Archive of Our Own ^beta

"You gotta be kidding me!"

Colonel Blake couldn't help but voice his frustration as he read the latest report. Apparently their shipment of supplies had been stolen (again) and HQ wouldn't be able to send them another one for at least a week. These black market guys were either getting ballsy or desperate. With the way the war was going he wouldn't be surprised if it was a combination of both. The Koreans were just as desperate for supplies as they were if not more. The worst part is this shipment was supposed to resupply their stock of heat suppressors. Of all the medicine they got from up top suppressors were the ones that got stolen the most. A part of Henry didn't blame them; as far as he knew these people never had anything for heats and with the war they needed all the fighters they could get. Their unit had run out of the suppressors within the last month which meant any omega whose cycle was due would likely go into heat. That was the last thing they needed. The omegas wouldn't be able to work and the alphas would be too distracted to work accordingly. Unfortunately Henry himself was an alpha so he might be counting himself among the ones who would be put out of commission. He gave a glance to Radar standing in front of his desk. He could tell the kid had read the report by how he nervously clenched his fists.

"What are we going to do, sir?" Radar asked sheepishly.

Henry grunted "I'm trying to figure that out! Of course I am open to suggestions..."

Radar pursed his lips as his gaze fell down to his boots. Poor kid was probably nervous and for good reason: he was an omega. Aside from having to go through a heat there was also the threat of the alphas around him reacting violently. They were not mindless animals when it came to sex but some alphas saw heats as an excuse to abuse omegas. Not that Henry would ever let that happen to him but it's still a scary thought. But would Henry still have a clear mind if Radar went into heat around him? His wife was a beta and they only had sex to have their children. Before their wedding his wife confessed that she felt no sexual desire for him or anyone else for that matter. It was almost a relief to him at the time which led to him coming out to her in return. They agreed to still marry as a way of keeping each other safe from the prying eyes of society and often laughed about the incident. Over time he came to love her and their children as his family. So in truth he didn't have much of an idea how he would react to an omega's heat. He could only hope the stories of uncontrollable alphas were just stories.

"If I may, sir..." Radar eventually said. "I think at the very least we should inform the camp so everyone can prepare."

Henry sighed. "Yeah, I guess. Make an announcement for everyone to meet by the mess hall at..." He glanced down at his watch. "Christ, four o'clock already? Make it at 1900. Gives me a couple hours to think of something."

Radar nodded. "Yessir. Anything else?"

"Huh? Oh, come back when you're done. I could use your input on this."

"Mine, sir?"

"Well yeah! You're an omega, right? This affects you too." He paused. "That and I don't think I'll be able to come up with something by myself."

Radar had to suppress a laugh. "Of course, sir. I'll be right back."

The Corporal smiled at him before exiting his office. Henry couldn't help but watch him leave intently. Another reason to worry about the suppressor shortage was his affection for Radar. He was able to keep it under wraps for the most part; only slipping maybe a handful of times. It didn't occur to him that his feelings may go deeper than simple attraction until after his son was born. Radar had one of the cleaning ladies bring him her infant son to hold. The kid had said that seeing how he wasn't able to be there to see his own son that maybe spending time with a baby boy would make him feel better. Well, he didn't say that exactly but that's what he meant. Henry still remembers the way the baby's mother smiled to him as he rocked her little boy. She may not have understood English but parents would always have a silent understanding of each other. The look on Radar's face was absolutely precious as he watched the Colonel attempt to calm the crying infant. After some time Henry had to hand the baby off to Radar to be returned to his mother. Before walking over to the woman he noticed Radar smile down to the baby before poking their little nose. The babe stopped crying out of pure confusion to which both he and the Korean woman laughed. He looked at Henry with that gorgeous smile and it was too easy to picture the omega holding his child. Not the ones he had with his wife either. It had been far too easy to picture a little baby boy that looked like him but was carried by Radar. The image burned itself into his mind and even infiltrated his dreams.

He was brought out of his thoughts by the PA system coming to life. How the hell they were going to get through this was a mystery to him. He just hoped this crisis didn't make people do anything stupid (him included).

The meeting hadn't gone well to put it lightly. He was met with a mix of outrage and stony silence by the various alphas and omegas among them. Of the course the two at the head of the outrage were Major Burns and Major Houlihan.

"What do you mean we aren't getting any heat suppressors?!" Margaret had exclaimed. "How are we supposed to be able to work?!"

"And what about the pregnancy risk??" Frank added.

Thankfully Hawkeye stood with Trapper right behind him. "Calm down will ya, you two? Just because you two can't keep a secret doesn't mean the rest of us can't. Besides, I'm a beta and there are several beta nurses. Am I right, ladies?" A couple of the women nodded and confirmed. "There we go! At the very least we'll have a surgeon and...seven? Seven nurses."

"And what if we get an influx of patients?" Frank protested. "We can barely handle it when we're all on duty! What makes you think that less than 10 people can handle the work load around here?"

"Maybe if you explain the situation to the enemy they might cut us some slack." Trapper joked.

"You imbecile! Even if we could contact them what makes you think they'd cut us some slack? If anything they could use this as a strategic advantage!"

Hawkeye rolls his eyes. "Oh yeah. Nothing says easy win like a bunch of horny people desperately trying not to tickle each other."

"Colonel!"

"Knock it off!" Henry yelled. His headache was bad enough as it is he didn't need their bickering to contribute to it. "It'll only be for a week and I doubt everyone will go into heat at once. We'll put aside a tent for heats with a beta supervisor in case anyone does. I'm not happy about this situation either but we're in it." He turned to look to Radar who has been standing by him the entire time. "Anything else, Radar?"

He shook his head. "Not that I can think of."

"Good; you're all dismissed then. And I better not hear any bellyaching from anybody for the rest of the night!"

The crowd dispersed with general ease but Henry didn't stick around to watch it. Instead he marched right back into his office with Radar close behind him. As soon as he entered his office he made a bee line for his liquor cabinet. The shortages were even affecting his precious collection of booze; he ended up having to donate his best bottle of vodka as an impromptu disinfectant. He almost regretted it as he settled for a glass of what was left of the scotch. Not enough to get him drunk but it might take the edge off. Radar watched this with concern. The Corporal could tell that this was stressing Henry out more than usual. The Colonel and he had one of the strongest bonds in the entire camp. He knew things about the Colonel that no one else there did. Not major things; just little tidbits that offered explanations for some of his behaviors. Everyone knew Henry liked golf but only Radar knew that his father had trained him.

"I'd offer you a glass but it appears that I've already downed the whole thing..." Henry looked tiredly down into his empty cup.

"I'm alright, sir. Thank you."

Henry sighed as he sat heavily into his office chair. Of all the positions in the army why did he have to get this one? Between the never ending stream of wounded and the bickering in the camp he was damn near ready to bury his head in the ground if only to get a moment of peace. While he often complained about it he was actually grateful for Radar's uncanny foresight. How they worked together so well was beyond him; they could even finish each other's sentences! It was similar to what he and his wife had only Henry was actually attracted to Radar.

Henry found himself asking "You got anything else to do tonight?"

Radar thought for a moment before shaking his head. "No sir."

He gestured to a chair that had been pushed to the side. "Sit down and let's talk."

"Of course, sir. About what?"

"Oh, I don't know. Anything to get my mind off of the situation at hand. How's your aunt doing?"

Radar pulled his chair up and sat in front of the Corporal. "She's alright I guess. Though I do worry about her getting lonely since my uncle passed. She's been asking how much longer it'll be until I'm home."

"I think we're all asking ourselves that question." Henry paused for a moment. "Have you ever been in heat, kid?"

"Sir?"

"Sorry, I was just wondering. I hear nowadays they start giving you guys your suppressors at sixteen or something."

Thankfully Radar no longer looked scandalized. "Oh! Um, well that's kind of true. Some places, like in the city, they give omegas their suppressors as soon as they go through puberty. Though I didn't get mine until I was sixteen." Typically omegas didn't get their heat until they were eighteen or twenty. If Radar has been on suppressors since sixteen then he's likely yet to experience a heat. That didn't bode well for him if he just so happened to enter his cycle during this week. "Is it true what they say? That heats are painful?"

Poor kid actually looked scared. Henry tried to reassure him. "Eh, not really. I'm not an omega so I can't really give you an accurate answer. All I know is that heats make omegas want to mate due to the egg dropping or something like that. Didn't they teach you this in school?"

Radar visibly cringed. "Not really. The omega classes were mainly about how to please alphas. I was the only male omega in my class so it was really embarrassing."

It had been years since Henry had graduated from high school. Had the curriculum really changed that much? Though to be fair Henry went to an all alpha school so he should have figured their schooling would be different. Just like the gap between men and women there were gaps between alphas and omegas. Though with the recent boom in the number of beta's being born that gap was lessening. Their little unit didn't care much for the unspoken caste system instilled by society but as far as Henry knew everyone else in the army seemed to be dragging their feet. The only reason they started to let betas fight and omegas serve was due to the lack of enlisted.

"Wait, you're telling me they put you in a class on how to be a housewife?"

Radar nodes sheepishly. "Yeah. It's not like I didn't learn anything useful and I actually made a lot of friends. The girls in my class had never seen a boy omega and I guess they thought I was cute." Radar saw the look on Henry's face. "Not like that! More like a puppy..."

Well the girls weren't fully wrong. Radar did kind of look like a puppy. An adorable puppy that Henry wanted to kiss a thousand times. They continued to talk for another hour before Radar excused himself for the night. It had been unusually quiet that day so Henry figured he better get some shut eye while he still could. Something told him that the week to follow would be the longest this war has yet to give him. Thankfully no one bothered him on his way to his tent so he was able to settle in without much of a problem. As he lay in his cot waiting for sleep to take him his mind wandered to dangerous places. These places consisted of Radar gasping beneath him with his face all flushed. In his mind Radar was a blushing virgin that he had to slowly work open but would be rewarded with a glorious wet heat to thrust into. What kind or sounds would he make as Henry fucked him? This was something he could only wonder in the safety of the world between dreams and reality. He hoped to God that Radar didn't go into heat this week; he's not sure either of them could handle it.

It took less than a day for an incident to occur. One of the omega nurses collapsed in the middle of surgery: her heat had come on suddenly and the rush of hormones overwhelmed her senses. Luckily she had been working with Pierce at the time and he was quick to react. He picked the nurse up and dashed out of the OR before her pheromones overwhelmed the alphas in surgery. He was smart enough to take her to the tent designated for omegas in their heat until their next batch of supplies arrived. Unluckily the nurse had been on suppressants since a young age and had never experienced a heat before. The mating cycle was something that got easier with time and experience (both of which she didn't have). She had been in such agony that she begged Hawkeye, a beta, to mate with her. This was also amongst a pleading to 'make the pain go away'. Radar happened to over hear their yelling and had run into the tent to find the nurse had torn her clothes to shreds and had already ripped open the top half of Hawkeye's scrubs. He froze as the nurse sensed his presence and turned to growl at him. He only had enough time to raise his arms in defense before her nails were digging into his forearms. She attempted to bite him but Hawkeye grabbed her from behind and was able to restrain her.

"Go find something to knock her out while I keep her from tearing up the place!" Hawkeye had yelled to him.

Radar remembers nodding shakily before bolting out of the tent. He had run right into Major Houlihan and for once he was glad to see her. She had known that some of the omegas would react badly to their heats and had several syringes with sedatives already prepared. With her help they were able to sedate the nurse and avoid further injury. It wasn't until the adrenaline of the incident had settled did Radar begin to feel stinging in his forearms. When he rolled up his sleeves he saw crescent shaped red marks stark against his pale arms. She had managed to draw some blood: not enough to flow down his arms but still. His jacket had protected him from most of the damage her nails could do. Even so he figured he should clean and put band-aids on the cuts; the last thing he needed was an infection. He always kept a small bottle of rubbing alcohol in his desk specifically for little nicks like this. He must have been radiating distress because not two seconds after walking past Henry's office did the Colonel burst out (narrowly dodging the swinging doors).

"Christ, Radar, are you alright? You smell worse than a sick baby!"

Radar subconsciously ran his fingers over the nail marks on his arm. "Uh, not really? One of the nurses went into heat and she, uh, attacked me."

Henry gave him a pointed look before taking one of Radar's arms in his hands. He let the Colonel look over his injuries without much protest; he is a doctor after all. Henry may have seemed calm but in truth his mind was reeling. Of all the people to get hurt in this camp why did it have to be Radar? The alpha part of his brain demanded he hunt down the person that dared to hurt his omega. The rational human part of his brain reminded their counterpart that Radar was not their omega. It didn't help that the poor kid looked beyond spooked.

"Is that gonna happen to me?"

Henry noticed Radar biting his bottom lip. His wife had a similar habit when she was nervous. She would worry the inside of her cheek with her teeth to the point where you could see the indent in her skin.

"Is what gonna happen to you?" Henry asked as he continued looking over Radar's arm. There was a little bit of blood drawn but other than that it wasn't too serious. Before he could even ask Radar withdrew from him to rummage through a drawer in his desk. He pulled out a small bottle of generic brand rubbing alchohol along with a small square cloth.

"Here you go, sir. I really appreciate your help."

Henry waved a dismissive hand. "Don't worry about it." He paused for a moment. "Why don't we do this in my office? You look like you could use a drink."

To his surprise Radar nodded. He still had that far away look in his eyes that Henry's seen in too many people. Omegas in heat can be dangerous as they could become violent. The nurse likely saw Radar as competition for whomever she saw as an available mate and attempted to establish dominance. Radar was never the aggressive type and being attacked by one of your own would throw anyone for a loop. Henry had him sit down while he administered the disinfectant to Radar's wounds. He saw him flinch a bit at the first contact and offered him an apologetic look.

"Sorry, probably should have warned you." He said. "By the way, you never answered my question."

Radar repeated his earlier nervous gesture. "I was just wondering if I went into...heat, if I would act like that."

"I can't say for sure. Everyone reacts differently to it." After Henry was satisfied with his work he made his way over to the liquor cabinet. "I have a glass worth of whiskey, a bottle of wine my wife sent me, or some of that turpentine Hawkeye calls gin. What do you fancy?"

Wine wouldn't be strong enough and he was not in the mood to choke down the home-brew. "I guess I'll have the whiskey."

Henry filled his glass and raised it before hand it to him. "Turpentine for me, then."

Radar gave a quick glance to the clock. It was a little past three; not the worst time to have a drink. He wondered what time it was back in Iowa. "We're lucky it was Hawkeye on duty. If it had been an alpha it likely would have gone a lot worse."

"How much worse could it have gone? You ended up getting hurt!"

"She didn't mean it!" Radar protested. "She couldn't even control what she was doing!"

Henry couldn't help but sigh. "I get that, I really do, but that doesn't negate the fact that you got hurt. Which means other people could get hurt too."

He quickly added the last part. While it was true that he felt like this was the start of many incidents to come he could only care about Radar in that moment. While he occasionally got into shenanigans with Hawkeye and Trapper he was generally a levelheaded and kind human being. He didn't deserve to be hurt in any kind of way. If Henry had his way Radar wouldn't even be here: he would be back home with his family. As much as he cared for the omega he knew he would be safer back home. Then again, they all would. When Radar had come into his office reeking of fear all he wanted to do was pull him into his arms and shield him from the world. He noticed Radar staring down into his drink, his eyes still a thousand yards away. He wasn't distressed like earlier but it didn't take a pheromone to tell Henry that he was scared. He didn't blame him; the thought of loosing yourself completely to ones animalistic desires is a scary thought. He could only imagine what it would be like to be a passenger in his own mind.

Henry gently poked Radar's arm. "You gonna finish that?"

The Corporal jolted out of his daze at the contact. He looked up to Henry wide eyed for a moment before looking back down to his drink and throwing the whole thing back. Henry couldn't help but laugh as Radar's face scrunched up and he coughed.

"Argh, why did I do that?!"

Henry patted the omega's back as his laugh died down to a chuckle. "That ought to put some hair on your chest!"

"I have hair on my chest!" Radar whined. "Its just really fine!"

The scent of fear had finally dissipated so Henry could relax. Sometimes he forgot how much omegas can actually affect alphas and not just when it comes to sex. It was the alpha's duty to protect omegas from anyone who would do them harm; it has been that way since the beginning of time. While humanity has changed significantly in the past hundred years their basic instincts were something they could never truly overcome. Some alphas saw this as an excuse to try to own and control omegas but as the decades passed more and more of them began to know better. He could only hope that by the time his kids were grown up the world would be a much kinder place.

Over the next few days several doctors and nurses fell victim to their heat. Henry himself actually had to pull one of the alpha personal off of Ginger when he tried to mount her. He had never seen that woman cry but when she did he held her like he would one of his daughters. She hadn't lost her mind like some of the other omega's but the pain had rendered her near immobile. After pulling the alpha off of her he ended up having to punch them in the face as well. Guy probably thought he was trying to steal Ginger from him (not that she was his to steal). He ended up scraping his knuckles on the guy's teeth. He was lucky he didn't break any of his knuckles but they still hurt like hell. After he escorted a distraught but otherwise unharmed Ginger to the omega tent he went back to his office. Or rather Radar's office. The pain from the cut on his knuckles diluted his senses so it wasn't until he had already bandaged it did he notice something was off.

First of all, Radar wasn't in his office. It actually felt odd to not have the Corporal at his tail. Then he noticed the smell. It was faint but it was definitely the smell of an omega in heat. The second his brain came to that conclusion he felt as if his heart had dropped into his stomach. He actually dropped the bottle of disinfectant on the floor before frantically beginning his search for Radar. He felt a bit silly but he tried to follow the scent hoping he would find the kid. Unfortunately his tracking skills were non existent so he ended up running in circles. Eventually he ended up running into Trapper who looked like he was fresh out of surgery. It looked like he was going to make some kind of wise crack before he saw the look on Henry's face.

"What happened? Are you alright?"

Henry shook his head. His mind was moving a thousand miles a second; it nearly overwhelmed him. "Radar's missing...I think he went into heat!"

Trapper nodded in understanding. "Let's go get Hawkeye."

For once Henry didn't argue with him. They both made a beeline for the Swamp while practically ignoring everyone else. Hawkeye had been taking a much deserved nap but was roused by the tent door being nearly thrown open.

He sat up groggily. "Who's slamming doors in my tent?"

"Not now, Pierce."

Henry's tone took Hawkeye off guard. He hadn't seen the Colonel this tense since the incident with the sniper. "Someone else go into heat?"

Henry nodded curtly. "Yeah; Radar. But we can't find him!"

At this Hawkeye sprung up from his cot and quickly got dressed. "How long has he been missing?"

"Can't be more than an hour. I was searching for about twenty minutes before I ran into Trapper."

"Alright. Trapper, you ask around the camp if anyone's seen him while Henry and I keep looking around."

Trapper nodded before running out of the tent. Of all the things those two took seriously Henry was glad Radar's safety is one of them. Once Hawkeye finished getting dressed the two of them began their search for the Corporal.

"I already checked all the obvious places." Henry stated as they exited the Swamp. "The mess hall, showers, storage tents, even the omega tent! He wasn't there!"

"Okay, well let's look in some the less obvious places." Hawkeye paused, his brow suddenly furrowed. "You don't think he could have left the camp?"

"Why would he?!"

"I don't know! He might not even be in control of himself!"

"Well if he did leave camp it would take more than you and me to find him! And even if we do get other people to help us look for him we can't guarantee that someone won't take advantage of him!"

"Fine. We'll split up for now but if we don't find him in the next fifteen minutes we'll have to send out a search party."

Henry nodded in agreement. "Alright. Meet back here in fifteen." Hopefully with Radar.

Hawkeye gave him a lingering look before running off to continue the search. He had a feeling Captain Pierce knew about his affection for Radar (which meant that McIntyre likely knew as well). The man always had a way of knowing things; be it harmless gossip to highly classified information. Where this would fall Henry had no idea.

After thirteen minutes of searching Henry was beginning to panic. He remembered he has a pair of binoculars in his tent and decided to grab them before heading to meet Hawkeye and Trapper. As he approached his tent he began to smell something strange. It smelt like a heat but it was muddled with something else. The closer he got to his tent the stronger the smell became. When he saw that the door to his tent was ajar he knew something was up. Slowly he entered his tent making sure to close the door behind him. To his relief he found Radar curled up on his bed wrapped in his clothes.

"Radar!"

Henry immediately ran to the omega on his bed. The poor kid's face was scrunched in pain as he dripped sweat. There was also a strong smell of arousal that Henry desperately tried to ignore. When he placed his hand on the omega's forehead Radar looked up to him through clouded eyes.

"Henry...?" His voice was barely above a whisper. "I....it hurts...."

Henry gently stroked his head as he moved to sit. "I know, baby. I know. Let me get you out of here before--"

He was cut off by Radar groaning as wave of fresh arousal in the air. Shit, Radar's body was already responding to his presence. It took all of Henry's willpower to not rip every single article of clothing off them both. He was a Colonel, he should have more control over himself. And yet...

"Henry..." Radar's hand emerged from the covers to grip at Henry's own. "Make it stop...please...it hurts..."

The smell was becoming overwhelming. Henry could feel himself becoming aroused despite how hard he tried to fight it. This was Radar, but his mind could only scream omega. An omega who needs him desperately.

Radar whimpered. "Please..."

And with that Henry's resolve crumbled like the Ottoman empire. Slowly, as if in a daze, he climbed into the bed with Radar and cradled his face in his palms.

"Okay." Henry gave him the gentlest kiss he could manage. "Okay."

He had been right about Radar being a virgin. He was practically clueless when it came to sex but thankfully Henry had enough experience for the both of them. Despite his head swimming from the pheromones Henry still managed to be gentle in his love making. Radar didn't say much during the experience but that was to be expected. The Colonel took some pride at being Radar's first and was able to satisfy his needs to the fullest. .

Now Henry found himself cradling Radar in his arms as he slept peacefully. In his gaze of lust the Colonel had left many marks on his secretary. So many that he couldn't even count them all. Strangely enough he felt proud of marking Radar. It would let everyone know that Radar was his and no one else could touch him. Of course, the ever nagging reminder that Radar was technically not his rose to the forefront of his thoughts. Speaking of which, Radar began to stir in his sleep. Henry was dreading the inevitable conversation he would have to have with his clerk. The kid didn't seem the type to hump and dump and Henry was terrified of breaking his heart. Not to mention the guaranteed awkwardness that came with sleeping with a coworker.

"Henry?"

The Colonel looked down at the man in his arms and was met with half closed hazel eyes.

"Hey there, Radar. How are you feeling?" Henry asked nervously.

"Better, I guess." Radar untangled himself from Henry so he could stretch his arms. "How long was I out?"

"Only a couple hours." Henry pursed his lips. "Radar, we need to talk about--"

He was cut off by Radar shushing him and pressing a finger against his lips. "Later. Sleepy time now."

With that he tucked himself back into Henry's arms before sighing contentedly. Henry didn't blame him; heats were exhausting. As much as he wanted to continue cuddling with his clerk he knew he had to let Hawkeye and Trapper know that Radar was fine. It was odd that no one came to his tent looking for him but honestly Henry was grateful for not being interrupted. Slowly he untangled himself and replaced his form with a pillow. Thankfully Radar hugged it to his chest as he continued to sleep. Henry quietly got dressed and opened the door to his tent slowly. To his surprise Hawkeye was right outside his tent leaning on a post. The captain's arms were crossed in way that made Henry feel like he was about to be scolded.

"Good morning, Henry." Hawkeye greeted with an unusually flat tone.

"Its evening, Hawkeye."

"Whatever." Hawkeye pushed himself off the post and walked so he was directly in front of Henry. He wasn't pissed but he was certainly displeased.

"Where's Trapper?"

"Sleeping, but that's not why I'm here." Hawkeye nodded in the direction of an empty supply tent. Henry understood and nodded before they headed to it. Once the door was closed and Hawkeye looked around for other people the captain turned abruptly and slapped his Colonel clean across the face.

"Ow, what the hell Pierce??" Henry said cradling his cheek.

"What the hell? What the hell? I'm not stupid, Blake! I know Radar is in your tent and you reek of sex! So, riddle me this, o Colonel of mine. Why did I have to subject my ears to listening to an 18 year old getting his brains fucked out?"

Henry sighed. "It was consensual if that's what you're wondering."

"He consented to being fucked during his first heat? Without any contraceptives?"

"Just listen to me, okay!" Henry snapped. "He asked me too! He was in a lot of pain and I couldn't stand to see him like that."

"So you fucked him?"

"I was gentle! And for your information he was fine with it. He woke up for a little bit before I came out and he didn't freak out at all."

Hawkeye paused for a brief moment, deep in thought. "Does he remember it happening?"

"Yeah, I think so. He only asked me how long he had been sleeping for." Henry stated. "Listen, Hawkeye: you and I both know I wouldn't do anything to hurt him. I...care about him a lot."

Hawkeye raised a brow at him but ultimately conceded. "Alright, I guess that's believable. I still want to talk to Radar, though."

"Yeah, that's fine." Henry continued to run his cheek. "Damn, Hawkeye, you slap like a woman!"

Hawkeye shrugged. "It's a gift. Sorry, by the way."

Henry waved his hand. "Don't worry about it. I kinda deserve it."

"Good to see we're in agreement." They both exited the supply tent. "Listen, Henry: Radar likes you a lot and I know you like him. Now I'm not gonna go stating the obvious but if the obvious does happen...just know that Trap and I would go to the ends of the Earth to keep Radar safe."

Henry nodded in understanding. "Yeah, I know. I would to."

After a promise to bring Radar by the Swamp later Henry returned to his tent. Radar was still sleeping and likely wouldn't wake up until morning. He had to admit, the kid was cute even when he slept.

Radar woke up feeling sore but oddly satisfied. He never thought that kind of sex could feel good but Henry made it work. Speaking of Henry the Colonel was squished onto the cot with him snoring like a bloodhound. Even though he was fully clothed Radar knew what happened between them. He couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed at the way he acted but he couldn't be too upset when it got him in Henry's bed. He had to focus on the positive while he could but all too soon did the logical voice in his head start hurling the facts at him. He just had sex with an alpha, during his heat, and without contraceptives. Pregnancy was a very real possibility. Heats typically have a 97.3% chance of resulting in a pregnancy especially when it was between an alpha and omega. Radar didn't know how fertile he was but Henry had three kids so his chances of conceiving definitely went up.

Christ, but he was sore. He could have sworn he felt Henry reach his guts. Could the cervix get bruised? It sure as hell felt like it could. Still, the soreness was preferable to his insides feeling like they were on fire. He actually felt bad for the nurse that attacked him; that pain was unbearable.

Radar sat up and stretched before looking down at his own body. There were many hickey's on his chest and stomach and...hips? Yep, there were marks on his hips too. He would need a mirror to see how his neck fared but if he had to guess he was likely covered there too. He'd probably have to swipe one of the nurse's concealer or dig out his scarf just to be able to walk outside. Maybe Father Mulcany had a turtleneck he could borrow? Of course, that would mean actually going to the priest and while the man had a kind heart it would still be a very embarrassing encounter.

"You're awake?"

Radar looked down to Henry who had apparently woken up without him noticing. "Uh, yeah...I guess."

Henry got up from his cot to fetch his robe which he handed to Radar. The Corporal thanked him before wrapping it snugly around himself.

"How ya feeling? I didn't hurt you, did I?"

Radar shook his head. "No, I'm okay. A little sore, but okay."

Henry nodded before sitting back on the cot next to him. "Listen, Radar, I...I'm sorry for taking advantage of you like that."

"Oh no, sir, you didn't do anything like that!" Radar was quick to say. "If anything I took advantage of you! I know alphas have a hard time resisting heat pheromones."

"Hard to resist doesn't me we can't resist. We're not animals who are slaves to our instincts."

Radar's expression fell into uncertainty. "So you regret it?"

As much as Henry wanted to lie when he saw the look on the other's face he couldn't. "Honestly? No, I don't. I'm sorry it had to happen like this, though."

Radar nodded in understanding. "Yeah, I guess heat induced hookups aren't great." Radar bit his lip. "For what it's worth I had a good time."

Henry huffed out a laugh. "Oh good, I was worried I had lost my touch."

Radar couldn't help but giggle. As far as mornings after go this wasn't too bad. There was still a slight awkwardness in the air but at least they could talk to each other. He was a little surprised when Henry wrapped an arm around him but he found himself leaning into the Colonel.

"I think this goes without saying but...I really like you, Radar."

"Like or like like?"

He felt Henry snort. "Like like. Hell, I might just be starting to love you."

A small smile bloomed across Radar's face. "I think I'm starting to love you, too."

Once Radar was dressed in his own (now clean) clothes the two of them made their way over to the Swamp. It was late at night so there weren't many people out and about but Henry still lent the Corporal one of his scarves.

"Is it bad?" Radar had asked as the other tied the scarf around his neck.

"Let's just say I got a bit carried away."

To neither of their surprise the inhabitants of the Swamp were still awake. Trapper and Hawkeye were doing their usual nightly activity of drinking and Frank was thankfully absent. The two had been singing some song about pipes which fell silent once Henry knocked on the door. After a few seconds of shuffling they were greeted by Hawkeye.

"Ah, Sleeping Beauty finally awakens! And here I thought we'd have to wait a hundred years."

Radar smiled a bit at the Captain. "Hey, Hawkeye."

Pierce returned the smile. "Hey to you too." He waved them into the tent. "C'mon in, make yourselves at home. I'll have the hubby make you guys some drinks."

They both followed Hawkeye and took a seat next to each other. As Hawkeye poured their drinks Henry couldn't help but notice the way Trapper was looking at him. No, he wasn't looking; he was watching. Studying, almost. Either way it made the Colonel feel like an ant under a magnifying glass. It wasn't until they got their drinks and Hawkeye returned to his seat did McIntyre say anything.

"How ya doing, Radar? Everything good?"

Radar nodded. "Yeah, for the most part."

Trapper looked from Radar to Henry. "And you?"

Henry felt himself gulp. Trapper, much like his counterpart, rarely got serious like that. He was definitely in the hotseat. "I'm fine."

Trapper nodded slowly before looking to Hawkeye. The other captain nodded.

"Frank is on post-OP duty for another hour." Pierce began. "That's enough time for us to clear things up. Now Radar, Henry told me that your little encounter was consensual. Is that true?"

Radar nodded quickly. "Yes, it was. I, um, asked Henry to, uh, help me." This got a raised brow from both captains.

"We talked about it before coming here." Henry added. "Neither of us regret it and we both agreed to start going steady."

This time both brows went up. To make a point Radar took Henry's hand in his and intertwined their fingers. The captains looked to each other communicating solely through expression before they both shrugged.

"Okay." Trapper said. "Congrats, you two."

Hawkeye smiled devilishly. "Looks like Jones owes me twenty bucks. And you..."

He gave a pointed look to Trapper. The man sighed before fishing into his pocket and pulling out a wad of bills. He threw the money at Hawkeye who caught it all with a gleeful laugh.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait a minute!" Henry said. "Did you guys bet on whether or not we would get together?"

"Was more of a matter of 'when' than 'if'." Trapper said in a slightly grumpy tone. "I bet summer, Hawk here bet spring."

"Love blossoms in spring, like a lotus." Hawkeye said cheekily. "You and I already claimed summer for ourselves."

Henry interjected "Are we done here or are you gonna make us sit here and watch your foreplay?"

"I do have one final question." Hawkeye leaned over while looking at Radar. "How'd he do?"

Henry rolled his eyes while Radar's face turned a deep shade of pink.

It was about a month later that Henry got a letter from his wife. He had written about the crazy week they had including what happened between him and Radar. Her letter went as such:

My dearest Henry,

I'm happy that you managed to find someone amidst all the chaos. I always knew this day would come and you must know I do not resent you for it. I admire your efforts to be a good husband but we both know that isn't why I married you. You've worked hard to provide the girls and I with a good life and for that I'll always be grateful. You have been my best friend these past years and a part of me has always regretted the love I couldn't give you. Radar sounds like a lovely young man and I want you both to know that once this war is over you will still be welcome home. I know it's a bit early but if Radar wished to live with us I would welcome the company. I explained it to the girls the best I could but they're still too young to understand fully. Even so, I think they would enjoy having an uncle or even another father. I look forward to hearing from you again.

Your loving wife

PS: If you're able to I'd like you to send a picture of this young man. He sounds absolutely adorable.

Henry couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. Deep down he knew she would understand but there would always be that lingering fear of rejection. He'd have to talk about it with Radar but it was good to know that they both had a home to go back to once the war was over. Speaking of Radar he heard the stomping of feet before the Corporal burst through his office doors.

"Henry, come quick!"

Henry jumped out of his chair. "What's wrong?"

Poor kid was panting. "Something's wrong with Hawkeye!"

They both sprinted out of his office in direction of the Swamp. As soon as they entered the tent they were both bombarded by the smell of vomit. Hawkeye was bent over a basin heaving while Trapper rubbed his back. Frank had a clothes pin on his nose and was clean out a bucket while trying not to gag.

Frank was the first to notice them. "Oh, thank heavens you're here! He's been like this for hours and yet refuses to let me look him over!"

Hawkeye took a brief break from heaving to yell "The day I let you give me a check up is the day the USSR dissolves!"

Frank, instead of being angry, could only sigh. "As much as I would love for that to happen I don't think you can wait that long." He turned to Henry. "He said he'll only let you look at him."

Henry nodded and made his way over to Hawkeye. Poor guy looked pale and was now reduced to dry heaving between gasps of breath. What really took him off guard was the low growl the Trapper let out. Henry quickly raised his hands in defense and backed up a few feet. Even Frank was set on edge by it. Trapper seemed to immediately regret it.

"Sorry, Henry. I don't know where that came from."

Henry waved his hand. "Don't worry about it. You think you can help me get him back to my office?"

Trapper nodded and after the beta was done puking he lifted the other in his arms. Pierce said nothing as he was carried back to Henry's office; he was still conscious but looked exhausted. Now that they were away from the vomit all three of them could smell the fear radiating off the captain. With Henry's help they pushed Radar's cot into his office so Hawkeye could lay down. Instead Trapper sat on the cot with Hawkeye still in his arms.

"I know you're worried, Trap. But I'm gonna need you lay him flat, OK? I'm not gonna make you leave but you do need to put him down so I can examine him." Henry stated.

They noticed the way Trapper tensed before nodding slowly. He placed Hawkeye gently on the cot without ever taking his eyes off him. Even when he was laid down Trapper refused to let go of his hand. Radar handed Henry his bag and he got to work on examining the beta. He slowly lifted Hawkeye's shirt while looking at Trapper to make sure the other alpha was alright with it. His jaw was set and he was tense but he made no objections. He pressed lightly onto the captain's stomach and noticed it was hard like a medicine ball.

"Does that hurt, Hawk?"

Through his daze he managed to shake his head. "'S uncomfortable. Doesn't feel like appendicitis."

"Did you eat anything strange? Any food allergies you might have? Heavy--er, heavier drinking?"

Hawkeye shook his head. "Only cafeteria food."

Henry looked to Trapper for confirmation.

"We haven't had anything since at least Monday." Trapper looked back to Hawkeye with his eyebrows furrowed. "Could it be withdrawal?"

"I don't think so. Withdrawal doesn't usually make you bloated." Henry looked to Hawkeye. "Awkward question but when was your last period?"

Hawkeye didn't answer. Instead he began to stare at the ceiling with his eyes wide like saucers.

"Uh...Hawk?"

Hawkeye didn't look at Henry, he looked at Trapper. "Trap...when was my last period?"

Trapper, now just as confused as Henry, shrugged. "I don't know; you haven't complained about since winter....." Something seemed to connect in his head. "Uh...how often do beta's have a period?"

Radar answered "Betas bleed every two months while omegas bleed every month. Why?"

That time both Trapper and Hawkeye became bug eyed. Pierce even managed to sit up a bit before groaning and laying back down. Henry took out his stethoscope and listened to Hawkeye's stomach. Sure enough he heard a very faint heartbeat alongside Pierce's. He took a deep sniff and immediately recognized the pheromone being admitted. How did he not recognize it sooner?

"I'll have to do a blood test to be sure but you, ah, you might be pregnant. If I had to take a guess I would say six or seven weeks."

Radar managed to catch Trapper before his head hit the floor.