Victuals & Vehemence - Septiplier

Chapter Twenty Two

Once Mark's knot goes down, the two fall asleep, wanting to use the last few early hours of the morning before the city awakens. The couple will have a day or so together before Jack's heat ends. He was already mostly through it by the time he arrived in San Francisco, and having a mate may shorten it further. In fact, it can stop at any moment. As soon as Jack's pregnant, the heat stops, or it will run its full course, and he will come out on the other side without another life beginning to grow inside of him.

Mark wants to stop the heat early. He wants to give Jack a pup, stop his ability to travel, limit mobility. Jack wants to just ride the heat out and escape unscathed and childless. The longer without kids, the better, in his humble opinion. When Mark wakes a few hours later, it's to Jack whining and rubbing against his leg, biting over his shoulder. The alpha rolls over and tends to his mate even as he remains bleary-eyed and drowsy. After knotting the omega, Mark carefully picks Jack up, letting the man wrap his legs around Mark's waist and his arms around the alpha's neck. Mark carries them from the room, downstairs, to the kitchen. He draws the blinds since they are still fully naked and then carefully sits down in a chair, letting Jack sit in his lap.

"Why are we here?" mumbles the omega as he slouches and buries his face into the crook of Mark's neck. The alpha lovingly runs his hands over Jack's hips, gazing around his kitchen.

"Mmm, I expect a full meal in the next ten minutes. Properly cooked, with every food group. You need to clean up the kitchen as well, just like you were made too," Mark says, voice calm and relaxed. However, there's a playful glint in his eyes and a teasing smirk on his lips, revealing his fangs.

"Goddess, don't even joke about that," Jack groans, a tiny smile on his lips as he nips punishingly at Mark's shoulder.

"In actuality, I'm hungry. If we had stayed in bed, I would have just drifted off again," Mark answers honestly, looking down at his mate. Jack sits up straighter and smiles, wiggling around a bit with excitement. The alpha grunts, hips pushing forward as Jack moves and the omega gasps, falling still and arching his back.

"Don't do that!" Jack whines after recovering from the deep push of Mark's cock inside of him, knot and all.

"Don't wiggle your hips like that while I knot you," Mark replies, leaning forward to nuzzle Jack's cheek.

"Do you have eggs? On the road, it's always meat of some sort. We never get eggs. Oh, and milk! Do you have milk?" Jack asks excitedly, beaming with joy at the proposition of food. Mark smiles slightly and gently fixes Jack's hair.

"The milk comes in about thirty minutes. In the meantime, I can prepare bacon, hash browns, and eggs. The whole nine yards for our first meal as mates," Mark suggests.

"And toast? With margarine? I love toast with margarine," Jack asks hopefully. Mark laughs and nods.

"You're much sweeter to me now than before," the alpha observes as his knot finally swells down, and he slips out. Jack shivers before shrugging. He climbs off of Mark's lap, limping his way to another chair and lackadaisically plopping down.

"I don't hate being nice or dumb shit like that. In fact, I like smiling and giggling and cooing softly. That just ain't gonna get me where I want to be in life. No one takes a happy omega seriously. They're seen as an airhead," Jack answers, softening to a serious tone Mark likens to people at funerals.

"So you frown, and scowl, and cover your neck, and put ashes on your clothes?" Mark asks quietly. Jack looks down at the table and nods.

"Nor do I intend to stop those acts. Just because I'm your mate doesn't mean shit," he mumbles, slouching back. Mark stands and moves to his counters, pulling out a back of potatoes to make hash browns.

"I insist you stop covering your neck. I'm possessive to a fault," Mark replies, beginning to wash the potatoes.

"Then you aren't allowed to cover yours," Jack shoots back. Mark stills for a moment. His head tilts slightly as he stares down at the potatoes. Then, his hand rises to his throat, brushing over the tender, thin cut, and the few sensitive bitemarks in the crooks of his neck.

"You are a capricious lover, darling," the alpha murmurs before nodding, "Alright, deal," he says, sending Jack a small smile before returning to his task.

"Have you... done it... with anyone before me?" Jack asks after a few moments of silence. The tone is tentative, testing. If the water's too hot or too cold, he'll quickly rear back. Mark continues his work as he thinks for a moment.

"You mean to have sexual intercourse?"

"Goddess, don't be such a doctor."

"Would you prefer I say fuck, or even mated?" Mark asks. Jack scowls, lips curling back in an angry snarl.

"Intercourse will do just fine, thank you very much!" the omega says, jealousy and anger evident in his voice.

"A few women. I can't impregnate them, and it's easier. I've saved myself for an omega, though, as I believe all alphas and omegas should. Studies have shown it drastically improves the bonding if both partners have abstained from intercourse with the correct sex," Mark admits. Jack is quiet. He is surprised by the information. Mark waited for him? He was a virgin with omegas because he wanted this bond to mean as much as possible?

"That's... nice," Jack says. Mark rolls his eyes.

"And you?"

"Women. One beta to test out what... actual sex would be like for me."

"By actual sex, you mean you received, rather than gave?" Mark asks, trying to word it politely. Jack snorts.

"Honey, I gave him a damn gift. He loved it," Jack says with a grin. Mark grips the current potato a little too hard.

"You aren't homosexual in any way, correct?" the alpha asks. Jack hums and shakes his head.

"They were all holes or dicks. Nothing more behind it than that," the omega says. Mark nods with relief. Jack has never felt any attraction to a beta or a woman, just as most would never feel an attraction to him. A beta or woman being attracted to an omega or alpha would be considered homosexual. However, there is a more grey area because sexual interactions were quite prevalent and less taboo. This is mostly due to alphas and omegas always dealing with ruts and heats, but it has good effects in general. Homosexuality was less condemned. Alphas could fuck women, omegas could fuck women, betas could fuck omegas, alphas could fuck betas. However, longterm homosexuality was still considered uncouth. It was not practical and was useless for the population. Entirely unnatural beyond basic, primal lust, is what many believe on the subject.

Jack watches Mark cook and observes his home. It is relatively empty. Quite minimal decoration, very few personal signs of attachment. There's basic furniture and such, but no flowers, no special blankets, no artwork. It's impossible to read anything on Mark, besides that he's quite utilitarian. Jack frowns. He had been hoping to learn more about the alpha, but it appears he'll have to pry to learn anything further.

"Do you still have the earring from the Vincent Town murder?" Mark asks as he works. Jack tenses a bit and nods.

"You should wear them when you finish the other. They would look beautiful on you, and it's a shame to let such craftsmanship go to waste," Mark says.

"I don't wear omega things," Jack snorts with derision.

"Around the house, you can. I won't judge you, Sean. You've shunned being an omega for so long. I want you to know that it's okay. I won't treat you as less than if you decide you want to wear earrings. I'll still be the one taking care of the pups after all," Mark says with a chuckle at the end. He glances over at his mate, checking to see how Jack is taking the suggestion.

"We'll see if the other even turns out good," Jack deflects with a tired shrug. The omega closes his eyes and leans his head back, exposed and vulnerable in front of Mark. The alpha stares for a moment.

If only Jack knew.