Runaway

by LanceyLance963

Summary:

Silco started, before letting a pent up sigh escape. “Right now I have a feral omega laying in my barn with a mangled knee.”

“...I should have known calling me at 3 o’clock in the morning would not be because of something normal.” Came Viktor’s stunned response, drawing a huff of laughter from Silco.

 

The feral barn omega au that wouldn't leave me alone

Chapter 1: It started with the Hayloft Creaking

It wasn’t unusual for Judge to bark in the night.

He was a livestock dog- he lived outside, napped on the porch during the day and acted as a nearly silent sentinel at night. He watched the chickens and cows and whatever stray Vander picked up that lived with the rest of their ragtag bunch. He got fed scraps of dinner despite his Vet gently scolding Vander for the spoiling.

The point was he was meant to bark. It scared off smaller critters looking for the chickens and warned bigger predators that there was something standing between them and the sleeping animals. 

What made Vander get up and grab the shotgun resting on the stand by their bed was the sound of the barn door being thrown open, clattering against the wood sides with a resounding bang that spooked the rest of the animals. 

 

Coyotes didn’t have thumbs to move the sliding lock out of the way to get inside.

 

Silco was up as soon as Vander had sat up, groggily watching him stand up and quickly make his way to the door of their room.

 

“Vander, what is it?”

 

“Somethin’s in the barn.” 

 

He heard Silco curse under his breath as he made his way down the old stairs, squealing under his weight as he went and opened the front door.

The grass was cool and wet beneath his bare feet. The air carried the scent of vegetation and soil, and when the breeze shifted he could smell something sour. It was like the air was charged with a tension that made even the cicadas stop screaming. He took in a deep lungful again, feeling his brows furrow as he tried to take in the thin trail of scent on the wind. The full moon lit the night with enough light for him to walk over.

Judge was standing at the door, barking and pawing at the entrance. Vander let out a sharp whistle between his teeth and he fell back, whining low in his throat. Absently Vander patted his head, scritching behind his ear as Silco came up behind him in his robe.

 

“Hold onto Judge, I don’t want him spookin’ whoever’s inside.” Vander told him in a hushed tone, and Silco nodded.

 

Vander poked the barrel of the gun in the crack of the door first, slowly pushing it open and stepping inside as lightly as a man of his stature could.

It was dark and still, the only light coming from the grimy window and the sliver of moonlight it allowed through it’s glass. Overhead Vander could hear the flutters and squeaks of the barn swallows woken from their slumber. Vander caught the sour stench again, like rotting fruit and ozone from heat lightning. 

 

What was an omega doing here?

 

Looking down briefly, Vander caught grand smears of dark liquid in the shape of a dragging foot trailing into the barn and followed it. And injured omega, on top of it. The barn was a large room filled with machinery and tools, and towards the back was a smaller room where his workbench laid. The smell of oil and gasoline didn’t help him pin it down, but as he followed the bloodstains on the cement floor he caught another whiff, stronger. 

 

As he reached the corner he could hear ragged breathing, tight and shallow trying desperately to be muffled.

 

“I’m not trying to shoot a man tonight- if you come out we can get you some help with that foot.” Vander called out into the dark. The air was charged with tension that made the back of Vander’s neck prickle. When no answer followed, Vander sighed and rounded the corner, shotgun raised level with his head.

Curled into the corner, filthy and afraid, was a tan, painfully thin man. His hair was shorn down to his scalp besides a few scant inches where Vander could easily make out a bleeding gash on his temple that trickled down his jaw. The crimson trail stopped on the thick collar around his throat with a bright yellow tag, the numbers … printed on it in thick black font like a cow’s eartag. His chest heaved with each ragged breath, and when he saw Vander a violent growl exploded from him. His lips curled up into a bearing of teeth, showing off pearly white canines and a split lip.

The worst of it was his leg. It made Vander’s stomach roll looking at it- it wasn’t something the man should have been limping on, let alone running. The knee was a mess of broken skin and blood, mangled flesh that Vander had only seen on the victims of bear traps.

 

He needed to focus on the omega growling at him.

 

“Hey sweetheart- that looks pretty nasty, yeah? Can we help get you to a doctor?” Vander tried, lowering his gun a bit. If the man had heard his words, they didn’t register. He might have been feral- it would have explained how he managed to run on a leg like that if he was fueled only by adrenaline.

When Vander took a step closer the man recoiled further against the wall, pressing himself against the wall and stopping his growling with a loud yelp of pain as he shifted his injured leg.

 

“Alright, alright- none of that, I’m sorry sweetheart.” Fuck. Vander paused for only a moment before he moved back to the barn entrance where Silco was waiting with a hand on Judge’s collar.

 

“Feral omega in the barn. He’s got a tag but I dunno where he’s from, he wouldn’t let me get close.” Vander ran a hand through his hair as he sighed, taking in the fresh night air to soothe his instincts stirred up by the adrenaline.

“Let me go in there.” 

 

‘Absolutely not, Sil, the boy’s feral-”

 

“Yeah, I would be too if I was an injured omega cornered by a brute of an alpha with a shotgun.” Silco drawled, waiting for Vander to sigh and take hold of Judge.

 

Silco was only a little surprised to see that Vander hadn't been joking.

 

When Silco came around the corner he wrinkled his nose at the scent that washed over him, vinegary and spoiled with distress. The boy had started growling again, but when Silco’s scent reached him it sputtered out to just his soft pants.

 

“Yeah, sorry about the lug. He’s a little headstrong sometimes.” Silco muttered, stepping closer bit by bit. Soon he was able to reach out and touch Jayce’s foot if he wanted to, but he didn’t- opting to sit down and let the boy observe him.

The boy’s eyes still flickered to the door, but otherwise they roved over Silco as his tense body language loosened. As it did, it was clear that exhaustion was beginning to take its toll as his eyelids drooped.

 

“Well, you're in no state to be moved- how about we let you sit in here for tonight. I’ll get you something warm to wrap yourself in and keep your leg off the floor.” Silco decided- he knew the omega couldn't hear him but it had to reach him somewhere in the back of his mind. He wasn’t equipped for medical attention of this extent. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialed a number he knew by heart.

 

“Hello?” A soft, accented timber came down the line after a few rings, and Silco sighed in relief.

 

“It’s Silco. I have found myself needing your assistance.”

 

“I hate to break it to you, but I am a human doctor- I cannot be of much use to your livestock.” Viktor replied, humor playing lightly on the words.

 

“That’s why I’m calling. Are you alone?” Silco asked. There was silence on Viktor’s end, before he heard some soft clattering and the sound of a door clicking shut.

 

“Is something wrong? Is it Vander?” Viktor asked, all traces of mirth gone from his voice.

 

“No, thank God. It’s.. it’s something off the record. Can I trust you to keep this between us?” Silco already knew the answer- he and Vander had been the wing that Viktor grew under when he was still a fresh-faced college kid. He came over to their house for Sunday night dinners- he was the closest thing he had to family. On top of that, he was too eager to help a patient off the record if it was something their insurance refused to recover.

 

“Of course.”

 

“Good, Good.” Silco started, before letting a pent up sigh escape. “Right now I have a feral omega laying in my barn with a mangled knee.”

 

“...I should have known calling me at 3 o’clock in the morning would not be because of something normal.” Came Viktor’s stunned response, drawing a huff of laughter from Silco.

 

“Trust me, I would have liked to invite you over under different circumstances. But as it is, I need medical help and I can’t bring him into the hospital without knowing what he was running from.”

 

Viktor made a contemplating noise on the other side.

 

“What does he need?”

 

“I don’t know, but it looks like something broken. I think I saw bone when I looked but I’m hoping I was wrong.”

 

“He needs a hospital, Silco- I’m only one man.”

 

“You’re the only man he needs.” Silco insisted.

 

Finally, a sigh came down the line.

 

“I can be there in an hour. Try to keep him awake until I can check him for head trauma.”

 

“That I can do. I’m getting some old pillows and blankets for him to lay on.”

“Excellent. Alright, see you in a moment.”

 

Silco slid his phone back into his pocket before looking up at the early morning sky. What the fuck were they getting into?

 

 

……………………

 

 

Judge had been persuaded to sit on the back porch, watching the two men move between the house and the barn carrying armfulls of dusty attic blankets and linen closet pillows.

 

“That yellow flower print is absolutely hideous- we haven’t used it since your mother gave it to us. I’m happy with it being drenched in blood.” Silco joked lightly, earning himself a chuckle from Vander.

 

“You just didn’t like my mother.”

 

“She told me I looked like I got kicked in the face by a mule when I first met her.”

 

By the time that Silco had gently offered the sheets and pillows to the feral omega, the dark night was beginning to lighten into dawn. The sound of Judge’s barks trailing off into happy woofs marked the sound of Viktor’s arrival. 

 

“Silco, could you..?” Viktor waved his hand towards the back seat, revealing a massive bag of tools. 

 

The tap of Viktor’s cane echoed in the barn, followed by Silco hauling the bag of tools over to where the omega laid. He had managed to curl up a bit in the soft blanket, his eyelids droopy and close to slipping into unconsciousness. When Viktor entered the little alcove, his eyes opened fully again- the medical smell that clung to Viktor made the omega’s nose wrinkle. 

 

“You’re a big one, aren’t you. Hm?” Viktor murmured. Silco set the bag of supplies down. 

 

“We’re going to need to put him under- I’m not going to be able to work on him when he’s awake, I’ll need Vander’s help setting his leg.” Viktor sighed, taking in the man’s mangled leg. It had been a long and tedious process-  coaxing the omega to eat some dried meats and fruits with pills hidden inside, talking to him in soft and cooing voices until he had passed out. 

 

From there it had been a bustle of activity. Quickly setting the leg in place and stitching it up the best Viktor could, thanking the stars it had been a clean break.

 

They decided while the omega was unconscious to move him to the guest room- “There’s rat shit in the corner, Vander- not ideal for a, eh, sterile environment.” Vander moved the bed to the far corner and laid the unconscious boy on the old mattress before stacking the extra pillows and blankets off to the side.

 

Silco and Viktor located themselves into the living room to process their situation a little better. Silco carried in a couple of hot mugs of coffee as Viktor inspected the collar that had been cut from the unconscious omega’s neck, flipping the yellow tag between his gloved fingers.

 

If they were up and working at 5 in the morning then Silco insisted on making them a pot of coffee.

 

“Mm, as I suspected. ‘Glasc Brides’- they’re a specialist omega company that sells omegas to higher clientele. One of their facilities is about 2 hours away from here. I used to conduct check ups for their employees but after seeing the way they treat them, well… I couldn’t stay in good consciousness.”

 

“Is that his… was he numbered?”

 

“It is quite commonplace for these sorts of businesses, yes. Yellow tags are for work in progress omegas. Special diet, special exercise- basically he's something they're trying to change. An omega of his height should be around 200 pounds, but I could have counted his ribs when I looked over him. My guess is he strays from the more than the more waifish omegas high society drools over.”

 

“What was he running from? That’s the question, right- I mean it’s still an omega center but I was under the impression they were one of the better systems when it came to taking care of their stock?” 

 

“They think they’re special because they only sell their omegas after their first heat. If this omega hasn’t had a heat yet at, say- 21 to 24? He may have been on the list as being infertile, to be sold to another company as defective.”

 

“So they’ll come looking for him?” Vander asked, shifting his weight forward to rest his elbows on his knees. In tandem, Viktor leaned back into his own armchair.

 

“Most likely yes- if the papers found out that this specific one is letting rogue, brutish omegas escape it would be quite a punch to their image.” 

 

“How does the saying go? ‘Finder’s Keepers?’” Silco asked over the rim of his drink, swirling the dark liquid in the glass.

 

“Silco-” 

 

“What? It’s not like they’re treating him any better! I say let the boy heal here, wait until he's able to speak full sentences, and offer him a job.”

 

“I’m the one who normally keeps stragglers here. If we keep that boy and let him think this is the only option he has, then we’re no better than Glasc.”

 

“I didn’t say the only option, you brute. Just until he’s coherent, and then we can talk to him about what to do next.”

 

The old alpha let out a heavy sigh and leaned back in his chair.

 

“... just until he’s coherent.” Vander finally agreed. Silco let out a huff of satisfaction as he poured himself another cup of coffee. His mind was already running through all the things he would need to stock up on for the boy. But for now he let the weak morning sun soften the memories of the night they had just gone through.

 

Chapter 2

Summary:

Tw; Vomiting, disordered eating, mentions of SA (very VERY lightly mentioned, blink and you'll miss it), mentioned non-con drug use (again, very light)

Soft, soft and warm. 

 

Jayce blinked sluggishly as he peered around the den he found himself in. His leg throbbed in pain, and he let out a soft whine and tried to curl up more. He had to be quiet, the others got upset when he was too loud during dark time- but this wasn’t dark time, it was light. 

The scent was wrong- dusty and traced with other scents, this wasn’t-

A confused noise left his lips as he sat up slightly, peering around the room. He was so warm, and sleepy- but not tired. He had slept a long time, he could tell. Why hadn’t the alpha’s woken him for training? 

 

Not the white place, then. Here there was wood, and soft bed, and soft nest. It’s been so long since he had a nest. His tag didn’t tickle his cheek, and when he checked for it, he found it gone. A cold pit settled in his stomach- had he been bought? 

A soft knock startled a growl from him, his lip curled to bare his teeth as a man entered. He had a scar on his eye- was he an alpha? He looked like one, but… no, he scented beta. Scented like soil and outside and grass. 

He was talking to him, but Jayce didn’t pay attention to him when he saw the plate of food he had in his hands. His stomach growled ferociously, and Jayce had to swallow the saliva pooling in his mouth as he ducked his head in shame. The beta only chuckled and set the plate next to his nest. 

It was so much food. This had to be too much- did the beta know? He was too big, he needed to be small, less food.

He might get punished for it later, but he didn’t care- shoveling the food into his mouth with little finesse as he ignored the odd crunch and chemical taste in it that was typical for meal times. Vitamins to help him be so pretty and perfect, like the alphas said. 

His belly felt tight when he was done, and Jayce let out a huff of air to try and alleviate it. 

The beta handler chuckled softly, speaking to him in a soft, raspy voice. The words slid off Jayce's brain like water off a duck's back, but it sounded gentle. 

It was too much. Too soon, Jayce felt his stomach give a painful cramp, lurching with the need to expel the food. He let out a whine, trying to get to his feet as he heaved. The spike of pain in his leg momentarily overpowered the nausea, just long enough for a bowl to get shoved under Jayce’s head.

The bile stung the back of Jayce’s throat, coughing and choking for air between heaves as he clutched the bowl. His eyes ached with tears and the pressure.

As soon as he was done he curled up, waiting for the anger, the scent of vinegar and displeasure for wasting food. The handler’s thin hand took the bowl, and Jayce cowered as soon as it was taken from him. His heart thumped in his ears as he waited. His body was tight as a bowstring.

The first touch of a warm cloth on his face made him flinch, but the motion was followed by a soft crooning as the bile and spit was wiped from his face and the short beard that had begun to grow. It’s never been this long before.

Once he was clean, a warm mug was pressed into his hands. A clear golden broth with flecks of green swirling around the edges, wafting the scent of chicken up to his face. Jayce gingerly sipped it feeling the heat settle in his belly and soothe the roiling emptiness. A hand touched his head, and for a moment Jayce growled until he felt it smooth over the shorn hair. It was gentle, careful not to move too quickly. It lulled him into a soft, sleepy space, ready to lay back down in the nest after his body wrung him dry.

 

 

 

……….

 

 

 

It was hard not to be discouraged by week three that the omega wasn’t lucid yet. 

Vander knew it was a  biological defense- it wasn’t anything personal, the omega was just adjusting to his environment, still figuring out where the boundaries laid and what was safe. It was hard for it to not feel personal when the spitfire thing growled at him whenever Vander so much as hovered by the entrance to what was now his room. 

Silco was the only one who regularly went in there besides Viktor, who came by every other day to check his leg and make sure the correct pressure and wrappings stayed in place.  Silco was the one in charge of bringing the omega his food, and boy did he eat. They had to remind him not to scarf it down or else his stomach would get upset. Even Judge was allowed in, and it’s like the little fucker knew it- constantly trotting up to the man and hopping into the nest, licking the omega’s face and curling up to take a nap in the sunspots. 

Sunshine was what Vander had taken to calling him in his head, simply because he loved it. He was always in front of the windows, soaking it in with his eyes closed and letting out soft, sputtery purrs. It was more like they had let a barn cat into the guest room and not a runaway omega.

Vander wished he could help more. He could see Silco wasn’t getting enough sleep when he had to get up in the middle of the night to soothe their houseguest from the nightmares he woke from. Hearing the broken whimpers and whines made Vander’s chest ache and his hackles raise.

Papers had gone up around their small town; “Feral omega on the loose, call (xxx) if seen. Do not approach.” Like Sunshine was some vicious animal and not the soft, sweet boy sleeping with Judge during the afternoons when he wasn’t needed. His fellow farmers laughed and joked about what they would do if they found the feral omega in a manner that made Vander quickly realize who he was keeping company with. 

One morning they even had someone stop by dressed in neatly pressed slacks and a two piece suit looking at the small farm with a look of distaste before Vander opened the door. He had handed over a picture of the omega from what looked to be CCTV footage with his lips curled back in a snapping snarl while orderlies dressed in a light blue tried to detain him. Said if they say him passing through, they needed to call the number on his neatly printed business card.

“He’s feral- he will not respond to coaxing or calling, and is injured. Do not approach him under any circumstances.” He was told sternly. Vander wanted to laugh in his face. Or punch him in the face. Instead he nodded and told him to take care as he left in his shiny black company car. 

It was an exciting day in their little household when Vander and Silco heard footsteps upstairs, and the door gently creak open. The two of them had been washing dishes from lunch, and silco had put down his towel when he heard the shuffling movement from upstairs.

 

“Is that-”

 

A soft, searching chirrup came from upstairs. When Silco made his way to the bottom of the wood staircase, he could see the omega standing in the hallway- clearly favoring his leg, but looking around cautiously and peering into the different rooms. 

 

“Look at you! Feeling a little adventurous today, hm?” Silco asked, and to his delight he got a small smile in return. It was hidden a bit by the length of hair that had grown over his face and the scant inches starting to grow in on the top of his head. 

Sunshine huffed and nodded, letting Silco help him downstairs to explore more of the house. He beamed at Judge, petting the dog as he boofed softly and nosed his hands for pets. Vander kept his distance- he knew the omega saw him after a moment of stillness, eyeing Vander wearily. Silco made a show of kissing Vander, scenting him, letting the omega see that he was safe.

The omega’s eyes lingered on the blankets and pillows sitting on the worn loveseat and broken in armchair Silco and Vander favored respectively.

Having the omega sit in the living room was a bit like having a cat- if either of them looked over, chances were that Sunshine was looking between the two of them, simply observing and watching them interact with each other in mundane, gentle ways.

It was a major breakthrough. Viktor had lit up like a christmas tree at the news while he was performing a check up on the omega.

“That is wonderful! That hopefully means he’ll be a bit more lucid in the coming weeks- he's coming out of fight or flight, essentially. Able to respond somewhat to voices even if it’s just tonal, exploration, scent marking- that’s good progress, not to mention he’s favoring his injured leg instead of trying to walk on it.” Viktor praised as he finished rewrapping Sunshine’s leg. For whatever reason, Sunshine liked having Viktor close- scenting Viktor whenever he was close enough in soft snuffles. He smiled shyly at Viktor hearing the approval in his voice.

It took a bit of time for Sunshine to make his way back to his room- he even let Vander help him, skittish as he was. His hand trembled slightly as he used Vander’s arm to steady himself going up the stairs, but Vander was sure to gently encourage him. When they crossed the threshold of Sunshine’s room, he turned and paused for a moment, looking over Vander before tugging lightly at Vander’s flannel, keeping his head down and to the side in a submissive gesture. 

“Hm? Do you need something, Sunshine?” The omega huffed, his brow furrowing a touch as he tried to communicate what he wanted. He tugged at Vander’s flannel again, a little more insistently, and understanding dawned on him. He tugged off the jacket and handed it to him, watching the omega let out a happy chirp and tuck it close to his chest.

“God, you’re cute. I think Silco’s gonna miss having you around, you know that? Like a barn cat that wanders back outside.” Vander hummed, talking mostly to himself as the omega made his way back to his nest. His chest felt warm and full, he couldn’t help the rumble that slipped from him. 

Soon enough, he ambled back to his own room where his husband waited, propped up on pillows and reading a book with his lamp turned down low. 

‘Where’s your flannel gone?” Silco asked as Vander stripped down to his boxers before crawling into bed. 

“Sunshine wanted it.” He replied casually, trying to play off the pride that swelled in his chest at the words, but nothing got past Silco’s hawklike gaze.

 

“Sunshine- the omega? Is that his name now?”

 

“Sil-”

 

“You big softie, he wanted something for his nest didn’t he? I told you he would warm up to you.”

 

“I’m going to bed now, can’t talk, sorry-.” 

 

“Sure you are.”

 

…………

 

 

 

The morning after Viktor’s visit was quiet. The two of them were up before the sun rose getting their chores done, fueled only by coffee, so breakfast was made quick with biscuits and gravy, eggs and bacon all in a bowl that Silco affectionately called “Breakfast slop.” The front door was open save for the screen door, and the breeze carried in the scent of the morning and hay.

After an hour, it carried the scent of warm sleepy omega as well, as Sunshine slowly walked into the kitchen. 

“Goodmorning, Sunshine.” Silco greeted, giving Vander a teasing glance as he rolled his eyes and got a bowl for the omega. 

“You’re such a tease, you know that? Are you hungry, darlin’?” Vander asked over his shoulder, before pausing his action of scooping breakfast into the bowl. The omega was looking at him; eyes clear and wide, taking everything in. 

“Hey there… are you with us?” Vander asked carefully, and the omega paused, licked his lips, and  uttered in a raspy tone, 

 

“Yeah, uh- I think so?”

 

 

 

Notes:

I know the tags look scary but this was very light dw!! He's talking again! :D whether this is for worse or better we'll have to see

Chapter 3

Summary:

Jayce is awake!!

Jayce was shocked to be awake.

 

One morning, he opened his eyes and the world met him with crystal clarity.

 

He was in a bedroom, full of color and wood paneling- this was nothing like the institute. The floor had old wood boards, the walls were painted a soft, buttery yellow, and the two windows had a soft white trim that glowed against the sunlight spilling inside. 

 

He was inside a nest, a proper nest, with pillows and layers of soft, thick blankets. The room smelled dusty, but his scent was embedded in the fabric around him- he had been here for a while. HIs leg was wrapped in bandages, and a gentle prodding made a dull ache flare up, but nothing like the piercing agony of the accident. 

 

Where was he? 

 

Looking outside he saw a small farm, with nothing but miles of green farmland stretched out to the horizon. He could hear the gentle clatter of morning noise, and his mouth watered at the scent of bacon and eggs. The sounds of cooking, actual cooking, and not the prepacked food they were fed, carefully measured to the last calorie and vitamin. 

 

He swung his legs over the bed, and after searching the drawers of the big oak dresser found a pair of loose grey pants and a plain blue t-shirt. He managed to walk down the hallways that felt… familiar, yet alien. He’d walked down here before, he knows it. He knows to avoid the splintery baseboard where the hallway gave way to a staircase and the faint memory of a giant hand guiding him carefully around it. 

 

The front door was wide open, letting in a nice morning breeze that made Jayce’s eyes water. How long has it been since he was in the sun?

 

He stood there for a moment before turning around reluctantly. He could sit in front of the door forever, basking in the warm glow, but his stomach reminded him rather pointedly that he hadn’t had anything to eat yet that morning.

 

Two men were in the kitchen- Had they been the ones who bought him? Caught him? One sat at the island with a bowl of food in front of him and a cup of coffee. His salt and pepper hair hung by his face, not yet done up for the day. It framed his pointed and angular features, along with a scarred and milky eye.

“Goodmorning, Sunshine.” The first man greeted, giving his absolute mountain of a partner a teasing glance as he rolled his eyes and got a bowl for him. 

Jayce gulped as he watched him move- Jesus, his forearms looked thicker than Jayce’s thigh. They were probably around the same age, with the same salt and pepper and a trimmed beard. Both of them had outdoor clothes on, jeans and long sleeved shirts to protect their arms from the elements. 

 

“You’re such a tease, you know that? Are you hungry, darlin’?” The second man- an alpha, had to be- asked over his shoulder, before pausing his action of scooping breakfast into the bowl. He must have seen Jayce’s expression, because he stopped and turned to look at him fully. 

 

“Hey there… are you with us?” He asked carefully, and Jayce paused, licked his lips, and  uttered in a raspy tone, 

 

“Yeah, uh- I think so?” He winced at how croaky and cracked his voice sounded, like he hadn’t spoken in ages- and he probably hadn’t, to be fair. The peaceful air of the room had evaporated with his words. Jayce shifted uneasily on his feet, looking back towards the open front door. 

 

“Easy now- we won’t stop you if you really want to leave, but right now the Institute has people looking for you. Plus, your leg still has some healing to do if that limp tells us anything. How’s about we get Viktor over here and give you a once over- he was the man who helped stitch up your leg. Then we can talk about what to do next.” The smaller of the two explained carefully.

 

“What kind of doctor?” Jayce asked wearily, muddled memories floating to the surface of sterile white rooms that stunk of disinfectant and latex, being administered shots and check ups like he was livestock.

 

“A doctor for alphas and betas, but we trust him. He’s a friend.” The bigger man assured him. Jayce could scent the calming scent that were being projected by the two of them, the same ones that coated Jayce’s nest and clothes. Familiar yet alien. Instinctively he walked closer, a few unsteady steps deeper into the kitchen as he nodded.

 

A plate was served to him, but the phantom sensation of bile in his throat reminded him to eat it slowly. He almost moaned around the bite of fatty bacon, eggs and sausage gravy on butter-ladden biscuits. He missed real food, and each bite was a fight not to swallow down like a snake.  A wet nose poked his leg, and Jayce jolted until he saw the big white head of the farm dog that curled up in his nest with him. His tail wagged as Jayce looked at him and rested his massive head on his leg. 

 

“Judge, leave it.” The bigger man tried, and the farmdog let out a soft boof and stubbornly sat by Jayce’s legs. He couldn't help but chuckle and ruffle the dog’s- Judge’s- fur. The smaller of the two was talking to someone on the phone- presumably this Viktor person that had fixed his leg. 

 

“So- what’s your name, boy? Unless you want Vander to keep calling you Sunshine.”

 

J7712.

 

It was the number that sat like acid on the tip of Jayce’s tongue- it had been the number on his tag. The letter had been a coincidence- that was just the batch he had been in. 

 

“...Jayce. Jayce Talis.” Jayce told him, hushed and precious like a secret thing. The older man nodded, as though he approved.

 

“Silco. That lunk over there’s Vander. He found you curled up in our barn with a nasty leg wound.”

 

Jayce remembered him, if only slightly. He remembered running through bushes of wild weeds and grasses while it poured rain, hearing the baying of hounds and shouts of alarm as his leg screamed in agony. Like the blood turned to rainwater, the pain turned into adrenaline. He just needed somewhere quiet to rest, everything was so loud, why did he even leave this was a mistake-

 

“You were a fighter, that much was for certain. You’ve been resting here since… early June? Late May? Somewhere around then.” Silco’s voice dragged him back to the present. Jayce blinked and nodded along, looking back down at his bowl. 

 

……………

 

 

 

Viktor’s arrival was marked by the sound of a rickety old truck and Judge’s happy barks. Jayce took the excuse to stand on the front porch, feeling the sun-warmed wood on his bare feet and inhaling the smell of growing things and fresh air. Vander was trying to look under the hood of Viktor’s car as he waved the man off, smacking his cane into his calf lightheartedly. When he saw Jayce, he smiled and waved.

 

“Ah, Jayce! Happy to put a name to the face. How has your leg been?” Viktor’s voice was almost melodic, his accent playing on his words in a way that made Jayce almost miss their meaning.

 

“Oh, um- sore. But better.” Jayce replied quietly. Viktor made a contemplative noise as he stepped inside, letting Judge in beside him.

 

The two of them settled on the couch, propping Jayce’s leg on a stool for Viktor to properly examine. Each poke and prod was met with a dull throb of pain, but more like a bruise than any real injury.

 

“Excellent. I would still be careful with it, but with a cane or brace you should be ok to use it. Now that you’re lucid, I’ve been meaning to ask how this happened.” 

 

Jayce blinked at him for a moment, unconsciously inhaling Viktor’s soothing scent of baking cocoa and cinnamon. 

Each omega had a letter on their tag, and they cycled through the alphabet every 50 omegas. If there were any left of the old letter by the time a new batch came in, they were sold at a discount to another facility. That was where he had been headed.

 

“I was being… transported. In a facility truck with others. It was raining really bad, and um… i think- I think it was a deer that ran in front of the truck. It tipped the car over, and I just remember seeing the doors open. A-and I ran. I don’t even know why, but once I was running I couldn’t stop.” Jayce told the story unsteadily, looking at Viktor with wide eyes. “Are you going to tell them?” It came out in a croak, his throat unexpectedly tight.

 

“Of course not, Jayce.” The strength behind Viktor’s voice made him blink in shock, and Viktor’s hand came to rest on his. “While you are here you are safe. None of us would make you go back to that place. I swear it.” Viktor insisted.

 

“Oh.” Jayce replied simply. He could feel tears burn behind his eyes.

 

“Now then- since you’re lucid, we need to make plans for your, eh, ovulation period. Your body is realizing this is a safe place, and given that your tag said you hadn’t had one yet… it will be something we need to watch out for.”

 

Jayce could feel his body tense, and Viktor must have noticed it as well.

 

“I know for a fact Vander and Silco will not do anything you don’t want to do, Jayce. And you will not need an alpha to get through it. It will be uncomfortable, but nothing dangerous.” 

 

“I don’t- I-” 

 

He couldn’t get the words out. He hasn’t had a heat before. He had been in the institute since he was a young teen, after his mother… he hadn’t fully presented. His body had been stuck in a state of uncomfortability, never truly feeling relaxed and safe enough.  His breathing turned ragged at the edges as his stomach sank lower into his body. 

 

“Jayce, it’s alright. Just because it is overdue does not mean it will happen soon-;we have time to make a plan that helps you feel comfortable and safe in your environment-”

 

“-why are you helping me?” The words tumbled from Jayce’s mouth before he could stop them.

 

Viktor blinked at him for a moment as his brain processed the words, before answering with a hesitant, “Because I want to. You’re important to Vander and Silco, and I enjoy helping people. It’s why I’m a doctor and not some, eh, mad scientist.”  

 

The silence between them was heavy with some unknowable charge. Somehow, Viktor knew his responses were swaying Jayce on something important, but he didn’t know what the right answers were. Could one wrong word send Jayce back into that space behind his eyes? Send him running back out into the fields to be found by who knows what?

 

“...promise me that Vander and Silco are safe.” Jayce finally spoke, his timbre weighed by an anxious need to be reassured.

 

“They pointed me in the right path in life so that I could create a life for myself. I promise you that they have nothing but the intent to do the best for you and help you get your feet back under you. I promise they are safe.” Viktor pressed, hoping the words sunk into Jayce 

 

The omega slowly nodded.

 

“Can I go outside?” Jayce asked softly, looking out the window again at the lush yard.

 

“Of course- you do not have to ask for permission- although, Silco might need a heads up so that he doesn’t think you ran out.” Viktor assured, tucking his cane under his arm and standing up again.

 

“We can go out there together.” 

 

 

 

 

Jayce liked it outside. Judge was curled up next to him, sleeping the day away to gain energy for the night. Vander was over by the cows, clearing away the manure to put in the compost while Silco tended to the small vegetable garden. Viktor had put himself in a chair, but Jayce had opted for sitting in the grass so he could run his fingers over it. Maybe one day he would be able to sit out by himself, but as of right now, it was nice having an alpha roaming nearby. It soothed some unsettled bit of him knowing Vander and Silco were close by. 

 

Maybe it was their scent- had it infused into his brain matter? Some unconscious promise of safety? 

 

Regardless, he didn’t like them being out of his sight for too long.

 

Vander gave him a wave when he saw him,  and Jayce returned it shyly. Of all the places Jayce ended up, he’d admit he was very glad it was this one. 

Notes:

Sorry about the slower posts! I'm trying to learn how to balance my work so that I'm not burnt out by the time I get home. That + working on The Secret History a/b/o + writing a book = hhhhhhhh

I'm all good!! Still going strong ofc 💪 just trying to pace myself a bit

Notes:

Do we like this? Is there a niche for this? Too bad I'm writing it anyway

Series this work belongs to:

• Part 15 of Omega Jayce for people who aren’t cowards