Chapter Text
Something echoed - a knock, maybe. Spreading a lazy ripple of sound that pulled him from sleep. He yawned, shaking his head. Working his way through an achy, satisfied stretch as Danny buzzed a soft snore into the hollow of his rib-cage.
What was that?
And more importantly, why were they on the floor?
He woke with a slow, fat-lip slur of a sound. Smiling instinctively and without censor when Danny grumbled beside him. Sprawled together in an off-center nest of shucked clothes and damp tiles.
Ah. Right.
He blinked, still only half-awake as he tried to figure out what had woken him. It was a half-hearted effort before he was distracted again. Because Danny was soft and tucked into his side. One arm slung heavy across his chest like he was making sure he wouldn't go anywhere without him.
He smiled, feeling the dry catch of split skin.
Little chance of that.
The rest came about belatedly. Taking a moment to realize that despite being exhausted, sore and dehydrated, his head was clear. The drug was out of his system. The worst was over.
The knock, because it had been a knock, came again. Quickly followed by Doris poking her head in. Her Omega scent calming and familiar, if not a bit strong. Like she was coming into the confrontation trying too hard, just in case.
He didn't blame her.
A couple hours ago he wasn't sure what his reaction would have been.
Even to another Omega.
If it hadn't been Danny, well- he didn't know what he would have done.
Not in the state he'd been in.
"You two decent?" she chirped, with a tone that inferred she expected anything but. Eying them openly when she peeked around the door jamb. Cheeky grin widening as he looked from her, then down at himself. Flushed, scratched up and more or less delightfully ruined.
He sighed.
Even his prick was too tired to be upset about it.
"You guys alright?" Doris asked.
He nodded. Forcing himself to focus on due process even though every inch of him wanted to burrow deeper into Danny's chest and let the world wait for a while.
"You?" he questioned. Knowing she was, but letting the platitude out anyway. There'd been a memo on it when he'd been in London. About interpersonal communication and staffing moral. A reminder for the Alphas to check in verbally with their coworkers and not just rely on scent.
"O'course," Doris hummed, scent leeching relief and a strange blurt of personal satisfaction he couldn't see or scent a reason for. "It didn't effect the rest of us much. Reckon it was meant for Alphas. Not Omegas or Betas."
Just Alphas?
Oh, hell.
"What about the Andies?"
Doris' eyebrows waggled, grin going impossibly wider.
"Oh, they sorted each other out," she said with a laugh, winking saucily. "Cartwright invited me to join 'im when I checked in, but I told 'im off. Threes a crowd with them lot. 'Sides, Wainwright would have probably run me out if I tried. A bit possessive, that one."
He nodded in agreement, one eye on Danny as the man yawned and stretched. Scratching his chest without opening his eyes. The scar on his belly still ropy, pink and raised. Standing out like a reminder that seemed all the more important, considering current events.
Why had they waited this long?
Something itched, bringing him grudgingly back to the Andies. He wasn't surprised that Wainwright would be the more aggressive of the two. His personality was-
"What? The two of them?" he broke through, blinking hugely. Surprised, but then really not at the same time. Mentally going over every interaction before settling on a confused, but rather solid belief that it had been a long time coming.
"About time," Danny muttered, digging his face into the curl of his arm pit. Smile obvious and wide, like the good feeling was catching.
"That's what I said," Doris teased, opening the door wider. Letting in the cold air and- ugh. His nose twitched. Taking in far more of the Andies scents than he'd ever wanted to as the rest of the station wafted determinedly in. "They're alright. Probably a bit annoyed when they find out their folks have had a running bet on when they'd figure their shite out. The blooming idiots."
Danny snorted a laugh.
He cleared his throat, resisting the urge to bury his nose in Danny's neck again.
"Do we know anything more about the drug, then?" he asked, more for the distraction than anything.
Doris surprised him by sobering slightly, chewing at her lip before replying.
"Not much, but- well- the blokes from the CDC thinks it wasn't as bad as we thought. The drug is meant to lower your inhibitions and send the Alpha into a chemical rut. But only wild enough for them to seek out the partner they really care about. It's why the Andies never tried to go after me 'n Danny. Even though we were Omegas. We weren't who they were after..."
She trailed off and he gaped into the silence. Making sense of it.
It was why he hadn't wanted Doris.
Because Danny was the only one he wanted.
The only one who fit.
He exhaled, feeling that final piece slot effortlessly into place. The last of the doubt, second guessing and fear falling away. Exposing only the good as Danny's fingers laced with his and squeezed.
Everything was going to be alright.
"I'll leave you to it, huh?" Doris offered, with an expression that told him he wasn't doing anything to hide the feelings making it to his face. "Come out when you're ready, hmm? The CDC blokes want to check in before tea time."
Danny waited until Doris left before turning to him.
"We're okay, ain't we?" he asked earnestly, somehow managing to be boyish with his cow-licked hair and warm eyes. Watching him carefully, but with more confidence than he would have had as the moment started to stretch.
"Better than okay," he assured, pressing a kiss into Danny's hair that he figured answered the rest. Savoring the warm contentment that spread despite the chill of the tiles under their nest of discarded clothes.
Somewhere outside the door, the sound of voices – raucous but familiar - rose and fell. Reminding him that there was more than a little bit left to do before they could pack up for the day. Not to mention the procedures the CDC was going to put them through.
But instead of getting to his feet or making noise about a shower, he tried to roll Danny closer to him. Demanding more – more skin, more warmth, more Danny. When gravity held them steady – largely thanks to Danny – he gave in and clambered half on top of him. Dragging his cheek down his chest until Danny laughed and settled his palm around the back of his neck. Warm, bright and his as the echoes fed more then just their souls, but the future as well.
It wouldn't be long until duty called, but for now, he figured they'd earned a bit of a lie in.