Following her tragic accident at the intersection of Main Street and 4th Avenue, Teresa Marie Lucaro passes away under the care of doctors at Falville University Hospital.
Sexual assault case dismissed by victim despite extensive injuries and legal counsel. Judge questions validity of case.
"Noah," Darius said for the thousandth time, trying to calm his friend down to be able to get a comforting word in.
Noah had come to Darius' office, still in his scrubs, and with an empty look in his eyes. He had sat down on the couch like an unfeeling robot and refused all Owen's offers of snacks, tea, and water. When he had finally gotten around to talking, the story started to come out calmly: how he had started dating this omega and they had agreed to make their relationship serious. Then the tears and hyperventilation showed up, and Darius had not been able to figure out much beyond the fact that Noah's girlfriend had gotten in a really bad accident and ended up dying. Now Noah was just rambling and sobbing, and Darius had no idea what to do to calm his friend down.
And that was when Owen sat down beside Noah, a cup of water in his hand. He put his hand on Noah's back and forced the glass into his hand. "Drink," he said firmly, using an authoritative voice Darius had never heard out of him before.
Noah gulped and looked ready to say something else but then suddenly obeyed Owen's order. After drinking the entire glass of water, he stared down into the empty cup. "I couldn't save her," he whispered. "She was in my ward, and I couldn't save her. What's the use of becoming a doctor if I can't save the people I care about?"
Owen quietly got up, refilled the glass, and came back with it and a bag of chips, both of which he handed to Noah.
In between sips and bites, Noah kept talking, but as minutes passed he seemed to calm down. He shook his head when Darius tentatively asked if he was going to quit his residency. "It'd be a waste," he replied quietly, his voice still rough with tears. "Besides, the medical school bills won't pay themselves." He glanced at Owen, who offered him a small smile. He silently held out his hand to Owen. "Thanks, Owen."
Owen carefully shook Noah's hand, as if uncomfortable in this situation. "You're welcome," he responded softly.
Noah finally smiled. "I can see why Darius likes you." He knew all about their relationship, since one time he had burst into the office unannounced and interrupted them mid-kiss.
Darius groaned, but if teasing him was what would make Noah smile again, he could take it.
After Noah left to crash at home, Darius picked up his phone and scrolled for a few minutes, just to relieve some of the residual stress. A headline caught his eye: Holt Enterprises' board calls for CEO Darius Holt's removal! He stared at the screen, forcing himself to reread the words. "What?" he burst out in such a loud voice that Owen jumped in surprise. "Sorry, baby," he apologized quickly. "I just…"
Owen stepped around the desk to Darius' side and bent over to read off of the phone. "Holt Enterprises' board…" His voice trailed off and an expression of disbelief bloomed on his face. "What? They can't do that, can they?"
Darius tossed his phone down onto the desk and ran his hand down his face. "I suspected they would try to get back at me for what I said during that first board meeting, and frankly, I was wondering why they hadn't gotten around to it yet." He sighed heavily. "I guess this is what they decided on. The old bastards expect to be able to drag you through shit and then get offended when I stand up for you."
Owen grabbed Darius' hand in both of his and squeezed it tightly. "They're used to having their way. You father's a beta, so he likely wasn't invested in alpha-omega dynamics. Maybe you should just apologize."
Darius looked up at Owen. "Apologize to the men who said those things to you, who laughed at you, who mocked you? You want me to apologize to them?"
Owen's hands clenched a little tighter. "I don't want you to lose your father's company because of me." His eyes were so big and scared, and he looked seconds away from a panic attack.
So Darius conceded through gritted teeth, "I'll do it."
Owen's grip relaxed, and his shoulders slumped slightly. Then his face furrowed and his hand came to rest on his swollen stomach.
"Owen? Is everything okay?" Darius stood up and grabbed Owen's elbows. "What's going on?"
Owen exhaled through his mouth and inhaled sharply. "Just the baby being a jerk," he muttered. He looked down at his stomach. "Stop kicking me, you little psycho."
Darius smiled, his panic receding. "Be nice to your baby, Owen. You know that babies can hear while in the womb, right?"
Owen blinked in shock. "No, I didn't know that." He quickly patted his stomach. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I didn't mean it."
Darius wrapped his arms around Owen. "You're adorable."
Owen tipped his face up and made the most adorable face. "Really?"
Darius pinched Owen's cheek. "Yes, baby, really. You're so adorable that you could ask me to jump off the top of the building and I'd probably do it."
Owen squeezed Darius' waist hard. "I don't want you to jump off the top of the building. I want you to stay here."
Darius chuckled and planted a kiss in Owen's hair. "That's good, because I want to stay here too." He wished he had stayed with Owen longer when he had to walk into the boardroom and speak an apology that he did not mean.
Most of the board members looked satisfied, but Charles Johnson and the alpha who had insulted Owen during that first meeting, Archibald Henderson, still looked like they had more fights to pick with Darius. "You think an apology fixes everything?" Archibald sneered. "We all know why you got so irritable about that omega. Do you think we haven't noticed how very pregnant your assistant is?"
Darius swallowed hard. Here it was, the moment when he had to sacrifice his reputation for Owen's. "Yes, Owen's pregnant. And yes, it's mine."
Half the board members' jaws dropped. The other half looked incredibly smug, like they had all placed bets on it.
Archibald's sneer deepened maliciously. "Then you won't object to proving that, right?"
Darius felt all of his insides shrink away. "A paternity test, you mean?" He was not afraid of the results; he could change those easily. It was the thought that he would find out who had raped Owen and have to face the fact that the baby in Owen's belly was the child of that bastard. Without proof of the father's identity, it was much easier to pretend the baby was his, that Owen had never belonged to anyone else. Darius smiled easily even though his heart ached, his lips curving easily enough to fool the board members. "That's no issue. Do you want me to get tested for HIV while I'm at it?"
Mutters broke out among the board members. They evidently had not anticipated this level of calmness from him.
Charles Johnson raised an eyebrow at Darius. "You're so sure that the child's yours. Do you keep that omega chained up or something to make sure he's not sneaking out to clubs?"
Darius wanted to rage against the idea that he would ever treat Owen like that, but he forced himself to keep smiling. "Owen isn't like that. He's a loyal partner."
"Of course he is," Archibald said in that too-sweet voice that he had used with Owen during that first meeting. "To get pregnant so quickly, he must have fallen captive to your scent the moment he met you."
Darius gritted his teeth and continued smiling. "Yes, I'm sure that was the case," he replied, hoping he did not sound entirely insincere. "If there's nothing else, gentlemen, I'll see myself out. Have an excellent evening." He headed out of the room and strode through the halls back to his office with a confidence he did not feel.
— — —
Owen had alternatively struggled to get out of Darius' grip and buried his face in Darius' arm as Darius took him to the hospital. He had frozen at the sight of the long needle and now lay staring at the ceiling with blank eyes. It was like he was a robot or under hypnosis, and it was scaring Darius.
Darius reached out and gently took Owen's hand. "It's okay," he whispered. "You know why we have to do this."
Owen did not respond, verbally or physically. He just lay there, a doll without any life except for the slow breaths lifting his chest. Even his hand was limp. Usually he squeezed Darius' hand back. And when the simple procedure was done, he said nothing and did not get up until Darius lifted him off the table.
"You can have the results delivered directly to my office," Darius told the doctor, his arms wrapped around Owen's marionette-like body.
When Darius moved to leave, Owen did not walk. He just let Darius drag him for a few steps.
Darius, suddenly very concerned, bent to look into Owen's face.
It was blank, devoid of any expression or emotion.
"Owen?" he asked softly. "Owen, can you look at me, please?"
Owen's eyes lifted to meet Darius', but they did not focus. They were cold and empty, like the eyes of a corpse.
Darius grabbed Owen's jaw and shook him. "Owen!"
The doctor put his hand on Darius' shoulder. "He'll be fine. Here." He shot some sort of drug into Owen's arm so fast Darius did not even have the chance to say no. "This'll relax him. He'll be fine by tonight."
Darius was very near his I will hit the next idiot who touches my boyfriend mode, but he forced restraint on himself, picked up Owen, and took him back to the apartment.
When Darius laid him down on the bed, Owen simply adopted the position from the hospital: flat on his back, staring up at the ceiling with those horribly vacant eyes. He did not respond to words or food or anything Darius did.
At midnight, Darius sat down on the floor at the foot of the bed and dropped his face into his hands. "What the fuck did I do?" he whispered hoarsely. "I'm so sorry, Owen." He fell asleep there and woke up cold and aching the next morning, but with a warm weight pressed against his side. He looked down.
Owen was there, his head resting on Darius' chest. He was asleep, and it seemed like he was having pleasant dreams for once.
"Owen," Darius called softly.
Owen's eyes opened in the slow, sleepy way that left Darius feeling like he had downed an entire bottle of champagne and the bubbles were exploding in his chest.
Darius cupped his face very, very gently. "What are you doing sleeping on the floor?"
"Because you're sleeping on the floor," Owen replied, like it was obvious.
Darius smiled. "Get back in bed, baby. You'll be sore."
Owen groaned as he stood up. "A little too late for that."
Darius rose to his knees and helped Owen lay down on the mattress. "Sleep a little, baby," he murmured, smoothing Owen's silky black hair back. "You need it."
"No, I don't," Owen protested, but his eyes were already fluttering shut.
Darius leaned close and pressed a kiss to Owen's cheek. "Of course not," he said soothingly. "Don't worry. I'll be right here when you wake up. When you're rested…" He leaned in to finish in Owen's ear, "we'll have some fun, huh?"
Owen's mouth curved into a smile as his eyes drifted shut. "I'm sorry," he whispered faintly. "About the hospital. I just can't–"
"Sh," Darius interrupted. "I know. I know. Just sleep." He stayed there, stroking Owen's hair for hours. When Owen began to stir as his body shifted into a lighter sleep, Darius got up and made toast and tea, bringing both back and putting them on the nightstand.
Owen's eyes opened in suspicious slits. "Did you bring me food?"
Darius slid a hand behind his back and helped him sit up. "Yes. You need your strength."
Owen blushed a furious shade of crimson.
Darius flicked his forehead gently. "Why is your mind in the gutter?"
Owen bit his lip as he offered Darius a nervous smile. "Because yours is and you never do anything remotely exciting or naughty."
Darius raised his eyebrows. "Is that a challenge?"
Owen took a bite of toast, but Darius could still see his smirk. "Only if you're willing to accept it."
From that sentence on, it was all Darius could do to let Owen finish eating.
And Owen made a show out of eating and drinking as slowly as possible, as if testing how far Darius' patience would stretch before it broke.
As soon as Owen set the empty cup aside, Darius pounced on him, pinning his wrists to the bed above his head. "Are you still up for the challenge?"
"Are you?" Owen tossed back, his eyes gleaming.
Whatever brought that spark of life into Owen's face, Darius would do it immediately. Darius lowered his hand beneath the sheet and slowly slid it into Owen's pants. He pulled his hand away when Owen rocked forward. "Nuh-uh. You lay back and relax, baby."
Owen obeyed, but his body trembled with the torture of it.
Darius stroked down Owen's length with his thumb, taking his time to go from root to tip and cataloguing every one of Owen's shivers, whimpers, and breathless pleas. He rubbed the tip in circles with his thumb, making sure to press in every once in a while to make Owen gasp. "You make such beautiful sounds, baby." His voice was so low now he barely even recognized it as his own. He bent in and kissed Owen's parted lips as he wrapped his fingers around Owen's cock and began a rhythm of squeezing and stroking that made Owen squirm and whimper for relief. "Stay still, baby," he admonished. "If you move, you won't feel as good."
Owen tried to stay still, but his hips arched at Darius' every pull.
Darius shifted his hand and dragged his fingers down the back of Owen's cock, his thumb repeatedly brushing the tip.
Owen practically screamed. "Are…you…trying…to…torture…me?" he gasped out between Darius' strokes.
"Oh, absolutely, baby," Darius replied with a wicked grin. "How is it fun otherwise?" He stopped and pulled his hand out. "Keep your hips down, baby, and hands where I can see them." He took Owen's wrists and used his own tanktop to tie them to the bedpost. "Just so you don't get any ideas."
Owen tried to close his knees.
Darius swung on top of him and held Owen's thighs apart with his knees. "What did I just say, hm?" He pushed up Owen's shirt and let his damp fingers trace lines down Owen's sides. "It's no fun if you pleasure yourself, baby, not unless I'm just sitting and watching."
Owen's thighs tightened.
Darius felt a slow smile creeping up his face. "Oh, you like that idea, huh? I'll keep that in mind. For now…" He dipped his fingers into the slickness between Owen's legs and touched it to his tongue.
Owen went beet red. Ah, right. He had never been touched by his boyfriend.
Darius bent down and whispered, "You taste good, baby. A little sweet, too."
Owen's lips parted as his eyes went wide in astonishment. "That's… that's filthy."
Darius smirked. "We're in the gutter, baby, not church." He reached under Owen's hips and tilted him up before pushing into the warm, delicious tightness. He stopped moving whenever Owen squirmed and started again only when Owen was still, which Owen picked up on quickly and tried to stay as still as possible.
Owen was sweating, and his eyes were rimmed in red from forcing his body to stay still.
Darius patted his head. "Okay, you can move with me now, baby."
And Owen did, clumsily at first but then falling into Darius' rhythm.
Darius sped it up until Owen's body spasmed and he released.
Owen's body tensed, tightening beyond Darius' wildest expectations, and then went limp, spent by the intense orgasm.
Darius ran his hand over Owen's stomach. "Did that meet all of the challenge's requirements? Or do I need to be naughtier?"
A breathless whimper passed through Owen's lips.
Darius leaned in and kissed Owen until he was light in the head. "Or should I be soft and lovable the rest of the day?" he whispered into Owen's mouth. He undid the knot in his tanktop, and Owen's arms immediately wrapped around him. He smiled and let Owen hug him. "Soft and lovable it is," he murmured.