Corinthians

Love always Trusts

Whatever response Ed had imagined was nothing compared to the media frenzy his engagement announcement set off. Apparently, Zane wasn't just the most desirable alpha on campus. He had fans across the state. His parents dispatched a security company to review the school's security and wire up Ed's house, made Zane swap his Lexus for bodyguard car service, and had them both under full time protection. This rankled Zane for himself, but he was unforgivably compliant when it came to Ed's protection. "Just until the frenzy dies down," Martha promised, "but probably not until after the wedding."

Speaking of the wedding, Ed wasn't sure he'd be able to graduate with all this interference, but wedding plans were proceeding like clockwork. The only thing they couldn't plan for was Ed's heat, since they were still unpredictable. When he suggested to Zane that getting pregnant during his March/Aprilish heat would ensure that he wasn't in heat during graduation or the wedding, Zane turned absolutely churlish. "The whole freaking world is watching us right now. I'm getting you across that finish line without anyone being able to say we did it because you got knocked up." It was sweet. And even sweeter when he added, "so stop tempting me dammit."

Grandma was offered a book deal because of the renewed attention their engagement brought her, so she took a leave of absence from the law office and started writing. This meant she was home most of the time, and just on the other side of the bathroom door when the boys showered in the morning. Zane suggested they stay at his house, since his parents spent most of their time in Washington. They would be safe there too, but Ed didn't feel that would be safe for her.

This didn't bother Zane's stomach, since Grandma was a better cook than his family ever had, and the lunches she made for him absolutely oozed affection. But it was tough on their relationship. As was their final semester of school. He had to focus. There was no option for him if he wanted to become the man he'd promised Ed he would be. But that meant limited attention remained for the object of his promise.

For Ed, watching Zane struggle to be everything and do everything for him was exhausting. He picked up every extra responsibility he could to spare him. They were doing everything they could for each other in this season, but they weren't doing it together as much. Martha kept stealing him away to settle this or that question about the wedding. Then it was decorating the "Harvard House" as they called it. The place where they'd live while Zane went to law school. Since he was working from photos, this was the most difficult.

These maternal abductions weren't just about the things they were about. Martha was doing her best to teach Ed the things he'd need to support Zane, and his marriage and future family. Over ice cream and fabric swatches she told him not to wait. "Get pregnant on your honeymoon. Your first heat. When he marks you and you bond, don't let go."

"You'll never feel more ready. If you wait until you're settled in the Harvard House you'll decide to wait until Zane graduates. And if you wait until he graduates you'll decide to wait until he gets elected somewhere. And if you wait until he gets elected ... you see the pattern? We could have given Zane a dozen siblings. We had enough love and enough money. But we waited. Don't let his insecurity about providing the life you deserve hold you back. He'll always want to give you more, but you can't let him do it at the expense of the children you could have together. Have absolute faith in him and he'll live up to it. That's what men are like." She looked at him and realized what she'd just said.

"Yes," Ed agreed before she could get too embarrassed, "when he has absolute faith in me for anything, I seem to be able to live up to it."

She gave him the injectable contraceptive for his next two heats and told him it was their decision to make together, but she really hoped he wouldn't use the second one.

Every time a camera caught him out with Martha the papers turned rabid. She was elegant and refined and he was her "darling son-in-law" with girlish attributes aplenty. Grandma purchased every magazine that mentioned either of them and Ed was forever trying to secret them away.

"I'm an omega, not a girl!" He ranted once in his grandmothers earshot.

"And what's wrong with being a girl? If you find the adjectives used to describe girls offensive when applied to yourself, then they shouldn't be used to describe anyone," she snapped.

He only complained in private after that set down.

It seemed Ed was finally reaching maturity because his next heat came right when expected. But Zane couldn't attend to him every second of the day for a week. They had to plan and arrange their times together and anything less than always could never be enough. The worst part was school. Zane came straight home after and held him until he stopped shaking. "I can't believe omegas have to do this alone for years until they find mates. And the youngest omegas. It's brutal. No wonder they're so vulnerable." Some vital pieces of his political platform were forming during those days. Funding for research into suppressants should be a priority.

During the last quarter, Zane helped Ed study enough that he managed to graduate, and he didn't walk across the stage pregnant. But Sam did. She wasn't showing but a very sheepish Soren confided in Ed. They were eloping after graduation and Ed wished them well. Sam's parents were betas and didn't understand what their daughter was going through. However, Soren's parents were helping them and after eloping they were heading to UCDavis where Soren could study veterinary medicine. And he'd be back for Ed's wedding. A rather important aside since he was Ed's best man.

As a graduation present Zane gave Ed an iPhone. "We're free now. I can't follow you around all day or know where you are at every given moment. I still want to be able to hear you when you're in trouble. So use it, please."

Ed gave Zane the other vial of contraceptive. "I don't want to wait anymore. But our future is inextricably linked now so I'm giving this to you. The final veto. If we aren't both ready, then we're not ready. If you use it, then I'll give you a new vial every time until you decide not to. Your parents are giving us the Harvard House. It's to be our income while you're in college and our seed money when you graduate. It's got plenty of room. We're never going to be more ready than this. Let's start soon and set an example as alpha and omega. Let's make up for all the omegas like Grandma whose hopes and dreams were shut down, before good men like your father, and you, rose up to fight for their protection."

In his minds eye he saw Zane grow a few feet taller. Is that enough faith? He wondered.