Cross post from HallowedHeart
This piece was written in response to an ask sent to @omegaverse-seeker and can be found here https://omegaverse-seeker.tumblr.com/post/159928054736/i-dont-really-see-any-hcs-about-betas-especially
Their Omega was cranky lately, complaining they were always too hot and irritated by the slightest thing. Eventually he retreated to the dark room at the end of the hall and buried himself in a nest that left their Alpha without shirts for three days.
She tried not to think about it too much when she found all of her laundry where it should be and their Alpha barely leaving the nest at their Omega’ s demands for cuddling. The Beta curled herself around a pillow at night and pretended she didn’t stay up staring at the empty space in the bed.
He tried to bring her coffee, a lull to get her out of bed well past time to be up and about. The smell brought a wave of nausea with it and she groaned, turning away from the confused Alpha and burying herself under a blanket; most had been accosted for the nest that took up half the room now. She was just so tired and everything ached, like she was coming down with a fever. “I’ll come see you later, it’s probably just a cold,” he soothed, striking her hair once before leaving. Down the hall came the sound of the door to the nest room opening and closing.
The Beta began to croon pitifully to herself.
Their Omega was carrying.
A trip to the doctor for what they thought was a stubborn flu had their Alpha puffed up with pride and even broke some of their Omega’s late ill mood. She managed to give an authentic smile of joy, even as something painful twisted in her belly when he shrank back, just slightly, from her soft pets to his cheek. She pretended not to notice that their Alpha - his Alpha now, something awful hissed in her mind - crowded between them, around him, protectively.
“I’ll go make something special for dinner,” came a voice that sounded like her own but felt far away, and she all but fled from them both to the kitchen.
When she brought a tray of theirhisOmega’s favorite, the Alpha stopped her at the door. In the low light she for see their Omega staring at her from the nest, unblinking and watchful. “I’ve got it,” her Alpha tried to explain, reaching out a hand to stroke her face in a clumsy apology, but she pulled away from the touch. He couldn’t hide the look of guilt when he didn’t pursue her.
She locked the bedroom door that night, face buried in a pillow to muffle the crying.
Two little lines on the white plastic stick.
She didn’t have any more tears left, just a distant feeling of dread pressing in her chest. She wondered if her Omega would see her as threat now, had from before either of them knew, instinctively pushed her away.
The treacherous bit of plastic got shoved to the bottom of the wastebasket.
It was late, late enough she finally fell into a fitful doze. Two months and their Omega’s ill mood evaporated into excitement and pride, but still kept ferociously protective of his nest and monopolizing their Alpha. She was starting to spend days seeing neither of them, but she definitely heard them. It was harder to fake a smile for either lately, anxiety hammering constantly in her chest and making it impossible to breathe sometimes. The thought of just leaving flitted briefly through the last threads of wakefulness….
A strong, familiar arm wrapped her up in warmth, nose suddenly full of heady spice as her Alpha’s cheek nuzzled at her neck. She pulled away, unsuccessfully, keen breaking into a sob.
“I’m sorry,” he murmured, cradling his Beta tighter and crooning softly in her ear as she shook. “I’m sorry, I know it’s hard. You’ve been so good to us-”
“You don’t want us,” she whimpered, unsure of she was awake or dreaming. It wouldn’t have been the first time she woke up sobbing alone in the dark. “You don’t-”
“Baby, please,” the Alpha hugged his Beta close, crooning and trying to soothe her with his scenting. She squirmed to get away and his grip around her tightened, froze when she cried out in pain and pushed his arm from around her middle.
“What’s wrong.” The tone was quiet but undeniable in its demand, and the Beta sank into a shaking bundle of fear under her Alpha as he finally pressed his nose to her neck and took in the change to her scent.
“I’m sorry,” came out as a whisper, wet and barely a breath. He could feel her trembling, the sharp smell of fear. “I didn’t mean to, I didn’t-”
“It’s mine?” Another demand, and she managed a jerky nod as she struggled to swallow a sob.
He relaxed, didn’t realize the tension in him until it melted away, and felt shame flush hot through him that he would doubt and terrify his Beta. His Beta carrying hispup, left neglected and being rejected by her Alpha and Omega, taking care of them with no one to tend to her. No wonder she thought they didn’t want her.
“Come here, love,” her Alpha crooned, and she finally let him draw her close without resisting. “No more crying, it’ll all be better tomorrow.”
Exhausted, she fell asleep quickly in his embrace, and when he was sure she wouldn’t wake the Alpha picked up his Beta and carried her to her mate’s nest. The sleepy Omega tensed at the unwelcome intrusion, eying her warily as their Alpha brought them both into the nest and burrowed down together. “Now I have to fix it,” he said, frowning. He was trying to fight down the possessive impulse that kept his Beta away from his nest while he was carrying, and realized with some guilt a part of him didn’t want to fight off the urge.
“Then make it bigger. Come here and scent your mate,” the Alpha ordered, already closing his eyes to sleep.
The Omega huffed, but leaned over to press against his Alpha. He was stopped by a gentle push. “Her,” the Alpha mumbled, and his Omega again felt guilty. Of course he meant their Beta, who else?
Her cheek was still hot and sticky from tears, but the scent of salt couldn’t cover his Beta’s smell as he pressed close. He registered that it had changed immediately, but the why not for a minute more. In an instant he was scenting his carrying Beta, keening in soft apology as he crowded in close to hold her as she slept. He would remake the nest in the morning, big enough for all of them.
