a/n: Wow. Okay. Sorry for the long wait in updating (again), but these things take a little time, you know? Will include some "Pilot" tidbits. Hope you enjoy.
~ It's Father's Day and Felicity and Thea are set on watching Rebecca so the boys can go out and have their first date. But things don't go quite as planned when Alphas of a not-so distant past target the couple. ~
Warning/Spoilers: Violence, death,
aRRoW
—In Life
12: Merlyn-luck
Tommy sat at the kitchen table in a pair of sweats and watched as Felicity worked on her computer, her fingers flying over the keyboard. "Have I ever told you how awesome your hacking skills are?" his elbow was on the table, his cheek in his palm. He grinned at her.
"You keep talking like that, and I'll forget that you're a taken man, Mr. Meryln." She smiled at him, her fingers not even hesitating on the keyboard. "He just entered the building," Felicity said. She quickly shut the program down and turned on the cam on her laptop lid, blackened the screen, and shifted it on the table so that it took in the view of the living room.
"Ollie!" Tommy called, "He's going to get here any minute!"
"I heard." Oliver came from Tommy's bedroom, Rebecca in his arms. After a successful night of sleep with Tommy at the mansion for his birthday, the Alpha had been spending most of the weeks night with the Omega in his arms, his daughter in the next room and a night not plagued by nightmares. "Are you sure you want to go through with this?"
"You say that like it's a bad idea," Tommy took Rebecca. Oliver and Felicity shared a look. "I saw that," even as his attention wasn't on them, but his cooing daughter. "It'll be fine. Now places,"
Oliver rolled his eyes, but pressed a kiss to Rebecca's forehead, then Tommy's lips. "I hope you're right," and the Alpha retreated back into his room.
Tommy bounced his daughter on her feet on his thighs, looking at the outfit that Oliver had dressed her in after he'd changed her. "Cannibalism is still illegal, right?" because she looked so cute, even if it was pink. Hopefully she'd grow out of that.
She raised her dark brow at him. "You have to ask?"
"Damn," he cursed quietly. He addressed his daughter, his tone light, "It looks like you get to live another day, baby girl." She baby-babbled at him, grabbing at his face. He kissed her fingers.
Felicity laughed and shook her head. "You are so lucky that she won't retain memories until she's at least three. Because some of the things you do and say... I think she'd disown you out of pure principle."
"I still have a few more years, then." Is what he took out of the conversation. He set the pup's bum on the edge of the table, holding her steady.
"Yeah. You better get it all out now." She mused. "Give yourself a fighting chance later in life."
"Aye-Aye!" he gave her a chummy salute, then proceeded to put Rebecca's chubby little foot in his mouth. "Num num num." She squealed in delight at the action.
"I thought we talked about the cannibalism?"
"It's not cannibalism if I don't swallow right?" he mumbled around her toes. "It's like chewing gum."
"What have I just walked in on?" Roy questioned, their target at hand, standing in the apartment doorway. He closed it and approached the pair slowly.
"Um..." Tommy straightened and wiped the saliva from around his mouth, doing the same to Rebecca's foot with his sleeve.
"Have we finally decided to eat Rebecca before the real-world toughens her up too much?" Oliver questioned, coming out on his cue as dictated, in a tone so solemn it could be nothing but a true statement. He'd play along, just out of pure curiosity now that the Beta was actually here.
"Are you— You can't be—" Roy looked between the three of them; worried, and very unsure if they were joking or not. They were very fucked up people. "Do I need to commandeer this baby?" he asked seriously.
Tommy flashed his brows at the other two: here we go! "Roy—have you seen this baby? Look at her." He held Rebecca slightly aloft at the blond. "So damn adorable, she's edible. That's a thing; ask Felicity."
"It's true." Felicity nodded as Roy glanced at her. "I found a forum online about it. Did you know that people consume the placenta after birth? It's very nutritional. The same things happens with their young—it's just nature, Roy."
Roy was super pale and even looked a little green at what Felicity just described. Oliver and Tommy looked at her impressed at the unexpected tidbit and not a little weirded out.
"See?" Tommy looked back at Roy. "And we can always have another baby." He nodded his chin at Oliver. "We're still young and Mr. Alpha here knocked me up without even trying—"
"Enough!" Roy held up his hand.
"What—" Tommy started.
"I can't tell if you're joking or not," the red-hooded Beta admitted, "But you're freaking me out. So I'm just going to take her away until I figure it out." And Roy closed the distance between him and the Omega, took Rebecca out of his hands (who gave no fight what so ever), and backed up. Her back was against his chest, an arm under her supported her bum and thighs, his other hand over her tummy as security. He blinked as there was a flash, and he found Felicity had stood and whipped out her cell phone and was taking pictures. "What are you doing?"
"Proof, of course!" she chirped. She stopped taking pictures and sent a text with a picture attachment to Thea.
"Proof?" he asked.
"Yes," she popped the 'p' and slid her cell into her jean pocket.
He looked at all of them, then at the crown of Rebecca's head—and realization dawned. "Shit! I'm holding a baby! What's happening? Am I doing it right? Is she alright? Someone take her before I drop her!" he completely and utterly freaked-out.
Tommy stood and approached him. He squeezed his shoulders gently. "You're not going to drop her." He assured in a calm voice. "You're doing just fine. Look at her."
Roy gulped and looked back down at her. Her head was leaned back against his chest, blinking up at him curiously, her little arms reaching up and grabbing at his square chin. Her blue-pools swallowed him. "God. Okay." Damn she was cute. He tore his gaze away. "Haha. I fell for your trick to finally hold her. Well played, guys. You're probably not baby-eaters so I feel alright about leaving Rebecca in your care again—you can take her back now."
"Oh, no, no, no." Tommy backed up and held his hands up as Roy tried to give him his daughter back. "We," he indicated himself, Oliver, and Felicity, "Have to run out for a minute for a quick errand that will take no more than a minute to about thirty, maybe an hour, that will take the three of us specifically. So, we'll just leave you here with Rebe. Alright?"
And the three swooped for the door, Felicity grabbing her bag from the back of the chair.
"What?" Roy turned. "No. What do you mean? Tommy!" he shouted after them, but before he could even think about taking a step after, the apartment door was already closed. "Guys!"
The threesome quickly crossed the hall to their lovely neighbour and entered his apartment without so much as a knock or warning, closing the door behind them. Tommy and Felicity quickly took up residence on Diggle's couch, the blond pulling out her second laptop and opening it on the coffee table. She took it out of sleep mode and it instantly connected to the cam on her other laptop back in the apartment on the table like she'd programmed it to.
The feed of Roy came up on the screen, with sound too. Oliver leaned over the back of the couch to see the screen as well. Roy was still in the same spot, still stuttering.
Diggle came out of his bathroom, and faint billow of steam following him out, fresh from a his shower. A white towel was wrapped around his waist. He paused as he found three interlopers in his living room. Oliver seemed to be the only one to notice. The two Alphas met eyes, gave silent nods, before separating.
"Merlyn," the Alpha growled low, focusing on the dark-haired man, "Explain."
Tommy just waved a hand at him, focused on the screen.
It was Felicity who answered, after jolting a little at the man's unheard entrance. "Sorry for kind of, probably actually breaking into your apartment, John." She turned on the couch and finally caught sight of him and gaped a little. "Oh, hello John's chest and other nice man b—oh, my God! I'm sorry!" She slapped a hand over her face and flamed red.
Tommy snickered next to her, but he finally answered the Alpha. "We finally managed to trick Roy into holding Rebecca." He flashed a grin a Diggle. "Scripted and directed by moi, of course."
"Of course," he sighed. He muttered, "Poor kid." He ran a hand over his buzz. "You've got half-an-hour, Merlyn." He turned and headed for his bedroom to get dressed.
"Thanks, Dig!" Tommy called after him and focused back on the feed.
Roy was pacing now. In a sort of panicked one-two step; looking like he might be hyperventilating.
"Are you sure he can handle this?" Oliver asked.
"He'll be fine. He's very caring and protective." Tommy waved his concern away. "You know his mom and sister were Omegas—he's very in tune with his responsive instincts. He just needs a little push..." and as if on cue from 'the director' himself, Rebecca started to snivel then cry, not liking the jolting pace, sensing the Beta's anxiety. Tommy clapped and cheered, "That's my baby girl!"
Roy froze. "Oh, God. Oh, God. Oh, God." He uttered in pure terror, and then it was like another mask was snapped into place over his face as the Beta-care that Tommy was talking about, kicked in. Roy turned the fussy Rebecca in his arms and started to sway and rub her back. "You're okay. Everything's okay. Shhh," Tommy remember that almost exact same tone of voice when Roy had saved him from those Alphas then stayed with him the entire time to the hospital. "Hey. Hey. That's it." The pup quieted, rubbing her face on Roy's shoulder. Tears, snot, slobber, the Beta didn't seem to mind. He kept up the soothing tone, "There you go. I don't blame you. You're dad's a little crazy, but you came out alright though. Did they think that I didn't notice that they all ran out of here without shoes?"
"Whoops!" Tommy agreed, raising his foot and wiggling his fuzzy sock clad foot. He'd found these things at a bargain in Giant Tiger, a store that he'd never been before and Felicity had taken him after he was cut off—and they were fucking amazing!
"So I am definitely putting itching powder in his underwear drawer or something of that uncomfortable nature for thinking he could pull this on me without consequence." Rebecca babbled at him. "Oh, there's no offence to you. It's a principle thing. I'll explain when you're older. But don't worry, I'll think of something good." He bounced her lightly, circulating the living room as he thought.
"Wha—!" Tommy protested. "Why only me?"
Felicity patted his knee. "You wrote the script and directed this whole thing, didn't you? Oliver and I were just a couple of unpaid extras." He pouted at her.
Oliver gave his head a little shake. "I did warn you," was his implied told you so.
"In fact, they're all pretty crazy." Roy said. "Your other dad, and Aunt 'Licity."
Felicity started to protest, but quickly gave it up. "No, he's right."
"But luckily for you, I'm a pretty regular guy and on account that I'm your God Uncle," calling himself the God Father, though pretty funny and cool sounding, still didn't sit right with him, so he was sticking with uncle, "So I think that evens out the weirdness."
"Not even close, Roy." Diggle shook his head, having dressed and finally joined them, just in time to hear those last bits. "You are some kind of weird, evil, son of a bitch, Merlyn."
"Why thank you." Tommy gave a seated bow with flourish. "And I only use it for good." He might have just finished it with a cackle. Just a little bit. At least he didn't steeple his fingers.
"No," Felicity muttered, shooting a pointed look at Oliver, "He needs to get out of the apartment."
aRRoW
Felicity was not sitting on the couch in her pyjamas and fuzzy slippers early afternoon on a weekday, surrounded by the wonders of peanut-free chocolate and junk food marvels, binging on Retro Network when there was a knock-knock knock knock on the apartment door.
The blond rolled her eyes at the other Beta and did not even attempt to extract herself from the couch and her goods to answer it. Nor did she call him to enter. He knew they were home. He was being ridiculous. He'd been overly cautious in coming into the apartment for a few months now, announcing his presence clearly before entering.
He was acting like he'd walked in on Tommy and Oliver way too into making-out it couldn't even be categorized as such any longer, which didn't even compare to the truth. Herself, on the other hand, as being the other occupant of this apartment, felt the need to put up various sticky notes as a reminder to the couple that some zones really needed to stay clothing-adorned.
Finally, Roy opened the door like a big-boy Beta and stepped inside. This was one of the few times she'd seen him without his hoodie. But then, she'd only known him in cold weather and it was the beginning of summer now.
Roy raised a brow, surprised to see Felicity on the couch instead of at work at QC. "Are you sick?" he asked cautiously.
She blinked at him for a minute. "Sure," and turned back to the television.
Roy looked at her for a moment before he asked, "Where's Tommy? I got his text. I was just heading in for my shift." He'd managed to snag a part-time gig as a stockroom boy, which made him realize exactly how much Tommy and Felicity overpaid him for being their gofer. "Is there a problem with the—"
"He's in the nursery," she told him.
He paused. "With Rebecca?"
The corner of her mouth out of his view, turned upward. She didn't even look at him. "It's the baby's room, so I think the correct answer is... Yes."
"Is he—"
"Roy," she looked at him pointedly, and pointed down the hall just to help out that much more. "Just go."
Roy gave a little groan, but did what the woman said, passed her and went down the hall. Tommy's bedroom door was half-open, and the Beta stopped just short of being able to see into the room. He knocked pointedly on the door frame to announce his presence.
"Everyone decent?" he called. "Nobody's shirtless in there right? Or I'm questioning why you called me to come over. I like you alright, but you're still not pretty enough to make me swing the other way, Merlyn."
Tommy snorted. "Yes, Roy. Now stop stalling and get in here."
Roy toed the door open with his socked foot and slowly came into the doorway. To his relief, Tommy had a shirt on and was standing at the changing table, finishing snapping up Rebecca's one-piece.
The one time that Roy hadn't knocked, he'd walked in on Tommy breastfeeding Rebecca:
It wasn't a rare occurrence. Tommy didn't go and run to his room, and shut the door like he was ashamed or something when he breastfed.
Hell, he'd sit on the couch in the living room, shirtless, watching TV with Rebe held in one arm feeding her, with Oliver's head in his lap. Tommy wasn't embarrassed about it; It was natural to his biology, it was nature, it was beautiful, it was pure. Oliver still loved to watch. In fact, Tommy probably should show more discretion about it.
When Roy had walked in on him, it was a hilarious reality. There had been exclaims, loud back-throat noises, some deer-in-the-headlights action, spinning-on-heel-rapidly, and hiding-away-in-his-hood as he scrambled-from-the-room.
Tommy blinked at the empty door from where he sat in the rocking chair. He could swear he'd just seen a live-action shot of Road Runner. "Bye!" he called after the blond.
The kid couldn't even look Tommy in the eyes for a week afterward. And much to the Beta's relief, it was a moment that Felicity hadn't managed to record on her cell (even if Tommy instantly blabbed about it to her when she got home from work). She was a speedster at whipping out the thing at 'important moments' or as Roy referred to them 'embarrassing'. Roy was still grouchy that she'd gotten a picture of Oliver hugging him in the gown at the hospital.
"Is it really that different than if I fed her with a bottle?" Tommy asked him when the Beta had actually been able to look at him. "It's the same milk, just in a different... receptacle."
Roy's answer was definite, "Yes." It wasn't that Roy found it disgusting. It just... he felt...uncomfortable watching. It felt intimate and private, like he was intruding on something that couldn't be described with words. ~
"You texted." Roy said. "I'm still getting paid, right?"
"What? My hugs aren't good enough for you?" Tommy picked Rebecca up and held her under the armpits to the Beta.
"Um..." he looked between the Omega and the pup unsure. Was he supposed to take her, or...?
"Say hello," The brunette told him.
"Hello."
Tommy rolled his eyes, kissed the babe, and settled her down into her crib. He wiped the drool from her chin with a spit-up cloth and gave her her pacifier coloured to look like a butterfly. He'd actually just fed her—from a bottle, no less—she was showing signs of teething. The big hint: his nipple was not appreciative.
"Anyway, they're... alright." Roy scratched behind his ear, awkward and embarrassed at the admittance. He shoved his hands into his jeans pockets, why wasn't he wearing his hoodie again? "But they don't pay the bills."
"Alright." Tommy turned to him, his elbow leaning on the rail of the crib. "I'll give you the money... for a hug."
Roy stared at him for a minute before he gave his head a shake. "Felicity was right; you're an extortionist."
He flashed the younger man a grin and casual shrug. "I gotta get my Roy-fix anyway I can. Rules of the street,"
"You... should just not say stuff sometimes, you know that?" he said. "Never mind." He shook his head. "I'll take my chances on the street."
"Too late!" Tommy lunged at him, wrapping him up in his arms before the blond could react.
Roy found his face smushed in the man's chest. He sighed heavily, and stood still as Tommy cuddled him warmly. He closed his eyes for a moment. Tommy's Omega scent, at its base, was similar to all other Omegas, just as all Alphas base were similar. It reminded the Beta of his mom and his sister, of when his life hadn't been that bad, not like some he'd seen in the Glades. It was nice to know that he wasn't alone anymore.
He opened his eyes at the flash behind his eyelids and spied Felicity out the corner of his eye. "Felicity!" he grumbled. So much for sick.
She laughed. "It's for the scrapbook."
Finally, after an extra squeeze, Tommy released him. Roy shrugged and smoothed his ruffled feathers.
"Here you go, little cherub." Tommy leered, holding out his pay. "Buy yourself something nice, huh?" he winked.
Roy snatched it with a fundamental growl. "This feels disturbingly like a prostitution exchange. And I'm leaving now."
"Aw, don't be like that!" Tommy called after him, his voice catching with laughter. "Don't dirty what we have with clinical terms."
Roy shut the door on their chuckling.
Felicity and Tommy looked at each other and burst into laughter, before they shushed each other when Rebecca started to get fussy. They kissed her good-nap before leaving the nursery.
Felicity folded herself delicately back into her vacated spot on the couch, while Tommy sprawled on the other end, his head laid back.
"He's so delicate, sometimes, you know?" he murmured good-naturedly.
She snorted, popping a green Skittle into her mouth. "That's just you beating him down with your mothering-pheromones."
Tommy sighed. "What else am I supposed to do? Rebe's turning on me," he rubbed his peck in remembrance.
"She's growing up—"
"See? Exactly! The more she grows up, the farther she's going to get. We're her whole world right now. First it's teething, then crawling, and then it's straight-up walking. And that's just the beginning, the horrible beginning..."
"—That's what babies do." She patted his shoulder. "She couldn't stay the little genie in-the-tummy forever."
"Breastfeeding was half my excuses for holding her." He pouted. "Now I'm going to have to pump more and just anyone can feed her. I'm a male spinster without a cat."
"You're twenty-seven-years-old, have a child, and Oliver Queen is in your bed nightly." Felicity pointed out. "I think the sentence you're looking for is: I need to get out more."
Tommy groaned, slumping back against the couch. "You're like a broken record."
"A broken record of truth."
Tommy stared at her. "When you say stuff like this, you get this look on your face that only a woman can do. And the next thing I know, you're storming into my room while I'm trying to sleep and taking all my clothes off."
Felicity smirked. "In a completely platonic way. I'm not getting bedded on a regular bases like you, so I have to have some kind of hobby."
"Did you just say 'bedded'?" he laughed.
"It's a legitimate term in this day and age."
"Yeah, in old England!"
"Shut up," and stuffed a cookie into his mouth.
aRRoW
Tommy should not have expected anything else, when it concerned the blond Beta. The loud crack of a party popper being trigger had him jerking up in bed groggily and confused, watching blurry colours rain down on him.
Oliver's body reacted instinctively to the loud sudden noise that could have been a gunshot for all he was aware at the moment. He took an offensive stance, crouched in front of the Omega, ready to make his move.
"Happy Fathers Da—Whoa!" Felicity exclaimed from the door, holding up her hand to block her voice as she got a flash of Oliver that made her cheeks turn hot. "Penis! That's your... oh, God!"
Tommy definitely became more alert as he Scented the threat-response pheromones warning said 'attacker'. He wrapped his hand around Oliver's ankle, shifted onto his knees, sliding his other palm up the lethal curve of the Alpha's back, and lightly squeezed the nape of his neck. "Hey, hey, hey. I'm right here." He reassured softly into his ear. "It's okay. It's just Felicity."
Oliver released a tight breath, and leaned back briefly into Tommy. "Sorry," he muttered, coming back to himself and pulling the blanket up to cover himself.
"No. No." Felicity stuttered, her eyes still covered. "Me—My—I—me fault. My fault! My fault. Sorry. That was just—wow. Big. Nope, nope, nope. I am sorry."
"So you've said." Tommy told her. "Anything else to add?"
"No, it's big enough, leave it alone!" she blurted. "Oh, God. Just stop me any time, okay?"
"I'm pretty entertained right now. What about you, Oliver?"
"No." The blond man disagreed.
"Well, just me then." Tommy noted. "You can open you're eyes now, Felicity. We're covered—mostly."
"Wow. Okay. Note to self: NEVER do that again." Felicity muttered to herself. She finally inched her hand away and opened an eye. "Okay, so... that happened."
"It's like you wanted Oliver to jump you while he's naked, Felicity." Tommy joked. "I bet that was your whole plan in bursting in here without knocking."
"I did not come in here to see Oliver's penis!" she protested—decidedly not able to meet either of their eyes.
Tommy snickered. "Oliver's penis. You just can't stop saying it, can you?"
Oliver sighed. "Thank you, Felicity. And sorry about that. Can you give us a minute? We'll be out in a sec."
"Yeah. Yep." She back away, quickly shutting the bedroom door. Luckily, Thea hadn't come running in at all her exclaiming.
Tommy burst out laughing, falling back onto the bed. "Oh, my God. That was priceless! She's seen me naked a bunch of times and never reacted like that. I think I'm a little jealous. I mean, I know I'm not as big as you, but come on."
Oliver turned to him, leaning over and turning on the bedside lamp, putting light into the dark room with its drawn curtains. "She's seen you naked?" he growled territorially.
Tommy stilled, sucking in a breath as the Alpha's growl reverberated in his blood. "A bunch of times," he said breathlessly.
Oliver pinned him to the bed with his own body, covering every bit he could. "Why?"
"It was only with nothing but platonic intentions when I was pregnant with Rebe. Why? Jealous I was going after another blond? It's not like that with Felicity. Roy, on the other hand..." Oliver growled low in his chest. "Kidding! Kidding." Tommy told him quickly. He should probably give the Beta a word of warning next he saw him.
"You're mine, Tommy." Oliver told him.
"Never said or believed otherwise."
Oliver kissed his hard and dominating. Tommy turned into liquid under his tongue, but for his partially saluted cock between them.
Fuck. The Alpha was angry at himself. He'd once had the opportunity to claim the Omega as his, the proof scarred and bared on his throat. But he'd let the 'Oliver' overrule the 'Alpha'. He couldn't do it here and now, as much as he wanted. He had to be in Rut, Knotted; Tommy had to be in Heat for the Bond to Mate them together.
He would not miss his next opportunity.
Oliver pushed his nose into the Omega's neck, Scenting deeply as Tommy moaned and bared his neck. The Alpha kissed the flesh, grazing it with his teeth. He sucked on the flesh, leaving a mark where he intended to claim the Omega soon. At least tamping down that want temporarily with marking Tommy with a visible hickey, Oliver kissed him again before he sat up.
Tommy gave a little whine as he watched the blond climb from bed. "What happened to her letting us sleep in?"
Oliver chuckled as he slipped on a pair of jeans. "It's noon, Tommy."
Tommy groaned as he sat up and dragged himself out of bed. "Doesn't feel like it." He complained, and scoured his room the his pyjamas that he went to bed in, but didn't sleep in. "We went to bed early, didn't we? Like responsible parents."
"If I remember it correctly... Yes, we did go to bed early." Oliver agreed, slipping on a long-sleeved shirt. "But we didn't get to sleep until late."
"Ah," Tommy nodded slowly, turning to the Alpha on the other side of the bed, both dressed for marginally different times of the day. "Now, if I remember it correctly... my head smacked against the headboard because you pulled an unauthorized move in the dark—concussed me a little, didn't it?" he rubbed his head jokingly (there wasn't even any tenderness or a headache), "Short-term memory loss."
"Ha ha." Oliver went to him and pet his head, the dark-haired man leaning into the caress.
"Mm. I could have sworn that Felicity mentioned coffee and French toast—but that could be the concussion talking." He grinned. He could definitely smell the French toast coming from the kitchen and where there was a kitchen, there was always coffee.
"Go," Oliver told him sternly, pointing to the door.
"Yessir." Tommy gave him a quick kiss, turned on his heel smartly and pulled open the door, marching out and down the hall. Today was going to be great.
Oliver followed after him.
"My three best ladies!" Tommy greeted them in the kitchen. He swooped down on Rebecca first in the high chair. "You're number one, don't tell the others." He whispered to her, kissing her forehead. Oliver gave her the same treatment. "Did you feed her?" he asked, standing.
"And changed her and all the other things you do with babies when their dads are lazy and sleep in until the afternoon." Thea agreed, holding out two mugs of coffee to either man.
"When did you get here?" Tommy thanked her, taking the cup and that delicious first morning or afternoon sip, and sitting at the table.
"Before noon, a time that not in your vocabulary recently, I'm sure." The teen answered.
"What is... Beforenoon?" he joked.
She snorted. "Lame father jokes? Check."
"I aim to please." He looked at Felicity, who had her back turned to them, her attention perfectly excused working at the stove making, you guessed it, French toast. "Hey, Felicity," he said casually, sipping his coffee, "Still relishing that early Christmas present?"
Thea looked confused and Felicity didn't speak. "What are you talking about?"
Felicity groaned when Tommy sniggered. "She should have taken a lesson from Roy... and knocked."
It took Thea two seconds to understand; she made a face and sound that only teenage girls were capable. Tommy appeared to be the only one enjoying this, and Rebecca, who was taking her cues from her dad.
"Aw, poor Felicity!" Thea rubbed the woman's back comfortingly. "I've seen some things too that deserve a good douse of brain-bleach—but for whatever reason, from what I hear, the Health and Safety Board keep sidelining it for safety reasons. Something about putting bleach on your brain that kills you instead of erases memories. It's all very Penn & Teller."
"I'm not sure if I should protest or not." Oliver muttered.
"I can get your reasoning, Thea, Oliver's your brother." Tommy agreed. "But Felicity, this was God answering your secret prayers that I know you send off at night before you go to bed."
"When will you give this up?" Felicity grouched, transferring the rest of the French toast from the pan onto the plate.
"When you stop turning hot and bothered," he quipped. "Which I know will be never!"
"Fine." Felicity rose her chin (definitely pink) and turned to them, putting the stacked plate at the center of the set table. "You can either never mention this again, or not get the gift I got you and Oliver."
Tommy made a noise of protest. "Felicity!" he whined, biting his lip, trying to decide. "How am I just going to not say it?"
"Fine." She gave a long suffering sigh. "Five special occasion where you get to mention it/remind me of it, but that's it." She held up five fingers to emphasize. "I'm keeping count. It you bring it up over five times—I retaliate." She laid out the rules.
Tommy paused at that last bit, his head cocked and a light shinning in his blue-eyes. "And how exactly will you retaliate, Ms. Smoak?" he asked suggestively, his brows wiggling.
Felicity smacked his shoulder and he chuckled. "I will not show you my version of Oliver's penis, Tommy!"
Tommy chocked with laughter into his coffee. He set his cup down and wiped a hand across his chin. He felt like he won every times she said Oliver's penis.
"Can you please not say that?" both Queens piped up.
Felicity and Tommy both looked at them: "Damn that was cute!" they got two Queen raspberries for their consideration.
The Beta and Omega instantly retook the conversation.
"Deal or No Deal?" she cocked a dark brow at him, hands on her hips.
"Deal." He agreed.
They actually shook on it, sealing the terms. They spoke of it no longer, sat at the table, and ate Felicity's yummy French toast.
Finally, they cleared the table.
"Alright," Tommy clapped his hands. "Where's this gift that you were extorting over my head, and going to deny poor innocent Ollie?" he asked the blond.
Felicity rolled her eyes, but went into the living room and came back hauling a heavy wrapped rectangle in her arms, setting it on the table.
Tommy unwrapped it and Oliver smoothed his hand over the album's glossy cover and Felicity's neat calligraphy.
"Wow, that's thick." Tommy noted.
"You don't know the half of it," she said. "Literally. This is only half of them. With as many pictures and videos as I've been taking, I have got my gift-giving for you two covered for the rest of our lives."
Tommy opened the cover. There were two pictures on the first page. One from when he had been released from the hospital after Rebecca, that had a group picture of him, Oliver, Rebe, Felicity, Thea, and Roy. And the one under it was the inclusion of Moira and Walter from Oliver's birthday, feeding Rebecca in the window seat.
They flipped through a few more pictures, and these were ones taken before Oliver had returned to Starling City. Back when Tommy was actually pregnant with Rebecca. This was a part of his daughter's life that he had missed. But now he got to see it through the eyes of Felicity's cell phone. There were even some of when Tommy was in the hospital after his attack at the bus stop, and Oliver finally got to see some of the damaged that everyone refused to go into detail about. His chest tightened and anger ground his teeth. Roy had been their to save him, instead of the Alpha like he should have been.
Tommy squeezed his arm and closed the album.
"Thank you, Felicity." Oliver murmured gruffly. She nodded.
"Okay." Thea piped up. "Close your eyes." She told Tommy.
"Alright." He sighed, but did as he was told. "Why just me?" he wondered aloud.
"Because I said so," the Alpha teen put it so eloquently, before she scampered from the kitchen.
"Well, I can't argue with that."
Oliver chuckled quietly as she returned, set something on the table in front of him, and commanded him to open his eyes. Tommy did and stared at the her Father's Day gift.
"Wow. I've gotten flowers before, but never a full-blown plant." Tommy remarked, turning the clay pot slowly and examining it. It wasn't a fern or a cactus.
"Who's given you flowers?" Felicity wondered.
He spared her a glance. "Women. Women have given me flowers before."
"What women?"
He looked at her seriously. "You expect me to remember their names?"
"Wow." Felicity gaped at him. "Asshole."
He grinned. "I'm a one asshole kind of guy," he agreed, giving Oliver a wink.
"Lalalalala!" Thea covered her ears.
"What is it?" he asked the teen when she finally stopped.
Thea absolutely sparkled at him. "It's called Baby's Breath."
He gasped delicately and stared at the plant with its little sprays of tiny pink flowers coming off the branching stems. "Really?"
"Mm-hm." She nodded, biting her lip. "Do you like it?"
"Do you even have to ask?" he gaped. "It's beautiful, Thea. Thank you," he stood and pulled her into a hug, kissing her cheek.
She chuckled, returning the hug. "I hoped you would."
"I do."
It wasn't long after that, that Oliver and Thea had to leave; to visit Robert and have 'tea time' with Moira and Walter; but would return later that night. Oliver was taking him on a hot date, after all.
aRRoW
It was nearing eight o'clock and Oliver and Thea's return; and he was dressed to the near-nines.
When Felicity had walked into his room after his shower and tried to pick out his outfit again like she and Thea had done for Oliver's birthday; he'd grabbed her shoulders, turned her around, and steered her right out into the hall and closed his door. Contrary to what she theorized about his former billionaire playboy lifestyle, and what he joked: he'd been dressing himself since he was five. He knew what he was doing.
He was wearing solid black coloured socks; he couldn't remember a time when they weren't fuzzy like a shag carpet, dotted, stripped or multicoloured. His shoes were shiny. Hie wore slacks and a belt, and creases. A long-sleeve button-up with cuffs and a collar. A vest. And he broke out his leather jacket. He was clean shaven, and his hair was styled.
He looked good and felt confident. Almost like his old-self, back in the day before he was cut-off—except this time around, he was happy. He had Oliver and Rebe. Felicity, Thea, Roy, Moira and Walter. Even Diggle. He had a real family. This was what it was like.
Father's Day. Robert was a father. Walter was. He and Oliver were. Malcolm had stopped being his father when he abandoned Tommy for two-years and came back cruel and manipulative. So Tommy ignored the small package that he had intercepted at the door while Felicity was in the bathroom:
It had his name and address only, with no return-address, but he recognized the handwriting instantly. Malcolm. He hadn't heard from or seen his father since the encounter at his hospital discharge. He quickly took it to his room and shut the door. He stared at the wrapped package for a long time. It was the size of a small notebook and about as thick.
Tommy knew he should just throw it out. He didn't want anything from Malcolm. He didn't want anything in their apartment, his home, near Rebecca, that that man had touched. But he couldn't stop the curiosity of what Malcolm thought he could send him, today of all days, that would mend things between him. If whatever it was, was supposed to be cruel or of love.
Taking a deep breath, he tore away the wrap and found a velvet box underneath. Opening it carefully, he stared at the revealed contents.
Unlike what Roy snarked at him (with love, of course), he was not born with a silver spoon up his ass. It was simply forged by outside means in concurrence of his birth.
In the box, were two such silver spoons. One was his own, with his name and birthday inscribed into the shallow ladle. The second, was Rebecca Meghan's.
He stared at them, angry and a little confused. What was the true meaning behind it? Was Malcolm trying to say that with the simple act of depraving himself and crawling back to the Alpha, Rebecca would have all that Malcolm denied him? All that he had sworn in that hospital room?
It was never about the money.
But even so, the joke was on the Alpha. Tommy might not be the son of a billionaire any longer, but Oliver definitely was. Rebecca wouldn't need for a single thing in her life.
Tommy scoffed at the spoons, snapping the hinged lid closed sharply. He buried it in his underwear drawer. He'd deal with them later. He pushed Malcolm from his mind, and the unease at the reminder that the Alpha had never really gone away just because he put himself in this little bubble.
Right now, he had to get ready for a hot date. ~
Thea let out a wolf whistle when she and Oliver finally returned, upon seeing Tommy come down the hall.
"No way," Tommy shook his head, staring at Oliver. "Direct that at your brother. Da-amn!" Oliver was donning a pair of dark trousers that were damn fitting, a collared shirt, with dark green gridded sweater under his light jacket.
They kissed each other in greeting. "Felicity dress you again?" Oliver gave a low chuckle, giving him the once—maybe twice—over.
Tommy made an indignant sound. "That was one time!" Felicity pointedly cleared her throat from where she held Rebecca next to Thea. He shot her a glance. "Not one time," he corrected. He cleared his throat, "It still stands. I dressed myself, I'm a grown man. I was not born with a silver spoon up my ass," he growled, "or have body servants that dressed or undressed me." Rebecca fussed at her dad's raised voice.
"Okay, okay. We get it." Thea agreed. "You know how to dress yourself. Take the compliment I gave you, dude."
He let out a breath. "Sorry. Sorry, baby girl." He turned to Felicity, and soothed his daughter in her arms, but did not take her. "You're daddies will see you in the morning." He leaned down and gave her kisses.
Oliver took his turn with Rebecca and Tommy gave Thea a hug in greeting and departure. She'd brought an overnight bag herself and was staying the night at the apartment. He and Oliver would have the mansion to themselves; Moira had taken Walter away on a weekend trip. Tommy had fed Rebecca from the source before he'd showered and dressed, and had bottles pumped out that would last her until tomorrow afternoon.
They said farewell and made for the elevator.
"I think I'll apologize in advance," Oliver told him on the way down, an arm around his waist.
Tommy looked at him with a furrowed brow. "What?"
Oliver leaned close and nuzzled his ear. "Your clothes. You gave yourself a hot packaging, but it just makes me want to tear them off and get to what's underneath." He nibbled his earlobe. "So, I'm apologizing in advance for ruining your clothes."
Tommy's eyes sparkled as he glanced at him as the elevator reached the small lobby. "I, on the other hand, will not apologize." He winked and swaggered from the elevator and out the door.
A low rumbled sounded in the Alpha's chest and he stalked after the Omega, the anticipation already mounting before they even made it to the restaurant. He had a town car waiting outside, the same that he and Thea had arrived in ten minutes earlier. He and Tommy got in the backseat.
"Hey, Merlyn." A deep voice said from the driver's seat.
Tommy looked up from clipping his seatbelt in, and made a sound of surprise as he first registered the familiar Alpha's pheromones, and then the man himself through the briefly lighted exterior of the car in the rear-view mirror. "Diggle? What—?"
"Apparently he made quite the impression on mom." Oliver explained as Diggle pulled from the apartment driveway and into the street. "He's on the Queen payroll now."
"Huh." Tommy sat back in his seat. "It pays to know people."
"Yeah, Merlyn." Diggle intoned as he drove, "I integrated myself slowly into your life—first in association with Carly at the BBG and then as your neighbour. All in the hopes that your boyfriend would miraculously come back from the dead and I'd hit it off with his mother ~ All to get this job." He paused. "You caught me."
Oliver looked across at the other Alpha, quietly amused. He always enjoyed Diggle's dry humour.
Tommy laughed and grinned. "I knew you loved me!" he crowed. "Oh, John!" he simpered and leaned forward in his seat to the extent of his seatbelt as the man stopped in traffic at a red-light, and hugged the Alpha from behind in the driver's seat. He stated dramatically, "What are we going to tell Carly?"
Double growls emitted within the vehicle from either Alpha, though both held very different meanings. Tommy sat back and eyed either Alpha with a raised brow. Diggle pulled through the intersection at the green.
"Ugh." He made a face at them. "Just for that, Johnny Teddybear... Imma hug you all the time. Watch out."
"No, man." Diggle told him.
"Yeah." And then he totally ignored the Alpha's glower through the rearview mirror and turned to his chosen blond in the seat next to him. "And you... was that a territorial growl?" he couldn't help it if it came out a little gleeful. He couldn't help it if the Omega part of him was deathly turned on when Oliver went all Alpha.
Oliver stared back at him with an absolute expression.
"Fuck," Tommy muttered and would have flung himself across onto the Alpha if John hadn't pulled to the curb and said: "We're here."
"Thank you, Diggle." Oliver nodded to the man and got out.
Tommy nodded to him and got out, going around to the curb and walking into the restaurant next to Oliver. Oliver didn't even have to say his name for their reservation. He was instantly recognized. Their jackets checked-in and lead to their table at a more private section of the floor.
As they were being seated, Tommy glimpsed a familiar pair getting their jackets over Oliver's shoulder. He glanced away to take the menu handed to him by the waiter, and when he looked back up, they were gone. He guessed that it had been luck that they had just missed each other instead of running into each other.
He hadn't seen Det. Lance since his attack at the bus stop had him in the hospital for a month. And he hadn't seen Laurel since her one visit to him and Rebecca Meghan after the pup had been born, that turned awkward fast with their complicated past and an open can of old worms when Oliver had walked in on them. The Lances were probably the last people either he or Oliver wanted to see. They hated the blond's guts (with reason. i.e. an Alpha named Sara); and Tommy was worried about Laurel's (and even Quentin's) reaction that Rebe was Oliver's, too.
The waiter voiced the specials of the night. They took a moment of looking through the menu to decide. Oliver didn't even have to see the wine list, and got a bottle. The waiter collected their menus and disappeared off to the kitchen to place their order.
Tommy scooted forward in his chair as they waited for their meal. "Oliver Queen taking me out on a date," he mused. "This feels surreal."
Oliver raised a brow across at him. "More surreal than carrying my child?"
"Fuck, Ollie," he murmured, a little breathless, "When you say shit like that..." Oliver gave him a devilish smirk. Tommy shook his head and went back on topic, "And yes, getting pregnant is easy. But the infamous Ollie Queen Date? I know how they ended, but I always wondered about the pre-bed-rocking ritual."
"You're not just a one-night stand girl that I'm going to end up running into again even if I don't want to." Oliver reached across the table and put his hand over the Omega's. "You're the man that I love, Tommy. You brought me home. You're not one-night stand material—you're forever material."
Tommy literally stared at the blond for a minute as they were served, with his mouth hanging open—it definitely wasn't his sexiest moment. But it needn't to be done. Wow. Just... Holy fuck. No one ever said shit like that to him and meant it.
Oliver simply waited for Tommy to process and just watched the Omega. He squeezed his hand, a small, genuine smile on his lips.
Tommy finally cleared his throat and took a second to pick his jaw up. "Okay. Alright." He straightened the nonexistent wrinkles from his vest. "You can take me on a date later, but not right now, because you need to fuck me—like right now." He swallowed his entire wine glass in a gulp and started to stand.
"Tommy, sit down. Sit down." Oliver laughed, and pulled on his hand, making the Omega sit.
"I'm serious, Oliver." Tommy told him acutely.
"So am I, Tommy." He responded back just the same.
Tommy stared back at him for a moment before he gave a heavy exhale. "Alright." Then he gave the Alpha a determined look, "But I'm getting sex at the end of the night." It was true that they had been intimate, the first time being in the tub, and they'd done a lot since then, but none of it had included sex-sex with glorious penetration because of Tommy's persistent post-pregnancy hormones.
Oliver raised his hands as if in surrender like it was a hard thing done. "You're hearing no protest from me."
"So stop stalling," the Omega told him, "And eat."
Oliver chuckled and shook his head, but picked up his fork and knife—as he said, there would be no protest from him.
x—x
"I texted Dig." Oliver slipped his phone back into his jacket as they stepped from the restaurant and into the street. It was a little after nine, the sky was dark, the streetlights on, and it appeared to have rained shortly while they were inside the restaurant. "He says there's construction so he had to park a couple blocks away." He put an arm around the Omega's shoulder and steer him right-ways down the damp sidewalk.
Tommy glanced at him. "And we're going to him?" he amused, "What are you paying him for again?"
Oliver chuckled. "What? You don't want to walk with me?"
The dark-haired man just shrugged casually. "It'll just be that much longer until you can tear away this packaging like you promised in the elevator at the start of this night."
"I did say that, didn't I?" he picked up the pace jokingly until they hit a stop sign crossing and had to pause for a couple cars to go through the intersection before crossing.
"Is it just the wine talking or have you gotten funnier?" Tommy wondered. The wine part was a semi-genuine wonderment. He'd hadn't had a drink since Hong Kong, that was fifteen months without any alcohol. The longest he'd ever gone since he was fifteen. He couldn't while pregnant and it was absolutely not recommended for the breastfeeding partner. So whatever tolerability he'd built up since being a teenager that allowed him to drink more before becoming drunk, was absolutely diminished and he was sure he was a total light-weight now.
"Ha ha. And I must be stone-cold sober, because you are not funny at all."
"Damn." Tommy pouted. He pulled Oliver's arm from around his shoulder and twinned their fingers, turning around and walking backwards in front of the man, linked through their arms. "And here I thought it was my most attractive feature."
Oliver gave his hand a little tug and pulled the Omega to a stop in front of an alleyway, Diggle just parked down the street. "Everything about you is your most attractive feature," he corrected.
Still holding his hand, Tommy closed the one-step distance between them, and kissed the Alpha, an arm wrapped around his waist, pulling him close.
The little hairs on the back of Tommy's neck rose in a moments warning, despite his jacket's collar. Oliver's did, too. But it was the Omega that recognized the sour musk, three Alpha scents so twisted together, you could hardly distinguish one from another, not that one wanted to Scent long enough to discover the individual curdled scents.
Oliver instantly wound and was in the motion of turning and pushing Tommy away when something flashed in the streetlight and cracked him on the head behind his ear, splintering and sending him to the ground.
"Oliver!" Tommy shouted and went to lunge forward, but was grabbed from behind. He struggled briefly in the Alpha attackers hold, as the two other Alpha's grabbed the blond's limp body and dragged him into the shadows of the alley, away from the street and any potential witness or outside help.
The Omega saw them briefly in the light. Though they had changed somewhat since their stint in prison (and how the fuck were they out right now?!), he recognized them easily. Beanie wasn't wearing a beanie, but had a shaved head. Sole-patch was donning a full beard this time around.
As Oliver disappeared from his sight, his panic was overtaken by instinct. He wasn't pregnant with Rebecca anymore, but it wasn't like he was in great fighting form either. But Roy, with assistance from Diggle, had given him, Felicity, and Thea some defensive moves.
Tommy threw his head back. A disadvantage of grapping someone behind. There was a satisfying crunch of cartilage and grunt of pain as Tommy smashed pierced-lip's nose. He stomped the Alpha's foot, though it hardly did a thing; the Omega was wearing dress shoes and he had on boots. But he threw back an elbow into his ribs at the marginally loosened hold and managed to break free.
The dark-haired man only paused enough to regain his balance from the release before he was turning and swung a right-hook, threw his weight behind it with a grunt of effort. Pierced-lip (who didn't so much have a lip piercing any more, but a scar from his lip and down his chin), expecting as much, was already raising his arms to block the swing. The impact, while still bruising, left Tommy open and pierced-lip took advantage.
The thug kicked with his heavy boot, hitting the side of Tommy's knee, causing the Omega's leg to give out and sending him to a knee on the wet pavement at the alley mouth. The Alpha tackled him, and started to pummel. Tommy put his arms up, trying to block. But he only had two arms and he had to decide what was more vital; his head or his torso. He knew that he could not become unconscious, no matter what, not when his life and Oliver's would be over if he did.
He flashed back to seven months ago when they first attacked him. It was three against one, and they had rained all hell of fist and foot on his helpless form. But he didn't have to worry about Rebecca Meghan now; she was safe at home in the apartment with Felicity and Thea, Roy a phone call away, the door locked. This time, at the moment, it was one-against-one. This time, it was Oliver that he needed to protect. That blow to the head the blond Alpha had received had been vicious, though it had only been a few minutes, that was far too long in the Omega's opinion for Oliver to be alone with the other two thugs.
He needed to stop defending and lash out of the offensive. Roy was not going to happen across him by a pure act of God giving the Beta a Big Belly Buster Single, not this time around. Diggle was so close, yet the dark-skinned man might as well be halfway across the world right now.
He was on his own.
So he struck out. Their knuckles grazed, their elbows scraped. He bucked and kicked under the Alpha, landing blows of his own, trying to throw the shorter man from him. Somehow, Tommy had managed to get a leg between their bodies with all his writhing, and he flexed and released. The Alpha's pelvis received and absorbed the shock and it was almost like he sprang from the other man like an empty mousetrap released.
He thudded against the corner of the dumpster at the side mouth of the alley, his shout cut off as he slowly slid down it and slumped to the ground.
It felt like Tommy was moving through molasses as he climbed to his knees. All he could hear was his own breathing, the adrenaline in his ears, his heartbeat as he stared at the still thug against the dumpster. He didn't know if he'd killed the Alpha, if he was even still breathing. All he knew, was that he wasn't coming after him again at this moment in time.
It felt like all the blood had pumped from his chest and into his head, making him feel light-headed. His ears buzzed. It felt as if the earth trembled with each beat of his heart. The cold, wet pavement hard on his knees as he watch the black sheen on the side of the dumpster from the streetlight slowly spread downward from the top corner, like it was threatening to spill across pierced-lip. Like slick oil...
The air was thick with pheromones and blood. It clogged his nose and mouth. His own. Pierced-lip's... Oliver's...
He could hear the smack and grunts of impact of flesh-on-flesh. The animalistic growls, the guttural noises of a physical effort and pain. A sight lost in the shadow at the end of the alley.
"Oliver!" the Omega surged to his feet in a second round of adrenaline. Lurched forward on his injured knee. But came to a frozen halt suddenly at the edge of the gloom as sudden silence overtook the dead-end. He couldn't hear anything over his own harsh breathing. He couldn't lose Oliver, not after just getting the Alpha back! Not after—
A large dark form loomed up in the gloom and Tommy's breath hitched. His heart skipped a beat as he realized that it hadn't been only him breathing, but the shadowed Alpha. He didn't make a sound as Oliver stepped into the lighted dimness.
Blood coated the side of Oliver's head, behind his ear and down his neck. His chest was heaving, from the fight, the adrenaline, the emotion. But outwardly, there seemed no other injuries.
Alpha and Omega looked gazes. Oliver's pheromones were off the charts, powerful and overwhelming. They wiped all other scents that had been unhappily clogging Tommy's nose and throat. Honey and black pepper—and something deeper, that called out to that deep empty ache inside the Omega. Hormones flooded him, and his own vanilla, citrus, and Maplewood scent responded.
A low growl emitted from the Alpha and Oliver was suddenly surging forward, pushing Tommy against the brick wall—and started to rub against him, scent-marking him. Filling the Omega's pores with his own unique Alpha musk to oppose the other three who's owners lay scattered in the alley in different states but ultimately the same fate.
The bloodlust, a response to the Omega's pheromones, the reaction against the challenge of other Alphas—it triggered the ultimate instinct in the blond Alpha. That itch that had been scratching at the back of his hindbrain since he denied the presented opportunity to claim the Omega. Something that had become greater since he returned—had the Omega in his arms, found his pup.
He was driven into a impromptu Rut. And it had triggered the resulting Heat by-product in Tommy. It unfroze his post-pregnancy hormones that locked his Heat from further action until his pup reached a certain age. The slight pressure that had started to build in his chest in the restaurant since feeding Rebecca Meghan vanished.
Oliver rumbled in his chest, the sound going through Tommy's. The dark-haired man made a mewling sound, heat pooled in his neck. He responded willingly to the Mating call of his chosen Alpha.
Tommy bared his neck, cocking his head to the side. Oliver's lips peeled back from his teeth. He nuzzled the side of the man's neck, Scenting the Omega's bonding gland—and he bit. The Omega gave a small cry as the Alpha's teeth broke through the flesh.
The Omega's blood soaked through the cracks of his teeth, his mouth flooded with saliva. Oliver unlocked his jaw and slowly licked the bloody wound. In response to the claiming, he started to produce analgesic saliva, a natural pain-reliever.
Tommy sighed, his eyes closed, his fingers gripping the nape of the Alpha's neck as the blond nuzzled and licked his own. It was like what being Knotted with Oliver had simulated, but this would last more than an hour or two. It would last forever. That empty ache inside of his was gone. Filled with awareness of Oliver that had only been a glimmer before, but was a shine now.
The scene around him was forgotten in this moment as he purred quietly, held in Oliver's arms. The fear that had possessed him. The brutality of the attack. The tenderness in his torso, the pain in his leg, the ache of his face. Finally, that invisible barrier that existed between them since Hong Kong and the refusal of the bite, was gone.
Oliver's head snapped around as he Scented another Alpha's pheromones. It was a new one from the three that clogged the alley, a familiar one to the blond—but right now, instinct was all with the blond just bonded with his Omega.
x—x
Diggle paused at the mouth of the alley, staring at the still body slumped against the dumpster. In the luminescence of the overhead streetlamp, he saw the darkness that ran down the green of the dumpster. He instantly knew it was blood.
He'd been waiting in the car. The couple should have taken no less than ten-minutes to make it to the parked vehicle. But just shy of said-ten minutes, Diggle had gotten that itch between his shoulder blades. Something had put his Alpha side on alert.
He wound his window completely down. It had briefly showered as he waited, listening to the radio and reading the newspaper, but had stopped shortly after. He turned his head to the opening and carefully Scented. He sorted through the natural smell of rain and wet pavement, the faint stench of garbage for where he'd been forced to park—and he straightened in his seat.
The stench of Alpha was thick. Alpha aggression, from more than one. A small pack. He slowly climbed from the town car and faced the direction he knew it was coming from. While this area was upper-town, that didn't mean it didn't see its own fair share of white-collar crimes, of muggings.
He took out his cell phone and texted Oliver, but he didn't get a reply back. He started to walk toward the restaurant. Either the couple paused to have a make-out session, or something bad had happened. Diggle knew it was the latter as the heavy stink of blood briefly eclipsed his sense of smell and he came upon the body at the mouth of the alley.
He instantly drew his sidearm from his hip holster and turned his sharp gaze inwards of the alley. He could smell the blood, he Scented the mixture of pheromones from several unknown Alphas, but with it, the familiar Omega scent punctuated the air prominently. Tommy. And there... Oliver.
He slowly started to advanced into the lane, keeping all his senses peeled and alert, constantly Scenting, searching out any movement, on his toes. He'd just passed the first dumpster with the Alpha slumped still against it, before he froze in place.
He Scented the change in the animated pheromones. While he liked the Omega well enough and the man's scent was pleasant (acorns and oak leaves), he wasn't attracted to the man (or men for that matter). Contrary to what people said, Alphas did not live Knot-crazed at every single Omega they encountered.
He fast recognized the change in Tommy's floating scent that put a faint Heat in his belly, only to be countered with goosebumps and raised hackles at Oliver's sharp and dominant musk.
He took a moment to analyze them briefly. He'd learned to use his Alpha attributes for what they were in the army. And advantage for him. To have heightened senses. To be able to analyze an opponent's emotions, predict their next move, to identify team-mate from enemy. Of course there were suppressants and scent blockers and neutralizers. It was classic strategy in the field. Omega got Heat-suppressing shots. Alpha's took Rut suppressants. But just like any kind of contraceptive, nothing was 100% effective.
Alphas, no matter the attraction to the Omega, always reacted on an instinctual level, be it minute or monumental. An Alpha's Rut, on the other hand, was never a pleasant scent for other Alphas. The deep musk served to warn, antagonize, and set a challenge to other Alphas near—it did not entice like the warm, sweet scent of an Omega's pre/present/post-Heat pheromones (though of course an Alpha's Rut was the same kind of siren call to the Omega).
He'd only started forward a few more seconds, before a warning growl emitted from in front of him and Oliver, in an aggressive stance, stepped out from the gloom. He spotted Tommy half-behind the blond Alpha. Oliver Scented the dark-skinned man, assessing this threat level. "Hey, hey." Diggle's movements were slow and deliberate. The last thing he wanted right now was to get into a brawl with the Alpha in a state that could be coined Rut-adjacent. He slipped his Glock carefully back into his holsters, and went into a submissive posture. "It's Diggle, Oliver. I'm not going to hurt you or Tommy. I'm your friend. Come on, man. Come back to the world."
A rumbling growl was the response he got from the blond. Shit. Apparently baring his neck and leaving himself vulnerable wasn't submissive enough for the rich bastard. This was not a typical protective response, it was too instinctual. It felt more like the protective response of an Alpha with his bonded-Mate.
So Diggle lowered himself. Both were in a primal state. Brought on by an active level attack. He needed to bring them back before anyone further got injured. Any dynamic in this state was just like a cornered animal acting on pure instinct. Right now, their forebrain was shut down, the 'intellectual, human' part of the brain was out of service at the moment. He knew the reason that Oliver wasn't on him already was because on some level the Alpha had recognized his familiar scent and didn't deem him an active threat, of course Diggle on the ground in front of him in deference was a point in his favour as well.
Oliver's aggressive pheromones were keeping Tommy in his current Omega temperament. It was blocking out their attackers' scents, the smell of blood—it was also attempting to shield out Diggle's pheromones. But though Diggle may be lowered in submission, he manipulated his pheromones so they stated his yielding state, but projected them heavily towards the couple (friendly, comforting, friendly) in the hope that it might penetrate one's senses or the other's.
Oliver shifted his stance and Diggle tensed. The ex-soldier would not reach for his gun if the blond Alpha came at him, but he wouldn't lay himself defenceless. If he lowered himself any further, there'd be no chance for him. Oliver sensed the change and his lip curled back a snarl ready to rip from his throat—when Tommy's palm suddenly pressed against the nape of his neck, his fingers pushed into the blond hair at the nape of his neck, his nails scraping gently upward against his scalp.
Diggle watched as Oliver's head fell back into it, and it was like the sprung wire twisted around his bones suddenly left, and his whole body slumped into the movement of Tommy's fingers.
Tommy sounded an (Omega) purring approval at his Alpha and Oliver responded with a gentle rumbling.
Before the Alpha was blinking and straightening, his brow was furrowed slightly as his eyes darted around in quick assessment of the alley, panting a little. Tommy's hand dropped from his nape.
Diggle let out a heavily relieved breath as he recognized the 'consciousness' back in the blond's blue-eyes. "Thank God, man. You back?"
"Diggle?" he uttered and stared at the other Alpha down in a submission posture. "Wha—" he stopped and took a step forward, stretching out his hand to the man.
Diggle clasped his arm and was pulled to his feet. "You good, man?" he asked, straightening his jacket. "You went Alpha-primal on me."
"Tommy." He realized.
"I'm here, Ollie." Tommy's hand was on his arm and he stepped out from behind the Alpha.
Diggle's suspicions on the matter were proven correct when he finally caught a good view of Tommy from out behind the Alpha—and the claiming-bite that marked his neck.
A Spontaneous Bonding. He'd seen it before, in combat situations during his tour in Afghanistan. Where unsanctioned bonds were formed in the unstable, unpredictable combat zone. The stress triggered a hindbrain response, the body flooded with hormones, produced Mating pheromones; it triggered a similar response in another (usually someone close to them personally). The bonding-gland was triggered, the bite exchanged, the bond complete. It had nothing to do with the physical bond (like Knotting with and Omega in Heat), but the intimacy of the connection, of the 'soul-bond'.
Oliver turned to him in relief, but then he tensed at the sight of the man. His nose was bloody, his bottom lip was busted, there was already the swelling of a black eye, a cut and surrounding bruise on his cheek. He cupped the man's face tenderly. "I said I wouldn't let anything happen to you."
"I'm alright." He whispered, leaning into the touched, his hand, knuckles bruised, overlapped his. "And you protected me. Those other two—" There was a micro-change in Oliver's expression that had Tommy pausing.
Oliver gave his head a little shake. "That wasn't me."
Tommy stared back, his expression still. Oliver was obviously trying to tell him something, or asking him not to say something—without actually saying something with his neighbour standing a few feet away.
"What are you talking about, Oliver?" Diggle questioned. He couldn't Scent another Alpha, with the scents in the alley were a little stirred and shaken. Maybe it had been a Beta? He pulled out his cell phone and dialled. "I'm calling the police." He put it to his ear and spoke briefly before hanging up. "They'll be here in a few minutes with a squad car, coroner's van, and ambulance to make sure your guys are alright." He reported. "You said there were two others?" he asked Tommy.
Tommy bit the inside of his cheek as he nodded his head towards the backend of the alley. He grimaced a little; his cheek was as tender on the inside as much as it hurt on the outside. Diggle nodded and went around the pair, taking out a pocket-light and flicking it on as he stepped into the dark. Oliver didn't turn his gaze from the Omega (making sure Tommy stayed with him, didn't turn his gaze to try and look), his shoulders tense; he knew what was back there.
Diggle uttered a curse, turning off the pocket-light and quickly turning back to the pair. "That's brutal. Made a right call on the coroner's van. Man, Oliver..." he shook his head.
"They hit me over the head pretty hard, Diggle." Oliver turned his head and looked at the other Alpha. "I blacked out while they were still dragging me. I told you there was someone else. When I woke up, they were dead. When I went to find Tommy, I..." he looked back at Tommy, at the gunky, gory bitemark on his neck.
Diggle put the question of a disappearing third-party on the back-burner for the moment, and focused on the mention of the bite. "It's a called a Spontaneous Bonding. It's brought on by extreme aftermath stress with an unbonded pair, where you go into a temporary Rut/Heat collective and the bond is initiated and secured."
"You're okay... with this?" Oliver whispered, his thumb brushing at the base of Tommy throat, the bitemark at the upper part of the curve where shoulder met neck, his forehead leaned gently with the Omega's.
"Yeah." Tommy said, just as quiet. Oliver carefully kissed the corner of his mouth on the uninjured side. "More than okay."
"Where did these guys come from?" Diggle asked. "Did they try to mug you?"
"This was an attack." Oliver answered. "They wanted to kill us. They said nothing, demanded nothing. Just attacked."
"You sure they didn't know that you were Oliver Queen?"
"If they did, it obviously held no value to them. I don't know who they were or why they targeted us."
"I do." Tommy said bitterly. Both Alphas looked at him in surprise. "These are the same bastards that attacked me at the bus stop when I was still pregnant with Rebe."
"What?" Oliver growled.
"The same scumbags?" Diggle shook his head in confusion. "How did they get out of prison?"
Tommy scoffed. "I was wondering the same thing."
"They won't hurt you anymore, they can't." Oliver told him fiercely. He'd been unable to protect Tommy and Rebecca Meghan from that first attack, but this time he'd been here, he was able to help stop them. They wouldn't hurt his Omega again, or his daughter. They could do nothing now but burn in hell for ever thinking they could touch Tommy again, or the first time. Tommy nodded as Oliver hugged him.
A squad car finally arrived, the ambulance close behind. The three stepped from the alley as it was taped off and the officers took a walk-through.
After talking briefly with an officer, the Alpha and Omega were encouraged by the EMT partners into the back of the truck to be checked over, a Beta taking either man as Diggle spoke with the police officer's for a moment.
There was a bump, and a laceration on said bump which the EMT cleaned and determined was luckily free of debris of whatever had struck Oliver; a bandage was taped over it. A flashlight was shone in his eyes. "Pupil dilation is symmetrical. Follow my finger?" The Alpha did. "Good. How does your head feel?"
"Just a headache," he retorted. The EMT checked his breath sounds and blood pressure.
The EMT nodded. "Alright. You should be fine to go home, but if you start puking, get blurry vision, feel dizzy, or faint—you need to come to the hospital immediately. It could be signs that there's a brain bleed, or swelling. Okay?"
Oliver nodded impatiently and the EMT left him. The Alpha instantly turned his attention to Tommy. The cuts on his face had been cleaned (The one on his cheek got butterfly tape), along with the bite on his neck which had been bandaged like Oliver's head. The bruising on his torso was superficial, no broken or cracked ribs. His knuckles where bruised on both hands, but only a couple where split on his right. The EMT had given him a snap icepack for his left knee and had wrapped it.
"So much for delightful packaging, huh?" Tommy tried to joke, flicking at the flaps that were his now cut pant leg.
"I don't care about the packing," Oliver told him, "I care about what's underneath."
Tommy gave a small smile. "I know that was meant platonically, but... you sure you can't just close those doors and have your way with me really quickly?"
He gave a soft chuckle. "I really wish that's what could have happened—"
"But it's my goddamned Merlyn-luck." Tommy intoned. "Which is to say: I get fucked over instead of fuck by you."
"That's what you call it?" Diggle questioned, standing at the bumper of the ambulance looking up at the pair. "Very eloquent, Merlyn."
"Thought you might like that."
Oliver stepped down from the ambulance and helped Tommy down with his knee. Another squad car was called and the coroner's van finally arrived with the crime scene technician.
"You talked with the officer?" the blond prompted.
Diggle nodded. "I told them that Tommy was familiar with your attackers. They're calling in the detective from that case."
Tommy sighed. "Det. Lance," he glanced at Oliver, "I saw him and Laurel leaving the restaurant as we were seated."
"Just another thing for him to hate me over," Oliver cursed. "Getting him called into work on Father's Day, pulling him away from Laurel, to the man who took his youngest away from him forever. Yeah," he scoffed, carding fingers through his hair, "He'll be delighted for that Father's Day surprise. They don't have a Hall Mark card for this yet, do they?"
He'd only seen Laurel that once in the hospital when she was on her way out. Their first and only encounter since he'd been back, definitely went better than he ever expected, but he only thought that was because of Tommy and Rebecca. Quentin Lance, on the other hand... there'd been no encounters no run-ins between them. Oliver knew it was inevitable, that it would happen eventually whether he wanted it or either of them were ready—but now of all times? On Father's Day? The universe was cruel.
"Oliver..." Tommy rubbed his back sympathetically. "You can't keep blaming yourself for Sara and neither can Lance. She was an adult, too. She decided to cheat with her sister's boyfriend. There was no illusion to what was happening, what the two of you were when she got on The Gambit. You didn't put a gun to her head," he whispered and Oliver flinched a little at that.
No, Fyers did, but the Alpha might as well have in the end, only Shado got her brains blown out instead. "I don't want to talk about this."
Tommy pressed his lips together and said nothing further on the matter.
"The officer said that we could head home, but the detective would be speaking to you either tonight, or in the morning for a more detailed statement." Diggle said.
They started to make their way back to the town car as the residence of the street were looking through their windows, curious, or coming out into the street.
The twenty-minute car ride back to their apartment building (holding hands the entire way), was just long enough for the exhaustion to set in for the couple after the adrenaline rush, the extension of the fight, the claiming. Tommy just wanted to get home, kiss Rebe, and sleep until morning with Oliver in his arms.
x—o
Felicity and Thea were definitely surprised come the end of those twenty-minutes. Having put Rebecca down at her bedtime after feeding and changing her, the Beta and Alpha were now watching a scary movie. Felicity didn't know how she let the teenager talk her into it. Weren't girls-nights supposed to be painting nails, braiding hair, chocolate things, and rom-coms? Thea was definitely not your regular teenage girl; losing both your brother and father in the same swoop tended modulate what constituted 'dangerous' or 'frightening'. Plus, Felicity could be a total pushover when it came to things like that; how do you think Tommy convinced her to do certain things? {like a little thing called hacking Roy's phone and tracking the GPS to see when he made it to the apartment building for their little cannibal-play}
It was at a particularly frightening part that was very bloody, strobe-y, and shrilly when the lock on the door jiggled. There was definitely some (genuine) girly shrieks (their owners identities confidential). But after a hair-raising moment, the pair settled back down (luckily not waking Rebecca Meghan) at the obvious realization that robbers didn't have the keys to the apartment.
"What happened to 'see you in the morning'?" Felicity started twisted around on the couch to see as they stepped in, "Did you chic—" she stopped as she took in either of their battered appearances, and Diggle's grim expression as he came in after them, shutting the apartment door. "Tommy?" she gasped.
"Oliver!" Thea exclaimed, running around the couch in her Snoopy nightgown and to her brother, and throwing him into a heedless hug. But Oliver caught her slight form easily to his chest
Felicity couldn't seem to get herself off the couch and to the Omega. It felt like her heart was stuck inside her throat, choking her. She was thrown right back into that hospital room seven-months ago.
Tommy kicked off his (now scuffed) shoes and dropped his jacket in the same place, and limped lightly to the couch. He sunk down next to her wearily. The shift in his weight on the cushion had her slanted towards him. Her hip bumped against his arm.
"They were attacked walking to the car from the restaurant," Diggle informed the two women.
"Ollie?" Thea looked up at her big brother.
Oliver gave her a reassuring smile, though there was a tightness around his eyes (both from the injury and strain), brushing her brown wavy hair from her face. "We're both alright."
"Tommy?" Felicity finally uttered, looking at the exhausted Omega next to her and all that filled her view were the bruises that painted the side of his face, the stark-white bandage on his neck with trace amounts of blood soaking through.
Tommy turned his head on the back of the couch to look at her. He gave her a gently smile and opened his arms to her slightly in invitation. Tears pricked her eyes behind her glasses, and not knowing exactly how he was injured, but having noticing the limp, she didn't crawl into his lap like she wanted to. Instead, she shifted on the couch on her knees to face him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders and buried her face in the uninjured side of his neck, trying to cry quietly.
Tommy rolled his eyes a little, his black-eye half-hooded. "Felicity," and hauled her into his lap. He held her, petting her loose, thick blond hair. "Like Oliver said, we're both okay. I'm not going anywhere."
She sniffled, trying to rub her tears away on his collarbone, knocking her glasses off. She found them with a searching hand, but stayed burrowed against his chest. "You smell different," she mumbled.
"Not different." He corrected, "Like them." He squeezed her tight for a moment, before he shifted her off his lap again and on the neighbouring cushion. "Give me and Ollie ten minutes to get cleaned up a little. And to burn these clothes—it's too bad, I rather liked this leather jacket." He attempted a joke (that held honest truth to it). He was never going to wear these clothes again—all the way down to his socks and underwear.
"'Kay." She nodded. She sniffed, taking a deep breath, palming her tears away and slipping her glasses back on.
Tommy pressed his lips to her forehead before he climbed slowly to his feet with a slight grimace. Oliver kissed the top of Thea's head, releasing her, and he and the other man disappeared down the hall.
(The couple took five minutes in the bathroom, stripping, giving a quick wash with a cloth [they were to exhausted to have a thorough shower right now], giving each other the once over to make sure the other was actually alright [physically at least] and quickly got redressed in more comfortable clothing. The next five minutes they slipped into Rebecca's room, held each other and watched her sleeping in her crib just to assure themselves that the pup was actually alright and not affected this time around).
Felicity got from the couch and approached the two remaining Alphas, taking hold of the teen's hand, they looked to Diggle.
"What happened, John?" the blond asked quietly.
"It doesn't seem to have been a random attack," he admitted.
"What do you mean?"
He sighed. "Tommy I.D'd them as the same Alphas that attacked him at the bus stop."
"What?!" the two women exclaimed.
"They're supposed to be in prison!" Thea growled.
Felicity shook her head. "That doesn't make any sense," she agreed. "That can't be right."
Diggle could only shrug. "I think we can all agree something is wrong with this picture if it's true and I'm inclined to believe him whether it makes sense or not. You don't make a mistake like that after something like what he went through. It becomes ingrained, Felicity."
"They're looking into this, right?" Thea asked. "They're doing something about it."
He nodded. "They're calling in the detective that handled his previous attack,"
Felicity gave an internal groan. "Det. Lance."
When the couple returned, the four of the finally all settled on the couch; Tommy and Oliver in the middle, and the women on their respective sides. Diggle shedded his shoes at the door like the others, and hung his jacket on the back of the kitchen chair where he seated himself. The horror movie was turned to a neutral channel; some late-night Hall Mark Father's Day TV-movie they put in the program for the holiday.
There wasn't idle chit-chat as they sat. Each was off in their own little whirl-wind of thoughts and reflection. Staring blankly at the television or off into space. To say the least, (nearing eleven o'clock) they all jumped as there was a knocked at the door; though most prominently were Oliver and Diggle—on their feet.
Diggle's was more smooth and controlled. Professional like the Queen security/driver he was. Oliver's was more of a lethal, primal reaction, a deadly sound emitting lowly from him (making everyone else more tense and nervous in response).
"It's okay," Tommy said. He grasped Oliver's wrist and pulled himself to his feet with a light grunt. "It'll be Det. Lance, I'm sure. He's not the enemy here. I'll get it."
"Merlyn—" Diggle huffed, but for an exhausted and knee-challenged Omega, he was pretty quick and already at the door before the Alpha could get into the living room.
And true to his assumption, Quentin Lance and an uniform officer behind his shoulder, were waiting in the hall.
He was in a nicer suit, the same that he had worn to dinner with Laurel at the restaurant. Tommy felt a sense of guilt. This really could have waited until the morning for all of them. For him and Oliver to settle into their bond, for Quentin to have his night with Laurel undisturbed. It wasn't like those Alphas could come after him again, not unless ghosts really existed.
The harshness of his expression subsided slightly as he took in the Omega. "Kid—" he gave his head a shake. "Are you a magnet for trouble?"
Tommy gave him a small tight smile, as much as he could manage with his swollen lip. "Det. Lance, I'm sorry you had to be pulled into work, tonight of all nights."
"Well, it's not like these things get put on a schedule, Mr. Merlyn." Lance told him a little tartly.
"Right." He uttered. He let the detective and officer in, stepping aside, kicking his shoes and discarded jacket out of the way and closing the door. The atmosphere instantly changed when Oliver and Lance met gazes.
The living room was larger than the one in Felicity's old apartment, but stuffed full with four Alphas (two of which were putting off pretty challenging pheromones), and two innocent Betas, with one weary Omega caught in-between—the entire apartment didn't seem big enough for that.
"Det. Lance." Oliver greeted the older Alpha tightly.
"Mr. Queen," Lance said like the name put a bitter taste in his mouth. And though he gave him the courtesy title, it was in a tone more than marginally different to what he'd delivered Tommy's greeting with. "Back six months and not a single run-in with the cops... that must be a record for you."
"Um, we can do this in the kitchen, I think." Tommy voiced.
There was a moment of utter silence as they continued to stare at each other, before Lance nodded and Tommy directed him to the obvious kitchen area. The Omega walked briefly with his Alpha, a hand on the small of his back.
The officer and Diggle sort of hung back, standing in an alerted-at-ease stance, observing. Thea and Felicity, present, not crowding, but a hovering presence all the same. Lance seated and Tommy made sure to 'herd' Oliver into a chair that put the most distance between them, with one for himself in between. But the Omega paused before sitting.
"Can I get you a coffee or water, detective?" Tommy questioned, hand on the back of the chair, putting his weight of his wrapped knee. The snap icepack that the EMT had given him, and tucked into the wrap around his knee had long since lost its cooling factor and was now just a light weight dragging at his already weary limb, but now was not the time to deal with it.
"Uh. N—"
"I'll get that," Felicity told Tommy pointedly with a glare, bustling into the kitchen, pushing him (gently) into the chair he was leaning on, before going over to the counter to make the coffee.
"Alright." Lance sighed, glancing away from her forcefulness and to the couple, a fresh notebook dug from his duster. "Talk me through what happened."
Felicity remembered the last time that she heard Det. Lance say those same words. She tried to keep her breaths even as she watched the pot of coffee gurgle as it brewed. This time she knew, the outcome had been utterly better. Tommy didn't end up in the hospital. Rebecca wasn't involved. And those bastards were dead! Did it make her a terrible person to be glad upon the very latter? A little bit of self-reflection she wasn't in the mood to consider right now.
She took out seven varying mugs from the cupboard. She forewent the animal mugs, she didn't want them involved in this grim atmosphere. She went down the line of mugs with the sugar bowl. She knew everyone's home coffee order, but for the two officers—she took an educated guess and went with black. She went around the kitchen and living room, handing out the steaming mugs.
No one seemed to be touching the coffee. Getting a caffeine jolt with everyone's nerves so raw probably wasn't the best idea. Maybe she should have made tea instead? But she'd just needed to do something, to try and distract herself and her shaky hands. She had to be Tommy's rock the first time, but now Oliver was back, just like the Omega had cried for back in the hospital—she had the guilty thought of wondering if she could be a little selfish this time around.
Lance looked up from his notebook and across at Oliver. "Do you think you can clarify that a little more for me, Mr. Queen?"
"I don't know what else I can tell you." Oliver told him, staring straight back. "I didn't see much. It was dark, I was struck on the head pretty hard. It was a man. He was hooded. And he saved my life."
"A guy in a hood just flew in a single-handedly took out two of the assailants, saving you at this crucial moment. I mean, who is he?" he made a gesture with his pen, "Why would he do that?"
"I don't know. Find him and you can ask."
"Ah." Lance jotted something in his notebook, and looked up at Tommy. "And you said you didn't see him?"
Tommy shook his head. "I was a little distracted with my own fight. My priority was getting him to stop and getting to Oliver." He glanced at the blond Alpha, "But I don't think I would have gotten to him in time." He looked back at Lance, "So if you ever do find the man in the hood... I want to thank him."
"To thank him?" Lance repeated. "He killed two men, brutally and without hesitation. This is a dangerous man. He's not someone you should thank. He should be arrested."
"He saved Oliver." Tommy said firmly. "I killed a man in that alley," there were two female gasps at this news but he ignored them and continued, "Are you going to arrest me? You shouldn't be concerned about a man that saved us, and should instead focus on the fact of what you told me in the hospital after the first attack—!"
Oliver put a hand on his shoulder, and Tommy instantly stopped. He slumped back in his chair, his ribs aching as he breathed a little heavily. He stared at the cup of untouched coffee sitting in front of him on the table. He could smell the faint scent of vanilla from the creamer that Felicity always put in it and got him hooked on, but right now it smelled sickly-sweet and not pleasant or mouth-watering.
"You acted in clear self-defence, Mr. Merlyn." Lance clarified. "There will be no charges for the Alpha's death."
"This was a targeted attack, detective." Oliver said in a hard-tone. "These were the same men that attacked Tommy seven months ago. They were arrested and sentenced to 5 years in prison. How could they have been released?"
"We're aware of who they are." Lance relented slightly. "And it'll be looked into, trust me. In the meantime, I'll put a detail on Tommy."
"We'll provide our own security." He returned firmly. "Mr. Diggle is employed as security by my family and he lives just across the hall."
Lance scoffed at that. "And Mr. Diggle did a bang-up job this evening regarding your security." He looked through the entryway of the kitchen to find Diggle. Several growls sounded around the two rooms from its occupants. The officer next to Diggle shifted uneasily on his feet, but Lance completely disregarded them. "In your statement it was clarified that you arrived cleanly after the attack."
"Instead of pointing fingers," Felicity spoke up lowly, "You should look at yourselves, do the job that you're paid to do, and find out how this happened a second time." Thea squeezed her shoulder and nodded her agreement.
Oliver was doing a great job at keeping just how angry and frustrated he was concealed, both visually and by Scent. But Tommy could still feel it, sense it. It was like an itch under his skin almost. Not something he'd felt before, even with as close and attune as he had always been with Oliver. It had never been like this.
His fingers twitched on his thigh out of view under the table as he resisted the urge to reach up for the bandaged that covered the side of his neck. This feeling, he decided, must be the bondbite. It definitely wasn't the exhaustion, ache, or shock—he knew what that was like unfortunately.
Lance addressed the Omega pointedly, "Tommy, it's your decision."
"Huh? Oh," Tommy looked up, blinking. "Um," he glanced at Oliver before looking back at Quentin. "Whatever Oliver said is fine. Thank you, detective."
Lance shook his head. "Just because he's your Alpha, doesn't mean you can't make your own decisions, Tommy. A bonding-bite these days has about as much legitimacy with law as much as a promise ceremony." Yes, he'd seen the EMTs reports on them both on the way over, he knew what was under that bandage.
And, it was true. Previous of the last two-decades, the Mated bond-bite held all authority between couples. The bite was a collar, the giver the master. His authority overruled the receivers decisions. But two decades ago, the Bill was passed to change that and the Mated bond-bite was all but turned moot in consideration of the law. Nowadays, it was as superficial as the renewing your vows. What really counted was the legal and binding paperwork of a marriage license officiated by a judge or minister. Now, there were little ceremonies that could be held for Mated pairs if they wished, but those were as legal as promise rings. But the mark was to be reported in you medical file, under health relevance.
"My decision stands, detective." Tommy said through his teeth, his eyes hard. It was a little difficult to tell what was his own and what he was picking up off the blond Alpha. His patience and hospitality for the detective was coming to a sudden end—especially after the Alpha's jab at Diggle and insensitive comment about Oliver and his new bond.
"Of course." Lance stood and Oliver mirrored him. "We'll look into the situation and call with a follow-up. If anything happens or you remember something, call the number and I'll come by."
Tommy nodded. He exhaled and put on a less hostile attitude. "Say hi to Laurel for me?" he rose to his feet, his palm flat on the tabletop. "We haven't seen each other since Rebecca was born..."
Lance just nodded curtly and collecting his officer, left, multiple glares burning holes in his jacket.
A defined muteness claimed the apartment. But Oliver ignored it and focused on Tommy.
Oliver put a hand gently on the Omega's back. "Hey. You okay?" he asked softly with concern.
"I don't know." Tommy emitted. "I think I'm still in shock. At least Rebe wasn't there this time. But you," he looked at the blond with concerned eyes, "How's your head?"
"Just a headache."
"I saw the blood, Oliver."
"Would it make you feel better if I told you I've had worse?"
"No. Not in the least."
Oliver sighed. "I thought so."
"At least their dead this time." Tommy muttered. "Dead men can't hurt you."
Oliver just hugged the Omega to his chest. He truly hoped that was the truth, but in his gut he wasn't so sure.
"Oliver," Diggle spoke, taking a single step forward. "Do you want me to—"
"You can sleep in your own bed tonight, Dig." Oliver told him over Tommy's head. "I don't think anything else is going to happen tonight." Diggle nodded. He said goodnight. Felicity gave him a hug before he left. "I think it's passed everyone's bedtime," he addressed the two women.
Felicity and Thea shared a look and nodded. Tommy pulled himself from Oliver, they exchanged hugs, kisses and goodnights. The couple headed to the bathroom, nursery (thankfully, the pup had slept through all the charged pheromones and raised voices), then bed. The teen and Beta shared a similar ritual. Felicity locked the apartment door and slipped on the chain. Thea slept in her bed with her.
x—x
Oliver was wide-awake laying in bed in the darkness, with Tommy curled up against his side, in his arms, laying on his chest, exhausted. It was in that alley, after the attack, that he had made the decision would become his reality with his following move. The man in the hood was a figment that he'd made up. Tommy knew this was the truth, that the man in the hood was really Oliver, but the others believed some man had come and saved him.
The past six-months, Oliver now realized that he'd hardly thought about what happened on the life raft four-years ago with his father. Before, away from Starling City, he thought about it everyday. Robert's last request for Oliver to right his sins in failing the city. In the light of finally returning to Tommy, of Rebecca's conception, having his family back—it had almost seemed unimportant.
What could be so wrong with a City that had given him Tommy and Rebe? But now, he remembered. This was the second time that Tommy had been attacked in the last seven months. The first-time, he could have lost them both and not even known it, half-way across the world; the time that he had wasted in his self-imposed exile on Lian Yu.
And this time... he'd almost lost his Mate even being there. He came to the realisation that there was nothing Starling City's Oliver Queen could do about it. But that man in the hood? He was a different side of Oliver that the island had made. The man that he had become on Lian Yu, with Yao Fei, Slade, and Shado—could. A faceless man, with the City on his shoulders—a penchant for green hoods, arrows, and not pulling punches. He could save this city. Protect the ones that he loved.
But more than that, he was going to find out whoever it was that put the three Alphas on Tommy's scent and make them pay.
[tbc]
aRRoW
Ooh. So, the Hood is starting to be conceived in light of Tommy's attack. Just as I had hoped all the way back in chapter 5. The scene with Tommy and Oliver being woken up by Felicity on Father's Day, I wrote that scene three other times (as you'll see if you read my deleted/altered stuff further down), it was very frustrating. Anyway, I hope the chapter was worth the wait!
Mentioned associated scents: (hit me up if I've missed any that were described/detailed in my story):
Tommy 2 Oliver: Vanilla, Citrus, & Maplewood
Felicity 2 Oliver: Green Apple
Roy 2 Oliver: Olives
Oliver 2 Tommy: Honey & Black Pepper
Thea 2 Tommy: Sugar & Granite
Laurel 2 Tommy: Basil & Parchment
Malcolm 2 Tommy: Barley & Bitter Cocoa
Tommy 2 Thea: Spring-shower & Popcorn
Tommy 2 Diggle: Acorns & Oak Leaves
Tommy (when pregnant) 2 Felicity: Coffee & Banana
P.S: So, here are some deleted bits for this chapter. Whatever, I'm posting them here; it's the only way they'll see the light of day:
#~
Did they think he didn't notice that none of them were even wearing shoes, and that Tommy was in ratty sweats?
x
The one-time that Roy hadn't knocked, he'd walked in on Tommy breastfeeding Rebecca. It wasn't a rare occurrence. He didn't go and run to his room, door shut when he fed her. Hell, he'd sit on the couch in the living room, shirtless, watching TV, Rebecca held in one arm, Oliver's head in his lap. Tommy himself wasn't embarrassed about it (and Ollie still loved to watch them), in fact, he probably should have shown more discretion about it.
The first time the Roy had walked in on him was a hilarious reality. There had been exclaims, loud back-of-the-throat noises, some deer-in-the-headlights action, some spinning-on-heel-rapidly and hiding-away-in-his-hood as he scrambled-from-the-room. The kid couldn't even look Tommy in the eye for a week afterward. And much to the Beta's relief, it was something the Felicity hadn't managed to get recorded on her cell. Usually she was a speedster at whipping that thing out at the important moments. Roy was still grouching that she'd managed to snap a pic of Oliver hugging him in the hospital.
Was it really that different than if he feed her from a bottle? That was what he'd asked the Beta. Roy's answer was a definite yes.
. TAKE 1:
Tommy sighed happily, snuggling to Oliver's side under the blanket when the Alpha returned to bed. The only difference this time around—he was wearing boxers.
"Hey," he brushed his fingers up and down the Omega's back.
"Mm. I'm sleeping," he mumbled in response, shifting and burying his face in the side of the blond's chest.
"You know what today is?"
"Yeah. It's like our second birthday, where our friends become our slaves for the day and we get to sleep in."
Oliver chuckled. "I forgot how you get sometimes before you've had your first coffee."
"Can we just—" pop!
Felicity ignited a party popper, barging into the Omega's bedroom with hardly a knock. Tommy started a little and his arm briefly tensed around the Alpha's torso, who had completely gone from leisure-to-attack and didn't jump across the bed and nail the Beta down because of Tommy on top of him. Oliver slowly exhaled, trying to breathe out the rigidity. Tommy squeezed his arm in an act of groundage.
Felicity instantly went into a cheerful-toned tirade upon entry: "Happy—this-isn't-actually-your-birthday-and-for-the-last-time-we're-not-your-slaves-but-we-wish-you-all-the-happiness-anyways—Fathers' Day! Yay!"
"It's too early for this!" Tommy groaned, trying it bury his head, unsuccessfully—into Oliver's armpit.
"What are you doing?" there was laughter in Oliver's voice.
"Burying my head in the metaphorical sand." His voice came out muffled. It was dark, it was warm, and it smelled like Oliver and sweat; it smelled like Oliver's sweat. The Omega wasn't sure how he'd managed it, but the Alpha made sweat smell fantastic, very manly. He didn't want to get up, he didn't want to move from the bed. Today was special, it was their first Father's Day, they were breaking their cherries on this celebrated day. He didn't want to leave the safety of the bed—
"It's after noon, Tommy." Felicity pointed out. "Now get your lazy bum out of bed and visit with your daughter before she forgets her dad's face."
"Alright. Alright." Tommy conceded. "Let's do this." He rolled over and sat up, his hairy chest bare and the blanket pooled at his waist. "Put her on a breakfast tray and I'll take her in bed. Oh, I'll have that with a side of coffee, too—you know how I like it—and a round of French toast for the bed." He twirled his finger. "Thanks,"
Felicity didn't move. Oliver sat up and looked at him.
"What? I said thanks. Now chop-chop," he clapped.
"Ohh, it's way too early in the afternoon. I'm not drunk enough for this." She muttered, rubbing her forehead. "It's cocktail hour somewhere. Okay," she took a deep breath and clasped her hands and addressed the Omega. "Coffee and late-late breakfast will be ready when you get out of bed and come to the kitchen. You're my friend and I love you... so I will not spit in your coffee—I'm a good hostess like that, I'll have you know. Good? Alright. Oliver," she nodded curtly to the Alpha, who nodded back and she left, closing the bedroom door.
Tommy stared at it, feeling like a total ass and a bunch of other things that made him feel craggy. He let out a groan, falling back onto the bed.
"Wow, someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed." Oliver remarked, looking down at him. "I know you were supposed to be joking, but it came out kind of sarcastic and uncaring."
"Yeah, Dr. Phil, tell me something I don't already know and regret." He snapped, scrubbing at his face.
"Tommy," he twisted around so he was facing the other man. He watched him, his alpha-responsive reacting as he Scented.
"Fuck, I'm sorry, Oliver." He sighed heavily and flopped his arms out on either side of him. "I don't know why I was an ass to Felicity, she didn't deserve that. Neither did you. I'm sorry."
Oliver put a hand on his thigh over the blanket, giving it a squeeze to draw his blue-eyes. The Omega glanced down at him. "Your pheromones smell... a little sour. Tommy, what's wrong."
"Nothing." He threw off the blanket and effectively Oliver's comforting hand.
. TAKE 2:
Tommy went to bed the previous night, sated, happy, safe and in the arms of the man that he loved. He was awoken as said man slipped from under his arm and out of bed. He'd slept alone for so long, now that he finally had Oliver home and with him, his body was becoming in tune with the Alpha's presence in sleep just after the month that Oliver had started staying over since his birthday.
"Ollie?" he mumbled, trying to forced himself awake. He leaned up on his elbow, and wavered sleepily.
"I'm just going to the bathroom." Oliver hushed him, pulling on his boxers and slipping out door to the bathroom the short distance at the end of the hall, leaving the Omega alone.
The room was dark, the thick curtains drawn. The alarm clock on his end table was blurry, but he thought it said seven. Oliver was only gone two minutes, but Tommy's guts were knotted with unfounded unease. But Oliver returned and he let out a breath of relief as the Alpha slipped back into the bed, boxers still on. Tommy leaned forward on his elbow, teetering sleepily for a moment, before draping himself over Oliver's scarred chest, feeling the hard muscle and strong beating heart under his cheek with reality.
Oliver wrapped an arm around him, hugging him close, stroking the nape of the Omega's neck, and lulling him back into a worry-free sleep. Next Tommy woke, he was draped over the blond's chest. He blinked at the clock. Noon. But the room still lay in near darkness.
"Hey," Oliver brushed his fingers up and down the Omega's back, his voice low. "You awake sleeping-head?"
"Mm." Tommy answered, tightening and arm around his waist. "I'm sleeping." He buried his face in his chest and made sleepy-noises to prove his point. He did not want to get out of bed.
"You know today's a special day, right? It can't really be had without us." He reminded.
"Yeah." Tommy grunted. "It's like our second birthday. Which means we should just grab Rebe and stay in bed. Let's just do that today, okay?"
Oliver furrowed his brow. "Since when do you want to stay in bed when there's cake, coffee, and our daughter in the next room?"
"They wouldn't be in the next room," Tommy counted, "They'd be in bed with us."
"Since you've met Felicity, has there been anything that's gone uncelebrated—especially since Rebecca?" he pointed out.
Tommy squeezed his eyes shut and pressed his forehead against Oliver's collarbone. That ill feeling was starting up in his stomach again, like earlier that morning. "Can we just—"
pop! Felicity burst into his room, like she was usually wont to do, pulling the tab on a party popper in her hand, showering confetti on the unsuspecting pair.
Both male bodies were flooded with adrenaline. Oliver flashed from leisure to attack in an instant, his body wound like a spring about to snap. The only reason he didn't jump across the bed and tackle Felicity like she was one of General Shrieve'smen, was because Tommy. He reacted like he was shielding Oliver from an explosion, squeezing tightly.
"Happy Fathers' Day!" Felicity called cheerily, sunlight leaking in through the halls to accompany it.
"Can you just knock for once?!" Tommy growled harshly at her, panting with adrenaline.
The Beta blinked at him, taken by surprise, and she wasn't the only one. "Um, well, okay. Sorry. I'll just..." she waved backward into the hall. She swallowed. "Sorry." She backed out and quickly shut the door.
"Tommy?" Oliver questioned in shock.
Tommy stayed where he was, a defensive position between Oliver and the door. He stared at the shut door in the darkness of the room. He felt terrible. And a bunch of other things that made him feel... uneven.
"I can't believe I just yelled at her like that." He scrubbed a hand over his face and rolled to the other side of the bed.
Oliver slowly sat up and turned to him, watching the Omega carefully. "That was definitely not a normal response," he agreed. He understood his own response. Six months back in friendly territory didn't just erase almost four-years of constant alert and instant reaction in hostile territory. Tommy's was, well, a defence against an unseen aggressor that was not the Beta.
"Yeah, Dr. Phil, don't stop there." He grumbled.
"Tommy." He tasted something sour in the back of his throat as he Scented the stress in the Omega's pheromones.
"Fuck, I'm sorry, Oliver." Tommy cursed himself. He turned to the Alpha and sat up. "I didn't mean to snap at you. I'm sorry. And Felicity—Shit. I need to apologize to her too. Big time."
Oliver murmured quietly, "I can taste your stress in your pheromones, Tommy." He put a comforting and encouraging hand on the Omega's thigh. "What's going on?"
"Nothing. Just a bad dream." He said. "And before you even ask. I don't remember, I just feel icky. I'm alright." Tommy threw off the blanket and effectively Oliver's hand, standing from the bed. He quickly slipped on his flannel pants from the floor. His underwear was somewhere; it and everything else having been quickly discarded and cast aside last night in the dark. He snatched his tee up and slipped in on overhead as he went to the door. "I'll just have a quick shower."
. TAKE 3:
Tommy's afternoon had started out great.
He'd gone to bed and woken up in Oliver's arms. His sleeping patterns were subject to great change since Rebecca's birth, since his sleep patterns tended to follow with her own sleep and other such needs like feeding, changing, or soothing through out the night. But now that she was a little older, he had a tiny bit more control on her schedule. She usually slept through the night now.
But it hadn't been Rebe that woke him, or Oliver really—but Felicity. The previous night, with Rebecca down for the night and him and Oliver heading to bed, she'd claimed the baby monitor from him and told them to sleep in tomorrow, shed take care of Rebecca until then. Tommy's hugged her and kissed her goodnight with a grin.
Goddamn he loved sleeping in. Sleeping in (especially with Oliver) was like his crack, without having an actually drug problem. And to know what waited him and Oliver the next morning, was the cherry on top.
Felicity had taken the baby monitor from him, before he and Oliver headed off to bed. She gave them the pleasant leisure of sleeping in the next morning. Tommy happily took the offer, even if tomorrow marked a special occasion, he'd never deny himself a sleep-in.
Back in his party-boy days he used to party-all-night and sleep-all-day. Now, he woke-up-early and went-to-bed-early.
x
"You're welcome." Tommy winked over his clothing clad shoulder.
The Alpha raised a brow. "Oh, so you're saying the blow job—"
"Was a priceless gift? ... Yes."
They were handed menus and their wine order taken and served, and their meals chosen.
Two went after Oliver. He was the Alpha, he was the more perceived threat. Once they took him out, corralling Tommy wouldn't be an issue.
x
The slight pressure that had started to build in his chest in the restaurant since feeding Rebecca Meghan vanished as his milk ducts dried as the upsurge in his hormones.
x
He froze in his pace as he Scented the change in Tommy's floating scent that put a faint heat in his belly, and Oliver's dominant and sharp musk that gave Diggle goosebumps and made his hackles rise.
The lingering sweet scent of an Omega's Heat, the hard musk of the short-lived Rut. Alpha Ruts were never a pleasant scent for other Alphas, they served to antagonize and challenge other Alphas, not entice like the scent of an Omegas pre/present/post-Heat.
He'd seen it before, in combat situations during his tour in Afghanistan. Where unsanctioned bonds were formed in the unstable, unpredictable combat zone. Most often, it wasn't even about sex, but the intimacy of the connection, of the bond.
That had not been a typical protective response, that had been the protective response of a bonded-pair and Diggle understood why a moment later when he finally got a look at the Omega—and the claiming-bite that marked his neck.
x
Tommy: "There's an official title for what it's called. Merlyn-luck. You know, the original owner is just the carrier, and passes all that good-stuff right onto his 'loved' ones. The central theme? Alleyways. A beating there, a gunshot here. Just ask my mother. No, sorry. She had a bit of Merlyn-luck herself. Getting mugged and shot, left for dead to slowly bleed out usually does it."
x
Felicity and Thea were definitely surprised, having put Rebecca down, now watching a scary movie when the lock on the door jiggled. There was definitely some girly shrieks (their identities confidential), but after they settled down from their heart arrhythmias it was obviously not a robber because they were didn't have keys.
x
"Hey, baby girl." Tommy's hushed voice was heard through the baby monitor on the coffee table and Felicity quickly took the device in hand and turned it off to give them their privacy.
"Daddy's here, I'm right here." He bent slightly with a stiff exhale and reached into the crib, picking his baby up. "I know I said you'd see me in the morning, but sometimes I'm going to have to break my promises. I'm sure when you're older, you might come to resent me for it, at least for a little while. But right now, I hope you understand. But one thing I can promise and will never take back—is that I'm never going to leave you, I'm always going to come back." He pressed his lips to her crown. "I'm not going anywhere." He chocked back the sob.
x
Felicity wasn't stingy with the coffee. She brewed a pot as Oliver and Tommy spoke, giving Lance a full account, and dolled out a cup for everyone. She knew everyone's preference, and gave an educated guess as to the two officers—Black. Everyone got one whether they liked it or not. She just needed to be doing something, even if her hands were a little shaky. She couldn't tell if this was worse or not than when Tommy went through his first account with Lance. Did it make her a bad person that she was glad those Alphas were dead this time around?
x
Before, the marking and claiming bond-bite held all the authority between couples. But nowadays, it was as superficial as the officiate for your wedding. What really counted now, was the legal and binding paperwork, the marriage license. Now, there were little 'commitment ceremonies' that were as upheld as promise rings. The bite was marked in one's medical files, but that was it.
Of course, anyone one bond-bite was not to give to more than one person.
x
It was as Rebecca started teething, that Oliver realized he had hardly thought about what happened on that life raft out in sea after the yacht sank. His father's last-request to right his sins in failing the city. In light of Tommy and his daughter, and having his family back again, it almost seemed unimportant. What could be so wrong with a City that had given him Tommy and Rebecca? But then he remembered Tommy's attack, and how he could have lost them both and not even have known it, half-way across the world. The time that he had wasted in his self-imposed exile on the island
He realized that there was nothing Oliver Queen could do about it. But the man that Oliver Queen from Lian Yu had become, could. A faceless man, with the City on his shoulders. With the penchant for arrows and not pulling punches.
y :)