Content warnings: A/B/O Dynamics, Slavery, past abuse, past trauma, conditioning, middle of a panic attack, asthma attack. Scenting
Abbey woke to a mixture of a loud crashing sound, and the two warm bodies that had been laying on her jumping up and rushing away. Her heart was beating fast and her first thought was Danger! Someone was trying to break in. Abbey’s next thought was to her abused rescue omega. She turned to look at his bed to make sure he was there, safe. When she didn’t see him, she could feel the adrenaline ramp up in her body. Something was happening in her home, and her omega was possibly in danger.
The blankets tried to tangle around her legs as Abbey quickly made to get out of bed. She threw them off angrily, nearly tripping over them before she was able to shake off the last of the blanket wrapped around her foot. It was a moment to grab the heavy metal bat she kept next to her bed, just for this possible situation. Abbey was an Alpha, but that didn’t mean intruders would find her threatening without some sort of weapon.
Quickly but carefully, Abbey confirmed Jasper wasn’t in the room. Not under his little bed, and not hidden in the closet like she sometimes found him. When she pushed the door to her bedroom open fully — the bat at the ready just in case — she was hit with the acrid burning plastic smell of her omega’s fear. It was one she was unfortunately familiar with, but it hadn’t been this bad in a while.
Forgetting about moving carefully and checking for intruders, Abbey instead rushed to the kitchen where she could smell Jasper’s fear the strongest. She didn’t know what she expected when she reached the kitchen, but it certainly wasn’t Jasper on the floor -- drenched and bleeding.
Jasper reacted to her loudly rushing into the room, pressing his hands and forehead down to the floor in the penitent bow he assumed most often. Abbey looked around, but could not see anyone else. Only the near end of what appeared to be breakfast being made. On the counter, a little bit away from everything, was a plate with food on it.
Unable to focus on anything else, Abbey quickly went to Jasper’s side to tend to him. The moment she was near, however, his head jerked up and he put his hands out to stop her. A painful sounding noise erupted from his throat, and he didn’t lift his head enough for her to see his face, but his hands were up and it was obvious he didn’t want her to come closer.
This had the opposite effect, as holding his hands up like he did, she could see blood streaking across his palms and where it welled up on what remained of his fingers. His hands trembled where they were, and Abbey couldn’t help but steady them with her own. She had moved closer to do so, and when she knelt down next to him, she felt something sharp bite into her knee. Brushing it away with a temporarily freed hand, she noticed it was a blue bit of ceramic that had sharp edges. As she picked it up to inspect it further, Jasper hunched down closer to the floor; his fear spiking and making her almost choke on how thick and bitter it was.
Jasper’s breathing was raw and desperately gasping, like he couldn’t get enough air. It sounded painful, and only seemed to increase the scent of terror soaking the room in a thick miasma.
Light and dark blue shards of ceramic were scattered on the floor in between Abbey and her frightened omega. She quickly made the connection: this was why Jasper was bleeding! Her focus immediately snapped back to the task at hand. She needed to get him away from the sharp pieces. Only then would she be able to properly assess the situation and comfort him.
“Jas,” The name was whispered, soft, but Jasper still flinched. The hand still held in her own jerked every so slightly in her grip. “Jas, I need you to sit up babes, can you do that for me?”
Without hesitation the omega straightened. His head was still down, chin touching his chest, and he was shivering. The thick burning plastic smell of fear was shot through with acceptance and resignation, only increasing the nausea Abbey had to work to fight down.
She pressed on, however. “Good boy,” she praised softly but effusively. “I’m going to pick you up now, babes.” Abbey warned him, carefully getting to her own feet and avoiding the ceramic shards.
Abbey wasn’t a tall nor a particularly strong person. Jasper was small, a tiny mini-omega who, despite all her efforts, was still painfully skinny. It shouldn’t have been so easy to lift the terrified omega into her arms, but it was. Not long after she was slowly moving them both out of the kitchen, keeping a close eye on where she placed her feet so she wouldn’t hurt herself.
The moment they were through the door, away from any possible sharp pieces, Abbey sank to the floor again. This way she was able to wrap herself around Jasper more effectively. Adrenaline still thrummed through her body, but having her omega gripped tightly in her arms helped to calm the panic.
Jasper’s nose was already close to Abbey’s neck, near her bonding gland, but the trembling boy seemed to desperately be trying to avoid pressing himself further into that space. Scenting a bonding gland like that was very intimate, and even if it hadn’t crossed Abbey’s mind, she found she wasn’t surprised that he would have been taught to avoid that kind of behavior.
It was barely any effort to shift Jasper on her lap so that he was comfortably resting against her. Deliberately, Abbey pressed Jasper’s nose deeper into her neck, making sure that his nose was right over the gland, and put her all into sending out calm to try and mitigate the panic that was starting to build in the new space.
“Sweet boy, sweet boy,” She crooned, stroking fingers through his curls. The hair was still dry and brittle, but it was clean and doing much better than when she had found him. Caring for it, and making sure he was eating better food, was helping a lot. “You’re okay sweet boy.” Abbey soothed, rocking Jasper gently and being very careful to not dislodge him in any way.
Jasper’s breathing was harsh and panicked, but not only that, there was a wheeziness to it that Abbey was becoming familiar with all too quickly. For a few moments Abbey hoped Jasper’s breathing would ease on its own.
Instead, predictably, it only got worse.
The last thing Abbey wanted to do was to set Jasper down and leave him to get the rescue inhaler he had been prescribed. It would be quick, she knew exactly where it was.
Technically she had two of the rescue inhalers. One she kept in her office, and the other in her bedroom. Her office was closer, but the spacer that made it easier for Jasper to take the medicine was in her room.
The tiny omega was still terrifyingly light, but because of their relative heights, it was harder to get leverage enough to get to her feet with him still in her arms. It left her panting for breath from the exertion, and Abbey took a moment to ensure she kept her balance.
Jasper went still in her arms. He hadn’t been relaxed before, but now his whole body tensed and froze; worse yet, he stopped breathing. Abbey could feel his chest, pressed up against her, spasming with the strain of trying to hold his breath when already starved of it. The breath that had been tickling her neck had stopped, leaving it cool and bereft.
“Hey hey, no sweet boy.” Abbey moved as she spoke, eager to get to her room and to the inhaler Jasper needed. “Breathe, Jasper, breathe.” Ordering Jasper around, especially when he was panicking like this, was the best thing for him.
Ever obedient, and obeying instantly, Jasper coughed and tried to gasp in air. The moments of restricting it only made breathing again that much more difficult. There was a whistling quality to it that hadn’t been there before, and Abbey picked up her pace to her bedside table.
Setting Jasper on the bed while he was in this state would only make things worse. So once she had the medicine in hand, she sank back to the floor. Shifting so that she was in a better position to hold him and the inhaler, she ordered “chin up!”
His gaze had been down; even in his panicked state he minded omega manners. But now Jasper obeyed instantly. His eyes were worryingly unfocused though and his mouth was open as he took in short, shallow breaths.
“When I tell you to, breathe in and hold it for as long as you can.”
Jasper’s nod was tiny, but it was enough that she knew he had heard her and would obey. When she pressed the spacer to his lips, he opened his mouth and automatically sealed his lips around the opening. This wasn’t the first time they’d been through this.
Matching the rhythm Jasper had already set up, she encouraged him to take in a breath, let it out, and just before the next inhale she triggered the inhaler. As Jasper breathed in again he inhaled the medicine as best he could.
It didn’t matter how many asthma/panic attacks Jasper had, Abbey was sure she would never get used to them. The rush of adrenaline would rush through her each and every time, even if she hadn’t started the morning so suddenly.
After setting down the inhaler, Abbey pressed Jasper’s face to her neck again. She wrapped herself around him and continued to stroke his hair and guide him in breathing, feeling him obey her with every rise and fall of that too thin chest.
It wasn’t the first time she had dealt with one of his panic/asthma attacks similarly. She had learned early on how beneficial having him scent her was. Jasper was not very good at hiding things; when he even tried. He did try to hide a pair of her panties; small, unassuming, and yet her scent was strong on it. He’d been carrying it with him, — briefly, he promised. He wasn’t stealing! — something to calm him when things became overwhelming.
When she’d found him asleep — nubs wrapped in the colourful cotton, nose pressed into the cloth — she hadn’t even realized anything was missing. Abbey hadn’t realized that this would be something her new omega pet would need. It was obvious, once she’d thought about it.
It took a while for his breath to even out, the whistling to fade. Tears regularly leaked down his cheeks, soaking her neck and making his face and her hair stick. Once he’d gotten his breath back, Jasper had sobbed almost silently, huge spasms that wracked his body. That, too, eventually slowed while she held him and let him scent her. Occasionally a sob would break through and more tears would fall.
When his breathing was as settled as it would get, Abbey lifted his face from her neck and supported his jaw gently with one hand, while wiping the tears from his bright green eyes with the other. “Sweet boy, can you tell me what happened?”
Abbey’s voice was gentle, barely above a whisper, but Jasper’s eyes closed and she could feel a tremor run through him. More tears leaked out, and all Abbey could do was shift so she could gently wipe them away again.
“I’m not mad, Jas.” Her voice was lower, as soothing as she could make it. “I just want to know what happened, lamb. Are you hurt anywhere?”
Jasper’s nod was tiny, if she hadn’t been so close to him, Abbey never would have seen it. As it was, she only barely felt it. She had been working with him on this; it was hard for Jasper to tell her he was anything but perfectly happy and content. She wanted honesty from him, however, and so he tried his best. It was still a challenge for him.
“Thank you for telling me, Jas.” She felt him quake with a repressed sob, and pulled him back close to her again. A kiss pressed to his forehead was his reward.
Baby steps…
Abbey ran her fingers through his honey brown curls, marveling again at how soft they had gotten. Her nails were long and perfect for scritching. Once Jasper had relaxed just that little bit again she continued.
“Let me see.” Abbey’s voice didn’t give away the insecurity she felt in issuing an order like this. Learning to care for Jasper also meant learning to give into Alpha instincts she hadn’t felt compelled to before. He needed orders, even if she was insecure about giving them.
Jasper instantly moved to obey. He pulled away from her, quick to obey but still moving slower than normal from the recent panic. He left his panties, but Abbey watched as he tugged his tank top over his head. It was only a moment before it was neatly folded next to him and he was kneeling up, arms held out in front of him, palms visible.
There were patches of red skin, some of it blistering a little already. The worst of it was up his arms and near his already mutilated hands, but his chest and the tops of his thighs were not unscathed.
Abbey only had a moment to look Jasper over before his eyes went wide and he bent down back to the floor, his most penitent bow again. In the next moment he seemed to realize this was blocking her from seeing him, and scrambled back up, but this time to his feet.
There were tremors visibly running through his body, eyes squeezed shut. His breaths were getting harsh again. Before things could escalate further, Abbey took one of his damaged hands in her own and stroked lightly at unmarked skin, being careful to not accidentally brush against the burns.
“Good boy, thank you.” She tried to reassure him, but he took several moments to breathe evenly again.
There were bits of that same blue ceramic embedded into his knees and down his shins. Like he had knelt in the sharp pieces. Some had already fallen away, leaving little divots and the occasional stain of blood.
“What broke?” Abbey regretted asking it like that immediately. Jasper made to bow down to the floor again, ignoring the sharp pieces still embedded in his shins. She managed to stop him before he got too far. Instead she maneuvered him so that he sat next to her on the floor, not kneeling on injured legs.
“No no, it’s okay.” Abbey soothed, pressing another kiss to Jasper’s head. “What burned you?” She asked instead, and this was a much easier question on him.
“W-water for your tea, M-miss Bee.” Jasper’s voice was rough. It sounded painful to her, like it hurt him to speak. Jasper struggled in the best of situations, but this was definitely not one of them. It wasn’t higher than a whisper, and even then it was halting and broken.
That was enough for her to piece enough of the puzzle together. He was making her tea, and somehow broke the mug and spilled hot water over himself. She could see the pattern on his arms and chest, from where little drops landed separate from the group. The mug must have broken, and he had knelt in it. With the state his hands were in, bleeding from tiny cuts, she couldn’t help but assume he tried to clean it up bare handed.
Abbey’s heart broke and she pulled her sweet boy close to her again. This time she peppered kisses on his temple, overwhelmed with affection for him and for what he had tried to do for her. She was so proud of him! He had really made progress, leaving her room on his own and using her things!
She didn’t want this event to push him back again, but knew it was likely. Even still, she wanted to praise him for the feat as much as possible.
“Oh aren’t you the sweetest!” Abbey pressed a few kisses to each cheek. Jasper looked up at her in confusion, cheeks much pinker than they were a moment ago. “You were making me tea?” She clarified, and at his nod continued, “I’m so proud of you sweet boy! That was so thoughtful of you!”
Jasper ducked his head down, but it was obvious his cheeks were red now. It took him a moment, but he struggled out “Th-this omega…” It was a true struggle for him to push the next words out, “br-broke the c-cup.”
The moment the words were out of his mouth, voice sounding raw, his eyes squeezed shut. As if she hadn’t realized before, and now she would be furious at him for it. It took her a few moments to think about what she was going to say before she said it.
“Sweet boy,” She began. “I’m not concerned about the cup.” Abbey paused, trying to make sure she said the right thing. “Lamb, I’m proud of you.” She felt him jerk against her, like he wanted to look up at her again but stopped himself. Correcting this, she tilted his chin up so she could look at his face.
Jasper was confused and a little fearful; he clearly didn’t understand. His eyes met hers for a moment, before darting down again respectfully.
“You got up and were making tea!” Abbey reminded him. Jasper nodded slightly, look of confusion still painted across his face. “I’m proud of you for that. I don’t care about the cup breaking; I only worry that you’re badly hurt.”
At this, he held up his hands to her, looking absolutely contrite. When her hands raised to meet his, gently supporting them, he flinched but otherwise didn’t move.
“You’re right darling, you did get hurt didn’t you?” Jasper nodded, his look of resignation squeezed at her heart. “Well we are just gonna have to bandage you up then, aren’t we sweetie?”
Confusion creeping onto his face again, Jasper nodded along with her words. It was clear he was agreeing with her, but unsure what he was really agreeing to.
“After that, I think a nice reward is in order.” Abbey smiled at him, and when Jasper looked up at her again, she kissed him gently on the nose. “For my very good boy,” she crooned, enjoying the flush that bloomed across his skin again.
A/N: You can thank my friend Coffee for not only Breakfast part 1 and 2, but also there will now be a part 3. I hope that is something you all are interested in!
