stay still now, I’m going to take your plug up and give you your enema, understand?” He asks, pulling the cheeks apart with his thumb, revealing the flared base of the plug nestled in the Omegas hole.

“Please Alpha.” Barry whimpered, squirming under his hand. 

“You’re okay.” Clark promised.

And with that, he started his work. He unsealed the plug, causing a dribble of slick to leak out and trickle down his perineum, then he started to remove the toy from the Omega’s channel, the movements making him squeak and mewl while his prostate and rim were teased and stimulated.

“There we go, this feels good doesn’t it?” Clark asked kindly.

“Yes Alpha.” Barry mewled, even raising up onto his tippy toes to better angle himself for the pleasure he was receiving. 

“Good, you just keep being good and I’ll reward you when we’re finished, alright?” He promised.

“Oh, please Alpha.” He begged. 

With the change of attitude, Clark felt more confident, teasing the Omega’s hole with his plug for a moment longer before pulling it out completely. At the loss of his toy, Barry whined and his hole winked a few times, trying to clench down on something that wasn’t there anymore.

Putting the toy aside, Clark replaced it with the well lubed nozzle of the enema bottle, making sure it was in properly before he released the stopper, causing soapy water to rush into the Omega’s hole. Barry squealed at the change and even tried to push himself upright, only for Clark to put his hand on the back of his neck and keep him down.

“No baby, stay down and don’t make a mess.” Clark instructed.

“That’s too much!” Barry complained, gripping uselessly at the hard toilet lid.

“No it isn’t, this is a small enema for a small Omega. Just stay still and try to relax.”

That didn’t do much to soothe Barry, instead, he started crying and wiggled incessantly. Unwilling to let bad behaviour deter him, Clark just helped him stay still until the last of the water was in and he could switch out the nuzzle for the plug, sealing the water inside.

“Take it out!” Barry demanded, reaching back to grab at his plug.

“Hey! You don’t touch that.” Clark corrects, pulling Barry up and back against his chest and catching both wrists with his hands, holding them firmly in front of the Omega. “If you can’t keep your hands up here where they belong, I’ll have to tie them and you don’t want that, do you?”

“No.” Barry whimpered, hiccupping. “Please Alpha, take it out.”

“Not yet darling, just let me give your belly a little rub and then I’ll let you let it out.” He soothed.

Then he turned the two of them around, sat on the lid, and pulled Barry into his lap. The Omega cried and clasped his hands into a praying position in front of him, ducking his head and sniffling.

“That’s it, good boy. You’re okay, you’re doing very well.” He praised, trying to soothe him while he started massaging his distended belly. 

Still unhappy, Barry cried harder, the shaking of his sobs only making the water in his bowels move more and make him more uncomfortable. Since he was a smaller Omega, Clark switched to only massaging with one hand while he used the other to hold his hands, guiding them back so he could kiss them.

“Easy now, almost done.” He promised.

Barry whined at the continuance of his massage, getting fed up and trying to push himself off Clarks lap and away from his hands only to be pulled back and scolded. Clarks hands settled firmly on his swollen belly, pushing firmly on it to prevent Barry from trying to get away again.

“Don’t do that.” He ordered, making sure his voice was firm and left no room for debate. “I understand that this isn’t nice for you, but I will punish that sort of bad behaviour.”

“Please.” Barry squeaked, leaning back to try and avoid the firm hands.

“Settle down and don’t try to get away from me again.” Clark said, continuing his massage.

To his credit, Barry did his best and Clark tried to be soothing. Whispering praises and reassurance to keep him as calm as possible. When he finished, Clark helped him stand and kissed his head to reward him.

“Well done, bend over and I’ll take out your plug and let you release.” He said, rubbing his back.

While Barry emptied himself, Clark cleaned up his plug and got it ready for reinsertion. Like he had with the shower, Barry dragged his feet, reluctant to approach the Alpha again after he’s been scolded so firmly. Even after he’d cleaned up, washed his hands and should have come over to be replugged, he stood by the sink with his hands on his tender stomach.

“Come here pet.” Clark called, holding out a hand.

The Omega whimpered but did as he was told, shuffling over until Clark could put a hand on his shoulder and tug him into a hug. Once he was being held, Barry sniffled and Clark could smell some tears escaping his eyes.

“You did really well, I’m very happy with you.” He promised, rubbing his back and nuzzling his hair. “Take some deep breaths.”

“I want my Alpha.” Barry hiccupped, shivering under his hands. “I want my Alpha.”

“I know doll, I know. Let's get you plugged up and dressed and we’ll get you tucked into your bed with your pup.” Clark suggested, rumbling sympathetically. 

In his bathroom, he had a bench that he used to plug or knot his own Omega, long enough for the Omega to lay their torso across the padded seat while the ass was propped up and exposed on the very padded edges for easy access and he laid Barry on it. He preferred something like this over a cold countertop with a sharp edge that would dig into their skin where he could accidentally hurt them or they could hurt themselves if they moved suddenly.

Barry mewls and sniffles as he’s positioned and it seems that he’s done moving much for the evening, he’s lip like a noodle on the padding, pouting and whining sadly. Clark takes the stool from under the bench and gets himself settled between Barry’s thighs, examining his pucker and circling it with his thumb to check for any lumps or damage. When he finds nothing, he starts working two fingers into the tight ring, careful not to be too brutal. Barry’s plug is relatively small and he hasn’t been kept loose from it’s presence in his ass, and Clark has big hands. Even two fingers is a stretch and Barry gasps uncomfortably and tries to pull away. 

“Sorry, I’m sorry.” He apologises, removing one finger and using just one to tease open Barry’s hole. “I didn’t mean to hurt you baby, are you okay?”

Barry doesn’t say anything but he settles back down and doesn’t try to pull away anymore so Clark continues, making sure Barry is stretched out enough before adding the second finger. He continues slowly, not wanting to rush and cause Barry anything other than pleasure while having his hole touched and opened up. A lot of effort has been put into his recovery already, mentally and physically, and he doesn’t want to undue anything by pushing him past his limit.

Despite the fact that his hole is slicking up nicely, he adds some lube just to be safe so his channel is wet.

“Alright Barry, are you ready for your reward?” He asks.

“Reward?” He asks, audibly confused.

“You did very well with your enema and I promised you a reward for it.” Clark reminds him.

“Oh. Yes Alpha.” Barry says.

With that, he finds Barry’s prostate and starts focusing more of his ministrations there, tapping it with alternating fingers before settling into a proper rub. While his sweet spot was rubbed, Clark used his free hand to start playing with his balls, massaging them until his little Omega cock was standing at attention and the man himself was panting. Then he moves from the balls to his cock and started jerking him off slowly, Barry visibly trembling on the bench and making wonderful gasps and moans of pleasure.

“Alpha please!” He gasped, pushing back to meet the thrust of the fingers in his butt.

“Cum whenever you’d like.” He says, running his thumb over the tip of his cock.

“Ahh! Ah!” Barry squeaked, spasming while he came. 

For a moment he was tense before his whole body went limp on the bench. Clark gave him a moment to catch his breath while he wiped the cum off his hand, then he started rolling the internal part of the plug over Barry’s hole to lube it before inserting it. 

“Are you ready for your plug?” He asks, rolling it on his hand to warm it up.

“Yes Alpha.” Barry mumbles.

“Can you ask for it?” He asks.

He knows that Hal is taking it slowly with Barry’s training but he’d like to work on it more while he has him all to himself. The Omega is quiet and already pretty submissive but he doesn’t have much in terms of proper skills to back it up. He wants Barry to have the skills and manners the other Omegas in their pack have.

“Alpha?” Barry asks, shifting on the bench.

“Just do your best, I just want to see what kind of foundation I’m working with.” He assures.

Barry pauses and he can practically hear the gears in his head turning. And then.

“Please Alpha, may I please have my plug in my hole?” He asks, his voice higher in what he probably thinks he wants. 

Still, it was a good attempt and it does prove that while he may not have the official training, he does have a good general idea of what he should be doing. 

“Barry, that was brilliant.” Clark praises, adjusting the plug until the tip starts properly sliding in. “Relax your hole and then I’ll wipe you down and get you ready for bed.

After the release of his orgasm, Barry’s already very lax and his hole is nice and loose, it doesn’t take much for it to swallow up the entirety of his toy. It seals in easily and he starts wiping him down with a damp, warm cloth, making sure that he was cleaned and dried comfortably before he rises and starts washing his hands. It doesn’t take long and soon he’s helping Barry up, the Omega properly spent and ready for bed.

“Come on now, let's get you dressed and into bed.” He suggested, helping Barry pull one of his sleep shirts over his head and stepping back to let him step into his underwear and pants.

“I’m tired.” Barry muttered, rubbing his eyes.

“I’ll bet, it’s been a hard day.” Clark agrees sympathetically, taking a comb and running it through his hair. “Come on now, let’s get you to bed.”

“Thank you.” Barry mumbled, shuffling with him back to his room.

Once he’s in with his pup, it doesn’t take Barry long to settle in and start dozing. Out of an abundance of caution, Clark returns to his spot in the rocking chair to make sure there weren’t any issues either of them were having, and when he was sure that both were sleeping peacefully, he left and made sure the door was closed firmly behind him.

Chapter Text

As much as Hal would like to take the Garricks out for a proper breakfast in town, neither of them is very receptive to that. In fact, Joan even curls her lip distastefully and lets out a little growl and instead, he finds himself sitting at their table again, eating toast with jam and watery coffee. 

The portions aren’t very big and it’s uncomfortable to know that his presence is furthering their hunger but they won’t accept any gifts from him. No offer to take them out for a meal or for supplies has been accepted and he gets a very dreadful sense that they’re cautious that any gift they receive from him will hurt their chances for seeing Barry later.

“I’m sure you have questions.” Hal states, breaking the silence all three of them have been stewing in.

Joan grumbles something under her breath but Jay’s quick to reach over and shush her with a hand on her shoulder.

“What do you want?” Jay asks, staring down at his breakfast. “We can work out payment, I will find a way to get you what you want, please, just name your price.”

“I told you, I’m not looking to sell. Hal reaffirms. “I will help you and Barry reconnect, when he’s well enough to make the trip, I’ll send him by train to come spend a few days here with you if he wants to. You and Joan can of course come down and visit us, when Barry has a phone, I’ll give him your numbers and you can call and text him as much as you’d like, but I’m not selling.”

“Surely you don’t want an Omega with a pup.” Joan smiled, trying for kind but coming off as desperate and begging, “You’re a young man, you probably want to settle down and have your own pups. If you don’t have Barry, you’ll have plenty of time to court and bond with an Omega better suited for you.”

“My pack is not new to adoption. My pack Alpha was adopted by his own parents, his mate was raised by a guardian he sees as a parental figure after his parents died. And all the pups in my pack have been adopted in, Wally’s in good company and I have to admit, I’m quite fond of him.” Hal assured her.

“Can we speak to your pack Alpha?” Jay asked, “Maybe we could all talk, find a price that will work for both of you. I’m sure he’s not happy with an Omega with so many issues taking up his resources.”

“He’s perfectly fine with Barry being in our pack, he’s taking care of him and Wally while I’m here. And we have plenty of resources, taking care of Barry and Wally isn’t a burden.” Hal said.

“What resources could you possibly have that couldn’t be improved by not having an ill Omega and his pup?” Jay snapped, frustrated.

“I’m a member of the Wayne-Kent pack.” Hal informed him.

At the mention of what pack he came from, both of his hosts paled, faces falling. It was clear to him that they’d just realised that they really had no bartering power, nothing they could offer was anything his pack, as one of the wealthiest in the world, couldn’t just buy themselves. 

For most, the knowledge that their family member had basically been adopted into a pack as well off as theirs would be a reason to celebrate. After all, with the packs accumulated wealth, Barry’s medical needs would always be easily met by the best professionals, he would always be fed, and as they were in the limelight so often, Barry was pretty much guaranteed good treatment, since it wouldn’t reflect well on Clark or on himself if Hal’s Omega was hurt or visibly unkempt. As for Wally, he’d be taken care of too, the best schools, guaranteed post secondary education and a job afterwards. 

Of course, for two people who had been desperate to barter for the return of their son and grandson, it wasn’t reassuring at all, it was just another cruel way for them to not be able to get them back. And really, Hal could understand, if he were in their shoes, he’d also be upset.

“Like I said, Barry is fine, Wally is fine.” He promised. “They’re both with my Pack Alpha and are being well taken care of.”

“You could have any Omega you want!” Joan cried, her barely held together composure cracking. “Please, we will find a way to pay you, please just give him back!”

“I understand that this is hard, I can’t imagine how hard it must be to have looked so hard for them and now still not being able to properly hold them, but like I’ve said, I will make sure that you two are able to have a proper relationship with them.” He said. “That said, I am quite fond of both of them and I’m not looking to give them up.”

“Why even try to find people who knew him then?” Joan spits. “Why not just keep him in a nice little cage all to yourself?”

“Joan!” Jay scolds. 

“Well it’s the truth! He came here just to rub our noses in the fact that he has our boys and there isn’t anything we can do about it!” Joan counters, growling at him.

“That isn’t what I’m trying to do.” He says firmly.

“Yes it is! Here we are, offering up everything we have to get them back while you just sit there and act all superior, up on your high horse, because you can keep them over our heads!” Joan snarls.

“Joan enough!” Jay snaps, reaching over and grasping the back of her neck. 

Instantly, she goes limp and slumps against her mate, who tugs her into his lap and rests her head against his shoulder. 

“I’m sorry.” Jay apologises, one arm securely around her waist, the other hand reaching up to cup the back of her head.

“It’s alright, I understand that this is hard.” Hal nods, “And while I’m not willing to sell or give them up, like I said, I am willing to support and encourage a relationship between Barry, Wally, and you two.”

Jay nods and he gets the feeling this is the best he’s getting out of them. They aren’t going to accept that he wants what’s best for Barry and Wally just like that, it’ll take them at least a visit with their pup and grandpup before they get truly comfortable with the idea that Hal is now their Alpha.

“Like I said, as soon as I get Barry a phone, you’ll be able to talk to him whenever you’d like.” He repeats, “Now, I’ll let you two relax, you have my number if you need me.” 

“Would you come back tomorrow?” Jay asks, soothing Joan.

“I’ll come back as often as you’d like me to.” Hal promises. “Like I said, I’m here for another week.”

“Thank you.” He mumbles, kissing his mate’s head. 

“Of course.” He returns. “Take care of each other, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

~~~

Bruce has been trying all day to get Barry a little more cheerful. They’ve just been sitting in the Omega Den with the other two Omegas, trying to soothe him as much as possible.

It’s not easy, the blond has been mopey since Hal left, even with the others cuddled up with him, he’s still sad. 

“You’re okay.” Dinah soothes when he whines, “You’re okay.”

“I miss my Alpha.” Barry whimpers. 

“I know, and he misses you too.” Mera promises, rubbing his back. “He’ll be back for you soon, you’re okay.”

Barry whines again but shuffles and gets himself more comfortable in their pile. Dinah brushes his hair back, gets at his neck, and starts kissing and nipping at his glands, distracting him from his sadness. Bruce tugs the blankets up higher, burying them all under the covers and making them all warm and cozy. He’s hopeful that if he can just get Barry comfortable, he’ll settle down and relax a little more. It’s probably not good for him to be so stressed out for so long, bad for his heart and all.

“Do you want to take a nap?” He asks, running his hand up and down Barry’s back.

“I don’t know.” Barry mumbles, tilting his head back to give Dinah better access.

“Want me to suck your cock?” Mera asks, reaching down to cup his crotch with her hand.

That makes Barry start squirming and Mera smiles, creeping down under the covers to start working his pants down. Barry squeaks while she starts sucking him through his panties, curling his toes and wiggling. Taking a page from Mera’s book, Dinah switches from kissing and nipping to sucking on his gland and moves her hand up to massage the other one. Unwilling to be outdone, Bruce slides his hands under his shirt and teases his nipples until they’re erect. In no time at all, Barry’s a moaning, squirming mess.

“How about I take out your plug and finger your pretty hole?” Bruce whispers, grinding himself against Barry’s butt.

“A-ahh! Alpha di-didn’t say so!” Barry gasps, his hips bucking involuntarily when Mera pulls his panties down and his cock slides into her mouth.

“Alpha doesn’t mind.” Bruce promises, grinding against his ass again.

“Please!” Barry babbles, grabbing onto Dinah’s shirt and fisting the material. “Oh please.”

“Shhh.” Dinah soothes, “Let us help you.”

While the girls are still teasing him, Bruce reaches down, slides Barry’s panties off, and starts tugging at his plug. The other Omega mewls and pants, caught between keeping his hips angled forward to make it easier for Mera to suck him or bucking back so his hole feels better. After a moment of twisting and tugging the plug, Bruce starts properly pulling it out, pulling it out to its widest point and then letting it slip back in, teasing his rim and making him moan. 

“Please!” Barry squeals.

Emboldened by the begging, Bruce pops the plug out and reaches over to set it on the bedside table. Then, he slides two fingers into Barry’s hole and starts teasing him, curling his fingers against his prostate and tapping it. Slowly and methodically until Barry’s on the edge, a babbling, sweaty mess as he’s taken apart by the three of them.

“Dinah, start on his nipples for me please.” He requests, slowing his ministrations to deny Barry the orgasm he’d been on the brink of. “Mera, ease up a little.”

“No!” Barry begs, tilting his hips to stay in her mouth when she pulls back. “No, don’t stop.”

“Shhh.” Bruce soothes, using his free hand to comb through Barry’s hair. “Let us work, be a good boy, and you’ll get your release.”

“Please?” Barry gasps. 

With a chuckle, Bruce separates his fingers, splaying them as far as he can and stretching Barry’s tight hole. The other Omega whines desperately as he does, the stretch just bordering on painful, but he makes up for it by going back to his prostate.

“Give him a little nip Di.” He orders, happily taking full control of the other tree Omegas. “And Mera, you can join her, we’ll give his cock a moment.”

The girls are laying on top of each other, one for each nipple. Dinah is licking and sucking on one while Mera pinches and flicks the other, and with Bruce’s fingers in his ass, he’s on the edge again quickly.

“I’m close.” He wheezes, “Please please please, I’m so close.”

With a smirk Bruce nips lightly at the back of his neck and fully removes his fingers from his hole and beckons the girls away from his chest. 

“No!” Barry sobs, reaching for his cock only to be blocked by Dinah.

“Ah ah ah.” She chastises, “We’re still having fun.”

“We are.” Bruce agrees, “So you’re just going to have to be patient and take what we give you gracefully.”

Barry thrashes and tries to pull his hand away from Dinah, his cock still hard and weeping precum. 

“I want to cum!” He whines.

“And you will.” Bruce promises, resting his hand on his hip, teasingly rubbing circles with his wet fingers. “But I think you can give Dinah and Mera a turn first.”

Despite the fact that they’re both Omegas, Bruce is much stronger, he’s athletic and healthy. It’s not difficult at all to rise to his knees and pull Barry’s limp body up with him, holding his back to his chest and tweaking a nipple.

“Please, I’m so close.” Barry begged, rubbing his butt against Bruce’s crotch. “Please.”

“Patience. You’ll get your turn.” Bruce smiles. “But you’re going to give Dinah and Mera a turn first.”

Dinah quickly shucks her skirt and panties and lays in front of Barry, legs spread with her pucker and pussy on full display. Bruce started teasing at Barry’s hole again, circling his rim with one finger without pushing in, driving the blond to whine and try to push back onto it.

“Not yet, you’re going to start licking first.” He instructed.

“You aren’t my Alpha, you can’t boss me around!” Barry snapped, irritated that he isn’t getting what he wants.

“No, I’m not an Alpha at all.” Bruce agreed, “But I am Head Omega and I do have some authority. However, if you don’t want to play, you don’t have to.”

And with that, he releases Barry fully, letting the other Omega down to the mattress gently. No more contact, nobody touching him, no warm bodies against him, and without them, Barry deflated a little, looking up at him with a sulky expression.

“You don’t have to stay, you can go nap on the couches in the living room, or you can stay and watch if you’d like.” Bruce shrugs, stroking Dinah’s pussy lips with his fingers, not even looking at Barry.

“No, but.” Barry stammers, shifting closer to his legs.

“Do you want to play?” Bruce asked, glancing over at him.

“I want, I-I want.” He whines, pressing his forehead against his side. 

“Poor little thing.” Mera coos, “Use your words.”

“Please.” He whispers, leaning heavily against Bruce and grabbing at his shirt.

“Please what?” He asks, not making any move to return Barry’s touch. He doesn’t try to soothe him at all, this is a good learning moment for him, he needs to learn to ask properly. If Hal hasn’t started training him for that yet, he will soon and it seems he needs the practice.

“I’d like to play please.” Barry whispers into his shirt.

That’s what he needed to hear. He pulls him up and holds him against him again, in a proper hug this time and rubs his back. Barry’s cock is starting to soften but he doesn’t reach for it, they need to establish the rules first.

“We’re going to take turns.” He says firmly. “And we’re gonna hold you on edge until it’s your turn, we’ll do Dinah, then Mera, and then me and you’ll be after that. You’re going to use your mouth for the girls.”

“No.” Barry whimpered.

“No what?” Bruce asks firmly.

“Don’t edge me.” He whispers, “Please.”

“You don’t like that?” Mera asks, running her nails lightly down Barry’s side.

Barry shakes his head sadly and hides his face against Bruce’s shoulder. There’s a shift in his body language, he’s completely flaccid and his shoulders are stiff. In response, Bruce softens his own, rubbing his back soothingly. He had been more firm before but clearly, this is something big for Barry. They may have stumbled upon a hard limit for him, something he absolutely hates and will never enjoy, and that’s something they should understand so they can relay it to the Alphas. 

“Tell me.” Bruce orders in a soft voice.

“I don’t like that.” Barry whispers.

“Why?” Bruce pushes. “Just not your cup of tea or is there something more?”

“My old Alpha punished me like that.” Barry whines. “All day and I couldn’t move at all and it hurt so bad.”

“Okay.” Bruce soothes, nuzzling his hair. “We’ll avoid that then, won’t we?”

“Please.” Barry whispers.

“Alright. We’ll be more gentle with you then.” He nods, “We’ll tease you a little while you give the three of us our turn, but we’ll go easy on you. Not as harsh as we were being.”

Barry nods and some of the tension leaves his shoulders, but he still keeps himself pressed against him. Holding onto him and tilting his head to press each cheek against his shirt, one after the other. Clearly they need to get him back in the mood. 

“Mera, go fetch some eggs from the drawer.” He instructs, ushering Dinah aside and laying Barry down in her place. “I think we need to warm him back up.”

Mera giggled and practically skipped to the dresser where they kept all their toys; vibrators, suckers, some light floggers, restraints, and of course, lube. 

“What size?” She asked, looking into the drawer eagerly.

“Three size twos should do it.” Bruce declared. Something small that wouldn’t bother Barry or cause him any discomfort but would make him feel good.

With Mera kneeling beside him, the egg vibrators held in her hands while he starts fingering Barry’s hole back open, nudging his prostate until there’s a little pool of slick in his palm. Now that Barry’s stretched nicely, he takes one of the eggs from Mera and rolls it over Barry’s wet hole to get it lubed.

“Ready darling?” He asks, pushing it teasingly over his entrance, watching Barry arch his back push back on it. “Want to be full?”

“Please! Please please please.” Barry begs.

“Alright then, be still so I can fill that hungry little hole up.” He instructed.

Panting, Barry tried to obey, he gripped the blankets with his white knuckled fists and pressed his head against the pillows. With one hand pushing Barry’s plump cheeks apart, Bruce starts properly sliding the toy into his hole, the tight pucker embracing the egg until it finally slipped right in. The pink wire was dangling out of his slicked up hole, the ringed muscle clenching hard to hold onto its little treasure.

To keep it out of the way, Bruce fastened a garter around his thigh and tucked the wire and it’s attached remote into the elastic. When that’s secure, he leans back to admire his handiwork. Barry makes a very pretty picture, sprawled out on the bed, panting through his pleasure while Dinah kisses his cheeks and plays with his nipples. His cock is straining against his stomach and weeping precum, its head is bright red and his balls are drawn up tight.

“So pretty.” He praises, making circles on his thigh with his thumb. “You took that so well, maybe you need something more?”

“Please.” Barry moans, “Please, I need more.”

Twice more, they repeat the process, feeding an egg into Barry’s hole, each one pushing the ones before it further up. By the time the third egg is securely in, it’s remote tucked into the garter, Barry’s stomach is slightly bulged from the toys. Not much but when Bruce runs a hand over his stomach, he can slightly feel the vibrators in his stretched channel.

“We need to feed you more.” He mumbles, massaging his belly a little.

He says it quietly, it’s true but he doesn’t want to hurt Barry’s feelings. It’s not his fault he’s so skinny, but it’s not healthy for such small toys to be so pronounced against Barry’s inner walls. With larger toys or a proper Alpha cock, a noticeable bulge would be more expected but these? They shouldn’t have the size to do this.

It gives him pause, debating whether or not to double check with Clark about Barry’s limits. Barry’s body is still readjusting after coming out of the Cradle, his passage needs to readjust and there are very strict restrictions about what he can and cannot handle. The eggs are small but he has pushed three of them into Barry’s hole.

He does not want to be on the receiving end of Clark and Hal’s rage if he accidentally hurts the blond Omega.

“How do those feel?” He asks, still rubbing his belly quizzically. “Too much?”

“No.” Barry sighs, gripping at the pillow under his head. “Feels so good.”

“Maybe we should go down to two.” Bruce suggests, hooking his finger under the wire of the last egg.

“No!” Barry cries, reaching down and catching his wrist. Hard. “No, please no. I want to be full.”

“Alright then.” He says cautiously, pulling his hand back from the wire and Barry’s hold. “But let me know if you need to stop. I don’t want to hurt you.”

“It’s kay.” Barry mumbles, softening now that his treasures aren’t under threat of being taken away. 

Getting back into the game, Bruce touches the remotes, turning on the vibrating feature for the toys, turning up the speed until Barry’s moaning and panting again, then he turns them down again. Just a smidge. Enough to keep him hard and invested but not enough to make him cum.

“Please!” Barry squeaks.

“I told you, you’re going last.” He reminds him, rubbing his thigh.

Leaning over Barry, he catches Dinah’s arm and guides her to sit on Barry’s face, her thighs sandwiching his head. Instantly, Barry reaches up and puts his hands firmly on her legs, giving himself a little bit of control over pace and position.

“Make her cum.” Bruce orders, rubbing circles on Barry’s clenching hole.

The other man doesn’t need to be told twice, if he even needed to be told at all. He can’t see what he’s doing but he can hear Dinah moaning, throwing her head back until her long hair pools on his taut stomach. He can see Dinah’s mouth open and close, he can see her jerk her hips in rhythm to Barry’s tongue. 

Beside him, Mera is wiggling in anticipation, her hands creeping down to her own pussy, rubbing through her panties. He reaches out to stop her, catching her wrist and pulling it away from her sensitive clit.

“No no.” He scolds. “Barry will take care of that for you.”

It doesn’t take long for Dinah to finish, cumming with a deep sigh, her pussy spasming and drooling all over Barry’s pretty flushed face. Bruce helps her off, waiting until she’s settled comfortably on the bed to help Mera into the space she just vacated.

Mera is much firmer with Barry than Dinah had been, grinding herself over his mouth and getting bossy with him. Ordering him to lick or suck at her leisure, telling him to speed up or slow down while she takes her pleasure. She cums with a gasp herself, one hand gripping Barry’s hair while the other is holding the head board for balance and support so she doesn’t fall. 

“Thank you.” she praises, sliding off him and petting his hair.

With the girls taken care of, it’s Bruce’s turn and after watching how talented Barry is with the girls, he’s eager for his turn. His own cock is just as hard as Barry’s, bouncing against his stomach as he starts repositioning Barry.

To make this more comfortable for them, he flips Barry over onto his stomach, propping his hips up with a spare pillow. Then, he wiggles in front of Barry’s face, one thigh slung over his shoulder and poking Barry’s lips with his erect cock. For a moment, he teases the other Omega, tracing his lips and smearing them with his precum, making Barry chase him. Tilting his head to follow him, tongue stuck out to try to get a proper taste. He waits until Barry cries in frustration to finally let the Omega catch his cock in his mouth, the blond eagerly swallowing down his entire length after having it denied.

“You’re so eager.” Bruce comments, stroking Barry’s hair while he gets sucked. 

He does have to admit, Barry’s very talented, as soon as he has his pretty pink lips enclosed around him, he’s sucking hard. He swallows and bobs his head in a nice rhythm, rolling his tongue over the sensitive head and humming when he gets a proper taste. Despite usually being more reserved, with Barry lapping at his cock, he comes more quickly than he usually would.

Barry goes lax once the cum floods his mouth, tilting his head against Bruce’s thigh to beg for more affection, something he’s happy to give him. While Barry swallows down the spend and licks his cock clean, he strokes his hair and cups his cheek, purring when Barry finally pulls off and looks up at him, blinking heavily.

“Please?” He begs, wiggling his bum on the pillow, begging for his turn.

“Yes darling, it’s your turn now.” He promises, shifting away from his face. “You’ve done so well, waiting so patiently.”

Rousing the girls, Bruce flips Barry over again, laying him on his back. Without needing to be told, Dinah starts kissing Barry’s face, licking up the mess she and Mera left on his skin. Meanwhile, Mera moved up to his nipples, licking one and teasing the other with her manicured nails. 

“Feeling good?” Bruce asks, getting himself settled between the spread thighs. Barry keens happily in response and bucks his hips upward. “Good, we’ll give you your turn then.”

With the girls keeping him busy above his waist he started below it. He traced his finger in circles over Barry’s hole, slightly pushing in with two fingers, smiling at how Barry squeezes in response, trying to hold them closer. He teases the man until he’s a whiny, wiggling mess and then, only then, does he reach up and grip the length of Barry’s cock, drawing his thumb over the head.

That’s all it takes for Barry to cum, arching his back off the bed and crying out in pleasure. His own mess spurting onto his stomach and Mera’s back, not that he cares. Now that he’s finally finished, Barry deflates entirely, a limp noodle on the bed while Bruce removes the eggs and garter.

“Let's take a shower and then finish our nap.” He suggests, lifting Barry up and cradling him to his chest.

~~~

Bruce has to carry Barry into their suite for dinner that evening, handing the still dazed Omega over to Clark while he went to fetch the pups for their meal. Despite Barry’s mumbled protests that he wasn’t hungry, he did eat everything Clark fed him, perfectly seasoned chicken, mashed potatoes, and green beans disappearing from the plate at a slow but steady pace.

Once dinner was finished, Clark was able to lay Barry on the sofa with his pup, the pair cuddling up instantly. With how relaxed his temporary charge was, he decided to take advantage of it, he helped Dick with his english homework and then ushered his mate and son into the living room for a movie night. 

He has Bruce and Dick on one side of him, his son snuggling against him until he deems himself comfortable while his dad leans his head against his shoulder. On the other side he has Barry and Wally, the blonde Omega is still limp and pliable, drunkenly rubbing circles on his pups back while the movie plays.

Wally starts to doze off halfway through the movie. He’s not sure if it’s because Hal isn’t here or if the kid's body is just catching up on all the sleep it missed under Luthor's care, but he’s quick to fall asleep whenever his dad is holding him.

“Think you can go get him ready for bed?” Clark whispers to Barry, nudging the man on his side.

“Yes.” Barry murmurs, standing and carrying his pup to bed.

Together, he and Bruce get Dick ready for bed and tucked in, each giving him a kiss and a hug before turning off the lights and shutting his door.

“Did you and the other Omegas have a good afternoon?” Clark asked his mate, kissing his head.

“Yeah, I think we were able to get Barry settled down nicely.” Bruce nods, smiling like he’s gotten away with something naughty.

“Hmm, is that why you two came back smelling like sex?” Clark whispers, a firm hand on Bruce’s back, guiding him to the bedroom.

“Maybe.” Bruce shrugs with a coy expression.

“You three were gentle with Barry right?” Clark confirms. “He’s still delicate.”

“We were careful!” Bruce groans, the two of them now in the bedroom. “I made sure he wasn’t too full or hurt.”

“I’ll be double checking that when I clean the two of you up.” Clark warned sternly.

“And you’ll find that I’m not lying.” Bruce huffs.

The Alpha shakes his head patiently, kissing his mate again and sending him off to the bathroom while he went to see if Barry was ready to get cleaned up.

~~~

Hal sighs from his seat in the Garrick's living room, holding his teacup with both hands. Jay is sitting across from him on the sofa while Joan has been ushered to her Omega bedroom, something that he suspects is a punishment for her outburst the previous day. On one hand, he’s disappointed that he can’t talk to the older Omega since he’s sure that she’s got an understanding of his ward that he doesn’t. On the other hand, it’s been made pretty clear that she doesn’t like him in the slightest. 

“So uh, I guess I gotta ask, what are your intentions with my boy?” Jay asks, staring down at his tea.

“I want him to be healthy and well. I’m going to be making sure he gets therapy and medical attention for everything Lex put him through, I’m going to make sure he’s getting enough food and that it’s healthy.” He lists. “I only want what's best for him.”

“And are you planning on claiming him?” Jay asks.

“He’s mine legally.” He responds.

“That’s not what I meant. I meant, are you planning to properly claim him. Teeth in neck claim him.” Jay clarifies.

The older Alpha is stiff, like he’s scared of the answer he’s going to get. Hal can’t blame him for that, it’s gotta be stressful, only able to watch from the sidelines as your pup’s life is in the hands of another Alpha. Especially since, from Jay and Joan’s point of view, they’ve been told Barry and Wally were dead for almost five years. 

“If that’s what he wants, then I would be very excited to properly court him and eventually claim him. But right now, we’re focused on getting him healthy, mentally and physically.” He assures.

“So you’re telling me you’ve had him for a few months and you haven’t courted him at all?” Jay demands, glaring at him.

Hal sighs, running his hand through his hair as he tries to figure out how to answer that. He’s not ashamed of anything he’s done with Barry, any medical treatment he’s gotten for the Omega has been done for his best interests and any intimate activities have been enthusiastically consented to. 

“We’ve kissed, I sleep in his nest because he invited me into it, we cuddle, and I’ve scented him and Wally.” He says, ticking things off on his fingers. “I personally would call that courting and I promise, everything I’ve done with him has been agreed upon. I’ve never forced him into any intimate activities.”

“So you’re keeping Wally too?” Jay nods, still looking stern.

“Of course, as I’ve already told Barry and Wally multiple times, the two of them are a package deal. They won’t be separated. If Barry decides he doesn’t want to be with me, if he’d rather court another Alpha, I won’t hold Wally hostage to try and strong arm him into staying with me.” He promises, pulling out his phone. “I also got them bracelets with their birthstones together, just to kind of signify that those two are a pair.”

He finds a picture of his two boys where their bracelets are easily visible and passes it over. Jay takes it cautiously, looking at the screen to see the cuffs Hal had told him about, pinching the screen to get a closer look. Personally, Hal really likes that picture, it’s one of Barry and Wally cuddled up together on the couch in their suite, reading together. It had been taken right after he’d brought Barry back from New York after the Cradle. For the first time in years, Wally had been able to properly hear his dad speak, and Barry hadn’t been in any pain. The two look relaxed and comfortable, though Barry’s still skinnier than he should be.

“That’s an older photo, they’ve both gained some weight since then.” He assures. “That was taken right after Barry had treatment for his injuries.”

“I see.” Jay responds, handing the phone back.

“I only want what’s best for both of them.” He promises. “Wally’s going to be going to a very good school in California, Barry’s going to get the best treatment available for his health. They’re both going to be living in a good, safe home, they’re protected not just by me, but the rest of my pack as well, and a pack we’re close with that is also very protective of their Omegas and pups.”

“I see.” Jay repeats.

He nods, the two of them sitting in uncomfortable silence again. Hal contemplates finding more pictures on his phone that Jay might like to see but ultimately decides against it, he’d rather do that with Joan here anyway. He still feels bad for the Omega, probably sulking in her room, trying to listen to whatever they’re talking about. He hasn’t heard her since she’s been sent away and he hopes she isn’t gagged, the thought of any Omega being gagged has bothered him since he saw the awful thing forced into Barry’s mouth when he’d first seen him.

“You’re taking him and Wally to California?” Jay asks suddenly.

“Yeah, probably right after I get back from here.” He nods.

“And are you taking the train or are you flying?” Jay clarifies.

“Flying. The train takes too long and I want him and Wally getting settled in as quickly as possible.” He explains.

“Just so you know, Barry isn’t a fan of heights. He may freak out on the plane.” Jay warns. 

“If need be, I can get him some medication to help him relax. We’ll be in first class, so we’ll have our own space, and I’ll be with him the entire time.” He assures.

“So he’ll be flying in the cabin then, not the luggage hold?” Jay asks.

That is an option Hal had thought about, the Omega hold, as it was called, may have been easier. The Omega hold doesn’t have seats, it’s more like pods for the Omega’s to lay in, they look like smaller nests. He knows that they can be more comfortable, especially for short flights like domestic ones, because it’s quieter and there are no chances for another person to be too close, something that he knows would scare Barry. However, he also knows that Wally is too old to be in the Omega hold with his dad and trying to separate them would make that anxiety worse for them both. If this flight doesn’t go well, he’ll consider the Omega hold for next time.

“Not this flight, I considered it but I think it would just make the stress worse for them both.” Hal explains. “We’re on an early morning flight, so it shouldn’t be loud or all that busy and I’m hoping that that will help some of the nerves for them both.”

He’d chosen an early morning flight so that he can get Barry to the registration office as soon as they land, get him registered in the state as a permanent resident, and then take him and Wally home to get settled. He’s been doing some research on what a state inspection will be like, so he can prepare Barry, and it seems pretty standard. They’ll record his height, they may catch him up on any vaccines he’s missing or behind on, take his finger prints, and a scan of his eyes. 

“That’s a good idea.” Jay says gruffly. “Bring a blanket too, one that smells like his nest, that always used to calm him down when he was young.” 

“Did you fly with him often?” Hal asks.

“We never flew. But whenever he was overly stressed about anything, Joanie or I would just wrap him up and that would help him settle.” Jay laughs. “I know scent blockers are required on planes, but the blanket should be fine.” 

“That sounds like a good idea.” He agrees. “I’ll keep it in mind.”

“When do you leave again?” Jay asks, the stress coming back a little.

“End of the week.” Hal replied.

“And then you’re off to California?” He adds.

“Yeah.” Hal nods. “But like I said, I’d love for you and Joan to come down and visit soon. I think it would be good for them both to have you two back in their lives.” 

“We’ll check our calendar and make it happen.”  Jay agrees gruffly. “I’ll let you know.”

“Of course.” Hal nods again. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I do have to be going, I need to grab some dinner before I head back to my motel room.”

“Try Jeans Pizza.” Jay suggested. “They make some good food.” 

“Noted, I’ll check them out. Have a good night Jay.” He wishes. “And give my best to Joan.” 

“I will. Get back safe.” Jay returns.

Jay stands on the porch and waves him off as he drives off down the driveway. In the rearview mirror, he can vaguely see him return into his house and he hopes that the older Alpha is going to get Joan and tell her what he was told. He’s hopeful that the Omega is going to warm up to him at least a little, if only because her trusting him would be helpful in reconnecting Barry and Wally with her.