Chapter Text
Alex has finally, finally been given permission to stay home for a while, the team for once having foresight to allow him to cater to his partner's heat and the subsequent events for a couple weeks.
It seems like they're playing it safe this time around. Even though Logan isn't with the team anymore, his cycle is still lined up with the race calendar, and thus also the breaks, so Williams is aware when he'll be going into heat and whatnot.
Last time, they had completely overlooked the fact that Alex and Logan were mated now, and so Alex would have to be at home to help the omega–his omega– through it. It was a dangerous oversight, one that left Alex keyed up and snarly the entire time he was at the factory, so he supposes it's no surprise that the team is wanting to avoid repeating that.
But, that also means Alex can work from home, go through meetings and data collection all from the comfort of his bedroom; a silent victory amongst the greater ones.
Right now, Logan is in his “herding phase” as the pups have so lovingly titled it– the period where he's a bit more emotional than normal, still coming off the high of his heat and coping with the residual angst that comes with not being given a litter.
Having the pups around makes it a lot easier. Before, when Alex would help out with his heat, Logan would be borderline aggressive the following few days, pissed off about the alpha still being around, because he wasn't serving any purpose; Logan wasn't given what he wanted.
The pups help to mellow him out, trick his hindbrain into believing he was impregnated, that he does have a litter and that they're actively in need of Logan and Alex's guardianship.
But unfortunately, Alex still has work to do, which is why he's wound up hiding out in his bedroom with his laptop balanced precariously on a makeshift desk he dragged in from somewhere else in the house.
No matter how much it aches to not be with his pack right now, Alex is convinced that he wouldn't be able to get any work done if he was with them; the pups are chaotic as is, so adding a broody Logan on top of that, and considering that his own hormones are also a little out of wack? Alex has no idea if he'd be capable of getting anything done.
That doesn't mean he can't still still see them, obviously; he's been on delivery duty all day, bringing anything that the pups or his mate might need, popping in every now and again to check up on them and make sure they're staying comfortable.
Although, it is a bit dizzying having to excuse himself occasionally for “family business”. Alex had been forced to make up some sort of reason as to why he'd be having to step out as often as he is, and thankfully, with the team relatively caught up on the situation, he's been given a surprising amount of grace, being met with understanding reactions every time he's gone to go check in on his pack.
He is a bit nervous for the next meeting, though. It's just a simple sponsor negotiation with his manager and a brand ambassador; nothing too serious right now, but definitely something that Alex is a little worried about ruining, and if the pups need something while he's in said meeting? He's not entirely sure what to do.
- - - -
It isn't until a decent way into the meeting that Alex begins to feel a bit anxious, twitchy in the same way he always gets when he hasn't seen his pack for a while. It's a new instinct he's never had to deal with before up until recently, and the feeling has begun crawling up his spine like a snake on the foot of a rabbit, completely sapping him of all his focus.
He's a bit worried about maybe sounding stilted or awkward, like he’s suddenly having digestive issues mid-discussion. Alex wracks his brain trying to find any excuse he can to go check on his pups, rid himself of this awful, creeping restlessness.
And then his phone starts vibrating on the table.
Alex barely suppresses a sigh of relief. “Uhm, sorry, but I'm getting a phone call. Family business. Could I step out and take it?”
It's a bit nerve-wracking having to ask at all, and he doesn't really have a plan set in motion in case they say no; Alex didn't think that far ahead, no surprise there– and plus, the phone is already in his hand.
Thankfully, though, he's given a curt nod and polite permission to excuse himself. Alex almost makes himself dizzy with how quickly he stands up.
Walking a couple paces to the other side of the room, Alex picks up, “Hi, did you need something?” He fails miserably at suppressing the smile in his tone.
Lia's voice pipes up on the other end, “Yeah, dad, could you-”
Everything stops.
Time might as well be frozen as Alex stands there, swaying on his feet in the middle of his bedroom, Lia’s words echoing like a mantra in his mind.
Pack. Family. Dad. They think of me as their Dad. What the fuck.
There's an awful lot of chatter on the other end of the phone, but Alex can hardly pay attention to it over the chaos in his own head, a ridiculously fond feeling blooming in his chest and making him rumble.
Soon enough, though, Luke's stern voice comes through and serves to coax Alex back into his own skin, bring him back to the present moment and make him realize that he's been rumbling at the wall like some sort of idiot.
“Well, we- hi, Alex,” Luke's voice sounds funny, like he's just run a marathon and is out of breath, or maybe like he's avoiding someone swinging punches in his direction.
“The fridge is getting a little low on snacks, could you grab some more for us, please?”
When Luke speaks, every syllable is picked up alongside a chorus of background noise, a ridiculous, howling laughter somewhere in the distance that Alex can actually hear through the wall, someone that he can only assume is Franco.
Alex has to shake himself, center his mind and make sure that his stupid rumbling doesn't come through when he speaks. “...Yeah, yeah I can, sure. Is there anything else?”
He does a horrible job at it, his voice being punched out thin and strained, and it's so obvious he's trying to make himself sound normal that it's almost laughable. Thankfully, Luke doesn't comment on it, only humming briefly in response.
“No, I think that's it, uhm-”
Alex can still hear Franco in the background, this time shouting something that he can't quite parse fully, a slurred mix of Spanish and English.
“Yeah, that's good. Thanks.” Luke’s voice crackles through again, apprehensive this time like he doesn't quite know where to go with this; Alex praises whatever god above that Luke hangs up there instead of giving Alex time to respond, because he's sure he would have made a fool of himself.
And then Alex flounders, standing awkwardly in the middle of his bedroom, probably with a shell shocked expression on his face as he takes time to digest the entire interaction he just had.
Once Alex finally gets his body moving again, he openly allows himself to rumble as much as he wants as he replays Lia’s words in his mind.