The Reluctant Omega

Taking It Slow

Grey introduced Jaxon to Blake and Drew and they all got along great. They ordered another round of beers and played some pool (Jaxon quickly found out Grey was horrible at it) and just talked. It was getting late and Blake and Drew were ready to head back home.
"Are you walking home?" Jaxon asked, looking to Grey. He nodded, checking his pockets to make sure he had all his belongings.
"I'll walk with you then," Jaxon said, "I'm going to let Hanna know, one sec." Grey watched as he made his way over to her. Hanna was behind the bartop, serving a few remaining customers. It wasn't time for them to close just yet, but there weren't any more coming in. Jaxon spoke to Hanna for a bit and Grey saw her smile, nodding her head. He made his way back over.
"Ready?" He asked. They headed outside and said goodbye to Blake and Drew, who headed off in the opposite direction, to flag down a taxi. Jaxon and Grey started towards his apartment building. It was a nice night and there was a slight chill to the air indicating that autumn was on its way. They were both quiet as they walked, but it wasn't awkward. Grey didn't mind Jaxon being there...his Omega definitely didn't mind. It was strange having that part of himself active right now. It kind of felt like static inside his brain, like a gentle buzzing he couldn't ignore. Jaxon suddenly halted to a stop, tilting his head back slightly.
"Do you smell that?" He asked, confused, looking to Grey. Grey glanced around, sniffing, but only detected the usual smells of the city around them. Car exhaust, damp leaves, the slight autumn chill on the breeze.
"No," he replied, "what is it?" Jaxon shook his head before they started walking again.
"It was like a sweet smell, but it's gone now." He said. When they arrived at Grey's apartment building, they both paused outside the entrance.
"Thanks for walking me back." Grey murmured.
"Sure, anytime." Jaxon said, smiling. He could sense that Grey was hesitating. If they had been on a date, Jaxon would take that as an opening to go in for a kiss, but they weren't on a date and this was Grey. Jaxon wasn't sure if he had a bad relationship in the past that put him off of dating or what.
"I'm sorry again for going MIA." Jaxon said softly. Grey shook his head.
"You don't have to apologize," he said, "I didn't exactly make it easy...I mean, I said we could be friends and then I never replied to you...so I don't blame you." Jaxon nervously rubbed the back of his neck.
"Look, Grey, I know you already turned me down," he said, "but I was serious and I would really like to get to know you better." Grey shifted uneasily, sighing.
"Yeah, I know," he murmured, "I'm just...unsure," he hesitated for a second, "I suppose if we took it slow, I would feel more comfortable." Jaxon felt his Alpha surge forward, practically jumping for joy. Grey was interested...still reluctant, but interested.
"I don't mind...whatever makes you comfortable." He said, trying to reign in his excitement. Grey nodded, glancing away.
"Umm...fair warning," he said quietly, "I'm pretty stubborn." Jaxon wasn't surprised.
"Nothing wrong with a little tenacity." He said, smiling. He saw the corner of Grey's lip quirk up for a second.
"I'm not spontaneous either." He said, finally meeting Jaxon's gaze.
"Good," he said, "I like making plans." Grey finally smiled a little.
"I'm shit at compromising." He said softly.
"That's fine," Jaxon murmured, "I'm very easy-going." Grey nodded and turned to leave.
"Night, Jaxon." He said before heading inside. Jaxon waited until Grey disappeared from his view before starting back towards his bar. He couldn't help but hum a little tune on the way.

Take things slow, take things slow, Grey thought as he was sitting at his desk Monday morning, what exactly did that mean? He was texting Jaxon back, pretty often now. They even FaceTimed a few times. Their schedules didn't exactly match up. It seemed like Jaxon was getting ready to open the bar when Grey was getting off of work and he didn't get home until three or four in the morning. But they still managed to find time to chat. Grey was learning more about Jaxon, too. He was surprisingly open and eager to answer any questions Grey had. Grey asked about his family: his parents met in college and he had a little brother who was in his last year of high school. His favorite color was gray (Grey rolled his eyes at that, but he secretly thought it was cute). He was a dog person and he had a rescue dog named Ares. He sent Grey a few pictures of him. He looked like a mixed husky breed and kind of derpy, but sweet. Jaxon said he liked going on walks and getting belly rubs. His favorite type of food was Italian. He said his Omega dad's side of his family was from Italy. He used to play football in high school, but he wasn't really interested in it anymore. It was more to please his Alpha dad since he played in high school, too. He and Jaxon were the same age, Grey was actually four months older than him. He graduated from a small community college last year with a Business degree and that's when he bought the bar. He said that the first year was the worst, but it was getting better now. Grey found himself looking forward to learning more about him despite his initial trepidation. Jaxon really was a nice guy.