Chapter Text
When Edd called a house meeting Tom wasn't sure what to expect from his pack leader but it certainly wasn't this. All four housemates gathered in the living room. Tom was sitting on the couch. He expected his roommates to do the same but instead all three of them now stood in front of him.
“Ill cut to the chase. Tom, we want you to be the pack omega.” Edd spoke directly to Tom in a gentle voice, Tord and Matt standing on either side of him, nodding in agreement.
“I'm the ONLY omega in the pack Edd” he replied sardonically.
Surely they weren't asking what he thought they were asking. Pack omega was a big deal after all. It meant scenting and making the packs group nest, calming the Alphas down when they fought, helping the betas read the room despite not being able to sense scents as easily. Sure he already did those things for the most part. Building a nest in the living room for movie nights, cutting through Tord and Edd's overbearing scents with his own, breaking up their fights with a short growl or soothing pheromones and of course correcting Matt when he misinterpreted a scent. There was the other thing though, being pack omega also meant helping with ruts and being mates to at least the pack leader. There was just no way that's what Edd was implying though. That would be crazy.
“I told you he wouldn't get it if you asked like that.” Tord huffed. Edd shot back a warning growl before turning his attention back to Tom with a sweet smile.
“You are,” he confirmed “but we were hoping you'd be a little more than that.” Edd took Tom's hand in his own, carefully pressing their wrists together, not scenting yet just making his intentions known, skin to skin scenting was the most intimate form of scenting after all. He wanted to scent Tom, to have him as his mate. Unable to deny the implications now Tom felt his face flush with heat. He’d been hit on a few times, it just came with the territory of being an unmated omega, but he'd never been approached so seriously before. Being pack omega meant being mates for life, nothing like the quick fucks he had turned down countless times before.
“All of you want this?” he asked, uncharacteristically shy all of a sudden. Tom wasn't used to this kind of attention.
All three of his packmates nodded as Edd spoke up.
“We've been talking about it for a while. We love you Tom and if you'll have us, even if it's only one of us, we'd like to be your mates and make you the official pack omega.”
Again Tom's face flooded with heat. He didn't know what to say, he honestly never considered ever having a proper mate, not with his odd appearance and bad attitude. He'd always assumed anyone worth keeping around would be too put off to stay with him long term. He certainly hadn't expected anyone to actually love him and yet three men, two alphas and a beta had all just declared that they were in love with him. The sudden proposal was making him dizzy. Or was that the intense scents of anxiety rolling off his housemates.
“I-i don't- I mean I've never-” staring down at his own lap Tom took a slow breath, trying not to choke on the mixed scents of stale sugar and scorched spices. “I don't really know.” he admitted “can we do like, a trial run?”
Confusion replaced anticipation on each of their faces as Matt asked “a trial run?”
“Um, yeah, so I'd do all the stuff a pack omega is supposed to and um,” God it felt like his face was on fire! Tom really wasn't used to these kinds of emotionally vulnerable conversations. They made him feel embarrassed and unsure. “We'd like date, or court or whatever too…” he didn't want to turn them down, but he figured it was only a matter of time before they realized how much trouble he was and took back their offer. It was better if they weren't tied to him for life when that happened. He loved his pack, all of them, so maybe it wouldn't hurt to indulge a little while he had the chance.
The lack of response from his pack had him wondering if they were already over it and ready to pretend this conversation never happened. He realized quickly that his and Edd's wrists were still pressed together, just below the scent gland. Tentatively he brushed their glands together, simultaneously collecting Edd's sweet liquorice pheromones and imparting his own tangy pineapple. This finally snapped the alpha back to reality. Edd returned the gesture with a wide, toothy smile.
“A trial run it is then!” the brunette grinned.
As soon as it was announced Matt squealed in delight, pushing past Edd to throw his arms around the omega in a crushing hug. “Yay! I can finally snuggle and kiss you and buy you snacks and cute clothes! You won't regret this Tom! You're gonna be the happiest, most spoiled omega in all of England!” A gasp “NO! In the whole world!”
“M-matt!” Tom yelped, struggling to pry the betas octopus like grip off of himself to no avail. “Edd! Help!”
Edd did not help. Instead he took Matt's lead and wrapped himself around the pair with a giggle. He also took the opportunity to surround the pack in the somewhat sugary aroma of star anise.
Never one to be outdone, Tord flopped onto all three of them, adding the thick scent of ginger and cloves to the mix and subsequently knocking the wind out of Tom, who was gradually being crushed under the weight of his entire pack. Still, Tom couldn't be happier at the moment and so the tangy sweet smell of pineapple joined the mix, creating something akin to a spiced fruit cake; And so began the courting process.
Just as he had said before Matt started coming home with gifts for the omega almost daily, usually something small like a flower he thought was pretty or a neat rock he stumbled upon. Every now and then though the ginger would turn up with something bigger or more extravagant, guitar pics, a pastry from a new shop he hoped to bring Tom to, a new shirt or hoodie. Matt definitely hadn't been lying when he said he wanted to spoil the smaller man. He hadn't been lying about wanting to kiss him either. Matt almost always had his hands somewhere on Tom's body and took every chance he got to plant small kisses on the shorter man. His head, shoulder, hair, neck, lips. Nothing was off the table as far as he was concerned.
Tom for his part had no idea what to do with the sudden affection. Unlike Matt he had never been a very touchy guy. It's not that he didn't enjoy it! He just had no idea how to initiate it casually, something his beta boyfriend clearly had no issues with. Tom wanted to reciprocate both the gifts and the affection regardless.
It took him some time to pick out a gift he deemed worthy of his mate and almost just as long to work up the courage to give it to him.
Carefully he opened the door to Matt's room, stepping over dirty clothes and piles of clutter pausing for only a moment to inhale the subtle scent of citrus. Beta scents were faint but still present. He had planned to leave the crudely wrapped gift on his bed and maybe offer a hug later. It was lame he knew but he thought if he tried to do more he'd just end up stalling forever.
After placing the gift down Tom turned to scurry away only to run face first into the gifts recipient.
“Tom Tom! What a pleasant surprise!” Matt cheered, wrapping the omega up in yet another hug. “What are you doing in my room? Not that I'm complaining of course! You're always welcome here, whenever you want.”
“I uh-”
Matt let out a sudden and rather loud gasp. “Did you bring me a present?” he cheered. Reaching down to snatch up the gift but never fully released his hold on his smallest boyfriend. The beta spun the two of them around to sit on the bed. Tom was pulled onto his lap while long pale arms circled his waist, the present resting in his own lap and Matt's chin perched on his shoulder. Tom, still not used to this level of intimacy just yet flushed a pretty pink color but settled in his boyfriend's hold anyway. It was embarrassing, sure but also comfy.
“Can I open it? Please Tommy!”
Tom nodded, watching as long fingers worked to delicately remove the wrapping. He was slow and careful, treating the item with a reverence Tom felt was undeserving of such a small act. Eventually the wrinkled paper peeled away to reveal a stuffed bear. It was blue, dressed in a little tux and holding a heart that read ‘unbearably sweet’. Tom had scented it pretty heavily too just to make sure Matt would be able to pick up his scent on the little novelty toy.
“It's ok if you don't like it” The omega said anxiously. Though the reality was that hed be shattered if his boyfriend rejected the gift in anyway.
“Are you kidding! He's perfect! I'm gonna name him Tim and he's gonna live on my bed so I can sleep with him every night!”
The faint smell of oranges was quickly drowned out by the overwhelmingly sweet aroma of perfectly ripe pineapple. Embolden by the success of his mission Tom turned his head to the side just enough to place a soft kiss to Matt's cheek.
“I'm really glad you like it.” he mumbled, turning away to try and hide his blushing cheeks.
Matt squealed, picked Tom up and twirled him around before depositing him back on the bed and rushing out of the room, calling out “I have to tell everybody!. Tom sat on the bed in a happy daze as Matt rushed through the house hoping to tell their other packmates about his gift.
A few days later Tom received courting gifts from both Edd and Tord. A new blanket for his personal nest, practically smothered in Edd's licorice-like scent and a t-shirt depicting one of his favorite bands drenched in the earthy smell of ginger and cloves. Tom returned the gifts in much the same way he did with Matt, nervously presenting them to each alpha and offering a shy kiss upon their acceptance.
For Tord he procured a new hoodie in his signature color after noticing the one he currently has was looking a bit ragged. For Edd he first considered just buying a case of cola but opted instead for a nice new duvet after seeing the cola stains on his current one. He made sure to scent both gifts thoroughly for his boyfriends.
Now Tom lay in his nest, wearing the soft blue hoodie Matt bought him over the band shirt Tord gifted him and wrapped snugly in the fluffy new nesting blanket from Edd. he wished this could last forever but he knew it was only a matter of time before the pack got tired of him. Still it was nice falling asleep surrounded by the smell of his pack. His low purr drew the attention of said pack mates, who quietly fought over who would get to take the sweet yet snarky man on a courtship date first. In the end it was decided with a game of rock paper scissors.