The Technicality of Teeth

Bad News, Worse News

Steve wasn't a stranger to Dr. Owens' office. He had been seeing the man every six months since he moved to Chicago, checking up on his hormone levels and making sure his biology was acting normally as well as to renew his blocker and ADHD prescription. It had taken a little bit of work on Eddie's part to convince the office staff to make room for Steve, but there was nowhere else Steve wanted to go. No one else he wanted poking at the mark on his wrist. No one else he wanted knowing.

"I guess... do you want to meet after the appointment or... call me with what the plan is or..." Billy had ventured, breaking the awful, tense silence of breakfast.

"Oh ho ho," Eddie chuckled with absolutely no mirth in his voice. "Oh no, Blondie. You're coming with us. No way you're leaving Steve to deal with this while you fuck off to go god knows where."

Steve watched Billy's face fall but he couldn't find it in himself to care. Nor could he find it in himself to care that Billy looked so shift and uncomfortable in the waiting room. Or that he looked a little crestfallen when Eddie pointed him to a chair a few spaces down while Eddie positioned himself, once again between him and Steve.

Steve couldn't care. He just didn't have the faculties within him to care. Not when everything in him was whining for Alpha and mate and bonded while Eddie held his hand. And not when everything in him wanted to flinch away from the Beta's touch and scent and body and run to Alpha for safety. Like there was anything about the other man who was safe. Steve didn't have anything felt in him to care about anything but the roiling in his stomach and the conflict within his heart and biology. One calling for his chosen man, and the other crying out for a stranger.

The keening only got worse when they were all called back. After the vitals were taken, a nurse swabbed Steve's bite mark, checking the potency of the venom, and Steve wanted to hiss at her. Wanted to pull the mark back and protect it. Keep something from happening to it. And then she began measuring depth and it stung and Steve cringed into Eddie but really he just wanted to fold himself into Billy, seated on Eddie's other side.

He was so beside himself with everything and all of it that when Dr. Owens finally entered, Steve barely registered it. Couldn't with the way Eddie's scent was sharp and stinging with anxiety and Billy's was boiling angry. He watched Dr. Owens greet him, but he couldn't formulate a response because he was too busy wanting to calm Alpha and simultaneously hating himself for that want.

When Dr. Owens asked what happened, Billy explained and Eddie filled in when he entered the scene. Steve was able to pick up bits and pieces, remembering flashes here and there. When Billy talked about the Beta that trapped Steve, he whined loud enough to interrupt the story and draw attention to himself. Even though that was in bits and pieces, he could clearly recall the sharp sensation of fear.

"And then he started fawning. Like... really hard. Oil was beading up on his gland and everything," Billy explained, his voice soft enough to almost not be heard. Like he was ashamed. Steve hoped he was ashamed.

"I couldn't just leave him like that. Scent drunk and probably also actually drunk. It was pure luck that I was there in the first place. I wasn't going to leave a drunk, fawning Omega on the sidewalk for anyone to pick back up."

"How chivalrous," Eddie hissed, his grip on Steve's hand tightening. Dr. Owens held up one hand to still Eddie and with the other gestured for Billy to go on.

"At some point, Teach -- er... Steve reached up and behind for me. It's something Omegas do, get their wrist glands close to Alpha's faces. I could see oil on that glad too... he just..." Billy huffed and glanced at Steve, a small smile playing on his lips like the memory was almost fond. It made Steve's Omega turn over and purr. "He smelled so good... it's gross, it's so gross, and I know that. It's shitty, gross, knot-headed behavior but I just... I just wanted a taste. That's all it was going to be. A quick taste of the scent oil and then I'd be okay..."