Chapter Text
They’d been in a rush to leave, Alan having left work later than he’d planned, so Jeff had declined Alan’s offer to scent him and help calm his nerves, saying they didn’t have time for it. He now deeply regretted that choice. He sat between North and Sonic, who he found far less intimidating than he anticipated, as they laughed and joked across him, both careful not to touch him. He wasn’t sure what Alan had told everyone but the group were very strict in respecting Jeff’s boundaries. He knew he should be focusing on them but his ears had blocked them out entirely as he watched Alan, Babe, and Charlie at the bar.
He was happy Alan was getting a chance to hang out with his friends, but in the hour they’d been there, he’d seen five different people hit on Alan. Five. In an hour. He wasn’t sure he could endure this evening if the rate remained this high. Logically, he understood Alan’s appeal. He was handsome and yet adorable with his dimples and bright smile. He was tall with broad shoulders and yet never came across as intimidating. He was warm and friendly, therefore, made friends easily. He attracted some with the knowledge he was a racer and others with his more poetic side as a writer. So, yes, Jeff understood why so many would want a chance to be with Alan.
But watching it firsthand for the very first time was filling Jeff with emotions he’d never felt before. He’d never cared about anyone as much as he did Alan. Since starting his new life, other people’s actions had never impacted him directly as he usually didn’t really care much about what other people did or said. So far this evening, all he’d been able to focus on was other people. He hated it. Having grown accustomed to ignoring and avoiding other people, wanting to know what their motives were and what they were thinking was making him increasingly uncomfortable.
Did these people already know Alan? Did they just see him from across the bar and decide to head over to him? Were they actually hitting on him or were they just being friendly? Were they talking about work? About writing? About cars? Were they hoping for a one-night-stand? Were they hoping for more? The endless possibilities were beginning to overwhelm him as the music grew too loud, the smoky air too thick, the voices too distracting.
He debated joining Alan at the bar but was reluctant to leave the relative safety he’d established between North and Sonic. Their lighthearted banter providing a small sense of calm, safely tucked away between two of Alan’s closest friends. He knew Alan was not reciprocating considering how quickly the men had come and gone and he trusted Alan. He did. But that didn’t make it any easier to watch. A part of him wanted to walk over there, grab Alan, and scent him furiously in front of everyone, marking his territory. But Jeff couldn’t imagine being the center of attention like that. Couldn’t imagine how people would stare even though he was pretty sure Alan would definitely like it.
So, he sat paralyzed, feeling like the smallest omega in the room. Completely incapable of doing anything but sitting there. Feeling like maybe Alan should take one of the many other options available to him up on their offer. Maybe he should choose someone else.
“Hey.” He was pulled from his thoughts by a quick, gentle poke to his cheek.
“Hmmm?”
Sonic looked at him curiously. “What’s going on in that head of yours?”
“You’re clearly not listening to anything we’re saying and we’re pretty funny to be honest,” North asked.
Thinking he’d offended them, Jeff apologized. “Oh, sorry. I didn’t mean to be rude.”
“Eh, we don’t care about that,” Sonic said. “But, are you okay? You’ve been staring holes into Alan’s back for the last fifteen minutes at least.”
North tilted his head towards Alan. “Why don’t you just go over there?”
“Oh …. well …. I just don’t want to disturb him.”
“Disturb him? Honey, that boy would love for you to disturb him.” Sonic laughed.
North added, “I imagine he’d love being saved from all those guys hitting on him. Especially if it was you doing the saving, if you know what I mean.” They both winked at him but to be honest, Jeff wasn’t entirely sure what they meant.
Sonic laughed, watching Alan. “I think it’s pretty funny how many people seem to want an old man like him.”
“Hey! He’s not that old!” he yelled back, immediately worried he’d upset them by yelling. But both of them broke out into laughter.
“Listen Jeff,” Sonic began. “I think you need to march over there and let them know who Alan belongs to. You know, kiss him. Scent him. Cling to his arm. Doesn’t really matter what you do.”
“Just that you do something,” North added. Jeff could tell by the way their hands were moving, they wanted to push him off the sofa towards Alan, but instead they both pointed at Alan repeatedly, stating “Go” over and over.
Sighing, he finally gave in, standing up, and walking towards Alan, looking back at North and Sonic who were giving him the thumbs up. As he neared the counter, Alan seemed to sense his presence, turning to smile at him, and pulling him close to him, arm wrapped around his waist. The man, clearly an omega, and an attractive one, was unfazed by his appearance at Alan’s side, continuing to smile and flirt with Alan. The omega leaned in, reaching up to place a finger on Alan’s neck and Jeff felt such an overwhelming feeling of jealousy but wasn’t sure what to do about it. He’d never felt jealous before and felt simultaneously like grabbing the man’s wrist, nails digging into the flesh, as he pushed him away from Alan and also like running. His usual response in stressful situations, run. Run. Escape. Avoid. Be anywhere but where he was.
Through his haze, he could see Alan push the omega back, stating he wasn’t interested and was taken. Jeff knew the air must be filled with his burning, acrid scent, completely unable to control it. Everything seemed to be too much and too little at the same time.
“Jeff. Hey, it’s okay. He’s gone.” Alan pulled Jeff into his arms. “Jeff. You in there? It’s fine. I’m here. He’s gone.”
But all Jeff’s brain could compute was Run. So he did.
Barely making it out of the building, Alan caught up to him quickly, legs both longer and faster, wrapping his arms around him from behind, stopping his forward momentum.
Alan whispered into his ear, releasing calming pheromones. “Stop running. Calm down. I’m here and you’re safe. Let’s go home. Okay?” Jeff nodded, not trusting his voice nor what he might say in that moment although he really wanted to be pulled from his own head, probably the worst place to be right now.
On the drive home, he stared out the window, aware of Alan’s worried gaze in his periphery, but welcoming the awkward silence nonetheless. He felt disconnected from everything around him, like he was floating around himself, separated from his body, and he thought maybe it was a good place to be after all, comfortable, safe.
He felt his body being pulled from the car and walked up the stairs. He felt a hand in his pocket, digging for his key, then being ushered through the door, and pulled down onto Alan’s lap. Felt a strong hand stroking the back of his neck and Alan’s warm breath on his scent gland. As he felt the tension slowly releasing from his body and his mind reconnecting itself, he moved to straddle Alan’s lap, curling into him.
“Hey, I’m sorry if those guys talking to me bothered you. If I’d known I would’ve stopped it much sooner. I guess I didn’t really think about it because my friends all usually just laugh about it. But I should’ve noticed it was causing you distress. Are you okay now? Forgive me?” Alan nosed at his jawline, ending with a sniff kiss to his cheek.
Not yet wanting to look at Alan, feeling like he’d completely overreacted, he answered, keeping his face buried in Alan’s neck. “I’m better. I just, well, I’ve never really been jealous before and I didn’t know how to act. I’m kind of embarrassed to be honest.”
Alan laughed. “No need to be embarrassed. Look, Jeff, life hasn’t really shown you its best side, more like its darkest side, and you’re still trying to recover and move on from that. I knew what I signed up for from the start. And I’ll take all of it. The good, the bad, the jealous. Especially the jealous, cause that’s actually kind of flattering.”
Jeff turned red as Alan continued. “Let’s make a rule that from here on we always scent each other before we go out. And another that says you will always tell me when you’re uncomfortable or if I’m doing something you don’t like. Honestly if you ever get jealous again, I’m happy to sit back and let you claim ownership in whatever way you like.” Alan chuckled when Jeff punched him lightly in his side. “Deal?”
He nodded, imagining if Alan hugged him tight enough, all his broken pieces would finally stick back together.