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There was both a physical and digital calendar in the home he shared with his partner. Despite it being so new, it felt right and he couldn't ever recall being happier than when they were together. Even when they bickered and argued. The other looked after him in a way previous partners hadn't, too cemented in their allegedly gods given right that the idea of treating their partner with anything above the bare minimum never crossed their minds. At one time, his cycle would have been treated with quite a bit of fussing and the usual short lived pandering. Insistence that they would make him feel better. Words never had the effect that they wanted, never matched up to actions, and he was deemed to be the problem.
The dates circled on the physical calendar meant something vastly different now and it normally brought a smile to his face. He knew his partner would be out for a bit longer so he had a few hours to take care of what had become a ritual.
So he showered and dressed, mindful of the way certain fabrics felt and making a note for things that would need to be discarded later. The house was locked up and he headed towards one of the local pubs. He always felt alien in his own skin on these nights, like things weren't correct and he knew it was because of the clothing. A few people gave him a wide berth, the sweet of an impending heat layering over his normal scent of bergamot and vanilla.
The pub was crowded enough that for a moment he wondered if he would find anyone but knew it could only be a matter of time. His scent would be drowned out to start with for sure, most of the pub having beta clientele but the few alphas and omegas in the space looked up at the new scent. He found himself a seat at the bar, ordering a drink and settling in to wait.
He didn't have long before an alpha was swaggering up to the bar with a wide grin to proposition him.
"I do apologize, I'm currently seeing someone," he answered sweetly, gently prodding the ice in his drink with the straw. He always gave them out an out, it was up to them to take it.
This alpha however didn't seem to get that and leaned forward to lean against the bar with a smug grin. "Can't be too attentive if they're letting you out so close to your heat, sweetness," the alpha argued, grin widening as though they'd made a stunning argument. Like he was a thing that needed to be kept lest he make a foolish mistake. And if he was honest, that moniker always annoyed him, it sounded far too patronizing.
He shifted on his bar stool to level them with an appraising look, one he'd honed over the years as more and more alphas had thrown themselves at him. His parents may have pushed for it but he'd dug his heels in every time. And he knew this one would never have been able to handle him even if he was looking for anyone. The nicely coiffed hair and smart suit would doubtless have some omegas eager for him but it didn't do anything for him. The shift of full attention only made the alpha grin wider and he knew that this was the one who'd be coming back. Like getting someone's full attention was a guarantee that you'd get into bed with them.
"See something to make you change your mind? I promise you I'm twice the alpha that your "partner" is," the alpha purred, the sound only souring to the omega.
"Perhaps," he conceded, arching an eyebrow in consideration. He shifted again and pulled out a pen to write cross streets down on the napkin. "If you can find me from there, perhaps you would be worthwhile."
It was always issued as a challenge, one that only a certain type rose to and he felt the coy smile that only got used in this scenario stretch over his face. He cheerfully paid for his drink and watched the alpha try to work through what had just been said. This was out number two. Really, he had to give them a sporting chance, didn't he?
🌒🌓🌑🌓🌔
The pounding at the door was jarring and he pulled it open quickly to silence it. He didn't want the alpha he could smell outside causing more of a ruckus than necessary, he certainly didn't want them drawing attention to the house. This had been going on for years and he wasn't keen on that being destroyed because some uppity alpha got stupid ideas in their head. Never mind that he'd lured them here.
They took the bait, they generally did after all. And the poleaxed expression as he opened the door and then yanked them inside. They barely even argued when he pressed them against the door with a sly smile.
"I knew you were just playing hard to get. I don't even smell an alpha here so there's no way you have someone," the alpha quipped with a smirk.
He felt his face freeze, a snarl leaking out as one hand closed on the letter opener he had stashed by the door. Of course they would immediately think it was a lie. The hand clutching the letter opener moved quickly, reaching up to bury the blade he specially sharpened for this into their throat.
"What makes you think I need an alpha?" he growled, delighting at the shocked expression as he twisted the blade and was met with a gurgle.
Good.
He withdrew the letter opener, watching in grim fascination as one of the alpha's hands came up to press against the steadily bleeding wound in a feeble attempt to staunch it. Not that it was doing them much good. He grinned, careful not to spin the knife like he wanted. Certainly didn't need blood splatter in strange places that couldn't be explained away if the worse happened.
Watching as the alpha realized they'd been stabbed, trying to fumble for the door with bloody fingers was comical for a moment before he swatted the hand away as he switched the blade to his other hand. Those filthy fingers fell and the nameless alpha tried again, tried to rally for a moment.
"I'm afraid we can't have that," he admonished with the cluck of the tongue, blade coming up to slash shallowly across their throat. He didn't tend to draw it out too much, not wanting to risk someone else coming along and lingering. The blood bubbling out of the newest injury was cathartic to see, soothing in a way little else was and he watched in amusement as bright green eyes got wide and panicked before a last ditch struggle was attempted. Flailing arms had him jumping backwards, lips pursing in annoyance as the alpha started to crumple. There was a curious wheezing noise and part of him wondered if he'd hit something else before deciding it didn't matter. He stepped forward, mindful of the blood that was beginning to pool on the floor. Just one more reason to not give in for carpet really, if only to keep from steam cleaning constantly.
He let himself loom over the alpha, watching as they only now seemed to realize they'd fallen into a trap. He was sure that if he hadn't struck first, he would have been bullied, pressured to accept a knot he had no interest in. And that would honestly be the least of it, he was sure.
"You only have yourself to blame you know," he commented with a casual shrug, snorting in disdain at the low, pained whimper as the alpha tried to move away. The display was pathetic to say the least. "You had every opportunity to walk away." There was something satisfying about watching the light leave their eyes.
The warmth steadily got worse, settling under his skin with a familiarity he was all too accustomed to. But years of being an omega had taught him how to function through the early stages, how to take care of himself when it set in in earnest. Thankfully, his cycle was like clockwork and he appreciated that, being able to set a watch by the stages so that by the time it would settle in fully, he would be hopefully naked in his nest getting a thorough seeing to.
For right now though…
He toed the corpse with no small amount of disdain. He knew how it would look if anyone else knew about this. But really if people just behaved better, he wouldn't have resorted to this. Maybe. The first one had been an accident, just a way to defend himself from someone who thought they were entitled to more than his time. The rest…well…
His nose wrinkled as he noted the blood slowly spreading across the floor. The aggressive prick hadn't put up much of a fight either sadly. The ones who spent the most time trying to convince him that they could take care of him never seemed to fight back. Likely too shocked at being challenged, which made him laugh each time. It made any guilt he could have felt at slitting their undeserving throats evaporate. And now, he needed to move quickly. Last thing he needed was for his roommate…his lover…to come back too early and see this. So he got to work, rolling the body up for easier transport. He'd gotten stains on clothes he cared about exactly once and for the nights closest to his heat, when he hunted he wore things that could be ruined just in case. The mud room was already set up, the large thrifted stock pots already with lye solution and in the tub. He had acquired other tools over the years to make this part easier, things that wouldn't be looked at twice.
Sure hands made quick work of breaking down the body, bloody clothes would be washed with extreme prejudice and a multitude of cleaners before being donated to different charity shops. As pieces came off they quickly and carefully got deposited in the pots so the lye solution could do it's work. He got most of the way with disposal when the front door clicked open, the sound of keys hitting the bowl beside the door reverberating through the house. He glanced up at the steadily ticking clock over the door and his heart sank. Oh no. He'd taken too long and now footsteps were getting closer. He was sure the other would be able to smell what was going on. Each thud of boots had his heart rate picking up. The other's scent started to reach him, the comforting scent of apples and wood smoke barely making it through the stench of the lye. If there was a way to explain this scene away it was eluding him.
Which would have been comical under other circumstances. Him, covered in blood and crouched on a dirty tarp on the tile floor with a half broken down torso, a low marble tub behind him with lye filled steel pots - one having a partially dissolved hand seeming to wave. The only sound was the hum of the heat guns used to heat the pots and the thundering of his heart.
The lanky form of his partner was now resting against the door frame, the playful cock of a hip making him feel warm in ways that wasn't just due to his impeding heat. If he was surprised, it didn't show but he always felt fairly unflappable. There was a bag hanging from slender fingers he knew quite well, the local grocer's logo emblazoned on the paper. He was sure there were plenty of his favorite treats inside, the other omega attentive like that. Dark glasses were already pushed up into bright red hair, one eyebrow quirked in mild amusement.
"You know Angel, it's really easier to just leave them in the woods, let them do some good for once in their lives," Crowley drawled, a smug grin stretching over his face. "Should've known you'd make it harder."
Aziraphale could only blink in surprise when Crowley carefully picked his way across the floor to where he was sitting, hand clutching the bone saw still. The redhead leaned down to brush a kiss to the top of his head, careful to not touch his bloody partner. None of the shock or disgust he'd expected was there, not in his scent or expression. And that comment…
"They put up a fight or just too shocked?" he purred knowingly, grinning like a cat who'd gotten a bowl of cream.
"Shocked, they always are," Aziraphale breathed, feeling a little bit like someone had pulled a rug out from under him. Maybe his partner wouldn't have been as upset as he'd thought and he felt himself fall just a little bit more in love with the redhead at the realization.
"They are," Crowley agreed, waggling his eyebrows. "Let me put these up, that herb chevre you like was on sale so I grabbed a bunch. I can help you out after that, in more ways than one."