Chapter Text
Positive.
He couldn’t believe the test was positive.
But, why wouldn’t it be? He’d been having all the symptoms despite only having his heat two months ago. Increased hostility, reliance on Nines for the most basic of things, the horniness; fuck he was even throwing up in the morning sometimes. That certainly wasn’t exactly normal.
Gavin knew there was something different about his last heat cycle but he just couldn’t put his finger on it. He hadn’t thought much of it, as the heat always left him pretty out of it, only remembering bits and pieces. However, one thing he couldn’t possibly forget was how it had felt when Nines knotted him that first time.
He had been so dominant, desperation and need rolling off him in waves as he fucked Gavin relentlessly. It had been wonderful, his uncontrollable lust adding to Gavin’s already heightened need to be knotted and bred. When Nines had finally came, Gavin, even in his blissed out hazy state, could feel how much more engorged Nines’ knot had been. The way his hips continued to involuntarily push gentle and small thrusts, pushing his cum even deeper into Gavin as he came down from his high. Apparently, his body had decided that it was enough to be bred.
Gavin shook his head as the memory began working him up, his scent no doubt changing to that of a needy omega. The last thing he needed was any alphas, or God forbid Nines, coming into the bathroom in search of the omega, only to find Gavin staring at a positive pregnancy test. That would be awkward.
It wasn’t even like they were trying to breed during his last heat. Sure, the odd comment would come up about how Gavin wanted to be bred, and Nines was more than happy to reciprocate the sentiment, but that had been the heat and rut talking. They didn’t actually want to become pregnant. Gavin took his birth control religiously for that very reason.
They always said it wasn’t 100% effective. Figures I’d fall victim to the 2% of the time when it wasn’t, Gavin thought.
His heart raced faster and faster as the reality of what he was facing sunk in. This wasn’t a spontaneous heat from stress or Gavin’s usual moodiness or an oddly timed stomach bug. The evidence of such sat right in front of him. He had a living thing growing inside him now. A thing he and Nines made together during one of their most primal moments.
Gavin recalled a conversation he had had with Nines three years ago when their whole arrangement started.
Gavin leaned back into the broad chest of the alpha behind him as he ran a lathered shower pouf over his arms gently, a low purr rumbling in the back of his throat to soothe the omega further. For only being their second heat spent together, Nines was an especially attentive partner when Gavin was post-heat. And Gavin couldn’t deny that he craved this sort of pampering and had only received it to this extent while under the care of Nines.
“You know, I wouldn’t mind making you my permanent heat partner. Especially if this how you’re gonna treat me afterwards.” Gavin couldn’t stop the words from coming out but once they were, he found he genuinely meant them. Cheekily, Gavin added on. “The dicking down wasn’t half bad either.”
A deep rumble as Nines quietly showed his amusement sent pleasant pinpricks down Gavin’s spine. “I’ll take the half compliment then.”
The alpha was strangely quiet afterwards, running his hands absentmindedly over Gavin’s body. Gavin thought it was odd that Nines wasn’t defending his ego saying he was the best Gavin’s ever been knotted by, which was quite honestly the truth.
“You’re just saying that because of the heat,” He finally said, the tiniest hint of disappointment in his voice. Anyone else would’ve missed it but not Gavin.
Turning his body around so he could face the alpha, Gavin got onto his knees, ignoring the water that splashed out of the tub at the sudden movement. He kept himself between Nines’ legs as he leaned forward into his space, letting the alpha get a good smell of the scent glands on his neck.
“Smell me, Nines. My heat is over. I’m just tired now.” Gavin told him, satisfied when Nines scented the air and nodded his agreement that Gavin was out of the thick of it. Anything he said now was not going to be clouded by heat thoughts. “If you don’t want to be my heat partner you can just-.”
“No! That’s not it. I just… are you sure?” Nines asked, quick to reassure the omega when the brief scent of rejection poked through the air.
“Yes. I wouldn’t say it otherwise.”
Nines’ face broke out into a shy smile, one that he tried to hide by lowering his head. Gavin thought it was adorable how Nines could be so dominant in bed and in public but an absolute submissive sweetheart when it was just him and the omega. Gavin reached out to bring the alpha’s head back up so it was in line with his own. Pressing forward, Gavin placed a nervous, tentative kiss to the alpha’s soft lips. They didn’t usually kiss outside of Gavin’s heat, so the omega was pretty pleased when Nines reciprocated immediately.
“If we’re going to be heat partners, I do have some conditions,” Nines said as they broke apart. Gavin nodded his understanding. Afterall, he had his own conditions Nines needed to abide by if they were going to do this.
“Shoot.”
“I know you’re already on birth control, but I would prefer it if you could switch to something a bit more… potent.” Nines’s eyes flicked away from Gavin’s as he said this.
Gavin couldn’t hold back his amusement. “Jeez Nines, just say you have a magic dick.”
Nines didn’t laugh, however.
“I have… a higher-than-average sperm count. I understand if you don’t want to switch as I know the side effects and cost can be undesirable, but in that case, I would prefer to use condoms going forward.” Nines explained. He began wringing his hands, a slight odor of nervousness betraying his real feelings. Honestly, Gavin understood the feeling as he hated using condoms as it left him feeling unsatisfied after a knotting.
Grabbing his hands and holding them still, Gavin asked, “How much is higher than average?”
“300 million,” Nines said with an air of pride, despite the fact that he wouldn’t look Gavin in the eye now.
“Jesus Nines! Why didn’t you tell me that before!?” Gavin said. Even though his heat was over and he was truly too exhausted for another fucking, Gavin could feel the heat pool in his stomach at the thought that Nines was an extremely fertile and capable alpha.
“Well, I would’ve told you if you weren’t too busy begging to be knotted to listen,” Nines retorted. Despite the sharp tone, Gavin could detect a hint of guilt in his voice. At least the alpha knew that withholding that information was wrong, even if it did light a lustful fire inside Gavin.
“Touche. Alright, stronger birth control for me then. Yay.”
“I can foot half the cost of it.” Should be paying the whole thing… potent birth control wasn’t cheap. “I do have one more condition though.”
“What is it?” Gavin asked. Whatever his other condition was couldn’t be as bad as getting on new birth control.
“If - and this is a big if, mind you – you fall pregnant, you need to tell me immediately. I won’t be happy if I find out on my own. And I’d like to be there when you… get it taken care of,” Nines said, once more not making eye contact.
It was pretty obvious what Nines was referring to, even if he didn’t outwardly say it. Even though as an omega, Gavin should be vehemently against abortion, he couldn’t lie and say that he wouldn’t get one if it came down to it. His chest tightened at the realization, his instincts taking over and telling him it wasn’t right. But, logically, he knew he couldn’t be a father. He didn’t trust himself to be good enough to raise a pup.
“What… don’t think you’d be a good father?”
“I know I wouldn’t be a good father.” Nines said cryptically. His eyes glazed over as if recalling bad memories. Gavin leaned forward to nuzzle the alpha, comforting him and holding back the whine trying to escape when Nines’ scent signaled his sudden distress, making Gavin immediately anxious.
Nines wrapped his arms around the omega, holding him close as he nuzzled into his neck and inhaled deeply. Gavin felt a pleased feeling take over at the knowledge that he could comfort his alpha so well. Letting himself melt in Nines’ embrace, he let the man finish bathing him, purring throughout the whole ordeal to show Nines he was happy. It didn’t take long for the omega to drift off to sleep and when he woke, he was carefully tucked into his nest, Nines’ scent all around him and a giddy feeling in his chest.
Over the course of their three years together, a lot had changed between them. It didn’t take long for them to give up on the casual heat partners thing, especially with how territorial Nines would become when other alphas showed their interest in Gavin. Plus, Gavin had begun having withdrawal symptoms from being apart from Nines for too long. Thus, they officially became mates before Gavin’s next heat cycle even occurred. And, of course with that, one of Gavin’s conditions was null and void as he let Nines bite him, officially showing off to the world that he was Nines’ omega.
Gavin wondered if Nines’ conditions had changed now too.
Wait, I’m not considering having this pup, am I?
Gavin tried to imagine himself as a pregnant omega. He really didn’t like the thought of his belly growing or the idea that everyone would know he was pregnant once he started showing. That was if the scent didn’t tip them off first.
However, as he shifted his thoughts to the pup, Gavin was shocked to realize that he could see himself sitting in a carefully made nest. He would be surrounded by the softest blankets and pillows, a warm shawl draped over his shoulders that smelled strongly of Nines. Around the nest would be little trinkets and gifts Nines would have presented to him throughout the pregnancy. Included in that would be the miscellaneous scattering of baby items well within his reach so he could quickly grab it as he needed. And of course, the pup themself nestled in his arms, wrapped in a checkered blanket that was doused in Nines and Gavin’s unique mixture of scents.
The cherry on top of that was the alpha standing over him and the pup, chest puffed out with pride and keen eyes alert as he protected his family from any potential harm that could come for them. The small smile he would give Gavin as he bent over him, gently caressing the tiny pup with his big, powerful hands would send Gavin’s heart leaping with unfiltered affection and love.
Why am I imagining this? Why do I kind of like it?
Gavin had never been able to see himself being the submissive, patient, mild-tempered and doting person that omegas needed to be when parenting and raising pups. He was tough, tougher than the average omega. He wasn’t cut out for the life of a submissive house-omega.
So, why was he imagining it and liking the image?
Damn omega hormones… making me think I want this when I don’t.
Taking a few deep breaths, Gavin forced himself to calm down and control his scent. It was easier said than done as it took him several long moments to get himself back under control. He was really lucky nobody had come into the bathroom while he had his mental crisis.
Shoving the pregnancy test into the inner pocket of his leather jacket, Gavin pushed the door open with force, glaring at anyone who looked his way as he stalked across the bullpen. Just an ordinary day with ordinary Gavin. Nothing to see here.
As Gavin went about his work, he noticed the blue flicker of Nines’ eyes from his periphery as he took periodic glances at him. That wasn’t exactly unusual for Nines but when Gavin finally locked eyes with him, ready to flash a fake smile his way, the alpha’s eyes were wide with concern.
Fuck, I’m scenting again, aren’t I?
He had to be because when Gavin took a deep breath, he nearly choked on the overpowering scent of an overprotective alpha. There was no doubt it was coming from Nines as he kept turning his head this way and that, trying to find what was distressing his omega. It would’ve been sweet and really fucking hot if there actually was a physical threat, but unfortunately Nines wouldn’t be able to protect him from the thoughts in his head.
Ignoring Nines’ worry, Gavin buried himself in his work, devoting half his focus on keeping his pheromones to an acceptable level. He really didn’t need Nines attacking anyone who came close to him out of concern that they were there to threaten his mate. Or rile up the other alphas in the precinct with the scent of a distressed omega.
A pregnant, distressed omega. Fuck, he was lucky the alphas hadn’t started ripping the place apart in search of the threat. God knew nothing riled up an alpha’s feral instincts like an omega seemingly without protection while they were carrying pups.
Eventually, Gavin had to excuse himself to the break room to get away from Nines. It wasn’t that he found his protective scent unpleasant but knowing that there was going to be no relief for him was making Gavin feel guilty, which in turn would just amplify his distress scent.
Gavin was beyond grateful when he spotted Tina on her phone in the break room sipping from a cup of coffee. His best friend and fellow omega lifted her gaze to Gavin, smiling broadly when she saw him. Her happy pheromones lifted Gavin’s mood enough to dispel the distress scent for a bit.
“I just made a pot. Get it while it’s hot,” Tina told him with a gesture to the coffee machine. Gavin made his way to the machine, grabbing a cup and getting his usual fixings out only to pause as he reached for the pot.
Wasn’t coffee bad for pregnancies? He swore he could remember hearing that somewhere but ultimately couldn’t have cared less at the time to listen and commit the fact to memory.
One cup isn’t going to kill me… or the pup. I hope.
“Do you know what’s got Nines all riled up?” Of course, Tina noticed Nines’ scent.
His friend was giving him a knowing look as he came over to stand beside her, coffee in hand. Once he settled beside her, she grabbed Gavin’s wrist and offered hers in return, rubbing his scent on either side of her neck as he did the same to her. Tina was the only other person Gavin let scent on him, other than Nines of course.
However, once Tina was done, she gave Gavin a confused look, sniffing her shoulder as she tried to take in more of Gavin’s scent. “Did you just get out of heat?”
Fuck, he couldn’t smell that different. “Uh, no. That was a couple months ago.”
“Change your meds?” Tina tried again.
“No.”
“Hmm, that’s weird. You smell different than usual. Like, way different.”
“It’s probably the stress. Nines and I got a new case… high profile, wanted for double homicide, the works, y’know?” Gavin lied. He and Nines hadn’t gotten a new case in at least a week and their last one certainly wasn’t anything that serious.
“Ah, that’s what’s got Nines in alpha mode, huh? Nothing like a murder to make an alpha extra protective of his omega.” Tina elbowed Gavin’s side playfully, sending a suggestive wink his way.
Gavin played along with the sentiment before settling into a normal conversation with Tina. Despite having lied to his best friend, he ended up relaxing more and more as they fell into their usual banter. Thank God for Tina and her feisty yet bubbly personality.
As Tina’s break came to an end, Gavin reluctantly let her go, but not without scenting her one last time. Tina was happy to reciprocate, nuzzling into Gavin’s neck as they hugged. However, as Tina pulled away, Gavin grabbed her wrist, suddenly desperate to keep his friend by his side for a bit longer.
“Do you… do you think we could hang out tomorrow? Just you and me?” Gavin asked, his scent shifting to his pleading aroma.
“Omega party?” Tina asked, using their not-so-secret term for when they needed to spend time with an omega one on one. He nodded. “Of course! I’ll be there at eleven. We can order food, pig out and watch a movie, yeah?”
Gavin let out a breath of relief at Tina’s easy-going nature. He nodded again, whispering a quiet ‘thank you’ to the omega as a final way of showing his gratitude. Tina mouthed back ‘anytime’ before pulling away from Gavin once more, the other omega letting her go this time.
He could make it to tomorrow.
Later that evening, Nines and Gavin made their way home together, as they did any other night. However, this time, there was an undeniable tension between them. Nines had inquired several times about Gavin’s state, though Gavin only gave him vague answers. He was tired, he had a headache, he was stressed, his stomach hurt (that one was kind of true though).
Nines wasn’t buying a single one.
And why would he? Gavin never held back when there was something bothering him. If he knew his alpha could make the situation better, he would let him do just that. It made Gavin relax and Nines happy to be able to do his duty as an alpha. It was a win-win for both of them. And if he couldn’t do anything, he’d still tell him as there was usually no point in keeping secrets from the alpha.
As soon as they were home, Gavin had gone off to shower while Nines started on dinner. Even from the bathroom, Gavin could catch the scent of Nines preparing his favorite meal, making his heart swell at his alpha’s genuine concern for his wellbeing. He took a quick shower, not liking the act of washing away Nines’ scent from his body but knowing it was necessary to get rid of all the other lingering scents and odors before climbing into bed.
As he went around the room, drying off and picking up clothes to wear, Gavin didn’t even realize he was grabbing things that weren’t his. Even when the shirt he slipped over his head dwarfed his body in size, he didn’t think much of it until he made his way to the kitchen, the scent of his mate lingering around his neck and the air bringing comfort.
Once Nines’ keen blue eyes landed on him and he stared at him in confusion, he knew he’d done something out of the ordinary. “You’re wearing my clothes?”
It was more a question than a statement as the alpha analyzed him. Finally looking down, Gavin realized his mistake when he saw himself wearing the t-shirt Nines wore to bed last night.
“Yeah? Is it really so weird for an omega to steal their alpha’s clothes?” Gavin retorted, more defensively than he had intended. His arms crossed over his chest, giving away his clear insecurity at being called out.
“No. You just don’t normally do that unless you’re going into heat.” Nines absentmindedly returned to his cooking only to pause as he processed his own words. “Wait, you’re not going into heat, are you?”
“No.” Gavin told him quietly.
Nines continued to watch Gavin for longer than felt comfortable before he turned the burner down on the stove and approached him. Gavin took a step back as Nines crowded into his space, sniffing around his neck. The omega began pleading to a God he didn’t believe in that he wouldn’t notice the oddity in his scent.
Thankfully, the alpha moved on relatively quickly. He placed a gentle hand on his cheek as he seemingly gauged his temperature with the front and back of his hand. “You feel a bit warm. Are you sure it’s not a heat?”
“Yes Nines. It’s not a heat.” Gavin swatted at the alpha’s hand, forcing him to remove it, however the worried look in his eyes didn’t go away.
“Are you feeling okay though? I mean, you said you had a headache and stomachache. Maybe you’re coming down with something?”
Gavin scowled as Nines continued to fret over him. It was sweet, yes, but he couldn’t help but feel interrogated by the alpha. And knowing Nines, he wouldn’t just drop it until he got his answer. “Nines, chill. I’m fine. I’m just tired and stressed.”
Nines didn’t look convinced but didn’t say anything more as Gavin pushed out of the alpha’s bubble. Throwing out an excuse of needing to lie down, Gavin retreated to their bedroom, only to find himself grabbing a few blankets and pillows to build a makeshift nest on the bed. Whatever, he needed the comfort and it wasn’t like he hadn’t done that before when he was stressed out.
An hour later, Gavin was quietly meditating with his eyes closed as he brought the anxiety down on his own. A soft knock on the door brought him out of the calm state he was in and when he opened his eyes, he saw Nines poking his head through the door. The delicious scent of food wafted around him, making Gavin’s mouth water.
“May I come in?” He asked and Gavin nodded.
Entering the room, Nines stalked calmly over to the nest, offering Gavin the plate of food and setting a glass of water on the nightstand. Gavin took it gratefully, taking a few small bites and melting at the comforting taste. He hoped the food wouldn’t bring back the nausea he had been experiencing lately.
However, what wasn’t making him feel good was Nines watching him carefully again, making Gavin’s skin prickle as he felt like he was under a microscope. He knew Nines meant well, that he was just worried for Gavin as he was still letting off faint distress scents. But, after being analyzed by the alpha all day and constantly reminding himself to be normal, the watchful gaze of his mate was more infuriating and annoying than anything.
It didn’t take long for Nines to push against a boundary Gavin hadn’t even realized he was putting up. With one knee on the bed, Nines asked him, “May I join you?”
“No.” Nines wasn’t the only one shocked by Gavin’s quick answer.
Gavin had never denied Nines from joining him in his nest. Even when he was miserable or grumpy or just in a generally bad mood, Gavin always welcomed the alpha in with open arms. His mate had a special touch when bringing Gavin’s distress down and he wasn’t usually keen on denying that relief. After all, why would he stay feeling shitty if his mate could make him feel better?
But now, the thought of having Nines in the nest with him was sickening. This was his safe space, where he could be vulnerable and his true self. Right now, he couldn’t be that in front of Nines. Not yet anyway.
Gavin watched from the corner of his eye as Nines immediately withdrew from the nest, taking several steps back. His heart ached and flipped in protest as he watched the alpha step away, a bewildered and hurt look on his face. The scent of his rejection was quickly overpowering his calming one and Gavin’s heart beat faster as the scent brought on a bout of anxiety.
“I didn’t mean to… I just wanted…” Nines trailed off, clearly beside himself at Gavin’s rapid change in behavior. Gavin was about to take back his rejection, his heart screaming at him to comfort the alpha, but Nines beat him to it. “I’ll… I’ll be in the living room if you need me. Just yell or whine or… whatever. You know I’ll come running.”
And with that, Nines quickly retreated out the door. No goodbye kiss or scenting. Just a quick escape like he couldn’t stand being in the room any longer knowing he might be the cause of Gavin’s sour mood.
The scent of the food laying abandoned in his lap suddenly brought on a wave of nausea and he had to set it aside, willing himself not to vomit. Once the feeling subsided, Gavin opened his eyes to find them blurry with tears. Blinking them away wasn’t an option as they just cascaded down his cheeks, dampening his skin and bringing on a deep feeling of sorrow.
What had he just done?
Gavin woke the next morning, curled around Nines’ pillow and clutching it tightly. He couldn’t remember falling asleep, only recalling the amount of crying he’d done when the tacky, puffy eyed feeling persisted as he became more cognizant.
Sitting up, Gavin scented the air and realized that the plate of food that he only ate half of was gone and the scent of his mate was becoming stale. Nines hadn’t come to bed at all then.
Gavin rose from the nest, quickly going to the bathroom and once more willing the nausea to go away before setting out to search for his alpha. It wasn’t a very long search though, as Gavin found him as soon as he entered the living room.
The alpha was sprawled out on the couch, long legs falling off the side as he was too tall to be sleeping on the piece of furniture. An arm was thrown over his eyes in an attempt to block out the sunlight filtering in from the windows. He was still wearing his work clothes from yesterday, now crumpled and wrinkled to match his mused bedhead. Gavin had to suppress a grimace when he noticed the odd angle his neck was tilted at, knowing he was going to be sore once he woke up.
It was one of the most adorable sights he’d ever seen.
Unable to be apart from his alpha any longer, Gavin pattered over to the couch, no hesitation as he crawled on top of the alpha. Lowering himself so he was chest to chest with him, Gavin pushed his head into the crook of his neck, inhaling deeply and nearly getting high from the intoxicating scent of his mate.
A tentative hand came up to stroke through Gavin’s hair, telling him that Nines was awake now. Gavin simply purred at the touch, snuggling closer to the alpha. His other arm came to loosely wrap around his back, sending pleasant shivers up Gavin’s spine as his hand went underneath his shirt, lazily running his nails over it.
“Are you feeling better?” Nines asked, his voice low and gravely with sleep.
“Yes.” No. “I am now. When I said I didn’t want you in the nest, I didn’t mean all night.”
“I didn’t want to upset you more,” Nines said honestly.
Gavin lifted his head at that, looking Nines in the eye briefly before pressing his lips against his in a sweet kiss. As he pulled away, he said, “I don’t know why you chose me to be your mate. You’re too good to me.”
“Do you need a reminder?” Nines lifted his hips slightly and ground them into Gavin’s in a teasing gesture, making the omega chuckle.
“Maybe later.”
With that, a comfortable silence surrounded them as they cuddled together on the couch. Gavin found himself dozing after a bit as the comforting scent of his mate wafted around him, calming him and putting him into a docile state. He even noticed that his nausea had disappeared after a bit, and for that he made sure to send back his own soothing pheromones to the alpha in return.
However, despite the blissfully domestic moment the two were sharing, eventually they did need to get up as Nines asked Gavin if Tina was still coming over. Almost forgetting that Gavin had made plans with the other omega, he confirmed said plans and began going about his morning routine while Nines texted his brother asking if he wanted to hang out.
Before long, there was a knock at the door and Gavin excitedly opened it, embracing his best friend as soon as she came in. Quickly scenting each other, Gavin welcomed her further in and she made herself at home. Just as she’d always done.
“Bleh! It smells like alpha in here!” Tina teased as soon as she saw Nines.
“Hello Tina,” Nines greeted with an amused smile.
She eyed the alpha up, clearly noticing his more than disheveled state from his less than restful sleep on the couch. “Hey Nines. You look… alive.”
“The perks of sleeping on the couch.”
“Uh oh. Trouble in paradise?” Tina asked, glancing between the mated alpha and omega but Gavin simply shook his head to dispel her inquiry. Even if it was somewhat true.
“Nah, I just didn’t feel good last night and Nines, being the ever chivalrous gentleman, decided that that meant I needed the entire bed to myself.” Gavin said.
“Better than getting kicked in my sleep while you toss and turn.” Nines teased back.
This was nice. The humorous, lighthearted teasing and banter was putting Gavin at ease. A pleasant, happy aroma reserved for those closest to each other filled the room and Gavin couldn’t help himself from feeding off the vibes.
After all, he needed all the good feelings he could get before he dropped his baby bomb on Tina.
After a few more rounds of back and forth banter, Tina eventually began pushing Nines towards the door, telling him that alphas were no longer welcome in their sanctuary. Gavin played along, knowing Tina meant well and was only joking, but he didn’t miss the subtle flash of hurt on his face as he was kicked out for the second time.
Before the alpha could go, Gavin pulled him in for a deep kiss, rubbing his neck against his to scent each other in the hope it comforted him a bit before he went. Gavin didn’t believe he hit his mark as Nines gave him an obviously fake smile that didn’t reach his eyes before bidding the two omegas goodbye.
Despite the guilt that Gavin felt, it wasn’t hard to settle in with Tina as they started their ‘omega party’. Gavin knew it was important for omegas to spend one on one time with each other without the presence of an alpha or beta to disrupt the environment. He remembered learning in school that it was necessary to keep an omega’s mood stable and prevent depression, so much so that once a month there was a session at the community center in the city to make sure omegas got the care they needed.
Gavin had never attended one, believing he was stronger than the average omega. However, he had to admit to himself that if he didn’t have Tina in his life to spend time with like this, he would have certainly succumbed to chronic depression in no time.
That being said, they settled into the nest Gavin made the night before, although this one had a few special touches just for Tina. Her favorite snack and drink that Gavin always kept on hand was nestled into her corner as well as a spare pillow and blanket that was devoid of Nines’ scent that he had scented with his own pheromones. In return, Tina offered Gavin a hoodie she scented herself which Gavin gratefully pulled on.
They ordered food and settled in to watch one of their favorite movies, cuddling each other once they were done eating. Gavin found himself purring at some point, a blissful content feeling washing over him as Tina twisted locks of Gavin’s hair around her finger absentmindedly.
Once the movie ended, however, the content feeling dissipated as Gavin realized it was time to tell Tina. The scent of overwhelming anxiety rolled off Gavin in waves and Tina jolted up in alarm. Her eyes scanned over him as she tried to find the source of his stress but when she found none, her own anxiety began to become apparent.
“Gavin, what’s wrong?” Tina demanded.
“I - I need to tell you something. And I really need your support rather than judgement.” Gavin nearly pleaded. Tina’s worry amplified as she nodded her head quickly.
“Gavin, please tell me you didn’t cheat on Nines ‘cause I don’t think even Hank or Connor could handle him if he goes feral.”
“No! Of course not! I would never do that to him.” Though Gavin could see why Tina would think that immediately. Just from the five minutes she spent around them, she could tell there was a secret Gavin was keeping from the alpha that was causing a lot of tension between them. “I - I’m… fuck Tina, I can’t say it.”
Gavin shot up from the nest, going to his leather jacket hung in the foyer and grabbing the test that was still resting in the pocket. Tina would get the message if he just showed her it.
Returning to the nest, Gavin settled back in next to her and shoved the test into her hands. For a moment, Tina stared at it like she couldn’t comprehend what she was looking at. However, it didn’t take long for her to realize what Gavin was trying to tell her and she looked at him with an expression somewhere between fear and worry.
“Gavin… please tell me this is a really unfunny joke.” Gavin shook his head, feeling his heart slamming against his chest. “Okay… Is this the only one you took?”
“Yes. I was tight on time and just grabbed the first one I saw.”
“So, it could be a false positive. That happens sometimes, you know.”
“I don’t think it is.”
“But you don’t know that for sure.” Tina told him firmly, leaving no more room for argument. Gavin knew that it wasn’t a false positive, but he was willing to suspend his disbelief in favor of living in Tina’s fantasy world. One where he wasn’t pregnant and just got a bad test.
Tina told Gavin to wait in the nest while she ran to the convenience store to get a few more tests. Gavin had tried to give her his wallet to give her money but she vehemently refused it. It only took her fifteen minutes to get the tests, getting three separate brands this time to make sure it wasn’t just a brand error. Shoving the tests into his hands, she pushed him to the bathroom, waiting outside the door while he did his thing.
Five minutes later, three additional tests lay before them, all of them showing a pink plus sign.
“Maybe they’re all false positives?” Tina offered lamely.
“Tina, what am I gonna do?” Gavin cried, finally letting himself break down when there was absolutely no way he could deny what was happening to him.
“I don’t know, Gav. That’s up to you… and to a lesser extent Nines,” Tina told him, wrapping her arms around him trying to quell his hiccupping sobs. When he stiffened at the mention of the alpha, Tina let out a heavy sigh.
“He doesn’t know, does he.” Tina said, already knowing the answer without Gavin’s weak head nod. “Okay. Maybe we can go on a ‘camping trip’? Omegas only?”
“Nines isn’t stupid, Tina. I’ve never been camping, he’d immediately know I’m lying.”
“Okay you don’t have to tell him it’s a camping trip. It could be literally anything. A trip to Las Vegas or Canada. Hell, you could even tell him we’re going to see my crazy aunt Susan and you’re coming along for moral support.”
Gavin just sobbed harder as Tina tried to come up with solutions to his problem. He really didn’t deserve her as a friend. How he won the best friend jackpot, he didn’t know but he was beyond grateful to have her here.
Eventually, he pulled away and said the thing he’d been fearing the most, tears staining his cheeks and eyes bloodshot. “Tina… I don’t know if I could do that.”
Tina was quiet for a long time after he admitted he didn’t know if he could go through with an abortion. She knew firsthand how powerful omega hormones could be, but from Gavin’s tone, it was clear this wasn’t a thought made just out of a hormonal imbalance alone.
Finally, she sighed and cupped Gavin’s cheek, wiping away the tears with her thumb. She gave him a sympathetic smile, her eyes bright with uncertainty as she worried for her friend. “Gav… You need to tell Nines.”
“I know.” Gavin whispered before another sob wracked his body and Tina quickly wrapped her arms around him once more.
A few hours had passed since Gavin’s admission and he had mostly calmed down since then. Tina had left only a little bit ago, taking with her all the evidence of the tests Gavin took, minus the actual tests themselves. Gavin hid those away, somewhere Nines wouldn’t find them but close enough that when the time came to tell him, he’d have them on hand.
Gavin had texted the alpha telling him Tina and him were done hanging out and that he could come home whenever. When Gavin checked their message log, he saw the message was read but not responded to. Gavin felt a twinge of worry for his mate. It wasn’t like Nines to ignore Gavin like that.
He hadn’t thought much of it at the time, not wanting to work himself up right before Nines got home. He didn’t need to be walking into an apartment filled with his distress smell after he was supposed to be relaxing with Tina all day. So, he busied himself with tidying up the nest. Initially he was going to take it down but when the thought of not having it made him nervous, he decided to keep it up for a bit longer.
Gavin’s phone chimed with a message and he quickly went to go check it, expecting to see a text from his mate but finding one from his brother instead.
Det. Dipshit [4:33pm] – Hey, I know your supposed to be having an omega day with Tina but can you keep an eye on Nines when he gets home? He’s been acting off all day.
That wasn’t good.
Gavin [4:35pm] – What do you mean he’s acting off? It’s not a rut right?
Det. Dipshit [4:36pm] – No nothing like that. Just more quiet than usual. He wouldn’t eat while he was here either.
Det. Dipshit [4:38pm] – I know it’s not my place to ask but you guys are okay right? You didn’t reject him or anything did you?
The word reject tipped Gavin off to what was likely wrong with Nines. It was a well-known fact that alphas were prone to rejection sickness if an omega declines their offers. Usually it happened when an alpha wishes to mate with an omega, only to be rejected. The alpha would usually become quiet and reserved and even depressed, not at all like their usual self.
Gavin had only told Nines no in some way twice. That couldn’t be enough to make him fall into rejection sickness, right?
However, even as Gavin questioned it, it made sense that Nines would get depressed like that. They were mates, not quite bonded as that involved a lifelong commitment, but Gavin couldn’t deny they were certainly headed in that direction. Nines was an alpha, an extremely strong, dominant and capable one at that, who was fiercely protective over Gavin on a normal day. The fact that Gavin was giving off distress scent all day yesterday, refusing to tell Nines what was really wrong and shunning him when he was just trying to do what he was instinctually programmed to do, was only going to make those feelings of rejection that much worse.
Guilt overwhelmed Gavin and he felt a whimper in the base of throat as he realized what he’d done to Nines. Gavin was supposed to build Nines up, boost his ego and dote on him and in return Gavin got ruthless protection and devotion. He was failing at the one role his kind was supposed to blindly follow, making Nines think he was failing too.
Gavin was quick to make adjustments to the nest he’d just tidied up. He wasn’t keeping Nines out of the nest tonight. No way. He needed to be his alpha’s omega now and show him just how much Gavin needed and appreciated him.
When Nines finally returned home, Gavin was waiting for him at the door. Connor hadn’t been exaggerating when he said Nines was acting off. He was hutched over himself, almost trying to appear small despite his imposing figure, and avoiding eye contact. His hair was unnaturally messy, mused and wavy like he’d been running his fingers through it nervously. Dark circles had formed under his eyes too, probably from his lack of proper sleep last night.
He looked weak.
Nines wasn’t supposed to look weak.
Gavin threw himself at the alpha, nearly knocking him off his feet at the assault. Wrapping his arms around his neck, Gavin frantically scented him, noticing the lingering odors of Connor and Hank on his collar. He didn’t want to replace their scents with his own as they were part of Nines’ pack but Gavin’s worry and need to comfort his upset alpha quickly overpowered the other scents.
“I missed you,” Gavin told him, nuzzling into his neck and clinging desperately to the taller alpha.
“I was only gone a few hours.”
“Doesn’t matter. I don’t smell myself on you, so you were gone too long.”
It didn’t take long for Nines to embrace the omega back. His scent gradually reverted back to how it normally smelled, rather than the slightly sour odor that was lingering around him, giving away his poor mood.
“Gavin, this isn’t exactly helping to dispel my theory that you’re in heat.”
“Don’t. Please.” Gavin told him, hoping Nines would drop it before Gavin got stressed again and Nines started worrying. “Let me take care of you for once.”
Nines seemed reluctant but eventually let Gavin lead him to the bedroom. Climbing into the nest, Gavin tugged Nines’ hand, inviting him up but the alpha stood stock still next to the nest. Of course, he didn’t want to disrupt Gavin’s safe space after last night.
“Come up. Please. Before I drag you in,” Gavin told him, grabbing his wrist with both hands and pulling once more until the alpha finally relented.
Once Nines was in the nest and Gavin focused on releasing comforting pheromones, it was pretty easy to get him to submit. Seeing the usually powerful and dominant alpha so docile was always a bit of a surprise to Gavin but he had come to adore this side of Nines just as much as his protector side. When Nines was in this mood, he relied on Gavin for everything. And, call it omega instincts, but Gavin secretly craved for these moments when he could take care of his alpha.
Pulling Nines to lay down, Gavin let the alpha rest his head on his chest, his big body curling around Gavin as his arms clung to him. Gavin let a low purr rumble in his throat, sending soothing vibrations to Nines that always seemed to lull him. Running his fingers through his hair, Gavin was glad Nines hadn’t styled his hair as it meant he could play with the soft dark brown waves without getting gel all over his fingers.
As the alpha wound down and Gavin scented Nines’ own extremely relaxed pheromones, he ceased his purrs so he could affirm his alpha.
“You’ve done nothing wrong, Nines. Yesterday… I needed to deal with some things alone and believe me, it wasn’t easy to do so. All I wanted was for you to tell me everything would be okay, because when you tell me that, I always believe it. You’ve never steered me wrong Nines, and that’s because you’re an amazing alpha. The best one I’ve ever known.” Gavin whispered to the alpha. The omega cupped his cheek and lifted his head slightly so he could see his eyes. “I love you Nines.”
Nines’ blue eyes looked like crystals as they gleamed happily at Gavin’s words. Propping his chin on Gavin’s chest, Nines leaned into his hand as he gazed at the omega with all the adoration in the world.
“I love you too Gavin.”
The two simply laid there, completely consumed in their self-created relaxed bliss. Gavin resumed his purring, watching as Nines’ eyes gradually closed as he dozed. Gavin watched the alpha for a bit, mapping out each contour, dip, freckle and mole on his face, committing them all to memory. After a bit, Gavin felt himself also drifting off, his eyes closing and purrs becoming self-soothing to him as well.
However, his eyes blinked open when Nines’ voice rumbled deep in his throat. “I hope you’ll tell me what’s bothering you soon. I hate seeing you so upset.”
“Of course.” I hope I can tell you too Nines…