No Bite Tonight 

Billy knows something is up the moment he comes back from working the ranch that now belongs to Steve’s uncle and sees the omega holding up a beer like an invitation. He is hoping for a good something but the way Steve bats his eyelashes up at him and his sharp grin tell Billy he is not going to like it.

"You look particularly pleased with yourself." Billy says as he takes the beer Steve holds up and shifts from side to side. The condensation on the bottle pools and drips letting him know Steve has been out here waiting for a while. That sets his suspicions up another notch.

"I'm always pleased with myself Bill." Steve is still giving him that sharp grin as he flutters his lashes up at him some more. Billy sits in one of the heavy wooden chairs and takes a long sip of the beer, still cool enough to not be unpleasant. "Better drink the rest, sugar." Steve's hand reaches forward and presses against the end of the bottle as Billy gives him a suspicious look while taking another long sip. Steve’s hand does not move, keeping the bottle tipped until Billy has downed it all. It is either drink or let it spill over his chin and he does not like to waste good beer.

When the beer is empty Steve lets it go, Billy dragging the back of his hand over his mouth. His other hand moves to the little cooler between them that is old and cracked and he needs to get another one but it does well enough. The beer he pulls out is plenty cold, a few drips spilling over his fingers as Steve leans forward and removes the cap for him. He is being far too accommodating for this to be a good night for Billy. "What sort of unpleasant hell are you planning on unleashing on me?"

Steve smiles like butter wouldn't melt in his mouth, flipping the cap between his fingers. "I don't know what you're talking about. I'm sweet as pie." 

Billy snorts so hard beer nearly goes up his nose. "Until it's time to rattle and bite."

Steve’s scent is bright as he laughs. "No bite tonight. At least I don't think." Going thoughtful.

"Just the rattle than?" Billy asks with a raised brow, better than bite but no less dangerous.

"Depends on you baby." Steve is smiling again, scent awash with self satisfaction.

Billy huffs a sigh taking another sip of his beer. "You going to tell me what's going on?" 

"Why don't you go inside and get yourself some dinner and see for yourself."

"You got takeout?" Steve gives him a flat look as if Billy is wrong to assume that. It is bullshit because in all their time together Steve tried his hand cooking maybe three times and they all were disastrous. "You cooked?" Billy has a specific worry niggling his belly now. "Did you burn my kitchen down?" The again he bites off because regardless of the answer, bringing it up will lead to a fight.

There is a moment of indecision passing over Steve’s face where he is deciding whether to be a brat about it. Billy lets out a sigh of relief when Steve decides on amusement over slight. "Not this time sugar."

"Guess I should go see what you made." Billy stands half full beer in his hand as Steve nods, settling back in his seat. "You're not coming?"

"I'll be along in a minute." That just makes the foreboding that has been building in Billy since he got home rise back to the surface. He finished the last of his beer on the way up to the cabin door.

Billy is expecting to find something broken. Or maybe a pet he did not sign off on. What he finds is a red headed girl with tangled hair going through his desk, a candle stick and a few other barely worth the effort items stuffed in her backpack. "The fuck do you think you’re doing?"

Billy stomps over to her pulling the bag from her, she growls and snaps at him trying to grab it back the contents spilling over the floor. The handful of clothes and toiletries that fall out after the would be stolen items pull the steam out of Billy’s anger. "Pick your shit up and put ours back." Billy shoves the bag back toward her and moves over to the table where a casserole dish is sitting, one big spoon full missing.

The girl eyes him wearily, she can’t be more than fifteen given her appearance. She does mostly what she is told, trying to pocket a watch Steve’s grandfather gave Billy back when he was still new to the farm. "Put the fucking watch back right fucking now." She huffs and puffs but does it. "Now come sit down and eat something."

"He doesn't know how to cook. It's still raw." She still comes over though, bag on and fingers curled in the straps like she thinks it might be taken again. Her scent is hostile and nervous. Billy may not be an alpha like her but he is not going to be swayed by her cords and he is a hell of a lot bigger than her. She treats him like the threat he could be.

"Well he tried and I got a microwave right fucking there don't I." Billy points at the microwave a short distance away on the counter. More angry about how seeing her like this reminds him of his own youth than her attitude. He has been in her place once when grandpa Harrington dragged him home after finding him half frozen sleeping next to a cow in the pasture.

She glances at the microwave dubiously but takes the plate Billy heaps full for her. "Go on, heat it up, it'll be fine. I only have canned chicken in the pantry, so it was pre cooked."

"Had." She corrects as she takes the plate with caution. As soon as she has a good hold on it she jerks it back toward herself, hunching in on it as she shuffles over to the microwave.

"He used all of it?" Billy is staring down at the casserole with concern it cannot possibly need that much chicken. Can it?

"He dumped the bowl of the first few on the floor and had to start over again." She has her back to the microwave as it heats the food leery eyes keeping Billy in view.

"Am I going to find chicken on my floor?" He is pretty sure he already knows the answer.

"Probably. He's not a very good omega." Billy’s hackles rise.

"He's the best! You say that shit again and you'll be out the door with an empty belly." Steve does not need to be good at cooking and cleaning to be a good omega that is a bunch of hogwash knot head narrative. She watches him for a long minute before finally nodding and grabbing her food when the microwave beeps. Billy waves her over to the table, going around it from the opposite side to heat his own food.

They eat in silence, Max finally giving her name when Billy offers her a second portion. When Steve comes in Billy is finished eating, sipping on whisky trying to puzzle out what he is meant to do with her. 

"Hey baby." Steve greets forgoing a chair to settle in Billy’s lap and steal his whisky from him. "So how was it?" It does not go by unnoticed that Steve does not reach for a plate to get his own helping.

"No more cooking." Billy mutters as he wraps his arms around Steve’s waist and drops a kiss against the back of his neck.

"That bad?" Steve's scent is anything but upset by the news, well aware of his shortcomings in the kitchen.

"Don't think we'll die." Billy shrugs arms giving Steve a squeeze as Max nods her head taking another bite, curious blue eyes watching them interact.

"Well could be worse than." Steve nods to himself and offers Billy his own glass of whisky near empty.

"Are you going to tell me what she's doing here?" Billy asks a short while later when Max has had her fill sitting at the table while Steve takes the dishes and dumps them in the dishwasher. Billy had not wanted one but he quickly lost that battle and he does not mind the convenience now that he has gotten used to it. No wet belly from wayward spoons these days.

"She didn't have any place else to go." Steve says scraping the casserole into the trash, scraping at the bottom to get it all up. Despite being cold in the middle it had still burnt on the bottom. Billy suspects an error of temperature was involved.

"So you brought her home." Billy eyes Max across from him, mouth pinched and frowning arms crossed full of hostility as she stares right back.

"We got a couch that's free." Billy shakes his head not that Steve is looking in his direction. Max is looking though scent souring with worry.

"Definitely not, we’ll wake up and she'll have robbed us blind." Billy never had much to rob before Steve started living with him. A few trinkets, gifts from Steve mostly but now the house is full of stuff. Steve grew up rich, came with a lot of things that might catch a pretty penny, some of them Billy even likes.

Max is looking at Steve panic filling her scent, winter is rolling in and she is going to have a hard night if they put her out. That is not Billy's plan though, he remembers those nights. "There's a cot in the caller. It’s warm and you'll be out of the elements."

Max's panic dims marginally, still shooting Steve a worried look when Billy hauls her up by the elbow. "Don't worry Billy’s more bark than bite."

"I'm plenty bite. Keep it up, I'll bite you." Billy tease back, Max going pliant following him instead of letting herself be dragged.

"Promises, promises." Steve calls after, Billy nabbing an afghan and his mates heavy coat from the hooks by the door.

Max is quiet, arms curled around herself for the short walk to the caller. It is connected to the heat in the main part of the cabin, makes fiddling with things in winter more bearable. It is a little dusty from disuse, until recently the weather has been nice enough to work outside and it is full of clutter.

Billy shuffles things around pulling the cot out and a few spare blankets he keeps down here for days away from home. They are all thick and warm, those and the afghan will be plenty. "Where am I supposed to go to the bathroom?" Max asks, face all pinched up again. 

"Bucket over there." She does not look happy about it but she does not argue. "Sink has clean water." Billy hands her Steve’s coat knowing his scent will probably help her relax and scrubs a hand through her hair on the way out. "See you in the morning." He calls after a moment's hesitation before letting the heavy door fall shut keeping the elements out.

Billy jogs the short distance back around the cabin to get inside. Steve has finished loading the dishwasher and Billy has a feeling he is going to have to pull that pan out and scrub it again in the morning.  "She seems sort of like punishment? What I do?" This time Billy is the one stealing Steve’s glass.

"You didn't do anything baby. She's not a punishment." Steve takes the glass from Billy and sets it down, hands framing his cheeks, whipping  a stray drop of whisky from his lips. "She just reminded me of you when we first met and I couldn't let her stay out in the cold." Billy’s gut flips, she reminds him of himself back then too.

"You want to keep her?" Billy is not sure what to do with a kid hanging around but if Steve wants to keep her he will do his best to figure it out.

"Beyond tonight that’s up to you baby." Steve drags his thumb one last time over his bottom lip, pulling away as Billy’s lips pucker looking for a kiss and moving toward the stairs. "How about we go upstairs? You can bite me if you're still interested."

"I'm always interested in biting you but I’ve got better plans." Billy promises, closing the distance.

"Think we got time for both." Steve laughs as Billy hauls him up over his shoulder.

-

Billy should be sleeping, would be out like a light after a romp with Steve normally. His mind keeps wandering, keeping him from finding slumber. Billy nudges Steve until his snoring cuts off and he gives a sleepy grumble of acknowledgement as he wakes.

"Darlin?" Billy asks to make sure he has Steve’s attention. Billy nudges Steve again and does not speak until he gives a disgruntled hum of acknowledgement. "She isn't- You didn't- I mean." Billy's whole face scrunches up as he gives a growl.

Steve rolls over yawning, scent strong enough that even Billy can smell the comfort he is pushing out. "Baby give it a minute. Just take your time. I'm listening." Steve murmurs as he kisses a trail down one of Billy’s exposed pecs, nipple beading up even with such a light touch.

"The girl-"

"Max." Steve cuts in as if Billy needs an actual reminder of her name.

"Max." Billy huffs. "She isn't because I can't give you pups right. That's not why you brought her home." Billy broaches as carefully as he can.

Steve frowns as he leans up on one elbow. "Baby. There are plenty of ways to have kids that don't involve picking up mouthy stray pups. If I wanted a kid, with or without you I would have one already." Steve reaches a hand up and combs his fingers through Billy’s curls.

"She's not some instinct reaction?" 

Steve fists his hand in Billy's locks and gives a hard tug making him hiss. "Do you want to go sleep on the couch?"

"No, no, no! It's just that it can be a sign of deeper issues when an omega starts hoarding pups. I just want you to be happy." Billy does not want Steve feeling unfulfilled with him. Does not want him getting sick because of something Billy cannot provide. Not being enough is a worry that plagues him from time to time.

"Are you saying you want to adopt pups with me Billy?" Steve asks, face softening until he is smiling.

"If you want." Billy shrugs, leaning his head into Steve’s hand still gripping his hair until he takes the hint and starts stroking his curls again. "You're enough for me but I'd raise anything with you." Billy pauses for a second as it occurs to him that there is one thing he will not. "Except a puppy. They're too much hassle and I'm allergic."

Steve snorts a laugh at the dog reminder. It is the one thing Billy swears he will not budge on. "Never really like kids when they're little and you're plenty for me baby."

"So what are we doing with her?" 

"That's up to you."

Billy lets out a frustrated huff. "It's up to us."

"Baby I brought her home. You get to decide if she stays." Steve's fingers drag over a particular good spot and Billy groans as Steve's scrubs over the spot behind his ear a little harder.

"Don't you have an opinion?" Steve always does.

"Though it was pretty clear when I brought her here but whatever you choose won't be a deal breaker and we aren't going to fight about it. At the end of the day you are all I've ever wanted." Steve drops a chased kiss against his lips. "Now as much as I love you, if you don't let me go to sleep I'm going to make you regret it come tomorrow. You'll be getting full rattle and bite."

"I would expect nothing less darlin’. I love you." Billy curls a hand around the back of Stevie's neck and pulls him in for one last kiss.

"Love you too. Get some sleep, the sun isn't going to wait on you to get your beauty rest." Steve's jaw cracks with a yawn half way through as he settles down, forehead pressed against Billy’s shoulder. Billy leans his chin against his hair, still thinking about what to do about Max long after Steve’s snores fill up the silence again.

-

Billy wakes Max as the sun is just barely starting to lighten the sky. She is grumpy, glaring at him from under Steve’s jacket. Billy just nods his head toward the door. "Come on kid. Let's see if you have any potential as a cowboy." If she is going to stay she needs to learn the ropes around here.

- End