Archive of Our Own

Simon woke to pain.

Not the familiar ache of old wounds, he'd learned to live with those, the phantom throb where his left arm used to be, the tight pull of scar tissue across his ribs when he breathed too deep. This was different. This was wrong.

His stomach cramped, a deep visceral twist that made him curl onto his side with a gasp. The sheets tangled around his legs, suddenly too hot, too rough against his skin. Everything felt too much, the dim lighting of his quarters, the hum of the Hail Mary's systems, the air itself seemed to press against him with physical weight.

"What the-" His voice came out rough, confused.

Another cramp seized him, and Simon pressed his right hand against his abdomen, trying to understand what was happening. Food poisoning? Some delayed reaction to the alien biology he'd been exposed to during the blood moon? His body had already betrayed him so many times, taken so much from him. What fresh hell was this?

Then he felt it.

Wetness between his thighs. Slick and warm and utterly impossible.

Simon's breath caught. His heart hammered against his ribs as he shifted, feeling the slide of it, the way his body was producing something he'd never experienced before. He'd been a beta his whole life had to be a beta to survive in the Brotherhood. Betas were safe. Betas were pure. Betas didn't have heats or ruts or any of the "base animal urges" that Elders had preached against with such venom.

But this... this was unmistakable.

"No." Simon whispered into the darkness. "No, no, no-"

Heat rolled through him in waves, starting deep in his core and radiating outward until his skin felt like it was burning. He kicked the sheets away with a desperate motion, needing air, needing something. The cool air of the cabin hit his overheated skin but brought no relief. If anything, it made him more aware of every sensation, the brush of his sleep shirt against his nipples, suddenly sensitive and aching; the clench of muscles deep inside him, empty and demanding to be filled.

Simon had never felt anything like this. The Brotherhood had been strict about suppressants, about maintaining beta status through medication and prayer and sheer force of will. He'd taken those pills every day of his life from puberty onward, watched other boys disappear when they presented as alphas or omegas, sent away to "correctional facilities" that everyone knew you didn't come back from the same.

He'd been so careful. So obedient.

And now his body was doing this anyway.

Another wave of heat crashed through him, and Simon bit back a sound that was half-sob, half-moan. His cock was hard, achingly so, but that wasn't the worst of it. The worst was the emptiness, the desperate need that pulsed through him with every heartbeat. His body wanted, no, demanded, something he'd never allowed himself to even think about.

Someone.

An alpha.

Ryland.

The thought surfaced unbidden, and Simon squeezed his eye shut against it. His blind eye wept reflexively, the damaged tear ducts never quite working right since the scarring. He could picture Ryland so clearly, messy blonde hair sticking up at odd angles, those blue eyes behind glasses that never stayed in place, the gentle way he'd helped Simon through physical therapy these past months, patient and kind and never once looking at Simon's ruined body with disgust.

"Stop." Simon told himself, but his body wasn't listening.

His hand drifted down without conscious thought, fingers trembling as they encountered the slick coating his inner thighs. It was real. This was really happening. He was producing slick like an omega, his body preparing itself for something he'd been taught his entire life was sinful, wrong, an abomination against The Trees natural order.

Except it was natural. His body knew exactly what it wanted, what it needed, even if his mind reeled with decades of conditioning screaming that this was wrong, wrong, wrong.

Simon's fingers slipped between his legs, and the sensation made him gasp. He was so sensitive, every nerve ending alive and screaming for touch. When he brushed against his hole, slick and swollen and so ready, his hips jerked involuntarily. The emptiness inside him pulsed, demanding.

"Please." he whispered to no one, to the darkness, to whatever cruel god had decided he hadn't suffered enough already.

He tried to push a finger inside, desperate for any relief from the aching need, but it wasn't enough. His body knew the difference between his own touch and what it truly craved. The heat built higher, sweat beading on his skin, his breath coming in short gasps. The scars across his left side pulled tight as he writhed, his missing arm throwing off his balance as he tried to find a position that would ease the burning.

Nothing helped.

Simon's control, already frayed by months of trauma and healing, finally snapped. A sound tore from his throat, desperate, needy, broken. He couldn't stop it, couldn't hold it back. Another followed, and another, his body taking over completely as the heat consumed him.

He needed help. He needed-

"Ryland." Simon gasped out, the name escaping before he could stop it. "Please"

Grace was halfway through his morning routine, coffee brewing, checking the ship's systems, trying not to think about how Simon's hair had looked in the light yesterday, all dark and soft and stop that right now, when he heard it.

A sound from Simon's quarters. Low and desperate and setting off every instinct Grace had been trying to suppress for months.

He was moving before he consciously decided to, coffee forgotten, his body responding to something primal and undeniable. The closer he got to Simon's door, the stronger it became a scent that hit him like a physical force, sweet and rich and omega.

"No, no, no." Grace breathed.

He'd stopped taking his suppressants months ago. When you're alone on a ship for years, slowly going insane, alpha biology seems like the least of your problems. And then Simon had arrived, broken and bleeding and definitely beta, so Grace hadn't worried about it. Hadn't thought it would matter.

Except Simon wasn't beta anymore.

Another sound came from behind the door Simon's voice, rough with need, saying something Grace couldn't quite make out. His alpha hindbrain supplied helpfully that an omega was in distress, in heat, needed help, needed him. 

"Simon?" Grace called out, trying to keep his voice steady even as his body responded to the scent flooding the corridor. His cock was already half-hard, his hands trembling slightly as he pressed the door control. "Simon, I'm coming in, okay?"

The door slid open, and the full force of it hit him.

Simon was on the bed, sheets tangled around his legs, sleep shirt rucked up to expose his scarred torso. His skin was flushed, sweat-dampened, and the scent of omega in heat was so strong Grace had to grab the doorframe to steady himself. Simon's eye was blown wide and dark, his blind eye weeping tears down his scarred cheek.

"Ryland." Simon gasped, and Grace's alpha hindbrain purred at hearing his first name. "Something's- I don't"

"I know." Grace said, forcing himself to stay in the doorway, to not cross that threshold until he had permission. His alpha instincts were screaming at him to go to Simon, to help, to claim, but he was still himself. Still in control. "Simon, you're in heat."

"That's not….I'm a beta" Simon's protest dissolved into a whimper as another wave clearly hit him. His hand was between his legs, and Grace could see the slick coating his thighs, could smell it in the air, and it took every ounce of willpower not to respond to that.

"You were beta." Grace said carefully, staying put through sheer force of will. "But the mutations from the blood moon... Simon, I think they changed your secondary sex. You're omega now."

Simon stared at him, and Grace watched the information process through the haze of heat. Confusion, denial, then a dawning horror that made Grace's chest ache.

"No." Simon whispered. "No, that's…..the Brotherhood, they said"

"The Brotherhood was wrong about a lot of things." Grace said gently. He adjusted his glasses with shaking hands, trying to focus on the conversation and not on how badly he wanted to cross that threshold. "This is biology, Simon. It's not wrong or sinful or whatever they told you. It's just... what you are now."

"I can't-" Simon's breath hitched. "Ryland, I can't….it hurts, I need"

"I know what you need." Grace said, and his voice came out rougher than intended. "Simon, I need you to know something. I'm not on my suppressants."

Simon's eye widened. "You're... what? You're not…"

"I stopped taking them a long time ago." Grace said, his hands trembling slightly as he adjusted his glasses. "When I was alone out here for years, it didn't seem to matter. And then you showed up, and you were beta, so I didn't think..." He trailed off, then forced himself to continue. "But you're not beta anymore. And I'm not suppressed. So we need to talk about what happens next."

"What happens next?" Simon repeated, and there was something almost hysterical in his laugh. "I'm in heat, Ryland. I know what happens next. The Brotherhood made sure we all knew exactly what omegas do, what they're for"

"Stop." Grace's voice came out sharp, commanding, and he watched Simon's body respond to the alpha tone before he could control it. "Sorry, I didn't mean- Simon, whatever they told you, it was wrong. You're not 'for' anything. This is your body, your choice. Always."

Simon was trembling now, and Grace couldn't tell if it was from the heat or emotion or both. "It hurts." Simon said quietly. "Everything hurts, and I'm so empty, and I can'tI don't know how to"

"I can help." Grace offered, keeping his voice soft. "If you want me to. I can help you through this. But Simon, I need you to understand what you're asking for. I'm not suppressed. My alpha instincts are going to be strong. I'll do everything I can to stay in control, to make this good for you, but……"

"But you want me." Simon finished, and there was something raw in his voice.

Grace could have lied. Should have lied, probably. But Simon deserved honesty.

"Yes." he admitted. "I want you. I've wanted you for months, Simon. But not like this. Not because your biology is forcing you to need an alpha. I want you to want me."

The silence stretched between them, broken only by Simon's labored breathing and the hum of the ship. Grace watched emotions flicker across Simon's scarred face, fear, need, confusion, and something else. Something that looked almost like hope.

"I do." Simon said, so quietly Grace almost missed it. "Want you. I do."

Grace's breath caught. "Simon"

"I've wanted you for months too." Simon continued, and now that he'd started, the words seemed to pour out of him like a dam breaking. "Since you helped me with physical therapy and you never once looked at me like I was broken. Since you sat with me in the don't go crazy room and let me pick the movies even though my taste is terrible. Since you started calling me by my name instead of just 'hey' or 'you' like I was just another body taking up space."

"Simon." Grace said again, his heart hammering.

"The Brotherhood taught me that wanting another man was a sin." Simon continued, his voice shaking. "That being anything other than beta was an abomination. That sex was only for procreation within sanctified marriage between a man and a woman. They beat that into us, Ryland. Literally. I watched boys get dragged away for looking at each other too long. I learned to never want anything, never feel anything, because wanting was dangerous."

Grace's hands clenched into fists at his sides, rage at what had been done to Simon warring with the need to go to him.

"But I want you." Simon said, and there were tears streaming down his face now, from both eyes. "I want you so badly it terrifies me. And I know it's the heat talking, I know my body is forcing this, but Ryland…." His voice broke. "I wanted you before this. I've been falling in love with you, and I didn't know what to do with that because everything I was taught says it's wrong, but I can't….I can't keep pretending I don't feel it."

"You're in love with me?" Grace's voice came out barely above a whisper.

"Yes." Simon gasped, another wave of heat clearly hitting him. "Yes, and I know that's not fair to say right now when I'm like this, when you can probably smell what I need, but I can't, the heat is burning through everything, all the walls I built, and I can't keep it in anymore. I love you, Ryland. I love how gentle you are, how patient, how you never made me feel like less because of-" He gestured at his scarred body, his missing arm. "I love that you see me. Not what was done to me, but me."

Grace was moving before he consciously decided to, crossing the threshold into Simon's quarters. The door slid shut behind him, and the scent of omega in heat surrounded him completely. His alpha instincts roared to life, but he pushed them down, focused on Simon's face.

"I see you." Grace said, kneeling beside the bed so they were at eye level. "I've always seen you, Simon. And I love you too. Not because you're omega now, not because of biology or heat or any of that. I love you because you're brave and stubborn and you make terrible jokes when you're nervous. I love how you hum when you think no one's listening. I love that you've survived so much and you're still kind."

Simon's hand reached out, trembling, and Grace caught it in both of his.

"I love you." Grace repeated. "And I want to help you through this. But Simon, I need you to tell me. Explicitly. What do you want?"

Simon's fingers tightened on his. "I want you to make it stop hurting." he said. "I want you to touch me. I want" His breath hitched. "I want you to fuck me, Ryland. Please. I need you."

Grace leaned forward, pressing his forehead against Simon's. "I've got you." he promised. "I'm going to take care of you. I promise."

Grace kissed him then, soft and careful, mindful of the scars that bisected Simon's face. His lips traced the line where damaged tissue met whole, gentle and reverent, and Simon made a desperate sound against his mouth. Simon's hand fisted in Grace's shirt, pulling him closer with surprising strength. The kiss deepened, and Grace could taste salt from Simon's tears, could feel the heat radiating off his skin like fever.

"Tell me if anything doesn't feel good." Grace murmured against Simon's lips, pulling back just enough to meet his gaze, the one good eye dark with need, the blind one milky white and beautiful in its own way. "Tell me if you need me to stop, or slow down, or-"

"Ryland." Simon interrupted, voice rough and desperate. "If you don't touch me right now, I'm going to lose my mind."

Grace huffed a laugh despite everything, his heart swelling with affection even as his alpha instincts clawed at his control. "Okay. Okay, I've got you, Starlight."

He climbed onto the bed properly, careful not to jostle Simon too much. The other was trembling, his body clearly at the peak of heat, and Grace could smell it, that sweet, rich scent of slick and need that made his mouth water and his cock throb. Every alpha instinct screamed at him to just take, to claim, to pin Simon down and fuck him until he screamed. But Grace pushed those thoughts down, focused on what mattered: Simon's comfort, Simon's pleasure, Simon's trust.

Grace's hands went to Simon's sleep shirt, fingers catching the hem, and he paused. "Can I?"

"Yes." Simon gasped, his hips shifting restlessly. "Please, yes, get it off"

Grace pulled the shirt up and off, careful to navigate around Simon's missing left arm, and exposed Simon's scarred torso fully. The left side was a patchwork of healed wounds, white and pink tissue crossing his ribs, his shoulder, his pectoral, disappearing into the stump of his left arm just below the bicep. More scars traced across his abdomen, some thin and surgical, others jagged and violent. Grace had seen it before during physical therapy sessions, had helped Simon with exercises and stretches, but this was different. This was intimate. This was Simon, vulnerable and trusting him with everything.

"You're beautiful." Grace said, and meant it with every fiber of his being.

Simon made a disbelieving sound, turning his face away, but Grace caught his chin gently and turned him back. "I mean it." he said firmly. "You're beautiful, Simon. Every part of you."

He proved it with his mouth, pressing kisses to Simon's scarred chest over the thick rope of tissue that crossed his left pectoral, down to the smaller scars on his ribs, across to the smoother skin on his right side. Simon's breath hitched with each kiss, his body arching into the touch, and Grace could feel him trembling.

"Ryland." Simon whimpered, his hand fisting in Grace's hair. "Please- I need-"

"I know, Starlight." Grace murmured against Simon's skin, tasting salt and heat. "I know what you need. I'm going to take care of you."

His hands mapped Simon's body with deliberate care, the scarred left side, tracing each line of healed tissue with his fingertips, the smoother right side, the dip of his waist, the jut of his hip bones. Simon was thick with muscle despite everything, his body strong and solid, and Grace loved every inch of it. When his hand brushed over Simon's nipple, he gasped and arched, and Grace filed that away for later.

Grace's hand slid lower, over Simon's stomach, and Simon's hips jerked up involuntarily. The scent of slick was stronger now, sweet and intoxicating, and Grace's cock throbbed almost painfully in his pants. He was achingly hard, his alpha biology responding to the omega in heat, but he pushed his own need aside. This wasn't about him. This was about Simon.

Grace's fingers found the waistband of Simon's sleep pants and pulled them down slowly. Simon lifted his hips to help, and then he was bare, his cock hard and flushed and leaking against his stomach, his thighs slick and trembling. Grace took a moment just to look, to appreciate the sight of Simon laid out before him, and Simon made an embarrassed sound.

"Don't." Simon said, trying to close his legs. "Don't look at me like that."

Grace caught his knee gently, keeping him open. "Like what?"

"Like you want me." Simon whispered, and there was so much pain in those words, so much disbelief. "Like I'm something worth wanting."

Grace's heart clenched. He leaned down, pressing kisses to Simon's scarred chest, his stomach, his hip, the inside of his thigh. "You are worth wanting." he said between kisses, his voice rough with emotion. "You're worth everything, Simon. You're worth the whole universe."

His hand slid between Simon's thighs, and the first touch of slick against his fingers made them both groan. Simon was so wet, his body producing slick in abundance, and when Grace's fingers found his hole, it was swollen and ready, clenching around nothing, desperate to be filled.

"Please." Simon begged, his voice breaking. "Ryland, please, I can't, it hurts-"

"I've got you." Grace promised. He circled Simon's entrance with one finger, gentle, testing, feeling how the muscle fluttered and clenched. "I'm going to make it better."

He pressed one finger inside, and the slide was easy, Simon's body opening for him readily. The heat was incredible, tight and wet and perfect, and Grace had to close his eyes and breathe through the surge of alpha instinct that demanded he just take, just claim.

"More." Simon gasped, his hand scrabbling at Grace's shoulder. "I need more, please"

Grace worked his finger deeper, feeling Simon's body adjust, then added a second. Simon cried out, his back arching off the bed, and Grace paused, making sure it was pleasure and not pain. But Simon was pushing back against his hand, trying to take more, and Grace's alpha hindbrain purred with satisfaction.

"That's it." Grace murmured, working his fingers in and out slowly. "That's it, Starlight. You're doing so well. Taking my fingers so perfectly."

He crooked his fingers, searching, and when he found Simon's prostate, and Simon’s whole body jerked like he'd been electrocuted. "There!" Simon gasped, his eye going wide. "Oh god, there, please"

Grace stroked over that spot again and again, watching Simon fall apart beneath him. Simon was gorgeous like this, face flushed, scars stark against his skin, his body responding to every touch with desperate need. His cock leaked steadily against his stomach, and Grace wanted to taste it, wanted to taste all of him.

He added a third finger, stretching Simon carefully, and he took it easily, his body made for this by biology and heat. Simon was babbling now, a stream of desperate words. "Yes, yes, more, please, Ryland, I need- I need you inside me, please-"

"Soon." Grace promised, scissoring his fingers, making sure Simon was ready. "I don't want to hurt you."

"You won't." Simon said desperately. "You won't hurt me. Please, I need your cock, I need-"

Grace withdrew his fingers, and Simon whimpered at the loss, his hole clenching on nothing. Grace stripped quickly, his own clothes suddenly unbearable, and when his cock sprang free, hard and leaking and flushed dark with need, Simon's eye went dark with want.

"Yes." Simon breathed, reaching for him. "Please, Ryland, please-"

Grace positioned himself between Simon's thighs, mindful of how to arrange their bodies. He guided Simon's right leg up, hooking it over his hip, and helped Simon brace himself with his one arm. "Tell me if this doesn't work." Grace said. "Tell me if you need to move."

"It's good." Simon said quickly. "It's good, just please…."

Grace lined himself up, his cock pressing against Simon's slick entrance, and paused. He met Simon's gaze, needing him to understand. "I love you." he said. "I need you to know that. This isn't just heat. This isn't just biology. I love you, Simon. I love you."

"I love you too." Simon said, and then, desperately, "Now please fuck me before I die."

Grace laughed, breathless and fond, and pushed inside.

The sensation was overwhelming. Simon was so hot, so tight, his body gripping Grace's cock like it was made for him. Grace had to pause after just the head, breathing hard, fighting every instinct that screamed at him to just thrust deep and claim and knot. Simon made a desperate sound beneath him, his hand scrabbling at Grace's shoulder, his blunt nails digging in.

"Move." Simon demanded, his voice rough. "Ryland, please move, I need-"

Grace pulled back and thrust in again, deeper this time, and Simon cried out. Grace set a rhythm, slow and deep, watching Simon's face for any sign of discomfort. But there was only pleasure, only need, only desperate want written across his scarred features.

"More." Simon gasped. "Harder, I need- I need it harder, please-"

Grace's alpha instincts surged, and he let them, just a little. He gripped Simon's hip with one hand, careful of the scars there, the other braced beside Simon's head, and thrust harder. Simon's whole body shook with it, his cock leaking between them, and the sounds he was making were desperate and needy and perfect.

"That's it." Grace murmured, his voice dropping into that alpha register. "That's it, Starlight, take it. Take what you need from me."

Simon was babbling now, words tumbling out between gasps and moans. "Yes, yes, please, Ryland, so good, so full, need you, love you, please don't stop-"

Grace angled his hips, hitting Simon's prostate with every thrust, and Simon screamed. His body clenched around Grace's cock, and Grace had to grit his teeth against the urge to cum right then. Not yet. Not until Simon-

"Touch yourself." Grace commanded, his alpha voice slipping through. "I want to watch you cum on my cock, Starlight."

Simon's hand flew to his cock, stroking frantically, and Grace could see he was close. The omega's body was tightening, his breath coming in short gasps, his eye squeezed shut as pleasure built.

"Look at me." Grace said. "Simon, look at me."

Simon's eye opened, meeting Grace's gaze, and Grace saw everything there, love and trust and desperate need and something like wonder.

"I've got you." Grace promised, thrusting deep. "Let go. I've got you."

Simon came with a cry, his body clenching around Grace's cock, cum spilling over his hand and stomach in thick ropes. The sensation was too much, the tight heat and the scent and the sight of Simon falling apart, and Grace followed him over, thrusting deep and spilling inside Simon's body. His alpha hindbrain purred with satisfaction, omega, his omega, satisfied and full and safe.

Grace collapsed beside Simon, careful not to crush him, both of them breathing hard. Simon was still trembling, aftershocks rolling through him, and Grace pulled him close, mindful of his missing arm, his scars, arranging them so Simon's head rested on his chest.

"I've got you." Grace murmured into Simon's hair, pressing kisses to his temple. "I've got you, Starlight."

Simon made a small sound, burrowing closer. His body was still hot, still trembling with need, but the desperate edge had dulled. "The heat." He said after a moment, his voice rough. "It's... better. Not gone, but better."

"It'll come back." Grace said gently, stroking his hand down Simon's back, tracing the scars there. "Heats usually last a few days. But I'm here. I'll take care of you through all of it."

They lay there for maybe twenty minutes, Grace holding Simon close, feeling the omega's breathing even out. But then Simon shifted restlessly, his body heating again, and Grace felt him hardening against his hip.

"Ryland." Simon whispered, and there was need in his voice again.

"I know." Grace said softly. "I've got you."

This time, Grace took his time. He kissed Simon slowly, deeply, tasting him thoroughly. He mapped every scar with his mouth, learning the texture of healed tissue against his tongue. He paid special attention to Simon's left side, the side Simon tried to hide, kissing along the stump of his arm, the thick scars across his ribs, the damaged tissue on his face.

"You're beautiful." Grace murmured against Simon's skin. "Every part of you is beautiful."

Simon made a choked sound, and Grace looked up to see tears tracking down his scarred cheek. "No one's ever-" Simon started, then stopped. "The Brotherhood, they said omegas were just….just vessels. Just holes to be used. And with my scars, I thought"

"They were wrong." Grace said firmly, moving up to kiss Simon's tears away. "They were so wrong, Starlight. You're not a vessel. You're a person. You're Simon. And I love you."

He proved it with his body, taking Simon apart slowly. He used his mouth this time, kissing down Simon's body until he could taste the slick between his thighs. Simon gasped when Grace's tongue found his hole, licking at the rim, tasting the sweet slick that flowed freely.

"Ryland!" Simon cried out, his hand fisting in Grace's hair. "Oh god, what are you-"

"Taking care of you." Grace murmured against his skin, then dove back in. He worked Simon open with his tongue, feeling the omega clench and flutter around him, and the taste was incredible, sweet and rich and uniquely Simon. He added his fingers alongside his tongue, stretching Simon carefully, and the omega was writhing on the bed, desperate sounds falling from his lips.

When Grace finally pushed inside again, Simon was so ready, so open, that he slid in easily. This time Grace rolled them carefully, helping Simon straddle his hips, letting the omega control the pace and depth.

"Like this." Grace said, his hands on Simon's hips, steadying him. "Take what you need, Starlight. Use me."

Simon sank down slowly, his eye rolling back as Grace filled him completely. The position let him go so deep, and Simon was trembling with it, his hand braced on Grace's chest for balance. Grace was careful to support him, aware of how Simon's missing arm affected his balance, making sure he felt secure.

"That's it." Grace encouraged as Simon started to move, rolling his hips, finding a rhythm. "That's perfect. You're perfect."

Simon rode him slowly at first, then faster, chasing his pleasure. Grace watched him, memorizing every expression that crossed his scarred face, the way his mouth fell open, the way his eye went dark and hazy with pleasure, the way his body moved. Grace's hands roamed Simon's body, touching everywhere he could reach, and when he wrapped his hand around Simon's cock, the omega cried out.

"Yes." Simon gasped. "Yes, please, Ryland-"

Grace stroked him in time with his movements, and it didn't take long before Simon was coming again, clenching around Grace's cock, his cum spilling over Grace's hand and stomach. Grace thrust up into him through it, prolonging the pleasure, and followed him over the edge moments later.

They collapsed together, Simon sprawling across Grace's chest, both of them breathing hard. Grace held him close, one hand stroking through his dark hair, the other tracing patterns on his back.

"How do you feel?" Grace asked softly.

"Good." Simon murmured. "Really good. But it's- it's building again."

"I know." Grace said. "That's normal. We'll take care of it."

Grace cleaned them both with a warm cloth, gentle and thorough, wiping away sweat and cum. Simon's breathing was still uneven, his body trembling with aftershocks, but Grace could already smell the heat building again, that sweet, desperate scent that made his alpha instincts roar.

"Come here, Starlight." Grace murmured, guiding Simon onto his side. He arranged them carefully, Simon's back to his chest, Grace's arm sliding under Simon's head to support him. His other hand settled on Simon's hip, holding him steady. "This okay?"

"Yeah." Simon breathed. "Yeah, fuck, I need-"

"I know." Grace said softly, pressing a kiss to Simon's scarred shoulder. The patchwork of healed tissue was warm under his lips, and he kissed along the ridge of a particularly thick scar, feeling Simon shiver. "I've got you."

He reached down between them, guiding his cock to Simon's entrance. Simon was still slick and open from before, and Grace slid in easily, both of them groaning at the sensation. This position was different, deeper somehow, more intimate. Grace was curled completely around Simon, protecting him, surrounding him.

"Oh god." Simon gasped, his hand reaching back to grip Grace's thigh. "Ryland, that's- fuck, that's so deep-"

"Does it hurt?" Grace asked, stilling immediately.

"No." Simon said quickly. "No, it's perfect, please move, please-"

Grace started a slow, steady rhythm, his hips rolling against Simon's ass. From this angle he could kiss Simon's neck, his shoulder, could whisper praise directly into his ear. "You feel so good." He murmured. "So perfect for me, Starlight. Taking me so well."

Simon made a desperate sound, pushing back to meet Grace's thrusts. The position meant he couldn't do much else, couldn't brace himself, couldn't control the pace. He was completely at Grace's mercy, and the trust in that made Grace's chest ache.

"That's it…" Grace said, his hand sliding from Simon's hip to wrap around his cock. Simon was already hard again, leaking, and Grace stroked him slowly. "Just let me take care of you. Let me make you feel good."

"Fuck." Simon sobbed. "Fuck, Ryland, I can't- it's too much- "

But his body was responding beautifully, clenching around Grace's cock, his hips jerking into Grace's hand. Grace kissed along the scarred side of his neck, tasting salt and sweat, and increased his pace slightly. Not hard, this wasn't about taking Simon into the mattress. This was about holding him close, making him feel safe and wanted and cherished.

"You're so beautiful…." Grace whispered against Simon's skin. "Every part of you. These scars." He kissed another one. "They're beautiful. You're beautiful."

Simon was shaking now, his breathing ragged, and Grace could feel him getting close. He adjusted his angle slightly, and Simon cried out as Grace's cock hit that spot inside him.

"There." Simon gasped. "Right there, please, Ryland, don't stop-"

Grace didn't stop. He kept that angle, that rhythm, his hand working Simon's cock in steady strokes. He pressed kisses to every inch of scarred skin he could reach, murmuring praise between each one. "So good for me. So perfect. I love you so much, Starlight."

When Simon came, it was with a broken cry, his whole body going taut in Grace's arms. Grace held him through it, still moving inside him, and followed moments later, burying his face in Simon's neck as he came.

They stayed like that for a long moment, Grace still inside him, both of them breathing hard. Grace's arm was still under Simon's head, his other hand splayed across Simon's stomach, holding him close.

"Okay?" Grace asked softly.

"Yeah." Simon breathed. "Fuck, yeah. That was-"

"Good?"

"So good." Simon confirmed. "But I'm gonna need more soon."

"I know." Grace said, pressing one more kiss to his shoulder before carefully pulling out. "Let me clean us up first."

Grace brought water this time, making Simon drink half the bottle before setting it aside. He cleaned them both again, gentle and thorough, and Simon watched him with hazy eyes.

"You're taking such good care of me…" Simon said quietly.

"Always." Grace promised. "As long as you'll let me."

The heat was building againGrace could see it in the flush spreading across Simon's chest, could smell it in the air. Simon's cock was already starting to fill again, and his breathing was getting faster.

"How do you want me?" Simon asked, and there was something vulnerable in his voice, like he still couldn't quite believe Grace wanted him at all.

"On your back." Grace said, helping Simon shift. "I want to see you."

Simon lay back against the pillows, his dark hair spread out around him, and Grace took a moment just to look. The scars that covered his body, the missing arm, the blind eye, none of it made him less beautiful. If anything, it made him more so, because every mark was proof that Simon had survived. That he was here, alive, trusting Grace with this.

Grace settled between Simon's legs, lifting them carefully to rest over his shoulders. The position opened Simon up completely, and Grace could see how slick he was, how ready.

"You're gorgeous." Grace said, and watched Simon's face flush darker. "I mean it, Starlight. Look at you."

"Ryland." Simon said, and it sounded almost like a plea.

Grace lined himself up and pushed inside slowly, watching Simon's face the whole time. His mouth fell open, his eye going dark and hazy, and a low moan escaped him as Grace filled him completely.

"That's it." Grace murmured. "That's perfect."

He started moving, slow and deep, and from this angle he could watch every expression that crossed Simon's face. Could see the pleasure building, could see the moment his eye went unfocused with it. Simon's hand was fisted in the sheets, his body arching with each thrust.

"Touch yourself." Grace said. "I want to watch you."

Simon's hand flew to his cock immediately, stroking in time with Grace's thrusts. "Fuck." he gasped. "Fuck, Ryland, you feel so good-"

"So do you." Grace said. "So perfect for me. Taking my cock so well. You were made for this, Starlight. Made for me."

Simon made a desperate sound, his hand moving faster. Grace increased his pace, angling his hips to hit that spot inside Simon with every thrust. Simon's thighs were trembling where they rested on Grace's shoulders, his whole body taut with building pleasure.

"That's it." Grace encouraged. "Let me see you cum. Show me how good I make you feel."

"Close." Simon gasped. "Fuck, I'm so close-"

"Cum for me." Grace said, his voice dropping into that alpha register. "Cum on my cock, Starlight."

Simon came with a shout, his body clenching around Grace, his cum spilling across his stomach. But Grace didn't stop, he kept moving, kept hitting that spot, and Simon's eye went wide.

"Ryland." he gasped. "I can't- I just-"

"You can." Grace said firmly. "You're going to cum again for me."

He reached down, wrapping his hand around Simon's oversensitive cock, and Simon nearly sobbed at the sensation. But his body was responding, still caught in the heat, and Grace could feel him building toward another orgasm already.

"Please." Simon whimpered. "Please, Ryland, it's too much-"

"You can take it." Grace said, stroking him firmly. "You're doing so well. So beautiful like this. I love watching you fall apart for me."

It only took a few more thrusts before Simon was coming again, this time with a broken cry, tears leaking from his good eye. Grace followed him over the edge, burying himself deep as he came.

He lowered Simon's legs carefully, mindful of the strain, and collapsed beside him. Simon was shaking, tears still streaming down his face, and Grace pulled him close.

"I've got you." he murmured. "You did so well, Starlight. So perfect."

"I can't believe" Simon's voice broke. "I can't believe you want me like this."

"I do." Grace said firmly. "I want you exactly like this. Every part of you."

They rested longer this time. Grace cleaned them both again, brought more water, held Simon close while his breathing evened out. But the heat was relentless, and soon Simon was shifting restlessly against him.

"Again?" Grace asked softly.

"I'm sorry." Simon said. "I know I'm-"

"Don't apologize." Grace said firmly. "Never apologize for this. Your body needs it, and I'm here to give it to you."

But this time, when Grace positioned them, he could see the exhaustion in Simon's face. His movements were slower, his responses more delayed. The heat was still driving him, but his body was wearing down.

"We'll go slow." Grace promised, settling between Simon's legs again. "Nice and easy, Starlight."

He entered Simon carefully, and this time it felt different. Less frantic, more tender. Grace set a slow, gentle rhythm, more making love than sex, and Simon's eye fluttered closed.

"Look at me." Grace said softly.

Simon's eye opened, hazy and dark, and Grace held his gaze as he moved inside him. "I love you." Grace said. "I love you so much, Simon. You're safe with me. You're wanted. You're cherished."

Simon made a sound that was half sob, half moan, and fresh tears spilled down his cheeks. But Grace could tell these were different tears, not from pain or overwhelm, but from something breaking open inside him. All those years of being told he was worthless, that his body was shameful, that wanting this made him wrongk it was all crumbling under Grace's gentle care.

"You're allowed to want this." Grace murmured, kissing away Simon's tears. "You're allowed to feel good. You're allowed to be loved."

"Ryland." Simon sobbed, his hand clutching at Grace's shoulder.

"I've got you." Grace promised. "I'll always have you."

He kept the pace slow and steady, one hand stroking through Simon's hair, the other braced beside his head. He kissed Simon's scarred face, his blind eye, his lips, murmuring praise between each kiss. "So beautiful. So perfect. So loved."

When Simon came this time, it was with a broken cry, his body shaking with the intensity of it. But Grace could feel it the way his body was still restless even as he came down, still seeking something more.

"I've got you." Grace murmured, holding Simon close as he came down. "I've got you, Starlight. You're safe. You're loved."

Simon was crying now, but Grace knew these were good tearstears of release, of being cared for, of being seen and wanted despite everything the Brotherhood had taught him. Grace held him through it, pressing kisses to his temple, his scarred cheek, his lips.

But even as Simon came down from his orgasm, Grace could feel it the way Simon's body was still restless, still seeking something more. The heat hadn't peaked yet. Not truly. And Grace's own alpha instincts were clawing at him now, demanding something he'd been holding back for hours.

His knot.

Grace had felt it threatening to swell with every round, had fought it down each time, not wanting to overwhelm Simon, not wanting to take more than Simon was ready to give. But now, feeling Simon trembling against him, smelling the desperate edge returning to his scent, Grace realized what Simon's body was actually asking for.

"Ryland." Simon whimpered, his hips already starting to move again despite his exhaustion. "I need- something's still, it's not enough, why isn't it enough?"

Grace's breath caught. He pressed his forehead against Simon's scarred temple, his hand stroking down Simon's side. "I know what you need." He said quietly. "But I need you to tell me it's okay."

"Anything." Simon gasped. "Please, I need- I feel like I'm going to crawl out of my skin."

"My knot." Grace said, and felt Simon's whole body shudder at the words. "I've been holding it back. I didn't want toI didn't want to claim you without asking. But I think that's what your heat needs, Starlight. I think that's what will satisfy it."

Simon made a desperate sound, his hand fisting in Grace's hair. "Yes." he said immediately. "Yes, please, Ryland, I need it, I need you to please."

Grace kissed him deeply, tasting the desperation on Simon's tongue, and let himself stop fighting his alpha instincts for the first time all day. He rolled them carefully, positioning Simon on his hands and knees well, hand and knees, Grace's arm supporting Simon's left side where his arm ended. Simon's scarred back was to him, the patchwork of healed tissue beautiful in the dim light, and Grace pressed kisses along his spine as he positioned himself.

"I've got you." Grace promised, one hand on Simon's hip, the other supporting his weight. "I'm going to take care of you."

He pushed inside, and Simon cried out at the familiar stretch, his body opening readily after so many rounds. But this time, Grace didn't hold back. He let his alpha instincts guide him, setting a harder pace, deeper, more primal than before. Simon was making desperate sounds with every thrust, his body pushing back to meet Grace, and the scent of slick and arousal was overwhelming.His body had collapsed forward, chest against the bed, ass in the air and it made it easier, made it better without all the weight on one arm. 

"Yes." Simon gasped. "Yes, fuck, Ryland, harder, please-"

Grace gripped Simon's hip tighter, mindful not to hurt him but unable to be as gentle as before. His knot was already starting to swell at the base of his cock, and every thrust made it catch slightly at Simon's rim. Simon felt it too, Grace could tell by the way he moaned, by the way his body clenched around him.

"That's it." Grace said, his voice dropping into that alpha register. "That's it, Starlight. You're going to take my knot. You're going to let me claim you."

"Please." Simon sobbed. "Please, I need it, I need- oh god, Ryland-"

Grace's knot swelled larger with each thrust, catching more and more at Simon's entrance, and Simon was delirious with it. His whole body was trembling, his cock hard and leaking beneath him, and Grace could feel how close he was to the edge.

"Touch yourself." Grace commanded. "I want you to cum on my knot."

Simon's hand flew to his cock, stroking frantically, and Grace thrust deep one more time. His knot caught at Simon's rim, swollen and insistent, and with one more push it slipped inside. Simon screamed as it locked into place, his body clenching around the thick swell, and the sensation was so intense that Grace saw stars.

They were locked together now, Grace's knot fully seated inside Simon's body, and it was the most primal, satisfying thing Grace had ever felt. His alpha hindbrain was roaring with triumph, omega, his omega, claimed, knotted, mine, and he had to breathe through the overwhelming surge of possessive satisfaction.

But Simon, Simon was completely gone. His whole body was shaking, his mouth open in a silent scream, and Grace could feel him clenching rhythmically around the knot. The pressure was incredible, the stretch, the fullness, and when Grace's cock pulsed and started to cum, filling Simon with what felt like an endless amount, Simon came too.

"Ryland!" Simon cried out, his voice breaking. "Oh fuck, oh god, I can feel it, I can feel you- so full, so good, fuck"

Grace wrapped his arms around Simon carefully, supporting his weight as they both shook through their orgasms. He pressed kisses to Simon's scarred shoulder, his neck, anywhere he could reach, murmuring praise. "That's it, that's perfect, you're perfect, Starlight. Taking my knot so well. So beautiful like this."

Simon was sobbing now, but Grace knew it was from overwhelming pleasure, from finally getting what his omega biology had been screaming for. "I can't it's so much- Ryland, I've never-"

"I know." Grace soothed, carefully maneuvering them onto their sides, still locked together. He arranged them so Simon was comfortable, his back against Grace's chest, Grace's arm supporting him. "I know, Starlight. Just breathe. I've got you."

The knot would last at least twenty minutes, maybe longer, and Grace could feel it still pulsing, still filling Simon. Simon's hand found Grace's where it rested on his hip, threading their fingers together, and his breathing was starting to even out into something like contentment.

"That's what I needed." Simon whispered, his voice hoarse and wondering. "That's what my body was asking for. Your knot."

"Yes." Grace said softly, pressing a kiss to Simon's temple. "Your heat needed to be satisfied properly. Needed to be claimed."

"Claimed." Simon repeated, and there was no fear in his voice, only satisfaction. "I'm yours."

"You're mine." Grace agreed, tightening his hold. "And I'm yours. Heat or no heat, omega or notI'm yours, Simon."

They lay there locked together, Grace's knot keeping them joined, and for the first time since the heat began, Simon's body was truly satisfied. The desperate edge was gone, replaced by a deep, bone-deep contentment that made Simon practically purr against Grace's chest.

"I love you." Simon murmured, already starting to drift. "Love you so much, Ryland."

"I love you too, Starlight." Grace said, holding him close. "Rest now. I've got you."

And as Simon's breathing evened out into sleep, still locked on Grace's knot, still full and claimed and satisfied, Grace pressed one more kiss to his scarred temple and smiled.

This was what it meant to be an alpha. Not dominance or control, but care. Protection. Giving your omega exactly what they needed.

And Simon needed him. Wanted him. Trusted him enough to let Grace claim him like this.

Grace's knot wouldn't go down for a while yet, and that was fine. He'd hold Simon through it, keep him safe and warm and loved.

Always.

"Thank you." Simon whispered when he could speak again. "Thank you for, for all of this. For seeing me. For wanting me. For making me feel…." He stopped, struggling for words.

"Human?" Grace offered gently. "Worthy? Loved?"

"Yes." Simon breathed. "All of that."

"You are all of that." Grace said firmly. "You always have been. The Brotherhood was wrong about everything, Simon. You're not a vessel. You're not just an omega. You're Simon, and you're brave and strong and kind, and I love you. Heat or no heat, omega or beta or whatever….I love you."

Simon's breath hitched, and he buried his face against Grace's chest. "I love you too." he said, muffled but clear. "I love you, Ryland."

They lay there together as Simon's heat slowly built again, but this time the edge was duller, the need less desperate. Grace knew they'd probably have several more rounds before the heat broke, but that was okay. He'd take care of Simon through all of it. He'd show Simon what it meant to be loved, to be cherished, to be wanted for who he was and not what biology said he should be.

Grace pressed another kiss to Simon's scarred temple and smiled. "Rest while you can." he murmured. "I'll be here when you need me again."

Simon made a soft sound of contentment and let his eye drift closed, trusting Grace to take care of him. And Grace would. He'd take care of Simon through this heat and every one after. He'd take care of him through the journey to Erid and whatever came after.

Because that's what you did when you loved someone. You took care of them. You saw them. You wanted them.

And Grace wanted Simon, scars and all, omega and all, everything and all.

Always.