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Jason feels sick to his stomach as he walks down the aisle.
Dick waits at the other end, watching him with a sympathetic smile. Maybe Jason’s imagining it, but he thinks that there are tears in his eyes. He’s dressed nicely, for once, in a well pressed tux. His hair’s even been trimmed into submission. The scuff on his dress shoes is as inconspicuous as Jason had said it would be, as are the nicotine stains on Dick’s fingers. Fingers that, for a moment, are close enough to brush Jason’s cheek.
And then Jason splits from his escort and takes up his place as the maid of honor.
The rest of the room stands up as the pianist starts up the wedding march. Every note feels like a death knell for Jason’s frayed nerves. No one will judge him for crying as the bride floats down the aisle wrapped in silk. One is supposed to cry at weddings, right?
The pastor prattles on about the importance of love and devotion and it makes Jason sick. He remembers Dick’s tears when he’d shown up at the Sionis townhome drunk out of his mind and sobbing. Whatever else there is in this production, it’s certainly not love. Dick is an honorable alpha. He wouldn’t abandon a ‘soiled’ omega, even if he’d had no choice in his part of the soiling.
“Speak now or forever hold your peace.”
For a moment everything is silent. This is Jason’s last chance, Dick’s last chance. It’s that thought that has him stepping forward just as the priest takes in another breath.
“I...” Flower petals drift from his bouquet as Jason’s hands tremble so badly that it’s a miracle he’s managed to hold onto the stems. His voice isn’t as steady or as loud as he needs it to be. “I have an objection.”
Catalina’s eyes flash danger as her smile freezes. She’s not the one Jason’s worried about though.
Dick stops himself just in time to keep from reaching for Jason. He looks as lost as Jason feels. Those stupidly blue eyes are too soft, pleading with Jason to shut up and save them both the embarrassment.
If he wouldn’t hurt Dick more by staying silent, Jason would shut up immediately. Instead, at the officiant’s prompting, Jason speaks up. “I, I know... We’re not really supposed to say things now, and I’m an omega so I shouldn’t say anything, and I... I’ll leave if I need to, but Dick can’t marry the wrong—Miss Flores.”
“Jason.” Roman hisses from his place a few rows in. The alpha is furious and Jason knows that nothing good awaits him after this stunt. His adoptive father is more likely to strip the skin from his back than give a verbal lashing.
Especially once Jason finishes with his speech.
But Stephanie is sitting next to Roman with a sad smile. When she catches Jason’s eye, she makes a shooing gesture. It was her idea, saying she couldn’t bear to see her brother pine after a married alpha.
Needing to block out all the staring and whispers, Jason shuts his eyes to finish. If Dick denies him, Jason’s finished. No alpha will have him and he’ll be shunned by high society, but if he doesn’t say something then he’s going to be forced to watch Dick waste away and he can’t bear that. “Dick can’t get married because... because I’m pregnant. And the pups are his.”
“You bi—“ Catalina draws back her bouquet, brandishing it like a weapon.
She’s cut off by the priest stepping forward, level with Jason. “That’s a very serious accusation, Miss. Are you certain that Mr. Wayne is the father?”
As a ruined omega, the suspicion is natural. Jason shouldn’t expect anything more, not anymore, and yet the pain blooms in his chest like a fatal wound. He dips his head in a wobbly nod. “There is no one else.”
The priest turns to Dick with a solemn gaze. “Mr. Wayne, is this true?”
And here’s the moment where everything could go wrong. Dick can say no and the priest will take his word as truth and the ceremony will go on as planned, though with a few more rumors than before. Dick would be well within his rights to deny the accusation. He knows there’s no chance that Jason’s pregnant by him. They never did anything more than hold hands, even when they slipped their escorts.
But Jason prays that he says yes.
If he let Dick marry Catalina after... Jason wouldn’t be able to live with himself. Dick is an honorable alpha and it’s not his fault that Catalina trapped him while he was in rut. It’s not his fault and he doesn’t deserve the consequences polite society demands. She doesn’t deserve the protection of a kind alpha to save her from the consequences of discarding the purity demanded by polite society.
“Jason.” Dick says instead, staring into Jason’s soul.
“I don’t care what’s happened.” Everyone around them ceases to exist as Jason speaks so softly. He touches Dick’s gloved hand in his own, quoting the reassurances Dick gave him in the garden months ago when, after Dick asked to court him, he’d tearfully admitted that the streets hadn’t left him untouched. “I am the first to hold your heart.”
“Mr. Wayne.”
“Yes.” Dick agrees, speaking just to Jason as the tears finally spill free. Then he clears his throat and tears his gaze away to the priest. “I didn’t know that Jason was pregnant—if I had then I—but it doesn’t matter. They’re mine.”
“Are you willing to take up your duty as alpha and redeem the purity of this omega?”
Dick doesn’t look away from Jason. “I am.”
Jason doesn’t know what happens afterward. He doesn’t know how Catalina reacts because the officiant rushes the pair of them away from the alter and into a private room. Roman will kill him, but it’s worth it because Jason’s hand is tucked in the crook of Dick’s elbow and his side is pressed against his alpha’s.
Somehow he manages to give his assent at the proper times. Dick makes similar promises and then his chapped lips scrape Jason’s neck in a search for his mating gland. There’s dull pressure, then the sharp slice of pain.
Jason’s knees go weak.
Dick lowers them both to their knees and wraps Jason up in his strong arms and wipes away blood and tears while Jason sobs. He’s not pregnant, and eventually they’ll have to deal with that. Eventually they’ll have to face their families. Eventually the opinions of the ton will make themselves heard, but... but Dick is safe. Dick is his.
Everything else can wait.