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Jason had been feeling shitty for days.
But then when wasn't he? Everyone told him to take better care of himself. From Alfred with his mild tones to Damian with his angry worrying to Roy and his overt prodding.
But Jason rarely listened. Did the bare minimum to keep himself on his feet. He was self-destructive and he knew it.
At least he was self-aware. Unlike some other bats he knew.
So he was feeling shitty and fighting some goons in the middle of crime alley that had been trying to nab some children. Roy was fighting at his back, having agreed to come on patrol with him. An outing of sorts, considering that Roy had taken a step back to spend more time with his daughter.
Christ, he needed to take the man out for real sometime. Their only interaction could not be fighting idiots in the dark.
"Almost done here," Roy called out
"Same here," said Jason, clocking the last one of his half. He straightened up, ignoring that his muscles hurt more than usual and that his skin was crawling in a way it had never before.
"You good?" asked Roy
"Yeah," said Jason, voice a little rough, "let's go,"
On their way back, Jason kept fidgeting with his jacket. It was supposed to be a cold night but he felt too hot and clammy, a weird feeling in his stomach.
"Hood?" asked Roy
"Nothin'," said Jason, "Might be coming down with something,"
"Okay," said Roy, "You should get some rest when we get back. I'll stay the night,"
Jason winced, feeling a little guilty, "No, you don't have to-"
"Nah man, Lian's probably having a blast with uncle Ollie and aunt Dinah. They'll be happy to keep her for the night,"
"Okay," said Jason
Roy smiled at him and that was that.
XXX
Roy hit the showers first while Jason waited took his armour off at the couch. He must have dozed off at some point because he woke up disoriented and too hot for his skin.
"Rnggh," he tried to call out but his throat was too parched. He tried to move next but his limbs felt too heavy and his vision swam as soon as he moved his head.
What as going on? Why was it too hot? Was he dying again?
Oh god, was he dying again?
Sitting there building up to a panic attack, he got the urge to wrap himself in a blanket, preferably with lot more bodies around. Maybe Roy and Damian. And his dad-
Wait, what, no he didn't want his dad!
But maybe Bruce would know was wrong with him.
If he still wanted to see him after that fight they had had.
Oh god, Bruce probably didn't want to see him and neither would the others and he didn't know why he cared and what about Alfie-
"Whoa," he heard Roy say, "Hey, hey, Jay what's wrong? Why are you crying?"
Was he crying? He moved his hand to his cheeks and sure enough, he had tears on his face.
"I-I-" He tried to speak but he couldn't, and his only anchor was still too far away
He reached out his hand to Roy again but the movement was too much and he could feel himself stumbling away.
xxx
Roy was so panicked at seeing the other man in tears that it took him a minute to recognize the scent in the air.
Heat.
Except Jason didn't have heats. They had talked about it.
"I don't have heats," said Jason, "Never presented. I was late presenting because of early malnutrition, and then I died. I haven't presented since I came back. At this point, I think I'm just sterile. Don't know whether it's the dying thing, the pit thing or just a 'me' thing,"
So if Jason hadn't presented-
Oh shit, he was presenting.
And it was going badly from the scent of distress that was now taking over his senses.
Okay. Okay.
Step 1. Make sure he's okay.
"Hey, Jay," said Roy, slowly moving closer, "Hey it's me,"
Jason's head turned toward him-good he could hear him-and slowly raised a shaking hand toward him. Roy gently took it in his and tugged the omega close.
"It's okay," said Roy, "It's okay. Everything is okay,"
Jason opened his mouth but the only thing that came out was a harsh cough.
"Give me a minute," said Roy, "I'm gonna get you some water,"
The pained whine Jay let out almost had him sitting back down. Almost.
He had to be the rational one here.
Roy brought the water back and Jason drank it greedily. It seemed to help.
"Roy," he whispered
"We need to get you help," said Roy, "Any preferences?"
"I-um-Pa," he muttered eyes starting to close again.
"Shit," muttered Roy as Jason slumped forward, "Jason, please, come on stay with me,"
"Dad," he whispered, letting out a sob, "Dad,"
Roy froze.
There was only one person the batboys referred to as that. Well everyone but Dick anyway.
"Jason, are you sure?"
But Jason's eyes were already drooping, skin warming under Roy's hands.
Roy took a deep breath, took out his phone and dialled Dick's number.
xxx
Roy had never been in the Batcave before. Dick had offered when they were younger but Roy had refused, not wanting to get the other boy in trouble with his mentor.
Now that he was finally here, he should be looking around, taking in a place even some of the original leaguers hadn't seen yet.
However, all he could focus on was the shaking omega in his arms.
"Just bring him over here," said Dick, gesturing to a cot where Leslie was already waiting.
"We're going to run some quick tests for toxins but I think it's just the stress of his abnormal heat, in which case we just have to let him ride it out.
Roy nodded and helped the omega lie down, careful to keep their hands locked together. Dick sat down on Jason's other side, holding his other hand.
Jason gave no reaction. Neither did he give any reaction when Leslie came over to take some blood.
"He's out of it," said Roy
"He's shutting himself down because of panic," said Dick
"What does that mean?"
"Vicious cycle," said Dick, "He panicked because he didn't know what was going on, the panic made his heat worse and so on. We just need something to break him out of it,"
"But what?" asked Roy, gently stroking the omega's hair
"Well, you said he asked for Bruce right? I'm hoping-"
The young Alpha was cut off as a roar filled the cave. The batmobile stopped a few feet away from them, and Batman jumped out, getting rid of his cowl as he walked toward them.
"What happened?" asked Bruce
"He presented," answered Dick
The older omega frowned, "That's- okay, okay,"
"Hey Jaylad," Bruce murmured, coming to stand beside Dick, hand carding through Jason's hair, "Can you look at me?"
After a long few seconds, Jason turned his head and his eyes seemed to clear a bit.
"Dad," he whispered, "Daddy,"
"Oh, sweetheart," murmured Bruce, lifting Jason's head a little to scent him, "It's okay. I'm here,"
Roy wondered if Bruce had forgotten he was here too.
"What is it, lad? What can I do?"
Jason's answer came in soft whines and whimpers but Bruce must have understood because he nodded.
"Stay with him," He told them both, "I need to go start a family nest upstairs,"
"Okay," said Dick
Except as soon as Bruce moved away, Jason gave out a pained cry and reached out again. They tried again with making Dick leave.
Same reaction.
"I have an idea," said Bruce, "Both of you help him up and sit at either side of him,"
Dick and Roy gave each other confused looks but moved to comply. They propped him up so that he was sitting with his back to Roy's chest and legs curled up in Dick's lap, both Alpha's making a 90 degrees angle with their bodies.
The surprise came when Bruce unclasped his cape and put it over them. Not just Dick and Jason but all of them. Roy shuddered as the comforting scent of smoked apples and honey washed over him.
Bruce tried to move away and this time it seemed to work. Jason closed his eyes and snuggled into Roy's chest, one hand holding on to Dick while the other pulled the cape to himself.
After a few minutes, Jason's breathing started to even out, indicating that he was falling asleep. And he wasn't the only one. Ray could feel himself nodding off too.
"Nice isn't it?" asked Dick, "His scent?"
"Yeah," murmured Roy, "It's been a while,"
"Hm," said Dick, understanding. Roy had been part of Oliver's pack when he was young but then life had happened and there weren't a lot of people that would start a pack with someone like him, addict and sort-of vigilante single father. The outlaws were great but they weren't that kind of pack.
Maybe they could be one now. Omegas were known to bring packs together after all.
"Go to sleep, Roy," said Dick, "Everything is fine,"
"Yeah," he murmured before letting sleep overtake him.
xxx
Jason woke up slowly.
Even before he opened his eyes, he noticed the weights on either side of him. By their scents, it was Dick and Roy. He opened his eyes and was met with the ceiling of the den room.
Huh. When had he gotten here?
He looked down and found Damian and Kori curled up there on his legs.
"What?" he whispered, voice coming out in a soft purr
And then it hit him.
He had presented.
"Holy shit," he said instantly waking everyone around him. And there were a lot more people than he had first thought. Cass and Steph were curled up in the outskirts of a tower of blankets. Artemis and Biz right there with them.
And there was Bruce, watching over everyone from the comfy armchair.
"Hey, Little Wing," said Dick, "How are you feeling?"
"Uh, confused," said Jason, sitting up, "Embarrassed,"
Roy snorted, "No need. You did freak me out a bit though. Why didn't you say you were feeling bad and don't deny it. Even I know the heat doesn't just sneak up on you,"
"He's right," said Bruce from his seat, "You were obviously feeling the effects,"
Jason shrugged. What was he supposed to say?
"Either way," said Tim, spreading his arms, "Welcome to the club!"
"What club?" he asked warily
"The omega club," said Bruce, smiling at Tim indulgently
"More like the gross body fluids club, and the 'so many blankets club' and the cramps club, I mean seriously what's with the cramps? I know for a fact Alphas do not get that many cramps,"
Bruce snorted, "What Tim's trying to say is, you are now the third presented Omega in the Wayne pack and the first one with the outlaws,"
Oh yeah, he was the outlaws' pack omega now.
"This is gonna cause some changes isn't it?" he said
"We'll handle it," said Dick
"Yeah," said Roy, gently pulling him in
Jason smiled and nodded.
He believed them.