Chapter Text
Bryan sat in the driver seat, eyes focused on the road ahead of him. His sister Nikki was sitting beside him, singing loudly to the radio, completely out of tune, not a care in the world. He couldn't help smiling as he glanced her way, she had her eyes closed, a hand to her mouth, pretending like it was a microphone.
"I never wanna fall in love with you!"
"'Cause I know you would break my heart in two." She pointed at him and made a broken heart motion with her hands. Bryan laughed she grinned and kept singing.
Then the song finished, and they were left alone in the quiet of night.
"Hey" she poked his shoulder with her nail. "Thanks for driving me." She smiled at him, and it looked genuine for a time before showing its true colours, and she giggled, "Even though Appa forced you to"
Bryan scoffed, "Appa didn't force me... he just lightly suggested it. And as your amazing and Favorite brother, I felt it was a nice gesture"
"Kiss ass"
"I’m gonna tell Dad you said that." He could practically see a vein in Nikki's forehead pop.
"You're 27, idiot, and I’m his Favorite anyways"
"What! Why would you be his Favorite??" She puffed up proudly, as if she owned the world.
"Cus I look like Appa! Dad tells me so all the time"
She had a point… her black hair and dark eyes reminded Bryan of Appa in every way. The way it swayed in the wind and framed her face just like his.
"Okay, fine.. But I’m Appa's favorite." She seemed to know it was coming cus she had no reaction at all, smug as always.
"Why's that then?" She abandoned her window, looking to give him an amused elbow to the side.
"Because I don't waste all his money on makeup and shampoo." She gaped at him, offended. It had him laugh hard, and he took a hand off the wheel to defend himself from her impending attack.
"You bastard! You're just jealous he still pays for me!" She tried to punch his shoulder, but he stopped it just barely. She puffed slightly at her failed attack and sat back down in her seat.
The silence stretched out, not uncomfortably, they'd been through a little too much for that to happen. Bryan focused wholly on the road again, he could feel Nikki beside him, squirming slightly. An unasked question sat between them, and Bryan decided to wait till she was ready to ask it.
After a few more seconds of her picking at her sweater, she straightened up.
"Have you talked to Michelle?" The change of mood in the car left him dazed for a second. Nikki let out some comforting scents to keep the dread inside him at bay.
He coughed once, tightened his grip on the wheel before answering. "No.. I just don't know how to bring it up, like what do I even say? Hey, Michelle, sorry I don't want you to knot me till I get pregnant and start throwing at the scent of you"
Nikki shook slightly, the cold outside the car was slowly seeping in, and Bryan turned the AC up a few degrees.
"She has to know somehow. Bryan, you can’t let yourself stay in a relationship like this"
She was right, of course, often was. It had been fine at first, Michelle scent wasn't amazing to him, sure. But everyone around him had told him how lucky he was to catch an alpha with such a nice demeanour. He hadn't cared for the spike of unpleasantness that gathered deep in his stomach every time she suggested scenting each other, he was just happy she had chosen him.
"She's amazing, Nikki. I don't want to hurt her." His eyes dropped to his hands in front of him for a second, before focusing back onto the car driving towards them. The light blinded him in their dark surroundings, it felt kinda nice. For a second, he wasn't an omega unsure of all his life's decisions. He was just blind. In another world, waiting for a car to pass.
"She is great, but clearly she's not the one for you. That's okay, Bryan, you’re the one that told me not everyone is meant to be!"
"I told you that 'cause you wanted to date that stuck-up football player in high school, not so you could use it on me!" She smiled a little.
"He had such a nice ass," Bryan groaned.
"His hairline receded a centimetre every month," Nikki huffed, probably in agreement.
They sat in silence for a little while, taking in the warmth in the car in contrast to the freezing outside.
"This is it." She pointed out his window at a house. He didn't really enjoy the thought of his sister at some stranger’s house, but if she could convince their parents, then it would probably be alright.
Her bag hit him in the face as she stepped out of the car, most likely on purpose if the laugh coming from her was anything to go by.
"Wait Nikki, here, take this." He slung a jacket from the back seat, she didn't seem pleased with the design of it but took it from him anyways. Probably sensing his need to remain close, if only in scent.
"Good luck on your last delivery." She waved as she walked around the car, pausing when she was finally on the walkway to flip him the bird. He did the same before driving off into the night.
The AC felt like a godsend on nights like this. Nights that felt like no matter the layers on you, there was still a deep chilling cold seeping through your bones. Bryan put his coldest hand to his neck, only to shock himself with the shot of cold. He cranked the speeder, hoping to make it to the hospital a little faster.
The doors slid up automatically as he walked to them, his hat sat lopsided on his head, and the gloved Appa had shoved his way before leaving didn't do as much as he hoped. Doctors and nurses walked around him like he didn't exist, talking about patients and whatever the hell doctors talk about.. the economic state of France maybe.
"Hey, I’m here for the package, Bryan Hodukavich." The person at the counter looked down at a paper for a second before looking up at him. "Your package has been terminated. But I can see we have another one urgent if you're willing." Bryan sighed, he'd already prepared himself for an early night with the route he could have taken with the old package.
"I don't know ma'am, I think I’m just gonna-"
"It's outside of the zone, so it pays double" he gulped. "Yeah- yeah alright, where exactly?"
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10 minutes later, he's back in his car, cranking the AC to the max to try and regain some life in his freezing fingers. He sets the square package in the front seat with him, buckling it in for good measure.
"One more drive. Alright let's do this"
He took a deep breath before starting up his car. She started perfectly, sure he didn't have winter wheels on, but he’s a good driver! he can do this no sweat.
Wheels drove down the road of the city, determined and ready. The last thing on Bryan's mind was the horrors waiting for him tonight.