Chapter Text
He would be lying, if he said he wasn’t surprised to find one Dick Grayson, as he opens the door to his apartment. If mostly because Jason is used to the man crawling through his windows and not standing in civilian clothes there after having knocked. Raising a skeptical eyebrow, the answering overly bright smile only has him narrowing his eyes more, before stepping back and letting his visitor in.
“Hey, Little Wing.” The Alpha steps closer and it’s a purely automatic response at this point, to tilt his head and accept the wrist against his scent gland. Must be, because it does nothing, seeing as Dick wears his scent patches. It still feels good to be acknowledged like this.
“Big Bird”, he finally answers and closes the door behind them. “Did I forget you were coming over?” Going by Dicks body language, which is surprisingly open and suspiciously shifty, he doesn’t think so and the little headshake tells him as much. It’s not like they never see each other, but usually there is some confirmation about it happening beforehand. Even when Dick decides to invite himself over for some bonding time or whatever. The Alpha wanders straight into his kitchen and Jason follows, not knowing if he should be confused or worried.
Dick jumps onto his kitchen counter and nods as Jason offers him a cold beer. The Alphas legs are dangling restlessly, going sideways before clacking together and repeating the pattern. Opening the beer, he offers it to his visitor and earns a halfway earnest smile for that. “Thank you.”
“Mhm”, opening his own, they clank the bottles together before taking a sip. It’s nothing special but Jason likes the taste from time to time. And somehow this already feels like an alcohol situation, even if they are only in the early afternoon. “Not that I mind you dropping by, but what brings you here?”
It took them.. a while to get to this point. A while, some ugly fights, screaming matches, one or two complete alcohol induced blackouts and maybe finally some real talk over greasy hangover food. It wasn’t easy and they both have abysmal tempers running through their blood to make it worse again from time to time. It’s only that Dick usually can hide his own temper tantrums better. It had been painful from the start, with both of them not knowing if it would be worth it in the end. If they would ever get to a point when it wouldn’t hurt anymore.
Somehow, they managed and from there it had been surprisingly easy to fall back into old pattern. From before Jasons death.
“I need a sounding board.” Dicks voice cuts into Jasons thoughts and he can’t help the halfway amused snort. “And you are coming to me for that?”
The Alpha rolls his too blue eyes in fondness, but Jasons can feel the underlying buzzing. Something has Dicks mind in a hold.
“Yes, I am coming to you for that.” He emphasizes and takes another drink from his beer. “You are actually uniquely fitted for it.”
Jason takes another sip and leans against the counter, close to the other man, before sighing. “This doesn’t have anything to do with Bruce, has it?”
Dick waves him away. “Not directly. Not in a way that should have you wary.”
Oh well. Nowadays Bruce and Jason have a mostly functioning relationship. One that works best from further away but also doesn’t let him feel like choking up if he must go to the cave or the manor. Be it for casework or because Alfred bribed him there. Or Dick on some holidays. One. Jason has given in exactly once so far. That’s more than nothing after all, isn’t it? “Fine”, he gives in and throws the Alpha a look from the corner of his eyes. “Spit it out.”
“Before your death..”
“Great start, do I need to bring out the harder stuff?” Jason huffs and Dick shoves his shoulder. “Oh, shush. I need to build up to the real issue.”
So, there was an issue? Jason stares unimpressed but nods. Watching as Dick inhales and starts again. “Before your death”, the Alpha raises an eyebrow, but Jason keeps quiet. “What did you think about the pack?”
That was not what Jason had been expecting. He blinks confused. “The pack?” he echoes before shrugging. “There wasn’t much of a pack, was there? After you got over the Robin stuff we met mostly without Bruce, and he and I alone weren’t much of one. Sure, Alfred was there but you know him. That was always more.. peripheral?”
Dick nods along, while his fingers are being busy peeling the label off his bottle and slapping it back on, just to peel at it again. “See, that’s what I thought as well. But now the pack is a lot bigger. With closer bonds.”
Well, in theory at least. Jason hums, deciding against muttering threats what will happen to Dicks fingers if he decides to stick that label against anything else but the bottle in his kitchen.
Packs are mostly built over time. It’s as much a thing in the head and heart as it is about scents. At some point their instincts just decide and that’s that as they say. Jason would think himself in the outer rings of the pack. If that. And that is mostly down to Dick and Alfred. And a bit of Damian, he guesses. Unpresented pups don’t have much of a say who joins and leaves their pack. Sometimes Jason even holds still when Bruce rubs a hand down over his back. The only people Jason scents back or even let them close enough to him without his scent patches on are Dick and Damian.
“I don’t see an issue here?” he inquires finally, and Dick presses his lips together, before putting the bottle between his knees, so both of his hands can play with the beer label that he pulled off again.
“As you presented and came to me, begging me that I wouldn’t tell anyone, I didn’t think much about it to be honest.”
Jason blinks at that, memories from that particular day appearing out of nowhere. Obviously, he had known for some time that he would present as Omega. A vagina doesn’t grow overnight and all the other changes in the body come more than once with painful cramps. But as it finally happened, he still had panicked and took leave for Blüdhaven. He can’t say what had him so scared about it. Bruce never made a single comment that would suggest he would be on of those Alphas. But Jason still had sought out the other Alpha in their pack, gotten the promise out of him and had him lying to Bruce about the reason why he needed to stay with Dick for a few days. Dick who had cuddled and pampered him through his heat for the next days. Cementing Jasons trust in him.
“But now I wonder. Did you ever tell Bruce?”
Jason shakes his head. “No. Since you were prepared to officially have me with you and the Titans for some ‘mission’ whenever my heats came up, I never really saw the need. And then I died anyway. Maybe he did find out then. But if he did, he never even hinted at it so far.” He leans over to take the destroyed label out of Dicks hands. “What about that got you so worked up?”
The Alpha sighs, giving up the wet paper easily and reaches up to start undoing his scent patches. Which is always a plus in Jasons books. His own instincts are without fail so much more easily to handle and quieter with Dicks scent around. When that protective and fierce scent that is unique to the Alpha clings around his flat, even on stuff that hadn’t been touched. As if by the magic of Nightwings manifested stubbornness and hardheadedness.
Calming eucalyptus with underlying salt rock. Steady and calming but able to turn into something so stinging that it can water eyes. Jason can’t even remember scents from a time before this one took over his world. Not really. He has the words to describe Catherines, his real mums scent, but not the memories anymore. There is no phantom scent in his nose. Right now, Dicks scent is calm, which isn’t surprising. They learned to regulate their scents in normal day to day situations.
“Did you know that Tim presented as Omega?”
Jason shakes his head, already doing the math in his head and frowns. “He had hidden it too then?”
By now Dick is being busy to take off the last of his patches, those on his wrists. “He swears he is just a late bloomer.”
And while that is possible.. “How did you guys find out?”
That’s when the Alpha throws him a somewhat amused look. “He had a bit of an unlucky run in with Ivy, while being out as Tim Drake. And while the antidote prevented a heat, he got all clingy and cuddly.”
Jason snorts. “Yeah, he hid it. The rest of the world always seems to forget that you don’t just wake up one day and are suddenly a fully equipped Omega.”
“That’s what I thought too”, the Alpha admits, jumping from the counter and stepping closer, his hands already going up. Jason relents and for a few moments it is just them, gently rubbing their own scent into the others’ skin, before leaning in and rubbing their cheeks together as a more intimate form of scenting. One that feels as easy as breathing between them. Mixing their main markers together into something that pings as pack in Jasons hindbrain.
Dicks smile as Jasons starts to purr quietly is a lot more honest than the one from before. Somehow he had always been able to notice the difference between all the smiles the Alpha shows on a day to day basis. Could pinpoint between the real ones and the ones that were only shown to hide the truth.
By now they are close enough again in their relationship that Jason doesn’t freeze up or demands his own space again as Dick decides to stay there, leaning against him. Although Jason shakes his head a bit, to get some of Dicks hair out of his face that tickle him. “So the pack has an official Omega now. I still don’t really see the problem here?”
The Alpha hums, sneaking an arm around Jason and laying his head on Jasons shoulder. “I will come to that”, Dick promises, “but I would like to hear from you before why you are still hiding it from the others.”
“I mean..”, Jason starts, frowning as he tries to gather his reasons, while one of his hands draws circles over Dicks lower back. “In the beginning it was mostly because I was overwhelmed I guess. Omegas that didn’t hide their secondary gender in the Alley always had a harder time or were downright prostitutes. And there was often enough the underlying threat about random Alphas and what could happen during heats. And while I didn’t think that stuff about Bruce, I was jaded enough about not wanting to tempt him either.”
“Yeah, that is mostly what I had down as reasons for that too. And it wasn’t exactly a hardship to share your heats, so I never felt guilty about hiding it either.” Dick murmurs. By now Jasons is thinking they should probably move that to the living room and the couch, with how boneless the Alpha already is. Funnily enough, between the both of them and outside of his heats, it is usually Dick that is super weak for touching and scenting.
“And afterwards?” Dick redirects his thoughts and Jason sighs.
“Now it is mostly habit. I can’t say for the time before I was shoved into the pit but afterwards it was just normal in the League to hide scents and secondary genders. The only times I can remember being without patches, was in my heats and those I spent secluded or sometimes with Damian, when Talia thought that would keep me calm.” Which had worked. With such a young pup there with him, his attention had been on keeping Damian safe and calm. Both of them mostly sleeping the time away, as Omega heat pheromones tend to make pups really tired.
“That means you don’t have a problem about being an Omega.” It’s a statement. But it is one that has him shaking his head. “I never really had a problem about being one. Aside from my early fears I never had a hard time with it. You were there for my heats and otherwise nothing big changed? I mean..”, he stops himself, thinking back and frowning lightly. “Sure, there were a few instincts that did throw me off in the beginning but honestly? They already had been there from the very beginning. I always wanted to protect kids, or help out in the Alley and I never shied back from being violent about it. As you should know.”
Dick nods before letting Jason go and stepping back. Not before grabbing one of Jasons hands and leading him into the living room. Looks like they both had had the same idea. He let himself be handled enough to lie down and accept as Dick squishes himself halfway on Jason and in between the Omega and the backrest. This time it is a very pleased Alpha rumble that fills the room.
“God, you are so easy.” He grumbles and Dick chuckles and continues wriggling around until they are both comfortable and Jason silently wishes for a bigger couch. If it had been anyone else, they would have already landed on the ground, not knowing up from down. But since his first heat, the Alpha always had special rights with Jasons need for personal boundaries. As if some of Jasons instincts had decided that there was a Dick Grayson shaped hole around him and whenever the Alpha got close, it was filled and everything felt whole.
“You would know”, Dick points out and Jason, who stares at the ceiling can hear the grin in his voice. “But cuddling aside, I think Tim hid it for different reasons.”
“Which, going by the direction of your questions, would be that he doesn’t want to be an Omega?”
“Maybe”, now Dick sounds a bit hesitant. As if he hadn’t made up his mind completely yet. “Somehow I have the feeling that he hadn’t wanted to be one in a pack.”
“Wait..”, Jason frowns and raises a hand to gently pull on some of Dicks black hair strands. “What are you trying to say here?”
The Alpha doesn’t slap the hand away, instead only burrowing his face closer into Jasons chest. “I don’t know.” The voice is muffled, his warm breath seeping through Jasons shirt, against his skin. “I don’t want to influence you. Please come to the manor for dinner on Sunday?”
The Omega snorts. “Ah, I see how it is. This is just another elaborate scheme to get me to play nice.”
“Don’t be stupid, Jay”, the muttering doesn’t get any better, with Dick not even looking up. “If I wanted that, I would just beg you to do it.”
And damn the entity that gave Dick Grayson his cursed blue eyes that could produce the most devastating puppy eyed look that ever graced the earth. He sighs exasperatedly but doesn’t try to dispute it. He can’t. Not as long as the Alpha uses it very sparingly and only for things he really, really wants Jason to do. It’s a walking and talking curse, only here to make Jasons life harder.
Or easier. Sometimes.
Like right now, when it just feels good to have an Alpha close and being drenched in his scent. ‘An Alpha’. As if it isn’t just this very specific one that lets him feel this way. Every time he thinks about snuggling up to Bruce like that, there is his inner porcupine standing up. Or maybe just rolling into a little ball, with no access to anything but spikes.
“Fine”, he concedes. “I will be there. But you are not giving me much here, Dickie.” He waits the second to let the Alpha feel safe. “And you owe me one.”
“Urgh.” Only Dick can make a sound like this into a real word. “You are part of the pack too! Don’t pretend otherwise.”
“You are coming into my home, drinking my beer and taking command over my couch and..”
“Alright!” The Alpha sits somewhat up, starring down at Jason. “You are impossible, you know that?” The blue eyes narrow. “And stop preening about it!” Dick rubs over his head, making his unruly hair look even more wild. “A deluxe meal from bat burger?”
“Deal.”
Dick might roll his eyes all he wants, but in the end they both got what they wanted. In that instance at least, because since he is already here, the Alpha just invites himself to Jasons cooking and a movie or two. Jason doesn’t do more protesting than bullying Dick around in the kitchen to at least helping him out with cutting.
All in all, Jason and his Omega instincts are happy enough with that outcome.
*********
Jason rolls up the manor like he owns it. Parking his bike in the front, exchanging pleasantries with Alfred at the door and waltzes into the packs dining room. Ignoring Bruces inquiring look after a nod, he will at least give the man that much and exchanging sharklike smiles with the others, before plopping down at the end of the table, with only Duke beside him.
“Jason”, Bruce sounds pleasantly surprised. “I didn’t know you would be coming over tonight.”
Exchanging a quick look with Dick, who is sitting between Cass and Damian, he shrugs. “I was invited. That a problem?”
Bruce shakes his head, as Damian and Steph both snort. “Of course not. You will always be welcome here.” Jason knows the translation of that. He will always be welcome here, as long as he stays in line and doesn’t kill. Yadda yadda and so on. Good thing he isn’t here to stir up shit. Or not too much at least.
But that’s when he notices that he is the only one concealing his scent. The others aren’t wearing their scent patches. Which is strange, seeing as they usually tend to minimize their contact with scents before going out for patrol. His gaze falls on Tim, who sits on Dukes other side, bracketed by Steph. Looking completely fine and normal at first notice.
Inhaling subtly, while reaching for the water to fill up a glass, he thinks he can pinpoint some slightly burned apple and maybe some freshly cut wood coming from Tim. Probably. Jason can’t be one hundred percent sure, seeing as he doesn’t know every single scent in the pack.
For example, he hadn’t known that Duke was another Alpha. Or that his scent was something that still pinged as not fully adult. Some dark honey with smoke elements? By then it was already hard to tell, even with their physical closeness, as everything mixed together in something that his brain only translated into pack. A biological defense to allow larger groups together, without getting knocked out by all these different and sometimes overwhelming scents.
“I was beginning to think you were on one of your little trips with these other buffoons again, Todd.”
Jason throws Damian a smile that is a bit more sincere. “Aw, would you miss me little Demon?” The kid scrunches his nose while simultaneously trying to look Jason down on it. “Only for the reason that we would have to spread our work even more, to include your territory.” He says territory as others would say shithole. Fuck. Jason is actually fond of the little guy.
Dick rolls his eyes and puts his hand in the kids neck. Not in a scruffing manner, but one that is silently reprimanding. Which the demon spawn takes surprisingly well. Only crossing his arms in front of him and turning his nose away, like the little terror he is.
From there it is chaos as usual. Little groups that build and talk around their own themes and sometimes broaden out to rib into another person. And Jason realistically might not have noticed it, if he hadn’t been on the lookout, but Tim is surprisingly quiet. Not his ‘I am tired and overworked and need 24 hours of sleep’-quiet either. He does talk, but it isn’t as sharp as usual. No pointed showing off his own intelligence. No, by now more playful than honest hissing at Damian either. No declaring another big problem solved or talking about some of his ongoing cases.
And he is just as quietly talked to. Jason narrows his eyes. It feels as if Tim is being handled like they would do with a spooked dog. Keep him calm. Keep him content. Do not agonize him.
The same is more or less happening as Alfred brings in the food. With Steph filling up his plate and smiling brightly as he ducks his head and red colors his cheeks. It would be cute, if Jasons didn’t know that they aren’t dating anymore. Or if he wouldn’t know that Tim has an independence streak a mile wide.
Glancing over to Dick, he can see the Alpha looking thoughtful too. Is that what Jason is supposed to see? That they all have gone soft on Tim? And the younger Omega on them? Spearing up a pea, he points the fork. “Timbit. Do you remember the hunch you had two weeks ago? I investigated it and I think you are right. I have two places I want to take a closer look at tonight. You in?”
That’s the deal that Jason offers to all of them after all. If they have leads into the Alley, Jason takes them up and if they actually prove correct, he invites the one that gave him the information to come with him for the take-down. Red Robin and Spoiler being the ones he works most closely with. Aside from Nightwing who often enough just plasters himself on his side and does the whole patrol with him. Completely ignoring Jasons grumblings and threats.
Finally, there is some interested gleam in Tims watery blue eyes, and he is nodding already and opening his mouth as Bruce cuts in between: “We haven’t talked about that yet.”
Jason throws the Alpha, his Packalpha if he would be pressed about the truth, a look. “That’s not exactly new procedure old man.”
“I am sure Master Bruce means in regard to Master Timothy’s new circumstances.” Alfred interjects smoothly, while bringing in the desert cake on a little cart.
Jason is confused. “He doesn’t smell like he is in heat? Or close to one?”
“He is still an Omega”, to his greatest surprise it is Steph of all people that says that. “We are just.. worried about him.”
“Worried”, he echoes, the word feeling like ash on his tongue. What the fuck is going on? And why isn’t Tim himself not warring an outright war here? His gaze travels from Steph, who at least looks a bit uncomfortable, to Tim. Who stares on his plate again.
“It’s fine Jason. Like Bruce said. We will be talking about it, and I am sure we will find something that makes everyone happy.”
Duke leans over and rubs the young Omegas scent glands caringly. Almost lovingly. “We all know what can happen while we are out in costume. It’s just as new for us as it is for you. It will probably settle down.”
Jason wants to hurl as Damian snorts. “There is no need to coddle Drake up.” There is barely hidden disgust in his voice. As if the simple thought about doing so, has him somehow offended. Jason approves.
It is Cass that puts a hand on the pups arm, squeezing it gently. “It’s not coddling. It is caring.”
And this time as Dicks and his gazes meet, they are on the same page again:
The pack has gone completely bonkers without them noticing.