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The floor is no longer cool beneath him, yet time has done nothing for his current emotional state. The emptiness of the watchtower is too quiet to help drown out his thoughts. The room is suffused with the smell equivalent of a hot dry dessert, his own stressed out pheromones doing nothing to help calm down. Looking out the window, his pupils rapidly constrict and then loosen, as he tries to focus on different star systems. It's a useless endeavor. As his mind starts to drift into over-analyzing his most recent mission, he hears the zeta-tubes come on. The soft melody of Bruce's heartbeat starts playing in the watchtower, his own personal radio. His favorite song is backed up by another two powerful heartbeats, Diana's and Arthur's; the three of them having finished their mission. As they come into view, the slight twitch of Diana's nose is the only indication his stress pheromones have reached that area. The team is disheveled, dust obvious on the Bat's dark suit, while Diana's and Arthur's respective manes are a mess, also dusty.
She gives him a knowing look before releasing her soothing pheromones into the air. Allowing Clark's muscles to relax just the slightest bit. Then she drags Arthur away with her, meanwhile Batman prepares to start on his post-mission report. His eyes gently follows the lines of Bruce's contour, the elegance with which he moves despite the exhaustion of a long fight. Not looking up, the vigilante shares nonchalantly "Studies have shown that the scent of one's territory is helpful at unwinding and allowing individual's to more efficiently relieve stress"; Clark smiles slightly, foregoing greetings as well "Yes, but studies also show that practice is more efficient for individuals living with their pack. Otherwise, one's fresh stress pheromones may taint the space, leading to a negative pheromone feedback loop." Batman sits down and hums, releasing his own soothing pheromones into the air, sweeter than Diana's alpha scent. Clark breaths in deep, relishing in the smell of ocean and jasmine. But the room is too large, and despite Bruce's experience, it will take a while to saturate the room in the smell. Clark's been waiting long enough "Does your previous offer still stand?", he asks, voice rough with exhaustion as he starts getting off the floor. Foregoing an answer, Batman simply removes his gauntlets, scarred skin coming into view. Clark settles in the floor next to the Bat, and brings the pale hand towards his face. For a second, he admires the perfectly manicured nails of Bruce Wayne, the contrast between the softness of the skin he works so hard to maintain and the calluses of decades of crime fighting and training. He rubs his cheek against the palm, enjoying how the unevenness catches against his own flawless skin. He feels, ever so slightly, how those skilled fingers actively curl to caress his cheek. Returning the affection, he kisses he center of that comforting hand.
From there, he traces his nose up Bruce's palm till he reaches the scent gland in the wrist. Pheromones softer than it would be at his nape, but straight from the source is sweeter than the diluted version in the air. Lightly, he runs his tongue through the gland, enzymes in his saliva breaking down any remaining scent blocker. Sweet jasmine honey coats his tongue and he's almost tempted to bite, but wrist glands are too small. As the omega pheromones start flooding his brain, he finally feels himself starting to relax. The space filled by the soft noise of Bruce typing his report, Clark's almost lulled to sleep by the combined sounds of typing and Bruce's heartbeat. Drowsily, he starts scenting himself. Rubbing the scent gland and along his own wrist, his cheeks, his lips, alpha fangs slipping in temptation.
"Do you want to talk about it?" The question brings Clark out of his daze, and he looks up to white lenses. "Not really. Its nothing new." He answers softly. "Doesn't make it less consequential" Clark chuckles at that, "If you really want to help, I wouldn't be against some more pack bonding" He suggests light heartedly.
"Isn't that what we've been doing for the past half hour?" The pack omega asks, Clark can almost feel how he raises an eyebrow behind the cowl.
"Whilst I am all for continuing to nuzzle your wrist. I was thinking more cuddling on the pack nest and doing a proper scenting session."
Bruce stays silent for a second, Clark can almost hear the movement of gears as the Bat decides whether cuddling fits in the schedule. Gotham's Knight sighs, in that way that let Clark know he's getting what he needs. He feels the smiles slowly take over his face as he starts purring in anticipation. Bruce's hand near his face reaches behind his neck towards his nape, slowly massaging. His purr increasing in strength at the affection. "We're changing out the suits and cleaning first, no dirtying the nest" Bruce announces.
After a pleasant shower and fresh clothes, Clark is laying on the pack nest, pleasantly buzzed by the concoction of pack smells. The room is dark and sound proof, the nest soft with the highest quality nesting materials. He almost relaxes again, almost.
Bruce enters the nest room at last, in a white tank top and gray sweat pants. The light behind the man making his edges blurry, salt and pepper starting to kiss his temple. With the grace of a feline, he drops on his hands and knees, and crawls over towards Clark. Reaching him he plops onto of the large alpha, going limp atop him. Bruce starts nuzzling Clark's scent gland, breathing in what can only be described as the smell of sunshine, with touches of something he's never been able to put his finger on. As he lets himself be soothed, he starts pumping his own calming pheromones into the air. Clark, feeling comforted and somehow safe with the weight on his body, wastes no time and starts scenting Bruce. Rubbing his wrists across his nape and anywhere else he can reach, but he still can't relax. Taking pity on the alpha, Bruce flips them over so Clark can lay on top instead. They rearrange themselves, entangling their legs, Clark's arms wrapping around Bruce waist, his head tucked into the junction of the omega's neck and shoulder. Sweetness cutting through his senses as he gets drunk on jasmine and ocean. Bruce runs his fingers through the alpha's soft curls, gently continuing the scenting session. Softly he runs his fingertips against the man scalp and starts massaging the tension away, encouraged by Clark's increasingly calm breathing, he leaves the hair to rub his wrists across the man's nape, and he hears Clark start purring again. Satisfied with scenting him, he starts to softly massage his main scenting gland, stimulating into releasing more of the happy Alpha and sunshine smell, new pheromones intermingling with jasmine and ocean. The rumbling against him increasing as the body laying atop goes looser.
"It was the smell of distress" Clark opens up at last "There was so much of it, the acrid scent of distressed pups, followed by stressed omegas forcing relaxing pheromones out, but tainted by fear. The barely suppressed adrenaline-inducing alpha pheromones. It was a lot. The attack was at an inopportune time, most weren't wearing pheromone suppressants, families ended up getting separated. Waves after waves, for every person I got to safety, another two popped up. I thought it was endless, at some it was like the smell was singed into my sinuses. I had to take an emergency suppressant so my own concern didn't leak through" He stops and breaths. " I know we do this all the time, that we prepare for situations like this, that debrief and planning helps for handling similar situations in the future, but it still grates on me sometimes. Its like I get caught on my own loop of helplessness and distress I can't get out of it. I should be able to help, but I can't" He sighs, and tucks himself against Bruce's neck again.
The Bat hums in reply, he deeply understands the sentiment. Like patching holes in the sieve, its an endless effort. "You did your best Clark" he starts as he continues to massage the alpha's gland, further encouraging the release of bonding pheromones "Things were better with you there, you made a difference, you helped them. It is okay to feel frustrated, it is okay to feel tired. Its normal reaction to the situations we deal with in a day-to-day basis. I know you carry the world in your shoulders at times, because none of us can. But even Atlas got tired, and so can you." He kisses his head "thanks for telling me". He feels Clark's start licking his mating gland, and softly reminds his partner "No biting in the pack nest" before starting on his own purring, further encouraging the alpha to de-stress.
Happily, Clark swiftly moves them so he's spooning Bruce, and re-tangles them. With full access to the omega's gland, he starts nipping and sucking at it. Laving his partners neck in loving hickeys, stimulating the gland to release more sweethappyrelaxed omega pheromones into the air. Bruce heartbeat slowing as he starts to falls into slumber from the relaxation. Lulled by his mate pheromones an heartbeat, Clark joins him.