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1.
“What in the world?”
Dick Grayson glares down at his foot; the heel is sticking out over the back of the shoe. It makes no sense. He’s worn these shoes so many times. They’re his favorite sneakers. There’s no reason why they suddenly wouldn’t fit. He’s too old now for his feet to still be growing.
He tugs the back of the sneaker, but his foot doesn’t slide in.
Huffing, Dick pulls his foot out and grabs the shoe. He stares at the number on the sole.
“9.”
It should say 10; all his shoes are size 10. His feet have been that big since he was sixteen, but that’s not what the shoe says.
9.
The sneaker drops from his slackening grip as a wide grin splits his face. There can only be one logical explanation for this, then. An Omega is testing his patience — to see if he will lose his temper over small inconveniences that pile up. To see if he will be a good mate, or one of those Alphas who utterly fail to control themselves.
Dick’s heart races in his chest.
He’s not at his apartment. He stayed at the Manor last night, because he was exhausted from a long patrol. And the only Omega who has access to the Manor is Jason Todd.
That means — Dick sucks in a sharp breath and collapses back on his bed as a giddy smile overtakes his face.
“Jason wants me as his mate.”
The next while, until Dick either proves himself or fails, is going to be irritating and stressful, for sure. He wouldn’t have it any other way.
2.
Dick checks his reflection in the mirror. Tonight is going to be his and Jason’s first date, and he’s so excited. He’s wriggled into his oldest pair of jeans, the ones that get him cat-called if he wears them out of the house. He managed to find a shirt the exact same color as his eyes, so the blue pops even more than usual.
He’s fresh from the shower, smelling only of himself. No artificial fragrances of any kind. He wants to overwhelm Jason with his own scent, not something that comes out of a bottle. If he plays the night right, maybe Jason will bury his face in Dick’s neck and become addicted to his raw scent-profile.
It’s not often that Dick allows himself such a vulnerability.
At this point he’s spent more of his life wearing scent-blockers than he hasn’t, it seems. So going out in public without some kind of masking agent is nerve-wracking. It feels a little like being naked and a lot like being unarmed.
However, Dick knows Jason will appreciate the show of vulnerability. It’ll be Dick proving that he trusts Jason with who he really is and doesn’t always have to be in control of everything.
“I can do this,” Dick says, rubbing at his bare neck.
Nervous-anticipation fills the air.
Dick chuckles and grabs his cell phone. He’s walking to the front door to leave to pick up Jason when his phone vibrates in his hand. Dick grins at the photo of Jason that appears and taps on the icon to answer the call.
“Hey, Jay, I’m leaving now. I’ll be there—”
“We need to reschedule,” Jason says without a hint of remorse.
Dick squeezes his eyes shut. He thinks about the reservations he booked, and how he had to ask Bruce Wayne himself to call so he could get a table. He stares at the bouquet on the table beside the door that he was about to grab on his way out. He remembers the three nights of sleep he lost, tossing and turning with excitement as he pictured how the date would go over and over in his head.
The scent of bitter-disappointment is so strong it makes his nose scrunch up.
He counts to five, any longer will not reflect well on him, and asks, “Are you sick? Do you need me to bring you anything?”
“No, I’m fine. Baby Bird showed up with all the Star Wars movies and that pout he does. You know the one. I couldn’t break his little heart,” Jason says.
That burns. Knowing that Jason is staying in with another Alpha hurts, even though he knows Jason only sees Timothy Drake-Wayne as a younger brother, and that Tim practically worships the ground Jason walks on in a platonic way.
Dick’s only comfort is that Jason must be really emotionally invested in Dick to test him like this a mere ten days after the shoe incident.
His happiness is only slightly faked with that realization, as he says, “Have fun with Timmy, Jay.”
“Thanks. We will,” Jason says before hanging up.
Dick stares at the background of his phone just long enough to talk himself out of texting Tim an “I hate you so much right now,” before shoving it in his pocket.
He has some flowers that need to go in water so they’ll still be alive for him to deliver to Jason tomorrow.
3.
“That’ll be $96.50,” the Beta with the name tag that reads “Marcie” says.
Dick waits for Jason to pull out his wallet and pay. It’s his turn; he even said, “Next time is my treat,” after they went ice skating together two days ago and Dick paid.
Jason turns to Dick with a sheepish smile and rubs the back of his neck.
“My bad. It seems I forgot my wallet.”
The total for the movie tickets and enormous pile of snacks they chose is less than Tim spends on coffee in a week. But on a policeman’s salary, a rookie at that, it’s money Dick didn’t plan to spend this week. He can easily pull out the black credit card with his name on it that links to Bruce’s account. They all have one like it.
But—
That doesn’t seem right. Dick doesn’t want to court his Omega mate with another Alpha’s money. He wants to provide all the courting gifts and pay for their activities with the money he earned himself.
So he bites the bullet and decides to drop by the Manor more in the next week to enjoy Alfred’s cooking, since his take-out budget is getting decimated.
Marcie shifts her weight with an awkward smile and asks, “Do you need to put some things back?”
“No, I’ve got it,” Dick assures her with a smile.
He takes out his wallet and pays in cash.
“Thank you very much! Please enjoy your movie!” Marcie says.
“You too!” Dick replies automatically, and then blushes when Jason laughs at him. “I mean, have a good rest of your shift. Not the movie, obviously. You’re working.”
Before Dick can dig the hole any deeper, a voice behind them says, “No loitering allowed.”
An Alpha employee of the theater is frowning down at a pup that, honestly, looks homeless. Either that, or he’s really down on his luck. He’s scruffy and wearing worn, ill-fitting clothes. But it’s raining bats and robins outside.
“There you are! You’re late!” Jason admonishes, before walking over to the pup as if he personally knows him.
“Oh! He’s with you? I’m so sorry, Mister Todd-Wayne!”
Dick can’t even muster up the slightest bit of annoyance as Jason pulls out his wallet and hands two twenties to the pup.
Because all he can think is: If Jason will do that for a pup that isn’t his … what will he do for our pups?
4.
Dick bites his tongue.
Because if he doesn’t, he’s going to open his mouth and say exactly the wrong thing.
“Hi Dickie!”
Jason drops into the cafe chair across from Dick’s; he smells like he’s been rolling around in bed with two Alphas. For hours. The odor is so strong that Dick can’t even smell Jason’s personal scent at all.
Dick shoves his hands under his thighs so he won’t reach across the table and possessively rub his scent-glands all over Jason.
“Hi, Jay! How are you?” It’s so hard to force his voice to sound cheerful, but he has to keep the grumbled discontent locked away or he’s going to epically fail this test.
Dick knows Jason isn’t a cheater. Omegas in general are disinclined to unfaithfulness, but he’s heard Jason rant on the topic more than once. Saying stuff like, “Why didn’t they just break up first?” and “Cheating bastards!” and other things along those lines.
Since Jason started testing this courtship, there’s no way he would ever cheat on Dick. Jason didn’t really spend the day, night, whatever in bed with other Alphas. It’s just a test to see if Dick will trust him, will trust that he won’t wander, whatever the first scent-impression Dick gets on seeing Jason might be.
A slow inhale reveals the scent of sweat and Alpha-arousal, but no other bodily fluids. Jason probably subjected himself to a club, which Dick knows he hates, just for this test.
Jason’s cheeks flush red and he ducks his head the slightest bit, pleased-embarrassment wafting off him. It’s strong enough to block out the scent of the other Alphas for a few seconds.
“I’m okay,” Jason says.
“Have you had lunch yet?” Dick asks.
“No.”
Dick hands Jason half of his BLTs and grins when Jason shivers as their fingers brush against each other. Soon enough, if Dick doesn’t slip up and fail one of the tests, he intends to have Jason shivering beneath him, a mewling mess of pleasure.
He can’t wait.
5.
Nightwing stalks across the rooftop to where the Red Hood is leaning against a gargoyle, watching the last rays of the sun as it sinks beneath the horizon. He wraps his arms around Jason from behind.
Before he can say anything, Jason says, “I won’t move to Blüdhaven.”
Nightwing jerks, as if he’s been socked right in the solar plexus.
“I’m Gotham born and bred. This is my territory.” Red Hood looks over his shoulder at Nightwing and says, “I’m not joking. I won’t leave Gotham.”
That—
Nightwing closes his eyes behind his domino mask and struggles to sort out his feelings. He left the nest, stopped hiding beneath Batman’s wing, and branched out. He fought with Bruce about it over and over. Things were so contentious for a while that it almost snapped their pack bond.
He’s built a life for himself in Blüdhaven.
Dick has a favorite coffee shop and a favorite bakery. He knows the little Indian lady who makes the best curry he’s ever had by name. His neighbors take each others’ packages inside their apartments to keep them safe from thieves and then personally deliver them as people get home from work. He’s even managed to make friends with some cops on the force who actually aren’t dirty.
In Blüdhaven, the air smells better but the light pollution is worse.
The people are more likely to litter, but less likely to jaywalk. They’ll be friendlier when you can see them and crueler behind your back. They’ll say, “I’m innocent, Officer,” to his face while holding the evidence that proves they’re guilty in plain sight.
Blüdhaven isn’t beautiful, but it’s been his for a long time now.
Dick has bled for the city. He’s cried himself to sleep over failing to save people. He’s broken bones and been stabbed and shot and hospitalized in his mission to keep it safe. Dick’s given Blüdhaven pieces of himself that he will never get back.
Yet … Dick tightens his hold on Jason. Jason might not be the perfect Omega, but he’s the perfect Omega for Dick. He always has been.
In the end, it isn’t a choice at all.
“I’ll live anywhere as long as you’re at my side,” Dick whispers.
Because he will. A place will never be as important to him as the people who are precious to him. He would follow Jason anywhere.
Jason leans fully into Dick, and they watch the sun set over Gotham together.
+1
Dick sprints down the hallways in the Manor, careening into walls without a care for the bruises he’ll have tomorrow.
There are no blankets or pillows or linens of any kind in his bedroom. They’re all missing. Every single one. And when he went down to dinner — a dinner Jason didn’t show up for — his bed was mussed but had blankets, sheets, and pillows.
It doesn’t take the World’s Greatest Detective to deduce that Jason took them.
Dick’s blood races through his veins as he gets nearer and nearer to Jason’s bedroom. Because if he’s right — if Jason’s nesting with Dick’s bedding — then Dick passed all of Jason’s tests. And if Dick passed all the tests, that means—
He takes a deep breath as arousal surges through him.
Skidding to a stop so hard that his ankles ache, Dick knocks on the door to Jason’s suite of rooms in the Manor, his den.
“Who is it?”
“As if you don’t know,” Dick grumbles under his breath, “you tease.” He smooths his hair, straightens his clothes so he doesn’t look desperate, and answers, “It’s Dick!”
“Oh, good,” Jason says as he answers the door, “because I need yours.”
Dick almost chokes on the scent of honey and milk.
Jason … Jason’s in heat.
And he apparently built his heat nest out of Dick’s blankets and sheets and pillows. The room smells like a beautiful blend of their scents.
A grin spreads across Dick’s face as he slips in the room after Jason and closes and locks the door behind him. He can’t help the predatory stalk he falls into as he crosses the distance between him and Jason. Dick rubs his thumb over Jason’s swollen mating gland and feels primitive triumph knowing he won such a fierce Omega.
Every second of the time it took to reach this point was worth it.
Now?
Well, now Dick gets to enjoy the fruits of his patience.
Dick licks Jason’s neck, grinning against the hot skin as Jason shakes in his arms, and then purrs, “Well, never let it be said that I deny my Omega what he needs.”
He grinds his hips into Jason and bites down. The mating bond snaps into existence, vibrant and powerful and overwhelmingly right.
Jason’s pupils blow wide and he floods the room with voracious-need.
“Dick, please!”
A growl rips from Dick’s throat. He’s never heard Jason beg for anything in his entire life; he really likes that Jason is begging for him. It makes him so hard he aches.
"It's yours, Jay."
Not long after, desire-pleasure-joy thick in the air, Dick discovers that — unlike the size 9 sneaker that started this all — Jason fits a different part of him impeccably.