Chapter Text
Dick is experiencing what may be described as a 'be careful what you wish for' moment. Monkey's paw type stuff. He feels like pulling his own hair off in frustration.
It must be said first that Dick loves all his siblings, perhaps especially the latest edition: the sole omega little brother Damian. Once upon a time, in fact back when still in the circus, Dick has multiple times begged his then still alive parents for a little sibling, preferably an omega one Dick could spoil and protect.
Well, now Dick has it. And he must say, as much as he loves particularly this omega little brother of his, taking care of him is much more difficult than Dick has anticipated.
"Damian," Dick begins, voice strained, "you can't join us on this mission."
Damian crosses his arms and arches an eyebrow, haughtily challenging, "Why not?"
Dick swears he's seen this kind of response before. Has done this kind of response before.
He needs to apologize to Bruce.
For the time being, however, Dick can only patiently explain his reason–a reason that, logically, Damian should have thought of himself. "We–not including you–need to go undercover at an alphan club. Only alphas and their beta packmates may be admitted, and none of them may wear scent blockers. It's too risky for us to try to wear blockers and hide them."
It's a perfectly reasonable reason, in Dick's opinion. Damian, judging by how his eyebrow is only arched higher, doesn't seem to agree.
"Not only risky, but stupid," Damian says, and whoa whoa, hold on, is he agreeing with Dick??? "But that is hardly a reason for me to sit this mission out."
"..."
Dick's hand twitches near his hair. Surely tugging it a little will suffice to relieve his frustration without the risk of creating a bald spot?
Gathering all his patience, Dick proceeds to explain again.
"You're an omega, Damian."
Damian stares at Dick as if Dick has just said something stupid, which is really rude considering Dick has forborn doing the same thing.
"I'm aware," the omega boy says.
Dick continues, "You have the unmistakable scent of an omega."
It's a very nice scent, actually–jasmines mixed with burnt sugar and spices. When Dick first received a scenting from Damian, he has flaunted it for three days straight until Jason and Tim tag-teamed him and doused him with Super Soakers out of envy.
"That's obvious," Damian cutely grumbles.
Well, since it's so obvious...
Dick finishes, "So we can't possibly pass you off as a beta, moreover an alpha! Right?" The outer corner of his right eye twitches. "Right, Damian?"
Damian observes the twitching of Dick's eye corner and the way his hands are hovering by his hair. A good omega little brother, or even a normal person with normal self-preservation instinct, is certain to say yes.
Damian says otherwise.
"You're talking nonsense, Grayson."
Dick's hands fly to his hair. It's all right, Dick surely can pull off being bald!
But–before Dick can start pulling off his own hair–something baffling happens. Damian's jasmine and burnt sugar and spice scent suddenly changes. It's become less sweet, more spicy, and Dick fervently hopes he's not experiencing olfactory hallucination, but he swears Damian's scent is now distinctly like an alpha's.
Yet he remains an omega.
...probably?
A dumbfounded Dick leans towards his (probably, hopefully, no matter how trying the boy can be) still an omega little brother's scent glands, only to quite predictably get swatted on the nose like a naughty dog.
Dick yelps, clutching his nose, but refuses to relent.
"Dami?! What happened to your scent???"
Damian regards Dick's completely understandable response with clear derision. Locking eyes with the older beta, to Dick's further astonishment, Damian seems to do–something which causes his scent to change once again. The spicy tinge recedes as the sweet fragrance remains faint, making him register as a beta to Dick.
Then, as though what he did is a regular everyday skill anyone not only can learn but already knows, Damian tells Dick, "You already know I can alter my voice, Grayson. How is it so difficult to believe I can alter my scent too?"
Dick is still literally dumbfounded: found too dumb to speak.
"Tt." Damian turns around. "Since that's all, I will be joining this mission."
Well, that's–wait a sec. There's still another reason.
"Hold on! Damian! DAMIAN! You still can't! YOU'RE ONLY TEN!!!"
Dick accidentally yanks off a clump of hair.