RULES OF NATURE
Realized it was Omega Jason Todd week when scrolling recent posted/updated fics and then promptly made myself upset when I saw several fics featuring Dick and/or Tim dub-conning Jason into mating to bring him back into the pack. I'm not really a fan of Omega!Jason ships with the other bats, anyways, due to them being possessive assholes and jumping over boundaries like their hurdles and not walls, so my brain latched onto this and was like "What if we flipped this and also set it in the larger Primal Omega!Jason AU we're building?". And now we're here.
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Summary:
Jason has had it up to here with Dick.
Ever since the Waynes discovered that Jason was an Omega, they've been trying to find a way to force him back into the pack. Dick trying to court and mate him against his will is the latest in these attempts.
When Jason goes into heat and Dick makes his move, Jason's done giving warnings. The Wayne's are going to respect his choices whether they like it or not.
Word Count: 3,094
Chapter 1: a starving beast
~~~~~~~~
Jason’s about had it with Dick.
It would be one thing if all this was due to genuine worry over Jason’s well-being or a want to reconnect with him to start pack courting. It would be one thing if Jason was actually interested in pursuing a relationship with anyone, let alone an alpha at this point in time. But no, Dick Grayson, “Alpha extraordinaire” found out that Jason was an Omega and just can’t deal with the fact that Jason doesn’t want anything to do with them.
Apparently, they’re all idiots and thought he was a beta - or even an alpha - and that’s why Dick and Bruce have been all flaky about whether or not they consider him pack. Because it’s totally fine to treat someone like that so long as they aren’t their so-called “pack omega”. And because Jason has made it more than clear by now that he will not come back to the pack by choice (the time he almost took Tim’s arm off when the idiot broke into his apartment during one of his past heats comes to mind) Dick has apparently taken it upon himself to force Jason back in via mating him.
Yeah, like that’ll work out.
Jason explained the situation to them when they all confronted him about “hiding his dynamic”. He’s not a typical O, thank God; he’s a Primal. Which means that his biology doesn’t allow for instant or forced bonds of any kind and he will not submit or obey Alpha commands from an Alpha he doesn't trust instinct-deep. It shouldn’t need to be explained that the Bats at large haven’t had that trust since he died, but even more so since Bruce decided that risking Jason bleeding out to save the Joker was an acceptable compromise. Even if he did accept a pack-bond, he’d be the one giving the orders, not the other way around.
Still, this hasn’t stopped Dick from trying. He mostly approached in-costume at first, but Jason has long since moved back to lead bullets and he’s not afraid to shoot. Once it was clear that Nightwing wasn’t going to be able to get close, Dick Grayson started showing up whenever he was out in civvies.
Jason never bothered to hide himself - not since he came back to Gotham full time and gave up on trying to make peace with the Bats - just wore scent blockers on patrol because it was safer for him and his neighbors if people didn’t know the Red Hood’s scent. So his people, the community of the Alley at large, know him, know who he is. And when he blew up at Dick in public, accused him of stalking him and ignoring consent, his people rallied behind him. And now it’s come to this: Dick breaking into his apartment and cleaning and cooking for him like they’ve been formally courting for months instead of this asshole not knowing the meaning of the word “no”.
He was just gonna move discretely and leave behind some nasty traps to express his displeasure, but his neighbors, especially Ms. Tersa from 2D, told him to call the police about it.
“I’m not calling the police on Dickhead,” he says, frowning into his curry. “It’s not like they’re going to actually do anything about him, not when he’s got Wayne backing him.”
The building is gathered on the roof for one of their monthly pot-lucks and the Mahji matriarch has truly outdone herself with this month’s Saag. His neighbors don’t seem to share his current interest in the food, however.
“Of course they’re not going to do anything, Jay,” Ms. Tersa (from 2D) responds, patting him on the arm, “The point is getting it on record that there’s been a reoccurring problem. That way when the bastard tries something worse and you rip out his throat you can claim self-defense.”
Jason sighs and takes another bite, thinking it over. It would be nice to have that safety net. He really doesn’t want to move again because the Bats won’t leave him alone.
“I’m surprised Ol’ Brucie hasn’t done anything to try and curb this,” says Jenkins, surfacing from their phone for the first time since they sat down. “He doesn’t strike me as the type to let his kid get away with this.”
Jason snorts a bit, rolling his eyes. “We’ve talked about this. The old man’s convinced I’m somehow his long-dead kid or something. You saw what happened a few months back.”
The incident Jason is referring to is, in fact, the last time Bruce was within 3 blocks of the larger Alley borough. He’d shown up at the community center Jason spent the majority of his time at. The Alpha had made a huge deal about praising Jason for his efforts and saying how proud he was that “his boy” had grown into such a kind and hard-working omega. Of course, no one knew what he was talking about because Jason wasn’t “Jason Todd-Wayne” for them, he was Jacob Emerson, a petty criminal who was definitely not high up in Hood’s gang who spent his days off trying to give back to his community. His people had told Brucie that he was mistaken, that Jacob was not, in fact, the son who’d been dead for 8 years and asked him to leave. When he didn’t and instead buckled down and tried to scent Jason, they’d gotten a bit rowdy and the Merries who’d been on duty had to come escort him from the premises and basically threaten him into not coming anywhere near the Alley or else.
(Jason really only had a passing resemblance to himself at 15, anyway. The pit had allowed him to actually grow into himself, leaving him 6’5” and built like a refrigerator, but it also had changed his eye color and physically aged him a bit. So, to his people, there really was no way that “Jacob Emerson” was actually a resurrected “Jason Todd-Wayne”.)
“Yeah, but there’s a difference between being delusional and harassing someone in public about it and letting your kid break into someone’s apartment and try to force them into mating,” they replied.
Jason gave a heavy sigh and put his food down, not really hungry anymore. “It’s not the first time the Waynes have approached me, Jenks, and I figure Brucie’s waiting to see how successful Dickhead is before he tries something else.”
Everyone goes quiet, somber, before Paula smacks the table, causing the whole thing to shake. “You’re one of us, Jay,” she says, earnest in a way that makes Jason’s heart squeeze. “There’s no way some Bristol bitch is gonna steal you away. I’ll talk to the others, see if there’s a way to organize some kind of watch to see him coming and warn him off.”
He feels warm with the reminder that these people care about him. He’s pretty sure most of them know that he’s the Red Hood, and they’re still ready to fight some rich boy off for him. The smiles that break out around him remind him that he’s not wearing blockers and they can smell how warm-safe-pleased he is, but knowing they know how he’s feeling doesn’t fill him with dread like it did a year ago when he first moved in and decided to give being a part of the community a try.
“Thanks Paula,” he says, adding a bit of purr to his words to express his satisfaction. “I think I will see about getting some of this documented, just for posterity's sake.” He then turns to look at the others in their little circle. “So long as all of you are willing to act as witnesses, of course.”
The unanimous “of course!” warms him even more and he can’t hold his purr in for the life of him. This is what he was missing constantly trying to fight his instincts and hold onto the crumbled remains of his place in the Wayne pack. Now that he’s got it again, he’s never letting it go. Not for anything.
-_-_-_-
The security’s been upgraded again.
Dick smiles to himself as he works on disarming the genius little mechanism that would administer a big enough shock to stop his heart. His omega is so smart! The challenges his Little Wing has put forth for him to conquer have been perfect for Dick to use to prove his worthiness to his future mate. He rumbles and hums in delight, his pleased pre-rut scent curling around him in the night air.
It’d been a real challenge to get to his window undetected this time, too. Jay’s neighbors have really jumped at the chance to provide obstacles for Dick to navigate; cameras and lookouts all to keep his mate safe. He almost hadn’t noticed the pup keeping watch on his mate’s window from inside the neighboring apartment building! They clearly care about Jay sooo much to help him prepare courting trials!
Dick gets through the last lock and is quick to shove the window up, haul himself through the gap, then pull it down behind him before the automated sensors have the chance to cycle back on. Inside, Jay’s den is just as homey as he remembers, but this time the tantalizing scent of heat fills the space.
Dick inhales, savoring how heat has softened Jason’s typical sharp citrus-and-ginger to something more closely resembling a spice cake. The slight acidic burning notes that the pit left are almost gone as well, he realizes with a happy rumble; at least, for the duration of their shared cycle, he won’t have his heart break a bit with every inhale reminding him of lost time and everything his Little Wing has suffered.
He carefully makes his way around the main room of the apartment, doing a security check. Jay has done an exemplary job preparing for his heat and Dick’s happy rumbles grow in volume. His omega is so good at taking care of himself, keeping himself safe while he waits for his alpha to arrive! When he gets back to the window he entered from, he carefully re-arms the traps and notices a blinking light on one of the two pads next to the window. He doesn’t remember there being two pads last time, but the light is still green and he can’t hear any buzzing that would indicate a silent alarm, so he leaves it be.
Finished with his perimeter check, Dick turns to his true goal: the heart of his mate’s den. He approached the bedroom slowly, crooning and rumbling and projecting his scent so his omega knows his alpha is here. As he arrives at the closed door, he can hear his mate growling from in their nest. It’s a warning growl, a get-out-of-my-den-before-I-rip-your-throat-out growl. It’s a growl that omegas make when there’s an intruder in their den and they’re telling them to go away.
There’s an intruder in his mate’s nest room!
Dick bursts through the door in less than a second, a growl of his own tearing out of his throat. It’s also a warning growl, a get-away-from-my-mate growl so deep that the vibrations fill his entire chest.
“Dick? What the fuck are you doing here! I’m in heat!” His mate snarls, his sweet heat scent starting to sour with tinges of intruder-alpha-leave-my-den.
Dick ignores his mate for the moment, too busy checking the room for the intruder. Finding no one other than him and his omega, his growl dies down and he lets out a confused chirrup. Where is the strange alpha his mate is growling at?
“I’m serious Dickhead, you need to leave. I don’t care what fucked up shit is in your head but I will actually tear your arm off if you don’t fuck off. We’re not pack and I am not your mate.”
Satisfied that there’s no one here and that his mate is just being dramatic, Dick turns back to his mate. “Omega! You don’t have to worry, your mate is here now.”
Jason’s scent sours even more and begins and burn with confused-leave-me-alone anger. His growl continues, promising death. “Are you fucking deaf? I told you to leave. We are not mates and I don’t want you here.”
There goes his mate again, being silly and still giving him trials. Doesn’t he see that they’ve finished courting? Dick has completed all his trials and proved himself and now he’s going into rut and his mate is in heat and it’s finally time for him to sink himself into his mate and tie themselves together body and soul.
He chuffs at his mate and approaches his nest, trying to twist his scent into something calming for his omega. The growl gets louder and he stumbles back a bit at the noise, confused again. He lets a whine rise from his throat. Why doesn’t omega want him in the nest?
“Last warning, Dick. You don’t fuck off I will make you.”
Dick is tired of these games. Omega postures and growls and makes a show over not wanting to be pack again when Dick knows that he does! What else does he have to do to prove himself! He tracked down omega’s den, proving that he will always be able to find omega if anything happens to him. He cooked and cleaned for omega, showing that he can take care of their home. He’s jumped into fights with omega, proving that he can protect him and won’t prevent him from doing his work!
His confused-upset-why-mate-not-happy scent is pouring out of him and Omega’s scent starts to turn bitter-burning-get-away.
“Fuck, you’re going into rut, aren’t you?”
His omega starts to get out of the nest, and Dick lunges at him. No! What is his omega doing! He needs to stay in the nest so they can mate-bond and enjoy their cycles together!
Dick hits omega, causing his mate to fall back into the nest under him.
“Get the fuck off me Dick!” his omega snarls, his growl even louder now, pure omega aggression pouring out of him, saying I-will-kill-you.
Oh! Omega wants to wrestle! Dick can do that. One last trial to prove that Dick is a good enough Alpha to overpower and pin him, to make him submit so omega will let alpha bite him. He snarls at his mate, playful, and puts his flexibility to good use. His omega is so big and strong and his scent, despite the sour-burning-anger and bitter-betrayal, is so good, still sweetened with heat. Dick feels himself slipping into true rut, his cock starting to fill out. Omega freezes for a microsecond as the scent of arousal starts to fill the air and that’s all Alpha needs for him to get Omega pinned. Before his mate has a chance to wrench himself free, Alpha is lunging forward, bearing his protracted fangs and sinking them into Omega’s mating gland.
There’s a full second where Alpha waits for the mating bond to latch, for Omega to go limp in submission and for their minds to connect soul-deep.
Nothing happens.
Alpha is confused and pulls back to check to make sure the bite actually hit the gland and suddenly Omega is lurching into motion. His vision twists and pure, burning, feral omega rage fills his senses and suddenly Alpha is the one being pinned under Omega.
Alpha looks up and sees his Omega above him, eyes glowing yellow-orange like burning coals and then Omega is sinking his teeth into Alpha’s own mating gland and then tearing.
Pain explodes from where his mating gland is supposed to be, radiating out and pouring through his veins like acid. Dick lets out a howl of agony and he can feel it echoing down all his pack bonds despite the blocks he’d put in place. His vision spins and he realizes he’s being hauled up and dragged.
Where- who-
Tim and Damian are wildly scratching at the bond block, trying and failing to get through and figure out what’s happening. Bruce is actually making progress in chipping away at it and Dick locks it down. He doesn’t know why, but something is screaming at him that letting his pack know where he is right now would be a very bad idea.
His world is dark and smeared grey and black except for two points of glowing embers. The growl of an enraged omega fills his ears. His neck hurts on one side and as he lifts a hand to it he realizes that he’s bleeding.
Oh. He’s bleeding a lot actually. That’s really concerning. Why is he bleeding?
Something wrenches his arm and he realizes he’s still being dragged. He blinks, trying to clear his vision and he realizes he knows where he is. Why is he hurt in Jay’s apartment? His nose burns with the scent of enraged omega.
There’s a ruckus going on outside the door, a lot of voices all clamoring over each other. They’re getting louder, actually, and Dick realizes that he’s getting dragged closer. He looks up and recognizes the towering bulk of Jason, his eyes glowing with Lazarus remnants.
They reach the door and Jason hauls him up, throwing him over his shoulder. His vision darkens for a moment and blood continues to pour from the wound at the junction of his neck and shoulder. There’s multiple clicks and then light spills into the dark apartment. Dick’s world suddenly lurches again and he barely has the chance to realize that he’s been thrown before he collides with something hard and vertical. His head slams into what he's realizing is the wall in the hallway outside the apartment and then he's falling to the ground. He lands badly on his arm, and his trick shoulder pops out of the socket.
He's vaguely aware that there's a crowd, that he's somehow managed to make a scene, but now his ears are still ringing with his head's impact against the wall and he's starting to feel woozy from the blood-loss and the overload of scents in his rut-sensitive nose.
There's voices all around him and he brings his good arm up to the wound still bleeding profusely to put pressure on it as he tries his best to sort out the conversation.
"-told you he would-"
"-absolute disgrace of an Alpha-"
"-the cops and an ambulance, Jay."
That's right, Jay's supposed to be here, isn't he?
"Jay?" he slurs out, rapidly blinking and trying to clear his vision.
"Goodnight, Dick," he vaguely hears, his senses starting to cut out. "I'll see you in court."