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It took Henry several years of Alex’s annual, unregulated heats to clock the pattern, and he kicked himself for being less attentive to his omega than he should be. Then, he - with the help of his therapist - learned to let these things go. There is no ideal alpha or omega in the world, and in this relationship, there’s just Henry, and Alex. And Alex’s main tell that his heat is coming is that he goes unnaturally - at least for Alex - quiet.
Alex had gone off of his heat blockers when the stress of law school proved them useless. It had been easier to relinquish a week of his schedule randomly throughout the year than worry about a heat being triggered by every rush of anxiety and panic he ever felt. Henry had fully supported his decision, of course, and he’d gone on protection himself instead, and they used condoms to be doubly sure, because they had known they wanted children one day, but no one wanted Alex pregnant during law school.
Anxiety and excitement spike through Henry’s stomach when he realizes exactly how quiet Alex has gone beside him, cuddled up into his side as they watch Bake Off on the tele with David. The only time Alex is ever this quiet - outside of court - is when he’s sleeping, and after a quick check, Henry can see he’s not. Normally he’d be commenting on the techniques or cheering on whichever designated baker of color has brought it on themself to introduce Paul and Pru to spices beyond Great Britain, or making fun of English people for thinking that peanut butter and jelly is a weird food combination.
He brushes Alex’s bangs away from his face and uses the opportunity to check his temperature surreptitiously. Oh yes, he’s hot. “Alex, darling.”
“Mm?” Alex doesn’t look away from the TV, though as far as Henry can tell, he’s not actually watching it anyway, but staring into space.
“I think we need to have our talk.”
That makes Alex blink, shake his head a little as if to clear it, and sit back against the couch, away from Henry’s warmth. Already, Henry hates him so far away, but it’s important, this piece. “Right, yeah. Yeah, you’re right, baby.”
He blinks some more as Henry hands him his water bottle and texts June, Nora, and Pez that one of their body guards will be bringing David to stay with them for the remainder of the week. The text thread explodes with cheering, even from June, who has made it very clear how much she wants to be an aunt.
When he comes back from gathering up David’s supplies and handing the pup off to Jared, Alex’s eyes look clearer as he sits, cross legged on the couch, the blankets fully thrown off and his cheeks flushed. “Okay, I’m ready.”
Henry sits facing him on the couch, his hand rubbing nervously over the fabric of the back. “Do you want me to be in the room with you for your heat?”
Alex meets his eyes. “Yes.”
“Do you want me to fuck you with my cock?”
“Yes.”
“Do you want me to use condoms?”
Alex’s thoughts are betrayed by the small tip of his lips upward. “No.”
Satisfaction flutters through Henry’s stomach now, but he presses on. “If any of those answers change, what are you going to do?”
“Tell you.”
In both their lines of work, they’ve seen way too many omegas abused to take this lightly, but once the final question is answered, Alex launches himself across the couch, wrapping his arms around Henry’s neck. “Hey, baby.”
“Hello, darling.” Henry returns the embrace, rubbing his hands over his husband’s back before squeezing him tightly. “What do you need right now?”
“Mmmm, this. And to finish the episode so I don’t get spoiled by the internet.”
Henry laughs, loving every inch of his life partner as he pics up the remote to start the episode again. “Then let’s do that.”
He keeps his hand steadily combing through Alex’s curls as they watch in silence. It feels so perfect, so right. And then, when the episode is over, Alex looks up at him with pleasure-blurry eyes, kisses him long and hard, and whispers, “You should put a fucking baby in me.”
Henry groans, his cock coming to immediate attention below Alex’s body. “Here, or somewhere more comfortable?”
Alex whines. “Don’ wanna move, but…bed.”
“Bed it is.”
He wraps Alex’s legs more securely around his waist and stands up, cradling his husband’s body against his.
“God, you’re so insanely fucking hot, it’s not even fair,” Alex complains right before attacking Henry’s neck with his lips.
“Don’t make me stumble, demon, I don’t want to drop you. I would feel awful if I dropped you.”
Alex whines again, but subsides, resting his head on Henry’s shoulder. “Fine. Point stands, though. I don’t know how I bagged you, but thank the fucking gods, huh?”
“The feeling is entirely mutual, my love,” Henry puffs out as he carries Alex up the stairs.
“We’re gonna be daddies.” Alex whispers it against his neck, and despite everything, Henry almost does drop him at the sweet sound.
“Gods willing.” Finally, they’re there, and he can set Alex down on the bed to make his nest while he strips his own clothing to add to the pile.
He loves watching the look of intense concentration on Alex’s face as he makes the perfect nest, pillows here and there, the blankets cleared away to lean sheets that smell of them, and a heavy dose of Henry’s hoodies and pajamas. When he’s satisfied, Alex strips himself and lays down, patting the empty space beside him in one last invitation into his nest.
“Hey, baby,” Alex murmurs when he settles in.
“Hey, love.”
“C’mere and love me up.” Alex’s grin is wide as he opens his arms, and Henry happily moves over, taking his omega partner into his arms and kissing him sweetly.
There will be times this week, Henry knows, where their lovemaking is urgent, fast, filthy. The first time, though, tends to be sweet and slow, and Henry falls into that rhythm now, pushing Alex gently back to the mattress and continuing the kiss. They linger like that for some time; Henry doesn’t know, Alex had banished clocks from his heat nest years ago. For a man who has a million places to be at any given moment, a man whose time is precious, here, in his nest, Alex needs the timepieces gone as a way to shut out that busy world.
As they kiss, one of Henry’s hands cups Alex’s face, but the other works it’s way down Alex’s body, brushing over his erect nipples, sliding down his rib cage and over his hip, stroking the underside of his hard dick with the lightest of touches. Alex willingly parts his legs for the exploration, and the smell of his heat slick permeates the bedroom, making Henry’s brain go fuzzy for a moment. He groans into the kiss, his tongue sliding alongside Alex’s in a mating dance.
His questing fingers continue on through Alex’s wet folds before finding their target, his hot, damp hole, flowering open for Henry’s entrance. Every part of Alex welcomes the invasion, his hips thrusting up to send Henry’s fingers deeper faster.
“Fuck, darling, you’re so ready,” Henry gasps against his lips as his fingers sink into Alex’s wet heat.
Alex just nods, shutting his eyes against visual stimuli. He rolls his hips again and again, signaling what he wants. “Fucking knock me up, Hen-”
With a growl, Henry doesn’t need to be told again. He kneels between Alex’s legs, pressing his fucking beautiful thighs wide with his hands before lining himself up. He watches Alex’s face as his cock presses in slowly, and Alex is nodding, maintaining eye contact with him and nodding his approval, and Henry can’t resist-
He thrusts inside with a firm roll of his hips, and Alex’s eyes roll back in his head as he groans and curses and mumbles about Henry’s magnificent cock. Henry would smile over it if he wasn’t completely enveloped by Alex’s heat and about to lose his fucking brain.
With a grunt, he thrusts again, lowering his body to Alex’s and finding his lips once more. He keeps one hand on Alex’s neck to steady him again, and the other seeks out Alex’s cock between them, leaking all over Alex’s belly. A belly that’s flat now, but gods willing, won’t be soon.
Alex groans at the stimulation, thrusting his fingers into Henry’s golden locks and pulling his face down, down, down to the mating bite over his pheromone gland on his neck. Greedily, Henry suckles at it, bruising it, laving over it, reminding them both of their wedding night mating. One of Alex’s legs comes up, circling around Henry’s hip and helping Henry thrust harder and deeper. He can feel his knot starting to form, starting to catch on Alex’s hot hole, and he works his hand faster and harder, wanting Alex to be quivering in orgasm around him when he locks in.
Alex cries out, his hands clutching at Henry’s hair and the sheets of his nest, spilling between them. With his own shout, Henry bites down on the mating mark, remaking it for all to see how desperately in love with his mate he is, as his knot swells and expands in Alex’s heat and he begins spilling inside, long, hot streams of cum coating Alex’s womb.
With some strength reserve he didn’t even know he had, Henry turns them so Alex is on top, pillowed against his chest now as he drools, eyes glassy, his hole clenching and unclenching around Henry’s knot as Henry continues to come. The little orgasms shiver through both of them while Henry lazily laps at the small amount of blood on his mate’s neck.
A few weeks later:
Henry’s organizing the library at the shelter - again - when the text comes through. He smiles when he feels the special vibration he has set up for Alex, and stops what he’s doing to check it immediately.
He wouldn’t be shocked to see a selfie of Alex, except that his husband is looking rather pale, wan and sick, and he’s obviously in the bathroom at home, and Alex hadn’t told him he’d been feeling ill enough to come home, and, and- and then he sees the stick Alex is holding up in the foreground of the picture that clearly says “Pregnant” on it, and then he clocks the words that had accompanied the selfie:
Alex: Mission Accomplished
Henry is immediately pressing the phone button and walking out, signaling his body guard with a nod of his head. “You absolute demon, darling, I’m coming home right now. Are you feeling okay?”
“Yeah, I mean, except for the random vomiting, I feel fucking fantastic, baby. Get home and celebrate with me.”
“I’ll be right there.”