Ascendant But Obsequious

AU ABO PWP "It is his nature to be submissive when given an order by an Alpha, but it is his character to be insubordinate".

Author's note:

AU: Alternate Universe. So check your "they're OOC" at the door.

ABO: If you don't know what "ABO fanfiction" is, you might need to Google that first and see if it's your kind of kink. But be open to my own spin on it.

PWP: Porn WITH Plot. Because I can't write one without the other.

WARNING: Unbeta'd, unadulterated filth. You have been warned.

Heero knows it's going to be a long day the moment he wakes up with what feels like a burning fever and the disorientation, dry mouth and aching muscles that he normally ends up with after a night of heavy drinking. The bedroom is still dark, even though he had been too distracted to close the curtains last night before he crashed onto his bed. As he had fallen asleep, he had hoped that the symptoms would cure themselves overnight, as opposed to worsen, but clearly he isn't so lucky. He checks his phone - finding it by locating the outlet on the wall, right next to the headboard, and tracing the chord of the charger to the device – to confirm his day shouldn't even start for a few more hours. It's four AM, but all hope of sleeping a little longer has drifted away.

A groan falls from his lips as he shifts in bed, trying, in vain, to reposition himself until he is more comfortable, but this discomfort is inescapable. He twists and turns and fights with the sheets that have tangled themselves around his bare legs. It's too hot. The air in the room feel stifled and his own scent hangs in the space so thickly that he can taste it on his tongue. He'd open a window, but he doesn't want his neighbors to get a whiff; that could get him in more trouble than he was prepared for.

He rolls over to the other side of the bed and his searching hand finds the knob of the top drawer of his dresser. He blindly rummages through the content, feeling packets of tissues, condoms, wrappers from a shameful midnight binge and the half-empty strip of pills that rattles when he passes over it.

Why does he even bother with the sickening medication if it's going to keep failing him like this? He asks himself irritably and he dips into his first mood-swing of the day, tinted by frustration and helplessness. His spirits are somewhat uplifted when he finds what he was looking for and he brings the sizeable sex toy closer to him. He can smell the silicone and traces of the cleansing spray he had used on it before putting it away after enjoying it last.

He's on his back and contemplates his position for a moment before turning to lie on his stomach and burying his face in the soft pillow that is still cool, unlike the pillow he had slept on, which had been insufferably warm and damp with his sweat. Last night he had had the forethought to crawl into bed naked, expecting the worst – expecting that clothes would only become a hassle in the morning. Heero hated being right all the time. He rocked his hips, enjoying the friction against the mattress. His cock is swollen and so overly sensitive that any stimulation borders on painful, but he craves it anyway. His body has strange desires whenever he's in heat.

There is fluid leaking out of his opening. His unspeakable dream had aroused him and had facilitated self-lubrication. He can feel the wetness between his ass cheeks as he clenches and unclenches them. He can feel it between his thighs as well. Unceremoniously he works the vibrator into himself. His channel is slick but tight, but he's too impatient to take the time to stretch himself and allow himself a moment to adjust to the invasion. His insides burn as he roughly thrusts the toy in and out of his body, his arm brushing by his arousal with every movement. He bites down on the pillowcase to silence his pathetic wails and moans. Not just his cock and prostate are hyper-sensitive; his entire body is. It's like he can feel every individual bead of sweat on his back, every fold of the sheets trapped underneath him and each strand of hair tickling the nape of his neck and his forehead.

Images of his dream return to him unbidden and his face contorts in dismay, but he can't fight off the fantasy and he pitifully admits to himself that indulging in the illusion of the dream being real helps take the edge off the restlessness and throbbing yearning that some straightforward masturbation can't actually solve – and will only get worse as the day progresses. He twists the end of the vibrator and it buzzes to life. He gasps as the vibrations travel through his body and he aims the head of the realistically shaped toy against his prostrate. He worms his other hand between his body and the mattress and forms a tunnel around his erection to thrust into.

Instinct takes over; instinct that is mostly wasted on a toy and his own fist, but it's all he allows himself. He ruts into his hand and moves the vibrator with purpose, adjusting the vibrations and the pulses of the happy-little-helper as he goes. He knows exactly how to work the device and how to work himself.

His moans are getting loader and the pillow does little to properly stifle them. Pleasure arcs through him and he moves to sit upright and back, letting go of the end of the vibrator and bearing down his weight on the mattress to keep it pressed deep inside of him. With both hands free, he treats his erection. It's red, the veins are prominent and precome leaks out freely, soling himself and the bed. One hand envelopes the base tightly and drags up to milk more precome out of him, while the fingers of the other hand rub the smooth crown and dip into the weeping slit. A mouth would feel good on him right now, he knows, but his heat has come at an inopportune time and he can't exactly go out and find a Beta to ease him through it. A cock would feel even better – an Alpha's cock – and Heero whines in desperation at the thought. He's not a needy person, he's independent and headstrong and these character traits defy his biology as an Omega, but whenever he is in heat, he is reduced to his nature and the temptation to give in to his instincts and let himself be claimed nearly overpowers his pride. But Heero rejects the idea of being owned and being submissive to anyone, so he has no choice but to weather the storm without the ultimate relief.

He lurches forward again, curling over his folded legs and pressing his nose into the mattress. His orgasm is close and he grits his teeth in preparation, knowing it won't be as satisfying as he needs it to be. With a twist of his wrist, he brings himself to the first orgasm of the day, but it doesn't come easy. His penis burns as the semen flows out, with his sac twitching at the base. His stomach contracts as he feels like he has to push through his climax, lest it would stop short midway. He feels his come spill onto his thighs and his intimate muscles grip the toy and naturally try to "milk it".

"Oh Duo!" He cries and his face becomes red from strain as well as embarrassment.

In the aftermath everything hurts and his muscles quiver. He mostly feels incomplete and unfinished, but that is momentarily masked by the exhaustion.

He remains curled up on top of his sheets while he catches his breath and tries to relax. His channel is clamping down hard on the invading silicone rod and it will be a pain – literally and figuratively – to get it out later, so he can try to go through his day as normally as possible. Eventually he lets himself drop onto his side and he slowly stretches out his limbs. The sweat cooling on his naked skin provides some relief from the oppressing warmth that cocoons him.

The erection doesn't go down and it likely won't the entire day. It's uncomfortable, especially the sensitive skin on the head feels painfully taut. The pressure in his lower abdomen remains as well and he is ready for it to wind tighter and tighter, like a coil, as the hours tick by. His work day is going to be a struggle, his performance hampered by his lacking ability to concentrate; every little sight and smell would draw his focus. Being surrounded by mostly Alpha males all day was going to worsen his arousal and, knowing his colleagues, they weren't going to let his heat go unnoticed.

The personality of most Alpha's is marked by arrogance and a sense of entitlement. On any given day they have trouble leaving Heero in piece, but tensions definitely run higher still whenever he goes into heat, which is becoming increasingly frequent.

A law firm is no place for an Omega – that is the general consensus. The firm is a shark tank in which he is out of his depth, but throughout his life, the more people he encounters that tell him he can't do something, the more driven he is to prove them wrong. His pursuit of his law degree was no different. He graduated with top honors, in spite of the prejudice of his professors and fellow classmates. He worked as a paralegal in a smaller law firm for two years before going out on a limb and going to a job interview for Junior Associate at Brinkman, Hague & Maxwell, the biggest law firm in the city – at the time just Brinkman & Hague, the second-biggest law firm in the city.

Whereas his biologically assigned role in the hierarchical system of society had previously only handicapped his career, Heero was well aware that him being an Omega was exactly what had landed him the position. His interviewer – and direct superior thereafter – Ted Bullard was an Alpha male with low self-control, like many of them, and with the way the man was licking his lips and his eyes darkened with lust during the interview, it was obvious he had ulterior motives when he passed Heero's name to the higher-ups for approval.

Heero's résumé ended up on the desk of the one and only Brigida Hague. As a female Alpha, she was a somewhat uncommon occurrence, but she was a shark just like the men. She recognized the positive attention hiring an Omega associate would garner the law firm, in light of the momentum the Omega-Rights-Movement was gaining, and she used Heero as a PR opportunity. In any other case, Heero would morally object to being used in any way, but since it benefitted him, he went along with it, justifying the decision with knowing he was using the PR stunt as well, for his own gain.

After being hired, he was interviewed by local newspapers and radio stations. They called him "The Lamb in the Lion's Lair". Every article was colored by disbelief and the questions he had been asked swayed towards suggesting he was being set up to fail.

Five years later, he hasn't failed yet. Although he also can't claim any significant success. He is tolerated – and mostly treated politely – but he isn't accepted, much less respected. His work mostly consists of assisting Senior Associates with their cases. He had only been to court as a second-chair to another Associate, with nothing to do but the glorified task of handing over files and exhibits when prompted. His work being similar to what his did as a paralegal at his last firm; work that was below his pay-grade and expertise. Work that reminded him of when he was a kid and was bullied into doing some Alpha boy's homework, having to let that boy take all the credit for his hard work.

In the five years, he has seen several Junior Associates get promoted to Senior Associates and one even made Partner last year, but no matter how often he works late, how many weekends he spends at the office, or how many holidays he misses, it has become apparent to Heero that he will always be passed up for promotion because of his sexual identity. No one wanted to take a chance on him and give him the opportunity to prove himself; not at Brinkman, Hague & Maxwell and not at any other law firm either.

Tomorrow, however, everything is going to change. For the first time he has been given the lead on a case and he is going to court. The client he has reeled in forced the firm's hand: when she signed to be represented by Brinkman, Hague & Maxwell, she insisted that Heero would be the lawyer to take her case. The client, Relena Peacecraft, is an Omega herself and, as a single mom, she knows all about proving stereotypes wrong. She has shown great strength getting herself out of an abusive relationship in spite of the bond that is forged – or forced – between an Omega and an Alpha. She agrees Heero is the right representative for her, as her ex-husband is taking her to court. After six years of her having full custody, the dead-beat dad with a drinking problem filed for custody over their son out of spite.

Being that it is only a "measly" custody case and the firm is mostly concerned with reeling in big corporate cases and being kept on retainer by international conglomerates, they allow him to "have it".

Her case has been his priority for weeks as he has worked tirelessly to get her the court date, so his heat couldn't have come at a worse time, but he has no choice but to trust his abilities and to work through it.

He spends the rest of the morning jerking off two more times, even though he gets more sore every time. When it's time to get out of bed, he feels raw, but a little more relaxed and in control of his urges, which is a temporary victory over his nature.

Heero pries the toy out of him and walks to the bathroom on unsteady legs, taking the thing with him for washing. He sets it aside and starts on the process of cleaning himself. He rubs every inch of skin thoroughly, ignoring how it fuels that constant hearth in his belly and sets the nerves in his skin alight. He uses a special soap and shampoo that best mask his scent, which smells sweet and ripe and – supposedly – irresistible to Beta's and Alpha's alike; but mostly to unmated Alpha's. A layering of lotion, deodorant and cologne further aims to hide his smell. He knows it won't be enough for his heat to go unnoticed, but he hopes it is at least less prominent when he takes every precaution.

In the bathroom he inserts a medium sized butt plug that will help keep his wetness from leaking out of him during the day and he wears a pair of underwear that keeps his erection pressed against him, angled up to his right hip, so the bulge in the front of his pants won't be too obvious.

Getting dressed is a hassle as the next mood swing hits him and his insecurities make him feel hideous and fat. He pulls at the waistband of his pants and the collar of his button-up shirt, both feeling too tight and too constricting. The tie he has to wear, as part of the firm's dress code, makes it even worse and he nearly chokes on his own spit as he has trouble swallowing because he resents the way his Adam's apple catches on the pressed collar of the shirt. The jacket is too hot, he's burning up but he has no choice. At least it will hide the stains of sweat in his pits.

Normally, he is confident about his appearance – his body is slender and toned, his exotic features are sharp and his golden skin is nicely contrasted by the cool cobalt of his almond-shaped eyes. But there is something about being an unmated Omega that makes him feel unattractive, repulsive even. Which makes no sense because he gets plenty attention from Beta's and Alpha's alike, especially whenever he's in heat, and he has been lewdly propositioned to mate more often than he can count.

The raging hormones make him irrational and he hates that. He likes to think he's above it all and that his body and it's chemistry has no control over him, the way it takes control over other, clingy Omega's and those cocky Alpha's, but he can't deny he is as much at the mercy of his biological make-up as the rest of them.

It's safe enough to take the subway to work in the morning; it's busy and he trusts no one can take advantage of him in the crowd. Late at night he will have to take a taxi back to his apartment, because the quiet subway stations are no place for an Omega in heat.

He's used to the stares and the catcalls and ignores them easily. He pointedly stares down at his feet. He stands with his back pressed against the wall and holds his suitcase tightly to his chest to create some distance between himself and the people surrounding him in the stuffed subway train. He overhears a conversation about him, but doesn't even bother defending himself against their judgment. They are two older men and they talk about "the good ol' days" - up until the late sixties - when Omega's were expected to stay at home whenever they went in heat, to avoid being a nuisance to everyone else. Omega's mated young and were mostly homebound, obediently waiting for their Alpha's to come home. To this day, traditionalists wish society would return to those days and victim-blaming is common. Whenever an Alpha can't keep his hands to himself and rapes an Omega in heat, it is said that the Omega was "asking for it".

He shudders as he remembers his own close encounters. He has had many, starting at a young age. As a male Omega, he is an anomaly, but his gender doesn't matter to Alpha's – gay or straight - whenever he goes in heat; his pheromones make him irresistible regardless. That irritates many straight Alpha's, that they get attracted to another man. So next to unwanted advances, he is also used to getting accusations thrown at him, as their masculinity is compromised. With one hand they want to grab him and with the other they want to punch him.

For all but one group, ABO-identity and sexual orientation are unrelated. Only as a male Omega his orientation is dictated by his hierarchical role. All male Omega's are gay and as a result, his coming-out experience is still one of the most humiliating moments of his life. He never had the choice to keep his homosexuality a secret until the right time, until he was ready. When he went to school one day, at twelve years old, with a fever and feeling a bit "funny" and light-headed, one of the Alpha upperclassmen smelled Heero's first heat on him and cornered him in the restroom. A teacher interrupted and, after nearly being molested, Heero was sent home to his parents with an embarrassing pamphlet on his biology and a list of suggested medications to suppress it. The upperclassman never got in trouble for what he did – or almost did – it had been Heero's own fault, after all.

He skitters from the subway to the office building, grateful to be out of the crowd of people. The smells surrounding him had been overwhelming. His relief is short lived as he has to cram himself into an elevator with ten other people and ride it up to fortieth floor. He greets the receptionist, seated in front of the wall with silver lettering that spells out the name of the firm. She is one of few Beta's at the office.

His desk is in the bullpen to the left. It's in the corner and he feels thankful for that as it provides him some semblance of privacy. He puts his suitcase on the desk and snaps it open to retrieve the paperwork he had taken home with him. In the meantime, he boots up his computer and then he rifles through the new papers on the corner of his desk, all requests for the cases he is assisting on. When he looks up at his colleagues for the first time, he catches a handful of them staring at him. They all quickly look away, with the exception of one, who grins at him first. They can smell him, he knows, and he feels mortified.

He takes a seat, wincing at the discomfort in his behind from fucking himself sore with his toy – exacerbated by the plug – and hopes to be left alone for the entirety of the day so he can try to get some work done.

The smell that lingers in the bullpen is distracting. The other Junior Associates smell musky, each in their own, unique way, and the concoction of all their scents combining is heady. Normally, Heero finds the prominent smell unappealing, but while in heat he breathes it in deeply and greedily and the air couldn't be thick enough for his taste.

Basically, being in heat boils down to being extremely and inconveniently horny, non-stop, for about three to five days. It happens four times a year for mated Omega's, but for an unmated Omega, like Heero, it's more irregular and less predictable. His heats have definitely increased in frequency and intensity over the past few years; exposing himself to all those Alpha's in the workspace is triggering his hormones. Suppressants are supposed to make it manageable – and during his teens and early twenties, the pills worked well – but lately his heats are full-blown in spite of his efforts to quell them.

He sits in his desk chair and rubs his knees together restlessly. He has a hand squeezed between his thighs, with his nails absentmindedly scratching at the fabric of his pants. He feels the warmth radiating from his groin. His erection is throbbing in the confines of his restrictive underwear. His hairline is damp with sweat and he repeatedly wipes at his temples, self-conscious of the beads of sweat trickling down. He takes off his jacket as he can't stand the clammy heat that it cloaks him in. Taking it off is probably a mistake, he realizes as he takes note of how strong his own scent is, even mingled with the musky, earthy smell of the others. The coworker seated closest to him looks up from his computer and stares for a moment. Heero purposefully avoids eye contact.

The Associate's name is WuFei Chang and he is straight as an arrow, but that doesn't matter to either of them, given Heero's current predicament. Heero catches himself desiring to be taken by the man right then and there, on top of his desk, with their clothes barely out of the way. He imagines himself on his back, with his ankles locked behind the small of WuFei's back and having the man rut into him with feral abandon. He clenches around the hard plug, seated deep inside him and wishes it was WuFei's cock – anybody's cock.

Heero bites on his bottom lip but the whimper that he means to keep quiet escapes him anyway and he ducks his head between his shoulders and prays nobody heard him over the indiscriminate murmur that occupies the bullpen. It is humiliating to be reduced to a whining animal, but his mind – clouded by hormones – desires nothing else but to have a man claim him and bite him and make him unable to speak or even think a single, coherent thought. He wants a man to make him moan and scream and say one name, his name, over and over in a helpless plea. It wouldn't be much a challenge at the moment.

There is a document open on his computer, but he can't focus on the lines of text. He scrolls through it and squints his eyes and eventually manages to read a couple of paragraphs, enough to be able to dismiss the document as relevant in the Boone v. Alternate Software case he is assisting on.

In spite of his troubles, he finishes his preparations for the Boone case and walks a folder with compiled data to Bullard's office. The Senior Associate isn't present, so Heero walks in and places the folder on top of the man's keyboard, for him to consult as soon as he returns to his workplace. While Bullard has grown bitter in the face of Heero's constant rejections to his advances, Heero is confident in his own capabilities and he has never given the Senior Associate valid reason to reprimand him. He would never admit it, but Bullard knows Heero is the best.

He returns to his own little corner in the bullpen and looks over the files for the Peacecraft v. Darlian case, but he knows the case backwards and forwards and with the exhibits of evidence they have stacked against the biological father, he will have no trouble winning the custody battle for her in court tomorrow. He is grateful that she has been so trusting of him and feels he has found a kindred spirit in her; another Omega that isn't afraid to defy the rules that society still intends to impose on them.

He hasn't been back at his desk for more than a few minutes when he feels a presence sneak up behind him and he smells earthy tones of pine and ember before he hears the deep voice and feels the puff of air against his neck with every word.

"I could smell you from across the room," Duo practically purrs. He leans his hip against the edge of Heero's desk and flashes the grin that has become his trademark.

Through the veil of his arousal, Heero perceives the Alpha male differently. He can always see that Duo is a very attractive man, but currently, the Named Partner exudes strength and sex. Being so close to him, his scent is sharp and alluring; Heero wants to press himself against his bigger body and have that scent get transferred to him. He wants to lick his skin to get a taste of him. He wants Duo to give up on that stupid, cocky grin in favor of using his mouth to kiss Heero senseless.

The tall man looks impeccable in his gray, three piece suit and crisp, white shirt. His clothes are tailored to fit his frame perfectly, sitting nicely on his broad shoulders and slim waist. His tie is colorful and cheeky and some would say it is inappropriate, but it is so him.

In the silence that stretches between them, while Heero observes him, his thoughts grow increasingly filthy and explicit and it isn't until his gaze trails back up and he sees the smug, knowing expression of Duo's face that Heero realizes the man is well aware of what kinds of things Heero is thinking.

"I'm sorry," Heero stammers, sounding very meek, sounding very much like an Omega talking to his Alpha.

Duo's eyes turn soft. "How are you holding up?"

He purses his lips and shifts in his seat. He wants to whine about how miserable he's feeling: how stretched taut the skin of his cock and sac feels, how his hips ache in nagging waves and how his stomach feels tight and the pressure in his belly is insufferable. And he wants to then beg Duo to make it all go away, the way only an Alpha can. But all he says instead is: "I'm fine."

Duo offers a smile in response to the obvious lie. He crosses his arms in front of his chest and his eyebrows pinch together in concentration. If he is feeling the effects of being so close to an Omega in heat, he hides it well and Heero wants to disappear into himself at the thought that even while he is spreading intoxicating pheromones, Duo still doesn't want him. He's not good enough for Duo to consider mating with.

He's on the verge of tears – another frustrating mood-swing – but he keeps his composure.

"Just checking," Duo says idly. "I saw Miss Peacecraft in Conference Room 1b, by the way. I think you might be late for a meeting."

Heero's eyes widen and his entire body tenses up. He racks his brain in search of an appointment that he has apparently forgotten, but he comes up empty after a search through his hazy mind. He shoots up from his desk and lets out a groan when he accidentally brushes past Duo as he gets up from his chair. He snatches the files pertaining to the custody case and hurries out of the bullpen, heading for the conference room.

Along the way he mentally berates himself for forgetting that he had a meeting planned with his client. They had been emailing back and forth about the case the day before yesterday and at some point Relena must have requested an additional appointment to go over her testimony and he must have set a time and place, but he still couldn't remember. He checks his phone and confirms that he had made no note of it in his day planner either. It worries him that it seems his heats are getting so intense, he is even getting scatter-brained several days before the onset.

He walks by the glass wall of Conference Room 1b and spots Relena seated at the long table, across from Ted Bullard and one of the paralegals and he figures the two must have stepped in when they noticed the client seated in the conference room by herself. Why didn't Bullard give him a head's up?

Heero has no time to ponder that question. He makes eye contact with Relena before he pushes through the glass door and makes an apologetic face at her as he rambles off an explanation for his tardiness. "I'm so sorry. I had no idea we had scheduled a meeting for today." He's flustered and a little out of breath and he doesn't need to check his reflection in the glass to know he looks like a mess.

Relena's big, blue eyes are pitiful as she looks up at him and she shrinks in the big, leather chair. She shoots a glance across the table at Bullard.

The Senior Associate with slicked back hair and thick moustache addresses him with a belittling tone. "You didn't forget, although it is obvious why you would think so."

The paralegal wrinkles his nose and then turns his head away, like he's a sugar-addict on a juice-cleanse, having a cupcake shoved in his face and wanting to reject the temptation by avoiding it.

"I'm sorry, I- I don't understand." Heero looks down at Relena, hoping for her to explain the miscommunication, but she's staring at the surface of the table, studying the grain of the polished wood.

"I contacted Miss Peacecraft yesterday," Bullard discloses, "In light of Judge Ackerman stepping down due to health issues and Judge Tapp taking over Miss Peacecraft's case, we needed to discuss her representation in court tomorrow."

"There's nothing to discuss. She's my client. This is my case." He sounds more petulant than intended. He keeps looking at Relena and she keeps ignoring him.

"Heero," Bullard continues with placating tone, "it was one thing for you to represent her in Judge Ackerman's court. Ackerman is a Beta and a Progressive. The situation changed once the case was reassigned to Tapp. Like most judges, he's an Alpha and a Traditionalist. He is never going to take an Omega lawyer seriously." He snorts and gestures at Heero's disheveled state. "Especially not one that is in heat, for Christ's sake."

"Relena," Heero pleads, "Why didn't you tell me about this? We've discussed this. Of course it's a set-back, but I thought you agreed I was still the best person to handle your case. If you had doubts, why didn't you-"

Bullard interrupts: "Honestly, Heero, as soon as you saw Judge Tapp's name on court date notification you should have advised Miss Peacecraft to seek new representation within in the firm. I know you've worked hard on this case," he says condescendingly, "but you have to act in Miss Peacecraft's best interest and you know very well that the odds of Judge Tapp ruling in her favor are increased if she's represented by someone else."

"Represented by an Alpha," he spits in dismay and he keeps expecting Relena to come to her senses and be as insulted as he is by the insinuation that Omega's can't succeed at anything without an Alpha stepping in. They had bonded over their shared disenfranchisement over the way society dismisses them as being incapable of anything other than letting themselves get brutalized and bred by Alpha's. But she doesn't interject, instead, she lets her head hang low and she lets Bullard take control.

"She's at risk of losing her child, Heero."

"I know that!" He bursts. "Relena, do you honestly think I wouldn't have handed over the case to someone else if I thought I could lose you your son?"

Still, she refuses to acknowledge him. She is submitting completely to Bullard, something she is used to, as a once mated Omega. As soon as an Alpha gets involved, she lets him take charge.

"She has made her decision, Heero. You are welcome to assist, but obviously I can't take you into the courtroom with me as my second-chair, given the state you're in. So, if you're not going to spend the rest of the afternoon jerking off in the restroom, we can go over the case together and I'll take your insights into consideration."

He huffs at the insult. He has been working so hard all day to fight through this "state" that he has no control over, only to be side-lined anyway. He is unable to say anything – no clever, biting retort to reclaim some of his dignity. He knows he has to leave the conference room right away if he doesn't want to spontaneously burst into tears due to a level of anger and frustration that he doesn't know how to handle. He pivots on his heels and storms out. He can't even slam the door shut because of the soft-close mechanism. He can't vent his indignation on anything.

As he stalks through the office, on his way back to the snake-put that they call the bullpen, he feels everyone's eyes on him and he refuses them all the satisfaction of seeing him cry. They are all waiting for him to snap under the pressure; they had been waiting for five years. They will have to wait longer.

When he returns to his desk, Duo is still in the bullpen, talking to two other Associates. He takes note as soon as Heero walks into the room. Of course he does – everyone does. His scent mingles with theirs and they all pause their work to look at him for a second before they pry their eyes away.

He slams the files down on his desk. He should sit down, but he can't, there is too much bottled-up energy. He barely stops himself from pacing and instead just stands there in his corner, with his hands on his hips, bristling like an antsy horse. It's a fine line between a hulk-like episode of rage and a panic attack and he isn't sure yet which way his demeanor was going to swing.

He looks up from a speck on the floor that he had been staring at to give focus to his emotions and sees that Duo has crossed the space and is leaning over the elbow-high partition that gives some privacy to Heero's desk. The man's expression is one of concern and sympathy.

"Breathe," he urges and it seems Duo knows better how Heero's tantrum is going to play out than the Omega himself does and he speaks with a soft, calming tone to prevent him from panicking. "Breathe. It's okay."

"You don't even know what's going on," he snaps. He shouldn't be talking to a Named Partner like that, but in spite of the two of them on being on opposite ends of the hierarchical scale in every sense, they had been friends since Heero first assisted Duo on a case when he had only been working at the firm for a few months. It was the case that earned Duo his right to have his name on the wall in the lobby and on the letterhead.

"Then tell me," he prompts.

Heero can't even be bothered by how unprofessional it is to whine to a Named Partner about his direct superior, but he vents: "Bullard stole my client. He called Relena and convinced her that she's going to lose her son if I represent her."

"The Bully living up to his moniker."

"It's not funny. This was my one case; my one chance to prove myself," he hisses, not wanting anyone else to overhear his rant. "No one takes me seriously."

"I take you seriously," Duo says simply. "But I have to admit, when you told me Monday that Tapp was taking over, I did consider…- You can't honestly deny that your ABO-identity won't influence a judge like Tapp."

Heero's chest is clenching painfully. Duo was supposed to be the person to take his side; Duo had always been supportive of him and had always been the only one to believe in him. Now, even Duo doesn't think he can win a case? Duo must think he is both stupid and ugly and that is why he is the only Alpha who never had trouble keeping his hands to himself.

"Heero, all I'm saying is that nobody can win a fight when the system works against them like that. Not even you."

Heero lets out a deep breath and stares back down at the floor. He hates himself as he realizes that he did jeopardize Relena's case to satisfy his own ambition. Tapp would have never ruled in his favor, over Darlian's Alpha lawyer. Letting two Omega's win against two Alpha's would have gone against everything Tapp believes and the wry and unfair truth is that an arrogant Alpha like him would rather send a child to live with an incompetent parent than take sides with an Omega; it would be akin to the older man submitting to Heero and that would be unheard of.

Above all, he is disappointed in himself, that he let his own judgment get so clouded. If Relena had gotten hurt in his doomed-to-fail quest to prove his worth, he would have never been able to forgive himself. What was he even thinking, becoming a lawyer? It would only be a matter of time until a client would get hurt because Heero refuses to conform to the unspoken rules of society.

Defeated, he drops down in his chair but the thoughtless action sends a jolt through his body as it moves the plug inside him. His hands reach out and grip the edge of his desk and he bites down on his bottom lip. He hears Duo let out a sigh, but he has his eyes squeezed shut and he can't tell if it's a tired sigh or a sympathetic sigh.

"It's only going to get worse," Duo points out, entirely unhelpfully.

"I know, but it's only a couple of days," he responds through gritted teeth.

"It's not just going to get worse the next few days, what I mean is: it's going to get worse every time. The longer you wait, the more intense it gets."

He pries his eyes open to attempt to glare at the Alpha, but it's difficult to be mad at the man when his look is one of sympathy and care, something that Heero doesn't even deserve from him, seeing as he is not Duo's Omega. He never understood why Duo has always been so patient with him, no other Alpha would ever willingly suffer the presence of any other Omega than his own.

The long-haired man continues: "It'll be so much easier if you just mate with someone."

Heero shakes his head vehemently. "I don't need an Alpha. I don't need anyone; not to make my life easier – not for anything. I can handle it."

A slight smile appears on Duo's lips, although his eyes are dull. "You are so stubborn," he chastises. Someone is waving Duo over from across the bullpen – pointing at his watch, indicating the Named Partner is late for something. Duo excuses himself and wishes Heero good luck before leaving.

Alone again, Heero tries to throw himself into his work, needing a distraction as the ache in his body worsens. But after a little while, nothing can pull his focus from his throbbing erection, that hurts more than anything, and the painful pressure in his belly. He is jittering his leg, trying to vent some of the pent-up energy, but nothing works as a relief. He pulls at the knot of his tie, loosening it as much as he can without looking like a complete wreck, but he has run his hands through his hair so many times that he has brushed out the gel and his wild mop of hair falls forward into his face, so wreck-status has long been achieved.

The bullpen is in the middle of the floorplan and it has no windows, only two doors on either side, leading out to the hallway and other offices on one side and the file room on the other. The heat is suffocating and the more he sweats, the more prominently he is spreading his pheromones, he knows. He is fast approaching a point where he is at risk of triggering a heat in one of the Alpha's that surround him; an Alpha's heat only comes on in response to an Omega that they are attracted to getting their heat, and Heero is pretty sure everyone in the office is straight, but the close proximity might force their biology in spite of their sexual preference.

When he looks up, he notices how many of them are watching him and he can see the conflict in their eyes. He pointedly looks down at his own fingers, trembling over the keyboard. The cursor blinks in an empty field on a form that was due half an hour ago. Previously, he had always been able to work through his heat, but the intensity of this one is catching him off guard and the body is proving to be more powerful than the mind – and even his pride.

His thoughts wander again when a new scent enters the space: a bike messenger walks in to hand a package to WuFei. The tall, lean man, with side-swept bangs, cocks his head to look at Heero over his shoulder while WuFei signs for the delivery. He smells incredible. He smells of rain and leather. His biker shorts leave nothing to the imagination and Heero can't stop his gaze from feasting on the athletic frame until he makes eye-contact with the emerald green eyes and he feels his own face flush with the heat of embarrassment.

The bike messenger swallows and practically rips his clipboard out of WuFei's hands and he storms off, wise enough to remove himself from the situation before anything happens. WuFei watches him go, confused at first, but then he becomes aware of Heero, whose attention has shifted back to the Chinese man and he stiffens. There is a moment of hesitation, then he walks around his desk and approaches the Omega with a stern expression. He remains on the other side of the partition and his fingers clench around the edge of it. His jaw is tight and his tone is sharp as he forces out curt words: "You need to leave."

"… I'm fine…" His voice becomes soft and timid. It is his nature to be submissive when given an order by an Alpha, but it is his character to be insubordinate.

"You're not fine," WuFei asserts. "Nor am I. Nor is anyone else here." He throws a look over his shoulder, confirming that most of the others are staring. "I can't… think." He tries to explain his frustration. "You're in no state to get any work done anyway, so you might as well leave so we can work."

"Oh, I'm sorry my heat is such an inconvenience to you," Heero quips. "But if you can't handle it, maybe you should be the one to leave."

WuFei scoffs indignantly. "How dare you tell me what I should or shouldn't do."

"How dare you!" He counters. He is so offended that it momentarily takes his mind off the desperate aches and pains in his body and he feels more like himself than he has all day. Unfortunately, his inappropriate attitude is drawing more attention to him and two other Junior Associates come to stand beside WuFei, all trying to assert their dominance over the single Omega.

Heero shrinks in his seat as he starts to feel intimidated by the men ganging up on him.

"Just go home, Heero," one of the other two orders and he rounds his desk and approaches him.

Heero scoots back his chair until it bumps into the wall and suddenly his little corner in the bullpen doesn't feel so safe anymore as he is trapped between the wall and the much bigger and broader Alpha. In any other state, he would have no trouble fighting off someone if they get too handsy with him – he has had to defend himself many times in the past and as soon as the school sent him home with that deprecating pamphlet, his father has enrolled him in self-defense classes – but his body isn't entirely under his control currently. The hormones are like a drug that weaken him; his body desires a mate more than anything and it will betray him to get what it needs. So when his colleague grabs his arm and yanks him off his chair, Heero's limbs are like jello and he falls against the body in front of him before he can steady himself.

The sound of alarm bells going off in his head are muffled as a thick blanket of pure instinct settles over him. He feels warm and fuzzy and has no inclination to distance himself from the Alpha. For the first time, he feels some relief as he thinks to himself: if I just let it happen, my pain will be over. But then he twists his face, disgusted at himself, and he tries to pull away from the man.

"Either you go home, or I'm going to fuck you right here," the Alpha threatens and his voice dips.

None of the other Junior Associates speak up. Some are watching the scene, transfixed by it, finding some primal satisfaction in it, while the rest is trying very hard to pretend to be unaware of anything going on beyond the confines of their own cubicle.

"Let go of me," Heero whines and he hates the sound of his own voice. He hates everything about his body as it responds to the closeness of the other Alpha in a way that he did not consciously give consent for. His cock is pulsing and his intimate muscles are clenching and relaxing around the plug, that does a poor job at keeping him from leaking. He feels wetness on the inside of his thighs and before long it soaks through his pants.

"I don't think you really want me to let go."

"Fuck you," he spits. He becomes more scared when he notices that WuFei is gone. The Chinese man was the one person he had hoped would stand up for him if the situation would worsen. With his free hand he tries to push the co-worker away, but the man catches his wrist and leaves him defenseless. Heero can tell that he no longer has the intention of sending the Omega home. The predatory look in the man's eyes leave him no doubt about what is going to happen.

"Get your fucking hands off him," a deep voice bellows before a hand appears on the Associate's shoulder and the man gets pulled away from Heero. Duo fixes a dark glare on the tall man, who cowers in the confrontation. Even in a "pack" of all Alpha's, there was always still one Alpha who stood above everyone else in ranking and at the office, that superior Alpha was Duo.

Heero is relieved and feels a wave of gratitude wash over him as he spots WuFei standing behind the Named Partner and it is apparent the Chinese man went to get him. He will get a lot of shit from the others later, for ratting them out, but WuFei's sense of justice is strong.

"I was just going to escort him home," the co-worker argues apologetically. "He shouldn't be here."

"Maybe you shouldn't be here," Duo growls. "If you ever lay a hand on him again, I will fire you - so you'll be free to go to the hospital to have your broken hand tended to." Both his voice and expression soften as he turns to Heero. With a gentle hand on the small of his back, he guides Heero out of the bullpen. "Come on. I'm taking you home."

Heero can barely walk, he can't feel the floor under his feet. His skin is tingling and with his nails he scratches his outer thighs as he walks, which seems to be the only way for him to keep track of his fingers and stop him from shamelessly fondling himself. If being crowded by the Alpha's in the bullpen hadn't aggravated his symptoms, having Duo come to his rescue would have also done the trick. To have an Alpha protect him like that – protect him like he was his – further turns him on. He hadn't needed anyone to rescue him since he was twelve years old and while it is a strike to his pride, it is also unbelievably gratifying. A sense of security and belonging overwhelms him. He wishes the touch of Duo's hand, low on his back, was stronger. Absentmindedly, he leans closer to the taller man accompanying him, making his shoulder brush against his arm as they walk.

He is being steered towards the restrooms and his brows furrow in confusion. "If you're taking me home, why are we going to the restrooms?" He asks dumbly.

Duo doesn't answer and just hold the door open for him. It's the Alpha restroom and Heero is not supposed to go in there – the Omega-Beta bathroom is the door to the left – but Heero walks in anyway. Duo follows him in and locks the door behind them. Heero swallows audibly.

The Alpha is staring at him and it makes him uncomfortable. He looks around himself self-consciously and grimaces as he catches sight of his own reflection in the large mirror over the sinks. He is sweaty and flushed, his eyes are dark and hooded and his lips have a pathetic, needy pout them.

Their scents quickly fill the small space and Heero sways forward slightly, wanting to be closer to the source of that deep, musky smell, but too shy to take a step towards the other. He doesn't understand how Duo can remain so composed, while Heero is being intoxicated.

"Will you let me help you?" Duo asks. His voice is so strong and steady and it makes Heero close his eyes and revel in the sound.

"Help… me?" He can't think straight anymore. Every nerve ending in his body is electrified and firing at random.

"I can help you feel a little better. Long enough to tide you over until you get home."

Heero is shaking his head. "I don't want to mate." Nothing short of mating will alleviate his condition in any significant way.

"I know. That's not what I'm offering."

Feeling like he is about to topple over, his hand seeks purchase on the edge of the stone counter. The marble feels ice-cold against his heated skin. His sweaty palm is slipping on the smooth surface.

"I want to help," Duo reiterates. "Do you trust me?"

He nods weakly, only because he has no choice. He is slipping hard and fast into a state where he can't even trust himself. He watches Duo move closer to him and he gasps when the man puts two hands on his hips and positions him against the counter, facing the mirror. Heero plants both hands on the stone surface and bows his head to avoid looking at his own reflection; he doesn't even look like himself – he looks like someone he never wanted to be. He lets out a deep breath and it comes out shuddering.

"It's okay," Duo whispers. "You'll feel a bit better soon." He stands closely behind him and his breath sweeps along Heero's neck and by the shell of his ear.

There is about an inch of distance left between their bodies and Heero hates it with every fiber of his being. He stands there trembling, at the limited mercy of the hormones raging through his body. He wants to lean back against the Alpha, but he is not in control of the situation, much like he isn't in control of his body.

Finally, Duo presses against him and hooks his chin over Heero's shoulder and the shorter man groans in response. He feels Duo's chiseled chest against his back and his erection against his ass. The hands that had been holding onto his hips – getting increasingly tight – navigate to his abdomen and chest, stroking him through the material of his shirt. The fabric is too coarse against his over-sensitive skin and it makes it so the touch doesn't even feel good and he squirms in Duo's hold and bites his lip because he also doesn't want to tell Duo to take his hands off him.

The man understands and thankfully rids him of the constricting tie around his neck and then works to unbutton his shirt. When it falls open, the cool air gives a brief relief and Heero moans in gratitude. Big hands explore the expanse of skin and it feels so much better without the barrier of clothing between his skin and those fingers. He arches his back and pushes his ass back against Duo, which makes the plug move slightly within him. His mouth drops open as Duo finds his nipples and squeezes them simultaneously. His eyes fly open in shock and he sees himself in the mirror; shirt and mouth wide open, cheeks and chest flushed red, fingers twitching on the counter, his shape framed by Duo's bigger body. He makes eye-contact with the man in the mirror and it's too intense. He lets his heavy lids fall shut and he moans senselessly.

He feels the first kiss against the side of his neck and the second – against his ear – is quick to follow. Duo continues to pepper him with kisses and Heero cries out every time as he is branded by those lips. He can barely refrain himself from begging Duo to mark him.

Duo makes the most painfully minute trusts against his bottom while he rolls Heero's nipples between his fingers and it's both too much and not enough.

"Aren't you afraid this will trigger your heat?" Heero thinks to asks, although he definitely does not want Duo to reconsider what he is doing.

"It'll be fine. My suppressants have never failed me before."

He nods but he is struck with a feeling of self-loathing. It occurs to him that Duo might not want to be touching him like this, because he's not interested in Heero in that way and is only acting this way because of a misguided sense of obligation, considering their friendship. Feeling dirty and ashamed, Heero tilts his head away, avoiding Duo's kisses. He takes his hands off the counter and holds his shirt closed with one and hides his face with the other, since he can no longer stand Duo's gaze on him.

Duo's hands lower back down to his hips, where they feel reassuring and ground him. "What's wrong?"

"You shouldn't do something you don't want to do for my sake."

"What are you talking about?"

"If being with me like this doesn't affect you, than you must be disgusted with me," he elaborates with a wry tone.

Duo lets out a small laugh that has Heero dropping one hand down to frown at him. What could possibly be amusing?

The long-haired man holds his stare for a while, without saying anything. "I don't take the same B-grade suppressants that the average Joe on the street – or at the office – takes. Mine work, maybe even a little too well. But in spite of that, I promise you, even I am not unaffected by you. For the past five years the pills have kept me from following you into your heats, but they have never made you less tempting."

Heero swallows at the way Duo's voice gets softer and deeper; it reduces to a rumble in his chest that he can feel against his back.

"You are so far from 'disgusting', it's comical." He grins at him. He nuzzles his nose into the damp hairs at the nape of Heero's neck and extols: "You smell delicious. Your skin is glowing. Your blue eyes make me shiver. Your lips are a constant distraction; when you speak, when you smile, when you pout, when you suck on the straw of your goddamn iced-coffees." He chuckles breathlessly. His hands wander back up Heero's body, fingers ghosting over the plains of his abdomen. "You're so headstrong and quick-witted. I love how you defy every Alpha and, at the same time, I have always craved to be the one Alpha you would finally submit to and have you relinquish your control to me."

Duo's words have an unspeakable effect on him. If the man hadn't been holding him, he would have crumpled to the floor for certain; his trembling legs have barely any strength in them. "I had no idea."

"Like I said: maybe my suppressants work a little too well." He presses a hot kiss against the edge of Heero's jaw. "I'm sorry if I've made you feel unwanted."

Heero turns his head, so, rather than looking in the mirror, he can make eye-contact with the man directly. The predatory glint that he is used to seeing in others, is distant in Duo's eyes. At the forefront are his apparent kindness and overprotectiveness.

"May I kiss you?" Duo asks.

It is so unlike an Alpha to ask permission for anything – even a rare warm-hearted specimen like Duo – that Heero is rendered speechless and all he can do is nod his consent.

Their lips softly merge. The kiss is light and chaste – they're barely touching, really – but when Duo pulls away after only a second, something cuts through the fog of Heero's arousal. He loves Duo. But he can't trust that feeling, even though it's not something he has ever experienced before in the throes of his heat.

Duo looks thoughtful as well and then, with a slight quirk of the corner of his mouth, he kisses him again and the second kiss evolves from gentle and sweet to passionate and heady. Their lips move together and their tongues meet playfully before Duo licks into Heero's mouth to stake a claim on him as much as he can while Heero is not actually his Omega.

With his hands Heero covers Duo's, both still on his abdomen. He strokes the back of his hands, feeling the pronounced veins, short hairs and coarse knuckles. His fingers follow Duo's as they travel down. A brief touch tickles his belly button and then Duo cups his big hand over the bulge in the front of Heero's slacks and the Junior Associate moans into the kiss.

"Fuck, you're burning hot to the touch," the taller man remarks. He moves his hand along the shape of the erection, pinned down by the restrictive underwear.

Heero whimpers. He is so sensitive that he wants to move away from the touch. The fabric on his skin is rough and too tight and that is made worse by Duo's strokes. But he doesn't need to tell Duo. The man is already unbuttoning his fly and soon the weight of his belt drags the slacks down the length of his legs and they pool at his feet. He feels better and better, the more he is undressed. He lets out a sigh when Duo carefully pulls down the spandex briefs to free him. Heero cries out when Duo cups his palm under his balls, which feel heavy and pull on the base of his cock without the support of the underwear.

"Oh, Heero. You're so swollen. You waited too long."

"I haven't jerked off since this morning," he discloses; a bit proud of the restraint he has shown, although his body definitely suffered the consequences. A regular release helps keep some of the symptoms at bay, like the swelling in his genitals. The swelling of his cock is minor – unlike an Alpha's penis, an Omega's penis doesn't actually increase in size significantly during heat, although the pain he feels would suggest otherwise – but his balls have gotten bigger as he is producing more semen in anticipation of many, many orgasms.

Duo captures his mouth in another kiss. There is something more urgent in the way he ravages Heero's mouth. "You never fail to impress me," he says after the kiss ends and Heero realizes Duo is proud of him for being able to force himself to work and not give into the needs of his body all day and Heero very much appreciates the recognition of his willpower.

"I wouldn't have lasted much longer though. It was so bad… It's never been this bad before," he admits through gritted teeth as Duo dips a finger into the slit of his erection. Precome is leaking from the tip freely and Duo spreads it down the length of the shaft to get him wet and make his touch more enjoyable as he closes a fist around him and starts to pump. "When Michael grabbed me, part of me was relieved."

"He's never going to touch you again," Duo growls and he let his teeth scrape Heero's shoulder – bared by the shirt that has been pushed away.

"I- I wanted it, even though I didn't want it," he rambles, his face contorting as he realizes he is making no sense. He tries to explain himself: "I know the heats would get easier to manage, but I don't want to be mated; I don't want to be owned, and used by an Alpha however he pleases."

Duo silences him for a moment with a kiss, before he counters: "You shouldn't see it like that. It's an Alpha's duty and privilege to take care of his Omega. To make him feel good, and safe."

"That's not how most see it. All they want is to take ownership and assert their power."

Duo scoffs and plants another kiss on his lips. "It's so like you to get into a social rights debate at a time like this." He nods his head at the mirror and Heero glances over to see the state to which he has been reduced: his shirt hanging off his shoulders and his pants around his ankles, his erection enveloped by Duo's fist, with each upward stroke milking more white fluid from the tip, which dribbles down the underside and gets swept up by Duo's hand. It's grotesque and confrontational to see himself like that, but rather than be humiliated he narrows his eyes at his own reflection and moans.

Heero might have started the discussion, but Duo continues it, while also enjoying the sight of Heero in the mirror. "The way I see it, the Omega is the one with the real power. It's your heat that triggers ours. Once you unleash that in us, we're just the helpless saps that commit ourselves to you, because we have to have you."

Heero stares at him, shocked by his insight. "I like the way you see things," he whispers. Although Duo is a rare exception in the way he views the relationship between Alpha's and Omega's, it is nice to think that he might be right and that all the other, entitled Alpha's are wrong.

They kiss again and this time they don't stop. Heero feels comfortable letting Duo take control, trusting him to make him feel better, if only for a little while. The interaction tricks his body into thinking it is about to get what it wants, causing the pain and pressure in his abdomen and hips, that had been torturing him all day, to fade away. The focus was on his arousal and how Duo's hand heightened his pleasure. The man was also grinding his pelvis against him and the movement jostled the base of the plug, making it's necessary presence stimulating rather than annoying. At the same time, it makes him long for more.

"…Fuck me," he pleads between kisses, and he can't claim that he doesn't mean it. If Duo isn't in heat, sex doesn't have any consequences besides the awkwardness and risk to their friendship in the aftermath, but that seems insignificant to Heero in the moment. He doesn't know how anything that has happened between them today will affect their friendship – it seems like things were going to be different between them anyway, so they might as well take a risk.

Duo pulls back and looks at him with mirthful eyes. He disappoints Heero when he shakes his head, but there is a smile on his face. "We're not going to do that. Because it won't be enough for you right now. If we were to unite for the first time, it would have to be enough. When I become one with someone, I don't want them to be unsatisfied and in pain afterward – not this kind of pain, anyway." The sweet smile turns into a sly smirk. "Not the bad kind, but the good kind."

"But I need it," he argues and he pouts in the face of rejection.

"This will help, I promise. Just lose yourself to it. Imagine I'm fucking you." He rocks his hips against him, making the movements of the plug more deliberate.

Heero moans and leans forward and does as suggested, fantasizing about having sex with the Alpha. It wasn't the first time for him to entertain himself in that way and he has a wealth of inspiration to draw from.

Soon, Duo expertly wrings an orgasm out of him and given that he hasn't come all day, the release is intense and the euphoria cures the nagging desperation that has kept him distracted. There is a moment of clarity in the aftermath. With the edge taken off, Heero feels like himself again and he treasures the moment, fully aware that it won't last. He is standing on trembling legs, gazing at the mirror, waiting for Duo to make eye-contact with him. Once their gazes lock, he offers the man a sloppy smile and earns a like-minded smile in return. "Aren't you going to come?"

"Later. We have to get you home first, while the high lasts." He tucks Heero back into his underwear and redresses him. There was something reverent and caring about the act and Heero thinks he could get used to being tended to like that and that scares him a little. He doesn't want to become a different person; he is proud of who he has become in the face of adversity and he doesn't want to give that up in favor of the ease of being a mated Omega, and become one of those homely types that depend on their Alpha for everything. He fights those feelings, holding onto his ecstasy instead.

Once he is dressed he spins around and heavily leans back against the counter. There is a noticeable stain in the front of Duo's pants – his own precome and Heero's slick that has leaked out in spite of the plug. "We've ruined your suit."

Duo shrugs. "It was my least favorite one anyway."

"What happens now?"

"Now?" Duo produces his phone from the inside pocket of his jacket and starts to type. "Now, I'm texting my driver to come pick you up. He'll make sure you get home safely. He's a Beta and I trust him."

Heero nods. Beta's were harmless, they were not subjected to the same kinds of heats as the Alpha's and Omega's, nor were they as sensitive to their pheromones. He is, however, somewhat disappointed that Duo was just going to hand him over to someone else, although it is probably wise for them to not spend any more time together for the duration of Heero's heat. After what they had done, Heero's body is only going to react even more strongly to Duo's presence. "How come you're so good with me?" He wonders. "Not just now, but always. You always know exactly what to say; exactly what I need."

A sad smile appears on Duo's lips. "Experience."

"Oh?" How much more eloquent is he supposed to be after an earth-shattering orgasm?

Duo shares: "Before we met, I was with someone. We were together for three years. I treated him like my Omega, even though he wasn't mine. He wouldn't let me make him mine." He looks off to the side as an old hurt is exposed. "He didn't want to be mated, citing the same reasons as you. I helped him through countless heats. Luckily, my suppressants held up. I was going to be patient and wait for him to be ready."

For the first time today, Heero can focus and he gives Duo his undivided attention.

"I loved him," Duo admits sheepishly and he looks at the other again. "And he loved me, but he didn't want to be mated. He kept saying that, no matter how bad it got. After a while, being together became insufferable for him. Us being so close together, even living together, meant he went into heat every month."

Heero winces, imagining how awful that must have been. It is not difficult to empathize, since his own heats have become increasingly frequent; his last heat was only seven weeks ago. He was heading down the same path.

"I tried my best to make it easier for him and to comfort him, but he couldn't be around me anymore and he still insisted that he didn't want to mate. The only solution was for him to break up with me."

"I'm sorry."

"Thanks," Duo replies awkwardly.

"You've never told me about him before."

He scratches the back of his neck. "It's embarrassing to own up to. You know how bad those heats get, but he would rather be in pain than commit himself to me. I've always felt humiliated and insecure about it."

"You shouldn't. I understand where he is coming from, about not wanting to mate."

"Yeah, only, the things is…" he chuckles bitterly, "three months after breaking up with me, he mated with someone else."

"Oh," he stupidly blurts again.

"So you see, it wasn't that he didn't want to be mated. He just didn't want to be mated with me. I don't think he realized that at the time. I believe he honestly thought mating wasn't for him, but then the right person came along…" He forces on a smile. "I know you also balk at the idea of mating, but I think you might be like him: just waiting for the right guy to come along."

"But how does it get any more 'right' than you?" He asks himself out loud and his eyes widen when he realizes what he has just said. He meant it in regards to Duo's ex; unable to fathom why the man didn't deem Duo "right" for him, but of course it applies to Heero as well. It was difficult to believe there was a better Alpha out there for him than Duo.

Duo's smile turns genuine. "Thanks. I know that means a lot, coming from you. Seeing as how you hate all Alpha's," he teases, to lighten the atmosphere.

"I don't hate all Alpha's," he mumbles under his breath. He doesn't hate Duo, but that is about it. He can't think of any other Alpha that he likes. Honestly, he doesn't even know that many Alpha's personally. While surrounded with them at work, he can't exactly establish a friendship with them, so he doesn't interact much with them – not at all outside of work hours. He's never felt the desire to get to know any of them better; he doesn't befriend people who constantly disrespect him. Given that most of the population consists of Beta's, his social circle is limited to Beta's and the few Omega's he knows through his charity work for the Omega Youth Center.

Duo looks down at his phone when it buzzes and he lets out a sigh of relief that Heero doesn't fully comprehend. "Jon is here. I'll escort you downstairs and he will take you home safely. Please let him walk you up to your door," he orders, asserting a more dominant tone than he ever has with Heero, "I don't trust your neighbor."

They exit the restroom and Heero bows his head when he notices everyone looking at them. They probably heard his pathetic cries and wails as Duo coaxed an orgasm out of him and he can imagine what they are thinking. The fact that he absolutely reeked of Duo, emerging from that bathroom, implied that they had just mated. Everyone knows about Duo's and Heero's odd, biology-defying-friendship, and everyone has been expecting for them to mate sooner or later. Glancing up, he notices several coworkers smirking Duo's way and he assumes Duo will correct them, but the Alpha doesn't say anything and he stoically walks alongside him towards the elevator.

They share the elevator with four other people and still Duo lets them think whatever they want and when he inches closer to Heero still, he is only fueling the rumors that will start as soon as the two are out of earshot. Heero kind of enjoys it, that Duo is not ashamed of the suggestion that they could be together. It makes him think about everything Duo had said to him in the restroom; about how "tempted" he had always been. He first assumed Duo meant he was tempted the same way everyone in the bullpen was "tempted" this afternoon: no intention to mate, just the intention to satisfy the direct, sexual urge. But Duo did say that - if not for his suppressants - he would have followed Heero into a heat long ago, which suggests the man wants more than just sex.

The thoughts detracts from his buzz, so he forces them from his mind. It's not that he wants to dismiss Duo and his possible affection, but he doesn't want to slip back into the throes of his heat too soon; he means to cherish the relief Duo has provided him, before he will inevitably succumb to the recurrence of the symptoms for the next few days.

"Don't bother coming into work until you're all better," Duo warns as they exit the elevator and cross the lobby. "I'm just going to send you right back home."

"I can't take four or five days off every time I go into heat, Duo. They'll fire me."

"You're forgetting one very important thing."

"What's that?"

With a smug look Duo wordlessly hands him a business card from his pocket.

Heero doesn't need to look down at it, he knows what Duo's business card looks like – his own business cards look very much like it: the firm's name on the front and their own contact information on the back. "What's this supposed to mean?"

"My name's on there."

"I know and my name's on here," he produces his own business card. "What's the big deal?"

"The big deal is: my name is on yours as well."

Heero lets out a laugh when he realizes how dense he is being. Duo was referring to the fact that the firm is partly named after him. He is the boss.

"They are not going to fire you," he promises and he walks him to a black town car parked at the curb.

The driver, Jon, holds the door open for Heero.

"Get him home. And walk him upstairs. His neighbor is an Alpha," Duo spits in dismay. Duo has always tried to convince Heero to move to a different building, since finding out his next door neighbor was an Alpha. Both Alpha's and Omega's are only a small percentage of the population, so it shouldn't be too hard for the two to avoid living in close proximity. Heero always rejected this idea: he wasn't going to leave his home because his elderly neighbor started subletting his place to an Alpha after he moved out of the city.

"Will do."

"Thank you, Duo. For everything." He is blushing furiously. He crawls into the backseat.

"Don't sweat it, gorgeous." He winks at him and shuts the door.

As instructed, Jon walks Heero up to his fifth floor apartment. The young Associate is already starting to feel antsy and tingly and offers only a half-smile and a curt "thank you" before disappearing into his apartment and locking the door behind him.

He strips out of all of his clothing, feeling and smelling disgusting and he takes a shower while he is still lucid, to remedy his sticky skin and the smell of dried come. After that, he crashes onto his bed, where he knows he'll be stuck for a while. He tosses and turns on top of the sheets as time drags by.

The release Duo had given him lasts shorter than he had hoped and soon he is in pain again. He turns to lie on his back, because any touch to his sensitive erection is too much. Even the breeze from the air-conditioning unit – set to freezing to help with his fever – is almost unbearable. He squirms and clenches his fists around handfuls of sheets. He bucks his hips up at nothing. At this point masturbation is not going to do him much good, so he doesn't bother and he suffers the pain. There is a mind-numbing ache in his lower back; it feels like some force is trying to snap his pelvis in two by exerting pressure on both hipbones, putting stress on the center where the two sides join at the spine. His intestines are coiled tightly and he regrets skipping lunch earlier in the day, because he is now beyond the point where he can stomach anything.

The rest of the day is a blur, and the night as well. He is only half aware of his neighbor banging on his door, somewhere around midnight, yelling: "I can fucking smell you! Uhhh… Fuck you, you little cock-tease!" He must be drunk and alcohol is known to inhibit the effects of the suppressants and it's not the first time that he has tried to get Heero's attention. Heero ignores him, trusting that the door is properly bolted. Soon enough, his neighbor gives up on him – whether it was a fruitless attempt to get in, or just a way for him to vent his frustration, Heero doesn't know and he doesn't care to know.

Thankfully, he gets some sleep. Pure, physical exhaustion draws him into unconsciousness. Spikes in his fever and an accidental rub against the sheets wake him up every time.

The only thing that can pull him to his senses the next day, is the realization that it is the day of Relena's court appearance. It's not even really a trial, only a hearing, after which Judge Tapp will decide if the custody case Relena's ex filed against her should be dismissed or go to trial. He never had the chance to go through the case with Bullard, but for all his flaws, "The Bully" is a competent lawyer and Relena's case should be a slam-dunk. Heero had provided evidence of Darlian's drinking, testimony's from former employers and co-workers confirming his dangerous temperament and lack of responsibility and Relena's medical dossier proved the man had been abusive towards her – and while traditional Alpha's would defend violence against their Omega's, seeing as they consider them property, those archaic defenses thankfully no longer hold up in court and Judge Tapp would be right to conclude Darlian wouldn't only pose a danger to a partner, but to his own offspring as well.

He texts Relena, to wish her good luck and to tell her that he doesn't blame her, although he's not sure if he's being entirely truthful – he's not a saint, he has his pride and he doesn't think it's fair that she went behind his back. Her reply is a heartfelt apology for how she handled it and he can't stay mad at her. After a short exchange with her, to help calm her down leading up to the court appearance, he tosses his phone to the other side of the bed and continues to wait for his body to settle down.

He knows why this heat is that much worse – far worse than the last he had suffered. It is Duo's fault.

As long as they have been friends, Duo has always been an absolute gentlemen. There were lines that marked their friendship that he had never previously crossed, but after winning a big case last week, the two of them had gone out for drinks to celebrate and when a guy started hitting on Heero – and being obnoxious about it – Duo had pretended that he and Heero were a couple, to put an end to the man's unwanted advances. The game of pretend had been a little too convincing, especially three drinks in. The casual touches to Heero's shoulder and neck and the small of his back lit a fire under Heero's attraction to the other lawyer; an attraction that he had kept in check very well for the past few years.

The brain chemistry that accompanies attraction amps up the effect of the hormones that surge during the heat. An Omega goes into heat periodically regardless of the availability of a potential mate, but if an Omega is attracted to someone, the reaction during the heat is more extreme as the body is trying it's hardest to get what it wants. In the midst of heat, any Alpha suffices, to satisfy that primal urge to mate and breed.

An Alpha only goes into heat when exposed to an Omega he is already attracted to and once he goes into heat for someone, only this specific Omega will do and whether or not they mate becomes irrelevant as the Alpha is bound to that Omega; he can only experience heat with that one person, no one else can trigger a heat in them after that, which is called "imprinting". This fuels the myths of "soulmates" and, at the same time, fuels most Alpha's sense of entitlement to ownership over the Omega that triggers their heat with the classic: "It's their own fault" and "They asked for it".

His friendship with Duo has been making his heats progressively worse over the years, but the inappropriate closeness they shared during their night out at the bar makes this heat the worst one yet and he knows it won't get any better in the future.

He likes Duo, he loves him, even, but Heero loves himself more and he doesn't trust that he will still be himself if he were to mate. Duo is a great guy, but he is still an Alpha and Heero is an Omega; mating could change them both in a way that Heero is not comfortable with.

Still, the idea of Duo having been in a serious relationship with someone else and wanting to mate with him, makes him inexplicably jealous. He likes the idea of Duo being his – his Alpha, but there is a reciprocity that scares him.

He spends the afternoon fantasizing about his colleague and friend, but it does little to calm his mind and body. At several points in the day, he feels like he is on the borderline of a panic attack, as it becomes difficult to breathe and he starts to hyperventilate and he kicks his feet and twists trembling fingers into the sheets. He knows exactly how to end his suffering: it's as easy as walking out of his apartment and down the hall to knock on his neighbor's door. He knows the man is gay and has possibly imprinted on him when he moved into the building. Mating would ease his pain and give him peace of mind, however short-lived. But he definitely didn't want to be mated to a typical Alpha-Asshole, like the man living next door to him.

But an Alpha like Duo-… He doesn't want to go down this rabbit hole and he squeezes his eyes shut and tries to think of anything else – something dirty – but his mind unhelpfully supplies: You'd be lucky to have him as your Alpha.

There is no logic in being unmated forever. It's unheard of, because you can't live like that: incapacitated by your heat and attracting all kinds of unwanted attention as long as an Alpha hasn't marked you yet. Sooner or later, it happens to every Omega, whether they want to or not. It would happen to Heero too. At the office, late at night at a subway station, or in the hallway of his five story walk-up. It was inevitable.

But Duo is not a consolation prize, he reminds himself. Duo deserves a better Omega than Heero is, someone who can give him what he needs.

Late in the afternoon Heero is pulled from a shallow slumber by the buzzing of his phone. He finds it in a fold of his sheets and he breathes a sigh of relief when he recognizes it is a text from Relena, letting him know that Bullard got Judge Tapp to dismiss the case, leaving her with full custody. He texts her his congratulations and manages a half-smile when she replies that she will take him out for drinks as soon as he's "feeling better".

He discards the phone and rolls to a spot on the mattress that is still cool to the touch. It will soon get warm from his body heat and damp from his sweat. The bedroom's air is ripe with the smell of him as his body advertises his "readiness".

He groans when his phone buzzes again. Doesn't Relena know better? She goes through the same kinds of heats as him, she knows texting back and forth is too much to ask. He gropes the bed until his finds the phone and frowns at the short message on the screen.

Lock your door, or I'm coming in.

It was sent by Duo.

Heero doesn't understand what is going on, so he dumbly texts back: My door is locked, why? Of course his door is locked and Duo should know that, he is the one always stressing the importance of it, given that Heero's neighbor is on the prowl.

There is no response and he is left to wonder if it was a mistake – maybe Duo meant to send the message to someone else – or if it was one of Duo's jokes, that he just wasn't getting because his brain was about as useful as a paperweight at the moment.

Half an hour later he is startled by a loud knock on his front door. He assumes it is his neighbor again, until he remembers the odd text Duo sent him. He props himself up on his elbows and waits and listens. There is another knock and then Duo's unmistakable voice, even though he sounds… different. The deep, gravelly tone cuts straight through him and his head falls back and his mouth open, in a soundless moan.

He doesn't hear Duo anymore and he doesn't know if he's still at his door. Curiosity draws him out of his bed, on unsteady legs. Since yesterday, he has only left his bed to pee and the bathroom is a lot closer than the front door, so he keeps a hand close to the wall, ready to use it for support should his knees buckle. As he crosses the living room, he can smell Duo, even through the bolted door. It's his usual scent, but stronger and smokier.

Oh no.

Duo smells him too – smells him getting closer – and he lets out a groan, that sounds pained but so, so good. Heero reaches the door and leans against it heavily. It feels nice, the wood is cold and gives him some relief, while, at the same time, knowing that Duo was on the other side makes the fire in his belly burn white hot. He presses his nose against the door and breathes in deeply. The Alpha's scent is seeping through every crack and makes the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.

"Heero… Fuck…"

A twang of guilt makes itself known through the overall feeling of ecstasy that dominates his every nerve ending. Duo has gone into heat for him. No other Omega can ever fully satisfy him, now that he has imprinted. "I'm sorry," he breathes and he means it.

"Nnn… It's not your fault."

Logically, it wasn't. Duo made the decision to get as close to him as he did the day before, but logic didn't ease Heero's guilt. "I thought your suppressants never fail."

"First time for everything, I guess," he jokes humorlessly and he bangs his head against the other side of the door. "I don't know what I'm doing here. I shouldn't be here." He adds in a whisper, that Heero can barely hear: "But I couldn't stop myself. That's why I texted you. I can't… stop myself."

The awareness that this is the Alpha's first heat hits Heero. He is so used to going through it, it's easy to forget that most unmated Alpha's haven't had to deal with it yet. The sensations are all new for Duo and he doesn't know how to handle it. He feels sympathetic and apologizes again. He flinches when the doorknob suddenly rattles, but after his initial shock, his hand gravitates towards the bolt on the door and he idly toys with the knob on the slide. He knows what will happen if he unlocks it. Duo can't stop himself and Heero can't control himself either. He flinches again when he feels a frustrated kick against the door.

"I didn't mean to do that," Duo says, sounding lost. "I'm sorry. I don't know what I'm doing. Don't unlock the door."

"What if I want to?" Heero whines.

"… Do you?"

"I-…" Does he? Does he really want to, or does he only want to alleviate the pain? Being with Duo for the next few days, confined to the bed, is appealing beyond compare. Being with Duo for the rest of his life is… calming. The idea levels him. But just because the past five years of friendship have been wonderful, doesn't mean that a future together will be. "I'm scared of what I want," he admits.

"What do you want?"

"I want you," he shares. It surprises him and it's safe to assume it surprises Duo as well. "I want to be yours, but I also still want to be myself – be my own."

"I wouldn't ever try to control your life, Heero," Duo promises solemnly in a moment of clarity. "I only dream of being in charge of you in the bed." He chuckles at himself.

"You deserve a better Omega."

His reply is swift: "There is no better Omega. I've shared a bed with a great Omega for three years and never went in heat for him. I spend one afternoon in the restroom with you and-… fuck," he laughs again and bangs his fist against the door to demonstrate the state Heero has put him in.

"That's just hormones," Heero argues.

"It's not. I've been in love with you since Bright-Life v. Coleman."

He searches his memory, going back as far as two-and-a-half years to find the case and states: "I yelled at you during that case, in the middle of the hallway at the courthouse, when you wouldn't let me sit in as second-chair because of my heat." Did Duo forget about the scene he caused? He had bullied Duo into letting him come into the court room with him and the judge had given the Named Partner plenty of grief about it.

"I know. I remember. That's when I realized how fearless and strong you are and that you are never going to take any shit from anybody, not even from an Alpha." After a pause he continues: "I want an Omega who isn't afraid of me, not even when I'm afraid of myself. Someone who keeps me in check, so I don't become anything I don't want to be. We're both scared of this thing changing us, but I think we are the only people who can keep the other from changing. We're not going to look back ten years from now and realize that we've become different people; we keep each other true."

He is saying all the right things, but is he saying the right things just to get through the door? Duo is a lawyer, being an excellent liar is an occupational skill that he has honed over the past decade. He shouldn't open the door. He shouldn't risk it. They both need more time to consider what they are getting into. Heero has always believed that it is unwise to make any important decisions while in heat, nobody can think clearly in that state.

But in spite of his justified reservations, he slides the door bolt open and unlocks the door. He takes a step back, holding his breath and wonders what Duo is thinking. Obviously, he heard him unlocking the door, but it remains closed.

"Are you sure?" Duo sounds more timid than he ever has.

"No. But I want it anyway." It is the first step in letting go of the ultimate control that he has always exercised.

The knob turns and the door hinges open slowly. Duo is revealed, standing with his feet apart and his shoulders tense. His hands are curled into white-knuckled fists at his sides.

They both stare at each other for a moment, taking in the significance of what is going to happen – it is inevitable now. It doesn't even dawn on Heero how ridiculous he looks, standing there naked, with a red-colored erection and his hair disheveled and damp. He doesn't even think to be embarrassed, not with the way Duo is looking at him like he is the perfect vision. Heero holds his gaze through lowered lashes and his lips part as he starts to pant. Duo licks his lips in reaction.

Simultaneously they surge forward and crash into each other. The fabric of Duo's clothes feels rough against his raw skin, but Heero willingly plasters his body to his and locks his arms around the taller man's neck. Duo's big hands are on his back, holding him in place, with his fingers digging into the muscles. The meeting of their mouths communicates their equal desperation; there is nothing slow or tender about the kiss. Instead, it's needy and rushed, like they are trying to make up for five years' worth of lost time. Heero remembers all the times he has wanted to kiss the other lawyer but never did, too afraid of unleashing exactly what is running wild and free between them now: passion.

After letting their tongues play between their open mouths, they take turns exploring each other, but Duo becomes more and more dominant, until all Heero can do is let himself be overwhelmed and claimed. He doesn't mind it. Actually, it's a relief that he doesn't have to worry anymore about how to deal with his body the next few days. It was all up to Duo now and instinctually the man knows exactly how to make him feel good. Finding out if they are sexually compatible outside of their heats is a concern for another time. At the moment, they are very compatible.

Duo's hands travel down to grasp his ass and the fingers of one hand search between the ass cheeks for his opening. They moan as the tip of Duo's middle finger circles his rim. "Your body is amazing," Duo compliments, his lips brushing against Heero's as he speaks.

"It hasn't been feeling so amazing," he complains in return. He feels Duo's smirk.

"I'll make it feel good."

"Mmmm… Nnn!" The pitch of his moans change as Duo grinds his pelvis against his. The suit he is wearing is made of the finest material, but after suffering an erection for more than thirty hours straight it's painful. Still, he can't bring himself to pull away as part of him enjoys feeling Duo's impressive arousal. They continue to kiss and Heero worms a hand between them and cups it over the bulge in the front of Duo's pants. The man breaks the kiss with a gasp and stares down at Heero's golden hand fondling him through his blue slacks.

"F-fuck…," he hisses and he can't tears his gaze away. "Everything is so intense now."

The innocent tone with which he marvels at the sensations make Heero smile. "Yeah," he agrees. But when Duo looks up at him again, there is no trace of that innocence left in the glint of his darkened eyes. His look is predatory and Heero shivers in response. The further they go, the more instinct-driven they will both be and things could get rough.

Duo captures his mouth in another kiss and the kiss is more purposeful and restrained this time, there is a slow rhythm and a pattern to it that Heero can follow; it's like a dance. Duo's hands are at his ass again, kneading the flesh and slipping his fingers into the crack, getting them slippery with the wetness that is leaking out of the opening. He walks Heero back until the shorter man's back connects with the wall and then he lifts him up and directs his legs around his waist. Heero snakes one arm around Duo's neck to help carry his weight, but he keeps his right hand firmly pressed against Duo's groin and massaging him through the material of his clothes. His own erection is sandwiched between them and the wet tip is staining Duo's shirt with precome.

Pressed between Duo's body and the wall and holding onto the man with one arm and both legs, he is held up securely enough for Duo's hands to wander. Every inch of Heero's skin is tingly – it feels like an itch that needs to be scratched. Wherever Duo touches him, it instantly feels better and, thankfully, Duo's hands are thorough. They start buried in Heero's thick hair and pulling on it as he guides his head left and right to ravage his mouth, then they trail down his neck and glide over his shoulders and arms, leaving goosebumps and raised hairs down the length of the limbs. Soon, the ghosting touch of his fingers reaches his chest and his thumbs rub over both nipples before his hands meander further south. A single stroke of his fist from the red tip down to the base of Heero's cock wrings a cry out of him. Duo doesn't pause in his exploration and familiarizes himself with Heero's quivering thighs and calves.

Heero can tell how big his soon-to-be-lover's erection is and since the man is in heat, his girth will only increase. It is as exciting as it is intimidating, but he doesn't dwell on anything and lets himself be swept away by each new moment and each new sensation.

Heero has been sexually active since a young age and he has even had sex while in heat before, and some of his past lovers have been excellent, but nothing he has ever felt compares to the thrill he is currently experiencing. His senses seemed heightened and so is the pleasure. It's unbelievable that it will only get better, but that damn pamphlet that he got shoved into his palm as a teen said it will and that pamphlet has never been wrong before. Every biology class, curiosity-fueled internet query, third-person anecdote and first-person experience since, have confirmed the information in that pamphlet. If anything, perhaps the pamphlet was a little too modest in its description of the gratification that awaits during mating.

Duo must have been riding the same train of thought, because he reveres: "This is even better than everyone has always said it would be."

Heero agrees with a moan.

The man moves his mouth to suckle on a sensitive spot on Heero's neck and electricity arcs through the younger Associate. He arches his back of the wall, pressing himself tighter against Duo's hard body. He has one arm draped over Duo's shoulder and with that hand he claws at the man's back. He squeezes his eyes shut but sees white hot stars that burn into his retina and leave red blotches on his vision as he opens his eyes again to see Duo grinning at him. He blinks at him until his sight clear. With the slightest furrow of his brow, he asks: "What?"

"Nothing. Just… happy." He shrugs – as much as he can with Heero's weight hanging off him.

"That's just the brain chemicals," Heero retorts, remembering every damn word from that pamphlet and the way it described the euphoria during mating, the result of a potent mixture of chemicals and hormones that are meant to bond the Alpha and the Omega.

Duo shakes his head. "It's not. I love you."

"I want to believe you."

"You will. I'll show you. I'll show you every day." They kiss again.

"Yeah… show me. Show me…" he mewls pathetically against Duo's lips.

"Bedroom?"

Heero can only nod.

Duo secures his grip on him and moves away from the wall and takes the first step in the direction of the bedroom. He stops in his track when Heero says: "Wait, wait, wait. The door." He looks over Duo's shoulder at the wide open front door.

"Right." He walks back and kicks it shut, but doesn't bother to lock and bolt it. While carrying Heero to the bedroom in the back of the small apartment, he explains: "That neighbor won't be bothering you anymore."

Duo is right. Duo's smell will soon be all over him, masking Heero's own scent and marking him as taken. After their first breeding, every Alpha will be able to smell on him that he has been claimed and they will lose interest in him. Heero is looking forward to a life without the hassle of having his personal space violated by every Alpha that comes along in path. Instead, however, he will be dealing with his own, very territorial Alpha, who will still see every other Alpha – and even Beta's – as a threat.

All thoughts are pushed from his mind when he is lowered onto the mattress and Duo crawls on top of him. The scent of him is sharp in the confined space, but is quickly dulled by Duo's smell blending with his own. Duo halts his assault on Heero's neck and shoulders and buries his nose in the sheets for a moment. Heero faces goes red watching him and hearing his groan deep in his throat.

"God, that smell." He nuzzles Heero's hairline next. Heero feels sweaty and disgusting, but Duo disagrees. "You smell so good. So ready."

"I'm ready," he breathes. "I'm ready for you."

Duo awards him with another deep kiss before returning to the task – no, privilege – of decorating Heero's collarbone with bite marks and hickeys, soothing away the pain with a hot tongue. His deft fingers find Heero's nipples again and he pinches and rubs them with a less than gentle touch and Heero reactively spreads his legs to accommodate Duo between them. The contact between his bare and raw erection and Duo's clothed cock is excruciating. He longs to feel Duo's soft, smooth skin against him instead. He begs senselessly, not able to commit a coherent thought to spoken words.

"Pleasepleasepleaseplease…"

Somehow, Duo understands. He sits up on his knees between Heero's parted thighs and literally rips his shirt off and Heero feasts on the sight of his naked torso. Duo is broad and muscular and with the way his skin is gleaming with sweat and his chest is heaving as he pants, he looks like a beast. The big muscles flex and move under the pale skin as he rids himself of the remnants of his silk shirt, pulls of his tie and opens his fly to pull his arousal out of his underwear.

Not yet taking the time to fully get out of his slacks, he settles on top of Heero again and rubs the heads of their erections together. He studies Heero's erection and smirks at the drawn-out moan that Heero can't keep bottled up.

Heero raises his head up to look between their bodies. Duo's cock is a lot bigger than his, but it doesn't hurt his ego. In fact, he marvels at an odd sense of pride as he realizes that, in a way, Duo's cock is his now. It is hard for him and for the rest of Duo's life it is only going to swell in heat because of Heero. No one else will ever have that effect on him.

His breath hitches in his throat as Duo wraps a hand around as much of them as he can fit and strokes them together. For the first time, the pleasure isn't so much and so sharp that he can't actually stand it, it's perfect; it's exactly what he needs.

Their lips lock, and they both moan into the other's mouth. After a while, Duo holds his hand still and they both thrust into his hand. They slide easily thanks to the excessive amount of precome brought on by their heat. Both of them are producing more semen than normal, which is a biological oddity for a male Omega like Heero and simply a waste for a gay Alpha like Duo, since the two of them can't actually breed in the full sense of the word.

Heero is hesitant – uncharacteristically shy – as he reaches up and lets his hands travel over the broad expanse of Duo's shoulders and chest. He enjoys being allowed to touch his bed partner. Many Alpha's don't allow anything without express permission, especially during mating. But Duo is different from all those Alpha's and he shouldn't let himself forget, nor should he let Duo forget, because that is what the man wants from him as his Omega.

His skin is hot to the touch. Heero runs his fingers through fine hairs on his chest that are invisible to the eye. He brushes his palms over pert nipples and the tense muscles of his abdomen. Duo growls and bites Heero's bottom lip, but not hard enough to hurt.

"I'm already swelling," the man grounds out, pulling back a little to stare at Heero's face, alternating his gaze between Heero's blue eyes and plump lips. "I should get inside you, before I get too big."

Heero swallows the lump in his throat and nods.

Duo gets up from the bed just long enough to toe off his shoes and step out of his slacks and underwear, while Heero scoots backwards to the center of the bed. He blushes when he catches Duo looking at him while he's bent over at the edge of the bed, about to climb back on. His gaze takes in the sight of the young Associate, with his legs spread wide for him. Heero imagines he must look like a needy mess and he draws his knees together, closing his legs and shielding the most intimate part of him from view. He doesn't want to stop, but he's not used to being so exposed and being seen in such a vulnerable state.

Duo climbs onto the bed and hovers over Heero's lower body on all fours. Rather than prying his legs open the way Heero expects any other Alpha would, Duo places a kiss on top of his raised knees and glides his hands up and down Heero's thighs until Heero relaxes again and his legs simply fall open. "You're so beautiful," he says, unhurried in spite of his extreme arousal. "I'm so lucky to get to call you mine."

"… Yours," Heero confirms and his voice is thick.

"Gonna take good care of you, baby."

Heero whimpers at the sweet nickname that he expected he would despise. The opposite is true.

"Gonna replace all of your pain with pleasure," he promises. He dips his head down and laps up the trickle of precome that follows a pronounced vein down the underside of Heero's cock.

His erection leaps and twitches in response and a fresh, milky white bead gathers at the tip. "Oh! Nnnn…"

Duo sucks him into his mouth and Heero screams and kicks his legs in shock at the intensity. Duo pulls back with a smirk and rearranges Heero's legs over his shoulders and urges him to try not to kick him. Then, he descends his mouth on him again, but takes a more gradual approach by suckling on just the tip at first, before inching more past his lips.

Heero throws his head back and cries out Duo's name. It takes a moment before his brain registers that Duo has slipped a finger into his hole. He is wet but tight. As soon as he relaxes around the first digit, a second is worked into him and they curls up and press into his prostate. Heero digs his heels into Duo's back, which might be painful but it's all he can do to stop him from flailing his legs. His channel accommodates a third and then a fourth finger.

All of a sudden the hot mouth and the fingers are gone and he whimpers at the loss. He wished Duo would continue the expert massage of his prostate to bring him to his first orgasm, until he sees Duo's erection is already noticeably bigger than before and he knows they can't delay any longer.

He has his legs pushed up and opened wide and Duo inches closer to him. Heero sucks in a breath when the tip of Duo's cock kisses his rim. He is anxious to have him inside him. He aches for him. "Please. Please. Fill me up. M-make me whole," he stammers and the emotion is evident in his voice. There is such a profound truth to his plea that it makes his heart ache. His body needs this and hasn't been complete without it. With every passing minute he is starting to open up more to the idea that his soul has been incomplete without Duo as well.

"Shhh, shhh…"

In spite of his Alpha shushing him, Heero can't possibly keep quiet as Duo pushes into him. The tight ring of muscles opens to accept him and his inner walls expand around him. The man is big, but Heero is relaxed, properly stretched and dripping wet and Duo takes it slow. There is no pain, only the most intense pleasure Heero has ever felt and he's on the verge of his first orgasm even before Duo is all the way inside of him and without any touch to his arousal. With a rush he asks: "Can I come? Please, can I come?" He hasn't ever begged for an orgasm before, but in the moment it feels natural to him that his orgasms are Duo's choice and not his own, although he is unconvinced he will be able to stay his climax if denied permission.

"You can come whenever you need to, baby," Duo mercifully grants.

Just as Duo sinks into him to the hilt, he comes. He shouts out an expletive and moans. His body clenches around Duo's cock and the man makes wonderful sounds that drown out Heero's. Droplets land as high as his cheek, but most of his passion spills out onto his stomach and chest. The aftermath is different from usual. Normally, he drops down from his high quickly after achieving an orgasm, but this time he remains with his head in the clouds. Everything around him is fuzzy with the exception of Duo and the way he is making him feel. And a mere minute later, he's right back on the edge. He doesn't know how often he can come while mating, but he trusts he'll figure it out soon enough.

Duo keeps his hips still while he licks Heero's face clean.

Heero fixes a sloe-eyed gaze on him when the man pulls back and appraises him.

"Are you okay?" He asks quietly.

"Never been better." He's not being facetious.

Duo rewards him with a kiss and Heero can taste his own passion on his tongue. He lets out a gasp when Duo starts to move in and out of him slowly and his thickness caresses his intimate channel perfectly. He keeps his eyes open to observe the focus and restraint evident on Duo's features and he knows his partner is being gentle for his sake. And he is impressed with how well the Alpha manages to reign in his own desire. Heero cups his face in his hands and brings him down for a kiss, teasing the other with his tongue until he gets what he wants and Duo ravishes his mouth. His thrusts become more powerful and the sound of flesh slapping against flesh enhances the symphony of their moans and gasps.

They both lose themselves to the pleasure. Every snap of Duo's hips punches an increasingly urgent cry out of Heero. His cock is leaking and milky white liquid pools on his abdomen. He needs to come again, but it's not happening as easily as it did the first time. He's right on the edge but he can't bring himself to leap. It doesn't even occur to him to touch himself as he is submitting to his Alpha, letting him be in charge of his pleasure.

"Ahh! Ahh!" He has his arms stretched out above his head and he is clawing at the sheets. "I need- Ahh! I need to come!"

"It's okay, baby. You can come," Duo assures him, not knowing what Heero is asking.

"Please-! I need-! I- I can't!" He throws his head back. "Please. Help me."

Duo places a kiss on the corner of Heero's wide open mouth. "Do you want my hand?"

"Yes," he breathes and he hasn't even finished before his erection is enveloped by Duo's big, warm hand and he manages to last a single pump and then his next orgasm hits him and it leaves him stranded even higher than the previous, alerting him that is was also going to take more stimulation to achieve the next.

Duo keeps stroking him, easing him through his orgasm and milking a seemingly endless load out of him, adding to the mess on his stomach. Realizing that he is just going to keep leaking, Duo lets go of him and hooks both hands under Heero's knees and pushes them up to the Junior Associates chest, curling him in on himself. With his ass raised higher off the mattress, Duo can bring even more force to his punishing thrusts.

"I don't usually last this long," he declares with a lopsided grin. Sweat is gathering on his brow and his chest is flushed with effort. They both know that Duo's body needs extra time to get ready, which holds off his climax.

The smile soon fades from his face and his eyes darken. His mouth is open but he makes no sounds other than panting heavily and he dips his head down and scrapes his teeth along the shell of Heero's ear and his exposed throat.

Heero is the loud one. He groans as Duo swells within him: he gets thicker along his entire length, but the head increases most in size and each time Duo pulls back, the crown catches on Heero's rim. Each inward thrust forces a high-pitched cry out of the Omega, as the head pushes by his prostate. Heero is close to a third orgasm from the relentless stimulation of his prostate alone, but Duo is still getting bigger and it's starting to hurt. Him tensing up doesn't help at all, but he can't force himself to relax as a sudden panic pulls him down from his high. A fear grips at him that Duo is going to get too big for him. He comes crashing down, so hard that he is left gasping for breath.

"Oh! Oh, God, Duo…" Duo doesn't stop rutting into him. When Heero looks up at him, he notices that the man isn't looking at him, but through him, completely beside himself. Heero's heart is racing. The pain replaces everything else. Duo isn't listening to him and this is exactly what he had always been afraid of. Every thrust feels like it is ripping him apart. He puts his hands against Duo's abdomen but he lacks the strength to push the bigger man away, or even impede his movements in any way. A panic attack causes him to hyperventilate. "Duo…" He clenches his eyes shut and tears fall down his temples. "Duo! St-Stop! Ah! Stop."

Duo snaps out of it and the light returns to his eyes. He stills his hips, even though Heero can tell it pains him to force himself to stop his body from chasing what it needs. "Baby… Shhhh. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." He sounds even more distraught than Heero. He cradles Heero's face in his hands and wipes away the tears with his thumbs. "It's gonna be okay."

Heero shakes his head. "I can't. I can't. Please… I- I can't." He whines as Duo is still growing inside of him and it's a biting pain even though he isn't moving. He clenches around the thick and throbbing cock, only adding to his own discomfort.

Duo bites his lip but can't keep a gravelly moan from escaping.

"Please take it out. I can't, I'm sorry. I can't do this, it hurts too much," he rambles and his voice doesn't sound like his own. He sucks in a breath and holds it.

"I can't take it out now," Duo says. His voice doesn't sound like his own either, it's strained.

Heero knows. He knows because the damn pamphlet said so too. The head of Duo's cock is too swollen to get past the tight ring of muscles at his opening. Still, he begs in vain.

Duo buries his face in the crook of Heero's neck and whispers apologies against his skin. "Try to relax. Your body will adjust and it will feel good again soon."

He shakes his head, tossing his hair around. "No, no, no. Please stop."

"Breathe, baby."

He releases the breath he has been holding and forces himself to breathe evenly, counting in his head. One, two, three, inhale. One, two, three, exhale. Duo is petting his hair and it makes no sense for that to help, but it does.

Duo unfolds Heero's legs and anchors them around his waist instead and he puts one of the pillows under his partner's hips, to make him more comfortable. Duo is glowing with sweat and he is vibrating with tension that makes every tendon in his neck and vein in his arms stand out.

"It's okay. It's gonna be okay. Trust me."

He does trust him. Heero doesn't believe any other Alpha would be able to show such self-restraint, in the pursuit of the ultimate release. Duo's puts his Omega's needs ahead of his own, in spite of what thousands of years of instinct dictates. He is grateful that Duo is now his Alpha. "I trust you," he says and it makes a warm smile appear on Duo's lips.

He wants to be kissed and Duo reads his mind and leans down, sweetly capturing his mouth. His body slowly relaxes and once he isn't clamping his muscles tightly around Duo, most of his pain is alleviated. Duo moans into his mouth, pleased that he is starting to adjust again. Heero doesn't think he is ready yet for Duo to move, until the man shifts and he is blinded by sparks. His mouth drops open in a long whine and Duo greedily licks into him.

"Better?"

"Yes," he hisses. He digs his fingers into Duo's hair and makes him kiss him again.

When they part, Duo growls at him and nips at his jaw and Heero pushes his head back to expose his throat and is delighted by the sensation of Duo's teeth scratching the delicate skin.

They start slow, but soon it isn't enough for either of them and Heero begs him for more; harder, deeper.

Duo picks up the pace and any pain Heero might have felt is drowned out by the stimulation of his prostate: a constant pressure. He comes again and he can't tell if it's an orgasm that lasts several minutes, or if it simply seamlessly blends into the next and the one after that. He's not spilling more than a few droplets, already being spent dry, but he is content and carefree, the way he has only ever been in the throes of orgasm, but times ten. Only one thought occurs to him: Is this how I die? But he soon realizes: No, this is how I live.

Nothing but Duo matters to him. Duo overwhelms him; his body above him, around him and inside him. He is all he can see, all he can feel and all he can smell. Duo bites into Heero's shoulder as he pounds into him and Heero licks at the man's neck, wanting to taste him. He is salty and spicy.

Duo's movements are graceless. He has lost control over himself. He grunts with each thrust. Heero hears his bedsheets ripping; Duo's clenched fists are tearing the fabric apart. When he finally climaxes, he goes quiet and his mouth goes lax. His hot breath sweeps along Heero's shoulder and dries the saliva on the bite mark Duo has left. The Alpha snaps his hips a few more times and then sinks into his partner to the hilt and holds still, pumping him full with his release. Heero caresses Duo's back, feeling the tension in the trembling muscles. Then, like a switch is being flipped, Duo collapses on top of him with an oomph.

They both need a minute to catch their breath and Heero processes what has just happened in the moment of clarity in the aftermath. They are mated now; bonded forever. It doesn't scare him, it only adds to his peace of mind. He sighs and places a kiss on the shell of Duo's ear, causing the man to stir.

With a grunt Duo raises himself up on his arms and looks down at his mate. He studies his face for a moment and then his lips split into a sloppy smile when he recognizes there is no need for him to worry. "Hey."

"Hey."

They chuckle at themselves.

Duo glances down their bodies. "Does it still hurt?"

Heero shakes his head. His body is boneless and completely adjusted to Duo in every way. He feels stretched and full, but not in any pain. He cocks his head, pressing his nose against his shoulder to smell his own skin. He smells different now that his body has adapted Duo's scent. Heero could never stand the stench of his own heat, even though it drove Alpha's wild with lust, but he likes how he smells now. The sweetness is balanced with the smoked pine that is so uniquely Duo.

"You're mine now," Duo states possessively.

"And you are mine." He flashes a cheeky smile.

"Have been for a long time, babe."

After a tender kiss, Heero's exhaustion catches up with him. He keeps his eyes closed and feels himself slipping away. His head and limbs are heavy and it's like he is sinking into the mattress, being swallowed up by the bed. Duo's voice is distant and he can't parse what his Alpha is saying to him.

Suddenly, Duo is gone and Heero feels empty in every sense of the word. He cracks his eyes open in time to see Duo crawling off the bed and he mewls pathetically and reaches out for him with limp hands, only managing to graze his forearm. His Alpha returns to him instantly, gathering him up in his arms. "Don't leave," Heero pleads against the toned chest.

"I never will." He chuckles at himself. "Just going to get you a towel to clean you up a bit."

Heero grimaces and hides his face from view, remembering his stomach is covered in his own come and Duo's semen is leaking out of him, further soiling the sheets. "You think I'm disgusting," he groans in embarrassment and he is even more embarrassed realizing he is on the verge of crying over it.

"We've been over this, baby." Duo's voice is gentle and reassuring. "I think you look fucking hot." The depth of his tone indicates he is being genuine. "I love seeing how much you've enjoyed yourself and I especially love seeing how full you are with me." To emphasize his point, he reaches a hand between Heero's thighs and easily slips three fingers into the excessively wet opening. "You're a piece of art… I just want to clean you up because I want a clean canvas, since we are going to recreate this artwork soon."

That was true. Even though his fever and pain were gone and his cock was soft for the first time since the day before last, Heero was still in his heat and so was Duo. After a recovery period, their hormones would spike again and they will breed again. They will many times over the next few days; their bodies will demand it. What will happen after that, Heero doesn't know. The pamphlet really didn't dictate anything after the mating. They will have to figure out for themselves what they will do. Duo will surely get territorial and might insist on them moving in together, so he can protect his Omega. In the moment, Heero can't think of any objections.

He whimpers when Duo leaves him alone in the bed but he suffers the loneliness and waits for his Alpha to return to him. He doesn't have to wait long. He is alerted to his return by the mattress dipping as he climbs back onto the bed and Heero lets out a sigh and forces his eyes open when he feels a warm cloth cleaning him off. He holds Duo's gaze the entire time, enjoying how intimate that is. Then, Duo laughs and Heero frowns at him.

"You're going to have me so whipped," Duo explains with a comical tone and he bends down and kisses Heero's lips.

"I'm… sorry?" He doesn't know what else to say. He isn't very eloquent in the moment anyway, having had his wits fucked out of him.

"Don't be. I will happily be at your beck and call for the rest of my life."

"Isn't it supposed to be the other way around?" Heero muses.

Duo finishes cleaning them both up as well as he can and drops the dirty towel to the floor. He covers Heero with the sheets, noticing the goosebumps on his skin. "Not at all," he replies and lands a chaste kiss on Heero's forehead and then settles beside him, with his arms possessively wrapped around his Omega.

Duo might be lying – in fact, Heero is pretty sure he is. But if taking care of him makes Duo happy, Heero can't deny him that; he is his Alpha after all…

THE END

PSA: I have come close to quitting fanfiction. I'd forgotten that I used to enjoy writing these stories, because they were for me. Sharing them and reading the positive response was a great experience, but it also burdened me with a kind of responsibility that is just silly when it comes to fanfiction. I was taking it way too seriously and putting too much pressure on myself. I'd stress myself out over every little error and would feel guilty about not being able to post frequently. I cared way too much about the work I posted here and I've come to the realization that it has been exhausting me. Writing fanfiction is supposed to be fun and it hasn't been fun for me.

Rather than quitting altogether, I have decided to try and adopt a more carefree approach to fanfiction. Mostly what that will mean is that there will be more spelling/grammar errors, since I'm no longer taking the time to have my stories beta'd and I might not even feel like proofreading the chapters myself before posting them. Stories might also seem a little rushed at times, or have a plot-hole that I overlooked, or won't be as well-researched. This isn't a job, so it shouldn't feel like a job. I'm only going to put in as much effort as is still fun for me. I hope you will understand and I hope you will still enjoy the work that I put out there.