always. forever and never.

by eiffelover

Chapter 6: george

Summary:

Courting gifts given and received. George learns a secret.

Notes:

Apologies for the delay! Life got real busy!
Specific warning in this chapter for cum play!

Also, this fic now has a discord server! find me on tumblr @eiffelover to get the link to join!

Lewis stood with a small box in his hand. It was white, wrapped with a teal-colored ribbon. He’d replaced the original ribbon, the darker blue one the shopkeeper at Paradiso del Caffè had tied, so now it was white and Mercedes teal, the ribbon off-center enough to make the cross resemble the flag of Finland. It wasn’t the wrapping that was important, though. It was the contents of the box. The seven bags of coffee beans that carried a scent nearly identical to Lewis’ comfortable omega scent. The very scent Valtteri had said he wanted to drink. He wanted to drink Lewis’ scent. And now Lewis held in his hands the very way for Valtteri to do just that. He was doing his best to not think about the other ways Valtteri could taste him. Lewis’ mind had wandered in the past few days, images of his own slick on Valtteri’s lips, but, well, he wasn’t going to hope for that yet. 

First, he had to give Valtteri the gift. His courting gift. Because he wanted to court Valtteri. He wants to be courted by Valtteri. 

“Lewis?” the Finnish alpha asked, amusement in his voice. Lewis had gotten distracted, started purring as he thought of Valtteri, even though Valtteri was sitting just across from him. Lewis had invited Valtteri to his motorhome again, but they weren’t in the nest now. Lewis wanted to be, wanted to be cuddled in the nest with Valtteri, feeling the alpha rumble around him. But he would get too distracted, and never actually present the gift. So he’d invited Valtteri to sit at the table, and then gotten distracted after retrieving the box. 

Lewis shook himself out of his distraction and lowered himself into the seat across from Valtteri. He placed the box between them. 

“This is for you,” Lewis told him, pushing the box a little closer to Valtteri. And then he clarified, “And it is a courting present. I would like to court you, Valtteri.”

Lewis had known his fair share of alphas in his time that would be insulted by such a gesture, that would hate that an omega had made the first move. It was a break from long-standing courting traditions, enforced by societal norms throughout generations. But Valtteri wasn’t like that. He looked at the box for only a moment but lifted his gaze to Lewis as he said, “Yes. I would like that very much.”

“You haven’t even opened the box,” Lewis pointed out. “What if you hate it?”

Valtteri chuckled, “Lewis, you could have put a paperclip in this box, or a piece of rubber from your tyres, and my answer would be the same. The gift has nothing to do with it.”

Oh . Lewis feels a warm flutter skitter through his chest, a feeling he has not felt in too long. He was in love with Valtteri. 

“But I would like to court you in return. If that is alright with you.” Valtteri adds. He is smiling, teasing. He already knows what the answer would be. 

“Only if you open the box,” Lewis teases in return. Despite the gift not being the real point of the moment, Lewis had still put a decent amount of effort into it. He still wanted to see Valtteri’s face when the alpha realized what he’d been gifted. 

Valtteri nodded and pulled at the end of the Finnish colored ribbon. It unravels, and he carefully lifts the lid, looking for a moment at the bags of coffee beans with their ornate script label that read Lewis in gold letters. Valtteri’s brow furrows, confused.

Lewis figured a hint may help him out. “Oh, just so you know, I’m wearing scent blockers at the moment.” The blockers wouldn’t completely cut off his scent from Valtteri, but it would be more muffled than what Valtteri was smelling now.

Valtteri’s eyes flick between Lewis and the box, wide and shocked. “But I can–” Lewis grinned, and nodded to the coffee. Valtteri lifts one bag out of the box, up to his nose. He inhales deeply, and his eyes grew impossibly wider, his eyebrows nearly disappearing into his hair. Lewis can tell the alpha’s scent displayed his surprise, and delight. “It smells just like you. How did you do this?”

“A lot of smelling coffee. Pierre helped.”

“You are brilliant. Forget courting, I would mate you right now if you would let me,”

Lewis knew that it was mostly a tease, a lighthearted display of appreciation. But it still scraped against his bones, a feeling of adoration sitting just beside his ever present nerves when it came to becoming more and more omega . “Val, before you agree, I need you to let me tell you something. I need you to listen, think about it, and then only answer me when you’re really sure, ok?” 

Valtteri places the coffee back into the box, nodding as he reaches across the table to take Lewis’ hand gently. 

“I don’t know how long it will take me to be ready for a mate bond. I was barely interested in one as an alpha, and now that I’m an omega, it's different. I’m comfortable as I am, I don’t want to change myself, but I don’t know if I’m ready for that. Or if I’ll ever be. Being with you? Yes. Marrying you? Yes, if that is something we decide we want. But I don’t know if I will be ready to mate.”

Valtteri nods, but Lewis wasn’t done yet. 

“And pups. Someday, I’d like a family. But I just– I’m not ready yet. I don’t know if I could carry them.” He could biologically. That was the whole purpose of making an alpha into an omega. Valtteri didn’t let go of his hand. “Maybe someday, but not yet.”

“I do not–”

“No,” Lewis insisted. “I want you to think about it. Really think about it. Give me your answer when you’re sure.”

Valtteri nodded again in understanding. It was Thursday now. They’d all only just arrived at the circuit. If he was lucky, Valtteri would have an answer for him by the end of the weekend. Though, Lewis would wait for however long it took. He’d left Valtteri waiting long enough, it was only fair now that Valtteri did the same. 

The alpha stayed as Lewis took his hand out of his, and went to the bathroom to wash off the blockers he’d applied. It is strange, he thinks as his coffee scent floods around him, how he had assumed he would need a constant supply of blockers, and yet he hadn’t bought a single extra bottle since the grid omegas had accepted him. Lewis wondered now how many other omegas had figured him out, not just the drivers. The ones that worked in the paddock in any capacity other than driving. 

Daniel. Valtteri. Pierre. Charles. Lando. Yuki. Mick. Nicholas. Toto. Esteban. Angela. 

The other omegas who had picked up on his change of scent.

He had not even considered the paddock betas who had also clocked the shift. 

Lewis looked at his mental list, the catalog of those who knew his secret, who could expose him. He looked at it, and then he crumpled it up and threw it away. He could let that mental list go, he could decide it didn’t matter who knew.

When he returns to Valtteri, the Finn has a bag of the Lewis’ specialty roast lifted from the box, held to his nose as he breathes in the scent of it. He’s alerted to Lewis’ return by the sound of pleased omegas purring, his blue eyes fluttering open and meeting Lewis’. Valtteri doesn’t even blush. He replaces the bag, stands, and crosses the small space of the motor home common area to encircle Lewis’ waist with his arms. Lewis continues to purr, feeling warm and secure as Valtteri holds him, never wanting him to let him go. Lewis cant help but wonder  if it would  it feel this good, this comfortable to have Valtteri hold him where anyone could see? Falling into his embrace under the podium, outside hospitality, in the garage. Lewis expected a pang of panic in his chest, and shift in his scent, but the thought only brought on another flush of easy comfort and louder purrs. 

“Do you want to go make a cup of that coffee?” Lewis asks against Valtteri’s chest, trying not to blush at the thought of Valtteri trying the coffee, his coffee. Valtteri tasting him. Lewis trying not to think of Pierre’s comments on how good Lewis tasted as they sampled the coffee in Milan. Trying not to hope that, when he did try it, Valtteri would enjoy the taste just as he seemed to enjoy the smell. “Or–”

“Or?” Valtteri prompted.

It still felt like something , inviting an alpha into his nest. Lewis practically drags the omegas into his nest, or the pack nest, whenever the opportunity presents itself. They were comfort incarnate, a way to relax in that chaos that was life in Formula 1. An alpha in his nest, Valtteri, felt more intimate. More like trust. And if there was any alpha he trusted completely, it was Valtteri. Still, he took a breath before continuing, “Or you could stay the night. We could–”

A sharp knock on the door cuts him off Lewis wasn’t even completely sure where he was going to go with it, if he was offering a night of cuddling or if he was about to offer a night of spreading his legs for Valtteri after just asking for them to take things slow less than ten minutes before. 

He didn’t need to open the door to know who was behind it, but he was happy to see both Charles and Pierre when he did. He’d spent three days with the mated pair in Milan before reporting to the circuit, and the afterglow of their time together was still strong. He still felt in tune with them. 

“How did it– oh!” Charles’ gaze slid past Lewis to where Valtteri is standing. The Monegasque lowers his voice as he asks, “Did you give it to him?” a brow cocked in curiosity.

“Yeah, I did.”

“Fantastic!” Charles grinned, first at Lewis and then directly at Valtteri. “Well, we were going to ask if you wanted to cuddle tonight, but it seems as though we have been beaten to the punch.”

“Unless Valtteri wants to cuddle with all three of us,” Pierre says with a shrug. Both Lewis and Charles look at him, at the quietly stunned look Pierre was wearing. As if he couldn’t believe what he’d just said either. Charles might be more familiar with Pierre’s aversion to alphas, but Lewis knew enough to know it was an odd suggestion even from the Frenchman. 

“Pear?” Charles prompted, holding his mate’s hand firmly. 

Pierre looks at Charles, a small whine slipping from his lips, but then nods. “Valtteri is safe,” he whispers, his knuckles white as he holds Charles’ hand. “And you and Lewis will both be there. I can do it. I want to.” Charles leans in, nuzzling his cheek against Pierre’s calming whatever unease Charles could feel through their bond. Pierre adds, “Only if Valtteri wants to, of course.”

Lewis nods, and turns back to the alpha. Valtteri is watching him with a soft fondness that makes Lewis want to melt into a puddle at his feet. “Well, I was going to offer you a night of cuddling in the nest, but now it looks like it comes with two extra omega.” For as much as he wanted a night of only Valtteri holding him, Lewis knew he couldn’t turn away Pierre and Charles. The intensity of how much he wanted all three of them in his nest tonight, though, was surprising. “Would you still be interested if Charles and Pierre are there, too?”

Valtteri didn’t immediately respond, and Lewis found himself on the edge of purring again. He liked that Valtteri thought about it first, and didn’t immediately rush to an answer. “I would not want to make them uncomfortable,” he finally admits. “I do not think Pierre would be comfortable.”

“I think the only way Pierre will be comfortable is if he tries it,” Lewis counters. He understands why Pierre was nervous, but he was also very proud of him for wanting to try. “And he sees you as safe.”

Another pause, shorter this time, and then Valtteri nods. “If he feels safe, then, yes. I would be honored to be included.”

Its pulls another purr from Lewis, and he can hear Charles purr behind him. Lewis steps closer to Valtteri, scenting the alpha in appreciation. He didn’t expect Valtteri’s arms to immediately encircle  his waist, and pull him closer as the alpha rumbled. He could happily stay in that embrace for hours, as long as Valtteri allowed him to, until he wasted away from lack of food or water or sunlight, his nose pressed to Valtteri’s scent gland, the alpha’s snowstorm trapped in his nose for Lewis to take to the afterlife. 

He felt both Pierre and Charles’ fingers brush over the small of his back as they passed behind him, “We’ll go get settled,” Charles coos as they move around them to the bedroom. Lewis nods, his nose dragging against Valtteri’s neck. 

“Thank you, Val,” Lewis purs, wrapping his arms around the alpha and hugging him tight. He is still reveling in this the newness of this all. He’s never felt this way, not as an alpha toward an omega, not as an alpha toward Max. This emotion, this soft, utter fondness that fills his chest with warmth and makes him feel as if he could float, was reserved for Valtteri. Only Valtteri.

Lewis tries to recall if he’s ever felt this as an alpha. 

He did. 

With Valtteri.

The calm reassurance of the other alpha, the way Lewis had been able to relax with Valtteri in a way he never had with another teammate. 

That feeling. He’d mistaken it. 

Lewis had thought it was that Valtteri was so much different from Nico, so much calmer. He couldn’t be sure now if he had been able to pick up on Valtteri’s scent as an alpha and simply hadn’t recognized it for what it was, and he would never be able to know. But he knows now that his affection for Valtteri had not begun with his transition to omega. It may have taken him longer, had he never transitioned, but he would have figured it out eventually. Maybe. Hopefully.

“What are you thinking about, Lew?” Valtteri asks, holding him closer, alerted to the rabbit hole of Lewis’ thoughts by the change in his scent. 

Lewis lifts his head, looking at the alpha for a moment before kissing Valtteri gently. “That I wish we’d done this sooner.”

Valtteri chuckles and then gives Lewis a kiss of his own. “Well, you can’t be fast in every aspect of life, can you?”

Lewis blinked once, twice, and then burst into laughter. 

Yeah, he was in love with Valtteri. 

“You want to go get in the nest?” Lewis asks, feeling uncomfortable at the thought of leaving Charles and Pierre alone for too long. He knows they will be fine, but he imagines Pierre will be more nervous the more he has to wait in anticipation. 

“Lewis, I need to make something explicitly clear to you,” Valtteri begins, lowering his tone. Its the most serious Lewis has heard him all night. “There is never a point where you could ask me if I wanted to get in your nest and I would say no. I could never say no to wanting to get into the nest with you. You could build a nest in the middle of the circuit, and I would still want to be in it if you wanted me there.”

How was Lewis meant to have a proper functioning thought after that? How was he supposed to not purr and reach up to kiss Valtteri again? He didn’t know how he was meant to manage that, so instead he simply did that, purred and kisses Valtteri again, reveling in the way the alpha kissed him in return so easily despite Lewis’ insistence they take things slow. It was a good sign that, no matter how long Lewis had to wait for the answer, Valtteri would agree to courting. He was going to court Valtteri. 

Which meant he might get new nesting material! New nesting material from Valtteri!

All the nesting material Lewis has currently was mostly blankets he’d bought. His nesting materials also included the McLaren jacket Daniel had left him the first time they had nested together and various articles of clothing from the various omegas that had come to Lewis’ nest for a nap. Comfortable, but not yet overwhelmingly personal. The thought of getting nesting material from Valtteri, that smelled like Valtteri, a piece of Valtteri always with him, had his mind racing with new design ideas for the nest. 

For now, though, he needed Valtteri in his nest. He needed Valtteri and Charles and Pierre. His alpha and two of his omegas. All of them safe and secure where Lewis could look after them, and they could look after him. 

Pack. 

As soon as Lewis pulls Valtteri to the bedroom, Lewis understood the layout that needed to happen. Pierre was at one edge of the nest, turned inward toward Charles. Pierre’s face was hidden against Charles’ neck, taking comfort from his mate. Lewis could still pick up on the discomfort from the French omega though. He is incredibly proud of Pierre. Lewis separates from Valtteri, brushing his fingers through Pierre’s hair, adding whatever comfort he could. 

The arrangement in the nest is important. If he put Valtteri in the middle, next to Charles, it would mean there was still one person between Pierre and the alpha. But the better arrangement would be Lewis next to Charles, and Valtteri on the opposite end from Pierre. Valtteri chuckles and lets Lewis manhandle him into position in the nest. Lewis stands back for a second taking in the final arrangement before squeezing himself between Valtteri and Charles. In this arrangement Lewis is the big spoon for Charles, the little spoon for Valtteri. It's perfectly comfortable immediately. Lewis stretches out his hand, reaching across Charles to brush his fingers through Pierre’s hair again. All three omegas purring at the contact. 

This reminds him of the old days. Days long forgotten. The grid used to be a pack, fluid as drivers came and went, and had mates and pups outside the grid, but always united. They comforted each other. But a pack cannot survive without a Pack Alpha and Pack Omega. Without both, a pack just isn’t bound together. Fernando had been the Pack Alpha, Stoffel the Pack Omega. When they’d both left, the pack just…drifted. It was clear now that the grid omegas had stayed together, but, even after Fernando returned, none of them became Pack Omega. Only certain individuals could become a Pack Leader, though no one really knew what made someone capable of it. 

So the grid hadn’t been a pack since 2018, but this? Sandwiched between Charles and Valtteri, his fingers in Pierre’s hair, feeling all three of them breathe and settle around him? Lewis felt like he was in a pack again. 

As he fell asleep, Lewis didn’t notice just how loud his purring was. 

It turned out that Valtteri made Lewis wait a whole two weeks before giving him an answer to his question. It wasn’t like they hadn’t seen each other past waking up together the Friday morning of Monza, though. No, Valtteri had slept in Lewis’ nest every night of the race weekend, and they were joined by Charles and Pierre each night as well. On Sunday night, Pierre even swapped places with Charles, getting one spot closer to Valtteri. The four of them smelled like a mixture of each other all weekend, though of course, it was only the other omegas that noticed.

When Charles invoked podium privileges after his second-place finish, Valtteri was invited to the party with the omegas. Even then, Valtteri did not give him an answer. 

But the alpha did not give Lewis a direct answer about courting until Singapore. And even then Lewis didn’t understand what was even happening at first. Lewis had been rushed along, told that he was doing a media thing with Alfa Romeo. Which was…odd. But not always unheard of. However it was usually with other Mercedes teams. But it was very rare. Mercedes doesn't often do media moments with other teams, not like Red Bull and Alpha Tauri do, but Lewis also wasn’t about to turn down an opportunity to see Valtteri. 

Toto looked a little too gleeful along side Lewis for this all to be normal, though. 

Lewis was trying to remain casual as he entered the area they set aside for filming, his excitement growing knowing he was going to see Valtteri. When he reached him,  Valtteri gave him only a fist bump and a one-armed side hug. Lewis wanted to fling himself against the alpha, and nuzzle against Valtteri’s neck to ensure the alpha would be carrying around his scent for the rest of the day. Honestly, two weeks felt like a long time when he was waiting to see Valtteri again. He wasn’t sure how some of the other omegas did it, honestly. But scenting Valtteri on camera would perhaps be taking things a bit too far even if the world knew Lewis was an omega, so he held himself back. 

“I wanted to give you something,” Valtteri says with a warm smile. Lewis tried desperately not to purr, not to anticipate what this gift might be, or what it might be for. “I heard you liked the picture.” And the alpha retrieves a framed picture, keeping whatever was in the frame turned towards him. When he turned it around, Lewis couldn’t hold the bubble of laughter he felt all the way in his chest. There, in all his glory, was Valtteri. Completely naked, in a river, surrounded by trees. His bare ass, a glorious ass honestly, on display for the world to see. Lewis wants to squeeze it. Not the picture. The real thing. 

Lewis takes the frame from Valtteri, both wanting to examine it closer and to keep his hands busy, so he does not reach for Valtteri or his ass. Valtteri has signed it, and was saying Lewis could hang it in his apartment or his motorhome. Lewis felt giddy at the gift. It could just be a picture, a cute media moment between former teammates. Lewis had praised the picture previously, called it one of the best pictures he’d ever seen, and the omega couldn’t determine if it meant more that Valtteri was gifting him a signed framed version, or that Valtteri had been paying close enough attention to know Lewis liked it. Either way, Lewis hid a purr with another giggle. “Not that I don’t already have things to remember you by, but this is–” he laughed again. Valtteri’s scent in his nest, the alpha’s arms around him, gentle kisses exchanged between them. All things he could remember Valtteri by, but Lewis was hoping this meant he wouldn’t need fleeting mementos to keep the image of Valtteri fresh. 

As the media moment wrapped up all of the cameras and staff filtering out of the room, Lewis stayed behind. No one shepherding him onto the next commitment. He was grateful to see Valtteri had the same idea. The Finn was immediately apologetic. “I wanted to give it to you in private, along with a few other things, but when people found out about the picture, they wanted to make it into a moment.”

“Is this what I think it is, Val?” Lewis asks, stepping closer, letting himself just exist in the alpha’s space for a moment. Valtteri’s hand immediately going to Lewis’ waist, pulling him just a bit closer. 

“Yes,” he confirms, and the scent of coffee exploded around both of them. Valtteri laughs, and leans forward to brush his nose against Lewis’. “I have a couple of other more traditional items, but those are best saved for later when we are alone. But, yes. If you will still have me, I would like to court you, and be courted by you.” 

Now, alone but still in the open, Lewis let himself purr. Let himself lean forward to brush his cheek against Valtteri’s jaw, let himself enjoy the happy alpha rumble the Finn let out. His alpha. 

Though Lewis wanted to bask in the moment, pull Valtteri to his motorhome, and do more than cuddle before they went back to media duties and preparing for the weekend. They didn’t have the time. Their kiss was quick before they went their separate ways. 

The scent of mulled wine greeted Lewis before he turned the corner, and he wasn’t surprised to see Toto grinning knowingly as they fell into step beside each other. “So, courting?” Toto asks and laughs as Lewis’ smile grew even wider, feeling his cheeks heat in a blush. 

Toto being here and hanging back to be around just at the right time, instead of back at the garage, made Lewis even more suspicious of his presence and involvement . “I have you to thank for that being filmed, don’t I?”

The Mercedes Team Principal only shrugged. “Perhaps one day you will enjoy that you have a recording of when you began courting. Sentimentality. You can thank me later.” Honestly, Lewis had a lot to thank Toto for and would need to figure out a way to say it because the words don't feel like nearly enough.

By the time everything was done for the day, Lewis was practically vibrating with anticipation of seeing Valtteri. When Valtteri arrived at his door, it was with two large paper bags. “Are those for me?” Lewis asked, not giving Valtteri a chance to respond before kissing him. 

The alpha followed up the hello kisses with another quick three pecks, grinning as he then offered Lewis the bags. When Lewis looked inside, he found four incredibly fluffy-looking blankets. Two of them were plain colors, one black, and one red. The other bag held two patterned blankets. One was a pattern of multicolored squares and rectangles of different sizes. But the other one had a design on it. “Did you get me a Moomin blanket, Val?” It was light blue, the Finnish icons in white in various poses and moments of action. Lewis tries his best to bite back an incredulous laugh.

Valtteri’s grin is cheeky as he shrugs, “You knew what you were getting into.”

Lewis has never been watched while he was building a nest. Not even by the other omegas. He’d built a nest with others, sure. He’d even happily been pulled into the routine of building the omega nest before nearly every race. But it wasn’t the same as the feeling of Valtteri watching as Lewis made his various adjustments. Lewis could hear Valtteri’s soft chuckle as Lewis had to pause several times to nose plant into the fabric of the gifted blankets, taking in Valtteri’s scent on them. 

It was tradition that, should a courtship not result in mating, any mating gifts were either donated or destroyed. 

Lewis could picture tiny pups wrapped in the light blue Moomin blanket, a thought that was equal parts exciting and terrifying. He still wasn’t sure he could handle carrying pups, but, if he did, they would be Valtteri’s pups. He was sure of that. 

When the nest was done, Lewis practically dragged Valtteri into it, unable to wait to be in the nest with Valtteri any longer. He needed to be in the nest with his alpha. They were courting, and this nest had been built with blankets that Valtteri had picked out just for him, had pre-scented, and given to Lewis with the intention of courting him. Lewis’ omega was screaming to be close to his alpha, and Lewis offered no resistance to the pull of that instinct. Valtteri came without resistance, and Lewis wondered for a wild moment, if Valtteri thought of Lewis as his omega. 

Lewis is Valtteri’s omega. 

He feels like Valtteri’s omega. He wanted to be Valtteri’s omega. He wanted Valtteri’s–

Lewis feels the slick before the scent hits the air. Valtteri’s hands, previously tracing patterns against Lewis’ skin beneath his shirt, stills as sweet espresso fills the air. Lewis can feel the alpha’s fingers twitch against his skin. He wanted Valtteri’s fingers elsewhere. 

“Please,” Lewis began, swallowing the nerves that threatened to rise up. He’d been touched before by the other omegas. His bedside table even now had a couple of toys in the drawer, recommendations from the omegas that had far more experience. Lewis had used them. It wasn’t a foreign feeling anymore. 

But he hadn’t been touched by an alpha since his transition to omega. Not in this way. Not in the way he wanted Valtteri to touch him now. “Tell me what you want me to do, Lewis,” Valtteri whispered, his grip tightening against Lewis’ waist, pulling him in closer until they were flush, chest to chest. The alpha’s breathing was rougher than Lewis had ever heard it, even after a race, even on the podium. 

Lewis was on birth control. He’d started it after his first heat, just as a precaution. So, whatever Lewis wanted, whatever Valtteri was willing to give him, they could have. And at this very moment, Lewis’ mind raced with possibility, with what he could ask for. The most pressing thing at the moment, though, was that there were far too many articles of clothing between them. Lewis tugged on the hem of Valtteri’s Alfa Romeo shirt, and demanded, “Off.”

Valtteri chuckled as he removes his shirt and tosses it aside outside of the nest, and concedes, “Whatever my omega wants,” Lewis can feel the slick build and leak from him, mewling at Valtteri’s words. The reaction was not lost on the alpha, and he did not waste the new information. “You like that, yes? My omega. I like the sound of it, too. But I am as much yours as you are mine, Lewis.”

“My alpha,” Lewis cooed, taking the briefest of moments separating from Valtteri to remove his own shirt. Valtteri didn’t hesitate to gather Lewis to his chest once he had. On any other day, it might stop there, the two of them comfortable sharing space with one another. But not today. Valtteri shifts, positioning himself just above Lewis. Just like when Valtteri had crowded him against the wall. If it had been anyone else, Lewis would feel trapped. But it was Valtteri. The way he tips down to kiss Lewis, nearly growling when Lewis nips at his lip when he does, only makes the omega feel even safer. 

Lewis reaches up, fingers splayed over Valtteri’s back, pulling him down, wanting him close. Wanting to feel pressed into the nest by his alpha. As soon as he gets the comforting weight of Valtteri, Lewis rocks his hips up. And he feels Valtteri. Lewis’ arousal had filled the air, thick espresso impossible to ignore, and now Valtteri’s similar state was equally obvious. Valtteri was hard, and Lewis was so, so wet. Valtteri’s shared arousal makes Lewis feel impossibly wetter. 

“I want you to touch me,” Lewis says, rocking his hips up again, cooing as Valtteri hisses at the friction. 

Lewis has never been more grateful that they were professional athletes than now, as Valtteri supports his own weight with one arm. Not all the way, just enough for Lewis to still have some of the weight but still be able to breathe. And yet, Valtteri does not lower his free hand, and Lewis whines in impatience as the alpha brushes his fingertips over Lewis’ cheek. It feels wonderful, little sparks in the wake of wherever Valtteri touches him, and yet it wasn’t what Lewis wanted. “Val,” he whines, leaning into his touch “touch me.”

Lewis was only wearing a pair of loose shorts, and surely they were soaked by now. He feels soaked. He feels desperate. Desperate for Valtteri. It would be so easy. Lewis opens his legs further, enjoying the way Valtteri’s eyes fluttered closed as the scent of the omega’s slick further saturated the air. 

“Touch me, alpha,” Lewis purrs. 

The purr became louder, anticipation building as Valtteri’s fingers skim down his chest, resting for only a moment on Lewis’ hip, squeezing for just a breath, a confirmation that Lewis was still okay, before pushing down Lewis’ shorts, moving the last barrier between them away. Lewis’ breath hitches as Valtteri’s fingers skim past the omega’s own stiff cock, and then, finally, he mewls as he feelsValtteri’s cool fingertips pressed against the omega’s soaked pussy. It feels as if Lewis couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think. His world shrinks to a pinpoint that consists of only Valtteri’s touch. 

“Lewis,” the alpha sighed, leaning down to press a kiss to the omega’s chest, the tattoos inked into Lewis’ skin, “you are so wet.”

“For you,” Lewis insists. I said your name during my heat, he stops himself from saying.. Seventy-nine times , he holds back. Instead, he pulls Valtteri’s face back up to him, pulling against the back of his neck to bring the alpha in for another kiss. As their lips met, Lewis gasps as Valtteri’s fingers swirl through his dripping cunt. “Valtteri, I need–”

The front door is thrown open and Pierre calls out, “Lewis!”, both of them frozen in place. Valtteri swore in Finnish, tucking his face against Lewis’ neck, hiding for just a moment. Lewis groans, in mourning and frustration, as the alpha removes his hand and rolls to the side. Lewis manages to move his shorts back into place before Pierre and Charles can enter the bedroom. 

“I am going to use your bathroom,” Valtteri whispers, kissing Lewis’ cheek before rolling out of the nest. He nods to the two intruding omegas on his way past them. 

Lewis groans again. 

“Oh, we are interrupting,” Charles observes, looking between Lewis in the nest and where Valtteri had disappeared into the bathroom. Lewis has always noticed the way Charles’ nostrils flare when he is taking in scents around him. This time picking up on the scent of both omega slick and aroused alpha. 

Pierre was not as observant, instead waiting for Lewis to give permission for him to enter the nest, and wasting no time when Lewis gave it. “The new nest is so cozy,” the Frenchman purrs, “and you smell very happy with it.”

“Calamar!” Charles admonishes. When Pierre looked confused, Charles tossed up his arms, hissing as he whispered, “Pierre, you have helped Lewis through a heat. You know what his slick smells and tastes like.”

Lewis flushes immediately, bright and hot, and begs every saint that he can think of that Valtteri didn’t hear that. Pierre gasped in understanding, eyes wide. Lewis reaches over the edge of the nest to retrieve Valtteri’s discarded shirt, he hides his face into the fabric, taking a moment to compose himself while also drinking in the alpha’s scent. Valtteri’s snow-covered forest scent was, as ever, the most calming thing Lewis had ever smelled, even when it was tinged with almost a pine scent of the alpha’s arousal. Charles and Pierre were speaking to each other in rapid French now. Lewis took a couple extra deep breaths, and then moves the shirt away from his face. 

As Lewis looks back up, the chatter between the two mates ceases, and Pierre looks at him with the same wide eyes, sorrow painted across his face. “Lewis, I am so sorry. I did not mean to drive Valtteri away,” Pierre says. And then he drops his head, tilting to the side enough to bare his neck to Lewis. A sign of submission that Lewis hadn’t expected. “I will understand if you do not want me in your nest ever again.”

Lewis had never been in this position. Not even as an alpha. For an omega to not only be expecting but also accepting of whatever punishment Lewis deemed fitting. Instead of banishing Pierre from the nest, Lewis pounced. Pierre made a sharp sound of surprise but was then sandwiched between the nest and Lewis. The Frenchman’s lip wobbled for a moment, but Lewis kissed him quickly. “None of that,” Lewis insists, pecking Pierre’s lips once more and then his cheek and the tip of his nose. “You are always welcome in any nest I make, Pierre.”

In the background, Lewis could hear Charles purr in approval, but his attention remained fully on Pierre. Lewis needed to make sure the point was clear, and that Pierre understood. Finally, the Frenchman nodded. “I am sorry, though. I did not mean to interrupt.”

“There will be other times,” Lewis shrugs, bumping his nose against Pierre’s. “Are you two staying the night?”

It was Charles that answered, “If that is alright with you. We know you have not seen Valtteri for two weeks though.”

Lewis reaches back, satisfied when Charles accepts his offered hand without hesitation. “And I haven’t seen you guys for two weeks. I was planning on asking if everyone wanted to meet in the nest between practices tomorrow, but I’m not going to turn you away now.” Lewis squeezes Charles’ hand and then tugs. The other omega gets the hint, finally climbing into the nest and settling on the other side of Pierre. “Good. The nest was missing more omega scents.” Lewis hums.

“We need to get you scented items from the rest of the pack,” Charles agrees, pulling on Pierre until his mate was cuddled to his chest. Lewis shifts to the side, letting Charles take over the position of snuggling with Pierre. 

The pack. 

It sent a shiver through Lewis. Anticipation. It felt like a foreshadowing, like something was just down the road, around the bend in the river. Waiting. 

The F1 grid hadn’t been a pack in years, and Lewis held back a whine of want. He wanted a pack, wanted that bond. Despite having the closest proximity possible, the omegas were their own pack whether or not the pack bond was truly there in the paddock. Lewis craved the real thing though. The way the pack members were naturally attuned to one another, comforted and protected each other. He wanted that. 

But they didn’t have a Pack Omega. If there was an omega that could step into the role, surely the pack would have been reestablished already. So, no matter how much Lewis wanted it, a true pack wasn’t going to happen. He hid his disappointment by simply humming his agreement with Charles, and weaving Valtteri’s shirt into the nest. The alpha was not getting it back now. 

When Valtteri did come out of the bathroom, looking much more put together than when he’d fled, Charles attempted to get Pierre to swap places with him. That was their usual configuration. Pierre on the side furthest from Valtteri. Pierre, though, shook his head. He wanted to stay where he was, sandwiched between Charles and Lewis, and was comfortable enough with Valtteri to stay there. Both Charles and Lewis purred, pride bursting from both of them. Pierre had made so much progress in such a short time. Lewis could tell Valtteri wasn’t sure what exactly was happening, but joined in with a comforting alpha rumble. 

Lewis worried the gesture would make Pierre pull back.

Instead, the French omega chirped. It wasn’t the most common omega sound, not like purring or gentle cooing. The chirp was pure contentment, perfect comfort, and totally at ease. Happy and relaxed. 

Charles and Lewis chirped back to him. 

When Charles took second in Singapore, Valtteri had been invited to movie night. When Lewis looked over midway through the movie, he saw that Pierre was asleep with his head on the alpha’s shoulder. Lewis isn't sure his heart had ever felt so full. It was the perfect way to end the weekend.

Nothing could have prepared Lewis for how excited Yuki was to be racing in Japan the following week. Though the Japanese omega was energetic on a normal day, Lewis could pick on pure excitement and anticipation in his cherry blossom scent. And something else. Something Lewis wasn’t familiar with. The scent flooded the entire paddock as Lewis entered with Charles, Pierre, and Mick. He didn’t even know where Yuki was, only that Yuki was somewhere, and he was excited and happy beyond belief. 

“Am I missing something?” Lewis asks, looking at Mick. The German omega looked equally as puzzled and only shrugged. 

Charles, though, was grinning, rather mischievously. And Pierre was scanning the crowd, looking for someone. “You will see in a moment,” Charles says matter of factly. Which cleared up absolutely nothing. 

“YOUKO!”

Lewis has heard Pierre yell, but never that loud. But he didn’t even have time to ask Pierre anything, even fully turn toward him, before Pierre was sprinting away from the group. Most of the crowd was in the direction he’d darted, and they were still moving, except for a delicate-looking woman that had stopped dead in her tracks. She was beautiful but unfamiliar. The only thing familiar about her was Yuki standing beside her. She was only slightly taller than Yuki, but when Pierre reached her, he flung himself into her arms. She lifted him effortlessly, spinning him in a circle as Pierre laughed. 

“I do not understand what I am watching,” Mick said, echoing Lewis’ thoughts. The three of them watched as Pierre scented the woman, as she gathered both Yuki and Pierre in a tight hug. 

Charles was the one who chuckled, a little smug in his knowledge. “Come on. Come meet Youko.”

As they approached, Lewis could not have been more shocked as he registered the woman’s scent. 

She was an alpha. 

Her scent reminded him of sweet sandalwood, which was shocking all on its own considering the similarity to his own long-lost alpha scent, but it was tinged with bright cherry blossom. With Yuki’s scent. And that scent Lewis hadn’t been able to identify in Yuki? It was hers. 

Lewis looked to Yuki, saw the omega’s shirt more low cut on the neck than any he’d seen the omega in before, and a puzzle piece clicked into place. Lewis understood what he’d been missing for months. Everything came into startling clarity as Lewis looked at the mating bite on Yuki’s neck. 

“Lewis, Mick,” Charles began, grinning as he looked between the two groups, “I would like to introduce Tsunoda Youko. Yuki’s mate. Youko, this is Lewis Hamilton and Mick Schumacher.”

The alpha smiled, clearly unfazed by Lewis and Mick’s clear surprise. That was no fresh mating bite on Yuki’s neck. They had been mated for some time, maybe even before Yuki had joined F1. Lewis couldn’t decide if he was more shocked that Yuki was mated to a female alpha or the way Pierre was clearly so comfortable with her. “It is an honor to meet you both,” Youko smiled with a slight bow of her head, casually conversing with Mick and Lewis even as she reached out to gather Charles in as well. She stood with Charles under one arm, Pierre under the other, and Yuki tucked under her chin. “Thank you for taking such good care of my Yuki. He has told me much about both of you and how comfortable he is to be with you. Thank you.”

“It is our pleasure,” Mick told her, filling in the gap of stunned silence when it was clear Lewis was still trying to process his newfound knowledge. He’d thought they had three mated omegas, Daniel, Charles, and Pierre, with Nicky and Lando being comfortably courted. He’d thought Mick and Yuki were the only two that had no alpha in mind. Now, it was only Mick. And Lewis seemed to be the only one of the group to notice the way Mick’s scent took a dip, the fringe of sadness on the edges of it. 

Lewis kicked himself. He was being rude, and he needed to both greet Yuki’s alpha properly and take care of Mick. Lewis smiled, sliding an arm around Mick’s waist to pull the German close. Immediately, Mick’s scent calmed. “Pleasure to meet you, Youko. I didn’t know Yuki was mated.”

Yuki purred, looking up at his alpha, and was seemingly rewarded with a quick kiss from Youko. The mates smiled at one another, and even Lewis felt drawn in by the gentle rumble she offered. “Yuki was worried that making our mating public knowledge would cause problems, both with media wanting to speak with or speculating why we did not travel together, or with those hateful people who would say he should be at home with pups.” When a low whine slipped out of Yuki, his alpha removed her arms from Charles and Pierre in order to wrap her mate into a tight hug. Lewis could only watch in amazement as Yuki seemed to melt into her, leaning his head back against her shoulder and purring as her arms tightened over his stomach. There was something else there, some sort of memory brought to the surface at the mention of pups. “We decided together that we would wait until we were ready.”

“How long have you been mated?” Lewis asks, unable to keep his curiosity in check. 

It was Yuki that answered almost instantly, grinning brightly, “We mated when we were eighteen.”

Eighteen. It was young. Yuki was young. Surely she hadn’t convinced him to mate early? There were alphas like that, alphas that wanted to mate young so they could essentially mold the omega into what they wanted. If she had done that to Yuki–

Youko’s eyes flicked away from Mick, the German asking about how they’d met following up on Lewis’ question, and instead locked her gaze onto Lewis. Her dark eyes were sharp at first, as if she had detected a threat, but then softened. As Youko held Yuki tighter, she tipped her head to the side. Subtle, but enough for Lewis to recognize what she was doing. The alpha exposed her neck, submitting to Lewis. Few alpha would submit to another alpha, and even few to an omega. Lewis does his best to reign in his suspicion. Youko held herself there, in the pose of submission, waiting for Lewis to react. The conversation around them fell into silence, the four omegas looking between Youko and Lewis, holding their breath for a decision. Yuki slid out of his mate’s arms, leaving nothing between the two. 

Yuki looked happy. His scent was excited and held no trace of doubt. Later, if Lewis found out there was reason to drive her away, if she had hurt Yuki, Lewis would deal with that if or when he found out. For now, though, he had no reason to get in the way of Yuki’s happiness. It seemed genuine. Lewis stepped forward and nuzzles gently against her exposed neck with his cheek, accepting her submission and leaving his coffee scent to mingle with her sandalwood and Yuki’s cherry blossom. She reacted immediately, nuzzling against him in return, a grateful rumble meeting pleased purr. 

“Thank you, Pack Omega,” she whispered, the words meant for Lewis, and Lewis alone, “I will endeavor to protect Yuki as you would, and earn your trust.”

Lewis froze. “I’m not– we’re not– we don’t have a Pack Omega.”

Youko pulled away, and raised a single questioning brow as she asked, “Are you sure about that?”

—---------------------------------------------------------

George woke on Friday morning to a quick, sharp bite to the tip of his nose. This was a relatively new wake up call, one that George had only experienced three times previously. Still, when his eyes flew open, he knew who he would see. 

As he expected, there was Lance, biting his nose. 

George lets his eyes adjust, blinking away his grogginess, Lance is staring back at him, an embarrassed look reflected in his hazel eyes, his cheeks flushed pink. George feels Lance’s teeth release their pressure on his nose, and the beta began moving away. George is quicker though. He springs forward, wrapping his arms around Lance, twisting the two of them so that George is halfway on top of Lance. The beta squeaks in surprise from halfway under George.  George kisses him, swallowing the sound in order to not disturb Nicholas. The omega is still sleeping soundly on the other side of the nest. 

“What did I do this time, hm?” George asks, dropping smaller kisses across Lances face, neck, and chest, anywhere his lips will reach.

Lance squirms from beneath him, less actually fighting against George’s affections and more trying not to bite the alpha again. His efforts are futile though, and the beta finally concedes with a huff. 

 “You were snoring. And every other snore would be this little sigh that was just–” Lance says with a groan.

“Too unbearably cute?” George interrupts, kissing the tip of the beta’s nose exactly where Lance had bitten him. George has never had much cause to learn about the particular quirks of betas. Everything George knew about them had been from books, or sex ed. And all of his previous partners had been omegas. Which meant it was quite the surprise the first time Lance had bitten George’s shoulder not long after they’d begun courting. He wasn’t against being bitten, it was just that normally it happened when he was fucking someone, not when he had just placed a particularly gentle kiss to Nicky’s head just after the omega had fallen asleep in George’s lap. A sleep that was interrupted by George’s yelp of surprise and pain as Lance’s little beta fangs sank into his shoulder. 

George quickly learned betas often suffered from a rather quirky instinct known as cute aggression. 

Much like gazing upon a particularly adorable kitten and feeling the need to lovingly squeeze it; betas look upon someone, usually a loved one, who is doing something they find particularly cute, and are then subject to the same instinct to be squeezing or biting. 

Lance, as George had learned, was more prone to biting than squeezing. The action had been even more of a shock than first being bitten by the beta when, later that afternoon, the beta bit Nicky’s arm after the omega had held out both of his hands. Nicky extended one to Lance and one to George, for them to join him in his newly built nest. Lance had taken the omega’s hand, tugged it toward himself, and then bit down just above Nicky’s wrist. 

George’s jaw had dropped open, frozen in place as Nicholas said, “Ow,” in the calmest, matter of fact voice George had ever heard. Completely unphased by Lance’s bite. And then George saw the blood. Lance had bitten down so hard, that their omega was bleeding. “Georgie,” Nicky begins, still calm as can be in contrast to George’s panic. “in my bag, is a beta kit. It's a white case with the beta symbol on it. Could you grab it for me?”

The alpha nodded, still unsure of what was even happening as he tried to keep his panic at bay at the sight of Nicholas’ blood. George stumbled over to Nicky’s bag, and started going through it looking for the beta kit as quickly as he could. As he rummaged, he heard Nicky purring, mumbling softly to Lance, and when George looked back over his shoulder, Nicky was brushing the fingers of his free hand through Lance’s hair. Everything about the omega was soft, understanding. Unsurprised. “This has happened before?” George asked as he finally found the little white case. 

“We all have our instincts to deal with,” Nicky nodded with a shrug, cooing as Lance pulled away from his arm. The beta looked embarrassed. “Was I being too cute?” Nicky asked, sounding like he knew the answer and just wanted to hear Lance say it. 

“We haven’t all nested together like this,” Lance admitted a blush spreading across his cheeks, “It's always been one of us is already there, in the nest and then the other one comes in later. But all of us together, it's just—”

“I know baby,” Nicky cooed. “We’re really fuckin cute.”

Lance’s grin looked fragile, apologetic. When George opened up the little case, he found bandaids, gauze, peroxide, a tiny bottle of water, and a couple of granola bars. He didn’t understand what exactly he was looking at, or what from the kit Nicky needs. He offered the open kit out to Nicky. The omega took the bottle of water and held it out to Lance, and the beta took a small sip, swishing the water around for a moment before spitting it into an empty cup. “George, care to play doctor?” Nicholas asked, gesturing to the other supplies in the kit. 

George had always assumed a beta kit was for well, taking care of a beta. But given the situation, and the actual contents of the kit, he wondered if it was actually for taking care of anyone a beta found too cute. The alpha nodded and went to work cleaning and bandaging the small but bleeding bite wound with the contents of the kit. “There. All better.” George says with a sigh as he lifted Nicky’s arm to gently kiss the bandaged bite.

Lance bit his shoulder for the second time. 

That was months ago now. Since then, George has received several little nips, and quite a few full-on bites. He’s also improved the beta kit. Instead of a generic first aid kit with some granola bars and waters, it is now filled with themed band aids (a theme that changes for each grand prix weekend), colored gauze (in each of their favorite colors), a change of clothes in case blood gets on their clothes, peroxide, snacks customized to each of them, and three bottles of water. George had been bitten several times in varying degrees of severity when he’d first introduced the improved kit. 

George knew he was likely to get many more bites from Lance when the plushies he’d custom ordered, designed to look like himself and Nicky, arrived. They were for Lance to direct his affections to, biting or squeezing them  while George or Nicky was occupied playing doctor .

“Do we need the kit?” Nicky asks, the omega’s voice still gravelly with sleep. 

Apparently, they hadn’t been quiet enough. George feels Nicky’s hand reaching out, doing a little pap pap against George’s waist before shifting to search for Lance. When he found the beta, Lance got a little pap pap , too. Just their omega’s way of  making sure they were both still there. 

“No,” George answers, kissing Lance’s nose again, rumbling as the beta contently sighs. “Just a little nibble this morning. A bit of breakfast in bed.”

A loud moan, neither belonging to Lance nor Nicky, disturbed the moment. George knew what their moans sounded like, and it wasn’t that. Nicky, though, did groan, and George watched him roll over to grab his phone from the bedside table. “What does the omega group chat want this morning?” Lance asks, using George’s momentary distraction to turn the both of them over just enough for them to be laying side by side again. 

Nicky was quiet for a moment as he caught up with the chat, “Yuki’s alpha wants to take us all to breakfast. All of the omegas.” he replies with a yawn. 

Oh. George had been looking forward to breakfast with Nicky and Lance. It was rare during race weekends with all of them on separate teams for them to be able to. He’d been hoping their schedules would line up before FP3 started, which it had. Wait– “Yuki has an alpha?” he asks, voice pitched higher with shock.

Nicholas shrugs still reading the chat, “Apparently so. Mick and Lewis met her yesterday, though Charles and Pierre already knew her.”

Her. But an alpha. A Female alpha. George was already intrigued, now even more so. But Nicky had said all of the omegas. So that meant it was an omega-only invitation. Well, George could live with that, he was upset he was not going to get breakfast with both Lance and Nicky. But he knew how close the grid omegas are, and how happy they all make each other. But there was a toll. A price to be paid before George could stand to see Nicky leave them. “Hey, Lance, if Nicky is going to go out and have a nice breakfast, don’t you think we should have a nice breakfast , too?” the alpha suggests, confident Lance would understand what he was proposing.  

The thick scent of honey that floods the room indicates that Nicky has caught on first, but Lance’s maple syrup scent wasn’t far behind. On either side of him, George can smell arousal. 

“Do you want to eat him out, or fuck him before he goes?” Lance asks, trying to sound as casual as he can, but it comes off desperate. George can understand that though. Both of them are always desperate for their omega. 

“Mmmm, as much as I would love to continue my practice,” George muses, “I’m not sure we have the time this morning.” Before Lance and Nicholas, George had been something of a selfish lover. He was still learning the finer points of eating pussy, though Nicky insisted he was already hugely improved from where he’d been at the start of their courtship, and that practice makes perfect. But if Nicky wanted to go to his breakfast, and if they all wanted to make it to FP3 later, then it was better that a George practice session was not on the agenda for the morning. “Is that alright with you, Nicky?”

“You always make it sound like I’m going to say no,” the omega purrs, shimmying out of his sleep pants, legs falling open to make room for Lance. Nicky’s cock was already half hard, his pussy glistening wet with slick.

Watching Lance eat Nicky out is like watching a master at work. Lance doesn’t move straight to the slick folds of their omega, instead, he nuzzles against the scent glands of the omega’s inner thighs, licking and biting at the sensitive skin until Nicholas is squirming and instinctively closes his legs around the beta’s head. The omega’s cock now fully hard, and George can feel his own dick growing harder and pushing against the fabric of his sweats. Just watching the two of them together is enough to make him achingly hard. 

Lance wraps one hand around Nicky’s thigh, leverage to give himself just enough space to shift as he keeps a thumb pressed against the scent gland there. From the way Nicky squirms even more, a mewl slipping from the omega’s lips, George can tell their beautiful beta had begun his good work. He knows Lance will be licking into the omega, swirling his tongue in a way that years of practice had perfected. Perfected for Nicky. Perfected for their omega. 

George had been concerned at first at the beginning of this courtship. He’d been concerned that Lance and Nickyonly wanted him to spice things up. An alpha to provide a knot for the omega. George had been concerned his own possessive instincts would make it difficult for him to share Nicky, to even stand the idea of Lance having a taste of him. None of George’s concerns ended up being a problem. Lance and Nicky wanted him here, in their bed, in their nest, in their lives, because, for some reason, one George still wasn’t sure he understood, they liked him. Liked him quite a lot if George understood correctly. And watching Nicky arch, and push himself toward Lance to meet the twirl of his tongue? It wasn’t a possessive growl that slipped from the alpha, it was a growl of approval, of desire. 

Nicky turns his attention, from watching Lance and the sensation of Lance’s tongue, toward George. The omega reaches out a hand, and at first George assumes he simply wanted to hold hands. He assumed incorrectly. The omega was still making sure his alpha was aware of his wants, and what would make him feel good. Nicky squeezes George’s hand,  and places the alpha’s hand around Nicky’s own hard cock. The omega always did prefer when there was some stimulation from each of them. 

George knows he doesn't have much time, not when he can hear the gentle inhale of Lance sucking on Nicky’s clit, and hear their omega’s hitched breathing. His touch is gentle, knowing Nicky won't need much, as he strokes the omega’s cock. George doesn't even make it to ten strokes before one of Nicky’s hands latches onto Georges wrist like a vice stopping him. The other is tangled in Lance’s short dark hair as the omega arches and shutters, cumming over George’s hand, and around Lance’s tongue simultaneously. 

When Lance lifts his head, his face is shiny with Nicky’s slick. The first time George had seen Nicky like this, the sight was obscene. Dirty. Now, he reaches over with his hand that wasn’t covered in Nicky’s cum, pulling Lance up toward him. He kisses the beta, licking into his slick-covered mouth, he can taste Nicky and Lance. George being sure to kiss and lick all of Nicky’s slick from Lance’s lips he can, savoring the taste of them mixed together. Past George could never imagine doing such a thing. But past George hadn’t known what he was missing, and now he could never go back. When they separate from their kiss, Lance takes George’s other hand, and licks Nicky’s cum from George’s fingers pulling off each with a satisfying pop. 

The alpha turns his attention to Nicky, the omega blissed out, eyes hazy as he watches Lance lick George’s hand clean. “Hey, omega,” George croons. He’d learned that when he’s blissed out and needy, sometimes Nicholas responds better to his designation than his name. He can see the way Nicky is searching for words, still riding the high of his orgasm. “Can you tell me what you want?” George asks warmly. 

“Your knot, alpha,” Nicky replies almost immediately, switching rapidly between a purr and a whine. His hips rocking, searching. Impatient for his alphas knot.  George finds himself wishing he could fuck both Nicky and Lance at the same time. But, Nicky is the one with the more pressing schedule this morning. 

George lets Lance continue cleaning off his hand, feeling the beta nibble on his fingers as he goes. They only pause to change positions, George now settling between Nicky’s legs in place of Lance. Lance taking George’s spot beside Nicky. George wraps his hands around the omega’s thighs, hitching the omega’s legs over his shoulder for a better position. 

George may not be as deft with his tongue as Lance is, yet , but he still relishes the way Nicky shivers as George ghosts three fingertips through his slick and spit-soaked pussy. “So wet for me, baby. Did Lance make you feel good?” George coyly asks. 

The only reply is a keening whine from their omega, and a pleased hum from the beta. “Let’s make sure you can take me, hmm?” George teases, sinking one slender finger into the omega. Nicky already feels so open, so ready, so warm and slick. One finger is quickly followed by a second and a third. Nicky already trying to bear down, chasing the sensation of fullness George's fingers provided. When George removes his fingers, Nicholas whines, his heavy-lidded eyes opening enough to throw a pleading glance at George. “Lance, I think our omega deserves a kiss, doesn’t he?” George says, disregarding Nicky’s impatience, watching as Nicky’s pussy clenches around nothing in the absence of George’s fingers. Craving anything the alpha will give to fill him. 

Lance moves up, and distracts Nicky with a heated kiss, all tongue and teeth. 

George wonders if Nicky can taste himself on Lance’s lips. George capitalizes on Lance’s distraction, lining himself up and sinking into Nicky’s warm, wet cunt as omega and beta kiss. George relishes the way Nicky gasps against Lance’s lips and the way Lance swallows it with his skilled mouth. They are perfect. They are stunning, and George is in awe of them, of the way they move and laugh and fuck. In awe of the way they want him. 

George takes a firm firm hold of Nicky’s hips, pulling out enough so just the tip of his dick remains in the shelter of the omega’s cunt, and then snaps his hips forward again burying himself in Nicky’s wet heat. Again and again. George watches the way Nicky responds to each thrust, the omega moaning incoherently, watching the way Lance had moved from Nicky’s lips, now sucking bruises onto the omega’s toned chest. 

With Nicky barely down from the high of his first orgasm, it didn’t take long to reach the second, George gasping as he feels Nicky’s walls clench around his cock. But Nicky hadn’t asked for just his dick, he’d asked for George’s knot, and so the alpha continued his thrusts, feeling his knot expand and pull against omega’s cunt until it caught and was too big to pull out. George came hard, feeling himself pump cum into Nicky with shallow thrusts pushing more and more of his cum into the omega until George was completely spent. 

George’s orgasm-induced haze lifted to the sound of Nicky purring, knot still in the omega. Nicky lifting his own cum covered hand to his lips to lick Lance’s cum from his own fingers with a delighted hum. While George had taken care of Nicky, his focus was solely on him, giving Nicky his knot like he asked; the omega had taken care of Lance. George knows he timed his strokes on Lance’s cock with George’s thrusts. 

“We all came together,” Nicky coos with a blissed-out smile. “Love it when we do that.”

They all stayed cuddled together until George’s knot went down. The three of them covered in slick, cum, were in desperate need of a shower. All three of them barely fit into the hotel shower, but they made it work like they always do. Nicky giggled for half of the shower and spent the other half pressed to the shower wall as his alpha and beta took turns making sure he was completely clean . By the time they were done, Nicky ran out the door to breakfast with his hair still wet, very late for the omega breakfast. 

George’s hair, on the other hand, is perfectly dry and effortlessly styled by the time he strolls into Mercedes hospitality. Some of the team still milling around, starting their day with a cup of coffee and small talk before heading into the garage. George offered all of them a good morning but realized someone was missing.  

“Hey, Angela, have you seen Lewis this morning?” If anyone would know where Lewis is, it would be his trainer. George is a little surprised that she wasn’t with him. She is always by his side. It’s why his teammate’s absence is even more odd. 

“He went to breakfast with Daniel.” she replies without missing a beat

“Oh.” George answers with a nod. That makes sense. They are close. They’d been close for years before this season. But Lewis had been spotted with the Australian omega more often this– wait. Australian Omega . All the omegas were at breakfast with Yuki’s alpha this morning. “Ang, you sure he went to breakfast with Daniel?”

George knows the omegas of the paddock are very close. He knows they have the group chat that moans every time Nicky gets a notification from it. He knows that whenever one of them gets a podium, they all gather and do something together, though George doesn’t know what they do and Nicky wont tell him He’s watched Nicky kiss some of the other omegas from time to time, and has come home on more than one occasion to see Lando or Mick, or Yuki, or all three asleep in Nicky’s nest, the omegas curled together. They acted like a pack, so it didn’t make sense that Daniel would be invited to breakfast but then skip it to go to breakfast with Lewis. 

Had Lewis also received an invite to breakfast? Why would he have gotten one but not George if alphas were allowed to be invited? Was he courting one of them? The only one George could think of would be Mick, the German omega the only one not taken now that he knew Yuki had a mate. Pierre and Charles were mated to each other. Daniel was with Esteban. Everyone knew it was only a matter of time before Lando was mated to Carlos. And, given that George could still  swear he can taste Nicky’s slick as he kissed it from Lance’s lips, he can confidently say that the Canadian omega was also taken. 

So that left Mick. Was Lewis courting Mick?

But if a courting alpha was allowed, why hadn’t he been invited?

Was it a champion thing? Had Sebastian, Fernando, and Max been invited then? But then it didn’t make sense for it to be an omega-only thing. 

Had Lewis actually gone to breakfast with Daniel, or is that a cover story? Why would he need to lie to Angela? Or have her cover for him? Was Lewis in danger? Involved in some sort of trouble? Was he–

“George?” it was Toto’s voice, even and calm, that pulled George out of his spiral. George realizes he was growling, a low, hostile sound that had everyone in hospitality looking at him with a wary gaze. He was growling? Why was he growling? Was it because Lewis might be in danger, in trouble? The growling didn’t stop, only got deeper as he imagined someone causing problems for Lewis. The sound didn’t cut off until Toto put a hand on George’s shoulder. “Why don’t we go to my office?” he suggests.

George musters a nod. He allows himself to be led from the room by the gentle pressure of Toto’s hand on his shoulder toward his office. They were already around the corner and out of sight of the team when George remembers he’s not a complete animal. He breaks away from the Team Principal’s hold and popped his head back around the corner. Everyone pauses, looking at him warily from their seats. “Sorry about that, everyone. Don’t know what got into me.” George apologizes sheepishly. 

There are a couple of relieved chuckles, and a few ‘don't worry about  it’ s.  But he very much would worry about it. He leaves back down the hall with a nod to everyone, jogging to catch up to Toto. George was already trying to think of what he might be able to do in order to make it up to the team. Honestly, what had come over him? He was still trying to figure out what had happened when he entered Toto’s office and sat down across from him. His boss plopping down into his seat behind his desk. George does not even give Toto a chance to ask what got into George before asking, “Is it normal to feel protective over an alpha teammate?”

Toto doesn’t even pretend to be surprised by his ask. “You will have to be a little more specific, George.”

He doesn’t want to be specific. He doesn’t want to think about it. George has always imagined what it might be like to be Lewis’ teammate. Most of his teammate experience was with omegas or betas though. But being on a team with Lewis? It almost reminded him of being on a team with Nicky. George has no interest in fucking Lewis like he does Nicky. But when George and Nicky had been teammates, George had always been subtly aware of the omega’s emotions. When he was stressed or upset when he was disappointed, or happy. There were a few times when Nicky’s emotions had bubbled over, and he’d pulled George into an improvised nest for a cuddle seeking his comfort. He realized now, of course, that was part of Nicky’s own plan to seduce George (it felt strange to call it a seduction when both Nicky and Lance had attracted him simply by being themselves), and yet George still found himself waiting for Lewis to pull him into a nest to unwind from the stress the alpha could feel coiled up in his teammate. 

But Lewis wouldn’t pull him into a nest. Because Lewis was an alpha. Lewis does not make nests. 

“When I was teammates with Nicky, it felt like I was more aware of what he was feeling. I figured it was because he’s an omega.” It feels uncomfortable to be talking about stuff like this with his boss. George wants to make Toto proud of him, and look at him as the next Lewis Hamilton. But that seems impossible if George is going to seemingly complain about his teammate in his boss’ office. He was sure Lewis never complained to Toto about Valtteri. “But it seems so similar with Lewis. Like, at Silverstone. When Max had his arms around Lewis?”

He could remember it in vivid detail, the smell of alpha rut perceptible even to his less sensitive alpha nose. George couldn’t imagine how strong it must have been for the omegas still in the area. George hadn’t thought much of it until he’d seen Toto rushing off. If the Austrian was rushing somewhere, something was very wrong. Toto doesn’t just rush off. When George arrived, seeing Max holding Lewis like that, the only thing he could do was hold himself back and growl. All he wanted to do was grab Max and rip him away from Lewis. When the Dutch alpha fled, it was only George’s instinctual need to protect Lewis that kept him from chasing after Max, ensuring he was gone. Even handing Lewis over to Valtteri had been difficult. 

“Is it proving to be a problem on track?” is all Toto asks, a brow raised. 

George shakes his head. “No. It doesn’t affect my ability to race him.”

Toto nods. Toto’s confirmation makes George feel as if something has been settled, and decided on, but he had no clue as to what and how he’s involved. “Good. I would not like to think that you would be unwilling to perform at your best.”

“But is this normal, Toto? Am I supposed to feel this protective over another alpha?” George asks again. There were likely more official sources he could reference, Google even, but he trusts Toto. He trusts that the Team Principal will tell him the truth and not think less of him either way. Rather than George alone and spiraling staring at his google search history. 

The Austrian simply smiles. “Do you think of Lewis as a friend?” 

George nods. 

“Then think of it as only wishing to ensure that a friend is well taken care of. It does not need to be anything more than that.” Toto adds with a shrug as though what he’s told George is common sense. 

Protecting a friend. Toto’s words followed George the rest of the weekend. The idea rolling through his mind like a marble. Right. It didn’t need to be about designations. It was about Lewis being a friend, a coworker, someone George has looked up to for years, and George didn’t want to see him hurt. 

It still didn’t explain why Lewis had been invited to the omega breakfast, though. 

George never got a chance to ask him though, the other British alpha disappearing sometimes with Angela anytime there wasn’t anything going on with the team. George would catch glimpses of him from time to time, and each glimpse only made him more confused.

 After FP3, he saw Lewis with his arm around Daniel’s waist, the Australian omega leaning into the Brit as they walked away. Before they resumed for qualifying, he saw Lewis kiss Mick’s cheek before the German made his way toward the Haas garage. It was strange, seeing Lewis so physically close with the omegas for the grid. George knows that, at times, alphas can be almost adopted by groups of omegas, to help with heats and the like. But wouldn’t Nicky have said something if that were the case? After qualifying, Pierre and Charles appeared with Lewis, each of them with one arm around him, hesitating long enough that Lewis kissed each of them. Not on the cheeks, on the lips. The two mated omegas purred so loud that George couldn’t even pretend he didn’t hear it. 

If anyone else noticed, they didn’t say anything, and the whole affair felt bizarre in the way that it didn’t really feel strange at all. George assumed it was nothing more than Lewis being accepted by the grid omegas, he fits with them, and George can’t figure out why that doesn’t seem strange. 

The race begins in chaos. Part of George wished for the race to be postponed. Not only because of the dangerous conditions but because it would be nice to cuddle with Nicholas and Lance while it rained outside. But they all got into their cars, as scheduled, the lights went out, and none of them could see shit. 

There is a yellow flag before everyone can clear the first corner, and a red flag before the end of the first lap. There was a Ferrari in the gravel. Sainz was fine. And a Williams into the gravel. George feels like the air has been knocked out of his lungs. Nicky. Was it Nicky or Alex? Neither was a good option. One his boyfriend the other his friend. 

“Who is it?” George asks over the radio. He hopes his voice isn’t shaking as he does. 

Ricciardo’s, his race engineer's voice is crisp in his ears, tone even as though nothing had happened, “Albon. No damage.” But it wasn’t half a second later, the radio line still open to George did he swear. “Gasly almost just collided with the recovery vehicle.”

“What?” George’s asks confused. His tone drenched with disbelief. The red flag has barely been shown, they were all still behind the safety car. Why was the recovery vehicle even on track before they’d all made it to the pits? And hadn’t it been–? Was it Japan? The same circuit, similar conditions, a car colliding with a recovery vehicle that shouldn’t have been on the track. “Is he alright?”

“Fine. No collision. Just very angry.” 

Very angry. As he had every right to be. If George had to guess Pierre was likely incensed. 

George was still fuming about the incident when the race ended, and it was at that particular moment that Lewis seemed to remember that George, his teammate, existed. 

“We need you to come to the pack room,” Lewis announces, appearing from around the corner. His hand grasps George’s elbow, and the younger Brit notices as he does, that Lewis’ other hand is currently occupied by Valtteri’s hand. Valtteri offers George a wry, close-lipped smile as a greeting. The Finnish alpha is standing close to Lewis. As close as George would stand to Nicky or Lance. Were they–? Not that George cared or that it mattered. Some say alpha/alpha or omega/omega relationships are wrong, but George doesn’t care. If Lewis was happy, that was fine. And it would explain why Toto had instructed George to take Lewis to Valtteri after the incident with Max. 

“What?” George sputters as Lewis guides him along, by the elbow. George’s brain was still trying to buffer, process, and fit all the pieces together while still processing his anger toward the FIA who were trying to pin blame on Pierre for today’s near miss. “But only the omegas use the pack room.” George insists, not letting himself be pulled any longer. Lewis and Valtteri abruptly come to a stop beside him.

Lewis resignedly smiles, and it does not reach his eyes. “Usually yes, but it's all hands on deck today. Come on. Nicky and Lance are already there.” He gives George’s elbow a tug. 

George does not need much more convincing than that. His future mates were there, and whatever was happening sounded important. All hands on deck as Lewis had said. George had heard back when he was still only a reserve driver, not an official member of the twenty-person grid, yet, that there was a grid pack. That the pack took care of each other. All hands on deck. By the time George had joined the grid at Williams, the pack had broken up. George never knew why, he had never been in a pack outside of his family, the prospect of another had excited him. 

George let himself be pulled along, still trying to organize his thoughts. He hadn’t encountered any success by the time Lewis’ hand left his elbow in order to open the door to the circuit’s designated pack room. “Crickey,” involuntarily slips from his lips, a low whisper. 

In the center of the pack room was the largest nest he’d ever seen. Each segment had different patterns woven in, as if different hands had been involved in the creation of it. In the center of the nest was Charles and Pierre, clung tightly to one another. Pierre’s face is tucked into the crook of Charles’ neck, and at Pierre’s back is an unfamiliar woman. She is wrapped around Pierre, in a position George knows would be for comfort, but one hand is reaching toward Yuki who is curled around the back of the woman. George assumes the woman is Yuki’s alpha. Nicky is curled around Charles’ back, and Lance at Nicky’s back. Both of them were there, just like Lewis promised. 

It dawns on George that all of the omegas in the nest are reaching out. Lance is reaching over Nicky to touch Charles, and Yuki reaches over his alpha to touch Pierre.

 “Pierre’s near miss today was— it brought up a lot of things for both of them. They are both very shaken up. We’re just trying to make sure they know they are not alone.” Valtteri explained, the first thing George had heard him say since Lewis had pulled George along.

George nods in understanding. Before he can reply to Valtteri the door behind them cracks open. Sebastian slips in, nodding to Lewis, who nods back, before going to Charles. The German beta crouches near Charles’ head and murmurs something George cannot pick up to his former teammate, before laying down in the nest with his head on Nicky’s hip, his legs tangling with Charles’. George can hear a small coo come from Charles as Sebastian tangled their legs together. George could tell the omega was happy to have Sebastian close by. 

“Why don’t you go make yourself comfortable, George,” Lewis suggests, breaking George’s attention from observing the nest before him.. George steps away from Lewis and Valtteri. Pausing to look over his shoulder to see if they followed behind, but the older Brit has stayed put, still holding Valtteri’s hand. 

“Hi, Georgie,” Nicky whispers briefly removing his hand from Charles’ waist to reach out for George. The Brit let himself be pulled down, settling himself upside down, his head on both Nicky and Lance’s shoulders, his feet toward the edge of the nest. He follows Nicky’s lead, and reaches a hand over to rest on Charles’ shoulder. 

Everything feels calm around him, and George lets his eyes fall closed.  He can hear the door open and close several more times, and can hear the noise of the others that had entered, settling themselves on either side of the omega pair. Each time someone joined, it feels like a layer was added, like an ethereal blanket settled over each of them. It wasn’t heavy. It was light and airy. It felt like the edge of sleep, where everything seems to float, the world’s edges obscured and blurry. It was nice. 

The next time George opens his eyes, he’s not sure how long it's been, but it seems as if the whole grid has arrived and joined. George lifts his head up enough to count sixteen. Lewis has taken a position directly above Charles and Pierre, and George swears he can hear a soft purring coming from his teammate. But it was likely just the sleepy comfort that had fallen over the group, George's mind still foggy with it. The door opening one last time pulled him from the throes of his sleepy cocoon. Standing in the doorway had to be the most awkward quintet he’d ever seen. 

Daniel at the lead, already moving to take his place in the nest, behind him are four alphas. The last remaining four grid members based on George’s count. Those four make them a complete twenty plus the female alpha that had to be Yuki’s mate. George cannot wait to learn more about her, and her name. 

George watches as Esteban is the first alpha to move, joining his mate in the nest once Daniel had settled. Next were the two Red Bull alphas. Both of them looked lost, and both of them stumbled forward toward the nest as the fifth member of their party, none other than Fernando, pushed them toward it. Max settles on the opposite side of the nest from Daniel, ending up wedged between the edge of the nest and Mick, and Checo seems to just pick whatever spot seemed the most comfortable for him, proximity to Charles and Pierre not a priority. 

That gauzy, invisible cloth feeling that had settled over the group? At twenty layers now, soft and comforting now felt like pressure. George wonders is the rest of the nest feels it as well. The entire nest seems to be holding its breath. Waiting. Sitting on pins and needles. 

And then Fernando settles into the nest, with a grunt, taking up the last of the space. 

George can feel the invisible cloth weave together, solidifying the interknit that had slowly built up over the course of the evening. With his eyes closed George sees it become a rope in his minds eye, glittering and golden as it wraps around all of them, as a group, and pulled tight. For a moment, George feels like he can't breathe, the pressure too intense, building and building until it breaks. 

George feels the whole nest take a breath. The whole nest seemed to be holding it, and then the tension faded as they exhaled. George feels as if that rope is still there, but now it was tied around him, and tied to everyone else, connecting him to everyone in the nest. He can feel them all, hovering just at the edge of his own consciousness. And he could– he could catch their scents. At least he is fairly certain that's what he could smell. Soft champagne sat beside rosemary and sandalwood. Cherry blossoms floated beside buttered popcorn and sharp citrus. The strongest two scents, though, were the scent of coffee and hops. 

Then the sounds began around him. Omega purring, alpha rumbling, and soft beta hums simultaneously, the whole nest erupting into sound together. 

Was this– 

“I missed being a pack,” Daniel sighs contently, confirming what George had been even too afraid to ask himself. 

A pack.

They were a pack. 

There were things that went with that, George knew. A pack alpha. A pack omega. George could feel he was not the pack alpha, but the comforting sleepiness was falling over him again. Without further thought, George once more fell into a comfortable sleep. The feeling of the pack around him.  

‘--how to do this, Fernando,” Lewis is pleading with Fernando as George blinks his eyes open again. As the pack bond settled, Charles and Pierre settled and comforted, everyone had shifted into more comfortable positions. George had found himself, as he usually does, with Nicky on one side, and Lance on the other. He can’t shift to see what is happening, sandwiched between the two, he can only listen to the conversation. 

“Calm down, Lewis,” Fernando rumbles with a scoff. It isn’t an alpha command, it’s a soft suggestion. Ah, Fernando. That means the pack alpha is Fernando. That makes sense to George, and feels right. “You would not be pack omega if you were unfit for it.” Fernando adds. 

George stifles his gasp.

What? 

Omega?

 Pack omega.

 Lewis? 

No. Lewis  is  an alpha. He can’t be the pack omega if he was an alpha. George manages to shift just enough to be able to tip his head up and catch sight of the pair, both of them leaned against the side of the nest. Lewis has leaned in and was gently scenting the pack alpha. The gentle rumble was obviously coming from Fernando, but the soft purr that joined…it came from Lewis. 

Lewis was an omega. 

George couldn’t fall back asleep in the nest for the rest of the night, while everyone else slept around him.

Lewis was an omega. It was all he could think about for the next week and a half. It was a week and a half away from Nicky and Lance, and instead of thinking about them, he was thinking about Lewis. It felt like a waste. 

When they all arrived in Austin for the race at COTA, George can tell Nicky was the first one to the hotel room they all knew they would be sharing. George knows their individual teams had booked them their own rooms, but George called ahead like he always does, and instructs the front desk to set aside key cards for Nicholas and Lance. This meant that, to George’s delight, he opened the door to his room and was immediately met with the comforting honey sweetness of his omega. 

“George,” Nicky whines from the bed. George rounds the corner of the hotel room to see the omega spread out, still clothed, waiting for him. But not for long if George had any say in the matter. Nicky hasn’t bothered to look up or shift to see who had entered at all, he had only identified George by his scent as he came in the door. 

The alpha drops his bag at the side of the bed and climbs onto it, The thoughts of Lewis long forgotten as George straddles Nicky,  placing a knee on either side of him. “I missed you,” George admits with a sigh. “Can I kiss you?”

The omega beneath George purrs  and nods. George still hadn’t gotten over the fact that he didn’t always need to ask permission to kiss either one of them. Though he still feels like he needs to. He does if they are apart long enough, to make sure Nicky and Lance still wanted him. He knows they do. But he sometimes needs the affirmation that they do. 

George leans down, nuzzling against Nicky’s jaw, his cheek, and leaves his scent all over the omega before kissing him. There was no trace of Lance’s maple scent on Nicky’s body, which means the beta has not arrived at the hotel, and is still unaccounted for. George groans. Lance’s absence foiling what he had in mind for the omega. “I want to make love to you right now,” he blurts against Nicky’s lips. “But I want Lance here, too when I do.”

George expects a disappointed reaction, a whine, for Nicky to groan in disappointment that George would tease him like this only to make him wait. George did not expect the loud purr that erupts from the omega. 

“That makes me really happy. You should tell Lance, too. He was very concerned you would be more interested in being a couple with me rather than a trio with him.” Nicky adds with a wide smile.

“Lance was worried?” George asks, his voice pitched up in shock. Lance, who always seemed so confident, so sure of himself, worried? George has been worried Lance and Nicky were the ones more interested in being a couple. 

Below George, Nicky shrugs. “Alpha and omega relationships are the norm, and more commonly accepted. He was worried you wouldn’t be interested in having a beta as a partner once you had an omega as one.”

George was going to have to show Lance just how wrong he was. George had felt that way in the start of their courtship. He had been unsure of what sort of relationship he wanted with a beta, always taught about perfect alpha and omega relationships growing up. But that was all different now. George wasn’t sure he could ever go back now, back to thinking he only wanted Nicky. He wanted them both. Needed them both. “Remind me to tell Lance I’m in love with him when he gets back.”

“I don’t think I’m going to have to remind you, George,” Nicky says with a laugh, and George knows he is right. George hasn’t said the words yet, he hasn’t told Lance and Nicky directly that he loves them, but he hopes they felt it, that they could tell. He was going to say the words soon. 

George rolls to the side of Nicky, a pleased rumble slipping out at the way Nicky immediately curls up half on top of him. George never has been more comfortable than he was when his omega was comfortable. Except for– “The night we all comforted Pierre and Charles– the grid is a pack now, right?” George asks as he wraps his arms around Nicky.

“Mhmm. All of us and Youko, Yuki’s alpha,” Nicky confirms. 

George’s mind had been distracted by finally seeing Nicky, and knowing Lance eventually when he arrived. He had swiveled back to the topic that had distracted him for an entire week and a half when he should have been thinking about Nicky and Lance. “Fernando is pack alpha, right?” Nicky hums in confirmation again against George's chest. “And the pack omega is…Lewis?”

There is no hum on confirmation, no affirmative gesture from Nicky, just an unnatural stillness from the omega in his arms. 

“Nicky?” George asks, prying for an answer. He can’t let this go now. He needs to know. “Nicky, how is Lewis pack omega when Lewis is an alpha.”

“Because Lewis was bitched last season by Max,” came Lance’s answer from the doorway. Neither alpha nor omega had heard the door open, but they could both pick up on the beta’s syrup scent upon his arrival. 

 “What?” George asks, as both he and Nicky sit up reflexively, disbelief oozing from them both. 

“The Beta Council talked about it last season, and then when he came for testing there was no sandalwood scent.” Lance explains the door falling shut behind him. 

The Beta Council, right. The mysterious entity that Lance refuses to explain. George knew they existed, that the betas all meet during race weekends, but nothing else. Not even what they talked about. And usually that would bother George, but he currently was still incapable of any thoughts. 

Because Lance was here. And Lance looked incredible. He always does but today? George is worried this may be some sort of dream. He thinks Lance has never looked better.

Lance is standing at the foot of the bed in cowboy boots, a pair of denim jeans that fit him like he’d sold his soul for them, a large silver belt buckle, a plain white shirt, and a black cowboy hat. He removes the hat, and runs his fingers through his hair and leaving the dark strands looking artfully tousled. He was dressed for Texas, Lance looks like a real life cowboy, and George was fairly certain he was drooling. 

“You’re seeing this too, right George?” Nicky asks swatting for George to get his attention but missing entirely, the Omega not taking his eyes away from Lance. “This isn’t like me having a heat fantasy, right?”

“No, no, our beta is a cowboy,” George confirms, struggling to find words at the sight of Lance.. George is unable to bite back a possessive growl as Lance places his hat down. Lance startles at the sound, finally paying attention to the predatory looks aimed in his direction from George and Nicky. “Is it just me,” George starts to Nicky, “or do you also want also want to fuck him?”

“I want to ride him,” Nicky says hungrily from beside him. 

George is still not able to look away from Lance 

“But potato/tomato, right?” Nicky adds with a low laugh.

“Uhhh, guys?” Lance sounds spooked, unsure, as he toes off his boots.. 

“What is that phrase?” Nicky asks George looking to see he has a brow cocked..

“Save a horse, ride your cowboy?” George replies with a devilish smile that Nicky mirrors.

“Close enough,” Nicky says with a shrug.

Alpha and omega move in tandem, reaching Lance simultaneously at the edge of the bed. Nicky reaches for Lance's face, framing the beta’s cheeks with his hands and then kissing Lance with a hunger that makes George growl. George reaches for Lance’s pants, fingers slipping through the belt loops and tugging until Lance topples onto the bed to join them, sending Nicky backwards with them. It’s an inelegant motion, Lance not having quite caught up with the intentions of his two partners who are very much on the same page. 

George is not sure where he wants to begin. He wants his mouth on Lance. Of course that meant a kiss, didn’t it? And yet, when George has his turn, slotting his lips against Lance’s and feeling the beta sigh into the kiss, it wasn’t enough. Well, it was. It would always be enough if that was all the beta wanted to give. And yet, the way Lance’s sigh turned into a moan, George could tell it wasn’t enough for him, either. They both want so much more. 

George and Nicky move in tandem again, maneuvering their beta until Lance is sprawled out on the bed they would all be sharing this weekend. Yes, they all had their own hotel rooms, but what was the point of them when they all slept better tangled up in each other? George is simply unsettled when he can’t feel the presence of Lance and Nicky beside him. And sleep is the last thing on George's mind as he looks at Lance sprawled on the bed. He watches as Nicky captures Lance’s lips in another kiss, and George reaches out to trace a finger down the elegant line of Lance’s neck. His fingertips stop on the beta’s mating gland. Though smaller than an omega’s or alpha’s mating gland, it was akin in sensitivity to an omega’s. When George presses, gently, on Lance’s neck, he rumbles against Nicky’s lips, more than pleased at the action, as the beta’s lips fall open and a whine slips out. A whine that sounds suspiciously like alpha . 

George needs. 

He needs Lance, and needs to make sure Lance feels good, he feels satisfied. George’s alpha fangs ache, lengthening enough that he could easily bite and mate both of the men kissing before they would even know it happened. George wants to bond with them, to make himself belong to them too, to ensure he can protect them, make them happy for the rest of their lives. George has never felt a need like that, never truly felt the mating instinct before, pulling at him like a riptide. 

George sits back, distancing himself from Lance’s neck, and from Nicky’s neck. They haven’t discussed mating yet, they haven’t determined that was what they all wanted, and George would not force mating on them without the conversation, no matter how much the desire pulled at him. 

But the desire to fuck Lance pulled at him, taking over the need to mate him. As George shifts back to observe Nicky and Lance, he can see Lance’s dick pressing taught against the denim of his jeans. “I want to suck you off,” George admits, never once stopping to filter the words on their way from his brain to his mouth. 

Lance and Nicky both freeze, a small whine wove through the silence of the room. George can’t tell if the sound has come from beta, omega, or if it was a combination of them both that has become one sound. George doesn't have to wonder for long, though.

“Please,” Lance’s whispers breathlessly ,“Please, George, don’t say it if you don’t mean it.” he adds, Nicky kissing down his neck as he does, Lance staring at George eyes heavy lidded and dark with want. 

His beta. His beautiful, sexy, talented beta. Hadn’t they just been talking about how George needed to show Lance that he truly was on board with being a trio? Usually, George is a words first, then follow them up with actions later. But at this moment, all he can focus on is the bulge between Lance’s legs, the beta’s cock straining against the fabric. It looks painful, to be trapped against the denim. 

George’s hands find Lance’s waist, pressing his hips into the mattress. He wants to hold Lance down, he wants to cage the beta in with his body, keep him from harm, keep him safe and pleasured every moment of everyday. George can hear Nicky’s omega purr, and it was like a drumbeat driving George forward, encouraging him. “Can I?” George asks, needing the confirmation, needing Lance to say it. “Can I suck your dick, love?”

For a moment, Lance’s pleased beta humming drowned out Nicky's Purring, drowning out the rumble that had built in George’s chest. Lance didn’t smile, didn’t laugh, only looked slightly dazed, awestruck, “Please, alpha . Please. I want you.” he begs. 

Novels have been written on the effect of an omega’s voice on an aroused alpha, how it can push them into an almost rut-like state, completely focused on ensuring the omega’s pleasure. With just a pur of the word alpha , an omega can sway their alpha partner to action. George has learned as this haze would clear, it wasn’t just an omega phenomenon. It was just whatever partner was causing the arousal. Omega purr, beta hum, maybe even another alpha’s rumble. It didn’t matter. It only mattered that Lance was asking for his alpha, for George, and George would give Lance anything he ever asks for. Because he loves this beta. His beta. He loves Lance. Lance deserves to be cherished, to be given whatever he wants, whatever he needs, whatever he asks for. 

George leans down, nuzzling his nose into Lance’s crotch, against the bulge of his cock. He needs to relieve that pressure, to let Lance out, to get to that cock. Over the sound of his own ragged breaths, he can hear a chuckle, light and airy. It’s Nicky. 

 “Let me help with that,” he says between laughs, Nicky’s scent drawing closer.  Nicky working swiftly to undo Lance’s belt buckle and to unbutton Lance’s pants. The beta shimmies out of jeans and underwear quickly, and George can hear the fabric hitting the floor somewhere around them, but his focus is completely on Lance’s cock, hard and leaking in front of him. He swears his vision tunnels. He’s seen Lance’s cock before, this isn’t a new piece of information for George’s brain. Yet every time it feels like the first. 

Admittedly, the sight makes George overeager. He ducks down, and takes Lance’s whole cock into his mouth at once. The tip bumps against the back of his throat, and George pulls off with a gag and sputters, dejectedly sighing, realizing he needs to reexamine his approach. He can’t possibly make Lance feel good if he can't take him whole. He can hear laughter from both of his partners.

 “Go slower, Georgie,” Nicky coos, and George can feel him soothingly brush his fingers through his hair. “Lance’s cock isn’t going anywhere. And neither is Lance”

Nicky is the oral expert in George’s eyes. His encouragement allows for George to regain his composure. George tries again, this time kissing the juncture of Lance’s legs, right up against the base of his cock. He can feel Lance shiver, and then hum as George licked up the side of his dick. When George reaches the tip of his cock again, he closes his lips around it, stroking the slit with his tongue as Lance whines above him. George slides further down, sheltering more and more of Lance’s cock into the wet heat of his mouth. When Lance instinctively bucks his hips up, George narrowly avoids choking on his dick again, and pressed a hand against Lance’s hip. Stay still, pretty beta , George thought, stroking his thumb in a circle against Lance’s skin, let me make you cum . As if Lance could read his thoughts, the beta settled. 

George falls into a rhythm,  it’s slow at first, but he begins to build in pace. He alternates between hollowing out his cheeks around Lance’s cock and stroking it with his lips and tongue. George can hear Lance breathing heavily above him, moaning George’s name, calling alpha alpha alpha . Good. His beta was pleased. A new set of fingers thread through George’s hair, but  only for a moment before those fingers tighten, pulling at George’s hair as Lance’s hips jerk against the pressure of George’s hand, still keeping him in place. Lance’s hips jerked again, the hand disappears, and then George’s mouth is filled with Lance’s cum. 

George’s mouth is filled with Lance’s cum, heavy and sweet, warm against his tongue. 

George pulls off the beta’s dick slowly, lips closing tight to keep the cum contained. Should he– Would Lance want him to swallow? Should he swallow? He can’t spit out his beta’s cum! 

“Alpha,” Nicky calls with a purr, pulling George’s attention from his beta’s softening cock, the flush on Lance’s cheeks, and whether or not to present his mouthfull of cum to the beta or just swallow. He looks at Nicky, and finds the omega naked, presented on the bed beside Lance. The beta has reached over, gently stroking the omega’s cock, but George’s eyes are riveted to the omega’s pussy on full display. Already shiny with slick, it was clearly missing something. “George, give me the cum. I want it.”

Oh. 

George growls low and throaty, the sound trapped by his closed lips. He shifts forward, away from Lance, and grabs Nicky’s hips to keep the omega still. Not that he expected Nicky to move, not when he has presented himself so beautifully and asked so nicely. As George gets closer, the tip of his nose brushes through the omega’s folds, taking in his honey sweet scent making Nicky shiver with anticipation. He whimpers as George draws back and spits, covering Nicky’s slick soaked pussy in Lance’s cum. George dragging his fingers through Nicky’s cum covered pussy, teasing the omega before pushing a single finger into Nicky’s hole. Pushing some of Lances cum into the omega, adding a second finger when the omega felt ready. George drags his fingers through Nicky’s folds, pushing more and more of Lance’s cum into him. 

It did not take long for Lance to get hard once more. When he did, Nicky rode his cock, pussy still covered in slick and filled with cum. After Lance filled Nicky more, George flipped him, pressing the beta into the mattress as the alpha fucked him. Making sure he knows how much he means to George. When Lance begged for his knot, George did say he would give the beta whatever he asked for. So he did. Only when Lance was stretched around George’s knot did the three of them settle, tangled together basking in the afterglow of their orgasms. They’re settled with Lance gathered to his chest, Nicky’s chest pressed to his back, the omega’s arms around both of them. George promises himself it would only be a quick nap, just long enough for his knot to go down, and then he would make sure his beta and his omega were cleaned up and cared for.  

It's moments like these that affirms to George that he is in love with both of them. His mates. The only ones he wanted. Soon. Soon he was going to ask them officially to be his. 

George falls asleep with his alpha fangs fully extended, aching to break through the mating gland of the sweet beta asleep in his arm, of the omega whose happy, sated scent filled the room. 

Soon. 

George naps for longer than he had planned and feels guilty waking up Nicky and Lance, but the need to get all of them cleaned up outweighing his need for more sleep they could all cuddle back up to each other freshly showered on a clean bed  . 

George was glad he’d woken them up from their nap in the morning when it became an exercise in organized chaos to get out the door all three still groggy after a night of fitful sleep. They’d all gone back to sleep on a bare mattress, the sheets far too covered in various amorous fluids to make for a good night’s sleep. George thinks being entangled in Lance and Nicky helped, but none of them slept soundly.  Upon waking late, all three having finally gotten to sleep, clothes were thrown on, teeth brushed, hair wrangled into submission, determined to not be late. 

George was the first one ready, waiting by the door, shoes already on, backpack slung over his shoulder. Lance and Nicky meeting him at the door also ready. Before they exit the bubble they’ve created in this hotel room, George pulls Lance in by the waist. The kiss he pulls him in for is soft and tender. When George pulls away just enough to whisper , “I love you,” he feels Lance smile against his lips. Turns out Nicholas really didn’t need to remind George to tell Lance how much the beta means to him.

When Lance hums, “I love you, too, Georgie,” it is George’s turn to smile. 

But George can’t stay in the bubble of his future mates forever. They each have their races to run, their jobs to do this weekend. And George needs to speak with their pack omega. With Lewis. 

It wasn’t hard to find Lewis when George arrived at the track. It was almost like George could feel him, a little pinprick on the edge of his consciousness. Plus, Lewis was in his driver’s room. Not too difficult to find, seeing it was right next to his own. George knocks and is let in. The first thing he notices is the scent of coffee. George recalls catching the same scent when the pack formed in Japan. He also recalls how his mum had explained that, if he were to ever join a pack, he would be able to catch the scent of his packmates. Fainter than he would experience his mates’, but there. He smells coffee, and Lewis is the only one in the room. 

George steps fully into the room, closing the door behind him, and then faces Lewis in order to tip his head to one side. George bares his neck in a show of respect and deference to his pack omega. It was, after all, what his mum had always told him to do.

“Oh,” falls from Lewis’ lips. He is frozen at first, George can tell he is trying to decide what to do next. Will he bluff or accept? 

Finally, Lewis nods, and then approaches. Lewis gets close, presses up onto his tip toes, and nuzzles his cheek against George’s neck, leaving his scent there to mingle with George’s natural scent of black tea along with Lance and Nicky’s. 

Respect returned, pack omega giving comfort and acceptance to a pack member. George swears he hears a small purr come from the omega. It feels bizarre, too odd for him to believe but it is real. He’s looked up to Lewis as an alpha for so long. The kind of alpha George dreamed to be. And yet, the feeling of comfort was familiar, reminded him of his omega mum, the feeling of warmth and comfort that always filled up his chest when she comforted him. He should have expected the same feeling of quiet stillness he remembers receiving from his alpha mother, but that was nowhere in this gesture. So it was true, Lewis was an omega. 

When they leaned away from one another, Lewis taking a step back, George can't help but ask, "Coactus Repositione?"

And all Lewis does is burst into laughter. 

George is confused, why is he laughing? Normally Lewis’ laugh is infectious, George usually laughing along with him. Except right now he’s still very confused. "Is it not that? I don't understand what's so funny."

"No, no, it is," Lewis says between giggles, "You're just the only one I've ever heard who’s used that term. Most just go with bitching."

"Was it Max? Did he hurt you?" George thinks he’s seeing red, fists balled up at his sides. The Dutchman might be in their pack now, but if he'd hurt Lewis, George would–

"Calm down, George," Lewis instructs, placing a hand on George's shoulder. The words didn't have the same force as an alpha command, but George followed them all the same. Whether it was the influence of Lewis as pack omega or Lewis just being Lewis, George wasn't sure, but the effect was much the same. "Everything Max and I did was consensual. He didn't do this on purpose, and I'm not angry with him anymore."

"But you were?" George asks, he feels like he’s been punched in the gut. 

"Yeah. It was a lot to take in at first, and I thought he had done it on purpose. We talked things out." Lewis says with a shrug. George can't believe he’s saying it so plainly, like it's something as simple as talking about switching teams or changing plans. "Actually, the night you took me to Valtteri is the night Max and I talked things out."

Things started to click into place. Oh, right. Valtteri. George hadn’t even stopped to think about Valtteri’s place in all of this. “Does he know?” George asks.

A tiny smile lifts at the corner of Lewis’ lips, the sort of smile that looks private, like Lewis was thinking of something that George could have no frame of reference for.  Yet is a smile George knows, captured in candid photos when he’s with Lance and Nicky. “Yeah,” Lewis sighs, unable to fight off the smile from growing wider, “Val knows.”

How many other people knew? Obviously the grid omegas know. That was why Lewis had gone to the breakfast with the other omegas in Japan. It is why George has seen him be so affectionate with the other omegas. It wasn’t an oddity, the one alpha so casually affectionate with the omegas, it was an omega showing the effortless affection that omegas were known for showing. Max knew. Of course, considering his role in it. Toto had to know too, given the conversation George had had with their Team Principal that same race weekend. What about the rest of the pack? Did they know? If Lewis was Pack Omega, and Fernando Pack Alpha, then–

“Are you mated to Fernando?” George asks, his voice disbelieving, incredulous. George couldn’t believe it, but he’d never heard of a pack being led by an unmated pair. It also wouldn’t surprise him at this rate. It was always a mated alpha and omega at the head of a pack, although sometimes there was even a beta mated to the pair as well. A strong foundation for the pack to rest on. But never an unmated alpha and unmated omega. 

Lewis looks shocked at first, and then falls back into  a hysterical laughter again as though George has just told him a joke. “Me and Fernando? No.” Lewis chokes out.  “Fernando is mated to Stoffel Vandoorne. They mated right before Stoffel left McLaren, after he got pregnant with their first pup. They’ll be joining the pack once Stoffel gives birth to their second. He’s due anytime now.” he adds between his laughs. 

George’s head is spinning. Their pack is led by an unmated pair. And Fernando is mated with pups? The Spaniard has never given a single clue, a single indication, a single hint that he was mated. “So are you with Max then? If he made you an omega? Is he courting you?” George asks. He’s so confused. 

“No!” Lewis bites out between laughs again. “What Max and I were doing had nothing to do with courting or even affection. I’m actually courting Valtteri.”

“Valtteri?” George can't stifle his gasp. This was…well this was  going to take some getting used to. Everything now makes even more sense though, why Toto had instructed him take Lewis to Valtteri then. It's also why Lewis and Valtteri had been together when they’d fetched George to comfort Pierre. 

Lewis’s laughs have subsided and have been replaced with a wry smile. Lewis steps to the side, gesturing to a nest, his own nest built in the corner of his drivers room. “Come on. Get comfortable and we’ll talk.” His offer catches George off guard but he obliges with a nod. 

—---------------------------------------------------------

Max. Daniel. Charles. Pierre. Lando. Yuki. Mick. Nicholas. Esteban. Youko. Toto. Fernando. George. Surely Lance knows, too. And if Lance knows, it was likely that Sebastian and Alex know too considering how closely the betas of the grid orbited around one another. What was it that Kimi had called it? The Beta Council? Lewis is fairly sure it had originally been a bid by the FIA to separate the betas from the alphas and omegas of the grid. But apparently somewhere along the way someone had complained about the beta tendency toward cute aggression. And Kimi turned it into a safe place for the betas on the grid, and even Lewis wasn’t sure what happened there. He only knows that each beta that joined the grid became a pack through the council long before the pack bond formed. So, Sebastian and Alex are absolutely on the list as well. 

Which by Lewis’ count, only leaves Checo, Carlos, Guanyu, and Kevin as possibly not knowing. Four people out of the entire grid. Four out of twenty. Guarding this secret has gotten him nowhere, and has only left Lewis feeling paranoid and exhausted. 

“Do you think I should just make an announcement about it?” Lewis asks, his eyes glued to the ceiling instead of the alpha in his nest he’s curled up against. 

Valtteri hums in acknowledgement , and turns toward Lewis, his nose brushing gently against the omega’s scent gland as he does. It makes Lewis shiver. “Do you want to make an announcement?”  he asks, studying Lewis’ face for an answer. Lewis can see the way Valtteri tries to not look at Lewis’ lips. 

Does he? 

Does Lewis want the world to know what had happened to him? Does he want to give them a peek into the new reality of his life? His new normal? Does he want to have the freedom to be himself in the public eye, no longer worrying about whether someone would be able to tell? Does he want the scrutiny that he knows the other omegas face? 

“Is it selfish if I don’t want to?” he asks, wishing he knew the answer searching Valtteri’s face for any sort of reaction to his question. “I’ve seen the articles they write about Daniel. About Charles and Pierre and all the others.”

Valtteri shifts, and Lewis whines as his alpha pulls away. In private moments like these, he allows himself to be greedy for Valtteri’s presence, his proximity. 

“That does not make you selfish,” Valtteri tells him, adjusting himself so he’s facing Lewis squarely. Valtteri lifts his hand, his fingers brushing gently over Lewis’ cheek. Lewis leans into the soft touch. “Lewis, do you realize how far you’ve come?”

Lewis shakes his head. Unsure of where Valtteri is going with this. But it's Valtteri, Lewis will always follow.

“How long have you been an omega, Lewis?” Valtteri asks, as he gently strokes Lewis’ cheek again.

It was the end of October now, the Mexican GP weekend about to start. His point of no return, the catalyst for his transition, had been Monza in September of the previous year, but he hadn’t had his presentation heat until the beginning of January. That was where Lewis drew the line. The first time his body craved a knot. “Ten months,” Lewis answers, still unsure of where Valtteri was going with this. 

“Do you think Daniel wanted the world to examine him ten months after his presentation? Do you think Charles was comfortable with being put under a magnifying glass ten months after his first heat?” Valtteri says firmly.

“Charles might not be the best example for that,” Lewis counters. Lewis wasn’t sure if Charles had ever been uncomfortable about being an omega. 

Valtteri gaze is incredulous, giving Lewis a look that screams Lewis had missed the point. “When you first presented as an alpha, did you welcome all of the speculation articles about which omega you were going to mate?” Valtteri continues.

“People are going to find out sooner or later,” Lewis deflects. “We’re a pack now. I’m the Pack Omega. I won’t be able to keep it a secret forever.”

“But just because it will come out someday, doesn’t mean you have to be ready for it now, Lewis.” Valtteri’s hand pauses. It makes Lewis whine. The alpha’s lips quirk into a soft smile and he resumes caressing down Lewis’ jaw, slipping to his neck but not quite brushing over Lewis’ scent gland. Lewis wishes that Valtteri would touch his scent gland. “Do you want everyone to know?”

No. 

That might make him selfish. That might make him a coward. But Lewis knows he is not ready yet. “I don’t think I’m ready yet. If anything, I want just the pack to know. I don’t want to hide it from them.” he replies

“That is fine. You are allowed to keep yourself private and share only what you’re comfortable with, with those you feel comfortable with knowing.” Valterri answers. He says it so simply, like it's common knowledge. 

It's then that Lewis begins to purr in earnest. Just because Valtteri was Valtteri. Because the alpha has taken the time to comfort Lewis even when Lewis himself thinks his concerns are silly. That they did not matter. Lewis reaches for him, winding his arms around Valtteri’s waist and pulls the alpha closer until their noses brushing. He pulls Valtteri close enough that Lewis can easily kiss him, and that he can feel Valtteri rumble into the kiss when he finally does. 

It could have gone further, Lewis wants it to go further. He is already reaching further down. However, there is a a knock on his driver's room door. Valtteri groans, rolling off to the side  as Lewis laughs. They can never not be interrupted. Its become somewhat of a joke between them.  “Come in!” he calls. With Toto knowing, it has become obvious that all of Mercedes knows too. So, Lewis’ list of safe places to nest has expanded to his driver’s room, no longer just his motorhome. 

Lewis wasn’t surprised when George poked his head in. Since their conversation in Austin, George has joined Lewis in his nest three times. Lewis was, however, surprised when Nicky pushes past George and throws himself into the nest, landing half on top of Lewis. 

“Lewiissss,” the Canadian croons, “I’ve come to say goodbye!” he adds, throwing himself more across Lewis rather dramatically. 

“What?” Lewis asks incredulously.  Goodbye? Why on Earth would Nicky be saying goodbye? Of course Lewis already knew he wouldn’t be driving in Formula 1 next year, but that didn’t mean he would be gone, right? Daniel wasn’t going to be with McLaren either, and Lewis didn’t have a single doubt that the Australian would still be around. 

“George has done something so adorable, Lance is going to nibble the both of us to death. Death by beta nibbles,” Nicky proclaims, now dramatically pressing the back of his hand to his forehead, head thrown to the side. 

The alpha in question had now stepped into the room, closing the door behind them, hovering at the edge of the nest. Lewis can tell he is still not  quite comfortable enough to ask to come into the nest. Certainly not on the same level as Nicky. The Canadian omega knows, just like all of the pack omegas know, that he has a standing invitation to Lewis’ nest. All of them do. The alphas and betas of the pack still don’t quite understand that the invitation also extends to them as well. 

“Nicholas is being dramatic,” George announces with an annoyed sigh. A hand on his hips, but Lewis can see the fond smile the alpha was directing toward his omega partner. 

“I am not!” Nicky argues. “Show them, George! Let Lewis and Valtteri decide!”

George sighs, and, from the paper bag Lewis not notices he’s brought along with them into the room, pulls out two plush figures. One in each hand, he holds them out so Lewis can see them clearly. 

It takes Lewis no time to recognize the two plushies George is holding. The two plush figures are Nicky and George. Both dressed in their Williams race suits, the plushies smiling happily. They are absolutely adorable. Lewis knows Lance’s cute aggression takes the form of biting, and Lewis will now be on the lookout for bite marks on Nicky and George in the coming days. 

 “Oh, I am so sorry. The two of you are doomed. Death by nibbles, I’m afraid.” Lewis replies with feigned concern in his tone.  

“They’re for the beta kit,” George says with a sigh, slipping the plushies back into the bag and setting it aside. “I figured they would be good for Lance to have. So he can can bite them if we’re not around or if one of us is bandaging the other after being too cute.”

Lewis is grinning so widely he thinks his cheeks hurt. That might be the cutest thing he’s ever heard. He holds out the and that is not trapped under Nicky, beckoning George.  “Come on, Georgie. Into the nest. You’re being too cute for me, too.”

“Right?” Nicky sighs, finally rolling off of Lewis the rest of the way,, and immediately wrapping himself around George the moment the alpha settled into the nest. 

No sooner than he does, can Lewis hear a pleased alpha rumble coming from him. George showing how happy he was to have Nicky nearby, and in his arms. “I have the cutest alpha.” Nicky states between purrs. Nicholas purring, louder than Lewis has ever heard him. Given that George didn’t bat an eye at the intensity of it, Lewis assumes the alpha has heard Nicky purr this way before. “No offense, Valtteri. You’re good, too.” Nicky adds, pulling George closer.

“None taken, Nicholas,” Valtteri rumbles in return, pulling Lewis close, which draws a coo out of him.  “I happen to think I got the best partner, anyway.” the Finn whispers into Lewis’ ear only for him to hear. 

The four of them fall into a companionable silence for a few minutes, relaxing and relishing in each other's company. Right up until Toto comes to get them, sending Valtteri and Nicholas back to their own teams so they can get ready for the second Free Practice of the weekend. Toto reminding them they have jobs to do too this weekend.

The whole weekend was, for Lewis, calm. Between each session, he was able to return to his nest in his drivers room to relax with Valtteri, and with some of the other omegas that came to join in too. After qualifying, the pack met up in the pack room. For the omegas, it was natural. It was their routine. The change though was that the three pack betas joined them, along with Valtteri, Fernando, Esteban, and Guanyu. When the Chinese alpha entered the room, his gaze immediately found Lewis. It reminded Lewis of the way George had signaled he knew about Lewis’ designation, Guanyu approaches, and then tips his head to one side, baring his neck to Lewis. 

When George had first done it, it had only been the second time an alpha had shown him deference as Pack Omega. The first had been Fernando, just after the pack was formed, when Lewis had admitted he wasn’t sure if he could do the job. Fernando offering Lewis a cunning smile and chuckle then bearing his neck to him. Then it had been George. And, just as Lewis was feeling now with Guanyu, Lewis had feels a swell of comfort, and of pride in his packmate. 

Just as he had done with George, Lewis steps forward, scenting Guanyu, strengthening the pack bond between them, leaving his own coffee scent on the alpha, and taking some of his sweet ginger scent for himself. Unlike George, Guanyu required no further conversation. The alpha smiled, nodded, and then wandered off to converse with Valtteri. 

Well, Lewis can officially add Guanyu to the list of people that knew. Just Checo, Carlos, and Kevin left then. 

Lewis almost expects Max to join them in the pack room after qualifying. After all, he can pick up on Max’s bonfire scent hovering outside of the room, but the Dutch alpha never enters. Lewis will welcome him when he does eventually.

Lewis has barely seen Max outside of his car or garage all weekend, until after the podium celebrations. 

Something was wrong, very wrong. Lewis can feel it, he can pick it out in the scent he keeps catching around the paddock. Max’s scent stands out, almost like it did when Lewis still felt like the Dutchman was his alpha. In a way, Max still is his alpha. Not in the same way Valtteri is. But because they were pack now. Max is an alpha in his pack, and it was Lewis’ responsibility as Pack Omega to ensure he was alright. 

So, Lewis follows the scent. 

He finds Max sitting against a wall. Out of the way of the bustling, isolated, his first place cap sitting on the ground next to him, the large bottle of champagne in his hands. He looks up completely distraught. He should be happy and celebrating his first place win. 

“Max?” Lewis wants to make sure the alpha knows he is here. The alpha jumps at his words, pushing himself up from sitting. From the way Max looks to Lewis, shock in his turquoise eyes; Lewis suspects that he did not hear the omega approach. Max’s eyes are bleary and glassy, a clear indication that the alpha had been crying. “Hey. What’s wrong?”

Lewis steps forward, but stops as Max takes a step away.

 “Nothing,” Max snaps, leaning down to snatch his ball cap and smashing it onto his head, letting the bill of the cap cover his tear-filled eyes. “I’m fine.” he curtly adds. 

“Max, you just won the race, but you’re crying in an alley. Something is wrong.” Lewis takes another step towards him. 

“You don’t have to pretend to be concerned about me.” Max scoffs and takes a large swig of his champagne. 

“Cool. Except that I’m not pretending. We’re pack. I’m worried about you when you’re drinking alone in an alley instead of celebrating your win.” Lewis steps forward again, and this time he doesn’t stop when Max flinches. 

Lewis reaches out for Max, to lay a hand on Max’s shoulder. Simply to comfort him, to let him know that he wasn’t alone. Right up until the moment Max snaps at him again.

“Don’t touch me!”

No. 

Not Max. Max the alpha. The alpha did not just snaps, but commands. 

Lewis feels it. The words like a vice, like chains pulled tight against his body, stopping any forward motion in an instant. He has no choice in it, no will of his own. An alpha commanded him to stop, and his omega body complied. There is no other option. 

Max used an alpha command, and Lewis has no choice but to obey. 

I will not touch him , Lewis thinks, unsure if even the thought is his own, or one put there, and then the compulsion releases. Lewis steps back, his movements jerky and uncoordinated. He is shaking so much that his legs refuse to hold him up any longer. Lewis falls, ass hitting the hard ground as he looks up at Max. 

The alpha is looking down at Lewis with horror in his blue eyes. “I– Lewis–”

Max doesn’t seem capable of gathering his thoughts or finding any words. Simply capable of looking on in horror. 

“I’m sorry,” he somehow manages before walking away.  He does not stop to help Lewis up.

Lewis doesn’t tell Valtteri. When Pierre asks in the omega chat what Lewis wants to do for podium privileges, Lewis replies that he wants to spend the night with Valtteri. All he wants is Valtteri. When the alpha climbs into Lewis’ nest, the omega feels small. He feels afraid of the alpha. Valtteri could do the same thing, he could use his alpha voice to command Lewis to do whatever he wanted. And Lewis would have to comply. 

“Lewis?” Valtteri whispers. He can sense something is wrong, that something had happened. Lewis feels guilty that he can. 

This is Valtteri. This is the alpha that had seen him in a rut triggered pre-heat and kept him safe. This is the alpha that did not ask him to explain, just asked him what he wanted for breakfast. Valtteri was not Max. He was not the same kind of alpha. 

Lewis moves closer, wrapping his arms around Valtteri, and pulling the alpha close. Lewis reminds himself Valtteri would never command him. Lewis isn’t even sure Max had meant to, but he knows Valtteri would never. He lets himself melt against Valtteri. 

Lewis knows that Valtteri would take it up with Max if he knew that the Dutch alpha had alpha commanded him, and maybe even bring Fernando, as Pack Alpha, into it. Lewis can’t. He can’t deal with that tonight. Tonight, he just needs Valtteri. 

Lewis hides his face against Valtteri’s neck, the alpha holding him close. Lewis lets the feeling he gets with the Finnish alpha wash through him. Complete safety. He knows that as long as Valtteri is here, nothing can touch him.

 “Are you alright?” Valtteri asks against Lewis’ temple. It is soft, leaving his question open for Lewis to answer but not demanding one if Lewis did not want to answer. 

“I just want to hold you tonight,” Lewis sighs. When Valtteri does not push further, only shifting enough to kiss the top of Lewis’ head, the rest of the omega’s fear dissolves. With Valtteri he is alright. With Valtteri he is safe. 

The feeling that something was very wrong, coupled with the feeling of needing to stay away from Max lingered with Lewis through Brazil. Lewis tested the feeling a few times. Any time he thought of touching Max, his muscles felt tight, and the more he thought about it, the more paralyzed he felt. Apparently, the effects of an alpha command do not fade just because the alpha was gone. Max had commanded Lewis not to touch him, and Lewis knew in his gut that, if he tried to touch Max even now, those chains would wrap around his limbs again, keep him in place. 

The only relief he has found is Valtteri. 

Whenever Lewis has begun to feel overwhelmed by the feeling of Max’s lingering command, he would find Valtteri. Sometimes it was simply a touch, Valtteri squeezing Lewis’ hand or kissing him gently when they are alone to calm him. Sometimes, Lewis is only able to catch his gaze across the paddock, or can feel the alpha’s affectionate gaze even from behind his mirrored helmet visor. And it calms him.

Any feeling of wrong is wiped clean as he crosses the finish line. Second place. 

George is first. 

George with his maiden victory in Brazil and Lewis can’t feel more proud. 

Getting out of the car, Lewis runs to George immediately, holding the alpha tight in an embrace, feeling him shake with excitement. Lewis is also shaking, soaking up the joy from his fellow Brit. 1 and 2 in one of his favorite places in the world On the podium, as he sprays George with champagne, he sees the alphas’s eyes filled with tears of joy. He was finally a Formula 1 race winner, and Lewis couldn’t be happier for him. He is happy he gets to celebrate it alongside him. 

Podium privileges this time includes the alphas. Nothing too shocking for their first time, and the first event the whole pack is invited to. Lewis chose a post race cuddle session with movies, video games, and snacks. Almost the entire pack had gathered within two hours after the race in the pack room. Enough time for everyone to have debriefed, celebrate, and get showered. The only members of the pack missing are Max, Nicky, Lance, and George. 

Lewis can’t bring himself to be upset about Max not joining them. Not yet. He hasn’t forgiven Max yet for alpha commanding him. That would require an actual apology from the alpha. 

As for Nicky, Lance, and George, Lewis assumes they are having their own celebration. Naturally, Lance and Nicky would want to give George a proper celebration for his first win. Lewis expect to not see them. 

He certainly does not expect to pick up the acrid scent of a distressed omega, putting him on alert immediately as Nicholas is the first through the door. Equally distressed are the scents of alpha and beta as Lance and George follow closely behind. Nicky’s gaze darts around the pack room, quickly finding Lewis and going straight for him. The omega throwing his arms around Lewis’ shoulders and mewling softly in distress. 

“Nicky? Is everything ok?” Lewis asks. Lewis can feel a sense of dread building deep in his belly. What could possibly have the three of them so upset on an evening that should be joyous? What had happened?

“Oh, Lewis,” Lance sighs, coming to join Nicky in his tight embrace of Lewis. Lewis feels the dread increase. 

With Nicky and Lance hugging him, Lewis looks over their shoulders to George for answers. Any trace of the joy of winning the race Lewis had seen in the alpha's eyes is gone. Only devastation left in its wake. Expression grim. “Lewis, I’m so sorry,” he says equally as grim, and holds out his phone.  

Open on George’s illuminated screen is a news article. The first thing to catch Lewis’ eyes is a picture of him. From earlier in the season, it is a candid shot he has not seen before. But Lewis can recognize the moment instantly. It was from Miami. Snapped when Max had pushed him against the wall. Back when Lewis’ omega instincts were still claiming Max as his alpha. When his body still longed for Max. It was the first time Max had touched him after Lewis’ transition to an omega. In the photo, Lewis looks blissed out, pleased to have Max close. It was moments before Lewis realized Max had been saying Daniel’s name, not his. Moments before the tether that tied Lewis to Max snapped. 

And then Lewis sees the headline. 

 

BREAKING IN BRAZIL: Alpha Verstappen Opens Up About Hamilton’s Bitching

 

Lewis’ vison tunnels onto those ten words before blurring. There is a roaring in his ears, like a waterfall he’d hike to over summer break.  He can’t feel Lance and Nicky holding onto him and he is not even sure if they are still there. The entirety of his existence has been reduced to ten words. 

It didn’t matter what else the article said. Ten words just changed his life forever . 

Notes:

ghostmyghosthost is a saint for betaing this beast of a chapter. Literally all my love and devotion to Ghostie.

There is just one more chapter (and possibly and epilogue), and then this portion of the story will be over. Don't worry, though, I have more things planned! Come join us in the discord server!

Notes:

All of my affection and gratitude to IICarpeDiemII who has been my brainstorming partner, beta reader, and cheerleader as I write this fic!

You can find me on tumblr @eiffelover!

Series this work belongs to:

• Part 2 of cathedrals