Chapter Text
October 2013
Medical school was as difficult as everyone said it would be and Devon, for one, was loving it. Most of the time anyway.
He didn’t love it when his roommate was tired of studying for midterms and had decided to invite half the building into their hallway and made their room public. All without his permission.
To top it off, he wasn’t feeling well and was just recovering from a hell of a flu. There was a bug going around and he’d planned on sleeping a last night away before spending the next two days stuck in the library. Seemed like that library stay was going to have to be earlier than planned.
Getting up from his bed, he winced at the thumping music that was adding to his horrible headache and grabbed a backpack. He might as well pack a change of clothes because only god knew what he’d find if he to came to his room after the party. Contemplating, he finally threw his toothbrush in too. He really needed to set stronger boundaries.
Waving at his dancing roommate, Devon left the noisy dorms with a sigh of relief.
The warmth and silence of the library was a welcome relief and he went to the back; usually popular it was empty due to many kids going home or spending time in their dorms. He sighed. That could have been him too.
Pulling out his books, he stared at them for a long time before his pounding head protested and he pulled his jacket out, bundled it into a pillow and dropped his head down. He’d taken a spoonful of Nyquil and he’d probably get a good few hours of sleep out of it.
* * *
“Hey, hey man, you gotta wake up.”
Devon pulled himself through thick sludge and opened his eyes to see the blurred face of someone peering down at him.
Groaning, he forced himself up and winced at the ache in his neck. The Nyquil had knocked him out but the table had done a number on him. He yawned and stretched his arms out.
“What time is it?” he asked, eyes finally clearing and seeing that it was another tired looking student waiting for him to wake up.
“Time for the library to close.”
Devon frowned as the words filtered through. “What?”
“Yeah, you gotta pack up and go. They’re closing in ten minutes.”
Devon licked his dry mouth. “But, uhm what? Since when does the library close?”
The other student lifted his brows. “Uhm, since always? They only open all-night during the weekdays. Kids were beginning to sleep here in the weekends and then you know, sleep here. So campus has been closing the buildings until 7 the next morning.”
Shit. He hadn’t planned for this but he couldn’t exactly plan for this. He had basically been kicked out. Nodding, he packed his things up, slipping on his jacket because it had got even more cold outside. He lifted a hand at the librarian who ignored him just as thoroughly as she’d done when he’d walked in and pulled out his cell to see who he could crash with.
Finding the number he wanted, he dialled and lifted the phone to his ear.
“Devooooooon!”
Devon pulled the phone back and stared at it in horror before checking to see that he’d called the right person.
“Priya, are you okay?”
She giggled. “Yes, I’m goooood, so good.”
“You’re drunk.”
“No no no, just a little tipsy. We’re celebrating.”
He sighed and took a seat on the nearest half-wall. “And why is that?”
“Got an A in my report, mate,” she said, giggling harder, her accent strong but not at all like what he was used to. “Ooh you should join us.”
The thought of alcohol turned his stomach and he was shaking his head even as he spoke. “Oh no, I’m not feeling too good. I was actually wondering if I could crash by your place tonight. Luke is having a party and invited our entire dorm to our rooms.”
“Oop that’s bad. And if you really don’t wanna join us, that’s fine. But you have to come to the bar to get my keys.”
He agreed, got the address from her and called a Lyft. The thought of finally sleeping on a soft surface was too good to give up. He could navigate a bar.
The car pulled up in a decent looking neighbourhood and he asked the driver to wait as he called Priya but her phone rang until it went to voicemail and he sighed.
“I’ve got to go in.” He stepped out and groaned as the skies opened up. What was this day even? “Could you just wait five minutes?”
The driver looked at him then sighed. “Yeah sure whatever.”
He sounded extremely unconvincing so Devon knew he’d have to hurry up or he’d have to go through the process of waiting for another car. Grabbing his backpack, he entered the bar and shivered as warmth slipped over him, the soft music playing soothing and welcoming. The atmosphere was rather unexpected.
Searching through the soft light, he spotted Priya with a group of her friends and made his way over.
“Pri, hey you weren’t answering your cell.”
“Devon!” She threw herself into his arms in excitement, hugging him tight before smacking a big kiss onto his cheek. “I’m so glad you came!”
He grinned and pulled back, patting her head. “Hello Priya. Congratulations on your grade.”
She beamed at him. She was so drunk and it was slightly concerning but he saw that one girl was holding a water and was probably designated driver or whatever for them.
“Yeah, it’s so great,” she said, sighing happily. “Oh, do you want a drink?”
He shook his head, frowning. “No, Pri, I came to get your keys. I’m crashing on your couch tonight, remember?”
She stared at his with wide eyes and nodded slowly. “Ooh yeah, we spoke about that. Wait, I think Kelsey has my bag. Kelsey!” she yelled, almost into his ear.
He glanced worriedly at the door, hoping the guy was still waiting for him but losing hope with each passing second. It took five minutes for Priya to find Kelsey and Kelsey to find the bag before she ambled over to him. “Devon, I uh, we left the keys with the resident at the desk because we didn’t want to lose it,” she mumbled, guiltily.
He felt a bolt of irritation and that surprised him. He was generally quite patient but he was tired and despite his headache subsiding he just needed to lie down.
“Okay, uhm can I go to your dorm and ask for them?”
She shook her head regretfully. “They won’t allow you in. Rules.”
“Shit.”
Priya looked truly apologetic. “I’m really sorry, Dev.”
He shook his head. “It’s fine. You didn’t know I’d wanna crash. Okay, I’ll make a plan for tonight then.”
She grabbed his shoulder. “You can wait here until we head home and come with us?”
He looked around and felt exhaustion pull through him. They’d be two, three hours at the least but he didn’t really have any other option. He spotted a table in a dark corner and resigned himself to just waiting it out. He was going to kill Luke.
“Okay, yeah, I’ll wait. Just gotta tell my Lyft driver to go.”
She smiled and patted his shoulder before disappearing into her group while he went to see to the driver. As expected, the man was gone and Devon couldn’t even blame him.
He gave another heavy sigh before stepping into the bar and making his way into the corner. It was only as he sat down that he realised it was already occupied, a man sitting on the other end of the small table, a beer held loosely in his hand.
“Ah, man, sorry I didn’t see you.”
The guy lifted a hand and Devon saw a ring flash on his index finger. “It’s fine. Sit,” he said in a low voice, soft and hoarse. It sent a shiver down his spine and he froze before clearing his throat.
The man gestured at the seat before taking a sip from his beer. Devon hesitated but the thought of sitting anywhere with light and more noise put him off and he sighed and settled down, leaning back against the chair and closing his eyes. He was sick. The shiver had been due to fever or something.
He wasn’t there for five minutes before someone bounded over and bumped into the table. “I’m so glad you got company, you chump. You’re rather mopey for your last night home.”
Wondering just who on earth was interrupting their blessed silence, Devon forced his eyes open and saw a handsome man leaning over, almost in the face of the man occupying the other side of his table. He was wearing camo pants and a huge grin, eyes just this side of shiny.
“Fynn, I told you, I just want to have a few beers and a good night in a bed before suffering the desert again.”
The man chuckled before turning to face Devon and sticking out his hand in greeting. “I’m Sergeant Fynn. Lieutenant Finland. Captain no General- damn, Conrad, what am I?” the man asked, giving up and turning to his companion, Conrad, for help.
Conrad chuckled and Devon swallowed a gasp. Every sound the damn man made sent a jolt to his abdomen, a hook tugging at his navel.
“A pain in my ass, that’s what you are.”
Devon coughed into his fist to hide a smile and the friend, Fynn, groaned. “So mean. Well, I refuse to stand around and be insulted like so. Hope you enjoy this mopey man, friend.”
Fynn slapped his shoulder and stumbled away to the bar but Devon didn’t bother looking at him for long, instead turning to the man whose eyes he could feel on him.
They hadn’t spoken to each other before Fynn had wondered over and Devon didn’t want to start an unwanted conversation but the man was looking at him rather intently. Also, Devon couldn’t lie. He wanted to hear that low growling voice again.
Before he could think of what to say, the man leaned forward and Devon got a good look at him for the first time. He was gorgeous, sand-blonde waves tumbling over his forehead, a five o’clock shadow that could either grow into a striking beard or be shaved off and make him look like a little kid and best of all, a crooked smile that made Devon’s heart a little tumble. A tumble that he planned on ignoring thoroughly.
“I know why I’m sitting alone. Why are you?” he asked in that low delicious voice, and really, this was ridiculous. Devon actually felt himself pulled forward to be nearer to the man.
He felt sweat trickle from his nape down his spine and he swallowed. “I’m really here against my will. My roommate thought throwing a house party in our dorm room was a good idea and Priya over there doesn’t have her keys with her so I have to wait for this party to be over before having a place to crash.”
Conrad grinned and Devon was sure his eyes had flashed red but that was impossible. “Bad break, my man.”
Devon turned to face him fully. “I’ve told you mine. What’s yours?”
“Being shipped out tomorrow. We’re crashing in the rooms above the bar so Fynn dragged me down for a drink. Thought we’d have a last beer before we’d be inhaling sand and blood for the next few months.”
“See a lot of that? Blood, I mean?”
Conrad closed his eyes and tipped his head back to swallow the last of his beer. Devon’s gaze caught on the way his throat bobbed around the swallow and he felt his abdomen tighten in response. So he found the man attractive. Okay.
“Yeah, some. As a medic, I’d say maybe I see a lot more.”
“I’m in medical school myself. First year.”
Conrad cocked his head. “Where’d you graduate?”
Devon smiled proudly. “Just graduated from Yale.”
Conrad hummed and chuckled. “Big names but you’re gotta help the people. That’s what’s important.”
Devon smiled self-deprecatingly. “You’re the first person to not be impressed by that.”
Conrad grinned then sighed. “Yeah well, when you’ve seen what I’ve seen, you know what to be impressed by.” He leaned back again and fell silent.
Devon frowned. “Not that it’s my business, but you and your friend are spending your last night’s very differently.”
Conrad chuckled and turned his head to look at Flynn flirting with some girl at the bar. “You thought I’d also be trying to get laid, huh?”
Devon shrugged. “I mean…”
Conrad shook his head then he sighed before pulling out a ring from his pocket. Not an engagement ring but obviously something sentimental.
“There was someone but uh, I broke it off with Catherine.”
He placed the ring on the table and spun it around, watching as it landed close to Devon’s hand. Devon picked it up and examined it, seeing a flash of the letter G engraved inside before he returned it to Conrad. “G?”
Conrad smiled. “My mum.” Then he paused. “Why aren’t you drinking?”
“Not feeling my best. Recovering from a flu and not getting the best sleep.”
And then, with no regards to personal space, Conrad lifted his hand and touched the back of it to Devon’s forehead. Devon would never know what Conrad would have said about him having or not having a fever because as soon as his hand touched Devon’s skin, Devon felt like he’d touched an open socket.
They both jerked back with a gasp.
“Fuck, what was that?” Conrad asked, eyes wide.
Devon stared at him. “I don’t know. Sorry, I don’t, you okay?”
Conrad huffed out a laugh. “Yeah, man, I’m good.”
They sat staring at each other for a long moment, Devon feeling his chest tighten as it got harder to breathe. He needed air. He stood up and almost stumbled when an ache in his thighs shot up to his ass and his hand tightened on the chair for balance. What the hell?
“Uh, I’m just gonna take a breather.”
Conrad nodded and Devon could feel his eyes on him as he wavered a little until his eyes caught on the back door and he hurried out.
Something was wrong. He could feel it. These weren’t the recovering-from-a-flu symptoms he’d been experiencing earlier. This was something else. Something he had experienced before and hadn’t been expecting for another two months.
But it wasn’t possible. He was on suppressants and birth control and all the shit his parents warned him about and-
“Fuck.”
He felt the tell-tale slipperiness that meant slick was gathering and he wanted to die. This was not happening now. How was this happening?!
He stayed in the alley for a good five minutes, trying not to breathe in the smell of piss and garbage, contemplating his choices. He could tell Priya he needed to go now but that would still put him in a room full of people when he was obviously going into heat. He actually didn’t have a back-up plan because he always made sure to go home a few days before he expected his heat and now he was so fucked.
He heard the door open as a waiter walked out to take a smoke and the guy gave him a strange look but otherwise ignored him. The guy finished his cigarette and went back in but Devon still didn’t follow. He needed a plan.
He sighed and leaned his back against the wall letting the coolness of the bricks seep into him then jerked up when someone wolf-whistled at him from the street.
“How much for a blowjob?” the guy asked, winking at him.
His eyes widened. “What?”
The guy sauntered over and Devon stood up straight and held his hands out. “Sorry, man, you got the wrong person.”
The guy’s eyes rolled a little when he got closer and he licked his lips lasciviously. “Oh you’re in heat.”
Devon backed a little away. “I’m not what you think. Sorry, I’m just gonna,” he made a mistake and turned his back to the man, fully intending to just get back in, plan or not, but the guy didn’t like that and grabbed his arm.
“Hey, I’ll pay more. I mean, sharing your heat? Of course,” he said, yanking Devon towards him.
“Hey, let go!” Devon shouted, tugging at his arm but the guy started to get more aggressive, and kicked his shin, shoving him against the wall and twisting his arm behind his back in Devon’s shock.
Whimpering at the sudden pain, breath knocked out of him, Devon barely managed to turn his head before the man shoved his nose into his neck and breathed him in. “Oh yeah, that’s the stuff. How about a kiss, omega?” he asked, turning his mouth to Devon’s and Devon’s stomach turned.
He didn’t know what was happening and he was panicking. He’d learnt self-defence, his parents had ensured that, but in that moment it was like he’d forgotten everything.
Tears pricked his eyes as pain from his twisted arm shot to his shoulder and his panic made his breath come out in pants.
“Oh yeah, I hear you. You like this. You omegas just pretend like you don’t but you really just want someone to fuck your holes.” The man followed his vulgar words with using his other hand to roughly cup Devon through his pants and he whimpered as the touch both hurt and felt good. His heat was betraying him and the tears slipped down his face.
The man grinned and licked them off and Devon struggled again. “Please, stop. I don’t want this. Stop!” he shouted again, eyes blurry as he heard the clink of the man unbuckling his own belt. He closed his eyes and turned his head away but before he could do anything else, Devon was suddenly cold as the man was yanked away from him and promptly punched in the face.
Devon had not heard the door open but it was the army medic, Conrad, eyes red and growling as he pulled his fist back and punched the guy in the stomach, slamming his knee up into the guy’s nose when he doubled over. “He said stop, asshole!”
The alpha fell to the ground groaning and Devon struggled to stand, thinking Conrad would continue beating the aggressive alpha but then he was turning to check on Devon, arms opening as if to show that he meant no harm and despite the fear and adrenaline running through him, he collapsed like a tower of cards into Conrad’s arms the moment the alpha came close.
Conrad immediately pulled him close, arms tightening around him and Devon didn’t know what was happening but the next thing he knew, he was sobbing into the man’s shoulder, his warmth and scent calming him down immediately. The how and whys of why this particular man could make him feel so safe so instantly was buried deep under everything that was happening right now and he let himself be weak for just a moment.
When his heart had finally calmed down, he realised where he was and when he took his next breath, it came out as a moan rather than a sob. Conrad. Smelt. Delectable. Deep notes of dark chocolate and caramel shot through with vanilla. His mouth watered.
He closed his eyes and inhaled again before stepping back. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I don’t know what came over me.”
Conrad looked at him with concerned eyes and shook his head. “No, man, please don’t apologize. This man was attacking you. Speaking of, we should get out of here.”
They looked at the unconscious alpha, Conrad bending to see if he was breathing before he grabbed Devon’s hand and pulled him back into the bar.
The sound of the bar was almost jarring after the muted horrors of the alley and Devon felt like his heart was pounding in his head.
Conrad continued in and Devon realized that his hand was still clasped in Conrad’s and he had no intention of letting go. His brain didn’t seem to care that this was a strange alpha whom he’d literally met less than an hour ago but was apparently more than willing to follow wherever he took him.
He paused before exiting the corridor that led to the main area and turned to Devon. “You’re,” he swallowed and shivered, eyes flashing again – what was up with that – “you’re in heat?”
He was asking but Devon had been right in the man’s arms. There was no way the alpha didn’t know that he was. He just nodded in response.
“Where do you want to go?” he asked, eyes boring into Devon’s and Devon didn’t know what was happening, if the logical part of him had perhaps been knocked unconscious with the alpha outside, but he stepped into Conrad’s space and said, “Home. With you.”