Work Text:
It takes Mox a while to notice, but once he does, he feels like a failure as an Alpha. A few weeks before, he'd actually noticed a slight bitter smell in the air that seems to follow him around. He'd mostly ignored it, assuming one of his partners changed soap brands or that Bryan bought some new deodorizer for his bag, then their group was in turmoil and the strange smell was pushed to the back of his mind. There's been tension between Bryan and Yuta, uncertainty about their future with Regal choosing to leave the company, worry that their relationship couldn't handle the long distance, and then, the spot between MJF and Regal had gone wrong.
Bryan's been staying home with Regal because he's not cleared to stay by himself. The rest of them have been spending as much time home as possible but they're still needed for Dynamite, Rampage, and other commitments they'd already agreed to that they couldn't postpone. As much as possible, none of them are alone. With both Claudio and Yuta booked for the ROH PPV, Mox stays home with Bryan and Regal while Claudio accompanies Yuta to the NJPW Strong show he has the day after the ROH PPV.
Right now, Bryan has Regal settled in their mentor's bedroom upstairs. Last Mox checked in on them, Regal had been resting and Bryan was reading. Mox is waiting for Claudio and Yuta to get back, trying to ignore that they're a little late. He knows their plane landed fine, Yuta had sent him a text as soon as he'd gotten off the plane, but that was the last update he'd received. It's possible they'd had issues getting their bags or maybe they'd stopped for food, but Mox is ten minutes from texting Yuta to demand an update. He just wants them home. He feels restless without the rest of his pack in the house, especially their omega.
It's almost at his imposed deadline of ten minutes when he sees headlights coming up the long drive. Mox rushes out to greet the car as it pulls up to the house, seeing Claudio in the driver's seat but no Yuta. Before he can panic, Claudio gestures to the backseat and, in the few seconds in takes for Mox to reach the door handle, Claudio is out and by his side. Yuta is curled up in the backseat, seeming to be fast asleep, covered by different items of clothes. It looks like Claudio's entire bag has been emptied on top of Yuta.
"Is that my hoodie?" he asks, recognizing the hoodie he's been looking for since he'd gotten home. He reaches in, gently pulling Yuta toward him until he can lift the sleeping omega into his arms. And that bitter smell fills his nostrils as Yuta shifts in his sleep to bury his face against Mox's chest. "How long has he been like this?"
He doesn't mean to snap at Claudio. He's just worried. He's never known an omega's scent to change but Yuta's has, going from cinnamon and apples to something so bitter it makes Mox's nose itch. He doesn't bother to close the car door, trusting Claudio will get it and follow him into the house.
"He seemed fine yesterday during his match," Claudio says as he helps Mox get Yuta comfortable on the couch. "He slept on the plane and when we landed, that strange scent was clinging to him. I thought maybe his heat was coming early so I took him to one of the airport heat rooms, but he promised he was just tired and wanted to come home."
Mox runs his fingers through Yuta's hair as his omega continues to sleep, head in Mox's lap. "What are you thinking?" He knows Claudio, knows the older Alpha would have spent the drive doing research as Yuta slept.
"I made some calls while Yuta was sleeping," Claudio replies. He tucks the blanket a little tighter around Yuta and Mox sees the older man's lips pressed together, the small action showing Claudio's concern. "It's possible the change in his scent is from feeling insecure about his place in the pack. Between Bryan paying more attention to that beta boy Garcia," Mox lets out a snort at that. He's still furious at Bryan over that, and he still has trouble wrapping his head around Garcia being a beta. He's not convinced. "And with us being so separated these past few weeks, it could be messing with our Yuta's cycle."
Mox curses under his breath, not wanting to disturb Yuta. By his quick calculations, Yuta's heat should be hitting him soon, within the week, and none of them are prepared. Usually they would have booked the week off so Yuta could be as comfortable as possible in his own house, in their own bed, but for the times Tony needed them, they made sure to book a heat-friendly hotel and made sure to secure one of the private locker rooms designed for an omega in heat. Usually this close, Mox should be able to smell Yuta's pre-heat but all he can smell is that bitter scent, like his omega's typical warm smells have turned bad. He doesn't like it.
"How do we fix him?" he asks, instincts telling him to scoop his omega up into his arms and take him to bed. There’s been times he’s made fun of Claudio’s random contacts but if one of them has an idea to help Yuta, he swears he’ll never question them again.
“My friend suggested trying to all stay in the same bed for a few nights,” Claudio tells him. “He thinks having the same routine as before will help our little Yuta feel safe. He said us all being so separated these last few weeks may have triggered feelings of abandonment, even if Yuta doesn’t realize it. We need to make sure he knows we’re still a pack.”
“It’s my fault,” Bryan’s voice is soft and Mox cranes his neck so he can see the other man standing at the bottom of the stairs. Mox has no clue how long Bryan had been standing there, how much he’d heard. The other Alpha is staring down at his socked feet and chewing at a fingernail, a sure sign he’s upset. Mox can’t move to comfort him, not with Yuta in his lap, but Claudio’s already moving toward Bryan and leads him to the couch. “I should have noticed.”
“We all should have noticed,” Mox assures him. He’s not going to let Bryan put all the blame on himself. They’ve all been busy with their own storylines, but they’re all Yuta’s Alphas. None of them noticed Yuta’s scent changing, or if they had like Mox, then no one brought it up to the others. “You guys get the bed ready and I’ll get our little omega all ready for bed. Regal’s healed enough that we can put Yuta next to him.”
Mox waits until the other two disappear upstairs before he moves, sliding carefully out from under Yuta then turning to scoop his omega into his arms and hold him close against his chest. He inhales deeply, able to just faintly smell Yuta’s usual scent under the new bitterness and it unsettles his inner Alpha. He carries Yuta to his own room, placing the omega on his bed and smiling when the young man whines in his sleep when Mox pulls away. After soothing his omega, Mox is quick to grab a pair of pajama bottoms and wet a cloth in the bathroom before returning to Yuta. He’s gentle as he changes Yuta, getting him out of the clothes he’s worn all day and into clean pajamas, then he wipes the cloth along Yuta’s body, just enough to hopefully get rid of some of the airport grim.
“We’re gonna fix this,” he says as he lifts Yuta into his arms again, carrying him into the main bedroom where the others are waiting. Regal’s still awake, sitting up in the middle of the bed with a book but he sets it aside when Mox settles Yuta beside him. “Claudio fill you in?” he asks the older Alpha, getting a nod in return. He wonders if Regal has heard of anything like this happening before in all his travels. His mentor has picked up a lot of knowledge through his years, including knowing why their pack of four Alphas with one omega works so well. According to their head Alpha, it helps they’ve known each other for such a long time before forming their pack that it tempers their instincts when they see their omega with an Alpha who isn’t them.
“Well, hello there Sunshine,” Regal’s voice brings Mox’s attention to the bed to see Yuta is slowly blinking his eyes open.
Mox sees the exact moment their omega tries to fight his instinct to sink into his Alpha’s arms, sees when Yuta remembers the doctors being very strict with their warnings about Regal not overdoing it or putting too much weight on his shoulders. He acts fast, slipping on to the bed behind Yuta before the omega can panic and push himself away from Regal.
“It’s okay pup,” Mox is so close to Yuta that his lips touch his omega’s ear. He feels their young packmate relax at his words and he eases them both closer to Regal. “He’s been cleared pup. You won’t hurt him. We’re all gonna sleep here tonight, okay?”
“Mmm kay,” Yuta lets out a yawn and snuggles into the space between Mox and Regal. Bryan makes himself comfortable on Regal’s other side while Claudio takes his place behind Mox, reaching his long arms across Mox’s body to wrap around both Mox and Yuta.
Maybe it’s the fact that they have a plan, that they’re doing something, but Mox swears Yuta’s scent is already less bitter. It could just be that thing Bryan likes to talk about, placebo maybe Mox thinks, but he’s sure that when they wake in the morning, Yuta’s usual scent will be back.