Work Text:
Getting over Ox had been hard, and watching him stay true to someone that had been gone for three years was even harder. Robbie couldn’t understand the logic behind it, couldn’t understand just how fast Ox was willing to forgive Joe for leaving Ox, abandoning Ox, for those long, long years.
What he found the hardest was finding himself drawn, finding his wolf drawn, to Kelly. Kelly, who was a part of Joe’s pack, and from the looks that he still found being cast his direction, attempting to get closer to him stopped short at awkward exchanges that were met with confused glances.
In short, Robbie was struggling.
He couldn’t very well ignore the yearning call of his wolf that seemed to grow every passing moon, growing every passing day.
It seemed to manifest itself on the nights where they ran together, two packs becoming one under the solace of the full moon, writhing coats, mixing songs
Packpackpack
It wasn’t words that involved him that hurt, rather the
OxOxOx
JoeJoeJoe
The two names sung in a chorus above the running wolves, an even higher melody of
Matematemate
dancing among the tips of the trees, drifting towards the moon and the stars.
It wasn’t that he was unhappy with the two of them being happy, it was the reminder that he was alone, again. Those three years spend growing closer to Ox and the rest of his pack seemingly meant nothing. The look in Ox’s eyes when Robbie had kissed him had meant that much.
The same look could be seen in Joe’s eyes if he spotted Robbie too close to Ox, or caught him looking at him for too long.
So here he was, in the clearing where Joe apparently shifted first, the same clearing where Joe and Thomas had sparred together seemingly ages ago, long before Robbie had come to the pack, watching Ox and Joe formally become a union.
Robbie was sat near the back of the rows of chairs twisting a blade of grass between his fingers as they placed bands on each other’s fingers. Ox apparently had to convince Joe to have a ceremony because Joe didn’t think that they needed to have a ceremony, much less rings, to symbolize they were together, claiming their feelings were enough. Ox had compared the rings with Joe’s wolf, which shut Joe up pretty fast.
The weight of his own wolf weighed in his pocket as the two kissed, leading the rest of the Bennets, along with the humans and Mark, to fill the early afternoon with happy cries, and happy howls. Robbie managed to smile, knowing that this was something Ox had wanted for a long time.
That was one thing that hadn’t changed too much since Joe had come back. Ox still made time for his own pack, still made time for Robbie. Ox had talked about it in passing conversation when the two of them had rare moments away from the pack, passing remarks, and always, always in his eyes.
Ox’s eyes were happy right now, as were Joe’s, and Robbie couldn’t find it in him to feel bitter about that because they deserved it.
It didn’t make him feel any better though.
He slipped his hand into his pocket, running his fingers over the carved surface of his wolf and wondering.
Everyone was standing up now to congratulate the alphas, and Robbie could see Kelly amongst the throng of blond dominated people moving between each other, his face caught in a half smile as he and Carter harassed Ox. Robbie’s mouth twitched and he forced himself to stand up and walk over to them, nudging his shoulder against Ox.
“Congrats, both of you,” he said quietly, catching Joe’s eyes first, cautiously, before looking at Ox. Joe had eased up since Ox had talked to him about Robbie, but Robbie still felt uneasy around Joe. Joe didn’t seem to mind at all, merely smiling and turning back to Elizabeth.
Ox squeezed Robbie’s shoulder gently, giving him a warm smile.
“Thanks Robbie,” he replied, glancing over at Joe, “He can be a little bit of an idiot sometimes. So can I. Hell, all of us can be idiots at one time or another,” he moved closer so he was whispering in Robbie’s ear, “Between you and me, Kelly is kind of really oblivious. If you want to say something to him, say it.” Ox moved back and patted Robbie on the back, “You’re a good guy, Robbie. Remember that.” Robbie nodded, thanking him quietly before scanning the small group again for Kelly.
Ox saying that Kelly was oblivious was hilarious, and Robbie was glad that he’d followed it up with saying that he himself was oblivious.
It wasn’t that Kelly was oblivious, in Robbie’s opinion, it was that his advances were completely random and could be interpreted as anything between a friendly and borderline stalkeresque behavior. If there was anything oblivious about the situation, it was that Robbie was completely oblivious when it came to the art of romantic advances.
Kelly was standing off with Carter as the two of them alternated between a loud conversation, and consuming a ridiculous amount of cake. Carter was the first one to see Robbie approaching, and nudged Kelly before moving towards Robbie, winking him as he moved past him.
Robbie almost turned and walked away, but forced himself to stand next to Kelly and take a piece of cake so he wouldn’t look like a complete idiot.
Surprisingly, Kelly was the one who spoke first.
“I’m surprised those two actually figured out their issues. They both have a tendency to overthink things and make everything worse. Not that I’m not happy for them, I’m just surprised,” he remarked before taking another bite of his slice of cake, and glancing at Robbie somewhat meaningfully.
The corner of Robbie’s mouth twitched.
“Ahah…Yeah,” He was quiet for a moment, “Was that supposed to mean something?”
Kelly gave him another look.
“Ah, yeah, I thought so,” Robbie swallowed and looked at the edge of the trees for a moment as he thought.
“I’m not very good at relationship stuff,” Robbie started,
“Noted.”
“I guess the past few weeks were kind of confusing to you,” he continued.
“They were.”
“But I guess what I’ve been trying to say is that I’m interested in you, I mean, I like you,” Robbie said in a rush, a flush running across his cheeks as he finished.
“You like me,” Kelly said slowly.
“Yes.”
Kelly raised his eyebrows and opened his mouth.
“No,” he whispered, leaning slightly towards Robbie.
“…What?” Robbie was more than confused at his reaction. He could understand Kelly turning him down, but-
“I’m kidding, Robbie, pulling your leg. It’s what I do when I can’t really find words to describe how I feel,” Kelly waved his hand dismissively, “Sorry about that. But yes. I like you too Robbie, I’ve just been confused at how you’ve acted the last few weeks.”
A wave of relief washed over him.
“Oh good, thank god, I mean, not thank god that you were confused, thank god you like me too. God, I’m…not good with words,” he muttered, tugging on a piece of his hair, and giving Kelly a lopsided grin.
Kelly returned it.
“I don’t think anyone in this pack is.”
Robbie laughed, a legitimate laugh, and relief was a song more beautiful than one he had ever heard before.