#maddark

“Oh, shit!” A yell echoed into the room before it was followed by a loud crash. 

Mad went stiff, clutching tightly to the drink he had been sipping on for the past hour as his brain just stopped. He did notice Jackie taking off to check on what happened. The voices were getting louder as the other Egos tried to figure out what had happened. Bits and pieces coming through, something about the table and someone showing off or something, but none of it made sense right now. Mad needed to get away. He needed to get away now. 

Quickly turning and slipping through the crowd, Mad escaped the party and moved down the hall, forgetting he was in the Iplier Manor and had no idea where anything was. He went through a random door, not seeing the space at all, and found the furthest corner to curl up into. Mad just wanted everything to stop. It hurt. He set his glass down on the ground and covered his ears with the heels of his palms, pressing down hard to block off as much sound as possible. Even the soft vibrations from the lights were too much to bear. He hated this. He hated it when he got like this. Why couldn’t he just be like everyone else? Why-

Mad flinched when the lights suddenly turned off. Were they automatic? Had he been in there for too long? He looked over at the door when it clicked shut, and while the darkness did help with some of the pain, it meant he couldn’t see who was making the footsteps that were nearing him. Whoever it was, they sat on the ground next to him.

After a long, silent pause, Mad lowered his hands and could hear a very light humming sound. A familiar humming that he knew. 

“Dark?” Mad’s voice came out hoarse, blinking as his eyes adjusted to the dimmer lighting and could see the outline of Dark’s body. “Why are you in here?” 

“It got too loud out there,” Dark said casually. “Gets to be too much sometimes, and that crash certainly didn’t help.” 

“You got…overwhelmed too?” 

“Been overwhelmed. I was looking for an excuse to step out for a while.”

“Oh.” Mad noticed Dark had his wall up, making it so he could only read the surface level of his emotions. And in order to go deeper, he’d have to put in a lot more effort than he could currently muster. So, Mad didn’t have a choice but to believe him, and, honestly, knowing he wasn’t the only one who thought things had gotten too loud did make him feel a bit better. “Is everyone okay?” 

“Yancy was trying to do some trick off the kitchen table, and when he went flying, so did the table. No one’s hurt aside from some pride.” Dark lightly chuckled, and Mad stretched his legs out, no longer fully tucked into a ball. 

“He’s going to get teased for a while, isn’t he?” 

“Definitely. Anti witnessed the whole thing.” 

“He’s so doomed.” Mad was now the one chuckling, pausing when Dark gently patted his shoulder. 

“How about we move up to the couch? A lot more comfortable than the floor.” Dark suggested.

“There’s a couch in here?” Mad looked around some more, seeing more of the furniture around him now that he could see a bit more in the dark. 

“I like some extra sitting space in my office.”

“I’m in your office? I’m sorry, I-”

“It’s fine. Let’s get you on the couch, and I’ll fetch us some water.” 

“Okay.” Mad let Dark guide him to his feet and then sit him down on the couch.

“I’ll be right back,” Dark said before walking away. 

Mad chewed on his lower lip as he just sat there and waited, eventually taking his shoes off and getting himself more comfortable on the couch. It was fairly nice and almost felt more like a bed than a couch. Then he realized his back was hurting, so he shifted to lie down on his side, head resting on the plush armrest. He was tired, and the couch was so warm…so soft…it was enough to easily lull Mad to sleep. 

It was a quick nap, maybe thirty minutes until someone was lightly tapping his arm, giving it a little shake to wake him.

“Huh?” Mad hummed.

“You dozed off,” Dark answered, waiting until Mad sat up to offer him the water he had gotten a while ago. 

“Oh…sorry.” Mad took the water and downed it in one go. 

“No need to apologize. The others are heading home, so I assumed you would like to do the same.” Dark took the empty glass and stepped back to give Mad space to stand. 

“How long was I asleep?” Mad scrubbed his eyes when they left the office, the lights hurting his eyes for a little bit until they adjusted again.

“Not too long. Less than an hour. After Yancy’s trick, things died down.” 

“Maddy? You good?” Anti seemed to be the only Septiceye there, most of the Ipliers had gone to their room with only a handful left chatting. 

“Yeah. Just needed a break.” Mad confessed, rubbing the back of his neck. 

“That’s what I had told you earlier, Anti,” Dark stated. 

“You tell people a lot of things, Dark.” Anti huffed.

“Dark helped me,” Mad said.

“Dark helped you?” 

“He did.” 

“Hm.” Anti still didn’t sound the most sure. “I told Mare and Phantom I’d send you back to the house when I left. Blank wasn’t feeling the best, so they went on ahead. You ready?” 

“Yeah. Oh! Wait-” Mad turned and tugged on Dark’s sleeve, getting him to bend a little so he could kiss his cheek. “Thank you.” 

“You’re welcome,” Dark said with a nod, straightening up with a smile as he watched Mad go over to Anti, giving his friend a light push when he went right to teasing as he sent them away. 

“That was adorable,” Wilford said, suddenly appearing next to Dark.

“Hush.” 

------------

Dark wasn’t alone at the store, knowing better than never to have some degree of backup when out in public. At the moment, the only person who was available and could be trusted with this was Jackie. Dark wasn’t fully sure how to feel about Jackie being his shopping partner. Wilford would have been his first choice, but he was out on a job with Chase. 

“Have you been to this Omega Store before?” Dark asked while he walked with Jackie, pushing the cart as they went. 

“A few times with Phan,” Jackie said. “I haven’t gotten nesting stuff with him, though.”

“What did you two buy here?” Dark watched as Jackie went quiet, and his face started turning pink. “And that’s all I needed to know.” He chuckled and glanced up at the hanging signs, looking for one of them to say something that would be helpful. “This way.” Dark left Jackie to gather himself and went for the sign that said Nesting. It was only a second later that he heard Jackie jogging to catch up, and was at his side once again. 

“Do you know exactly what you’re looking for or just grabbing anything?” Jackie asked, happy to switch the conversation back to nests. 

“I was told they wanted a fluffier nest. They like soft things and pillows or something like that to hold.” Dark explained.

“They would probably like Squishmellows,” Jackie suggested as they entered the section.

“Squish-what?” 

“They’re like…uh…stuffed animals but squishier? I mean, there are different sizes, but they’d probably like the bigger ones. Phan’s got a few of them he really likes. I can’t see Anti and Mad not liking them.” Jackie looked around, grabbing the front of the cart to guide Dark to where there were a few shelves filled with the mentioned Squishmellows. “Here. Hug one.” Jackie grabbed a random one and held it toward Dark. “Trust me. Give it a hug.” Dark just sighed and took what looked to be a blue bee and squeezed it in his arms.

“Oh!” Dark immediately understood why Phantom would like them, and could definitely see Mad and Anti approving as well. “You said there were bigger ones?”

“Yeah!” Jackie pointed to the other shelf. Dark handed the bee back to Jackie before stepping over to analyze the others. “They also got names.” Jackie went up to a random Squishmellow. “This one is Roxanne.” He pointed to the tag as he read. 

“Interesting.” Dark hummed and picked up a large fox. “I think Mad would like this one.” He checked the tag. “Fifi.” 

“This one is named Antoni.” Jackie grabbed a green turtle. “Perfect for Anti?” 

“Perfect for Anti.” Dark agreed, putting the fox into the cart while Jackie did the same with the turtle. 

x~x~x

“If you tuck a different blanket under like this, then you can slip in a book light. Propping a pillow under it will help it from coming out if you fall asleep.” JJ showed Mad and Anti the folding technique he used in his nest. He had offered to show the two some tricks he had while they waited for Dark to come back. 

“I am so trying that.” Mad chuckled, his hands absent-mindedly rubbing one of the fluffier blankets in the nest. 

“You are so not staying up all night to read.” Anti teased as his own hands played with the ears of the round stuffed rabbit in his lap. 

“Wilford tells me the same thing all the time.” JJ chuckled. “He certainly has his ways of enticing me to take a reading break.” He added with a grin that got Anti to laugh and Mad to flush a little. 

“I’ll be sure to keep that note in mind if Maddy gets a little too carried away.” Anti nudged Mad with an elbow. 

“Like you don’t get lost when you start reading.” Mad teased back, grabbing one of the pillows and lightly hitting Anti on the arm with it. 

“You’re about to play a dangerous game.” Anti lifted the stuffed bunny and was about to playfully hit Mad back.

“Mad? Anti?” Dark’s voice called. 

“Got your stuff!” Jackie’s voice followed and was filled with excitement. 

“You’ve been saved.” Anti winked and crawled out of the nest. JJ and Mad did the same, and the three left the room together. 

“We might have gotten a little carried away.” Jackie grinned, rubbing the back of his neck as he and Dark were surrounded by several massive bags. Some other alphas were bringing in even more bags and adding them to the collection. 

“Those two bags can go to my room,” Dark instructed some alphas. 

“You gotta see this awesome thing Dark picked out for ya.” Jackie started digging through the mess. 

“It wasn’t just-” Dark stopped when Jackie tossed one of the bags at him.

“All you, man!” Jackie had the biggest smile and shot some finger guns as he grabbed a different bag and moved to stand next to JJ, getting himself out of the way. 

“You got us something awesome?” Anti asked with a light chuckle. 

“Um…yes?” Dark wasn’t sure why Jackie refused to take any credit but went with it. He reached into the bag and took the fox out first. “For you.” Dark handed the fox to Mad and smiled at seeing him perk up. 

“JJ has a bunny one of these!” Mad took the offered fox and hugged it tightly. Anti watched Mad with his own smile.

“This one’s for you.” Dark pulled out a turtle and held it toward Anti. 

There was a pause as Anti looked at the turtle as if not believing it at first. He glanced over at JJ, who gave him an encouraging nod. Anti chewed the inside of his lower lip, seeing Dark patiently waiting for him, and he finally took the turtle. Anti looked at the Squishmellow, seeing the name on the tag and giggling a little. He saw how Mad was still hugging his fox, so he squeezed the turtle, finding it to be such a comfortable size. The squish of the padding was perfect, and the softness of the fabric felt good against his skin. Anti couldn’t help the little bit of a purr that snuck out as he hugged the turtle. 

“Thank you,” Mad said. “These will fit perfectly into our nest.” 

“Let me help you two get everything in your room.” JJ offered, picking up a bag.

“We’re going to have the biggest nest.” Mad grabbed a bag as well and walked with JJ. 

“I’m going to go call Phantom real quick.” Jackie excused himself and left the hallway, leaving Dark and Anti alone. Anti used the turtle to hide part of his face, knowing he felt hot and likely looking a bit red in the cheeks.

“Thank you,” Anti said softly, not able to look at Dark. He was waiting for the catch. There was always a catch when an alpha got an omega specialized gifts. 

“It was no problem. I want you and Mad to be comfortable. Don’t be afraid to let me know if you two need anything else. I’m going to check in on Wilford and Chase. You two enjoy bulking up your nest.” Dark smiled and then stepped away, meaning Anti was completely alone. 

“That's it?” Anti whispered out loud to himself, hugging the turtle a little tighter. Dark got them special gifts just because he thought of them? He didn’t expect anything? Anti fully hid his face as a new purr rumbled in his throat. 

“Anti!” Mad’s happy squeal got Anti to lift his head. “Feel how soft this blanket is.” He had a thick, green blanket bunched up in his arms. Anti giggled and felt the blanket. 

“Oh, damn. That is soft.” Anti said.

“It’s not often you want the guys to take a break,” Anti commented, leaning over the kitchen counter to steal a cookie from Mad’s plate, grinning at him with half of it hanging out of his mouth when Mad glared at him.

“Mare’s been working on that song for almost a week now, and Dark never seems able to relax,” Mad defended, using his hands on the counter to lift himself and take the cookie from Anti’s mouth, kissing him in the process. “A-And I want to have some f-fun,” he added, face red.

“You know how I love to see you having fun,” Anti whined, rolling his eyes dramatically as he shifted to lay on his stomach on the counter. “So the question now is who you want to convince to take a break.”

--

Mare frowned as static crackled across his screen, leaning back in his chair and removing his headphones from one ear. “Sparks, do you need something?”

“It’s more a question of what you need, piano man,” Anti replied, popping his head out from under Mare’s desk, situated perfectly between his legs with his hands on the zipper of Mare’s fly. “Maddy says you need a break, and I decided to make it a little fun.”

“How do you mean?”

“I’m going to suck you off,” Anti started, slowly undoing the zipper and button of Mare’s pants, tucking his fingers into the waistband to start tugging them down. “And you’re going to finish mixing your song while I do it.”

“I feel like there’s a condition here,” Mare commented, running a hand through Anti’s hair and moving to cradle his cheek.

“If you haven’t finished the song before I make you cum, you’re going to stop working and join me in the bedroom while we wait for Maddy and Darky,” Anti explained, face split into a grin as he fished Mare’s cock out of his boxers. “If you have, you get to fuck me over that piano seat and return to work.”

“Sounds like you’re going to make me take a break either way,” Mare chuckled, biting his lip when Anti slowly ran his tongue along the underside of his cock. “But deal. I’ll have this song finished before then.” Slipping his headphones back over his ear, he pulled his chair forward and got back to work, trying his best to ignore Anti ministrations underneath the desk.

--

Mad watched from the doorway as Dark poured shampoo into his hands, muscles shifting under scarred skin while he lathered his hair. Once Dark turned to rinse his hair out, Mad slipped into the bathroom, ducking past the shower curtain and crouching on the tiles in front of Dark.

“Madrick?” Dark asked, voice a low rumble as he looked down to see the scientist on his knees before him. “Is there something you need, fox cub?” Mad didn’t reply, simply sliding his hands up Dark’s legs before wrapping one around his cock and stroking it, the water making the slide feel like heaven. “Are you looking for attention?”

“You need to relax,” Mad stated before popping the head of Dark’s cock into his mouth, swirling his tongue the way Anti had taught him and fluttering his eyes as he looked up at the demon.

One of Dark’s hands slapped against the shower wall, feeling the tiles loosen slightly from the force as his other hand carded gently through Mad’s hair, the perfect division of his being presented under the warm stream. When Mad hummed around him in approval before taking more in, Dark pressed harder against the wall and planted his feet, allowing Mad to dictate the pace as he slowly bobbed his head, closing his eyes against the water on his face.

“Fuck, Mad…” Dark groaned, throwing his head back against the wall as Mad swallowed around him. “You’ve been taking lessons from Anti, I see. You’ve always been a star pupil, little fox…” he trailed off with a low moan as he came, struggling not to collapse as Mad diligently swallowed everything down.

--

Anti could tell Mare was losing his composure.

Underneath the desk, he had all of Mare’s cock down his throat, humming and buzzing slightly around him as the musician bounced his leg and gripped the table with one hand, soft moans and groans falling from his lips.

Suddenly Mare pushed his chair back from the table and grabbed Anti’s hair with both hands, holding his head still as he came down his throat, muttering curses and praises in turn as he threw his head back and closed his eyes. Once he was done, he dropped his head back down to look at Anti, smoothing out his hair and cupping his face in both hands before grunting as the glitch swirled his tongue while pulling off his cock.

“You lost,” he stated, voice rough as he grinned at the musician.

“Fuck off,” Mare shot back, pulling Anti up and into a harsh kiss before releasing him and standing up, shucking off his pants and boxers as he moved. “C’mon, I think it’s time we checked on the other two.”

“Ooo, need some Madsy to make up for losing your deal?” Anti teased, following Mare down the hall to the bedroom.

--

Dark carefully carried Mad to the bed, laying him down and settling between his legs, snapping his fingers to coat them in lube before using his knees to nudge Mad’s thighs further apart.

“My favourite way to relax,” he rumbled, teasing his fingers around Mad’s hole before slowly pressing one finger inside. “Is by watching you come apart under me.” As he spoke, he slowly added a second finger, starting to work Mad open and smiling as he heard dual sets of footsteps heading down the hall. “Especially if you’re coming apart from Mare,” he added, leaning down to whisper into Mad’s ear, using his free hand to turn his face. “Look who’s coming in.”

“Music man…” Mad moaned, gripping at the bedsheets as he watched Mare and Anti step into the bedroom and freeze in the doorway, taking in the sight laid out for them. “Sparky…”

“Fuck, that’s hot,” Anti breathed, eyes wide as he stared at Dark’s fingers working Mad open before he glitched onto the bed and shoved his head between them to nip at Mad’s inner thighs.

“I take it you were… persuaded to take a break, too?” Mare asked, strolling towards the bed and ditching his shirt on the way, laying a hand on Dark’s back while he leaned forward and used his free hand to guide Mad into a kiss.

“He wanted me to relax,” Dark replied, gently shoving Anti away from Mad and snapping his fingers again to get Anti’s clothes off. “I told him this was my favourite way to relax.”

“Dark, Mare, please,” Mad begged, whining when Dark pulled his fingers away. “Anti…”

“I think the little fox is ready for you,” Dark hummed, moving away so that Mare could slot himself between Mad’s legs, sitting against the headboard beside Mad’s head with Anti practically draped over his lap. “I can take care of Sparkles while you give Mad what he wants.”

“He’s being especially buzzy today,” Mare mentioned before draping over Mad to pepper his chest in kisses as he coated his cock. “Hey there, starshine.”

“Mare,” Mad whispered, grabbing at his shoulders as Mare slowly pressed inside him, turning his face into the pillow to hide his blush.

“Now, now, dearest, what’s my rule?” Mare purred, lifting a hand to turn his face back to him. “Let me see you, starlight.” Leaning down, he nudged Mad’s face up before catching his trembling lips in a deep kiss, starting up a slow pace with his hips as Mad got lost in the kiss.

“Fuck, Darky,” Anti whined, crawling up to curl into Dark’s lap. “Why don’t you treat me like that?”

“Because you prefer a different type of treatment,” Dark answered, holding Anti’s hip with one hand while the other wrapped around Anti’s cock and started stroking slowly. “If I treated you like that, you would probably stab me.”

“T-That’s true,” Anti allowed, dipping his head to bite at Dark’s chest and revelling in the hiss Dark let out. “Go faster, Darky, I wanna cum before Maddy does.” Dark did as he was told, sucking dark bruises into Anti’s porcelain skin as he moved his hand faster, feeling the way the glitch struggled to keep his form as he got closer to the edge.

Mad dug his nails into Mare’s back, legs coming up to wrap around his waist as he listened to Anti’s moans, desperately seeking out Mare’s lips for more kisses before squeaking as Mare suddenly hoisted him up so he was almost sitting in his lap. The new angle hit the perfect spot with each thrust, and his kisses turned sloppy as his moans got louder, forgetting to breathe as he came over Mare’s stomach.

“There we go, starlight, that’s right,” Mare praised, kissing Mad’s cheek and tracing his freckles across his nose to the other cheek before stilling as he came inside him, filling him with warmth and listening to his soft whimpers. Once he caught his breath and made sure Mad was breathing again, he gently set him down and pulled out, rubbing his hips to calm him.

Dark shifted to set Anti beside Mad, moving to get a cloth to clean up before pausing as Mare grabbed his wrist, turning to look at the musician with curiosity.

“Come here,” Mare sighed, tugging on Dark’s arm to pull him into a kiss, running his fingers through his hair as he deepened the kiss before pulling away. “Now you can clean us up.”

“I’m at your service, sir,” Dark snapped, but there was no bite to his words as he watched Mare tenderly checking over Anti and Mad to ensure they were alright.

--------------------------

“Well, from what I have been told, you are used to being told that ruts are fine and Wilford handles JJ’s heats, and everything tends to be fine with them as well. This is the first time you are handling a complication. And, yes, Anti gave his consent for you to know all this; I would not be sharing as much if he had not. I would be much more vague.” Henrik sighed and set his clipboard down. “If they are wanting suppressants, it will not be for at least a year until I feel safe doing so. I need their bodies to regulate and readapt to their new environments. Madrick will likely go into heat in the next few weeks. We have some more time to prep for him…maybe.”

“Maybe?” 

“Anti’s heat kicked in right when he and Mad finally painted their horns and saw Edward caring for Jackie’s crack. He felt safe, loved, and secure. That finally allowed his body to, well, go into instincts and start that healing cycle. Mad had been showing lots of signs of being very happy here, but something is holding his body back, and as soon as that wall is down, bam, heat.”

“Any theories?” Dark knew they got lucky with Anti’s heat kicking in when the two were already in their nest, but he worried they wouldn’t get lucky twice, and Mad’s would happen somewhere a lot more…dangerous. 

“Sadly, no. I am not sure what Mad is missing or wanting that Anti is not. We will just need to keep an eye on him. He has a strong scent, so at least any sign of preheat will show at least a little more before Anti’s did. Regardless, I will advise Edward to start getting more prepped for Mad now. I have appointments taking up most of the next few days and will be unavailable for a bit…” Henrik’s voice trailed off at the end. 

“Is there something else?” Dark prompted. 

“Edward told me why you wanted the documentation for Anti and Mad. So you know how to help, but also know who their old pack was.” Henrik chewed his lip for a second before getting his question out. “Do you plan on tracking them and doing something you probably should not?” 

“To be very honest with you, Henrik. I don’t know.” Dark confessed. 

“I do not want you to put yourself in danger because your emotions are getting in the way.”

“You sound like my father.”

“Well, sometimes fathers are right. Do not call attention to yourself that is not needed. It sounds like Anti and Mad were also outliers within that pack, but we have them now. They are safe. They are being cared for. That is what matters. Do not go on a hunt that is not needed. You are the pack alpha. You need to be level-headed about this.” Henrik picked his clipboard back up. “Anti and Mad will appreciate a hot meal, a nice, filling, homemade one.” He wasn’t subtle about his hint. “Have a good afternoon. Edward will let you know when I am free again.” 

“Thank you, Henrik,” Dark said as Henrik left the office, closing the door behind him. “Shit.” He muttered to himself, rubbing his face with his hand. Dark knew that Henrik was right.

But it didn’t make it any easier

x~x~x

Anti chuckled as Mad insisted that he sit at the kitchen table while he looked around for some food for them. 

“My heat’s done, I can help.” Anti offered, leaning back in the chair. 

“And it just finished. It’s still my time to care for you.” Mad said as he opened a cupboard. “Does anything sound good? Maybe some noodles? I think I see some sauce.” He mused on, not hearing Anti’s half-growl nor the person joining them in the kitchen as he went up on his toes and reached for the jar of sauce. It wasn’t until the person was closer and couldn’t ignore the recognizable scent that he realized they weren’t alone anymore. Mad leaned away when Murdock reached over him and grabbed the jar, holding it out to him. Anti was on his feet, and at Mad’s side in a second, lips pulled up into a snarl and baring his teeth. 

“I wanted to apologize for my behavior, Mad,” Murdock said. “I was out of line and relying on traditions I was raised with that I should know are beyond out-of-date.” Mad chewed his cheek and glanced at Anti before taking the jar of sauce. Anti still looked like he was ready to tear away some flesh with his teeth. “I understand your anger, Anti, and I do not blame you for it.” 

“Anti.” Mad leaned over and whispered into Anti’s ear, telling him that Murdock’s scent showed that he was most likely genuine. Anti grumbled before pointing a finger at Murdock.

“You’re still on thin ice.” 

“I promise to be better behaved.” Murdock gave a slight bow of his head before it tilted toward the other entrance to the kitchen, the sunglasses not allowing Mad or Anti to see where his eyes were looking. “I have some work to do.” Murdock excused himself before leaving the room, and Dark stepped in just a second after he was gone. Dark paused and sniffed the air, making a face. 

“Murdock came in, apologized, and helped me get some sauce,” Mad explained, holding up the sauce to show Dark. 

“I still don’t like him.” Anti huffed. 

“Something about his scent is off, but I can’t tell if it’s because we don’t know him that well and the bias we have or not,” Mad confessed. “I still…I don’t want to be alone with him.” 

“And you won’t be,” Dark said, stepping over and gently taking the jar from Mad. “How about I make you two some chicken alfredo? I know we have the ingredients for it, and it’s a meal I enjoy cooking.” 

“Only if you make yourself some as well,” Mad said.

“You reek of workaholic who forgets food.” Anti added as a tease. 

“It’ll be okay. Henrik said it’s like a screw, so you can take it off whenever you want.” Mad said, using his thumb to massage the center of Anti’s palm. “We can ask to use their paint, and then we can paint each other’s horns.” His smile grew, and it got Anti to relax a little. 

“I would love nothing more than to finally be able to paint your horns.” Anti chuckled when Mad playfully bumped his head against his own and lightly purred, their horns touching. 

“Are you guys still working on the prosthetic stuff?” Jackie asked as he came into the room. 

“We are,” Edward answered while Henrik focused on filing. 

“Did you want to do a touch-up?” Jackie gestured to his horn, and that got Mad and Anti to share a look.

“Are you sure? We can do that after we’re done with Anti.” Edward offered.

“Nah. I don’t mind.” Jackie shrugged and sat himself in one of the other chairs. “Plus, I’d forget if I don’t get it done and over with now.” 

“I can finish up Anti while you work on Jackie,” Henrik said, holding up the prosthetic piece to make sure it had the right texture. It didn’t exactly match Anti’s, but it was the closest they could get with the material they were working with. Edward gathered some other supplies, pulled over a small table, and prepped everything next to Jackie.

“Are you sure?” Edward asked one more time. 

“I’m sure,” Jackie said. 

“Okay. Have you noticed any tenderness with the spot lately?” Edward dipped a long cotton swab into a solution and started rubbing it against a spot on one of Jackie’s horns. 

“Nope. Everything still feels good.” Jackie answered, giving Mad and Anti a smile when he noticed the two watching. 

“Is the solution causing any pain?” Edward sat down the dirty cotton swab, which had what looked like horn paint on it, and he got another one, repeating the same process. Soon, Mad and Anti could see what looked like a textured padding on Jackie’s horn. 

“Nope. Don’t feel anything.” Jackie then let out an audible shiver as the padding was peeled away. It didn’t hurt; it just felt weird.

“Oh.” Mad couldn’t stop his sound when there was now a crack exposed. “Sorry.” He quickly apologized.

“Don’t be sorry. It’s not the best thing to see.” Jackie chuckled. “Took me a bit to accept it. The padding stuff is just to make sure the crack doesn’t get worse while healing. What’d you say it'd take, Edward? Like two more years?” 

“Years?” Mad touched his own horn. 

“It’s a slow process, but it’s progress nonetheless,” Edward said as he examined the crack. 

“And I thought losing the tip of mine was bad,” Anti muttered, watching as Jackie was so casual while Edward worked on his horn, adding a different substance and layering on new padding. Henrik was now finished and heading over to Anti. 

“Are you ready?” Henrik asked. Anti looked at Jackie again before nodding his head. 

“Yeah. I’m ready.” Anti sat up straighter and swallowed as Henrik started setting the prosthetic.

“Jackie? Can we ask how that crack happened?” Mad’s curiosity kicked in even more. “I mean, if you don’t want to share, you don’t have to.” 

“Happened before I was brought into this pack.” Jackie sounded very casual. “After our parents passed, me and Chase left our birth pack. They couldn’t find use for us and had us leave. We were lucky that we could grab some things and walk out.” He gave a soft smile to the two with that part. “But-uh-after we left, we needed a way to get money. We weren’t taught much in the pack aside from how to fight. That’s what was expected of us. So, we used that knowledge, and we fought. Found some of those, like, underground fighting clubs. No regulations and a whole lot of money.” 

“A dangerous combination for those without proper backup.” Edward hummed. 

“Yeah.” Jackie weakly laughed. “Me and Chase picked up quickly that he does a lot better with all that talking stuff. Setting up deals, making bets, and hyping us up, and I was a lot better with the actual fighting. Too good, apparently. People get pissy when they lose money one too many times to what they see as an amateur. So they jumped us. Six of ‘em. I tried to keep Chase safe, but we learned they were targeting me. They pinned me down, took a rock chisel and a hammer, and…well…you can put the rest together.” 

“Ow.” Mad was now holding both his horns while Anti looked away.

“They would have done more, but a gunshot scared them off.” Jackie continued. 

“Was it Dark?” Anti asked.

“It was his father.” 

“His father?” Mad and Anti both said. 

“Yeah. He had apparently been watching us at the place for a while and heard the yelling. He said his son was taking over his pack and needed muscle. So he offered us a place to stay and a steady paycheck, and we just had to do what Dark told us. We like it here and never had any complaints.” Jackie turned his head when Edward stepped away to get some horn paint, pouring a few different colors and mixing them into the same shade that was Jackie’s horns. It looked like second nature to him. 

“Maybe we should have Phantom come over and paint your horns.” Edward teased a little.

“I have one complaint.” Jackie joked. 

“There we go, all set,” Henrik said. “Let me get you a mirror.” 

“So, it doesn’t hurt anymore?” Mad asked while Henrik stepped aside for a second.

“Not really. I mean, if it’s exposed and someone stabs something into it, yeah, but with the patch and all that, it feels perfectly normal.” Jackie answered. 

“It's really good,” Anti said as he looked into the mirror Henrik gave him, his fingers tracing the prosthetic that was almost the same color as his horns. “And more horn paint will stick to this?” 

“Yes, it will.” Henrik smiled. 

“Could we…could we borrow some colors?” Mad asked. 

“Of course. Edward, do you have enough for Jackie?” Henrik asked as he started gathering the horn paint, finding a spare bag to place them in, and adding several brushes.  

“Yep. You two have at it.” Edward chuckled, working on covering Jackie’s patch with paint. 

“Thank you.” Mad took the offered bag, and Anti finally looked away from the mirror, placing it down as he stood. He chewed the inside of his cheek before going over to Jackie.

“Our old pack alpha…when we were kicked out…he stomped on the tip of my horn until it broke off,” Anti confessed in a soft voice. 

“Sounds like he’s a knotless dick.” Jackie’s comment got Anti to chuckle a little. 

“He certainly couldn’t get any omega to make slick.” Anti relaxed as Mad took hold of his arm. 

“We’ll bring everything back in the morning,” Mad promised Henrik before excitedly tugging on Anti’s arm. “Let’s go.” Anti laughed and waved at the others as he and Mad ran off with the paint. 

“I call dibs on painting first,” Anti said as soon as they were in their room. 

“Oh, I’m so shocked.” Mad giggled and crawled into the nest, handing the bag to Anti. 

“I’ve been wanting to paint your horns for a long time. I don’t think I can wait anymore.” Anti dumped out the bottles and picked up one with green paint in it. “Perfect.” He crawled to get behind Mad and guided him to lie back, to rest his head in his lap, and he got to work.

Mad’s eyes fluttered closed as soon as the brush touched his horn, slipping away into a happy, warm zone as Anti focused on each stroke of the brush. Line after line, dot after dot. Anti did everything he could to make sure it was perfect. He shifted Mad’s head to get to different spots and angles. When he was finished, Mad looked like a very fancy circuit board.

“There. Almost as perfect as you.” Anti leaned over to kiss Mad’s forehead. 

“Softy.” Mad teased as he opened his eyes, laughing when Anti blew a raspberry against his skin in retaliation. “My turn, my turn.” He sat up, turned around, crossed his legs, and patted them. Anti grinned before falling forward so he was face-first in Mad’s lap. “Anti!” Mad was back to laughing. 

“Whoops. Was I not supposed to do that?” Anti played up his tone as he flipped over. 

“No, you weren’t.” Mad used a clean brush to poke Anti’s nose. “Get comfy.” He said as he reached over and found some purple paint that matched perfectly with the green he saw Anti using. 

Now it was Anti’s turn to close his eyes, a small smile on his lips as he felt Mad painting. There were lots of small lines before longer, curved ones were made. Anti sank away more when Mad started humming. He had such a warm, soothing voice. Anti wished Mad would go back to singing as much as he used to; maybe that would come back, too. He knew the others wouldn’t say anything bad about it. He’d bite their ears off if they did.

“Anti?” Mad’s voice brought Anti back to the present. “I’m done. Do you want to check it in the bathroom mirror?” 

“I’d love to.” Anti got out of the nest, and Mad joined him in the bathroom. He looked in the mirror and felt an urge to cry tears of joy. They were finally official mates. They were painted. 

“I made constellations,” Mad explained, pointing to one of Anti’s horns. “That one is Libra-” He pointed to the other. “And that one is Cancer. There’s the other stars in there as well.” 

“It’s amazing, Maddy.” Anti praised in almost a whisper. 

“And I look so cool!” Mad looked at himself in the mirror. 

“You always do.” Anti hugged Mad from behind, beginning to purr while Mad giggled. 

“Let’s head to bed. I really want to cuddle right now.” Mad leaned his head back and kissed Anti’s cheek, able to tell how much his mate was holding back. Anti nodded and walked them back to the nest. He cleared out the paint and brushes, noting to himself that he should ask for horn paint remover in the morning to clean the brushes. Mad got into the nest first, and as soon as Anti was in, he wrapped himself around him in a full-body cuddle. Anti hugged Mad and was brought back to that happy place by Mad’s loud purrs. 

This place was perfect and comforting and safe. He had his mate and his mate was happy and getting friends that would keep him safe. Anti felt more like they belonged in the pack rather than by the pack. This was home.

“You don’t think…if they find out about…that, they’ll change their mind?” Anti chewed his lip as he tried to busy his hands by continuing to hang the shirts. 

“I don’t know why they would. It doesn’t seem like something they’d be interested in. We don’t know everything, but we know enough that I don’t think they’d even want to deal with that.” Mad was still bubbling a bit from Dark’s earlier praise of calling him smart. It was the first time an alpha had called him that without adding an ‘ass’ to the end. 

“True. But they’ll look at us differently. Like we’re broken.” 

“But we’re not.”

“I know, Maddy.” Anti paused again, swearing he could hear the shouting again. The demands. The insults. Their attempts at setting conditions that would be worse than death. The fight. The clawing and biting and punching and kicking and begging and crying and-

“Anti?” Mad’s soft voice pulled Anti back to the present. “We’re safe.” He looped his arm through Anti’s. “Maybe we should take a break? We still have a lot of this place to see. I wouldn’t mind a walk.” Anti looked at Mad and relaxed at seeing his smile.

“A break sounds nice. Lead the way.” Anti tossed the shirt on the bed and took hold of Mad’s hand, letting himself be walked out of the room. “I wonder how much is actually opened to us.” He mused out loud. 

“Safe to say the other’s bedrooms are probably closed off.” Mad giggled a little. 

“I never would have guessed.” Anti gave Mad a playful nudge with his elbow. 

“Oh! Hey, Mad!” Jackie greeted when he saw the two enter the main lobby. “Anti, right?” 

“That’s Jackie,” Mad whispered to Anti.

“Hm.” Anti just hummed as Jackie walked over to them. He quickly sniffed the air; the alpha’s scent didn’t seem bad. It was a bit chalky and had some… daffodils. A floral scent. That would explain Mad relaxing around him. A familiar and safe scent for him. 

“Hi, Jackie.” Mad greeted, and Jackie perked up even more.

“It’s nice to hear ya! I also heard that you two managed to convince Dark to buy a bunch of candy,” Jackie said with a chuckle. “JJ did almost the same thing with Wilford when he came in. Someone told me before that there’s like science stuff behind the sweet tooth, like needing the extra sugar to process the…like…stuff making.” He awkwardly gestured at the lower half of his body. “So Chase got some of those like sample jewelry things? Wanna help me tease my brother?” 

“Brother?” Anti echoed. 

“That explains a lot,” Mad stated.

“In a good or bad way?” Jackie asked.

“Good.” Anti and Mad said together. 

“Let’s go mess with Chase.” Anti wanted to feel some pack normalcy, even if he was just watching it. He missed being in a group, talking and teasing and laughing at silly stuff. Having Mad at his side, either joining the fun or resting against him and reading. Those were the best times, and the idea of having some of it back sounded nice and kept him going. 

He was still cautious, eyes always on Jackie as he guided them to where Chase was. His hold on Mad’s hand was tight, reassuring himself that he was there, that no one could take him away. The signs were there and blaring in his face that he was safe, but there was still that worry. It was beginning to calm at least, that was a good step. 

“I can see why the kit is so expensive if you don’t return it,” Chase said, hunched over a table with a vast collection of gems and chains spread out in front of him. 

“There’s a lot to choose from. And this only covers the basic gems and chains. There’s also cuts and sizing to account for.” Wilford said as he stood next to Chase. 

“The cuts?” Chase’s face showed that he was already getting overwhelmed. 

“Breathe.” Dark placed a hand on Chase’s back. “First, find a gem that makes you think of him.” He reached over with his other hand and brought only the gems closer to Chase. Jackie went over to stand with Wilford while Mad and Anti stayed at the end of the table and watched, the other alphas not realizing they were there yet. “Think of colors that don’t fit and put those aside so there’s less to focus on.” Dark continued his help, moving some gems further aside when Chase brushed them away. “Keep narrowing them down.” Anti tilted his head, noting Dark’s patience, something he’s shown a lot of with everyone, including himself and Mad.  

“I don’t know.” Chase chewed the inside of his cheek, sniffing and pausing when he noticed there were more scents in the air. “Hey, guys.” He greeted Mad and Anti. “You can look at the stuff, too.” 

“Really?” Mad perked up, and Anti was already pawing at the gems. 

“Just don’t break them.” Chase chuckled. 

“No promises.” Anti picked up a sapphire, remembering those were the same ones on JJ’s horns. 

“I feel like if I give him a green one, it’d be too much.” Chase shuffled the remaining gems. “I don’t want them to blend in with his hair.” 

“What does he look like?” Anti asked. 

“Tell us about him.” Mad started arranging the gems into little groups. 

“Might as well take advantage of having some omega ears with this,” Wilford said. “Probably would have saved me some hassle.” 

“Oh-uh-his name’s Marvin.” Chase fished out his phone and tapped away for a second before showing Anti and Mad his screen. 

The man in the picture was an omega man lounging on a couch, a book in his lap, but looking at whoever was taking the picture with a big grin. His hair was long and green, and his horns were a stunning dark green that neared looking black. 

“He’s really cool and funny and can outwit anyone. Stubborn in the best way and beyond sarcastic. He really likes cats and works a lot with plants, and his smile is just-damn is his smile the best part about him.”

“Gross.” Jackie faked a gag. 

“Shut up.” Chase reached over to smack Jackie’s arm. 

“You’re being all gross and mushy.” Jackie continued to tease. 

“Like you wouldn't be the same if you talked about Phantom.”

“Don't bring him into this.”

“You started it.” 

“Your face started it.” 

“We have the same face.” 

“Mine’s better.” 

“How-”

“Opal.” Mad cut off the bickering brothers. 

“Opal?” Chase echoed. 

“Opal would be fitting for him,” Mad explained, placing the small gem on Chase’s phone. “I like the fire opal.” He added in a softer voice, the gem in his other hand. Anti just smiled, a jade in his hand, but he didn’t say anything about it.

“Take note,” Wilford whispered to Dark, earning a glare that got him to chuckle. 

“Dude…Dude, that’s perfect!” Chase bounced up. “Maybe with the gold chain and-holy shit, it’s perfect!” He was practically vibrating. “I would hug you if I didn’t think Anti would bite my face off.”

“Smart man.” Anti’s comment got Chase to start laughing. 

Dark watched as Mad showed Jackie the gem in his hand and how Anti was relaxing some more as the alphas laughed and joked, a light smile tugging on his lips. Anti did end up making eye contact with Dark. There was a pause before Dark smiled at him, and Anti glanced away, looking down, but there was a stronger smile on his face. 

“Are you guys going to live together?” Anti asked, giving up on getting into the cabinets for now. 

“Dark said he can move in here,” Chase answered.

“Looks like this place won’t be filled with endless alphas anymore at this rate.” Anti chuckled. 

“I can’t see JJ complaining about that.” 

“We could do a cuddle pile.” Mad smiled brightly, and there was a hint of a purr as he thought about having somewhere so warm to nap. “Oh-I-I mean-” He looked away, and his face got hot as he realized what he had done.

“You are so cute!” Anti teased as he pulled Mad into a hug. “I’m sure the other omegas can’t resist a good pile.” 

“There you are, Chase.” Wilford popped his head into the room. “Good morning, Mad. Good morning, Anti. Do you mind if I steal Chase for a moment? Got some work questions.” 

“Ask away,” Anti said while Mad was now looking at the cabinet, noticing some different scents that weren’t just paper and ink. 

“Give me a second,” Chase said as he stepped out of the room. 

“There’s something else in here,” Mad said to Anti, trying to get a better scent of the cabinet. “There’s so much paper in here, I can’t figure it out.” 

“Have I ever told you that I love how strong your nose is?” Anti tried to see if he could catch what Mad did, but all he could focus on was Mad’s scent. 

“Just a few times.” Mad chuckled. “Maybe if you could get a bobby pin or something like that, we can unlock it.” 

“Stay right here, and I’ll get some really quick,” Anti remembered the collection of bobby pins already stocked in their bathroom. 

“I won’t go anywhere,” Mad promised, and he was still messing with the cabinet, his concentrated face proving that he really wasn’t going to go anywhere.

“I’ll be just a minute.” Anti felt confident in leaving Mad alone; it was only for a little bit, and Chase and Wilford were both right outside the room. They wouldn’t let him get hurt. Anti would literally bite their throats out if they did. 

Mad heard the door close as Anti slipped out the other entrance to the room, and his attention went solely to the cabinet. He really wanted to know what else could be hidden in there. There was a bit of a sweeter scent. Maybe it was another candy stash? That would be kind of funny if Dark had more than one place where he stored his treats. Although the sweetness didn’t remind him of candy, it was something else. 

“Well, who do we have here?” A new voice and a new scent had Mad go still. He looked over at the alpha, his coppery scent almost fitting for his appearance. Red horns that slowly got darker the closer they reached his head, almost looking bloody. His eyes were hidden behind a pair of dark red sunglasses, and his grin made Mad uncomfortable. “Such a little thing, aren’t you?” The alpha chuckled, stepping closer, and Mad started shaking. He forgot where he was, forgot that he was safe, and whimpered. Where was Anti? He needed Anti. “Oh, don’t be scared. I’m not going to hurt you.” Mad felt his back hit the wall and wondered how he was standing with the numbness in his legs. “Who could ever want to hurt something as fragile as you?” The alpha hummed, his grin growing as he trailed his fingers across Mad’s jaw, stopping them to hold his chin. “I was told there were two of you. I wonder if your partner is just as soft. Imagine being the lucky alpha that gets both of you.” Mad wanted to do what Anti would, to bite this alpha’s hand, to call him names, to lash out somehow, but all he could do was let out a weak whine. He hated how nothing was working in his body or mind. He hated feeling so defenseless. “Maybe-” 

Whatever the alpha was going to say stopped when a hand gripped his wrist and yanked him away from Mad. Dark shoved the alpha into the nearby wall and pressed his other hand against his throat. 

“Don’t touch him,” Dark growled. “Do you understand me? Don’t you ever touch him.” The alpha took a moment to chuckle. 

“I didn’t-”

“Answer me, Murdock. Do. You. Understand?” 

“Yes, yes. I understand.” The alpha, Murdock, tapped Dark’s arm twice, and that was enough to get the hand off his throat, but he was still trapped against the wall. “He’s off-limits. I hear you loud and clear.” 

“You are walking a fine line. You are lucky that my father knows yours. Now get out.” Dark dropped both hands, but his anger was still thick in his scent and clung to the air.

“You can’t fault me for not knowing. And you know what your father’s said about that temper of yours,” Murdock clicked his tongue, fixing his shirt before heading out of the room. He gave Mad a smirk and a wink as he passed, and Mad slunk further into the wall with a whimper. Dark was trying to calm himself, taking deep breaths, but as soon as he heard Mad’s whimper, all that leftover anger turned into worry. 

“You shouldn’t have seen that. I’m sorry. Do you need-” Dark stopped his question when Mad suddenly hugged him, face tucked into his chest.

Anti rushed into the room a moment later, having seen the new alpha leaving, and got slapped with the scent of Mad’s fear. Seeing the two hugging only added to his confusion.

“What happened?” He demanded, dropping the collection of bobby pins and going over to the two. “Maddy? Are you okay?” Anti was ready to go back out there and bash that alpha’s head in with something. 

“I’m okay.” Mad let Dark go with a sniff. He then went to Anti and started whispering to him. Dark assumed he was filling Anti in due to the hardened look on the other omega’s face, but it changed as he looked at Dark. 

“Thank you,” Anti said as he hugged Mad. Dark had protected Mad while he was away. Dark had stepped in when he wasn’t there, and Mad was okay. Dark kept Mad safe. 

“I thought the message went through to the entire pack. I will be sure to check that everyone understands. I’m sorry that he got too close. I will be sure that never happens again.”  Dark promised. 

“Can we ask something?” Anti asked, wanting the mood to get better.

“Of course.”

“What else is in the cabinet?” 

“What else? It’s just paperwork.” Dark turned to look at which cabinet Anti pointed at.

“There’s something else in there,” Mad said, and Dark felt relief that he was talking to him. He had worried for a second that he would go silent around him again. 

“I’m not sure what else there could be, but I can check.” Dark offered, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a ring of keys. “The only ones that use this cabinet are myself and Wilford, so maybe Wil-” He paused when he opened the top drawer, saw something in there, and then closed it. 

“Well, now I have to know what’s in there.” Anti chuckled. 

“It’s me contemplating my friendship with Wilford.” Dark sighed. “And speaking of the devil.” He added as Chase and Wilford came into the room. 

“Murdock had a lot to say.” Chase rolled his eyes. 

“We’ll discuss that later. Right now, I’d like to know why this is inside one of my filing cabinets.” Dark gestured for Wilford to come over. He opened the drawer, and Wilford instantly started laughing. 

“I forgot I put that in there.” Wilford was still laughing as he reached in and pulled out a bottle. 

“Artificial slick?” Mad squinted to read the label. His eyes widened when he realized what it was and found the reason behind the odd sweet scent it gave off. 

“Lube? Why do you have lube in there?” Anti was now laughing as well. 

“Me and Jamesy wanted to…experiment and-”

“Stop. I do not want details.” Dark cut off what he knew was going to be a long and not the most appropriate story. “Just take that to your room, and don’t use my cabinets to store that kind of stuff.” 

“Oh, don’t be boring.” Wilford chuckled. “Do you want it, Chase? I already have plenty.” 

“I-uh-you-we-ah.” Chase just sputtered and went bright red in the face. 

The current plan was to show Anti and Mad the work side of the Manor and start asking them what they wanted to do. Dark had a few ideas of what they might enjoy, but he was leaving the final choice up to them. 

When the door started to open, Dark straightened up and was a bit shocked to see Mad stepping out on his own, closing the door behind him. He noticed how Mad was looking around, seeming a bit embarrassed, before walking up to him.

“Morning, Madrick.” Dark greeted with a soft smile. 

“Morning.” Mad picked at the hem of his shirt. “Could…uh…could we ask a favor?”

“Of course.” 

“We need more nesting supplies. We started working with what we could find in the closet, but…but we like a fluffy nest.” 

That explained the flustered look.

“I can easily get you all the nesting supplies you and Anti could dream of.” Dark couldn’t help the little rush of pride at knowing he was the one trusted with this request. “Would you like me to set time aside and organize another shopping trip for you two, or would you like me to stop by the store while I am out today?” 

“Could you get the stuff while you’re out? Setting up a whole trip sounds like a hassle and would take more time.”

“Any requests?” 

“I like really soft stuff and-” Mad paused to look over his shoulder, checking that the door was still closed before getting closer to Dark, tugging on his sleeve to get him to lean down to his height so he could whisper into his ear. “Anti really likes pillows. Things he can hold.” 

“That’s far from surprising.” Dark chuckled, smiling when that got Mad to do the same. “I’ll be sure to get all your supplies by this evening." 

“Thanks.” Mad turned his head at the door opening.

“Morning.” Anti greeted as Mad went to his side. Dark waited while Mad whispered to Anti, assuming he was getting filled in. 

“Good morning. I wanted to show you two some of the more business side of our home. I had mentioned before about finding you two a place to work. I figured showing some other examples may give you two thoughts on what sounds the most fitting.” Dark explained as he started walking, and Mad and Anti walked with him. 

“We get to learn more about what you guys actually do?” Anti asked.

“Yes. Something tells me you two will not know peace if you are left unaware of our work. Curiosity is a powerful trait.” 

“I call it being nosy.” Anti giggled and nudged Mad, who was giggling as well. 

“Well, the first thing you can be nosy about is our weapons laboratory.” Dark opened a door and stepped in, holding it open for the other two. Anti and Mad shared a look before going into the room as well.

“Woah!” Mad said his awe out loud while Anti looked around the workshop with wide eyes. 

“Good morning. Can I help-” An alpha started greeting Dark and paused when he noticed two omegas scrambling off to look at the equipment. “Don’t touch-” His scolding stopped when Dark’s hand went to his shoulder, the grip tight. 

“Don’t raise your voice,” Dark warned. “Come back here, please.” Anti and Mad put down the tools they were studying and returned to stand in front of Dark. “This is Google. He’s the head of this department. Google, this is Mad and Anti. Our newest pack mates.” 

“Hello,” Google said with a flat tone. He was about the same size as Chase, had black hair just long enough to tuck behind his ears, and wore rectangular glasses. His horns were a deep navy blue, and the tips were a lighter blue. They were a different texture as well. 

“We’re currently trying to find a place for Mad and Anti to work. I assumed letting them see the other locations might give them some ideas.” Dark explained. 

“I’m not sure working with weapons is going to be the best choice.” Google kept his voice soft so the other two wouldn’t hear him. 

“Give them a chance,” Dark said back before putting his voice back to regular volume. “What are you working on right now?” 

“I’m working on the contract wishing for, to put it into layman’s terms, a flamethrower,” Google answered.

“Flamethrower?” Anti perked up, and Mad started looking around. 

“There is more complication to the device beyond that, but yes. The client basically wants one to aid in…pest control.” Google glanced at Dark as Mad walked over to the table where the weapon lay. 

“Madrick, be careful,” Dark warned when Mad picked it up. 

“It looks like a classic flamethrower,” Mad commented, handing the weapon to Anti. 

“Have you two worked with weapons before?” Google’s voice showed his concern as Anti stepped aside, out of the way, and propped the flamethrower on his shoulder. 

“I’ve read a lot about them. I like learning about their mechanics, and Anti thinks they’re-”

“Fire in the hole!” Anti’s call cut Mad off, and he squeezed the trigger, sending a blast of flames out of the weapon. Google let out a string of curses, and Dark stood stunned for a second. “Well, that sucked. I thought it’d be more concentrated. Like, yeah, the big blast sends a message, but you need more control to actually get stuff done.” 

“The nozzle needs to be different,” Mad explained, pointing and being cautious not to touch the tip of the weapon. “We could probably add an adjustable one so you can control how thin or thick the range of flames is.” 

“This is the most excited I’ve seen them about something outside of the candy store,” Dark said out loud. “Maybe they can work-”

“We need to talk in private.” Google didn’t let Dark finish. “Please.” He added with an awkward clearing of his throat when Dark looked at him. 

“Okay.” Dark stepped to the door and looked out. “Chase? Come here.” He called over the closest person he saw. 

“Yeah, boss?” Chase asked after jogging over. 

“Could you escort Mad and Anti to the main meeting room? I need a moment to discuss something with Google.” Dark requested. 

“Yes, sir.” Chase did a little salute. 

“Anti, Mad, Chase is going to take you to the next leg of the tour. I will join you shortly.” Dark said, and he watched the two look a little disappointed to leave their new toy. “Maybe you could convince him to stop by the kitchen along the way? I was planning on restocking a few…treats of mine, so you’re welcome to finish what’s left.” He grinned at Mad when he saw him catch on. 

“We’ll see you soon.” Mad took hold of Anti’s hand. Anti just chuckled, putting down the flamethrower, and left with Mad. 

“So. There’s a problem?” Dark asked Google as soon as they were alone. 

“I really hope you’re not suggesting those two omegas work in here?” Google’s voice showed he was more worried than offended. 

“Maybe I am,” Dark said with a shrug. “If they are confident and comfortable in here, why not?” 

“I know this is going to sound outdated, but I’m worried about omegas working in here. This isn’t the safest position. The smaller one, Mad, looks like he weighs ten pounds, and more than half of this equipment would launch him across the room. Anti might be fine, but he looks more excited to use the weapons than develop them. He doesn’t need a hazardous playground.” Google stopped and sighed. “Having them living here is dangerous enough. We shouldn’t add unnecessary risks.” 

“Is that why you’ve yet to invite your omega here?” Dark could smell the shift of fear in Google’s scent; it was thick enough to stand out.

“I-I don’t know-I don’t-” Google sputtered out. 

“You head out every night and come back in the morning reeking of the same omega. You’ve been more irritable, on edge, and extra cautious around JJ, and now the thought of working with two more omegas is triggering a more instinctual aspect of your brain when usually you are an alpha of logic. You want to claim this omega but have been forcing yourself to hold back because you wish to keep him hidden from our work.” Dark saw how Google was now unable to even look in his direction. “I have already told Chase that his omega is welcome to move in. In time, when Jackie settles with his, that option will open to him as well. So, obvious as it now is, your omega would be welcomed.” 

“It’s not safe for him to be here,” Google said softly.