Bond Brothers

Robbie makes shit decisions sometimes

A/N: TRIGGER WARNINGS IN THE END NOTES! TRIGGER WARNINGS IN THE END NOTES! TRIGGER WARNINGS IN THE END NOTES!

Soooo... trigger warnings in the end notes, just FYI.

My (soon to be) usual shout-out to BeanSpouse for beta reading for me. It was very last-mintue this week, but Beans didn't complain once. *four alphas and a sassy omega cheer loudly for good ol' Beans*

"All I'm saying," Robbie said over the top of Polly's logical (and very long) list of reasons why Robbie's statement was idiotic, "is that it would be cool if someone developed a heat suppressant, okay. Biologically bonded omegas could have way more control over their own lives if they weren't hit with a clucky-cocktail every month."

Carter was side-eyeing him over his coffee in a way that suggested he was an idiot for bringing up heats and biological mates in front of Polly while he was sitting on such a hugely related secret.

"How would that even work?" Polly demanded critically. "Rut suppressants have to be taken throughout a heat so the heat-scent doesn't trigger the alpha's rut. Are you actually suggesting that omegas walk around popping pills nearly every hour during their entire monthly cycles so their mate's scent doesn't trigger a heat?"

"I'm sure there's a sciency way to suppress a heat without all that rubbish," Robbie argued back with great authority.

Polly huffed like she was utterly done with his stupidity. "Well good luck finding a big pharma company to fund that giant venture," she scoffed. "For at least thousands of years, omegas could only breed if they happened to find a biological mate, but sure, why wouldn't they fund a pharmaceutical that cancels heats altogether?"

Robbie leaned back and grinned at her enthusiastic rant. "You're in a good mood today," he observed.

And she was too. Pointing out other people's stupidity was like crack to Polly, and today her criticism came with a heavy dose of hand gestures and sarcasm, rather than her usual condescendingly raised eyebrow and pursed glare.

Seeming to register her own eagerness in the same moment, Polly abruptly straightened in the diner booth where they sat and clasped her hands daintily around her green juice. "Yes, well," she cleared her throat, "why wouldn't I be?"

The sneaky smiles Polly and Carter exchanged were so love-sick that Robbie had no choice but to roll his eyes.

Though Polly's father hadn't come right out and said that he approved of his only daughter's choice in boyfriend, Carter had eagerly texted Robbie every detail he could overhear from Harold's rather pleasant phone call to Polly that morning. Apparently, Carter had "definite potential".

Robbie seriously suspected that Harold's words came straight from his wife's own mouth, but that wouldn't matter in the scheme of things so long as Melody remained firmly on Team Carter. And what doting (not to mention manipulative, and potentially deranged) mother wouldn't be? Carter was the best.

Of course, it also hadn't hurt that Ren Ryder had brought a 'date' with him to dinner. A date who very much was not his mate. Harold (and Polly) had taken this to mean that the bond brothers were increasingly resigned to a life where they never found their mate, and were doing their best to find happiness elsewhere. Not only did this explain the brother's wholehearted defense of Carter and Polly's relationship at dinner, but it served to make Harold – dedicated mate and alpha family man who seemingly had it all – extremely sympathetic to the plight of those unlucky bastards who hadn't managed to duplicate his mated bliss.