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Feet aching, head pounding, Dick Grayson fumbles with the keys to his apartment. He's just gotten off work after nine grueling hours of patrolling the streets of Bluhaven all day, and he only has a precious few hours to sleep before he'll be back out and patrolling the rooftops at night. He is not looking forward to it. At all.
Usually Dick doesn’t mind the workload he's picked out for himself. Dick has always handled both jobs with a single minded determination and a healthy fervor befitting an acrobat with his extensive background. Dick is incredibly flexible (in more ways than one) and when things start to weigh him down Dick simply shrugs the weight off and bounces back with energy to spare.
Normally.
Today just wasn't one of those normal days.
Today certain members of Dick's pack have decided to take their familial drama and project it at Dick from a whole freaking city away. And they've been doing it: All. Damn. Day.
First it started out with a prickling worry in the back of Dick's mind. This emotion came from Alfred, the pack's eldest, a stern and steadfast beta. The feeling lasted throughout the morning, but Alfred so rarely projects that after a quick phone call and some quiet reassurances Dick let it go. Then around noon it was joined with an uncomfortable wariness and foreboding that could come from none other than the head alpha of the pack, Bruce. Bruce is usually wary and full of foreboding, so Dick elects to ignore it (as he normally does) and carry on with his day.
Around three o'clock-ish, rather unexpectedly, there is a brief burst of joy from the pack's youngest beta, Tim. Tim never projects what he's feeling. Never. Dick actually stalls at a traffic light he's so shocked. Then he almost runs through a red at the next intersection because Tim projects a second time. Only this time, he's feeling nothing but cold dread and awful betrayal. The abrupt and terrible shift of the beta's emotions is too much for Dick and the officer ends up puking out the patrol car's window.
Bruce's angst got worse shortly after that and Alfred was no better. Dick called three times and received short and uninformative replies from both older men. Tim never picked up and its been bothering Dick ever since. He was practically useless for the remainder of his shift.
Stupid family.
'You love them.’ Dick's omegan thoughts insist.
Stupid instincts.
Grumbling Dick struggles to select the correct key for the door. Ahah! There it is. He goes to twist the elusive key in the lock and stops. Something is…
‘Something is wrong.’ A lump forms in Dick's throat.
Something is wrong with his pack.
“Looks like I'm headed to Gotham.” Dick turns on his heel and heads down the stairs to the parking lot where his car is waiting.
He just hopes he's not too late to help weather whatever storm is raging back home.
………………
Twenty minutes of his pack's taxing emotions and many broken speed limits later, Dick is rushing up the front steps of Wayne manor to find out just what in the heck is going on, and why every member of his family is trying to mentally scar him for life.
As he nears the gigantic door Dick can hear raised voices. He doesn't recognize one of them.
An angry snarl curls Dick's lips as he kicks the door open without bothering to knock (he makes a mental note to ask Alfred why it wasn't locked). Uncaring of the consequences, Dick bursts into the entrance hall with a vicious growl. There is an intruder in the house, causing his family unrest, and they'd better hightail it out of there or so help-
A fresh, sweet, milky scent hits Dick's nostrils like a brass knuckle punch from Bane to the face. Stunned, the omega skids to an ungraceful stop mere feet from his pack. There's a sudden rush of heat twisting in his gut and Dick gasps.
What on earth??
He's disoriented by the smell- that's it! -and shakes his head to clear it, but its strong and- and!-
Dick takes a big breath through his mouth, filling his lungs to capacity and holding it for seven seconds. Then he breathes it back out for five.
Okay, okay. Dick is at the manor.
Why?
Something is wrong with his family, that's why.
The omega takes a quick headcount of everyone present. They're all here, the three of them, his precious ones. Bruce, Tim, Alfred, and..
And there’s a fourth person.
Dick's blue eyes meet those of the intruder- stranger- no, its a child. A child who smells exactly like the long lost pup Dick never knew he had.
“Wha-” That’s all Dick manages to get out before a heaping barrage of omegan instincts slam into his senses.
'Pup, pup, baby, pup!’ His instincts scream at him. ‘Pup, yours!’
Dick takes an involuntary step forward, staggering slightly in the direction of the newcomer Bruce has yet to introduce him to.
“Dick?” His father asks, worry in his voice.
The omega doesn’t reply, he only lurches a few feet closer to the boy, who is openly staring at him with wide, green eyes. Such beautiful green eyes.
“Father who is this?” The pup backs away from Dick, his body language screaming insecurity and upset. “What is he doing?”
The boy's voice is crisp and demanding, far too young to be so distrusting. It is heartbreakingly obvious that someone has hurt the pup in the past to make him this way.
Dick can fix that.
“What are you-!?” The pup's squeaky adolescent growl is cut off as Dick successfully snatches the boy up into his arms.
Shocked, Bruce, Tim, and Alfred watch in astounded silence as the pack's sole omega manhandles the violent child, who does NOT want to engage in physical contact with Dick whatsoever.
The pup is strong for such a little guy, kicking and flailing in Dick’s arms with enough force to give the fully grown omega some trouble, but Dick is definitely the stronger of the two. In a little under a minute Dick manages to wrestle the thrashing pup into facing away from him so that the boy's back is pressed flat against his much larger chest. In this position it will be easy for Dick to peel back the pup's clothing and reveal his scent gland.
The pup must understand this as the little thing then proceeds to dig his teeth into the pad of muscle under Dick's right thumb. Silly pup. Dick uses the opportunity to remove the patch blocking his own scent gland and waits for his calming scent to reach the boy.
He can tell the moment it happens when the boy suddenly jerks against him and stills. A rumbling purr of approval bursts from Dick's chest and he nuzzles lightly at the pup's silky black hair. The pup's sweet aroma is heady at such close proximity and Dick finds himself swaying where he stands.
The pup lets out a cautious churr that sounds garbled with Dick's palm still stuck in his mouth. Smiling, Dick answers with his own possessive trill and the pup finally (slowly) lets the omega's hand go free.
Pride and happiness at the little one's tentative trust blooms in Dick's heart and he noses gently at the pup's covered scent gland. A small, trembling hand- a child's hand -reaches over Dick’s arm and shakily pulls the boy's shirt over and down a tan, slim shoulder, fully exposing the little one's gland.
“M-mother?”
Unable to stop himself, Dick presses a light kiss to his pup's gland. It’s a silent promise and a tender token all at once and the pup sighs. His head droops to the side, relaxed.
It only takes a couple seconds for Dick to claim the pup as his own, and when it’s over the newest member of the pack becomes boneless in Dick's arms. He slides them both easily to the floor, his pup resting safely in his lap. At ease and ridiculously happy, Dick begins to preen his pup, purring like a tank engine all the while.
Someone puts their hand on his shoulder, “Master Richard, so wonderful to have you home.”
Dick smiles dreamily up at Alfred, “I found my puppy, A.”
“I see.” The beta is smiling as well. “Quite the catch, I must say.”
“Isn't he perfect?” Dick asks proudly, lifting the pup’s head to show Alfred the drunken expression on the boy's face. “My pup.”
“Hmmhmm. Might I suggest you retire with your pup for the evening? Master Damian hasn't slept much since he’s been here.”
Such a wonderful idea! Alfred has always known best.
“I'll do that!” Dick sighs contentedly, carefully arranging his pup's limbs so that he can lift him safely when he stands. “Damian… that's the best name.”
“Indeed, master Richard.” Something about the way he says it makes Dick smile even wider. His beta approves!
He stands, cradling his little one to his chest. “My little D…. Bruce!”
“Yes, chum?” His father is wearing a rare grin.
“Your door is not properly secure. I just kinda walked in.”
Bruce turns to take in the splintered mess where the dead bolts used to be, and stares.
“Bruce your door is broken.” Dick informs him solemnly.
The alpha sighs, but Dick can tell that he's not that angry about it. Maybe just slightly upset.
“I'm not sorry.”
Bruce's eyes narrow. “Don't you have a pup to put to bed?”
“Yes! I do!” The omega gushes, then begins his ascent up the stairs to where a perfectly good king size bed awaits.
……………
“Well… umm.. that went well, I think?” Tim says perplexed by everything that just happened.
“It did, actually.” Bruce is fiddling with the front door, his back to Alfred and the younger beta. “That's the first time I've seen a fated bonding play out in front of me. I've heard some tragic stories, but Dick and “little D” seemed to click just fine.”
Tim frowns, replaying the odd scene over in his head. “That was what that was? I thought that was just an urban myth.”
“I assure you, master Timothy, bonds of this nature are perfectly natural.” Alfred goes to help Bruce with the mess, brandishing a broom that he conjured from thin air. “Not common, certainly, but natural.”
Tim is still skeptical and it shows on his face. “I've never met anyone like that before.”
“Sure you have.” A dustpan joins the broom. “When master Bruce was born, I couldn't keep my hands to myself. It was very unprofessional of me at the time, but Martha and Thomas didn't mind at all.”
Tim's jaw drops and he gapes at a red faced Bruce, who is doing his damndest to look unaffected by Alfred's affectionate words and failing spectacularly.