Through Hell [AOB/LGBT+/mpreg]

11

Oliver stares at the ceiling of his apartment, noticing little cracks from water damage running through the stained paint and making it curl and peel at the edges.  He's laying on his bed, in the middle of his nest, drawing a blank.  It's been almost a month since he last saw the alpha, almost five weeks since he spent his pseudo-heat with the man.  He feels like time is counting down for him, but this time it's for an entirely different reason.  Oliver hasn't found a job that can pay him enough to afford two months rent.  He's still short six-hundred-fifty-seven dollars, not counting the bills that have piled up.  Electricity was already shut off and he's been living in the dark for the past few days, but if he's lucky, he has a day before his phone is disconnected.

He looks at it, his phone that is, for a brief moment.  He contemplates his options and the first one he arrives to is a mistake.  But he does it anyway.  He grabs his phone and dials the familiar numbers he's tried to forget, but has memorized since middle school when he got his first flip-phone. The line rings and rings before the call drops. He tries again as his stomach churns with nerves.  He knows it's late and he doesn't have much expectations but this is one of his last resorts.

> Allo?

Oliver feels a familiar burn in his nose and sting in his eyes at the soft sleepy voice, "Hola mami (hi mom)"

There's silence before the woman on the other side growls.

> No juegues conmigo. Quien seas ahora, deja de llamarme porque no soy tu mamá (Don't mess with me. Whoever you are now, stop calling because I am not your mom).

The line goes dead before he can protest and plead with her. The tears he had been holding back spill down his cheeks and he wants to chuck his phone against the wall in frustration.  But there's one more person he can call.  The one person he thought he'd freed himself from.

It's nearing 2 A. M. when Oliver grows the courage to actually dial the unsaved number. The first ring doesn't even finish before there's a gruff answer on the line.  And wow, what a contrast compared to the woman who birthed him.

> What is it?

Oliver swallows thickly, but he can't get the words out, the silence stretches for a little too long if the alpha's threat to hang up is anything to go by.

"Can we meet?" Oliver finally spits out.

For a moment Oliver thinks the alpha already hung up on him, but there's rustling on the other side that states otherwise.

> Parking lot in 1 hour.

And finally the line goes dead.

Oliver sits in the dark for a long time, wondering if he really just did that.  If the alpha really just agreed to meet up with him.  He briefly wonders what the alpha is expecting from him.  What is he expecting from the alpha?

He crawls out of bed and throws on this well-worn hoodie with faded letters reminiscent of his high school's name.  He doesn't bother with anything else, simply slips on some shoes and grabs his keys.

The buses stopped running hours ago, so Oliver finds himself running to the parking lot just to get there on time.  He ignores the sharp pain in his side as he tries to breathe in the chilly air, the burning of his lungs reminding him that they're in the cusp of autumn and winter.  Eventually he has to slow down to simply catch his breath, the pain only growing now that the small spurt of adrenaline has faded away.

In the distance, as he rounds the corner, he finds the familiar shape of the alpha clad in black slacks and a black button-up.  He looks... he looks handsome.  In the pale lighting of the moon, he's breathtaking and ethereal.

The alpha turns at the sound of heavy breathing and echoing footsteps.  He looks Oliver up and down clearly unimpressed.  Oliver feels his cheeks flush, overwhelmed and underdressed for such a spontaneous meet up.

"What do you want, Oliver?"

Oliver is still slightly panting and he watches the alpha physically fight with himself not to approach.

"Just," a sharp inhale, "sorry."

The alpha waves the apology off, but the tap of his foot expresses his annoyance.

"I'm sorry," Oliver stresses.

It's clear he won't let it go until the alpha takes his apology for what it's worth.

"Why did you call me, omega?"

Oliver shivers and he takes a step closer, pausing only to remind himself to have some self-preservation.

"I need money," he admits, still breathless.

The alpha looks at him before he huffs a laugh, "what? So, what the hell do you want me to do about that?"

"Oro," Oliver frowns, not finding his situation funny, "I'm asking... I... I need a job."

Oro finally sobers at that, "look here, stupid omega, I am not a manager at a fucking McDonald's you can just apply for and expect-"

"I know," the omega interrupts, regretting it almost immediately.

No one interrupts alpha.

The man walks right into Oliver's space, grabs the omega's cheeks with a calloused hand and forces the younger man to look up at him, "What makes you think I'll take your charity case?"

"Isch's not... I'm not a charity cay-sch," Oliver slurs with how his cheeks are squished, "I'm shaying I will work for you."

"Work for me?" The alpha looks at him incredulously.

"Yesh," he nods, "I-I'll do the odd job, pick up your packages or whatever, I'll do anything, I juss... I really need thi-sh."

He hates how his voice cracks and how he begins to sniffle all pathetic-like, "I'm going to lose my home if I don't do something."

With the admission out in the open, the alpha sighs before letting the omega's face go.

Oliver rubs at his cheeks already damp with tears.

He watches as the alpha pulls something from his back pocket, heart leaping when he thinks its a gun only to discover an envelope.

"This is for you," the alpha says.

Oliver takes it with a confused tilt of his head.  He opens it once his curiosity wins over and finds a heft wad of money inside.  His eyes quickly shoot up to look at the man in surprise.

"It's a cut from the last job you did," the alpha explains, "it was more than enough to cover your debt and then some.  And yes, it's clean."

Oliver's shiny lips part on a breathy thank you, but the alpha stops him as his eyes flicker red and narrow.

"Think of this as an advancement.  You want a job?  I'll give you a job," the alpha relents, "and you will do as I say, do you understand omega?"

The underlying alpha command draws a whimper from Oliver, "yes."