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The snow was starting to really fall now and Michael was starting to grow worry he wouldn’t make it home before it got worse. The alpha had been proud of his house when he first bought it. It was a nice cabin home, secluded enough that he could slip away from the world, but close enough that the stores were only a half hour away. However, Michael came to regret his decision when the first winter hit quickly. The thing about living so high up in the mountains was that it snowed at the drop of a hat. Michael’s yard could be covered in snow, but if he made it into town, there was nothing.
When Michael saw the weather report saying it would snow throughout the night, the alpha made it into town with no problem. He made sure to stock up on food and supplies for the next week. Returning home was a different story, the snow had gathered on the ground and it was quickly rising. With the snow still falling and the slippery road, Michael was worried about whether he would make it back home or if he would be stuck on the side of the road.
The alpha wasn’t sure what made him look. There was nothing on this road but trees on either side. Michael was too busy keeping his eyes straight on the road, making sure he didn’t drive off. But, for whatever reason, the alpha turned his head to the right and had to fight the urge to slam on his breaks. Michael slowly applied pressure to his breaks until he came to a complete stop. Once he was, Michael threw it into park and got out of his car.
Michael scanned the side of the road, but all he saw was nothing but snow. Michael stood there, wondering if what he saw was all just in his head. The alpha was close to turning around and getting back to his car. However, the same urge that had Michael turn his head was tugging at him again. So, the alpha walked down the side of the road, unsure of what he was looking for, until he found it.
A lump in the snow, not flat like the rest of the ground. Michael’s eyes squinted and he saw a bit of brown sticking out of the snow. The alpha bent down, wiping the snow off, unsure of what he would find. Michael’s heart stopped beating when he wiped off the snow and found sandy-blonde hair sticking out.
Without thinking, Michael grabbed the body and hauled it up to his chest. It was a man, whose skin was so pale, his freckles popped. At first, Michael thought the man was a beta, he didn’t have a scent. Then the wind blew and Michael’s nose picked up the scent of sweet orange and spices. Michael gasped when he realized this man was an omega. What was an omega doing on the side of the road covered in snow?
The omega was not responding to Michael’s touch and the alpha feared the poor guy was no longer on this earth. Two fingers to the omega’s neck proved him wrong and Michael sighed with relief.
“Come on, let’s get you out of this cold.” Michael whispered, and even though the man was big for an omega, the alpha easily lifted him and carried him to the car.
Michael wasn’t a creep, even if he felt like one as he drove an unconscious omega back to his home. The alpha didn’t have a choice, who knew how long it would take an ambulance to get here? If Michael waited for the ambulance out here, the omega would surely die. The alpha couldn’t drive to the hospital, it was too far away, and the omega would most likely perish in his car. Michael had to get the omega home, warm him up, and hope that saved the man’s life. Once Michael was sure the omega was warm, he’d call for an ambulance then.
Michael’s adrenaline was high, his alpha screaming at him to save the omega, but Michael couldn’t put more pressure on the pedal. If he wrecked his car trying to get back home, it was over for the omega. Each passing second felt like hell and Michael had to fight the urge to look over at the man. He needed to keep his eyes on the road, but having the heater on full blast was not soothing the alpha.
Michael only felt relief when he saw his driveway. The alpha threw it into park, got out of his car, and ran around to the passenger side. He grabbed the omega and darted for his home. Michael didn’t give a damn about the groceries in the car. It was so cold outside, Michael was sure they would be fine for right now.
The second the door was opened, the first thing Michael did was set the omega on the couch. Michael quickly got the fire going and now, the part he was dreading. He needed to get the omega out of those wet clothes, but he knew if the man woke up before help arrived, well… It wasn’t going to be pretty, Michael could guess what would run through the omega’s mind if he woke up naked in some strange alpha’s home.
Michael would rather deal with accusations than let someone die. Michael removed the omega’s boots and socks first before undoing the man’s jeans. It was difficult to remove the omega’s clothing when he was out cold. He was nothing but dead weight, but Michael managed. The alpha did his best not to look at any intimate parts of the omega’s body as he undressed him. Once the omega was completely naked, Michael wrapped him up in a throw blanket he had by the couch and placed him in front of the fireplace.
Michael knew it wasn’t enough, so the alpha ran to his bedroom, pulled off his comforter, and ran back to the living room. He wrapped the thick blanket and hoped it was enough until Michael could call for help. Michael grabbed his phone and his heart sank when he saw it was on one percent. It was okay, Michael just had to throw it on the charge and it would be alright—The whole house was swollen by darkness, the only light coming from the fireplace and the sunlight peeking through the windows.
“Shit!” Michael hissed. This couldn’t happen, not now. Michael dialed 911 int his phone, praying that his phone stayed on long enough to call for help.
“Nine-one-one, what’s the address of your —”
Michael looked at his phone and the screen was completely black. “No!” The alpha cried, trying to turn it back on, but it was no use. Michael searched through the omega’s clothes, but he didn’t find a phone. He looked back at the pale omega, bundled up in blankets next to the fire. “I’m so sorry.” He whispered.
The only thing Michael could do was hope this was enough to save the omega’s life. Michael thought about bringing the food in, but by this point, they would have a better chance outside in the cold. Besides, he didn’t want to open the doors, not even the back door, and let any heat escape. The alpha knew the best thing he could do for the omega was to undress himself. If he could give the omega skin-on-skin contact, the young man would have a better chance of survival.
It felt wrong though, Michael didn’t know this omega and the omega didn’t know him. If the man were to wake up and find a naked alpha pressed against him… Michael stared at the unconscious man, he looked so young, probably looked much younger than he was in this weakened state. The man below him looked so helpless and it made the alpha’s heartache in pain. Michael didn’t want to see someone so young die, so the alpha sighed.
Michael began undressing himself, stripping down to his boxers, which he refused to take off. If the omega did wake up, Michael wanted to do as much damage control as he possibly could. It’s just until the power comes on. Michael promised himself as he untangled the blankets just enough to slip into it. Michael wrapped his arms around the omega, pressing the young man close to his chest. As soon as the power comes on, I’ll call for help. The alpha swore as he wrapped his legs around the omega’s. Michael rubbed his hands and feet over the omega, trying to bring warmth to the other man as he prayed the omega would live.
❄️🔥❄️🔥
Hours passed with the omega in Michael’s arms, but the power had yet to come on. Michael only got up to rekindle the fire, to feed it more logs before he returned to the omega. Michael needed to keep the fire going, it was their only source of warmth since he couldn’t blast the central heating. The omega hadn’t stirred, but he wasn't cold to the touch anymore and Michael saw that as a good sign. If the omega’s body was heating up, maybe, just maybe the young man would be okay.
It was another hour before the omega stirred. Michael was just starting to drift off to sleep when he felt the omega in his arms move. Michael didn’t have time to let go of the omega before the other man started to squirm out of his hold.
“It’s okay! It’s o—” Michael grunted when an elbow landed on his chest.
The omega was on his feet and when he realized he was naked, horror flashed through his eyes and agony filled his scent. “What did you do to me?!” The young man snapped.
It was just as Michael feared, so to not freak out the omega any further, he slowly pulled the blankets off him. He stood up just as slowly, hoping the movements would ease the omega. That, and seeing that he was still in his boxers, would help as well. The omega growled at him, snatching the blanket up and covering himself as soon as Michael was out.
“What.did.you.do.to.me?!” The omega growled.
“Nothing! I—”
“Bullshit!” The omega cried.
Michael raised his hands, trying to show he meant no harm. “Please listen to me. I can explain.”
The omega looked out the window, seeing a whole lot of snow and nothing else. The omega’s shoulders slumped in defeat. “I don’t gotta choice, do I?”
The sound of the omega’s voice was like a dagger through Michael’s heart. Michael, unlike his family, had the view that omegas were to be cherished and protected. The alpha never wanted to make an omega feel so unsafe, so he had to fix it, quickly.
“I was driving back home when I saw you on the side of the road and I—”
The omega’s brows furrowed together. “On the side of the road—son of a bitch! That bastard!”
Michael flinched back at the omega’s sudden outburst. “W-what?”
The omega sighed, running his free hand through his hair. “Fuckin’ Lee Webb… We work together, was coming back from a job—we work on cars. Some smuck locked his keys in his car. Simple fix, but on the way back, Lee tried pulling over because the roads were so secluded. He wanted to get handsy so I punched him in the face and he kicked me out of the truck. I tried walking back to town, but the road never seemed to end and there was no one driving it, and the snow was getting harsher. So… You… Saved me?”
“I wanted to call for help, but I knew I couldn’t wait for an ambulance out in the cold. I needed to get you somewhere warm, but by the time I made it home, my phone was dead and then the power went out. I swear to you, I didn’t do anything to you. I just… I did what I thought I had to to save you.” Michael basically pleaded, hoping the omega would believe him.
The omega pulled the blanket tighter around him. “You… You don’t happen to have some spare clothes do you?”
Michael nodded, rushing to his bedroom, grabbing a soft long-sleeve shirt, a pair of boxers, and some sweatpants. He placed them on the couch and retreated to the kitchen to give the omega some privacy. Michael’s elbows were on the tabletop, his head in his hands. He was thankful the omega was safe, but he didn’t know what to do now. The roads would be too dangerous to drive on and there was no way they could call the omega’s family to let them know he was safe.
“You okay?” The omega asked, startling Michael. When the alpha looked up, he finally had a chance to see the omega’s skin was far from as white as it had been. The omega looked better and more comfortable in the clothes that were just a little too big for him.
Michael gave the omega a small smile. “I’m alright, but how are you?”
“Ah, I’m fine. Better than being dead, right?” The omega pulled out a chair across from Michael and took a seat. “I’m Dean by the way.”
“Michael.”
“Thanks for um… Not letting me die and stuff.” Dean chuckled.
“Of course…” Michael drummed his fingers on the table. “I’m sorry I can’t get you back home… The roads are… And there’s still no power and I’m sorry.”
Dean shrugged. “I mean, I don’t mind being stuck with a handsome alpha who saved my life.”
Michael’s cheeks heated and they only grew more hot when Dean winked at him. “Umm… I don’t have much of anything to do to pass the time.”
Dean smirked, “I think I have a way we can pass the time.”
“I…I… You were so upset when…” Michael couldn’t say the word, but he didn’t have to.
“When I thought you molested me? Yeah, I was pretty pissed off, but that changed when I realized you were my knight in shining armor.” Dean purred.
Michael swallowed. “ I have cards, we could play by the fire.”
Dean’s face turned softer. “Yeah, yeah I would love to play some cards with ya. But, when I get back home, kick Lee’s ass, can I buy you dinner?”
Michael smiled. “I would love that.”
Michael and Dean would play cards and get to know each other for the next few hours before the power finally came back on. Dean would call his dad when Michael’s phone was charged, and let him know what happened. Dean would sleep in Michael’s bed and the alpha would take the couch. In the morning, the snow plow had taken care of the roads and Michael was able to return Dean home. It felt so final, even with Dean’s promise to take the alpha out for dinner.
What Michael didn’t know then, was he would look back on that day years later and laugh at himself. It was far from over, that day Michael pulled Dean off the side of the road was the day he had met his husband.