The ABO Serum

(Part 2 extra) You've Been a Bad Boy

The days since Tom and Ryan came together passed in a blur of work and lovemaking and falling asleep in Tom's office at odd hours when they just couldn't stay awake any longer. In spite of Tom's never-ending lab work, and Ryan returning to managing the coffee shop, every time they came back together their desire for each other mounted. It was stronger than fatigue. And Ryan discovered that it was also stronger than his anger.

After Carey's accidental revelation about Tom being the one to betray everyone, he'd been furious. He quietly fumed in the coffee shop until he could address the idiot privately. His lover may hold a PhD, but he could still be an idiot. Particularly about relationships. That explained his stalker behavior before. And to hear he'd been so stupid in his infatuation that he'd exposed them all to this biological change...Ryan was livid.

He managed to keep his cool and kiss his mate as usual when he came down for coffee and contact later. He didn't want to make a scene in the shop. But he knew that night was going to be explosive.

It took a bit for his thinking to become clear again. When it did, he was surprised by the question his frustration crystallized into. How the hell was he supposed to protect Tom?

There was still a sizable part of his brain working out how to punish Tom, but the frustration, the thing that rankled, was knowing that he might not be able to protect his mate from the consequences of his stupidity. Worse, their biological need for each other was so great that they'd both suffer excessively should Tom end up in prison.

In his distraction over what Carey said, Ryan failed to notice that Carey's words came out as though forced. Only when he walked into Tom's office, thinking his poker face quite well set, and Tom cowered in the corner before he said a word, did he wonder if there was something about alphas that compelled omegas. Did his pheromones not only attract his mate, but enforce a hierarchy?

There was no reason for the older doctor to submit to him, a college age coffee shop manager, so completely. He'd never been violent with his lover. His lover was not dependent on him in any way apart from satisfying their mutual biological needs. He wasn't expressing his anger outwardly, and yet...

Tom flinched and trembled in the corner for reasons he didn't understand. His alpha was angry. He didn't look angry. He hadn't yelled or threatened or even frowned. But Tom knew he was angry. He could feel the fury. When he couldn't take it anymore, he timidly begged, "what is it?"

Sighing deeply, Ryan held out his arms to the omega offering comfort and said, "come here."

Tom flinched at the command but complied. What else could he do? His body seemed to move on its own. The last step, an urgency seemed to overwhelm him and he almost jumped, grabbing his alpha around the chest and begging, "please, don't leave me!" While crocodile tears sprouted in his eyes and then became great hiccupping sobs. He still didn't know why he was crying.

The large warm hand of his alpha stroked his hair and the only voice that could penetrate his fear hushed him. "Shhh. Baby, I know you didn't set out to hurt anybody, but you did." That penetrated like a sledgehammer. Tom pulled back, his face a mask of abject horror.

"Yyyyyyyyou know?" He squeaked out.

"So does the boss," Ryan affirmed. Tom was in shock. He still stood but Ryan could feel that his embrace was holding Tom upright now.

"Yyyyyyyyyy..., don't leave me!" He wailed again.

"Shhhhhh. It's gonna be alright. I'm not leaving you," Ryan assured his omega. "I...I still love you, even under these circumstances." The truth hit Ryan without warning as it tumbled out of his mouth. He loved Tom in all his vulnerable stupidity. He loved the worst parts of this troublesome complicated man as much as his brilliant parts. He still wanted to protect Tom even knowing Tom was responsible for changing him. Tom clung to him, sobbing with renewed vigor.